Teeth Being Restored and Jobs Being Reshored May 10, 2017 One of the early applications for 3D printing/additive manufacturing (AM) was in the medical industry. As the machines and materials have improved, the use of these technologies expanded into almost every application. In medical, there are unique challenges as patient safety is paramount and government regulation and insurance issues structure what can and will be done.
A Guide to ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING metals May 10, 2017 Additive Manufacturing (AM) machines making metal parts have been out there for a dozen years. The machines have improved since the initial offerings and the number of companies that now produce them have increased exponentially. Many companies are now ready to invest in this maturing technology, and there are many more companies with machines that vary in technology and materials. Even the experts in AM are having difficulty keeping track of all of the new offerings.
Aggressive Machining Requires New Approach to Toolholding May 9, 2017 Today, the productivity needed to be globally competitive requires ever increasing metal-removal rates during operations such as roughing and high-speed slotting. Process reliability is paramount, especially when working with difficult-to-machine materials.
Stratasys Introduces Continuous 3D Printing Prototype May 9, 2017 PITTSBURGH — Stratasys Ltd. introduced a prototype of a 3D printing system that maintains low-volume output continuously as the company moves to expand its presence in industrial production.
Impossible Objects Introduces Pilot 3D Printing Machine May 9, 2017 Impossible Objects announced today the launch of Model One, its pilot 3D printing machine to revolutionize high-volume manufacturing and initial customer deployments with select Fortune 500 customers. The announcement took place at the RAPID+TCT 3D printing and additive manufacturing conference.
3D Printing to Accelerate, GE Executive Says May 9, 2017 The pace of 3D printing adoption will accelerate, a General Electric Co. executive said during an address at RAPID + TCT today.
Getting a Grip on Rotating Round Tools May 2, 2017 Toolholding for rotating round tools—end mills, drills, and taps—continues to evolve with innovative designs aimed at guaranteeing precision, security, and repeatability. As a result, suppliers of toolholding technology have made supporting the precision, security, and repeatability of shrink-fit, mechanical, and hydraulic toolholding the highest priority.
Technology Tailored to Shop’s Machining Needs May 2, 2017 You don’t have to look too far to find tooling presetters that fit the machining requirements of just about any size shop. The value of off-line tool presetting—rather than stopping machine spindles to touch off tools as machines sit idle—continues to prove itself invaluable, especially to the smallest first-time user shops.
Coatings Expand Cutting Tool Capabilities, Reach New Markets May 2, 2017 When first introduced in the late 1970s, cutting tool coatings—especially titanium nitride (TiN)—were embraced by tool manufacturers for their ability to extend tool life. As workforce materials have expanded from conventional ferrous and nonferrous metals to exotic alloys, composites, ceramics, and others, coatings have likewise progressed and, thanks to new formulations and deposition methods, are extending cutting tool capabilities as well as tool life.
Digital Tool Data Primed for Growth May 2, 2017 Digital tool management systems, and the digital tool libraries that support them, are changing the way cutting tools, toolholders and workholding are assembled into tooling setups and used to machine parts