Additive manufacturing is growing fast in the medical field, fueled by more materials and a better understanding of the possibilities. By Sarah A. Webster Editor in Chief The marriage between additive manufacturing and the medical industry has been a happy one, leading to new applications all the time. With the design freedom that rapid, 3D printing processes offer, Read More
Archives for March 2013
EASTEC 2013: Compact CNCs for Turning and Milling
New versions of the 828D compact CNC line are now available, including the 828D Basic T and 828D Basic M. The Basic T is designed for shopfloor turning machines. It combines CNC, PLC, operator panel and axis control for five axes/spindles, including live tooling. The Basic M is for use on milling machines. It is intended to help reduce machining times and to produce Read More
Tech Front: Oil Field Threading Demand on the Rise
Demand for oil field equipment technology for oil and gas industry applications like pipe and casing threading grew by 33% in the US in 2012 according to estimates cited by EMAG LLC (Farmington Hills, MI and Leipzig, Germany). Production in the Gulf of Mexico is projected to rise from 1.3 million to 1.7 million bbl/day during the next decade, and growth in global oil reserves Read More
Helicopters Fly High on Ceramic Bearings
If Reliance Tool & Manufacturing Co.’s research and test-cutting operations continue to progress at their current pace, the Elgin, IL shop foresees it will soon be able to cost effectively produce an entire ceramic bearing assembly, not just rollers, but also the races. Reliance is developing optimized machining processes for extremely hard ceramic materials, such as those Read More
Buckypaper: Whatever Happened to the Aerospace Material of Tomorrow?
The carbon nanotube sheet shows tantalizing properties for the aerospace industry. Research at HTMI aims to hold it to its promise It’s real, it’s as good as you’ve heard, and it’s coming soon—if not quite yet. What we’re talking about is the aerospace material of tomorrow, carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets with awe-inspiring properties and the less-than-awe-inspiring name of Read More
Aerospace Automation Picks Up the Pace
Robotic drilling, fastening systems gain ground in aerospace/defense as metrology technologies boost robot accuracy By Patrick Waurzyniak Senior Editor With thousands of fastener locations that need to be drilled and filled to complete a plane, drilling and fastening remain the largest areas of opportunity for automated robotics applications in aerospace. New developments Read More