Issue: 6
April 2015
Advanced Manufacturing: 
the Megatrend

Advanced manufacturing is a megatrend and an important reason for the resurgence of manufacturing in the U.S. according to a survey recently published in Manufacturing Engineering magazine, titled "Advanced Manufacturing Opportunities Report." The nearly 37,500 participants of this online survey agree that advanced manufacturing technologies have helped their companies increase their global competitiveness. Survey participants included engineers, corporate managers and other industry experts, representing 618 small-, medium- and large-sized manufacturing companies.

 

The survey highlights how advanced manufacturing technologies have become essential to industry today. Advanced manufacturing gives businesses a competitive edge, improves their efficiency and helps them adapt to dynamic customer demands. The survey also explores companies' willingness to adopt advanced manufacturing by examining their current and future technology investments. Advanced manufacturing equipment is the most popular investment; however, other technologies such as advanced sensing and measurement techniques, additive manufacturing, and sustainable manufacturing are also in practice or anticipated. Survey respondents identified these technologies as opportunities for improving manufacturing cost, efficiency, and quality. 

 

When questioned about long-term goals, 55% of manufacturers reported that sustainable manufacturing was an important part of their business strategy over the next five years. However, only 16% of respondents thought that their company was doing a significant or exemplary job at implementing sustainability strategies. Lack of technical knowledge and discouraging ROI were cited as two main reasons for this low performance. The survey results indicate a clear gap between industries' perceived needs and the abilities to address these needs. 

 

NY State has a variety of programs that support research and development and even capital investments in new technology, particularly investments that result in improvements in company efficiency, and growth. COE-SM has support from the Empire State Development's NYSTAR program to assist your company, either directly or to help connect you with other appropriate resources.

In this Issue:


Manufacturing Facts

-Manufacturing supports an estimated 17.6 million jobs in the United States, about one in six private-sector jobs. 
 
-In 2013, the average manufacturing worker in the United States earned $77,506 annually, including pay and benefits.

-Manufacturers in the United States perform more than three-quarters of all private-sector R&D in the nation, driving more innovation than any other sector.

New High-Tech 3D Work Cell for the Remanufacturing Industry

An advanced-technology hybrid additive/subtractive remanufacturing work cell is the latest addition to the Digital Manufacturing and Product Realization (DM&PR) Lab at the Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

 

The OPTOMEC LENS Additive/Subtractive 3D Manufacturing Cell (developed by Optomec, Inc., of Albuquerque, NM) integrates LENS 3D metal printing capabilities within a conventional CNC vertical milling machine. The LENS (Laser Engineered Net Shaping) process can fully build 3D metal parts when needed replacement parts are obsolete and/or out of stock, and it can selectively and precisely add materials onto an existing metal component of almost any 3-dimensional shape, making it ideally suited to perform many repair and remanufacturing operations.


Optomec states that its process leverages LENS "blown powder" technology, which is an industrial proven method to add metal directly onto an existing metal part. The LENS print head delivers powdered metal and a highly focused laser beam to the damaged part area enabling quick repair of components.

 

In the DM&PR Lab, the LENS cell joins several other new industrial-scale metal alloy/ceramic/polymer additive manufacturing units and advanced part/component measuring equipment that can facilitate 3D applications in remanufacturing.

 

According to RIT Professor and remanufacturing expert Dr. Michael Haselkorn, this new equipment opens up significant opportunities for remanufacturers who want to learn more about how they can take advantage of 3D printing and additive manufacturing. He says, "There are two big reasons why remanufacturers should get involved in these new technologies." First, 3D printing can be invaluable when original parts - or even their original specifications - are no longer available, but demand still exists for remanufactured replacements. As Dr. Haselkorn notes, "If a part is no longer available you can use Digital Manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, to make that part." A second and potentially even more attractive application of 3D printing technology is to quickly and accurately remanufacture end-of-life and/or damaged cores (used components that are the raw materials for reman). According to Dr. Haselkorn, "With a 3D printer you can repair or improve existing parts, by replacing or adding a different material to the surface." With the LENS cell, the remanufacturing operation of adding material and finishing the part can be done in a single set-up.

 

To learn more about the application of additive manufacturing technologies in remanufacturing,  contact COE-SM.

Freeform Sheet Metal Forming


Schematic of possible forming tool positions (left) and a sample part formed at Ford (right).  Graphic and Photo credit: Ford Motor Company.

 

Freeform sheet metal forming is a new advanced manufacturing process for economically and rapidly producing low-volume sheet metal components without costly dies.  This technology will enable small- to medium-sized businesses to manufacture sheet metal parts using less energy and with shorter lead times. Although the technology started as a Department of Energy (DOE) project in the Advanced Manufacturing Office, "Rapid Freeform Sheet Metal Forming," March 2015, it is now a patented forming process (free form fabrication technology - F3T) developed by Ford Motor Company.

 

The predecessor to F3T is called single point incremental forming (SPIF). Using the SPIF method, a tool probe follows a defined path across a fixed piece of sheet metal strategically deforming it to the final shape.  F3T follows the same principles, except instead of one probe head there are two, one on either side of the clamped sheet. According to the Advanced Manufacturing Processes Laboratory (AMPL) at Northwestern University, in "Incremental Forming at Multi-scales," the double sided forming technology has greater accuracy and quality compared to its single-sided predecessor. The combination of the heads adds structural integrity during the deformation process.

 

Although Ford is still revising the technology, based on the Forbes article, by TJ McCue, "Ford Motor Corp Invents New Way To Shape Metal," July 18, 2014, the DOE expects a decrease in energy consumption compared to stamping, hydroforming, and superplastic forming by 50-90%, a cost reduction of up to 90%, and a cycle time lowered to under one week. The initial F3T process prototype worked with sheet sizes up to 18" x 18" but the project anticipates being able to produce components the size of an automobile hood. 

 

Advancements in model based engineering techniques as well as advancement in computing performance and sensing and control technologies offer new opportunities for the development of innovative manufacturing processes that can provide significant competitive advantages.  If you have an opportunity but are not sure how to proceed, please contact us

Video Introduction to 
NY State Private Equity Fund

Observations from 

Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo


From April 15-17, 2015, New York City hosted the largest additive manufacturing event in the world, the Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo. Over the course of the three days there were over 50 sessions across various tracks including aerospace and defense, business and investment, as well as medical, food, fashion, and entertainment.

 

COE's Senior Program Manager, Mark Krystofik, provided an open presentation on the "Sustainability Benefits of 3D Printing."  Typical selling points for 3D printing in manufacturing operations include: rapid prototyping, production on demand, reduced tooling cost, light weighting, reducing parts counts in assemblies, and the ability to produce designs that would be impossible with subtractive manufacturing techniques. While 3D printing can be an energy intensive process, Mark explained that over the life-cycle of a component it can have significant sustainability benefits. The life-cycle performance of a product or manufacturing process can be evaluated with Life-cycle Assessment (LCA). Specific areas where 3D printing can have a sustainability benefit include:

  • allowing for production of geometries that cannot readily be made by subtractive processes that result in optimized performance and efficiency
  • allowing production of lighter weight components reduces fuel consumption during use, for example in automobiles and aircraft
  • reducing the amount of raw material required (and waste material produced) relative to subtractive manufacturing
  • reducing the amount of unique tooling required for low volume manufacturing
  • designing for material addition to repair worn or damaged components to return products to like-new condition, for example during remanufacturing.

3D printing offers many opportunities to improve on product sustainability. Other observations from the technical sessions and exhibits follow below:

  • As key patents expire in the next year, competition in selective laser sintering (SLS) is anticipated to increase resulting in reductions in material and equipment costs.  Today, the cost of material is a large percentage of the cost of parts produced by 3D printing contract houses.
  • General Electric is including 3D printing as a core tool for rapid prototyping within the FirstBuild microfactory to promote innovation. 
  • GE along with Rolls Royce are applying 3D printing to produce light weight and highly functional aircraft engine components. BMW is also looking at 3D printing as a core enabler of lighter weight automobiles.
  • For metal 3D printing, direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) is the dominant technology on the market and offers the most flexibility for a variety of metals. Alternative technologies, such as electron beam melting (EBM) may offer advantages with respect to cost and speed.
  • 3D printing technology is increasingly being used in mass customization applications.  Interesting applications that were observed at the expo include: 3D printed selfie (known as a "shapie"), orthotics, eyewear, shoes, clothing and food.