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December 2021

The December 2021 edition of Smart Manufacturing is now available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.

 

Visitors and delegates connected with more than 265 exhibiting companies.

RAPID + TCT emphasizes how additive manufacturing will expand

November 18, 2021
This year’s RAPID + TCT show signaled a new wave of users, with 35 percent of the audience being new to adopting additive manufacturing technologies.
Bill Koenig
By Bill Koenig Senior Editor, SME Media
Okuma’s Brad Klippstein, right, said his company’s NET BOX suite-C Quick device for legacy machine tools is so easy to install and use that a shop owner can do it himself.

Legacy machinery can be data mined for modern operations

November 22, 2021
Whether transmitted through wires or the air, data collected from older factory devices can help a shop owner make smarter business decisions.
Ilene Wolff
By Ilene Wolff Contributing Editor, SME Media
At MD&M West 2021, Justin Ryan of Rady Children’s Hospital, Cambre Kelly of Restor3d and Sean McEligot of the Mayo Clinic covered a wide range of topics related to the use of additive manufacturing for end-use-device development.

Medical device AM experts tackle quality, software, hiring

December 7, 2021
Justin Ryan of Rady Children’s Hospital, Cambre Kelly of Restor3d and Sean McEligot of the Mayo Clinic discuss the use of additive manufacturing for end-use-device development.
Ilene Wolff
By Ilene Wolff Contributing Editor, SME Media
“The laws of physics contain an enormous wealth of information in a very condensed way,” said Herman Van der Auweraer, director of technology innovation at Siemens Digital Industries Software. “Physics-based simulation methods are using these physics laws.”

With physics-informed AI, machine operators can trust and verify

November 26, 2021
Physics-informed AI simulations are beginning to replace artificial neural network models, yielding more accurate and more trustworthy predictions than ANN simulations.
By Karen Haywood Queen Contributing Editor, SME Media
Jonathan Wise, CESMII

Industry 4.0 in a Multi-Protocol Universe

November 16, 2021
CESMII Smart Manufacturing Panel explains: Tools exist for old and new tech to mesh in smart manufacturing.
Ilene Wolff
By Ilene Wolff Contributing Editor, SME Media
In contrast to a CAD model, a virtual twin is more than merely a static representation of a machine or even an entire factory, said Dassault’s Eric Green. A virtual twin of a factory includes real-world performance and operational data, such as how that factory operates on a given day or shift, he said.

Building resilience against disruption

December 2, 2021
Key steps are virtual twins and real relationships.
By Karen Haywood Queen Contributing Editor, SME Media
Ed Cuoco, VP of strategy and solutions at PTC

Helping companies improve quality, reduce repairs and waste

December 6, 2021
The experience an Italian electronics manufacturer had with emerging tools provides a glimpse of a better world.
By Karen Haywood Queen Contributing Editor, SME Media

Manufacturing USA Update

  • SME SPEAKS

    EOS Consultant on Finding Your True North in Manufacturing

    Yash Parikh, PhD, Process Engineering Consultant, EOS; SME Member Since 2021 July 14, 2026
    The first time I held a metal part fresh off a laser powder bed fusion build, I felt the same excitement many young engineers feel when a new technology works as promised. The geometry was there and the build was completed. But I also felt uneasiness.
  • ADDITIVE

    Turning Plastic into 3D-Printed Profits

    Michael McConnell July 14, 2026
    Aaron Osirus noticed a lot of his classmates were always playing with fidget spinners. It gave the 12-year-old an idea: Why not make his own and sell them to other students?
  • NEWS DESK

    Hypertherm Launches Quote Manager for Faster, Accurate Pricing

    PRESS RELEASE: Hypertherm Associates July 14, 2026
    Hypertherm Associates, a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, launched Quote Manager, a new optional module for its ProNest nesting software. This web-based application extends precision quoting capabilities across the organization, enabling faster, more confident pricing decisions grounded in real production data.

AM Update

  • SME SPEAKS

    EOS Consultant on Finding Your True North in Manufacturing

    Yash Parikh, PhD, Process Engineering Consultant, EOS; SME Member Since 2021 July 14, 2026
    The first time I held a metal part fresh off a laser powder bed fusion build, I felt the same excitement many young engineers feel when a new technology works as promised. The geometry was there and the build was completed. But I also felt uneasiness.
  • ADDITIVE

    Turning Plastic into 3D-Printed Profits

    Michael McConnell July 14, 2026
    Aaron Osirus noticed a lot of his classmates were always playing with fidget spinners. It gave the 12-year-old an idea: Why not make his own and sell them to other students?
  • NEWS DESK

    Hypertherm Launches Quote Manager for Faster, Accurate Pricing

    PRESS RELEASE: Hypertherm Associates July 14, 2026
    Hypertherm Associates, a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, launched Quote Manager, a new optional module for its ProNest nesting software. This web-based application extends precision quoting capabilities across the organization, enabling faster, more confident pricing decisions grounded in real production data.

Up Front

  • SME SPEAKS

    EOS Consultant on Finding Your True North in Manufacturing

    Yash Parikh, PhD, Process Engineering Consultant, EOS; SME Member Since 2021 July 14, 2026
    The first time I held a metal part fresh off a laser powder bed fusion build, I felt the same excitement many young engineers feel when a new technology works as promised. The geometry was there and the build was completed. But I also felt uneasiness.
  • ADDITIVE

    Turning Plastic into 3D-Printed Profits

    Michael McConnell July 14, 2026
    Aaron Osirus noticed a lot of his classmates were always playing with fidget spinners. It gave the 12-year-old an idea: Why not make his own and sell them to other students?
  • NEWS DESK

    Hypertherm Launches Quote Manager for Faster, Accurate Pricing

    PRESS RELEASE: Hypertherm Associates July 14, 2026
    Hypertherm Associates, a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, launched Quote Manager, a new optional module for its ProNest nesting software. This web-based application extends precision quoting capabilities across the organization, enabling faster, more confident pricing decisions grounded in real production data.

Field Intelligence

  • SME SPEAKS

    EOS Consultant on Finding Your True North in Manufacturing

    Yash Parikh, PhD, Process Engineering Consultant, EOS; SME Member Since 2021 July 14, 2026
    The first time I held a metal part fresh off a laser powder bed fusion build, I felt the same excitement many young engineers feel when a new technology works as promised. The geometry was there and the build was completed. But I also felt uneasiness.
  • ADDITIVE

    Turning Plastic into 3D-Printed Profits

    Michael McConnell July 14, 2026
    Aaron Osirus noticed a lot of his classmates were always playing with fidget spinners. It gave the 12-year-old an idea: Why not make his own and sell them to other students?
  • NEWS DESK

    Hypertherm Launches Quote Manager for Faster, Accurate Pricing

    PRESS RELEASE: Hypertherm Associates July 14, 2026
    Hypertherm Associates, a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, launched Quote Manager, a new optional module for its ProNest nesting software. This web-based application extends precision quoting capabilities across the organization, enabling faster, more confident pricing decisions grounded in real production data.