Daimler may be the first vehicle maker to offer 3D-printed replacement parts, but racing enthusiasts and car collectors like Jay Leno have been using additive manufacturing and 3D scanning for many years to replace worn-out parts or to enhance their rides.
There’s an old saw that if bumblebees were aeronautical engineers they would know they can’t fly. Quite apart from the miracle of their flight, bees also happen to make a lightweight structure of surprising strength, just the sort of thing you’d want if you were building aircraft: honeycomb.
Ovako, a producer of clean steel, has made several enhancements to its online Steel Navigator. This digital tool is designed to help customers search for specific steel grades by group, quality, type of process, product and chemical composition.
Producing metal products is one of the most energy intensive industries. Improving both energy and production efficiency, as well as ensuring product quality is at the top of any manufacturers to do list. Engineers should consider using fixed thermal imaging cameras to optimize their manufacturing process.
Materials science has opened new possibilities for designers of cars, planes and other products. Metal alloys are now as precisely engineered as they are machined. The result is longer lasting, stronger parts. But with a wider selection of materials comes risk—how can you be sure that one piece of gray metal stock is different than another? Careful warehousing procedures and paperwork only go so far.
I’m among the first to dive into the latest manufacturing innovations and see how they can improve our customers’ operations. Yet, I’m also among the first to advise them to pause and ensure that the fundamentals of their manufacturing processes are in place before adding something new into the complex mix of functionality and desired outcomes.
Reflections from one-half of the team who brought us selective laser sintering (SLS)
GlobalFoundries Secures $3.1 Billion 10-Year DoD Contract for Cutting-Edge Semiconductor Manufacturing, Bolstering National Security and Innovation.
Mantle Inc. takes home the prize with its patented TrueShape process. If the company and its employees have anything to say about it, toolmaking will never be the same.
United Airlines Invests in Electrified Aviation Powertrains to Advance Sustainable Air Travel, Aligning with Net-Zero Emissions Goal and Industry-Wide Eco-Friendly Efforts.
