Manufactured by Litz Hitech Corp., the MV 1600H 3-axis vertical machining center (VMC) combines durable construction, a rigid boxway Z-axis, and linear guideways on the X- and Y-axis.
Rapid rates are 36m/min on the X- and Y-axis and 24m/min on the Z-axis.
The work area spans 63.0" x 31.5" while the table has a capacity of 3,300 lb and measures 66.9" x 33.5". Weighing 41,800 lb, the VMC has a heavy-cast construction, dampening reverberations to deliver greater precision and improve surface finishing.
Standard features include a 40-tool automatic tool changer (ATC) that handles large tools. Comprehensive chip management includes an external chip conveyor, chip flush in the bed, spindle flush, and an extra coolant gun.
The Fanuc 0i-MF control comes with a 200-block look-ahead and Manual Guide i software preinstalled.
The top agenda item for many chief financial officers (CFOs) in 2021 isn’t cost cutting but investing in technology or infrastructure to adapt to the post-pandemic world.
Of the 100 CFOs polled for the 2021 BDO Manufacturing CFO Outlook Survey, 26% report investing in technology or infrastructure. The survey, conducted in September 2020, included manufacturing companies with revenues ranging from $250 million to $3 billion, with 77% of them having revenues of less than $1 billion.
How else do CFOs plan to navigate continuing COVID-19 challenges while making moves to seize emerging opportunities in 2021?
Eskander Yavar, national leader of BDO’s Manufacturing Practice and a National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) board member, reveals the survey’s key takeaways, including:
83% say their business will take at least 1 year to recover, 51% expect customer demand to increase in the next 6 months
49% say the pandemic enabled faster decision-making, 38% say it led to product or service innovation, and 34% say it accelerated digital transformation/Industry 4.0 adoption
20% say supply chain stability is central to recovery, followed by 17% each for low input costs and productivity gains
44% will introduce new aftermarket services, 42% will pivot to new products
Nearly three-quarters of the CFOs report their businesses are currently struggling or just surviving. Most project it’ll take more than a year for their business to fully recover from the effects of the pandemic.
The health crisis forced manufacturers to get creative to survive. Many introduced Industry 4.0 solutions such as automation to enable social distancing in their workplaces and let some frontline staff work remotely.
Supply chain stability emerged as the factor most critical to the recovery of the manufacturing industry. Yavar says that for 2021 and beyond, manufacturers will prioritize meeting immediate challenges while simultaneously making investments that increase their business’ resiliency for the long term. More than half (52%) plan to invest in supply chain technologies this year to introduce new efficiencies, increase end-to-end visibility, and improve flexibility and responsiveness.
In the short term, “Manufacturers should reevaluate their just-in-time inventory strategies and consider developing alternative sources of supplies or stockpiles of critical materials or products,” Yavar says. Long-term, “Savvy manufacturers recognize that digitizing the supply chain is no longer optional at this point, but – provided they move quickly enough – is also a source of competitive advantage.”
Three-quarters of the manufacturers polled have introduced or are planning to introduce new aftermarket services. Subscription-based analytics, reporting dashboards, condition monitoring, and preventive maintenance are among the offerings enabled by Industry 4.0.
The remainder of this year will be a balancing act between mitigating risk, navigating continued uncertainty, and seizing new opportunities, Yavar concludes. “To succeed, manufacturers must balance making investments that increase connectivity and resiliency to mitigate disruption with longer-term plans for transformation to meet changing customer expectations and adapt to shifting market trends.” – Eric
Manufacturers can cut internal and external forms rapidly and accurately into workpieces with rotary broach tooling and can produce precise hexes, squares, serrations, splines, and other custom shapes on CNC machines.
An internal live spindle holds an end-cutting broach tool at a 1° angle. In a lathe, the rotary broach toolholder is stationary while the spindle and rotary broach rotate 1:1 with the workpiece. Driven by the workpiece, the rotary broach tool’s corners continually change contact points on the workpiece, wobbling while it cuts each corner of the form rapidly.
In a mill or vertical machining center (VMC), the toolholder’s body rotates in the machine spindle while the holder’s spindle and broach remain stationary, creating the wobbling action while the rotary broach tool’s corners continually change contact points on the workpiece. Form sizes can be broached up to 2" in aluminum or brass and 1" in steel, with depths up to 1.5x the form’s minor diameter.
The connectable ZeroAct workpiece positioning system offers manual and electric zero-point clamping in milling, inspection, and finishing.
Modules rapidly and simultaneously open and close, generating 15kN clamp force. Up to three 40mm x 150mm x 150mm clamping modules can be attached in a row with connecting pins from 5mm to 105mm. By actuating the first unit, all three units clamp simultaneously.
An electric e-motion version uses 24V power that operates with a built-in electro-motor for fully automated loading and unloading. Pull-down pins are interchangeable with the manually operated ZeroAct and other APS/WPS zero-point systems.
Modules provide repeat accuracy of <0.005mm, are sealed against corrosion, and feature built-in air cleaning so the clamping system’s support surface remains clean and free of chips.
The 8L lathe can fill turning needs in a variety of spaces. Rigid enough to cut plastic, stainless steel, or titanium, it can be equipped with an integral coolant tank, separate chip drawer, storage drawers, side shelving, and a tool holder/tool kit.
The lathe’s 5C spindle accommodates parts up to 1" diameter, and users can add a 3- or 4-jaw chuck to cut stock up to 8" in diameter.
Intuitive conversation lathe programming PathPilot software lets operators do rigid tapping and leverage built-in Dropbox support for transferring programs.
Anaheim, California-based Cadence Aerospace, a provider of complex aerospace components and assemblies for commercial and defense customers, appointed Kevin W. Martin as CEO for the company’s engines systems segment. Martin will also continue as Cadence CIO, reporting to Julian Guerra, Cadence Aerospace CEO and CEO for the company’s aerostructures segment.
Martin will oversee Engines Systems operations at Cadence’s Aero Design & Manufacturing Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona; B&E Precision Aircraft Components in Southwick, Massachusetts; and Tell Tool in Westfield, Massachusetts.
Martin succeeds Bob Quaglia, who is retiring as CEO of the Cadence Engines Systems segment. Quaglia has been appointed as a member of the Cadence Board of Directors.
Solar Atmospheres, Kittyhawk partner
Heat-treating specialists Solar Atmospheres of California and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) specialists Kittyhawk have formed a strategic partnership. Solar Atmospheres and Kittyhawk are both Nadcap, ISO9001, and AS9100 certified.
Image source and copyright: Lockheed Martin. Used with permission.
Fastems to laser clean F-35 wing components
Two Fastems automated structure laser cleaner (AutoSLC) units are joining the F-35 Lightning II wing assembly line in Fort Worth, Texas. The project is estimated to be completed by the end of 2021.
The AutoSLC robotized system uses a laser ablation scan head to automatically remove primers and other protective coatings from F-35 wing components, providing pristine surfaces to which nutplates can be mechanically bonded without using rivets. Previous methods of coating removal entailed time-consuming manual sanding and solvent wiping, which yielded inconsistent bonding results. Automated image processing gathers information on quality anomalies for traceability and process improvement, allowing Fastems’ AutoSLC system to process more than 3,000 drilled holes while reducing touch labor hours.
“The path to successful cooperation with Lockheed Martin has been open and frequent collaboration from the very beginning and, together, developing a clear unified vision for the project. This has made processes and decision making much faster and has allowed us to deliver and even exceed the expected results,” Fastems CEO Mikko Nyman says.
“At Lockheed Martin, we test and validate any new complex solution from the initial concept, through design and build, and after delivery. The fact that Fastems understands and shares this attention to detail positions them well to deliver a quality product at every phase,” says Steve Callaghan, vice president, F-35 Business Development and Strategic Integration.
Moog acquires Genesys Aerosystems
Elma, New York-based Moog Inc. purchased Genesys Aerosystems and its S-Tec Corp. subsidiary in December. Genesys provides flight control systems for military and commercial aircraft and will keep its locations in Mineral Wells, Texas; and Anchorage, Alaska, as part of Moog’s Aircraft Controls segment.
Genesys specializes in advanced avionics suites; synthetic vision navigation; digital radios; air data, attitude, and heading reference systems (ADAHRS); global positioning systems (GPS); compact sensors; and autopilots for fixed- and rotor-wing aircraft.
Moog’s precision control components and systems control military and commercial aircraft, satellites, space vehicles, launch vehicles, missiles, automated industrial machinery, marine, and medical equipment.
AMGTA research paper on sustainable AM
Departments - 3D/Additive Manufacturing
SDK connects AM to the smart factory; 6K Additive expands metal powder production team; EOS, Texas A&M partner on AM professional development.
The Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA) published its first commissioned university research project, a literature-based systematic review of the environmental benefits of metal AM. The paper, “State of Knowledge on the Environmental Impacts of Metal Additive Manufacturing,” was written by Dr. Jeremy Faludi from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and Dartmouth College and Corrie Van Slice, a former senior research engineer at Faludi’s lab at Dartmouth. Van Slice is now a manufacturing sustainability research engineer at TU Delft. According to its authors, the report synthesizes existing academic literature comparing environmental impacts of metal AM with conventional manufacturing methods and provides context with impacts of common metals and processing methods found in a materials database.
Key takeaways:
While AM generally has much higher carbon footprints per kilogram of material processed than conventional manufacturing (CM) when considering the direct manufacturing process itself, impacts depend greatly on part geometry
The need for additional life cycle assessment (LCA) studies to quantify environmental impacts to definitively compare metal AM to CM; especially direct comparisons of AM to machining, and for binder jetting and directed-energy deposition (DED); LCAs should also include more of the product life cycle
SDK connects AM to the smart factory
Stratasys software tools integrate its 3D printers in production environments with the factory floor via the GrabCAD Software Development Kit (SDK). Each SDK package includes application programming interfaces (APIs), documentation, and code samples for development partners and manufacturing customers to establish two-way connectivity between Stratasys FDM 3D printers and enterprise software applications. Users can integrate, manage, and support additive manufacturing (AM) for production of end-use parts.
Initial partners for the GrabCAD SDK program include Link3D and Identify3D.
The first two available SDK packages enable users to integrate with GrabCAD Print software and Stratasys manufacturing systems including the F900, Fortus 450mc, and F123 Series of FDM 3D printers.
6K Additive expands metal powder production team
Dr. George Meng, John Meyere, Joe Muha
6K and 6K Additive, developer of additive manufacturing (AM) powders derived from sustainable sources, has hired AM experts who bring extensive knowledge in quality, powder manufacturing, and process as the organization begins production of its onyx line of AM premium powders in its recently commissioned 40,000ft2 lights-out facility.
Recent additions to the team include:
Dr. George Meng, Director of Process for Additive
John Meyer, Director of Technology, AM Products
Dave Novotnak, Production Process Manager, AM Products
Joe Muha, Quality Manager, AM Products
EOS, Texas A&M partner on AM professional development
Metal and polymer 3D printing technology supplier EOS has partnered with Texas A&M University (TAMU) to provide a professional development program in industrial 3D printing. Using virtual learning with conventional training methods, the additive manufacturing (AM) program offers a hands-on, expert-led training program to meet evolving industry needs and challenges.
In concert with EOS’ applied engineering group Additive Minds, the TAMU Engineering Experiment Station program takes a deep dive into the latest powder bed AM processes – such as direct metal laser solidification (DMLS) and selective laser sintering (SLS), as well as an understanding of other AM processes, materials, design, case studies, best practices, and troubleshooting. The certificate-level training program was developed by subject matter experts from TAMU (Dr. Alaa Elwany, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering and director of the metal AM laboratory) and EOS’ Additive Minds Consultants Maryna Ienina and Dr. David Krzeminski.
