America Makes, ANSI Release Survey on Use of Standardization Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing

America Makes and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) announced the release of a survey to obtain feedback on use of the Standardization Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing. Last published in June 2018, the roadmap is the work product of the America Makes and ANSI Additive Manufacturing Standardization Collaborative (AMSC), a cross-sector initiative involving hundreds of participants to coordinate and accelerate the development of industry-wide additive manufacturing (AM) standards and specifications. The survey seeks comments on the content and quality of the roadmap to assist the AMSC in future planning.

Over the last year, the AMSC has held a series of virtual events addressing different facets of standardization needs associated with designing, producing, and qualifying AM parts. The group has also issued progress reports tracking activity by standards developing organizations (SDOs) to publish new standards or start new standards projects that are responsive to the needs and recommendations outlined in the roadmap. The AMSC advisory group, comprised of government, SDO, and industry representatives, determined that it would be helpful to do a survey to complement those efforts.

“We feel that the time is right to do an assessment of what was previously covered in the standards roadmap and how the content can be enhanced commensurate with industry growth, to continue to push AM technologies forward,” said Brandon Ribic, America Makes technology director.

“Given the different industry sectors that are using AM, and the variety of materials and processes that are available, it makes sense to query the community on the desirability of revising the roadmap to maintain its relevance,” said Jim McCabe, ANSI senior director of standards facilitation.

For more information, visit www.americamakes.us or www.ansi.org.

Manufacturers: A Time of Challenge and Uncertainty

National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement in response to President Biden’s State of the Union address:

“President Biden rightly focused on many policies that will keep manufacturing strong in America amid a global crisis. We strongly agree that the bipartisan infrastructure law was an accomplishment of historic proportion, and we continue to support its swift implementation.

“We are ready to work with anyone to advance policies that will strengthen the industry, but we strongly oppose proposals that would weaken our industry and threaten our recovery, including undoing the progress of tax reform and imposing policies that would disrupt our workplaces. Manufacturers are working hard to fill more than 800,000 open jobs and connect more Americans with rewarding careers, and some of the actions outlined tonight would make it harder for us to solve this top challenge.

“We couldn’t agree more, however, that supply chain issues must remain a focus for lawmakers, and we’re going to continue working with both parties to deliver final competitiveness and supply chain legislation and build on the steps the administration is taking. In this time of challenge and uncertainty, we’re more committed than ever to focus on policy—not politics, personality or process.

“As the United States and our allies continue to lend support for Ukraine’s fight for its democracy, President Biden used his State of the Union address tonight to rally Americans and the world in support of the cause and rightly emphasized the importance of American leadership and defending our shared values when so much is at stake. Manufacturers join this call for unity.”

For more information, visit www.nam.org.

Entries Open for $10,000 Cash Prize at Automate 2022 in ‘The Cowen Startup Challenge: Automate to Outperform’

Cutting-edge startups—driving innovations in robotics, machine vision, artificial intelligence and other automation technologies—will compete for a $10,000 prize in “The Cowen Startup Challenge: Automate to Outperform,” taking place at Automate 2022 in Detroit in June.

The competition, which is now accepting entries, will spotlight exciting and innovative entrepreneurs and their young companies during North America’s largest robotics and automation showcase. The deadline for entry is March 31, 2022.

Automate 2022 Show and Conference runs June 6-9, 2022, at Huntington Place convention center in Detroit and is hosted by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the leading global advocate for the benefits of automating. “The Cowen Startup Challenge: Automate to Outperform” will take place on June 7, 2022. This year’s competition is sponsored by Cowen, a multinational, independent investment bank and financial services company.

Companies entering the challenge must:

• Operate in the automation space (robotics, vision, motion control, AI)
• Been founded in the last five years
• Raised less than $5 million USD since creation
• Not be affiliated with or belonging to a larger group

Ten finalists will vie for the top $10,000 cash prize by pitching their technology solution to a panel of industry expert judges.  All finalists will also be awarded a complimentary exhibit space on the Automate show floor to engage with more than 20,000 attendees.

"The imperative to automate has never been a higher priority across virtually every industry and we increasingly look to the innovative, bright minds from startup companies to lead the way,” said Peter Finn, managing director, industrial technology at Cowen. “Startup entrepreneurs play a critical role in the development of new technology, and this competition is a way for us to support and usher in new growth, while providing a spotlight for these new technologies in front of potential partners.”

Past winners include Innovative Mechatronic Systems B.V (2019) for its Archimedes Drive, a toothless gearbox; Apellix (2017) for its software-controlled aerial robotics; and Soft Robotics (2015) for its innovative gripping solution.

Learn more at Automate, June 6-9, in Detroit; Registration is open at https://www.automateshow.com.

Hexagon Acquires ETQ, SaaS-Based QMS Software Platform

Hexagon AB announced the acquisition of ETQ, a leading provider of SaaS-based QMS (quality management system), EHS (environment, health and safety) and compliance management software.

ETQ’s future-ready, truly multi-tenant QMS solution, ETQ Reliance, provides the data backbone for automating the collection and delivery of manufacturing quality control data, non-conformance reports, customer feedback and more, providing an enterprise view of quality management across the entire product lifecycle. Its broad portfolio of best-in-class applications comes with out-of-the-box functionality and no-code configurability, enabling customers to tailor the solution to their unique needs and optimize critical business processes to achieve their quality, safety and environmental goals.    

“Our leadership in quality data capture and smart digital realities makes ETQ an excellent fit. The acquisition brings a mix of talent and deep quality expertise across extensive industry verticals, targeting the rapidly widening gap between quality data creation and leverage,” says Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “Integrating data from our metrology systems with Reliance leads to increasing levels of autonomy that improve a customer’s ability to put quality and process data to work. ETQ also enables connectivity of quality data and processes across supply chains, bringing suppliers and customers into one system.”

ETQ’s advanced data management capabilities, driven by machine learning and artificial intelligence, make quality data fully actionable and available further upstream. Not only does this reduce defects, scrap, rework, and recalls, but it also enables an autonomous feedback loop, digital information trail and virtuous cycle of continuous improvement.

“Hexagon has long been in the business of enabling customers to realize the benefits that data-driven automation and product quality insights bring, including the freedom to create the undisputed factory floor of tomorrow—one that is self-sufficient, self-monitoring, self-optimizing and self-repairing,” continued Rollén. “With our global footprint, vertical synergies and good customer fit, which includes our recently acquired EAM business, ETQ is poised for rapid growth. We’re proud to welcome ETQ to the family as we continue to accelerate our journey to the cloud and build the world’s leading quality stack from shop floor to top floor.”

Founded in 1992, ETQ is headquartered in Massachusetts, with additional offices in Arizona and Dublin, Ireland. With 185 employees, its team of quality experts drive customer success across diverse industries—life sciences, healthcare, heavy manufacturing, electronics, food and beverage, heavy process, automotive and more. ETQ will operate as part of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division.

ETQ is expected to generate revenues of around 75 MUSD in 2022 with an adjusted operating margin of over 35 per cent (cash EBITDA margins of around 45 per cent, reflecting a SaaS prepayment model). ETQ has been driving its customer base to SaaS, which is expected to account for half of bookings in 2022 and has been growing at a trailing 3-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 60 per cent. Given the strong fit across Hexagon’s manufacturing and process industries and the significant scope for geographical expansion, the transaction is expected to generate sales synergies of over 40 MUSD, with very strong incremental margins, by 2026.

Transaction and integration costs including surplus values in the purchase price allocations (PPA) and deferred revenue adjustments affecting the income statement will be communicated as soon as the calculations are completed.

Hexagon will pay a purchase price of 1,200 MUSD for ETQ on a cash and debt free basis. The cash consideration will be fully financed via existing debt facilities resulting in a proforma net debt to EBITDA ratio of approximately 2.0 after the transaction. ETQ will be accretive to Hexagon’s adjusted earnings (before PPA and other purchase accounting adjustments) as of closing.

Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, which are expected to be fully completed by early in the second quarter 2022.

For more information, visit www.hexagon.com.

API, MLT Cooperate for 3D Measurement Systems in Finland, Norway

The global expert for innovative 3D measurement systems and metrology services API has signed a partnership with MLT the leading Scandinavian services provider and reseller of measurement systems for Finland and Norway.

"If companies in Scandinavia need a good measurement solution or condition monitoring, MLT can help! Our wide range of versatile and high-quality product solutions for industrial measurement and inspection guarantee the best results. API is an ideal partner for MLT, in presenting the innovative 3D API measurement systems such as the Radian Laser Tracker and its accessories. We are ourselves convinced of them and use them to provide our services. With these products, you can cope with any situation,” said Teemu Ritvanen and Tony Melkild of the MLT-Team.

"Our new experienced and well established sales and services partner MLT is an ideal on-site partner for us in Finland and Norway. They will support us in living our customer orientated mission 'global local'. This means providing, reliable 3D measurement technology, consultancy and services to our customers," said Sven Holländer and Jan-Hendrik Lott from API-Team EMEA.

For more information, visit www.apimetrology.com, www.mltfinland.fi, or www.mltnorge.no.

Aerobotix-Powered Mobile Robot Helps Compass Technology Group Win Top Defense Manufacturing Technology Award

Aerobotix, an AS9100 certified FANUC robotics integrator and metrology company, officially congratulated key partner Compass Technology Group (CTG) on winning the top Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement Award (DMTAA) at the Defense Manufacturing Conference (DMC). Atlanta-based CTG, a  provider of cutting-edge radio frequency (RF) materials measurement equipment, engaged Aerobotix in building its award-winning project – an adaptive radome diagnostic system, which is also the first use of a collaborative mobile robot in Air Force maintenance depots.

“Aerobotix is extremely proud and honored to have assisted Compass Technology Group in this endeavor,” said Josh Tuttle, business development manager at Aerobotix. “This truly is an example of Industry 4.0, as these self-navigating robots can be rapidly repurposed to serve multiple objectives, and in multiple locations. From a quality control standpoint, this technology could be used to save substantial amounts of money for organizations and further increase means of production and manufacturing.”

The mobile robot manipulates an Advanced Microwave Mapping Probe (AMMP), developed by the engineers at CTG under the Air Force’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The system uses microwave signals to nondestructively evaluate (NDE) aircraft radomes and identify defects such as delamination or water ingress. Aerobotix designed and built a system using a FANUC CRX-10iA collaborative robot, riding on a custom Automated Guided Vehicle, and using LiDAR to scan the work zone for safe navigation. The robot finds and orients to the part, adjusts the scanning paths and executes the detailed part analysis.

"This dramatic technology leap has enabled us to deploy laboratory precision in an Air Force manufacturing environment,” said Dr. John Schultz, chief scientist at CTG. “Combining our sensors and algorithms with Aerobotix’s automation system has moved us from literally tapping a penny while listening for substrate damage, to instead quantifying microwave performance with self-navigating LiDAR on a mobile base with a FANUC collaborative robot. Our robotic microwave NDE system will put better parts back in the air, quicker and at less cost."

Established in 1999, the annual DMTA Awards are given to teams comprising government, industry and academia employees responsible for outstanding projects in manufacturing technology. These projects must demonstrate technical accomplishments and provide a responsive world-class manufacturing capability that affordably meets the warfighter’s needs throughout the defense acquisition lifecycle.

“Aerobotix is perhaps best known for robotic painting, but this award for our work with CTG highlights our expertise in metrology and navigation systems,” added Tuttle. “We are a reliable automation integrator for the aerospace industry and excited to partner with other companies on future projects.”

For more information, visit https://aerobotix.net/.

Avonix Imaging to Host A-TEC Conference

Avonix Imaging announced it will be hosting A-TEC 2022 on September 20 and 21, at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest Elm Creek Amphitheater in Minnesota.

The A-TEC Conference is a bi-annual Educational and Networking event for professionals involved in Radiographic Nondestructive Testing, specifically 2D digital X-ray and 3D computed tomography.  The content and experiences are designed to be accessible for all job descriptions; beneficial for those contracting the technology as a service as well as technical enough for highly experienced users in the industry.

For 2022, the event is scheduled for one and a half days and will include formal presentations, round-table discussions, networking lunches, as well as a casual open house with live X-ray / CT System demonstrations.

Participating in the event will allow you to connect with industry experts, learn about the successes and challenges others have faced, share your knowledge, and obtain ASNT Level III points.

For more information, visit https://avoniximaging.com/a-tec-2022/.