Open Architecture in Metal 3D Printing, taking place Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020, from 2pm to 3pm ET will explore the capabilities of open architecture in metal 3D printing. Join University of Central Florida’s Dr. Yong-Ho Sohn and SLM Solutions’ Graham Boyd as you view captivating work the UCF team is doing in material development and microstructures. You will also get insight on examples where open architecture was used to identify and optimize process parameters for existing and newly designed metal alloys.

© Dr. Yongho Sohn

Dr. Yongho Sohn is a Pegasus Professor and Lockheed Martin Professor of Engineering in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at University of Central Florida. His research and teaching interests include metallic alloy powder processing and additive manufacturing, microstructural analysis and control, multicomponent intrinsic and interdiffusion in multiphase alloys, protective metallic/ceramic coatings for high temperature applications, light-weight metallic alloys and metal-matrix composites, and materials characterization. He has published 9 book chapters and more than 170 journal papers. He has given more than 475 presentations including 120 invited lectures at conferences around the globe.

© Graham F. Boyd

Graham F. Boyd is the Regional Manager – Northeast for SLM Solutions NA where he’s been involved in the engineering technologies industry for over a decade having worked alongside many Fortune 500 companies to small shop sole proprietors. His focus at SLM Solutions is helping companies realize everything from design freedom, weight reduction, manufacturing costs, customization and costs savings with best-in-class metal powder bed laser additive manufacturing systems. 

Register today.

U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders totaled $297.7 million in August 2020, a decrease of 11.5% from July 2020 and a 21.7% decrease from August 2019, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. Orders to date reached $2.3 billion, nearly a quarter (24.3%) lower than total orders through the first eight months of 2019.

“Despite a decrease in total orders, more than half of the industries we track experienced month over month increases including appliances, electrical components, and automotive components,” says Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT. “Additionally, it is noteworthy that the average value of units increased from about $143,000 in the spring to $175,000 in late summer. Although this can be caused by different factors – an increase in orders of high-end equipment and/or an increase in margins overall – both are positive news for the industry.

“Analyst predictions in May were that the industry would be down 50% for the year, and currently the industry is tracking closer to 24% down for the year. Indicators continue to improve with PMI holding strong at over 50 and capacity utilization experiencing its fourth straight month of improvement. Given the stabilization of prices and the increased demand in so many sectors, we continue to be optimistic that the recovery is moving in the right direction.”

Cogmedix receives grant from Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund

Cogmedix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coghlin Companies Inc. was awarded a $244,000 grant through the Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund Program (WTFP). The program awards grants to companies for the creation of customized training that promotes job growth and retention, increasing opportunities for workers throughout the Commonwealth. Cogmedix received one of the largest grants the program has to offer.

“Our Caring Associates are our most important asset, and the driving force behind providing the personalized services that are the cornerstone of our business,” said Coghlin Companies President and CEO, Chris Coghlin. “The benefit of these training grants is undeniable: our workforce gains new skills, our productivity and competitiveness continue to excel, and our customers gain new resources to draw on. Investing in the growth of our Caring Associates is a win for everyone.” 

MachineMetrics, Fiix partner to deliver complete IIoT solution

MachineMetrics and Fiix have announced a new partnership between MachineMetrics’ cutting-edge manufacturing IoT platform and Fiix’s industry-leading maintenance platform that enables businesses to drive turnkey automated maintenance solutions with real-time data from their production equipment.

“MachineMetrics is the machine data component of the digital factory. Now, together with Fiix, manufacturers can leverage real-time data from our platform to easily empower factory worker maintenance actions and maintenance system automations,” says Bill Bither, CEO and co-founder of MachineMetrics,

The combined offering between MachineMetrics and Fiix enables manufacturing teams to monitor the health of equipment in real-time with MachineMetrics and automatically trigger maintenance activities in Fiix based on asset usage, condition, or predictive algorithm. The integration also sends alerts when anomalous behavior occurs on a machine and creates in-depth reports on asset performance and condition, and more. You can see an in-depth summary of the integration’s capabilities here.

Trelleborg expands silicone molding capacity at Delano, Minnesota facility

Trelleborg Healthcare & Medical has completed an expansion of its Delano, Minnesota-based manufacturing facility. The expansion includes the addition of a 6,000 square foot ISO Class 7 cleanroom and enhanced silicone molding and contract manufacturing capabilities.

Due to increasing demand for silicone-molded components, Trelleborg has invested in new presses and other equipment designated specifically for silicone molding, including a material mixing station, cleanroom silicone storage, alcohol wash and tumbling machines and a packaging cell.

The services performed at the Delano facility extend beyond technical silicone and thermoplastic molding to include assembly and secondary operations, in-house tool making, high-precision machining for micro molding and automation. The Delano facility is ISO 9001:2016 and ISO 13485 certified and is also FDA registered.

Buehler Sponsors Wilson Hardness Days Nov. 4-5, 2020

Buehler, an ITW Company is hosting Wilson Hardness Days, Nov. 4-5, 2020. This virtual educational program includes two half days of an immersion into Hardness Testing, Calibration, the Latest on Hardness Testers and DiaMet™ Software. Hardness Days is part of the centennial anniversary celebration of Buehler’s Wilson hardness tester product line and is offered complimentary to all.

Dr. Mike Keeble, US Labs and Technology Manager and Dr. Evans Mogire, EU Labs and Technology Manager have planned educational programs for both beginners and experienced lab technicians. Along with other Buehler experts they will share their knowledge on key hardness testing topics that will be of interest to Materials Labs at Universities, Research & Development Centers and Production Quality Control laboratories in many industries including automotive, aerospace, defense, and metals.

Mikron Tool embracing US customary units

The Swiss cutting tool manufacturer Mikron Tool expands its offering and now provides tools with diameters in fractional inches, starting from 1/64" up to 1/4" depending on the product line. The United States is not only an industrially and technologically advanced nation but is also at the forefront in many high-tech industries such as aerospace. Therefore, many measuring elements in this sector are expressed in U.S customary units (inches). Not only in the United States but worldwide.

The need for such dimensions is increasing that’s why Mikron Tool has introduced a fractional inches diameter range for a large assortment of its drilling and milling cutter families. The selection is focused on materials such as stainless steel, titanium and superalloys. The range includes micro drills and micro mills of 0.016" and extends up to diameter 0.250". From the high-performance small Crazy Drill Steel up to the cylindrical micro end mill Crazy Mill Cool, Mikron Tool offers a tool range that will satisfy most every need in a multitude of projects.

Solar Manufacturing ships five furnaces to Southeast US

Solar Manufacturing recently shipped five Mentor® vacuum furnaces to a customer in the Southeast USA who provides products to a wide array of industries, including aerospace and medical. The model HFL-2018-2IQ furnaces feature a graphite-insulated hot zone, a load weight capacity of up to 250 lbs, and maximum operating temperature of 2,400° F. The Mentor® vacuum furnaces will be used primarily to sinter and stress relieve stainless steel components.

“Our customer worked directly with our R&D team at our sister company, Solar Atmospheres, including in-house metallurgists and PhD Chemist,” states Dan Insogna, Southeast Regional Sales Manager for Solar Manufacturing. “In partnering with Solar Atmospheres, we developed the furnace recipes with use of Mentor® furnaces at Solar Atmospheres. The customer received a line of brand new Mentor® furnaces with their custom recipe preloaded and ready to go.”

Mitutoyo America Corp.’s Virtual Trade Show Oct. 20-23, 2020

At the Mitutoyo America Corporation Virtual Trade Show, Oct. 20-23, 2020, officials will showcase and demonstrate new products and technology. During the four-day event, attendees will see a combination of virtual product displays, interactive equipment stations, technology demonstrations and educational discussions. Several of Mitutoyo’s Solution Centers across the U.S. will be linked up in real time where live product demonstrations will occur daily. Additionally, 3D interactive models of Mitutoyo’s newest products will provide customers the chance to virtually interact with a tool and see its features and operations up close.

“We appreciate our customers determination, endurance and support during these challenging times and as a company Mituoyo is more determined than ever to keep innovating and becoming a stronger partner and solution provider to the market we serve, says Matt Dye, president of Mitutoyo America Corporation.

The show will be kicked off with a special  keynote address from Titan Gilroy, CEO of Titans of CNC, a free project-based education platform that helps guide students and teachers on CNC machine operation and programming. Titans of CNC entered a sponsorship agreement with Mitutoyo America Corporation in November 2019. Additionally, Dr. Jim Salsbury will be speaking about calibration during a breakout session.

Bright Machines helps drive manufacturing resiliency

Bright Machines equips manufacturers with new tools to weather supply chain disruptions and get products to market faster, with the introduction of new software capabilities for intelligent automated assembly lines. Covid-19 has presented manufacturers with significant challenges, including travel and factory access restrictions and unpredictable changes in consumer demand, which have stalled lines and crippled production output across the globe. With streamlined commissioning and the ability to perform remote monitoring and servicing, manufacturers can now tap into resilient and scalable production capacity for consistent performance through any disruption. The new features are another step in the company’s goal to bring intelligent automation to factories through their Bright Machines Microfactory.