Advanced rotary surface grinders enable efficient, precise resurfacing of additive manufacturing build plates, improving productivity and quality.
Aerospace increasingly relies on metal additive manufacturing (AM) to create weight-saving components with complex geometries, different material properties, and minimal setup times. To construct each part, advanced 3D printers melt, or partially melt, ultra-fine layers of metal powder on build plates. After each metal part is finished, it’s cut from the build plate.
However, one production bottleneck in AM is any residual metal must be entirely removed before the build plate can be reused. This requires precisely resurfacing the build plate so it’s flat, level, and correctly textured prior to printing the next part. Unfortunately, traditional methods of accomplishing this task have significant drawbacks and have become a production bottleneck.
Advanced precision rotary surface grinders used in metalworking and glass grinding to create perfectly flat, parallel surfaces are ideally suited to remove any residual metal from the build plate surface, restoring it to precise dimensions.
“With advanced rotary surface grinders, our AM build plate resurfacing process is significantly more efficient, precise, and flexible. Incorporating the units in our process will help us handle high expected growth in the AM market,” says Doug Hedges, chief technology officer of Deerfield Beach, Florida-based Beehive3D Inc., an AM provider for industries such as aerospace, defense, and turbine technologies. The AM contract manufacturer currently has five U.S. locations and is expanding nationally.
It’s critical in Beehive3D’s laser powder bed fusion process to resurface the build plate to precise process tolerances prior to reuse. “Not only do you have remnants of metal on the build plate, but also portions of the build plate can become bowed or distorted, so it needs to be resurfaced after each use to keep it flat and parallel,” Hedges explains.
Since the metal part is essentially welded to the build plate, it’s typically cut off with wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) or a bandsaw. However, both methods remove a thin layer of the build plate surface, gradually reducing its thickness until it’s no longer usable.
The alternative is to cut close to the part, leaving material that must be removed later. With EDM and bandsaws, the process can take hours and hard materials such as Inconel tend to strain-harden, further increasing the difficulty. Some shops address the issue with CNC milling, possibly taking hours and limiting equipment availability for actual production. Exceptionally hard AM materials, Inconel and titanium, further lengthen the required milling time. A more efficient alternative uses advanced precision rotary surface grinders to remove unwanted residual material with a large rotary grinding wheel surface.
“The goal is to remove just the residual AM part material and as little of the build plate as possible while providing necessary resurfacing of the build plate,” says Erik Lawson, engineering manager at Winona, Minnesota-based DCM Tech, a designer and builder of industrial rotary surface grinders.
Today, surface grinders are designed with more advanced sensors and controls that automatically maintain very tight tolerances, removing material down to within 0.0001" of the final thickness. The equipment can achieve tighter dimensional tolerances, flatness, parallelism, and surface finish on build plates in much less time than other methods, eliminating variability among resurfaced build plates while increasing production and quality, batch after batch.
More advanced units such as DCM Tech’s IG series offer variable speed grinding with automation and controls that almost any operator can successfully manage. These units can control the initial contact between the abrasive wheel and the build plate, which in the past had to be finessed by the operator. Advanced sensor technology detects vibration and can automatically fine-tune the pressure of the spindle motor and how quickly it moves the wheel down onto the build plate. When the machine senses the abrasive wheel has contacted the build plate, it automatically begins the grind cycle.
The most advanced units offer simple controls including a touchscreen human machine interface (HMI) that any operator can use to make necessary adjustments without programming. This capability enhances processing flexibility, so it’s easy to adjust any grinding factor to prevent an issue from recurring.
For routine processes, the use of a variety of grind recipes with sets of parameters for different AM construction builds can further speed production, enhance quality, and aid in quick changeover.
“Different grind recipes can be set for different customers, material types, or construction builds, so complex programming or data doesn’t need to be entered at the start of each job. A new recipe can be created for job variations, such as a different finish for a specific AM material,” Lawson explains.
One aspect that expedites production is accommodating grinding of extremely hard residual material from build plates. This involves working with an expert vendor that can tailor the surface grinder’s abrasives to accommodate different types of metals and alloys, as well as the materials used for the build plate.
Beehive3D currently uses DCM Tech IG series rotary surface grinders at some of its locations and plans to add more in the future. Hedges finds value in working with an expert vendor that can tailor the rotary surface grinder to specific needs.
“Using the proper abrasives and feed rates can reduce finishing time and facilitate an efficient, repeatable process. Working with an expert in abrasive use such as DCM Tech gives us the flexibility we need to efficiently remove a range of metal remnants from the build plates,” Hedges says.
Also important is the ability to alter parameters through the grind cycle to handle the printed metal or alloy and the material used for the build plate. The material characteristics of the printed part residue and the build plate are very different, so the rotary grinder must adjust to each on contact. Once the grinder cuts through the residual part material and reaches the plate, the grinding abrasive must work completely differently; the rotary grinders automatically make that transition.
The advanced unit’s grind recipes can also be set to accommodate required build plate textures. This eliminates the need to roughen up a build plate in a separate process so the AM part will properly adhere to the surface during buildout.
“Instead of trying to tailor a build plate finish by running it through a mill or an abrasive blaster, after grinding with an IG machine there’s no reason to take it to a secondary operation,” Hedges says. “An operator can simply clean it with alcohol or a solvent, let it dry, and it’s ready to use again.”
The automation from advanced rotary grinders allows operators to set up the machine and then attend to other tasks. The machine doesn’t need to be constantly monitored because it has built-in load monitoring.
“Unlike older style machines, the advanced rotary grinders don’t need constant operator input or oversight. This allows the operator to multitask and minimizes the risk of error,” Hedges says.
Automation also eliminates the need for operators to manually dress abrasives on the grinding wheel to renew a good abrasive surface. Without automation, over time the wheel can become clogged with residue from the AM material.
“Advanced rotary grinders with an auto dress option free operators from needing to do it manually, making operation easier and less time consuming,” Hedges says. “The option can be particularly helpful with hard materials such as Inconel, which can require more frequent dressing of abrasives.”
As metal AM production ramps up, manufacturers who take advantage of sophisticated, automated rotary surface grinders to efficiently remove excess materials and resurface build plates will outperform those using slower, less precise conventional methods.
About the author: Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California.
Association for Advancing Automation (A3) reports robot orders in the third quarter of 2021 were up 35%.
Automation is having a moment. Beyond the steady climb the industry has seen for the better part of this century, the pressure is on for businesses in all industries to automate for self-preservation. It’s not just about satisfying social distancing guidelines and mitigating the impact of workplace shutdowns; trade tensions and supply-chain issues are driving manufacturing back to the United States – a plus in many ways, but a hit to labor costs. Automation can help with all of it.
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) reports, “Robot orders in the third quarter of 2021 were up 35% over the same period in 2020” and the growth isn’t just robotics, as machine vision, motion control, and motors are seeing big increases.
No one can escape cloud computing and the trend is growing. According to Gartner, “Cloud-native platforms will serve as the foundation for more than 95% of new digital initiatives by 2025 – up from less than 40% in 2021.” Many automation suppliers have begun to acquire or build their own cloud-based software solutions. In 2020, robotics company DENSO launched an in-house cloud-based platform connecting 130 factories.
Edge computing is also gaining momentum, keeping data storage and analysis closer to the sources of data to improve response times. The edge computing market is expected to grow by 35% during the next several years, reaching $28.07 billion by 2027. Edge computing and automation fill the holes cloud computing can’t. Industrial automation applications require instant response times. Faster, more powerful servers and processors are driving growth in edge computing for automation. The hurdle for automation engineers will be integrating edge computing technologies into legacy automation systems.
As automation accelerates all industries and facets of our lives, who will control it all? Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor technology drove up speed and resolution with reduced costs for camera and sensor technologies and spurred interest in related imaging technologies such as 3D time-of-flight sensors and nonvisible image sensors. Advanced imaging with more sophisticated processing, analysis, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies help automated systems see, interpret, and solve.
Software developments allow deep learning for reliable optical character recognition (OCR), enabling applications not possible with rules-based machine vision alone. New imaging technologies are allowing for high-res image capture at the high speeds required in many industrial applications. While autonomic behavior is common in information technology (IT) applications, technology research company Gartner predicts more prevalent “Physical systems such as robots, drones, manufacturing machines, and smart spaces.”
Automation is among the fastest rising tech trends. A responsibility once left to plant floor leadership has reached the boardroom and corner office, specifically that of the chief information officer (CIO). Smart organizations know IT and operational technology (OT) aren’t mutually exclusive, they must work together if automation initiatives are to make a positive impact.
From the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to cloud computing, IT/OT roles and responsibilities overlap. Automation engineers must work intensively and frequently with their company’s IT team, especially with cybersecurity and how automation equipment and processes are protected from attack. The term digital transformation may be overused but streamlined collaboration between IT and OT is necessary for automation success.
Güdel, a global manufacturer of linear motion modules, robot track motion units, and gantry robots and components, formed Güdel Americas, bringing together Güdel’s existing entities in the United States and Mexico to better serve customers. This alignment, and a new regional strategy for growth, will provide customers in the Americas with improved responsiveness, access to spare parts, and local service and support.
“The integration of our North American entities into Güdel Americas is the beginning of great things as we continue to provide high-quality, innovative solutions in the Americas,” says David Treutle, managing director. “This reorganization will bolster production capacity and reduce lead times.”
Güdel Americas will focus on controls software engineering for the future development of the Güdel Global Controls Center of Excellence. The field service team will continue to provide service and installation support while adding greater reach and response times throughout the Americas.
Based in Langenthal, Switzerland, Güdel is part of a family-owned business in its third generation. The company was founded in 1954 and has grown from a single precision machine shop to a leading global automation solutions business with operations in more than 20 countries.
Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) experienced a 42% increase in sales in 2021 over 2020. December alone was a record month for the company, with close to 300 robots shipped, more than any previous month.
“We grew significantly in 2021 despite component shortages as customers recognize the value of our safe, reliable, and easy-to-deploy AMRs,” says Søren E. Nielsen, president of MiR. “We enter 2022 with strong expectations that growth will continue, and with a very strong order book.”
Since MiR launched its first robot in 2015, the company’s products have been used in the automobile and electronics industries, and while these markets continue to invest in MiR AMRs, MiR now also sees strong sales from companies within the logistics and consumer packaged goods (CPG) sectors wanting to optimize and automate their internal transport. MiR’s new, more powerful robots ? the MiR600 and MiR1350, both introduced in 2021 ? have been top sellers in the new sectors.
With the growing global autonomous transport trend, more companies are focusing on how autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can be integrated with their other automation solutions. To meet this need, many of its customer projects include MiR’s fleet management software, MiRFleet.
“Our customers are focused on how they can effectively use multiple mobile robots at the same time, and MiRFleet plays a key role in making that happen,” Nielsen says.
Motion Industries Inc., a distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation replacement parts and a provider of industrial technology solutions, formed its automation business brand: Motion Automation Intelligence (MotionAi).
Comprising specialized value-add engineering divisions – including AMMC, Axis, Braas, F&L, Integro, Kaman Automation, and Numatic Engineering – MotionAi is a hi-tech automation solutions provider for industrial automation and emerging automation technologies with locations across the United States. The brand will focus on robotics, motion control, machine vision, digital networking/Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), industrial framing, pneumatics, and custom mechatronic systems. Industries served include semiconductor, pharmaceutical, medical, logistics, automotive, and aerospace.
Leveraging the real and virtual worlds.
Additive manufacturing (AM) has evolved from 3D printing for prototyping with basic materials and equipment to producing low-tolerance components with limited-use to AM today – a highly complex, high-accuracy production technology that competes as a viable alternative to traditional chip-cutting or injection molding. The evolution of hardware and software is removing barriers, enabling machine builders and users to adopt AM technologies in their factories and on their shop floors. It represents a significant development on the road to digitalization.
AM is relevant in a wide range of industrial applications and opens a myriad of opportunities for manufacturers. Companies can reimagine their products with reduced weight and material consumption, realize a digital transition from scan to part, and rethink their business or reinvent their manufacturing. Product transformation happens by moving from conventional designs to designs specifically for AM, and other realities quickly become apparent. These include practical, cost-effective one-off production; maintaining zero inventory in certain industries with on-demand production; adopting a design-anywhere, print-anywhere mindset; and accelerating innovation cycles. A company can eliminate molds, castings, and tooling; dramatically reduce or eliminate assembly processes; reduce supply chains; and move to flexible, low-volume production at workable margins. Additive also offers the freedom of printers running mostly unattended.
Another advantage to 3D printing is a manufacturer can quickly get the part in their hands and see it in form, fit, and function modes. They can make an adaptation and quickly print it again.
A recent example is an aviation fuel injector. This project took several years but started with 21 individual machined cast and fabricated components welded and braced together to create a fuel nozzle and injector. Today, that fuel injector is additively printed as one component, simplifying the assembly process, radically improving quality, reducing inventory, and changing the supply chain in fundamental ways. This is an excellent example of AM as a disruptive technology, as it impacts the entire process of part concept, design, manufacture, and assembly, whether that part is injection-molded plastic, cast base metal, or machined superalloy.
The additive process started out very complex, requiring many steps that occurred in a silo mentality, with multiple types of software and individual workstations for design, simulation, print prep, manufacturing, heat treat, and finishing/inspection. Recent advances in digitalization allow a far more cost-effective, end-to-end solution.
It starts with the virtual product – the digital twin – then the virtual production, which is the digital twin production, to the real automation, which is the real machine doing its work. A closed-loop digital chain links all these functions together and keeps them together. It also collects performance data at every step, realizes the data, optimizes it, and has it resident on one collaboration platform with an industrial ring of security. This model provides a great value to the manufacturer by taking real product feedback performance data and feeding it directly back into the original CAD model of the design. By simulating it throughout the entire process for validation, this model can simultaneously predict manufacturing and assembly challenges, adjusting the design as needed to compensate.
3D printing can innovate the way to improve machines, as well. The term RepRap, replicating rapid prototype or robots building robots, is shown in Figure 2.
It shows a print head cooling duct that was designed around computational fluid dynamics (CFD). HP and Siemens collaborated and used digital twin technology on the design and performance, then printed the part on an HP 3D machine. The engineers finally redesigned the part inside the HP machine. This reduced part cost 34%, increased air flow 22%, and resulted in 75% faster part development. The air duct cools down the print heads, keeping them cool during long build times. It had two print heads, and to design this generatively, the part in the center of the slide is fluid in its shape. Today, it would be designed around optimized flow paths for cooling, but this shows how a manufacturer of 3D printers leveraged their printers with AM on the Siemens holistic platform.
Products can be individualized and personalized in ways not previously possible. Siemens worked with a German automobile manufacturer to completely individualize vehicles for their owners. A customer can buy a new car and, through the company’s website, customize the interior dash panel with wording or pictures and have it 3D printed automatically. Remember when small volume in automotive was considered a major roadblock to the implementation of additive?
Automotive manufacturers have suppliers all over the world. An American automobile manufacturer has approximately 100,000 suppliers providing components worldwide. With AM, they can design and print anywhere, without the need to design and manufacture in the same location.
In the transition from traditional design and manufacturing to additive, in this case powder bed fusion technology, the process begins with these steps, ideally done inside a single software:
Finally, here are five action tips to speed up AM utilization for a company – at the right place, level, and pace.
To begin the process, identify a champion at your company who is familiar with your operation and the additive world. Lean on their strength and commitment to improve your company and better position it to remain innovative and competitive in today’s changing marketplace.
About the author: Tim Bell is head of the Additive Manufacturing Center of Competence, Siemens Industry Inc. He can be reached at tim.bell@siemens.com.
Why ‘manufacturing’ is the key word.
Manufacturing cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) software gives aerospace & defense (A&D) manufacturers complete visibility into the entire project life cycle in real time, from estimating and engineering through planning, scheduling, capacity impact on the shop floor, production, and shipment ? with comprehensive project cost and performance tracking
Since the A&D industry must comply with regulations from AS9100 to the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA), A&D cloud ERP must satisfy all regulations while enabling engineering, sales, operations, procurement, materials, planning, production, project management, and the finance department to efficiently manage the supply chain.
Many A&D organizations are trying to garner revenue by providing service and repair. The selected system must be robust enough to support the stringent manufacturing requirements and have the functionality to support reverse logistics to provide their repair facilities with software which allows them to work a disassembly operation.
One hidden cost of implementing an ERP system is tailoring it to drive staff efficiency and provide the best customer service. Cloud ERP solution users must recognize customization is necessary for user adoption of the software. No single ERP package, cloud or on-premises, will provide out-of-the-box, 100% of the functionality all require.
Avoid the hardened customization development methods of legacy ERPs using unsupported, non-upgradeable code. Ensure the ERP system leverages low-code capabilities tailorable at scale.
Recognizing significant differences and benefits to open systems on a public cloud, information technology (IT) management can make informed decisions on which cloud ERP solution provides a quicker payback and higher return on investment, especially considering customization can be controlled by the customer rather than the software provider.
One ERP software package can’t address all manufacturing and distribution operations, so consider ecosystems offering more than one type of ERP software.
When selecting a cloud ERP solution, it’s not enough for the ERP to be only on the cloud, because most cloud ERP software solutions are created from an accounting or customer relations viewpoint, not a complex manufacturing viewpoint. A&D manufacturers need a robust manufacturing cloud ERP to:
A few cloud ERP software suites provide the cloud benefits A&D organizations need, but they can’t offer the full set of functions and ERP benefits, such as visibility into the entire project life cycle in real time.
Industry focused A&D manufacturing ERP lets companies efficiently manage all aspects of their logistics and supply chain. Complete traceability for inventory items by lot and serial number satisfies the most rigorous industry requirements. Planning, costing, and inventory tracking is implemented on an item-project/contract basis.
Manufacturing cloud ERP engineering change control capabilities provide easier integration to industry standard product lifecycle management (PLM) systems and ensure engineering changes are implemented, enabling multiple divisions to centralize or decentralize purchasing and engineering. Among the key modules:
Manufacturing cost control manages costing throughout the manufacturing process, helping manufacturers identify and manage cost elements while eliminating inefficiencies. Users can define cost elements for purchased material, subcontracted material, labor and machine, and material burden. A&D companies can track costs in real time against an estimate to determine overall project profitability and for estimating future projects.
The scheduling module should schedule operation steps (sequential or concurrent) for work orders by work center. Drag-and-drop scheduling and capacity planning can provide immediate identification to fix shortages and overloads, and allows viewing day-to-day work center capacity planning by labor or machine hours on a single graphical display. Users can create and manage schedules for all firmed, released, and in-process work orders. Level loads can be achieved by dragging work order operations from one day to another.
A shop floor control module lets users streamline production and material flow with their suppliers and in their factories, creating powerful routing masters that capture as-planned routing details. They can explode BOMs to display assemblies broken down to individual components and parts.
A lot control and serial tracking module produces comprehensive audit trail inquiries. Users can register lot numbers through purchasing receipts, inventory, shop floor control, and sales orders and assign serial numbers to track inventories all the way to sales order fulfillment – or view full-level traceability trees and comprehensive device history records.
A material requirements planning (MRP) module’s capabilities benefit A&D firms that manage their business by contracts or projects. With the manufacturing cloud ERP modules, all departments of an A&D company can have complete visibility of all aspects of their operation and the infrastructure to communicate easily and respond to events quickly.
A work order management module can streamline the entire work order process, including release, picking material, booking, quantity recording, receipt, backflushing, and costing. This module should create tear-down work orders that, instead of using component inventory, supplies component inventory.
Complete project life cycle tracking and control. Plan, track, and cost by project using project control, connecting sales, inventory control, shop floor control, MRP, purchasing, and manufacturing cost control. Allocate materials to projects using standard or average costs, and associate inventory items, sales, work orders, purchase requisitions, and purchase orders with a project. Project workbench gives real-time access to all A&D project data, including a snapshot cost comparison of actual to budget, project inventory, purchase order requisitions and orders, manufacturing work orders, forecasts, sales orders, and all transactions associated with the project.
Accurate bids and estimates. Manage pricing and quotes efficiently and with complete visibility using configure-price-quote (CPQ). Provide accurate, immediate estimates for different products and customer channels or tailor it to specific business requirements.
Integrated scheduling, planning, and inventory control. Scheduling and capacity planning in manufacturing cloud ERP software for A&D manufacturing allows balancing production with material supply using a simple drag-and-drop scheduler. Level loads by dragging work order operations from one day to another.
Use inventory control to track inventory locations, costs, and quantities. Plan and set policies such as lead time, MRP parameters, and replenishment planning (RP).
Powerful engineering management tools. Production engineering manages components, sub-assemblies, BOMs, routings, and engineering changes no matter how complex. Revision control maintains status and effectivity dates, manages additional BOM and routing revisions, and generates work order demand by revision. Engineering change control (ECC) manages and tracks component and operation changes through authorizations and approvals.
Today’s sophisticated manufacturers and customers demand more personalization for products and customer service. Focused manufacturing cloud ERP helps them know everything they can about their plant operations and customers. Choose carefully and demand a cloud ERP that allows you, the user, to personalize the solution to your exact requirements. A full-function cloud ERP and the ability to personalize it can provide continuous, top-notch service to all stakeholders.
About the author: David Stephans is president of Rootstock Software. He can be reached at dstephans@rootstock.com.
Aquiline Drones, Aware Technology team for emergency response; Northern Plains UAS Test Site names executive director.
The AFWERX Agility Prime program took another step forward in December 2021 with the first government remotely piloted flight of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Capt. Terrence McKenna, a U.S. Air Force Reserve pilot with the 370th Flight Test Squadron and the test and experimentation lead for AFWERX Agility Prime, participated in remote pilot in control (rPIC) training on the Heaviside eVTOL aircraft at the Kitty Hawk Corp. facility in Palo Alto, California. He then flew the Heaviside via the Buddy Box System, a secondary remote controller intended for an instructor and a student performing the duties of an external pilot in manual flight mode. The trainee handles and operates the aircraft while the instructor provides supervision and support. The instructor can override any direction that the rPIC gives the aircraft from the primary controller.
Kitty Hawk, in partnership with Agility Prime, is evaluating a training syllabus for their unmanned eVTOL aircraft. McKenna, with 15+ years of expertise piloting manned aircraft as well as designing, developing, and testing manned and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) as a civilian engineer, is assisting Kitty Hawk’s team of engineers in refining their product and training procedures.
“The main objective is to help collaboratively develop syllabi for these platforms with Kitty Hawk and our Air Education and Training Command (AETC) detachment [Det 62],” McKenna says.
American drone manufacturer and cloud technology company Aquiline Drones (AD) partnered with AWARE, a cloud-based suite of secure technologies designed to enhance first responders’ emergency response.
The collaboration creates a software as a service (SaaS) platform that extends AWARE’s Smart Response Software to AD’s Spartacus line of autonomous, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled, U.S.-made drones. Cloud based cognitive AI services will help firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) assess a situation and deploy resources in real time during an emergency.
The AWARE platform’s three main components:
The Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) in North Dakota, one of seven Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test sites, named Trevor Woods executive director. The Northern Plains Unmanned Systems Authority, which oversees NPUASTS, chose Woods for his UAS expertise, business experience, and future vision for the test site. Woods, the former director of safety, has been with NPUASTS since its inception and was part of the proposal team that pitched North Dakota to the FAA as an ideal test site location.
Woods was also instrumental in the conception and development of Vantis, North Dakota’s statewide UAS beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) network, which is administered by NPUASTS. He holds a commercial pilot license and is a certified flight instructor with instrument rating.