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©2015 The Job Shop Company, Inc.—Design-2-Part Magazine (ISSN 0746-8881) USPS 711-410, Vol. 32, No. 7 with editorial and advertising offices at 16 Waterbury Road, Prospect, CT 06712, (203)758-4474, is published monthly except Jan., June, July, and Dec. Correspondence about subscriptions should be addressed to the offices mentioned above. Periodicals paid at Waterbury, CT 06701 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Design-2-Part, c/o The Job Shop Company, Inc., P.O. Box 7193, 16 Waterbury Road, Prospect, CT 06712.
Vol: 32, No. 7, Western Edition, September 2015
On the Cover:
FEATURES
34 The Collaboration Imperative: Why it’s Critical to Your Next Project
When trying to solve a production problem or speed a product launch, collaborating with suppliers who can help is a necessity.
46 Composites Manufacturer Helps Aerospace OEMs Meet Demanding Project Requirements
A Rhode Island-based manufacturer of high-performance engineered components collaborates with clients to help them meet needs for lower cost, lightweight, high-quality thermoplastic parts and assemblies.
52 Prefix Offers Conversions and Mockups for all of Transportation—Riding on Wings or Wheels
A product development company makes prototypes and mockups for all of transportation, including aircraft, trains, and amusement park rides.
58 Betts Company Diversifies and Treats Customers like ‘Partners’
A California-based spring maker is on the move and earning high marks from customers.
DEPARTMENTS
4 From the Editor’s Desk Why Collaboration is Critical to Your Next Project
8 Solve Your Manufacturing Challenges in Pasadena Design-2-Part Shows provides an opportunity to meet face-to-face with America’s best contract manufacturers on October 21 and 22, 2015 in Pasadena, California.
10 Tech Updates A new capability is said to provide consistent endpoint control during laser welding, eliminating areas where potential weld failure can occur.
18 Software The artificial intelligence algorithms in a new data analytics platform are said to be key to the development and selection of new advanced materials.
22 Design & Engineering Spotlight A new technology enables 3D printing of strong, lightweight, thermoplastic composite parts.
28 Made in America ABB has begun to manufacture industrial robots in the United States for the North American market.
64 Advanced Materials Formlabs has released a new functional resin designed for applications in engineering and prototyping.
70 Electronic & Mechanical Components A new acoustic vent is said to preserve the sound quality of portable electronic devices after immersion in water.
75 Supplier Directory Showcase
76 Industry News A Georgia company offers engineered fasteners and application tooling to the automotive sector, among others.
Collaboration Why is it critical to your next manufacturing project?
The demand for collaboration between product manufacturers, suppliers, and end users, and between designers and engineers, is increasing as companies see the benefits of reducing risk, saving time, and unleashing innovation in product development through collaborative partnerships.
page 34
FROM THE EDITOR
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In today’s manufacturing world, collaboration has emerged as a critical necessity for companies seeking to do what they often cannot accomplish alone—solve production problems, speed product development, and unleash innovation in everything from open source designs to new product-as-a-service business models. Collaboration happens internally, among interdisciplinary teams of industrial designers working with electrical, mechanical, and software engineers, and externally, where a manufacturer’s design engineers work to co-develop products with suppliers and end-users. For a growing number of companies, it’s happening both ways.
And for good reason. Manufacturers today are working within extremely tight timelines for turning projects around—so tight that working with companies that can help them meet those timelines is becoming a necessity. As a way of shorten- ing the time needed to solve engineering problems, collaboration has no equal. The same can be said for its ability to dramatically accelerate the launch of a new product, especially an innovative one that a company couldn’t have launched on its own, solely with its own resources. When it comes to making the most of an existing knowledge base, whether it has to do with castings, injection molding, 3D printing, or carbon fiber materials, what better way to do that than to consult and collaborate with as many of the leading minds in those specialties as possible?
At the same time, demand for custom parts and all manner of connected products is growing, making collaboration a necessity across a wider spectrum of new product development and manufacturing.
A certain amount of collaboration is inherent in the development of custom
parts, which require more extensive in- teractions between the manufacturer and its suppliers than a standard, off-the-shelf part. A custom part is unique, after all, and suppliers need to understand how it’s different—a process that requires clear communication and a solid grasp of what their customer is trying to accomplish—in order to meet their customer’s requirements. For qualified suppliers, understanding the purpose and function of the part puts them in position to do even more. Rather than serving solely as suppliers, they can work as collaborative partners with their clients, offering design assistance and engineering that lead to higher-performing, more cost-effective parts.
Also fueling the need for collaboration is the explosion in demand for smart, connected devices that integrate software with microprocessors, sensors, and other electronic components, as well as hardware. The increasing convergence of software and hardware—the digital and physical worlds—means that today, product design and engineering teams find themselves working at the intersec- tion of multiple disciplines, spanning industrial design, materials, software, firmware, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. And their roles are becoming more and more collaborative as development teams require software, electronics, and hardware to be developed in parallel and in an integrated fashion.
“You need expertise from a good industrial design partner who knows how to design something that people will find intuitive, and also knows how to design packaging that fits on the shelf at Target,” said Jon Bruner, co-chairman of the Solid Conference 2015, in an interview at Solid
in June. “You need electrical engineers who know how to build something that won’t interfere with the signals on your phone, if you keep it next to your phone. You need mechanical designers who can say, ‘This hinge is going to break after 300 uses, so you ought to use this hinge design. So, hardware things are incredibly com- plicated, and the collaboration is about dealing with that complexity.”
As the world becomes more and more connected—some would say we’re already in a “hyper-connected” era—collaboration is becoming increasingly mainstream. And it appears to be here to stay, as more and more millennials, already experi- enced with a range of collaborative tools for social and business interaction, enter the workforce.
As Scott Borduin, Autodesk’s group chief technology officer for design, lifecy- cle, and simulation products, pointed out in his keynote presentation at the Tech- Connect World Innovation Conference and Expo in Washington, D.C., earlier this summer, collaboration is one of the more interesting trends that’s enabling companies to innovate better and more rapidly than they’ve ever done before. If anything can be called a “knowledge multiplier” or “innovation multiplier,” collaboration can, and that’s why Borduin sees it as having a prominent role in what Autodesk calls “The Future of Making Things.”
With its place in the future of manufacturing seemingly secure, collaboration represents not just an opportunity for companies, but an imperative. Those who choose not to take advantage of the opportunity risk losing competitive advantage because, surely, somebody else will choose to collaborate. So what are you waiting for? Your next project has arrived.
Why Collaboration is Critical to Your Next Project
FROM THE EDITOR
www.machining.us.com
• Milling Capacity up to 40" x 20"
• Plastics & Metal Machining
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DESIGN-2-PART magazine • September 20156
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DESIGN-2-PART SHOWS
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Design-2-Part Show
Pasadena, CA
Solve Your Manufacturing Challenges in Pasadena
DESIGN-2-PART SHOWS
Design-2-Part (D2P) Shows, America’s premier design and contract manufacturing trade shows, will hold the Southern California Design-2-Part Show on October 21 and 22, 2015 at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California. The show will be the second of two California D2P Shows in 2015.
Manufacturers nationwide have relied on Design-2-Part Shows as the best place to meet face-to-face with high-quality, reliable American job shops and contract manufacturers who can help them build their products better. The shows provide a very efficient sourcing environment for engineers and buyers of custom and stock parts, components, design services, prototypes, additive manufacturing, and assemblies. Exhibiting companies will be providing products and services covering more than 300 manufacturing categories for the metals, plastics, rubber, and electronics industries.
D2P Shows maximize your time by gathering America’s leading local and national job shops and contract manufacturers and allowing visitors an immediate hands-on comparison of quality, technology, expertise, price, and service. Attendees will get their best opportunity of the year to find new suppliers to improve their quality, reduce their manufacturing costs, and get products to market faster.
With over 160 exhibiting companies, the show will be the
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region’s largest show focused exclusively on contract manufacturing. And with over 25% new exhibiting companies from the last show, even previous attendees will find a multitude of new supplier opportunities.
Face-to-Face and Hands-On Talking face-to-face with hundreds of manufacturing experts
at a Design-2-Part Show is the most efficient way to solve your manufacturing challenges. Engineers want to talk to engineers, and at this show, the booths are staffed by qualified professionals that can answer your questions on the spot. You can also see, touch, and compare actual parts and components that were produced for other manufacturers in your industry. D2P Shows are working shows—so bring your sample parts and drawings, roll up your sleeves, and discover new ways to improve your products.
Visitors also come to a D2P Show looking to stay current with new and emerging technologies. You can learn about a variety of new manufacturing options and find the best materials and processes for your requirements. Even if you don’t have an immediate need, you can see what technology and suppliers are available for when you start your next project. The opportunity to see so many suppliers and peers in one place makes the visit invaluable and very cost-effective.
In addition to the show, D2P will welcome American manufacturing advocate and author Michele Nash-Hoff, who will present a seminar titled “How to Return Manufacturing to America.” The one-hour presentation will take place on Thursday, October 22 at 12:00 pm and is free to all show attendees. A highlight of the presentation will be several real-case success stories of companies that have returned work to the U.S. from offshore suppliers.
The Pasadena Convention Center has become the region’s
primary destination for trade shows. Located in the heart of thriving downtown Pasadena, the center is just nine miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Adding to its appeal, attendees can walk to four major hotels and Old Pasadena, a bustling 22-block historical area filled with 200 restaurants, shops, and boutiques.
The Center is accessible from several major highways, including I-210, CA-110, CA-134, Ventura Freeway, and Foothill Freeway. It is also only 16 miles from the Bob Hope/Burbank Airport and 29 miles from Los Angeles International Airport. Its plentiful parking, easy highway access, and central location make it a perfect venue for the Design-2-Part Show. Show hours are 9:30-4:00 on Wednesday, October 21, and 9:30-3:00 on Thursday, October 22.
Plan Ahead and Organize Your Time at the Show Admission to the exhibitions is free by pre-registering online
at www.D2P.com. The show website also provides detailed information on each exhibiting company, along with an interactive exhibitor and product search that allows visitors to plan their visit in advance. Visitors can also view videos of exhibiting companies and see pre-show how good these suppliers really are. Further information can be obtained by visiting www.D2P.com or by call- ing 1-800-225-4535. For hotel and travel services, call the D2P Travel Coordinator, Herma Levine, at 800-251-5282.
Sept15ShowArticle.indd 9 8/20/15 2:38 PM
September 2015 Edition
10
A New Way to Provide End Point Control in Laser Welding New capability is said to eliminate potential stress-risers and leak points in welds
CHAMPLIN, Minn.—Prima Power Laserdyne has developed a new capability, SmartRamp™, which reportedly provides consistent endpoint control during laser welding, eliminating areas where potential weld failure can occur. SmartRamp is the latest feature addition to the Laserdyne S94P control, which controls operation of the Laserdyne 795 and Laserdyne 430BD multi-axis laser systems.
SmartRamp produces uniform weld penetration along the entire length of the weld. With standard laser welding practice, the laser power is often ramped down at the end of the weld after the start point has been overlapped. This method leaves a noticeable depression at the end point and, in many applications, this depression is undesirable. In hermetic welds, for example, the depression at the end point can be a leak point.
Hermetically sealed electronic packages are widely used in the electronics, communications, automotive, computer, and medical industries. The quality and durability of the hermetic seal in these packages must be high, as failure of the seal can lead to corrosion of the package contents and premature failure of the device. The end point defect is also undesirable in welding applications in the aerospace industry. This defect can act as potential stress riser point, leading to reduced fatigue and creep strength of the welded component during its service. Conventional laser welding techniques for controlling the overlap, when used, will often require extensive testing to ensure that the conditions described above are not present.
By comparison, SmartRamp™ controls laser parameters in conjunction with motion of the beam, eliminating the occur- rence of a visible endpoint of the weld. To validate SmartRamp’s effectiveness, Prima Power Laserdyne carried out extensive metallographic analysis of welds produced using SmartRamp. They are said to have consistently showed the absence of porosity or any other welding defects at the end of the weld. By comparison, metallographic tests carried out on standard welding samples confirmed that the end point can be the site of some porosity and inconsistent weld penetration.
SmartRamp, one of multiple ongoing advancements to Prima Power Laserdyne’s multi-axis fiber laser systems, gives product designers “confidence that new designs using the process are more robust with significantly less chance of failure,” according to the manufacturer. It has been developed by Prima Power Laserdyne engineers to be easily incorporated into a laser welding program. SmartRamp is a standard feature within the S94P control used on the Laserdyne 3-to-7 axes systems, which include the LASERDYNE 795 and Laserdyne 430BD laser systems. It will be a standard
feature in upcoming versions of Laserdyne S94P software and available as a standard feature on new systems.
When released, the software will also be available without charge to existing customers. “One goal of Prima Power Laser- dyne is to continue to produce advancements that help justify the use of laser processing,” said Terry L. VanderWert, president of Prima Power Laserdyne, in a press release. “Our company’s reputation is based on precision processing that is easily accom- plished by system users around the world. This is why we will make new features available without charge to our customer base whenever possible.”
Lockbolt Fastener System Offers Vibration Resistance, Structural Strength with No Pin Break
DANBURY, Conn.—POP® Avdel®, a prominent supplier of blind rivets, recently announced that it is introducing NeoBolt, a non-breakstem lockbolt fastening system for heavy-duty structural applications. The two-piece NeoBolt fastener features a collar and a pin with fine pitch locking grooves that, when installed, provides “unmatched vibration resistance and fatigue performance,” according to the manufacturer.
Unlike traditional lockbolt fasteners, there is no pin break and, therefore, no metal waste. In addition, NeoBolt is said to offer reduced noise, no installation shock, no risk of pintails being dropped into the application or work area, and no corrosion at a pin break surface. With no shock loads, tool life is extended and operator fatigue reduced.
Apart from the elimination of metal waste, the reduced pin weight and size versus normal lockbolts offers the environmental benefits of using fewer raw materials and less energy throughout manufacturing, shipping, and storage. Designed for industries ranging from rail, truck, and trailer to mining, construction, commercial vehicles, and alternative energy applications, NeoBolt fasteners are reported to withstand the stresses of the toughest applications and environments.
NeoBolt fasteners are quickly and easily installed in seconds to provide what the manufacturer calls a secure, maintenance-free,
Standard laser welding practice often leaves a noticeable indentation at the end of the weld. With SmartRamp, laser parameters reportedly can be controlled in real-time to produce welds without any such defects, as shown in the photo. Photo courtesy of Prima Power Laserdyne.
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12 DESIGN-2-PART magazine • September 2015
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long lasting joint compared to traditional nut and bolt assemblies. NeoBolt is said to offer a permanent joint with far greater vibration resistance that avoids loosening by unscrewing.
To install the NeoBolt fastener, the pin is placed through the materials to be joined and the collar screwed onto the pin thread with just a single turn. This collar “fit-up” feature enables easy pre-assembly in joints and avoids the need to support the pin during the subsequent swaging operation. A tool with an open collet is placed over the pin tail end, and, when actuated, the collet closes and pulls the pin. The anvil moves onto the collar, closes any joint gaps, and swages the collar wall down into the pin locking grooves. Once full swaging load is reached, the tool travel stops and returns to release the pin.
Radial bars on the collar flange, standard on all sizes, further enable quick visual verification of full swage during installation or inspection. NeoBolt lockbolts are available in a variety of sizes, ranging from 3/16-inch to 1-inch (4.8mm to 25.4mm) diameter,
with a grip range from 0.520 inch to 6.23 inches (1.3 to 158mm). POP® Avdel ® is a registered trademark of STANLEY Engineered
Fastening, a Stanley Black & Decker Inc. Company.
Cold Bonding for Custom Gaskets QUEBEC—Elasto Proxy, a custom fabricator of industrial
rubber products, has introduced technical resources to offer help for manufacturers who want to learn whether cold bonding is the right splicing technique for their custom rubber gaskets. As Elasto Proxy explains in an on-line article and video, there are many factors to consider.
The article, “Cold Bonding for Custom Gaskets,” is available via the Elasto Proxy website (www.elastoproxy.com). The video is embedded in the article, and also appears on YouTube.
Cold offers important advantages, but it’s not right for every sealing application. For example, although cold splicing can be used with corners that include odd angles, it’s not recommended for custom gaskets that will be exposed to high temperatures or outdoor environments.
Hot splicing techniques produce custom gaskets with stronger corners, but not all sealing applications require this level of performance. Hot splicing is also more expensive than cold bonding. Glued gaskets, as cold-bonded gaskets are also called, require no special tooling and cure at ambient temperatures.
Elasto Proxy specializes in the design and custom fabrication of specialty seals, thermal and acoustic insulation, vibration dampening products and materials, EMI shielding, and other high-quality rubber and plastic parts. For over 25 years, the company has supplied low-to-medium volume quantities of rubber products to partners in a variety of industries.
POP Avdel’s new NeoBolt lockbolt fastener system. Photo courtesy of Stanley Engineered Fastening.
A.K. Stamping Announces Thin Coils for Wireless Charging
MOUNTAINSIDE, N.J.—A.K. Stamping Company, Inc., recently released its new A2311 Transmit Coil, designed to work within the A11 specification of the WPC (Qi) standard.
Based upon a true bifilar Tesla coil design, these stamped coils are said to be significantly thinner (0.3mm for coil alone, 2mm for coil mounted to optional ferrite shield) than comparable Litz wire coils. This gives designers the freedom to significantly reduce the overall thickness of their charging devices.
Made from stamped aluminum, the A2311 coils are more resistant to damage from vibration and thermal shock than charging coils made by competing technologies, surpassing the automotive requirements for stress testing of passive components. In addition, AKS’s patent-pending coil manufacturing technology dramatically reduces coil costs compared to other wireless charging coils on the market today.
“We are excited to have developed an innovative solution for the growing wireless charging market,” said Carlo Montesa, product manager of Wireless Charging at AK Stamping, in a press release. “AKS is able to offer a dramatic reduction in coil thickness and cost. It’s truly a groundbreaking technology that gives the wireless charging industry the manufacturing scalability and consistency it needs. Compared to competing technologies, our technology provides an extremely robust solution that is ideal for both inductive and resonant applications.”
Ease of integration into WPC Qi transmitter devices was a key development goal for the A2311 charging coil. To that end, AKS worked extensively with wireless chipset manufacturer NXP Semi- conductor to ensure that the coil assembly is verified for optimum
functionality with NXP chipsets for WPC A11 applications. The benefit for systems designers is a shorter design and verification cycle when both the A2311 and NXP chipsets are used together, according to company representatives.
A.K. Stamping Company, Inc. (www.akstamping.com) designs and manufactures wireless charging coil solutions for WPC, PMA, and Rezence (A4WP). The company blends design, prototyping, and mass production capabilities to consistently meet the needs of this fast growing market, according to company representatives.
Proto Labs Introduces Low-Alloy Steel to Metal Injection Molding
MAPLE PLAIN, Minn.—Product designers and engineers can now get injection-molded low-alloy steel prototypes and low-volume production parts at rapid manufacturer Proto Labs, Inc., the company announced recently. The technology-driven company has added two nickel steel materials (Catamold FN02 and FN0205) and a chrome-moly material (Catamold 42CrMo4) that is the metal injection molding (MIM) equivalent of 4140 steel. The new metals expand the potential applications for parts produced by Proto Labs’ advanced MIM process.
“We’ve had tremendous customer demand for stainless steel with MIM last year, and expect the same response to our new low-alloy metals,” said Becky Cater, Proto Labs’ product manager for MIM, in a press release. “We offer many different hard and soft metals through our 3D printing and CNC machining services at Proto Labs, but nickel steel is only produced through metal injection molding. This material boost will inherently let our customers do more things in the realm of low-volume metal manufacturing.”
Low-alloy steel creates strong, wear-resistant metal parts when heat-treated and is able to be to be coated in post-processing for further protection. As for applications, the low-alloy steel materials will be used heavily by the firearms industry for various gun and archery components, by automotive engineers for engine and transmission components, and by the industrial goods sector during development of hand and power tools, as well as door and window lock hardware, for example.
In addition to rapid prototypes, Proto Labs (www.protolabs. com) can produce up to 5,000+ metal injection molded end-use parts within 15 days. The complex multi-step MIM process is explained in a comprehensive white paper at protolabs.com.
Integral Technologies Announces Breakthrough Bipolar Battery
CANTON, Mich.—Integral Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ElectriPlast Corporation, recently announced the
company’s invention of a patent-pending, highly conductive plastic bipolar plate with plans to be developed into a lightweight, moldable, and cost effective battery.
The ElectriPlast bipolar plate (www.bipolarbatteryplate.com) provides further benefits to manufacturers and end users, as it reduces steps and time in the manufacturing process, provides flexibility in the form factor of the battery, and is environmen- tally friendly.
“A view shared by many throughout the industry is that lead acid technology is reaching a sunset phase in the development cycle,” said Doug Bathauer, president and chief executive officer of Integral Technologies, in a press release. “This is evident by the ongoing efforts to develop other technologies. While lithium ion, for example, is taking center stage, lead acid is still the ‘tried- and-true’ technology.”
The worldwide market demand for lead-acid batteries was estimated to be $44.7B in 2014 and “projected to reach $58.5B by 2020,” reports Future Market Insights.
“Based on our high volume processing capability and elimination of the multiple components needed to assemble other material based plates, our conductive polymer-based bipolar plate is very cost effective,” said Bathauer in the release. “Working within the industry and with the Integral Advisory Board, we are in the process of developing partnerships to realize the potential of this new market segment.”
ElectriPlast’s (www.electriplast.com) unique properties allow the company to tailor the conductivity and resistance of the bipolar plate substrate and subsequent surface treatment processes to create a low resistance bipolar plate as the contact to the active paste materials, said Slobodan “Bob” Pavlovic, vice president of
A fully dense component produced by metal injection molding sits atop metal feedstock. Photo: Businesswire.
17September 2015 • www.d2pmagazine.com
engineering for ElectriPlast Corporation, in the release. Pavlovic directs material research, product development, and design initiatives for the company.
The bipolar plate is created using a molding process that enables the creation of assembly interfaces, which are suitable for multiple sealing solutions that vary from sonic/vibe welding to integrated seals compatible with battery environments. Mechanically robust, the polymer- based structure of the bipolar plate allows for ease of handling and assembly, as well as resistance to stresses in the battery environment, Pavlovic said in the release.
Integral Technologies Inc. (www.itkg. net) and wholly owned subsidiary Elec- triPlast Corp., engage in the discovery, development, and commercialization of electrically conductive hybrid plastics used primarily as raw materials in the production of industrial, commercial, and consumer products and services worldwide.
Capless Fuel Neck Adapter Awarded Patent Innovative adapter is said to work with virtually any automotive leak detection device
HUNTINGTON Beach, Calif.—STAR EnviroTech recently announced that its double-door Capless Fuel Neck Adapter, which provides an OEM-quality fit for all new Ford and GM double- door capless fue l necks , was recently awarded U.S. P a t e n t N o . 8,998,170 B2. The adapter wil l also fit other auto- makers’ double door capless fuel systems currently in development, according to a release from the manufacturer.
STAR’s newly patented Capless Adapt- er is said to solve the problem by creating a secure seal for testing. Unlike capped fuel tank adapters that attach outside the fuel neck, the STAR Capless Fuel Neck Adapter slips through the double doors and securely seals with a twist. It works with virtually any leak detection device to perform EVAP system tests, especially pressure/ vacuum decay and smoke leak testing (An 18-second demo can be seen at http://www.vacutec.com/capless/). It also integrates seamlessly with smoke
machines featuring STAR EnviroTech’s patented Diagnostic Smoke® leak detection technologies. Made of high grade aluminum and other rugged, fuel resistant
substrates to ensure a long working life, the Capless Fuel Neck Adapter is backed by an unconditional five-year warranty.
STAR EnviroTech (StarEnviroTech. com), based in Huntington Beach, Calif., develops industry standard technologies for leak testing in fuel evaporative (EVAP), vacuum/induction, turbo, and other vehicle and non-vehicle systems. The company doesn’t sell to end-users; instead, it licenses its technologies to the largest tool manufacturers and distribu- tors worldwide.
Unlike capped fuel tank adapters that attach outside the fuel neck, the STAR Capless Fuel Neck Adapter slips through the double door and securely seals with a twist.
Image courtesy of STAR EnviroTech.
Tools for optimizing design, engineering, and manufacturing
Software & Information Technology
18
Artificial Intelligence Algorithms are Key to Development and Selection of New Advanced Materials Citrine’s data analytics platform is said to reduce the cost, time, and risk associated with materials R&D and manufacturing By Mark Shortt
Greg Mulholland is looking for a few early partners—large and small companies—who can help demonstrate the value of the materials data analytics platform that he’s presenting. Mulholland is co-founder and chief operating officer of Citrine Informatics, a two-year-old startup based in Redwood City, California, and he is speaking to an estimated 300-plus technology R&D, manufacturing management, and investment professionals at TechConnect World Innovation, a conference and exposition held June 14-17, 2015, in Washington, D.C.
Given 10 minutes to make his presentation, Mulholland de- scribes a project in which Citrine’s predictive artificial intelligence system helped materials scientists at the University of California at Santa Barbara uncover what he called “a totally new class of thermoelectric materials.”
“The reaction that we got from the materials scientists at Santa Barbara was surprising,” he said. “They said that never in a million years would they have thought of this materials type to exhibit thermoelectric properties. But we have a partnership with them, and our models indicated that this would be a good thermoelectric, and indeed it was a thermoelectric material. Our models allowed us to reach outside of the normal thinking for new materials discovery.”
Advanced materials—whether they’re used in aerospace parts, advanced batteries, solar cells, or even polymer coatings—have long been developed by scientists who rely on their own intu- ition to develop those materials. But they are sufficiently com- plicated these days that no single human can hold the entirety of materials data in his or her own head anymore. That’s where Citrine’s data analytics platform comes in. “We’re basically taking a Big Data approach to chemicals and materials discovery and optimization,” Mulholland said in a follow-up interview at the TechConnect Expo.
The platform, which Mulholland calls “a tailored artificial intelligence engine for materials,” aggregates large-scale materials data by extracting them from journal articles, academic peer reviews, existing databases, and a customer’s own data. “There’s a huge amount of materials data out there in the public sphere,” said Mulholland in the interview. “Even if you go back in to the Cold War era, a lot of good materials research was done back then, so we go back and scrape that data. But we also use customer data. If you’re a large materials company and have 50 years of materials research, we actually will simulate that into our database for your use, and we’ll build models on top of your historical data. And so, as a materials company, you’re taking advantage of the last 50 years of knowledge that you’ve generated.”
Citrine’s platform then deploys highly tuned artificial intelligence algorithms to predict the performance of new advanced
materials and identify those materials for specific applications in aerospace, advanced batteries, solar cells, polymer coatings, and the like. The algorithms are built on state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms, which are modified by Citrine to take advantage of physical phenomena present in materials and chemicals. “We’re specialists in designing materials-specific machine learning algorithms,” Mulholland said.
What types of insights can a company glean from all of that data? Mulholland said there are a number of possibilities, beginning with the ability to fill gaps in existing data. If you don’t know something about a particular material, Citrine can help you understand what that property might be. Perhaps even more exciting, he said, the analytics platform can help identify materials outside of the normal performance envelope that exists today.
“You might be looking for a lightweight alloy for a car. We can identify materials that are high strength, light weight, and take advantage of the data and the processing capabilities that you have in house already. The core for us is identifying materials that are able to be brought to market quickly for our customers. Discovery is really important, but more important is the ability to take that discovery and actually deploy it into a product,” Mulholland said.
Citrine’s artificial intelligence systems have already been demonstrated to work with phosphors, as well as thermoelectrics, and can be applied to a broad range of materials. Mulholland credits this to the strong collective skill of the entire team, which currently includes four others. Jordan O’Meara, the vice president of engineering, earned his B.S. and M.S. in computer science from North Carolina State University and previously worked for eight years at Red Hat, the developer of open-source software. Two colleagues who co-founded Citrine with Mulholland—Kyle Michel and Bryce Meredig—are materials scientists by training, like Mulholland, and have strong backgrounds (Ph.D.’s) in com- putational materials science.
“I come from an experimental materials background, so we bring the best of both computation and experimental logic together, and that allows us to work with very, very large data sets,” said Mulholland. “If you ask me if I can find a totally new class of superconductors that is superconducting at room temperature, the answer is ‘absolutely not.’ But if you ask me if I can find existing phenomena in new materials classes, or that extend the envelope of known existing phenomena, or at least demonstrate the existing phenomena, that is exactly up our alley. So [that includes] things like identifying new polymer blends, or identifying new hard glasses, even identifying new catalysts. These are all areas where we’re very interested in working and we are looking for partnerships in.”
Citrine Informatics is eyeing two types of core companies as potential customers: producers of advanced materials—companies like Dow, DuPont, Corning, and Alcoa—and consumers of those materials. Consumers of advanced materials include large companies, like Boeing, Lockheed, Apple, or Samsung, that rely on advanced materials to enable their products. Although they may not be specifically focused on developing materials themselves, they use advanced materials as a differentiator, Mulhol-
land said. Citrine’s customer base also includes—to the extent that they need specific materials information—parts makers, contract manufacturers, and suppliers to product manufacturers and OEMs. “We see ourselves as the authoritative source for materials information, and so any company that relies on that fundamental materials information, we see as our potential customer,” Mulholland said.
At TechConnect, Mulholland said he was most interested in taking advantage of the opportunities to connect with some of the bigger companies. When reaching out to larger organizations, he said, it can be hard to find the right person who has both an open mind about new technologies like Citrine’s, and the ability to make a decision to bring a company in. The great thing about TechConnect, he said, is that “there’s a huge population of those people here.”
“We’re also looking to find partners that are smaller—companies that are agile, can move quickly, and can help us prove out our technology in a more public way and really show some early wins for our company.”
What’s in Your Data? After catching Greg Mulholland’s presentation on Monday,
June 15, at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference, we caught up with him the next day at Citrine Informatics’ booth on the expo floor. Here’s more of what the co-founder and chief operating officer of Citrine Informatics told us about his company’s mission to help companies unlock hidden value from their materials data: D2P: What would you say is the biggest challenge in talking to people about the need for a data analytics platform for advanced materials? Greg Mulholland: I think the biggest challenge for us is that materials have been developed in the same way for a really long time, and I think everyone knows that data is the future, but I don’t know that everyone always knows what that means. And I think even we are discovering what that means. And so telling the story and explaining the product in a way that shows that it’s an enabling technology, not a threatening technology, as well as something that can be easily integrated into current development and production lifecycles, is something that is a challenging thing for us to do. That sort of communication is the hardest part. D2P: How do you go about implementing this analytical platform with a company? GM: What we do is we make it as easy as possible. We take a
“The Citrine team came together around the vision that future breakthroughs in the materials industry will emerge from large-scale data analysis and data-driven decision-making. The founders of Citrine hail from di- verse materials backgrounds, but share a common belief: By combining data from across the materials community and applying state-of-the-art modeling algorithms to those data, software will directly accelerate materials innovation by providing unexpected insights and predictive guidance.”
Source: Citrine Informatics (http://www.citrine. io/#citrineinformatics)
HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M TALKING TO AN ENGINEER OR A SALESMAN?
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HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M TALKING TO AN ENGINEER OR A SALESMAN?
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couple of steps. First, we ask to work with their structured data, so, if they have Excel tables or databases of their own, we are able to bring those in very quickly. We also ask if they have things like technical reports and fields they’re interested in, old PowerPoint presentations that were given at technical meetings, and we actually have tools that go in and pull data from those reports and allow us to add them to our database.
And then we work with a handful of scientists, or even one contact there, to identify the properties of interest that they’re focused on. We build models, or allow them to build models, that will predict these materials properties. And we deploy it, usually over the cloud, for them to triage experimental ideas or group force test thousands or millions of materials very quickly. D2P: How do you see the market for your product? GM: It’s something we see growing very quickly. When we started, it felt like it was potentially big, but it started as a niche. I think now, we’ve started to understand that there are a huge number of companies that are really hungry for data, and to use their data better. Executives at huge multi-national companies say ‘We have 100 years of research data that we’re not using anymore. How do we make value from that?’ And Citrine is the way they make value from it.
Software Enables Real-time Collaboration, Reducing Risk of Late-stage Design Changes
BURLINGTON, Mass.—A recent upgrade to PowerINSIGHT®, a results generation, analysis, and reporting program from Exa Corporation, is said to allow users to optimize product performance early in the development process by automating the analysis and sharing of simulation results. In doing so, the software fosters improved collaboration between engineering and design teams, according to a release from Exa, a pro- vider of simulation software for product design and engineering.
In addition to enabling rapid, real- time, side-by-side comparison of results from multiple runs, PowerINSIGHT 2.0 is said to efficiently package content, empowering engineers and designers to make insightful, simulation-based deci- sions quickly and efficiently. It processes terabytes of big data and automatically
generates reports and PowerPoint® presentations that include compelling ren- derings and animations of the simulation results.
Early-stage communication and collaboration is enhanced because simulation data can be shared immediately. The ability to understand the full implications of design and engineering choices at the beginning of product development can eradicate costly and time-consuming late- stage changes, which ultimately compromise final product performance.
“Simulation runs produce powerful
insights for our customers, but they do result in massive amounts of data that can be time consuming to process using traditional software—leaving significant value on the table,” remarked Stephen Remondi, president and CEO of Exa, in the release. “Engineering teams and designers need a common visual environment that allows them to demonstrate the true impact of their design alternatives. PowerINSIGHT 2.0 allows engineering and design teams to work together in real- time and focus on developing products without compromise.”
Design & Engineering Spotlight
22
New Technology Enables 3D Printing of Composite Parts Strong, lightweight, geometrically complex parts are produced using composite based AM process By Mark Shortt
Two rapidly growing areas of manufacturing technology— additive manufacturing (AM) and thermoplastic composites—are being actively explored today by major players in the automotive, aerospace, aviation, and defense industries. Although many believe that 3D printing and composites technologies offer potential to solve enormous market needs, further market penetration hinges on their ability to overcome certain limitations, including relatively slow part production speeds.
To date, a proven method that combines the best of both technologies—by 3D printing strong, lightweight thermoplastic composite parts from carbon fiber or aramid (Kevlar) materials—has remained elusive. But a new technology known as Composite Based Additive Manufacturing (CBAM) does just that while also enabling faster production speed, according to its developers, who call it “the world’s first industrial 3D printer of fiber-reinforced laminated composite parts.”
The technology, developed by Northbrook, Illinois-based Impossible Objects, won the Rapid 2015 Outstanding Innovation Award at the Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ Rapid 2015 Conference & Exhibition in Long Beach, Calif., in May.
Composite Based Additive Manufacturing is unique for a number of reasons, including faster build speeds than other 3D printing processes and traditional composites manufacturing methods, according to Larry Kaplan, CEO of Impossible Objects. “CBAM is scalable to rival injection molding speeds, and that’s because we use standard thermal inkjet printing technology in our process, and so we can take advantage of the inkjet printing speeds that already exist,” Kaplan said during a short, ten-minute presentation on the technology at TechConnect World Innovation, a conference and exposition held in June in Washington, D.C.
Impossible Objects’ CBAM process also enables stronger parts, with mechanical properties up to 10 times greater than other 3D printed plastics, and a wider range of usable materials than other 3D printing processes, Kaplan continued. “Our starting materials are strong technical fabrics, like this carbon fiber cloth,” he said, pointing to a PowerPoint image on the screen. “We work not only with carbon fiber, but also fiberglass, Kevlar, and others, and we combine them with thermoplastics. We don’t use specially formu- lated thermoplastics, so just about any of the world’s off-the-shelf thermoplastics are available for use in our process.”
In a follow-up interview on the TechConnect expo floor, Kaplan described the CBAM process.
“We start with fabrics of fiber materials, like carbon fiber, fiberglass, Kevlar, and we feed these fabrics into an inkjet printer, just like you would feed paper into an inkjet printer,” Kaplan told D2P. “We use the inkjet heads to print the different layers of the object onto the fabric. But in the inkjet head, it’s not a build material; it’s just a wetting agent. It’s low viscosity, so we can print at inkjet speeds.
“So we print all the layers of the object onto those sheets, and
after we do that, we then dust the fabric with a thermoplastic powder. The powder sticks to where the sheet’s wet, and where it’s not wet, we blow it off, just like glue glitter when you were a kid. What you’re left with is thermoplastic adhered to the fabric in the shapes. We then stack up all of those layers, we heat it to the melting temperature of the polymer, and we press it down to the final part height. The polymer flows and fuses into a bonded object inside the stack of sheets.
“Then we remove the object by sand blasting, and the un- coated fibers shed right off. And that’s your final part. You can print a part like this in about six minutes,” said Kaplan, adding that the goal is to reduce that time to “under a minute.”
The market opportunity for strong, lightweight parts that can be rapidly produced “is enormous,” Kaplan said in his presentation. “In the automotive industry, lightweight parts are critical for strategies to increase fuel efficiency and meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements. And in the aerospace industry, every pound of weight reduction on a spacecraft or rocket translates to $100,000 in cost savings.”
Impossible Objects currently provides a custom parts making service for paying customers in the aerospace, aviation, defense, automotive, medical, and athletic equipment markets. “We’re already shipping parts to Fortune 500 companies and others, for applications like drones, rockets, and trucks,” Kaplan continued. “Our go-to-market strategy is to continue to make and fulfill orders for custom parts, and then bring CBAM machines and materials to market for broad scale distribution.”
In the interview, Kaplan said that Impossible Objects was get- ting “very, very good feedback” from its customers. “They really like our strength-to-weight ratio properties. They like the ability to be able to use our parts for functional applications, and not just form and fit prototypes,” he said.
Founded in 2009 by inventor and businessman Robert Swartz, Impossible Objects (impossible-objects.com) is a venture backed company that closed a $2.8 million round of seed financing led by OCA Ventures last December.
THERMAL-VAC TECHNOLOGY THE CUTTING EDGE OF BRAZING & HEAT TREATING
Thermal-Vac Technology is one of North America’s leading, independently owned precision brazing, heat treating and metal fi nishing fi rms. As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we have earned a reputation for outstanding performance, personalized service and attention to detail.
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A sampling of the geometrically complex composite parts that can be produced to custom specifications via Impossible Objects’ Composite Based Additive Manufacturing (CBAM) process. Photo courtesy of Impossible Objects.
THERMAL-VAC TECHNOLOGY THE CUTTING EDGE OF BRAZING & HEAT TREATING
Thermal-Vac Technology is one of North America’s leading, independently owned precision brazing, heat treating and metal fi nishing fi rms. As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we have earned a reputation for outstanding performance, personalized service and attention to detail.
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Pre-release 3D Printing Technology is Said to Speed Innovation in Materials, Product Design Ford is testing the technology as part of its new additive manufacturing research program
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—Early access to a pre-release 3D printing technology has reportedly enabled Ford Motor Company to demonstrate the ability to unlock mechanical properties not previously attainable through other 3D printing technologies. Ford, which has been using conventional 3D printing technologies to prototype new product designs for more than twenty years, began testing a pre-release version of Carbon3D’s first Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP)-based device in December 2014. The testing is part of a new additive manufacturing research program recently established by Ford to explore the potential of new technologies to manufacture vehicle-ready parts.
According to a press release from Ford, Carbon3D’s CLIP technology is allowing Ford to move more quickly from ideas to production. The automaker has already successfully applied the technology to current and future vehicle model designs, and is using CLIP to research new automotive relevant materials.
“Carbon3D’s CLIP technology has allowed us to realize our need for high-speed, high-quality printing of actual automotive- grade parts,” said Raj Nair, group vice president of global product development and chief technology officer. “We are excited to further our relationship and look forward to innovating together to make 3D manufacturing a reality.”
Carbon3D’s CLIP technology uses a tunable photochemical process instead of the traditional mechanical approach, reportedly eliminating the shortcomings of conventional layer-by-layer 3D printing technology to rapidly transform 3D models into
physical objects. The CLIP technology carefully balances the interaction of UV light, which triggers photo polymerization, and oxygen, which inhibits the reaction, allowing for continuously grown objects from a pool of resin. The resulting parts are said to exhibit predictable mechanical properties that are applicable for a range of industries, including aerospace, industrial goods, medical, dental, and automotive. The properties are also suited to a range of needs for Ford vehicles, including under the hood, interiors, and high strength-to-weight ratio parts.
“Working with Ford offers a great opportunity to further prove our technology’s ability to produce the wide range of material and mechanical properties that are needed across the automotive industry to truly achieve 3D manufacturing,” said Joseph DeSimone, CEO and co-founder of Carbon3D.
The array of materials and mechanical properties needed for automotive applications has relegated conventional 3D printing to conceptual prototyping. With only a handful of available materials and printed parts that are shale-like and weak, the resulting mechanical properties of conventionally 3D printed parts are unsuitable for in-vehicle use. And the speed at which parts have been created with conventional technology has left designers and engineers stagnated in slow prototyping.
Ford worked to produce elastomer grommets for the Focus Electric and tested them against those made by traditional 3D printing methods. Not only were the grommets made in less than a third of the time with the CLIP-based device, the material properties were said to be much closer to the final desired properties for the part. The grommets are used in a space in the door of the vehicle, between the door and the body side. They allow wir- ing to be protected from being cut and damaged by sheet metal
inside the vehicle. In a similar study, several alternative designs were evaluated for a damping bumper part on the Ford Transit Connect using CLIP technology. The reduced manufacturing time allowed engineers to make design iterations much more quickly than with traditional methods, according to the release.
Most recently, Ford needed to address a major engineering issue that arose after placing a V8 engine into a new vehicle body design. The vehicle’s design created an unreachable oil filler cap because the engine sat lower and farther back under the hood. The product engineering team realized the opportunity to quickly address the issue using Carbon3D’s CLIP-based device. The team was able to rapidly design, prototype, and manufacture an oil connector using rigid polyurethane and elastomer materials to access the oil fill tube without needing major redesigns to several components of the vehicle.
Beyond the current vehicle applications, Ford has also been able to expand its own materials research because of CLIP’s gentle process and dedication to high quality polymeric materials. To date, the team has tested several materials, including resins reinforced with nano-sized particles. The automaker is eager to further investigate resin modifications for improved mechanical properties and consider the creation of thermally and electrically conductive materials for future vehicle applications.
“We’re thrilled. The parts we’ve produced are mechanically strong, just like injection molded parts. That’s the target we’ve set for an automotive grade part,” said Ellen Lee, team leader, additive manufacturing research at Ford. “The chemistry that Carbon3D has based their resins on has significant potential to yield functional, durable materials. We’re excited to be able to tap into their technology to create new automotive relevant materials
and applications for digital manufacturing. It’s revolutionary.” More information on how Ford is Using CLIP is available here:
http://carbon3d.com/customer-stories/ford/
Design of Complex Aerospace Fuel Housing Achieves 50 Percent Weight Saving
WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.—In the manufacturing of complex fuel housings for the global aircraft industry, cost savings of more than 30 percent and weight savings of up to 50 percent can be achieved versus existing metal designs by combining fusible-core technology with a PEEK polymer. Egmond Plastic, an injection molding specialist, recently combined its own fusible- core technology with a high performance PEEK polymer provided by Victrex (victrex.com) to achieve these savings via efficient production, including part consolidation. For example, carbon fiber reinforced grades of Victrex® PEEK polymer eliminate the use of a separate bearing, which can be integrated into the overall design of the housing.
Fuel housings for aerospace applications have very complex inner geometries that are not moldable using conventional injection molding technology. Egmond Plastic’s fusible-core technology enables moldings of complex hollow housings, manifolds, and pipes.
“Our technology, in combination with carbon fiber reinforced Victrex PEEK polymer, delivers numerous benefits,” said Richard Brandwijk, managing director at Egmond Plastic, in a press release. “These include cost reduction, enhanced manufacturing speed, and weight reduction, leading to improved fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. Along with part consolidation, this exceptional technology and material combination enables the
from Altair (altair.com), Virfac provides quality predictions for manufactured parts with the ability to improve product lifespan and design before any prototype is required.
Virfac is said to be capable of predicting residual distortions encountered by a part during the manufacturing process, as well as residual stresses, to help calculate the in-service fatigue life of the part. Particularly suited for high fidelity results on complex industrial applications, the simulation software reportedly ensures manufactured part quality by predicting material transformations during the process, as well as the final manufactured component.
“Virfac is a new type of technology in the HyperWorks offering, and I believe this will help us identify many different ways to collaborate,” said Laurent D’Alvise, CEO of GeonX, in the release. “GeonX is really looking forward to exploring the possibilities of the partnership with Altair.”
Virfac employs several solvers as computing engines—all dependent on the accuracy level and physics necessary for a particular model—to help the software address a wide range of problems. The main computing engine applied by Virfac is Morfeo, a massively parallel finite element (FE) solver capable of non-linear thermo-mechanical-metallurgical detailed modelling of manufacturing processes. Morfeo performs simulations of various manufacturing processes on high performance computing systems. This connection helps Virfac perform advanced simulation of welding processes, including fusion welding, friction stir welding, and inertia friction welding, and creates the capability to mimic results of various heat and surface treatments, additive manufacturing, and damage tolerance based on the XFEM technology.
design of very complex parts, beyond the capabilities of standard injection molding and metal processes.”
Utilizing a near net-shape manufacturing process for the fusible core allows for an 80 percent time saving versus machined parts. Secondary treatments for corrosion protection, such as anodizing, can be eliminated, and lead times can be reduced by 50 percent. These factors collectively result in part cost savings of more than 30 percent versus metal equivalents.
Previously, the end-user had generally specified aluminum for the production of fuel containing parts, but a carbon fiber reinforced PEEK polymer demonstrated superior fatigue performance when compared to aluminum. It does this while meeting all the engineering requirements for this application, including stiffness, effective flame, smoke and toxicity (FST) performance, and resistance to aggressive chemicals, including notably, for this aerospace application, resistance to jet fuel and Skydrol® hydraulic fluid. Parts can range in size all the way up to 30 cm x 30 cm x 40 cm (11.8 in x 11.8 in x 15.8 in).
Skydrol is a registered trademark of Eastman Chemical Company.
Simulation Tool Helps Predict and Solve Welding Challenges
TROY, Mich.—Welding simulation software that was recently made available to HyperWorks® users through the Altair Partner Alliance (APA) is reported to help predict and solve challenges encountered in welding and manufacturing processes. Hyper- Works users gained access to the Virfac® software from GeonX S.A. in May, when Altair announced that GeonX S.A. had joined the Altair Partner Alliance (APA). According to a press release
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ABB Starts Production of Industrial Robots in U.S. ZURICH, Switzerland—ABB, claiming to be “the first global industrial robotics company to fully commit to and invest in a North American robotics manufacturing footprint,” recently announced that it is beginning to manufacture robots in the United States for the North American market. The company, a major global supplier of power and automation technologies, made the announcement at the opening of a new robotics plant at its existing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where the company is reported to have “about 500 highly skilled employees.”
The new plant is ABB’s third robotics production facility, following the establishment of plants in Shanghai, China, and Västerås, Sweden, and will manufacture ABB robots and related equipment for the North American market.
According to a release from ABB, the United States is ABB’s largest market with $7.5 billion in sales. The company has reportedly invested more than $10 billion in local R&D, capital expendi- ture, and acquisitions since 2010, taking local employment from 11,500 to 26,300. Con- tinued investment in the North American value chain and manufacturing is said to constitute a significant part of ABB’s global growth plans.
“Today, we are marking and celebrating the next stage of our commitment and growth in North America with the start of local robot manufacturing in Auburn Hills, U.S.,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer, in a company release. “ABB is the first global automation company to open a robot manufacturing facility in the United States. Robotics is a fundamental enabler of the next level of North American industrial growth in an increasingly competitive world. With our continued commitment and investment, our local team is well positioned to support our customers with robotics solutions made in the United States. Our leading technology of web-enabled, collaborative, and safe robots will contribute to job security and quality of work.”
“The new North American manufacturing presence elevates our offering and service to robotics customers in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, allowing us to achieve best-in-class delivery schedules and technical support in North America,” said Per Vegard Nerseth, managing director of ABB Robotics. “The expansion is consistent with our global strategy, which is to establish a local presence in key robotics growth markets to provide our leading technology to our customers. Thanks to the strong robotics market, I’m confident we will expand our workforce here to a total of 1,000 highly skilled employees in the not-too-distant future.”
The portfolio of products manufactured at the new facility will expand in phases, with the goal that most ABB robots and robot controllers delivered in the United States, Canada, and Mexico
will be manufactured in Auburn Hills. Lo- calized manufacturing streamlines the delivery process and results in significantly reduced robot lead times for customers, according to ABB.
ABB’s Robot ics Business Unit (www. abb.com/robotics), a major supplier of industrial robots, also provides robot software, peripheral equipment, modular manufacturing cells, and service for tasks such as welding, handling, assembly, painting and finishing, pick-
ing, packing, palletizing, and machine tending. Its key markets include the automotive, plastics, metal fabrication, foundry, electronics, machine tools, pharmaceutical, and food and bever- age industries.
Horst Engineering Reshores Production, Announces U.S. Expansion
EAST HARTFORD, Conn.—Horst Engineering & Manu- facturing Co., a contract manufacturer of precision machined aerospace components, recently announced that it is moving production from its Mexican plant and increasing production at its United States plants. The company has discontinued operations at its Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, facility, which employed
ABB has started production of industrial robots for the U.S. and North American market at a new robotics manufacturing plant in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Photo courtesy of ABB.
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about 50 people and was established in 2006. “After careful evaluation, our management team decided to
expand operations in the U.S. rather than continue to do so in Mexico,” said Scott Livingston, chief executive officer of Horst Engineering, in a press release.
It was proving very difficult to recruit sufficiently skilled labor in Mexico, Livingston said in the release, adding that the work- forces in Connecticut and Massachusetts are so highly skilled that it makes up for what was a perceived lower cost of doing business in Mexico.
“Recruiting skilled workers in the U.S. is still a major challenge, and the cost of doing business in New England remains high, but our decision resulted from careful analysis of all related financial considerations,” he said in the release. “With an eye toward future return on investment, it makes the most sense to move production from Mexico and expand in the U.S., where we have an established base of skills.”
The move represents a major phase of reinvestment in the company’s domestic operations. “We are excited to strengthen our local ties, particularly because the aerospace industry is so firmly entrenched in the Northeast, where there is a talented pool of workers and a strong network of suppliers that are important to our success,” Livingston said.
As a first step, the company has established a satellite plant in South Windsor, and is evaluating incentives and other opportunities in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. It will assess which locations will be best to expand and grow the workforce in the future. The company said its expansion will accelerate through 2015 and 2016.
With the move to the U.S., Horst Engineering expects to increase its investment in advanced manufacturing technology to support the growing needs of customers. “By focusing on our New England operations, we will have better oversight of plant operations and we will strengthen our systems,” said Livingston in the release.
The Horst Engineering (www.horstengineering.com) Fam- ily of Companies was founded in 1946 and is a privately held contract manufacturer of precision machined components and assemblies for aerospace and other high technology industries. Its core processes include Swiss screw machining, turning, milling, thread rolling, centerless grinding, honing, and assembly. The
Workers assemble parts at Horst’s Connecticut facility, where the company plans to increase production after relocating its operations from Mexico. Photo courtesy of Michael J. London & Associates.
company currently employs 40 people at Sterling Machine in Lynn, Massachusetts; and 95 people at Horst Engineering, and Thread Rolling Inc., in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Fronius Starts Manufac- turing Solar Inverters in the United States
PORTAGE, Ind.—Fronius, USA, a subsidiary of Fronius International, recently invested more than $1.5 million in the development and integration of a full manufacturing and testing facility in its Portage, Indiana headquarters.
Fronius appreciates Indiana as a manufacturing location for its ideal geo- graphical location amidst the crossroads of America, according to company representatives. The location offers easy access to ground or air transportation for fast shipping to any of the fifty states. Main suppliers of raw materials are located in the Midwest, which allows for short supply chains and good, long-lasting relation- ships with U.S. suppliers.
This new production line is the first step towards more U.S. manufacturing to come. Fronius USA plans to manufacture more products in Portage, Indiana, to better serve the high demand in the U.S.
“As a family owned company, we are thinking long-term and are dedicated to showing our commitment to the U.S. for generations to come,” said Fronius USA Director of Solar Energy, Thomas Enzen- dorfer, in a press release.
Fronius manufactures power electronics, including welding technology and solar inverters. Fronius USA recently hired more than 30 people to staff the production at the new 400,000-square- foot facility.
“The Fronius Primo is a leader in the residential solar industry and, as such, is a clear reason for Fronius to invest in production in the United States,” Enzen- dorfer said in the release, “Fronius USA is proud to offer a high quality product manufactured entirely in the United States.”
The Indiana manufacturing line produces and tests more than 200 Fronius Primo solar inverters per day. The Fronius Primo is part of the unique Fronius Snap- INverter line, which offers easy mounting, high design flexibility, and outstanding communication capabilities, according
Fronius USA plans to manufacture more products, including solar inverters, in its Portage, Indiana facility to meet increasing U.S. demand. Photo courtesy of Fronius.
to company representatives. The available power classes for the Fronius Primo inverter reach from 3.8 to 8.2 kW, to serve typical residential solar installations.
“Our inverter production line applies the latest lean production technologies. This allows us to achieve both, efficient production and elimination of any potential error source to assure highest quality,” said Klaus Strassmair, head of production at Fronius USA, in a press release. The production equipment for the new line was sourced locally from U.S. suppliers, as a strong commitment to quality and the U.S. market.
Fronius USA LLC (www.fronius-usa.com), headquartered in Portage, Indiana, manufactures solar system inverters and applicable accessories. The company is a part of a global network and a subsidiary of Fronius International GmbH, headquartered in Wels, Austria.
Kubota Expands U.S. Manufacturing to Meet Increasing Demand
TORRANCE, Calif.—Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC) and Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation (KMA) recently announced plans to increase production capacity for Kubota equipment in the U.S. by building a new manufacturing plant and expanding its existing operations in Gainesville, Georgia. The company’s expansion plans come on the heels of KTC’s recent announcement that it will relocate its U.S. headquarters to Grapevine, Texas, in an effort to get closer to its major markets and customers.
“Growing our manufacturing operations in Georgia will enable us to achieve even greater operational efficiencies to make
Kubota’s business stronger and more competitive,” said Hironobu Kubota, president of KMA, in a press release.
The new Georgia plant will be located on 180 acres at Gateway Industrial Centre, in Gainesville-Hall County, three miles from KMA’s existing facilities. The new building will be an estimated 502,000 square feet.
The existing KMA facility, which has been in operation since 1988 and employs approximately 1,300 people, will also undergo enhancements to increase its production capacity to support Kubota’s growing turf business.
“The demand for Kubota products continues to grow in the U.S.,” Kubota said in the release. “We estimate that this expansion of our operations will allow us to increase production capacity by sixty percent over the next five years.”
The announcement further demonstrates the company’s commitment to support its growing product offerings with operational excellence as a priority.
“Growing our manufacturing operations in Georgia will enable us to achieve even greater operational efficiencies to make Kubota’s business stronger and more competitive,” said Masato Yoshikawa, president and CEO of KTC, in the release. “We will be better equipped to respond to market needs more quickly, satisfying both dealer and customer demand for Kubota’s popular sub-compact tractors, turf products, and utility vehicles.”
Both KTC and KMA are U.S. subsidiaries of Kubota Corpora- tion, based in Osaka, Japan, and have been actively pursuing an aggressive growth strategy in the U.S.
Construction of the new facility in Gainesville is expected to begin in September 2015, with a goal to begin mass production in spring of 2017. The new plant will manufacture Kubota’s RTV
series utility vehicles, with the capacity to produce 50,000 units annually.
Kubota (www.kubota.com) has been operating in the state of Georgia for more than 40 years, with its first operations located in Norcross. In the mid-1980s, Kubota purchased its first office building in the state at the current KTC Southeast Division headquarters in Suwanee. Since that time, Kubota has further expanded its operation in Georgia to include KMA in Gainesville; its National Distribution Center (NDC) in Jefferson; and Kubota Industrial Equipment (KIE), also in Jefferson.
Kubota Tractor Corporation, located in Torrance, Calif., is the U.S. marketer and distributor of Kubota-engineered and manufactured machinery and equipment, including a complete line of tractors of up to 170 Gross hp, performance-matched implements, compact and utility-class construction equipment, consumer lawn and garden equipment, hay tools and spreaders, commercial turf products, and utility vehicles.
Mexico’s Nutec Group to Build First U.S. Manufacturing Facility in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C.—Nutec Group will develop a new advanced manufacturing facility in North Carolina, creating 61 new jobs during the next three years. The company also plans to invest $19.2 million in the town of Huntersville over the same period to construct a new 62,500-square-foot plant.
“North Carolina is connected with another first as Nutec chose our great state for its first United States manufacturing plant,”
said Governor Pat McCrory in a statement. “Our manufacturing base continues to grow and strengthen.”
Nutec Group is an international company headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, with plants in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico; Berriz, Spain; and San Paulo, Brazil. With more than 40 years of experience, Nutec is a producer of high temperature insulation fibers. Nutec products are used in the fire protection, metal, glass, automotive, and petroleum industries.
“Nutec recognized that North Carolina’s highly skilled workforce is a great fit along with great location to make and distribute products to its U.S. and Canadian customers

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