Learn more in Smartforce Student Summit Booth 215618.

The National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) has new On-The-Job-Training (OJT) training solutions for employers to learn more about at IMTS 2022. The NIMS booth is 215618, located in the lower level of the North Building of McCormick Place where the Smartforce Student Summit takes place. IMTS 2022 happens Sept. 12-17, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.

Both employers and educators can learn all about NIMS “Smart Training Solutions” framework that is providing excellent results among employers that implement it. It’s flexible for any employer’s needs and is data driven to ensure that performance is measured and visualized.

“Technology is changing so rapidly that employers are being challenged to keep their employees up to speed,” said NIMS Executive Director Montez King. “Our solution takes all of that into account without getting bogged down into a multi-year program. Employers benefit from a training solution that listens to their operations and tells them when training and evaluation opportunities arise. Now that’s Smart!”

In addition to Smart Training Solutions, NIMS also provides credentialing in roles for Industry 4.0, CNC machining, GDT, dimensional measurement, industrial maintenance, and more.

For more information, visit the Smartforce Student Summit at IMTS 2022, booth 215618, or visit www.nims-skills.org.

VoloConnect expands the market for Volocopter's family of eVTOL aircraft to $290 billion, zero operating emissions for safe, sustainable flight speeds of >155 mph and >60 mi range.

Urban air mobility (UAM) pioneer Volocopter achieved another milestone to bring UAM to life: its fixed-winged passenger aircraft, the VoloConnect, completed its first flight in May 2022. This accomplishment makes Volocopter the only eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) developer to have an entire fleet of distinct aircraft configurations undergoing flight tests.

Volocopter's third product solution, the VoloConnect, offers further and faster journeys than any other Volocopter aircraft to date, with a range of over 60 mi and flight speeds above 155 mph. The passenger plane's extended range and higher payload will bring business travelers and commuters beyond the city center on routes like Burbank to Huntington Beach in Los Angeles, CA. With the VoloCity and VoloConnect air taxi designs fulfilling demands for metropolitan flights and suburban connections in densely populated regions respectively, Volocopter is ready to serve a broader range of passengers' flight needs. The VoloConnect is targeting a 2026 entry into service, while the VoloCity is targeting commercial launch in 2024.

"Having a whole family of electric aircraft in the test flight phase is a pioneering feat," said Florian Reuter, Volocopter CEO. "Volocopter's leadership in the industry stems from announcing plans and then delivering on them visibly with public test flights. Our technology platform is the foundation for our family of aircraft approach and has proven to deliver results at an astounding speed. Volocopter is bringing these innovative designs off the ground, into the air, and then to cities worldwide!"

"This is an extraordinary moment for us – seeing the VoloConnect soar to the sky marks the achievement of one of our key milestones and demonstrates just what we are capable of in a short time and in line with the company's overall strategy for crewed and uncrewed aircraft,” says Sebastian Mores, Chief Engineer, VoloConnect. “Furthermore, new technologies will be tested that will gradually be implemented during the overall program development," said Mores.

Volocopter designed the VoloConnect and its other eVTOL aircraft to meet the highest aviation safety standards according to EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). The prototype completed its first flight in May 2022 after just 17 months in the making and performed a few maneuvers for 2 minutes and 14 seconds during its first flight. The prototype has all the planned aerodynamics and performance features of the future commercial product.

The VoloConnect is a lift-and-cruise aircraft optimized for missions beyond the urban and suburban space. Keeping moving parts to a minimum, its six rotors facilitate vertical takeoff, while two electric fans in combination with uplift-creating wings ensure high forward speeds. Its prototype is currently passing a demanding series of flight tests to verify that the aircraft and its systems are in line with performance limits and prepared for the subsequent development. This phase encompasses low-speed, transition, high-speed, and engine failure testing for automated and later autonomous flights – all standard-issue tests for eVTOL passenger aircraft manufacturers. Within the first three test flights of this campaign, the team was able to verify a significant portion of the eVTOL's envelope with forward speeds up to 40 mph and 28 mph sideward flight speeds during tests.

VoloConnect is poised to boost Volocopter's total addressable UAM market, alongside its existing aircraft family members, the VoloDrone and VoloCity. The technological differences between the VoloCity and VoloConnect passenger aircraft abound. Important to note are their unique designs for their specific flight missions, with the multirotor VoloCity air taxi poised to serve intracity routes, while its larger lift-and-cruise sibling will focus on longer urban and suburban missions.

The new company name, Tribonex, reflects its technological advancements and positions the company as the global leader in providing dedicated solutions for solving problematic wear and friction issues experienced across many component applications.

ANS was founded 14 years ago as an advanced surface finishing and coating technology innovator. The company offers its technologies as a commercially viable and cost-effective solution to reduce component wear and friction on many of the critical parts that are produced within the industrial and mobility component manufacturing segment.

The new company name, Tribonex, reflects its technological advancements and positions the company as the global leader in providing dedicated solutions for solving problematic wear and friction issues experienced across many component applications. The strategic focus also included a new ownership position by First Venture Sweden AB, a technology fund listed on the Nasdaq Nordic stock exchange.

The company’s flag ship technology known as Triboconditioning, is a patented mechano-chemical surface treatment process, which has been successfully applied to both inner and outer diameters of various components used within the mobility powertrain, hydraulics, and industrial industry sectors.

Applications span from automotive drivetrain components, such as transmission gears, drive shafts and differentials, to engine components such as cylinder bores, blocks, liners cam/crankshafts, to industrial components used within hydraulic motors, pumps, compressors, rock drills, and specialized gears and bearing. All areas where reduced friction and wear are important elements for efficient and reliable performance.

The need for increased wear and friction reduction technologies is ever evolving and demanding with much interest being generated by market shifts towards electromobility and the use of alternate fuels such as hydrogen being used in the mobility sector.

To meet these new demands for tougher wear resistance and improved efficiency, the company will also accelerate its development and implementation of one of its proprietary solutions referred to as Triboconditioning CG (TCG). This novel mechano-chemical surface treatment is built upon the principles of Triboconditioning but is applicable for use on components with complex geometries, such as gears used within EV/hybrid transmissions, differentials as well as industrial applications including components used within hydraulic and compressor products.

The TCG process adds additional component benefits including the prevention and/or minimization of pitting, scuffing, NVH, etc.

Tribonex strives to provide its clients with excellent services, technical support, and product development through its highly qualified Uppsala based team members as well as through its USA sales team and partners, Sunnen Products and Precision Finishing, Inc.

Take a closer look into the world of robotic welding solutions for products requiring challenging welds.

Pemamek Oy and Pemamek LLC have made a second educational webinar of 2022 with a closer look into the world of robotic welding solutions for products requiring challenging welds. Adaptive robotic welding automatically adjusts to large variations in groove geometries via multi-pass welding operations based on parameters entered by existing operators to the PEMA WeldControl 300 OFFLINE software or scans processed into the PEMA WeldControl 300 SCAN program. The pre-recorded webinar is posted on their website. Application Manager, Robotics, Teemu Rusi and Application Manager, Offshore and Process Equipment Jyri Luhtio demonstrate how Pema solutions for adaptive robotic welding work together to achieve strong welds efficiently and with the right tools. They introduce viewers to the wide selection of PEMA Robotic welding stations, all customizable according to customer specifications and show how the PEMA WeldControl 300 OFFLINE and SCAN programs create 3D models that can be adjusted to meet individual needs or manufacturing requirements and programs directly into the robots the commands of where to weld, speed, wire feed rate, amperage, voltage, and external movements. “Challenging multi-pass welds require the expertise of experienced welders, many of whom are retiring or finding it difficult to perform these tasks, especially on large difficult structures and workpieces,” says Michael Bell, Director of Sales, North America.  “Adaptive robotic welding helps solve this challenge by allowing these seasoned welders to sit in the operator seat and letting the robots perform the tougher manual labor. The result is increased productivity and weld quality.” By the end of the webinar, viewers will have learned how to be more efficient in tackling challenging welds, which tools work together to achieve better throughput and quality, and PEMA turnkey delivery of robot stations and software and the expertise of the company’s welding engineers and 50+ years of process experience. Pemamek provides welding automation technology and integrated manufacturing solutions to a wide range of industries including shipbuilding, alternative energies, heavy fabrication, oil and gas, wind energy and boiler manufacturing. The company offers welding positioners, column and boom units, roller beds and robotic solutions as well as the proprietary PEMA WeldControl programming and control software, among other technologies.

Newly designed vacuum oil quench (VOQ) furnace, purchased by Solar Atmospheres of Western PA, recently entered full production.

A newly designed Vacuum Oil Quench (VOQ) furnace, purchased by Solar Atmospheres of Western PA, recently entered full production after passing a vigorous start up protocol. The initial temperature uniformity survey, compliant to AMS 2750 F, produced ±10°F results at all setpoints. Most importantly, the critical lift and place transfer mechanism worked flawlessly. This robustly designed system delivered hot 2,000 lb loads to the internal oil quench tank effortlessly time after time. With a quench system that is entirely self-contained and vacuum tight, the typical positive pressure flare and smoke-ups during each quench cycle were nonexistent.

Other features of this unique furnace include the ability for the customer to attain the actual work temperatures within the 36” x 36” x 48” hot zone. Additionally, with an atmosphere totally devoid of oxygen there is no need to use problematic oxygen probes. Material surfaces are free from intergranular oxidation (IGO) along with zero evidence of decarburized or carburized surface conditions. Heat-treated components emerge from the quench oil bright and clean. With carbon potential issues eliminated, alloys of dissimilar carbon contents with comparable cross sections and austenitizing temperatures, can all be treated within the same load.

Bob Hill President of Solar Atmospheres of Western PA states, “In the past, unfortunate accidents have occurred with explosive endothermic atmospheres and flammable oils. I am convinced that this new Solar Manufacturing furnace is a much safer and greener way to oil-quench parts. In my opinion, this furnace is the future of oil quench heat treating.”

Watch a video with an internal and external camera during a quench operation.