new generation of micro machining solutions makes … machining solutions makes new parts possible...
TRANSCRIPT
ArecentUSATodayarticle,“ManufacturersbringingthemostjobsbacktoAmerica,”indicatesachanginglandscapefordomesticmanufacturing.MoreandmoreU.S.-basedmanufacturersaredecidingtomakeproductsclosetohomeasrisinglaborcostsinAsia,higherglobalfuel/transportationcosts,thenaturalgasboomhere,andcustomerdemandsforqualitycreateaplayingfieldwhereU.S.companiescancompeteandwin.NewManufacturingTechnologies“TheUnitedStatesisintheearlystagesofamanufacturingrenaissance,”accordingtoCNBC,“andisexpectedtogrow.”Newmanufacturingisdifferentandiscreatingnewjobs.“Researchbyeconomistsshowstechnologyhascreatedmorejobsthanit'sdestroyed—andtheyhave140yearsofdatatoproveit,”CNBCsaid.ThetrickforU.S.companiesistodevelopnewmanufacturingtechniquesaheadofglobalcompetitorsandthenusethemtoproducegoodsmoreefficientlyonsuperautomatedfactoryfloors.
NEW GENERATION OF MICRO MACHINING SOLUTIONS MAKES NEW PARTS POSSIBLE
New technology brings higher precision, faster production to make small parts more efficiently than is possible with traditional micro machining technology and equipment.
GF MICROLUTION, INC. 6635 W IRVING PARK RD. CHICAGO, IL 60634 TEL. 773-282-6495 FAX. 866-417-4459 www.microlution-inc.com
WritinginTechCrunch,manufacturingexecutiveVickiHoltwrites,“Whenmostpeopleheartheword‘manufacturing,’afewimagestendtocometomind:lowskill,wrench-turning,physicallydrainingwork;dirty,grease-stainedworkplaces;amale-dominatedworkforce.Forwhateverreason,thesestereotypespersist,andtheyareantiquatedandmisleading.”“Thankstomassiveadvancementsinautomationtechnologyandanalyticssoftware,”shecontinues,“theAmericanmanufacturingindustryoftodayisafarcryfromtheassemblylinesandmanuallaborofthepast.Manufacturinginthe21stcenturyisahigh-techfusionofsoftwareandmechanicalengineering,automatedprocessesandcomplexproductionequipment,3DCADmodels,andon-demandparts.TraditionalMachiningLosingitsEdgeAllthiscomesastraditionalmicromachiningtechnologyisrunningupagainstlimitationsofprecisionandproductivity.Conventionalmicromachiningmethodsarelosingtheiredge.Moreandmoremicromachiningapplicationsrequiremultiplepostprocessingsteps—suchaslappingandgrinding—toachievesingle-digitmicronqualityresultsusingconventionalmanufacturingmethods.Atthesametime,materialsareevolving.Brittlematerials,ultrahardmetals,polymers,andothermorecomplexandchallengingmaterialshavetakenamuchmoreprominentroleinprecisionmanufacturing,andtheirrolewilllikelycontinuetogrowfornext-generationproductadvances.
GF MICROLUTION, INC. 6635 W IRVING PARK RD. CHICAGO, IL 60634 TEL. 773-282-6495 FAX. 866-417-4459 www.microlution-inc.com
TheRacetoSmallThereisalsoaracetosmall.Newproductdesignsarerequiringincreasinglyintricatefeaturestoenablenewperformanceresults.Forexample,newtexturinginsideoffuelinjectorholesisapotentialsolutiontofurtheroptimizespraypatternsforfuelinjectors—thisisnotpossibleusingtraditionalmachiningmethods.Microfluidicschannelsmustbemachinedtodimensionsthatallowthemtoseparatedifferentmoleculesintodifferentchannels.Andcoronarystents,madeofbothpolymerandhardmetals,mustbemachinedtoensurestructuralintegritywithstrutslessthan100micronswide.
Intheend,anewgenerationofmachiningtechnologyisneededforthefutureofprecisionmanufacturing.ThisiswherecompanieslikeMicrolutioncomein.Microlution’sadvancedmicromanufacturingtechnologyisoneofthosenewmanufacturingtechniquesthatmakesnewproductspossible,achievingthehigherqualitythatendusersdemandfaster,cleanerandultimatelyatalowercostthanthemorecoarsetechnologiesofthepast.Manymanufacturersdevelopingnext-generationproductionprocessestomakenewproductsmoreefficientlyareembracingthistechnology.
GF MICROLUTION, INC. 6635 W IRVING PARK RD. CHICAGO, IL 60634 TEL. 773-282-6495 FAX. 866-417-4459 www.microlution-inc.com
Faster,Cleaner,MorePreciseThesenewsolutionsarefaster,cleaner,andmoreprecise,leadingtohigheryieldsthroughmoreaccurate,repeatablemachining.Ultrafastlasersthatremovematerialatthemolecularlevel,createfinishedpartsinasinglestepwithnomelting,burringorrecast,andnochemicalpost-processing,areenablingmanufacturerstomakebetterproductsatalowercostperpartandtogainacompetitiveadvantageintheprocess.Newmechanicalmillingandturningsolutionwithg-forceacceleration,highspindlespeeds,andunprecedentedstabilityalsorepresentanewgenerationofmanufacturingequipmentthatmakessmallerpartsbetterandfaster.
Sensortechnologyisalsoenablingmoreefficientproductionprocesses.Glassscalesthatgivereal-timepositionalfeedback,lasersensorsthatmeasureaccuracyin-situandself-correctingsoftwarefurtherimprovesyieldsandreducecostperpart.Combinethishighprecisiontechnologywithmanufacturingautomationandyouhavehighlyefficientmicrofactoriescapableofmachiningparts24/7,withunprecedentedaccuracyandrepeatability.
GF MICROLUTION, INC. 6635 W IRVING PARK RD. CHICAGO, IL 60634 TEL. 773-282-6495 FAX. 866-417-4459 www.microlution-inc.com
"Theabilitytomakethingsisfundamentaltotheabilitytoinnovatethingsoverthelongterm,"WillyShih,aHarvardBusinessSchoolprofessorandauthorof"ProducingProsperity:WhyAmericaNeedsaManufacturingRenaissance,"tellsthemagazine."Whenyougiveupmakingproducts,youlosealotofaddedvalue."Enablingmanufacturerstomakethingsnooneelsecanmakedeliversthatvalue.That'spartoftheenormouspromiseofnonextgenerationmicromachiningtechnology--achievingnewlevelsofprecisionthatenablecompaniestobuildvaluablenewproductsquicklyandefficiently,openingthedoortonewindustrialdesignsthatcouldn'tbeotherwiseberealized,andofferingacompellingcompetitiveadvantagetomanufacturersinmultiplesectors.Microlutionhaspioneeredacompletelineofmicromachiningplatformsoptimizedforhighprecision,smallpartfabrication.Thecompany’sproductlineincludesmechanicalmillingandturningstationsaswellaslaserprocessingcenters.Allplatformsutilizeallthekeyfeaturesofaprecisionplatform.Mechanicalplatformsincludethe363-S3-axishorizontalmillingstation,the5100-S3or5-axisverticalmillingstation,andtheMR-44-axismicrolathe.ThelasermachinesincludetheML-55-axisultrafastlaserplatformandtheMLDSdual-stationmachiningcenterthatcanbeconfiguredwithasamechanical,laserorhybridplatform.