Methods engineering

Methods engineering is a subspecialty of industrial engineering and manufacturing engineering concerned with human integration in industrial production processes.
Overview.
Alternatively it can be described as the design of the productive process in which a person is involved. The task of the Methods engineer is to decide where humans will be utilized in the process of converting raw materials to finished products and how workers can most effectively perform their assigned tasks. The terms operation analysis, work design and simplification, and methods engineering and corporate re-engineering are frequently used interchangeably.
Lowering costs and increasing reliability and productivity are the objectives of methods engineering. Methods efficiency engineering focuses on lowering costs through productivity improvement. It investigates the output obtained from each unit of input and the speed of each machine and man. Methods quality engineering focuses on increasing quality and reliability. These objectives are met in a five step sequence as follows: Project selection, data acquisition and presentation, data analysis, development of an ideal method based on the data analysis and, finally, presentation and implementation of the method.
Methods engineering topics.
Project selection.
Methods engineers typically work on projects involving new product design, products with a high cost of production to profit ratio, and products associated with having poor quality issues. Different methods of project selection include the Pareto analysis, fish diagrams, Gantt charts, PERT charts, and job/work site analysis guides.
Data acquisition and presentation.
Data that needs to be collected are specification sheets for the product, design drawings, process plans, quantity and delivery requirements, and projections as to how the product will perform or has performed in the market. Process charts are used to describe proposed or existing way of doing work utilizing machines and men. The Gantt process chart can assist in the analysis of the man to machine interaction and it can aid in establishing the optimum number of workers and machines subject to the financial constraints of the operation. A flow diagram is frequently employed to represent the manufacturing process associated with the product.
Data analysis.
Data analysis enables the methods engineer to make decisions about several things, including: purpose of the operation, part design characteristics, specifications and tolerances of parts, materials, manufacturing process design, setup and tooling, working conditions, material handling, plant layout, and workplace design. Knowing the specifics (who, what, when, where, why, and how) of product manufacturing assists in the development of an optimum manufacturing method.
Ideal method development.
Equations of synchronous and random servicing as well as line balancing are used to determine the ideal worker to machine ratio for the process or product chosen. Synchronous servicing is defined as the process where a machine is assigned to more than one operator, and the assigned operators and machine are occupied during the whole operating cycle. Random servicing of a facility, as the name indicates, is defined as a servicing process with a random time of occurrence and need of servicing variables. Line balancing equations determine the ideal number of workers needed on a production line to enable it to work at capacity.
Presentation and methods implementation.
The industrial process or operation can be optimized using a variety of available methods. Each method design has its advantages and disadvantages. The best overall method is chosen using selection criteria and concepts involving value engineering, cost-benefit analysis, crossover charts, and economic analysis. The outcome of the selection process is then presented to the company for implementation at the plant. This last step involves "selling the idea" to the company brass, a skill the methods engineer must develop in addition to the normal engineering qualifications.


Carbon nanotube metal matrix composite

Carbon nanotube metal matrix composites (CNT-MMC) are an emerging class of new materials that mix carbon nanotubes into metals and metal alloys to take advantage of the high tensile strength and electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube materials.
Carbon nanotubes reinforced metal matrix composites production methods.
CNT-MMCs may be produced in several different methods. These production methods include, but are not limited to, various powder metallurgy techniques such as hot pressing, hot extrusion, semisolid powder processing, thermal spraying, sputtering, physical vapor deposition, and pulsed laser deposition.
Powder metallurgy techniques.
Conventional sintering is the simplest method for producing CNT metal matrix composite compacts. The CNTs and metal powders are mixed by a process of mechanical alloying/blending and then are compressed to form a green compact, which is then sintered to get the final product. Metallic compacts are subject to oxidation as compared to ceramics and hence the sintering has to be done in an inert atmosphere or under vacuum. One major drawback of this processing route is the inability to tailor the CNT distribution within the metallic matrix.
Microwave sintering is one of them and fundamentally different from conventional sintering. In microwave sintering process, the material is heated internally and volumetrically unlike in a conventional process where heat originates from an external heating source. Sintering cycle time for microwave sintering is much shorter as compared with the conventional sintering cycle.
Spark plasma sintering is a technique which takes only a few minutes to complete a sintering process compared to conventional sintering which may take hours or even days for the same. High sintering rate is possible in SPS since high heating rates can be easily attained due to internal heating of the sample as opposed to external heating seen in case of conventional sintering. For conventional sintering usually a green compact needs to be prepared externally using a suitable die and hydraulic machine for applying the necessary pressure. In SPS the powder is directly fed into the graphite dies and the die is enclosed with suitable punches. All types of materials, even those difficult to densify can be easily sintered in SPS. Due to advantage of high heating rate and less holding time, SPS can restrict the unwanted sintering reactions in highly reactive systems as opposed to conventional sintering and hence formation of undesirable product phases can be avoided.
Semi-solid powder processing is a unique method that fabricates composites materials with powder mixtures in the semi-solid states. Starting with metal-CNT powder mixture, the metal powder is heated to the semi-solid state, and pressure is applied to form the metal matrix composites. This method features many advantages such as simple and fast process and flexible property tailoring.
Carbon nanotube dispersing and CNT breakage during mixing.
One common method to disperse the CNT into the metal matrix is mechanical alloying. However, many researchers reported the length reduction and damage of CNTs during mechanical alloying process.


Pro Mach

Pro Mach, Inc. (also referred to as ProMach) is a packaging machinery company headquartered in Covington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1998 and is a member of The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI).
The firm provides integrated packaging products and machinery for the food, beverage, household goods and pharmaceutical industries. ProMach has 61 manufacturing facilities, 29 sales and support offices, and 46 go-to-market product brands that offer packaging machinery, food processing machinery, label manufacturing, film manufacturing, plastic parts manufacturing, equipment training, and aftermarket parts and service. Its manufacturing facilities and offices are located throughout North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.
ProMach has been listed nine times on the Inc. 5000, which ranks America's fastest-growing private companies. ProMach most recently ranked No. 4,076 on the 2013 list, ranked No. 4,058 on the 2014 list, ranked No. 4,014 on the 2015 list, ranked No. 4,589 on the 2016 list, ranked No. 4,269 on the 2017 list, ranked No. 4,927 on the 2018 list, and ranked No. 4,493 on the 2019 list. ProMach has also been listed eighteen times on the Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100, which ranks the 100 largest privately held companies in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. ProMach most recently ranked No. 32 on the 2012 list, ranked No. 30 on the 2013 list, ranked No. 29 on the 2014 list, ranked No. 24 on the 2015 list, ranked No. 23 on the 2016 list, ranked No. 20 on the 2017 list, ranked No. 14 on the 2018 list, ranked No. 14 on the 2019 list, ranked No. 13 on the 2020 list, ranked No. 11 on the 2021 list, ranked No. 9 on the 2022 list, and ranked No. 9 on the 2023 list. It received the 2010 Manny Green Award from Cincy magazine for manufacturing initiatives and product innovations that helped customers improve package sustainability.
On May 3, 2023 it was announced that funds managed by BDT Capital Partners have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a significant stake in ProMach alongside Leonard Green & Partners, the existing majority owner. On August 1, 2023, the acquisition of ProMach by Affiliates of BDT Capital Partners and Affiliates of Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. was completed. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
ProMach was formerly owned by Leonard Green & Partners, L.P., AEA Investors LP, The Jordan Company, Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC, and the Frontenac Company.
ProMach Product Brands.
The following is a list of trademarked ProMach product brands that provide equipment and services:
History.
July 1998
Pro Mach, Inc. was founded by Frontenac Company and headquarters were set up in Atlanta, Georgia. JP Richard named President and CEO.
November 1998
ProMach acquired Wexxar Packaging of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, provider of case erecting, case forming, and case sealing machinery.
December 1998
ProMach acquired Brenton Engineering of Alexandria, Minnesota, provider of case packing, shrink wrapping, and palletizing machinery.
ProMach also acquired Roberts PolyPro of Charlotte, North Carolina, provider of plastic handles, product merchandising hooks and paperboard finishing/converting machinery.
March 1999
ProMach acquired Axon of Raleigh, North Carolina, provider of heat shrink sleeve and tamper evident band application machinery.
June 1999
ProMach acquired Orion Packaging of Collierville, Tennessee, provider of stretch wrapping and pallet wrapping machinery.
ProMach also acquired Styrotech of Raleigh, North Carolina, provider of stretch sleeve application machinery, to expand Axon's product line offerings.
July 1999
ProMach acquired Ossid of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, provider of tray overwrapping machinery.
January 2000
ProMach acquired Belcor Industries of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, provider of case forming and case taping machinery.
March 2000
ProMach acquired Rennco of Homer, Michigan, provider of vertical bagging and l-bar sealing machinery.
August 2000
ProMach acquired Robot Aided Manufacturing (RAM) Center of Red Wing, Minnesota, provider of robotic packaging machinery, to expand Brenton's product line offerings.
November 2000
ProMach acquired Fowler Products Company of Athens, Georgia, provider of bottle capping and bottle cap handling machinery.
October 2002
ProMach acquired ID Technology of Fort Worth, Texas, provider of label application, coding, and marking machinery as well as consumable labels.
December 2004
Odyssey Investment Partners acquired ProMach from Frontenac Company and headquarters were moved to Loveland, Ohio. John W. Paxton, Sr. named Chairman and CEO.
April 2005
Bill M. Schult named CFO of ProMach.
August 2005
Mark W. Anderson named President and COO of ProMach.
January 2006
ProMach acquired the Robocaser product line from Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed to expand Brenton's product line offerings.
February 2006
ProMach acquired Mahaffy & Harder Engineering of Fairfield, New Jersey, provider of horizontal thermoform, fill, seal and tray sealing machinery, to expand Ossid's product line offerings.
May 2006
ProMach acquired The Glennon Group of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, provider of labeling, marking, and packaging systems, to expand ID Technology's regional operations into the Midwest.
ProMach also acquired Allpax Products of Covington, Louisiana, provider of retort and sterilization machinery.
September 2006
ProMach acquired Currie Machinery Company, provider of palletizing and material handling machinery, to expand Brenton's product line offerings.
May 2007
ProMach acquired Markor Marking and Labeling Systems of Fresno, California, provider of labeling and identification products, to expand ID Technology's regional operations into the Western United States.
March 2008
ProMach acquired Labeling Systems (LSI) of Oakland, New Jersey, provider of pressure-sensitive labeling machinery.
April 2008
Mark W. Anderson named President and CEO of ProMach.
June 2009
ProMach acquired IPak Machinery of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, provider of corrugated tray forming machinery, to expand Wexxar's product line offerings.
October 2009
ProMach launches ProCustomer brand to focus on branded packaging machinery customer service.
January 2011
ProMach acquired Shuttleworth of Huntington, Indiana, provider of conveyor automation and product handling machinery.
July 2011
The Jordan Company acquired ProMach from Odyssey Investment Partners. The ProMach management team will remain intact.
October 2011
ProMach acquired Matrix Packaging Machinery of Saukville, Wisconsin, provider of vertical form fill seal packaging machinery.
February 2012
ProMach acquired Edson Packaging Machinery of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, provider of case and tray packaging machinery.
August 2012
ProMach acquired Federal Manufacturing Co of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, provider of liquid bottle filling and capping machinery.
December 2012
ProMach acquired KLEENLine of Newburyport, Massachusetts, provider of sanitary product and material handling and automation machinery.
ProMach also acquired Logmatix of Marietta, Georgia, provider of labeling and identification products, to expand ID Technology's regional operations in the Southeast.
July 2013
ProMach acquired Colet of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, provider of labeling and identification products, to expand ID Technology's regional operations in Canada.
ProMach also acquired the assets of Packaging Synergies of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, provider of flexible packaging machinery.
ProMach also acquired Winco ID of Nashua, New Hampshire, provider of labeling and identification products, to expand ID Technology's regional operations in the Northeast.
November 2013
ProMach acquired the assets of Tekkra Systems of Romeoville, Illinois, provider of shrink wrapping and shrink bundling machinery.
January 2014
ProMach acquired André Zalkin of Montreuil L’Argillé, France, provider of bottle capping and bottle cap handling machinery.
September 2014
ProMach acquired Benchmark Automation of Athens, Georgia, provider of specialty food and bakery material handling and automation machinery.
ProMach also acquired Pace Packaging of Fairfield, New Jersey, provider of bottle unscrambling and orienting machinery.
October 2014
Affiliates of AEA Investors LP acquired ProMach from The Jordan Company. The ProMach management team will remain intact.
September 2015
ProMach acquired Greydon of York, Pennsylvania, provider of flexible packaging coding machinery.
October 2015
Pat M. Mohan named CAO of ProMach.
January 2016
ProMach acquired EPI Labelers of New Freedom, Pennsylvania, provider of flexible packaging labeling machinery.
February 2016
ProMach acquired Texwrap Packaging Systems of Washington, Missouri, provider of shrink wrapping machinery.
May 2016
ProMach acquired NJM Packaging of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, provider of pharmaceutical and integrated packaging line machinery.
July 2016
ProMach acquired Zarpac of Oakville, Ontario, Canada, provider of packaging line engineering, integration, and productivity services.
September 2016
ProMach acquired Pacific Packaging of San Clemente, California, provider of rotary and inline bottle filling and capping machinery.
January 2017
ProMach acquired Jalbert Automatisation of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, provider of packaging automation services.
January 2017
ProMach has been named as one of the companies as finalists for its prestigious annual Deal Maker Awards by The Association for Corporate Growth's Cincinnati chapter
April 2017
ProMach acquired Weiler Labeling Systems of Moorestown, New Jersey, provider of high-speed rotary labeling, serialization, and coding machinery.
May 2017
ProMach acquired P.E. Labellers SpA of Porto Mantovano, Italy, provider of high-speed rotary and linear decorative labeling machinery.
September 2017
ProMach launched an updated brand platform consisting of new corporate and product brand logos, as well as updated messaging.
February 2018
Andy W. Moeder named CFO of ProMach.
March 2018
Affiliates of Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. acquired ProMach from affiliates of AEA Investors LP. The ProMach management team will remain intact.
September 2018
ProMach acquired FLtècnics of Girona, Spain, provider of horizontal form fill seal pouch packaging machinery.
February 2019
ProMach acquired Code Tech of Princeton, New Jersey, provider of coding and marking products.
April 2019
ProMach acquired Quest Industrial of Monroe, Wisconsin, provider of robotic integration machinery.
June 2019
ProMach acquired Stock America of Garner, North Carolina, provider of retort and sterilization machinery.
October 2019
ProMach acquired Grip-Pak of Lake Forest, Illinois, provider of multipack can handles.
ProMach also acquired Jet Label and Jet Marking Systems of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, provider of labeling and identification products, to expand ID Technology's regional operations in Western Canada.
January 2020
Bret C. Ranc named COO of ProMach.
March 2020
ProMach acquired Pharmaworks of Odessa, Florida, provider of blister packaging machinery.
July 2020
ProMach acquired Modern Packaging of Deer Park, New York, provider of cup and tray filling machinery.
August 2020
ProMach acquired Fogg Filler of Holland, Michigan, provider of rotary liquid filling machinery.
September 2020
ProMach acquired Panther Industries of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, provider of print and apply labeling machinery.
October 2020
ProMach acquired Statco-DSI of Huntington Beach, California, provider of processing machinery, engineering, and integration services.
January 2021
ProMach acquired Bartelt of Sarasota, Florida, provider of horizontal form fill seal packaging machinery.
February 2021
ProMach acquired Serpa Packaging of Visalia, California, provider of cartoning machinery.
November 2021
ProMach acquired CL&D Graphics and CL&D Digital of Hartland, Wisconsin, provider of flexible packaging, labeling, and identification products.
February 2022
ProMach acquired TechniBlend and ProBrew of Waukesha, Wisconsin, provider of liquid processing machinery and integration services.
June 2022
ProMach acquired Reepack of Seriate, Italy, provider of flexible film and tray packaging machinery.
November 2022
ProMach acquired Ferlo of San Adrián, Spain, provider of retort and sterilization machinery.
August 2023
Affiliates of BDT Capital Partners and Affiliates of Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. finalized its new ownership agreement with ProMach. The ProMach management team will remain intact.


Lamina emergent mechanism

Lamina Emergent Mechanisms (also known as LEMs) are more commonly referred to as "Pop-up Mechanisms" as seen in "pop-up-books". LEM is the technical term of such mechanisms or engineering. LEMs are a subset of compliant mechanisms fabricated from planar materials (lamina) and have motion emerging from the fabrication plane. LEMs use compliance, or the deflection of flexible members to achieve motion.
Background.
Ortho-Planar Mechanisms are an earlier concept similar to LEMs. More well known LEMs include pop-up books, flat-folding origami mechanisms, origami stents, and deployable mechanisms. The research in LEMs also overlaps with deployable structures, origami, kirigami, compliant mechanisms, microelectromechanical systems, packaging engineering, robotics, paper engineering, developable mechanisms, and more.


Reaction bonded silicon carbide

Reaction bonded silicon carbide, also known as siliconized silicon carbide or SiSiC, is a type of silicon carbide that is manufactured by a chemical reaction between porous carbon or graphite with molten silicon. Due to the left over traces of silicon, reaction bonded silicon carbide is often referred to as siliconized silicon carbide, or its abbreviation SiSiC.
If pure silicon carbide is produced by sintering of silicon carbide powder, it usually contains traces of chemicals called "sintering aids", which are added to support the sintering process by allowing lower sintering temperatures. This type of silicon carbide is often referred to as "sintered silicon carbide", or abbreviated to SSiC.
The silicon carbide powder is gained from silicon carbide produced as described in the article silicon carbide.


2012 NRL Under-20s season results

This article details scores and results from the 2012 NRL Under-20s season.
Regular season.
Round 1.
"Source: Round 1 summary - rleague.com"
Round 2.
"Source: Round 2 summary - rleague.com"
Round 3.
"Source: Round 3 summary - rleague.com"
Round 4.
"Source: Round 4 summary - rleague.com"
Round 5.
"Source: Round 5 summary - rleague.com"
Round 6.
"Source: Round 6 summary - rleague.com"
Round 7.
"Source: Round 7 summary - rleague.com"
Round 8.
"Source: Round 8 summary - rleague.com"
Round 9.
"Source: Round 9 summary - rleague.com"
Round 10.
"Source: Round 10 summary - rleague.com"
Round 11.
"Source: Round 11 summary - rleague.com"
Round 12.
"Source: Round 12 summary - rleague.com"
Round 13.
"Source: Round 13 summary - rleague.com"
Round 14.
"Source: Round 14 summary - rleague.com"
Round 15.
"Source: Round 15 summary - rleague.com"
Round 16.
"Source: Round 16 summary - rleague.com"
Round 17.
"Source: Round 17 summary - rleague.com"
Round 18.
"Source: Round 18 summary - rleague.com"
Round 19.
"Source: Round 19 summary - rleague.com"
Round 20.
"Source: Round 20 summary - rleague.com"


Ibiden

 is a Japanese electronics company headquartered in Ogaki, Gifu prefecture that manufactures electronics-related products, such as printed circuit boards and IC packaging. The company also makes ceramics products, including particulate filters for diesel engines, for which it has a 50% market share in Europe.
Ibiden was founded as an electrical power generation company in 1912. In the following decades the company diversified its operations and products, from power generation to electric furnace products (between 1917 and 1919), building materials (in 1960), printed circuit board (in 1972) and ceramic fibers (in 1974).
Today electronic components and ceramics are the company's main products, with customers including Apple Inc., Intel and Groupe PSA (PSA Peugeot Citroën).


Gear shaper

A gear shaper is a machine tool for cutting the teeth of internal or external gears, it is a specialised application of the more general shaper machine. The name shaper relates to the fact that the cutter engages the part on the forward stroke and pulls away from the part on the return stroke, just like the clapper box on a planer shaper.
The cutting tool is also gear shaped having the same pitch as the gear to be cut. However number of cutting teeth must be less than that of the gear to be cut for internal gears. For external gears the number of teeth on the cutter is limited only by the size of the shaping machine.
The principal motions involved in rotary gear shaper cutting are of the following :


Corner case

In engineering, a corner case (or pathological case) involves a problem or situation that occurs only outside normal operating parameters—specifically one that manifests itself when multiple environmental variables or conditions are simultaneously at extreme levels, even though each parameter is within the specified range for that parameter.
For example, a loudspeaker might distort audio, but only when played at maximum volume, maximum bass, and in a high-humidity environment. Or a computer server may be unreliable, but only with the maximum complement of 64 processors, 512 GB of memory, and 10,000 signed-on users. The investigation of corner cases is of extreme importance as it can provide engineers with valuable insight into how corner case effects can be mitigated. In the case where automotive radar fails, corner case investigation can possibly tell engineers and investigators alike what may have occurred.
Corner cases form part of an engineer's lexicon—especially an engineer involved in testing or debugging a complex system. Corner cases are often harder and more expensive to reproduce, test, and optimize because they require maximal configurations in multiple dimensions. They are frequently less-tested, given the belief that few product users will, in practice, exercise the product at multiple simultaneous maximum settings. Expert users of systems therefore routinely find corner case anomalies, and in many of these, errors.
The term "corner case" comes about by physical analogy with "edge case" as an extension of the "flight envelope" metaphor to a set of testing conditions whose boundaries are determined by the 2n combinations of extreme (minimum and maximum) values for the number "n" of variables being tested, "i.e.", the total parameter space for those variables. Where an edge case involves pushing one variable to a minimum or maximum, putting users at the "edge" of the configuration space, a corner case involves doing so with multiple variables, which would put users at a "corner" of a multidimensional configuration space.


Makino

, commonly known as Makino, is a machine tool builder with global sales and service, headquartered in Japan.
History.
Makino was established in 1937 by Tsunezo Makino in Japan, developing Japan's first numerically controlled (NC) milling machine in 1958 and Japan's first machining centre in 1966.
The North American branch of Makino was formed through the 1981 merger of the R. K. LeBlond Machine Tool Company of Cincinnati and the Makino Milling Machine Company of Japan. Resulting from the merger was the formation of what was then called "LeBlond Makino Machine Tool Company".
In 1996, LeBlond Makino became Makino, and in 1997 LeBlond Lathe Ltd. was formed as a parts and servicing subsidiary.
Innovations.
In 1984, Makino introduced the first commercial high-speed spindle for milling. In 1990, Makino introduced Geometric Intelligence, the first servo-control software tailored to high-speed machining, and Flush Fine machining, a method for cutting hardened materials.
The company developed the first drop-tank wire EDM in 1994, and HQSF (High-Quality Surface Finish) technology with patented uSc additive in 1996, increasing the ability to finish parts without hand polishing when using a ram EDM. In 2003, Makino developed the first conventional horizontal wire EDM that automatically threads and machines with a 0.02mm diameter wire.
In 2006, the company developed High Energy Applied Technology (HEAT) for wire EDMs to increase speed in wire EDMing, and released the EDAC1 micro EDM ram machine. Makino is also the only manufacturer of a horizontal wire EDM, the UPJ-2. In 2007, Makino introduced SurfaceWIZARD wire EDM technology, designed to eliminate witness lines in stepped parts. Makino created ADVANTiGE™ Technology for the machining of titanium in 2010, which was recognized as a winner of Aviation Week's 2012 Innovation Challenge.
In 2018, Makino introduced ATHENA, Makino's voice-activated technology, which is designed for machine tool users. It is intended to make humans more effective at translating, assimilating and analyzing the onslaught of big data.


Phototool

A phototool is a printed film used in the process of manufacturing a printed circuit board (PCB). The phototool is used as a mask to expose a photoresist material. The main alternative to using phototools is maskless lithography, more commonly referred to as direct imaging.
Traditionally, phototools were made with silver halide film or diazo film, but in recent years, many suppliers have come out with films that do not fit into either of these categories. All dry-film phototools are printed using a similar process to film photograph.
The steps for using a phototool are as follows:


Hot stamping

Hot stamping or foil stamping is a printing method of relief printing in which pre-dried ink or foils are transferred to a surface at high temperatures. The method has diversified since its rise to prominence in the 19th century to include a variety of processes. After the 1970s, hot stamping became one of the most important methods of decoration on the surface of plastic products.
Process.
In a hot stamping machine, a die is mounted and heated, with the product to be stamped placed beneath it. A metallized or painted roll-leaf carrier is inserted between the two, and the die presses down through it. The dry paint or foil used is impressed into the surface of the product. The dye-stamping process itself is non-polluting because the materials involved are dry. Pressure and heat cause the relevant sections of the foil to become detached from the carrier material and become bonded with the printing surface.
Tools.
Along with foil stamping machines, among the commonly used tools in hot stamping are dies and foil. Dies may be made of metal or silicone rubber, and they may be shaped directly or cast. They can carry high levels of detail to be transferred to the surface and may be shaped to accommodate irregularities in the surface.
Foils are multilayered coatings that transfer to the surface of the product. Non-metallic foils consist of an adherence base, a color layer, and a release layer. Metallic foils replace the color layer with a layer of chrome or vacuum-metallized aluminum. Metallic foil construction has a metal-like sheen and is available in different metal shades such as gold, silver, bronze, and copper. Pigment foil does not have a metallic sheen but may be glossy or matte. Holographic foil paper includes a 3-dimensional image to provide a distinctive appearance to specific areas of a digitally printed application. Printing is often done on leather or paper.
Different hot stamping machines serve different purposes, but the most common hot stamping machines are simple up-and-down presses. Three of the most common brands are Kwikprint, Kingsley, and Howard. However, for more industrial applications Kluge and Heidelberg presses are more commonly used.
History.
In the 19th century, hot stamping became a popular method of applying gold tooling or embossing in book printing on leather and paper. The first patent for hot stamping was recorded in Germany by Ernst Oeser in 1892.
From the 1950s onward, the method became a popular means of marking plastic . Hot Stamping technology for plastic is used for electric components (TV frames, audio components, refrigerators etc.), cosmetic containers (lipstick, cream, mascara, shampoo bottle etc.), automobile parts (interior and exterior materials).
As of 1998, it was one of the most commonly used methods of security printing.
Foil stamping can be used to make Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, although screen printing is faster and cheaper.


Vacuum filler

A vacuum filler is a machine used for filling pasty products. The pasty products are moved with the aid of a vane cell feed system under a vacuum.
Objective.
Levelling the weight of pre-packaged goods in the food sector, especially those involving viscous or pasty products, places extremely high demands on the reproducible accuracy of filling and portioning systems. In order to achieve this, technical and technological issues as well as product-specific characteristics have to be taken into account. In addition to the aforementioned factors, the requirements on the quality of an end product is a key issue when selecting or implementing a technical process solution. The development of vacuum filling machines has made it possible to fulfill both the technical and the quality-related requirements.
In the food sector, moving or transporting fluids is achieved with the aid of pump technology. Colloquially, this is known as filling or portioning. Various different types of pumps are used, depending on the type of filling products to be moved. Vacuum fillers with vane cell feed systems and vacuum feeding are commonly used for viscous products. The products are transported with the aid of a hopper with a feeding device, a vane cell feed system under a vacuum and appropriate volume expulsion in the pump housing. This is basically a volumetric feed principle, which means that a certain weight is defined via a volume. In addition to the vane cell feed systems, also known as rotary vane pumps, there are also screw feed systems with feed augers, toothed wheel feed systems and evacuated lifting cylinders. With all these systems, transportation is achieved via volume expulsion under a vacuum.
Vacuum fillers are traditionally used in the meat processing industry as well as in other food sectors. They can also be found in some non-food sectors. Generally speaking, vacuum fillers can be used for filling pasty and compressible products.
History.
The first vacuum filler was developed in the early 1960s. The technology has been refined since then.
Requirements/effects.
The pumpability of viscous or pasty products has a key effect on the reliable function of a vacuum filler. Filling products in the food sector can be characterised with the aid of various different properties related to their pumpability (“fillability”). They are either physical characteristics that can be measured directly or they are sensory attributes.
Mode of operation.
The key element of a vacuum filler is the vacuum filling principle. The filling product is fed into the feed system mechanically via a hopper with actively driven feeding auger, as well as via vertical “vacuum suction”. Pre-evacuated cells of a vane cell feed system move underneath the hopper. The pressure difference relative to the ambient pressure (underpressure) caused by the evacuation ensures that the cells are filled with product. The feed system moves continuously, thus generating a continuous filling flow. The product is portioned by means of cyclic movements of the feed system. Each cell of the feed system has a particular volume. The portion is defined by the rotation distance of the rotor. The portioning volume is therefore set in the control system by multiplying the rotor's rotation distance by the number of the feed system cells within it. The portion weight must be determined in the control system via the portion volume parameter with the aid of scales.
Structure and technical requirements.
Vacuum fillers are primarily used in the food trade and in the food industry. Special criteria apply to the design of machines in the food sector due to specific hygiene standards and hygiene regulations. This includes, for example, ensuring that they are easy to dismantle, have level surfaces and seals that can be rinsed from the rear, no dead spaces, ergonomic shapes, a small range of parts and detectable materials/materials suitable for food use. Relatively aggressive ambient conditions, such as reactive detergents, reactive or abrasive filling media, intensive high-pressure cleaning and extreme ambient temperatures, are also faced.
Vacuum fillers are therefore made of a high proportion of stainless steel with a very robust design. Moving parts can be easily dismantled and can be cleaned individually.
In addition to the mechanical or design-related issues, complex electronic components in a vacuum filler also have to be taken into account.
Vane cell feed system with hopper.
The vane cell feed system mainly consists of a rigid pump housing with attached side plate that is fixed to the pivoting hopper, and a removable rotor with pump vanes and cam. Depending on the machine size there are various different sizes of vane cell feed systems with parts with appropriate dimensions. The hopper can be swivelled to clean and dismantle surfaces and parts that come into contact with filling product. The driven rotor with an appropriate number of slots is located in the pump housing, in which pump vanes form cells with defined volumes when the machine is closed, supported by the cam. Induced by the rotor movement when the machine is started, the cells move in the direction of the vane cell feed system outlet and therefore ensure that a defined product flow is achieved. The weight accuracy of a feed system is partially dependent upon the production precision of the parts and their degree of wear.
Vacuum system.
The cells are filled by evacuating the vane cell feed system. By applying a vacuum via a vacuum pump, the filling products are gently drawn out of the hopper into the feed system as soon as an evacuated cell moves underneath the hopper. The vacuum pump is protected by an integrated water separator. The level of vacuum can be set according to the filling product.
In addition to the feed effect, the filling product is simultaneously evacuated to a certain extent (approx. 2–4 %). This means that the air content of the filling product decreases and the filling product becomes denser.
Feeding.
The term feeding in the context of vacuum fillers refers to actively moving the filling media in the direction of the lower part of the hopper to support the vacuum approach within the hopper. Feeding is achieved by using moveable feeding augers with scrapers/rigid counter arms. The feeding auger is driven in synchronisation with the rotation of the rotors. Due to the special geometry of both augers and the parallel rotation movement, the filling product is moved vertically in the direction of the vane cell feed system. The required feed intensity depends on the viscosity of the media to be filled. Less active feed is needed with low-viscosity media than with high-viscosity product. There are therefore a variety of combinations or versions of the parts involved in the feeding process.
Machine base.
The machine base acts as the stand for a vacuum filler. For hygiene reasons, bases are made completely of stainless steel. The compact machine base is designed to ensure that it can be moved easily using lifting equipment.
Lifting device.
Lifting devices allow the hopper to be loaded using standard trolleys. They can either be fixed onto the vacuum filler or a mast type lifting device can be positioned separately next to the vacuum filler. Lifting devices can be driven hydraulically or electrically.
Control and drive systems.
A computer-aided control system is required for operating the various functions associated with a vacuum filler. Usually, several drives are integrated into the vacuum fillers for the various different applications. With the most modern generations of vacuum fillers, the drives are implemented by means of servo motors and appropriate bus systems.
Sealing devices.
To produce individual portions from homogeneous product via a feed system, a “sealing device” is always required at the feed system outlet. This device separates portions and is controlled in synchronisation with the portion output. These devices could be linking devices for sausages, clippers for portionable sausages, dosing valves for tubs and cans, cutting devices for dough as well as forming equipment for dumplings.
Other feed system principles.
Generally speaking, vacuum fillers can be equipped with various different feed systems. However, in principle, the basic machine structure, with a hopper, vacuum system, feeding device, machine base, lifting device, control system and sealing device, is very similar. Depending on the application, each type of feed system has advantages and disadvantages.
Problems and their solutions.
Many problems may occur when filling viscous media. The problems are often product-specific and are revealed when the product to be filled takes on an a-typical appearance. Examples of this are an inhomogeneous product appearance with sausage goods or when inserts are ground too finely during the pumping process.
However commercial or legal problems can also arise, in the form of weight deviations or non-compliance with the specified quality regulations (e.g. the guidelines for meat products).
These problems are caused by a variety of influences, such as air content or viscosity being too high, insufficient feed volume in the feed system, temperature-related influences and mechanical influences such as friction and fragmentation.
The aforementioned problems can be eradicated by modifying upstream process steps, adapting recipes and making technical modifications.
Auxiliary devices.
Hanging lines in the field of sausage production are auxiliary devices for linking and hanging portions of sausage. In principle, the application is similar to that of a holding device, however significantly higher filling capacities can be achieved. Hanging lines are available with various different degrees of automation.
Weight control and process documentation.
Multi-machine electronic control and documentation systems are used to document a filling process involving vacuum fillers or to monitor filling weights.


Flange nut

A flange nut is a nut that has a wide flange at one end that acts as an integrated washer. This serves to distribute the pressure of the nut over the part being secured, reducing the chance of damage to the part and making it less likely to loosen as a result of an uneven fastening surface. These nuts are mostly hexagonal in shape and are made up of hardened steel and often coated with zinc.
Flange nuts (and bolts) are widely used in automobiles and electronic products.
Variants.
Serrated flange nut.
The flange may be serrated to provide a locking action. On a serrated flange nut, the serrations are angled such that they keep the nut from rotating in the direction that would loosen the nut. Because of the serrations they cannot be used with a washer or on surfaces that must not be scratched. The serrations help in preventing the vibration of the nut from moving the fastener, thus maintaining the holding power of the nut.
Self-aligning nut.
A self-aligning nut, also known as a spherical nut or leveling nut, is a type of nut used in applications where the fastener is not perpendicular to the surface to which the nut anchors. A flange nut is used inside a specially shaped dished-out washer. The device is commonly used in the aerospace industry. If this nut were not used the object would have to be spot faced so as to provide a surface perpendicular to the fastener.
Standards.
The following specifications define flange nuts:


Cerrosafe

Cerrosafe is a fusible alloy with a low melting point. It is a non-eutectic mixture consisting of 42.5% bismuth, 37.7% lead, 11.3% tin, and 8.5% cadmium that melts between and . It is useful for making reference castings whose dimensions can be correlated to those of the mold or other template due to its well-known thermal expansion properties during cooling. The alloy contracts during the first 30 minutes, allowing easy removal from a mold, then expands during the next 30 minutes to return to the exact original size. It then continues expanding at a known rate for 200 hours, allowing conversion of measurements of the casting back to those of the mold.


Well nut

A well nut is a blind rivet-like type of fastener used to blindly fasten a piece (much like a molly bolt) and to seal the bolt hole.
They are often referred to by the proprietary name Rawlnut or Rawl nut, the name by which they are known in the UK.
Description.
A well nut consists of a flanged neoprene bushing with a nut embedded in the non-flanged end. The bolt is passed through one of the pieces to be fastened and threaded onto the nut from the flanged end. The non-flanged end is then inserted through the other piece to be fastened. As the bolt is tightened, friction from the neoprene flange against the piece being fastened prevents the nut from turning. The bushing is compressed by the nut, forming a lip behind the piece being fastened, which compresses the fastened piece and seals the bolt hole. It can also be used in a solid workpiece. As the bolt draws the embedded nut towards it, the walls of the well exert a force on the hole walls, anchoring it.
Well nuts are not particularly strong, but are useful for sealing holes and/or isolating vibrations.
History.
The well nut was originally developed by the United Shoe Machinery Corporation (USMC).


Distorted thread locknut

A distorted thread locknut, is a type of locknut that uses a deformed section of thread to keep the nut from loosening from vibrations or rotation of the clamped item. They are broken down into four types: elliptical offset nuts, centerlock nuts, toplock nuts and partially depitched (Philidas) nuts.
High temperature use.
Because these nuts are solid metal, they are effective in elevated temperature settings, unlike nyloc nuts. High grade nuts can withstand temperatures up to .
Safety factors.
High strength distorted thread nuts cannot be used with low strength fasteners because the hard nut will act like a die and destroy the threads on the fastener.
Elliptical offset nuts.
Elliptical offset nuts is a catch-all category that encompasses designs known as oval locknuts or non-slotted hex locknuts. The salient feature is that the thread form has been deformed at one end so that the threads are no longer perfectly circular. The deformed end is usually shaped into an ellipse or obround triangle. These are known as one-way nuts as the nut may be easily started on the male fastener from the bottom non-deformed portion, but are practically impossible to start from the deformed end. As the male fastener reaches the deformed section it stretches the threads of the nut elastically back into a circle. This action increases the friction between the nut and the fastener greatly and creates the locking action. Due to the elastic nature of the deformation the nuts can be reused indefinitely.
Centerlock nuts.
Center lock nuts are similar to elliptical offset nuts, except that they are distorted in the middle of the nut. This allows the nut to be started from either side.
Toplock nuts.
Toplock nuts are also similar to elliptical offset nuts, except that the whole thread on one end is not distorted. Instead only three small sections of the thread are deformed on one end.
Partially depitched nuts.
Partially depitched nuts are commonly called Philidas nuts, after their originator and current manufacturer, and differ from the above three nut types insofar as a portion of the thread is displaced axially, this being facilitated by one or more slots perpendicular to the axis.


T-slot nut

A T-slot nut is used with a threaded clamp to position and secure pieces being worked on in a workshop. The T-slot nut slides along a T-slot track, which is set in workbench or table for a router, drill press, or bandsaw. T-slot nuts are also used with T-slot structural framing to build a variety of industrial structures and machines.
A T-slot bolt is generally stronger than a T-slot nut and hex-head cap screw.
A heavy-duty T-slot nut with a M12 bolt is rated to support 10000 N (about 1 imperial ton at rest).
 and the T-slot nuts to fit into them comprised the first modular system developed for use in mechanical engineering in 1980 by item Industrietechnik. The item aluminum framing system has since been expanded to include a variety of t-slot nuts that have been designed for specific applications.
The item system is very similar to the "channel-and-groove design" used in some toys.


Speed nut

A speed nut, aka sheet metal nut or Tinnerman nut, is a type of locknut with two sheet metal prongs that act as one thread. They are made from spring steel.
The fastener serves the functions of both a lock washer and a nut. As the fastener is tightened in the nut the prongs are drawn inward until they exert pressure on the root of the thread on the fastener. When the fastener is tightened, the base of the nut, which is arched, elastically deforms and applies a force to the fastener, which locks it from loosening under vibrations.
There are many different types of speed nuts, mostly dependent on the shape of the nut, how it attaches to the workpiece, and what type of screw can be used. Most types are designed for either machine screws or sheet metal screws. Some nuts do not attach to the workpiece. These are usually shaped as either a rectangle, a flange nut, or a hex nut; the rectangular speed nut is also known as a flat-style speed nut. Speed nuts that attach to the workpiece usually are some form of a J-nut or U-nut.
History.
The speed nut was invented in 1923 and patented in 1924 https://patents.google.com/patent/US1512653A/en?assignee=albert+tinnerman&oq=albert+tinnerman&sort=old by Albert H. Tinnerman, son of George Tinnerman, who founded Tinnerman Steel Range Company. The company, established in 1870, originally manufactured sheet metal kitchen ranges. However, after Tinnerman invented the nut to resolve issues with stove shipping, the invention became so successful it led the company away from building stoves to building fasteners.
Tinnerman Products was formed in 1939, and evolved from the Speed Nut development with manufacturing plants in Cleveland, Ohio. A manufacturing plant was constructed on Brookpark Road in the early 1950s. Tinnerman Products later merged with Eaton Yale & Towne in 1969. In 1999, Eaton sold Tinnerman to TransTechnology for $173 million. In 2009, ARaymond purchased Tinnerman for an undisclosed sum.


Customer demand planning

Customer demand planning (CDP) is a business-planning process that enables sales teams to develop demand forecasts as input to service-planning processes, production, inventory planning and revenue planning.
Definition.
CDP is an aspect of managing value chains. Generally, the first step of CDP is to forecast product demand. A manager can plan resource deployment in accordance with the resulting forecasts. It's a bottom-up approach vs. top down planning. Associated risks with this method are: Low forecast accuracy and numbers of planners required. There are various software systems that are designed to forecast demand and plan operations. To test the added value of implementing bottom-up approach, applications are providing simulations functionalities to estimate the resulting demand forecast accuracy (e.g. POS sales ; sales invoices ; shipments, etc.)
In the manufacturer to retailer model, customer collaborative partnerships have become more common since the 1990s. Although there was industry support behind CPFR (Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment), manufacturers and retailers are adopting different versions of collaborative forecasting and replenishment strategies. These include collaborative-VMI, CPFR, account based forecasting, CMI, shared single forecast and replenishment etc.
Discovering markets.
The challenges and complexities faced by the retailer are somewhat different from the challenges faced by suppliers (manufacturers and distributors). The demand management technology for the merchant is somewhat different from that of the brand or manufacturer on the supply-side.
Customer demand planning aims at matching customer supply planning logic and imply CPFR type collaboration.
Areas components of demand management include customer experience, demand creation, inventory and pricing optimization, channel management, sourcing, transportation optimization and advanced practices in technology.


Jetting (injection moulding defect)

Jetting is an moulding defect that can occur in the manufacturing process of injection moulding. Jetting is a snake-like stream which occurs when polymer melt is pushed at a high velocity through restrictive areas.


Adaptive machine

The adaptive machine is a category of flexible industrial machinery characterized by the ability to intelligently adapt itself to the product to be produced, e.g. to move individual products through the manufacturing, assembly, inspection, packaging and other process stations required for to produce them.
Design approach.
At first glance, the adaptive capabilities are rooted in software. But a second look reveals that machines handle physical products. For doing so machines need a proper mechanical design as well as a proper electrical design to power the mechanical movements. An adaptive machine is best designed by applying an interdisciplinary mechatronic design approach where mechanics, electrics and software as well as their interfaces and interactions are considered holistically.
Purpose.
The primary function of an adaptive machine is to make production more flexible by enable greater product variety (e.g. with respect to product size and shape) and smaller batches. The ultimate goal of an adaptive machine is mass customization, and the holy grail of economical batch size, one product, made to customer order rather than for stock. As far back as 1997, the "Harvard Business Review" identified four approaches to mass customization, one being ‘adaptive customizers’ in which standard products are adapted by the customer. The adaptive machine is actually more representative of "HBR’s" collaborative and cosmetic approaches, in which products and/or packaging are customized during production.
This description was provided by the Frost & Sullivan research firm in October 2017.
Core enabling technologies.
The concept of the adaptive machine relies on the following core technologies to enable adaptability and to achieve high levels of flexibility.
Terminology and history.
The term has been attributed to B&R Industrial Automation, where it is used in their product descriptions, white papers and use cases. In the packaging sector the evolution of machine technology has been roughly categorized by OMAC as follows:
Gen 4 will be the generation of the adaptive machine.
The adaptive machine terminology was developed to define a category, as well as to define the purpose, functionality and especially the application benefits of such technologies to make production processes more flexible and productive in terms of commercial objectives.
The adaptive machine and machine learning.
The adaptive machine category should not be confused with adaptive manufacturing or adaptive machine learning. Adaptive machines can be quite effective in an adaptive manufacturing environment and can benefit from adaptive machine learning applications. But they are neither interchangeable terms nor require one another to fulfill their basic definitions.
Adaptive machines in the commercial marketplace.
Adaptive machines are increasingly entering the industrial workplace. Applications include ‘bottling on demand,’ in which soft drinks are individually blended at the filling valve and fitted with customized closures and labels and product codes.
Another is a labeling machine that can handle different size and shape bottles and labels without stopping and performing a changeover.
Another example is a bottle unscrambler that uses a combination of delta robots and the synchronized motion of two shuttles to act as infinitely adjustable pucks, to handle different container shapes and sizes, also without changeover.
A cartoning machine uses a track system in place of a variable pitch bucket conveyor for collating and loading different primary packs into cartons.


Track technology

Depending on the supplier, track technology has been variously termed a smart conveyance system, intelligent track system, industrial transport system, independent cart technology, smart carriage technology, linear or extended or flexible transport system, or simply a conveyor or conveyance platform. They are also referred to as linear motors or long stator linear motors, reflecting the underlying technology of the track (stator) and shuttles (platen, equivalent to the rotor in a conventional rotary electric motor).  Shuttles have also been called carriers, movers, platforms and pallets.
List of commercially available track systems.
The following is a list of commercially available track systems by product name:
Areas of application.
Track technology is – among other technologies like machine vision and robotics – one of the key enablers for the adaptive machine.
The concept of the adaptive machine also goes beyond track technology to achieve their high levels of flexibility.  One complementary technology is the industrial robot, which by definition possesses the same programmable flexibility.  Of particular interest is the ability of both robots and track systems to operate safely along with humans in a collaborative environment. This recent development allows for a combination of manual and automated assembly tasks, maintenance and materials replenishment without stopping production.
Machine vision can play a pivotal role when integrated into an adaptive machine. Vision can identify individual shuttles and their contents in order to guide them to the appropriate workstations. Vision has long been used to automate robot guidance, inspection, orientation and related tasks.
Given the adaptive machine's flexibility to respond to consumer demand generation, Internet of Things and e-commerce technologies are complementary, providing the connection between internal production resources and commercial systems in a manufacturer's digital business model.


Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklifts

Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklifts, Inc. is a group of multinational companies that were formed under a joint venture between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Caterpillar Inc. in order to manufacture and market trucks. The group manufactures and distributes Cat Lift Trucks, Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks and Jungheinrich warehouse products to the material handling industry.
History.
The joint venture was formed on July 1, 1992 when MHI entered a joint venture with Caterpillar Inc.
The joint venture includes the following companies based on the geographic markets they serve:
The joint venture combined a variety of operational strengths to form a successful company. Mitsubishi's operational strengths include cost-effective manufacturing expertise, vast engineering resources and possession proprietary powertrain. Caterpillar Inc. provided marketing experience, worldwide dealer organization, brand recognition and effective product support.
Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America.
Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. ("MCFA"), headquartered in Houston, Texas is a manufacturer and distributor of material handling equipment and parts under the Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, Cat Lift Trucks, and Jungheinrich brand names. MCFA also owns the rights to Towmotor brand name, and manufactures under it. MCFA is ISO 9001-2000 certified and has obtained compliance certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). MCFA provides a full line of forklifts with complete sales and product support through more than 400 dealer locations throughout the United States, Canada and Latin America.
The company's . facility in Houston is located on of land and employs 1,200 workers, capable of producing over 25,000 forklifts per annum.
MCFA is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and one of the worldwide MCF group of companies:
Each group, with the exception of MLAP, is responsible for design engineering, manufacturing and marketing the product lines and handling parts distribution in their respective regions.
History.
MCFA was formed through a joint venture in 1992 between two major companies, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Caterpillar Industrial Inc. (CII). Jungheinrich Forklifts joined this partnership on January 1, 2010 through a manufacturing and distribution agreement with MCFA.
Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift Europe.
Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift Europe B.V. (MCFE) is a manufacturer and distributor of materials handling products under the brand names Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks and Cat Lift Trucks.
Serving customers in Europe (including Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States – CIS), Africa and the Middle East, it is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) and Caterpillar Inc. whose other materials handling subsidiaries include:
MCFE is based in Almere, the Netherlands, from which it supports a network of more than a hundred independently owned and operated dealers and distributors covering more than 72 countries.
MCFE has received the following quality accreditations from the International Organization for Standardization: ISO 9001, ISO 9002, ISO 14001
History.
MCFE was formed in 1992 when MHI entered a joint venture with Caterpillar Inc.
Production and support facilities.
MCFE’s headquarters are located at the ‘De Vaart’ industrial park in Almere, the Netherlands. They also own a separate manufacturing facility in Järvenpää, Finland, and can call on the resources of the Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift centres in Asia and America for further manufacturing capacity.
In addition, MCFE has a central European parts centre based in Puurs, Belgium. The European parts operation is supplemented and supported by those in Asia and America.
In 2012 production in Almere stopped due to recession and lack of sales. MCFE changed from a production facility to a sales office.


Machining vibrations

In machining, vibrations, also called chatter, are the relative movements between the workpiece and the cutting tool. The vibrations result in waves on the machined surface. This affects typical machining processes, such as turning, milling and drilling, and atypical machining processes, such as grinding.
A chatter mark is an irregular surface flaw left by a wheel that is "out of true" (off-center) in grinding, or regular marks left when turning a long piece on a lathe, due to machining vibrations.
As early as 1907, Frederick W. Taylor described machining vibrations as the most obscure and delicate of all the problems facing the machinist, an observation still true today, as shown in many publications on machining.
The explanation of the machine tool regenerative chatter was made by Tobias. S. A. and W. Fishwick in 1958, by modeling the feedback loop between the metal cutting process and the machine tool structure, and came with the stability lobes diagram. The structure stiffness, damping ratio and the machining process damping factor, are the main parameters that defines the limit where the machining process vibration is prone to enlarge with time.
Mathematical models make it possible to simulate machining vibration quite accurately, but in practice it is always difficult to avoid vibrations.
Avoidance techniques.
Basic rules for the machinist for avoiding vibrations:
Industrial context.
The use of high speed machining (HSM) has enabled an increase in productivity and the realization of workpieces that were impossible before, such as thin walled parts. Unfortunately, machine centers are less rigid because of the very high dynamic movements. In many applications, i.e. long tools, thin workpieces, the appearance of vibrations is the most limiting factor and compels the machinist to reduce cutting speeds and feeds well below the capacities of machines or tools.
Vibration problems generally result in noise, bad surface quality and sometimes tool breakage. The main sources are of two types: forced vibrations and self-generated vibrations.
Forced vibrations are mainly generated by interrupted cutting (inherent to milling), runout, or vibrations from outside the machine.
Self generated vibrations are related to the fact that the actual chip thickness depends also on the relative position between tool and workpiece during the previous tooth passage. Thus increasing vibrations may appear up to levels which can seriously degrade the machined surface quality.
Laboratory research.
Industrial and academic researchers have widely studied machining vibration. Specific strategies have been developed, especially for thin-walled work pieces, by alternating small machining passes in order to avoid static and dynamic flexion of the walls. The length of the cutting edge in contact with the workpiece is also often reduced in order to limit self-generated vibrations.
The modeling of the cutting forces and vibrations, although not totally accurate, makes it possible to simulate problematic machining and reduce unwanted effects of vibration.
Multiplication of the models based on stability lobe theory, which makes it possible to find the best spindle speed for machining, gives robust models for any kind of machining.
Time domain simulations compute workpiece and tool position on very small time scales without great sacrifice in accuracy of the instability process and of the surface modeled. These models need more computing resources than stability lobe models, but give greater freedom (cutting laws, runout, ploughing, finite element models). Time domain simulations are quite difficult to robustify, but a lot of work is being done in this direction in the research laboratories.
In addition to stability lobe theory, the use of variable tool pitch often gives good results, at a relatively low cost. These tools are increasingly proposed by tool manufacturers, although this is not really compatible with a reduction in the number of tools used. Other research leads are also promising, but often need major modifications to be practical in machining centers.
Two kinds of software are very promising: Time domain simulations which give not yet reliable prediction but should progress, and vibration machining expert software, pragmatically based on knowledge and rules.
Industrial methods used to limit machining vibrations.
The usual method for setting up a machining process is still mainly based on historical technical knowhow and on trial and error method to determine the best parameters. According to the particular skills of a company, various parameters are studied in priority, such as depth of cut, tool path, workpiece set-up, and geometrical definition of the tool. When a vibration problem occurs, information is usually sought from the tool manufacturer or the CAM (Computer-aided manufacturing) software retailer, and they may give a better strategy for machining the workpiece. Sometimes, when vibration problems are too much of a financial prejudice, experts can be called upon to prescribe, after measurement and calculation, spindle speeds or tool modifications.
Compared to the industrial stakes, commercial solutions are rare. To analyse the problems and to propose solutions, only few experts propose their services. Computational software for stability lobes and measurement devices are proposed but, in spite of widespread publicity, they remain relatively rarely used. Lastly, vibration sensors are often integrated into machining centers but they are used mainly for wear diagnosis of the tools or the spindle.
New Generation Tool Holders and especially the Hydraulic Expansion Tool Holders minimise the undesirable effects of vibration to a large extent. First of all, the precise control of total indicator reading to less than 3 micrometres helps reduce vibrations due to balanced load on cutting edges and the little vibration created thereon is absorbed largely by the oil inside the chambers of the Hydraulic Expansion Tool Holder.
The machining vibration is often coming from the tool holder having a high L/D ratio and low stiffness. Stiffening the tool holder with tungsten carbide material is widely used when the tool diameter/weight is small, and the material cost of tungsten carbide is not high. A longer reach at L/D above 4 until 14, a mass damper is necessary to effectively damp out the vibration with a counteracting force to the tool structure. The simple form of mass damper has a heavy weight (made of tungsten or lead) supported by rubber rings, with or without a tuning mechanism. The tuning mechanism enables the mass damper to cover a wider L/D ratio (associated with vibration frequency) range. A more advanced mass damper on cutting tools use viscous fluid or damping oil to improve the dampening efficiency at the targeted L/D ratio (vibration frequency). The latest mass damper on cutting tools are making use of special polymers that has frequency dependent stiffness, and use these polymers to make both self-tuning/adjusting to cover a wider L/D ratio.
The machine tools with sensors integrated, which can measure the vibration in machining and provide a feedback to automatically tune the mass damper, is already demonstrated in lab-scale. The deployment of such solutions is still pending on its ease of use and cost.


Cryogenic deflashing

Cryogenic deflashing is a deflashing process that uses cryogenic temperatures to aid in the removal of flash on cast or molded workpieces. These temperatures cause the flash to become stiff or brittle and to break away cleanly. Cryogenic deflashing is the preferred process when removing excess material from oddly shaped, custom molded products.
Process.
Parts are loaded into a parts basket. A cryogen, such as liquid nitrogen, is used to cool the workpieces; once cooled they are tumbled and blasted with media pellets, ranging size from . In some instances, cryogenic deflashing does not utilize a blasting action, relying instead only on the tumbling of the parts to remove flash on the outer edges.
Advantages.
Cryogenic deflashing provides various advantages over manual deflashing and other traditional deflashing methods.
Applications.
A wide range of molded materials can utilize cryogenic deflashing with proven results. These include:
Examples of applications that use cryogenic deflashing include:
Today, many molding operations are using cryogenic deflashing instead of rebuilding or repairing molds on products that are approaching their end-of-life. It is often more prudent and economical to add a few cents of production cost for a part than invest in a new molding tool that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and has a limited service life due to declining production forecasts.
In other cases, cryogenic deflashing has proven to be an enabling technology, permitting the economical manufacture of high quality, high precision parts fabricated with cutting edge materials and compounds.


Linear-motion bearing

A linear-motion bearing or linear slide is a bearing designed to provide free motion in one direction. There are many different types of linear motion bearings.
Motorized linear slides such as machine slides, X-Y tables, roller tables and some dovetail slides are bearings moved by drive mechanisms. Not all linear slides are motorized, and non-motorized dovetail slides, ball bearing slides and roller slides provide low-friction linear movement for equipment powered by inertia or by hand. All linear slides provide linear motion based on bearings, whether they are ball bearings, dovetail bearings, linear roller bearings, magnetic or fluid bearings. X-Y tables, linear stages, machine slides and other advanced slides use linear motion bearings to provide movement along both X and Y multiple axis.
Rolling-element bearing.
A rolling-element bearing is generally composed of a sleeve-like outer ring and several rows of balls retained by cages. The cages were originally machined from solid metal and were quickly replaced by stampings. It features smooth motion, low friction, high rigidity and long life. They are economical, and easy to maintain and replace. Thomson Industries (currently owned by Altra Industrial Motion) is generally given credit for first producing [what is now known as] a linear ball bearing.
Rolling-element bearings are manufactured in two forms: ball bearing slides and roller slides.
Ball bearing slides.
Also called "ball slides," ball bearing slides are the most common type of linear slide. Ball bearing slides offer smooth precision motion along a single-axis linear design, aided by ball bearings housed in the linear base, with self-lubrication properties that increase reliability. Ball bearing slide applications include delicate instrumentation, robotic assembly, cabinetry, high-end appliances and clean room environments, which primarily serve the manufacturing industry but also the furniture, electronics and construction industries. For example, a widely used ball bearing slide in the furniture industry is a ball bearing drawer slide.
Commonly constructed from materials such as aluminum, hardened cold rolled steel and galvanized steel, ball bearing slides consist of two linear rows of ball bearings contained by four rods and located on differing sides of the base, which support the carriage for smooth linear movement along the ball bearings. This low-friction linear movement can be powered by either a drive mechanism, inertia or by hand. Ball bearing slides tend to have a lower load capacity for their size compared to other linear slides because the balls are less resistant to wear and abrasions. In addition, ball bearing slides are limited by the need to fit into housing or drive systems.
The travelling distance of linear recirculating ball bearings is only limited by the length of their rail, as the balls recirculate inside the bearing's housing. Linear non-recirculating ball bearings have balls installed on a bracket and only move in one axis without recirculation. Since the balls do not recirculate, this type of bearings can provide extremely smooth motion. However, the travelling distance of linear non-recirculating ball bearings is limited by the length of the bracket.
Roller slides.
Also known as crossed roller slides, roller slides are non-motorized linear slides that provide low-friction linear movement for equipment powered by inertia or by hand. Roller slides are based on linear roller bearings, which are frequently criss-crossed to provide heavier load capabilities and better movement control. Serving industries such as manufacturing, photonics, medical and telecommunications, roller slides are versatile and can be adjusted to meet numerous applications which typically include clean rooms, vacuum environments, material handling and automation machinery.
Roller slides work similarly to ball bearing slides, except that the bearings housed within the carriage are cylinder-shaped instead of ball shaped. The rollers crisscross each other at a 90° angle and move between the four semi-flat and parallel rods that surround the rollers. The rollers are between "V" grooved bearing races, one being on the top carriage and the other on the base. Typically, bearing housings are constructed from aluminum while the rollers are constructed from steel.
Although roller slides are not self-cleaning, they are suitable for environments with low levels of airborne contaminants such as dirt and dust. As one of the more expensive types of linear slides, roller slides are capable of providing linear motion on more than one axis through stackable slides and double carriages. Roller slides offers line contact versus point contact as with ball bearings, creating a broader contact surface due to the consistency of contact between the carriage and the base and resulting in less erosion.
Plain bearing.
Plain bearings are very similar in design to rolling-element bearings, except they slide without the use of ball bearings. If they are cylindrical in shape, they are often called bushings. Bushings can be metal or plastic, or even air.
Dovetail slides.
Dovetail slides, or dovetail way slides are typically constructed from cast iron, but can also be constructed from hard-coat aluminum, acetal or stainless steel. Like any bearing, a dovetail slide is composed of a stationary linear base and a moving carriage. a Dovetail carriage has a v-shaped, or dovetail-shaped protruding channel which locks into the linear base's correspondingly shaped groove. Once the dovetail carriage is fitted into its base's channel, the carriage is locked into the channel's linear axis and allows free linear movement. When a platform is attached to the carriage of a dovetail slide, a dovetail table is created, offering extended load carrying capabilities.
Dovetail slides are advantageous when it comes to load capacity, affordability and durability. Capable of long travel, dovetail slides are more resistant to shock than other bearings, and they are mostly immune to chemical, dust and dirt contamination. Dovetail slides can be motorized, mechanical or electromechanical. Electric dovetail slides are driven by a number of different devices, such as ball screws, belts and cables, which are powered by functional motors such as stepper motors, linear motors and handwheels. Dovetail slides are direct contact systems, making them fitting for heavy load applications including CNC machines, shuttle devices, special machines and work holding devices. Mainly used in the manufacturing and laboratory science industries, dovetail slides are ideal for high-precision applications.
Compound slides.
Slides can be constructed with two sections or multiple sections. A slide with two sections can only extend approximately 3/4 of the total compressed slide length. A compound slide typically has three sections: fixed, floating intermediate member, and the section attached to the equipment. A compound slide can extend at least as far as the compressed slide length and typically a bit more. In the case of rack slides, this allows the equipment to extend completely out of the rack allowing access for service or connection of cables and such to the back of the equipment.
Rack slides.
Rack slides are specifically intended for mounting equipment into 19-inch racks or 23-inch racks. These can be friction bearing, ball bearing, or roller bearing. They are sized to fit into racks with mounting flanges on the ends to mate to the mounting holes in racks. In some cases, one mounting flange is formed into the rack slide with an adapter bracket attached to the other end to accommodate different depths of the rack. The outer fixed member is attached to the rack and the inner moving member is generally screwed to the side of the mounted equipment. Rack slides are typically compound or 3-part slides allowing full extension of the mounted equipment and generally include provision for sliding the inner member completely free to allow removal of the equipment from the rack. They can also include stops to prevent accidentally pulling the equipment out of the rack without releasing the stop mechanism.
There can be proprietary configurations which, for example, may clip to the equipment without the use of screws or can be clipped into an appropriately designed rack. But the basic geometry is the same regardless of how they are mounted.


Vespel

Vespel is the trademark of a range of durable high-performance polyimide-based plastics made by DuPont. The one shown in the structure on the right was the first to be commercialized.
Characteristics and applications.
Vespel is mostly used in aerospace, semiconductor, and transportation technology. It combines heat resistance, lubricity, dimensional stability, chemical resistance, and creep resistance, and can be used in hostile and extreme environmental conditions.
Unlike most plastics, it does not produce significant outgassing even at high temperatures, which makes it useful for lightweight heat shields and crucible support. It also performs well in vacuum applications, down to extremely low cryogenic temperatures. However, Vespel tends to absorb a small amount of water, resulting in longer pump time while placed in a vacuum.
Although there are polymers surpassing polyimide in each of these properties, the combination of them is the main advantage of Vespel.
Thermophysical properties.
Vespel is commonly used as a thermal conductivity reference material for testing thermal insulators, because of high reproducibility and consistency of its thermophysical properties. For example, it can withstand repeated heating up to 300 °C without altering its thermal and mechanical properties. Extensive tables of measured thermal diffusivity, specific heat capacity, and derived density, all as functions of temperature, have been published.
Magnetic properties.
Vespel is used in high-resolution probes for NMR spectroscopy because its volume magnetic susceptibility (−9.02 ± 0.25×10−6 for Vespel SP-1 at 21.8 °C) is close to that of water at room temperature (−9.03×10−6 at 20 °C ) Negative values indicate that both substances are diamagnetic. Matching volume magnetic susceptibilities of materials surrounding NMR sample to that of the solvent can reduce susceptibility broadening of magnetic resonance lines.
Processing for manufacturing applications.
Vespel can be processed by direct forming (DF) and isostatic molding (basic shapes – plates, rods and tubes). For prototype quantities, basic shapes are typically used for cost efficiency since tooling is quite expensive for DF parts. For large scale CNC production, DF parts are often used to reduce per part costs, at the expense of material properties which are inferior to those of isostatically produced basic shapes.
Types.
For different applications, special formulations are blended/compounded. Shapes are produced by three standard processes:
Direct-formed parts have lower performance characteristics than parts that have been machined from compression-molded or isostatic shapes. Isostatic shapes have isotropic physical properties, whereas direct formed and compression molded shapes exhibit anisotropic physical properties.
Some examples of standard polyimide compounds are: