CNC Software LLC’s camInstructor gives employers the opportunity to educate employees online and in-person.

The technology training experts at camInstructor are offering Mastercam training courses in both online and hybrid formats. Each CNC programming training course includes high quality video instruction, step-by-step printable instructions, and quizzes and exams. By completing all courses, employees learn how to machine more than 30 parts in Mastercam mill 2D, mill 3D, lathe, solids, 4-axis, 5-axis, and wire.

Successfully implemented in shops throughout North America, camInstructor’s online courses played an integral part in keeping CNC programming instruction on track during the Covid-19 pandemic by allowing students to learn remotely for uninterrupted training. Now, these courses can be offered in a hybrid format as more workers head back to the shop or office.

The company’s premium subscription includes a full version of Mastercam Home Learning Edition software licensed for educational use with more than 200 hours of training contained in seven courses. Students can ask an unlimited number of questions to a certified instructor for up to a year. This is helpful during online-only instruction.

Four certificates are awarded after passing interactive hands-on tests for Mastercam Mill 2D, Mastercam Mill 3D, Mastercam Lathe, and 4-axis. These certificates confirm the student has passed and can draw and toolpath a part similar to the part examples in the course.  Because camInstructor is a third-party partner of CNC Software LLC, the developers of Mastercam, certifications in these courses are recognized by them.

In addition to the Mastercam instruction, other courses available by camInstructor include manual programming courses for CNC Mill and Lathe, how to Setup and Operate a Haas 3-Axis, 4-Axis, 5-Axis CNC mill and lathes in addition to comprehensive SOLIDWORKS courses which include sketching, modeling, assemblies, and drawings.

The courses are designed for students who want to learn at their own pace. All include step-by-step instructions and coordinating videos so each step is demonstrated for all types of learners. Each task is short and easy to accomplish, encouraging the student to use the software to learn rather than reading lengthy tutorials. In fact, more than 75% of a student’s time is spent working on projects, building up from simple CAD drawings to more complex parts and toolpaths by the end of the course. The end of each lesson includes exercises to help reinforce what the student has already learned.

“Our customers achieved great success with our online courses during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Sheila Weidinger of camInstructor. “Their ability to continue instruction despite shutdowns and mandated quarantines helped them keep operations on track and achieve Mastercam certifications without missing a beat. They were also able to train new and existing employees to use the software, filling open positions and keeping their machines running optimally.”

Employers can track and review employee progress on both computers and smart phones, providing a real-time report on their investment. In hybrid operations, employers can offer the online courses on-site at a time and place that works best for their own situation.

“Our online learning format has had proven success both before and during the pandemic. Now that companies are calling some employees back to the shop, they can incorporate camInstructor into on-site continuing education programs and train new employees to fill open positions. Mastercam certification is the icing on the cake,” said Weidinger.

Maximize your ROI on cobots & robots through faster deployments and redeployments with changing jobs.

About the presentation Manufacturing managers, engineers, technicians, and other industry professionals see the benefits of using robots for automatic machine tending processes. Justifying an investment in automation often extends beyond immediate needs to those unforeseen in the future. This session offers flexible automation techniques to more quickly re-task their equipment from one project to the next. It focuses on adaptable end of arm tooling and machine table fixturing for changing workpieces in a machine tool and even parallel processes such as fine material removal and gaging.

Meet your presenter With nearly 10 years of experience in automation sales, Cory Raizor is a rising expert in the robotics and end-of-arm-tooling industries. Following responsibilities as a territory manager and then a focused account-based sales manager, Raizor now serves as a business development manager leading SCHUNK USA’s collaborative accessories program, a national distribution channel focused on collaborative robot solution providers. He continuously strives to empower and assist manufacturers as they enter and advance through their unique journey into robotic automation. Raizor holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.

About the company The company was founded in 1945 by Friedrich Schunk as a mechanical workshop. It developed under the leadership of Heinz-Dieter Schunk to a company that specializes in clamping technology and gripping systems. Today, the company is run by the third-generation siblings Henrik A. Schunk and Kristina I. Schunk.

Arizona Commerce Authority awards $1.6M to Arizona WearTech Applied Research Center

The Partnership for Economic Innovation (PEI), a collective of business and community leaders dedicated to accelerating Arizona’s economic opportunities, announced the Arizona Commerce Authority awarded $1.6 million to support eight new applied research projects through its WearTech Applied Research Center. State funding matches private and nonstate funds committed by the industry partners.

The applied research model accelerates product development and commercialization by combining private and public sector. PEI’s WearTech Applied Research Center focuses on de-risking investment in future-of-health and biomedical technology. The center shepherds these innovative products though the idea generation, project formation, validation, and commercialization phases.

“At the WearTech Applied Research Center, we’ve been able to partner with businesses and universities, bringing together remarkable talent who are working on innovative solutions to advance health and human performance,” said Kathleen Lee, director of applied research centers for the Partnership for Economic Innovation. “We thank the Arizona Legislature for setting aside these public funds for applied research and appreciate the Arizona Commerce Authority for awarding these funds to help us advance critical research projects and hope they will continue to make similar investments in the future.”

During the 2021 legislative session, the State Legislature appropriated $5M to distribute to applied research centers and institutes across the state, including $2.5M for wearable technology applied research. The Arizona Commerce Authority then awarded funds to selected applicants.

“The WearTech Applied Research Center’s new projects represent the kinds of new technologies that are helping establish Arizona as a leader in the wearable technology sector,” said Brad Jannenga, founder and executive chairman at Chassi and board member of PEI and the WearTech Applied Research Center. “Technology leaders in our state should be looking to the WearTech Center as a model to accelerate innovation in our state.”

The center has supported the development of wearable technology projects, including a drug-free anxiety treatment device and dynamic fall risk assessment tool. This additional funding will more than double the number of applied research projects through the WearTech Center and achieve 360% growth in total research funding compared to 2019. New research projects will help those with walking disabilities, develop a fetal monitor to detect compromising issues, create a wearable phototherapy device for treatment for thrush, and more.

The eight projects partner with one of Arizona’s three public universities: Arizona State University, University of Arizona, or Northern Arizona University. The projects include:

About the presentation As manufacturing equipment, electronic devices, and medical instruments require ever-higher precision, the machinery that makes these products must deliver greater speed and accuracy. Meanwhile, the cast iron and steel used in the bases and foundations of such production machinery actively amplify the vibration generated by its operation – serving to limit its speed and accuracy.

To solve this problem, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) machine suppliers are adopting an organic solution – mineral casting technology – for its exceptional vibration damping, chemical resistance, and environmental sustainability. Originally incorporated in the bases and platforms of metal grinding machines, mineral casting is applied in the solar, electronics, packaging, and medical device sectors. The results include impressive technical, economic, and environmental benefits for both machine builders and their customers.

Meet your presenterGeorge Blaha founded his own engineering company in South Germany in 1991. He took over GM positions as lean manager for two companies in Switzerland and Germany. He led multiple companies back to profitability and guided Swiss Start-up from “0” to profitability and 2 shift service companies within 24 months (pharmaceutical and medical technology). He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in aerospace developing and design from Czech Technical University in Prague.

About the company Established in 1923, Schneeberger stands for pioneering innovations in linear motion technology. Linear guideways and profile rail guideways together with measuring systems, racks, slides, positioning systems, mineral casting and ball screws are all part of our extensive manufacturing capability and product range.

Automation of the thermoforming process has been embraced in the medical packaging industry quicker than in other markets.

Originally driven by stringent quality requirements and the need for high levels of repeatability, automation has brought other benefits to medical packaging producers, including facilitating higher and more predictable throughput and addressing the challenges of attracting, training, and retaining a quality manufacturing workforce.

What’s different about medical packaging?

Thermoformed medical packaging is designed to protect items ranging from implantable medical devices to surgical instruments. The selection of materials and the forming and sealing processes ensure the integrity of the sterile barrier system is maintained during shipping and handling until the product is opened.

Packaging must protect products from damage during shipping by securely holding each item in place and separating multiple items packaged together from damaging each other. For sharp objects, such as needles, screws, and drills, the packaging must protect the safety of the people handling the package.

Polyethylene terephthalate glycol modified (PETG) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) are often selected for medical packaging applications. PETG is created by adding a glycol modifier to PET making it slightly softer for tighter seals and more suitable for withstanding high-temperature sterilization processes. HIPS plastics are impact-resistant and clear and have hygienic qualities.

The entire package must withstand temperature and pressure extremes of the sterilization process. The flange must have the thickness, rigidity, and smooth surface to accept and maintain a hermetic seal to the Tyvek lid, and the sidewalls must have the strength and thickness to prevent cracking and leakage during transport.

The most challenging aspect of medical packaging design is often isolating individual items into separate compartments and locking them in place. When properly designed and manufactured, undercuts allow each part to be snapped into place and held securely.

Most medical packaging applications call for enclosing the thermoforming machinery in a protective enclosure to minimize exposure to airborne particulates that can cause gaps during the hermetic sealing process. It’s imperative to eliminate static that can attract particulates and ensure the cutting process doesn’t generate particulates that can migrate to the product. 

Isolating the system from ambient air and temperatures that cause fluctuations in the heating of materials and in the air pressure of pneumatic components is also important. 

The special requirements for medical packaging have led to the wide-scale adoption of form/cut/stack thermoforming systems. Simpler, less costly contact heat systems are suitable for a small fraction of medical packaging applications because they lack plug assist capabilities required for complex geometries and higher clamping forces that form/cut/stack systems offer. Contact heat systems are primarily used for simple package designs and low production volumes. 

Form/cut/stack systems are usually enclosed, protecting the process and product from airborne particulates and ambient temperature and humidity. They can be more fully automated and therefore more precisely controlled, especially machines with 100% servo motors and drives. 

Investment in automation offers advantages in medical packaging manufacturing. More precision and control results in higher repeatability, which means higher quality products, fewer defects, and less waste. The process improvements achieve faster cycle times and predictable output, for higher throughput and scalability. 

Precise control and repeatability are critical to the calibration and production consistency required by standards and government regulations for medical packaging, such as ISO 11607:2019 and Title 21 CFR Part 11. Automation may also include vision systems and other inspection technology that provide automatic, continuous real-time quality control. 

Medical packaging manufacturing faces the same workforce challenges as all industries. The operation of earlier generations of thermoforming equipment was often known as more of an art than a science, with operations acquiring a feel for what works after decades of experience. Veterans of the industry are moving on to other roles or retiring, and it’s difficult to transfer these skills to new equipment operators, especially when employee turnover rates are high.

Automated systems are less labor-intensive because instead of requiring one or more operators per production line, a single operator can cover multiple lines. This requires machines to autonomously perform forming, cutting, and stacking processes with little or no hands-on engagement by the operator. For high volume production, robotics is employed to automatically perform downstream packaging and palletizing functions. 

The procedures for changing tooling between SKUs and replacing roll stock also need to minimize human error and effort. The right tooling needs to be installed in exactly the right way for every production run, and roll stock can weigh up to 1,500 lb. Thermoforming equipment should be designed with procedures and tools for streamlining these processes and preventing errors with ergonomic aids for lifting and correctly positioning heavy objects.

The human-machine interface (HMI) must be designed to be easy-to-learn for new employees while also being efficient during production every day. The latest HMI systems employ large high-resolution displays that support multitouch gestures, taking advantage of skills new employees universally bring with their years of smartphone experience. Like smartphone apps, new interfaces should require little training and no paper documentation. 

The whole concept of a form/cut/stack thermoforming machine is integrating and automating multiple functions in a single system. Medical packaging manufacturers have been at the forefront of the trend toward automation, initially driven by the need for high quality, repeatability, and traceability. Automation also increases scalability and throughput. The third driver of automation is the need to address labor shortages and high turnover by making processes more productive, less labor-intensive, and easier to learn.