Manufacturing industry news, updates

© credit | Forest City Gear

Cleveland, Ohio – Forest City Gear can now perform fast, comprehensive analysis and verification of metal alloys for quality assurance and control using its new Thermo Scientific Niton XRF Analyzer. The Niton XRF Analyzer enables Forest City Gear to quickly and easily verify that the metal alloys used in barstock and/or near net shape blanks received from outside suppliers meet specifications before gears are produced.  It can also be used to confirm that the chemical composition of metal alloys after heat treat meets requirements. The Analyzer can even be used to verify the plating thickness over metal to ensure that plating performed by outside vendors conforms to specification.

© credit | XJet Ltd

XJet Ltd. has opened an 8,000ft² Additive Manufacturing Center in Rehovot Science Park, Israel. Comprised entirely of XJet Carmel AM systems, the AM Center will support XJet in developing new 3D printing materials and applications. Using the company’s NanoParticle Jetting (NPJ) technology, the XJet Carmel AM series allows manufacturers to produce ceramic or metal parts with the ease and versatility of inkjet printing. The NPJ technology produces highly complex parts with superfine details, smooth surfaces, and pinpoint accuracy. Cavities and fine details can be created with no concern that they will be harmed in the support-removal process, as a separate material is used for support structures, a material that easily disintegrates post printing. 

© credit | Open Mind

Open Mind Technologies AG will be participating in the annual Winter Showcase at the Partners in Thinc and Okuma America Corp. headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nov. 28-29, 2018 from 9am to 4pm each day and registration, which starts at 8:30am, is free for the event.

Winter Showcase attendees will have the opportunity to meet with Open Mind representatives and all the members of the Partners in Thinc collaboration to see how the latest manufacturing technologies work together. Open Mind will have three hyperMILL CAD/CAM software demonstrations at Winter Showcase including creating a turn/mill part on an Okuma MULTUS B250II, an engine casing being produced with additive manufacturing (AM) on an Okuma MU-6300V LASER EX, and a 5-axis surfacing part featuring a lion, to be machined on the Okuma GENOS M460V-5AX machine.

Heidenhain’s newest multimedia online CNC controls learning program Heidenhain Interactive Training – HIT 3.0 – is used for providing advanced and apprentice-level skilled training for NC users using Heidenhain TNC protocols. Replacing HIT 2.0, this new online training program is launching a revised 3-axis machining learning program. With the new guided programming function, the user can gain realistic practice with Klartext programing and DIN/ISO programming within the learning packet. Errors in operation are excluded by the learning software, and users receive tips when they make incorrect entries. A help function, with which the respective solution can be checked, is also available as a feedback system. This feedback system determines how successfully an exercise or test has been performed.

HIT 3.0 uses HTML5 technology and can run in current HTML5-compatible browsers. For mobile end devices with Android and iOS operating systems, as well as for the Windows 10 operating system, the Moodle learning platform provides an app with which the learning content can be used offline as well. For this to work, the entire HIT learning software must first be downloaded to the app on the end device. The app is available in the Apple App Store, in the Google Play Store, and in the Microsoft Store (search for Moodle).

The Mitutoyo Institute of Metrology now provides free online standards-based calibration video training with the opportunity to earn certified credentials in dimensional calibration – a first of its kind in the United States. The online training videos are available for free with no obligation for testing.

Metrology professionals can now access all calibration training videos through the Mitutoyo America website or Mitutoyo America YouTube Channel. The training material leverages the available American Metrology Standards with best calibration practices at Mitutoyo. The first online course, “General Calibration Concepts, Micrometers and Calipers” is available online for free. Certified credentials are available in both theory and performance.

The Mitutoyo Institute of Metrology will continue to offer traditional classroom calibration certifications courses, as well.