Industrial tours extend controls, automation intelligence

旅行时,再考虑要求坐下e tour. Tours are fun and educational, and hosts often are pleased to show their applications. Notes follow from tours of Lift, operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII), and of Freedman Seating Co. and the co-located Jane Addams Resource Corp. training facility. With related online articles, see other observations, 23 more photos and captions related to smart automated manufacturing technologies.

Lift: Advanced, automated metal forming, controls, training, optimization

Advanced manufacturing techniques are advancing and on display at Lift in Detroit.Lift is operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII).Lift is a public-private partnership among the U.S. Department of Defense, industry and academia, and it is part of the national network of manufacturing innovation institutes. Lift also works with Detroit schools to provide training and certifications in welding, robotic welding, computer numerical control (CNC), industrial technology maintenance, machining, metrology, robotics and other areas.

Siemens experts provided the Lift tour and information on April 13, during theManufacturing in America event, in Detroit, covering topics such as digital threads, digital twins, simulation, automation, controls, design, maintenance and industrial machinery.

Demonstrations at Lift include Siemens-enabled cybersecurity that uses security, orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) methods to detect and respond to anomalies in less than 1 second, as opposed to an information technology (IT) data expert analyzing and calling the plant for troubleshooting, which could take days.

Tom Hoffman, Siemens Digital Industries Software, explains time and cost savings of digital design and virtual commissioning at the Lift manufacturing innovation institute in Detroit. Courtesy: Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering

Another software demonstrated how a simulated redesign of a 1991 Mazda Miata part could optimize the design, keeping strength and lowering weight by 30%.

Manufacturing process simulation software noted an interference point between two robots with a welding process, using virtual commissioning to save an estimated 40% time.

CNC, robots, industrial training help Freedman Seating

Freedman Seating Co.offered tours in association with theJane Addams Resource Corp. (JARC) Women in Manufacturing event, March 29.

While automated welding is part of the manufacturing process, manual welding also is needed. Welding, safety and CNC are among training certificationsJARCoffers in its onsite training facility at Freedman Seating Co.

Karen Arroyave, M.E., a Freedman Seating manufacturing engineer, gave the tour. CNC programs are used for cutting fabric and fabricating and forming and tube welding. Vectis Automation provided two automated welding cells that work on mass transit seat bases using Universal Robots’ collaborative robots, wrapped for the application.

Universal Robots’ collaborative robot in a Vectis Automation welding workcell welds behind a safety curtain at Freedman Seating Co. Courtesy: Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering

The JARC manufacturing training tour included four welding booths, two CNC machines and a 3D printer that help teach manufacturing skills. JARC also provides a wide range of manufacturing-related certifications, life skills, career training and job placement at no cost to participants.

Mark T. Hoskeis content manager,Control Engineering,CFE Media and Technology,mhoske@cfemedia.com.

KEYWORDS:Manufacturing tours, automation training

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