The future of the auto industry is interesting but uncertain. No one knows how quickly electric vehicles are going to replace gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles, how completely it will happen, and when it will occur in passenger cars as opposed to SUVs and heavy trucks.
In the age of Industry 4.0 and the digital thread, computer-aided design (CAD) data exchange should be open and seamless because it happens daily in a multi-tiered supplier ecosystem and so much interoperability depends on it. But we are not there yet.
My first experience with additive manufacturing was 10 years ago when I managed a project to develop a 3D-printed, remotely piloted aircraft. Within this program, a 3D-printed parts producer, that mainly printed prototypes at the time, collaborated with a university and an aerospace systems manufacturer.
At this week’s RAPID + TCT show, there was an emphasis on how 3D printing was part of the present and not so much part of a distant future. Various companies – from makers of 3D printers to suppliers of materials – talked about how additive manufacturing is part of the present.
In the fast-changing world of motorized vehicle manufacturing, supply chain companies are now offering numerous software suites, bringing digitalization software and customizable applications to machine tool builders, alongside CNC hardware and operating software.
SyncFab will give more than 1,300 National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) members access to its advanced manufacturing blockchain platform, the company said today. As the national representative of the precision custom manufacturing industry, NTMA members generate more than $30 billion in sales combined.
GF Machining Solutions will unveil four new products for the first time in North America at its 2019 GF Solutions Days: the AgieCharmilles CUT C 350; the Microlution ML-10 and MLTC; and the DMP Flex 350.
Dr. Markus Flik, CEO, Chiron Group recently announced the appointment of Steve Morris as Chiron America’s new president and chief executive officer effective immediately. Chiron America is a unit of Chiron Group, Tuttlingen Germany, a designer and builder of vertical milling and turning centers and flexible machining systems.
Using lasers to cut metal, especially sheet metal or tubes, continues to show its value. The market is becoming dominated by the newer solid-state fiber laser over its CO2 gas rival. Fiber’s advantages in ease of operation, packaging and efficiency are clear.
Precision Tool Technologies Inc., Brainerd, Minn., is a manufacturer and distributor of high quality products and services for wholesale optical laboratories and retail optical industries.