Anyone who’s worked with wind turbine blades or just seen one up close can attest to the massive size of these clean-energy workhorses. Ever thought about what happens to that costly, high-tech material once the blade reaches the end of its lifespan in 20 years or so?
Florida's advanced manufacturing industries are diverse and include sectors producing intermediate and finished products ranging from plastics and micro-electronics to tortillas and motor vehicles.
Formlabs, known for its line of desktop stereolithography (SLA) printers, is looking to expand its 3D printing reach with availability of its new Fuse 1 benchtop industrial selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printer. Under development for nearly seven years, the Fuse 1 marks a notable change for Formlabs as they expand into a new additive manufacturing process.
Despite the challenges of COVID-19, research and expert analytics predict market growth in the near future for manufacturing in numerous industries, many of which rely on parts and components that require precision grinding.
Precision grinding operations cover all applications that require dimensions with tight tolerances and low Ra surface finish requirements, including cylindrical external grinding (OD), internal grinding (ID), surface grinding and creepfeed grinding.
While recent advancements in machining centers have allowed for increased capability around high-volume operations, there are several factors that still necessitate the need for grinding.
NSK America Corp. has upgraded its Ultrasonic Polisher with the Sheenus ZERO. Enhanced features of the Sheenus ZERO Ultrasonic Polisher include an improved, user-friendly design and high efficiency power, according to the company.
Christoph Fedler, project director for equipment management at Rolls-Royce Germany, was facing a challenge: He needed to increase the available capacity of the prime discipline at the Oberursel facility, namely micrometer-precise grinding of curvic couplings.
The deburring and finishing of machined and fabricated parts is a necessary but often disregarded step in the manufacturing process.
A burr could become a danger point in the turbine engine. Classical manufacturing processes like turning, milling and grinding can lead to burr formation and unwanted sharp edges.