“Finding an apex on a motorcycle is far more rewarding than any car can be, because you are integral to the machine. That's one thing about cars: we understand that a robot could and eventually will do it better, but a motorcycle needs you. It needs you to control it. Your ballast and aiming is essential to keeping it going. There is no computer here, and your body on the motorcycle completes its frame... its silhouette, its shape.”
– Brian “Mr. Regular” Reider, Regular Car Reviews. This quote is from 2016, and it’s absurd how poorly it’s aged in only six years.
1. Ford’s Advanced Manufacturing AMR
His name is Javier, and he is a KUKA AMR that works in Ford’s Advanced Manufacturing Center operating Ford’s Carbon 3D printers. Could a flesh-and-bone employee physically work faster than Javier? Sure. But Javier can work all day and all night – only taking calculated and flexibly scheduled breaks to recharge like the good little Roomba he is – and still arrive to a printer just in time to swap build plates/platforms better than a pathetic mortal who requires a mobile device for cybernetic communication with the production equipment because Javier, in fact, can speak the same language as his fellow devices. I, for the life of me, can’t figure out why the facility is so well lit, though. I guess Ford’s skin bags haven’t been officially deprecated yet.
2. Manufacturing Technology Used in Surgery
There is a surgery video on this webpage that starts playing automatically. You might not notice because the audio to said video is muted by default. I say this because VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED! I’ve got a strong stomach, and I nearly lost my lunch over this one. With that out of the way, here are my takeaways from viewing this so you don’t have to: This tech is crazy. I can't believe the FDA cleared this because I feel OSHA absolutely would not. My first concern was, "Where is the work holding?" This is a wheeled robot mill, maybe even a knee mill (zing), so something needs to hold the work piece (the human knee) still. People. People are the work holding. Highly trained, highly paid people. Naturally, there's also no enclosure.
3. Benefits of Shot Peening Metal AM Parts
This is from a white paper, so it has not been peer reviewed, BUT research shows that shot peening metal additive parts (because plastic parts would be obliterated, but I think this is a video worth making – for science) can not only clean and smooth outer surfaces, but the cold microforging can greatly increase a part’s surface strength in aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and titanium. Depending on the material, the strength can be increased anywhere from eight to 20 times!
4. The Politest Cobot Ever
Kinova, a 15-year-old Canadian robotics company (don’t ya know), has claimed to have just released the first 100% North American-made collaborative robot, the Link 6! Forget collision detection and prevention, the Link 6’s extended collaborative capabilities include apologizing and calling you “bud.” That part’s not true, but I had to.
5. Haas F1: A Comeback Kid?
Haas Automation founder Gene Haas did me a real solid by diving headfirst into Formula One. Because of this, I can talk about F1 in the Tech Report, and it’s still manufacturing related! Also of note: The Haas F1 car chassis codes (car names) follow the same naming schema that some of the Haas machine tools use! For example, the most commonly known Haas machine tool is the VF-2SS, and their 2022 F1 car is the VF-22. 2018, their third year in F1, was their best to date, as they finished fifth in the FIA World Constructors’ Championship. Sadly, their last two years have stunk, but that’s because F1 is stupid expensive, and for the past three seasons, they’ve had some investor issues. Anyway! Last weekend was the 2022 season opening race, and they are third in the constructors’ standings! Not for nothing, but I’d bet they’d do even better if Haas put the Super-Speed designation in this year’s car code and call it the VF-22SS. Just sayin’!
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