“Just because something is true doesn't (necessarily) make it important.”
– Nina Anderson, Data Scientist, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology
1. Additive Repairs for the F-35
Optomec was awarded a $1.5 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to repair the F-35’s $500,000 titanium engine blisks (blisk being a portmanteau of bladed disk). So, they can repair … #quickmaths … three blisks. Man, I always knew Reagan should’ve went with the F-20 Tigershark over the F-16 Viper, but what do I know? I wasn’t even born.
2. LIFT’s Initiative Doesn’t Let Down
From Smartforce Director of Education Catherine Ross: “The initiative is providing educational pathways related to smarter manufacturing careers. This includes the development and piloting of a Smarter Manufacturing Career Exploration model to provide scalable and equitable work-based learning opportunities for high school students to access smarter manufacturing facilities and professionals in a virtual environment. …
“The project, funded through the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program, is focused on careers in three emerging smarter manufacturing technologies most critical to the region” – digital twin, advanced analytics, and robotics.
3. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor engineers have developed SmartScan, a software that “reduces harmful heat buildup in laser powder bed fusion printers and demonstrated a 41 percent improvement in heat distribution and a 47 percent reduction in deformations in a recent study. … “The study was supported by the U-M College of Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering. The University of Michigan has filed for patent protection and is seeking partners to bring the technology to market.”
4. Agility Robotics Has Amazon’s Attention
“Using technology originally developed at Oregon State University, Agility has developed robots that walk on two legs, climb stairs, carry and stack objects, and operate indoors and out. The company said its most advanced robot will begin working for customers later in 2022. … “Backers announced Friday include Silicon Valley investment firms DCVC and Playground Global. Amazon contributed an unspecified sum through its new Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, which seeks to back technologies that improve logistics and the supply chain.”
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