Five-axis machining has progressed from exotic to mainstream over the past few years.
The emergence of third-generation advanced high-strength steel, known as 3rd Gen AHSS, may have an impact on automotive manufacturing a trade group said.
Thermwood Corp. has added a third print orientation to its LSAM Large Scale Additive Manufacturing systems.
Bosch said it is moving forward with volume production of silicon carbide chips.
Key steps are virtual twins and real relationships.
Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group is now using 3D printing from Stratasys to manufacture flight-ready parts for several of its military, civil and business aircraft—while producing specific ground-running equipment at a lower cost than aluminum alternatives.
The state of manufacturing is always a combination of tried and true methods; improvements (sometimes dramatic) in traditional processes; and brand new technology few people even conceived of a few years ago.
The U.S. auto industry has been automated for decades. Production of cars and trucks is associated with large, hulking robots fenced off from human employees. Inside those fenced off areas, tasks such as welding are performed. The industry, though, is advancing on the automation front.
Swiss-style machine tools can be a good choice for making complex parts. On the downside, however, Swiss machining itself has a reputation of being complex—and, therefore, more difficult to master than standard machining.
Horizontal machining centers (HMCs) are versatile four-axis and, increasingly, five-axis machine platforms that maximize processing of multi-sided large parts by minimizing part handling.
