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GE Looks at the Future of Cutting Tools

“Manufacturers who conduct a lot of machining know that the cost of productivity of a machining operation is inextricably connected to the selection of the cutting tool and the process for managing them,” writes GE Industry Analyst Andy Henderson in a GE Digital blog post. “In the utopian future, the manufacturing intelligence system will automatically control how cutting tools are used and automatically optimize the cost of machining operations.”

China won’t own next-gen manufacturing

"With rising salaries, labor unrest, environmental devastation and intellectual property theft, China is no longer an attractive place for Western companies to move their manufacturing," writes Vivek Wadhwa. "Technology has also eliminated the labor cost advantage. [China] built its dominance in manufacturing by offering massive subsidies, cheap labor, and lax regulations. With technologies such as robotics and 3D printing, it has no edge."

The contours of a robotic 3D-printing platform

05/01/2016
Author:
William Leventon
Arevo Labs hopes its new RAMP leads to better 3D-printed componets for the defense and aerospace industries. Arevo touts RAMP (Robot-based Additive Manufacturing Platform) as the first system of its kind optimized for 3D printing of composite thermoplastic parts. The system includes a 6-axis robot arm and end-effector hardware for deposition. RAMP can accommodate build envelopes from 1,000 cu. mm to 8 cu. m, depending on the size of the robot used. The end effector consists of a deposition head with special thermal management technology for processing carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics.
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Moving large, complex parts calls for specialized equipment

05/01/2016
Author:
Christopher Tate
Until I started working for Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas, lifting parts was never a consideration in daily production. Previously, the parts I dealt with were small, usually never larger than a dinner plate. Lifting equipment, such as forklifts and pallet jacks, were often employed, but only to move raw materials to a machine tool or to load and unload trucks—never as part of the production process. 
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Night moves

09/01/2010
Five shops use different lights-out machining strategies, but all are focused on creating stable processes.
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Automated honing boosts production

02/01/2011
END USER: Sonic Industries Div., Sargent Aerospace & Defense Group, (310) 532-8382, www.sargentaerospace.com. CHALLENGE: Reduce cycle times while holding critical dimensional and finish tolerances. SOLUTION: Automated honing machine with superabrasive tools. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Sunnen Products Co., (800) 325-3670, www.sunnen.com
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Washed Away

04/01/2011
With a substantial portion of the U.S. manufacturing base in earthquake-prone California, we would be wise to study how Japan orchestrates this recovery, suggests CTE Editorial Director Alan Rooks in his April 2011 Lead Angle editorial.
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