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Manufacturing

How Strong is Ultrasonic Welding?

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Ultrasonic welding is a process that uses high-frequency vibrations and pressure to join two materials together. This type of welding creates localized heat at the interface of the materials, which melts the materials and forms a strong bond.

The resulting joint is robust and can be used in various applications; from consumer products to aerospace components. Ultrasonic welding is known for its speed, efficiency, and ability to join a wide range of materials.

Although it requires specialized equipment and careful material preparation, many manufacturers find it valuable in their operations. [Read more…] about How Strong is Ultrasonic Welding?

California Energy Commission awards Liminal $2.75 million grant

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The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a $2.75 million grant for Liminal, a battery manufacturing intelligence company, to advance the assembly of its EchoStat platform from manual to mostly-automated factory-ready equipment.

EchoStat is an EV battery cell inspection system that uses ultrasound inspection and machine learning analytics to provide manufacturers with previously unavailable insights into battery quality, reliability and performance.

Andrew Hsieh, CEO of Liminal, says: “To power the global EV transition, battery production needs to expand by 20 percent annually, but challenges with battery reliability have created setbacks for automakers and battery companies. [Read more…] about California Energy Commission awards Liminal $2.75 million grant

Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales reach all-time record $108 billion

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Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment increased 5 percent from $102.6 billion in 2021 to an all-time record of $107.6 billion last year, SEMI, the industry association representing the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain.

The data is now available in the Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) Report.

For the third consecutive year, China remained the largest semiconductor equipment market in 2022 despite a 5 percent slowdown in the pace of investments in the region year over year, accounting for $28.3 billion in billings. [Read more…] about Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales reach all-time record $108 billion

Semiconductor robot market set to grow to more than $1 billion

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The global market for semiconductor robots is anticipated to be worth $1.1 billion in 2023 and to grow at a CAGR of 17.5 percent to $5.6 billion by the end of the forecast period, according to Fact.MR. 

Due to their wide range of uses in consumer electronics, automobiles, medical devices, and other products, semiconductors are in high demand worldwide.

To meet this demand, semiconductor manufacturers are increasing their production capacity and implementing semiconductor robots for a better result. [Read more…] about Semiconductor robot market set to grow to more than $1 billion

Vanguard to invest $6 million in automaton at Georgia facility

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Briggs & Stratton, one of the world’s largest producers of engines for outdoor power equipment, is making an additional investment of $6 million in its Advanced Battery Manufacturing facility in Tucker, Georgia, to improve the safety, efficiency and production capacity of its Vanguard Lithium-Ion Battery Packs through the addition of automated equipment within its manufacturing process.

The 78,000-square-foot facility opened in 2020 to support a strategic supply agreement with Ingersoll Rand to power Club Car vehicles with Vanguard Lithium-Ion Battery Packs.

The Tucker location includes four production lines with the capacity to accommodate future growth as the demand for battery power continues to grow across the off-highway industry. [Read more…] about Vanguard to invest $6 million in automaton at Georgia facility

Aerospace manufacturer JPB Système reaches ‘production milestone’ of 5 million flight parts

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JPB Système, a manufacturer of technology solutions for aerospace, aeronautic and other industries, says it has manufactured “five million separate flight parts since the start of its production operations over 20 years ago”.

The milestone predominantly comprises component parts used to produce JPB Système’s innovative LULYLOK B-nut self-locking device and borescope self-locking plug, both of which are supplied to global aircraft engine manufacturers including Safran, Rolls Royce, GE and Pratt & Whitney.

The figure also includes a number of other smaller parts, fittings and fasteners produced across the company’s Industry 4.0 enabled manufacturing facilities. [Read more…] about Aerospace manufacturer JPB Système reaches ‘production milestone’ of 5 million flight parts

euroTECH’s Vacuum Lifter System Increases Efficiency and Ergonomics in Wood Processing

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A long-standing wood processing company in the Black Forest, Germany, is facing challenges in maintaining efficiency and ergonomics in a tight labor market.

To tackle this issue, the company has implemented partial automation through the use of euroTECH’s vacuum lifter solution for loading the crosscut saw.

This system reduces the workload of employees, making the company a more attractive employer in a physically demanding industry. [Read more…] about euroTECH’s Vacuum Lifter System Increases Efficiency and Ergonomics in Wood Processing

Robots vs CNCs: What’s better for working metal?

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By David Alatorre, CTO, Rivelin Robotics

The use of metal additive manufacturing has revolutionized the manufacturing industry, allowing for the creation of complex and intricate parts in a faster and more cost-effective manner.

However, essential post processing of these parts introduces time and financial constraints to the overall cost-per-part that can negate the benefits of additive manufacturing altogether. Support removal is the critical first step of post processing metal additive manufacturing parts, and it is a challenging one.

Today, supports are still essential for part fidelity during the manufacturing process, but they must be removed to achieve the required finished product with the intended shape, features and tolerances. [Read more…] about Robots vs CNCs: What’s better for working metal?

Jabil to manufacture Sarcos’ robotic systems

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Sarcos Technology and Robotics, an exoskeleton and other robotic systems company, is collaborating with Jabil, a manufacturing solutions provider, to expand Sarcos’ production capacity for its robotic systems and sub-systems.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sarcos will utilize Jabil’s broad manufacturing services to produce a variety of leading-edge robotic systems and sub-systems.

Sarcos also will be able to leverage Jabil’s global footprint, strategic supplier relationships, and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to accelerate volume production while benefiting from advanced supply chain, procurement, and component-sourcing solutions. [Read more…] about Jabil to manufacture Sarcos’ robotic systems

Stilride and Adaxis partner to fuse robotics, 3D printing and ‘industrial origami’ into manufacturing

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Stilride, the Swedish startup known for its origami-inspired approach to electromobility design and manufacturing – is joining forces with French-Swedish robotics company Adaxis to introduce 3D printing capabilities to its suite of sustainable manufacturing tech.

Stilride’s technology, called Stilfold, involves the use of robotic arms to fold steel over curves to form light and strong new structures, using minimal component parts.

The technology is currently being used to build the chassis of a sustainable steel electric motorbike called the Sport Utility Scooter One (Sus1, pictured below) which is built using 70 percent fewer components than traditional plastic models. [Read more…] about Stilride and Adaxis partner to fuse robotics, 3D printing and ‘industrial origami’ into manufacturing