Walking the Talk at IMTS 2018 October 10, 2018 I just returned from IMTS in Chicago and my first thought was, “where will I be able to rack up all those bonus steps I got last week?” On the easiest day, I walked 7.9 miles, and I topped 10 miles on two other days. It’s easy to understand why.
Cryo cooling improves machining of super-hard materials, gummy polymers November 28, 2017 If you’re trying to optimize metalcutting speeds, especially in difficult-to-machine materials, “Heat transfer is the name of the game.” That’s the summary offered up by Ranajit Ghosh, manager of applications R&D and growth for Air Products (Allentown, PA). “Most heat from a machining operation exits through the chip, but some transfers to the cutting tool, toolholder, machine spindle and workpiece. Heat buildup in the cutting tool causes thermal softening of the edge, which is why we often have to employ coolant.”
Smart Tools’ Target: Data Analysis, Not Paralysis November 28, 2017 The road to manufacturing success today runs through the mountain of data that tools are generating in metalcutting applications, and most importantly communicating and reacting to in real time on the shop floor.
New Automation Makes EDMs Faster, More Efficient November 1, 2017 While EDMs offer the benefits of holding tight tolerances, working on nearly any metal, and being well suited for delicate or fragile parts, knowledgeable operators for the machines are increasingly hard to find and robots can’t always fill the gap. Automated processes in the machines, newer designs and features of Industry 4.0 are helping to solve the problem.
New Materials Revolutionize Part Manufacturing November 28, 2017 New materials for additive manufacturing are used for a diverse range of applications, including 3D paints for making human tissue-like cells; a hardenable stainless steel powder for surgical instruments; and a sustainable composite reinforced with bamboo fibers that resembles wood when printed.
3D Printing Large Metal Parts for Land, Sea, Air October 4, 2017 Sciaky Inc. (Chicago) has staked its claim to being the leading provider of metal 3D printing solutions for large parts approved for land, sea, air, and space applications, with the latest success being its Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) technology. Sciaky was called upon to manufacture a titanium variable ballast (VB) tank for a submarine manufacturer.
The Quest for Safer 3D Printing Materials October 18, 2017 When Desktop Metal introduced its “office-friendly” Studio metal prototype printer earlier this year, the company renewed attention on the issue of safer materials for binder jetting, an additive manufacturing method.
Heading to Mars? Pack a 3D Printer! November 30, 2017 If NASA’s Journey to Mars project succeeds, the astronauts who make the 140 million-mile (225 million-km) trip to the Red Planet in the 2030s will need someplace to stay. The space agency is looking at 3D printing, using on-site materials, to manufacture humanity’s first deep space home.
Kiekert Developing Autonomous Door Systems October 26, 2017 Cars of the future always will be more intelligent and they also will be able to drive autonomously.
New Aerospace Materials Require New Cutting Tools November 28, 2017 In aerospace manufacturing, where high strength, light weight, and corrosion resistance are key material traits, those same qualities make materials hard to machine. In response, Greenleaf offers a new ceramic for cutting tools, Sandvik Coromant’s advice for machining new, complex titaniums is to go slow, and RobbJack has designed a drill specifically for CFRP composites.
