August 13, 2012

Stratasys, a NCMS Member and supplier of additive manufacturing machinery and materials to NCMS’ 21-year Government-Industry additive manufacturing collaborative program, has a new feather in its cap – providing FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling™) printed parts that will wind up on Mars.
Some twelve years ago, NCMS’ collaborative program partner, NASA’s Ken Cooper, an engineer at Marshall Space Flight Center, first tested the performance of Stratasys’ FDM process in micro and zero gravity environments. The results can be found in this early white paper at http://www.laserlines.co.uk/htm/rp/fortus_whitePapers.htm .
Now, the Hummer-sized NASA rover created by Desert RATS (Research and Technology Studies) is moving ahead towards the next Giant Step for Mankind – human exploration of Mars. This will be a fitting follow-on to the picture-perfect landing of NASA’s unmanned Curiosity rover on August 6.
With a cabin that can accommodate a pair of astronauts for days, twelve rugged wheels on six axles for maneuvering irregular terrain, and a cockpit that can tilt and move its observation bubble close to the ground, this agile vehicle is currently being tested in the Arizona desert.
About 70 of the FDM parts for this impressive creation were built digitally, directly from computer design on a production-grade, Stratasys 3D Printer, the only 3D-printing method that supports lightweight and durable production grade thermoplastics. These parts include flame-retardant vents and housings, camera mounts, large pod doors, the front bumper and many custom fixtures.
Watch the video to see the rover in action.
Full story at Stratasys
Tuesday marked the opening day of the 2013 American Chemical Manufacturing Summit, bringing players from the agrochemical sector to pharmaceuticals to discuss the state of the industry. And while many of the keynotes, panels and workshops catered to unique challenges faced by chemical manufacturers, a number of key delegates voiced predictions that will affect the whole of the manufacturing industry...
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At 30,000 feet, equipment failure is simply not an option, which is part of why additive manufacturing has been a bit slow to catch on in the aerospace industry. But according to Michael Idelchik, vice president of GE’s advanced technologies research, GE Aviation is still looking for more ways that additive manufacturing can help to create a better airplane...
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Despite reassurances of automation professionals throughout the industry, some experts simply aren't convinced that technological advancements in robotics and automation aren't negatively impacting U.S. employment rates, which is what Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee of the MIT Sloan School of Management have been arguing over the past year and a half.
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Jun 18, 2013 |
When it comes to testing a new line of trucks, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that automakers such as Ford aren’t afraid to be tough on their latest models. But separating the pounding the trucks can take from the test driver can get a bit tricky, which is why Ford has recently handed the keys over to robots instead of flesh-and-blood drivers.
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Jun 14, 2013 |
Last month’s news of 3D printers entering brick-and-mortar Staples stores may have represented a major step in mainstream commercialization of additive manufacturing tools, but in what is perhaps an even bigger step, online retail giant Amazon recently added a dedicated section of its site to 3D printers and supplies.
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Jun 12, 2013 |
In the wake of the economic downturn, reshoring efforts and increased emphasis on STEM, there’s plenty of uncertainty about where global manufacturing is headed in the next several years. Helping to give us a better sense of this trajectory is a group of thought leaders who have come together to try and answer the most pertinent questions about the future.
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Jun 11, 2013 |
As the U.S. manufacturing sector fights to stay competitive on a global scale, the issue of improving STEM education has been key. But in a recent study measuring how workers in STEM fields are putting their educations to use it was found that half didn't need a bachelor's degree.
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Jun 10, 2013 |
Chevrolet has added digital manufacturing technology to its arsenal. Abandoning clay for their latest Malibu, the automaker has turned to two types of additive manufacturing to meet their rapid prototyping needs.
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03/20/2013 | SAS | This white paper examines how an enterprise-wide quality platform can turn existing data into substantial and sustainable revenue growth and cost savings for global manufacturers. The paper is based on the findings of the IW/SAS Enterprise Quality Survey completed by more than 400 manufacturing executives. The objectives of the survey were to determine concerns about quality among manufacturers; investigate the tools used to measure quality; and examine how using enterprise-wide analysis on quality data improves performance.
07/19/2011 | Univa | TATA Steel Automotive Engineering’s concern grew when open source Grid Engine support and development was discontinued by Oracle. Grid Engine is a business critical application in their environment. They recognized the likelihood that product enhancements and innovations would cease. Read how TATA Steel Automotive Engineering moved from a self-support solution to Univa Grid Engine. You can get more out of your environment and your budget with Univa Grid Engine.
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