Industrial Machinery Digest - May 2020

» Epic (Training) Solutions – for Uncertain Times » Avoid The Pitfalls Of Faster Production With Better Part Picking And Sorting » Profound Machinery Benefits of a Multi-Disciplinary Design

Manufacturing Showcase: relayr. Global IIot Expertise IndustrialMachineryDigest.com

May 2020

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Table of Contents

COLUMNS

10

BUSINESS 4.0 Four Steps for Future-Proof Manufacturing By: Tom Nall, Senior Industry Director, Manufacturing, Avanade

14

20

TALKING SHOP Kristian Hulgard General Manager/Americas OnRobot

FEATURES

20

16

MANUFACTURING SHOWCASE relayr By: Russ Willcutt

22

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Epic (Training) Solutions – for Uncertain Times By: John Mueller, Founder & CEO, SnackLearning

26

NEW TECH

SAFETY & MAINTENANCE Evaluating the Condition of Your Vacuum Furnace: 5-Point Checklist

DEPARTMENTS

Avoid The Pitfalls Of Faster Production With Better Part Picking And Sorting

30 PROCESS 34

16

Profound Machinery Benefits of a Multi-Disciplinary Design

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Manufacturing’s Finest Hour By: Dusty Alexander, CEO & President, Global Shop Solutions

6 EDITORIAL DIRECTIONS 8 INDUSTRY NEWS 38 IMD | COVID-19 SOLUTIONS 40 PRODUCT SHOWCASE 46 SURPLUS BUYING AND SELLING 49 CLASSIFIEDS 50 ADVERTISER INDEX

ON THE COVER

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4 IMD MAY 2020

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In recent years there has been a growing trend toward “ease of use” in the areas of technology and equipment development. Whether it’s robotics, machine tool design, HMI advancements, or tooling and workholding setup/changeout, the focus – which in many ways began as an effort to address the skills gap by attracting a younger generation to industry – is now on flexibility and providing manufacturers with the ability to achieve small-lot, high-mix production runs. This has benefited both smaller job shops and major production manufacturers alike.

Add to that list of benefits the capability to allow companies to actually shift lines from making their accustomed parts to producing ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) in support of battling the coronavirus and the resulting COVID-19. This is especially true of companies involved in 3D printing, and not only due to the technology’s inherent flexibility, but because OEMs have purposefully been making the machines easier to set up for whatever new part is being programmed into the printer. IIoT advances, including improved machine condition monitoring and data gathering, makes it possible to track and refine each new process for ultimate streamlining. New gripper designs and quickchange tooling, spindle heads, and workholding devices are especially important in enabling this increased production flexibility.

To me, though, in the midst of these perilous and unnerving times, the examples of manufacturers of all types voluntarily shifting production toward providing life-saving ventilators and preventive gear such as PPEs without having to be coerced into doing so has been like a ray of sunshine piercing the clouds of a terrifying storm. It’s an example of the extent to which people, companies, and entire industries are willing to go in order to help one another survive this incredibly troubling period.

So we at IMD would like to express our admiration and appreciation for manufacturers such as these, as well as the software designers, 3D printer and other machine tool OEMs, automation experts, system integrators, and dedicated members of the industrial supply chain for their important efforts, and especially the results being achieved. So let’s just keep hunkering down and helping each other… there is hope ahead!

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Industry News Neurophotometrics and Markforged Announce New 3D Printed Nasal Swab that Provides Better Accuracy Markforged announced that it is partnering with Neurophotometrics to produce Fiberflex Rayon, a 3D printed nasopharyngeal (NP) swab for use in diagnostic testing for COVID-19. The new 3D printed swabs take just minutes to make, and in testing, they successfully detected the virus in all of the patients, while the commercial swabs reported false negatives. The team is currently producing 10,000 swabs per day, with plans to scale to 100,000 per day.

In a collaborative effort by the San Diego Covid Research Enterprise Network (SCREEN) Initiative — a group of scientists, students, research institutions, and others in the San Diego area — Neurophotometrics, Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, the Scripps Research Institute, and the University of California San Diego designed and tested the 3D printed swabs with fifty volunteers.

Patients that were confirmed to be positive for COVID-19 were re-tested three to fourteen days later with both the commercial swab and the 3D printed swab. Testing with the commercial swab detected the virus in most, but not all of the patients, while all of the 3D printed swabs came back positive, suggesting the 3D printed swab may be more efficient at collecting viral particles and may reduce the rate of false negatives.

Big Kaiser Adds Sales Engineer in The Eastern US BIG KAISER Precision Tooling has hired Kevin Spring for the position of Sales Engineer. He is responsible for support and sales in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Kevin has more than 15 years of experience as a CNC programmer and manufacturing/ project engineer in Pennsylvania and New York.

"Whenever possible, we like to strengthen our teams in the field with hands-on and local experience," Paul Lewis, Northeast District Manager "Kevin fits the bill. We are confident he will be a great asset for our customers and will take on his new responsibilities with the same enthusiasm and professionalism we've come to know."

Siemens’ latest Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Improves Simulation Time And Accuracy Siemens Digital Industries Software announces its latest release of Simcenter™ STAR-CCM+™ software, part of the Simcenter portfolio of simulation and test solutions that helps companies optimize design and deliver innovations faster and with greater confidence. The latest release of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ includes major enhancements to improve simulation time and accuracy as well as enhance collaboration, giving customers a comprehensive

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8 IMD MAY 2020

digital twin to help drive highly predictive simulations. In this release, Siemens is introducing a completely new parallel polyhedral mesher for faster, more effective meshing, as well as the industry’s first model-driven adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) solution. The latest release also includes automatic coupled solver control for reduced set up time while improving convergence speed and the industry’s first ever collaborative virtual reality (VR) feature in a CFD code for enhanced team collaboration on simulation results.

Industrial Magnetics Develops Germ-Free Door Opener, Donates 100% of Profits to Local Food Pantries In direct response to the Coronavirus pandemic, Industrial Magnetics, Inc.(IMI) has developed a new, hands-free door opener that allows people to open latch-less doors without using their fingers, arms, or clothing. The company has also announced that 100 percent of profits from the sales of the new device will be donated to local food pantries in their surrounding communities. The Foot-Pull Door Opener is attached to the bottom of a door and allows users to gently pull open doors using the sole of their shoe - eliminating the need to touch potentially contaminated door surfaces and helping to stop the further spread of germs and bacteria.

Sandvik Coromant Joins Forces With Microsoft To Shape The Future of Manufacturing Sandvik Coromant's CoroPlus® offering, developed in part with Microsoft, is based on Azure IoT Suite, Cortana Intelligence Suite and Dynamics 365 for Field Service. Among other things, the offering connects people, machines, tools and data on a single platform to offer Sandvik Coromant's customers a better basis for decision making, and provides an overview of the various developments in the manufacturing process. This can enable savings, for example, by reducing machine downtimes.

"We see this collaboration with Nadine Crauwels, President, Microsoft as key to the success of our Sandvik Coromant digital strategy. We have a historic relationship with them and look forward to continuing our journey, creating value by working together to develop and implement solutions for the manufacturing industry to guarantee efficiency, sustainability and growth. This unique partnership represents a new way for our companies to work together more closely to develop our competence," explained Nadine Crauwels, president of Sandvik Coromant.

hyperMILL® CAM Software Aids NASA’s Knowledge Quest OPEN MIND Technologies has announced that Ramco Machine, LLC (Rowley, MA U.S.A) is helping to impact the future of space exploration by using hyperMILL® CAM software and 5-axis machining to make parts for an advanced NASA satellite mission. The mission, named Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), is credited to discovering

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its first circumbinary planet – a world orbiting two stars. Making the mounting brackets required machining Invar, a nickel-iron alloy with a low thermal expansion coefficient, allowing it to meet the rigors of launch and enabling it to compensate for the extreme temperature swings of outer space. To cut Invar and achieve the required tolerances, Ramco used a hyperMILL® generated 5-axis profile finish tool path. By doing this, an accurate finish across each part was achieved, keeping them within these very tight tolerances.

Wardwell Braiding Co. Continues to Offer Refurbishing and Upgrading Program Wardwell Braiding Co. wants to extend its support to customers during this uncertain time and will continue to operate at full capacity. Wardwell understands that many companies have a hold on their budget for new equipment and will continue to offer its refurbishing and upgrading program on all Wardwell Braiding machines with original, new parts as a more cost-effective option.

Retrofitting reduces or eliminates the costs associated with acquiring and evaluating used equipment, purchasing of additional replacement parts to achieve the required performance plus the training needed by operators and maintenance personnel.

Mitsui Seiki Remains Operational Amid COVID-19 Guidelines With the growing global and national concerns relevant to the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), Mr. Scott Walker, chairman of Mitsui Seiki, recently relayed all the actions that the company has been taking since the outbreak.

“The analogy I’ve been using during this emergency is that of a ‘gold line’ in scuba diving,” said Mr. Walker. “During dangerous cave diving, holding the gold line gets the diver in and out of the cave safely. We all need to hang on right now, help those who may have veered off from the line, and get us all back to the ‘open waters’ of recovery. Frequent communications with our customers, our staff, and our partners is always important, and vitally important right now.”

For those of customers who have purchased equipment that’s currently being built, construction continues in the factory and the subsequent run-offs are still on schedule. The company is in frequent contact with its key vendors and suppliers to ensure that schedules will be maintained, even for those machines currently on backorder, and orders being placed now. Normally, Mitsui Seiki invites customers to its factory to observe the run-offs first-hand to ensure the machine meets all specifications. However, in light of the current international travel restrictions, the company is providing test cut videos for review and feedback, plus it has hired objective, third party verifiers to provide results documentation.

Although shipments from Japan to the U.S. have more than tripled in cost, the company is honoring the price as quoted to the customer’s FOB location. All of the packing materials, as is the usual protocol, are scrutinized and treated carefully for any contamination.

Mitsui Seiki is also arranging to warehouse the crate for 14 days once it arrives in the U.S. before delivery to the customer’s site if desired or if required by state governing authorities.

Trim-Lok, Inc. Donates $10,000 For Purchase Of New Ventilator To Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Of Newport Beach, California Trim-Lok, Inc.’s CEO, Gary Whitener, underwent ground-breaking surgery several years ago at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian of Newport Beach, Calif., being one of the first patients to have heart valve replacement with a cow’s valve performed by cardiologist Dr. Subbarao Myla. After a recent conversation and special request from Dr. Myla, Whitener donated $10,000 to Hoag Hospital for the purchase of a ventilator. During this global COVID-19 pandemic Whitener understands the importance of all medical facilities being able to access needed equipment is vital to the health and safety of their communities, patients, doctors, and staff.

“Dr. Myla is more than just my Cardiologist,” says Whitener, “he is also a good friend. He knows the importance of having enough ventilators during this Coronavirus pandemic and reached out to me to discuss the need for more ventilators at Hoag. I didn’t need to think twice about helping. We are living in unprecedented times and I am honored to donate to such a wonderful hospital.”

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IMD 9

Business 4.0

Four Steps for Future-Proof Manufacturing By: Tom Nall, Senior Industry Director, Manufacturing, Avanade

T

o say that times are challenging for manufacturing is an understatement. The last year has seen manufacturers navigate tariffs, a trade war, and now even more uncertainty.

However, one thing is certain: some manufacturers will be positioned to bounce back and thrive in a new economy and some won’t.

How can businesses prepare to emerge as one of those winners?

Well, for starters, it will take more than just broad talk about digital transformation. Here are some steps to pave the future path.

1.

Incorporate Manufacturing for Social Good Into The Fabric Of Your Company

Tom’s Shoes, Patagonia, and Lego are among the companies leading the way in a trend not only to make great products, but also to give back to the community. French fragrance manufacturer LVMH and Scottish craft beer company, BrewDog, are both now producing hand sanitizer and providing it at no cost to those in need. Manufacturers that give back to the community will be better suited to earn trust from existing and new customers, especially in times of uncertainty.

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10 IMD MAY 2020

2.

Modernize Your Business Applications

Manufacturers know that data and analytics are a crucial investment area over the next few years. Yet, they sometimes overlook the key role that business applications – such as ERP, CRM, and SCM – should play in their data strategy. Business applications are the lifeblood of business –they are the primary tools people need to do their jobs. Sadly, most manufacturers are still running on decades-old legacy business applications that are inefficient and difficult to access.

Today’s cloud-based business applications have proven more functional, usable and scalable. They also serve to greatly reduce costs and enable access into new markets, products, and lines of business. According to recent research by Vanson Bourne, 94% of industrial equipment manufacturers (IEMs) agree that their marketing, ERP and CRM systems are no longer fit for purpose.

This means that most manufacturers are faced with the need for an overhaul of business application systems and create a more futureproof model and weather through the next few decades.

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For most leaders, one of the biggest struggles often lies within their people. Specifically, not having enough with the skillsets that are needed to thrive in a digital economy. A common misstep for organizations is not investing enough in the right people to hire and train for the actual implementation.

Emerging technology tools offer a tremendous opportunity to build the workforce needed to compete in a globalized digital economy. They can use augmented and virtual reality to create immersive learning environments to train, upskill, and reskill the workforce without the time and cost of travel, offer incentives or programs to help those retiring transition knowledge to the next generation, and start a co-op program with a local college or trade school. It’s time for manufacturers to get creative in identifying, developing, and retaining top talent.

Innovation is crucial to gaining and maintaining a competitive advantage as a manufacturer, from improving current products and creating new ones to finding and developing new talent and new markets.

Businesses should seek to a culture of innovation that stems from top management. An innovation culture must be a fast-fail culture, in which failure is accepted as an important learning exercise on the route to success.

The innovation culture must be broadminded enough to look outside of manufacturing for inspiration; smart manufacturers can gain crucial ideas from retail, healthcare, financial services, and other industries. Innovation is much more likely to happen when a company creates a culture that motivates and rewards its people to find creative ways to improve.

No one knows for sure what the future has in store for manufacturers, but these are some of the key steps to prepare for successful transformation.

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They have helped them create compelling experiences for their customers and employees. Avanade reduced costs, increased productivity, enabled collaboration and enhanced agility – and ultimately improved performance. For more information, visit www.avanade.com

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IMD 13

Talking Shop

We design all of our products to be mounted to any type of robot, so we’re saving the time some companies would spend having engineers design so many custom models

FEATURING:

TALKING SHOP WITH: Kristian Hulgard — General Manager/Americas, OnRobot OnRobot is a relatively young company. Could you give us an overview?

Of course. The company was established in 2015 in Denmark by two engineers who had worked for a robotics manufacturer. They wanted to design grippers and other accessories for collaborative applications that featured easy installation and ease of use; basically technology that you could take out of the box and quickly be ready to go to work. As new investors came onboard, OnRobot was able to acquire companies whose products perfectly complemented our own, which has resulted in tremendous growth. These acquisitions are ongoing. We are now active in nearly every region of the world. North American operations are based in Dallas, Texas.

Talk about the evolution of your product line, and especially this focus on flexibility and simplicity.

We first launched the RG line of two-finger grippers. These are designed for quick installation and easy programming directly from the robot’s existing controls; there is no extra training required. The beauty of these grippers is the flexibility they provide in shifting production between different parts of varying sizes and geometries. They are powered by electricity, so all that’s required to shift between parts is a quick adjustment

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14 IMD MAY 2020

to the gripper’s parameters and you’re ready to go, whereas you would have to purchase a specialized unit for each different part if you were using pneumatic grippers. We then introduced the Gecko Gripper, which relies on technology originally developed

by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for space applications.

It doesn’t require compressed air, instead utilizing van der Waals forces – the same principle that allows geckos to climb walls – to pick up and transfer flat, smooth and porous materials without damaging the surface finish. Other products include a three-finger gripper, electricvacuum gripper, vision systems, a soft gripper, and quick changers. And the applications are endless, including pick and place, machine tending, packaging and palletizing, assembly, quality testing and inspection, and surface finishing, among many others. We currently offer about a dozen products, and we plan to launch about 20 more in the coming year. Our goal is to provide all of the products that go on and around robots.

What other benefits do these attributes provide?

It’s been said that within five years, there will be 10 times as many robots in operation. So how do you deploy all the accessories required to make a robot or a cobot operational when you’re dealing with such high numbers? What is the fastest and least-expensive way of tooling up a new robot that’s just been delivered to the

shop floor? That’s where the value of easy installation and operation become apparent. In addition, we design all of our products to be mounted to any type of robot, so we’re saving the time some companies would spend having engineers design so many custom models. Our equipment is meant to be plug and play which, if you think about it, is really bridging the gap between the OEM and end user. Our distributors and integrators play an important role in our customer supply chain, but the more the operator can do on their own the quicker they’re able to go into production. Plus, our sales model is set up so that dedicated OnRobot employees strategically manage distributors in their territories, allowing us to closely monitor the markets we serve. This also helps guide our new product development, in that we can respond to a significant need for screwdriving accessories, for instance.

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IMD 15

Safety & Maintenance

Evaluating the Condition of Your Vacuum Furnace: 5-Point Checklist

O

btaining precise process and metallurgical results is essential to any heat-treat application. Often, outcomes rely on the performance of a vacuum furnace. When a furnace fails, it leads to unexpected downtime or unplanned expenses. To prevent this costly setback, thermal processing departments should regularly evaluate the condition of their vacuum furnace equipment.

Whether you’re in the aerospace, automotive, energy, medical, tool & die, or any other industry, the goal is to keep your furnace running—and performing reliably—for as long as possible. To that end, Ipsen Customer Service offers free evaluations of any brand of vacuum heat-treating system.

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16 IMD MAY 2020

Anyone charged with supervising, operating, or maintaining a vacuum furnace, who is concerned with uptime, should perform the following set of five checks, which closely follow Ipsen’s in-depth evaluation.

1.

Hot Zone

Start with a visual inspection looking for broken or missing hardware, such as gas nozzles, element hangers, insulation retaining hardware, and the hearth assembly. Next, examine the insulation and hot face integrity by checking these three areas:

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» On a graphite hot zone, look for any signs the insulation is degrading and causing graphite dust. » Check for areas where bare steel can be seen through the insulation. » Where applicable, gently press on the carbon fiber composite (CFC) hot face to see if it is wearing thin.

Generally, these signs are indicative of a past or present air leak.

Pitting or rough surfaces on graphite heating elements can also be a sign of potential air leaks. Next, visually inspect the ceramic insulators in the element hangers. If these appear cracked, broken or contaminated, check the resistance to ground for each bank of elements to make sure they are not shorting out.

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2.

Thermocouples

Once you determine the hot zone components are in functioning condition, it is vital to ensure the thermocouple (TC) readings are accurate, as this is critical to obtaining quality parts.

To check thermocouple accuracy, use a calibrated fluke multimeter to check that the work TC jack panel and control/ overtemp TCs are reading correctly, then note the last time the control TC was replaced. It is important to keep good records.

A resident system accuracy test (SAT) thermocouple can also give you peace of mind that the control and overtemp TCs are in good working condition and have not drifted. It can also reduce the frequency of costly calibrations or replacement of thermocouples.

Thermocouples used for SAT’s are required by the AMS2750 specification to be extremely accurate (generally +/- 2 degrees F or 0.4% deviation for class 1 or class 2 furnaces). By using an SAT thermocouple, either during a single system accuracy test or as a resident thermocouple, you can get a reference temperature reading to give you a high degree of confidence your control and overtemp TCs are reading correctly.

Those who need to abide by AMS2750E need to re-calibrate (or replace) their control and overtemp TCs every 3 to 6 months depending on the type of thermocouple they are using. Those who

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IMD 17

maintain a resident SAT may be permitted to use their control and overtemp TCs longer.

For more information on thermocouples and SAT requirements for Nadcap accreditation, view these helpful articles on our website:

» Aerospace Aluminum Brazing and Compliance: Meeting AMS 2750E and Nadcap Certifications » Obtaining Nadcap Accreditation: Helping You Pass Your Audit

plugged up jackets. If you see leaks or patches, consider additional investigating or testing to determine the integrity of the water jacket.

Next, check if the vessel is too hot. Most vacuum furnaces are meant to operate with an external wall temperature of 140 °F or below. Over time, a plugged vessel will cause the wall temperature to rise, causing unsafe conditions. This may be an indication that the sediment between the inner and outer wall is blocking flow of the cooling water. A catastrophic failure can occur if the water movement slows to a boiling point.

3.

4.

Most vacuum furnaces require some type of water supply. Some have flow indicators on the water inlets that can give you a snapshot of whether the water-cooled assemblies are getting good flow. It is important to get a feeling for the integrity of the water jacket as proper water pressure and flow is critical for proper furnace operation.

To check, take a walk around the outside of the furnace, looking for stains or peeling paint on the vessel, which can indicate slow water leaks. Many times these will be at the weld joints and are a sign the vessel may be corroding.

Patches welded onto the outside of the chamber may indicate a past hard water buildup issue. These patches are created after cutting into the chamber to scrape out the buildup. This cut and scrape is done as an attempt to improve water flow through older

To evaluate the condition of the pumping system, start by determining if there is a preventative maintenance (PM) schedule and whether it has been followed regularly. Next, visually check the sight glass on the booster and roughing pumps to make sure oil levels are normal and the oil does not look “milky,” which can be a sign of excess moisture in the system.

For the diffusion pump, determine the last time it was disassembled and cleaned, and if it was ever rebuilt. Then, make sure the diffusion pump oil cup for the cylinder is getting proper lubrication and check the oil level.

Keeping up on preventative maintenance can drastically affect how often the pumps are sent out for major rebuild at the pump OEM or a third party.

Water Jacket

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18 IMD MAY 2020

Pumping System

5.

Furnace Electronics

We now arrive at the last stop on our furnace inspection—the electronics, which are often sadly overlooked. Reaching and maintaining proper control and functionality of the equipment is paramount to achieving success in thermal processing.

Furnace controls are frequently subject to the adage, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, this can be a dangerous approach.

Like smartphones, furnace electronics such as PLCs, recorders and OITs or controllers, can become obsolete quickly. Once this occurs, replacement parts become scarce and good service techs who know how to work on the antiquated electronics can be hard to find.

Meanwhile, the process of upgrading to new controls can have lengthy lead times, often stretching several months—bringing your operation to a standstill. That’s why proactive planning on this front is crucial, yet often overlooked.

Best Practices for a Smooth Furnace Operation This quick exercise of reviewing your vacuum furnaces per these five recommendations can be an eye-opening experience. You may be relieved to find that all systems are in good working order and that regular maintenance has been followed. Or, you may discover hidden issues, which if not addressed promptly, could lead to degraded performance and costly downtime.

For a more in-depth inspection, Ipsen’s free comprehensive

furnace evaluation will give you an even better understanding of every aspect of your current equipment’s condition. The free evaluation report will allow you to plan maintenance activities and schedule out capital expenditures well in advance.

Ultimately, this free service will ensure many more years of furnace operation with a high rate of uptime, planned scheduling for downtime, and greater accuracy, reliability and efficiency. Take advantage of Ipsen’s free in-depth evaluation of any brand of vacuum furnace. At Ipsen, we are committed to being your partner in success.

During this free, comprehensive onsite inspection, an Ipsen Customer Service team member will check all major components of the furnace.

The process typically takes under an hour, and Ipsen will provide a written health report with a suggested 18-month maintenance plan.

Let Ipsen Help You: » Identify and correct problems before they cause costly program delays. » Set up a regular preventive maintenance plan to avoid emergency equipment breakdowns. » Improve the reliability, efficiency and overall capability of your furnace.

Ipsen has serviced the industry for over 70 years, so rest assured that we will be here to keep your furnace running for decades to come.

For more information, visit www.ipsenusa.com/free-furnace-evaluations

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IMD 19

Manufacturing Showcase

By: Russ Willcutt

F

ounded in Berlin, Germany, in 2014, relayr launched its North American operations three years ago, in Chicago. It was acquired by The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company of Connecticut (HSB) in 2018, providing access to myriad global markets and accelerating its status as a leading developer and provider of Industrial IoT data and technologies.

Its suite of resources and services continues to compound on a near-daily basis.

The company is made up of some 300 employees, with more than half of them involved in R&D, and it has fairly specific parameters as to the type of end-user who will best benefit from its technology, having to do with annual capital expenditures, number of employees, connectivity, digital maturity, revenue, business

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20 IMD MAY 2020

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model, maintenance and field service procedures, etc. Preliminary discussions are held via conference call, and always begin in the same way, according to Guneet Bedi, senior vice president of global sales/general manager, Americas.

“We ask what it is they wish to achieve,” he says, “and then we listen closely before we respond. Then, should the decision be made to proceed with our relationship, we will travel to break bread with them together. That is how the process always begins.”

Bedi says he’s seen a shift in terms of the industry’s acceptance of IIoT in recent years; as is the case with any new concept, a great deal of education has been required in order to build this trust and familiarity. But a tipping point seems to have arrived as companies have come to realize the benefits – indeed, the necessity – of streamlining operations, increasing agility and capacity, adopting a subscription-based business model, and not only gathering machine data but learning to utilize it for maximum machine tool uptime and productivity. In addition, companies find that the longer they compile data from all aspects of their operations – from machine tools, to production lines, to quality control, to inventory, to shipping and receiving, and even supply chain – the more easily they can accurately project future financial scenarios. They find themselves building a company database pertaining to their singular approach to going to market, which is invaluable.

In terms of the benefits to be realized, Bedi explains that approximately 70-80 percent of them are shared by companies no matter their area of expertise: in addition to general manufacturing, relayr focuses on automotive, food processing, and power generation. These “commonalities,” as he calls them, include eliminating downtime, elevating quality, increasing equipment efficiency, streamlining production, and keeping machines running

rather than sitting idle. He says that, since HSB is the largest insurer of industrial machinery in the world, it can provide data for creating “usage-based models” prior to a company making new capital expenditures that help ensure it will be a worthwhile endeavor and a good fit for its existing business activities.

As for the “learning curve,” Bedi explains that any technology provider has a responsibility to appeal to at least two audiences these days; one will want to understand the inner workings of the technology, and the other simply wants it to work. “When it comes to things like AI and machine learning, sometimes it’s best to keep the complexity under the hood,” he says. “You take it on a case by case basis.”

Which is also relayr’s approach to the training it provides, which is tailored to the customer’s needs in terms of the number of employees within a class, the depth of knowledge to be conveyed, the number and types of machines involved, technology and monitoring systems, and the degree of connectivity, robotics, and automation, etc. Onsite training is scheduled and conducted accordingly.

Bedi says one thing that’s often left out of the equation as this technology – or any new manufacturing technology – evolves involves the degree of cultural transformation that will be required.

It’s important to keep in mind, he says, that industrial workers are currently experiencing a sea change in terms of how they go about doing their work, which can be stressful despite the obvious advantages. Still, acceptance is growing, and he says that relayr is finding doors opening wider with each passing day. “We’re finally getting invited to the dance,” he says, “we’re just looking for our next partner.”

To learn more go to www.relayr.io.

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IMD 21

Workforce Development

Epic (Training) Solutions – for Uncertain Times By: John Mueller, Founder & CEO, SnackLearning

I

n today’s uncertain times, there is one thing upon which most will agree – everyone is looking for solutions. Let’s take a step back and evaluate.

Pre-virus, many industries were facing an epidemic shortage of skilled workers - a talent shortage. It’s not that we didn’t have skills or talents. We did (and do) have talented people with plenty of skills, but was your specific industry finding enough people with the specific skills you needed? A “talent shortage” is a people shortage insufficient qualified candidates to meet the market demand. A “skills gap” refers to the disparity between the skills a worker possesses and those desired by the organization.

“Epidemic” was (and still is) the right word to use when describing America’s talent shortage and skills gap, but we have no monopoly there. A ManpowerGroup report states, “More employers than ever are struggling to fill open jobs — 45% globally say they can't find the skills they need… the highest in over a decade.” One seasoned trainer stated, our “workforce is changing. It has no foundation to stand on. Back in the day… some had a little bit of hands-on experience; those people have gone away. What we used to expect as common knowledge is no longer there.”

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22 IMD MAY 2020

Enter a new “demic”. Epidemic + pandemic. Within weeks our economy fell from its all-time high. We are hurting in ways many have never seen. Locking ourselves in, fear overtook many.

This is not the time to allow paralysis to set in. Some industries have experienced an increase in business. Skills gap solutions will certainly depend upon your current business climate, but perhaps more importantly upon our reactions to it.

Sans crystal ball, I believe America will rebound but with a different landscape when we recover from seclusion. That new landscape brings new solutions. They may not be visible and will require discovery. Look downstream, think proactively, and reflect on what you really need. Some businesses may have to reinvent.

Those who have spent their precious time carefully considering their new marketplace will be in a better place tomorrow.

Why Are We Here?

What has contributed to our talent shortage and skills gap?

“Candidates lack the necessary hard or soft skills.” (ManpowerGroup) Sometimes the biggest resistance to training can be from the very people who actually manage the workers directly; they are not

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forward thinking. “We can’t send our people for training because we’re too busy.” Beyond that dilemma, are the risks of a lack of training being considered? Those risks can be high – equipment damage, downtime, injuries to personnel, worker dissatisfaction, and loss of talent.

The 2019 Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) report had some interesting highlights. Many industries are experiencing “The Great Crew Change” - older workers (Boomers) reaching retirement age and ultimately heading out along with decades of knowledge and experience. As Boomers leave, are replacements getting sufficient training? Are high schools emphasizing the skills you need?

long-term success, organizations should think beyond “today”, and consider how impending changes in environmental, social, and government issues may affect their business. It is critically important for every business to train local people about itself. We need to be active in ensuring that our young people, our local schools, and their guidance counsellors promote the industry. Are you in contact with local and state people who are in positions of influence? Have you shared your story with them? Manufacturing and Oil & Gas industries, for example, are becoming more technical every day.

These are highly technical and exciting industries that many people outside of those businesses know little to nothing about.

It is imperative that top level management recognize the need to do all they can to bolster the pursuit of talent. B.H. says, it is “incredibly hard … trying to find people. We’re all chasing after the same guys… while at the same time others don’t know how to get in.” “Don’t know how to get in” sounds like an awareness or image problem. Some like Mike Rowe are taking active steps to correct public perception and encourage (and incentivize) new people into the trades. Are we promoting the industry within the local community? When was it you invited your local high school to visit your company? Have they?

Are we supporting local tech education institutions with time on advisory boards and hardware to help them interest young students?

Manufacturing and Oil & Gas industries, for example, are becoming more technical every day. These are exciting industries that many people outside of those businesses know little about.

Solutions

Involvement

Key to the skills gap solution is business’ involvement. The laws of supply and demand apply to the economic market of available skilled workers. If we are not finding enough “qualified” people then it makes sense to qualify the people available. Find “potential”.

Leverage it into “qualified”. Are you expecting experts from technical schools? When I entered the world of heavy duty engines, although bringing a technical school certification and two college degrees, I was still overwhelmed. Others’ faith in me and my interest in learning pulled me through.

A manager who has seen many mergers and acquisitions advises, “training can be a tool for retention. Today companies should be (and are) looking for people from high schools, technical schools, or anyone with mechanical aptitude (i.e. without any specific experience) and groom them.”

There is room for every kind of skill in today’s world of work.

Show young people how their skills are transferable: “If you like computers you can use that in association with [fill in your job title here].”

With high percentages of male workers in skilled trades, manufacturing, and construction, organizations will not find it viable to continue that hiring trend. Companies should be trying to attract more women.

Many industries have been suffering from public image problems.

First impressions matter, and your industry is no exception.

Manufacturing provides the goods we touch and feel as we go about our daily activities with hardly a thought as to their origination.

We know this instinctively. How can we inform the public? For

Involvement of upper management is key to the success of its training program. It changes the view of training from one of “burden and overhead” to a necessary and valuable service and a useful tool for talent retention, marketing, and communication. An industry insider stated to me, “if you have upper management on board with you, it makes all the difference in the world. The best thing that happened to us was that management participated in the classroom training. We have little to no turnover in our company. In order to make employees feel like they’re part of the company, you have to train them – especially in today’s [world] where everybody wants to feel important.”

A recent survey of 17,000 respondents world-wide says two-thirds of survey respondents felt companies should turn their attention internally, retraining existing employees to bridge the current skills gap.

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24 IMD MAY 2020

Online Live Training While sequester orders subside, many people’s fears of social contact have emerged. The timing is perfect for online training solutions. This is a win-win for your own employees and customers.

On-Demand Think of the vision. If your company could have an online library training material in digestible learning bites available 24/7/365 to anyone with a smart device, would you be interested? This is a perfect solution for improving skills “from the comfort of your home or office”. It is more. It is a tool to be used during the work day (or

night) at exactly the time training is most needed. It makes available the captured expertise of those who have “gone before” - from those who have “been there, done that” - and makes it available to those who need it today.

Bootcamps Young, prospective new hires today do not relish the idea of dedicating a major part of their lives toward chasing a two-year or four-year degree. Bootcamps bring more value. Bootcamps provide a shorter overall solution to help impart initial industry awareness and interest along with skills for new or prospective entry-level employees.

Bootcamps generally run a few months in length, combining on-the-job-training (OJT) with classroom instruction. One manager indicates “OJT is necessary but only provides one piece of the big picture puzzle. OJT generally lacks standardization, whereas standardized instruction provides [consistent] results.” A well-designed bootcamp makes this formalized, standardized instruction a reality. To ensure “bad habits” are eliminated at the point of curriculum development, an education company should be consulted to cooperate with experts in the field of expertise.

During these challenging economic times a company’s reputation for the next decade may depend on their treatment of existing workers in the here and now. Train for skills. Train for retention.

Learn more about how these visions can contribute to your success at www.SnackLearning.tech

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IMD 25

5:36 INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY DIGEST.COM3/22/20

PM

New Technology

Avoid The Pitfalls Of Faster Production With Better Part Picking And Sorting

The system is equipped with technology that allows narrow or oddly shaped parts be smoothly cut out of the skeleton and neatly stacked based on type of part.

S

peeding up laser cutting production sounds great in theory— and today’s technologies make it even easier to increase productivity and throughput. But when upgrading equipment, fabricating companies don’t always see the pitfalls—and sometimes fail to adjust their processes accordingly.

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26 IMD MAY 2020

The downside of faster production can become especially evident for companies that operate in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment. The perceived gains from faster cutting speeds are quickly diminished when parts sit as ‘work-in-process’ immediately after cutting. When lasers begin to outperform the

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offloading operation, the bottleneck shifts to parts organization— and shops must adapt accordingly. Because of this, it’s crucial to think beyond the cut.

Start at The End Starting with the last process and working backward is a good way to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for cost reduction. For instance, if you find that parts are getting lost as they move from one stage of the production process, it may make sense to switch to kit nesting during the cutting process, so the parts that need to end up together stay together. In this scenario, automated parts sorting could be beneficial for increasing manufacturing velocity through each stage of the process.

Understand the Real Costs Not all processes are created equal in terms of costs. So identifying individual process costs is the first step toward understanding where the greatest savings can be made. You might be surprised to learn that while blanking receives the most attention in the average shop, it actually is the least costly of all the value-added processes required to make a completed weldment or assembly. In fact, bending is associated with a much greater cost. Automated part sorting can offset this by reducing work-in-process prior to the bending operation. Furthermore, parts could be sorted into stacks according to grain direction to minimize errors during the bending process.

Address Non-Value-Added Time Actual processing time is a small percentage of the overall time required from when an order is received until it is shipped to the customer. The low-hanging fruit for most fabricators involves addressing costs associated with non-value added time before and after the actual processing time. The goal is to identify the costs and eliminate the issues in both front-end and downstream processes by implementing a solution that can be used to maximize manufacturing velocity.

Solving the Issues at Hand Once you have a good handle on the bottlenecks in your process, it’s time to think about ways to address them. Automated solutions are gaining popularity because they are becoming easier to use and integrate. They not only address issues related to the skilled labor shortage, but alleviate issues that hamper productivity and cut into profit. In fact, integrated multifunctional laser automation systems now exist, capable of controlling the entire production process from loading, cutting, sorting, and unloading through to the storage of the finished parts. Here are some ways this type of technology can help.

Save Time on Sheet Positioning Automated systems that employ aerial positioning can save 20-30 seconds a sheet during positioning. They use pneumatic blocks that move against the edges and square the sheet to a known location— with no need for additional position adjustment.

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IMD 27

MC Machinery’s ASTES4 is the first fully integrated sorting and cutting system. The system features patented SortCAM software that provides seamless communication between the laser and the sorting mechanism

Ditch The “De-Nesting Party” Are you stopping production to have “de-nesting parties”? This manual, time-consuming process of removing cut pieces from the skeleton by hand can be a major liability. Not only can it lead to sorting mistakes and loss of parts (and profit), but it can also be downright dangerous. Thicker sheets, in particular (1/2to 1-inch sheets) can be difficult to extract, and workers often engage in dangerous practices—like using pry bars and even 2x4s to facilitate extraction. Automated systems can solve these issues—especially those capable of handling heavy weights with heavy-duty gripper heads.

Avoid Part Damage During de-nesting (either manually or via automation) damage and tangling is always a possibility. To avoid this, parts should be lifted straight out of the skeleton, with parts gripped as close to their center as possible. Systems with more vacuums or magnets offer more granular locating, which contribute to an efficient, problem-free de-nesting process.

Another issue that can hamper de-nesting is the flatness of a sheet. If the sheet warps, the edges can get caught or the center of mass can move, resulting in damage—an issue that’s difficult to

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28 IMD MAY 2020

predict or prevent. Some advanced automation systems, however, can notify operators of problems with de-nesting/picking, before the problem results in a large volume of scrapped parts.

Sort Like A Pro Automation systems can facilitate more efficient, accurate sorting—a boon for productivity and profit. Be sure, however, that you’re picking a fully integrated system with an arm and tooling that can both support the weight, size, thickness and material of the parts.

Final Considerations Keep in mind that the integration of automation may require some adaptations to the way you cut. For example, automation requires more rigidity around the edges, since automated systems can’t adapt to de-nesting issues in the same way humans might. Parts may need to be cut so that they are tabbed in, and acute or sharp edges can cause issues. Complex cuts or sharp edges may require creative cutting—like cutting a circle around the part for easier automated picking, then using additional processes to remove the piece inside. Some smart software programs that integrate the laser and the automation equipment can help the user program cuts that make the parts easier to extract. Talk to your laser automation rep

for additional tips on how to adjust your cutting processes to better accommodate automation.

A Powerful Solution MC Machinery offers a new solution to laser automation: Lasorting— the first fully integrated sorting and cutting system. This system, known as the ASTES4, features patented SortCAM software that provides seamless communication between the laser and the sorting mechanism. The system can detect the material being cut, the thickness and even where the parts are on the sheet. This data is transferred to the ASTES4 and converted into a sorting plan.

The ASTES4 system helps shops find real efficiencies while eliminating error and injury. Some key features and benefits include: » Two gantries, each with two gripper heads, can use a vacuum or magnet, depending on the nature of the piece/cuts; combined capacity is 4,400 lbs. for the traditional system and more than 10,000 lbs. for the heavy-duty version. » A Cartesian gantry system with X/Y axes and a Z can lower a magnetic or vacuum gripper to collect and, if necessary, rotate parts up to 360 degrees for placement in a known location for easier sorting » The system can be equipped with a printing head for easy labeling and sorting. » Patented SortCAM software (included with the system) provides seamless communication between the laser and the sorting mechanism.

A Cartesian gantry system with X/Y axes and a Z can lower a magnetic or vacuum gripper to collect and, if necessary, rotate parts up to 360 degrees for placement in a known location for easier sorting.

» The software also provides tools to help users program laser cuts for easier removal or sorting—on parts with jagged edges that are hard to extract, for instance. » MC Machinery has plans to integrate the ASTES4 with its Remote 360—a remote laser monitoring application—so operators have 24/7 visibility from anywhere.

Want to learn more about laser automation and Lasorting from MC Machinery? Visit www.mcmachinery.com

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IMD 29

Process

Profound Machinery Benefits of a Multi-Disciplinary Design |

30 IMD MAY 2020

IMD – The Industry’s Most Extensive Industrial Publication

I

n manufacturing, building a machine is a complicated process.

Historically, the focus was on the mechanical CAD, and the functioning mechanical arrangement and assembly. Today’s sophisticated machines are still mechanical marvels, but over the last two decades, electrical power is now a part of motors, rotary equipment, and camshaft gears. Moreover, all are driven by advanced computing via the software, controlled by PLCs and CNCs. Gone are the days of addressing the mechanical design in one space and the electrical design and schematics in another. The software must be part of the equation in providing optimum design.

A Multi-Disciplinary Design Approach Now more than ever, all the engineering disciplines need to work closely together to ensure the design is completed on time and cost-effectively manufactured and commissioned. That’s why machine manufacturers are leveraging a multi-disciplinary design approach, spurring manufacturing to greater efficiency. Multidisciplinary design is assessing the complexities of machine building, including engineering design and manufacturing.

For decades the machine manufacturer’s number one focus was on CAD and manufacturing parts within tolerance for everything to function mechanically. The machine was primarily a mechanical piece of equipment, such as yesterday’s automobiles or airplanes. Therefore, the mechanical design resided in one area, with the electrical design, schematics, and software development in silos.

However, this dynamic is ever-changing with motors and equipment transitioning to gears driven by software and PLC codes, thus accelerating the desire for performance-based programs. The software must be adaptable to conditions on the floor with the machine reacting to real-time sensor readings.

Simplistic processes, like a cylinder, extending and retracting, can be based on the pressure differential and flow regulation – technologies unavailable in the past to small and mediumsized businesses due to cost. This scenario increases mechanical capabilities and features with software – a game-changer for machine designers.

The multi-disciplinary design blends all the capabilities and skillsets needed for advanced machine engineering into a collaborative environment. It pays dividends for the output quality of the machine design with everything working together in its place.

It is a type of art form as opposed to merely bolting on electrical, sensors, and cable runs. It is more than that — it is an integrated solution. This dynamic creates harmony in the multi-disciplinary design when each discipline has separate areas.

All engineering disciplines need to work in close collaboration to ensure a design is completed on time and manufactured and commissioned cost-effectively. Siemens Digital Industries Software offers solutions that demonstrate how a multi-disciplinary design approach can blend these capabilities and skillsets into a collaborative environment, yielding dividends in the form of quality machine design.

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IMD 31

A New Approach to Machining Manufacturers can no longer follow the established method: “we used to design it – build it and then see if it actually worked by testing it.” Now machinery companies have aggressively compressed timelines to get their more sophisticated machinery to market. That is why there is a substantial increase around embedding simulation into the design process, and incorporating multi-discipline domain, finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, vibration, and harshness.

Machine builders are also relying on a comprehensive digital twin. The digital twin holistically is a representation of the physical machine, its performance, and the recipe for manufacturing it.

So, it corresponds to everything that constitutes the machine: mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, fluid, pneumatics, design domains, performance, simulation, and automation code. Moreover, the digital twin encompasses manufacturing and service life, basically taking the machine from the point of origination through to the end of life, when it gets recycled.

There is a blurring of lines between mechanical, electrical, and software, so there cannot only be a digital twin of the mechanical, without representing all the other domains as well. A comprehensive digital twin is imperative because of the emphasis on machinery driven by the software and electrical.

Therefore, these domains must be included in the digital twin to help and assist in creating and maintaining the most comprehensive digital twin.

Furthermore, design exploration is more profitable when simulating the entire digital machine for displaying performance in the virtual world. Therefore, items like Mechatronics Concept Designer, which is a digital industry software with specific capabilities around kinematics to define PLC code, use these capabilities to portray a virtual twin, allowing designers to find failures quickly, thus performing more work in the beginning.

Realistically, it’s the same work traditionally completed by the team but now achieved in a synchronized, collaborative manner.

Manufacturing companies are attaining improved levels of optimization within the mechanical system by performing kinematics with the electrical and software teams before the physical product or prototype even exists. This setting allows for uncovering the limitations of the desired mechanism and building that knowledge into the mechanical behavior – a compelling paradigm shift in machine design.

By taking advantage of collaboration parts of the mechanical system that have reached a level of maturity can be opened and exposed to the electrical and software teams for performing kinematics upfront in 90-degree motion. For example, already knowing the limits of a mechanism’s function, affords the ability to build that knowledge into mechanical behavior for use during the simulation. Since the teams are mindful of the behavioral action from the mechanical, they can incorporate that knowledge into the PLC software.

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32 IMD MAY 2020

As companies move towards this more collaborative approach, traditional processes cannot be cast aside without having some level of migration. Experience has proven that companies in machinery and automation, when adopting new technologies, must not consume it simultaneously – culturally, the business can’t sustain it. However, we are witnessing companies that are thoughtfully adopting these innovations successfully. Let’s take a closer look at an excellent example.

A Case Study Example There is a global market leader in pharmaceutical packaging machinery, whose high-precision activity for over a half-century has been building specialized machines for pharmaceutical companies to fill and package ampules, bottles vials, disposable syringes, and pens.

Over 90 percent of their filling plants exportation is supported

by Siemens Digital Industries Software. They rely on a systematic digitalization of the full value chain: from design to simulation and optimization at its virtualization center to commissioning and servicing. Simulation via a digital twin reproduces a digitalized future machine as an intricate virtual model. However, digitalization alone does not achieve optimum success.

They bring customers into a virtual reality wall and see them interact with the machine in its digital form. From a financial perspective, it pays huge dividends for them. Also, it brings together the engineering upfront in the design, and the collaboration of various disciplines in testing the machine code, while compressing their delivery schedule by over 25 percent.

Moreover, the human factor plays an essential role, with employees placing the restructured digital workflows into an ideal operation. The results benefit people: workers filling and packaging machines for the pharmaceutical industry expeditiously, with optimum quality, ensuring patients receive medications on-time.

Software Code Validation Another powerful benefit of adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to machine design is virtual machine simulation and commissioning. This term refers to how a machine proves or validates the software code in the virtual world before physically operating on the factory floor.

More and more, the software is driving the machines. That is why simulating the code running on a virtual twin of the machine generates substantial dividends in time and resources. With virtual commissioning, validations of the PLC software are in a managed environment with an entire modular product development strategy.

Now machine builders can perform the simulation upfront and link the software to the modules.

From a financial perspective, virtual commissioning and visualization pays huge dividends for companies. No one purchases a machine sight unseen. Also, they will not purchase it merely on a claim that it has been virtually simulated by running software code.

A customer needs to substantiate that a machine works before shipping it to their plant.

However, because many software integrations and safety factors are necessary to run a machine, this becomes a stressful and monumental task to perform physically with the customer in attendance. Therefore, a virtual world is ideal for turning a machine on and performing real commissioning. There is less pressure for both the machine builder and its customers. Also, it brings together the engineering upfront in the design and the collaboration of various disciplines in testing the machine code.

Making Multi-Disciplinary Machine Design a Reality Today Siemens provides Xcelerator, a fully integrated portfolio of software, services, and application development platform, personalized and adapted to fit customer and industry-specific needs in becoming digital enterprises. This dynamic provides a managed environment with a fully modular product development strategy, propelling companies to realize they can beat their competitors to market by having the simulation upfront and linking the software to the modules. This scenario is a significant groundbreaking achievement for companies to be competitive in this space.

For more information, visit www.sw.siemens.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bill Davis, Solution Director, is the acting Industry Leader of Industrial Machinery and Heavy Equipment Industry for Siemens Digital Industries Software. His experience and insights have been acquired from a career spanning 30 years in engineering and operations management with machinery and heavy equipment companies. Bill holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Marquette University, with a concentration in Operations Management and Strategic Marketing, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering.

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Industry Insight

Manufacturing’s Finest Hour By: Dusty Alexander, CEO & President, Global Shop Solutions

A

merica and its allies won World War II in large part because of our country’s massive manufacturing effort. The number of tanks, planes, trucks, ammunition and other essential war materials produced within a few years was unprecedented. These gave us an unbeatable advantage over our enemies on the land, in the sea and in the air.

Currently, we’re in a different kind of war against the COVID-19 virus. And much like World War II, we entered this war woefully undersupplied, lacking the tools required to diagnose and treat it, while protecting those on the front lines. As someone who has spent my entire adult life in the manufacturing industry, it comes as no surprise that American manufacturers are once again stepping up to the plate. I couldn’t be prouder of the way many are responding to the urgent need to produce the tools and equipment needed to win this war.

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34 IMD MAY 2020

There’s a scene in the movie “Apollo 13” in which NASA officials are discussing the odds of getting the crippled space craft back home. The head of NASA comments that it could be the worst disaster in the history of the agency. Gene Krantz, NASA’s Chief Flight Director, responds by saying, “With all due respect sir, I believe this is going to be our finest hour.”

I believe this is the finest hour for the manufacturers who have accepted the challenge of getting the needed supplies and equipment to the brave Americans on the front lines of the war on COVID-19. Here are a few of our customers stories.

Helping COVID Victims Breathe Based in Addison, Illinois, Pioneer Service makes a wide variety of custom components, many of which go into oxygen equipment, ventilators, respirators and hospital beds.

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When COVID-19 began overwhelming hospitals and first responders, many of Pioneer’s medical customers found themselves unable to meet the sudden upsurge in demand for these vital pieces of equipment. Fortunately, when the calls began coming in, Pioneer Service was well positioned to do their part.

“We had begun ramping up for strong growth before the onset of the pandemic,” says Beth Swanson, Vice President of Marketing for Pioneer Service, “so we already had the people and equipment in place. The main issue was whether our suppliers could meet our need for raw materials. Most of them have come through, and we’re now committing 70% of our facility to making the components our medical customers need.”

In addition to ramping up production of their existing medical parts, Pioneer has begun making new components for respirators and ventilators. They’re producing a new type of hospital bed system that makes it easier to move beds when transporting patients from one location to another. Meanwhile, another significant challenge has reared its head – keeping a full crew when many employees have young children at home or take care of their parents.

“COVID-19 has turned everyone’s home life upside down, so we had to make some adjustments so employees can come to work every day,” says Swanson. “We designated a person to shop and run errands for employees. We’re bringing lunch in once a week. And we continue to look for other ways to reduce employees’ stress so they can focus on their jobs.”

As an ISO 9001 and AS9100 company, Pioneer Services makes a clean working environment a top priority. However, going after germs has taken their cleaning protocols to a new level.

“We require employees to wash their hands when they arrive and leave work,” says Swanson. “We wipe down all machine surfaces between shifts, and we don’t allow visitors in the building. The hardest part is staying six feet apart because of the collaborative nature of our work.”

“Pioneer has a history of helping out in the local community, but we feel an extra level of commitment to the brave people all across the U.S. who are battling the virus. We need to stay well so we can help others recover.”

If You Build It They Will Come For the past 40 years, Lakeview Industries has been making custom foam, plastic and rubber parts for many industries. Their medical products range from die cut cushions and molded silicone bumpers to conductive gaskets that provide an electromagnetic interface (EMI) shield to protect sensitive electronic devices. Never did they expect to be making a product to help fight a raging viral pandemic.

As the COVID-19 virus began to spread throughout the U.S., news of the drastic shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE) disturbed company co-owner John Schwanke. In particular, he couldn’t understand why protective face shields were so hard to come by. At the urging of his wife, Cathy, he researched the type of face masks being used and decided his company could make one.

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Within days, Lakeview Industries had produced and donated 40,000 single-use face masks to the state of Minnesota. Shortly thereafter, Schwanke’s phone began ringing off the hook with orders from law enforcement and trauma centers all over the U.S. Initially, it took about a week to produce 100,000 of the masks.

Now that Lakeview Industries has the process down pat, the firm expects to ship more than 250,000 a day.

The single-use masks, which are assembled by hand, have a simple design that consists of a plastic sheet to protect the face and an elastic strap to hold it in place. The elastic allows for a “one size fits all” mask that is easy to put on and wear. Most important, the masks can be mass produced in large numbers fairly quickly.

“We took a bit of a risk because we had to buy a lot of materials before we had any orders,” says Schwanke. “Even so, it was an easy decision to make. My thinking was ‘if we build them, we can help.’”

Schwanke’s thinking turned out to be right on the mark. Initially, Lakeview Industries projected making 500,000 masks. They now expect to ship at least 5 million, and possibly more.

“Our employees are the real heroes in this,” says Schwanke. “They’re taking a risk to come to work, yet they feel proud to be helping those on the front lines fight this virus. Our team is doing a phenomenal job of turning out these handmade masks as quickly as possible.”

From Drones to 3D Masks Fortem Technologies makes autonomous drones and AI-driven software to protect against malicious drones – products not even remotely related to the medical industry. But when the Provo, Utah police put out an urgent plea for protective masks, Fortem Technologies stepped up to the plate.

Their engineers immediately set to work producing protective masks using the company’s 3D printers. Within the first day, they had produced and donated 100 masks to the police department. After adding more 3D printers into the mix, Fortem Technologies is now turning out 200+ masks per day, which are being shipped to other police departments and hospitals from Los Angeles to Texas.

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36 IMD MAY 2020

“Making protective masks isn’t our core business, so it took some time to figure out the correct specs and ensure the masks are made properly,” says Jen Colton, Fortem Technologies’ VP of Public and Government Relations. “It's not hard to innovate when you know you can help protect those who are putting their lives on the line for us every day. Once we developed a framework for making the masks, we were able start turning them out in quantity.”

Like all businesses, Fortem Technologies is focusing on safety in the workplace. This includes strict adherence to CDC

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guidelines to work remotely, restrict travel, wash hands frequently and maintain social distancing.

“We’re also focused on taking good care of each other, as well as our customers, neighbors and those on the front lines in our community,” adds Colton. “We plan to continue printing and delivering as many masks as we can until the need is met.”

We Will Get Through This It feels like every day I get a call from a customer that has increased production or shifted focus to literally save their nation and the world. These are a sample of stories from the family of manufacturers powered by Global Shop Solutions that are helping to defeat COVID-19. When the chips are down, nobody can match the creativity, innovation and problem-solving capabilities of manufacturers. Yet, even these are surpassed by their genuine caring and concern for their country and the communities they live and work in. When we all pull together, we can do amazing things!

Cheers to Part II coming soon.

ABOUT GLOBAL SHOP SOLUTIONS Global Shop Solutions ERP software provides the applications needed to deliver a quality part on time, every time from quote to cash and everything in between including shop management, scheduling, inventory, accounting, quality control, CRM and 25 more. Available in the cloud or on premise, our manufacturing customers benefit from real-time inventory accuracy, improved on-time delivery, lower administrative costs, increased sales and improved customer service.

Headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas includes a state-of-the-art R&D facility and Global Shop Solutions training center. Through its offices in the U.S., Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the company supports thousands of manufacturing facilities in over 25 countries and nearly 30 industries.

For more information, visit www.globalshopsolutions.com

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IMD | COVID-19 Solutions

IMD | COVID-19 Solutions The manufacturing industry wasted no time in responding to the needs of the American people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Equipment and service providers are responding to their end-users needs to remain productive in this new landscape. Many have helped their clients in modifying production lines to build ventilators, and others have been working to adapt processes for current workforce limitations.

Want to share how your manufacturing facility or fabricating shop responded to COVID-19? Email editorial@indmacdig.com and visit www.IndustrialMachineryDigest.com for the latest COVID-19 information. » For more advanced manufacturing solutions, visit www.IndustrialMachineryDigest.com

SKY HOOK Provides Manufacturers with Immediate Lifting Solution for Social Distancing Requirements With this growing pandemic, companies all over the world are calling on their employees and vendors alike to innovate and develop new strategies and processes to maintain operations that deliver their vital products to the masses. The Sky Hook is the ergonomic lifting device many companies are reaching for as it provides a safe, single operator lifting solution to meet today’s health and safety needs. As a customizable, lightweight lifting device, the Sky Hook can be an essential component in this endeavor that offers a much-needed solution to a variety of applications spanning countless industries. “We are currently waiving our production expedite charges on both custom and standard units so customers can obtain the lifting solution that they need in a timely and efficient manner to keep up with their current production demand,” says Dusty White, Technical Sales Manager. » For more information, visit www.skyhook.cc

ABB To Make Digital Services Available Free Of Charge To Help Customers Maintain Production In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, ABB is working to help customers and partners keep production lines going and to enable businesses to continue to function while many are working from home. Many companies can benefit from digital solutions that enable them to manage their production lines remotely and to keep robot systems running at optimal performance with less human interaction, particularly given the current need for social distancing and remote work. Digital tools can also be used to help customers continue to work and prepare for projects that will be ready to go as soon as everyone returns to the workplace. ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business will make key software services available free of charge to its customers until December 31st, 2020. » For more information, visit www.abb.com/robotics

Hexagon Supports Manufacturing Professionals Working From Home With Access To Its Smart Manufacturing Solution Portfolio Home working options will be provided for Hexagon’s production software and metrology software offerings, as well as the MSC Software range of CAE solutions, at least until June 30, 2020. Manufacturers running metrology equipment in factories can remotely monitor and analyze how key assets are performing for free with HxGN SFx | Asset Management. Users will also have access to additional online learning resources. “The purpose of our smart manufacturing solutions is to improve quality and productivity and this challenge is especially acute during this time of extensive home working” said Paolo Guglielmini, President of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division. “So, to support the industries we serve, we’re offering special access to our software and learning tools for both current customers and non-customers who can benefit from our technology.” » For more information, visit www.hexagonmi.com/wahs

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38 IMD MAY 2020

IMD – The Industry’s Most Extensive Industrial Publication

Monaghan Tooling Rushes Custom Ventilator Tooling Project Custom tooling requests are not unusual at Monaghan Tooling Group, and each gets special attention. They are all important, however, when it’s a life-or-death situation you tend to pull out all the stops. That’s exactly the situation that the MTG team faced when they received a request for a burnishing tool to produce a very fine micro-finish on a flat surface of a ventilator component. New England’s Butler Bros., a Monaghan distributor, had a customer that needed custom tooling to produce 2500 ventilator components a week by mid-April. The team turned the project around – from purchase order to signed approval print for custom tooling in 5 hours and 15 minutes. While that breakneck is not the norm, Monaghan and their Elliott Tool Technologies partners were committed to help speed the production of critical ventilators to COVID-19 patients nationwide.

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Tolomatic Develops Open-Source, Low-Cost Ventilator Actuation Prototypes For COVID-19 Patients

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at www.adbhoistrings.com | 800.423.4425 Tolomatic’s solution is a new type of ventilator that operates using an electric linear actuator. These prototypes automate a non-invasive, positive-pressure resuscitator (also self-inflating bag, bag valve mask or ‘AMBU’ bag/Artificial Manual Breathing Unit). The device, used primarily in emergency situations when traditional ventilators are not available, provides oxygen to patients requiring breathing assistance. An assistant manually squeezes the bag to provide airflow via a combination of ambient air and an oxygen cylinder and connecting tube. Squeezing the bag manually is workable for short durations, but not viable for longer term care.

Tolomatic’s approach is to automate this traditionally manual process using their electric linear actuators and insure patients would continue to get air for days or weeks.

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IMD 39 8/13/19 11:31 PM

Product Showcase

PRODUCTSHOWCASE WANT TO BE FEATURED? Send your latest product information to editorial@indmacdig.com

IMD's Monthly Product Showcase features the latest from some of the manufacturing industry's top suppliers.

Maximize Stability with BIG KAISER’s Stabilizer 50 System

500ºF Class 100 Cleanroom Electric Cabinet Pass-Through Oven from Grieve No. 971 is an electrically-heated, 500ºF (257ºC) Class 100 cleanroom cabinet oven from Grieve, currently used to sterilize glassware at the customer’s facility. Workspace dimensions measure 36” W x 36” D x 39” H. 20KW are installed in Incoloy sheathed tubular elements to heat the unit, while a 1200 CFM, 1-1/2 HP recirculating blower motor provides horizontal airflow to the workload.

This Grieve cleanroom oven features 4” thick insulated walls throughout and a Type 304, 2B finish stainless steel interior with 1/2” inside radius corners, all seams welded, ground and polished. The stainless-steel exterior has a #4 brushed finish. The unit is equipped with front and rear access doors for pass-through to the cleanroom plus an integral wall sealing flange. A red pilot light onboard the oven signals when the opposite door is open. For Class 100 cleanroom compliance, this cabinet oven has a 12” x 12” x 6” thick HEPA fresh air filter with 2” prefilter and a 30” x 24” x 6” thick stainless-steel high temperature HEPA recirculating filter. » For more information, visit www.grievecorp.com

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40 IMD MAY 2020

BIG KAISER Precision Tooling has introduced the UNILOCK Stabilizer 50 System for UNIFLEX Ball System.

This modular system provides lateral support for tall parts during machining, welding or assembly processes and allows for the transfer of loads to the table or base. The importance of stability across the metalworking industry impacts everything from profitability to employee safety. If there’s a need to back off feeds and speeds to achieve finishes, there’s a good chance a part is not completely stable. BIG KAISER’s zero-point, UNILOCK stabilizer system can easily adjust to any new part – making machining more efficient and cost-effective. » For more information, visit www.us.bigkaiser.com

IMD – The Industry’s Most Extensive Industrial Publication

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ESAB Miniarc Rogue Compact Stick/Lift Tig Inverter Offers Industry-Best Combination of Performance, Price ESAB Welding & Cutting Products has introduced the Miniarc Rogue ES 180i, a new portable and affordable Stick/Lift TIG inverter with professional arc performance and controls such as adjustable hot start, adjustable arc force and power factor correction. The unit weighs 18.2 lbs., measures 13.5 x 6 x 10.4 in., delivers a maximum output of 180 amps at 25 percent duty cycle and uses 115 – 230V 50/60 Hz primary power. It delivers a stable TIG arc down to 10 amps, giving welders the control they need to work on thin metal or delicate components. » For more information, visit www.esab.com

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Global Innovative Products Launches EDM Wire Online Store

Dual 316SS Cabinet Coolers with Digital Control Resist Heat and Corrosion EXAIR's new Dual 316 Stainless Steel Cabinet Cooler Systems with ETC (Electronic Temperature Control) keep electrical enclosures cool with 20 degrees F (-7 degrees C) air while maintaining the NEMA 4X rating of the enclosure and removing the heat that could adversely affect the internal components. The wear, corrosion and oxidation resistance of Type 316 stainless steel assures long life and maintenance free operation within food, medical, pharmaceutical, chemical and other harsh environments. Cooling capacities up to 5,600 Btu/hr. are ideal for larger enclosures and heat loads. EXAIR’s digital ETC (Electronic Temperature Control) provides precise temperature control for your electrical enclosure that is constantly being monitored by a quick response thermocouple.

High performance EDM wire provided by GIP enhances EDM operations, efficiency and performance for all types of EDM machines on the North American market today. Products offered here are produced by Thermo Compact and Bedra, two of the largest manufacturers of EDM wire in the world. Available products include brass wire (Bedra Boline Brass) and coated wires (PLASMA, KLEEN, GAMMA, BLAZE, EPSILON). GIP PLASMA™ is a hybridcoated wire designed to improve cycle times and reduce operating costs. Customer testing has confirmed it is 20% to 30% faster vs. premium brass wire and is competitively priced. » For more information, visit www.gip-edmwire.com

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Gleason Metrology Systems’ Gear Calibration Lab now features an enhanced quality system and ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation, lower measure measurement uncertainties, and more comprehensive A2LA accredited calibration services with the addition of the latest Gleason 300GMSL Gear Measuring System and GAMA 3.2 analytics software. The 300GMSL gear measurement system, utilizing our proven accuracy enhancement technologies to provide the highest degree of accurate gear and spline calibration, is now commissioned to provided accredited calibration of new parameters and ranges including diameters of plain cylinders and rings, dimension over/under balls, and tooth thickness, on gears and splines diameters up to 300 mm. » For more information, visit www.gleason.com

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42 IMD MAY 2020

Gleason Metrology Systems Expands Accredited Calibration Services

New, Innovative Norton FAB Buffing Norton FAB (Fixed Abrasive Buff) wheels feature a patent pending design which incorporates abrasive grains into the buffing wheel and consistently results in excellent single digit Ra values ranging from 1 to 5 Ra. The new Norton FAB wheels are tear resistant, waterproof and durable, providing significantly longer life than traditional cotton buffs. Due to significantly decreasing the need for buffing compound, Norton FAB wheels offer a more efficient, cleaner and safer way of buffing. There is less cumbersome, time consuming clean-up in buffing operations and post-clean-up processes.

Without the requirements to purchase, apply, clean-up, and dispose of large amounts of compound, costs are minimized.

Hunter Industrial Debuts New Fan Line

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Hunter Industrial Fans, the industrial division of Hunter Fan Company, launched its commercial fan line known as “Trak”. The Trak extends the catalog of commercial fan lines offered by the Hunter Fan Company, which currently includes the existing XP HVLS fan, the Stingray fan, the Beck fan and more. The Trak ceiling fan is designed and engineered with a commercial grade motor and extruded aluminum blades for a long lifespan and optimal airflow.

Available in four sizes—including 60, 72, 84 and 96-inch diameter models—the Trak fan offers three versatile finishes and an LED light option to best fit the size, style and lighting needs of any space. » For more information, visit www.hunterfan.com/industrial

Electric Rotary Tool from Palmgren The precision and control provided by Palmgren’s corded variable speed rotary tool makes it ideal for numerous applications.

Operators have the flexibility to match it to a tool bit or task. It features a high-performance motor and its lightweight ergonomic body is designed for strength, durability and longtime use. The speed range of the #9650000 Electric Rotary Tool from Palmgren boasts a speed range between 3000 to 30,000 rpm. Now observing its 100th anniversary, Palmgren is a C.H. Hanson brand. » For information visit www.palmgren.com INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY DIGEST.COM

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Siemens offers its popular Sinumerik 828D CNC through new Fast Package program To offer a fast solution to US-based machine tool builders, system integrators and retrofitters, Siemens is stocking typical system packages that include the most frequently used Sinumerik 828D CNC, Sinamics drive, Simotics motor and accessories such as cables in their Elk Grove Village, IL facility to ensure fast and efficient delivery in less than 10 business days. Additional benefits of ordering the pre-defined packages include a price discount, a simplified ordering process and a shortened lead-time. The program is subject to availability and delivery time will depend upon the stock available in Elk Grove Village, ILThere are seven pre-defined Sinumerik 828D packages covering the most typical standard milling and turning machines. » For more information, visit usa.siemens.com/828-fp

SUHNER Offers POLYDrill Range of Multi-Spindle Drills SUHNER features several options in its popular multi-spindle lines.

Among them is the POLYDrill family, offering a huge selection of multi-spindle heads from the standard range. Fixed and adjustable hole pitches and compact models allow the tool to be used in a variety of situations. Drilling capacity is available standard between 0.06-1” (1.5-25 mm). Minimum hole spacing is 0.27” (7 mm), while maximum hole spacing is virtually limitless. MHFP is equipped with 8 spindles with preloaded angular contact bearings for use of carbide tools and fixed spindle distance. » For more information, visit www.suhner.com/en

char-lynn hydraulic products low speed high-torque motors… The Char-Lynn

motor range consists of three major types based on the valving used to distribute fluid through the Orbit gear set (geroler or gerotor), Spool Valve, Disc Valve and VIS (Valve-in-Star). A variety of displacement sizes are available in each of the three motor types to provide a wide range of speeds and torques.

steering control units… offer these advantages: • Minimal steering linkage reduces cost, provides design flexibility.

• Complete isolation of load forces from the control station.

• Continuous, unlimited control action with low output torque.

• Wide selection of control circuits and meter sizes.

• Works with many kinds of power steering pumps or fluid supply. gear pumps… Eaton Series 26 gear pumps with 13-tooth gears minimizes flow ripple to reduce noise and vibration.

Bearing lubrication system uses inlet oil rather than high pressure oil, improving volumetric efficiency and power output. The 13 available displacements and many mounting configurations provide for an easy retrofit. Other series available.

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44 IMD MAY 2020

JTEKT Toyoda Americas Expands their Line of High-Speed Production Machines The MCV450XL vertical machining center is another machine from the production line series – equipped with an integrated rotary pallet changer with factory integrated overhead hydraulics, a 12,000 RPM direct drive spindle, and FANUC fine mold package with 400 block look ahead. Linear pallet changers are also available as an option with this machine and across the entire VMC lineup. Another exciting machine that will be available is the DTC-400 XL high-speed drill tap machining center. This compact, powerful machine is loaded with high-speed spindle options, up to 24 tools, and rapid feedrates up to 2,362 ipm (60 m/min). » For more information, visit www.toyoda.com

ActiNav the World’s First Autonomous Bin Picking Kit for Machine Tending Applications

Grooving Toolholder System from Walter Boosts Shoulder Grooving Performance, Reliability

ActiNav combines real-time autonomous motion control, collaborative robotics, vision and sensor systems in one easy to use, fast to deploy and cost-effective kit. The system requires no vision or robotic programming expertise, but is instead based on a “teach-bydemonstration” principle using a six-step, wizardguided setup process integrated into the UR cobot teach pendant.

ActiNav can be easily and quickly deployed by manufacturers’ in-house automation teams or through assistance from a UR distributor or integrator to deliver increased productivity, quality and efficiency. ActiNav Autonomous Bin Picking allows manufacturers to quickly achieve high machine uptime and accurate part placement with few operator interventions.

Walter has introduced a new system specially designed for grooving along a shoulder with the G3051-P groove turning holder and the new MX22-2L/R indexable inserts. The new system features an insert installation position inclined by 3° in the insert pocket. Both rightand left- hand versions of the inserts are available. This new feature enables deep grooving operations possible along the shoulder. The precision-ground, four-edged indexable MX inserts are available with new GD8 and VG8 geometries. The GD8 geometry has been specifically developed for grooving along the shoulders and grooving of large diameters without interference of the insert with the finished workpiece. » For more information, visit www.walter-tools.com

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HC20XP Human-Collaborative Robot Offers 20 kg Payload for a Wide Variety of Tasks The industry’s first IP67-rated collaborative robot, the HC20XP is equipped for continuous use in damp or splash-prone environments. Made of cast aluminum for durability, this model features an easy-to-clean surface, allowing utilization in sanitary environments where wipe or wash is required.

The HC20XP features a 1,700 mm maximum reach, making it ideal for a broad range of material handling, machine tending or assembly tasks.

This impressive range also enables the HC20XP to reach full 80-inch pallets without requiring an elevator or lift mechanism.

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48 IMD MAY 2020

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