Industrial 3D printer maker Essentium is working with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Military Department, and other groups to supply personal protective equipment (PPE). The company has shifted capacity in its Texas operations to produce face mask kits. The reusable mask frames are made with Essentium PA (thermoplastic nylon), allowing for easy cleaning, and are used with a single- use, replaceable ASTM Level 2 certified filtration media.
Essentium has produced more than 60,000 3D-printed face mask kits for Texas. Each kit comes with replaceable filters, which is the equivalent of providing 1.9 million to 3.8 million individual masks. https://essentium3d.com
Lubrizol acquisition expands 3D printing capabilities
The Lubrizol Corp. acquired Avid Product Development LLC, which offers a blend of 3D printing capabilities including design for additive manufacturing (DfAM), prototyping and production using powder bed fusion (MJF, SLS), fused filament fabrication (FFF), and stereolithography (SLA), with expertise in various post-processing technologies. Lubrizol’s materials, application, and testing expertise coupled with Avid’s 3D know-how will enable development of differentiated solutions and accelerate adoption of 3D printing in key industries.
“Lubrizol continues to invest in opportunities that bring new differentiated solutions to our customers,” says Gert-Jan Nijhuis, general manager, 3D Printing Solutions, Lubrizol Engineered Materials. “The acquisition of Avid Product Development greatly enhances our ability as a 3D printing solution provider, offering complete product solutions from material development to printing and post processing services, delivering end-use products for our key markets.”
Grooving with insertable form tools, instead of single-point turning, can lower costs up to 40%. However, solid carbide drills are often necessary for larger bore sizes and deeper holes, despite increased costs and longer machine downtime caused by long changeover times.
The PWP and PWP-D insertable form drill system addresses the problem by keeping the insert holder in the machine during changeover. The center height stays unchanged.
The insertable carbide tool is ground individually, according to customer specifications, and can hold a minimum tolerance of ±0.02mm and 0.02mm repeatability.
Form drill systems are available in various carbide grades and offer additional savings as only the insert is coated, not an entire solid carbide drill.
To ensure maximum flexibility in setup, a 2-jaw module for clamping cubic parts can be positioned centrically on machining centers and milling machines. The 2-jaw module enables changeover from clamping round parts to cubic parts in less than 2 minutes. It can handle turning applications up to 1,500rpm.
The 2-jaw and 3-jaw modules use the Centrex quick-change interface as its base, allowing changeover without removing and realigning the collet chuck.
Shops can opt for a 2-pallet changer, a simple solution that minimizes non-cut time associated with part loading/unloading. Full front doors span from the top to the bottom of the machine, enabling easier user access and ergonomics. An automatic side door allows robotic part loading/unloading, freeing up the machine’s front work area and eliminating interference between automation and operators.
Side loading supports standard, pre-engineered robotic part-loading systems to single-pallet/table machine configurations. The machine can be equipped with through-pallet hydraulics and pneumatics, allowing shops to mount fixtures to the machine’s table, and upon part loading, the workholding sends a signal that triggers automatic part clamping.
The Variaxis C-600 offers 30-, 60-, 90-, and 120-tool magazines as well as random access tool magazines that eliminate the wait time typically involved with other types of fixed-address tool systems. The machine’s control pendant is mounted in close proximity to the front door and swings/pivots to accommodate users.
By applying through-hole thread whirling or high-speed spindles for small surfacing end mills, the enhanced Tsugami SS327-III-5AX, 32mm, B-axis, chucker-convertible Swiss CNC lathe cuts complex parts completely in a single setup. The B-axis contains four front and two rear live tools that can machine in coordination with the C-axis, cutting precise angles and sculpted contours. The B-axis transforms this Swiss-type lathe into a multitasking turning center that can drill, tap, and end mill at any angle.
The modular tool zone makes it easy to change cartridge-type live cross and face tools on the B-axis and the sub-side, decreasing changeover time. Multiple angle cuts by the same tool decrease the number of tools required.
Enhancements to the Tsugami SS327-III-5AX include larger linear guides, increased ribs in the solid base casting, a 4GB data server, thermal displacement compensation sensors throughout, and a 3-toggle clamping system.
Moving to robotics to increase production and quality, while lowering costs, requires successful integration. That starts with understanding organizational needs. Arsenal Products offers 5 steps to get started.
Getting executive buy-in will ensure smooth allocation of capital and manpower to implement robotics. It can be tough to convince operators that robots aren’t coming for their jobs, so review the operators’ least favorite tasks and target those for automation. When involved from the start, operators will be more engaged about the technology.
Step 2: Define success
Robots perform tasks faster, operate without a break, and run 24/7. Additional throughput can lead to more product, revenue, and profit. Precision and repeatability can improve processes, reducing defects, scrap/waste, and rework. Quantifying the cost of worker safety is not as easy, however eliminating repetitive, strenuous operations can reduce injuries.
Step 3: Budgeting
When calculating return on investment (ROI), consider: • Fully burdened operator cost per hour • Shifts per day, employees per shift • Post-automation estimated required headcount • Additional revenue from increased throughput • Cost reduction from improved quality • Estimated cost of robotic solution
Step 4: Gradual implementation
Define and complete the first project before attempting an additional one. Understanding the time, money, and people required is key. Jumping too quickly can slow robotic adoption as an overwhelmed staff will look at automation as a burden rather than a profit center. Target the easiest solution to implement first and tackle more complex projects as you learn.
My husband has telecommuted from home for more than 10 years, traveling to corporate headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina, once or twice a year. In mid-March, his quiet, daily routine was upended when schools and work went remote. Instead of having the house to himself, the dog, and two cats during the day Monday through Friday, we were all there. I set up my office in the dining room, our kids logged onto school from their respective bedrooms, and the animals wondered why we were all home all the time.
Those with school-aged kids know the transition from in-person classes to remote learning left a lot to be desired this past spring. Many districts ended the school year earlier than scheduled and began working to prepare for distance learning this fall. My transition from an office to work from home (WFH) was much smoother – everyone in the company has laptops since many travel regularly for work, and remote access to files and video conferencing was already set up company wide.
According to the latest Policy Brief from Stanford Economist Nicholas Bloom (http://tiny.cc/c3qosz), the U.S. economy is now a working-from-home economy. Having published WFH studies in the past, Bloom, together with colleagues Jose Barrero (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México or ITAM) and Steve Davis (Chicago), found in a May study that 42% of the U.S. labor force is now WFH while 26% (essential workers) continue working on their business’ premises.
Bloom notes that while his recent research has “highlighted several recurring themes, each which carries policy questions… the bottom line is clear: working from home will be very much a part of our post-COVID economy.”
Weighting these WFH employees by their earnings in 2019 as an indicator of their contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the researchers found “at-home workers now account for more than two-thirds of economic activity.”
This transformation is a good thing, because without the ability to WFH, the economic impact would have been far worse, as Bloom notes “remote working has allowed us to maintain social distancing in our fight against COVID-19. So, working from home isn’t only economically essential, it’s a critical weapon in combating the pandemic.”
However, WFH isn’t possible for many working in manufacturing as they need to be on-site to produce products that must be shipped to customers, all while remaining socially distant. Companies must adapt and change now, and automation may become key for survival. While automation has been growing throughout the last decade, crises often accelerate longer term trends, and automation is likely to surge in the coming years to keep production going and enable social distancing on factory floors.
Send me an email and let me know what plans your company has for implementing automation.
Posted by Elizabeth Engler Modic
Posted by Elizabeth Engler Modic
