Design World

The additive community continues to impress with how quickly additive vendors meet the needs of healthcare workers and the general public in the development of protection devices. I spoke with Blake Teipel, cofounder and CEO at Essentium, on what the company has been and is doing during this pandemic.

In this edition of Technology Forward, we talk with Laura Gilmour, global medical business development manager at EOS about the additive communities responses in fighting the COVID pandemic, and how additive manufacturing can best be used.

3D Systems recently reported the completion of comprehensive testing on the newest materials for its Figure 4 system. For some users, materials testing data is insufficient for their needs. I interviewed Marty Johnson, technical fellow, at 3D Systems about material testing and the needs of the design engineer. Listen in as Marty Johnson discusses developments in testing and how they affect prototyping and production materials.

By 2023, everyone will be working in the fourth dimension, say analysts at OSIsoft. A four-dimensional model is a 3D simulation cross-referenced with time. Digital twins, a recent development enabled by the Internet of Things, are essentially the first models of 4D. We spoke with Richard Beeson, CTO at OSIsoft to learn more about this shift from 3D simulation to 4D

Recently a couple of stories have surfaced about using 3D printing/additive manufacturing for parts that are microns in size. One of these companies is based in Israel. Now, a company out of Boston, Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF) has introduced a microscale 3D printer. I interviewed John Kawola, CEO of BMF, to discuss this trend.

3D Systems recently introduced 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS 15, a plugin for SOLIDWORKS that helps users prepare and optimize their designs for additive manufacturing. I had a chance to speak with the leading product manager, Maoz Barkai, for 3DXpert. Here are some of the highlights of that interview.

In this edition of the Bearing Tips podcast, Design World editor Mike Santora speaks with CCTY Bearing Company’s Director of North America, Evan Poulakidas. Poulakidas talks about creativity in the design process, inclusivity within the design team, and predictions for the bearing industry in 2020 and beyond.

Listen as Dave Woodlock, Market Development Manager at HP’s 3D printing group discusses lessons learned when incorporating 3D printing into your business as a product and as a tool. Notes Woodlock, many assume that what holds 3D printing back in terms of greater implementation is material, hardware, and so on. But what HP has found is that change management is a larger issue that executives must address. Woodloock also takes a look at 3D printing’s benefits to saving time in getting product to market faster, and in how this technology will expand the role of the engineer in design and manufacturing.

In our latest Executive Edition series, Mary Gannon of Design World chats with Festo Didactic's CEO Thomas Lichtenberger, about the organizations successful programs to change the manufacturing landscape in the United States. Festo Didactic provides equipment and solutions for technical education for all areas of technology in factory and process automation, such as pneumatics, hydraulics, electrical engineering, production technology, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, CNC, HVAC and telecommunications.

Lichtenberger discusses the Festo's successful Mason, Ohio apprenticeship program and its newest work with The Space Coast Consortium Apprenticeship Program – an industry-driven apprenticeship program led by a group of advanced manufacturing companies operating on the Space Coast.

He talks about the future of manufacturing and how Festo's training programs are designed to shape that future.

Dr. Ronald L Hollis, president and CEO at MFG, discusses new business models to help design engineers find the right suppliers to make their designs, and to help suppliers find design engineers they can help.