GE opening microfactory in Chicago to build industrial prototypes
Robert Channick for the Chicago Tribune: GE is opening a microfactory in Chicago to turn big industrial ideas into small-batch prototypes. The Chicago manufacturing facility, set to open in December, will be the first for Fuse, a new GE crowdsourcing initiative to create and build innovative industrial products. One of the first challenges on the Fuse drawing board, for example, is finding a new way to quickly inspect a hot jet engine between flights.
"The idea of reaching out to the online community really accelerates how we introduce new products," said Axel Grippo, Fuse's inaugural general manager. The microfactory will be housed inside the mHub technology incubator, and will employ a staff of about 15 to 20 once manufacturing gets up to speed, Grippo said. The first prototype is expected to roll out early next year. Cont'd...
Special Tradeshow Coverage for FABTECH
FABTECH will be held from November 16th - 18th in Las Vegas, Nevada. This ManufacturingTomorrow.com Special Tradeshow report aims to bring you news, articles and products from this years event.
Why manufacturing will make or break the future of energy
Lauren Hepler for GreenBiz: From solar panels a decade ago to energy storage today, the history of clean tech is littered with capital-intensive concepts poised to radically alter the relationship between industrialized society and the environment.
But why do these widely heralded breakthroughs always seem to limp along so slowly when it comes to actually hitting the market? The dreaded "valley of death" between conception and commercialization is one increasingly recognized explanation, dooming novel technologies to relegation in never-ending pilot projects as follow-on investment lags.
For Mark Johnson, the Department of Energy's resident innovation expert, the real problem often boils down to production. That is, not just inventing a new energy-centric technologies, but making sure those new tools can be reliably made in a cost-effective manner. Cont'd...
How 3D Printing Streamlines the Engineering Workflow
Michael Molitch-Hou for Engineering.com: The desktop 3D printing space has become an interesting one in the last year or so, as manufacturers shift the focus away from consumers and towards professional and industrial users. The technology has proven that it may not quite be ready to produce consumer goods for every household—or perhaps households aren't quite ready for 3D printing at home. Those in the industry know, however, that low-cost 3D printing is still a powerful technology, if not for fabricating home goods, then as an early design tool and, in some cases, even for short-run manufacturing. Cont'd...
This Time, 3D Printer Makers Think They Found a Sweet Spot
Olga Kharif for Bloomberg Technology: 3D printing has long been a cool technology in search of a huge market. The industry may have found one in mass production.
Because of its high cost and slow pace, 3D printing’s use in manufacturing has been limited mostly to prototyping, making plastic molds for teeth alignment and creating tools. That may be about to change, potentially lifting the shares of printer makers 3D Systems Inc. and Stratasys Ltd. after a long slump.
HP Inc. will introduce a $130,000 printer later this year, which it says can make parts at half the expense and at least 10 times faster than rival printers -- and likely use lower-cost materials. While HP’s entry could be a competitive blow, it may also help expand the market for 3D mass production, where other printer companies have already turned their focus.
Jabil Circuit Inc. plans to be an early adopter of HP’s device, printing end plastic parts for aerospace, auto and industrial applications that it currently makes using processes such as injection molding, John Dulchinos, vice president of digital manufacturing at the electronics-manufacturing service provider, said in an interview. Cont'd...
How Big Area Additive Manufacturing is Enabling Automotive Microfactories
Ian Wright for Engineering.com: Make no mistake, 3D printing is changing manufacturing.
Although it may take years before we see the full impact of bringing this technology from rapid prototyping to full-scale production, there are already hints of big things to come.
Take Local Motors’ recent purchase of two Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) systems from Cincinnati Incorporated (CI) as an example. The former company designs, builds and sells custom vehicles out of its US-based microfactories. The latter is a century-old manufacturer of metal fabrication tools and, more recently, BAAM. Cont'd...
Prototype House Co-Founder Matthew Bordy Shares Prototyping and Product Development Tips at a Miami Start Up Event
Throughout the event attendees asked various questions about the product development process ranging from patent filing, to the manufacturing process and when is the right time to contact a product development professional.
RAPID 2016 - HP begins selling its Jet Fusion 3D printer; says it's 50% cheaper, 10X faster than others
Lucas Mearian for ComputerWorld: Hewlett-Packard today began taking orders for its first 3D printer, the HP Jet Fusion printer, which it said will be up to 10 times faster than existing machines and can cut the cost of manufacturing parts in half.
At the RAPID 3D additive manufacturing conference here, HP revealed two models: the lower-cost and lower production 3200 series and the 4200 series, for which it is now taking orders. The 4200 series will begin shipping to manufacturers in October; the 3200 series will be available in mid-2017.
HP originally unveiled its Jet Fusion printer in October 2014.
HP claims its printer will enable mass production of parts through additive manufacturing (3D printing), instead of just rapid prototyping, for which the technology is typically used. The printers are unlikely to be used to produce millions or billions of production parts; think, instead, in terms of hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of parts, HP said. Cont'd...
RAPID - Type A Machines Introduces Absolute 3D Internal Structures, A New Paradigm for Defining Functional Internal Geometry of 3D Printed Objects
New methodology moves beyond 2D infill, empowering designers and engineers to create consistent, predictable, printed objects that leverage material and structural characteristics, while substantially reducing the time to final manufactured product
RAPID - Optomec Showcases Production Systems for 3D Printed Metals and 3D Printed Electronics at the RAPID Conference
Affordable Hybrid CNC machines for metalworking and mass production systems for printed electronics will be demonstrated
RAPID - The 3D Manufacturing Experience: 5 Reasons Why You Need to Be at RAPID 2016
Explore exciting technologies and innovations through RAPID's rich and varied presentations, exhibitors and special events.
RAPID - Additive Manufacturing Experts Headline 2016 RAPID Keynotes
Featuring speakers from NASA, HP Inc. and University of Michigan
Special Tradeshow Coverage for RAPID 2016
RAPID 2016 will be held from May 17th - 19th in Orlanda, FL. This ManufacturingTomorrow.com Special Tradeshow report aims to bring you news, articles and products from this years event.
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