Bridging the Gap Between Research & Application

Photo Feb 19, 4 36 02 PMIt’s natural for us get excited about how the region’s manufacturing landscape is evolving because we have the opportunity to have conversations every day with local manufacturers on ways they’re integrating technology, process efficiency and even new materials into their production methods.

On Thursday, February 19, it was fun to see a packed room of attendees at the University of Buffalo’s Center for Excellence Bioinformatics & Life Sciences share our excitement as they listened to an update on UB’s Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics (CMI) and its partnership with Buffalo Manufacturing Works.

Photo Feb 19, 4 18 08 PMThe afternoon started with an exciting announcement: Mark Swihart was named executive director of UB’s CMI. Mark is an acclaimed researched, teacher and collaborator and was mostly recently in charge of guiding UB’s diverse nanoscience and nanotechnology research and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be working directly with him and his team at CMI. Mark kicked off the lecture by giving an update on what’s happening at CMI but you can get a good idea of some of the cool things they are doing by watching this video:

For those not familiar with CMI, the Center is at the forefront of computationally-aided materials science, accelerating the discovery and commercialization of innovation new materials. One example is how it teamed up with UB scientific and engineering resources to help one of the region’s oldest manufacturing firms, S. Howes, to develop and advance their quantitative design methodology for one of their core products – thermal screw conveyors. Students and professors helped with testing, modeling and predictive solution methods were developed to aide product development, design efficiency and market competitiveness. A great illustration of what industry and academia can do together.

Photo Feb 19, 4 39 51 PMBy partnering with UB’s CMI, we have a unique opportunity to bridge the gap together between fundamental research and its application on the production floor. Michael Ulbrich, president of Buffalo Manufacturing Works, spoke about the exciting developments at our facility  as well as some of the equipment that is beginning to arrive. Buffalo Manufacturing Works is spending $30 million on state-of-art equipment over the next five years to support our four technology areas: flexible automation; materials & testing; additive manufacturing; and machining & finishing. Buffalo Manufacturing Works will be giving small to mid-size companies the opportunity to access cutting-edge equipment that traditionally would be cost prohibitive to purchase, or the opportunity to test and down-select equipment with the right capabilities for their needs.

We were happy to receive a lot of great questions from the audience but one of the most important ones asked was who do you call for help? CMI or Buffalo Manufacturing Works? The answer is, whichever you want. If you give Buffalo Manufacturing Works a call, we’ll link you to our partners that can best help you with your needs. It could be CMI, EWI, Insyte Consulting, World Trade Center or any combination of them. Let us get to work for you. Give us a call at 716-710-5500 and we’ll get you started!

Meet Our New Technician Who Will Support Applied R & D

Jayson Alvarez

Buffalo, NY – EWI is pleased to announce that it has hired Jayson Alvarez as a Technician for Buffalo Manufacturing Works. Buffalo Manufacturing Works, a one-of-kind resource center for advanced manufacturing, is part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion initiative.

Jayson Alvarez joins EWI with 10 years experience working as a machinist at a number of Western New York manufacturing facilities. He will be supporting applied R&D projects in Buffalo Manufacturing Works’ four focus areas: Flexible Manufacturing, Materials & Testing, Additive Manufacturing and Machining & Finishing.

“Jason has a passion for machines and finding new ways to use them. He is just the type of innovative employee we want on our team,” said Michael Ulbrich, president of Buffalo Manufacturing Works. “As we try evolve manufacturing through innovation, it’s key that we have team members that think outside the box and bring new and fresh ideas to our projects.”

Buffalo Manufacturing Works has already begun working with numerous manufacturers in Western New York and plans to open its facility located at 847 Main Street in Spring 2015. There are positions open at Buffalo Manufacturing Works, and we encourage anyone interested to visit the EWI careers page.

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About EWI

EWI is the leading engineering and technology organization in North America dedicated to developing, testing, and implementing advanced manufacturing technologies for industry. Since 1984, EWI has offered applied research, manufacturing support, and strategic services to leaders in the aerospace, automotive, consumer electronic, medical, energy, government and defense, and heavy manufacturing sectors. By matching our expertise to the needs of forward-thinking manufacturers, our technology team serves as a valuable extension of our clients’ innovation and R&D teams to provide premium, game-changing solutions that deliver a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. To learn more, visit www.ewi.org, email [email protected], or call 614.688.5000.

About Buffalo Manufacturing Works

Buffalo Manufacturing Works is a one-of-a-kind resource center for advanced manufacturing. This groundbreaking collaboration between leading industry, research and academic partners provides manufacturers with the tools they need to grow, improve their bottom line and compete all while stimulating economic development throughout the Buffalo Niagara Region. The program is supported by New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion Economic Development Plan. For more information, visit www.buffalomanufacturingworks.com.

About the Buffalo Billion

With Governor Cuomo’s commitment to invest $1 billion in the Buffalo area economy, which is designed to spur significantly greater private investment and create thousands of new, sustainable jobs, New York State is helping the Buffalo area to realize immediate economic growth to put “generation now” back to work while setting the foundation for sustainable economic opportunity for future generations. The Western New York Regional Economic Development Council – a top economic development plan award winner – will play a key role in how the funding is used to support the expansion of local companies and how to target the attraction of new businesses across the country and around the globe to come to Buffalo. To learn more about the Buffalo Billion, visit www.buffalobillion.ny.gov.

Let’s Get Technical: Additive Manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing Technical Working GroupBy: Kenny Kort

Buffalo Manufacturing Works continued our Technical Working Groups with a session featuring the latest technologies in additive manufacturing to a packed room of participants including members of our Founders Council, manufacturers and partners at the University at Buffalo, NYS Center of Excellence Materials Informatics and Insyte Consulting.

The technical working groups serve as an important component of technology road mapping activities so like our conversation on machining & finishing, we were energized by the dialogue and interest around the topics presented including:

  • Vat Photopolymerization
  • Material Extrusion
  • Material Jetting
  • Binder Jetting
  • Powder Bed Fusion
  • Directed Energy Deposition
  • Sheet Lamination
  • Functional Printing

Laser additive manufacturing and integrated milling seemed to spark attendees’ imaginations as did the potential of Electron-Beam Melting (EBM).

Click here to view the presentation we shared and here is a link to a list of equipment we’ve purchased to support our additive manufacturing capabilities.

Our Technical Working Groups continued with a session on Flexible Manufacturing (stay tuned for a recap next week) and will wrap up this week with a survey of emerging technologies expected to impact materials processing, characterization and testing in 2015.

Meet Our Operating Partner

ewi-transparentWe want you to get to know our key partners and learn more about how they can help you boost your competitiveness. First up? Our operating partner: EWI.

Founded in 1984, EWI is one of the few organizations in the U.S. that specializes in taking technological innovations from early stage proof-of-concept to production. EWI anticipates, develops commercializes and implements leading-edge technologies that have a significant impact on manufacturing competitiveness.

 By matching in-house expertise to the needs of forward-thinking manufacturers, EWI’s technology team serves as a valuable extension of their clients’ innovation and R&D teams to provide premium, game-changing solutions that deliver a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.

EWI recently created a video to demonstrate exactly what that means. Take a look:

Here’s a link to the full blog post of the video on EWI’s website. While you are there, do a little exploring on the website to learn more about their technologies and capabilities!

Interested in learning more about how EWI can help your company?  Give Buffalo Manufacturing Works a call at 716-710-5500.

 

Let’s Get Technical: Machining & Finishing Working Group

By: Alex Kitt

Machining Technical Working Group 2.4.15Last week, Buffalo Manufacturing Works launched our first Technical Working Group, this one focused on machining & finishing, to an enthusiastic group of area manufacturers and representatives from our partners at the University at Buffalo and Insyte Consulting.

Created as a venue for continued input from local manufacturers, the technical working groups will serve as an important component of technology road mapping activities.  We were excited when the session quickly transitioned from a presentation of emerging trends in machining to an interactive conversation with attendees sharing their expertise, experiences and interests around the topic.

The wide ranging discussion covered topics from advances in conventional machining to ultrasonic assisted and cryogenic machining as well as a survey of cutting and milling with alternative energy sources. Check out the diagram the working group created during the session:

Advanced Manufacturing Diagram

 

This first conversation shows great promise for an ongoing, dedicated convening of machining and finishing experts in Buffalo!

Our Technical Working Groups continued this week with a session on Additive Manufacturing (look for a recap next week) and we will feature sessions on Flexible Manufacturing and Materials & Testing in the coming weeks. All are designed to put your ideas to work. If you’re curious about the presentation we shared, you can take a look here: Advanced Machining Slides

 

 

Calling All Manufacturers: It’s your chance to brag!

photo-gallery-bmw3It’s time to celebrate you, our region’s manufacturers, with the 2015 Manufacturing Awards! The deadline to apply is February 13, 2015. Each year, an independent panel of judges sorts through the applications and determines who’s the best of the best.

Buffalo Manufacturing Works is proud to join Insyte Consulting and Sonwil Distribution as presenting sponsors of an event honoring manufacturers and their role as engines of economic vitality. The link to fill out a nomination can be found here.

Here are the categories:
Community Involvement
Dream It Do It WNY
Exporting
Family-Run Manufacturing
Innovation
Operational Excellence
Overall Excellence
Sustainability
Workforce Training

Note that you can nominate your company in more than one category. The awards are put together by Business First and they do ask that you are clear and concise in your answers so the judges understand what, why and how your company operates.

The Manufacturing Awards Ceremony will take place on May 5, 2015. Good luck!