The first-time quality of stampings with reduced scrap rates is a primary goal of the metal stamping industry. However, emerging high-strength steels significantly increase the variations of the incoming coil properties and die friction.

To address this challenging issue, the EWI Forming Center has led the Intelligent Servo-Controlled Forming Project with 12 industry partners for the past two years. As part of this project, both nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and visual monitoring methods were used to obtain a variation of the incoming material properties and forming process conditions.

These real-time measured data were used for the machine learning algorithm to adjust the forming process parameters. A control algorithm was developed to estimate results and make recommendations for forming process changes by interacting with engineers. Final validation testing of multiple grades of steels and batch materials successfully demonstrated the successful application of the control algorithm in sheet metal forming.

Currently, EWI is working with industry partners to commercialize the developed control algorithm for the production application. Updates on this project will be available later this year.

If you are interested in learning more about EWI’s experience and capabilities in this subject, please contact Hyunok Kim ([email protected]) or Doug Myers ([email protected]).

The post Applications of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Metal Stamping appeared first on EWI.

To view the paper, please submit the form above.

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To speak to an EWI expert about a project, call 614.688.5152
or click here.

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EWI has recently developed internal capabilities to perform the VDA 238-100 standard testing for tight radius v-bending of sheet materials using digital image correlation (DIC). 

Bendability has become a crucial property as the automotive industry sees increased use of advanced high strength steels (AHSS) and aluminum alloys in sheet metal structural parts for light-weighting and crashworthiness. The bending strains and fracture models are needed to predict the material’s failure accurately during a crash. Conventional VDA bend test tools are limited to obtain the bending strains and angles without a real-time strain measurement tool. Therefore, EWI’s VDA bend test tool uses DIC to measure the bending strains and angle during the tight bend as seen in the figure here.

The bending strains and angle captured with DIC during the test can then be implemented into the fracture model for simulation engineers to more accurately predict the material’s crash performance.

The deliverables for EWI’s VDA Bend test include load-displacement data, bending angle measurements using DIC and analytical methods, major and minor strains during the test. If you are interested in learning more about EWI’s VDA Bend test capabilities, please contact Hyunok Kim ([email protected]) or Laura Zoller ([email protected]).

The post VDA Bending with Digital Image Correlation (DIC) appeared first on EWI.

By Henry Cialone
President & CEO, EWI

As COVID-19 ravages the United States and Ohio, the tremendous impact on our physical health and well-being has quickly become clear. But the impact on our economy, supply chain and labor workforce will be debated for years to come. If we want to weather this storm and future pandemics, it’s time for a  “Manhattan Project” type of effort that pulls together government and industry leaders in support of reshoring business and retraining American workers in advanced manufacturing….
Read the full article in Crain’s Cleveland Business

The post Reshore businesses now in order to prepare for next crisis appeared first on EWI.

EWI is pleased to welcome Toyota Motor North America, Inc. to our membership. The company, a subsidiary of the multinational automotive manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation, operates throughout the United States.

The post Toyota Motor North America is New EWI Member appeared first on EWI.

Continuous process innovation and improvement are critical to the success of any manufacturing organization. Companies must be open to adjusting their internal operations in response to new technologies, shifts in consumer demand, changes in the economy, and other external forces. In fact, the smartest manufacturers view these disruptions as opportunity catalysts and maintain plans to address evolving circumstances and new situations when they arise.

To help companies establish improvement strategies and prepare for inevitable change in the marketplace, EWI is presenting a new Strategic Manufacturing Planning Webinar Series starting in May 2020. The 45-minute sessions will be led by Dominic Myers, EWI Innovation Advisory Director, and will be followed by a Q&A period.

The first event in this free series, “Intentional Improvement for Impact,” will be held on May 20, 2020, from 1:00-2:00 EST. This webinar will focus on:

• Identifying your biggest manufacturing challenge
  and ways to overcome it
• Measuring value in manufacturing
• Maximizing your company’s profit
• New ways to view your operation to its overall
  value

There is no cost to attend the webinar, but registration is required. To sign up, click the button below.

Future topics in the series will include establishing an
improvement plan, challenges and pitfalls in making internal change, best
practices for moving forward, and support for implementation. For more
information on the EWI Strategic Manufacturing Planning series, contact Dominic
Myers at [email protected].

The post EWI presents Strategic Manufacturing Planning Webinar Series appeared first on EWI.

To view the paper, please submit the form above.

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To speak to an EWI expert about a project, call on 614.688.5161 or click here.

The post New Material Options for Space Launch Vehicle Production appeared first on EWI.

In past years, efforts to adopt electric technologies in transportation manufacturing have been focused on the automotive sector. Today, however, industries including aerospace, shipbuilding, and commercial trucking are incorporating electromobility innovations to create products with lower emissions and greater energy efficiency than their traditional alternatives.

E-mobility solutions offer attractive benefits, but there are challenges to overcome as well. How reliable are electronic systems? How safe? What do we need to do to extend battery power and life? Which materials work best? And where can we turn for expertise in developing e-mobility options for manufacturing?

EWI is pleased to offer a new guide, Challenges and Opportunities in Electromobility, which can be downloaded free of charge. The guide provides an overview of this growing field and examines obstacles faced by manufacturers adopting e-technologies.

To download Challenges and Opportunities in Electromobility, click here.

The post EWI Offers New E-mobility Guide appeared first on EWI.

To view the paper, please submit the form above.

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To learn more about EWI's work in plastic welding, click here.

The post A New Approach to Modeling Heat Generation in Plastic Welding appeared first on EWI.

We are pleased to introduce new EWI member, Markin Tubing. The internationally recognized company, based in Western New York, manufactures small-diameter steel tubing for an array of applications.

The post Markin Tubing is New to EWI Membership appeared first on EWI.