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manufacturing

Continuum Powders opens new Houston facility

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Continuum Powders, a provider of high-performance, sustainable metal powders for advanced manufacturing, has officially opened its new global headquarters and environmentally friendly manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas.

The new location, North America’s largest sustainable metal powder production site, will host a special event on December 5, offering guests an exclusive opportunity to witness its revolutionary advancements in low-carbon production methods firsthand.

The completion of the Houston facility is a significant milestone for Continuum Powders and reflects the company’s commitment to environmental responsibility, with the entire building operating as a green manufacturing center. [Read more…] about Continuum Powders opens new Houston facility

Global semiconductor manufacturing industry sees ‘strong growth’

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The global semiconductor manufacturing industry in the third quarter of 2024 showed “strong” momentum with all key industry indicators performing positive quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) increases for the first time in two years.

The findings are reported in SEMI’s Q3 2024 publication of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Monitor (SMM) Report, prepared in partnership with TechInsights.

The growth is fueled by seasonal factors and strong demand from investments in AI data centers, however, the consumer, automotive, and industrial segments are experiencing a slower pace of recovery. The growth trend is expected to continue into the fourth quarter of 2024. [Read more…] about Global semiconductor manufacturing industry sees ‘strong growth’

C-Hawk Technology launches robotic plastic welding platform for semiconductor equipment manufacturing

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C-Hawk Technology, a maker of manufacturing of components, assemblies and processes for the semiconductor and healthcare industries, has unveiled its new patent-pending “Roberto” platform.

The company describes the platform as “an integrated robotics system that automates plastic welding and sets new benchmarks for quality, precision, scalability and safety in manufacturing for plastic welded assemblies and subassemblies”.

Early performance data shows that Roberto outperforms manual welding with a 25 percent increase in production speed and product consistency, a 30 percent improvement in output efficiency and a 50 percent decrease in error rates. [Read more…] about C-Hawk Technology launches robotic plastic welding platform for semiconductor equipment manufacturing

Caracol unveils large-format robotic 3D printer

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Caracol, a developer of large-format metal additive manufacturing systems, is introducing Vipra AM, which it describes as “a revolutionary technology that transforms how large-scale metal parts are produced”.

The company says its new robotic platform will be unveiled at Formnext (booth C101, Hall 12.1), and “stands out as a powerful tool designed to meet these and more of their evolving needs”.

Vipra AM is a robotic large scale direct energy deposition platform that leverages wire arc additive manufacturing processes, seamlessly developed into a hardware, software, and automation proprietary turnkey system. [Read more…] about Caracol unveils large-format robotic 3D printer

Alabama family business builds lights-out manufacturing process based on Hermle equipment

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After spending most of their younger years in their father’s machine shop, two brothers have applied their knowledge to their own enterprise, Smith & Co, and have built a multimillion-dollar, advanced, lights-out CNC facility in Birmingham, Alabama

Robert and Dell Smith started in the manufacturing industry as kids, working with their father at his part-time machine shop in Tuscaloosa – about 50 miles from their current Birmingham, Alabama location.

In the late 1980s, Robert helped take the business to full-time operations, where they first experienced 5-axis and mill turn technology, primarily for the automotive and defense industries.

The Smiths recognized the need for standard operations – whether tooling, controls or systematic procedures – which led to an exponential growth of over 100 team members. In 2015, they sold the company but continued to work for six more years.

[Read more…] about Alabama family business builds lights-out manufacturing process based on Hermle equipment

Driving Efficiency in Manufacturing with Intelligent Automation: Beyond Robotics

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If you want to stay competitive in today’s manufacturing landscape, you’ll need more than just manpower and machines.

Intelligent automation (IA) has become the force behind efficiency, plus it gives manufacturers the chance to optimize their operations beyond traditional robotics.

When you integrate advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and more, you’re able to automate processes, predict machine failures, and make decisions based on up-to-date data. [Read more…] about Driving Efficiency in Manufacturing with Intelligent Automation: Beyond Robotics

Intretech to open new Mexico factory following $60 million investment

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Global smart manufacturing company Intretech has opened a new manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico, following $60 million investment. The project, which is set to create 2,000 jobs over the next five years, represents a significant milestone in the company’s global expansion.

The grand opening event was attended by several notable dignitaries, including the governor of Nuevo León state, the secretary of economy, and Intretech’s chairman, Linden Lin.

Located in the Mirador Industrial Park. The facility is designed to strengthen Intretech’s manufacturing capabilities, support its global growth strategy, and provide robust nearshoring solutions. [Read more…] about Intretech to open new Mexico factory following $60 million investment

Global semiconductor industry plans to invest $400 billion in 300 mm fab equipment over next three years

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semiconductor photoGlobal spending on 300 mm fab equipment is expected to reach a record $400 billion from 2025 to 2027, SEMI highlighted in its quarterly 300 mm Fab Outlook Report to 2027 report.

The robust spending is being driven by the regionalization of semiconductor fabs and the increasing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips used in data centers and edge devices.

Worldwide, 300 mm fab equipment spending is projected to grow by 4 percent to $99.3 billion in 2024, and further increase by 24 percent to $123.2 billion in 2025, surpassing the $100 billion level for the first time.  [Read more…] about Global semiconductor industry plans to invest $400 billion in 300 mm fab equipment over next three years

Global semiconductor equipment billings increase 4 percent

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Global semiconductor equipment billings increased 4 percent year-over-year to $26.8 billion in the second quarter of 2024, while quarter-over-quarter billings edged up 1 percent during the same period, says industry association SEMI in its Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) Report.

Ajit Manocha, SEMI president and CEO, says: “Global semiconductor equipment billings totaled $53.2 billion for the first half of 2024, reflecting a healthy year so far for the industry overall.

“The semiconductor equipment market has returned to growth driven by strategic investments to support continued strong demand for advanced technologies and regions seeking to bolster their chipmaking ecosystems.”

[Read more…] about Global semiconductor equipment billings increase 4 percent

Caracol to debut ‘groundbreaking’ robotic large-format additive manufacturing platform at IMTS

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Caracol will use IMTS to demonstrate how manufacturers can produce industrial large-scale 3D printed parts with more efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability, thanks to its advanced technology.

Via live on-booth 3D printing with its partner, Kuka, (booth #236807, West Hall), visitors will be able to get an up-close look at the capabilities of LFAM via Caracol’s innovative flagship Heron AM integrated AM platform.

This modular hardware-software robotic system works on 6+ axes to enable manufacturers in key sectors like aerospace, automotive, energy and maritime, to produce thermoplastic composite parts with very complex geometries and with no scale or shape limits. [Read more…] about Caracol to debut ‘groundbreaking’ robotic large-format additive manufacturing platform at IMTS