Manufacturing Engineering: April 2019
The April 2019 edition of Manufacturing Engineering is available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.
Aerospace Machining Solves Challenges Big and Small
April 3, 2019
Aerospace machining encompasses machines small and large. These range from the Tornos SwissNano to the Makino MAG3, as Rich Sullivan put it. He is the OEM manager for Iscar Metals Inc., Arlington, Texas.
By Ed Sinkora
Contributing Editor,
SME Media
Beyond Niche: Alternative Manufacturing for Aerospace Parts
April 3, 2019
A typical commercial jetliner contains millions of discrete components, yet provided the plane arrives at its destination safely, on schedule, and hopefully without a screaming baby behind them, most of the flying public could care less how any of those parts were made.
By Kip Hanson
Contributing Editor,
SME Media
Structured Vision in Manufacturing
April 4, 2019
Structured light systems measure surfaces by projecting a pattern of fringes, then using cameras and sophisticated software to convert them into point clouds of metrology data. Accuracy can reach the single-digit microns over millions of points.
By Bruce Morey
Senior Technical Editor,
SME Media
Unlocking the Industrial Internet of Things with PLM Software
April 4, 2019
Digital manufacturing solutions with product lifecycle management (PLM) tools hold great potential for manufacturers to eventually fully unlock the promise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
By Patrick Waurzyniak
Contributing Editor,
SME Media
Aerospace Industry Turns to PVD Coatings to Replace Hard Chrome
April 5, 2019
The search for a suitable replacement for hard chrome in aerospace components has been a key supply chain priority for aircraft manufacturers. This is because of the documented health risks to workers and the impact on the environment from exposure to hexavalent chromium.
Shop Solutions
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Northwood Industries: CAD/CAM Delivers A Precision Machined Grip
April 5, 2019When a long-time customer came to Northwood Industries, Perrysburg, Ohio, with a challenge to redesign and make a part for one of its commercial paint spray guns, the company was pretty sure they had it covered. -
A to Z Machine: Shop’s Manufacturing Technology Spans the Alphabet
April 8, 2019The name A to Z Machine says it all, according to Jerry Van Handel, one of the shop’s four co-owners. The Appleton, Wis.-based job shop can handle jobs “from A to Z” successfully and profitably due to its solid, all-encompassing business strategy, said Van Handel.
Up Front
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Additive Manufacturing & 3D PrintingFacing Up to New Challenges in Aerospace
April 8, 2019Aerospace is an incredibly exacting industry. Everything from design to manufacturing to maintenance must go exactly as planned to keep planes flying safely, and even when they do, mistakes can happen, leading to tragedy.
Advanced Manufacturing Now
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Expert OpinionComfort is Key in Today’s Manufacturing Plants
April 9, 2019Providing for your employees is paramount in the current marketplace. If you aren’t offering a comfortable environment for your workers, they’ll seek other options. Thermal comfort is an individual’s subjective assessment of personal satisfaction in an environment and is defined by international comfort standards. -
AutomationWhat To Consider When Choosing Grippers
April 9, 2019Automated manufacturing operations are finely tuned ecosystems in which all components must function in complete harmony. Grippers used to pick and place, orient and hold components or end products at various points along the production chain are key to this process. -
Expert OpinionAugmented Reality: In this Case, the Writing’s on the Work Station
April 10, 2019A Michigan company that displays instructions for manual manufacturing processes on work stations via augmented reality (AR) is adding wearables to provide similar guidance. -
Additive Manufacturing & 3D PrintingSME Will Introduce iRAMP at RAPID + TCT to Accelerate Adoption of Additive Manufacturing
April 10, 2019After decades of hype and predictions surrounding additive manufacturing (AM), AM is poised to be on the brink of becoming the disruptive technology that many have long expected. Disruptive technologies are often deemed too costly, less capable or too niche to replace incumbent technology. But over time, many of these technologies reach a tipping point and rapidly replace these incumbents.
SME Speaks
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SME SpeaksThe Value of SME’s AeroDef Event
April 10, 2019My involvement in SME and its AeroDef event began in 2014, when I first presented an Adaptive Machining Overview at AeroDef 2014 in Long Beach, Calif. At the time, the conference was relatively small in terms of attendees and exhibitors in comparison to the explosion of other engineering conferences that began around that time.
Workforce Pipeline
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Workforce DevelopmentAdvancing STEM Pathways in Manufacturing
April 11, 2019As a U.S.-based company that designs, engineers and manufactures advanced industrial cutting systems and software, Hypertherm understands that a highly trained workforce is vital.
Viewpoints
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How Long Do You Need Your Machine Tools to Last?
April 10, 2019In the aerospace industry it’s common for OEM contracts and programs with their component suppliers to extend from 10 years to as many as 40 years. Many, if not most, aerospace parts demand efficient and productive metal removal rates—in tough materials, with tight tolerances, and with a reliable, robust, automated process.
Laser Special Section
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LasersIn Laser Welding, Power Needs Precision
April 8, 2019With great power comes great responsibility, the saying goes. And with greater laser power being used to weld sheet metal, tubes, copper and aluminum, operators have a greater responsibility to deliver that power with a precision that avoids defects. -
LasersLaser Cutting Powers Up
April 10, 2019Implementing a comprehensive laser cutting system is not a task for the faint of heart. In addition to the financial outlay, requirements include planning for a complete system, not just the laser, according to Dustin Diehl, laser division product manager, Amada America Inc., Buena Park, Calif. -
LasersLaser Marking: Going Places
April 12, 2019The well-established field of laser marking continues to break new ground with expanding business opportunities in automotive, oil and gas, medical and other industries. -
LasersLasers Enhance Traditional Machining
April 12, 2019Metalworking machines are fast, powerful, and accurate, but they weren’t always as capable as they are today. Modern equipment is more nimble, flexible and adaptable. The machines collectively exceed the sum of their parts.
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