Industry News

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) and the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center – Research & Development (OMIC R&D) have united to define a set of Metrology standards and to develop a metrology certification process. Metrology, the study of measurement, has far-reaching applications in the manufacturing industry. The ability to compare and verify a physical part against its CAD model is in high demand, and that demand is predicted to increase.

At first blush, hardness and toughness may seem like interchangeable concepts, but they actually exist at opposite ends of a continuum that defines indexable and solid tool performance, particularly when it comes to carbide inserts. Harder inserts offer greater wear resistance for superior performance and tool life in hot cutting environments, while tough inserts can handle greater impacts and stressors for the highest feed and depth of cut. For any given application, there is an optimal balance of hardness and toughness – and toolmakers have worked diligently to establish metallurgic principles to offer a range of tools that can meet the diverse needs of manufacturers.

Manufacturing is transitioning from a linear supply chain world to a much more adaptable internet of goods. Just as the internet is built on the TCP/IP stack, the internet of goods will be built on a new manufacturing stack that goes beyond the factory floor.

Our discourse on the manufacturing renaissance is marked by a failure to take hysteresis into account. First, I will select representative voices from the discourse. Then I will present a bracing article from IndustryWeek. I’ll conclude by merely alluding to remedies.

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) is now offering standardized CAM credentials, CAM Milling and Turning. “The CAM field continues to grow and is expected to create almost 100,000 new programmer, designer, and engineer jobs by 2024,” said NIMS Executive Director Montez King. “It is imperative that people entering the field are properly trained and capable, and these credentials show a potential employer that applicants are ready to program CNC machine tools. Further, employees already on the job may wish to secure an official, portable, industry-recognized certification.”

Precision and efficiency have become the leading demands for manufacturing. Modern equipment is changing rapidly. Sturdier, harder materials are used, complex geometries with tight tolerances and fine surface finishes are required, and all that has to be done at a faster pace. This race toward product perfection involves using professional custom machining services for more and more industries and for a lot of different purposes.

When tariff hikes began in spring 2018, companies associated with manufacturing immediately went on alert. Over the past year and a half, continued escalations have increased pressure on U.S. and China relations, leaving international companies that rely on Chinese manufacturing looking to reduce uncertainty with short- and long-term solutions.

The global cutting tool inserts market is likely to account for ~US$ 18.1 Bn by the end of the assessment year 2019, and is estimated to expand at a CAGR of ~7.0% during the forecast period of 2019-2029. Among the type of material, the carbides segment is anticipated to grow at a noteworthy rate, owing to their cost effectiveness and durability, thereby contributing to the relatively high growth rate of the carbides segment over the forecast period.

The human hand is still regarded as the benchmark when it comes to flexibility of gripping tools. Humanoid manipulators that enable the widest variety of gripping variants will be more and more in demand in future, particularly when it comes to service and assistance robotics. In addition, the factor of economical viability is increasingly important.

G.H. Tool & Mold has expanded its capacity and capability by adding a second GOM ATOS Triple Scan high-resolution, 3D optical digitizer for automated measuring and inspection of its casting dies.

Precision Tool Technologies Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of high-quality products and services for wholesale optical laboratories and retail optical industries. The company's first success came in the precision machining of polishing tools and mold inserts for the optical industry, where accuracy of ±0.0001” and surface finishes of 4 Ra are required. For successful operations, this level of excellence must be repeatable on a daily (and nightly) basis. During the course of perfecting their techniques, Precision Tool became the “go to” company for solving difficult machining problems for a variety of industries. Haimer has been a key partner in helping them maintain this competitive edge.

Many of America’s leading entrepreneurs have immigrant backgrounds, playing a vital role in driving innovation and economic growth. In this article, Eurotech Gold customer Victor DaCruz, owner, and his wife, Betty DaCruz, the chief financial officer and human resources director of DACRUZ Manufac-turing, Bristol, Connecticut, share their company’s business philosophy and the history of how his family started in business.

Things seem to be going very well for American manufacturing. Since 2009, 1.2 million manufacturing jobs have been created. The fracking industry has significantly lowered energy costs. Unemployment has reached a low of 3.8%, and 145,000 jobs were re-shored in 2018. We have had 10 years of growth since the Great Recession, and many articles in the past year suggest that the U.S. is in a manufacturing renaissance. But are we?

Michigan is taking steps to build on a tradition of innovation by investing in the workers, thinkers and leaders of tomorrow. This effort was on display last month at Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow's Learning Lab summer bridge program, which allowed University Prep Science & Math High School students from Detroit to tour the building and meet manufacturers and educators.

The economy is not just the stock market. A number of factors contribute to the overall health of the economy, and one of them is manufacturing. Although the jury is still out on whether a recession is coming for the broader economy, some people are concerned that a recession has arrived in the manufacturing sector.

Across every industry, manufacturers are working to meet growing customer demand in a globally competitive market. Despite a widening skills gap, by organizing advanced technology into highly optimized work cells, manufacturers are maximizing productivity through automation.

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology developed robots that have the ability to reason about shape, function and attachment of unrelated parts. This lets the robots build basic tools by combining objects. The breakthrough is a significant step toward enabling intelligent agents to devise tools that could prove useful in hazardous situations.

A third of Generation Z — adults ages 18 to 22 — have had manufacturing suggested as a career option compared with 18% of millennials and 13% of the general adult population, according to a new study. Gen Z is 7% more likely to consider working in the manufacturing industry and 12% less likely to view it as in decline compared with the general population.

The aging U.S. population and labor force weigh particularly heavy on one economic sector: manufacturing. While an aging population affects most sectors, its impact on manufacturing could be outsized for a couple of reasons.

For the first time, the annual World Robotics report includes a specific analysis on the market for collaborative robots, documenting a robust 23% growth worldwide. The International Federation of Robotics’ report indicates that a substantial part of the adoption will be driven by more intelligent components, such as smart grippers, “plug and play” interfaces and programming by demonstrations.