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The post 2013 NSF Workshop on Nano and Micro Manufacturing appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post The Printed House is Only the Beginning appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The Manufacturing Institute has partnering with Deloitte, University of Phoenix, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers on the STEP Ahead initiative (women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Production). The STEP Ahead initiative was launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through Recognition, Research, and Education/Leadership.

Kellie Johnson, President of ACE Clearwater Enterprises, was recently honored for making significant achievements in manufacturing through positive impact on her company and the industry as a whole. 

“Manufacturing fulfills me on so many levels. I’ve had the opportunity to continue my family legacy as a third generation manufacturer servicing the aerospace industry where the US remains a global leader. I am proud to offer amazing career paths to the women and men who are the American workforce.”

Full Article

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The post Michigan Manufacturing to Get a Boost- Update with Jon Riley appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Last night Michigan’s Governor, Rick Snyder announced his support for autonomous vehicle licensing in the state. NCMS has been working with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to help the Midwest seize the lead in the development and deployment of robotic and autonomous vehicle technology.

The meeting between MDOT officials and NCMS Robotics Strategic Interest Group members at our October meeting helped to make this announcement possible. We are continuing to work with State officials as this proposed legislation moves towards adoption.

We have also invited the Governor speak at 2013 Michigan Robotics Day, that we are planning with the University of Michigan to be held on April 15 at the Jack Roth Club at Michigan Stadium. The agenda will include a full program of keynotes, ground and aerial demonstrations, a job fair, and an Unconference component to allow participants to suggest discussion topics. Pre-Register now for this great event!

If you are interested in joining NCMS to be a part of the Robotics SIG please contact me.

Phil Callihan
philc@ncms.org (734) 995-2046
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences

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The “Intermittent Fault Detection & Isolation System (IFDIS) – Expanding Role within the DoD Maintenance Enterprise” presented by Universal Synaptics was voted the Winner of the 2012 “Great Ideas” Competition.

This is the second “Great Ideas” win for Universal Synaptics and the IFDIS. The first win came in 2010, that presentation focused on the innovative and advanced technology contained in the IFDIS and an initial United States Air Force (USAF) case study that produced a 25 times return on investment and tripled the reliability of F-16 Radar components.

The IFDIS has now successfully demonstrated its effectiveness on 31 different case studies, the 2012 winning presentation focused on the expansion of the IFDIS across the Department of Defense and highlighted a few of those success stories.

The forward movement within the Department of Defense and selection of IFDIS as a two-time “Great Ideas” Winner speaks to the hardworking and dedicated individuals at Ogden Air Logistics Complex (OO-ALC), Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRC SW), Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRC SE), the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) Program, Universal Synaptics and Total Quality Systems (TQS).

For additional information on the Intermittent Fault Detection & Isolation System (IFDIS) please visit www.USynaptics.com today.

The post NCMS Partner Company Universal Synaptics Voted as the Winner of the 2012 “Great Ideas” Competition at the Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

PARC, a Xerox company, is in the business of Breakthroughs. Practicing open innovation, they provide custom R&D services, technology, expertise, best practices and intellectual property to Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, start-ups and government agencies and partners.

http://www.parc.com/

The post New NCMS Member- PARC, a Xerox Company appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS, GE and MEDC Partner to Bring Advanced Modeling & Simulation to Manufacturers

• Partnership between National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, GE, and Michigan Economic Development Corporation will provide small- and mid-size manufacturers access to critical tools.
• Inaugural center promoting advanced digital manufacturing to open in Michigan in early 2013.
• Additional centers, connected by a collaborative national innovation network, to follow across the nation.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – November 13, 2012 – The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) announced today that it has partnered with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to establish the first innovation center in a national grid that will accelerate manufacturing in Michigan and across the country by providing easy access to digital modeling and simulation tools for businesses.

GE’s AMSTC in Van Buren Township, MI

GE’s Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center, located outside of Detroit, will host the first NCMS Predictive Innovation Center (PIC). Through this effort, Michigan companies will forge a path to increased global competitiveness, by providing manufacturers with a virtualized approach to building that combines high performance modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A), data mining tools, and the digitization of processes to optimize speed, reliability, and efficiency.

“When you talk about creating jobs and growing the economy in Michigan, these are the kind of long-range opportunities that will really make a difference,” said Rick Jarman, president & CEO of NCMS. “With the help of this center, small- and mid-size manufacturers will be able to deliver solutions faster, and expand their supplier reach to large companies. It is incredible to imagine the hundreds of small companies in Michigan that will have the potential to grow as a result of this premier facility.”

Steve Reagan of L&L Products, Inc. (Left) with Chris Fick, NCMS (Right)

“Michigan manufacturers – and the talented workers they employ – help make our state a global center of innovation,” Michigan Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Michael A. Finney said. “We are proud to support efforts like this that cement our manufacturing dominance and help our businesses compete, grow, and create new jobs.”

MEDC has provided a grant for the creation of the center, which is matched with industry support from NCMS members. The premier center will be open to the public in the first quarter of 2013.

About NCMS:

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.  For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

NCMS rolled out its plan to revitalize American manufacturing in 2011, forming the Digital Manufacturing Strategic Interest Group (DM SIG), a collaboration of hardware and software providers, industry, and academia, collectively advising development of a national grid for manufacturers, a physical and virtual collaborative environment to drive adoption of essential 21^st century tools. For more information on NCMS’ digital manufacturing initiative please visit http://www.ncms.org/index.php/programs/digital-manufacturing-initiative/.

About GE:
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ge.com.

VIDEO:  “A Sign of Goodness”

Produced by The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences

The post Michigan Announces Innovation Center to Accelerate Manufacturing Across State appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Equipois is dedicated to the mission of utilizing its patented exoskeletal arm technology to reduce injuries, increase productivity, and decrease costs in the workplace. Their proprietary technology enables and enhances the most versatile tools in existence – human hands guided by the human mind. The goal: eliminating the costly and widespread injuries caused by exertion, repetition and strain.

http://www.equipoisinc.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Equipois, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- October 2012- Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Terascala storage appliances accelerate data throughput in big data, high performance enterprise computing environments. Terascala delivers over tens of GBs of aggregate read/write throughput to solve the 1GB/second bottleneck that is common with existing NFS-based storage solutions. Available from Dell, NetApp and EMC, Terascala appliances work alongside primary storage systems to provide on-demand fast data storage for problematic big data/fast data applications.

http://www.terascala.com/

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The post 3D(RM): Is Additive Manufacturing Going the Way of the Recording Industry? appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Funds will allow partner recipients to identify and connect small-to-medium manufacturing firms that can support lower-volume, rapid-production, highly custom projects. For example, companies will be better poised to help entrepreneurial firms that develop new concepts to produce prototypes using high performance advanced modeling and simulation tools as well as initial runs of those products without necessarily going into high-volume production.

“Michigan is home to a wealth of innovation and manufacturers, as well as the support and infrastructure required for these types of initiatives to succeed,” said Rick Jarman, NCMS President & CEO, “small and medium manufacturers in Michigan need access to advanced tools and training in order to grow and succeed in today’s market; this collaboration will elevate manufacturers in the state, ensuring their global competitiveness.”

Partners will work with companies to develop their capacity to accommodate and promote contract manufacturing jobs, arrange partnerships to bid and work on such opportunities, and train workers in custom manufacturing processes, including rapid machine set-up, prototyping, and related skill sets.

Mike Finney, President & CEO of Michigan Economic Development Corporation added, “Manufacturers throughout Southeast Michigan are well-positioned to compete in this space. We can fuel innovation by teaching new processes and opening the door to new markets.”

In addition to the federal funds, the state of Michigan will provide $500,000 through the MI Match program. Other key supporting partners include the members of the Business Accelerator Network of SE Michigan (BANSEM), University of Michigan, and Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

The Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge for Advanced Manufacturing is funded by five federal agencies: Economic Development Administration, Employment & Training Administration, Small Business Administration, Department of Energy, and National Institute of Science & Technology.

###

Media Contact:

Alissa Roath
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS)
(734)995-3457
alissar@ncms.org

NCMS The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector. For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org.

WIN is a collaborative effort between eight community colleges, seven Michigan Works! Agencies, and various other academic, economic development, and other partners. Its mission is to help Southeast Michigan businesses find the talent they need for success. WIN accomplishes this using labor market intelligence, providing custom solutions for employers, and promoting innovative policy and practice. For more information on WIN visit http://www.win-semich.org.

Detroit Regional Chamber’s Connection Point With over 20,000 members and affiliates, that employ over three-quarters of a million workers, the Detroit Regional Chamber is one of the largest chambers of commerce in the country. As part of the Chamber’s economic development portfolio, Connection Point links Michigan companies to global and local purchasers in new markets. Connection Point uncovers and develops procurement and R&D opportunities that diversify the customer bases of Michigan companies and creates sustained economic growth. The Connection Point program is funded by a grant through the Economic Development Administration, which operates as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC) is an affiliate of the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. MMTC’s focus is on business development, cost reduction, and quality improvement in manufacturing companies with fewer than 500 employees, with an emphasis on those with 20-249 – large enough to need effective, repeatable processes but too small to be well-served by the for-profit consulting sector. Each year, MMTC helps 200-300 Michigan manufacturers through training, consulting, and management mentoring. The MMTC is funded by NIST MEP, the MEDC, and its industry clients.

MEDC The Michigan Economic Development Corporation markets the state with a focus on business, talent, jobs and helping to grow the economy. For more on MEDC and its initiatives, visit: http://MichiganAdvantage.org.

The post Talent partners awarded $2.19 million federal grant to grow regional contract manufacturing base in Southeast Michigan appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Tactical Edge helps organizations cost-effectively design, develop and deploy complex CD/C41 and enterprise information management systems. They couple industry best practices with emergent, open source, proven technologies to meet the ever evolving needs of the Warfighter.

http://www.tacticaledge.us

The post New NCMS Member- Tactical Edge, LLC appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Siemens PLM Software is a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software. Their PLM solutions help customers make smarter decisions that lead to better products and processes.

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/

The post New NCMS Member- Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

One Network provides planning, execution and business intelligence applications build on a federated cloud computing platform.

http://www.onenetwork.com/

The post New NCMS Member- One Network Enterprises, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- September 2012- Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Troika is a veteran-owned small business with over 90-years of senior Marine Corps and DoD experience. Troika has been on the cutting edge of military system lifecycle management including requirements development, logistics and acquisition strategy analysis and implementation, and system fielding. From analyses to subject matter expert support, Troika combines strategy with an understanding of technology and innovation to deliver successful results.

http://www.troikasol.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Troika Solutions, LLC appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Tracen is a technology products and services company specializing in integrated mobile and web technology solutions. Tracen’s flagship product, COMMANDmobile®, is a web based integrated product suite featuring mobile data collection, intelligent dispatching and role based security.

http://www.tracen.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Tracen Technologies, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Presented by:

Come and learn how your company can partner with Energy Star to drive energy savings and reduce costs!

Objective: Promote industrial energy efficiency with partnerships and resources. Learn what resources are available in Michigan that can help your company save energy and improve competitiveness.

Target Audience:Corporate Energy Managers, Facility Managers, Sustainability Directors, Operations Managers and Energy Engineers.

Space is limited, Register Now!

About AIAG
Established in 1982, AIAG is a not-for-profit association where professionals from a diverse group of stakeholders – including retailers, suppliers of all sizes, automakers, manufacturers, service providers, academia, and government – work collaboratively to streamline industry processes via global standards development & harmonized business practices.

The post EPA Energy Star Networking Event – Michigan October 9, 2012 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post Sequestration and the Impact on Defense, Manufacturing, the Economy and Jobs appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post Robots Don’t Get Carpal Tunnel- Researchers Create Low Cost Robotic Hands appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

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The post Strayed in America- Made in a America is Good, Making a Great Product in America is Even Better appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

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A management consulting firm providing unique, creative and innovative products to both the government and commercial sectors.

http://wbbinc.com

The post New NCMS Member- Whitney, Bradley & Brown, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

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The post NCMS at a Glance- July 2012- Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

KALO, LLC is a DoD marketing & technical consulting company that provides subject matter expertise in laboratory projects, contracting, program management, logistics support, requirements generation, ITAR, SOCOM, G-2 ISR, etc.

The post New NCMS Member- KALO, LLC appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

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MacroUSA Corp. specializes in Unmanned Systems, MOUT Systems, and Safety, Surveillance and Inspection Systems with a vision to approach each project with creativity, revolutionary designs and cutting edge engineering. With efforts aimed at creating superior, more compact, and cost effective products than what is currently available.

http://www.macrousa.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Macro USA Corporation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

ATI is a full service product development firm offering engineering, design, analysis, testing and manufacturing services. Specializing in weight optimized engineered solutions in an effort to help customers integrate their innovations into cost effective manufacturable products.

http://atiintegration.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Applied Technology Integration, Inc. (ATI) appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

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Helping customers achieve research and development goals and solve challenging technological problems has been the focus of the University of Dayton Research Institute since its inception more than 50 years ago.

http://www.udri.udayton.edu

The post New NCMS Member- University of Dayton Research Institute appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Offered by:

Ohio State University
Ohio Manufacturing Institute
Ohio Supercomputer Center

Course Details:

This new 6-week online course will offer students a unique learning opportunity through combination of lectures, demonstrations and hands-on design assignments utilizing CATIA v6. Training modules include part design, part geometrics, drawings and drafting, generative shape design and assembly design.

Course Instructor(s):
Dr. Lisa Abrams, OSU Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty
Miriam Simon, OSU PhD Student, Engineering Education

Course Dates and Registraton:
July 9, 2012—August 18, 2012
Registration online beginning May 9
To Register: http://www.regonline.com/CATIA

Course Fees:
Early Bird Registration (May 9—June 9) $1250
Registration after June 9 $1500

System Requirements:
Broadband network connection (e.g. cable modem, DSL, T-1 line)
A PC capable of running WinXP or newer, or
A MAC capable of running Mac OS X 10.5 or newer

Questions:
For more information or questions, contact Kristina Kennedy
kennedy.443@osu.edu or 614-688-4116

The post New Manufacturing Short Course- Surface Modeling and Design appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

QinetiQ North America delivers innovative solutions to support defense, security and intelligence organizations and to support federal civilian agencies.

http://www.qinetiq-na.com/

The post New NCMS Member- QinetiQ North America appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The University of Alabama (UA) is a comprehensive research university offering bachelors, master’s and doctoral degrees in 13 different colleges.

http://www.ua.edu/

The post New NCMS Member- The University of Alabama appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- May 2012- Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

ANN ARBOR, MI – May 24, 2012 – The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences announced today that it has completed a six-year, $3.3M collaborative program under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), known as The Sustainable Product Initiative (SPI). The tools developed by NCMS and its partners during this highly successful program utilizing leading-edge life cycle thinking methodologies will be presented during a Sustainable Design and Manufacturing Roundtable on June 12th, 2012.

These new online tools, databases and guides for enhanced supply-chain collaboration will greatly improve the sustainability of manufactured products by standardizing environmental impact analyses across supply-chains, limiting the consumption of finite resources, lowering carbon intensity and instilling stewardship for the planet’s ecosystems.

For over 25-years, NCMS has led many successful collaborations focusing on the environment and sustainability. Recently, NCMS launched its 11th Compliance Assistance Center (CAC), a program funded by the EPA. These online centers provide easy-to-read and understand pollution prevention and environmental regulatory compliance information and tools for several industry sectors.

NCMS will outline the many tools available to corporate stakeholders at a roundtable event on June 12th at NCMS headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI. This free event includes keynotes by Dr. David Cole, Chairman Emeritus, Center for Automotive Research (CAR) and co-founder of AutoHarvest as well as John Viera, Executive Director of Sustainability for Ford Motor Company.

Panels will discuss topics such as Building Sustainability into Product Designs, Challenges in Materials & Coatings Sustainability, Knowing Your Customer’s Sustainability Needs and How Collaboration Can Help Companies Overcome their Sustainability Challenges.

Full agenda, registration and more.

The post NCMS to Present Advanced Tools for Sustainable Design and Manufacturing at Roundtable Event appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

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The post Sustainable Design & Manufacturing Roundtable Update appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

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An American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, OH who manufacturers a wide range of consumer goods.

http://www.pg.com

The post New NCMS Member- The Procter & Gamble Company appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Manufacturer of metal, hydraulic, mechanical components and assemblies with capabilities to reverse engineer component parts, assemblies and complete vehicle systems. Also a custom manufacturer of prototype components, assemblies, tooling and machinery.

http://onoditool.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Onodi Tool and Engineering Company appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

A global supplier of environmental test systems.

http://www.russells-tech.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Russells Technical Products, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NDIA Manufacturing Division Quarterly Meeting- May 22-24 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

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April 2012

Welcome to The CTMA Connector, a monthly newsletter designed to provide news and ideas about the Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program. The CTMA program is a joint Department of Defense/National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (DoD/NCMS) effort promoting collaborative technology development between industry and the DoD maintenance and repair facilities. This newsletter highlights ongoing projects, serves as a forum for promoting new project ideas, and provides other news of interest to the program. Our goal is to stimulate your participation and solicit your input. Feel free to submit items for the newsletter as well as any suggestions to make it more useful. More information about the program can be found at http://ctma.ncms.org/. To subscribe or unsubscribe to the CTMA Connector, send a message to:

listserv@listserv.ncms.org with “subscribe CTMANewsletter” or “unsubscribe CTMANewsletter” in the message body.

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Following the 2012 CTMA Symposium, we announce the following Project Opportunities:

Product Life Cycle Management for Aircraft Sustainment and Support

The purpose of the project is to support the Sustainment Technologies for Aircraft Depot Maintenance configuration management of 3D design models for all modern aircraft and to leverage design re-use capabilities to reduce costs. In the current depot environment, engineering and production information is often insufficiently managed, and does not always incorporate knowledge of the true state of manufacturing or repair requirements. This state provides faulty baselines based on infeasible plans and, therefore, schedules, and provides skewed estimates of the resource requirements necessary to complete a given workload. With a Digital/Virtual Depot one can reduce cycle-times by using proven re-usable process for all maintenance and repair, along with simulating those work flow activities to optimize through-put. This would include resource models of shop layouts, equipment and capabilities of all Fleet Readiness Center facilities.

Based on the following reasons FRC SW was chosen for this project on behalf of the entire FRC
Command community:

• FRC SW extensive efforts in support of critical F/A-18 life extension efforts which
  involves elaborate repair design and manufacture of complex CNC parts.
• FRC SW extensive investment already made in Advanced Measurement Systems and
  Reverse Engineering Lab environment and connected to RDT&E.
• FRC SW development and utilization of the 3MS process for creating validated 3D
  models from 2D blueprints for local manufactured items.

The explicit goal is to use this investment to leverage best practices and replicate a PLM Enterprise roll out later for all FRC’s and NAVAIR.

Interested participants should contact Dana Ellis, danae@ncms.org, (360)782-1370.

 

Achieving Optimal Test Application Migration

Depot repair activities throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) are dealing with the
obsolescence of automated test equipment on a mammoth scale. A large percentage of existing test hardware used to diagnose, repair and resupply failed weapons system components is in need of replacement due to inability to support and repair the test equipment itself. An even larger problem encountered with addressing the test hardware obsolescence is the need to retain the Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) that is already sunk cost in test application software that resides on the obsolete equipment. The cost related to the NRE is orders of magnitude more than the test hardware itself and offers ample opportunities where technology can be injected to mitigate those related costs.  Strategies for moving the existing test applications range from brute force application rewrites to attempting to use the same languages on the modern test platforms. All the strategies suffer from various test system nuances that have plagued the test industry for years, most of which are caused by the wide variance in computer to instrumentation communication and control scenarios that proliferate with provider and feature differentiation. Technologies that can provide a bridge from applications that are essentially locked to legacy hardware over to modern systems, using automated strategies, would provide cost savings in excess of the platform replacement costs themselves.

This project includes the injection of 2 more technological advancements to the ConVEx toolset. First a legacy to modern test resource pre-allocator functionality and second an automated straight wire Interface Test Adapter designer. With the deployment of ConVEx in several depot environments, there has been ongoing analysis as to where further efficiencies can be accomplished to better automate the ConVEx legacy to modern test application retarget process. The analysis is showing that a predominant amount of the ConVEx practitioner’s time is spent in a process referred to as allocation. Two kinds of allocation are accomplished in transferring legacy applications to modern systems. They are resource allocation and path allocation. Resource allocation is the process of assigning appropriate instrument capability that can accomplish each signal functionality required in a test definition. Path allocation is the process of defining the wires and switches in the test station and test adapter that are to provide the connections from the test station resources to the UUT connection locations that are specified in the test definition. It should be clear that the 2 types of allocation are somewhat mutually dependent. For instance if a resource that can do a certain job is allocated and it is found that a path to the UUT cannot be provided from that resource then a different resource might need to be allocated. So the automated allocation process is iterative between resource and path allocation in the current implementation. Current data shows that for typically complex test applications, ConVEx practitioners can produce new test applications from legacy applications for their new test platform targets in 6 to 8 man weeks. This is a striking difference from a typical test application rewrite that could take anywhere from 6 to 12 man months. The goal for the new technology insertion would be to reduce the transition process further down to 3 to 5 man weeks, which is roughly a 40% to 50% decrease from current nonrecurring engineering costs when ConVEx is used. Using very conservative  figures this means approximately $50,000 in savings per test application. Depending upon the station and systems being transitioned there could be hundreds or thousands of test applications that are eventually transferred. That would mean overall cost savings from 10 to 100 million dollars that could be further mitigated when the technologies are implemented.

Interested participants should contact Jeff Walker, Jeffw@ncms.org  (360)782-1370.

 

Engine Reliability Data Error and Cost Reductions Through IUID Technology

The USAF T56 engine Program Office has implemented Workscope Optimizing Tools since 2006. These tools recommend optimal repair workscopes based on the underlying reliability and cost of repair options. The success of the program in improving T56 reliability has been directly tied tothe quantity and quality of data collected at the depot and in the field through the use of the Maintenance In-Depth Maintenance Data Collection System (MIDCS) database within the USAF’s Data Repository Center (DRC). Valid reliability data has allowed for proper workscoping at the component level to optimize costs within each workscope.

The benefits from this implementation have been substantial. The USAF has enjoyed a 25% reliability improvement through the use of the workscoping tool. The development of Workscope Optimization Tools is data-intensive. Indeed, the removal times and observed failure modes of numerous engine parts must be manually collected, not only at the depot, but also at Intermediate Repair sites. Manual data collection creates two significant problems. First, it introduces error through the incorrect recordings that are transcribed and entered into government systems. Secondly, it is expensive. Not only are serial numbers written down, but they are subsequently key-punched into databases. The burden this places on field units is substantial and consequently, requests to track additional engine parts are often rejected by the field simply because the data recording process is so labor-intensive.

Under this project, the collection of engine component reliability data through IUID means will be piloted. Specifically, this project will:

• Pilot, and if necessary, simulate the use of IUID on engine parts to support the Workscope Optimization Tool development process.
• Measure the time savings associated with the use of IUID vs manual collection of engine data.
• Measure and compare the error rates of manually and IUID collected data sets. In this regard, the project will refer to previous work that baselined the errors in the reliability data sets.
• If appropriate, build a business case for the widespread adoption of IUID as a way to improve data quality and reduce the cost of data collection.
• This will be accomplished on engines that are using the workscoping tools currently within the AMC and AFSOC commands.
• IUID data will be downloaded directly into the USAF’s reliability MIDCS data base at each event. This will prevent the need for USAF personnel to document the component details at each removal event.

This process will set the path for tracking components relevant to engine reliability and cost without burdening maintainers resulting in further cost savings from current implementation efforts. The developed program may also be implemented by other engine programs to further improve their reliability data for subsequent analysis.

Interested participants should contact Debbie Lilu, debral@ncms.org, 734-995-7038.

 

DoD Airframe and Engine Fastener Removal – e-drill Cost Reduction and Process Improvement (e-CRPI)

Aerospace fastener removal is a labor-intensive process with high damage rates. The e-drill is an alternative to the standard mechanical drilling process. Low productivity, high damage rates, repetitive motion injuries, and the FOD associated with thousands of drill shards were common and accepted. E-drill technology dramatically improves aerospace fastener removal operations.

This project will produce a standard e-drill fastener removal specification package consisting of qualification test processes, test facilities, training specifications and training qualification tests, across all DoD aerospace platforms, including supervisor and operator training, field testing, and implementation support at seven major facilities including three Navy Fleet Readiness Centers (SW, E, S), all three Air Force Air Logistics Centers, and the Corpus Christi Army Depot.

By targeting e-drill testing on the fasteners with the highest removal cost (labor, consumables, damage, and ergonomics) while factoring in quantity of removals, the project will deliver the following benefits:

1. 50% reduction in labor costs on the targeted applications.
2. 75% reduction in airframe damage-related costs, which include MRB costs and replacement of parts that are damaged beyond repair from mechanical drilling of fasteners.
3. Reduced ergonomic risk factors when compared to conventional fastener removal methods including force, posture, vibration, repetition, compression, duration, and noise.
4. Reduced FOD – the only FOD left by the e-drill is the fastener head and stem – the metal that is removed from the fastener during the e-drill process is captured within a closed loop vacuum, filtered, and recycled through the system.
5. Reduced Cycle Time and Improved Material Readiness – by speeding up the fastener removal

Interested participants should contact Bill Chenevert, billc@ncms.org, 734-995-7989.

Intermittent Fault Detection & Isolation System (IFDIS)

The Intermittent Fault Detection & Isolation System (IFDIS) is a tester that was specifically designed to fill the conventional ONE circuit at a time testing void. The IFDIS tests the LRU / WRA chassis wiring and identifies the precise location of each defect by monitoring ALL of the circuits in the Unit Under Test (UUT) individually, simultaneously and continuously (no scanning, sampling or multiplexing), detecting any intermittent event even as short at 50 nanoseconds (0.00000005 seconds). This quantum leap in test technology enables the chassis wiring problems to be easily repaired, as the root cause of the fault that drove the equipment item in for repair is accurately identified and isolated. Repairing the defect is usually trivial; finding the defect has always been, and continues to be, the problem. The proposed project is demonstrating that the IFDIS will efficiently and reliably detect and isolate the intermittent faults in the F-16 Weapon System Night Vision Data Transfer Unit (NVDTU). This will be accomplished by developing the needed hardware and software to continuously and simultaneously monitor ALL circuit paths in this Line Replaceable Unit chassis using the IFDIS, to detect and isolate to their precise location each intermittent circuit.

This project will demonstrate that by using the IFDIS, the intermittent faults in the NVDTU can be detected, isolated and repaired. As a result, the reliability of the NVDTU will be substantially increased, the cost of maintaining the NVDTU will be reduced, and currently “unrepairable” NVDTUs will be repaired. Additionally, the time required to repair NVDTUs will be reduced (based on experience with other IFDIS tested LRUs). Utilizing the limited IFDIS capability at OO-ALC to test the MLPRF has already yielded an 18 times return on investment by returning to service MLPRFs that had previously been considered “unrepairable,” and by more than doubling the MLPRF reliability.

One of the deliverables for this project is a testing specification for detecting intermittent faults.

Interested participants should contact Dana Ellis, danae@ncms.org, (360)782-1370.

 

Multibeam Laser Additive Manufacturing for Efficient Part Manufacture and Repair

The project team proposes the development of Multiple Beam Laser Additive Manufacturing technology to address the shortfalls of today’s technology and to significantly broaden the applicability in DoD’s maintenance tasks. Multibeam LAM deploys several low power beams, each precisely controllable and with a minimum heat input thus enabling high precision, fine features and excellent surface finish. The single beams either work in parallel to scale productivity without sacrificing precision or are superposed in a single spot creating material and application specific tailored heat profiles that will significantly expand the applicable material spectrum. Precise control of the heat cycle during material deposition will allow processing a wide spectrum of high-strength steels and super alloys used in jet engines and gas turbines and will also be advantageous for the deposition of gradient materials.

The innovative thrust areas of the proposed solution are:

• -High productivity, high precision LAM through the use of multiple medium power lasers
• Deposition of challenging materials, such as super alloys or gradient materials through optimized pre- and post heating by tailored spot geometries
• Real time process monitoring for consistent quality
• Easy to use, low cost system enabled by compact, low cost diode lasers integrated with the nozzle in a compact end effector.

Interested participants should contact Bill Chenevert, billc@ncms.org, 734-995-7989.

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We appreciate your feedback. Please contact Chuck Ryan with suggestions or input on other topics that would be of interest to you in this newsletter. The CTMA Program is sponsored by the Department of Defense; the content of this newsletter does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the government; no official endorsement should be inferred.

© 2012

The post CTMA Connector for April 2012 DOD Maintenance Update appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- April 2012- Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

www.cwst.com

The post New NCMS Member- Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

12►

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The post Digital Manufacturing: Economic Windfall appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Autodesk is a world leader in 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software.

http://www.autodesk.com

The post New NCMS Member- Autodesk, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Regulated Electric and Natural Gas Public Utility with Distribution in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula Counties.

http://www.consumersenergy.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Consumers Energy Company appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

A manufacturer of EDM tooling.

http://www.ppedm.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Perfect Point, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Robotics Luminaries from Around the State Converge on U of M to Promote Michigan as a Global Leader in Robotics and Autonomous Vehicles

ANN ARBOR, MI – March 28, 2012. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), in partnership with the University of Michigan, will host the Second Annual Michigan Robotics Day on Monday, April 9, 2012.

This event is open to anyone who wants to learn about the incredible advances made by Michigan’s robotics technology sector with a strong emphasis on companies who would like to do business in Michigan. The event also highlights Michigan’s  vibrant science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) community and its outstanding  research universities. Robotics industry experts will meet with University researchers and students to promote the State as a global force in robotics and autonomous vehicles.

“Michigan is positioned to lead the world in robotics innovation,” said NCMS President & CEO Rick Jarman.  “Consider the massive talent and infrastructure that already exists here in the state. Design and deployment of robotics technology will ultimately depend on advanced manufacturing – exactly the kind of capability in which Michigan companies excel.”

Content Providers

The daylong event will highlight the promise of robotics in Michigan, and confirm the field as an economic development engine for the State. The highlight of the event will be a keynote by Professor Lawrence Burns, a noted expert on next generation vehicle technology, including autonomous vehicles, transportation energy, and connected vehicles. Professor Burns is working with Google’s autonomous vehicle project and formerly served as Vice President of R&D for General Motors.

The day will include demonstrations of autonomous vehicles from leading automakers, robots from many state research institutions, and FIRST high school robotics teams demonstrating the next generation’s commitment to the technology. Student teams will have the chance to meet leaders in the robotics world, garner feedback for their work, and begin networking within the industry.

“Robotics represents a cradle-to-career opportunity for Michigan students,” said Phil Callihan, an Executive Director at NCMS. “They can start in high school, competing with FIRST robotics teams, do cutting edge research at our universities, and then work at Michigan companies who are global leaders in their field. This is an opportunity for long-term job growth, innovation, and success.”

Promotional Partners

The event takes place on April 9, 2012, starting at 9:00 a.m. Attendance is free and the public is welcome, with lunch provided for those who register by April 2. Registration, agenda and speaker bios for this event are available at:

http://www.mirobotics.org

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March 21, 2012

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) which calls for a team that will modify the integration interfaces of a set of micro robot components (manipulator, radio, camera, battery) to conform to IOP V0 for the purpose of further validating that specification.

View Component Interoperability for the Micro Robot Weight Class RFP
Download supporting documents

For more information, please contact:

Tony Haynes
tonyh@ncms.org
(734) 995-4930

The post RFP Announcement – Component Interoperability for the Micro Robot Weight Class appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

March 21, 2012

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of a common Tactical Robot Control (TRC) System Architecture within the Interoperability (IOP) standards established by the Robotic Systems Joint Program Office (RS JPO). This will be accomplished building upon Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) efforts with consortium partners combining to provide synergistic expertise to develop the required architecture and data package. The project is not intended to be a ground up build of components, but rather the development of architectural design and interface requirements for a Tactical Robotic Controller building upon controller design initiated by the MCWL. For elements for which the existing IOP V0 or MCWL defined Interface Control Documents (ICDs) are insufficient for ensuring interoperability, new interoperability interface requirements will be developed for incorporation into IOP V1.

View Tactical Robot Control RFP
Download supporting documents

For more information, please contact:

Tony Haynes
tonyh@ncms.org
(734) 995-4930

The post RFP Announcement – Tactical Robot Control System Architecture appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post What can manufacturers do with a supercomputer? Quite a *bit* appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

A leading worldwide manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets.

http://www.parker.com

The post New NCMS Member- Parker-Hannifin Corporation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post President Obama’s National Network for Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

A global supplier of systems and services to the aerospace, defense and homeland security markets with annual revenues of over $7B.

http://www.goodrich.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Goodrich Corporation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that performs applied research & development under contract to government and industry. Each research center is partnered with a major university in the USA and research focus is primarily on lasers, energy systems, diamond research, vaccines, automation and software.

http://www.fraunhofer.org/

The post New NCMS Member- Fraunhofer USA, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- February 2012 Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

February 2012

Welcome to The CTMA Connector, a monthly newsletter designed to provide news and ideas about the Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program. The CTMA program is a joint Department of Defense/National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (DoD/NCMS) effort promoting collaborative technology development between industry and the DoD maintenance and repair facilities. This newsletter highlights ongoing projects, serves as a forum for promoting new project ideas, and provides other news of interest to the program. Our goal is to stimulate your participation and solicit your input. Feel free to submit items for the newsletter as well as any suggestions to make it more useful. More information about the program can be found at http://ctma.ncms.org/. To subscribe or unsubscribe to the CTMA Connector, send a message to:

listserv@listserv.ncms.org with “subscribe CTMANewsletter” or “unsubscribe CTMANewsletter” in the message body.

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Two Separate Events; Two Networking Opportunities; Two Registrations; One Location

1) CTMA Technology Showcase

NCMS members are invited to participate in a Technology Showcase all day on Monday, March 26th at the Navy Fleet Readiness Center SW (FRC-SW) in the Island Club Dining Room. This is a great opportunity for members to display their technologies to their peers, Government attendees, and the engineers and artisans at FRC-SW. The event begins at 9:00 am (set up beginning at 7:30 a.m.) and goes until 4 p.m.

This opportunity is open to all NCMS members at Community level or higher and the cost is $200 for a tabletop display.  (If you would like to become a NCMS Member, please download the application here.)

These showcase events in the past have received high praises for their ability to target the Government’s technology needs and showcase members’ innovations. It’s an opportunity not to be missed!

Registration and agenda for the Technology Showcase can be found at:

http://www.ncms.org/index.php/programs/ctma/ctma-current/ctma-symposium-2012/technology-showcase/

 

2) 2012 CTMA Showcase March 26-28, Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, Coronado, CA   “Collaborate to Innovate”

Plan to attend the 2012 CTMA Symposium as well.  A feature of this year’s Symposium is a panel discussion involving DoD Program Managers where PM’s from each of the services will review
their overall technology needs with respect to maintaining and upgrading their capabilities, and how the CTMA program is relevant to their issues.  A second panel discussion will include commanding officers from several of the DoD depots discussing their maintenance operations, outline their current technology gaps, and present future technology needs.  The detailed agenda and registration for the 2012 CTMA Symposium can be found at: http://www.ncms.org/index.php/programs/ctma/ctma-current/ctma-symposium-2012/

 

Further questions about either event can be directed to Debbie Lilu, debral@ncms.org, 734-995-7038

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CTMA Program Success Measures:

Recently, we performed a thorough analysis of the CTMA program trying to quantify measures of success for the program.  This analysis showed that the CTMA program is responsible for:

1. Actual cumulative benefits of $343 million to date, with projected cumulative benefits adding up to $7.7 billion through 2020.
2. Overall, 76% of the CTMA projects have been implemented in DoD maintenance operations.  The rate increases to over 95% for projects with direct service funding.
3. Two-thirds of projects initiated in the past 3 years have received additional service funding, showing project relevance and reach into the DoD.
4. 52% of CTMA Projects have addressed reliability issues in weapon systems, with significant improvements to reliability and resultant savings.
5. 49% of CTMA Projects have addressed Cycle Time Reduction. (many address both) Reductions in cycle time range up to orders of magnitude improvements.
6. The number of industry partners has grown 50% in the past 3 years, bringing a wider variety of technology developments to DoD sustainment issues.

 

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We appreciate your feedback. Please contact Chuck Ryan with suggestions or input on other topics that would be of interest to you in this newsletter. The CTMA Program is sponsored by the Department of Defense; the content of this newsletter does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the government; no official endorsement should be inferred.

© 2012

The post CTMA Connector – February 2012 DOD Maintenance appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

February 23, 2012.

This has taken place at a time in U.S. manufacturing when the industry has been under intense pressure from the economic climate and challenge to remain globally competitive. These barriers have delivered less positive disruptive moments, leaving many manufacturers starved for crucial investments in new capital for growth.

Our NCMS charter clearly limits our ability to move beyond the precompetitive space to take the many innovative and game changing collaboration results of our members to market. That is why I am announcing a new cooperation with Corporate Finance Associates (CFA).

CFA has a 50 year history working with companies to bring the required knowledge and capital to make their disruptive moments, positive moments. Their strengths include, but are not limited to, acquisition strategy, capital formation, ownership transfer and mergers and joint ventures, among other innovative structures and strategies.

I encourage you to refer to the following link to our lead CFA contact, Gianpiero (JP) Balestrieri, Managing Partner, Washington, DC office:  http://www.cfaw.com/washington-dc/people/jp-balestrieri.html

Rick Jarman
NCMS President & CEO

The post Dealing with Disruptive- Capital for Manufacturers appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

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Jon joined NCMS in 2009 and has been an integral key to furthering a National strategy to bring digital modeling and simulation tools to the over 300,000 small and medium sized companies in the U.S. who do not have access currently and in doing so, transforming the way America builds. He heads up NCMS’ Digital Manufacturing Strategic Interest Group (DM SIG) which includes members from Microsoft, Intel, ANSYS, ACE Clearwater Enterprises, Ohio Supercomputer Center, Clemson University and Altair – all working to address challenges and steer digital manufacturing tools towards widespread adoption for U.S. manufacturers.

“Jon has been invaluable to NCMS and our digital manufacturing initiative,” said Rick Jarman, President & CEO of NCMS, “his passion around bringing HPC tools to manufacturers of all sizes is palpable, and we are confident U.S. manufacturing will thrive and prosper while his vision continues to become reality.”

Mr. Riley joins an impressive list of luminaries in the spectrum of high performance computing and other advanced technologies on the “People to Watch 2012” list including DM SIG member Steve Reagan of L&L Products, Steve Scott, Nvidia, Mark Seager, Intel and David Ferucci of IBM.

Congratulations to all of the innovative and impressive persons named to this list. The future looks bright for U.S. competitiveness with these luminaries leading the way. To see the full list, visit http://www.hpcwire.com/specialfeatures/people_to_watch_2012

The post Jon Riley Named One of HPCWire’s “People to Watch 2012” appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post East Bound And Down, Loaded Up And Truckin’ Digital Manufacturing for Transportation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- January 2012 Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Manufacturing complex formed and welded assemblies for the aerospace and power generation industries.

http://www.aceclearwater.com/

The post New NCMS Member- ACE Clearwater Enterprises appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

http://www.columbiagroup.com/

The post New NCMS Member- The Columbia Group, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post The State of Manufacturing: President Obama Addresses the Union appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Manufacturing references from President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union Address:

…We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States safer and more respected around the world.  For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq.  For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country.  Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated.  The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.

These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness, and teamwork of America’s Armed Forces.  At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations.  They’re not consumed with personal ambition.  They don’t obsess over their differences.  They focus on the mission at hand.  They work together.

Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example.  Think about the America within our reach:  A country that leads the world in educating its people.  An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs.  A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world.  An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.

…Let’s remember how we got here.  Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores.   Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete.  Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren’t, and personal debt that kept piling up.

…No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits.  Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.

This blueprint begins with American manufacturing.

On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse.  Some even said we should let it die.  With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen.  In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility.  We got workers and automakers to settle their differences.  We got the industry to retool and restructure.  Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number one automaker.  Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company.  Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories.  And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.

We bet on American workers.  We bet on American ingenuity.  And tonight, the American auto industry is back.

What’s happening in Detroit can happen in other industries.  It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh.  We can’t bring back every job that’s left our shores.  But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China.  Meanwhile, America is more productive.  A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home.  Today, for the first time in fifteen years, Master Lock’s unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity.

So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back.  But we have to seize it.  Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple:  Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.

We should start with our tax code.  Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas.  Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world.  It makes no sense, and everyone knows it.

So let’s change it.  First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it.  That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.

Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas.  From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax.  And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here.

Third, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut.  If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making products here.  And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.

My message is simple.  It’s time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America.  Send me these tax reforms, and I’ll sign them right away.

We’re also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world.  Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years.  With the bipartisan trade agreements I signed into law, we are on track to meet that goal – ahead of schedule.  Soon, there will be millions of new customers for American goods in Panama, Colombia, and South Korea.  Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, and Chicago.

I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products.  And I will not stand by when our competitors don’t play by the rules.  We’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration – and it’s made a difference.  Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires.  But we need to do more.  It’s not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated.  It’s not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they’re heavily subsidized.

Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China.  There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders.  And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or new markets like Russia.  Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you – America will always win.

…Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers – places that teach people skills that local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.

…Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy.  So here’s another proposal:  Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings.  Their energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will have less pollution, more manufacturing, and more jobs for construction workers who need them.  Send me a bill that creates these jobs.

The post Manufacturing Featured in State of the Union Address appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The ESR will be a rugged robotic system weighing less than 20 lbs. threshold (T), 15 lbs objective (O), consisting of a robotic operator control interface, a robotic chassis platform with video capability, digital communications/audio relay modules that are adaptable to advanced sensors or mission modules, and the power supply. The ESR should possess Plug-N-Play capabilities with open software architectures allowing different payloads or modules that will enable a trained operator to remotely detect by visual or other sensors, and to confirm, mark, and neutralize Explosive Ordnances (EO). Furthermore, it may also be used for lane proofing and other combat engineer specific tasks, as well as providing support to infantry and military police operations such as urban reconnaissance. In a reconnaissance role, the ESR should detect, locate, identify, and support targeting of enemy forces. Future roles for the ESR will employ modules for other specific tasks as needed such as chemical hazard and contraband detection. The ESR should have a manipulating arm to provide increased capabilities to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) in complex and urban terrain including confined areas and subterranean environments (i.e., buildings, bunkers, tunnels, sewers, caves, culverts, ditches, behind guardrails, and around bridge abutments).

The purpose of this market survey is to solicit feedback from industry and potential offerors in regards to the Engineering Squad Robot (ESR) program.  The Government is drafting cost, schedule and performance requirements for a future formal Request for Proposal (RFP); this market survey is part of the requirements development and program planning effort.  From this market survey, the Government intends to 1)Gauge industry interest in both attending a future industry day and offering future proposals for this program; 2) Understand whether there are any potential commercial products that may meet this requirement and 3) Gain voluntary feedback and analysis from industry to advise the Government on technical feasibility, technology readiness levels, and cost and schedule realism, as well as any other feedback desired by industry, of the draft requirements contained therein.

Interested companies should contact Deborah Hough, the listed Point of Contact for more information. The NCMS Point of Contact is Tony Haynes (734) 995-4930, tonyh@ncms.org.

The post Engineering Squad Robot Market Survey appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

CIARA Technologies provides High Performance Computing hardware and solutions, IT products, OEM services.

http://www.ciaratech.com/

The post New NCMS Member- CIARA Technologies appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS Expands its Board of Directors

ANN ARBOR, MI – January 10, 2012 The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) continues its commitment to enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing, announcing today that five new members have joined its Board of Directors. The NCMS board now includes  Dr. Dianne Chong of The Boeing Company, Mr. Doug Dinon of GE-Global Research, Mr. David Rich of Microsoft, Ms. Anne Tinker of Warner Music Group and Dr. Dawn White of Accio Energy. The newly elected Directors bring to the NCMS Board diverse specialties and areas of expertise, including strategy, finance, human resources, business development and marketing.

“Our Board represent s the critical skill sets needed to guide U.S. manufacturing during these crucial economic times for our nation,” said Rick Jarman, President & CEO of NCMS. “These individuals will enhance our already impressive Board of Directors, adding insight and skills that will enhance our key NCMS initiatives such as digital manufacturing, sustainability, robotics and other 21^st manufacturing concepts.”

The largest manufacturing-focused consortium in North America, NCMS is the leader in implementing a U.S. knowledge infrastructure; bringing digital modeling and simulation tools to the over 300,000 small and medium sized companies in the U.S. who require access to them to be competitive. This board of directors will effectively help steer the NCMS in critical areas and represent the voice of industry and NCMS’ over 300 members.

The NCMS believes that smart manufacturing is the key to our nation’s economic recovery, and that surrounding itself with knowledgeable people in this sphere is the key to accomplishing these goals.

About NCMS:

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.  For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

The post Steering U.S. Manufacturing Towards Global Competitiveness appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

ANN ARBOR, MI – January 4, 2012 – The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences announced today that Jon Riley has been promoted to Vice President, Digital Manufacturing. Mr. Riley joined NCMS as Executive Director of Design and Engineering Programs in March 2009 to lead NCMS’ groundbreaking Digital Manufacturing Initiative. Since then, he has been an integral key to furthering a National strategy to bring digital modeling and simulation tools to the over 300,000 small and medium sized companies in the U.S. who do not have access currently and in doing so, transforming the way America builds.

With his extensive experience in the areas of R&D, High Performance Computing, business development and design methodologies, Riley has been extremely successful in promoting NCMS’ Predictive Innovation Center (PIC) Strategy, including identifying key partnerships, serving on numerous steering committees, solidifying alliances and reaching out to manufacturers of all sizes through speaking engagements and networking.

“Jon has demonstrated an uncanny ability to engage industry at all levels around digital manufacturing,” said Rick Jarman, President & CEO “he is a great asset to not only our team, but to the digital manufacturing community as a whole, I am confident he will continue to energize U.S. Manufacturing.”

In his new role as Vice President – Digital Manufacturing, Mr. Riley will build on his nearly 25 years of experience to execute NCMS’ National PIC Strategy working with local, state and federal resources to bring accessible, affordable digital manufacturing tools to U.S. manufacturing.

About NCMS:
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector. For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

The post Manufacturing is about to get a REALLY BIG BOOST appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- December 2011- Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

As part of this effort we are supporting the following survey:

Washtenaw Community College is continuously trying to ensure that we are teaching the skills that employers need.

As part of our mission we want to train our students to be able to quickly transition from the classroom/lab directly into your company and have them be productive for you, as soon as possible.

Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey to help us better understand your company’s needs.

TAKE SURVEY

The post Manufacturing Skills Crisis Survey appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Roush Industries is an engineering company that provides design, prototyping, testing and manufacturing services.  It also manufacturs of personal protection armored vehicles.

http://www.roush.com/

The post New NCMS Member- Roush Industries, Inc. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post Last Call: Let the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Know Your Concerns appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

December 2011

Welcome to The CTMA Connector, a monthly newsletter designed to provide news and ideas about the Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program. The CTMA program is a joint Department of Defense/National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (DoD/NCMS) effort promoting collaborative technology development between industry and the DoD maintenance and repair facilities. This newsletter highlights ongoing projects, serves as a forum for promoting new project ideas, and provides other news of interest to the program. Our goal is to stimulate your participation and solicit your input. Feel free to submit items for the newsletter as well as any suggestions to make it more useful. More information about the program can be found at http://ctma.ncms.org/. To subscribe or unsubscribe to the CTMA Connector, send a message to:

listserv@listserv.ncms.org with “subscribe CTMANewsletter” or “unsubscribe CTMANewsletter” in the message body.

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DoD Partners with NCMS in $100,000 Maintenance Technology Challenge

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Maintenance, Mr. John Johns, has issued the 2012 Maintenance Technology Challenge designed to introduce new technologies to DoD’s maintenance facilities that will help sustain materiel availability at reduced cost. Mr. Johns has tapped the Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) Program, a unique collaboration between OSD and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) to administer the $100,000 challenge. Mr. Johns sees this as “a unique opportunity to drive innovation and maintenance technology insertion by leveraging the strong track record of the CTMA program and partnership with NCMS.” In driving in this direction, he has also emphasized “the need of bringing new, but proven, technologies from the commercial sector into DoD maintenance as a key element of a multi-pronged strategy to continue to produce the levels of materiel readiness required by our military forces, but at subs tantially reduced cost.”

Concept papers are due to NCMS by March 1st, 2012. “We are looking for projects that demonstrate strong benefits not only to the DoD but to industry as well,” states Dr. Chuck Ryan, NCMS Vice President and co-director of the CTMA Program, he adds that “strong teaming with DoD maintenance facilities is also encouraged.”

The selection criterion for project ideas includes the level of innovation, overall benefits, ability to deploy the technology within 12 months, and the strength of the team. Five finalists will be given the opportunity to present their project ideas to the DoD Senior Sustainment Leader Panel, who will ultimately choose the winning team for the Challenge as part of the 2012 CTMA Symposium, being held at the U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in Coronado, CA, March 26-28, an annual NCMS symposium which showcases technologies being developed with DoD maintenance activities, and features briefings by senior DoD leaders around issues and plans for the sustainment of their fleets. In addition, a technology showcase will be hosted by FRC-SW presenting an opportunity for NCMS membership to demonstrate new technologies that may be of interest to the DoD. Up-to-date information on the Challenge, Symposium and Technology Showcase can be found at

http://www.ncms.org/index.php/the-2012-ncmsosd-maintenance-technology-challenge/

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Plan to attend the 2012 CTMA Symposium, March 26-28, Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, Coronado, CA   “Collaborate to Innovate”

A wide variety of activities are being planned for this years CTMA Symposium.  On Monday, March 26, we start off with a Technology Showcase on site of the FRC-SW facilities where project teams set up tabletop displays of their technologies to an audience of FRC-SW managers, engineers, and artisans.  The Symposium plenary sessions start on Tuesday, March 27, with perspectives from DoD Senior Sustainment Leaders, and a Program Managers Panel with representatives from each of the services outlining their sustainment issues and how they are being addressed.  In addition we will feature our first Maintenance Technology Challenge competition.  On Wednesday, March 28, a Maintenance Activities Panel will feature several Depot Commanders discussing their technology needs, followed by track sessions  with technology project presentations.

Networking activities include the opening reception on Monday, March 26, an Industry Tabletop Display during an evening reception on Tuesday, and for those of you so inclined, a golf scramble on Sunday, March 25 at the FRC-SW club.

More information and registration can be found at:

http://www.ncms.org/index.php/ctma-symposium-2012/

Registration will begin in January 2012.

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NCMS/CTMA Project Wins Manufacturing Excellence Award

The NCMS/CTMA program was awarded its tenth National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT) Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award at the 2011 Defense Manufacturing Conference (DMC) in Anaheim, CA. The award-winning CTMA team brought together several small companies including Gravikor, the Michigan Research Institute, and SpaceForm Welding Solutions as well as the U.S. Army PM Light Tactical Vehicles division and the Marine Corps Maintenance Center Albany. The project team’s objective was to develop solutions for lighter, stronger military vehicles, allowing for the utilization of the latest lightweight armor solutions and improving overall maintainability. The awarded project, “Deformation Resistant Welding of Space Frame Structures to Reduce Weight in DoD Ground Vehicles,” applied new innovations in welding techniques to dramatically reduce time and weight associated with traditional vehicle space-frame construction.

The team created a design for a new cage structure that would completely replace the current body structure in the military’s ubiquitous HMMWV (Humvee) platform. The NCMS team scrapped traditional old-school welding techniques in favor of deformation resistance welding – an approach that produces atomically clean surfaces between metals to be joined. The result is a near-perfect surface bond with many benefits over the traditional approach:

• Elimination of weld fillers cuts weight, corrosion targets, and weak spots
• Deformation-welded surfaces offer a considerably stronger bond
• Easily supports joining of unlike metals, such as aluminum and titanium
• Fully compatible with advanced composite armor technologies
• Entire weld process is nearly 1,000 times faster than the traditional method

The solution is cost-feasible as well, requiring little additional equipment and practically zero added investment. The project demonstrated the potential for a substantial weight saving (~1,500 lbs) with a comparable protection level to the current FRAG 7 HMMWV.

Other advantages through the use of the DRW Space Frame Design include:

• ~50% reduction in required parts
• Rapid manufacturing process for cage structure
• Fully bolt in kit (no welding at the depot level)
• Requires no major modification to current HMMWV chassis
• Improved ingress and egress for end user
• Increased rollover protection versus standard HMMWV

The NCMS contact is Chuck Ryan, chuckr@ncms.org, 734-995-4905.

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CTMA Project seeks bids on equipment

NCMS is forming a new project that will target the development of a performance testing system for ground combat vehicles. US Army TARDEC in Warren, MI, is now developing the test table. One aspect of the project is building an environmental enclosure for testing components over their full operating environment specifications, a safety cage, and a video system for safe observation during testing. The project scope also includes development of a track testing system. It does not include functional or performance testing of vehicle electronics. We are seeking interested companies who would like to bid on providing the equipment.  Further information is available from the NCMS contact, Tony Haynes, tonyh@ncms.org, (734) 995-4930.

 

CTMA Project Opportunities: Man-Packable Ground Robotics

Man-packable ground robots have over the last few years become an indispensable part of the U.S. defense combat arsenal. These systems serve Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), IED disposal, and many other missions where they replace humans in hazardous situations. They are in short, ubiquitous. However, because of urgent needs, many systems were acquired without a strategy in place for interoperability and long term sustainment. The Department of Defense is now focused on driving future acquisitions from a comprehensive systems engineering foundation. Two of the most pressing factors are interoperability standards for the various mission kits and an architecture standard for controls, both of which are in development. The emerging project will evaluate both at the prototype level.

The NCMS contact is Tony Haynes, tonyh@ncms.org, (734) 995-4930.

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CTMA Project Wins Great Ideas Competition

The CTMA project, “No-Mask Electroplating”, was awarded first place in the “Great Ideas Competition” at SAE’s 2011 DoD Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas. The annual symposium brings together thousands of government and industry representatives to exchange ideas to improve maintenance practices and procedures.

Modernization of metal electroplating with no-mask conforming anodes is an innovative NCMS R&D project that sought to address issues around electroplating such as the extensive time it takes to mask parts, inaccuracies, inefficiencies and working with plating baths which are highly toxic. NCMS collaborated with government and industry to find a single, powerful solution to eliminate masking labor, achieve faster plating times, and improve uniformity of deposits.

The project resulted in a:

• 95% reduction in pre-plating part preparation
• 45% reduction in plating time
• 50% increase in plating tank capacity, improving overall throughput
• $2,220,000 in immediate annual savings from the pilot parts alone

Collaborative participants on this award winning project included the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD), the Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) Southwest and Advanced Tooling Corporation (ATC).  The team estimates that if No-Mask Conforming Anodes were deployed across the Department of Defense (DoD), over $50 Million in savings could potentially be realized with overall process improvement times of 35-50%.

The positive impact on the environment is also substantial. No-mask conforming anodes are fully reusable. The technology completely eliminates the mountains of tape, wax and other maskants – all of which must be disposed of as hazardous waste, where even brief exposure could lead to serious health complications.

A video outlining the project was created by the NCMS Educational Services’ team and can be found atwww.ncms.org under the multimedia tab.

The NCMS contact is Bill Chenevert, billc@ncms.org, 734-995-7989.

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NCMS again wins best booth at the 2011 Defense Maintenance Symposium

With a western theme, including a riding bull, we showcased 5 CTMA projects along with NCMS.

The five project teams included:

• Imaginestics– IUID for Legacy Parts
• Ecylpse International– Enhanced Wiring Integrity Systems
• ID Systems– Centralized Fleet Automated Management Systems
• Advanced Tooling Corporation– No Mask Tooling for Plating Baths
• Black & Rossi; Topline Technology Solutions – Enabling Logistical Interoperability

Thanks to Debbie Lilu and her team for a job well done.  Special thanks to Tod Eggler at TOPS for designing, building, setting up and breaking down the winning NCMS booth.

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We appreciate your feedback. Please contact Chuck Ryan with suggestions or input on other topics that would be of interest to you in this newsletter. The CTMA Program is sponsored by the Department of Defense; the content of this newsletter does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the government; no official endorsement should be inferred.

© 2011

The post The CTMA Connector December 2011 DOD Maintenance appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Concept papers are due to NCMS by March 1st, 2012. “We are looking for projects that demonstrate strong benefits not only to the DoD but to industry as well,” states Dr. Chuck Ryan, NCMS Vice President and co-director of the CTMA Program, he adds that “strong teaming with DoD maintenance facilities is also encouraged.”

The selection criterion for project ideas includes the level of innovation, overall benefits, ability to deploy the technology within 12 months, and the strength of the team. Five finalists will be given the opportunity to present their project ideas to the DoD Senior Sustainment Leader Panel, who will ultimately choose the winning team for the Challenge as part of the 2012 CTMA Symposium, being held at the U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in Coronado, CA, March 26-28, an annual NCMS symposium which showcases technologies being developed with DoD maintenance activities, and features briefings by senior DoD leaders around issues and plans for the sustainment of their fleets.

In addition, a technology showcase will be hosted by FRC-SW presenting an opportunity for NCMS membership to demonstrate new technologies that may be of interest to the DoD. Up-to-date information on the Challenge, Symposium and Technology Showcase can be found at www.ncms.org.

About NCMS:

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

About CTMA:

The lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program is a Department of Defense supported NCMS initiative that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth.

The post Defense Partners with NCMS in $100,000 Maintenance Technology Challenge appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Innovative Metal-Joining Project Reduces Warfighter Vehicle Weight while Offering Superior Safety and Build Efficiency

ANN ARBOR, MI – November 29, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) was awarded its tenth National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT) Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award at the 2011 Defense Manufacturing Conference (DMC) this week in Anaheim, CA. Attracting more than a 1,000 attendees from the DoD, Armed Services, Industry, and Academia, the conference strengthens military and industrial capability through innovation, collaboration and strategic investment.

The award-winning collaborative team, managed by NCMS, brought together several small companies including Gravikor, the Michigan Research Institute, and SpaceForm Welding Solutions as well as the U.S. Army PM Light Tactical Vehicles division and the Marine Corps Maintenance Center Albany. The project team’s objective was to develop solutions for lighter, stronger military vehicles, allowing for the utilization of the latest lightweight armor solutions and improving overall maintainability. The awarded project, Deformation Resistant Welding of Space Frame Structures to Reduce Weight in DoD Ground Vehicles,¨ applied new innovations in welding techniques to dramatically reduce time and weight associated with traditional vehicle space-frame construction.

The team created a design for a new cage structure that would completely replace the current body structure in the military’s ubiquitous HMMWV (Humvee) platform. The NCMS team scrapped traditional old-school welding techniques in favor of deformation resistance welding an approach that produces atomically clean surfaces between metals to be joined. The result is a near-perfect surface bond with many benefits over the traditional approach:

• Elimination of weld fillers cuts weight, corrosion targets, and weak spots
• Deformation-welded surfaces offer a considerably stronger bond
• Easily supports joining of unlike metals, such as aluminum and titanium
• Fully compatible with advanced composite armor technologies
• Entire weld process is nearly 1,000 times faster than the traditional method

The solution is cost-feasible as well, requiring little additional equipment and practically zero added investment. We needed a cost effective, producible cage structure that will support mounting lighter composite armor and various vehicle attachments,¨ said Dr. Chuck Ryan, Vice President, Technology at NCMS and Program Manager of the project. It needed to be stronger, lighter, and very importantly cheap and production ready. With this technology we achieved those goals and significantly reduced the overall vehicle weight.¨

The Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA)-funded project demonstrated the potential for a substantial weight saving (~1,500 lbs) with a comparable protection level to the current FRAG 7 HMMWV.

Other advantages through the use of the DRW Space Frame Design include:

• ~50% reduction in required parts
• Rapid manufacturing process for cage structure
• Fully bolt in kit (no welding at the depot level)
• Requires no major modification to current HMMWV chassis
•  Improved ingress and egress for end user
•  Increased rollover protection versus standard HMMWV

Rick Jarman, President & CEO of NCMS, was asked to present all of the evening’s Defense Manufacturing Excellence Awards, including the honor his own company received for this project. These are the types of innovative technologies collaboration produces,¨ said Jarman, “at NCMS, we believe that true innovation lies at the intersection of talent, investment and infrastructure an intersection that you can only reach by collaborating. This project is another win for our portfolio of successful collaborations. I couldn’t be more proud of the team and its innovation not just for this success, but because solutions like this save lives every day.¨

About NCMS:
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector. For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

About CTMA:
The lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program is a Department of Defense supported NCMS initiative that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth.

National Center for Manufacturing Sciences 3025 Boardwalk Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108-3230 (800)222-6267

The post NCMS Wins Tenth Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- November 2011- Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

ANN ARBOR, MI – November 28, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) “No-Mask Electroplating” Project was awarded first place in the “Great Ideas Competition” at SAE’s 2011 DoD Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas. The annual symposium brings together thousands of government and industry representatives to exchange ideas to improve maintenance practices and procedures.

Modernization of metal electroplating with no-mask conforming anodes is an innovative NCMS R&D project that sought to address issues around electroplating such as the extensive time it takes to mask parts, inaccuracies, inefficiencies and working with plating baths which are highly toxic. NCMS collaborated with government and industry to find a single, powerful solution to eliminate masking labor, achieve faster plating times, and improve uniformity of deposits.

“The results of this project are nothing less than astonishing,” said Bill Chenevert, NCMS Program Manager for the project, “we took this 100 year old process and gave it a technologically advanced overhaul saving money, time and the environment.”

The project resulted in a:

• 95% reduction in pre-plating part preparation
• 45% reduction in plating time
• 50% increase in plating tank capacity, improving overall throughput
• $2,220,000 in immediate annual savings from the pilot parts alone

Collaborative participants on this award winning project included the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD), the Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) Southwest and Advanced Tooling Corporation (ATC). The project was funded through NCMS’ Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program.

The team estimates that if No-Mask Conforming Anodes were deployed across the Department of Defense (DoD) over $50 Million in savings could potentially be realized with overall process improvement times of 35-50%.

The positive impact on the environment is also substantial. No-mask conforming anodes are fully reusable. The technology completely eliminates the mountains of tape, wax and other maskants – all of which must be disposed of as hazardous waste, where even brief exposure could lead to serious health complications.

About NCMS:
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector. For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

About CTMA:
The lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program is a Department of Defense supported NCMS initiative that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth.

The post NCMS Electroplating Project Wins Great Ideas Competition appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The NCMS program to create digital manufacturing centers to provide high performance computing (HPC) tools and expertise to U.S. manufacturing companies is making waves nationally. Earlier this month, the Harvard Business Review took notice, and now Computerworld.

The latest article describes how L&L Products, in Romeo, Mich., doubled its size after adopting HPC technology.

L&L began using high performance computing about six years ago to build a new structural composite line for automotive makers. To accomplish this, it needed to design and test its products in vehicle crash simulations to see how they could be best applied in automobiles…”It doubled our business,” said Reagan, adding that the firm now makes about $220 million annually and has about 900 global employees.

NCMS is now moving ahead with a plan to make this technology available to all U.S. manufacturers. Initial estimates indicate that over 300,000 companies could benefit from digital manufacturing to create new products and grow their companies. If even a fraction of these companies have the success of L&L the impact on the national economy will be profound.

In addition to deploying digital manufacturing centers, NCMS has formed a Digital Manufacturing Strategic Interest Group to identify and break down barriers that have prevented  manufacturers from adopting HPC technology.

Full Article

The post Computerworld- NCMS aims to make high performance computing available to manufacturing firms appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.