Designing for AM, and the Challenges in Designing with Composites

Additive manufacturing has made an outsized impact on aerospace manufacturing in a short amount of time. In this episode, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering, talks with Sean Henson, Global Product Manager, Composites & Additive Manufacturing for Ascent Aerospace, about the growing role of additive in the industry; the investments Ascent has made in AM in recent years; the kinds of tooling Ascent provides customers through its large-scale LSAM printer, and design considerations for manufacturers when they use large-format AM.

Mark Kirby, Registered Professional Engineer and Additive Manufacturing Business Manager for Renishaw Canada and Bruce Morey, Senior Technical Editor for Manufacturing Engineering Magazine discuss the pluses and minuses of the still-emerging 3D printing technology that is sweeping the business press. We will take a look at common misconceptions and what, in our opinion, could be things to watch out for if any of our listeners are thinking about adopting 3D printing for their applications.

Smart Manufacturing magazine Contributing Editor Karen Haywood Queen speaks with Sridhar Tayur about what supply chain players are learning from COVID-19. The Carnegie Mellon professor covers the roles AM and cobots are playing. He also looks at what manufacturers should consider doing to be prepared for the next hugely disruptive event.

The use of automation is growing rapidly in aerospace manufacturing and many companies are looking for help navigating this new reality. In this episode, Alan Rooks, editor in chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Randy Woolridge, global product manager, automation & integration for Ascent Aerospace, about the services Ascent provides customers in aerospace manufacturing and integration; the investments Ascent has made in manufacturing and assembly technology over the last few years; and the growth in the aerospace manufacturing industry and Ascent’s vision to keep pace with the industry.

One of the key challenges in aerospace manufacturing is how to measure and inspect the complex and demanding parts used in aerospace applications. In this episode, Alan Rooks, editor in chief of Manufacturing Engineering, talks with Mark O’Connell, applications engineer for ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions, about the challenges aerospace components like airfoils pose for industrial metrology; how to integrate measurement and inspection into aerospace production lines; and how this type of equipment differs from solutions available 5-10 years ago.

Composites are increasingly becoming a key feature of the aerospace market. In this episode, Chris Mahar, Associate Editor, talks with Doug Decker, aerospace consultant and retired technical fellow at Northrup Grumman – winner of the 2019 J.H. “Jud” Hall Composites Manufacturing Award. Decker shares his insights about composites within the aerospace market and a bit of history on how he got to where he is today.