Atotech, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Announce Business Partnership

Atotech and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (“SEL”) announced that they will partner at SEL’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility under construction in Idaho.

SEL will utilize Atotech’s Uniplate® equipment technology in their new 162,000 square-foot facility that will serve as home for SEL’s printed circuit board manufacturing operation. The Uniplate® family of equipment is the industry standard for horizontal inline printed circuit board processes, from desmear and metallization to flash copper plating. The lines are scheduled to be commissioned in 2022.

John Hendrickson, senior engineering manager at SEL, who will oversee SEL’s new operation, said, “As we start manufacturing our own printed circuit boards, we are committed to building the most modern, environmentally friendly, and safe PCB manufacturing facility in the United States. Atotech is a leader in their field and the right partner for us. Their horizontal plating technology offers an easy approach to automation with a focus on reducing chemical usage. This will help us meet our water recycling goals.”

Atotech’s significant investment into environmentally sound solutions benefits customers’ products and their production processes. These solutions reduce water, chemistry, energy, and waste generation, while reducing costs and meeting customer expectations for future PCB manufacturing.

“We are very excited to work with SEL to realize their needs in Idaho,” said Harald Ahnert, president of the electronics segment at Atotech. “The equipment selected by SEL combines years of Atotech engineering leadership for horizontal production equipment. The Uniplate family brings a highly automated and environmentally sound approach to PCB manufacturing.”

SEL previously announced that local in-house production of the PCB’s used in their digital products will provide the company with more freedom to experiment and innovate. It will also increase supply-chain security and yield superior product quality.

For more information, visit www.selinc.com or www.atotech.com.

AMT Founder Jacobs Named Engelberger Robotics Award for Leadership Winner

Applied Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) announced Founder and CEO Michael P. Jacobs has been named to receive the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award for Leadership by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

Named after the late Joseph F. Engelberger who was known throughout the world as the founder and driving force behind industrial robotics, the Engelberger Robotics Award is the world’s most prestigious robotics honor. It is presented to individuals for excellence in technology development, application, education, and leadership in the robotics industry.  Each winner is selected by an award committee consisting of past chairs of the A3 Robotics Technology Strategy Award.  Award recipients are given a $5,000 honorarium and commemorative medallion with the inscription, “Contributing to the advancement of the science of robotics in the service of mankind.”  Since its inception, the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award has been presented to 128 leaders from 17 countries.

In the association’s award announcement, A3 cited Jacobs’ expertise in the robotic automation industry and his early work at GMF Robotics (now FANUC) as contributing to his selection as well as his pioneering product development and market introduction of robot simulation and offline robotic programming systems.

“I was thrilled that Mike Jacobs was selected for the Engelberger Award for Leadership,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of A3.  “He has been a tireless supporter of the robotics industry and our trade association for decades and has built AMT into one of the world’s top system integrators. I look forward to being part of the ceremony that honors him at the Automate 2022 show in Detroit.”

Jacobs will be presented with the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award for Leadership at the Joseph F. Engelberger Awards Dinner and Ceremony on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at the Automate 2022 conference and exhibition at the Huntington Place Convention Center in Detroit, Michigan.

Jacobs has a long history with the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the organization which originated the Engelberger Award and is now under the umbrella of A3.  Joining the RIA in the early 1990s after founding Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Jacobs was an active contributor, serving on various committees, transitioning in the 2000s to committee chair positions, and culminating in his tenure as chair of RIA from 2016-2017. After his term as RIA chair ended, Jacobs served as a board member for A3 and was part of a select group that created the strategic plan to steer RIA’s transition to A3.  He was subsequently invited to be one of the first members of A3’s Artificial Intelligence Technical Advisory Board, where he serves today.  “Recognition by industry leaders with an award that bears the name of Joseph Engelberger is a highlight of my career,” Jacobs said. “I am truly honored and deeply humbled.”

For more information, visit https://appliedmfg.com/.

The Manufacturing Leadership Council Elects Six Leading Industry Figures to its Board of Governors

The Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC), the digital transformation arm of the National Association of Manufacturers, has announced the election of six leading figures from industry and academia to the MLC’s Board of Governors. The MLC is the nation’s foremost executive leadership organization dedicated to helping manufacturing companies transition to the digital model of manufacturing by focusing on the technological, organizational, and leadership dimensions of change.

The six new MLC Board members include:

• Denise DeLaune, Global Director of Operational Excellence and Leveraged Services at Dow Inc. She is also responsible for Dow’s Strategic Project “Operations 2025”, designing and driving the implementation of an updated future Operations organizational model meeting the needs of digital, sustainability, and other expected market changes.
• Will Bonifant, Vice President, U.S. and Canada Supply Chain at The Hershey Company. He is responsible for leading Hershey’s supply chain planning, distribution, transportation, commercialization, packaging development, continuous improvement, and manufacturing alliance functions supporting the U.S. and Canada businesses.
• Jai Sundararaman, Vice President of Business Transformation at Intertape Polymer Group. He is responsible for building capabilities to deliver strategic growth outcomes. He leads capital planning, acquisition integration, operational excellence, digital transformation & innovation. He has successfully scaled multiple Digital Transformation M4.0 initiatives across IPG which have won IndustryWeek Best Plants Awards for digital transformation.
• Dr. Jill O’Sullivan, Professor and Chair of the Computer Systems Department at Farmingdale State College in Long Island, NY, where she has taught for more than 20 years. She is also a former President of APICS NYC/LI and Regional Industry Council Aerospace Manufacturing.
• Dr. Thomas R. Kurfess, HUSCO Ramirez Distinguished Chair in Fluid Power and Motion Control at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has also recently concluded a three-year term as Chief Manufacturing Officer and Senior Distinguished Staff Member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
• Dr. Julie Shah, Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Lead, Interactive Robotics Group, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, at MIT. She is also Associate Dean for Social and Ethical Responsibility of Computing in the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing.

“We at MLC are proud to welcome to our Board such a notable group of industrial and academic leaders in the advancement of digital manufacturing,” said Mike Packer, chairman of the MLC Board of Governors.

“The MLC's goal has always been to bring great minds and rich expertise to the Board to reflect the depth, scope, and diversity of the manufacturing industry," added David R. Brousell, MLC Co-Founder and Board member. "These six new Board members advance those goals immeasurably.”

As an advisory body, the MLC Board of Governors provides guidance to the MLC on its “Critical Issues” agenda, research studies and its programs and services for the MLC membership.

With these appointments, the MLC Board of Governors now consists of 21 industry thought leaders who represent the full ecosystem of the manufacturing industry, including large global enterprises, small and medium-sized manufacturers, leading academic institutions and influential industry analysts.

For more information, visit www.manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com or www.nam.org.

Gaps Progress Report Available: America Makes & ANSI Standardization Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing

America Makes and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) announced the availability of a Gaps Progress Report tracking efforts by standards developing organizations (SDOs) and others to address the gaps identified in the Standardization Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing (version 2.0, June 2018), published by the America Makes and ANSI Additive Manufacturing Standardization Collaborative (AMSC).

The AMSC is a cross-sector coordinating body established in 2016 whose objective is to accelerate the development of industry-wide additive manufacturing standards and specifications consistent with stakeholder needs. The Standardization Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing, developed with contributions from more than 300 individuals from 175 public- and private-sector organizations, lists published standards, those being developed, and others that are needed to help grow the additive manufacturing industry. It identifies 93 gaps where no published standard or specification currently exists to respond to a particular industry need. The roadmap also flags 65 of these gaps as requiring pre-standardization research and development (R&D).

The gaps progress report was compiled by ANSI staff based on inputs from SDOs, subject matter experts, alert mechanisms, and independent research. It lists newly published standards and new standards projects, alongside suggestions for future roadmap modifications. The report is not a consensus document but rather is intended to serve as a “living document” that will be maintained and periodically re-published as standards development work continues or until such time as the AMSC undertakes to develop a next version of its standardization roadmap.

To get on the AMSC’s mailing list, or to offer suggested edits to the gaps progress report, email amsc@ansi.org or visit https://www.ansi.org.

TÜV Rheinland Reaccredited as an AWS Test Facility

TÜV Rheinland has recently been reaccredited as an AWS testing facility. This accreditation recognizes the excellence of TÜV Rheinland's Aliquippa, PA, welding laboratory and their compliance with the requirements set forth by the American Welding Society (AWS), a globally recognized organization for its code and certification procedures, which provide industry standards for welding and joining metals, plastics, and other materials.

To become an Accredited Test Facility (ATF), companies must meet pre-determined AWS requirements and demonstrate that they have the resources to test welders for the nationally recognized and accepted AWS Certified Welding program.

"This is another important recognition for our welding lab, as it attests that our facilities and procedures meet AWS requirements, and positions us as one of the few accredited facilities in Western Pennsylvania," says Chris Dugan, Branch Manager for Industrial Services at TUV Rheinland of North America.

As an ATF, TÜV Rheinland can offer certification to the Certified Welder (CW) program through which AWS and its approved laboratories test welders for procedures used in the structural steel, petroleum pipeline, sheet metal, and chemical refinery welding industries. These tests are conducted at AWS Accredited Testing Facilities, such as TÜV Rheinland's facility in Aliquippa, PA.

"Welders who wish to become an AWS Certified Welder should schedule a visit to our facility, where our experts will assess the professional's practical knowledge," explains Dugan. "Our testing facilities follow rigorous standards for testing welders and can test professionals in accordance with AWS Standard Welding Procedures (SWPSs), industry standard specifications, and company-defined or non-company-defined welding specifications."

Companies interested in ensuring the quality of their processes and the knowledge of their professionals have many benefits by joining the Certified Welder program, because in addition to improving productivity and reducing liability, they can entrust their welder certification to TÜV Rheinland's highly qualified experts. "As a result, it is possible to ensure quality welds and provide welding guidelines to ensure well-aligned processes, reducing the possibility of weld rework, for example," stated Dugan. In addition, individuals who earn AWS certification gain many professional advantages: they can validate their experience and impartiality against an approved set of welding standards and guidelines, demonstrate fundamental welding knowledge, and gain a competitive advantage over non-AWS certified individuals.

For employers, the advantages go further: AWS welding inspector certification has been widely accepted in the United States and even in many of the world's leading industrial countries, and more and more multinational companies are relying on third-party AWS certification to ensure that welding quality reaches the highest internationally recognized level.

For more information, visit https://www.tuv.com/usa/en/lp/industrial-inspection-solutions/.

Stratasys’ First Sustainability Report Champions 3D Printing Climate Action, Social Impact, Commitment to ‘Mindful Manufacturing’

Stratasys Ltd. announced it has published its inaugural report on environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities, following GRI (“Global Reporting Initiative”) Standards for sustainability reporting. The comprehensive report outlines the company’s commitment to ESG and establishes benchmarks for future targets.

In 2021, Stratasys set its ESG strategy and formally established an executive-led ‘Stratasys Sustainability’ function as part of a commitment to more sustainable Mindful Manufacturing™ through additive-based solutions. Mindful Manufacturing is the thoughtful redesign of processes, parts and supply chains, utilizing 3D printing across the product lifecycle in a way that maximizes sustainability over time, all while supporting business growth. The company’s sustainability priorities include design for responsible production and consumption, transparency, people-first initiatives, social impact programs, renewable energy projects, quality education, industry innovation and climate action.

“I believe that global manufacturing is at a crossroads,” said Stratasys CEO Dr. Yoav Zeif. “Due to growing pressure to address supply chain challenges and energy efficiency needs, 3D printing is increasingly being explored to meet such business goals. I believe that during 2022 and into the next decade, rapid growth in the adoption of manufacturing-scale 3D printing will bring additional innovation to the market, improve supply chains and reduce environmental impact.”

“With growing adoption, advanced software platforms, and collaboration with industry-leading customers around the world, the Stratasys portfolio will continue to provide transformative technology to support the factory of the future.

“Together with our corporate purpose of empowering people to create without limits for an economical, personalized, and sustainable world, this report reflects our deep commitment to a comprehensive, industry-leading ESG strategy.”

There is a growing recognition of the potential for additive manufacturing to achieve environmental goals by reducing energy consumption and waste. For example, when compared to traditional manufacturing methods like computerized numerical control (CNC), during which materials are cut and excess is discarded, 3D printing can reduce material costs and reduce waste by almost 90%, while lowering energy consumption by 25 to 50%. Additionally, industries like aerospace are showing a growing interest in lightweight polymer parts, which are designed to improve fuel economy without compromising durability and reliability. One global airline found that the reduction of one pound (0.45kg) of weight from an aircraft can save up to 14,000 gallons (53,000 liters) of fuel per year, driving substantial savings over its lifecycle. Stratasys estimates the polymer 3D printing market in aviation alone will grow to $1.6 billion by the end of 2025, an 18% annual growth rate, aided by advancements in lightweight 3D-printed parts.

The role that 3D printing can play in advancing social impact programs, such as STEAM education opportunities and entrepreneurship, also continues to gain support. For example, Stratasys created a “learning by making” program with Jerusalem Municipality that reaches across state-secular, state-religious, independent-religious, and Arab schools. In the U.S., the company is sponsoring the FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students and has provided access to dozens of 3D printers.

“As a leading global polymer 3D printing solutions provider, we have the ability to make a measurable impact on some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from building circularity into the economy to creating more inclusive educational opportunities,” said Rosa Coblens, Stratasys vice president of sustainability. “Given our position as a sustainability leader, this report demonstrates our long-term commitment to continuous self-evaluation and improvement, to helping industries be more operationally and economically efficient, and reducing supply chain reliance so we can improve our planet.”

The Stratasys 2020-2021 ESG & Sustainability Report is available at www.stratasys.com/sustainability.

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence Opens Canadian Calibration Laboratory in Oakville, ON

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division announced the opening of a new OEM laboratory at its Precision Center in Oakville, ON. The calibration lab will serve as the main Canadian center to support and service Absolute Arms used for high-end portable measurement and inspection applications. Hexagon technicians will perform testing and calibration procedures traceable to national and international standards, ensuring customers receive reliable results and consistent data. Hexagon’s investment in the Oakville Precision Center also adds a large training facility equipped with Absolute Arms for customer use, as well as a new shipping and receiving bay. The training area will also support Hexagon’s metrology software portfolio—PC-DMIS, REcreate, and Inspire—for data acquisition and management, analysis, reporting and reverse engineering applications.

The Oakville calibration laboratory will function as an important service hub to ensure system accuracy and repeatability with routine certification and calibration services for portable arms in Canada. Portable Absolute Arms are widely used in manufacturing and engineering applications as they allow users to measure and inspect parts or assemblies directly in a manufacturing environment where process improvements are the most beneficial. The versatile measuring arms enable high-speed scanning and ultra-high-accuracy touch probe measurement of small to medium-sized parts.

“The new calibration laboratory ensures Hexagon’s Canadian customers receive best-in-class services and technical support,” states David Hill, director of commercial operations – Canada, Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division.   “We are now able to calibrate, certify, and repair all Absolute Arms, as well as recertify legacy Stinger and ROMER portable arms without shipping equipment outside of Canada. This national hub adds a greater level of convenience for clients that send in their arms for recertification on an annual basis.

“Hexagon’s investment in our Precision Center puts the finishing touches on our services offerings. Our Precision Center already provides full support for Global CMMs and legacy CMMs (Sheffield, Brown & Sharpe, DEA) and offers training classes for our extensive software portfolio. The addition of an accredited laboratory for our popular portable arms was the next logical expansion in Canada,” concluded Hill.

For more information, visit www.hexagonmi.com.