When an unanticipated global crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts national economies in a domino-like effect, a rapid response is required to mitigate supply chain disruptions.
Manufacturing Engineering last covered the pluses and minuses of combining additive and subtractive machining in detail in July 2017.
The impact of disruptive technology and the benefits of Industry 4.0 digitization of controls, machines and processes have been fully embraced by the metal removal segment of advanced manufacturing.
Over the past decade, IMTS has been a good indicator of the changing status of additive manufacturing. The show’s floor space devoted to 3D printing expanded from 2014 to 2018, reaching pavilion status at the most recent show. It had been scheduled to grow even more at IMTS 2020 before the show’s cancellation.
The credential hanging on my wall that swells me with pride is my machinist certificate. That apprenticeship experience was the “ON!” switch for my career path. The brightness of that light helped maintain the vision and the hope even as I faced significant racial bias almost 30 years ago.
I met a man recently. He had worked at a small manufacturing company for 20 plus years and was the sole technician responsible for the assembly of his company’s most complex product. After years of dedication to the company, he was set to retire.
The economic challenges brought forth by COVID-19 are causing a more intense focus in manufacturing on the need for the kind of alacrity achieved with digital tools and the kind of digital savvy achieved with strong partnerships.
The ML75P collects thousands of data samples from the vibrating tool tip within milliseconds.
Beginning around six years ago, one machine tool builder after another added laser cutting and even welding to their products’ already impressive repertoires.
Metal 3D printing can enable rapid, low cost iterations of new medical devices, since no tooling costs are involved.