Industry News

Expand existing capacity or turn down orders? Many companies are caught in this dilemma. Every time a company turns down an order, it risks losing that customer and potential orders. If the company has no alternative but to accept new orders, at some point the existing machines will reach their limits. What then?

Whether they're required for downstream manufacturing steps or for error-free functioning, surface characteristics are decisive with regard to part and product quality. Processes such as deburring and precision surface finishing are becoming more and more significant as a result – regardless of whether the parts are produced by means of erosion, forming, primary forming or additive manufacturing. DeburringEXPO, the world's only trade fair that deals exclusively with the removal of burrs and the production of precision surface finishes, will be held at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre from Oct. 8-10, 2019.

CNC machining is one of the most common methods used to manufacture parts and products. The use of computer numerical controls allows parts to be manufactured using a highly automated process, which has the upper hand on many conventional manufacturing methods in terms of speed, production rate and accuracy. However, determining the right material for the process can be a daunting task.

It is time to put smarter manufacturing into production. An increase in the data and sensors available to the manufacturing industry has made it much easier to gather data on manufacturing efficiency through the internet of things. However, IoT systems tend to look at sensors at an individual level, which limits the ability to forecast anomalies across a manufacturing operation, as each sensor can measure only a specific part of the operation. To address this issue, a team of researchers has created a framework for system-level anomaly prediction in manufacturing.

As the aerospace industry in Canada and around the world continues to increase its use of automated composite manufacturing techniques to produce large aircraft components, the industry is eager to find solutions to manufacture reliable, safe, and cost effective composite structures. The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Fives are working together to improve the efficiency of manufacturing composite parts. They are developing an advanced profilometer that will provide faster and more accurate part inspection.

It becomes increasingly important as the table travel is increased. Ambient temperature changes are one obvious source of thermal expansion. As the positioning table warms, its constituent parts undergo expansion, at a specific rate for any material. Accordingly, to permit any two users to agree on what constitutes an "accurate" positioning system, all critical dimensional measurements world-wide are understood to take place at 20 degrees C (68 degrees F).

Connecticut's manufacturing future continues to evolve. The dirty, dark and dangerous shop floors of yesterday have increasingly become bright spaces with smart technology. Advanced manufacturing, robotics and the internet of things are more than buzzwords—they're happening. But with all the advancements on the manufacturing floor comes a corresponding need to improve the approach to developing the workforce necessary to ensure success.

The big technology platforms get all the attention these days. But the biggest tech news of 2019 may turn out to be the rise of manufacturing platforms: companies that rewrite the rules of production and product development and in the process create opportunities for local manufacturing.

Generally, when using abrasive wheels to grind parts, a dressing tool is required to maintain form and finish within specifications. Several options exist when choosing the type of dressing tool for an operation. These include single-point diamond tools, diamonds blade tools, form or plunge roll diamond wheels and "rotary single-point," or "traversing rotary," dressing.

A trend in manufacturing is toward tailor-made products in smaller lots with shorter delivery times. This change may lead to frequent production modifications resulting in increased machine downtime, higher production costs, product waste and the need to rework faulty products. To satisfy the customer demand behind this trend, manufacturers must move quickly to new production models. Quality assurance is the key area that information technology must support.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership has a unique position in the federal government that allows the MEP to collect and analyze feedback directly from clients served by the MEP's national network. This provides the MEP program with a wealth of information that guides the MEP's approaches to serving the U.S. manufacturing industry both now and in the future. At the start of a new year, it is important to take a step back and look at what clients are saying. Being responsive to the needs of manufacturers and helping mitigate their challenges are two of the program's goals. Integrating client feedback to help clients prepare for future challenges is important.

I haven't received any books about manufacturing lately, but a PDF of the new book "Rock Stars at Home" landed in my inbox, so I read it.