Join us May 26 at 12PM ET to hear insights from Open Mind Technologies USA and Heidenhain.

When you register for our May Manufacturing Lunch + Learn event you will gain new insight about today’s manufacturing technology.

The first session is presented by Open Mind Technologies USA featuring Account Manager Kevin Lewis and Application Engineer Uday Honnalagere. The two will be discussing intelligent “best fit” CAM process for alignment and machining of 3D printed stock. Additive/3D printed material used in manufacturing applications are witnessing high growth worldwide in a broad range of industries. Historically, for components that need finish machining after AM, the alignment on the machine tool requires high expertise, expense in setup time, and can have inconsistent results. This is due to the challenge in alignment of the NC program to the real-world conditions presented by the clamping position of the irregular material on the machine tool. Intelligent part alignment integrated in the CAM system offers a solution to this problem by efficiently adapting the virtual (NC program) to the real world (location of the stock on the machine). A “best fit” CAM process offers a quick, predictable, and reliable path to overcome this challenge in a way that eliminates the requirement for specialist knowledge, reduces setup time and eliminates waste.

The second presentation is from John Parker, MT business development and product manager at Heidenhain. Parker will be discussing new CNCS manufactured in the U.S. – MILLPWR an TURNPWR.

MILLPWR a powerful yet easy to operate CNC retrofit systems for knee mills and bed mills. Faster set-ups, shorter run times and a major boost in productivity are just one "powerful easy" retrofit away. Our new MILLPWRG2 control and retrofit kits can turn just about any knee mill into a powerhouse money-maker.

TURNPWR is a workshop-oriented turning control that enables the user to program conventional machining operations right at the machine. It is designed for turning machine tools with up to two axes. TURNPWR was developed to satisfy the wants and needs of lathe machinists where manual and automated operation are both useful and needed. TURNPWR promises to enable the user to maximize throughput by significantly reducing setup time, scrap, and other non-productive operations.

Register today so you aren’t left behind the competition.

“Powerful software is now as easy to implement as your preferred CAD-CAM program,” says Peter R. Eelman, chief experience officer at AMT.

Visiting the Controls & CAD-CAM Pavilion at IMTS 2022 puts you on a path to optimizing manufacturing and job shop efficiency. Showcased will be digital twin and virtual solutions; machine and enterprise-wide monitoring software to identify bottlenecks and increase OEE; ERP systems that can reduce setup time and increase employee productivity; cybersecurity preparedness solutions; and advanced estimating and quoting software enabling job shops to respond to RFQs in hours, not days.

“We have experienced a seismic shift in the democratization of digital manufacturing technologies designed for job shop use to increase CNC and 3D printer productivity,” says Peter R. Eelman, chief experience officer at AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, owner and producer of IMTS, taking place September 12-17 at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois. “These digital solutions come at a time when industry needs to harness every efficiency it can to combat labor issues and keep up with growing demand, as proven by the 30% year-over-year increase in U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders.” 

Accurate simulation, asset management “Digital twins capture data and provide critical information needed to make decisions early in the process, long before they become expensive,” says Rob Walker, manager of technical marketing for manufacturing at Autodesk (booth #133310). “Digital twin technology is all-encompassing, from running simulated toolpaths with automatic collision avoidance, to checking if new capital equipment will efficiently fit within a facility.”

At IMTS 2022, the company will showcase a new machine simulation feature for Autodesk Fusion 360. Simulation-ready machines have fully defined solid model kinematics alongside a linked machine simulation-ready post-processor. Autodesk has been working with companies such as Haas (booth #338100), Hurco (booth #338319), and Mazak (booth #338300) to build out its machine library. The goal is to enable Fusion 360 users to import a digital twin of popular machines using Autodesk’s standard drop-down menus.

“Digital twin technology makes it easier to implement 5-axis CNCs and other more advanced machines on the shop floor,” says Chuck Matthews, product manager of production software, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence [Hexagon acquired ESPRIT (booth #133210) last year.] “With the state of the industry today, users no longer struggle to get a good post-processor in combination with a virtual machine. Digital twins help companies obtain the full productivity benefits of their advanced machine in weeks instead of months.”

At IMTS, ESPRIT/Hexagon will demonstrate how to improve OEE with connected software solutions as part of Hexagon’s cloud-based SFx Asset Management application, which also records CNC machine tool operating data so teams can analyze and mitigate downtime.

“You can’t run a business efficiently relying on raw emotions or gut instincts,” adds Gisbert Ledvon, director of business development – machine tool at HEIDENHAIN (booth #135716). “Data really opens people’s eyes. The before-and-after situation when installing a monitoring solution follows a familiar pattern. People think they’re running at 70% efficiency because the spindle is spinning, but data proves that the machine is cutting 40% of the time. When management can see the bottlenecks, it gives them confidence to execute changes.”

To help companies large and small view and analyze machine data, HEIDENHAIN will premiere its PlantMonitor digital solution at IMTS 2022, and the new TNC7 control. This software umbrella, which connects machine tools where at least one is equipped with a TNC control and the company’s StateMonitor software combination, makes the entire production environment transparent to users.

“Advanced digital manufacturing technology is no longer the realm of engineers and IT departments,” Eelman says. “Over the last four years, exhibitors have harnessed the increase in processing speed to create a better user experience. Powerful software is now as easy to implement as your preferred CAD-CAM program.”

Biocoat Inc. launches coating equipment business unit; completes full-service hydrophilic coating offering

Biocoat Inc., a specialty manufacturer of hydrophilic biomaterial coatings and coating equipment for medical devices, announced its expansion into the design, development, and delivery of hydrophilic dip coating equipment.  Biocoat's new equipment line is called EMERSE and offers companies who require an in-house dip coating system to coat their medical devices and complete the production process.

The addition of coating equipment now positions Biocoat as one of the only companies that can offer a complete, full-service solution for medical devices that require a hydrophilic coating. The EMERSE hydrophilic dip coating system is specifically designed and manufactured to meet the rigorous requirements that are encountered when coating products in the medical device, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life science industries. Biocoat's coating systems will be available in either Thermal heat or Ultraviolet (UV) cure systems and is available in two models, the semi-automated Compact system, that offers an annual production of ~25,000 units per year per shift and the One Touch automated system that can coat ~75,000 to 100,000 units per year per shift.

"The addition of coating equipment fulfills our strategic vision of making Biocoat the premier full-service coatings company to partner with for medical device companies," says Jim Moran, president, and CEO, Biocoat. "Our coating systems will be automated and fully compatible for use on either our industry leading HYDAK coatings or any other coatings in the market. Our aim is to work closely with our customers to provide the highest level of service available, while ensuring that we deliver the equipment on-time and on-budget, every time."

Industrial automation partner Gibson Engineering bolsters Kassow Robots’ position in US manufacturing.

Kassow Robots, a developer of 7-axis cobot solutions for machine tending, material handling, and related applications, has partnered with Norwood, Massachusetts-based Gibson Engineering, a subsidiary of Applied Industrial Technologies. Gibson Engineering is a value-added distributor of automation solutions serving manufacturers in all industries in the northeastern U.S., from Maine to Maryland.

The KR series of lightweight 7-axis collaborative robots supplements Gibson Engineering’s solutions to efficiently complete light manufacturing operations in the medical, semiconductor, and electronics industries.

“Gibson Engineering’s long-established operation gives Kassow Robots the opportunity to work with world-class manufacturers in the U.S. that can benefit from strong, fast, and simple cobots,” says Dieter Pletscher, the head of global sales at Kassow Robots.

The 7-axis cobots offer speed and power combined with a long reach and a high degree of flexibility to work in tight and awkward spaces. The KR series can handle payloads up to 18kg and reach up to 1,800mm, allowing customers to automate a variety of physically demanding and/or repetitive tasks. The seventh axis enables continuous dispensing, welding, and material removal applications, regardless of access angle, without the need to reorient the arm.

“The KR 7-axis cobots use workspaces efficiently and give programmers more options for completing tasks than traditional 6-axis devices,” says Rob MacDonald, director of sales and marketing at Gibson Engineering. “The combination of performance, ease of use, and safety makes the Kassow cobots a great addition to our product portfolio.”

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) without robotics specialists can carry out complex automation and programming cost-effectively and independently with Kassow Robots solutions. The cobots are perfect for limited-space retrofits and applications such as machine tending, pick-and-place tasks, quality inspection, and palletizing.

New, in-house processes at the New Britain, Connecticut and Alajuela, Costa Rica facilities allow OKAY to further integrate its production operations.

OKAY Industries, a contract manufacturer of components and subassemblies for global medical device original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), announces the addition of plastic molding and insert molding to its custom manufacturing capabilities. These new, in-house processes at the company’s New Britain, Connecticut and Alajuela, Costa Rica facilities allow OKAY to further integrate its production operations, improving efficiency and manufacturing continuity while reducing lead times.

“We are excited to introduce these new processes to our already robust manufacturing capabilities,” states Sean Stowik, director of sales and marketing at OKAY Industries. “While there is a clear value in quality, as components never leave the strict compliance standards of our own facilities, this service also allows us to expand the way we support customers, furthering our customer-centric approach to part design, manufacturability and production.”

As part of the expansion, OKAY Industries has invested in both horizontal and rotary vertical molding machines, as well as additional automation systems, inspection equipment and advanced quality control technologies. The vertical integration of plastic molding and insert molding improves quality control, reduces supply chain risks, and supports cost control initiatives.

Plastic molding and insert molding are increasingly common processes in many medical devices. With unique design flexibilities, plastic molding processes are often used on parts used for surgical, endoscopic, laparoscopic and ligation applications.

OKAY’s insert and two-shot insert molding production capability, combined with multi-cavity and small shot molding capabilities, allows for highly efficient production of medical and surgical components that require tight tolerance and/or difficult-to-intricate part geometries, reducing secondary operations, increasing flexibility of design, and allowing for an increased variety of shapes, styles and options. OKAY Industries currently produces a wide range of metal tubes, shafts, blades, and other components to be insert molded.

“The addition of plastics to our metal tube forming, laser tube cutting, and precision stamping and machining operations allows us to provide fully-integrated manufacturing of parts for many highly-precise medical applications,” Stowik says. “We are pleased to expand the ways we deliver value to our customers and are ready to help solve design challenges and support supply chain continuity and cost controls with these new plastic capabilities.”