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 […]
Brightpick explains machine vision and AI in intelligent warehouse automation
Brightpick unveiled new details about the proprietary world-class machine vision and AI that are critical for the seamless operation of its Brightpick Autopicker robots. The technologies are used for everything from scanning totes (bins) to create 3D models for future picking of items, to determining ideal picking angles for both totes and individual items. The…
Space Machines develops Optimus for in-space transport and logistics
Siemens Digital Industries Software announced that Space Machines Company (SMC), an Australian space on-orbit services and logistics startup, has used the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software to design and build the Optimus Orbital Servicing Vehicle. One of the largest commercial spacecrafts being designed, manufactured, and assembled in Australia, is in development at the University […]
Onshape Professional is free for six months with Discovery Program
Reading-based PTC is now offering free access to Onshape Professional for up to six months. With this offer, the company wants to give development teams enough time to extensively test the advantages of the cloud-native product development platform, with the only requirement being to qualify as a user. Onshape is the only product development platform developed […]
Prototyping the Gutsy Port, an empowering solution for ostomates
The Gutsy Port, created by Charlotte Böhning, is a revolutionary medical port design that enables bag-free moments for ostomates. About one million people in the U.S. and nearly 14 million globally are ostomates, relying on a plastic bag connected to a stoma in their abdomen to eliminate bodily waste. Ostomy surgery is life-saving and necessary, […]
AI takes center stage at Autodesk University 2023
Autodesk held its Autodesk University (AU) event, the company’s annual design and make conference, on November 13-15, 2023, in Las Vegas. Over the three days, 10,000 of the world’s designers, engineers, builders, and creators united to learn and gain inspiration for the next iterations of the buildings we live and work in, the cars we […]
Lithoz teams up with Oak Ridge National Laboratory on high-temp ceramics
Lithoz and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to use Lithoz’s 3D printing technology to further explore the processing and additive manufacturing of non-oxide ceramics. Based on Laser-Induced Slipcasting (LIS) technology, the Lithoz 3D printer uses laser slurry drying, or net shaping, technology to […]
Generative AI advances intelligent factories
The tagline Enabling an Intelligent Planet might spur the question: What does “intelligent” mean? And in the context of IIoT, how does a factory become intelligent? According to Willie Lin, director of iFactory Solutions and WISE-IoT at Advantech (whose company uses this tagline), an intelligent factory features two things. First is the knowledge and understanding…
Accelerating metal injection molding through debinding optimization
By Elizabeth Norwood, Senior Chemist, MicroCare Metal injection molding (MIM) is ideal for producing complex small metal parts. This is thanks to its precision, efficiency, and near-net-shape capabilities compared to traditional, subtractive machining methods like turning, grinding, or cutting. A process that is helping to speed up MIM manufacturing is debinding using a vapor degreaser. […]
Velo3D Sapphire printers achieve US DoD’s Green-level STIG Compliance
Velo3D today announced its Sapphire family of 3D printers is the first to achieve the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Green-level STIG (Security Technical Implementation Guide) Compliance. The certification allows Sapphire printers to be connected to the DoD’s Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) and gives customers the confidence their metal 3D printers are hardened […]
SprutCAM Tech enhances online libraries
SprutCAM Tech announced the addition of dozens of new industrial robot models, hundreds of pre-designed kinematics and post-processors for CNC machines, and an extensive collection of ready-to-use CAM projects. The software ecosystem surrounding SprutCAM X, a CAD/CAM system for the next-generation makers, and SprutCAM X Robot, an all-in-one offline programming system, has expanded to include […]
Stratasys and Siemens Healthineers aim to advance CT imaging
Stratasys recently announced it has partnered with Siemens Healthineers to carry out a landmark research project designed to develop new state-of-the-art solutions for the advancement of medical imaging phantoms for computed tomography (CT) imaging. A critical tool in medical imaging and an almost universal resource in hospitals worldwide, CT phantoms are specialized devices used to […]
Mitsubishi Electric joins the ModuleWorks program
ModuleWorks, a supplier of software components for the digital manufacturing industry, announced that Mitsubishi Electric has joined its Strategic Partner Program. The Strategic Partner Program initiated by ModuleWorks represents a commitment to driving the development of intelligent, integrated manufacturing solutions by fostering collaboration and innovation between ModuleWorks and key technology providers. Mitsubishi Electric is the […]
Extreme Manufacturing Engineering gets a BLT-S800 3D printer
Bright Laser Technologies (BLT), a provider of comprehensive turnkey solutions for metal additive manufacturing and remanufacturing, announced its strategic collaboration with Extreme Manufacturing Engineering (EME), an additive manufacturing solutions provider based in Veneto, Italy. EME made a significant acquisition at Formnext 2023 by purchasing the BLT-S800 and BLT-S450, addressing the growing demand for versatile 3D […]
Schneider Electric pledges $1 million to the “Next Level Now” campaign
Schneider Electric announced a $1,000,000 pledge to the NAED Education & Research Foundation (NERF) to support their Next Level Now campaign. Schneider Electric is the first manufacturer to join the industry-wide effort to develop insights, tools, and services that support the digital transformation and modernization of the distribution channel. Schneider Electric is a long-time member…
Seal testing options for hydrogen storage and transport
As the world transitions towards a net zero future, hydrogen is growing in importance as one of the key elements that will help deliver a more sustainable future. Used as both storing energy and as fuel, hydrogen is potentially transformative in the battle to reduce emissions, with reports predicting over 9 trillion USD in investment1…
Equispheres and Aconity3D print 9x faster than industry norms
Equispheres and Aconity3D are once again breaking new ground in metal additive manufacturing, achieving build rates about 9x greater than industry norms for aluminum powder and laser powder bed fusion. Building on previous announcements of 3x improvements in production speeds, Aconity3D and Equispheres have continued to push the limits of their machine and materials technologies. […]