Demand for machining titanium for aerospace applications won’t abate any time soon. It is driving OEMs and the supply chain in the commercial airplane market to find ways to dramatically increase machining output. Whatever date you pick from now until 2030, there’s a sufficient backlog of commercial airliners for both structural and jet engine applications to keep spindles humming around the clock cutting titanium.
Why use a metrology device on or near a machine tool? It isn’t just useful for making sure a tool is present or monitoring tools for wear or breakage. On-machine measurement technologies can save time and money, by speeding up processes and eliminating extra personnel, and they are a critical step in the movement towards “lights-out” manufacturing.
Micro components continue to shrink in size, demanding ever-greater precision and improved handling of parts with sub-micron-sized features. New approaches in micro machining technology include higher-precision systems from traditional micro machining developers, as well as techniques using additive manufacturing processes and semiconductor wafer-scale technology on the smallest of micro parts.
The challenges to manufacturing as it evolves into the 21st century are now familiar, and impact how metrology must contribute. Manufacturers face uncertain production volumes with roller-coaster demand, shorter production runs and faster product development cycles. Automation, while alluring as a way to reduce cost, needs to adjust.
Overall, there are two overriding customer needs: reducing cycle time and machine downtime. They want higher feed rates and depth of cut for greater metal removal.
Cutting tool technology continues to advance, and manufacturers can take advantage of a wide range of new cutting tool products. In this episode, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Tim Easton, National Sales Manager for NTK Cutting Tools.
Sandvik Coromant has announced a new partnership with Autodesk. The collaboration was officially announced on November 17, 2020 at Autodesk University 2020 — an online conference for design and manufacturing.
Medical manufacturing, like other industries, faces intensive demands for improved productivity. As a result, many manufacturers are focused on achieving greater efficiencies and precision in making small parts.
Difficult materials and high-speed machining don’t just present problems for cutting tools. They can also push toolholders to their limits—and beyond. So manufacturers offer a variety of products designed to get the toolholding job done under extreme machining conditions.
Manufacturers are featuring some of the latest equipment and software for metrology, quality assurance, and collecting information for process control.
