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The Importance of Plastic Machining – How Impactful the Process is

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One of the principal credits of plastics materials is their capacity to be shaped into a completed segment with no requirement for resulting work to be done.

Convoluted shapes, openings and undercut highlights can be formed into the segment utilizing tooling and shaping methods. Anyway this includes some significant downfalls of tooling cost.

Trim apparatuses and shaping hardware utilized in the different plastic embellishment measures are constantly hand made oddball manifestations. They can frequently require many months to fabricate with a resultantly significant expense. [Read more…] about The Importance of Plastic Machining – How Impactful the Process is

Teradyne leads $20 million funding round for MachineMetrics

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MachineMetrics, an industrial data startup that helps improve manufacturing performance through autonomous machining, has raised $20 million in Series B financing.

The company will use the funding to scale its platform globally and democratize access to the machine insights that power manufacturing operations.

Bill Bither, co-founder and CEO of MachineMetrics, says: “Manufacturing is on the brink of a digital renaissance. The intersection of software, big data and physical machinery is the next frontier for manufacturing and a proven solution for overcoming the production and labor shortages we are experiencing right now. [Read more…] about Teradyne leads $20 million funding round for MachineMetrics

Hexagon launches ‘world’s first’ wireless laser scanner

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Hexagon’s manufacturing intelligence division has launched what it claims is “the world’s first wireless laser scanner” designed specifically to work inside computer numerical controlled (CNC) machines.

The cutting-edge scanner allows for data to be efficiently, accurately and securely transmitted wirelessly, which improves production quality.

Hexagon’s new integrated wireless laser scanner, the m&h LS-R-4.8, does not require traditional touch probes and captures around 40,000 measurement points a second to provide information about the complete part, compared to the status quo of taking individual points with traditional touch probes. [Read more…] about Hexagon launches ‘world’s first’ wireless laser scanner

Fanuc forms alliance with Doosan on workforce development

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Fanuc America and Doosan Machine Tools America have formed a partnership to better prepare future machine operators.

The Fanuc Certified CNC Training Program now offers manufacturing skills development using Doosan machine tools.

The new offering adds to the depth and breadth of Fanuc’s CNC training tools as well as allows operators a hands-on experience with Doosan’s high performance CNC machines, which have been used in manufacturing for over 40 years. [Read more…] about Fanuc forms alliance with Doosan on workforce development

More flexible gear machining for industrial robots

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Today’s industrial robots must fit into smaller spaces, so as much “manufacturing real estate” as possible is dedicated to production. This places pressure on manufacturers to machine smaller, tighter components for these machines. Here, Harish Maniyoor, global product manager for automotive at the machine tooling specialist Sandvik Coromant explains why power skiving is the answer.

The overall number of industrial robots operating in factories worldwide grew to 2.7 million in 2019, according to the 2020 World Robotics Report by the International Federation of Robotics. 

This was a 12 percent increase from 2018 and a historic high. Robots factor into a range of industries, from automotive and aerospace to the food industry and pharmaceuticals – yet all of these sectors have common requirements.

Not only must these robots be smaller, but also lighter with reduced inertia and able to perform more exact movements with optimal speed and efficiency. The challenge is on for manufacturers to machine smaller and more precisely engineered-components – like internal gear reducers – with more flexible designs. [Read more…] about More flexible gear machining for industrial robots

FORT Robotics raises $13 million in funding

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FORT Robotics, a technology company creating safety-and-security solutions for autonomous machines, has closed on $13 million in funding led by Prime Movers Lab, an investor in breakthrough scientific startups.

With the new investment, FORT will more than double the size of its workforce and expand its product offerings in key markets.

Samuel Reeves, founder and CEO, says: “We’re excited to partner with our new investors to help position FORT at the forefront of this rapidly evolving space. [Read more…] about FORT Robotics raises $13 million in funding

Omron releases new 3D vision sensor for robot arms

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Omron has released its new FH-SMD Series 3D Vision Sensor, which can be mounted on a robot to recognize randomly placed bulk automotive parts in three dimensions, enabling space-saving assembly, inspection, and pick and place, which are difficult with conventional robots, and improving productivity.

Production workers are hard to come by these days, and labor costs have risen sharply, says Omron. Manufacturers are now facing intense pressure to automate processes that rely on the senses of experienced human workers.

Moreover, production workers now need to work harmoniously with machines to raise productivity amid the Covid-19 crisis. In particular, the automotive industry requires vision sensors as the eyes of robots that are indispensable for automation because it is difficult for machines to recognize positions and postures of various complex shaped parts. [Read more…] about Omron releases new 3D vision sensor for robot arms

DMG MORI showcases futuristic smart factory built around AGVs

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DMG MORI is showcasing its futuristic smart factory. The company is said to be Germany’s largest manufacturer of cutting machine tools and a manufacturer of CNC-controlled lathes and milling machines.

DMG MORI says it has strengthened its Deckel Maho Pfronten location, in southern Germany. In the new, 4,000 sq m monoBLOCK Excellence Factory, DMG MORI is now producing up to 1,000 machine tools per year with a future-oriented assembly concept.

The heart of the “ultra-modern cycle assembly” is a driverless automated guided vehicles (AGV) transport system. The high process efficiency ensures maximum customer benefit. [Read more…] about DMG MORI showcases futuristic smart factory built around AGVs

Okuma makes ‘conversational programming’ standard on its CNC machines

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Okuma, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial equipment, has introduced “conversational programming” as standard on its CNC machines.

Okuma says its Advanced One Touch (AOT) conversational programming software enables shops to “easily create programs without the need for highly-trained programmers, achieve faster setup times, and increase machine productivity”.

Okuma America says that select machines from Okuma’s core product line now come equipped with the Advanced One Touch-Interactive Graphics Function (AOT-IGF), the conversational programming software designed for Okuma’s lathes, machining centers and multitasking machines. [Read more…] about Okuma makes ‘conversational programming’ standard on its CNC machines

Argonaut Manufacturing Services turns to Bright Machines to accelerate and scale production

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Bright Machines and Argonaut Manufacturing Services have agreed a partnership whereby Bright Machines will automate Argonaut’s unique assembly process.

Argonaut, based in Carlsbad, California, is a contract manufacturing organization offering a host of customized manufacturing and supply chain solutions for life science, molecular diagnostics, and biopharmaceutical companies, including formulation, filling, lyophilization, and kitting, as well as automated aseptic fill-finish equipment for sterile injectable drugs.

Argonaut enables organizations to quickly scale pharmaceutical and life science operations by providing expert support and state-of-the-art manufacturing solutions, minimizing costs and risks. [Read more…] about Argonaut Manufacturing Services turns to Bright Machines to accelerate and scale production