INSIDE THIS ISSUE...Rotary & Live Tool Repair Machine Moving Used Machines Integrated Supply...

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2018

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Workforce Disruptions: A Collaborative Robot May be Your Next Employee

14 FEATUREDestination Workplaces UMC and Bell Bank Find the Right Blend

18 INDUSTRY PROFILE3D Printing: Growing Impact on Manufacturing Business Models

22 FEATURE

PRECISION MANUFACTURING 3

FEATURES14 Workforce Disruptions: A Collaborative Robot May be Your Next Employee

18 Industry Profile: Destination Workplaces UMC and Bell Bank Find the Right Blend

22 3D Printing: Growing Impact on Manufacturing Business Models

COLUMNS20 Cutting Edge: Surrounded by Sensors

25 Smart Shop: High Efficiency Machining

ASSOCIATION NEWS4 President’s Letter

5 43rd Annual Golden Gloves Banquet & Boxing Exhibition

6 Executive Director

PRODUCTIVITY.COM • Minnesota 763.476.8600 • Iowa 319.734.3403 • Nebraska 402.330.2323 • Dakotas & Western Wisconsin 800.328.3272

Machine ToolsTooling & AccessoriesRobotics & Automation

Service & PartsPreventive Maintenance Engineering

Rotary & Live Tool Repair Machine MovingUsed Machines

Integrated SupplyTraining

Productivity Inc

A Trusted Partner for 50 YearsProductivity Inc is proud to be a leading provider of dependable products and services to the manufacturing industry for a half-century. Our foundation is built on solid relationships with quality, trusted suppliers and a responsibility to serve you,our customers, with honesty, integrity and responsiveness. You can count on us to help you reach your business goals.

1968-2018

C o n t a c t U s T o d a y !product iv i ty . com

1968-2018 INDEX

SUPPORTING MINNESOTA IN BECOMING THE WORLD LEADER IN PRECISION CONTRACT MANUFACTURING AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES.

MAGAZINE STAFFEditor & Publications Manager: Nancy Huddleston - [email protected] Creative Director: Severyn Skoug - [email protected] Sales: Todd Cusumano - [email protected]

MPMA OFFICERSPresident: Jesse Schelitzche, Imagineering Machine Inc.Vice President: John Madsen, Black Line GroupTreasurer: Laurent Deconinck, Machining TechnologySecretary: Rod Gramse, MRG Tool and DieExecutive Director: Steve Kalina

EDITORIAL COMMITTEECharlie Hales - [email protected] Kyle - [email protected] John Madsen - [email protected] Pete Nelson - [email protected] Pascoe - [email protected] Chuck Remillard - [email protected] Wilcox - [email protected] Wright - [email protected]

Precision Manufacturing (ISSN 0273-7523) is the only authorized, regular publication of the Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association (MPMA). Opinions and conclusions expressed in the magazine are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the MPMA or its officers.

Precision Manufacturing is published six times per year by IntrinXec Management Inc., 5353 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 350, Minneapolis, MN 55416. Advertising rates provided on request. Correspondence regarding the magazine should be sent to Nancy Huddleston, c/o IntrinXec Management, Inc., 5353 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 350, Minneapolis, MN 55416. Electronic correspondence, including attached files in Word or plain text formats, may be sent to [email protected]. Unsolicited materials will not be returned.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Precision Manufacturing, c/o IntrinXec Management, Inc., 5353 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 350, Minneapolis, MN 55416.

For more editorial or advertising information call (952) 564-3041.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2018

8COVER STORY

Disruptive Thinkersby Nancy Huddleston

Since the dawn of time, disruptive thinkers have brought us everything from the printing press, to the automobile, to online shopping and virtual reality. They have challenged the status quo by altering the public’s perception of what is possible.

PAGE 18PAGE 14

4 PRECISION MANUFACTURING PRECISION MANUFACTURING 5

JESSE SCHELITZCHE Imagineering Machine

[email protected]

Manufacturing GrowthComing Full Circle To Work With You by Jesse Schelitzche

PRESIDENT'S LETTER

“I look forward to seeing our members

grow, invest in technology, and continue to be

on the forefront of American

innovation and production.”

As the newest president in a long lineage of successful and motivated peers, I want to first thank those in the MPMA who put their trust in me and the Board of Directors to lead this great organization. Having been involved in manufacturing for over a decade, I’ve come to realize how valuable the MPMA is for our region, and I have seen the fruits of this group’s labor in several ways.

As opposed to our current political system - which apparently requires months and months of campaigning to earn a job - I was simply elected by my manufacturing peers on the MPMA Board of Directors. With that said, I should probably take some time to introduce myself.

I am the son and nephew of two machinists who decided in 1984 to do something crazy and start a machine shop. The first location for Imagineering Machine Inc. was in Watertown. Their first employee was hired when they got the first purchase order they couldn’t handle themselves. Their first two employees were kids right out of trade school. In 1986 they moved the business to Saint Louis Park, where it is located still today.

I will always remember the smell of my dad’s shirt when he came home from work, and I only remember a few cuts from deburring parts at our kitchen table. The rest of my childhood included summers cleaning equipment or running parts that my father was confident I couldn’t ruin.

I attended the University of Minnesota Duluth, not thinking about a career in manufacturing, and received my degree in secondary education in 2004. I won’t bore you with the details, but I officially accepted my first job at Imagineering Machine in 2006 and purchased the company from my father and uncle in 2012.

Ironically, I closed on the business three days before my wedding day. I am married to a fantastic woman, and we’re raising three young daughters in Minnetonka.

REFLECTIONS FROM IMTSThe theme for this issue is “Emerging and Disruptive Technologies.” With that in mind, I will share

a few of my experiences from the most recent IMTS Show in Chicago (in no particular order):

� Automation – Looking for a three-axis vertical mill? Single turret lathe? Check in the far back import area and you might find it! Kidding! But only slightly. With the ability to automate not only CNC machines, but also many processes on the manufacturing floor, this seems to be the fastest way employers are dealing with our current workforce challenges.

� Artificial Intelligence – Did anyone see Athena? Yes, the woman you talk to when running your new Makino. Need to change a tool? “Athena, change to Tool 10.” “Athena, load program 2000.” While I don’t think you can say, “Athena, make this part exactly to the model,” we’re getting close.

� 3D Printing – I sat next to two engineers from a Minnesota manufacturer on the way home. As we discussed the show, they noted they were looking at metal printing machines. I was shocked! This was the first time I heard a small business actually contemplating metal printing to replace standard machined parts. With low volume requirements and products that don’t require specific materials, printing will also allow them to make parts standard machining cannot. It’s certainly becoming mainstream.

I am very excited for the next year. Not only for the MPMA, but Minnesota manufacturing as a whole. I look forward to seeing our members grow, invest in technology, and continue to be on the forefront of American innovation and production. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event. PM

30-Day Free Trial is available; see for yourself.MIDWEST CAM SOLUTIONS, now more than ever…The Complete Solution.

Contact Matt Arnold 877-444-0982www.midwestcamsolutions.com

With machine tools becoming more and more complex,it’s good to know your CAD/CAM software will NEVER be an issue.

The new GibbsCAM 13 performs on everything includingMilling, Turning, MTM, Swiss, 5-axis and all the others.

Plus, you receive FULL MACHINE SIMULATION forANY machine type!

GibbsCAM 13. This is a game-changer.3D Systems and GibbsCAM did it again.

POWER. PERFORMANCE. PURPOSE.

GIBBSCAM 13 HAS ARRIVED.This global industry-leading CAM solutiontechnology supports ALL CNC machine types!

Save the date for the 43rd Annual Golden Gloves Banquet & Boxing Exhibition, on Tuesday, January 22, 2019, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Medina Entertainment Center, 500 Hwy. 55, in Medina.

For 43 years, MPMA has supported Golden Gloves through its annual banquet and boxing event fundraiser. The event raises money for Upper Midwest Golden Gloves and some of the net proceeds from the event are donated

directly to the program.

Attendees will enjoy a prime rib dinner and a variety of boxing bouts. Tables are of eight are available, as are individual tickets. Registration includes all food, taxes, and gratuity.

Since 1923, Golden Gloves of America has given opportunities and provided an environment that allows young athletes to train. The mission of Golden Gloves of America Inc. is “to provide an activity and safe environment that promotes and enhances the physical and emotional well-being and social development of young athletes; and to

develop individual athletic skills, work ethic, discipline, sportsmanship, self-respect and pride.”

For more information and to learn about sponsorship opportunities at Golden Gloves, contact Shelly Losinski at [email protected], or call the MPMA office at 952.564.3041.

43RD ANNUAL

SAVE THE DATE! JANUARY 22, 2019


For more information about MPMA’s Strategic Plan, visit www.mpma.com or contact Executive Director Steve Kalina at 952.564.3041, and [email protected].

MPMA STRATEGIC PLAN

MISSION STATEMENT: To Drive Success in Precision Manufacturing by Strengthening the Skilled Workforce

STEVE KALINA Executive Director

Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association

[email protected]

The Value of the MPMAFinding Strength, Resolve, Growth, and Results by Steve Kalina

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“We should never forget the intrinsic

value of what it offers - the ability to strengthen each of

us, individually and as organizations, in our resolve, growth

and in the end, results!”

I made a personal decision to change career paths several months ago. Being an organized and methodical person, I put together a list of 162 calls to trusted and respected individuals or companies I had known or worked with over my 20 years in the industry. Of course, Jaime Nolan was up there near the top of my list!

When I called Jaime, I was simply looking to network and see if she knew of anyone I should call on. I never had any idea there might be an opportunity within MPMA. After my conversation with Jaime, it took a couple hours to sink in, but then I realized that of my list of 162, over 50 of them were MPMA connections! The rest of that evening, I was grinning ear to ear with the thought of joining an organization that was so near and dear to my heart, an organization made up of like-minded people that share my goals and values, and that I had come to trust, respect, and count on over the years.

It was a great honor that Jaime would have thought of me in this capacity and an even greater honor that the Board would select me as the Executive Director. As we move forward, I’d like to personally speak with each of you regarding what we discussed at ManufacturingNEXT:

� The value you’re getting from your membership. I ask that you share with me exactly what that is to you and to your business.

� We have great partners in education and government, but we need to shift from a 50/50 partnership. We need to work with them, but then take matters into our own hands to get the results we need in a timely manner, and specific to our businesses.

� Workforce development is our primary focus going forward. MPMA needs to help our members develop new talent, and at the same time lessen the reliance upon that hard-to-find talent.

OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLANWorkforce development is the foundation of our Strategic Plan for 2019 and beyond. This in no

way means MPMA is forgetting about all other matters. Just as your business needs to work on safety, health insurance, taxes, community, etc. … (typically not core-competencies), you also need to narrow the strategic focus to your core competencies. The following are the three strategic pillars the Board has set forth and I am tasked with executing: Advocacy, Career Pathways and Opportunities, and Incumbent Skills.

1. Advocacy. To be the leading voice for Minnesota’s precision manufacturing industry, through our advocacy, to strengthen the skilled workforce. We will continue the momentum we have with government relations, such as with the Youth Skills Training program that was passed in 2017, and to find ways to support short and long-term initiatives through government support and legislative changes. This will provide the framework for the tools of our other pillars.

2. Career Pathways and Opportunities. To develop and coordinate integrated and progressive pathway activities within manufacturing for parents, students, and educators from elementary school to post high school. MPMA will assist you in getting creative and engaged in grass-roots activities within your community to drive more people into your company. This will provide people for our third pillar.

3. Incumbent Skills. Provide training support for the machinists, emerging leaders, and owners of MPMA member companies. MPMA will support companies in developing apprenticeship programs, obtaining grants, and deploying programs and training that will engage newcomers in the industry and retain and strengthen the existing workforce. One key area, related to this issue of the Journal, will be in technology and automation. As we balance the workforce shortage and cost competition, we need to engage our existing workforce in lessening the labor content that we’re so very short on. MPMA will find ways to make it more financially feasible to do all of this. This is where members should see the “biggest bang for their buck” in discounted training, assistance in developing training/apprenticeship programs, and accessing grant dollars to support all these efforts.

ADVOCACY. To be the leading voice

for Minnesota’s precision manufacturing industry, through our advocacy,

to strengthen the skilled workforce.

� Understand the advocacy needs of MPMA members to ascertain the major external and internal challenges facing our members.

� Inform legislators and other stakeholders about challenges facing manufacturers and opportunities for improvement.

� Develop strategic partnerships with local chambers, workforce boards, economic development groups, education providers, and other manufacturing associations.

� Foster relationships with legislators.

CAREER PATHWAYS AND OPPORTUNITIES.

To develop and coordinate integrated and progressive

pathway activities within manufacturing for parents,

students, and educators from elementary school to post high

school.

� Define student systems in elementary, intermediate, high school, and post high school to create exposure, readiness, and training.

� Define the gap between manufacturers and students.

� Serve as the intermediary between educators, students, parents, manufacturers, and business organizations.

� Development meaningful partnerships with educational organizations.

INCUMBENT SKILLS. Provide training support for

the machinists, emerging leaders, and owners of MPMA

member companies.

� Establish MPMA as the one-stop shop to coordinate training resources for members.

� Be the facilitator of member training programs.

� Improve business for members through networking and collaboration with other manufacturing and local business groups.

� Provide guidance in obtaining and implementing grant and apprenticeship resources.

� Partner with members that can provide automation integration resources to fellow members.

Based upon this vision, we are going to set expectations, strategies, and tactics, and then hold ourselves accountable to the goals we set. We are going to achieve results.

Overall, we need to re-energize our membership and gain momentum on all fronts. That can only be achieved by all 300+ member companies being aligned and rowing in the same direction.

What is the value of MPMA? Well, that’s different to each of us, and of course I hope to change the perception as we move into 2019. Because we are in the midst of honoring Veterans Day (as well as the Marine Corps birthday - Happy Birthday Marines!), I’ll use that as an analogy. A military unit is only as strong as the cohesion and camaraderie of the unit. What’s the value in that? Survival! While we’re not talking about our earthly existence being at stake in regard to our membership in the MPMA, we are talking about the success of the precision manufacturing industry in Minnesota. As we hammer through the more tangible value of MPMA, we should never forget the intrinsic value of what it offers - the ability to strengthen each of us, individually and as organizations, in our resolve, growth and in the end, results! PM


Since the dawn of

time, disruptive

thinkers have brought

us everything from the

printing press, to the

automobile, to online

shopping and virtual

reality. They have

challenged the status

quo by altering the

public’s perception of

what is possible.

What makes them

tick? Where do they

get their ideas? How

did they get to where

they are today?

COVER STORY

DIS

RU

PT

IVE

TH

INK

ERS

DIS

RU

PT

IVE

TH

INK

ERS

Chal

leng

ing

Perc

epti

ons,

Rev

olut

ioni

zing

Man

ufac

turi

ng

by N

ancy

Hud

dles

ton

In “Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World,” author Adam Grant advises problem solvers to think not in terms of déjà vu - seeing something new that seems familiar - but to flip it over and think in terms of vuja de - seeing something familiar in a different way.

In his book, Grant provides dozens of examples of people who’ve created great art to overthrowing repressive regimes. His message: “as long as people think differently and stand up for those differences, they can make the world a better place.” Grant believes that most people see opportunities for improvement and can come up with ideas. The challenge is to break out of conventional thinking: to reject what “they say” about what will work and what won’t.

IDEAS TO INVENTIONSS. Scott Crump did just that. Today,

he’s known as the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Stratasys. But back in the late 1980s, he was a guy with an idea. In 1989 he invented and patented Fuse Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology, and with his wife Lisa, they co-founded Stratasys.

In a 2010 blog post on his company’s website, Crump reflected that when he looks at items created using his FDM technology, it’s hard to believe how far it has come.

“It started with a hot-glue gun and the intent of making a frog-shaped toy for my 2-year-old daughter to play with,” he wrote, “She loved froggies, and was not a tough customer to please. So I took the crude tool, traced out a simple frog shape, filled it in and began building up the frog, layer by layer. It was 3D printing in its most primitive form. The idea of attaching a glue gun to a 3D plotter soon followed, as well as experiments on the kitchen stove,

mixing wax, and thermoplastics.”His advice to those discerning an idea

is simple. “Ask yourself: ‘Do I have a dream that I’m working toward? Am I taking on new challenges, setting goals, and making incremental progress? Do I pick myself up when I fall down?’ If so, maybe you’ve come further than you realize.”

“Look back and take stock of how much you’ve accomplished, and your path will become clear,” he wrote, “Great progress is evolutionary; it rarely comes in great strides but is the result of continued commitment to a vision.”

Dean Kamen is another evolutionary inventor. He is committed to a dream to revolutionize health care. Although he is known to many people as the creator of the Segway and FIRST Robotics competition, the bulk of his life’s work has been medical device inventions.

While in college he invented the first wearable infusion pump, in 1976 he founded a company to manufacture the pumps, and by the time he was 30 years old, he sold the company. He also founded DEKA Research and Development Corp. and created Luke, a prosthetic arm for injured soldiers. Most recently, he founded the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) to mass produce human organs.

Kamen’s ultimate goal is to create an industry dedicated to producing human organs and tissues that are fabricated from the recipients’ cells – a process called Biofabrication. Although Kamen is not a scientist, he is taking on the job of figuring out how to engineer and manufacturer human organs, and to do so in real time. He is motivated by statistics that show the great demand, as nearly 20 people die per day waiting for a transplant.

[ continued on page 11]


PATHS TO SUCCESSAs most Minnesotans know, 3M’s

path to success started with failure. The company was founded in 1902 in Two Harbors by five businessmen as a mining venture – Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. It turned out the mineral they were seeking in the mine they owned - corundum, which was ideal for making sandpaper and grinding wheels - was actually a low-grade material called anorthosite.

But the founders persisted and turned to different materials, applied them to other products, gained the trust of investors and built up sales little by little, according to the company’s website. 3M was able to use anorthosite to make sandpaper, which had a large and expanding market.

While 3M did not turn a profit for several more years, two of the employees it hired in 1907 - William L. McKnight and A.G. Bush - developed the sales system that helped to make the company a success.1

McKnight is credited with providing the focus, which included diversification, avoiding price cuts, increasing sales by 10 percent a year, high employee morale, and quality control. Plus, McKnight and Bush decided to use a customer-oriented brand of salesmanship.

“Instead of dealing with a company’s purchasing agent, sales representatives were sent past the agent and into the shop where they could talk to the people who used the products. Going into the shop enabled the salesmen to find out both how products could be improved and what products were needed. For example, such forays into shops led to the company’s development of tougher sandpaper and, later, waterproof sandpaper. 3M hired the inventor of waterproof sandpaper as its first full-time researcher. This marked the

creation of one of the nation’s first corporate research and development divisions.2

Today, 3M has over 10,000 patents, which range from adhesives to reflective traffic signs, to films that enhance liquid crystal displays. The company obtained its first patent in 1924 for masking tape when Richard Drew, a 3M lab assistant, noted that painters were having trouble masking car parts. He got an idea that led to the invention of masking tape.3

McKnight’s management philosophy, circa 1948, included:

� Delegating responsibility to encourage workers to exercise their initiative.

� Acknowledging that mistakes will happen, but “if a person is essentially right, the mistakes he or she makes are not as serious in the long run as the mistakes management will make if it undertakes to tell those in authority exactly how they must do their jobs.”

� Management that is destructively critical when mistakes are made kills initiative.

One of his most famous quotes is: “If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.”

TAKING THE NEXT STEPLube-Tech’s CEO Chris Bame

followed what McKnight professed – he looked at his customer base and asked what else his company could do for them. “We’ve continuously looked for the other services and products we can provide that aren’t too far out of our capabilities,” he said in an interview published online by Pilot Chemical.

Bame was working at his father’s business, Gopher Oil, when he met his wife and business partner, Marna. Together, they built up the family business by “making tomorrow a better

COVER STORYCOVER STORY

FILE: 820-149 for MPMA SIZE: 3.25” x 4.75”

EDM Resin. Great Pricing. Top-of-the-LineService.When you succeed, we succeed. So we striveto deliver exactly whatyou need to satisfy your customers.

ABA Water Systems, Inc. Plainview, MN 55964 800-257-1271

Like top quality virgin resins for razor-sharp EDM.High-grade regenerated resin for quality control athigh speeds. Certified EPA compliance for yourpeace of mind. And 100% satisfaction guarantee. Visit us online to learnmore: abawatersystems.com

It’s not how ions exchange.It’s how you exchange the ions.


EveryGreatJourney

Requiresa Plan

FEDERATED LIFE®

Federated Mutual Insurance Company and its subsidiaries* | federatedinsurance.com 18.02 Ed. 12/17 *Not licensed in all states. © 2017 Federated Mutual Insurance Company

No matter where you are on your journey, business succession planning can help. To learn more, contact your local marketing representative.

Great progress is evolutionary; it rarely comes in great

strides but is the result of continued commitment to a vision.S. Scott Crump • Stratasys


COVER STORYCOVER STORY

CNC SUMP CLEANINGLet Lube-Tech Take Care Of The Dirty Work For You

Learn more at lubetech.com

The Lube-Tech Certi�ed Clean sump cleaning service ensures:

Machines are cleaned using a standardized process

Coolant is mixed properly

Bacteria is controlled

CERTIFIED CLEAN

Federated Mutual Insurance Company and its subsidiaries* 18.06 Ed. 1/18 *Not licensed in all states. © 2017 Federated Mutual Insurance Company

federatedinsurance.com

Proudly Serving

America’s Finest

Associations!

BridgewaterBankMN.com | 952.893.6868

day than today for our family, for each other, for our customers and our communities - that is our foundation.”

The company’s success has come from being diversified to stay competitive. “We focus on not just the products that are used and not just developing new products, but also developing business solutions and service,” he said in the Pilot Chemical interview.

Over the years, Lube-Tech has acquired companies that complement its lubrication business. For instance, there is a company that recycles used oil and absorbents and recycles them or reuses them for other purposes. Another company recycles oily water by separating the oil from the water, and cleans the water so that it can be safely released into the sewer system. And there’s a professional vehicle wash service that installs vehicle washes, services them, and supplies the chemicals.

What’s more, leaders in the company look around the corner for what’s next in lubrication technologies. They take into account changes in the transportation

industry (electric cars) and major equipment industry (smaller and more efficient equipment), and they seek out unique application opportunities for speciality products.

GOING BEYOND DISRUPTIVE THINKING

Most disruptive thinkers also have a philanthropic side.

In some cases, like Earl Bakken and Palmer Hermundslie, who founded Medtronic, they didn’t set out to change medical technology. They had a deep moral purpose, and they combined that with scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial skills.

Bill Gates, one of the founders of Microsoft, has used his wealth as one of the richest men in the world to form a nonprofit foundation. In 2017, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave away $4.6 billion in Microsoft stock.

Another thing that all disruptive thinkers have in common is their ability to collaborate with others. In their book, “Collaborative Intelligence: Thinking

with People Who Think Differently,” authors Dawna Markova and Angie McArthur, espouse that thinking can be a team sport, in which “performance depends on how well participants understand one another - their approaches to framing questions and approaching challenges, for example.”

“We take for granted that intelligence occurs within our own minds,” they write. “What keeps us from collaborating effectively is that most of us don’t know how to think with people who think differently than we do.”

Although collaboration doesn’t always come easy when it comes to disruptive thinking, the next generation of manufacturers might hold the key.

In Forbes’ magazine’s “30 Under 30 Manufacturing 2018: Meet the Best Young Makers and Industrial Innovators,” it was noted that many young inventors are solving everyday problems and they are often working with others to do so.

Their inventions include bio-based nanomaterial taken from crustacean shells

to develop things like moisture-proof packaging, a non-thermal process for 3D printing metal without powders, and matching customers with manufacturers that might have idle machinery for quick turnarounds and prototypes.

In the end, disruptive technologies will always be with us because inventors are change agents and move the world forward in new directions by shifting paradigms. PM

NANCY HUDDLESTON is the editor of Precision Manufacturing Journal. She can be reached at [email protected] or 952.564.3041.

FOOTNOTES 1. Lehman Brothers Collection - Contempory Business Archives, “Minnesota

Mining and Manufacturing Company.”

2. Lehman Brothers Collection - Contempory Business Archives, “Minnesota

Mining and Manufacturing Company.”

3. 3M, Timeline of 3M History.

All other references used for this story are available upon request.

COVER STORY

We focus on not just

the products that

are used and not

just developing new

products, but also

developing business

solutions and service.Chris Bame • Lube-Tech

American Inventions that Revolutionized Manufacturing

Cotton Gin

Interchangable Parts

Telephone

Moving Assembly Line

Electric Light Bulb

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

Industrial Robots

3D Printing

Source: Thomas

14 PRECISION MANUFACTURING

Manufacturers are beginning to invest in capital equipment again, but finding skilled machinists in today’s job market is nearly impossible. The new adage, “I have enough work to purchase a new lathe, if only I had the operator,” seems to be a frustrating obstacle for most small business owners.

Although robotics has been a part of manufacturing for decades and has been a solution for a lot of shops over the years, robotic cells can be expensive and the floor space they require is often not feasible for smaller shops. Enter cobots - collaborative robots - which are changing both of those preconceived notions of what it takes to integrate robotics onto the shop floor.

Over the last 10 years, cobots have become common in Europe and now are beginning to reach the U.S. market. Cobots generally take up less floor space and are extremely easy to program compared to traditional robotic cells.

Pride Solutions, a plastics manufacturer located in Hutchinson that specializes in ultra-high molecular polyethylene material, has four collaborative divisions. May Wes, a leading supplier of UHMW

poly agricultural components; C&A Pro performance snowmobile skis; Pride Engineered Plastics, a contract manufacturer specializing in UHMW-PE material; and Pride Assembly, a turnkey supplier of custom electro-mechanical assembly services.

The company decided to invest in cobots in 2017 and reports the results have exceeded initial expectations. Jack Daggett, President of Pride Solutions, said his team was looking at ways to make better use of their 25,000 square foot facility when it saw an opportunity to bring a high-volume aluminum tube part in house to cut down on costs and streamline the manufacturing process.

“Initially we were going to automate the lathe with a bar feeder, but our Hales representative, Al Dulas, suggested that we take a look at collaborative robots,” Daggett said, “He set us up with BRAAS Robotics to facilitate the integration. The cobot was less expensive than a feeder and takes up a lot less space, plus it’s much more versatile.”

The cobot and lathe that Pride Solutions purchased has given the company new capabilities. The cell is comprised of a Samsung SL 3000,

a BRAAS UR cobot, and a custom-loading station designed by Pride Solutions. Although the cobot was originally intended for only one part, the ability to use other programs has resulted in an expansion of work capacities and allowed the company to take on new jobs.

Bob Phipps, a BRAAS cobot sales specialist, worked on the project with Pride Solutions and he instantly knew this was a perfect application.

“We always enjoy working with first-time customers who have never experienced using collaborative robots,” he said. “Customers usually begin with a perception that a robot solution has to be expensive, complex, and consume a lot of plant floor space – and then are amazed that many applications can be solved by a single robot on a pedestal with no guarding around it.”

To prevent downtime, the team at Pride Solutions installed a security camera and a two-way radio next to the cobot and lathe. They use the two-way radio to let the second shift workers know to reload the stocker if it begins

Workforce Disruptions A Collaborative Robot May be Your Next Employeeby Charlie Hales


FEATURE

“Customers usually begin with a perception that a robot solution has to be expensive, complex, and

consume a lot of plant floor space – and then are amazed that many

applications can be solved by a single robot on a

pedestal with no guarding around it.”

www.pridesolutions.us 320.587.0760120 Eastgate Drive S.E.Hutchinson, MN 55350

Best in Class: Small Business 2018

Compression Molding | Fabrication | Thermoforming | Bulk Poly | Poly Capped BoltsSpecializing in UHMW-PE, HDPE, Nylon & Much More


to run low. If the machine or cobot ever has an error, a manager can walk a night shift employee through the procedure to get the cell back up and running.

Plant Manager Ben Wick has been extremely impressed with the performance of this cell.

“With the addition of the cobot, we saw an immediate increase in our capacity,” he said, “We’ve been able to run the system unattended on our second shift, giving us roughly 2,000 hours of increased shift capacity without having to hire a second shift operator. Plus, during our day shift, the robot has freed up our machinist from the mundane task of loading and unloading the lathe, so he can work on other projects.”

TEAM EFFORTSince this was the first cobot on

their floor, the team approach was key. Daggett knew that support and training would be crucial in order for his team to succeed. “We’ve been very pleased. Hales and BRAAS helped us select the perfect system to meet our requirements and allow for future growth,” he said.

An added bonus for Pride Solutions is that new opportunities have emerged by thinking differently about operations management.

Furthermore, there was also a surprise because adding the cell to the shop floor has created a job.

“You hear that a lot that people are worried that robots are going to take their jobs, but our robot actually created a skilled machinist position,” Daggett pointed out, “Without the robot, we would not have been able to hire that extra employee. Plus it gave our machinist the opportunity to learn how to program a collaborative robot.”

There’s a safety factor too. “A robot can load and unload parts

all day without the ergonomic strains of repetitive production,” Daggett said, “Also, with the sensors built into the robot to ensure safe operation, we do not need a cage around it, which dramatically reduces the footprint. It’s living up to its name as a collaborative robot, working right alongside humans.”

Chris Klenke, who has 12 years’ experience as a CNC machinist, was

hired in 2017 to help run the new machines. “The robot is pretty simple to operate. It was actually easier than I thought it was going to be,” he said.

Another plus: An operator does not need previous robotics experience in programing or operating the equipment. It is also a great way to decrease employees needed to do simple or tedious operations and gives skilled employees the opportunity to be placed into more productive positions.

Last, but not least, a cobot will show up every day without question ready to work. PM

CHARLIE HALES is a sales coordinator at Hales Machine Tool and a member of the MPMA Publications Committee. He can be reached at [email protected], or 763.553.1711.

FEATURE

www.fluidairedynamics.com833.359.5430

Compressed Air System Concerns?

Compressed Air Systems... Understood!

We Guarantee Increased Production Uptime and Overall Profitability!

Let Us Prove It!

Minneapolis, MN | Schaumburg, IL | Franklin, WI | San Antonio, TXLocal:

Fast ROI$

Easy to Use

7970 WALLACE ROAD | EDEN PRAIRIE , MN 55344 | BRAASROBOTICS.COM | 800.288.6628

• Cost 30-50% less and uses half the floor space compared to traditional robot cells

• Concept to solution in weeks using standard off-the-shelf products

• System design, build & installation• Proof of concept evaluations• End of Arm Tooling design• Redeployment support

The BRAAS Robotics Difference:

Flexible

Automate CNC Tending with Turn-key Collaborative Robot Solutions

BRAAS is an authorized distributor of

Call to find out how easy it is to improve CNC productivity with collaborative robots 800.288.6628


A generation or two ago, manufacturing jobs were widely regarded as desirable, steady employment – jobs that often paved the way to advanced skills, greater seniority, and bigger paychecks.

Those days are long over – at least in the minds of younger workers who are needed to replace retirement-bound Baby Boomers in America’s shrinking workforce. 2018’s challenge for manufacturers has been widely reported: too many jobs, not enough workers.

Advanced manufacturers, who require highly-trained workers to fill specialized roles and multiple shifts, are especially hard hit. Higher technology and increased productivity can help compensate, but they’re only one part of the equation. Today, some manufacturing companies are working hard to become “destination workplaces,” where workers want to go.

In any industry, building a destination workplace – typically centered around not only livelihood, but also inspired values and community – means finding the right blend of technology and training, culture, and connection. By putting employees first, demonstrating the impact of the company and their work, and connecting and communicating with prospective employees, companies can put themselves ahead of the curve in recruiting and retaining skilled employees.

UMC BUILDS WORKER PIPELINE

Ultra Machining Company (UMC) in Monticello is one MPMA member company that’s successfully using destination workplace strategies to build a pipeline of skilled recruits from high schools, technical colleges, and beyond.

A premium manufacturer of machined parts and assemblies across multiple industries, UMC has worked for at least 25 years to solve the skilled labor shortage on its manufacturing floor.

UMC’s leaders believe the path to be a destination workplace starts by planting seeds among and investing in community youth, well before high school or postsecondary graduation.

UMC has a long history of hosting open houses to generate community interest. By generously opening its doors to the community, UMC counters the outdated stereotype of a dirty, unsafe, manufacturing environment. One look at the company’s shop floor – and the extensive computers and robotics today’s machinists are operating – dissolves stereotypes.

In addition to plant tours that showcase onsite technology and career options, UMC has invested in advanced technology and training inside the company, as well as career programs at the high school and postsecondary level:

� STEM Career Exploration program – More than 100 interested high school students and parents attended the launch of UMC’s new STEM program this past summer. This paid youth skills program allows 16- and 17-year-olds to work with mentors on machines, systems, and processes, finding out what it’s like to work in multiple areas of precision manufacturing.

� High school youth apprenticeship – UMC participates in Wright Technical Center’s Youth Apprenticeship program, allowing a high school student to rotate through UMC’s shop much like an apprentice. UMC also participates in dual-training grants such as Minnesota’s PIPELINE Training, again connecting with students early and showing them opportunities for future employment.

� Machine tool apprenticeships – UMC’s long-standing program has steadily grown, allowing first or second-year tech school students to follow a 12-week program through each area of the shop. They learn to operate multiple machines and perform a variety of duties while familiarizing themselves with UMC’s manufacturing services.

Destination Workplaces UMC and Bell Bank Find the Right Blendby Karen Stensrud

� Engineering internships – Paid internships match engineer-mentors with interns, allowing them to observe and/or perform hands-on work in several areas of machining.

For UMC, becoming a destination employer for manufacturing is not only about investing in technology and training, but also treating employees well and providing them with career opportunities. Leaders at UMC acknowledge that culture is a key ingredient in retaining top talent. In addition to competitive pay and a comfortable and friendly work environment, the company offers benefits such as a trade-school tuition reimbursement.

BELL BANK: CULTURE, BENEFITS, LOYALTY

Like the manufacturing sector, financial industries also are competing to recruit and retain talented employees. MPMA affiliate member Bell Bank has several destination advantages in common with UMC.

Founded in Fargo, N.D., in 1966, Bell is family owned and people-focused. Like UMC’s workers, Bell employees not only enjoy an emphasis on work-life balance and professional development, but also enjoy regular employee and family events: parties and picnics, celebrations, and socializing.

Bell’s values are simply articulated: its “bottom line” mission is “Happy Employees! Happy Customers!” For the past 10 years, the bank’s unique Pay It Forward program also has given every full-time employee $1,000 and every part-timer $500 each year to give as they choose to individuals, families, and organizations in need. To date, Pay It Forward has empowered more than $12 million in charitable giving.

TAKE THE FIRST STEPSBecoming a destination workplace

can help your company more successfully overcome today’s hiring

challenges. How can you get there? How can you be sure you’re providing more than “just a paycheck,” and instead offering the meaningful, connected, positive work experience today’s employees are looking for?

To get started, make sure you’ve articulated the values that are the bedrock of your culture. Communicate those values to your employees, prospective workers, and the community. Then look at where you have gaps:

� Pay – How competitive are you?

� Benefits – Can you offer added or more unique benefits such as tuition reimbursement or stock rewards?

� Flexibility – Increasingly, this is a quality younger workers seek. Are there opportunities to choose start times, share shifts, or combine sick leave and vacation time into more flexible and generous paid time off? (Both UMC and Bell provide flex time off to their employees.)

� Commitment to health – For younger workers, wellness initiatives also show employers care. Often, these programs include an emphasis on physical, psychological and even financial well-being; Bell Bank offers its employees free participation in Dave Ramsey’s “Smart Dollar” program for financial peace. Some companies offer on-site health screenings, wellness challenges, or physical amenities such as onsite gyms.

Manufacturing today is modern and high-tech – and that’s important to convey to both the public and potential (and younger) workers. Taking a page from the success of UMC and other companies, here are some options to consider:

� Host community events and open houses to dispel manufacturing “myths” among students and, just as importantly, their parents.

� Develop (or participate in) STEM initiatives, working with instructors and students to help fill the biggest skills deficiencies among manufacturers: technology and computer training, problem-solving, and math.

� Have your employees (especially younger workers) participate by talking to students at tours and career fairs.

� Personally invite potential applicants to plant tours that include instant meetings with hiring managers.

� Broaden your search by focusing on women, veterans, long-term unemployed, or other individuals who have been less frequently recruited for manufacturing roles.

� Partner with training programs at local community and technical colleges, then hire students as apprentices or journey persons.

According to one study, manufacturing ranked last as a career choice among Gen Y workers, ages 19 to 33. Perhaps it’s time to come together and change perceptions. Whether manufacturing, financial services or any other industry, companies may be able to give themselves a competitive advantage by creating a destination workplace. PM

KAREN STENSRUD is a writer/editor and vice president of content marketing strategy at Bell Bank. She can be reached at [email protected] or 701.237.2822.

INDUSTRY PROFILEBy putting employees first,

demonstrating the impact of the company and their work, and

connecting and communicating with prospective employees,

companies can put themselves ahead of the curve in recruiting and retaining skilled employees.

PAID SUPPLEMENT PAID SUPPLEMENT


Surrounded by Sensors Meeting Demands With Innovative Applicationsby Wayne Wilcox

CUTTING EDGE

What do smart phones, elevator buttons, and thermostats have in common? They all have sensors and improve our day-to-day lives.

Believe it or not, sensors have been around in various forms for more than 100 years. The first thermostat was introduced in 1883, which is considered by those in the field to be the first electronic and modern man-made sensor. Infrared sensors have

been around since the late 1940s, and in the 1950s, the first motion sensor was used in an alarm system.

Today, sensors are not only found in everyday objects, but with advances in micromachinery and microcontroller platforms, sensors have evolved beyond the traditional applications of temperature, pressure, or flow measurement and into items that most of us never imagined.

EVERYDAY APPLICATIONSThere are a variety of applications for sensors and each kind

is capable of doing different things, and each device, module, or subsystem is designed to detect events or changes in the environment and send that information to other electronics, typically a computer.

Applications include manufacturing and machinery, aircraft and aerospace, vehicles of all types, medical devices, robotics, and many other items in our everyday lives. Hunters and field researchers rely on wireless motion sensors in cameras, homeowners trust that their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors will alert them to potential problems, and infrared sensors are commonly found in alarms, security systems, and cameras.

Minnesota companies that either manufacture or distribute sensors are plentiful. One integral player in the distribution and manufacturing space is Automation Sensors, located in Ramsey. Todd Spanier is the head application engineer and the company president. “Sensors are incredible. The applications are immense. And, with constant innovation, how sensors are being used has grown beyond measure.”

INFLUENTIAL INVENTION Possibly, the sensor should be

recognized as one of the most influential inventions of modern electronic technology in the 21st century. They are so embedded in our daily existence, they are often taken for granted and overlooked.

The next time your son or daughter runs to catch a ball leaving the garage toward the driveway and the photoelectric sensor stops the moving door as it senses an obstruction, think of the many ways sensors work to improve and avoid a possible tragedy.

And think for a moment how a simple sensor could assist you or your business in becoming more efficient. That brainstorming session could lead to new innovation and, most likely, can be accomplished within minutes or hours … just by using a sensor, a program, and a processor. PM

WAYNE WILCOX is President of Wilcox Design Group and can be reached at 612.670.3811 or [email protected]..

PRECISE AND PREDICTABLE Spanier explained that sensors are being used in several specific local industries

such as agriculture and medical devices, both hotbeds in the upper Midwest. Using sensor technology, farming has become a technological field day. “Often, you see farmers behind the wheel of the state-of-the-art tractor using nothing more than an iPad while tending the crops,” he stated.

Whether it’s making sure the seed is being planted at exactly the right depth in the soil, or sensing the yield as it enters the crop bins; everything is being monitored, measured, weighed, and checked for compliance or deviances. In fact, most every step in the ag process involves sensors for accurate deployment, reporting, and analysis.

“Sensors can measure down to 4/10s of a millionth of an inch,” Spanier stated. In the medical device arena, the accuracy of specific devices releasing liquid

flow patterns or heartbeat management need incredibly tight measuring standards and tolerances to perform properly. Using sensor technology is key to optimum performance because it quite literally saves lives.

Medical sensor applications can be found in respiratory and heart devices, dialysis machines, infusion pumps, oxygen concentrators, and blood sugar measuring devices, just to name a few. Tattoo-like sensors are also being developed to monitor electrical muscle activity and body temperature.

App-MedicalCoding with EZ-Pro

Registration Sensors at Smyth printing

Solar Panel Detection

Bottle Cap Placement



ergonomics, light-weighting, reduced assembly, digital inventory in CAD, and improved complexity to solve problems on the manufacturing floor.”

For example, medical device companies like CSI in Mounds View, find they can create bench testing fixtures that integrate simulations of human anatomy, paired down to what features are important and combined with mechanical fixturing. This makes it easier, faster, and more cost-effective to test devices in a wide range of scenarios prior to going to the animal or cadaver labs.

When it comes to inventory control, Siemens Mobility, which manufacturers light rail parts in Germany, has moved away from keeping spare external panels when the need arises for a replacement. In the past, in order to control production costs, the company had to order 15 panels at a time, store the spare panels, track the parts, and manage the inventory. Now, with cost-efficient advances in 3D printing technology, when Siemens needs a new panel, it is printed, thus eliminating the overhead associated with storing extra parts.

REVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS

Oftentimes, customer innovation drives the application of 3D printing technology, according to the experts.

“Regardless of the technology, if you give a design or manufacturing engineer direct access to a 3D printer in a package that is convenient, reliable, repeatable, and offers capable materials, they will find ways to use the technology to support great user-centered design, improved operational process for quality control, assembly and production,” Havekost said.

At Stratasys, as new materials are developed, customers are finding new ways to use it, thus driving more innovation and more demand for different machines. “Our customers told us they wanted an affordable carbon fiber solution, but in a reliable, industrial-quality system,” said Pat Carey, Senior Vice President of Sales.

The result: the Fortus CF380mc Carbon Fiber Edition platform, a machine that is dedicated only to carbon-fiber Nylon 12, and one other material, for a lower price.

“We’ve never done that before – created a machine around a material - but the industry was pushing for it,” Carey said.

At IMTS 2018, Stratasys was showing off what the new machine can do with a NASCAR race car on the display floor. Team Penske uses FDM to produce prototypes and end-use parts from carbon fiber composite materials. There are 40 parts on the car using the new 3D printing technology, including the mirror housing that can be custom designed for each driver.

What’s more, the parts are lighter, and the carbon-fiber composite is stronger

What if 3D printing was indistinguishable from other manufacturing processes?

What if using 3D printing to create a new fixture or jig was part of the continuous improvement process?

What if tooling costs associated with the manufacturing process could be reduced with 3D printing?

According to 3D printing experts, these questions are already being answered as technology is rapidly evolving to change business models and manufacturing.

“We are opening up the design process. We are going to be able to design for design purposes, not for tooling,” said Scott Sevcik, Vice President of Manufacturing Solutions at Stratasys.

He explains: “Mass production is what makes production cost effective. When you take tool amortization out of the process, now you’re looking at mass personalization vs. mass production. That results in a change in economics and design constraints.”

The impact of 3D printing on the manufacturing process has been deliberated ever since the technology has been around. It opens up new

opportunities, not only for production to speed up cycle times, but also in terms of instant improvement in productivity, efficiency, and quality.

“The truth is that, having been around for 30 years, the technology has evolved incredibly, no longer confining itself to solely offering a faster, more cost-effective method of prototyping, Sevcik said, “Although still a significant area of use, 3D printing has developed to offer a much wider proposition to the industrial manufacturing world – particularly with design and manufacturing engineers in sectors such as automotive and aerospace,” Sevcik said.

Matt Havekost, Vice President of Sales at AdvancedTek, said 3D printers are being used to change business models in four primary areas: concept models, functional prototyping, manufacturing

tooling, and end-use parts. “While mainstream media often focuses on concept models (prototyping) and end-use parts, customers often see the most impact in functional testing and manufacturing tooling,” he said.

Furthermore, he points out that 3D printing “offers manufacturing engineers a way to prove out a design before going to the machining center to cut metal tools. This is important because if engineers can reduce the amount of rework, it alleviates the backlog on the machining centers, which require dedicated operators and programming time.”

THE FUTURE IS HEREFrom a commercial standpoint,

3D printing is truly disrupting things, according to the experts at Stratasys, encapsulating the factory of the future concept.

“For manufacturing applications, we’re seeing a tremendous uptake of 3D printing in two areas,” Sevcik said, “The first is where 3D printing makes the tools which range from simple assembly fixtures or jigs to complex forming tools for composite, metal, and plastic parts. The second is where 3D printing is used to make the final production part.”

And as the composite materials evolve, so do the application options.

“Many general manufacturing customers also find that they can 3D print the manufacturing tool all together with the right materials available,” Havekost explained.

“3D printed tools are typically found in three categories: assembly/manufacturing, testing/inspection, and transportation/inventory. 3D printed plastic tooling can be advantageous for a number of reasons including improved

3D PrintingGrowing Impact on Manufacturing Business Modelsby Nancy Huddleston

FEATURE

Siemens Mobility using Stratasys’ Fortus 900mc.

AdvancedTekSt. Paul, MN800•482•9005advancedtek.com

Direct access toadditive manufacturingcan be a game changer.

Let us show you how.

“When you take tool amortization out of the process, now you’re looking at mass personalization vs. mass production. That results in

a change in economics and design constraints.”

Team Penske’s fueling probe modified by Stratasys 3D printers to enable faster fill ups during races.



The cost of cutting tools typically represents a high percentage of a precision manufacturer’s operating costs. High Efficiency Machining (HEM) used at constant chip loads typically extends tool life by five to seven times. In many shops, those savings alone would pay for one or more additional CNC machines.

With conventionally generated toolpaths, only the tip of the tool flute is used. This causes uneven wear and requires multiple cuts and varying depths for removing all of the necessary material. HEM technology resolves these issues by utilizing the entire length of the flute, which also provides these additional benefits.

1. More heat distribution to the chip

2. Far fewer tool changes

3. Reduced need for regrinds

4. Decrease in vibration

5. Consistent chip load production

HEM toolpaths show no abrupt changes of direction and result in a much smoother toolpath. That in tandem with full tool lateral force control (which prevents overheating) result in significantly reduced tool wear and breakage, less wear on the CNC machines, and drastically reduced cycle time.

HEM toolpaths include both turning and milling. Turning toolpaths accelerate roughing with a button insert by cutting in both directions. In addition to extending tool life, new HEM software greatly enhances machining speed and efficiency.

CUTTING HARD MATERIALSTough materials such as titanium

and heat-resistant alloys are often challenging due to a high risk of tool damage and breakage, which can force programmers to change speeds, feeds, cutting depths, and strategies. HEM toolpaths make this task exponentially easier and more repeatable because the toolpath creates constant tool load distribution and temperature.

BENEFIT TO CNC MACHINESAt first glance, one might think that

HEM is exclusively dedicated to high-speed CNC machines, but smooth motion, less side load and better use of tools generates more effective and faster roughing, which will benefit even older CNCs. PM

ROGER PETERSON is a senior Mastercam trainer and support consultant at Prototek Engineering. He can be reached at 952.361.5598 or [email protected].

High Efficiency MachiningThe Path to Increased Cutting Tool Lifeby Roger Peterson

SMART SHOP

Traditional Machining results in increased tool load and high temperatures at the tip of the tool vs. High Efficiency Machining.

1309 Larc Industrial Blvd

Burnsville, MN 55337 952-890-1003

www.columbiapmc.com

Columbia Precision is committed and focused on providing our

customers cost-effective machined components and light

assemblies, along with old school workmanship and pride.

Gil Baldwin President

DYNA-PLEX 21CMETALWORKING FLUIDS

CUTTING OILSCHLORINE-FREE CUTTING OILSCOOLANTSHONING & GRINDING OILSSTAMPING & DRAWING FLUIDSRUST PREVENTIVESINDUSTRIAL PROCESS CLEANERSMACHINE TOOL SUMP CLEANERS

OUR TRUSTED LINE OF PRECISION FLUIDSINCLUDES ADVANCED:

DYNA-PLEX21C.COM(800) 333-8237

Dyna-Plex21C is Formulated and DistributedExclusively By:

NOW AVAILABLE IN MINNESOTA

30 YEARSOF PROVEN FORMULATIONS

– which is especially helpful for thin-walled parts that must stand up to the aerodynamic loads produced on the race track. And in a sport that relies on speed, that’s a plus.

“We are providing a competitive advantage through technology,” Carey

said, “And it enables performance that had not previously been possible in the car, to be possible.”

ROI FOR MANUFACTURERSMeasuring the return on investment

of 3D printers is always top of mind for manufacturers.

“Due to the disruptive nature of the technology, the ROI is very easy in retrospect but can be very challenging prior to utilization,” Havekost pointed out.

“Most customers report that even the highest investments in 3D printing equipment pays for itself quickly by eliminating tool changes in late stage development and through opportunity cost by being able to be agile in manufacturing,” he said, “This is true for both prototyping applications (e.g., the medical customer that was able to test multiple revisions before tooling investment) as well as manufacturing applications (e.g., the agricultural company that was able to improve safety and quality with 3D printed tooling).”

At Stratasys, the ROI question is top of mind, but so is having the competitive advantage.

But at the end of the day, “the idea that’s left is to take advanced materials and print them in a way that truly optimizes that part,” Sevcik said.

And in future applications, 3D printing isn’t about just being unique.

“It’s about being interchangeable with other manufacturing techniques that allows manufacturers to make new parts with a new value, and without having to treat technology differently,” Sevcik said.

“It’s providing capacities within the work flow that are understandable and expected within the repeatable nature of manufacturing,” he continued, “The value of additive is that now we’re able to show the maturity of the technology so that customers can take advantage of it.” PM

NANCY HUDDLESTON is the editor of Precision Manufacturing Journal. She can be reached at [email protected] or 952.564.3041.

FEATURE

Stratasys and Lockheed Martin Space teamed up to build a 3D printed docking hatch door for NASA’s Orion spacecraft.

HEM utilizes full flute engagement at a controlled stepover that results in reduced tool load and lower temperatures.


WEB: www.plasticsintl.com • EMAIL: [email protected] • MAIN: 952-934-23037600 Anagram Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

COYOTE ALERT

“We’re approaching our customers for opportunities to add value to the material we sell.”

- Coyote Plastics

“Gearing up to go after new business beyond sheet, rod and tube distribution by beefing up our precision part production capacity and technical capability.”

- Coyote Plastics

“Value Added Services – CNC Routing, Drilling, Milling, Turning, Screw Machine Parts…Complete Fabrication to Print.”

- Coyote Plastics

“We’re dedicated to being the most complete, full-service plastics machining, fabrication and distribution company in the world.”

- Coyote Plastics

“Your Source for Plastic Shapes, Distribution & Machining.” - Coyote Plastics

“Our Plastics Division now has value added services…CNC Vertical Machining…CNC Turning...CNC Routing…Fabrication.”

- Coyote Plastics

“In-House Precision CNC Machine Shop.”

- Coyote Plastics

“ONE STOP SHOP – SHEET, ROD, TUBE AND MACHINED PARTS.”

- Coyote Plastics

WARNING: Choose your suppliers with caution...COYOTES are on the loose!

“We’re a leading Plastics Distributor with Full Fabrication services of Machining, Routing, Milling, Turning,Tapping, Boring, Screw Machine Parts, etc”

- Coyote Plastics

“Distributor and

Fabricatior of Quality Plastics… prototypes, short runs, production

runs or maintenance

parts…”- Coyote Plastics

“THOUGH IT IS NOT OUR DESIRE TO TAKE BUSINESS FROM ESTABLISHED MACHINE SHOPS…”

- COYOTE PLASTICS

“The Machining part of our company is now the fastest growing aspect of our business.”

- Coyote Plastics

“In addition to selling sheet and rod

plastics, our Fabricating Services

Takes on New Form with CNC

Mills and Lathes”- Coyote Plastics

Be Safe…Choose PLASTICS INTERNATIONAL for your Sheet, Rod and Tube requirements. *We support our customers...not compete with them. Visit us at: www.plasticsintl.com

Below are real quotes from real Coyote Distributors

PUBLIC SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MACHINE SHOP OWNERS:

*DISCLAIMER: Names have been changed to protect the Guilty!

ADVERTISERS' INDEXABA Water Systems, Inc. ............................................... 11 www.abawatersystems.comAdvancedTek ................................................................... 23 www.advancedtek.comAll Elements ..................................................................... 26 www.allelementsinc.netBell Bank .................................................................... 18-19 www.bellbanks.comBraas Company ............................................................... 16 www.braasco.comBridgewater Bank ........................................................... 12 www. bridgewaterbankmn.comColumbia Precision Machine Inc. ................................. 24 www. columbiapmc.comFederated Insurance ..................................................10, 13 www.federatedinsurance.com Fluid-Aire Dynamics ....................................................... 17 www.fluidairedynamics.comKDI Precision Manufacturing ........................................ 13 www.kdimfg.com

Lubrication Technologies, Inc. ...................................... 12 www.lubetech.com Midwest CAM Solutions, Inc. ........................................... 5 www.midwestcamsolutions.comMRG Tool and Die ............................................................ 26 www.mrgtoolanddie.com PetroChoice ..................................................................... 24 www.petrochoice.comPlastics International ................................................... IBC www.plasticsintl.comProductivity Inc .............................................................. IFC www.productivity.comProtoTek Engineering, Inc. ......................................... OBC www.prototek-engineering.comPride Solutions ................................................................ 15 www.pridesolutions.us

Thank you to our November / December advertisers. Please support the advertisers that make Precision Manufacturing possible through their generous contributions.

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PaidDocumation

Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Journal5353 Wayzata Blvd.Suite 350Minneapolis, MN 55416www.pm-mn.com

From job setup to job completion, look to Mastercam 2019.

DO MORE. SAVE TIME.

2019

Mastercam 2019 places an overwhelming emphasis on streamlining efficiency.Forward-thinking development has brought masterful tools created specifically to maximize effective manufacturing processes, while minimizing the need for more qualified personnel.

ProtoTek Engineering will assist every customer, individually. Customized recommendations, personalized training,

#1 in support and maintenance, all under the power of the Mastercam banner of excellence.

We’ll help you become better at what you do by implementing the tools needed to streamline your process.

Do more, much more…with Mastercam 2019.

Expanded digital tool libraries deliver accurate

tool assembly models and access to the latest cutting tool

technology, with added support for Accelerated

Finishing™ and Sandvik Coromant

PrimeTurning™ tools.

Increase productivity and programming efficiency with new 2D through 5-axis

toolpath improvements, new Lathe and

Mill-Turn machining support.

Improved toolpath and machine simulation, toolpath graphics,

and other verification and analysis tools

provide greater programming assurance

for confident, informed decisions

before the job is run.

An array of system-level enhancements improves

job documenttion and management – addressing

quality and certification initiatives with new

visualization and section view tools, improvements to view and setup sheets,

and much more.

To see how Mastercam 2019 helps streamline your entire process, from job setup to job completion, visit Mastercam.com/2019.

CNC Programming

Job Management & Documentation

Preparation/ Setup

ValidationTool Support

THE FUTURE STARTS HERE


CNC Programming


Preparation/ Setup




CNC Programming


Preparation/ Setup




CNC Programming


Preparation/ Setup




CNC Programming


Preparation/ Setup



952-361-5598Visit: www.prototek-engineering.com

Improve efficiency and job setup time

with enhanced CAD model import support, improved part preparation,

fixture setup, and expanded support for model-based definition (MBD).

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...Rotary & Live Tool Repair Machine Moving Used Machines Integrated Supply...

Documents

Transcript of INSIDE THIS ISSUE...Rotary & Live Tool Repair Machine Moving Used Machines Integrated Supply...