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Manufacturing

Asia ‘most receptive to smart manufacturing’, says report

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Plex Systems, a Rockwell Automation company and provider of cloud-delivered smart manufacturing solutions, has released the results of its 7th annual study, The State of Smart Manufacturing Report.

The research reveals that smart manufacturing adoption accelerated by 50 percent globally in 2021, and these new technologies are now solving the industry’s critical challenges.

Asia-Pacific (APAC) organizations (93 percent) view smart manufacturing as “very” or “extremely” important to future success, compared to North America (84 percent) and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) (75 percent). [Read more…] about Asia ‘most receptive to smart manufacturing’, says report

Effects of CNC Machining on Surface Roughness in Fused Deposition Modelling Products

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Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is a 3D printing technology that uses melted plastic filament to build up objects layer by layer. FDM parts are typically made from thermoplastic materials such as ABS, PLA, or PC.

Once the object is printed, it can be finished using various methods, such as sanding, painting, or machining. CNC machining is one of the most common ways to finish an FDM part.

It involves using computer-controlled cutting tools to remove material from the surface of the object until it reaches the desired shape and size. [Read more…] about Effects of CNC Machining on Surface Roughness in Fused Deposition Modelling Products

automatica event to showcase future-ready production through robotics and automation

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How can global supply chains be made less vulnerable? How can we make production more sustainable and conserve resources?

And how to implement a quick transition towards digital production so that the European economy will be powerful and fit for the future?

Around 600 exhibitors from all over the world will provide answers to these questions and present solutions for the entire range of automation topics at automatica, the world’s leading robotics and automation exhibition, which will be held in Munich from June 21 to 24. [Read more…] about automatica event to showcase future-ready production through robotics and automation

Global spending on semiconductor fabrication equipment expected to reach record $109 billion

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Global fab equipment spending for front-end facilities is expected to increase 20 percent year-over-year to an all-time high of $109 billion in 2022, marking a third consecutive year of growth following a 42 percent surge in 2021.

This is according to industry association SEMI, which published the figure in its latest quarterly World Fab Forecast report. Fab equipment investment in 2023 is expected to remain strong.

Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI, says: “The global semiconductor equipment industry remains on track to cross the $100 billion threshold for the first time as shown in our latest update of the World Fab Forecast. [Read more…] about Global spending on semiconductor fabrication equipment expected to reach record $109 billion

Reasons to Consider a Career in the Manufacturing Industry

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The manufacturing industry has always been a ripe place for employment. It is continually growing and expanding due to research and development.

Many people don’t realize just how rewarding a career in this industry can be. The job requires attention to detail, passion, and commitment.

Below are some reasons why you should strongly consider a career in the manufacturing industry. [Read more…] about Reasons to Consider a Career in the Manufacturing Industry

Wikifactory secures $2.5 million funding to expand its manufacturing marketplace

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Wikifactory, an online platform for collaboratively creating physical products, has secured $2.5 million in pre-series A funding from existing shareholders and new investors including, Seier Capital, the investment vehicle of Lars Seier Christensen. This brings Wikifactory’s funding to date to a total of nearly $8 million.

Wikifactory enables developers, designers, engineers and startups from across the globe to collaborate, prototype and produce hardware solutions in real-time that solve real world problems.

The company is working to build the Internet of Production, which is an emerging concept of a distributed, interoperable, open standards-based system, linking together product definitions, software services, and manufacturing-as-a-service (MaaS) solutions. [Read more…] about Wikifactory secures $2.5 million funding to expand its manufacturing marketplace

Additive manufacturing startups MakerBot and Ultimaker agree to merge

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MakerBot and Ultimaker, two of the best-known startups in desktop 3D printing, have come to a “business combination agreement” – or a merger.

The company says the move will accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing by providing a comprehensive desktop 3D printing ecosystem of hardware, software, and materials.

The new entity will be backed by existing investors, NPM Capital and Stratasys, and will benefit from a planned cash investment of $62.4 million to fuel innovation and expansion into new markets. [Read more…] about Additive manufacturing startups MakerBot and Ultimaker agree to merge

Comau expands Jeep manufacturing lines in Brazil

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Comau has expanded the end-to-end body manufacturing lines at one of the most modern car manufacturing plants in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco to produce the new 7-seat Jeep Commander SUV.

Comau has been tasked with increasing the flexibility of 14 complex lines to handle 4 different vehicle models in a completely random production flow.

The increased flexibility also extends to model-specific assembly, welding and quality inspection operations based on available inputs. [Read more…] about Comau expands Jeep manufacturing lines in Brazil

Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales surge 44 percent to record $103 billion

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Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in 2021 surged 44 percent to an all-time record of $102.6 billion from $71.2 billion in 2020, SEMI, the industry association representing the global electronics product design and manufacturing supply chain, reported.

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

China claimed the largest market for semiconductor equipment for the second time with sales expanding 58 percent to $29.6 billion to mark the fourth consecutive year of growth. [Read more…] about Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales surge 44 percent to record $103 billion

Different Injection Mold Machines and What They’re Used For

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Manufacturing plastic products requires the use of injection molding machines. These come in a variety of sizes and types, each of which is designed for specific applications.

In this article, we will take a look at some of the more popular types of injection mold machines and what they’re used for.

Injection molding machines are classified by the type of driving system they use. There are four main types of injection molding machines, all of which vary slightly in terms of cost, speed, and size. [Read more…] about Different Injection Mold Machines and What They’re Used For