At RAPID/TCT Los Angeles, additive machine builders, material suppliers, and service vendors gathered to demonstrate the breadth and depth of 3D printing technology. Materials and methods are growing exponentially, and many of them have direct application to the aerospace industry. 

New materials, including composites, are ready for new roles in fuselage, wing and empennage applications, while durable new alloys decrease weight from the fan to the hot section of gas turbines. But even commodity resins are now in focus, as low cost, disposable drone swarms appear to be the next major step forward in combat aviation. 

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Below is the extended version of the video, featuring additional and longer interviews for a more in-depth exploration of the topic:

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At this year’s industrial additive manufacturing event in Los Angeles, automotive applications were strongly represented by equipment manufacturers, material suppliers and software vendors.

There is a definite emphasis on mass customization, with many experts predicting that additive manufacturing will be the key to profitable production of shorter runs of more specialized products, often based on a common automotive platform. 

Specialty autos that were formally contracted out for completion, such as Roush and Shelby Mustangs, may move in-house as additive manufacturing technology and capability for short runs, without added costs. 

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Below is the extended version of the video, featuring additional and longer interviews for a more in-depth exploration of the topic:

The post How additive manufacturing is impacting the automotive industry appeared first on Engineering.com.

The critical role of schematics in industrial circuit design highlights their importance in setting up, understanding, and maintaining electrically powered systems. Schematics not only serve as foundational documents but also play a crucial role in ensuring safety, reducing downtime, and enhancing productivity in on the factory floor. 

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From the dawn of mass production, lower unit costs have depended on standardization to simplify the production process and reduce the complexity of both inputs and the supply chains that deliver them. With the fracturing of global supply chains because of the pandemic, and now the war in Ukraine, there is a renewed emphasis on regional production with shorter, more robust supply lines.  

This has renewed interest in long-neglected aspects of American manufacturing, such as primary steel production. It presents an enormous opportunity for value-adding manufacturers to carve out a profitable niche in a sector where only huge players previously held large-scale economies.  

Additive manufacturing is an affordable option for small and medium-sized companies. It critically concentrates value at the production design phase, giving creative companies an advantage, large or small.  

Jim Anderton speaks with industry experts about how additive manufacturing can rebuild American manufacturing.

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Watch part 2 of this series on Additive Manufacturing: Can Additive Restore Global Manufacturing and Broken Supply Chains?

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The effects of COVID-19 are rapidly diminishing in the West, with stubborn pockets remaining in China. The impact on global supply chains for manufacturing due to the pandemic has been severe. Supply shortages in everything from advanced memory devices to washing machines have caused the first significant analysis of what robust and efficient supply chains mean in a globalized world.  

Reshoring is now the watchword, and the coming wave of new build domestic production facilities represents an opportunity to rethink manufacturing from the ground up. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to implement advanced manufacturing technologies, such as additive manufacturing, into processes from the start of production.  

Jim Anderton speaks with industry experts about where additive manufacturing can restart and improve manufacturing supply chains.

The post Additive Manufacturing: Can Additive Restore Global Manufacturing and Broken Supply Chains? appeared first on Engineering.com.

This video is brought to you by FARO.

As 3D scanning advances, new fields are finding applications for the technology, from more traditional metrology to product development, digital museum archiving and even design for the architecture, engineering and construction industry. Reverse engineering, in particular, has been completely revolutionized by the ability to capture data from the physical world and create 3D models from that information, which can then be manipulated and brought back into the physical world using modern fabrication technologies.

Mammoth Machine + Design services original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that perform automation and large-scale manufacturing. To help customers repair or retrofit existing equipment, Mammoth uses a series of CNC machines and 3D printers, as well as a FARO Edge ScanArm with HD Laser Line Probe for 3D scanning.

For Mammoth, the traditional 3D scanning workflow moves as follows: once a part is oriented on the firm’s large granite table for scanning, Mammoth engineers will grab 3D data with the ScanArm before using the probe to capture the object’s key features, such as hole locations. This data is brought into Geomagic Design X to recreate the part as a solid model. From there, the team will create engineering drawings and pursue traditional subtractive manufacturing or 3D printing as needed.

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To learn more, download the whitepaper: How 3D Scanning Speeds Up Reverse Engineering

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