Recently, I’ve discussed some of the benefits of implementing quality processes earlier in the product development and manufacturing timeline, including reducing costs and decreasing time to market. Continuing this theme, I’d like to share how advanced quality technologies like ultrasonics, eddy current, x-ray radiography, and computed tomography (CT) can also help manufacturers reduce risks associated with product failure while increasing productivity. These technologies can be automated, customized, and integrated in-line with manufacturing processes to reduce destructive testing and redundant welding practices that are pervasive today.

In addition to nondestructive evaluation (NDE), modern product reliability management methods implemented throughout design, development, and manufacturing life cycles also lead to improvements in product quality and productivity. Knowing how to set reliability goals early in development based on market demands and industry regulations, and managing those goals throughout development allows companies to achieve schedule predictiability, reduce costs, and understand root causes of product failures for prioritizing and implementing corrective actions.

Reduce Risk and Boost Productivity Through Advanced Quality Systems details seven benefits of implementing next-generation quality systems and NDE earlier in the product development and manufacturing process. It also contains information on some examples of this work, including:

• Advanced X-Ray Inspection for Electronic Devices
• CT Imaging for Weld Quality Assessments

EWI provides advisory, development, and implementation services to companies seeking to apply next-generation quality systems. If you are interested in learning more about EWI’s advisory, development, and implementation services across advanced quality solutions, contact Shaun Freed at [email protected]

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The Additive Manufacturing Consortium (AMC) held its 2018 Winter Meeting February 7-9 in Phoenix, AZ. The meeting was jointly hosted by Honeywell and Raytheon with over 140 consortium members and invited guests in attendance.

The 3-day event featured tours of Arizona State University’s (ASU) material characterization labs hosted by Dr. Nikhilesh Chawla and of Honeywell’s newly opened AM production facility hosted by Mr. Donald Godfrey. The meeting also included a networking event hosted by local AM equipment reseller Interlink Engineering and sponsored by Raytheon.

During the members’ meeting, the AMC voted to initate six new projects with more than $800K in funding. These 2018 projects focus on the development of AM materials, software, and post processing . The general meeting (open to both AMC members and guests) had a wide variety of presentations featuring industry experts from Honeywell, Raytheon and Navy Nuclear Laboratory; researchers from ASU, NIST and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; and other AM vendors like Additive Industries, BeAM machines and ESI Group.

The AMC, established in 2010 by technology innovator EWI, is a national consortium of industry, government, academia, and non-profit research organizations with the mission of accelerating and advancing the manufacturing readiness of metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology. Members include leading players from the aerospace, space, defense and heavy industry along with AM material and technical services providers as well as academia and government labs.

The AMC will hold its Spring Meeting May 9-10 in Pittsburgh, PA. This meeting will be jointly hosted by LPW and GE and include tours of GE’s CATA facility, ExOne, and LPW’s new powder production facility in Pittsburgh.

For more information about joining the AMC contact Rhonda Lombardo at [email protected], or Frank Medina at [email protected].

The post Notes from the Winter 2018 AMC Meeting appeared first on EWI.

J.M. Canty, Inc. is a process engineering company with facilities in Buffalo (NY) and Dublin (Ireland). This new EWI member manufactures lighting, sight glasses, cameras, sight flow indicators, quick opening closures, glass to metal seals, vision-based process control systems, and particles sizing systems for a variety of industries including the pharmaceutical, cement, oil & gas, chemical, glass and mining industries.

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There are many off-the-shelf commercial systems that offer sufficient image processing intelligence for successful visual inspection in manufacturing. Some applications, however, require capabilities that are not yet available in standard systems.

EWI has been at the forefront of tackling complicated inspection issues for customers by innovating upon commercially available inspection and vision systems. In Unique Visual Inspection Solutions in Applied R&D, Principal Engineer Connie Reichert LaMorte discusses three specialized adaptations to standard systems that were developed at EWI to solve novel inspection problems.

To view or download Unique Visual Inspection Solutions in Applied R&D, click here.

To learn how EWI can help your company address your manufacturing inspection issues, contact [email protected].

The post New Paper – Unique Visual Inspections Solutions in Applied R&D appeared first on EWI.

We are pleased to welcome Astronics Corporation, a supplier of advanced technologies and products to the global aerospace, defense, and semiconductor industries, to EWI membership. The company’s products and services include advanced, high-performance electrical power generation and distribution systems, seat motion solutions, lighting and safety systems, avionics products, aircraft structures, systems certification, and automated test systems. Astronics is based in East Aurora, NY.

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Over the past decade, additive manufacturing (AM) technology has shifted from a prototyping tool to an accepted production method. To achieve production-quality results, however, it is important to use specially developed materials for AM builds. In recent years, EWI has been at the forefront of helping clients bring new AM materials to market for technologies such as laser and electron-beam powder bed fusion, powder and wire direct energy deposition, and binder jetting. 

EWI AM engineers Rutuja Samant and Frank Medina have written “Electron Beam Melting: From Powder to Part.” This paper focuses on what it takes to develop a new metal material to build parts using the electron beam melting technology. To download the paper, click here.

To reach the authors of this paper, contact [email protected] or [email protected].

To learn more about EWI’s AM capabilities, visit ewi.org/technologies/additive-manufacturing.

The post New article — Electron Beam Melting: From Powder to Part appeared first on EWI.

Implementing advanced quality systems throughout the product development timeline enables smarter design, reduces waste, and ensures compliance with regulations—all of which are valuable cost-saving measures for manufacturers.

For example,

• Computer modeling and design integrated with inspection development allows you to transition quickly to testing and production phases.
• Real-time monitoring identifies failure through immediate feedback, so production problems can be addressed early.
• Automated inspection processes lessen the need for human inspection, thus reducing manpower and human error.

EWI has helped companies across industries implement quality processes earlier in their manufacturing cycles to achieve these benefits. Our approach starts with asking questions that include:

• How do we make quality a repeatable part of your manufacturing process to ensure quality for every single product and part?
• How do we move quality inspection up the line?
• How do we inspect at manufacturing speeds?
• How can we avoid sacrificing devices due to destructive testing?

To learn more about how EWI helps companies save costs through first-time quality, view our new infographic, Five Ways to Reduce Manufacturing Costs Through Advanced Quality Systems. We introduce specific areas where manufacturers can find savings and highlight three mini case studies in successful implementation of advanced quality systems.

Cases include:

• Reducing material waste
• Reducing destructive test specimens for validation
• Automating for greater reliability and cost savings

View the Infographic

If you are interested in learning more about EWI’s advanced quality and inspection services, contact Shaun Freed at [email protected]

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We are pleased to introduce new EWI member Molson Coors Brewing Company. A multinational brewing enterprise, the corporation is known for it world renown beer brands including Molson, Coors, and Millers to name a few.

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