Design Engineering May June 2017

14 Autodesk Inventor 2018 lays

down the gauntlet in the midrange 3D CAD space

24 Ottawa’s Gibson Product

Design, the “Go-To Guys” of the industrial design market

40 AM Capability Guide compiles

professional AM service bureaus in Canada

Off the

beaten

path

ARGO’s amphibious XTV vehicles venture beyond the point where traditional ATVs flounder.

MAY/JUNE 2017

www.design-engineering.com

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Contents | Volume 62, No. 3 5

EDITORIAL BOARD

Dr. Alain Aubertin ice President, Business V Development and International Affairs, Canada Consortium for Aerospace Research and Innovation in Canada (CARIC)

Ajay Bajaj, P.Eng President, Rotator Products Limited; Past President and Board Member, Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA)

Frank Defalco Manager, Canada Makes, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters

John Lamb National Segment Manager, ASCO, Emerson; Chairman, Canadian Fluid Power Association (CFPA)

Features

14

8 Design News Uber taps Toronto AI expert to lead Canadian driverless car lab and other news

14 CAD Report Autodesk Inventor 2018 lays down the gauntlet in the mid-range 3D CAD space

20 Cover Story ARGO’s amphibious XTV vehicles venture beyond the point where traditional ATVs flounder

24 Inside Design Ottawa’s Gibson Product Design has spent more than 30 years growing a reputation as the “Go-To Guys” in the industrial design market

20

Dr. Ishwar Puri, P.Eng ean of the Faculty of D Engineering; Professor of Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University

Dr. Mary Wells, P.Eng Associate Dean, Outreach; Professor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo

26 Idea Generator The latest industrial products including automation, motion control, fluid power and sensors

32 Canadian Innovator Canadian bike maker leverages rapidly machined titanium to create innovative folding bike model

24

AM Supplement SUBSCRIBER SERVICES To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information contact us at 1-800-387-0273 ext.3552.

Annual Subscription Rate In Canada: $53.95 (1 year), $72.95 (2 year). Outside Canada: $101.95 (1 year) Single Copy In Canada: $10.00 Outside Canada: $22.00 Directory Rates In Canada: $28.00 Outside Canada: $46.00 Design Engineering, established in 1955, is published by Annex Business Media, 6 times per year.

80 Valleybrook Dr., Toronto, ON M3B 2S9.

Printed in Canada

36 AM Technology Primer A detailed overview of all current additive manufacturing technologies and how they work

40 AM Capability Guide This comprehensive chart lists professional AM service bureaus in Canada plus the AM technologies and ancillary services they offer

32

42 AM Distributor Listing A listing of additive manufacturing machine re-sellers in Canada, including contact information and brands represented

46 48

44 The Design Rules of AM Why designers need to lead the next wave of additive manufacturing adoption

48 Assembled with Ease Solaxis' 3D printed automotive assembly jigs cut weight, improve accuracy and speed assembly

2 0 1 7

Winnipeg: April 18 Coquitlam: May 2 Moncton: June 21 Kitchener: Oct 11

www.design-engineering.com May/June | 2017

6 EditorialViewpoint

An AM State of Mind

www.design-engineering.com

E

ach year, we at Design Engineering strive to improve the magazine, website and DEX tradeshow in at least one significant way. We may not be able to realize all our plans at once but, bit by bit, we hope to incrementally build up and improve things toward our ultimate vision.

This year, that layer of improvement is The 2017 Canadian Additive Manufacturing Guide, which starts on page 35 of this issue. In it, we’ve included an overview of the various AM processes currently available, plus a brief description of how they work for those who are new to the technology. We’ve also done our best to track down all the professional-grade service bureaus and equipment resellers in Canada complete with their contact information, what machines they run or sell and what services they offer beyond creating parts.

Given our audience, we chose not to include those who target the hobbyist or prosumer end of the 3D printing market. We’ve also largely limited the list to those companies operating in Canada. We have, however, included companies outside Canada that sell into North America on the whole.

Even with our best effort, we may have missed a few relevant players. Any exclusions are unintentional. If you feel your company was unfairly overlooked, please let us know so we can update and maintain our listings. We will be releasing the guide online through our website as a downloadable PDF, and we anticipate updating that document regularly so it remains current and relevant.

Beyond the listings, the supplement also includes a detailed analysis of the design rules specific to additive manufacturing. As the article’s author, Nigel Southway, VP of Engineering at Additive Metal Manufacturing Inc., points out, AM requires a paradigm shift in design thinking that is 180 degrees away from subtractive design guidelines.

For example, subtractive techniques are like sculpting; you start with a block of material and discard what isn’t needed. The more material removed, the more expensive the part. In AM, the opposite is true; the more material added, the more expensive the part becomes. As a result, additive manufacturing is too often dismissed because companies apply the new technology directly on their traditionally produced parts without first redesigning them to leverage AM's advantages.

Inevitably, the per-part cost is too high and the return on investment too low.

An additional challenge is that the tools design engineers use heavily steer them toward procedures that put additive manufacturing at a disadvantage from the get go. CAD parts typically start from one or more geometric primitives (e.g. blocks, spheres, cones, etc.) from which virtual material is removed. The operations common to CAD applications, such as chamfer, drill, shell and the like, virtually replicate the subtractive shop-floor operations that will be eventually used to create the part.

For designers to make the cognitive shift in thinking necessary for additive manufacturing to “make sense” from a business point of view, a new class of design software may be required. For example, such a tool might replace the ‘extrude’ tool with ‘create lattice’ or would, by default, fill any enclosed geometry with a crisscross matrix rather than solid material. I’m sure there are other and better examples but the point is to create tools that put designers in an AM state of mind.

Mike McLeod

@

Publisher Alan Macpherson (416) 510-6756 amacpherson@design-engineering.com Editor Michael McLeod (416) 442-5600 ext. 3231 mmcleod@design-engineering.com Associate Editor Lindsay Luminoso (416) 510-5233 lluminoso@design-engineering.com Account Manager Ron Salmon (416) (905) 713-4362 rsalmon@design-engineering.com Art Director Mark Ryan (416) 442-5600 ext. 3541 Account Coordinator Cheryl Fisher (416) 510-5194 cfisher@annexbizmedia.com Circulation Manager Beata Olechnowicz (416) 442-5600 ext. 3543 bolechnowicz@annexbizmedia.com Vice President Tim Dimopoulos (416) 510-5100 tdimopoulos@canadianmanufacturing.com COO Ted Markle tmarkle@annexweb.com President & CEO Mike Fredericks Design Engineering, established in 1955, is published

by Annex Business Media, 6 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues.

Printed in Canada Publications Mail Agreement #40065710 ISSN: 0011-9342 (Print), 1929-6452 (Online) Subscriber Services: Canada: $55.00 for 1 year; $88.00 for 2 years; $10 for single copy.

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Add applicable taxes to Canadian rates.

Customer Service: email: blao@annexbizmedia.com Tel: 416-442-5600 ext 3552 Fax: 416-510-5170 Mail: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.

Annex Privacy Officer: privacy@annexbizmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374 No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2016 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. DE receives unsolicited features and materials (including letters to the editor) from time to time. DE, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. DE accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue. DE is indexed in the Canadian Business Index by Micromedia Ltd., Toronto, and is available on-line in the Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database.

I enjoy hearing from you so please contact me at MMcLeod@design-engineering.com and your letter could be published in an upcoming issue.

May/June | 2017

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8 DesignNews

UBER TAPS TORONTO AI EXPERT TO LEAD CANADIAN DRIVERLESS CAR LAB

A

merican ride-sharing company Uber has announced plans to open a Canadian driverless car lab in Toronto and is bringing on University of Toronto professor and AI expert, Raquel Urtasun to lead the company’s Advanced Technologies Group.

Located at the MaRS Discovery District, the lab will be the company’s first foray outside of the United States. Kalanick says the company is looking to draw on the local talent pool to help the company grow and expand.

“With support from the Ontario and federal governments, Toronto has emerged as an important hub of artificial intelligence research, which is critical to the future of transportation,” Kalanick said. “We’re also making a significant multi-year financial commitment as a platinum sponsor of the Vector Institute, which Raquel helped to set up as a co-founder.”

The company believes Urtasun’s background in AI will help self-driving engineering efforts across the United States as well as work led by fellow University of Toronto alum, Zoubin Ghahramani, at the Uber AI Labs in San Francisco.

“While there’s still a lot of work to be done, we believe that

University of Toronto professor and AI expert, Raquel Urtasun.

(Photo courtesy of Uber Canada.)

the combination of our global ridesharing network with the cutting-edge software and hardware being built by our teams will make this vision a reality,” says Kalanick. “And we couldn’t be more excited about what’s next.” www.uber.com

UP FRONT PEO recognizes Morrison Hershfield COO with top honour

MDA to set up Satellite Centre of Excellence in Montreal

Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) has awarded its Order of Honour to Canadian engineering advocate and regulatory bodies leader, Catherine Karakatsanis, P.Eng., FEC, FCAE., of Toronto. The Order of Honour pays tribute to individuals who have rendered conspicuous service to the engineering profession.

Karakatsanis served as president and chair of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers in 2002-3. She guided the association in the 2009-10 council term as the fourth woman to be elected its president and influenced the most significant changes to the Professional Engineers Act since 1984.

Karakatsanis urges all engineers to get involved as volunteers. “The more involved you get, the bigger your network grows, the more skills you will obtain and the more opportunities will present themselves.” www.peo.on.ca

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) announced it has signed a Letter of Intent with the Government of Quebec to establish a Satellite Centre of Excellence in Montreal.

Quebec has agreed to support the new venture financially in the form of up to $45 million as a royalty-based contingent venture loan for a next-generation digital payload satellite system development and manufacturing project. In addition, $3 million will come from a non-refundable financial contribution used to support the establishment of the Satellite Centre of Excellence. www.mdacorporation.com

May/June | 2017

Photo courtesy of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.

Ford appoints new CEO

Ford has named Jim Hackett as its new president and CEO. The auto manufacturer sees Hackett as a visionary who will bolster its core strengths while capitalizing on emerging markets and technological opportunities.

According to the car company, the 62-year-old Hackett has a long track record of innovation and success as CEO of furniture maker Steelcase. He was named to the post three days after former CEO Mark Fields told the company he wanted to retire after a 28-year career at Ford.

“We’re moving from a position of strength to transform Ford for the future,” said Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford. “Jim Hackett is the right CEO to lead Ford during this transformative period for the auto industry and the broader mobility space.” www.ford.com www.design-engineering.com

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DesignNews Canada’s best and brightest engineers land top honours

www.gm.ca www.sae.org

Engineers Canada recognized eight of Canada’s leading engineers in May, with the national organization’s top honours.

Since 1972, The Engineers Canada Awards have highlighted professional excellence, as well as the contributions of engineers to their community and to the safety and wellbeing of Canadians.

Larry E. Seeley, PhD, P.Eng., Chair and CEO of Clockwise from top left: Larry E. Seeley, PhD, P.Eng.; Veronica Seeley Group, was Knott; G. Ross Peters, PhD, FCAE, FEC, P.Eng.; Mary A. Wells, awarded a Gold Medal for PhD, P.Eng.; Radar FLIR Ranger R20SS; Amy M. Bilton, PhD, his 40-year career role in P.Eng.; Jonathan F. Holzman, PhD, P.Eng; and Eduardo (Ted) the growth of Canada’s Maulucci, P.Eng. (Photo Courtesy of Engineers Canada) mining and metallurgical sector combined with his fostering and Peters, PhD, FCAE, FEC, P.Eng., won the promoting new businesses and tech- Meritorious Service Award for Profesnologies within the minerals and recycled sional Service. A tireless promoter of metals industries worldwide. engineering education in Canada, Peters Mary A. Wells, PhD, P.Eng. won the is credited with helping cement the high Support of Women in the Engineering regard for which Canadian engineering Profession Award. As professor and education and accreditation systems are inaugural Associate Dean, Outreach, recognized globally.

Faculty of Engineering, University of Eduardo (Ted) Maulucci, P.Eng., Waterloo, Wells is recognized as a sig- awarded the Meritorious Service Award nificant role model and leader in the for Community Service, is president of Canadian and global engineering com- SmartONE Solutions Inc. but also donates munity for women. his time to mentoring engineering stuUndergraduate engineering student, dents, drumming up funding for academic Veronica Knott, won the 2017 Gold Medal institutions and helping entrepreneurs Student award for her leadership in inclu- bring products to market. sivity and diversity engagement while Jonathan F. Holzman, PhD, P.Eng., studying engineering at UBC. recipient of the Medal for Distinction in Amy M. Bilton, PhD, P.Eng., won the Engineering Education, is an Associate Young Engineer Achievement Award. Professor at the UBC Okanagan campus As a researcher and educator at the and is known by his students and staff University of Toronto’s Faculty of for implementing a number of innovative Applied Science and Engineering, Bil- teaching methods. ton’s research appeals to students A team of Laval, Quebec, engineers because of its significant international from FLIR Systems, a leading maker of development focus: Technologies geared sensor systems, is the recipient of the toward water and energy solutions for National Award for an Engineering Projthe developing world. ect. The Radar FLIR Ranger R20SS is a Professor emeritus and former Dean radar system used for automatic surveilof Memorial University Faculty of Engi- lance applications. neering & Applied Science, G. Ross www.engineerscanada.ca

May/June | 2017

www.design-engineering.com

Canadian universities named finalists in autonomous vehicle design competition

The University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo are among eight North American universities who will compete in the AutoDrive Challenge. The design competition will take place over three years, during which participants will develop and design a fully autonomous driving passenger vehicle. In the process, they will work on real-world applications of sensing technologies and advanced computation methods such as computer vision, pattern recognition, machine learning, artificial intelligence, sensor fusion and autonomous vehicle controls.

Each team will use a Chevrolet Bolt EV as the vehicle platform. In Year 1, beginning this fall, teams will familiarize themselves with sensing and computation software while completing a concept design and missions for on-site evaluations.

In Year 2, the teams will refine the concept design into a solid system development and will prepare for advanced on-site testing including dynamic object detection and multiple lane changing.

Year 3 will culminate with final validation of their design and concept refinement. The teams will navigate complex objectives of on-site testing. The competition’s technical goal is to navigate an urban driving course in automated driving mode as described by SAE Standard (J3016) level four definition.

The other finalists include Kettering University, Michigan State University, Michigan Tech, North Carolina A&T University, Texas A&M University and Virginia Tech.

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12 DesignNews London, ON to become leader in medical 3D printing

The London Medical Network (LMN) has announced the establishment of the Additive Design in Surgical Solutions (ADEISS) Centre at Western University’s Discovery Park. LMN is working with Western University and Renishaw PLC for this $6.8 million partnership, focused on creating a new research, development and commercialization centre to develop 3D printed medical instruments and surgical solutions.

“The London Medical Network aims to make our city a global leader in medical research and innovation in order to improve health care around the world,” said Dr. Michael J. Strong, Dean, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University and LMN Governing Council Member.

The partnership will bring together leaders in research, technical and business development from Western, Robarts Research Institute, the Lawson Health Research Institute and Renishaw PLC. Renishaw’s participation in the partnership brings access to advanced additive manufacturing solutions.

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According to the partners, the collaboration will expose London, ON start-up companies and trainees to an advanced tech environment to develop and test new products for use in the healthcare sector.

“Partnerships such as this one, which bring together industry, clinicians, researchers and academia, are the future of innovation,” said Amit Chakma, Western University President. “Bringing all of these great minds together will no doubt yield impressive results.” www.uwo.ca

Canada Makes releases Metal Additive Design Guide

Canada Makes has launched its Metal Additive Design Guide, an online tool to make additive manufacturing more accessible to companies interested in trying metal additive manufacturing (AM). Like Canada Makes’ Metal Additive Process Guide, the newest resource is a free service that introduces concepts needed when designing for additive manufacturing (DfAM).

“The Metal Additive Design Guide is easy to use, interactive, offering useful information for newcomers to this technology,” said Frank Defalco, Manager Canada Makes.

According to Canada Makes, the online interactive app, featured on the network’s website, isn’t for experienced metal AM users. Instead, it’s intended for those looking for straightforward answers regarding design for additive manufacturing, such as “How big can my parts be?”, “What materials can I use?” and “What are the advantages of AM?”, among others.

The CME’s network of additive manufacturing players intends for the Guide to help Canada’s manufacturing sector understand the capabilities of metal AM, speed its adoption and invigorate Canada’s burgeoning AM supply chain.

The Metal Additive Design Guide was funded through the National Research Council Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program in accordance with the Metal Additive Demonstration Program. www.canadamakes.ca

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14 CADReport

CROSSING THE

RUB

Since its inception, Autodesk Inventor has laid down the gauntlet in the mid-range 3D CAD space. Here’s how Inventor 2018 stacks up.

By Ralph Grabowski

A

utodesk began work on Inventor as a reaction to the run-away success of Solidworks. Self-funded by its programmers, this brand-new, mid-priced (roughly $5,000) parametric MCAD program seemed to “come out of nowhere.” In a couple of years, Solidworks had become the best selling Windows-based MCAD program, undercutting the high-end ($10,000+) market of Pro/Engineer, UGS and Catia. To this day, it remains such.

At the time, Autodesk offered two AutoCAD-based packages to MCAD designers – Mechanical Desktop (MDT) for 3D modeling and AutoCAD Mechanical for 2D detailing. The AutoCAD engine lacked MCAD necessities like constraints and assemblies and, in any case, it made MDT a hard sell to non-AutoCAD users.

To compete with the Solidworks juggernaut, Autodesk first tried buying them, but lost to Dassault Systemes. So, instead, it launched “Project Rubicon” – a new MCAD system written from scratch.

The word Rubicon refers the shallow river that, in Ancient Rome, marked the northern border of Italy proper. It was made famous when Julius Caesar, and the army he led, crossed it in 49BC, and thereby broke Roman law and irrevocably began a civil war that led to him becoming dictator of the empire.

May/June | 2017

Since then, “crossing the Rubicon” has become an idiom for committing to a course of action past the point of no return.

In the same way, Autodesk committed to challenging Solidworks’ dominance of the mid-priced MCAD market by launching Project Rubicon (now known as Inventor) in 1999. The launch was followed by an aggressive bi-annual update schedule designed to bring Inventor’s feature set in line with Solidworks’. www.design-engineering.com

CADReport 15

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Figure 1: Defining the length of partial fillets in Inventor 2018

At the same time, Autodesk undertook a similarly aggressive anti-Solidworks campaign of in-their-face marketing and lawsuits. For those first few years, Inventor’s marketing staff maintained a presence outside Solidworks World user events – displaying ads on nearby billboards, handing out boxing-motif leaflets and inviting Solidworks users to Inventor social events.

Autodesk next targeted Solidworks Corp (and parent Dassault Systemes) with law-

suits contesting its use of similar trademark design (i.e. an orange rectangle) and the use of DWG in its free 2D utility, Canada’s source for DWGEditor. (Autodesk lost the orange Teamcenter sales and support. rectangle lawsuit, and Dassault negotiated a settlement over DWGEditor.)

Ultimately, the three-pronged Rubicon www.designfusion.ca tactic failed. Today, analysts believe Inveninfo@designfusion.com tor might be in second or third place after Solidworks and Solid Edge, maybe. We don't 1-888-567-3933 really know, as CAD vendors no longer

www.design-engineering.com May/June | 2017

16 CADReport

Figure 2: Adding GD&T leaders to a part in Inventor 2018

report exact seat numbers. Analysts estimate that Inventor sold 24,000 seats last year and Solidworks 70,000 seats.

Flash forward nearly a decade and now Inventor needs to be killed off, just as MDT was. Ultimately, Autodesk wants all its software running on the cloud, but Inventor is tied so tightly to Microsoft’s proprietary codebase that porting it to another computing environment is neigh impossible. In other words, we'll never see an Inventor 360.

The designated replacement for Inventor is Fusion 360…eventually. Even though Autodesk touts it as a “cloud-based platform,” Fusion runs on MacOS and Windows desktop computers with some links to Autodesk’s proprietary cloud.

Fusion lacks some of the basics that mechanical designers expect from MCAD systems, although it is admired for its HSM CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) component. Fusion files are not compatible with Inventor, or Vault even, with users reduced to exporting nonassociative STEP files from Fusion.

Sales of Fusion to existing Inventor customers are poor; Autodesk admits 90% of Fusion users are new to the company. As a result, Autodesk slashed the price of the base version to $300 a year and made it entirely free to students, May/June | 2017

startups of under $1 million in revenues, “enthusiasts.”

To be fair, Dassault Systemes has faced an even more difficult path bringing Solidworks customers to its 3DExperience cloud platform. After ten years of programming effort, it has no cloud-based replacement that Solidworks users want.

At last winter's Autodesk University, Autodesk affirmed that it expects Inventor to keep going for another five to ten years and plans to keep enhancing its functions.

Inventor always was strong at industrial machinery design, and that emphasis will continue, the company says.

What's New in Inventor 2018 There were four mid-stream releases of Inventor 2017, and so 2018 naturally rolls up all those new functions. New to 2018 are a number of impressive enhancements: • Partial fillets defined by offsets (see Figure 1) • Extrudes are relative to other geometry • Holes extend in both directions and can have zero depth • Sheet metal bodies have thicknesses defined by styles • The Measure command automatically determines the geometry being measured

Other new functions fall into the “what took them so long” category: • Rectangles placed around text • Meshes displayed in drawing layouts • BOMs sorted by user-defined strings Let me touch on some of the significant features new to Inventor 2018.

Big Models: There is a space race going on among MCAD vendors. For each, the issue centers around how to make their software work ever faster with really large, complex 3D models. As it turns out, there are only a few ways to do this: 1.

Avoid loading and displaying unneeded parts of assemblies (easy to do) 2. Offload display calculations to the graphics board (moderate difficulty) 3. Access additional cores in the CPU to perform actions in parallel (difficult to implement) Inventor 2018 also adds tweaks to reduce delays. Some of these include the following: When parts are not loaded, we still need to see them as 3D bounding boxes; in 2018, we can force the display of bounding boxes even of parts that are loaded. There’s faster hiddenline removal and view changes. Twodimensional elements like sketches, drawing views and raster underlays are displayed faster. www.design-engineering.com

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One plug, eight cable outlets This new elbow connector design allows to adjust and position the connector in an efficient way.

Each connector can be orientated during its assembly and enables 8 positions.

The connector then remains securely positioned in its orientation.

8 in 1 plug Cable clarity Clean design Prevent cable snaging Reduce operating failures caused by stressed cables

MBD: Model-based design (and its superior cousin MBE, Model-Based Enterprise) is a way to integrate manufacturing information into 3D model files. This lets CNC tools read the 3D model, then produce the part. The idea is to avoid generating 2D plans, which nevertheless remains the common practice.

MBD isn't terribly complex; it’s just a 3D model attached with leaders tagged with information the CNC machine needs, like finishes and tolerances. Inventor 2018 integrates this capability, along with a Tolerance Advisor palette that warns which aspects still need MBD data (see Figure 2).

Once we’ve attached GD&T and other manufacturing data, we export the model as a 3D PDF file or as a STEP file using AP217 standards. If we still work with 2D drawings, then we ask Inventor to add MBD leaders to the layouts automatically.

AutoCAD: In most design firms, a few seats of Inventor are supplemented by dozens of seats of lower cost CAD software for making detail drawings. So it’s important that Inventor have access to DWG files, and here 2018 makes things better when we place DWG files as underlays, like raster images.

In Inventor 2018, we can open DWG underlays in AutoCAD for further editing. Changes are updated manually in Inventor. When we create sketches, we can project geometry from DWG underlays.

In the past, we could insert DWG files only in part files; with 2018, one or more DWG files can be placed in assemblies.

Layers and other properties are prefixed by the DWG file name so one can be distinguished from another. (Think xrefs.)

When it comes to non-Autodesk 3D models, Inventor's AnyCAD function now lets us edit the foreign parts and then update the native assembly. The same AnyCAD system allows Inventor 2017.4 users to natively edit 2018 files.

Autodesk hopes to sacrifice Inventor in five to ten years to the greater good of subscription-only, cloud-based utopia. This may, however, be difficult to execute, given Fusion and Inventor's inability to work inside each other’s workspaces. Autodesk suggests using their online A360 project collaboration system, but this isn’t an effective workaround. The transition to the future needs to be made clearer to Inventor users; perhaps it will take Autodesk those 5-10 years to accomplish a transition.

Then there is the problem of Autodesk's buy-or-die subscription plan, which all new customers are required to adopt. In theory, Autodesk could turn off subscription versions of Inventor to force customers onto Fusion. There is some evidence Autodesk’s subscription plan is giving potential customers pause, as Dassault Systemes credits Inventor’s switch to subscriptions for last year’s 12% increase in Solidworks revenues.

There are design firms that engage in projects that take years to complete; additionally, access to archival data is required for decades to come. They expect long-range certainty from Autodesk. Even as Inventor users continue to enthusiastically design with “their” software, its future in their livelihoods is precarious. Inventor is being squeezed between a Solidworks of the past and a Fusion of the future.

DE www.autodesk.com

LEMO Canada Inc.

T: 905-889-5678 F: 905-889-4970 Info-canada@lemo.com Contact your local partner on www.lemo.com

Ralph Grabowski writes on the business of CAD on his WorldCAD Access blog (www.worldcadaccess.com) and weekly upFront.eZine newsletter. He has authored many articles and books on AutoCAD, BricsCAD, Visio and other design software.

May/June | 2017 DES_LEMO_MayJune.indd 1

www.design-engineering.com 2017-03-09 8:33 AM

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Also available, CP6606: 1 GHz ARM Cortex™ A8 CPU, and 1 GB DDR3 RAM

20 CoverStory

ARGO’s amphibious XTV vehicles venture beyond the point where traditional ATV flounder.

In addition to its popular 6- and 8-wheeled recreational vehicles, Ontario’s Argo also offers customized vehicles for first responder, police force and military applications.

By Lindsay Luminoso

S

ince 1967, ARGO has been producing some of the world’s toughest amphibious Xtreme Terrain Vehicles (XTV).

Throughout its history, the New Hamburg, ON-based manufacturer has prided itself on enabling users to “go anywhere” they are willing to take the vehicle.

In essence, the company’s range of vehicles haven’t changed dramatically – in shape or design logic – over the last 50 years. The key element behind ARGO’s design is its ability to be fully amphibious. According to ARGO’s VP of Engineering, Douglas Braswell, there are only a few ways that this can be approached in an effective and economical way – by designing a tub that displaces water to keep it afloat.

An ARGO XTV is built using two high-density polyethylene frames that are combined to make the tub-like shell.

The belly of the machine, the bottom of the tub, is used for floatation, but it’s really the tires that make this vehicle unique.

“The secret behind the ARGO is the way that the power is delivered to the ground through the tires,” explains Braswell. “If we work back to the power source and everything in between, the tires make May/June | 2017

up what an ARGO is today. It’s based on the floatation, transmission and the way the engine is delivered to the transmission. From a design standpoint, it’s very simplistic but, from an execution standpoint, it’s highly complex.”

ARGO offers two different tire configurations – 6 or 8 wheels – depending on the payload and carrying capacity required to allow for floatation and buoyancy in aquatic situations. The 6-wheel vehicles are the more affordable option and tend to be nimbler and easier to transport, fitting in the back of a flatbed truck.

“The 8-wheel vehicle will provide a larger load capacity and you are able to float more,” Braswell says. “It’s a bigger vehicle and it demanded that we have the extra set of wheels, not only to accommodate for the load for terrain but also for the floatation, especially with a bigger engine.”

The tires themselves are designed with a chevron tread to enable them to paddle through water and act as the propulsion system of the vehicle. The ARGO is all about getting from point A to point B; depending on the model, it

can reach speeds of approximately 25 mph on land and 3 mph in the water.

When driving on difficult land terrain, the tires act as part of suspension of the vehicle. For the most part, the tires are inflated to approximately 5 psi, but the engineers at ARGO have designed a new feature, the beadlock system. This system enables the tires to reach an ultra low pressure, approximately 1.5 psi, to allow the vehicle to crawl over obstacles while providing the necessary suspension to get through challenging terrain.

The tires can also drive safely and efficiently through approximately a foot and a half of snow. But for customers looking to drive through deep snow and icy conditions, ARGOs can be outfitted with tracks and ice cleats. The tracks work well in deep snow and certain types of mud but are not as effective in water conditions, the company says.

“It’s a much smaller tread versus the paddle tires,” explains Matt Chandler, ARGO’s Media Relations Specialist. “So you will float and spin the wheels, but with the tires, you will move much quicker.”

Chandler adds that the tracks are one of ARGO’s top selling accessories and the www.design-engineering.com

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22 CoverStory

(Above) When an Argo vehicle is called upon to traverse deep snow or mud, rather than deep waters, the company’s track accessory turns the XTV line into a truly all-terrain vehicle. (Right) The vehicle's chevron tire treads enable the XTV to paddle through water.

vehicles are very popular in Northern Ontario; yet the company’s best dealer is located in Alaska.

“There is always a condition that you are going to find that is a compromise to the ability to go to where you want to,” adds Braswell. “Where we believe that ARGO shines is with the continuous variable transmission (CVT) – similar to what is used on snowmobiles.

The driver never has to worry about being in the wrong gear. Instead, The operator is able to apply power much more consistently and much more calculated than if he or she is using a machine with a gear system like that found on an ATV.” The vehicle uses a chain drive system for the power transmission back through the 6- or 8-wheel configuration. The ARGO is outfitted with a skid steer type of transmission. There are two options, May/June | 2017

one that is a true skid steer, while the other option is a power diversion type of transmission with a triple differential in it so the wheels don’t lock; instead, one side is slowed while the other side advances the machine through the turn.

“It makes for a wider turning radius,” says Braswell. “However, it’s a much smoother interaction between the operator and the machine.”

ARGO XTVs are driven by a Kohler four-stroke industrial engine, with a liquid or air cooled option. The engines range from 19-30 hp depending on the vehicle model.

Engine placement – directly in front of the operator’s station – adds to the vehicles efficiency on two fronts, Braswell says. In the cooler months, the heat from the engine warms the driver while

in the summer months, the heat can be dispersed from the vehicle, helping make the ARGO a true four-season vehicle.

“Having the engine where it is aids in a very capable machine in different conditions because the weight is up front,” Braswell says. “Imagine being concerned about being able to make it through a specific area or terrain. Most of the time, if you find yourself stuck going forward you are able to back out.”

“Instead of biasing all the weight to the rear so that you get stuck, having the weight split and weight biasing like we do, we believe, helps balance the machine in a way that will allow you to travel in these soft underfoot conditions,” he adds.

The company produces about 2,000 units per year in a range colours and configurations. Their customer base is largely made up of hunters, making camouflage a popular vehicle pattern.

The vehicles are globally distributed with 30% of sales in Canada, 30% in the United States and 40% internationally.

The company believes its success is due in part to the unique design of the vehicle and partly because there is really no other amphibious vehicle in the recreational consumer market. According to Braswell, there are other amphibious equipment manufacturers out there but the machines tend to be six to 10 times more expensive.

“One of the reasons why we believe that no one has gotten into this market is because of the uniqueness and desire of the customer base that are attracted to an all-terrain amphibious XTV,” he explains. “Not only do you have the ability to go into water and areas that a side-by-side or an ATV can’t travel, we are also able to protect the operator better and safely without being exposed to water and mud. Once you are in, it is very dry. That’s the attraction.”

“From a design point of view, the ARGO is a really unique vehicle,” adds Chandler. “In terms of other ATVs on the market, the moment any of those vehicles come to a lake or a stream, they have to turn around. That’s where our vehicles really start, when they get to the rough terrain.”

DE www.argoatv.com

www.design-engineering.com

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24

InsideDesign

BUILDING A

REPUTATION Ottawa’s Gibson Product Design has spent more than 30 years growing a reputation as the “Go-To Guys” in the industrial design market.

By Lindsay Luminoso

T

he nation’s capital is a hotbed for high technology product innovation with the likes of the ‘90s tech giant Nortel and the current rise of Blackberry subsidiary QNX. More than 30 years ago, Scott Gibson saw an apparent need for an independent industrial design resource in the region and thought, “Why not me?” Today, his four-person design firm is developing consumer and business products for clients based both within and well beyond the local tech community where he began.

“We started out taking anything and everything that we could,” says Scott Gibson, president of Gibson Product Design (GPD). “That’s what most businesses do that intend to survive.”

From exhibition design to graphic design to hard goods like furniture, Gibson’s firm developed a reputation for beautiful products and reliable development. And with Ottawa being the tech centre that it was and is, the company built a strong centre of expertise in technology-based products.

Working early on with larger companies like Nortel, Ciena and Definitive Technology, small projects evolved into large and involved projects that required the GPD team to work side-by-side with the companies’ engineering groups. In the case of Definitive, Gibson helped design virtually their entire suite of products, in a collaboration that extended over a period of 10 years. Gibson adds that the momentum from this relationship continues today.

Over the years, GPD has become known for its work in consumer audio, with loudspeaker and high-end component products for PS Audio, Paradigm, Anthem and Muraudio. In the world of business technical products, the firm has designed equipment for Nikon Metrology, JDSU, Viavi, Northern Digital, Corsa and Mircom. Along the way, the firm’s clients have been frequent winners of Innovation Awards at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

“Consumer products naturally bring great variety,” Gibson explains. “We’ve done music products for D’Addario, lighting for TripletLight, the Safety Turtle child safety products, home security for Alarm.com, some work on VR products and accessories, even a series of EV charging station proposals for Hitachi.”

May/June | 2017

(L-R) Mark Boycott, Scott Gibson, Colin Roberts and Scott Gales make up the four-person industrial design team at Gibson Product Design.

The company tends to work on up to 15 projects per year, some more in-depth than others, but usually no more than four at a time. Gibson says being in Ottawa has been ideal since the region has a rich technology community, with resources GPD is able to tap into to provide full service to its clients.

“Our team has always been the pick of the crop from Ottawa’s Carleton University School of Industrial Design,” he adds. “To our American clients especially, we are the ideal mix of high capability, experience and congeniality, and at a very competitive cost.”

The team has worked recently with New York-based instrument string and accessory manufacturer, D’Addario and Co. Among their new products is the Eclipse Headstock Tuner, a compact design that can be mounted in front of or behind the stringed instrument’s headstock.

“Some of the assignments from D’Addario have been mechanically complex,” Gibson explains. “I think what they appreciate most is our ability to go very deep into a project, from concept right through mechanical design to manufacturing handoff. We seem to complement their in-house capabilities very well.”

Typically, the industrial designers at GPD respect the needs and wants of the products’ end users while balancing engineering and manufacturing requirements surrounding construction, assembly and economy of production.

“We do development work and not merely appearance design,” Gibson says, “People look at what we create and say, ‘Gosh, I www.design-engineering.com

InsideDesign

25

D’Addario Eclipse chromatic clip-on tuner was designed to offer pitch calibration in a sleek, functional design.

Ergonomic side handles

• Make Equipment Lifting Easy and comfortable – attach in pairs thought engineers did all of that.’ They’d be quite surprised that our industrial designers overlap quite a bit into what would be traditional mechanical engineering territory.”

Gibson explains that industrial designers’ unique approach has them working from the outside in, whereas the engineering process generally works from the inside out. Industrial designers begin a project by understanding what a finished product should do, how it should relate to the end user, how it should be marketed and what kind of environment it is going to live in. With this information as a guide, concepts for a finished product emerge, and serve as a guide for development, as well as communicating to product management what can be expected.

For Gibson Product Design, development progresses through a series of stages. Beginning with a good deal of background research that lays the groundwork for consecutive steps, the team works to understand what the technology content of the product includes and what the use scenario will be. Ideas are sketched and discussed, then captured in CAD and formally presented as photorealistic concept renderings. From there, a chosen concept will be developed in detail, most often in collaboration with electronics and mechanical design team members, as technology requirements are integrated.

When clients choose GPD, they recognize the need to visualize a finished product very early on in the development process. Gibson explains that this has always been a strength for industrial designers – the ability to communicate visually and to connect creativity with good research and solid understanding of manufacturing processes.

“Concepts are never perfect at the outset, and they need to be nurtured. So industrial designers must work hands-on through that development process to help make the product vision come true,” he adds. “Effective industrial design requires an ability to imagine exciting product possibilities within the combined worlds of human wants and needs, manufacturing, marketing, engineering and applied art. Needless to say, it’s an inspiring field to work in.”

DE

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Operating elements

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Control elements

Hinges and connections

Rotary controls

Accessories for hydraulic systems

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2017-04-27 10:37 AM

26 IdeaGenerator Automation

Infrared Cameras

EtherCAT Terminal Beckhoff introduced its EL6861 EtherCAT Terminal that now supports BACnet MS/TP (Master Slave/Token Passing) in addition to BACnet/IP. The serial interface can directly control and monitor BACnet-compatible field devices (e.g. pumps, drives, frequency converters) as sub-bus systems without additional gateways or routers. Up to 64 devices with RS485 low power transceivers can be connected to the terminal. In addition, several terminals can be operated in parallel to scale the number of supported MS/TP channels. Using the terminal’s 1-channel BACnet MS/TP interface, configuration is performed centrally in the TwinCAT System Manager. The EL6861 terminal implements BACnet in compliance with Revision 12 of the protocol. The terminal can also be used locally without routing to the BACnet/IP network. The EL6861 provides 1 x 5 VDC at 20mA (electrically isolated, short-circuit-proof) from the EtherCAT E-bus supply for use with bias resistors. www.beckhoff.com

Teledyne DALSA launched its Calibir GX series, a line of long wave infrared (LWIR) cameras designed to achieve frame rates of up to 90 fps. The shutterless and small form-factor GX series are designed for non-destructive testing in applications that include food inspection, parts and packaging and electronics inspection.

The thermal cameras are available in 320 x 240 and 640 x 480 resolutions. With radiometric functionality, the cameras can accurately measure temperatures between -25°C and +125°C. Advanced calibration allows the camera to deliver images within milliseconds upon power-up, without shutter. GX thermal cameras deliver continued stable performance and are a suitable choice for longrunning, remote monitoring systems. www.teledynedalsa.com

Gripper

Applied Robotics introduced its MAGNUM grippers that use third-generation ZAYTRAN technology. The force and synchronizing double helix are independent systems.

The double helix works only to center the part to ±0.025mm (±0.0010in.). Two pneumatically-driven pistons provide all gripping force. The independence of the force and synchronization systems provides precision over the typical 10,000,000+ cycle life of the unit. In non-abusive applications, Novotechnik’s TX2 Series’ pivot-head mounting can handle up to ±12.5° of the technology may deliver 20,000,000 or offset from misalignment without affecting performance. The TX2 is more cycles. The magnum mechanism is double sealed to assure that the mechanism designed for mobile and other tough environments with is isolated from the environment. There are heavy-duty construction featuring a stainless two material versions of the gripper: The steel rod and metal housing. It is MAGNUM-AL and the MAGNUM-PET. sealed against ingress of www.arobotics.com

Positioned for Tough, Compact Applications

dust and liquids.

Specifications • Stroke lengths from 25 to 300 mm • Very long life to 50 million movements • Resolution better than 0.01 mm • Repeatability to 0.01 mm • Linearity up to ±0.05% For complete TX2 information, visit www.novotechnik.com/tx2 Novotechnik U.S., Inc. 155 Northboro Road • Southborough, MA 01772 Telephone: 508-485-2244 Fax: 508-485-2430

Industrial Ethernet Switch AutomationDirect has added to the company’s Stride managed industrial Ethernet switch line, with its SE2 series, which provides Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP management capability. The series includes 8-port

May/June | 2017 DES_Novotechnik_MayJune.indd 1

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IdeaGenerator

27

(2 versions with fiber optic ports) and 16-port fast Ethernet switches design to ensure multi-axis accuracy, high stiffness and long device and an 18-port Gigabit switch. The 8-port switch and 18-port life. High stiffness and resonant frequency enable high process Gigabit switch models have SFP fiber optic port options. These throughput and fast closed-loop response. The patent-pending optional SFP transceivers add fiber connectivity at fast Ethernet drive design minimizes X and Y yaw errors while still maintaining or Gigabit Ethernet speed. The complete line features metal hous- an Abbe-compliant metrology system. Z-axis actuators and ings and are specifically built to withstand extreme temperature capacitive sensors are designed to provide Abbe-compliant feedchanges, electrical interference and corrosion. They are UL/cUL back in the vertical direction with minimal geometric errors.

508 and CE approved and meet UL hazardous locations (Class I www.aerotech.com Design_Engineering_halfpage_Festo_Ad_HGO_052017.pdf 1 10/05/2017 12:38:48 PM Div. 2) standards. www.automationdirect.com

Motion Control Gear Motors The Drives & Motion Division of Yaskawa America, Inc. announced that it has designed a set of gearheads to pair with every servo motor in the company’s Sigma-7 range, rated from 50 watts to 15 kilowatts. Five different gear ratios are available, ranging from 3/1 to 50/1. According to the company, the gearheads are matched with their companion servo motors in mounting conventions, coupling mechanics and output characteristics. Features include precision helical gearing, an enhanced system of bearings, balanced, concentric shaft couplings and documented performance, including 100% inspection of all gear motors and a report on noise level, vibration, backlash, accuracy and drive back torque. www.yaskawa.com C

M

Y

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XYZ Piezo Stage Aerotech’s QNP3 series XYZ piezo positioning stages combine subnanometer resolution, high dynamics and high geometric performance in a compact three-degree-of-freedom (DoF) package.

They come with a 40mm x 40mm clear aperture with closed-loop travels up to 100µm x 100µm x 10µm (open-loop travels to 120µm x 120µm x 12µm). The design is ideal for optical and scanning probe microscopy or other inspection or manufacturing applications where two-sided part access is required with 3-DoF manipulation. QNP3 piezo stages use an FEA-optimized precision parallel-kinematic flexure and metrology

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28

IdeaGenerator

Food-Grade Servo Actuator Tolomatic announced that its IMA electric integrated servo motor rod actuator is now available with a food-grade white epoxy coating and stainless steel components for washdown applications. Available in four sizes, the IMA line features stroke lengths from three to 18 inches (76.2 to 457.2mm) and peak

thrusts from 200 to 6,875 pounds force (890 to 30,594N) at speeds up to 24 inches per second (610mm/sec). The series integrates with the Rockwell Automation Kinetix platform with approved custom motor files (CMF/BLB) for the PLC and integrated motor actuator. The series features a hollow-core rotor design that allows the nut of the screw to pass inside the rotor. In addition, the motor features skewed stator windings to minimize cogging of the motor and provide more efficient motion. www.tolomatic.com

Rolling Ring linear drives

Zero backlash. Jam-proof design.

• For applications in positioning & reciprocating motion • Zero play – even during reversal Uhing® Rolling Ring linear drives run on a smooth, threadless shaft that won't clog or jam. If the system is overloaded, the shaft simply slips instead of churning and grinding.

The drive bearings are in constant contact with the shaft, even during reversal, thereby preventing backlash.

Example applications: metrology machines, material handling systems, spooling equipment, packaging & converting equipment.

Many different sizes meet varying requirements for axial thrust & linear speed.

For more information call 1-800-252-2645 Email: amacoil@amacoil.com www.amacoil.com

May/June | 2017

Linear Actuator Thomson Industries, Inc. has expanded its WhisperTrak actuator line with units that double forcehandling capability from 2kN to 4kN; provide higher-speed operation at 2kN; and offer new options for low-level switching, limit switching and position control at both 2kN and 4kN operation. The 4kN WhisperTrak offering is rated for 4kN (900lbs.) with load speed at 4 mm/sec (0.16in/sec). The 2kN version is rated for 2,000kN (450lbs.) with load speeds of up to 8mm/s (0.31in./sec). All models can be specified for 12- or 24-volt input with stroke lengths available between 100mm and 500mm (3.94in. to 19.69in.).

The added WhisperTrak units feature an IP67 static environmental rating and are ETL listed and conform to medical equipment safety standards AAMISTD-ES60601-1, IEC 60601-1 and CSA certified C22.2 60601. WhisperTrak actuators have an average life of 10,000 cycles at the maximum load capacity. www.thomsonlinear.com

Multi-Axis Motion Controller Some models feature mechanical control over speed and travel direction.

No programming or electronic controls are needed.

Distributed by Amacoil, Inc. PO Box 2228 2100 Bridgewater Rd. Aston, PA 19014 Phone: 610-485-8300

ACS Motion Control launched its SPiiPlusES, a multi-axis motion controller that includes a high-speed EtherCAT-to-EtherCAT bridge. The unit combines ACS’ motion controller capabilities with an external EtherCAT network master controller. The SPiiPlusES is used both as a node in any EtherCAT Automation Controller network, and as an EtherCAT Master controlling up to 64 axes and thousands of I/O. Acting as an EtherCAT node, the controller supports the standard DS402 drive protocol as well as manufacturer specific www.design-engineering.com

IdeaGenerator 29

commands. As an EtherCAT master controller, the SPiiPlusES controls up to 64 fully synchronized axes with an EtherCAT cycle rate up to 5KHz. The network can be comprised of any ACS Universal Drive Modules, NanoPWM Drive Modules and I/O modules, as well as third party EtherCAT modules. www.acsmotioncontrol.com

Stepper Motion IDEC Corporation introduced a line of motion control stepper products in conjunction with Advanced Micro Controls Inc. The product line includes controllers, stepper motors, an integrated controller/drive, an integrated drive/stepper motor and an integrated controller/drive/stepper motor. When combined with an IDEC FC6A PLC and its embedded motion control macro instructions, these products allow implementation of single- and multi-axis motion control in a wide range of industries and applications. Macro instructions embedded in the PLC WindLDR programming software can be configured with drag and drop commands to perform control of up to 12 axes. www.idec.com

and independent linearity of ±0.5%. The sensor series are factory programmable for offset, scale, direction of rotation, steps over position measurement range, reporting of speed by channel, limit switches and their initial state as well as baud rate. RFC4800 Series sensors with analog and digital output versions include CANOpen and IO-Link. They have an operating temperature range of –40°C to +125°C. Cable and connector versions are available. www.novotechnik.com

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Angle Sensors Novotechnik U.S. unveiled its RFC4800 series of touchless rotary angle sensors. The series utilizes a magnetic pickup to provide a touchless measurement range of 0 to 360° and makes measurements through air and nonmagnetic materials. A magnetic pickup mounts to a shaft on the application with seven different size markers available. Key specifications include ingress protection from liquids and dust to the IP 69K standard, resolution of 14 bits, repeatability of 0.36°

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30 IdeaGenerator Safety Light Beam Devices The Pilz PSENopt slim line light beam devices provide finger and hand protection, depending on the requirement, up to the highest performance level. Thanks to the cascading function with no dead zones, they provide protection against encroachment into and behind the protected area. Using the LED display, operators can identify the main causes responsible for the

machine stop. PSENopt slim can be installed using fitting aids. A comprehensive range of accessories is also available for PSENopt slim, including deviating mirrors and test rods.

Design engineers can choose between Type 2 and Type 4 light as well as corresponding types for finger and hand protection. It is possible to choose between different protected field heights – from 150mm to 1200mm. www.pilz.com

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There is no additional installation space needed for the data transmission due to the system combining data transmission and earth conductor in one conductor rail profile.

With a data transfer rate up to 100 Mbit per second, a real-time channel for safety signals as well as audio and video feed via ethernet, ProfiDAT® meets the rising demand for transmitting ever increasing data rates and control signals in real-time. www.conductix.ca

Rockwell Automation unveiled its networked safe torque off option module, allowing safety and nonsafety functions to share the same EtherNet/IP network. Designed for the AllenBradley PowerFlex 755 and PowerFlex 755T AC drives, this safety option helps protect personnel and equipment by removing rotational power from the motor without removing power from the drive. This functionality allows a quick restart after a demand on the safety system. Compatible with both AllenBradley GuardLogix and Compact GuardLogix controllers, the option module allows customers to leverage one IP address for the safety and control functions, reducing the number of ports required. The module is compliant with global industry standards, providing a SIL 3/PLe Safety Integrity Level rating and can be used for hardwired and networked safe torque off applications. www.rockwellautomation.com

Fluid Power Solenoid Valves AutomationDirect has added solenoid valves to its family of potable water components.

The company’s NS-Series NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certified valves are normally closed and open when electrically energized.

The valves can be mounted in any position and a spring-loaded plunger assures positive shutoff. Three types of 2-port (2-way), 2-position NS series valves are available. NS201 and

May/June | 2017 ProfiDAT_Design Engineering_170322.indd 1 DES_April17_Conductix.indd 1

www.design-engineering.com 23.03.2017 2017-03-2308:53:46 11:33 AM

IdeaGenerator

NS211 series are piloted diaphragm valves with 316L stainless steel or Noryl bodies and are ported for 3/8, 1/2 or 3/4 inch NPT. NS301 series valves are direct acting with an armature that acts directly on the valve orifice to control fluid flow and does not require a minimum pressure to operate. These valves have 303 stainless steel bodies and 1/4 inch NPT ports. www.automationdirect.com

Angled Seat Valve Festo introduced its modular VZXA angled seat valve that consists of the angled seat body, a piston or diaphragm actuator, a sealing cartridge and a visual position indicator. The valve body and actuator modules are self-contained functional units with standardized interfaces, which allows for the actuator to be replaced during maintenance without opening the (unpressurized) piping. The patented sealing system, which prevents leakage of the medium into the actuator, is designed as a compact cartridge that can be changed without using special tools. The large optical position indicator is standard and comes with a transparent polyethersul-

fone (PES) hood, allowing VZXA valves to be used in chemically aggressive environments. Actuators come in three sizes (46mm, 75mm piston type and 90mm diaphragm type), single acting (NC or NO) or double acting (DA). Valve bodies are available in seven 2/2-way nominal sizes from DN13 (.5 inch) to DN65 (2.5 inch), with threaded, clamped and welded connections. www.festo.ca

Total Air Prep units AutomationDirect’s line of NITRA pneumatics now includes Total Air Prep (TAP) units. Both TAP units contain an automatic drain air filter with clogged filter indicator, relieving regulator, lockable shut-off valve, pressure gauge and air dump. Electric models also have an adjustable electric soft start / shut-off valve and an adjustable pressure switch with indicator LEDs. TAP units have a 0 to 120 psi pressure range and are IP65 rated and CE approved. Two versions of the multi-functional filter-regulator assembly offer a common small footprint regardless of piping requirements. Units ship with .5-inch NPT inlet/ outlet ports. Optional NPT or BSPP port inserts in .25-inch to 1-inch sizes are available. www.automationdirect.com

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31

32

CanadianInnovator

HELIX

BIKES

Canadian bike maker leverages rapidly machined titanium to create innovative folding bike model.

U

rban dwellers passionate about biking use their two-wheel mounts frequently – commuting to work, running errands and traversing city trails and paths on the weekends. Most saddle up every day, weather permitting – sometimes even when weather is not permitting.

Faced with the logistical and space challenges that come with crowded city environs, some cyclists have turned to using folding bikes. Yet, folding-bike models haven’t really changed much over the years. Most have small wheels, tiny hinged frames and less than ideal geometry. They also ride poorly, are heavy and awkward to use and, maybe worst of all, they don’t actually fold up that small, which defeats the whole purpose.

Enter Helix Bikes, a Toronto-based startup bike maker. Nearly four years ago, Helix set out to create a folding bike that is lightweight, durable, rides and feels like a full-size bike, has larger wheels and folds into a truly small, portable size. The company’s vision was a bike that can be stored under a desk, taken on the subway, stowed in the trunk of a car or packed in a suitcase.

After broad product testing, a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign in 2015 and extensive prototyping help in 2016 from Proto Labs, Helix is on the brink of shipping its first bikes to a worldwide market later this year.

“We’re very excited about our product and the impact it will have on the bicycle industry, and also for bicycle manufacturing in North America,” says Helix Bikes’ founder, Peter Boutakis.

Design Trials An inventor, software developer, machinist and avid cyclist, Boutakis created various folding bike designs over the past decade and has worked with manufacturers in Asia to develop these designs. Helix was an outgrowth of this work, plus Boutakis’ knowledge and passion for cycling.

After forming Helix, Boutakis and his crew wrestled through early design challenges, as they attempted to transform the fold-up bike concept. But, like many startups, the company eventually ran up against financial challenges and, in 2015, it turned to Kickstarter to finance development.

“We never could have anticipated the incredible support we received through Kickstarter, which helped make our dream of a better folding bike a reality,” Boutakis says.

May/June | 2017

Just how successful was the Kickstarter campaign? Helix reached its funding goal of $120,000 in less than an hour. The campaign would eventually attract 1,069 backers who pledged more than $2.2 million, garnering an astounding 1,885 percent of the original funding goal. Helix became the No. 1 funded bicycle product in Kickstarter history, and the second most funded Canadian project in Kickstarter history.

“After being funded on Kickstarter, we had a great opportunity to refine our design even further,” Boutakis recalls. “The unprecedented Kickstarter funding gave us the ability to take the design to the next level – we really pulled out all of the stops.”

Lightweighting with Titanium As a part of this move to the “next level,” Helix explored a number of different manufacturing processes such as cast titanium and bonding, machining, super-plastic forming and 3D printing. Ultimately, Boutakis said, Helix settled on CNC machining for the process and titanium for the material.

“We chose titanium because of its light weight, and so, because of the constraints of bicycle design, which requires light weight and strength, machining made the best choice by far,” Boutakis explains. “It also happened to be the lowest cost option for titanium.”

Next, Helix was ready for prototyping. The company turned to Proto Labs, Boutakis says, after he had received a recommendation about the company from a friend in the automotive industry.

“At this mid-stage of the project, we hadn’t acquired any manufacturing equipment yet, so our manufacturing process had not yet been validated,” Boutakis says. “We needed to outsource the entire build but local shops either wouldn’t touch titanium or came back with very high quotes. Proto Labs made it easy and also cost effective to get our parts.”

From CAD to Prototype The design process “benefited greatly from having a resource like Proto Labs,” Boutakis says. “It removed all of the friction from validating a concept, as we could go from CAD to a part we can test very quickly.”

The process, Boutakis says, “allowed us to validate our designs for manufacturability – a reality check was only a quote www.design-engineering.com

CanadianInnovator 33

away. In one specific case, it allowed us to verify a part shape that most of our team thought was not possible to machine.

Also, in some cases, it helped with costing estimates.”

Proto Labs machined a number of titanium parts for Boutakis, all of which, for now, were used for Helix’s prototyping phase. Those parts included rear dropouts, fork components such as the fork crown, a reducer, axle, parts for the bike’s locking mechanism, a seat post binder, stem hinge and more. Proto Labs also machined some aluminum and plastic parts, too, such as a seat tube liner.

“Knowing that we can validate a design so quickly allowed us to complete our design process and leave no stone unturned,” Boutakis says. “Also, the choice of materials available allowed us to finetune our design even further by giving us every option and taking out the guesswork of choosing the right plastic, for example. Without a resource like Proto Labs, we would be months behind with fewer iterations and the result would have been a less polished product.”

According to Boutakis, the product so far has received “an

unprecedented response from the bicycle community,” he says.

He credits the huge success of the Kickstarter campaign and the glowing reports from the bike’s testers.

“People love that [the bike] is all titanium, which means it rides like a dream, is lightweight, durable, extremely corrosion resistant and it will last forever,” he says. “Because it is unpainted, it has a simple and pure look. In a day of stamped, cast, molded and otherwise mass-produced parts, a bike like ours stands out, not only for its design, but also for the way it is manufactured.”

“Our bikes are manufactured and assembled in Toronto,” Boutakis added. “They will be robotically welded in an inert chamber – we’re the first company in the world to use this process for bicycles. The weld quality is unparalleled in the bike industry and is at aerospace level.”

Boutakis says three Helix bike models (a single speed, a 10-speed derailleur and an 11-speed internal gear hub Alfine) will debut for sale later in 2017.

DE www.helix.ca

This story was contributed by Proto Labs.

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35

THE 2017 CANADIAN

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING GUIDE

36 AM Guide

Stereolithography (SLA) uses a build platform submerged into liquid photopolymer resin. A single point laser then traces a cross-sectional area (layer) through the bottom of the tank and solidifies the build material. The platform lifts up slightly to let a new layer of resin flow beneath the part. This process is repeated layer by layer to produce a solid part. Typically, finished parts are cured

by UV to improve mechanical properties.

May/June | 2017

Direct Light Processing (DLP) is similar to SLA, except that DLP uses a digital light projector to flash a single image of each layer all at once. Because the projector is a digital screen, the image of each layer is composed of 3D pixels – small rectangular bricks called voxels. DLP can achieve faster print times compared to SLA for some parts, as each entire layer is exposed all at once.

Continuous Direct Light Processing (CDLP) (or Continuous Liquid Interface Production or CLIP) produces parts in the same way as DLP however it relies on continuous motion of the build plate in the Z direction (upwards). Projecting the layer image through an oxygen permeable UV screen allows uncured resin to separate the object and window by controlling the oxygen flux. This allows for faster build times since the printer doesn't www.design-engineering.com

AM Guide 37

stop to separate the part from the build plate after each layer is produced.

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) (or Fused Filament Fabrication) uses a filament of solid thermoplastic material, extruded through a heated nozzle.

The printer precisely and continuously lays down melted material at a location, where it instantly cools and solidifies.

This builds up a part layer by layer.

Material Jetting (MJ) dispenses a photopolymer from hundreds of tiny print-head jets. This deposits build material in a rapid, line-wise fashion compared to point-wise deposition technologies that follow a path to complete the cross sectional area of a layer. As the droplets are deposited to the build platform, they are cured by UV light. Material jetting processes require support structures that are printed during the build and

composed of a dissolvable material that is removed during post-processing.

Nano Particle Jetting (NPJ) uses a liquid, which contains metal nanoparticles or support nanoparticles, loaded into a printer cartridge and jetted onto the build tray in extremely thin layers of droplets. High temperatures inside the build envelope cause the liquid to evaporate leaving behind metal parts.

www.design-engineering.com May/June | 2017

38

AM Guide

Drop On Demand (DOD) material jetting printers have two print jets: One to deposit the build materials (typically a wax-like material) and another for dissolvable support material. DOD printers follow a set path and jet material (in a point wise fashion) to print a cross-sectional layer.

These machines also employ a fly-cutter that skims the build area after each layer is produced to ensure a perfectly flat surface before printing the next layer.

Binder Jetting (BJ) is similar to SLS in that an initial layer of powder is required. The print head moves over the print surface depositing binder droplets (typically 80 microns in diameter) to produce a layer. The powder bed is then lowered and a new layer of powder is applied. Once a solid part is generated, it is then left in the powder to cure and

gain strength. The part is then removed from the bed and the unbound powder removed via pressurized air. Sometimes an infiltrant is added to improve mechanical properties. The binder jetting nozzles can contain color droplets, allowing for complex color printing.

Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) works similarly to other Powder Bed Fusion technologies with an added step: A detailing agent.

A layer of build powder is first applied to a work area. A fusing agent is then selectively applied where the particles are to be fused together, followed by a localized detailing agent that is administered where the fusing action needs to be reduced or amplified.

The detailing agent reduces fusing at the boundary of the parts to produce features with sharp and smooth edges. The work area is then exposed to fusing energy to solidify the powder particles.

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Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM) produce parts via the same method as SLS, except that DMLS and SLM are

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EPLAN Canada Festo Canada, Inc. igus Inc. Industrial Encoder Corp.

KHK-USA LEMO Canada Inc.

www.aerotech.com 33 www.alliedelec.com 11 www.amacoil.com 28 www.automationdirect.com 7 www.baldor.com 52 www.beckhoff.ca 19 www.bokers.com 38 www.brecoflex.com 12 www.brothergearmotors.com 17 www.cimetrixsolutions.com 43 www.clippard.com 9 www.columbiamt.com 47 www.conductix.ca/en 30 www.creaform3d.com 39 www.designfusion.ca 14-15 www.elesa.com 25 www.encoder.com 31 www.eplancanada.com 48 www.festo.ca 27 www.igus.com 3 www.globalencoder.ca 50 www.khkgears.us/ 4 www.lemo.com 18

Novotechnik US Inc. RotoPrecision Inc. Rotor Clip Inc. Schaeffler Canada Inc. SCHUNK Intec Corp.

Spirol Industries, Ltd. THK Co., Ltd. Tsubaki Canada Tolomatic, Inc. TURCK Chartwell Canada

www.novotechnik.com www.rotoprecision.ca www.rotorclip.com www.ina.com www.ca.schunk.com/ www.spirolcanada.com www.thk.com www.tsubaki.ca www.tolomatic.com www.chartwell.ca

May/June | 2017 DES_Bokers_NovDec.indd 1

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) uses a laser to sinter thin layers of powdered material one layer at a time to create a solid structure. The process begins by spreading an initial layer of powder over a build platform. The cross section of the part is then sintered by the laser (solidifying it) at which point the build platform drops down one layer thickness. A fresh layer of powder is applied and the process is repeated until a solid part is produced. The completed component is encased in unsintered powder, which acts as support. The part is removed from the powder and cleaned, typically with pressurized air.

26 49 45 2 21 44 13 29 46 23

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AM Guide 39

used in the production of metal parts.

SLM achieves a full melt of the powder while DMLS sinters the powder. This means that DMLS only works with alloys while SLM can use single component metals. Unlike SLS, DMLS and SLM require support to compensate for the high residual stresses generated during the build process. This helps limit the likelihood of distortion occurring.

Electron Beam Melting (EBM), in contrast to other PBF technologies, uses a high energy beam that scans across a thin layer of metal powder causing localised melting and solidification over a specific cross sectional area. These layers are built up to create a solid part. Electron beam systems produce less residual stress in parts, resulting in less distortion and less need for anchors and support structures. While EBM uses less energy and is faster than SLS,

minimum feature size, powder particle size, layer thickness and surface finish are typically larger. EBM parts are also produced in a vacuum and the process can only be used with conductive materials.

Laser Engineered Net Shape (LENS) utilizes a deposition head comprised of laser optics, powder nozzles and inert gas tubing to melt powder as it is deposited, layer by layer. The substrate is typically a flat metal plate that the part is built up upon or an existing part that material is added to. The laser creates a molten pool on the build area and powder is sprayed into the pool, which then melts and solidifies.

Electron Beam Additive Manufacture (EBAM) creates parts using metal powder or wire welded together using an electron beam as the heat source. Produc-

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ing parts in a similar fashion to LENS, electron beams are more efficient than lasers and operate under a vacuum. The technology was originally designed for use in space.

Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) uses layers of adhesive-coated paper, plastic or metal laminates that are glued together and cut to shape with a knife or laser cutter. Finished parts can be further modified by machining or drilling. www.3dhubs.com

The preceding infographic and AM process descriptions have been reprinted here with permission from 3D Hubs, an international network of 3D printing services. 3D Hubs’ extensive additive manufacturing education knowledgebase is available online at www.3dhubs.com/knowledge-base.

METROLOGY SOLUTIONS

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www.design-engineering.com May/June | 2017 DES_Creaform_MayJune.indd 1

2017-05-11 11:14 AM

40 AM Guide

AM SERVICE BUREAU CAPABILITY GUIDE

Service Bureau

Contact Info

Additional Services

3DPhacktory

1134 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON, M4M 1S1 416-462-0994 | www.3dphacktory.com

In-house design; Chemical welding and CNC services

3D Print Western

15825 118 Ave NW Edmonton, AB, T5V 1B7 780-991-6859 | www.3dprintwestern.com

3D scanning services; Deviation analysis (3DSystems Geomagics Studio and Design X)

3DX Production

12 Bram Ct - Unit 12, Brampton, ON, L6W 3V1 855-208-8659 | www.3dxproduction.com

Surface finishing and packaging services; Specializes in large quantities of custom parts

Additive Metal Manufacturing

131 Citation Dr - Unit 17&18, Concord, ON, L4K 2R3 905-738-0410 | www.additivemet.com

Design consultation and Online teaching process

Agile Manufacturing

141 Reach St - Unit 9, Uxbridge, ON, L9P 1L3 905-852-0794 | www.agile-manufacturing.com

3D scanning for reverse engineering; Casting of urethanes for low volume production and metals

Anubis 3D

4100A Sladeview Cr - Unit 3&4, Mississauga, ON L5L 5Z3 | 800-905-6073 | www.anubis3d.com

Specializes in SLS technology; Design/build end of arm tooling and end use mechanical components

Axis Prototype

6956, rue Jarry Est, Saint-Léonard, QC, H1P 3C1 888-320-8851 | www.axisproto.com

High-end finishing; Design & scanning; Foundry pattern processing

Burloak Technologies

354 MacNab St, Dundas, ON, L9H 2L2 905-592-0244 | www.burloaktech.com

R&D production; Machine shop/CNC services; Metrology lab

1143 Wentworth St W - Suite 100, Oshawa, ON, L1J 8P7 | 905-728-6962 | www.cimetrixsolutions.com

Artec 3D scanning: Reverse engineering; Design for additive manufacturing

Custom Prototypes

214 Evans Ave, Toronto, ON, M8Z 1J8 416.955.0857​| www.customprototypes.ca

3D scanning; Post-processing/finishing; CAD design

Envirolaser

199 Colonnade Rd, Nepean, ON, K2E 7K3 613-225-4726 | www.envirolaser.com

2D and 3D printing

Forge Labs

480 Smithe St - #103, Vancouver, BC, V6B 5E4 604-259-1399 | www.forgelabs.ca

3D CAD modeling & design; Proprietary online quoting & order system direct to website

FusiA

2485 rue Guenette, Saint-Laurent, QC, H4R 2E9 514-377-9961 | www.fusia.fr

Design support services; Machining and Post-processing services

Hot Pop Factory

215 Spadina Ave - b05, Toronto, ON, M5T 2C7 416-306-6468 | www.hotpopfactory.com

Laser cutting; CNC machining

Industrial Technology Centre

78 Innovation Dr - #200, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 6C2 204-480-0344 | www.itc.mb.ca

Shape capture services; Accredited material testing/metrology services

KUZMA Industrial

421 7th Ave SW - #3000, Calgary, AB, T2P 4K9 866-406-5461 | www.kuzmaindustrial.com

Design and rapid prototyping; CNC machining; Casting services

LAE Technologies

145 Welham Rd., Barrie, ON, L4N 8Y3 705-728-7000 | www.laetechnologies.com

CNC machining; Quality/Inspection; Design and Prototyping services

Nova Product Development Services

7 Labatt Ave, Toronto, ON, M5A 1Z1 416-368-0896 | www.novaproduct.com

Model finishing; Relationships with other service bureaus to provide SLA, SLS and DMLS models

Objex Unlimited

36 Fieldway Rd, Etobicoke, ON, M8Z 3L2 416-233-7165 | www.objexunlimited.com

Design and digital sculpting; 3D scanning sales and services; 3D body scanning (Selftraits)

Openforge AM

3 Rue des Pins, Cantley, QC, J8V 3L9 819-208-5721 | www.openforge.ca

Rapid prototyping; Reverse engineering; Low-volume manufacturing

Precision ADM

1595 Buffalo Pl - Unit A, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 1M1 204-289-4491 | www.precisionadm.com

CNC machining; EDM; Inspection services

Proto3000

6260 Highway 7 - Unit 8, Vaughan, ON, L4H 4G3 905-738-1779 | www.proto3000.com

3D scanning and metrology; CAD engineering

Proto Labs

5540 Pioneer Creek Dr, Maple Plain, MN, 55359 877-479-3680 | www.protolabs.com

CNC machining; Injection molding

RAPID-FAB

278 Cook St, Meaford, ON, N4L 1H4 855-560-5673 | www.rapid-fab.com

3D scanning; Design services; Post-processing/ Finishing services

Solaxis

11A Du Pacifique St E, Bromont, QC, J2L 1J4 450-919-1515 | www.solaxis.ca

Dimensional metrology; Painting and Finishing

Troadey

1020 Rue Bouvier - #400, Québec City, QC, G2K 0K9 418-476-8252 | www.troadey.com

3D printing technologies; Automation and Robotisation; Binder jetting mass-production

Westech Labs

7106 42 St - Unit 104, Leduc, AB, T9E 0R8 780-436-5200 | www.westechlabs.com

Calibration; Inspection; Laser engraving

May/June | 2017 www.design-engineering.com

AM Guide 41 Specifications SLA

DLP

CDLP

FDM

MJ

•

• •

• •

•

NPJ

DOD

BJ

MJF

SLS DMLS/SLM EBM

1x Stratasys Fortus 900mc - max. build vol. of 914.4 x 609.6 x 914.4mm; 2x Autodesk Ember - 64 x 40 x 134mm 1x 3DSystems ProX 500 - max. build vol. of 381 x 330 x 457mm

•

• •

• •

• • •

•

• • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • •

• • • •

•

• •

• • •

• • • •

2x EOS 290 - max. build vol. of 250 x 250 x 325mm 25 production machines 3 machines; EOS P395 and P100 14 machines; 7x SLA, 1x DLP, 1x FDM, 1x MJ, 3x SLS, 1x DMLS 9 machines; 1x FDM; 1x SLS; 7x DMLS 29 machines; 21x FDM - max build vol. of 914 x 610 x 914mm; 7x MJ - max. build vol. of 490 x 390 x 200mm; 1x DOD - max build vol. of 152 x 151 x 101mm

• •

6 machines - max. build vol. of 600 x 600 x 400mm

•

7 machines 7 machines - max. build vol. of 406 x 406 x 355mm

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

LOM

SLA - max. build vol. of 600x900x1200mm; FDM - 203x203 x152mm; MJ - 490x390x200mm; SLS - 200x250x330mm

• •

•

LENS EBAM

•

EOS M280 and M290 Max. build vol. of 140 x 220 x 140mm 1x Stratasys Fortus 400mc - max. build vol. of 406 x 355 x 406mm

• • •

General max build vol. of 590 x 600 x 600mm; Renishaw AM250 - 250 x 250 x 365mm Stratasys Fortus FMD; Stratasys Objet 3D Polyjet printer 2 machines

•

14 machines - max. build vol. of 1000 x 500 x 500mm

• • • • • • • • •

6 machines; SLA - max. build vol. of 145 x 145 x 175mm; FDM - 300 x 300 x 300mm; SLS - 110 x 110 x 110mm 2x DMLS EOS M290 - max. build vol. of 250 x 250 x 290mm 30 machines with a max. build vol. of 914.4 x 609.6 x 914.4mm 80 machines - max. build vol. of 737 x 635 x 533mm 3D Systems Projet HD3000 Plus; Stratasys Objet500 Connex; Stratasys Fortus 250mc, 400mc, 900mc 1x SLA 3D Systems Viper SI2 - max. build vol. of 254 x 254 x 254mm; 5x FDM Stratasys Fortus - 914 x 609 x 914mm

•

• •

3x SLA; 4x FMD; 1x MJ; 11x BJ; 1x SLS; Overall max. build vol. of 508 x 610 x 406 mm SLA Experts

www.design-engineering.com May/June | 2017

42

AM Guide

AM DISTRIBUTOR & RESELLER LISTING Company

3D Printers Canada

Brands Sold

Stratasys

Address

Phone Number

6260 Hwy 7 Woodbridge, ON, L4H 0K9

905-738-1779

43 Boul. Samson - Suite 396 Laval, QC, H7X 3R8

514-664-2016

Email

Website

info@3dprinterscanada.com

www.3dprinterscanada.com

www.agile-manufacturing.com

Agile Manufacturing

3D Systems

141 Reach St - #9 Uxbridge, ON, L9P 1L3

905-852-0794

agile@agile-manufacturing.com

Arcam Cad to Metal Inc.

Arcam Direct Sales

6 Gill St - #6B Woburn, MA, 01801

781-281-1718

N/A

225 Pinebush Rd - Unit 102 Cambridge, ON, N1T 1B9

519-642-8222

65 International Blvd - Suite 103 Toronto, ON, M9W 6L9

416-213-0533

Carbon Direct Sales

1089 Mills Way Redwood City, CA, 94063

Stratasys Concept Laser

CAD MicroSolutions

www.arcam.com

info@cadmicro.com

www.cadmicro.com

650-285-6307

info@carbon3d.com

www.carbon3d.com

1143 Wentworth St. W - Suite 100, Oshawa, ON, L1J 8P7

905-728-6962

info@cimetrixsolutions.com

www.cimetrixsolutions.com

Concept Laser Direct Sales

1000 Texan Tr - Suite 150 Grapevine, TX, 76051

817-328-6500

info@conceptlaserinc.com

www.conceptlaserinc.com

Creative CADworks

MiiCraft; B9 Creations

27 Queen St. E - Suite 1401 Toronto, ON, M5C 2M6

416-368-7266

sales@creativecadworks.ca

www.creativecad.works

DWS Systems

DWS Systems Direct Sales

Viale della Meccanica, 21 36016 Thiene, VI, Italy

+39 0445 810 810

info@dwssystems.com

www.dwssystems.com

EOS of North America

EOS Direct Sales

28970 Cabot Dr - # 700 Novi, MI, 48377

248-306-0143

info@eos-na.com

www.eos.info

Evolv3D

3D Systems

225 Industrial Pkwy S - Suite 29, Aurora, ON, L4G 3V5

905-727-5019

info@evolv3dlabs.com

www.evolv3dlabs.com

Genistar

Prodways

6956, rue Jarry Est Saint-Léonard, QC, H1P 3C1

438-738-4133

info@genistar.com

www.genistar.com

866-587-6803

info@hawkridgesys.com

www.hawkridgesys.com

Carbon

Markforged

5915 Airport Rd - Suite 120 Mississauga, ON, L4V 1T1 1661 Portage Ave - Suite 307 Winnipeg, MB, R3J 3T7 Hawkridge Systems

3D Systems; Markforged

4208 97th St. NW - Suite 110 Edmonton, AB, T6E 5Z9 7101 5th St. SE - Suite 100 Calgary, AB, T2H 2G2 10451 Shellbridge Way - Suite 204 Richmond, BC, V6X 2W8

Hewlett Packard

Javelin Technologies

Hewlett Packard Direct Sales

Stratasys

N/A

404-774-7828

3457 Superior Court - Unit #1 Oakville, ON, L6L 0C4

905-815-1906

10060 Jasper Ave, Tower 1 - Suite 2020, Edmonton, AB, T5J 3R8

780-822-4700

10 Morris Dr - Unit 9 Dartmouth, NS, B3B 1K8

902-332-3210

675 Berry St - Unit G Winnipeg, MB, R3H 1A7

204-474-0982

480 Smithe St - Unit 103 Vancouver, BC, V6B 5E4

604-343-1890

N/A

www.hp.com

sales@javelin-tech.com

www.javelin-tech.com

Machine Tool Systems

EOS

4025 Sladeview Cr - Unit 3 Mississauga, ON, L5L 5Y1

416-254-6298

JohnManley@ MachineToolSystems.com

www.machinetoolsystems.com

NOVACAD Systems

3D Systems; Markforged

3890 Kencrest Ave Halifax, NS, B3K 3L6

902-292-7443

mfanning@novacad3d.com

www.novacad3d.com

May/June | 2017

www.design-engineering.com

AM Guide 43 Company

Brands Sold

Address

Phone Number

Email

Website

Objex Unlimited

3D Systems; MarkForged; FormLabs

36 Fieldway Rd Toronto, ON, M8Z 3L2

416-233-7165

sales@objexunlimited.com

www.objexunlimited.com

Optomec

Optomec Direct Sales

3911 Singer Blvd N.E. Albuquerque, NM, 87109

505-761-8250

sales@optomec.com

www.optomec.com

PrintYourMind3D

LULZBOT; Ultimaker

Calgary, AB

587-226-2645

support@printyourmind3d.ca

www.printyourmind3d. ca

6260 Highway 7 - Unit 8 Vaughan, ON, L4H 4G3

905-738-1779

43 Boul. Samson - Suite 369 Laval, QC, H7X 3R8

info@proto3000.com

www.proto3000.com

514-370-5548 canada@renishaw.com

www.renishaw.com

Proto3000

Stratasys

Renishaw

Renishaw Direct Sales

41 Ardelt Pl Kitchener, ON, N2C 2C8

905-828-0104

Sciaky

Sciaky Direct Sales

4915 W 67th St Chicago, IL, 60638

877-450-2518

Shop3D

Ultimaker; FormLabs; BCN3D

2005 Clark Blvd - Unit #4 Brampton, ON, L6T 5P8

905-799-1133

sales@shop3d.ca

www.shop3d.ca

SLM Solutions

SLM Solutions Direct Sales

48561 Alpha Dr - Suite 300 Wixom, MI, 48393

248-243-5400

info@slm-solutions.us

www.slm-solutions.com

Thor3D

Stratasys

109 Saskatchewan Ave E Box 268, Outlook, SK, S0L 2N0

306-867-9888

XJET

XJET Direct Sales

Science Park, 10 Oppenheimer St Rehovot 7670110, Israel

+972 8 9314620

rsalo.sciaky@psi-corp.com (West) johara.sciaky@psi-corp.com (East)

Greg@Thorstad.ca Steven@Thorstad.ca info@xjet3d.com

www.sciaky.com

www.thor3d.ca www.xjet3d.com

Rapid Prototyping & Direct Manufacturing For more than 23 years, Cimetrix has helped Canadian companies, with comprehensive additive manufacturing solutions. As a trusted partner, Cimetrix brings unmatched industry expertise. We help our customers redefine how things are made with services that empower freedom of design and manufacturing flexibility. By applying the latest additive manufacturing technologies and certified materials, our staff of highly-experienced specialists are capable of meeting the most stringent demands in terms of time, cost, and precision. Affordable, high performance 3D printed parts, available in a wide selection of additive technologies. From 3D printed prototypes to full-scale production, we are well positioned to support your requirements.

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www.design-engineering.com May/June | 2017 DES_Cimetrix_June.indd 1

2017-06-07 10:22 AM

44 AM Guide

The

Design Rules of

AM Metal Technology Why designers need to lead the next wave of additive manufacturing adoption.

By Nigel Southway

I

n this article, I want to talk directly to product designers, as they hold the key to how Additive Metal Technology (AMT) gets adopted within their industry and product set. AMT offers significant advantages to the product design community to develop innovative solutions for the next generation of products.

But product designers need to understand how these liberating options should to be approached.

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) procedures for AMT will become a huge paradigm shift for most designers, and it’s going to take supportive collaboration between product designers and

May/June | 2017

DE_SPIROL_CLDP_o_May2017.indd 1

AMT service providers before learning cycles are completed and experiences aligned so future designs benefit from AMT. Why use AMT? With the correct design efforts, AMT offers the following functional advantages that improve product design.

Light-weighting: Additive approaches yield far lighter parts.

Mass reduction can be three or four times that of other technologies. This is because AM can grow much thinner wall structures and supports that would be difficult, and far more expensive, using subtractive technologies. Also, these solutions are performed without expensive tooling or casting expenditures.

Thermal management: AMT liberates designers to build in thermal management features by increasing surface area for the same part mass or topology.

Adding complex features: On the external and inside surfaces of parts, AM can, at almost no cost, add features that just cannot be done in conventional machining, as well as features that most casting tooling cannot do. Also, it can now offer casting or mold tooling designers internal cooling channels and pathways for both molding and casting tooling.

Part consolidation: AMT lets design engineers integrate multiple parts into one single component rather than make and assemble them together using conventional technologies. This may also eliminate assembly fit-up and integration issues associated with part interchange tolerance issues or, in the case of weldments, debilitating distortion due to excess fabrication. And we all know how much adding screws to a design attracts costs and reliability issues.

Tooling free rapid prototyping: These are always possible with AMT. Taking a typical subtractive part with excessive mass and applying AMT to it will provide a part that can be delivered far more rapidly with no tooling. However, your purchasing department may get sticker shock unless a panic delivery with no concern for price is what they have in mind.

Assembly fit up elimination: This may make AMT an advantage since AM structures have a homogeneous metallurgical structure. Parts machined from a solid block of material may not be able to provide this without quality and end-use reliability issues.

5/11/17 4:32 PM

www.design-engineering.com

AM Guide 45 How to start with AMT Ensure you start at the concept design stage, since a lot of the advantages of AMT rely on how you conceptualize the product design. Here is the most important design paradigm shift you need to undertake.

Traditionally, in conventional subtractive technology (milling turning, pressing etc.), we have learned that the more material we subtract, the more expensive the part. But, with AMT, the more material we add, the more expensive the part. In fact, most features can be added without additional cost.

This suggests that, to make this DfAM paradigm shift, you will need to adopt a design mentality of “wire frame thinking” rather than the huge trap of starting your design thinking with a block of metal and carving material off and drilling holes in it.

Here is an example. In the design below, you may be tempted to adopt a design like Fig 1. It’s either a milled block or a welded plate fabrication with holes bored through. The best way to proceed for an additive design is to think of the same design differently (Fig 2). It’s essentially 4 z-planes with 4 small holes between 2 planes, 2 small holes between 2 planes and 1 large hole between 2 planes.

Then you'd look at the part strength requirements and design in minimal wall sections to support the application.

Remember that you can factor in stronger materials to achieve this minimum wall design thinking. This gets you to a design as in Fig 3. From this base design, you could then remove even more material as progressions (Figs 4 to 6). Just look at the design paradigm shift between Fig 1 and Fig 6. Both have

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 4

Fig 5

Fig 6

the same Fit and Function, but not the same Form.

Of course, we all know that this won’t always work from a design strength point of view, but now you can add back material as gussets or radius where needed. Remember, these features are free in AMT, and the more material you can remove, the lower the cost. www.design-engineering.com May/June | 2017

46 AM Guide This approach can sometimes be an advantage in terms of thermal mass and heat transfer, and of course overall weight improvement. Also, if the conventional approach was to make the parts in pieces and fasten or weld them together, then you have eliminated many process steps and quality issues with the one-piece AMT design. But it requires that you define the real mission of the part and forget manufacturing rules until you have got that mission clear.

AMT Design Constraints Currently, AMT does have design constraints worth mentioning. Again, a suitable AMT provider will help you navigate the limitations. Most have documented DfAM guidelines and some provide reference samples to illustrate the constraints. In a nutshell, here are the major constraints.

Surface finish and accuracy is about the same as a casting finish, with tight tolerances being managed with stock added in the build stage and then a machining operation performed.

As AMT evolves, this is always being improved, but smart design tolerancing can eliminate this constraint.

Down-facing surfaces have the worst surface finish and may

be degraded (Fig 7). A slope above 30 degrees can be built without adding supports. Sometimes the provider can solve this problem by changing the part's orientation during the build. Radius and gussets can also be added to create less “negative surfaces,” but striving to design all surfaces in one plane is optimum.

Holes and passages built in the horizontal build plane (Fig 8) are a challenge with the top of the hole being degraded due to unsupported powder at the top of the hole. Part orientation can be the solution but designs with holes in both horizontal and vertical planes will need attention.

As the hole becomes smaller, however, this degradation effect is reduced.

Fig 7 If it’s a passage hole that doesn’t need to be round, one solution is to redesign the hole as a sharp apex. Once you realize that you don’t have to drill round holes or put them in a straight line, it’s amazing how much you can design using this apex hole concept.

Wall thickness is not a huge constraint and is typically much better than casting. Design limits will vary depending upon material used, but the typical minimum is 0.4mm, which is

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www.design-engineering.com 2017-05-12 10:53 AM

AM Guide 47 certainly more difficult to machine, especially when you have high complexity.

Threads, male or female, in any plane are not a good candidate for AMT; the “negative” surfaces will be too rough without at least a thread chasing process or the maximum or minimum diameter processed in the AMT build and then post threaded.

Some Do’s and Don’ts Based on everything presented so far, here are some additional pointers: • D o find a suitable AMT service provider who can consult on the AM technology. The best ones will have a strong engineering capability and a process to explain these new game changing DfAM rules. They will also be able to provide hands-on prototyping and early production capability.

• Don’t compare the costs associated with AMT vs subtractive technologies until you have looked at designing for AMT and also factored in all the commercial advantages of no tooling and rapid delivery.

• Do shift your design paradigm and start the transition to design in AMT at the concept stage of your product. Remember to define the mission of your parts so you fully understand how to leverage the advantages of AMT while avoiding the technology's constraints.

• Don’t lock down the choice of materials until you understand which AMT powders are available. Keep an open mind and design your parts first. Then, based on the design requirements, decide which material will work best.

AMT is a rapidly emerging new tool in the designer’s kitbag. For some, it’s very exciting. Others may feel heavy pressure to change and Fig 8 manage new risk.

Remember, it’s a disruptive technology. You can either adopt it into your industrial sector effectively or be disrupted if your competitor takes the lead.

DE www.additivemet.com

Nigel Southway is VP of Engineering at Additive Metal Manufacturing Inc. in Concord, Ontario.

| 2017 www.design-engineering.com May/June DES_Mar_Apr_Columbis.indd 1 2017-03-16 10:50 AM

48 AM Guide

It’s about time!

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Solaxis' 3D printed automotive assembly jigs cut weight, improve accuracy and speed assembly.

J

igs used to assemble automotive parts traditionally share two downsides: They can be difficult to maintain and, because they’re made of metal, they’re heavy – up to 150 pounds. For a single worker, that’s too heavy to move easily amid a bustling factory floor.

But as the engineers at Solaxis Ingenious Manufacturing have demonstrated, jigs don’t need to possess any of those negatives. The Bromont, Quebecbased company specializes in 3D printing, 3D scanning, design, prototyping and tooling for clients.

With the help of Fortus 3D printers from Stratasys, the company designs and manufactures jigs for automotive suppli-

May/June | 2017 DES_Eplan_MayJune.indd 1

ers, among its other work for clients in the aerospace, ground transportation, defense, robotics and manufacturing industries.

Iterations on Demand One such automotive supplier uses a Solaxis designed jig to assemble highvolume plastic door seals. After developing several iterations of the jig, Solaxis was not only able to produce a 3D printed jig that is more than 100 pounds lighter than a typical jig for this application, but it also slashed the design and manufacturing time by two thirds compared with traditional methods.

Solaxis design engineers continued to refine the door seal assembly jig, producing at least a dozen different design iterations over the last couple of years. The rapid speed at which the designs could be built using Solidworks and Fortus 3D printers was relatively new for their autowww.design-engineering.com

2017-05-11 10:50 AM

AM Guide

49

LED motive customer. This particular company was used to its own in-house injection molding, and its machine shop with mold and die tooling capability.

“From design to design, we could easily make changes,” says Solaxis President François Guilbault. “It’s not like we had to come back (to the customer) and say, ‘We have to redo your tooling’.”

This agility increases the flexibility of design, enabling Solaxis engineers to integrate minor adjustments, such as the placement of buttons and handles, the addition of chutes and other ergonomic improvements. This also enabled Solaxis to lessen the number of parts in the design, integrating off-the-shelf internal hardware that can be quickly replaced by the customer if a switch or wire breaks.

Depending on the part complexity, engineers can make CAD iterations in just eight to 20 hours, Guilbault says. www.design-engineering.com May/June | 2017 DES_MarApr_RotoPrecision.indd 1

2016-03-16 10:08 AM

50 AM Guide

Solaxis and the customer’s engineers shared files to quickly confirm the design and produce a new jig within days. Unlike a jig produced primarily by an operator using a CNC machine, Fortus 3D printers can run without supervision, with production scheduled at any time of the day or night, and on weekends.

“We shrank the overall design/manufacturing cycle time, which is traditionally 16 to 20 weeks, to three to five weeks,” Guilbault says.

The Solaxis jig measures 34 inches by 22 inches and weighs just 28 pounds, light enough for anyone to pick up and move.

Now, every operator is expecting one of these jigs at their workstation.

In addition, by using the Solaxis jig, workers save an average of four seconds per cycle. With 250,000 cycles a year performed by a typical employee assembling the seals, the supplier has saved hundreds of hours in labor time.

“Just that cycle time gain alone justifies the price of the jig,” Guilbault says. “So their ROI is achieved within 12 months.”

Before working with Solaxis, the customer had recurring compliance issues.

Deliveries to the OEMs were returned, resulting in substantial time and cost to re-inspect and fix the shipments.

Stratasys 3D printing technology enabled Solaxis to continuously improve the jig, saving the customer production time and money. In turn, the automotive May/June | 2017 DES_IndustrialEncoder_Oct.indd 1

supplier has significantly increased the reliability of the door seals it provides to its OEM customer. With zero compliancy issues the last two years, that means higher profits for the company.

Lightweight Parts In addition to enabling the development of specialized tooling, production components, and surrogate parts more quickly, Solidworks and Stratasys solutions allow Solaxis to offer innovative approaches that improve both performance and safety.

For example, during the development of a 36 x 24-inch jig with grippers for an automotive production application, Solaxis reduced the weight of the jig by one-fifth, from 150 to 28 pounds. Lightweighting the jig not only improved safety, it also cut four seconds per cycle from the process, a productivity improvement of 15 percent.

“Because we are able to provide customers with substantial productivity gains in a fraction of the time of conventional approaches, we’re realizing dramatic growth,” Guilbault says. “Initially, we did mainly prototypes. Now, our tooling and 3D printed production parts businesses have both grown significantly; each makes up roughly 20 percent of our revenue. We anticipate these services will soon become the core of our business.”

DE www.solaxis.ca

This story was contributed by Stratasys. www.design-engineering.com

2016-09-21 1:57 PM

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