Hot runners have been a common manufacturing tool in the plastic injection molding industry for more than 30 years. With this technology came improved efficiencies and benefits. Although hot runners for zinc die casting have surfaced from time to time, die casting with molten metal proved to be much more challenging for this technology compared…
Bins in eight seconds: A warehouse transformation story
What’s an AS/AR implementation project really like? This Q&A reveals tips and unexpected challenges when switching from manual to automated. Warehouse automation technology is gaining traction in the U.S. to strengthen supply chains, reduce reliance on labor, and manage peak seasons and unforeseen events more efficiently. However, companies are still relatively slow to adopt and…
Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) awards two scholarships
The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) today announced the recipients of its scholarships. Alex Campbell, a fourth-year aerospace engineering student at Ohio State University, has been awarded the Guy E. Bourdeau Scholarship for students in additive manufacturing. Phil Rufe, an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering at Eastern Michigan University, has been selected for […]
Seeing the future of AMR vision systems
Mobile robot technology is moving fast, and generative AI is pegged to transform AMR vision systems to enable more integrated solutions. Advanced machine learning and visual processing are major trends in automated mobile robot (AMR) development. According to Gartner’s Emerging Tech Impact Radar, advanced computer vision and AI acceleration will be among the most important…
An introduction to tangential manufacturing
By: Thomas C. Hansen, President, R&D Products The tangential laser-centrifuge process is ideal for manufacturing small and very detailed parts, such as microchannel cooling devices used as heat sinks for CPUs typically performed in vacuum or clean room environments. Inserts for injection molding dies with tiny channels can also benefit from the tangential machine process […]
New Performance Advisor helps strengthen parts with less material
Markforged has introduced Performance Advisor, a software tool designed as a fast and easy way to get stronger parts, particularly when use cases are unknown. The first step to manufacturing strong parts with Markforged printers is to use Eiger to configure print settings, which can influence the strength (performance) of a part. For example, it […]
Atomic Industries 3D prints with M300 tooling steel
Atomic Industries, a creator of artificial intelligence-powered manufacturing solutions, will be using a fully integrated metal additive manufacturing solution to provide its customers with 3D-printed tooling and dies. The solution includes Velo3D’s Sapphire printer that is calibrated to produce parts in M300 tool steel, an ultra-low carbon alloy with high-strength and hardness properties derived from […]
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) within precision additive manufacturing
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a growing concern in additive manufacturing as electronic components become smaller and more critical for medical devices and precision components. In this podcast, John Kawola, CEO of Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF), and Olga Ivanova, director of technology at Mechnano, discuss ESD materials and how they open doors for additive manufacturing. Scroll […]
A look back at some remarkable forward-thinkers
As a technical writer in engineering and IT, I have spent countless hours documenting procedures, equations, laboratory instructions, manuals, specifications, and the like. As critical and satisfying as that work is (to me and my kin), something was always missing. And it took more than 15 years and many professional iterations to figure out what.…
Siemens brings secure thermal digital twins to the electronics supply chain
Siemens Digital Industries Software announced today that it is bringing an innovative approach for sharing accurate thermal models of integrated circuit (IC) packages to the electronics supply chain. The main advantages are protecting intellectual property, enhancing supply chain collaboration, and accuracy of models for steady state and transient thermal analysis to enhance design studies. Introduced […]
The present and future state of 3D simulation in engineering
Simulation in the engineering space empowers designers to create, test, and revise ideas with a speed and complexity not possible with traditional means alone. Just as simulation has enabled faster and more calculated development of products across industries, its own evolution is rapid and crucial to understand. The current state of simulation in the engineering […]
Siemens Digital Industries and Voltaiq optimize battery manufacturing
Siemens Digital Industries Software and Voltaiq combine their strengths to offer unparalleled capabilities for battery manufacturing-focused companies. This collaboration aims to bring together the production-proven capabilities of both Siemens’ Insights Hub and Voltaiq’s Enterprise Battery Intelligence (EBI), customers can gain access to unparalleled capability specific to battery-domain companies to help rapidly scale operations smoothly, from…
Model-based product development takes center stage
Product development has a problem. To drive greater efficiencies and higher quality for downstream consumers, organizations have asked product development to adopt model-based definition. This is helping to tie the digital thread from engineering to manufacturing and beyond. But what about within engineering? Faced with mounting global competition, increasing product complexity, and a mandate to […]
CS3D: The due diligence directive
Executives and decision-makers, as well as entire companies, are going to be impacted by current and upcoming changes in regulations in the new year. Companies that adapt their operations to be compliant with the new laws in the U.S. and abroad will prove to be at the top of the success ladder, ultimately moving their […]
Formlabs launches new Resin Pumping System and two new materials
Formlabs today announced its Resin Pumping System and two new materials, Polypropylene Powder and Premium Teeth Resin, to increase the efficiency, versatility, and scalability of its 3D printing ecosystem. Formlabs’ ecosystem is relied upon for prototyping and in-house production, with more than 130,000 printers sold worldwide, and Resin Pumping System and these new materials aim […]
PTDA hosts the 2024 Industry Immersion Conference for new talent development
The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) will host a new talent development event, the PTDA 2024 Industry Immersion Conference, in Hollywood, Fla., on February 29, 2024. This intensive program is designed to help those who are new to the power transmission and motion control (PT/MC) industry grow interpersonal skills, networking capabilities, and industry essentials for…
Greene Tweed introduces its latest Canted Coil MSE sealing solution
Greene Tweed recently introduced the new Canted Coil MSE (metal spring energized) sealing solution, designed to further reduce power loss and improve precision movement without sacrificing leakage control or durability. The seals offer broad chemical compatibility and resistance to extreme temperatures, pressure, and wear. Greene Tweed devoted two years of design development and in-house testing…
Light conveyor platform bridges fixed systems with flexible AMRs
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can streamline material handling in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and more, yet many facilities still primarily rely on conveyor systems. To serve as a flexible bridge between fixed conveyors and production lines, Interroll designed a light conveyor platform (LCP) to facilitate the handling of lightweight goods with AMRs from Mobile Industrial Robots…
Top digital manufacturing articles of 2023 (and a few you may have missed)
Digital manufacturing is part of an intricate web that’s transforming global industries. Here’s a look at some of the most-read digital manufacturing articles of 2023 on Make Parts Fast and a few worthwhile reads. How is 3D printing used in 2023? Here’s what’s changing Jabil conducted a global survey of additive manufacturing decision-makers, and […]
Mighty Buildings uses 3D printing for low-carbon, low-income housing
Mighty Buildings and partners led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have been awarded a $5 million GFO-22-305 grant from the California Energy Commission to develop, test, and demonstrate zero-carbon or near-zero-carbon, cost-effective, modular and manufactured homes that can be readily deployed, particularly in under-resourced communities. The companies intend to develop three advanced prefabricated low-carbon […]
ORNL 3D-prints metal steam turbine blades for power plants
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) became the first to 3D-print large rotating steam turbine blades for generating energy in power plants. Led by partner Siemens Technology, the U.S. research and development hub of Siemens AG, the project demonstrates that wire arc additive manufacturing is viable for the scalable production […]
Digitalization is creating technology jobs, new Schneider Electric report shows
New research from Schneider Electric has revealed that almost half (45%) of industrial companies believe digitalization will be the primary reason that new operational technology (OT) job roles will be created in the next three years. The research, commissioned by Schneider Electric and carried out by global research leader Omdia, polled 407 industrial companies ranging…
Carnot uses Creo and Windchill to decarbonize engine technology
Carnot, a London startup, has signed a new deal with PTC that will help it tackle the trillion-dollar challenge of decarbonizing industry, long-haul transport, and off-grid power. The company was formed by Archie Watts-Farmer, Francis Lempp, and Nadiur Rahman in 2019 and will extend its use of the digital transformation specialist’s CAD design software Creo […]
Improving ISR missions with Change-Bitrate-on-the-Fly technology
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions are rarely executed in controlled laboratory environments — quite the opposite. The platforms — from airborne drones to terrestrial and underwater remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) — that carry ISR payloads are often deployed in the harshest conditions and connected to users and operators over wildly inconsistent communication networks. The…
Mastering measurement in 3D scanning: precision, accuracy, and trueness
In the realm of scientific research, engineering, and even everyday life, precise and accurate measurements are crucial for obtaining reliable results. What characteristics make a scale highly precise? What is a measurement that is accurate? Is trueness the same as accuracy? In this article, we explore the concepts of measurement trueness, accuracy, and precision and […]