Who Controls Feedstock Used in 3D Printers? March 2, 2018 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?
Optical Comparators Adapt and Grow March 1, 2018 Beware predictions of the demise of any technology. If the early 1920s saw the dawn of the optical comparator, there has been much speculation about its sunset. That was especially true when vision systems started hitting their stride a few years ago. Many could see optical comparators were superfluous with the use of vision systems. Many thought the sunset of optical comparators was imminent. Many were wrong. Why?
Roush Looks to 3D Printing February 9, 2018 Roush Enterprises (Livonia, MI) decided to go big with 3D printing. The company spent $4.5 million over 14 months on five additive manufacturing machines, software, facility upgrades and engineering personnel and equipment.
Test and Measurement Gear Evolves to Measure AM Parts February 5, 2018 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.
AM Producers Seek Solutions to Production Barriers February 28, 2018 Additive manufacturing holds potential for many possible new frontiers in the aerospace industry, and manufacturers in aviation and space flight are reaching for those new vistas. But they’re held back at less than warp speed due to a lack of awareness, unmet technological needs and the absence of a formal regulatory process in their highly regulated industry.
Nikon Metrology to Sell CMM Business to ASF Metrology February 9, 2018 ASF Metrology (Varallo, Italy) will acquire the coordinate measuring machines (CMM) business from Nikon Metrology which intends to focus on non-contract metrology.
In-House 3D Printer Saves Firm Thousands January 8, 2018 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.
Walk-Up Metrology Strolls into Machine Shops January 3, 2018 There are many times when a machinist, while cutting a few parts or getting ready for an initial run, needs to check a few parts or a few critical features.
UL, Tooling U-SME Sign Letter of Intent on 3D Printing Training, Certification December 19, 2017 NORTHBROOK, IL, Dec. 19, 2017 – UL, a global safety science company, and Tooling U-SME, a leader in manufacturing workforce and education development, announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) focused on a new collaboration to enhance workforce training and development efforts for manufacturers wanting to increase their capabilities in additive manufacturing.
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.