Industrial Machinery Digest - December 2022

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Hello and welcome to the December 2022 issue of Industrial Machinery Digest! It’s the most wonderful time of the year — christmastime. Here in Pelham, Alabama, it may not get as cold as it does in the Northeast, midwest, and other parts of the country, but we are experiencing some freezing temperatures and may even get some snow before Santa shimmies down any chimneys.

The holiday season always prompts me to reflect on the past year and what’s to come in the next. There’s no surprise that for the world of industrial manufacturing and metalworking, automation and other smart manufacturing practices are expected to be an ongoing trend in 2023. With that in mind, we’ve included articles in this issue we hope you find insightful and helpful as we all embrace a new year.

In this edition of ImD, you’ll learn why machine shop automation isn’t rocket science and shouldn’t be so intimidating that manufacturers shy away from it. As you’ll read in the “New Technology” article starting on page 30, “most shops are simply looking for a low-cost automation application that is easy to set up and use, cost-efficient and, most importantly, provides unattended machining time.”

We’ve also included a riveting piece by rahul Garg, Vice President of Industrial machinery, Siemens Digital Industries Software, that explores how (and why) manufacturers are discovering that digitalization is the new equalizer to achieve a new level of smart manufacturing, as well as an insider’s look into rOeQ and OmrON’s new partnership for providing top modules and cart systems for the company’s autonomous mobile robot, the LD-250.

Additionally, in this issue, you’ll find articles that discuss topics including: how to practically build a culture centered around safety and human reliability, what the current workforce can do to inspire the next generation of engineers and skilled laborers, exactly what manufacturers need to know about setting quality management goals, and a company profile on T.J. Grinding, Inc. a leader in high-quality, short-run tool production that sells nationwide both directly to end users and through a network of distributors based out of Waukesha, Wisconsin.

As always, happy reading, my friends, and happy holidays from everyone here at ImD! I hope you enjoy this issue and maybe even learn something new. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any comments, questions, or article ideas. I’d love to hear from you.

William Strickland

Publisher, Industrial Machinery Digest wstrickland@indmacdig.com

William C. Strickland III, Publisher william.strickland@indmacdig.com 800-366-0676 ext. 103 | Fax: 866-826-5918

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Shane Bell, Creative Director sbell@indmacdig.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Authentise Releases Guidelines

Pioneering rules engine changes the way tribal knowledge is collected, compliance is ensured, and artificial intelligence (AI) is delivered.

Authentise, the leader in data-driven engineering & manufacturing workflow tools, has released Guidelines, a major new rules engine that puts operators back at the heart of digital manufacturing.

Guidelines is a new set of features accessible to users of ameS, Authentise’s end-to-end, connected workflow engine for additive manufacturing. It enables users to formulate if-this-then-that rules that use any type of engineering or production data as input. These rules then trigger suggestions at any point in the process. With Guidelines, a combination of machine sensor feedback, geometry features, or QA measurements, among others, can be used as triggers to suggest changes in behaviour or parameters that will ensure a more successful and sustainable production outcome. These suggestions are delivered to the user when required, during the engineering stages or in production.

“If-this-then-that rules are not new in robotic process automation but have yet to be used successfully in the manufacturing context beyond basic principles such as quoting”, says Andre Wegner, ceO of Authentise. “We realized their broader power almost immediately and spent the last 10 years building, with ameS, a contextual data engine capable of harnessing them. They represent a break from more prescriptive tools, such as our workflow generator. This permissive approach makes them the ideal channel to ensure that rules are followed while giving experienced engineers and operators the latitude to make the decisions necessary on a case-by-case basis. We’re fortunate to work with partners such as ASTm to ensure that

this novel framework is not only filled with tribal knowledge present within each organization but uses existing standards as a starting point.”

“There is great value in considering how Standards can be fully applied in the digital world”, says Dr martin White, Head of Additive manufacturing Programs – europe at ASTm Additive manufacturing center of excellence. “Guidelines has the potential to evolve how Standards can be accessed and embedded in manufacturing processes with increased accessibility. We’re excited to work with Authentise to ensure that users can access applicable standards in this way. Not only does this have the potential to ensure greater compliance but doing so in a digital framework allows our partners to potentially reduce audit costs too.”

The delivery of Guidelines was supported by Innovate UK’s Transforming Foundation Industries challenge under the SAmrcD grant, under which Authentise and ASTm collaborate with Photocentric, mPI and TWI.

“Guidelines very intentionally puts the power to make decisions back into the hands of those on the frontlines, whom most of the Industry 4.0 movement has so far marginalized,” adds Simon mccaldin, VP of Open Innovation at Authentise. “We believe this will, in the medium term, also help us deliver more acceptable forms of Artificial Intelligence to the industry. ameS has now reached the level of maturity necessary to capture the data that can drive advanced machine learning systems. However, operators are rightly cautious of adopting systems operating as a black box with no oversight. Guidelines represent a more transparent delivery method and will increase real-world acceptance, while ensuring compliance with process control procedures. Now that it is built, Authentise will not monopolize the channel that Guidelines represents. We’re

industrial Machinery Digest's industry news features the latest news and press releases from some of the industry's top companies.

American Punch Company Announces the Appointment of Matt Bendula to VP of Operations

American Punch company announces that matt bendula has been named VP of Operations, effective immediately. mr. bendula joined the staff of American Punch in 2016 as a roving operator in grinding, finishing, heat-treat prep, and inventory control then quickly joined the sales department. He previously spent six years in industrial sales after earning a bA in marketing from Kent State University. mr. bendula went on to earn his mbA from Ohio University, with a concentration in executive management.

In his new role, mr. bendula will be responsible for overseeing all day-to-day manufacturing operations, define and implement operations strategy and processes, and plan for future growth and expansion of manufacturing capabilities. He will also be responsible for maximizing workflow efficiency.

bob Olson, owner and president of American Punch believes that mr. bendula is the right man for the job. “matt has worked hard since the day he joined our organization to learn our processes and industry. He has the experience, training, and education to help American Punch prepare

for our future as we lead the metalworking, stamping and rollforming industries for high performance tooling.”

The American Punch company is the leading manufacturer of punches, dies, and shear blades used in the structural steel and metal fabricating industries. In addition, American Punch supplies precision tooling to the stamping, roll forming and metalforming industries. Their world-class manufacturing facilities allow American Punch company to provide customers with the flexibility to produce both on-demand stock tooling and engineered, made-to-order tooling. American Punch company is ISO-certified, and is a member of all major trade organizations.

For more information, visit their website at www.AmericanPunchco.com.

Global Shop Solutions Employees Celebrated As Emerging Leaders By NTMA

Developing homegrown leaders is one of the most important things companies can do to pave the way for continued success. Global Shop Solutions, a global leader in erP software for manufacturers, is proud to announce cynthia Ashby and ryan carpenter were identified as emerging Leaders by the National Tooling and machining Association (NTmA).

NTm A is a U.S.-based trade association with 1,200 tool & die and precision manufacturing companies

representing more than $35 billion in sales. e ach year NTm A selects 15 individuals – nominated by their employers – for recognition in the association’s emerging Leaders rising program. This program recognizes the hard work and accomplishments of future leaders in manufacturing.

“We’re very proud to have cynthia and ryan on our team,” says Dusty Alexander, President and ceO of Global Shop Solutions. “cynthia attained her current position as manager of the Financial Data Analysis Team by earning the respect, admiration, and trust of senior leaders, supervisors, fellow employees and customers. As an Operations consultant on our continuous Improvement Team, ryan has greatly impacted our customers by continuously helping them improve their fluency with our software and resolve issues from quote to cash. It’s employees like cynthia and ryan that have made Global Shop Solutions great today and into the future.”

each emerging Leaders class is profiled in The record, NTmA’s monthly Precision manufacturing magazine and are invited to attend manufacturing engage – the annual precision manufacturing conference – where they are recognized on stage during the awards ceremony. They are also invited to attend the annual emerging Leaders conference where they can connect with each other and continue to develop their leadership skills.

“It’s an honor to receive this award, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without the guidance of others,” says Ashby. “becoming an emerging Leader has motivated me to work harder and continue growing in my career while helping others succeed.”

“I am honored to be chosen as an emerging Leader,” says carpenter. “every day I do my best to ensure our customers’ needs are met, and I hope to pioneer a path for new hires by demonstrating the effectiveness of young leaders.”

Loc Performance Names Jason Atkinson as President and CEO

Loc Performance (Loc) has named Jason Atkinson as the company’s new president and ceO, effective immediately. Atkinson has served as a key member of Loc’s leadership team since 2008, when he joined the company as chief operating officer. In his new role, Atkinson will continue to lead the technical efforts for all new business opportunities and launches.

Loc Performance, a leading agricultural and military provider, named Jason Atkinson as its new president and ceO.

“I have worked with Jason for more than 20 years, and he is more than ready to thrive in this new role,” said Lou burr, former Loc ceO. burr will no longer be active in Loc’s day-to-day operations but will continue to serve as a strategic consultant.

During his time as Loc’s cOO, Atkinson oversaw all aspects of the business operations, including production, quality, materials, engineering, IT and human resources.

He spearheaded the development of tools that accelerated Loc’s growth, including Loc’s QmS supplier development system and the launch of Plex, Loc’s fully automated erP system. Under his direction and management, Loc launched and delivered flawlessly on significant programs such as ecP1 for the bradley Fighting Vehicle, which increases ground clearance and survivability.

“I am excited to step into this expanded leadership role,” said Atkinson. “Loc is uniquely positioned for growth in the military, agricultural and construction markets, and I look forward to continuing the company’s positive momentum.”

Atkinson also led several significant acquisitions for Loc, including Demmer’s North Lansing plant in 2017, Lapeer Industries in 2019, and continental’s St mary’s location in 2020. Under Atkinson’s leadership, Loc has deployed millions of dollars in capital equipment, facility expansions, and new product launches, such as the mLrS IAc program in the Lansing facility. As a certified six sigma black belt, Atkinson has built his career on continuous improvement efforts.

Prior to joining Loc, Atkinson developed strong leadership experience in the automotive industry. Starting his career at a Tier 1 automotive supplier while going to school at m-T ec , Atkinson had full P&L responsibility as a plant manager for a multi-site operation that produced underbody, suspension components and mechanical assemblies for chrysler, G m , and Ford. Over this twelve-year period in the auto industry, he launched hundreds of millions of dollars in business, obtained Q1 with Ford, maintained QS9000, TS16949, and A2LA certifications, and developed a cost reduction and lean manufacturing program yielding significant savings. With five plants and over 800 employees, Jason received Pm P certification to support multisite program launches and developed a program management process with multi-gate reviews to ensure on-time delivery and overall customer satisfaction.

Learn more at www.locperformance.com.

Veterans Play Key Role in Workforce Development

at Mazak

company relies on veterans for their transferrable skills and rock-solid work ethics

crucial to its workforce development strategy, mazak North America credits veterans as essential to the company’s ability to overcome the manufacturing industry’s severe lack of skilled labor and fill vital positions. This year alone, mazak has hired 13 veterans and now employs a total of 87 within mazak departments ranging from field service and parts to production and purchasing.

Also as part of its strategic workforce development strategy, mazak leveraged its relationship with the Lucas Group to locate and hire more veterans. The recruiting firm specializes in matching up those individuals transitioning from the military with companies like mazak seeking qualified, talented and dedicated people.

According to mazak Human resources Director bill Weier, managers praise the company’s veteran employees for their diagnostic skills and their ability to reason through solutions. "Their dedication, creativity and can-do attitude along with a strong work ethic, focused time management and problem-solving skills,” he said, “set an example of how to excel and advance within the industry. We are truly grateful for their service to their country and to have them as members of the mazak team.”

Throughout the organization, veterans contribute their accountability, seasoned perspective and mature outlook to make mazak an even better place to work. The company is also committed to providing these veterans with the continuous training and development they need to build thriving, sustained careers with the company.

Veterans who are interested in manufacturing careers can apply for one of the many positions on the mazak career page:

For more information visit www.mazakusa.com

Innovative Employer Engagement Process Establishes Effective On-The-Job Training (OJT)

The National Institute for metalworking Skills (NImS) has developed a new approach to help employers struggling with On-The-Job Training (OJT). It’s a five-step method that is briefly described in a video that can be

accessed by clicking here. NImS created the process to address the urgency many employers are experiencing getting employees training in today’s manufacturing technologies and methods.

Step 1 is “Familiarize” – introduces the Smart Training Principles that NImS outlines on its website, www. nims-skills.org.

Step 2 is “Discover” – includes a quick online self-evaluation assessment that reveals perceived versus actual training behaviors occurring in a shop or factory.

Step 3 is “Analyze” – the shop owner or training manager and trainers participate in a session with a NImS expert to bring clarity to the assessment results. This session returns a comprehensive needs analysis and a Training Playbook that the company can use to enhance its training program.

Step 4 is “enhance” – the details of the organization’s training program are developed on site at the company’s

•

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location. This is the step that has the greatest and most empowering impact. The materials for training are created with a NImS expert, and real training sessions are practiced and fine-tuned.

Step 5 is “recognize” – the final step to ensure that all stakeholders in the program get acknowledged for their role in reaching the desired performance goals.

According to montez King, executive Director of NImS. “The first steps are somewhat academic, but we caution companies to not get turned off by those. They are quick and necessary for the subsequent steps that are practical and real-world, using a company’s specific parts and processes. They successfully resolve the OJT needs in a relatively short time frame. Further, NImS is here to help employers at every step of the journey.”

For more information contact NImS at (703) 352-4971 or email support@nims-skills.org.

Hexagon and Raytheon Technologies developing simulation tool to improve 3D printing build quality

Hexagon and raytheon Technologies partner to deliver a simulation tool that will enable evaluation and optimization of metal additive manufacturing (Am) processes through the prediction of thermal history and defects at the laser path and powder layer scale combining technologies from Hexagon’s manufacturing

Intelligence division and raytheon Technologies’ Pratt and Whitney business, the new software will predict defects before the expensive and time-consuming printing process begins. This analysis will help designers and engineers evaluate the print outcome and test combinations of materials, geometries, and print processes.

“We have partnered with raytheon Technologies to deliver an intuitive and accessible tool that will help engineers quickly predict and mitigate risks,” said Jeff robertson, Hexagon’s director of global business development. “The ability to evaluate full laser powder bed fusion (L-PbF) parts on the meso-scale will reduce the effort to achieve part certification and thereby support industrialization of metal 3D printing.”

The software will be made available to a range of companies engaged in additive manufacturing and will be complementary to Hexagon’s existing Simufact Additive tool. The similarity to the existing user interface will allow easy integration into existing manufacturing processes by users without the need for extensive training.

“by combining our additive manufacturing expertise with Hexagon’s, we are bringing a solution to market that helps manufacturers with all levels of experience make better products with greater efficiency,” said David Furrer, Pratt & Whitney senior fellow for materials and processes.

For more information, visit hexagonmi.com.

Smart Manufacturing— taking your manufacturing to the next level

By: Rahul Garg, Vice President of Industrial Machinery, Siemens Digital Industries Software

Manufacturers are searching for innovative ways to tackle a multitude of challenges, from rising product complexity and emerging sustainability goals to consumer demands for more customization. At the same time, they are dealing with global competition, supply chain and labor shortages.

Fortunately, manufacturers are discovering that digitalization is the new equalizer to achieve a new level of smart manufacturing. In the past, automation was focused on reducing costs. but today, if done right, digitalization can take manufacturing processes to a whole new level. Digitalization delivers more data and better data—key for improving operational efficiencies to achieve a host of benefits: high availability, maximized factory utilization, real-time management of supply chains, and most importantly, improved time to market. It also can enhance manufacturing flexibility – enabling individualized products at mass-produced goods pricing.

There are three key capabilities digitalization supports that will lead to smart manufacturing.

» The first step is the convergence of information

technology (IT) with operational technology (OT). This is crucial for extracting and analyzing all the data generated during operations to uncover actionable insights.

» That, in turn, enables closed-loop manufacturing and execution focused on creating and optimizing the actual process and expediting customer orders.

» Finally, closed-loop quality is achievable to ensure products are delivered right the first time, regardless of the lot size.

IT/OT fusion delivers actionable insights

The convergence of IT and OT is the initial crucial step to achieving smart manufacturing. Operation technology is the software that governs the operation of the physical equipment, the controls and the technology that's driving the machines such as the PLcs. The software instructs the machine on what to do and ensures the hardware executes those instructions. On the other hand, IT is the organization’s computer technology used to store, retrieve, process, analyze, and recommend action on digital

Manufacturers are discovering that digitalization is the new equalizer to achieve a new level of smart manufacturing.

data extracted from operations. As a result, IT is used by management to make decisions, and operation technology is used by the factories to drive actions.

So where does all this data come from? most factories today are a mix of older and newer equipment. Newer smart machines are designed to share data with a network, whereas older machines are data islands. A network of sensors is added to the factory to connect those islands to ensure robust data across all manufacturing operations, bringing operational data together for IT to analyze. As a result, in almost every factory, today, data is collected by a wide variety of physical sensing technologies, including programmable logic controllers (PLcs), sensors and gauges, IoT devices, etc.

This IT/OT fusion leads to:

» Greater flexibility and visibility into operations, empowering manufacturers to make much better decisions in an integrated manner. Now real-time process monitoring of the shop floor is possible, enabling managers to quickly assess the business impact of manufacturing activity.

» It also supports and encourages collaboration across planning and scheduling as well as factory performance, leading to superior efficiency.

» Additionally, artificial intelligence and machine learning can be applied to these large data sets, uncovering non-conformance and non-regular data to quickly make decisions based on that information.

Closed-loop Manufacturing for continuous operational improvement

closed-loop manufacturing and execution are now achievable based on the data and insights delivered by IT/ OT fusion. closed-loop manufacturing synchronizes and optimizes production across product design, production planning, manufacturing execution, automation and even intelligence from consumer use in the field. The result is a collaborative, connected loop of information that continuously improves the cost, time and quality of the manufacturing process to accelerate the delivery of products. In short, it tightens the alignment of the

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Closed-loop manufacturing provides crucial real-time quality data that enables manufacturers to continually adjust the processes to optimize quality in real-time.

as-planned product with the as-built and as-used product in a continuous, iterative process.

closed-loop manufacturing ensures that all teams have real-time information at each step in the manufacturing process—from product planning and engineering, through enterprise resource planning (erP), across the supply chain and into actual manufacturing operations management (mOm). The rise of mOm on the factory floor enables manufacturers to collect and maintain a wealth of data on the production and the physical products being produced. It is now possible to encompass quality management, advanced planning and scheduling, manufacturing execution systems, enterprise manufacturing intelligence and more. engineering teams can receive timely manufacturing feedback to expedite problem resolution and ensure optimal product evolution. It allows tracking of what has been built with all the data, how it was built, and with what materials and parts. It also fuels innovation by accelerating new product introduction for faster time to market, while maintaining fidelity to quality and compliance requirements.

There is a myriad of benefits to be reaped from real-time data from IT/OT fusion being shared in an iterative process in closed loop manufacturing. For instance, it is invaluable when identifying issues in assembly production that might require a change in a work instruction during volume production to optimize process planning. Or when a machine goes down, a manufacturer can quickly assess the impact on mid- to long-term planning, immediately identify alternate resource capacity, order prioritization, sequencing and synchronization, and quickly make the appropriate production changes.

besides helping to adapt to immediate challenges, closed-loop manufacturing supports a host of higher-level smart manufacturing capabilities that can be efficiently and cost-effectively implemented. These include enterprise and multi-plant visibility, the development of key performance calculations, root cause analysis and advanced analytics.

99 percent quality compliance with closed-loop quality

Once closed-loop manufacturing is established, the third stage in achieving smart manufacturing is closed-loop product quality. Quality is a well-defined term in manufacturing: it is when the product outcome meets the intended expectations for product performance and features. The goal is to deliver on the intended quality for each and every product manufactured. closed-loop manufacturing provides crucial real-time quality data that enables manufacturers to continually adjust the processes to optimize quality in real time. Or if real-time process adjustments are not feasible, closed-loop quality identifies parameter trends and their sources to allow adjustment at the first available downtime. When quality is subpar, the manufacturer can quickly identify and correct non-conformance as soon as practical, leading to overall improved quality of the product, while minimizing scrap and rework.

Specifically, closed-loop quality ensures complete visibility of quality-related metrics from planning through delivering on the quality of the completed product. It also focuses on improving the overall product quality over time. The first crucial step is planning for the quality upfront. That requires developing well-defined expectations and capabilities, defining expected failure modes, developing procedures for addressing those issues, and even looking at environmental and machinery conditions that may impact quality and the overall production processes. Those requirements often include vibrations, temperature, tolerances, machine condition and wear and the required precision or quality to ensure the product meets requirements.

Once all these quality conditions are clearly defined, it is crucial to monitor them throughout the manufacturing process. That involves capturing output parameters or as-built conditions against the requirements and closing the loop on the process to identify and zero in on the source of any parameter trends or deviations. Here is where the IT/OT data collection and closed-loop feedback in the manufacturing processes are essential. Now it is possible to optimize critical quality characteristics during the assembly of the product—whether a part or a complex system—and to continuously verify the product against the engineering requirements throughout the development and manufacturing process. It is even possible to extend this to include supplier quality management – especially in today’s highly challenged and often broken supply chain environment.

Organizations that establish closed-loop quality processes achieve a median product compliance rate of 99 percent, with a majority performance ranging from 97-100 percent. manufacturers without this capability have significantly more variability in performance, with a majority ranging from 90 to 98 percent. This disparity in performance could mean the difference between being first or second to market, avoiding a major product recall or winning future contracts. One of the key advantages implementing a closed-loop quality system is that it shifts quality to being a shared responsibility instead of treating it as a disconnected or isolated process.

Realizing a truly comprehensive digital twin Smart manufacturing, once implemented, supports the whole concept of a digital twin of the manufacturing environment. This is a critical game-changer for manufacturers positioning themselves for the future. The digital twin is a virtual, digital replica of the physical objects of an entire machine or the entire manufacturing system or the entire shop floor in a digital environment. While the factory operates, the digital twin provides a physically accurate simulation that combines the virtual and physical worlds to provide new insights and efficiencies for product manufacturing through data analytics and AI. more data equates to a higher fidelity digital twin. The IT and OT convergence delivers the requisite real-time data

and information to create a comprehensive digital version of the factory. As a result, while the factory is running, the digital twin of the entire factory with each individual machine is mirroring that activity in a replica, digital format. All that operational data ensures much higher fidelity of the digital twin and provides insight into real-world operations.

The comprehensive digital twin is the basis for finally improving the real-world version via simulation of the digital model, thus closing the loop for manufacturing operations and quality. In addition, it provides manufacturers with a mechanism to understand what will or could happen in the future. As a result, they can confidently use the digital twin for optimizing operations, predicting maintenance, enabling more efficient commissioning, better changeovers and faster production line changes. All key capabilities for business operations to conduct their business in a more efficient manner. And a change in a digital environment does not cost anything; it's a zero cost. That encourages managers to examine a broader range of feasible approaches before committing to physical implementation on the production floor.

Tomorrow’s smart manufacturing today

All the capabilities for creating tomorrow’s smart manufacturing are available today for those determined take their operations to the next level. The fusion of IT with OT data delivers a wealth of data that can be used

to continuously improve operational efficiencies within a closed-loop manufacturing environment. That, in turn, enables a closed-loop quality approach to continuously enhance product quality. With a more agile and adaptable smart manufacturing process, it is feasible to optimize throughput while lowering costs and improving overall sustainability by minimizing resource usage, electricity, and water waste. Ultimately leading to the coveted Triple Zero in manufacturing: zero downtime, zero defect, and zero harm.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

rahul Garg, Vice President of Industrial machinery, Siemens Digital Industries Software, responsible for defining and delivering key strategic initiatives and solutions, and global business development. He and his team are responsible for identifying key initiatives and developing solutions for the industry while working closely with industry-leading customers and providing thought leadership on new and emerging issues faced by the machinery industry. rahul’s experience and insight are derived from 25-year career delivering software-based solutions for product engineering and manufacturing innovation for the global manufacturing industry, spanning a career in r&D to program management, sales and P&L management and having focused exclusively on the industrial machinery and heavy equipment industry since 2007.

Seven Practical Steps to Build a Culture of Safety and Human Reliability

By Jake Mazulewicz, Ph.D.

Atechnician spills a toxic chemical. She isn’t injured, but easily could have been. The Hazmat cleanup costs over $10,000, and shuts down a critical building for a week.

An electrical engineer flips the wrong switch in a substation control room. He isn’t injured. but within seconds, a $50,000 transformer is destroyed.

Three financial clerks in two different countries are processing payments for a large bank. They intend to schedule a routine $8 million payment. Antiquated software makes errors hard to catch. The clerks accidentally wind up sending $893 million instead.

From Talk to Action

Talking about building a culture of safety and human reliability is easy. but how many great ideas get talked about and never actually get put into practice?

The real skill is to be able to transform good ideas into practical steps that you and your people can apply immediately. In this article, that’s what you’ll get.

There is no one secret or solution. Instead, many successful companies around the world have built a culture of safety and human reliability using a “consolidation of Subtleties” – a combination of practical steps like these.

»

Take a Learning-Based Approach to Errors

If you’re in a work culture that’s stuck in the old-school, control-based Approach of eliminating all errors, then consider labeling it that way. “Hey, are we stuck in a control-based Approach as we’re discussing Tuesday’s incident?” The more you label it, the more you’ll be aware of it, and the less you’ll be stuck in it. When

ready, propose the alternative – the Learning-based Approach. How? After the next incident or unwanted error, don’t start by asking, “What went wrong this time?” Instead, start by asking, “How do you all get this job get done right 99% of the time?”

» Create Psychological Safety

It’s easy to destroy and challenging to create. Yet research from Dr. Amy edmonson at Harvard and Google’s Project Aristotle reveal that Psychological Safety is key to successful, safe, engaged, and reliable teams. After an error, instead of saying, ”Joe failed to do [X]...” ask, “What DID Joe do, and why did it make sense for him (at the time) to do that?”

»

Lead After Action Reviews (AARs)

For over 30 years, these psychologically safe, semi-structured, post-job team debriefs been used by an increasing number of high-hazard industries worldwide. After your next successful, complex project, instead of asking, ”What could we have done better?”, ask these four questions initially developed to accelerate learning in the US Army.

1. What did we set out to do?

2. What did we actually do?

3. How did it turn out that way?

4. What will we do differently next time?

» Transform Investigations

Traditional investigations often “Name, shame, blame & retrain.” The result? Fear, silence and box-checking on corrective Actions. The alternative? Instead of asking, “What was the error, and who made it?” ask, “How did our processes set that person up to make that error?

And how can we improve our processes to set our people up for reliability and success instead?”

» Apply Defenses

Peer checks. Three-Step communication. checklists. These and other simple, yet powerful defenses have proven successful for decades. You can learn them in a few hours, and get real-world results immediately. Pick a job that you and your team regularly do. consider writing or updating the checklist for that job to include ONLY the 3-7 items most often missed. One physician from baltimore helped save 1,500 lives in 18 months with this classic defense.

» Improve Systems

Instead of trying to “fix” your workers, improve your work processes & systems. How? Pick a process that you regularly do. With trusted front-line experts, brainstorm one low-cost, low-risk, low-fear, low-maintenance process improvement that would make it easier for front-line experts to do the right thing in that process. For example: companies with fleets of trucks have dramatically reduced serious injuries and save millions of dollars each year by simply avoiding left-hand turns.

» Build Resilience (Advanced)

The world’s most High reliability Organizations (HrOs) don’t try to eliminate all errors. They don’t “Proceduralize everything” either. Instead, they build resilience so that most errors become easier to detect,

recover from, and learn from. How do HrOs do this? One method they use is to look for “weak signals,” like the sound an engine makes when it’s just starting to develop a problem. Novices miss weak signals. but experts sense them and act on them quickly to manage errors before they cascade into catastrophes. So talk with 1-2 trusted peers and identify one weak signal for a complex job that you all do. Name that weak signal, and what to do about it. Then teach that to your apprentices instead of hoping that they’ll discover it on their own.

If these seven steps seem like a lot, don’t worry. Just pick the one that resonates with you the most right now, and discuss it with a few trusted colleagues. When ready, try it out in a low-cost, low-risk micro-experiment. A few small, quick wins will help you build momentum fast!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jake mazulewicz, Ph.D. shows leaders in high-hazard industries why errors are signals, not failures, and how to address the deeper problem, so that everyone can work more reliably and safely. He keynotes and advises all across North America. He has a decade of experience in Safety for electric utilities, and served as a firefighter, an emT and a military paratrooper. To learn more, visit www. reliableorg.com

IMD – North America’s Manufacturing Resource for Industry Professionals Since 1986

ROEQ Announces New Cart System for OMRON Autonomous Mobile Robot LD-250, Doubling Payload Capacity

RoeQ, a leader in mobile robotic equipment, has entered into a new partnership with oMRon, providing top modules and cart systems for the company’s autonomous mobile robot, the lD-250, doubling the aMR’s payload capacity to 500kg (1,102lbs).

Businesses deploying the OmrON LD-250 autonomous mobile robot (Amr) now have a powerful new option to dramatically increase payload without having to invest in a larger, more expensive Amr solution. The rOeQ solution with the new Tmc500 top module and cart500 developed for the OmrON LD-250, not only doubles the Amr payload, it also provides a standardized, safe, and flexible solution for internal logistics tasks.

“This exciting new relationship with rOeQ gives our customers access to fast and cost-effective options for their toughest mobile automation initiatives,” says Kyle Hable, Group Product manager, OmrON robotics and Safety

Technologies, INc . “OmrON customers around the world depend on our mobile robots for their flexibility, reliable performance, and best-in-class fleet management.

rOeQ’s global presence is a perfect match to aid customers with successful autonomous intralogistics solutions.”

michael ejstrup Hansen, managing Director at rOeQ, emphasizes how the new product and OmrON partnership is part of a rOeQ strategy to expand its mobile robotic equipment (mre) solutions to more Amr brands: “As a leading quality global brand of Amrs, OmrON is a natural partner for us,” he says. “We developed the cart solution for the LD-250 due to its flexible use and the clear benefits

that it adds in both automotive manufacturing, digital and semiconductor industries, food and consumables, warehouse and logistics, and medical verticals.”

released in 2019, the LD-250 is a fast-growing solution within its performance class. OmrON is one of the Amr pioneers, having sold its first mobile robot fleet in 2013, a fleet still in operation today.

The rOeQ Tmc500 solution consists of a top module and the rOeQ cart500. The solution is versatile, with free-space pick up and mounting holes on the cart500 for attaching crates and shelves on top of the cart. The robot can dock to the cart from both ends – for greater logistics efficiency – and has easy access to the emergency stop button for cargo up to 120 cm (47.2”). The rOeQ solution comes with software for easy and consistent setup of the system, enabling a seamless integration between the rOeQ Tmc500 and the OmrON LD-250. The software

includes rOeQ Assist and rOeQ safety zones definitions and the solution works with the OmrON operating panel. “With this new product offering and partnership, we look forward to providing OmrON customers with a powerful and cost-effective solution,” says michael e. Hansen, emphasizing how the rOeQ mre enables compact Amr models to transport heavier load while maintaining maneuverability even in narrow spaces.

How Semiconductor Fabricators are Working Through Global FFKM Shortages

g reene Tweed leads the Response

By Nick McNeal, Director Semiconductor Strategy, Greene Tweed and Thyag Sadasiwan, Director Chemraz®, Greene Tweed

The decade began with a semiconductor shortage that made the world acutely aware of how critical these tiny components are in many aspects of everyday life and for most sectors of the economy. Demand for semiconductors skyrocketed driven by a pandemic-led rise in remote work, distance learning, gaming, entertainment, internet shopping, data analytics, and soaring sales of vehicles, and will continue to grow, doubling the global chip market to over $1 trillion by 2030.

Keeping up with this demand, however, has been complicated by a different shortage — the limited availability of small but critical components required by the chip fabrication process: chip fabrication processes depend on the FFKm (perfluoroelastomer) O-rings, gaskets, and other seals that can stand up to the extremely high temperatures and aggressive chemicals while controlling particulate excursions that cause contamination.

Unsurprisingly, this has triggered an even higher demand for FFKm seals already popular in the semiconductor industry. While most manufacturers are expanding capacity as quickly as possible, demand continues to

outpace supply – further increasing the need for FFKm materials and leading to shortages. The current global shortage of FFKm is caused by limitations in the supply of raw materials occurring at the same time as the acceleration in demand for FFKm products.

Causes of the global supply shortages

First let’s look at the supply constraints. The global supply of raw material feedstocks necessary for FFKm production has been severely limited by two factors — environmental restrictions and geo-political events.

Increasing environmental restrictions

environmental and regulatory agencies around the world have been tightening regulations on several industrial products and manufacturing processes around the world that directly impact FFKm production. restrictions on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with more complex and stringent regulations, have been squeezing availability for several years. Some of the FFKm suppliers have either had plants shut down or lines interrupted by regulators. In response, PFAS

suppliers for FFKm production are in midst of multi-year processes of engineering fluorosurfactants out of their manufacturing processes.

Tetrafluoroethylene (TFe ) a fluorocarbon with the chemical formula c 2F4 is a raw material used in all FFK m . It is extremely dangerous to handle. Therefore, the time-consuming process of engineering, siting, and permitting makes it difficult for existing facilities to expand capacity and poses very barriers to entry for new facilities.

Geopolitical situation

In 2022, the russia-Ukraine conflict has exacerbated supply shortages. FFKm formulations are extremely unique and require a multitude of specific chemistries working in unison to create the final formulation. Some of those unique chemistries are constrained due to the technologies only being available in areas impacted by the russia-Ukraine conflict..

Chemraz® FFKM seals

Superior Performance

» minimal metallic ion content

» exceptional plasma resistance

» Low particle generation

» High dimensional stability

Operational benefits

» Superior reliability

» enhanced repeatability

» maximum system uptime

» Lower cost of ownership

fabrication?

As chipmakers pack in more and tinier transistors in their chips, they are turning to more demanding manufacturing processes that rely on ultraclean processing. They need seal materials with excellent chemical stability and high heat tolerance. The chemical properties of FFK m make it ideal for many demanding sealing applications in semiconductor fabrication, as its name “perfluoroelastomer” describes:

» elastomer — a synthetic rubber characterized by elastic properties. elastomers are built upon long chains of carboncarbon polymer with crosslinks that serve as a backbone that

Greene Tweed offers a full spectrum of FFKM materials to suit the needs of a variety of semiconductor fabs, including Etch, Deposition and Aqueous processes. Greene Tweed has sealing solutions for fabs that use the most advanced technology nodes in the most aggressive operating environments, as well as those requiring less-stringent particle process controls.

provides the elasticity (recovery from deformation) that provide durable, effective mechanical seals (in contrast to PTFe, which lacks elasticity). However, the long chains and crosslinks that connect elastomers can break down

under extreme temperatures and pressures and chemical attacks.

» fluoroelastomer — Therefore, the carbon backbone is surrounded by relatively large fluorine atoms, creating a robust shielding effect against

•

•

•

•

What is driving the demand for FFKM in semiconductor

chemical attack. The carbonfluorine bond is the most stable in organic chemistry resulting in extreme resistance to high temperatures and pressures.

» perfluoroelastomer — The “per” prefix means “fully” fluorinated, for the highest level of temperature and chemical performance in the fluoroelastomer family. At a fluorination level of 73%, perfluoroelastomer (FFKm) provides higher temperature and chemical resistance than fluoroelastomer (FKm) which has a fluorination level of 66-70%.

The fully fluorinated FFKm takes advantage of the strong carbonfluorine bond (approximate bond energy of 105 Kcal/m), compared to the carbon-hydrogen bonds (approximately 80 Kcal/m) present in FKm and other elastomers.

Superior performance for the most demanding fabrication methods combining the broad, almost universal chemical resistance of PTFe with the resilience of elastomers, FFK m seals are found throughout a broad range of mission-critical equipment in key process areas of the world’s semiconductor fabs, including etch, deposition, aqueous, and electro-chemical (electroplating).

As the first in the nation to use cleanroom manufacturing, Greene Tweed has continually evolved to meet the rapidly changing needs of the semiconductor industry. Greene Tweed’s line of chemraz® FFKm seals, feature the highest chemical compatibility and temperature resistance of all elastomers, up to 615°F/324°c and are designed to withstand the latest plasmas used in cutting-edge deposition and etch wafer process operations. Our range of integrated solutions leverages bonding, encapsulation, and coating capabilities to provide extra protection for critical components. These FFKm integrated sealing solutions boost productivity while reducing contamination and

maintenance expenses. by extending mTbr (mean time between repair), FFKm seals reduce costly unplanned downtime and the associated production losses, safety hazards, and environmental degradation.

Broad spectrum of FFKM solutions tailored to each application

These sealing solutions have continually advanced to resist the harsh plasmas and chemicals found in the latest methods of wafer cleaning, patterning, deposition, and various other wafer fabrication processes.

Rapid Development of New Compounds

The elastomer center of e xcellence located at the Greene Tweed Advanced Technology Group Headquarters in Kulpsville, PA, is dedicated to the advancement of new elastomer compounds and offers complete integration of processes –from initial raw material mixing and development to prototype product packaging. The center brings speed, efficiency, and agility that accelerates the pace of new semiconductor compound development.

The center contains a large all-inclusive cleanroom environment to deliver the industry’s most advanced perfluoroelastomers that meet stringent quality and cleanliness requirements The process systems feature some of the highest industry lab standards and include mixing mills/internal mixers, extruders, press systems, post-cure ovens, inspection systems, and a cleaning and packaging area. In addition, the center can conduct application-specific exposure experiments with plasma etch systems and UV/ozone systems and extensive testing capability for composition/morphology and material properties.

Rapid Development of New Product to Mitigate the FFKM Shortage

This new product development capability has also positioned

Greene Tweed to lead the market in the rapid introduction of new FFK m products that replace ingredients that are supply constrained with more readily available feedstock materials.

This year, the center has prioritized its work to focus almost exclusively on developing substitutes for supply-constrained chemraz products that our semiconductor customers have identified as most critical to their operations.

These new formulations are subjected to rigorous testing to ensure that they meet the extreme thermal and chemical resistance requirements of demanding semiconductor fabrication applications without causing harmful particulation.

The first replacements to be released will be materials equivalent to c hemraz 657 and c hemraz e 38, for dry plasma and O2 plasma etching processes requiring minimal contamination. These new product offerings will be available for testing on a limited basis in late 2022 and generally available in mid 2023.

Greene Tweed application engineers will also continue to work with semiconductor customers to identify existing Greene Tweed products that can serve as substitutes for FFKm products that have limited availability and will continue to utilize the center’s capabilities to rapidly create samples for testing and verification of the customer’s sealing application.

Future Outlook

The Global FFK m shortage will continue well into 2023. Throughout the remainder of 2022 and into 2023, Greene Tweed will continue to launch new materials aimed at achieving performance equivalency but with a more robust supply chain.

The global supply shortage of FFKm raw material feedstock is expected to ease during the first half of 2023, with an expected increase in feedstock asset capacity during 2024-2025.

ABRASIVE POWER TOOLS AND PROCESS SOLUTIONS

Since 1969, Dynabrade has been a global leader in the innovative design and manufacture of industrial abrasive power tools and related accessories. We’ve earned an outstanding reputation and position of leadership in the pneumatic tool market and have been supplying high quality, American Made power tools to customers through a worldwide network of professional distributors.

Discover The Dynabrade Difference...

SALES SUPPORT

Factory-trained experts on tools, air systems, accessories and abrasives.

– “Process Solutions” approach: sales personnel outfitted with tools, accessories and abrasives for on-site demonstrations.

COST SAVINGS

Let us analyze your air system with our Performance Assurance Kit.

– “Same Day/Next Day” shipping on most USA orders.

– USA Flat Rate Repair Program offers quick repairs by factory-trained experts. End-user conversion programs.

TRAINING

On-site tool training clinics to educate your personnel.

– USA Mobile Training Units bring products directly to the workplace.

– Online demonstration videos available.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Talk with a trained Customer Service Representative.

– Discuss tool specs and applications with an experienced Technical Support Person.

– Utilize our online literature library.

How We Can Inspire Our New Generation Into Engineering

It’s no secret that the engineering sector is experiencing a shortage of workers. In fact, research shows that the industry will need to train and employ around 200,000 people by 2024 to fill the gap.

Here, we’ll explore how your business can inspire students and professionals to become the engineers of tomorrow.

Inspiring young people into engineering

First and foremost, your business can focus on encouraging young people into engineering, whether they’re secondary-school leavers or graduates seeking roles within the industry.

Partnering with educational institutions

In order to do this, your business should consider partnering with educational institutions to inspire people before they enter higher education. One way you can do this is by offering career events in secondary schools. These events enlighten young people about the inner workings of the industry, such as using complex building design software

that they would not have previously come into contact with. As well as this, you can make graduate programs available to those leaving university. multiple institutions are willing to partner with reputable businesses, such as how Teesside University and ITS Ltd, a specialist automation systems developer, came together in an effort to tackle industry staff shortages within the North east of england.

Offering worthwhile apprenticeships

Your business can also offer engineering apprenticeships for school leavers. These can train people interested in an engineering career even if they don’t want to attend university. The benefits of these for students are endless, from being able to work alongside professionals within the engineering industry to prioritising 20% of their time to training and studying.

engineering apprenticeships, as well as other industry placements, are also available to seasoned workers as long as they’re over the age of 16. This approach could be critical to rebuilding the workforce, especially considering that 71% of engineering employers who are experiencing difficulties

filling employment positions claim the issue lies with a lack of engineering or technical skills in the talent pool.

Graduate schemes

As well as this, your business can offer graduate programmes. These are a great way to connect with emerging talent in the industry, especially while the engineering sector is experiencing a shortage of skilled workers.

Graduate programmes are beneficial for both employers and employees. It is an attractive route for people wanting to break into the engineering industry, with research showing that the average salary for

Sources

graduate engineering programmes is £28,000 in the UK. On the other hand, they are a great way for businesses to employ and nurture new talent while they can.

Recruiting professionals into engineering

On the other hand, your business can help to solve the shortage of skilled workers by focusing on training and retaining professionals.

Back-to-work schemes

It’s not uncommon for people to take a break from their careers. This might be to upskill in other areas or to prioritise personal issues such as caring for family members. While common, it may be difficult for people to return to the workplace after this break.

In fact, this is also an issue within the engineering sector. research shows that 40% of women who choose to take a prolonged break from their career in STem to care for their children feel there are barriers to returning to their careers.

To tackle this and encourage people to return to their STem jobs, including engineering jobs, businesses can offer back-to-work schemes. These are common practices around the nation, as companies run 12-week paid return schemes or training schemes to potential workers.

Improving company culture

It’s no secret that multiple businesses across the nation are struggling to retain their staff. The engineering sector is also experiencing this hardship, with research discovering that 32% of

engineering workers left companies due to their employer’s company culture. The logical solution, therefore, would be to improve company culture wherever possible.

Your engineering company can boost company culture in a number of ways. This can come in the form of employee recognition, social events, hybrid working schemes, or employee rewards. The trick is to have fun while doing it!

Career progression

career progression is an attractive selling point in any career. No one wants to feel like they are stuck in the same position or same level for too long. This can become monotonous, possibly leading to your employees leaving their for another.

In fact, according to research, 86% of workers within engineering, as well as architecture and building industries, are eager to learn new work skills. And 28% believe career progression is one of the most important goals of their professional careers.

To ensure your employees feel fulfilled in their role, your business can create career progression plans. This can be something like offering educational courses that will continue to challenge their knowledge and work as a method of upskilling.

While it may take time and resources, there is hope that the industry will be able to fill the skills shortage in time. If, in this case, businesses do their part and encourage people – both school leavers and current employees – to become engineers.

https://www.crooton.com/2022/02/22/what-is-the-future-of-recruitment-in-the-engineering-sector/ https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2021/02/11/women-in-stem-week-2021-how-were-empowering-the-next-generation/ https://www.mazakeu.co.uk/inspiring-the-next-generation/ https://www.tees.ac.uk/schools/scedt/news_story.cfm?story_id=7914

https://www.gov.uk/employing-an-apprentice

https://pwemag.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/4928/engineering_skills_crisis_prompts_calls_for_urgent_government_action.html https://uk.talent.com/salary?job=engineering+g raduate+Programme

https://employernews.co.uk/news/recruitment-bias-preventing-talented-engineers-from-returning-to-work-after-a-career-break/ https://engineering-jobs.theiet.org/article/returning-to-your-engineering-career https://www.fenews.co.uk/employability/the-engineering-sector-has-trouble-retaining-staff-heres-why-your-workers-need-regulartraining-and-motivation/

Shop Automation Isn’t Rocket Science

Machine shop automation doesn’t have to be of the Star Wars variety to produce a solid return on investment. In fact, most shops are simply looking for a low-cost automation application that is easy to set up and use, cost-efficient and, most importantly, provides unattended machining time.

For many, however, automation conjures images of sophisticated, high-tech machinery with other-worldly price tags. In addition to the perception of high cost, many shop owners share the belief that automation will actually slow production down with steep learning curves on programming, operation and maintenance, limiting the variety and scope of the shop’s work.

most of the concern is unfounded, however, as there is no universal automation solution for all production processes. rather, automating operations is based on an application-by-application evaluation. The decisions to automate and then to what extent are not and should not be automatic. A variety of considerations precede a determination as to what type and how much automation is necessary to improve throughput while getting a good return on the investment.

The first step in automating is defining and setting realistic production goals: What, specifically, does a shop want or need to improve? The result of that analysis sets

the parameters for the amount of automation and aids in determining what jobs/operations will benefit most.

How much automation is necessary?

It doesn’t have to be complicated. A turning operation can be automated with the simple addition of a bar feeder and parts catcher. bar feeders, if correctly matched to the application, are efficient, effective solutions that immediately increase productivity. Available in several lengths, bar feeders autonomously load barstock into cNc turning centers, freeing the operator to monitor multiple operations and opening the door to practically unattended and lights-out operation. Job shops typically running high-mix, low-volume production runs generally benefit more with a short bar feeder while high-volume, low-mix operations are usually more suited to the longer bar feeders.

In the same vein, gantry loader (GL) automation provides fast loading and unloading for turning centers in high-volume manufacturing applications involving larger work pieces that won’t fit through the spindle. GL automation provides high-speed, high-accuracy workpiece loading/unloading for unmanned operation over extended periods of time. This can be particularly beneficial when paired with a twin-spindle multi-Tasking machine that can also transfer parts, enabling DONe IN ONe® processing.

However, special attention to fixturing or workholding may be required when machining large work pieces to process hefty parts through complex setups.

The newest and fastest growing level of automation includes integrating a collaborative robot, or cobot. most cobots are relatively inexpensive, versatile, compact, and safe without the need for perimeter fencing. They are easily programmed using a teach pendant, require only a computer interface with the host machine for communication and can be moved from one machine and application to another without permanent installation, if so desired. Low-volume production of high-mix parts on multiple machines will benefit from portable cobots such as mazak’s cc-10 cobot automation cell. The cc-10 utilizes a FANUc cr X—10iA/L collaborative robot, integrated part table, 2-zone area scanner and tablet terminal for easy setup.

Planning

When automation is applicable, it’s best to plan ahead if possible. When appropriate, consider automation integration at the point of machine purchase. If automation is not presently needed or if future needs are uncertain, then consider machines pre-configured for future automation with features like automatic doors, larger tooling capacities and robot interfaces to make the transition less challenging, expensive and time consuming.

Automation-appropriate jobs

Shops involved in low-volume/high-mix production can be a challenge to automate. This is because workflows need to run for long time periods with minimal interruptions for tool and job changeovers for automation to positively impact the process. Large batch sizes with similar part weights and variations running in high volume production is the ideal situation for efficient automation.

Large-part manufacturing with custom robot integration offers additional considerations to improve a shop’s automation rOI. With longer cycle times at play during large-part machining, robots may be able to perform other tasks up or down the process stream or tend several machines running the same process when they aren’t needed at their prime location. In addition to handling parts, they can also move workholding/tooling and further enable unattended operation.

modern manufacturing requires more efficiency than ever, and the additional challenges imposed by a tight labor market only make the process more demanding. Automation, whether as simple as unattended feeding and part loading/unloading or more complex solutions, allows shops to augment their existing capabilities for increased

output and decreased downtime while maximizing the production output of their current workforce. A sound assessment of goals, needs and capacities paired with an imaginative look at alternative utilizations will help shops decide whether it’s time to automate.

Short Run Tool Shop Has Long History Of Success

Shortly after mike Winters started his company in his garage on November 10, 1982, first as Winters carbide Tools, now TJ Grinding in Waukesha, Wisconsin, he had the good fortune of being at a K.O. Lee facility in South Dakota and saw an interesting piece of equipment, the FastGrind TG4 from an Australian company called ANcA. Shortly thereafter, mike met a young man named russell riddiford, who was selling those machines. Winters bought his first machine from russell in 1989, becoming only the third company in the U.S. to purchase an ANcA tool grinder.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Though mike left us in 2017, his sons Tim and Jason carry on the tradition of high-quality, short-run tool production, selling nationwide both directly to end users and through a network of distributors, some of them who started with mike Winters and remain with TJ Grinding to this day.

As Tim Winters explains, “You don’t get to the point we’ve reached without three things…a passion for what you do, the very best equipment available to do the work and, most importantly, the people to do it. That includes the people who represent your suppliers. When you find people who know their business, share your passion for it and always act in a straightforward, honest manner, you’ve found pure gold. You help their business and they help yours.” This simple yet often elusive formula has served both companies well, over the years. ANcA has grown to be a major player in the tool grinding, laser marking and integrated automation business for tool producers and users worldwide, while TJ Grinding has grown substantially and today supplies tools nationwide plus in canada and mexico.

The company currently operates 10 ANcA tool grinders and credits the advanced 5-axis grinders with “changing the industry,” as Tim Winters observes.

TJ Grinding specializes in short-run production of custom reamers, endmills, drills and burrs, with an emphasis, as Jason Winters remarks, “on the ‘custom’ part of that sentence.” He notes that the ANcA software and cNc , both developed by the machine builder, “…give us great flexibility and speed in our design work, working from ideas that often come our way in a variety of formats, including the cocktail napkin,” he muses. “The flexibility and versatility of the ANcA machines allow us to do much more than ever and that’s a testimony to their non-stop innovation,” says Tim Winters. “The company never settles for their last accomplishment, they’re always looking to do more and do it better for their customers, something we try very hard to do for ours.”

On the training front, Tim Winters notes the machines are very intuitive, so the TJ Grinding workforce is easier to train and especially cross-train to run multiple machines. There are currently 15 employees at the shop but, as Tim points out, “We have 9 of our 10 ANcA machines running with robotics, so the production in the shop is designed to remain at a very high level. The company had started as a strictly manual job shop, sharpening mills and drills. “As you can see, we’ve come a long way down the road to automation and higher-level production,” says Jason. “We look to solve some big challenges for our customers, another way my brother and I have fun in this business, every day.”

TJ Grinding specializes in the short-run per print specials but today runs up to 1000 pieces quite often.

Here again, Tim Winters credits the speed and flexibility of the ANcA machines to keep the schedule of work at a consistently high level of production, with minimal downtime. Assisted by Sales manager mark Sauer and Sales Associate Paul Ferguson, himself a machinist by trade, TJ Grinding is a fast-paced, high-production facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin, home to myriad job shops and equipment builders in a variety of industries. “That’s another fun part of the job here,” says Tim Winters. “We’re rarely working in the same industry sector, so the variety of work and especially the material substrates we encounter challenge us, every day.” He further credits the onboard integrated robotics with changing the face of TJ Grinding. “I subscribe to the ‘automate or die’ philosophy, so our ANcA machines have kept pace with our expectations and often exceeded them. I’m frequently impressed with the next generation of machines and how much more they help us do here.”

In the service area, the Winters brothers sing in harmony about the value of ANcA service. Jason notes, “We once had a problem over a weekend and I called the office in Detroit, spoke to somebody and it was fixed on monday. How often do you see that nowadays?” In fact, Tim recalls when John Francis, the ANcA sales rep for the area, took over the account and Tim spoke to him. “I told him he could better spend his time canvassing the area for new customers, because we were all set with service and were very happy customers. ANcA uses our shop as a showroom for their potential customers. That makes us proud.”

In the end, as Jason Winters remarks proudly, “We gravitate to the weird stuff and we love it.”

TJ Grinding works in various substrates to produce tools, including specialty coatings, so their products are used on all types of metals, as well as composites, specialty plastics, carbon fibers and more. One of the company’s specialties is solid carbide rotary cutting tools, used in the orthopedic, orthodontic, catheterized and other surgical instrument markets. The shop also produces such cutting tools for auto parts, engines, motorcycles, snowmobiles, pattern and moldmakers, plastic parts and the woodworking industry. Once made, these cutters are inspected using a variety of metrology equipment, from optical comparators to r Am optics and a laser micrometer. Additional measurements are frequently made to meet specific, necessary customer certification standards.

Specialty coatings are a frequent happening at this shop, including Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiAIN) and Aluminum chromium Nitride (ALcrN).

Lastly, it should be noted that Tim Winters has a strong commitment to workforce development, not only for the company’s employees but also for the next generation of machinists, programmers and machine maintenance personnel. He works with a local high school to give talks about the value of manufacturing, the good wage and work conditions of today’s machine shop and the “…cool opportunities you get when you make things.”

What Manufacturers Should Know About Setting Quality Management Goals

Quality management goals are beneficial for driving success, customer satisfaction, and sustainability in all facets of manufacturing. Defining and incorporating these goals into existing work practices and policies sets the base for the company to drive continuous improvement and create value for its products and services. companies that implement a quality management system (QmS) can easily streamline people and process management, increasing productivity and encouraging innovation among employees and stakeholders for maximum returns on investment.

Quality management goals define priorities and strategies manufacturers should adopt to achieve specific milestones or business outcomes. refining these goals helps companies to standardize quality management systems and formulate efficient procedures, policies, and team functions. Setting SmArT quality objectives is the first step in implementing Quality management goals:

» Specific- clearly defined

» measurable - how much will the goals impact operations?

» Attainable - the company should have the capacity to implement and meet the QmS goals

» realistic - the goals should be relevant and aligned with the company’s strategic plan

» Time-specific - all goals should be time-bound

establishing quality management systems for manufacturing facilities should adhere to several principles for easy implementation and increase their success rates. The system should focus on continuous quality improvement, people engagement, data-driven decisionmaking, customer focus, the process approach, and managing relationships with stakeholders.

Quality management goals are bound to change with time. Sometimes, manufacturers rely on outdated quality policies, leaving them uncompetitive. What should manufacturers do to expedite the achievement of quality management goals and enhance their success rates?

Quality programs demand frequent facility audits and inspections

Process, personnel, and equipment inefficiencies can cause defects and non-conformities that lower product quality. Some inefficiencies can remain undetected –unless the manufacturer establishes a rigorous facility audit and inspection program. Audits can unearth ineffective quality management processes, non-productive work, and staffing inadequacies.

manufacturers should also inspect all production assets

to ensure they are in perfect working conditions and avert frequent breakdowns. It also helps the management to establish and implement a reliable factory maintenance program that optimizes asset availability and effectiveness. regular facility inspections are vital for identifying maintenance challenges and defects that lower asset efficiency, leading to low-quality products and frequent and extended production downtime.

manufacturers can conduct facility audits and inspections using manual and automated systems. The supervisory team can analyze past production records to evaluate historical quality patterns. They also scrutinize equipment maintenance data stored in computerized maintenance management Systems (cmmS) to quantify the effectiveness of existing maintenance strategies and their contribution to continuous quality improvements.

manufacturers should leverage QmS documentation policies to record and communicate findings among employees and stakeholders. The results from these audits are crucial for validating manufacturing processes and tweaking their efficiencies to match production needs. manufacturers rely on audit data to develop short and long-term inspection schedules to monitor compliance among employees and stakeholders.

Achieve quality management goals faster with a leadership team manufacturers can achieve quality management goals by appointing a leadership team to spearhead the implementation of new work practices and quality improvement procedures. The leadership team focuses on creating a uniform work culture across the facility, inspecting compliance, and identifying potential bottlenecks. Introducing a quality management system in a facility disrupts existing work practices, and such changes may not sit well with some employees. The leadership team is responsible for communicating these changes and their impact on workflows and product qualities.

The leadership team also identifies and rewards employees that immensely contribute to achieving quality management goals. These are employees that comply with existing quality policies, help other employees to adopt new work practices, and leverage innovative work practices to enhance continuous improvement.

The leadership team frequently updates policies and objectives once the team achieves particular milestones. The leadership team helps employees to develop a sense of responsibility and dedicate their skills and time toward achieving quality management goals. They review inspection reports and make necessary recommendations

to the senior management to ensure the objectives are achieved.

companies should choose the leadership team from the existing workforce. The team should comprise individuals with extensive knowledge of the company’s work practices. They should be proactive and possess a positive attitude toward changing work schedules and culture.

Tracking performance reduces quality mistakes

When defining quality management goals, manufacturers specify key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and track the success of the quality management system. Performance indicators keep the entire team focused on achieving quality management goals. They assist all teams across the facility to streamline workflows and reduce mistakes that can impede the quality of products and the efficiency of processes.

Source: limblecmms.com

manufacturers should track the performance of different teams and individual employees and how far the entire company is toward meeting its quality goals. The indicators are vital for identifying mistakes and errors in routine workflows and help the company to decide on appropriate improvement measures to correct and eliminate them.

KPIs are bound to change as the company achieves several quality management goals. manufacturers should set KPIs targeting all facets of the production facility. Therefore, the KPIs should address employee management, production scheduling, maintenance strategies, and external collaborations. The company should standardize the tracking and reporting of key achievements and subsequent work strategies to enhance performance, product quality, and customer satisfaction.

Training employees is critical for meeting quality management goals

Quality improvement in manufacturing comes with technological, procedural, and policy changes that transform how people and machinery work. These changes can affect employee productivity since some may struggle to understand how some tools and technologies work. manufacturers should provide adequate training to employees to acquaint them with new policies, management strategies, and the utilization of quality management tools.

Training schedules and frequency should align with the changing quality management goals. The company explains the relevance of these goals on productivity, employee wellness, company competitiveness, and the need to comply with internationally-approved quality standards. The training exposes employees to additional work tools and standards applied when documenting daily production and reporting defects and quality issues.

Training helps employees to develop a continuous improvement culture and foster teamwork with a focus on enhanced product quality. The training period equips employees with the knowledge to identify process and product quality issues and ways to reduce them. It keeps employees engaged and focused on achieving and surpassing quality management goals in time.

Acquiring accreditation symbolizes compliance with industry standards

When setting quality management goals, companies should aspire to acquire international standards. These standards have principles and quality management provisions that can enhance a company’s compliance with industry regulations and the quality of manufactured products. companies can work towards achieving the ISO 9001 quality management standard or other accreditations relevant to their sector.

Acquiring and implementing these standards helps companies to standardize work practices, improve the consistency of production processes and expedite the realization of quality management goals.

Summing Up

Achieving quality management goals is a lengthy process that demands multiple changes across the facility. The workforce encounters new policies, practices, and tools that can disrupt the usual routines. The entire process requires goodwill from all levels of the company and the allocation of financial resources to facilitate training and investment in complementary work tools. manufacturers should establish measures to track performance, foster continuous improvement and update quality management goals as the company expands.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

bryan christiansen is the founder and ceO of Limble cmmS. Limble is a modern, easy-to-use mobile cmmS software that takes the stress and chaos out of maintenance by helping managers organize, automate, and streamline their maintenance operations.

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Mounting Brackets for COXREELS® 100

Series Reels

cOXreeLS is proud to announce our newest expansion to our mounting bracket lineup, the SmK-702 SerIeS. As part of our enduring dedication to continuous product improvements, the SmK-702 series is a swivel bracket accessory for the 100 SerIeS HOSe reeLS and the V-100 SerIeS VAcUUm reeLS. built-in the USA of heavy gauge steel, the SmK-702 wall mount swivel brackets feature 360-degree rotation, with multiple locking positions via an easy-to-use ergonomic pin lock. Powder-coated gloss black swivel bracket allows the user to point the reel in the direction where the hose is needed, improving the experience and function during payout and rewind. The innovative design of the swivel bracket offsets the front of the reels forward so that the reel swivels and tracks with the direction of the hose payout if left unlocked. The full-length vertical bearing and stability thrust bearing provides smooth and long-lasting rotation.

The SmK-702 comes in two sizes, SmK-702-8 and SmK-702-12.5. The SmK-702-8 is for use with 8” wide drum 100 series such as the 112-3-100 and the 117-3-250. The SmK-702-12.5 follows the same logic for 12.5” wide drum reels like the 112-3-150, 117-3-400, 112-4-75, 117-4-225 and the 117-5-100 but will also work with all of the 100 VAcUUm SerIeS V-112-730, V-117-835 and V-117-850 even though the drum with is actually 13.5 on some of those reels.

As the industry leader in hose, cord, and cable reels, cOXreeLS is making a commitment to provide our customers with the ultimate and most complete, diverse line of reels and reeling accessories.

For more information on cOXreeLS® and our new Hi-Vis Hose Series, please visit www.coxreels.com.

work and low-volume industrial production, r X-FlowTm printers are a low-cost option for manufacturers interested in testing and implementing industrial 3D printing with more durable, flexible materials than are available with FDm , SLA, and other 3D printing technologies.

chromatic’s r X-FlowTm printers retail at roughly 25% of the price of typical industrial 3D printers. They are based on the company’s proprietary r X-AmTm materials and technology platform specifically designed for 3D printing thermoset elastomers such as 2k polyurethanes. The printers include control systems and instrumentation designed for printing with chromatic materials and software.

Chromatic Unveils

New

Line of RX-FlowTM Large Format 3D Printers for Reactive Extrusion Additive Manufacturing

chromatic 3D materials is launching r X-FlowTm , a new line of 3D printers for reactive extrusion additive manufacturing with thermoset polyurethanes. Designed for development

chromatic is offering monthly technical service subscriptions for purchase with each printer. materials available for purchase include printable polyurethanes with Shore A hardness ranging from 50 to 90. chromatic also provides custom materials with a variety of colors, hardness

Mounting Brackets for COXREELS® 100 Series Reels

Industrial machinery Digest's monthly Product Showcase features the latest from some of the manufacturing industry's top suppliers.

and special properties (e.g. antibacterial, static discharge, biocides, etcetera).

“There are many manufacturers who want to test drive 3D printing with thermoset engineering materials but find industrial 3D printers cost prohibitive. Our new line of r&D printers gives them a budget-friendly way to demonstrate proof of concept and take their first steps toward industrialscale 3D printing with new technologies like reactive extrusion additive manufacturing,” said ceO Dr. cora Leibig.

chromatic offers r&D printers in two sizes:

» r X-FlowTm 3500: 18.9" x 29.3" x 7.63" (479mm x 743mm x 194mm)

» r X-FlowTm 7000: 26.75" x 41.1" x 7.63" (680mm x 1040mm x 194mm)

The printers can produce up to 800 g/hr. Features include a T-track aluminium table and lead screw drive system. The printers carry a ce mark. bespoke printers for larger volume industrial production are available on request.

Visit c3dm.com to learn more.

Creform flow rack with Placon conveyor and a robotic arm. A proven match of mechanical and technology power. creform corporation has designed a new stair-stepped flow rack with Placon conveyor design for an automated storage

Creform flow rack with Placon conveyor and a robotic arm. A proven match of mechanical and technology power.

and retrieval systems manufacturer. The manufacturer needed to create a working cell of flow racks to allow part picking by a robotic arm to speed up the parts handling operation and efficiency.

The flow rack features six levels for product presentation in a stair stepped setup and for picking operations. each level has six lanes utilizing creform’s wide Placon conveyor for product flow. Lane dividers are located on each side of the lane to allow the robot to easily identify each part location.

each of the rack’s levels can be repositioned and with the stair-stepped design and can be raised or lowered without changing the length of the conveyor. This greatly simplifies adjustment. Position changes require only a simple hex wrench.

Placon rollers work especially well with totes that have soft bottoms or open cell designs. The 3"wide Placon rollers provide the extra support necessary to handle flow rack challenges and are supported by a wide selection of load and stop mounts. They are suitable for low friction for shallow flow angles. They are available in 1-5/8" and ¾" diameters as well as various pitch centers to accommodate many applications. Stainless steel covered rollers are available where extra roller wear ability is necessary.

The dimensions of the flow rack pictured are 60" T x 112" D x 39.5" W and is designed to hold up to 750 pounds. It features six swivel casters for structure mobility. It is built with red plastic-coated steel pipe and black plated metal joints per customer’s aesthetic preference and can be configured for eSD(anti-static) applications.

As with all creform flow racks, higher capacity, sizes and configurations are possible. A wide variety of pipe colors are available, and accessories can include information sheet holders, label holders, tool storage, hooks to hang tools and other supplies. creform flow racks are suitable for warehouse or manufacturing plant use and can

be built on wheels rather than feet. They are available as a kit or an assembled structure or in the component form for a complete DIY solution.

The creform System is used to create an array of material handling and efficiency enhancing devices and is a proven component in continuous improvement and lean manufacturing programs. The company partners with customers in developing and implementing these programs.

3/8 NPT Hollow Cone Liquid Nozzle for Cooling and Washing e XAIr’s new 3/8 NPT HollowStream™ liquid atomizing spray nozzle provides a hollow cone spray pattern for pressurized liquids. They are applied to solve cooling, cleaning, foam breaking, rinsing and dust suppression applications for industry. The tangential flow design is vaneless, with wide open internal features to resist clogging and works well with liquids containing particulate. These liquid nozzles produce a uniform distribution of liquid in a ring pattern with medium to large droplets. Their right-angle design is compact and can fit in

small areas. Liquid operating pressure is up to 250 PSI.

With HollowStream nozzles, the liquid is supplied into the body of the nozzle creating a swirling action within a vortex chamber. This vortex produces the hollow-cone spray pattern when the precision nozzle breaks the liquid surface tension as it exits the orifice and into a controlled spray angle.

Stainless steel construction of liquid atomizing nozzles adds to their durability and corrosion resistance. HollowStream nozzles are ce compliant and available in a variety of flow rates. They complement e XAIr’s large line of other 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 NPT liquid nozzles which are also available in a variety of liquid patterns and flow rates. Price starts at $ 82.00.

Robotic and Cobot Workstations Help Manufacturers Achieve Greater Efficiency and

Solve Worker Shortages

Flextur announces the launch of its robotic and cobot workstations to help manufacturers achieve maximum efficiency. The workstations are available as a standard solution or custom engineered solution.

robots and cobots are becoming more and more popular in manufacturing facilities as companies adopt automation and Industry 4.0 technologies. robotic/cobot technology integration alleviates challenges such as labor and skill shortages and replaces humans in mundane or

repetitive tasks allowing them to be available for highervalues activities. Additionally, robots and cobots perform tasks faster and with greater strength, accuracy, and data capabilities.

To keep up with the increased production, organizations must utilize lean methodologies to create greater efficiencies and ensure consistent throughput when working with robots and cobots. This is especially

important with cobots. Workstations should be set up with all of the proper tools and materials within reach to maintain efficiency and keep up with the cobot’s output.

“This new launch adds to the versatility of Flextur workstations. Our tables and carts are durable and stable enough to hold any robotic arm while also providing the opportunity to create a lean/5S workstation. Flextur is here to help our customers achieve maximum efficiency, greater production and throughput, and solve labor and skill shortages,” says Pioneer corp ceO Daniel Wengerd.

Flextur partners with robotic and cobot manufacturers to develop workstations with existing robot systems and to create cobot stations with a Flextur table or cart to anchor the cobot arm. Some of Flextur’s current automation partners are Yaskawa, OTc , Kc robotics, as well as many others.

To find out more about Flextur robotics and cobot solutions, visit website or call 877.435.3988.

Out-Powering the Competition: New Ingersoll 135MAX Heavy Duty Air Hammer Maximizes Performance and Productivity

Ingersoll rand Air Hammer15% more power, 15% faster job than leading competitor

Ingersoll rand released the new 135mAX Heavy Duty Air Hammer today, an ergonomic evolution that delivers 15%

more power to get jobs in the automotive shop done 15% faster than the leading competitor.

Increased power doesn’t sacrifice precision. Technicians can maintain control over every job with the hammer’s featherable trigger that provides the accuracy needed for fine-tuned pin driving and sheering. The feather-touch trigger is perfect for jobs that require light handling along with heavy-duty power and performance for hard-hitting applications.

“Inspired by our popular impact wrenches, the new 135mAX HD Air Hammer is the most powerful, controllable air hammer available,” said Jennifer Travis, Product

Out-Powering the Competition: New Ingersoll 135MAX Heavy Duty Air Hammer Maximizes Performance and Productivity

manager, Surface Preparation and construction Tools and Accessories, Ingersoll rand. “Performance, control, and reliability – this hammer has it all. Put it to the test in the shop and watch productivity soar.”

When maximum power is a priority, the 135mAX HD Air Hammer makes quick work of tough tasks including exhaust and front-end jobs, cutting stubborn bolts and building or de-constructing control and knuckle assemblies. Weighing in at 4.5 pounds (2.03 kg), the 135mAX HD Air Hammer delivers a best-in-class 2,600 blows per minute (bPm), with a 3” piston stroke.

Ideal for vehicle, truck, bus and heavy machinery repair, the tool is also well suited for maintenance, repair, and operations (mrO).

In a first for Ingersoll rand’s air hammers, the 135mAX HD comes with a two-year warranty for added confidence. Featuring a ¾” (19mm) bore size, the new air hammer is available for purchase now in a convenient kit that includes five chisels and the air hammer in a carrying case or as an individual tool.

For more information, visit www.Irtools.com/135max.

New Robot Guide From KUKA Streamlines the Automation Process

Designed to decrease the apprehension and intimidation some manufacturers might face during their initial foray

into robotic automation, the new KUKA robot Guide makes the process fast and easy to apply the right automation to specific application needs. In three easy steps, users are presented with KUKA robot options based on their industry, application and environment for the perfect automation match.

Within the guide, users can choose between a variety of industries, including automotive, food & beverage, medical, plastics, electronics and metal industry, then drill down to almost any application environment. KUKA’s large family of robots are suited for applications requiring extreme precision and repetitive tasks with fast cycle times as well as for those within large foundry operations. Application categories include arc and laser welding,

machining, measuring and inspection and range from applying/gluing and painting to handling and assembly. Users can also indicate whether the robot will work autonomously in an isolated environment or collaboratively with humans.

From there, customers can select case studies, application videos, white papers, parameters and details of each suggested robot’s technical specifications. These include payload, reach, mounting positions and other pertinent features for providing an instant recommendation walk-thru without entering a sales consultation.

The KUKA robot Guide is located on the company’s website and can be easily accessed by selecting the robot Guide tab from the home page or visiting www.kuka.com/en-us/robot-guide.

L&L Ships An AtmosphereControlled Retort Burn-Off Furnace For Ceramic Matrix Composite Applications

L&L Special Furnace company, Inc. has delivered a model XLc3672 to a midwest manufacturer of ceramic matrix parts (cmcs). cmcs materialize when nano fibers of silicone carbide or other ceramic nano threads are wound together, forming various sheets and 3D printed shapes deployed in aerospace and military applications. The resulting finished product is lighter and stronger than titanium.

The nano threads in the cmc process are coated with proprietary resins that need to be completely removed from the substructure using heat. It is also important that there is no oxygen present during the process as this will significantly weaken the part structure.

The model XLc3672 has a work zone of 32” wide by 32” high by 66” deep. It has a single zone of control with a temperature gradient of ±20°F at 1,100°F using four zones of temperature control with biasing to balance any temperature gradients.

The furnace is constructed of low-mass insulating firebrick, which allows for quicker cooldown times. A venturi cooling blower is included that also aids in cooling. The model XLc3672 is controlled by a eurotherm Nanodac mini 8 program mechanism with overtemperature protection. There is also a programmable flow panel to manage the nitrogen flow throughout the process.

The parts are heated to 1,220°F in a retort chamber that is pressurized with nitrogen. The byproducts of the outgassing part are directed by pressure and flow out of the rear of the furnace. The parts are then heated in a vacuum furnace to temperatures in excess of 2,300°F. The result is a super strong component that is lighter than titanium.

An independent flow panel is provided with an oxygen analyzer that monitors the oxygen content of the atmosphere on exit. This data is recorded electronically on the data acquisition station.

All L&L furnaces can be configured with various options and be specifically tailored to meet your thermal needs. We also offer furnaces equipped with pyrometry packages to meet ASm2750.

Options include a variety of

control and recorder configurations. A three-day, all-inclusive startup service is provided with each system within the continental US and canada. International startup and training service is available by factory quote.

If precise process control and uniformity is key to your process, then L&L’s XLc series is a great choice. Please be sure to visit our website www.llfurnace.com.

Lantek Systems Introduces

Flex3d Tubes for Flexible Tube Cutting and Design and Reduced Scrap

Lantek Systems’ Flex3d Tubes is an intuitive software program that allows precise cutting of tubular parts, eliminating scrap and increasing throughput. Available within the Lantek manager and Integra software, Flex3d Tubes seamlessly integrates with different types of tubular geometry import tools such as SAT and IGeS. Additionally, programmers can import 3D design files from SOLIDWOrKS, Solid edge or STeP files among others. Once the file is imported, users can create different cutting programs for tube shapes and profiles of all sizes using Flex3d Tubes’ Toolpath Smart Designer (TSD) machining and designing tool. They can use the parametric system to change operation values such as length and diameter and create original designs directly in the software. Programmers have full control over cutting sequence and direction, including the ability to cut different faces into the tube. Predefined machining strategies can be applied to all holes based on their position in the profile allowing the programmer to nest multiple profiles and parts from the same tube stock.

Developed with the latest laser cutting technology in mind, Flex3d Tubes takes into account the array of

cutting options available. Users can program complete or partial chamfers on either end of a tube as well as create any type of contour including round, rectangular and triangular among others. Visuals, including full simulation capabilities, give a clear view of the cutting operation, identifying intersections and operations and allowing 2D geometry to be projected or surface-mapped onto the tube surface. This is especially useful when creating programs for large tubes and thick pipes, the latter of which might need a bevel or similar cut. The ability to change parameters and sequencing on the fly saves considerable time and scrap. The system continually monitors the data at any point in the operations tree.

“Lantek Flex3d Tubes’ easy-to-use interface and nesting and simulation capabilities simplify the tube cutting process, creating an environment where programmers of all experience levels can learn to use it,” said Anupam chakraborty, commercial Director, Lantek Systems. “The ability to control the cutting process from beginning to end and make use of the high functionality of today’s laser cutting machines reduces or eliminates scrap, saving significant costs and time. It’s no longer necessary to over produce parts to allow for scrap.”

For more information visit www.lantek.com/us.

ArcWorld HC – A Flexible Human-Collaborative Workcell for Robotic Welding

Designed for human-collaborative (Hc) interaction, the highly flexible ArcWorld® Hc is a complete robotic welding solution for the fabrication of small- to medium-size parts. Ideal for replacing or supplementing manual weld processes, such as pre-assembly before welding in larger robotic workcells, this pre-engineered mobile cart system is well-suited for high-mix, low-volume production.

Joining Yaskawa’s proven line of ArcWorld welding workcells, this portable job shop with three-sided access comes complete with a 1,200 mm x 2,400 mm perforated fixture table, a single human-collaborative Hc10DTP robot, retractable arc curtain, built-in exhaust hood, a compatible miller®, Lincoln electric, SKS, OTc or Fronius power supply, a 14-guage metal tool board, tool balancer and debris tray. A 120 VAc 20-Amp electrical extension outlet and 120 psi air connection are provided for common welding tools. Overhead LeD lighting provides interior illumination, and solid wheels and leveling feet enable quick and easy installation or relocation. Wire spool and shield gas bottle holders are optional.

Featuring Power and Force Limiting (PFL) technology for safe operation and hand-guided teaching for easy programming without a pendant, the Hc10DTP robot welds parts with efficiency and consistent high quality. Offering a 1,379 mm maximum working range and a 10 kg payload capacity, the Hc10DTP can process parts up to 500 H x 2,000 W x 800 D mm. Its IP67 rating enables welding without additional coverings or equipment. Fast air cut speeds (500 mm/s) are easily achieved with arc curtain closed, or they can be maintained at collaborative speed

(200 mm/s) when the curtain is open. risk assessment provided for assured, safe design.

The Hc10DTP robot for welding is controlled by the high-performance Yrc1000 controller that utilizes a lightweight, standard teach pendant with intuitive programming. Processes from the power supply are accessed by Yaskawa’s easy-to-use digital Universal Weldcom Interface (UWI), giving full control of welding parameters and settings from the robot programming pendant.

For more information, please visit www.motoman.com

New Norton Vortex Rapid Prep Flap Discs Provide Longer Life, Increased MRR and Improved Surface Finishes

Saint-Gobain Abrasives, one of the world’s largest abrasives manufacturers, has announced the introduction of Norton Vortex rapid Prep Non-Woven Flap Discs that last longer and produce significantly increased cutting rates and smear-free finishes simultaneously. Norton patented Vortex agglomerated aluminum oxide grain technology enables the cutting power of a coarser grit while producing a finer finish in one abrasives disc solution. The company reports that based on tests performed, the new non-woven discs can increase material removal rates (mrr) over 50 percent compared to non-woven medium grit flap discs.

“Our new Vortex rapid Prep Flap Discs are an ideal upgrade from traditional rapid Prep single layer hook and loop discs and are a perfect complement to coated flap and fiber discs, generating impressive performance results in blending and finishing,” said mr. michael radaelli, Senior Product manager, Norton | Saint-Gobain Abrasives.

Ideal for light blending, stripping, edge breaking and surface prep applications in key industries such as metal fabrication and welding, aerospace, transportation, energy and construction, the new Norton flap discs feature special three-dimensional non-woven abrasive layers. This design ensures uniform finishing with a consistently low surface finish value. In addition, multiple layers of surface conditioning material provide added life, fewer disc changes for better efficiency, and reduced vibration. The discs also feature Norton proprietary clean bond® resin technology that guarantees smear-free finishes, even on high nickel content alloys, and reduced loading when cutting aluminum and other softer metals.

Norton Vortex rapid Prep Type 27 Discs also provide forgiveness and reduced vibration on uneven surfaces for maximum ergonomic use. Discs are offered in 4-1/2" x 7/8" and 4-1/2" x 5/8"-11 sizes in fine, very fine, medium, and coarse grits.

For more information, visit nortonsga.us/vrpflapdiscs.

Agreement makes it easier for Powder-bed Industrial 3D Printing Users to Obtain Automated, Intelligent Post-Printing Solutions

PostProcess, the leader in automated and intelligent post-processing solutions for 3D printed parts, and eOS, a leading supplier for responsible manufacturing solutions via industrial 3D printing technology, announce a distribution partnership to provide a fully automated and sustainable depowdering solution for eOS customers. complementing the eOS printer product range, the PostProcess Variable Acoustic Displacement™ (VAD) technology automates gross depowdering for 3D printed parts. This partnership makes it easier for customers to procure post-printing solutions, further enabling end-to-end digitization of the workflow from the part design through 3D printing to post-processing.

existing methods of powder removal are highly manual or semi-automated and can cause in some cases safety and sustainability issues. This new solution by PostProcess using VAD is thermodynamically controlled with video and infrared monitoring while releasing, transferring, and recovering loose powder particles, hands-free.

The patent-pending VAD technology leverages software intelligence to optimize mechanical energy and intelligent closed-loop thermal and displacement techniques for revolutionary bulk depowdering results, enabling full process chain automation. The powder removal and recovery achieved with VAD technology improves process performance and control, providing customers with enhanced sustainability and employee safety, repeatability and productivity, and lower operating costs. customers can print highly detailed and complex parts without worrying about breakage in the post-processing step.

“We are proud to solidify this partnership with eOS, a global leader in industrial 3D printing, to help end users more easily adopt the complete workflow of additive manufacturing and scale their operations,” stated Jeff mize, PostProcess ceO. “eOS stands behind their sustainability objectives and shares in our dedication to ensuring additive manufacturing scales sustainably.”

Speaking to the collaboration Nikolai Zaepernick, chief business Officer at eOS, said, “This partnership with PostProcess provides a digital connection that enables traceability and connectivity. We found the perfect match with PostProcess in providing our customers with sustainable automated post-processing for their delicate and complex parts manufactured using the eOS P 500.”

Since it was first introduced in 2020, and as part of the validation process, VAD technology has been operating successfully with large industrial customers, processing hundreds of SLS cakes and thousands of parts in production environments. With its broader commercial

launch at the end of this year, a few spots remain available for customers to participate in its early Access Program. For more information, or to register for this limited VAD program, contact your eOS or PostProcess representative and learn more.

Rollomatic Spotlights new Laser Cutting Machine for Ultra-Hard Materials – Model LaserSmart® 810XL rollomatic maintains its leadership position in the field of laser cutting ultra-hard materials by announcing the launch of another laser model within its line-up of 3 laser cutting machines. The new model LaserSmart® 810XL with its innovative and powerful lase source has been designed for larger-diameter PcD tools (polycrystalline diamond) and other ultra-hard materials up to dia. 12”, a total length of 14” and a total load capacity of 33 lbs. This machine is built on the success of the rollomatic LaserSmart® series of machines and particularly addresses the profile cutting and ablation of diamond tooling in the larger diameter range as well as tools with a monoblock adaptor. The ideal and typical application fields for this machine are the woodworking, automotive and aerospace industries.

These are some benefits which set this model 810XL apart from conventional laser cutting machines:

» Achieves surface finishes as low as ra 40 nanometers.

» Patented axis configuration.

» Produces crisper and sharper cutting edges compared to conventional laser machines.

» 30% faster feedrates compared to conventional laser machines.

» Highly intuitive software based on the successful models 510 and 510femto.

» – Software easily interprets 3D files and data entry. communicates effortlessly with the » operator and the machine systems.

» – Automatic blank detection.

» – Auto calculation of the tool structure & auto application of the dxf files to the blanks.

» 6 internal cameras assist the operator in quick setup and efficient production.

» High repeatability and near-zero TIr in conjunction with in-process measuring.

» Produces precise cylindrical margins on any tool size.

PostProcess and EOS Announce Strategic Partnership to Enable More Sustainable Automation Through the Additive Manufacturing Workflow

Actek manufacturing and engineering Inc. — www.actekmfg.com 33

Air-Vac Systems — www.air-vacsystems.com 39

ATTcO, Inc. DbA Syclone ATTcO Service — www.skyhookmfr.com 5

Attica Hydraulic exchange — www.hydraulex.com 21 betenbender manufacturing, Inc — www.betenbender.com 25

burr King mfg co. — www.burrking.com 7

carell corporation — www.carellcorp.com 13 clamprite — www.clamprite.com 37 cosen Saws, USA — www.cosensaws.com 17

Denver breaker & Supply — www.denverbreaker.com 47

Design-2-Part Shows — www.d2p.com 41

Dynabrade, Inc. — www.dynabrade.com 26, 27, bc

eagle bending machines — www.eaglebendingmachines.com 13 eNm co — www.enmco.com 49

essex Structural Steel co. — www.essexstructuralsteel.com 48

Formdrill USA Inc. — www.formdrill-usa.com 19

Fortville Feeders, Inc. — www.fortvillefeeders.com 31

H&K equipment, Inc. — www.hkequipment.com 48

HmI div of betenbender manufacturing — www.betenbender.com 23

HYPNeUmAT, Inc. — www.hypneumat.com IFc

ImDauctions.com — www.imdauctions.com 48, 49

Industrial magnetics, Inc. — www.magnetics.com 38

Kanetec USA corp — www.kanetec.com 47

KHK Gears — www.khkgears.us Ibc

L&L Special Furnace co., Inc. — www.llfurnace.com 49

macmillin Hydraulic engineering corporation — www.macmhydraulic.com 23

morgan manufacturing, Inc. — www.morganmfg.com 49

Pro-Line — www.1proline.com 49

radwell International, Inc. — www.radwell.com Fc

royal Products — www.mistcollectors.com 49

Schweiss Doors — www.schweissdoors.com 49

Scotchman Industries, Inc. — www.scotchman.com 9

Standard Direct — www.Standard-Direct.com 47

Stor-Loc — www.storloc.com 11

Suhner Industrial Products — www.suhner-machining.com 15

The caldwell Group, Inc — www.caldwellinc.com 3

Tormach — www.tormach.com 12

Trim-Lok — www.trimlok.com 40

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