S outhe a s te rn Ins titute of Manufa cturing and Te chnolo g y
One-Stop Shop for Manufacturing BUSINESSES CAN USE CENTER’S TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES
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ather the market’s latest and most efficient factory tools in a central location. Make them available to industry across the Southeast. And offer to train production workers to use and maintain them. That’s the mission of the Advanced Manufacturing Arena of Florence’s Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology. Since it opened in 2007, SiMT’s manufacturing center has been the region’s one-stop shop for machining training, product development, assembly line consulting and the development of automated production techniques. “Every space in this facility is available to outside businesses,� says Jack Roach, SiMT’s executive director. “We operate in any capacity. We can arrange for a business to come in and use the technology for a particular project, or we can do the work for you.� Roach points out that much of the center’s equipment is already being used in the marketplace. But because it is leading edge, it is not yet in wide use by many manufacturers in the region. At the same time, the center reaches out to start-up manufacturers who have not invested in any technology. “They face the prospect of investing millions of dollars in new equipment, versus using us as a temporary manufacturing solution until their needs outgrow us,� he says. The center’s available services include the following:
Metrology Lab: The SiMT has many types of dimensional measurement equipment. These include a coordinate measurement machine (CMM) that can inspect work to tolerances of 0.0005 millimeter on pieces weighing up to 200 kilograms and a laser scanner arm to do both dimensional inspection and reverse engineering. Consulting: The center’s personnel will guide manufacturers in setting up automated processes, or manage and implement the tooling for a client. Training: The center will customize and manage advanced machining training programs for a workforce at the client’s facility, in the SiMT manufacturing center, or at a third-party location.
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CNC Centers: The arena has 18 CNC centers for machining, milling or turning, including four centers made available to SiMT by equipment manufacturer EMCO Maier of Hallein, Austria. The systems provide a selection of vertical, horizontal and multi-axle processes to meet different specifications and needs.
Electric Discharge Machines: The center’s electric discharge machines are effective in performing delicate or intricate work on difficult materials, including titanium, carbide and tool steel. SiMT has both wire and ram EDM machines. ( 8 4 3 ) 6 7 3 -74 6 8
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WaterJet Technology: In precision part cutting, WaterJet represents an innovation over traditional plasma torch cutting. The process uses high-pressure water streams and abrasive material to cut virtually any material without raising its temperature.
The Advanced Manufacturing Arena at SiMT offers the marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most efficient factory tools in a central location.
www.simt.com