65 minute read
Announcements/Releases
MarkinBOX - Patmark - MarkinLASE Marking Systems Here For You!
During this crisis, we offer our deepest sympathies to anyone who has been affected by the COVID virus in this difficult time. We wish you good health as we all work together to overcome this and all other obstacles in the future. Know that we are here for you and will continue to remain open for all your marking needs.
With 100 years of engraving and marking experience, Tocho Marking Systems has become a global marking manufacturer in the world. Our pride of the long history has been delivering high quality and unique products to every customer. All our Part/Tag marking solutions have been developed based on our varied experience and the most important our concept “simple, creative and original”. We will keep dedicating to the world through traceability technology. you can use our High-Quality Dot Peen MarkinBOX from the moment you install it. Every unit includes the user-friendly software to program everything from; Logos, 2d Barcodes, Alpha-Numeric, Serialization, Barcode input, and so much more.
Battery Powered Patmark & Patmark-Mini Pin Marking Units are simply mobile. These units are powered by a lithium ion battery and gives you the ability use at a job site or on the shop floor. Easily programmed through the iOS/Android app. For more detailed marking, our included userfriendly Windows based software makes it easy to create; Serialization, Alpha-Numeric, Date/Time, 2d Barcodes, & more.
Our recent edition MarkinLASE Laser Marking Solution is simply limitless. The MarkinLASE is powered by a 20W or 50W MOPA Fiber Dual Wave Power sources. The class 1 fully enclosed, air cooled, & maintenance free system can be used in an office just as easily as on the shop floor. Large Parts? The MarkinLASE has a Class 4 option for open mark.
As always, Tocho Marking Systems is here for your marking needs. We are still open, and our hours have not changed. On behalf of everyone here at Tocho, please stay safe and know we are committed to support you however we can.
Fahey Machinery Company, Inc. Always Working Hard to Improve Our Service
Flex Machine Tools may be a small manufacturing facility among the cornfields of Western Ohio, but we are changing the game with our dynamic and FLEX-ible machine tool offerings. Though we are known for our industry leading tapping arms (the FlexArm), we offer some incredible solutions to your BIG machining problems.
The FlexCNC is a game changing, long-bed, vertical machining center designed to tackle a wide array of machining operations. From milling, drilling, and tapping all the way to countersinking, coping, and scribing. With multiple open-faced T-slots lining each of our custom sized machining beds, we are also able to incorporate numerous fixturing options and provide a turnkey machine to your facility. This, in tandem with our “Pendulum Mode”, will allow you to maintain a near 100% spindle uptime while reducing lost time between processing parts.
The FlexBEAM is a high speed, efficient beam line machine for processing numerous structural steel profiles with amazing speed and accuracy. Boasting 40’+ of bed length at your fingertips, this machine can drill/ mill/mark your profiles with lightning fast processing times across the board. Whether it’s Flat Bar, C Channel, I Beams, T Beams, Angle, or Pipe…FlexBEAM can replace the slow, manual processes you’re now using and allow you to “FLEX” on your competition with a superior, cost effective beam line solution.
Flex Machine Tools is a proud partner with Fahey Machinery Company, Inc. and we could not be more excited to bring our industry leading machining solutions to the Pacific Northwest Region. With over 50 FlexCNC/FlexBEAM machines in the U.S. currently, we continue to grow and serve a wide variety of fabricators and machinists across the country.
Whether it’s tapping arms, ergonomic arms, long bed VMCs, or super fast HMCs...Flex Machine Tools can help you FLEX on your competition. Contact your expert at Fahey Machinery Company, Inc. to learn more about Flex Machine Tools! 503620-9031 or office@faheyinc.com
Tungaloy’s DeepTri-Drill Offers up to 45xD Drilling Depths on Standard CNC Machines
Tungaloy has added 35xD, 40xD and 45xD drilling depth capabilities to its DeepTri-Drill indexable insert deep hole drills.
STEEL ALUMINUM STAINLESS COPPER NICKEL YOUR METAL BENDING EXPERTS CONSISTENT, ACCURATE & REPEATABLE PARTS
TANKS
FOOD & BEVERAGE COILS
HEAT EXCHANGERS PIPE SPOOLS
AUTOMOTIVE PARTS AGRICULTURAL ALTERNATIVE PARTS ENERGY
MARINE PARTS LOCOMOTIVE PARTS AVIATION PARTS
AQUATIC PARTS PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
HIGH PURITY CLICK HERE FOR COMPANY DIRECTORY! https:// www.albinaco.com/about/contact (503) 692-6010 https://www.albinaco.com Located in Tualatin, Oregon
BOB KROHA
ROB KROHA
CNC AND MANUAL MACHINERY SINCE 1979 New - Used -Appraisals - Auctions
CONTACT US TODAY: 510-249-1000, PERMACH.COM
Our Showroom At: 3305 Edison Way, Fremont, CA 94538 Is Open Monday - Friday From 8am To 5pm
Announcements Continued DeepTri-Drill is designed to provide productivity and application security for drilling deep holes on standard machining centers and CNC boring machines, while ensuring easy tool management by eliminating the need for regrinding. The insert features chip splitters that allows effective chip evacuations enabling extremely high feed rates during deep hole drilling in various materials.
High productivity and process reliability can be attained in deep hole drilling operations. Inspired by BTA deep hole drilling technology, innovative insert geometry and optimal guide pad allocations on the drill body allow DeepTri-Drill to produce high quality deep holes equivalent to those made with traditional brazed gun drills.
In addition to the current lineup ranging up to 25xD, DeepTri-Drill now offers 35xD, 40xD and 45xD drill depths, further expanding its deep hole drilling potential similar to those found in injection mold and large-sized component manufacturing. Benchmade Knife Co. has named Jon deAsis president and CEO. He is the son of founder Les de Asis, who died suddenly in February.
Jon deAsis succeeds his mother, Roberta deAsis, who served as president and CEO since her husband’s death.
“This is a big moment for our family as Jon takes on the mantle of president and CEO,” Roberta deAsis said in a news release. “Jon had been filling many of the CEO duties prior to the sudden passing of Les and it was our longstanding goal to always be good stewards for Benchmade. I am proud to see Jon continuing to uphold the hallmark reputation that his father started.”
Roberta deAsis will become chairwoman of the company’s board.
Jon deAsis has been around the business his entire life and worked in various roles, including in management and in the supply chain. He holds an MBA from the University of Oregon.
Bechmade is based in Oregon City. As of last year, the company’s employment had doubled to more than 400 in a four-year time span as demand for its high-quality American-made knives increased.
Les de Asis founded the company in California in 1979 and moved it to Clackamas County in 1990 in order to be closer to the area’s cluster of knife companies.
Jon deAsis said he wants to build on his father’s legacy.
“My immediate focus is to ensure that Benchmade continues to produce the finest cutlery in the world while increasing efforts to drive our
technological edge,” he said in a news release. “I now have the opportunity to guide this mission, while continuing to uphold my father’s memory and contributions to the knife industry in our core values.”
In memory of Les de Asis, the family has established the Les deAsis Makerspace at Clackamas Community College. It will be used to help students learn about knife-making and business By Matthew Kish – Portland Business Journal
Changes In The Manufacturing Industry Post-Covid-19 May Surprise You
As we enter the seventh month of business interruptions as a result of Covid-19, the chatter in the manufacturing community has turned from, “What short-term changes do we need to make to adapt to the current environment?” to, “What, if any, permanent changes or trends do we expect to rise out of the current crisis?”
While the trade publications offer bold prognostications that things will never be the same, a measure of caution should be read into any of these predictions. The pandemic may in fact bring about sweeping, and lasting, changes to the way manufacturers operate their facilities, but there is an equal, if not greater, likelihood that changes will be relatively minor compared with what some predict.
A common assumption is that the pandemic will lead manufacturers to reassess and further enhance their transitions to automation. The thinking being, if machines can’t get sick, when the next pandemic (or other similar event) hits, we will continue to turn out widgets at the same pace. This thinking is flawed for a few reasons. In the first instance, our collective memories are
STACKS ON STACKS
Ready for an unstoppable money-making tandem? This is the NHP 5000 with RPS.
On its own, the NHP 5000 is a powerful 40 taper, 500mm pallet horizontal machining center. But when teamed with the stackable multi-level Rotary Pallet System (RPS), it becomes legendary. With a compact floor layout and vertical structure, the RPS keeps you running lights out—without taking up valuable square footage. And if projects change constantly from month to month, JIT scheduling on the RPS cuts setup times like 15,000 r/min cuts aluminum.
The 3-tier, 21-pallet RPS is the perfect partner for the massive metal removal of the NHP 5000. So buckle up, because you’re about to produce day in and night out.
WASHINGTON/OREGON Sales: (253) 872-1661 Service: (253) 246-0130 Parts: (888) 207-2787
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Sales: (866) 814-7238 Service: (800) 994-0146 Parts: (888) 207-2787
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Sales: (562) 949-8311 Service: (866) 576-1125 Parts: (888) 207-2787
www.ellisontechnologies.com |
short; lessons learned by players in finance and banking during the global financial crisis were largely cast aside once a level of normalcy returned and balance sheets regained their strength.
Second, a key value proposition of manufacturing automation is that machines are cheaper than human labor. But in an environment of record-high unemployment, wage deflation is likely on the way, if not already here. The lower wages will erode the value proposition of what is typically a substantial upfront investment required by implementation of automated solutions. That isn’t to say the constant march toward automation will slow down, but rather that the pandemic is unlikely to materially increase spending on these projects, especially in an uncertain economic environment. Continued Next PageGE 10
1/2”
3/4”
1”
1-1/4”
1-1/2” 6
Available TPI 6/10 8/12 10/14
4/6
2/3 2/3 5/8
3/4 3/4 6/10
4/6 4/6 8/12 10/14
5/8 5/8 6/10 6/10 8/12 8/12
2/3 3/4 4/6 10/14
Another common refrain is that manufacturers with global supply chains will rethink their use of “just-in-time” procurement. To the uninitiated, “just in time” (or JIT), broadly simplified, means that inputs to production (raw materials, subcomponents, etc.) are received from suppliers at the moment they are needed on the factory floor.
The benefits of this system include essentially eliminating storage/warehousing costs, and providing the manufacturer with flexibility as demand waxes and wanes. The downside, which we are seeing now, is that when one or more elements of that supply chain are hobbled by a pandemic, the whole system grinds to a halt until those elements are back online. The theory goes that if manufacturers would have had more raw materials inventory available at the time the pandemic hit, they would have been better equipped to keep the lines moving once it did.
However, a step back from JIT would require a sea change in the way global manufacturers operate. Contracts would have to be renegotiated, there would be a massive need for turnkey warehousing facilities, and costs would invariably go up in a meaningful way. Those downsides, when factored against the likelihood that the Covid-19 pandemic is a once-in-a-century event, make it very unlikely that a critical mass of manufacturers will deviate from JIT conventions in any real fashion.
The one category of manufacturers that may see some substantial changes is meat processing. As currently conducted, meat processing is nearly impossible to do in a socially distanced manner. The processing plants require large numbers of people, working closely together, to operate. The longer the pandemic drags on, and assuming it will be at least another year before a vaccine with herd-immunity-producing efficacy will be available and widely distributed, meat processors will be at constant risk of outbreaks and disruptions for the foreseeable future. As a result, investments in plant configuration and automation make more financial sense in meat processing than in other sectors.
In these times, it is a fool’s errand to predict what the world will look like in a week, so long-term predictions are the very definition of speculation. However, it seems unlikely that the pandemic will spur sweeping changes in the way manufacturers operate. By Steven J. Boender – Stoel Rives LLP
US Urged To Subsidise Electric Cars On National Security Grounds
The US must urgently build up an electric vehicles industry or risk becoming dependent on China for its automotive future, a group of senior military and business leaders have warned.
China is in the process of consolidating control of the supply chain for electrified transport — from mineral extraction and battery production to manufacture and sales of the vehicles themselves — according to the group, Securing America’s Future Energy, which campaigns for US energy security.
Chinese dominance within the next five years risks the “withering of the US automobile industry” and the loss of millions jobs supported by the country’s auto sector today, said Admiral Dennis Blair, a former director of national intelligence, who sits on SAFE’s energy security leadership council.
“It would be reduced to a small share of the market, producing electric vehicles that are not as advanced and as attractive as those produced by China and by Chinese subsidiaries, and a loss of jobs, industrial depth and technological skill,” he said.
China has come to play a leading role in the development of EVs. The US trails it in the extraction of minerals such as lithium, graphite and rare earths, as well as the production of lithium-ion batteries and finished EVs. There were 1.2m EVs sold in China last year, compared to 320,000 in the US, according to McKinsey.
WE BRING YOU MAGIC!
Full Fabrication Utilizing ALL Materials! From Design, To Laser Cutting, Forming, Welding, To Finishing And Full Assembly
“They not only have more electric vehicles purchased in their market, they have more companies, they build more batteries, they have gone around the world for rare earths and other metals that go into these vehicles and locked up or gained preferred access to many of them,” Admiral Blair said. “So they have a jump on the direction that the electrical vehicle industry is going.”
According to Simon Moores of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, China produced 72 per cent of the world’s lithium-ion batteries in 2019, while the US accounted for just 9 per cent. He warned in May that the US was falling further behind, as China is building one battery factory a week, while the US builds one every four months.
China “has not just built an entire suite of supersized battery megafactories for its auto industry, but the supply chain to feed them”, he said. “China produces only 23 per cent of key battery raw materials combined. Yet it produced 80 per cent of the next step in the chain — battery chemicals — and 66 per cent of cathodes, 82 per cent of anodes and 72 per cent of battery cells.”
Still, the US may have a considerable edge over other carmakers in the form of Tesla,
COVID 19 SNEEZE GUARDS, QUICK, SAFE, HIGH QUALITY CALL TODAY TO PLACE YOUR ORDER: 503-477-7566
the world’s largest carmaker by value. But even Tesla head Elon Musk has expressed worry about a shortfall in raw materials needed to realise his ambitions.
SAFE — whose leadership council comprises executives from several large US companies, including Royal Caribbean Cruises, FedEx and L-3 Communications — wants the US to revive and expand federal incentives to buy EVs and develop a supply chain for minerals that avoids China, as well as allowing US companies to work together to counter China’s ascendancy.
The warning comes weeks ahead of the US presidential election. Joe Biden, the Democratic contender, has thrown his weight behind the expansion of the US electric vehicle market, promising to deploy half a million new public charging outlets by the end of 2030 and restore tax credits. Continued Next PageGE 10
Your partner for innovative manufacturing
REVO®—the 5-axis revolution In nite positioning and synchronized 5-axis motion provide measurement access at unprecedented speed and accuracy. Our newest solution—the RFP fringe probe—expands our family of multi-
www.renishaw.com/revo
Renishaw Inc West Dundee, IL © 2020 Renishaw plc. All rights reserved. sensors further. It adds non-contact structured light inspection to our revolutionary 5-axis measuring system that already includes tactile scanning, touch-trigger, surface nish and vision probe solutions.
usa@renishaw.com
CMM Revo Half Page Final.indd 1How Oregon Works: The State Of
Apprenticeships In A Covid World Covid Has Forced Furloughs, But Training For Jobs In The Trades Is Ongoing
The COVID-19 pandemic has created anxiety in the workplace and limited job opportunities. While apprenticeships also have taken a hit, these programs are needed more than ever to narrow the skills gap and improve the job outlook for future employees while developing the talent essential for an economic rebound. To gain insight into the current state of apprenticeships, we spoke with Oregon Commissioner of Labor Val Hoyle.
Since most apprenticeships are done in person, how has COVID affected programs? Oregon apprentice training programs were significantly impacted by the pandemic – new apprentice numbers dropped and programs had to quickly adapt and implement new guidance and regulations to keep workers safe. Many programs were able to quickly pivot to online learning. Others have instituted strict protocols, limiting the number of apprentices in the building at any time, staggering classes to ensure a six-foot distance is maintained, set up barriers in lab settings, provided outdoor training where available, taking temperatures and other safety measures. 4/6/2020 2:04:17 PM and there was a significant shortage of skilled frontline workers to keep rooms sterile and safe. We worked with Lane Community College and hospitals to quickly approve and register an Environmental Services Certification Pre-Apprenticeship program to help fill that need.
What effect will the pandemic have on future talent? Fewer apprentices entering apprenticeship programs now means that in a few years there could be a shortage of skilled workers. The good news is that apprenticeship programs are very resilient and have a lot of experience scaling up and down as industry needs change. While we have seen a recent drop in apprentice registrations around the state, I’m encouraged to see that efforts to recruit and keep women and people of color in programs, in particular, are paying off. We saw a significant increase in the number of women entering apprenticeship programs in 2019 and those numbers are holding steady despite these difficult times.
How will youth from disadvantaged backgrounds fare? What if they don’t have access to computers/virtual learning? School-based programs, youth pre-apprenticeship programs and registered apprenticeships often provide tablets or tablets to eliminate barriers to access, and we’ve seen an expansion of programs that work with youth from rural areas and disadvantaged backgrounds. Limited broadband internet in rural and economically challenged areas is a concern for
those entering apprenticeship and for all Oregonians.
Do you anticipate permanent changes? Yes. I think everyone is learning that some ability to do remote learning provides greater flexibility for employees and trainees. The ability to provide distance/online training has the potential to expand the reach of programs into more geographical areas in the future.
What’s your advice for individuals interested in apprenticeships at this point? Keep applying! Programs are still registering new apprentices even if it has slowed down. Things will pick up, and apprenticeship programs are a great way to get jobs that pay a living wage.
What’s your advice for companies interested in apprenticeships? Businesses can join an existing registered apprenticeship as a training agent without having to set up a new program. And if there isn’t an existing program that meets your needs, you can start one. Contact BOLI at generalatd@boli.state.or.us.
Resources: • Programs accepting applications: https:// www.oregon.gov/boli/apprenticeship/ Pages/apprenticeship-opportunities.aspx
• Pre-apprenticeship programs: https:// www.oregon.gov/boli/apprenticeship/ Pages/pre-apprenticeship-programs.aspx
• Programs for veterans: Contact Aaron Unpingco at unpingcoa@boli.state.or.us. By Denise Szott
Daimler, Robotics Partner Test Self-Driving Big Rigs
Portland-Based Daimler Trucks and Torc Robotics out of Virginia, have been working together for the past year to bring self-driving technology to the world of freight trucking.
A pair of out-of-state companies have partnered to bring self-driving tractorContinued Next PageGE 10
trailers to New Mexico roads. secondary manufacturing locations are imperative throughout the production lifecycle Intel plans to license Rivet’s software to customers as Once commercialized, the company plans to utilize a model where to mitigate risk for products. Many medical device companies, for instance, made this well as develop new products and build Intel’s Wi-Fi drivers will drive the trucks a short distance to a hub near the highway, Portland-based Daimler Trucks and Torc Robotics out of Virginia have been working together for the past year to bring self-driving technology to the world of freight trucking. secondary support a priority for future product development by identifying secondary manufacturing sources for line-down emergencies, or even when they were in need of a bridge-tooling resource. It is critical we continue to build and reinforce our supply chains with the learnings and partnership from these last few months, as industry ramps up in portfolio. Walker noted that Intel is active in developing the next generation of Wi-Fi technology, Wi-Fi 6, and advocating for Wi-Fi 6 standards. “Intel has been investing and contributing to the evolution of Wi-Fi for more than which is where the self-driving technology will start to be used. Once off the highway, the vehicle will go to another hub where a new driver will take it to its destination.
Torc, which Daimler owns a majority of and is part of its Autonomous Technology Group, have already rolled out their self-driving tractorthe aftermath of COVID-19. We’re in an unprecedented chapter in our nation’s history, and manufacturers off all sizes 20 years, and today we’re excited to announce another leap forward,” Walker wrote about the deal. The southwest in particular presents a good opportunity because there is a sizable amount of cargo transport that occurs in the region, mild trailers on New Mexico roads, Torc Robotics CEO Michael Fleming are stepping up to help fill a need for critical medical supplies and devices. In order to Intel has been building out its portfolio of technology weather conditions, relatively low traffic density and an abundance said. The company says the self-driving technology is meant to be meet regulatory standards, partnerships between manufacturers, experienced medical beyond its core chip making to capture more of the overall of straight roads, Fleming added. used on highways. device manufacturers and suppliers should be formed—each providing a vital service computing ecosystem that requires data be stored, moved and function vital to building medical supplies at the scale needed to defeat COVID-19. and analyzed. These so-called adjacencies are important As part of the partnership, Torc plans to set up a testing facility in the Testing can take place on a closed course or the open road, said Disruption is inevitable, but will we learn and adapt during the journey?Chris Stevens is elements to the company’s strategy. Within the company’s Albuquerque area. The company signed a lease for a site that includes Suman Narayanan, a director of engineering at Daimler Trucks North a senior research and development engineer at Protolabs. PC business unit these adjacencies made up 40 percent a building last month, Weinert wrote. She declined to disclose the America. While the tractor-trailers are designed to be autonomous, of year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter. square footage or exact location of the site, instead saying it is near each test conducted will have a driver and a safety engineer who can Intel Buys Austin Networking Company Adjacencies include modem, home gateway platform, the Albuquerque International Sunport. take control of the vehicle if the software does not work properly. wireless communications and wired connectivity. “We have been in this business for 15 years, and hub-to-hub trucking is the best business case” for autonomous driving technology, Fleming said. Intel announced last month that it acquired Wi-Fi hardware and software maker Rivet Networks in a move that will boost the chip maker’s wireless offerings. Austin, Texas-based Rivet’s products are used to maximize Wi-Fi bandwidth use and optimize network connections. The company’s team is joining Intel’s Wireless Solutions Group within its PC business. The two companies had already worked closely together to “Wi-Fi connectivity has become more essential than ever as we rely on it to work, teach, learn and stay connected,” Walker wrote. “Fast, reliable and secure Wi-Fi connectivity is a necessity for keeping up as we add more connected devices and higher bandwidth applications for Weinert also declined to disclose how many positions will be hired for. However, Torc operates a “small test crew” in New Mexico, and is actively hiring for “many positions” in the area, she wrote. Open positions include test engineer, safety conductor, safety driver trainer, site operation and office management personnel. Daimler is investing more than $570 million for the development of develop the Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi product.“Rivet Networks is a terrific complement to gaming, video streaming and content creation, as well as the self-driving platform, Daimler spokeswoman Anja Weinert wrote our existing Wi-Fi products and helps us further our vision of delivering PC platforms that for processing increasingly larger file sizes.” Earlier this Daimler hopes to have its self-driving trucks ready to complete basic, in an email to Business First. power every person’s greatest contribution,” said Chris Walker, corporate vice president month Intel acquired multimodal trip planning app maker Continued Next PageGE 10 and general manager of mobile client platforms.
Precision aluminum and zincdie casting, machining and finishing.
Quality, Reliabilityand Service
We are a fullservice job shop, providing asmuch or aslittle projectinvolvement as required – from tooland die design to finishing and assembly.
tvtdiecast.com ▼ 800 280 2278
ISO 9001:2008 Certified
Precision Micro Aluminum Extrusions AS 9100 & ISO 9001 CERTIFIED
Well-designed extrusions can cut machining costs by 60%.
We can help! Contact us for a quote today. Thin, difficult hollow & multi-void hollow shapes Tolerances +/.001 5" maximum circle size 25 lb minimum order qty Shapes as light as .015 lb/ft CNC machining & fabrication Hard alloys- 2024 & 7075 Soft alloys- 6061 & 6063 Engineering & design assistance
Family-owned and operated since 1983.
4730 Eucalyptus Ave. Chino, CA 91710
909-947-3455 www.superiormetalshapes.net svargas@smshapes.net
Though some expect autonomous driving technology to phase out semi drivers, Daimler claims drivers will still be needed once its self-driving platform is commercialized.
Due to the demand for freight hauling being larger than the current pool of qualified drivers, self-driving trucks will help fill a need in the market, Narayanan said. Drivers will also be able to work in one location as opposed to driving across the country under Daimler’s proposed model, meaning they will be able to return home after a day of work, Narayanan said.
Daimler’s pursuit of autonomous trucking is driven by safety, according to the company.
More than 4,100 people died in 2018 in connection with big rig crashes in the U.S., according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety analysis of U.S. Department of Transportation data. The number of tractor-trailer crash fatalities that year was 31% higher than in 2009, according to the analysis.
Daimler says it is taking no shortcuts in the development of its self-driving technology.
“This is something we take very, very seriously,” Narayanan said. “We don’t want to cut any corners.” By Collin Krabbe
Slingshot Aerospace Awarded $2 Million To Build Space Simulation For Space Force
By Annlee Slingshot Aerospace Inc., which aims to help organizations leverage data from Earth and space with its situational awareness technology, has been tapped to build an immersive space simulation tool for the United States Space Force.
The company, which has offices in El Segundo, California, and Austin, Texas, has received $2 million to develop the Slingshot Orbital Laboratory.
The funding comes from two sources: A $1 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 contract from the Space Force and another $1 million from Austin-based ATX Venture Partners, which has invested in the startup in several previous rounds.
Slingshot is partnering with The Third Floor visualization studio, which has worked on films such as “Gravity,” “The Martian” and “The Mandalorian,” to co-create an interactive space visualization tool based on physics.
“Space operators need to understand complicated concepts like astrodynamics, the effects of various items in orbit, and how spacecrafts maneuver among other objects in space — all of which demand more adaptive, interactive and tailorable educational tools Continued Next PageGE 10
than what we are currently using,” said Col. Max Lantz, Commandant, National Security Space Institute, United States Air Force, in a statement. “Building an immersive environment to drive better comprehension of these foundational theories will be vital to support the Space Force.”
The Slingshot Orbital Laboratory aims to be be an easy-to-use tool that will teach users — anyone from students to pros — the fundamentals of space domain awareness, including complex astrodynamics. The goal is to provide a fresh and engaging way to perceive, comprehend and predict the relationship between objects in space and orbital scenarios.
Under this contract, Slingshot Aerospace will provide space domain and data expertise, and The Third Floor will provide the visualization component. The first version of the Slingshot Orbital Laboratory will be built for personal computers but with multi-platform augmented and virtual reality in mind.
The project will leverage Slingshot Platform and Slingshot Orbital products to enable users to govern their own virtual universe where they can learn to make better and faster decisions. For example, the tool will allow students to manage time, adjust the orbital elements of real or synthetic satellites or other objects, and toggle various aspects of the physics on or off. In addition, they’ll be able to explore orbital and satellite parameters in real time, allowing them to visualize and analyze orbit characteristics.
Using the Slingshot Orbital Laboratory, students will be able to create orbits; learn orbital mechanics governed by complex physics; design complex scenarios such as launch profiles and spacecraft-to-spacecraft rendezvous; and connect multi-domain factors such as land and sea coverage and geopolitical influences.
“We are designing a tool for the Space Force to better prepare teams for the complexities of space and to maintain superiority in this contested domain,” added Slingshot co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Melanie Stricklan. “The goal of the Slingshot Orbital Laboratory as an educational tool is to help forge the next generation of Space Force leaders, and it will also be designed with real-world capabilities that can help Space Force operational centers nationwide with scenario planning.” Ellingson – Staff Reporter, L.A. Biz Continued Next PageGE 10
September 2020 Business Conditions Report: Small Uptick In Metal Formers’ Optimism, But Challenges Continue
Metal forming companies predict a small improvement in business conditions during the next three months, according to the September 2020 Precision Metalforming Association Business Conditions Report. Prepared monthly, the report provides an economic indicator for manufacturing, sampling 109 metal forming companies in the U.S. and Canada.
The report shows that 40% of metal forming companies predict an improvement in economic activity during the next three months (a slight increase from 38% in August), 49% expect no change (compared to 45% last month), and 11% anticipate a decline in activity (a decrease from 17% in August).
The survey also revealed that metal formers experienced a slight uptick in current average daily shipping levels in September, with 59% reporting an increase in shipping levels compared to three months ago (up from 52% in August), 22% reporting no change (compared to 21% in August), and 19% reporting a decrease (down from 27% in August). Only 23% of responding metal forming companies had a portion of their workforce on short time or layoff in September, a decrease from 37% in August. Source: The Fabricator
U.S. manufacturing expanded in August at the fastest pace since late 2018, powered by growth in new orders that are a bright spot in an otherwise struggling economy.
A gauge of factory activity increased to 56 during the month from 54.2 in July, Institute for Supply Management data showed Tuesday. Readings above 50 indicate expansion, and the figure surpassed nearly every estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists and the median projection of 54.8.
The purchasing managers group’s measure of orders, which jumped more than 6 points, reached the highest point since the start of 2004. The increase in bookings, along with declining inventories, should continue to underpin production. The ISM’s gauge of output improved to a more than two-year high, though factory employment remained weak.
Improved factory activity, along with strength in housing and auto sales, suggest the fledgling recovery is beginning to broaden. The gradual reopening of businesses and steady improvement in consumer demand that left inventories depleted are boosting manufacturing, helping support the economic rebound amid elevated unemployment and layoffs across industries.
“The index was stronger than July but we’re still recovering from the historically low levels of the pandemic,” said Timothy Fiore, chairman of the ISM Business Survey Committee, said on a call with reporters. At the same time, Fiore said he expects the recent strength to continue in September, traditionally a good month for factories.
Stocks maintained gains, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note was little changed and the dollar rose.
Fifteen of the 18 manufacturing industries tracked by the ISM, the most since March 2019, reported growth in August, led by wood products, plastics and rubber, food and textiles.
Comments From ISM Respondents
“Business is very good. Production cannot keep up with demand.” – Chemical Products “Current sales to domestic markets are substantially stronger than forecasted.” – Fabricated Metals
Homebuilder business continues to be robust, with month-over-month gains continuing since May.” – Wood Products
“Capital equipment new orders have slowed again. Quoting is active. Many customers waiting for the fourth quarter to make any commitments.” – Machinery
“We are seeing solid month-overmonth order improvement in all manufacturing sectors such as electrical, auto and industrial goods. Looking to add a few factory operators.” – Plastics
The pickup in U.S. manufacturing output is slightly faster than Europe’s, according to separate data from IHS Markit. At the same time, an acceleration in new orders contrasts with a slight slowdown in that gauge for the euro area, highlighting uneven global growth.
In addition, the U.S. gains aren’t enough yet to bring back manufacturing jobs: The ISM’s employment index, while rising to a six-month high in August, continued to show factories are cutting staff.
The ISM report doesn’t detail the actual levels of improvement in manufacturing since the survey of purchasing managers asks whether activity is increasing, decreasing or stagnant. So the figures are subject to big swings during turning points in the economy such as now.
The ISM’s index of factory inventories fell to 44.4 in August, the lowest since January 2014, indicating stockpiles were declining at a faster pace. Customer inventories contracted at the quickest rate since June 2010, the report showed.
“The recovery in production is badly lagging the stronger turnaround in spending, with the result that
inventories are now looking very lean,” Andrew Hunter, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics Ltd., said in a note. “That points to further gains in production in the months ahead.”
The overall manufacturing gauge was also boosted by a slowdown in delivery times, which indicates supply bottlenecks. The ISM’s measure of export orders also rose to the highest level since the start of the year. Manufacturing in U.S. Expands at Fastest Pace Since Late 2018, Source: Bloomberg Newsl By: Katia Dmitrieva
America Makes Receives $1.4M NIST Grant
America Makes has received a $1.4 million grant from the United States Department of Commerce’s National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), announced by United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross during a press conference at the America Makes facility in Youngstown, Ohio. The grant will help America Makes continue work to address personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages Continued Next PageGE 10
TURN TO THE LEADER IN METALS Aluminum SHAPES Sheet/Plate SERVICES Production SPINDLE PRECISION
Steel Shim/Bar Cutting SALES • SERVICE • SUPPORT Stainless Tube/Pipe Precision Check Out Our New State-of-the-Art Facility!
Brass Channel Sawing Copper Ornamental Angle Beam Shearing
Perf./Expand. 818-729-3333, www.IMSmetals.com
So-Cal’s Source For All Your Metal Needs
Next Day Delivery - No Minimum - Open Saturdays
STOP BY TODAY!
Los Angeles | Orange County | San Diego | Inland Empire
because of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing America Makes to work with small and medium sized manufacturers to better position them for the on-going crisis and future ones.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic we have seen additive manufacturers (AM) across the country respond to deliver safe and effective PPE, showing how AM can be the solution to help solve critical supply chain gaps,” said America Makes Executive Director John Wilczynski. “We are extremely honored to receive the NIST grant to continue this important work.”
Since March, America Makes has worked alongside the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to coordinate guidance for the AM community and provide a vehicle to download reviewed 3D print PPE designs. To date the effort has had the following results:
31 designs have been optimized for clinical use; 28 designs have been optimized for community
499,166 units of AM products have been matched, including 229,995 non-N95 masks and 272,607 face shields
Over 95,743 file downloads, and over 1,112,651 views on the NIH 3D Print Exchange
• 800-686-1679 • info@gmnusa • www.gmnusa.com
“Thank you for your swift action in rebuilding our medical and protective equipment supply chains as a result of the COVID-19 emergency,” stated Secretary Ross during his remarks. “You teamed up with the VA, FDA, and NIH to optimize 31 PPE designs for clinical use, including 28 for production by the additive manufacturing community. This was no small feat, and I congratulate each of you for what you have accomplished here in Youngstown, and across the Manufacturing USA network.”
The announcement followed an earlier tour of America Makes and the Youngstown Business Incubator facilities to highlight the regional AM ecosystem. Source: Manufacturing and Design; By: Eric Brothers
Boeing 777X Engines Win AA Certification
GE Aviation said Monday that its massive GE9X jet engine, which powers Boeing’s new 777X widebody airplane, has been certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration authorities.
The certification marks an important milestone in the Boeing 777X jetliner program and comes after problems with the engine that delayed the program’s schedule for months.
“It takes the world’s best talent in jet propulsion to create a game-changing product like the GE9X engine,” GE Aviation President and CEO John Slattery said in a statement.
Your One-Stop Shop for Metal Finishing Services
PAS Technologies, a StandardAero Company, offers a comprehensive portfolio of services for component processing in metal finishing, including: Nondestructive testing, shot / flap peening, grinding, special processing and paint.
Chemical Processing • Anodize Type I, II, III • Black Oxide • Brush Cadmium • Brush Nickel • Cadmium Plating • Chemfilm/Alodine • Chrome Plating • Copper Plating • Dry Film Lube • Electroless Nickel • LHE - Low Hydrogen Embrittlement • Manganese/Zinc Phosphate Plating • Olive Drab • Passivation • Prime/Painting • Silver Plating • Sulfamate Nickel • Thin Dense Chrome Plating • Zinc Nickel
Metal Finishing & Enhancements
• Flap Peen • Glass Bead • Shot Peen
Grinding • Centerless Grinding • CNC Grinding • Jig Grinding • Surface and Low Stress
Grinding
Non-Destructive Testing Services • Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection • Magnetic Particle Inspection • Nital Etch
Certifications & Approvals •AS9100D, AS9110C w/ ISO9001:2015 •DDTC Registered •FAA / EASA Certified •NADCAP Accredited -Chemical Processing -Conventional Machining
Surface / Low Stress
Grinding -Non Destructive
Testing -Surface Enhancement
Shot Peen / Flap Peen •ROHS Compliant
“It’s somewhat logical and intuitive. Where our lives are disrupted and we need to do GE9X program General Manager Karl Sheldon said company officials are pleased with more and more things from our home, we need to ensure we have the technology the performance of the engine following extensive ground and flight testing by Boeing. at our disposal so things can go on as normal as possible,” Chief Executive Officer Eight GE9X test engines completed just under 5,000 hours and 8,000 cycles to win the Bob Swan said Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “What that has required FAA certification, the company said. meant is demand for more and more devices, including PCs, for parents to continue to conduct their work and for kids to continue their education.” “There is no substitute that can achieve the combination of size, power and fuel efficiency of the GE9X. This engine will deliver unsurpassed value and reliability to our airline Swan’s company dominates the markets for processors that run PCs and the server customers,” Slattery said. machines that act as the backbone of corporate networks and cloud-data centers. Demand for more expensive server chips is also higher as companies and service Boeing and GE Aviation said providers improve the systems needed to connect work PCs in people’s homes.the GE9X engine is designed to consume 10% less fuel Companies around the world -- including Intel -- have sent employees home in compliance with government orders aimed at containing the spread of the Covid-19 compared to the older GE90115B engines and 5% better “than any other engine in its pandemic. That shift has provoked a rush to invest in the infrastructure that keeps class.” The big engines also will people working remotely. Analysts and investors are now looking for signals on help airlines cut smog-causing whether that’s a short-term lift that will subside as lower economic activity takes a emissions. toll on corporate and consumer spending, or whether it is a lasting trend. GE Aviation said its focus Intel is scheduled to report first-quarter earnings on April 23 and is expected to give remains on working with projections for the current period. In January, before the virus had spread around Boeing to complete the 777X the world, the company forecast about $19 billion in revenue for the March quarter.flight test program and entry into service for airlines, which The chipmaker was partly prepared for a surge in demand because it was already the Chicago-based jet maker expecting a strong quarter and had facilities geared up to produce more components, recently delayed until 2022.By Swan said. The Santa Clara, California-based company is now working hard to Andrew McIntosh – Staff Writer, convince governments that its operations are essential and should be exempt from Puget Sound Business Journal closures, he said. By Ian King
BIGGER. BETTER. BOLDER .
OEM APPROVALS (list non-exhaustive)
CONTACT US TODAY TO LEARN MORE
pnx_custsvc@standardaero.com pnx_quotes@standardaero.com 1021 N. 22nd Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85009
+1.602.744.2600 www.standardaero.com/phoenix
Albina Co., Inc. “Your Steel Bending Experts”
Hello USA,
In the ever changing landscape of our current world, we are constantly using the IF/THEN/WHAT approach to evaluate every situation. Recently, I have seen many amazing projects featuring curved steel on social media, and while I am overjoyed that the market appears to be weathering the storm, I am thinking “Boy, would I love the opportunity to bid
Forged From The Great Fires and Always Adapting To Meet Customer’s Needs.
Cd’A (Coeur d’Alene) Metals has a history rich in the gold industry. In the early 1800’s gold was discovered in the northern mountains of Idaho and placer claims dotted the area with many mining camps. Gold mining was an arduous task and sometimes a lot of hard work paid dirt, but sometimes no gold. James Marks and Billy Hart thought there must be a better way to make a living than prospecting for the elusive gold and in 1884 in a meager commercial space in Murray, ID, the two hung up a sign that read “J.R. Marks and Co.” This became the areas first mining supply store for hardware and metals such as copper, tin, and sheet ironware.
The gold deposits waned and in its place were found large deposits of silver, lead, and zinc. The gold camps were abandoned and large underground mining companies occupied the Coeur d’Alene mining district. The J.R Marks and Co. business did well and in 1890 they had five stores in camps within the Coeur d’Alene mining district. The headquarters in Murray moved to Wallace in the center of what was referred to as Silver Valley at the time and then to Spokane in 1889 and helped to rebuild the city after what was referred to as the great fire. The company moved back to Wallace in 1892 after assisting in the renovation from the great fire and as they grew, expanded a metal service, processing facility, hardware wholesaler and evolved as a renowned mining equipment manufacturer. They added a foundry in 1913 for mining and mill castings and in 1966 expanded to service multitudes of other businesses and moved again to Spokane, WA to grow as one of the largest metal service centers in an area that covered WA to MN. This monumental move allowed the company to become a bridge builder with the largest of their bridges, winning a prize as what was termed “Most Beautiful Long Span” bridge across the Libby Reservoir that was completed in 1971 and a bridge completed in 1972 across the Dworshak Reservoir. J. R. Marks and Company went through a few name changes along the way and changed to Holley Mason & Marks to The Coeur d’Alene Hardware and Foundry Co. to The Coeur d’Alene Company in 1960. Today Cd’A Metals is a complete ‘One Stop Shop’ fabricating facility and metals supplier with state of the art metal cutting and metal working machinery, some of which are the largest in the West. Innovation is key to their growth and the leaders at Cd’A Metals are always looking for the best and latest fabrication equipment.
The company has grown under the leadership of Larry Coulson to a modern fabrication center with fiber lasers, tube lasers and some of the largest CNC operated bending machine brakes capable of bending very thick, very long (28 feet) very large gauge steel and various other metal types. Cd’A teams with many metal fabrication companies that do not have the capability to fabricate some of the larger intricate assemblies and they deliver a very wide variety of materials including aluminum, stainless steel, cold rolled steel, hot rolled, and wear resistant steel. They are capable of band sawing metal and also plasma cut, oxy-fuel cut, press brake form and fabricate assemblies complete to print or just furnish raw material to customer specifications. Cd’A furnishes turn key abrasion resistant Hardox 450 and 500 wear plate that is perfect for heavy duty container, dump trucks, excavator buckets, gears, sprockets, cutting edges, and structural heavy load bearing applications.
Larry says, “To be successful at supplying parts and kits of parts to our manufacturing customers, we must have reliable and accurate processing equipment. Our five best press brakes were made by Accurpress, a leading press brake and shear company. Our laser cutting machines are Mazak and our band saws are Behringer. We purchase all three of these great brands through Fahey Machinery. We have found Fahey Machinery’s people to have integrity. Their maintenance people prevent reoccurring problems by seeking to solve root causes and their sales and management people have thorough knowledge of the equipment they provide. For decades, Fahey Machinery has contributed to our success.”
Larry’s father began buying stock in The Coeur d’Alenes Company in the 60’s when, right out of college, he started with the company. He bought about half of the company stock during his career. Now that he has passed away, Larry’s mother owns his stock. Larry spent his career buying the other half of the company stock from the remaining non-family stockholders. Now, instead of over 2,000 stockholders, the Coulson extended family owns 100% of the stock in The Coeur d’Alenes Company. Cd’A utilizes self-directed work teams to manage the detail level of
the company. They magnify the production capacity of their team members with intelligent processing equipment, whereby they are able to pay above market rates to get and keep the best people. These days, the greatest limitation seems to be people. The Cd’A business model is laser focused on their customers’ needs and they provide the parts in the form of kits that have exactly what their customers ask for.
Cd’A gets it right, in terms of magnitude, much more often than anybody in the business. The customers that know what errors cost them and care about it buy from Cd’A. The customers that focus on unit pricing and ignore their total cost buy from the other guy.
Cd’A’s niche is to provide complete kits, on time, every time. That means nothing extra and nothing missing, and all key specifications are confirmed. They do more types of metal processing than anyone else that serves the whole region. They get it right more often than anybody in the industry, and they serve their customers to the nth degree. This includes manufacturers of equipment used in packaging, mining, food processing, transportation, road building, DOD, medical, energy. Cd’A has improved it’s business with intelligent processing equipment and has substantially kept up with available technology. They have their own software that is coded internally, whereby leading the industry on that front. The future is bright for Cd’A Metals! They are looking at new equipment like a Kinetic plate processor to expand their capabilities into thicker plate and are studying the value of using robots to further expand the production capacity of the workforce. The next phase of evolution for Cd’A could reside in additive manufacturing. The team is avidly looking to this new 3D manufacturing capability to continue to grow the business. In five years Larry expects to be twice their size with their sights focused on the $100 million mark. To accomplish this they must expand the capabilities of Cd’A’s workforce further.
implementing better solutions not just as individual employees, but as a whole team. You might say: We get it. There is no perfect, there is only the
honest and continuous pursuit of perfection.”
For more information on Cd’A Metals and how they can help your business contact them at: 8 0 0 - 8 2 4 - 0 5 0 5 , quote@cdmetals.com
The Right Waterjet Abrasive
Choosing the right abrasive for a waterjet cutting application can significantly improve the performance and profitability of your waterjet operation. BARTON has published an in-depth look at the many factors that impact the cutting efficiency of a waterjet abrasive.
Download a FREE copy: barton.com/WaterjetAbrasiveGuide
BARTON INTERNATIONAL USA/Canada 800-741-7756 • 518-798-5462 • barton.com • info@barton.com BARTON is a trademark of BARTON Mines Corporation.
OIL MIST AND SMOKE IN YOUR SHOP?
Low-Cost, Highly Efficient Mist and Smoke Collectors Designed Specifically for the Metalworking Industry
www.mistcollectors.com 1-800-645-4174
some of these projects!” Many companies also make claims in their posts that they are the only company who can produce a bend or work with certain material sizes. While these claims may be true on a local or state level, they are not true on a national level. Hence, my mind once again goes to the IF, THEN, WHAT approach....
IF: You Never Send Us Your Project to Bid
THEN: You Will Never Know if We Can Do It , How We Can Perform or What it is Like to Work with Us
WHAT: You are Missing Out on the Opportunity to Receive High Quality Bends, at a Fair Price, from a Top Notch Bender/ Roller with a Wide Range of Capacities & Capabilities
For more information on Albina contact them at: 503-692-6010 Ext. 105 Fax: 503-6926020, bsmith@ albinaco.com, www.albinaco. com
THE NEW MITSUBISHI EDM... BURNING CIRCLES AROUND THE COMPETITION.
- CYLINDRICAL DRIVE TECHNOLOGY - 19” TOUCHSCREEN CONTROL
- FIBER OPTIC SERVO CONTROL - INDUSTRY LEADING AUTO-THREADING
NEW M800 CONTROL
REMOTE MONITORING
TRADE-IN PROGRAM
BIG DEAL
Last December, when Time magazine listed the Haliade-X among the best inventions of 2019, it was just one in a series of milestones for the mighty machine — the most powerful offshore wind turbine in operation today. Following its moment in the media spotlight, the Haliade-X proceeded to set a world record by generating 288 megawatt-hours of electrical energy in a single day. Now it’s passed another landmark: Monday GE Renewable Energy signed the first contract for the spinning champion, agreeing to supply 190 Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbines for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B, the first two phases of what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, located in the North Sea some 130 kilometers off the English coast.
They grow up so fast: The Haliade-X has quickly become a major player in offshore wind. “The one thing I learned in my career is never doubt the capability of GE’s engineering talent, regardless of the technology,” said John Lavelle, CEO of GE Renewable Energy’s Offshore Wind unit. Lavelle’s team decided to go big, designing a machine with blades that stretch 107 meters apiece, and last year began testing a prototype of the Haliade-X at the Port of Rotterdam. The working prototype revealed strengths of a turbine initially referred to as the Haliade-X 12 MW. The Dogger Bank contract is for a turbine called the Haliade-X 13 MW — the team figured out how to generate one more megawatt than was in their original goals. When the Dogger Bank project is completed — slated for 2026 — it’s projected to be able to supply 3.6 gigawatts of electrical power, enough to supply 4.5 million U.K. households.
The road ahead: Lavelle and Vincent Schellings, who leads the development of the turbine, say they now think of the Haliade-X as a platform, where they can increase its output without starting from scratch on a new design. Lavelle said the working machine gave GE a “strategic road map to have a sustainable competitive advantage in the offshore wind industry. That’s our goal.” And that’s a good place to be: With the International Energy Agency projecting that global offshore wind will attract a cumulative $1 trillion in investment by 2040, this is an industry with a strong breeze to its back.
:2015
Are you ready to implement or upgrade your Quality Management System to the new ISO 9001:2015 or AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 Standard, AS9110C or AS9120B? Special Packages available, take advantage of 20 plus years’ experience implementing and auditing quality management systems for commercial and aerospace companies! Bretta Kelly, President and Owner of BMSC, LLC www.businessmsc.com has proven, copy written templates for ISO 9001:2015, AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015, AS9110C / ISO 9001:2015 and AS9120B / ISO 9001:2015 Standards with more than 30 companies upgraded and certified with zero to one finding results to date in their upgrade audits! Packages Available:
Complete Electronic QMS System/Templates and 4 hours consulting – Manual, Policy, System Procedures, Work Instruction / Flow charts for some processes, internal audit program, management review program (including forms), competency / training program, objectives training template, risk training and how to document a corrective action training PowerPoint’s - $3,500
Complete Electronic QMS System/Templates and online webinar of how to complete –Manual, Policy, System Procedures, Work Instruction / Flow charts for some processes, internal audit program, management review program (including forms), competency / training program, objectives training template, risk training and how to document a corrective action training PowerPoint’s - $2,500
Do you need Quality Management System Software? Bretta Kelly is also President of CIS WWSG, LLC and is now offering the $3,500 Templates for FREE with purchase of CIS Software! www.cissoftware.com. CIS Software costs $5,000 upfront (one time) and $385/month license and server fees for UNLIMITED users, request a demo today! Testimonial from BMSC Clients featured in the A2Z Manufacturing Magazine who have taken advantage of the BMSC Templates for successful upgrades:
Bretta, I wanted to email you and let you know that because of the help of yourself and Debbie we completed our audit to the new revision with no findings! :) We very much appreciate all of the help that you both did for us and will recommend your company to anyone looking to get certified. Your system really makes it easy for companies like ours to stay organized and compliant to the guidelines. Kristie McKee, Gibbs Precision Machine
A2Z MANUFACTURING WEST COAST • 26 • OCT - NOV ‘20
Hydraulics International Inc., Chatsworth, California, has been awarded a $377,357,493 firm-fixed-price, requirements-type, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for multiple pieces of hydraulic equipment and hydraulic fluid purification systems to be used on multiple aviation platforms. Work will be performed in Chatsworth, California, and is expected to be completed Oct. 7, 2029. This award is a result of a solesource acquisition. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement; and future fiscal aircraft procurement funds will be obligated upon availability for task orders. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8532-21-D-0001).
PKL Services Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a $13,757,191 firm-fixed-price modification (P00008) to contract FA4897-18-C-2002 to continue providing military aircraft F15 SG maintenance and operations training. This contract provides for the Republic of Singapore Air Force training on F15 aircraft, and includes both maintenance and operations on the F15 aircraft. Work will be performed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2022. Foreign Military Sales funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The 366th Financial Acquisition Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, is the contracting activity.
Honeywell International Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been awarded an $11,638,078 modification (P00006) to contract FA9453-19-C-0010 to exercise Option Two for critical design review, providing research options for Space Enterprise Technologies. The contractor shall conduct experiments, evaluate, and perform process development back-end pillar fabrication process. Work will be performed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is expected to be completed April 14, 2022, per Option Two: Critical Design Review contract line item number 2001 and a Military interdepartmental purchase request from HQ0157 Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force – Acquisition, Technology and Logistics will be obligated to incrementally fund the option at time of modification. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $17,361,381. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Hawthorne, California, is awarded a $149,175,246 firm-fixed-price contract for the Space Development Agency Tracking Layer Tranche 0, Wide Field of View program. The proposal was received and evaluated under request for proposal HQ0850-20-R-0003. The work to be performed under this contract will include on-time delivery of space vehicles and optical wide field of view payloads. Work will be performed in various locations in the continental U.S. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds (defense-wide) will be obligated at the time of award. The Space Development Agency, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (HQ0850-21-C-0001).
five-year ordering period for BRITE Star Block II systems, repair actions, data, provision item order, training and engineering services. Work will be performed in Wilsonville, Oregon, and is expected to be completed by September 2025. This contract includes purchases for the Czech Republic under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. FMS Czech Republic funding in the amount of $8,179,077 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c) (1); only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-20-D-JQ51).
The Boeing Co., El Segundo, California, has been awarded a $298,369,312 firm-fixed-price contract for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications program. This contract provides a prototype payload to develop hardware and software. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California, and is expected to be complete by May 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $29,447,172 are being obligated at the time of award. The U.S. Space Force, Space and Missile Systems Center, Development Corps, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8808-20-C-0047). (Awarded Sept. 30, 2020)
DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $70,743,464 modification (P00042) to previously awarded contract FA4890-17-C-0005 for Air Force Central Command War Reserve Materiel (WRM). This modification provides for the exercise of Option Year Four for WRM services being provided under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; Kuwait; Oman; Qatar; and the United Arab Emirates, and is expected to be complete by September 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $326,492,114. Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $69,799,021 are being obligated at the time of award. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Bothell, Washington, was awarded a not-to-exceed $24,072,455 firm-fixed-price, indefinitedelivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the purchase of gas generators for use in the suppression system onboard the V-22 aircraft to provide explosion/fire suppression capabilities. The contract will include a three-year base ordering period with no options. Work will be performed in Moses Lake, Washington, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. This effort combines purchases with procurement and ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) funds (82.9%); ammunition (Air Force) funds (14.7%); and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funding (Japan) (2.4%) under the FMS program. Funds in the amount of $7,802,197 will be issued for delivery order N00104-20-F-B501 that will be awarded concurrently with the contract and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One source was solicited for this non-competitive requirement under authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), with one offer received. The Naval Supply Systems Command, Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00104-20-D-B501). (Awarded Sept. 29, 2020)
The airline industry has come a long way in terms of fuel efficiency. The amount of fuel burned per passenger has dropped 80% since 1960, thanks to new engines designed with tougher and lighter materials. But those savings, along with cheaper tickets, have also fueled passenger growth — to more than 1 billion fliers annually before the pandemic — which has offset the industry’s savings in net carbon emissions. True, the airlines and military have also tested and proven the feasibility of biofuels. But they can be twice as expensive as mineral fuels at this time and haven’t achieved commercial viability, thus sending aviation engineers to seek a different solution. “Now we need something fundamentally different to take the next leap,” says John Yagielski, senior principal engineer at GE’s Global Research Center in Niskayuna, New York.
That technical challenge is twofold, and both sides are daunting. The first element, part of ARPA-E’s REEACH initiative (for Range Extenders for Electric Aviation with Low Carbon and High Efficiency), focuses on how to convert a cleaner-burning biofuel into megawatts of electricity. The second, under the ASCEND program (Aviation-Class Synergistically Cooled Electric Motors with Integrated Drives), tackles how to turn that electrical energy into enough thrust to fly a 737-class commercial jet.
A traditional jet engine ignites jet fuel mixed with air to drive a massive fan upfront, which creates the bulk of the thrust that makes the plane soar and cruise. In the new configuration proposed by the GE team, an electric motor spins the fan to generate thrust. The power would come from a two-step process that combines a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and a gas turbine, with both running on a plant-based, carbon-neutral fuel. (The fuel is carbonneutral because it’s made from plants that absorbed atmospheric carbon. It produces no incremental CO2 when burned.)
In this theoretical design, the SOFC will be designed to mix gasified biofuel and compressed air to produce electricity and heat. The electricity will drive the motor spinning the engine fan. The heat exhaust and any excess fuel will do a second shift inside the gas turbine, where they will mix with more fuel to drive the turbine and further help spin another electric generator. “The reuse of SOFC exhaust is akin to a combined-cycle power plant, in which heat expelled from a
ISO/AS9100D CERTIFIED
We believe that we are stronger and more viable when we manufacture precision components for USA Manufacturing! Put our Machining Passion to work for you! Call Today: 480-773-3239
www.flexproaz.com
gas turbine is used to drive a steam turbine,” Joshi explains.
The biggest hurdle with this theoretical hybrid design is how to get more power for far less weight. “The overall system efficiency will have to be better and will have to weigh significantly less,” Yagielski says. “We need to develop machines at aircraft propulsion power levels and reduce their specific weight by a factor of eight.” That means bringing various engineering disciplines to bear, he adds: “Our team is working five different technology areas simultaneously to make this happen.”
The beauty of the new system is that it will free plane designers from placing large engines under each wing and enable them to come up with new designs that might be more optimal for efficient flight. Drones already use six or more propellers, all powered by wires from a central source. Says Joshi: “The concept is to use 10 or 15 of these 2-megawatt machines to drive an equal number of smaller fans distributed along the wing to produce the required thrust.”
The REEACH and ASCEND grants, covering roughly 18 months of research by 17 participants, are just the first leg of a long journey. “It’s about proving the feasibility of a number of these technologies and convincing ARPA-E to invest in building a complete prototype and testing it,” says Yagielski. “This is for aircraft in the 2050s.”
When you hear the words fabrication shop, automatically weldments of steel, large trusses, frameworks both architectural and industrial come to mind. Turning that assumption on its head, Flatline Fabrication recently has designed and is producing a new line of wood workbenches that highlight their CNC routing and wood craft / wood fabrication prowess.
These light, rigid and portable benches are ideal for transport in vans or pickups to jobsites for light carpentry, finish carpentry, and cabinet installs. Durable for manufacturing as fab and assembly benches in commercial settings they were designed with longevity in mind. These benches will withstand the rigors in a variety of manufacturing environments as well as the home shop.
These strong but lightweight benches come as flat packed kits with instructions. Initial assembly takes less than 30 minutes. The rigid
48”x 48” reinforced modular work surface is a box unit, easily removable for transport or storage. When assembled, the bench is a comfortable and ergonomic 34” high. Being modular, two or more benches can be joined together to create larger surfaces such as 4’x 8’ or 8’x 8’ for large projects in a commercial setting.
Another feature of these smartly and expertly crafted work benches are the precision 1” diameter holes on 4” centers covering the entire work surface. These holes accommodate work stop drop-in accessory pucks for fixturing and production part placement. Holes are used also as clamping locations for bonding in hard to reach areas.
The Flatling Bench will be durable fixtures in any shop, available for $449.95 plus shipping. Quantity pricing for 6 or more units available upon call. Work Stop Pucks are $65.95 for a set of 12.
When ordering use product code SMH 2020. For more information, call 503. 477.7566. Flatline Fabrication Inc., 4322 NW Yeon Ave., Portland, OR 97210.
Or call 425.501.7342, SMH Inc., “The Manufacturer’s Secret Weapon”
Precious Metals Plating Co., Inc
+ Gold Plating + Silver Plating + Nickel Plating + Electroless Nickel Plating + Tin Plating + Heat Treat With Plate + Nadcap Approved Processes + Boeing Approved Processes + Expedited Turnaround + X-ray Fluorescence Thickness Verification + In-House Laboratory With Atomic Absorption (AA) + Expanded Capacity In Vibratory Plating
We Are The Noble Partner With The Personal Touch!
(800) 481-6271 www.pmplating.com
The Manufacturer’s Secret Weapon
By Stephen Hannemann
Just Imagine
Unemployment numbers are falling, and in many sectors manufacturing is rebounding again in spite of the pandemic, civil unrest, and political turmoil. I look up and say thank you, Lord. Coupled with my belief system, I have a deep love and respect for the resilience of our human spirit and our tenacious ability to overcome obstacles of overwhelming dimension. I think of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock in November of 1620. Depending upon the history account you read, only 51 or 53 of the 102 original passengers survived the first winter. Those resilient few survivors were the nucleus of our country, 400 years ago this November. Ah, the human spirit!
500mm Doosan w/ 275 tool capacity, runs high production lights out.
Ten months ago, I began a series of articles on continuous personal improvement in an effort to encourage owners, managers, and leads, along with their employees to inspire and mentor by means of attitude. I have stated many times – when we are open and receptive, mentoring can take place from the bottom up as well as the top down. No matter where we are in the company hierarchy, we are most receptive when we are in a good mood and happy. I have opened several of my presentations with the question, “So, when you woke up this morning, did you roll over and grumble about the day before you? Or did you jump out of bed with excitement and say, ‘I get to go to work today and….’” Are you grateful? Grateful for your bed, your home, your wife, your children, your JOB?
Please don’t misunderstand. I do not have a Pollyanna attitude about life. Life can deal us some cruel blows. Life is a hard walk at times. However, hard times can be precious opportunities to grow, to learn, and become stronger. It is during these times that people around us witness how gratitude and positive attitudes inspire, motivate, and elevate the spirits of the people we interact with on our daily journeys.
Manufacturing has been my world since high school. But this vocation does not come without a plethora of challenges and heartaches – personnel issues, supplier issues, quality issues, customer issues, and the list at times seems endless. But first thing, when we start our day, think about something that makes us happy, something that brings us joy. Joy and gratefulness will set our countenance. That attitude will spread to all who we come in contact with during our day. At the end of the day when we stop and review our accomplishments, we can take pride in what we provided, to our employees, the community, and maybe the world. Like the Pilgrims of 400 years ago. Just imagine.
Photos provided courtesy of Northwest Metalcraft in Marysville, WA. SMH Inc. is proud to shout out the quality and service of NW Metalcraft. To learn more about NW Metalcraft and all the well vetted suppliers represented by SMH Inc., visit www.smhincllc.com, email stephen@smhincllc.com or phone 425.501.7342.
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT solution custom made to fit your company needs with an Industrial Tool Vend point of use system. Single items or large scale bar code scanning, these systems provide cost-saving management tools and increase your profitability.
• Reduce down time • INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY • Reduce tooling costs • INCREASE PROFITABILITY
HUGE LOCAL INVENTORY IN STOCK!! Need it right now? We have inventory in Kent and Seattle!
CNC Remanufacturing & PRECISION Manual Regrinding
• FAST turn around • SAVE the cost of buying new tools • NEW precision edge on virtually any tool
