When you walk into the Redeye On Demand facility in Eden Prairie, MN, you enter into one version of the factory of the future. There you will see a bank of 100 high-end Fortus fused-deposition modeling (FDM) machines from Stratasys that provide the capacity to build real, functional parts with production-grade thermoplastics directly from CAD data.
Micro components continue to shrink in size, demanding ever-greater precision and improved handling of parts with sub-micron-sized features. New approaches in micro machining technology include higher-precision systems from traditional micro machining developers, as well as techniques using additive manufacturing processes and semiconductor wafer-scale technology on the smallest of micro parts.
In my capacity as the Chair of the Council of the Manufacturing USA institute directors, I often get asked about trends in U.S. advanced manufacturing.
Engineering information is both pervasive and essential within manufacturing plants. And, it changes constantly as a result of maintenance-related adjustments, alterations in plant processes, or the swap-out of components.
With today’s focus on lightweighting, hollow parts made from composite materials—such as ducting, fuel tanks, mandrels, and rocket shrouds—are in higher demand than ever before.
Visibility, uptime, profits, and part quality: why a networked manufacturing floor is no longer a nice-to-have
Using a digital process such as computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software can streamline the workflow between the additive and subtractive processes and reduce the chance of error,
Additive manufacturing regularly confronts the issue of full-scale manufacturing vs. product customization.
How additive manufacturing can help produce critical parts for aerospace applications.
Changes in technology are spurring manufacturing to expand in the U.S., speakers said this week at a trade show.
