Should the US Copyright Office oversee whether 3D printer operators can use feedstock not approved by their machine’s maker to turn out medical devices or airplane parts, or is that the role of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), respectively?
Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is a fast-growing field that offers many advantages over traditional techniques. It can create more complex parts than either machining or casting, can fuse different materials together, and is sometimes less expensive in low-volume or prototype applications.
A fused filament 3D printer has saved a custom outdoor lighting manufacturer tens of thousands of dollars a year, improving operations and winning more business. The purchase also helped retain customers who would previously have gone elsewhere for specialized parts.
Large-scale operational transitions can emulate loss to employees who are comfortable with existing systems.
AI software enables the company to capture relevant runtime metadata and put it into context to create useful information in real time.
Interoperability will make the autonomous mobile robot’s world go ‘round
Larger manufacturing enterprises have benefitted from smart-manufacturing innovations while smaller manufacturers have lagged behind—but that is changing.
Guill Tool has announced its intent to offer merchant machining services to the global aerospace industry.
Tide Rock Holdings, a San Diego-based holding company, recently acquired Plastic Molding Technology, a full-service precision injection molding company located in El Paso, Texas.
Five-axis machining has progressed from exotic to mainstream over the past few years.
