Tag Archives: manufacturing

Deburring and finishing are critical elements of the manufacturing process. The production of parts would be incomplete without the use of these technologies. Often used as the final step in manufacturing, deburring and finishing are just as important today as when they were applied at the beginning of the industrial age. Deburring is a way to produce smooth, clean edges on parts and machinery. By employing quality deburring processes manufacturers add a measure of safety, consistency and reliability with the production of parts that are free from burrs and edge projections.

A burr is a ridge of roughness on a piece of metal or hard plastic that forms during the shaping or cutting process. Much of deburring occurs with metalwork and related manufacturing. The need to deburr relates to metal strengths. On a spectrum, cast iron rates low. 2024 aluminum used for the construction of aircrafts has a medium tendency for burrs, and 18-8 chrome-nickel steel has a higher propensity for burring because of its soft and easily moldable tendencies. Although such projections can appear to be slight to the naked eye, they have the potential to cause serious issues for people and machinery if not properly removed.

If not eliminated, these minute inconsistencies have the potential to increase friction. Over time, these small pieces can break off and land in the seams of machinery, eventually leading to interference on the assembly line. If the problem is not rectified, the machine can jam and possibly overheat, causing a dangerous situation on the floor. The imperfection of burrs can also create irregular mating surfaces in parts and machinery. If not attended to, burrs generate unnecessary waste and can be a cause of time lost on the floor for those tasked with remedying these issues.

Machinery and Parts

Some of the most important advantages of investing in quality deburring and finishing services is reliability and repeatability. These processes are a critical part of the manufacturing process and maintenance of machinery and parts prior to installation on the production floor. Beyond enhancing operations, parts and machinery that have been deburred also protect the workforce. The elimination of rough edges lowers the probability of parts jamming in critical mechanisms as well as preventing cuts and bruises for those working the line.

Deburring Solutions

The last step of the manufacturing process is something that should never be overlooked. Cleveland Deburring Machine Company (CDMC) understands the importance of reliability, consistency and repeatability during processes. We offer a range of cost-effective deburring solutions for high-volume, repeatable processes to flexible, easy-to-adjust solutions. Find out why CDMC is the first word on the last step in the manufacturing process.

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Wearable technology and its many applications are all around us. Without looking too far, there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with wearables through the technology of an Apple or Samsung Watch, a Garmin model or a Fitbit. Compact, versatile and smart, these fitness trackers multi-task allowing a range of actions from counting steps or minutes spent exercising to answering phone calls or even taking an electrocardiogram on the spot.

Impressive, but when it comes to flexible electronics think of applications that are smaller and potentially even smarter. These incredibly thin electronics contain traces and circuits printed on paper-based flexible substrates.

Produced on foil, paper and even in ink, these electronics retain a high level of conductivity even on curved products and are flexible enough to bend or fold. Such a flexible application, pun intended, offers the potential of roll-able TVs and displays, electronic paper, transparent and smart sensors, not to mention a range of other applications in clothing.

Advantages of Flexible Technologies

Use inexpensive plastics

Low manufacturing costs

Lightweight and bendable

Easily portable

Potentially cheaper

Internet of Things

Over the last five years, tech companies have begun forming collaborations with clothing companies to produce a range of custom apparel products using stretchable electronic inks and flexible substrates. Today it’s easier than ever to find applications of the paper-thin, form-fitting circuits in smart clothing. Companies such as DuPont are manufacturing Intexar, an advanced material. By adding Intexar to clothing like shirts and sports bras, the technology can provide its users with a range of biometric data. Wearing a smart shirt with Intexar has the potential to offer a user or a designated medical provider with information such as heart and breathing rate, form awareness and muscle tension, according to DuPont.

With real-time monitoring and data collection, smart apparel has the potential to not only supply information but also adjust to a range of user needs, like the self-heating jacket created by Ralph Lauren for the Winter Olympics. Use of flexible technologies extends far beyond the world of athletics. Flexible technologies are finding application within the medical, military and first-responder markets. This includes the potential of contact lenses adept at monitoring the glucose levels of a diabetic patient, clothing that can keep first responders safer and jean jackets that offer internet connectivity.

Building Synergies

Akin to the ability to place more and more semiconductors on a chip, flexible technologies show a growing range of possibilities. Imagine a thin layer of film that can regulate the temperature on a home or building or a strip of plastic embedded in a bag that charges the devices inside. Such advances are not only real, they are happening on a small scale now. Research continues as more are discovering the abilities and inherent restrictions of this exciting technology.

This article is brought to you by The Cleveland Deburring Machine Company. CDMC can provide a deburring solution for gears, sprockets, aerospace and defense, automotive deburring, power transmission, powdered metals, fluid power and custom deburring applications. 

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Could the solution to the manufacturing industry’s skills gap be patiently waiting in plain sight? The possibility is appreciable when you consider the U.S. workforce has a ready demographic who possess prior experience working with technology and machinery. This is a group who is trained in precision, leadership and discipline. The demographic is veterans; a group former Defense Secretary Robert Gates calls, “one of the most underutilized talent pools in our country.”

Veteran’s Cross-Functional Skill Set

Teamwork

Responsibility

Perform under pressure

Trustworthy

Integrity

Comfort with diversity

Critical thinking

More and more companies are looking for ways to incorporate the hiring of veterans into their workplace, including hiring managers within the manufacturing industry who are discovering the cross-functional skills this group offers. Such benefits include prior experience working within defined processes and workflows while having the ability to improvise and apply critical-thinking skills. The group is experienced in working with technology and comfortable using frequent application of problem-solving and math skills, all which have complementary applications within the manufacturing industry.

Making the Transition

Despite possessing transferable skills, currently veteran-related employment lags that of the employment of non-veterans. This is due to several factors such as the need for buy-in from management before hiring and an experienced mentor/adviser who can translate Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) codes into comparable open positions within a company, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce. Mentoring from former military personnel can also ease the transition as veterans move from military to civilian life.

Ready Pool of Candidates

2 million post-9/11 veterans

250,000 service members transition out of the military every year for the foreseeable future

1 million+ veterans currently in college

100,000 veterans graduate from college each year

Two-thirds of veterans will leave their first post-military job within two years

George W. Bush Institute

In addition to employing individuals who’ve been schooled in the transferable skills of leadership, flexibility, discipline and teamwork, companies who employ veterans can also take advantage of tax credits. The Returning Heroes Tax credit offers a maximum credit of $5,600/veteran hired, and the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit offers businesses hiring individuals with service-connected disabilities a tax credit of $9,600/veteran.

Future Investment

Manufacturing companies that are interested in exploring the hiring of veterans in their manufacturing operations are encouraged to host a booth at a local military job fair. This is a way to meet veterans face-to-face while increasing the visibility of manufacturing jobs that demonstrate the positive changes within the industry.

This article is brought to you by The Cleveland Deburring Machine Company. CDMC can provide a deburring solution for gears, sprockets, aerospace and defense, automotive deburring, power transmission, powdered metals, fluid power and custom deburring applications. 

 

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