Michael C. Anderson

Articles • August 17, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Choosing a parts-marking method depends on the application

Until a couple of years ago, the Food and Drug Administration required a unique identifier on each distinct assembly of a medical device in human- and machine-readable forms. That rule has changed. Now, every individual component in an assembly must be marked as well. Traceability is becoming more and more prevalent, not only in the medical device sector but throughout manufacturing.

Articles • August 16, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Look Ahead: Trochoidal endmill (over)laps competition

Trochoidal milling is a relatively new cutting strategy that involves the overlapping of circular toolpaths with linear movement. It is well-suited for difficult-to-machine materials and thin-walled components.

Articles • August 15, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Look Ahead: Titanic robot, tiny tolerances

An item in the Look Ahead department of the August 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine features large-volume, high-accuracy robots.

Articles • July 27, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Look Ahead: an oscillating laser head for joining, cutting

The welDYNA laser scan head from SCANLAB America Inc. uses beam oscillation to improve both joining and cutting applications. Designed for multiple-kilowatt lasers of high beam quality, the scan head features a digital servocontrol and an integrated sensor system for real-time monitoring.

Articles • July 26, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Look Ahead: a novel 3D-connector inspection system

G2 Technologies has developed a customizable, automated 3D inspection system in response to a customer's need to inspect small electronic connectors. This niche is very specific, but impacts aerospace, automotive and other industries. The global market for the connectors industry is projected to reach $80.3 billion by 2022, according to G2.

Articles • July 18, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Abrasive waterjets now a viable 3D cutting option

Abrasive waterjet systems have always provided some advantages for parts manufacturers. For one, the high-pressure stream of water and abrasive grit, usually garnet, that is delivered to the workpiece surface can cut through pretty much any material. For another, being a cold process, abrasive waterjetting (AWJ) doesn't create a heat-affected zone.

News • June 28, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Capgemini report: Smart Factory investments, expectations are booming

Capgemini's Digital Transformation Institute reports that manufacturers expect investments in smart factories will drive a 27 percent increase in their operation efficiency over the next five years. This would add $500 billion in annual added value to the global economy. Fifty-six percent of surveyed manufacturing executives said their companies have invested $100 million or more in smart factory initiatives over the past five years, while 20 percent claim to have invested $500 million or more.

News • June 23, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Large-volume robotic machining just got more accurate

In 2007 the KUKA Titan entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest and strongest robot in the world. A decade later a modified version of the behemoth has been given accuracy unprecedented for its size—better than 100µm (0.0039").

Articles • June 21, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Look Ahead: Point-and-click robot control

It takes knowledge and skill to get a robot to do exactly what a manufacturer wants. A new interface designed by Georgia Institute of Technology researchers is reportedly simpler and more efficient than most control interfaces and doesn't require significant training.

Articles • June 20, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Look Ahead: 3D printing picks up the pace

Desktop Metal Inc., a 2-year-old startup, developed a different method of metal 3D printing that it calls an "office-friendly" system for rapid prototyping. The Desktop Metal (DM) Studio system is based on a new approach—Single Pass Jetting (SPJ), which was created by the inventors of the binder-jetting and the single-pass inkjet processes.

News • June 16, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Jenoptik opens new North America technology campus

On June 15, officials from the Jenoptik board of directors, the city of Rochester Hills, Mich., Oakland County and the state of Michigan, gathered at the company's new facility in Rochester Hills to mark the grand opening. The building covers 100,000 sq. ft. on a 16-acre campus. Half of that acreage will be devoted to the production of laser cutting systems and automated gaging solutions for the automotive industry in North America.

Articles • June 16, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Scanning a hypercar

Koenigsegg, the Swedish manufacturer of high-end, high-performance sports cars, was featured in the 2016 documentary "APEX: The Story of the Hypercar," which describes the battle for a new class of high-speed, fast-pickup sport scars.