EWI welcomes Photon Automation, Inc. to membership. The company designs and develops automated systems for a variety of manufacturing applications by incorporating advanced manufacturing technologies, including lasers, vision systems, precision measurement devices, and robotics for their customer base. Photon Automation has three locations in Indiana.

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The increased use of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) in the auto industry has improved passenger safety for lighter structures using thinner gage AHSS, while maintaining strength and toughness. Edge cracking, which develops more frequently in the stamping of AHSS, is a defect that can occur in formed parts due to shearing-induced work hardening or other edge conditions. This creates a localized area that exhibits different mechanical properties than the rest of the blank, making simulation predictions of edge cracking of AHSS challenging.

The current ISO standard for edge-cracking evaluation has limitations.  A New Testing Method for Edge Cracking, co-authored by Project Engineer Laura Thornton Zoller and Forming Intern Clare Gu, details how EWI recently developed a new edge-cracking testing method through an internal development project (IRD) to address these limitations.

To download this paper, click here. If you’d like to learn more about EWI’s new testing method for edge cracking, please contact [email protected].

 

 

 

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EWI is among the founding partners of the new Advanced Materials and Additive Manufacturing Infrastructure Development and Education Alliance (AMIDE). The alliance, announced this week by Vartega and the Colorado Cleantech Industries Association, was formed by a group of industry and academic partners as the result of a grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

The aim of the AMIDE Alliance is to create an ecosystem for materials development and testing through investment in equipment and resources that will help accelerate advanced materials development for AM and training of skilled workers. These goals will be accomplished through the creation of innovation centers in collaboration with Colorado State University, the Colorado School of Mines, and Vartega.

The centers will house equipment critical to the maturation of new additive manufacturing technologies and materials, as well as training programs to educate new generations of professionals, students and technicians. EWI’s Colorado laboratories, located in Loveland, will provide advanced nondestructive evaluation, modeling, and inspection services to support the ongoing new materials development.

To read the full story, click here.

 

 

 

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Fuel Cell Energy, Inc. delivers fuel cell solutions configured for the supply, recovery, and storage of energy. The company provides services including the design and installation of projects as well as long-term operation and maintenance of fuel cell systems. With corporate offices in Danbury, CT, Fuel Cell Energy has manufacturing locations in North America, South Korea and Germany.

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On July 23, two groups launched centers of excellence in additive manufacturing aimed at accelerating R&D, standardization, and innovation in that field, also known as 3D printing.

Global standards developer ASTM International launched its Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (www.amcoe.org) with Auburn University, NASA, manufacturing technology innovator EWI, and the UK-based Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). Auburn and NASA also formally launched the National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME).

ASTM International President Katharine Morgan said, “The synergy among EWI, MTC, Auburn, and NASA will help fill the gaps in technical standards that this industry needs to drive innovation. As a result, we’ll empower industries that are eager to apply additive manufacturing to aerospace, auto, medical, and more.”

To read the full story, click here.

 

 

 

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Congratulations to EWI’s Principal Engineer Xian-Kui Zhu and Senior Technology Advisor Tom McGaughy on receiving the Outstanding Technical Paper Award at the 2018 ASME Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference. The paper, Effects of Finite Strains and Residual Stresses on Path Independence of the J-Integral for Ductile Cracks, was honored on July 18th by the Pressure Vessels & Piping Division of ASME.

This paper theoretically investigates basic conditions required for the path independence of the J-integral and major factors affecting the path independence, including the incremental plasticity, finite strains and residual stresses. Residual stress modified J-integrals are then introduced for ensuring the path independence. With use of a notched beam, detailed elastic-plastic finite element analyses are performed in terms of the incremental plasticity for a crack subject to three-point bending. The path dependence of the J-integral due to the three major factors is then evaluated. Numerical results show that the residual stress modified J-integral is path-independent, and able to describe the fracture driving force for ductile cracks in a residual stress field. This provides a new technology to assess pipeline integrity for cracks coupling residual stresses that offers significant fundamental and practical value to mechanical engineering.

For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected].

 

 

 

 

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The Additive Manufacturing Consortium, operated by EWI, is pleased to introduce these companies to AMC membership:

3D Systems, the originator of 3D printing and innovator of 3D solutions, combines its plastic and metal 3D printers, print materials, on-demand manufacturing services and end-to-end manufacturing software solutions for industry including aerospace, automotive, and consumer goods. Headquartered in Rock Hill, SC, the company employs over 2400 people in 25 offices worldwide.

ArcelorMittal is the world’s leading steel and mining company with a presence in 60 countries and industrial footprint in 18 countries. It is one of five of the largest producers of iron ore and metallurgical coal. In addition to research and development, the company supplies steel in the major global steel markets including automotive, construction, household appliances, and packaging.

For more information about the AMC, visit https://ewi.org/additive-manufacturing-consortium/ or contact: [email protected].

 

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Increased demand for new, lighter, longer-lasting products is driving manufacturers across industries to incorporate newer, more advanced materials into product development. As material specifications change, so must the production development infrastructure. Whether single stage shifts or entire line changes are required, manufacturers must carry out a number of preliminary steps to ensure success.

Essential preliminary steps to inform production changes include:

• Process feasibility studies to screen ideas and technology before you invest hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars on ineffective equipment.
• In-depth iterative trials conducted with scientific methodology to overcome the inevitable hurdles in developing a technology.
• Materials development studies to determine ideal material properties for optimal manufacturing.
• Process development & optimization to increase process operating window efficiency, productivity, and cost effectiveness, enabling faster adoption by optimizing the process offline.

In addition, manufacturers need to look beyond materials, equipment and process setup to consider long-term functionality of components and processes. The right partner can provide you with expert guidance, support, and resources to navigate these critical steps, helping you achieve your product development goals faster.

Optimizing Manufacturing and Production Processes, A Casebook of Successful Technology Development provides examples of a variety of organizations EWI has helped to adapt and optimize product development through the creation of such solutions as:

• An advanced laser welding solution to meet customer demand for more reliable welds
• A new microstructural architecture to improve crash-impact performance of seat structures
• An affordable solution for joining ever-smaller electronics components

To see more examples of industry innovators that achieved their development goals with EWI, click here.
 

View Casebook

 
Change without thoughtful planning can fall short of cost, efficiency and production goals. EWI’s breadth of engineering and manufacturing experience, industry-leading technologies, and array of development services can help you identify the best solutions to achieve your development goals. Interested in learning more about how we can help you optimize manufacturing and production processes? Contact Jon Jennings at [email protected] to discuss your needs.

 

 

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The Strategic Technology Committee for Oil & Gas (STC), established by EWI in 2013, works to identify gaps and needs in materials joining and allied technologies relevant to the energy industry, and develops technology development programs to address those needs.  Its goal is to enhance the safety, integrity and reliability of critical infrastructure used in the exploration, production and delivery of energy products to markets worldwide.

The STC currently is engaged in an ongoing program to test the effect of constraint on brittle fracture for steel pipes. The results to date are shared in a new paper by EWI Principal Engineer Bill Mohr, Oil & Gas Strategic Technology Committee: Research for 2018. The paper also outlines other STC projects this year including:

• Assessing NDE methods for dissimilar metal welds
• Managing brittle fracture in subsea hardware, flowlines, and risers
• Factors influencing copper contamination of girth welds
• Weldability of low manganese line pipe steel for sour service
• Development of ECA guidelines for subsea and offshore systems

To read about these projects, download the paper here.

To learn about membership in the STC, visit ewi.org/strategic-technology-committee-for-oil-gas.

 

 

 

 

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CoorsTek, manufactures custom ceramic components for industries, including automotive, semiconductor, defense & aerospace, energy, and more. Headquartered in Golden, Colorado, CoorsTek has over 50 locations worldwide.

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