Tag : manufacturing in usa

CNC Automation Trends

Machining Technology Trends 2018

2018 is already off to an exciting start when it comes to CNC manufacturing and CNC automation. The US economy is improving, jobs and growth are projecting higher for US manufacturing for the coming years, and new technologies are emerging in CNC automation. Here’s a look at some of the top machining technology trends for the coming year (and beyond).

1. Demand for Machine-Tooled Products Is Increasing
Consumer confidence is on the rise and the US economy is ramping up after a slowdown of many years. This means the demand for machine-tooled products will be on the rise as well. New changes to US tax laws and trade policies are increasing the demand for domestic manufacturing. This will also make it easier for new CNC manufacturing startups to get off the ground, because they can be more competitive with established overseas machining operations.

2. CNC Growth Projections Are High
CNC manufacturing is projected to grow in demand across nearly every sector this year. Take a look at the estimated 2018 growth in CNC industries from an analysis by Gardner Business International:

Medical Devices & Instruments: 5.1 percent increase
Surgical Instruments: 3.1 percent increase
Automotive Manufacturing: 2 percent increase
Aerospace Parts & Engines: 3 percent increase

3. Demand for CNC Manufacturing Jobs Projecting Upward
This is actually a “good news and bad news” trend for the moment, with the bad news coming first. The CNC manufacturing sector overall was not ready for the increased demand for precision machined products. In the short term, the skilled labor gap is going to get worse than it already is. Mechanical engineering schools don’t have a lot of new slots opening up, while the industry needs skilled and trained workers for CNC automation and machining. Bottom line: There aren’t enough workers to keep up with demand in the short term. However, that is good news in the long run. The job outlook for the CNC Manufacturing sector looks better and better through 2018 and beyond.

4. More Touchscreen Controls
Companies that make precision CNC machining equipment are rapidly implementing more touchscreen controls. The controls make it easier and faster to pre-program machinery and tools for 3D cutting tasks. Program navigation, editing, creation and verification are all made easier by implement touchscreen controls with manual keypads. CAD/CAM programming and USB communication with interfaces allow even more options, versatility and ease-of-use on the machining shop floor. The implementation of touchscreen controls has added more speed to the CNC machining process, which is great when manufacturers want to quickly push more product out the door.

5. Robotics & Regulations
As the CNC manufacturing sector continues to expand, human engineers are increasingly working in proximity to robots. State and federal government will eventually step in with new regulations related to functional safety. While it hasn’t happened yet (beyond regulations that are already in place under OSHA), the industry is holding its breath for when that day comes. When it does happen, it will likely have a ripple across the domestic CNC manufacturing industry which will increase product costs for consumers.

Precision Machine Shop

Things to Look for When Hiring a Precision Machine Shop

People should look for several items when they are choosing a precision machine shop to make certain that they make the right choice.

Communication Skills
The person in the shop that you are telling about your job or project should have great communication skills. They should be skilled at their job and know what the others in the shop can accomplish. If this person is experienced, they will also have questions for you to help you to describe your job in as much detail as possible. Great communication is the first skill to look for, because if you and the shop manager are not on the same page, your project may not come out as you saw it.

Innovative Technology
A good precision machine shop is only as good as the available technology they use and it is based on the technician’s knowledge to use it. Research what types of equipment are needed to manufacture a prototype of your project. Then ask what types of equipment the machine shop uses such as CNC Machining, Manual Machining and Wire EDM. Also, ask if the process uses more than one type of machining for the run. The machine shop should also be able to have certified technicians to run the software available for the process so they can implement any changes in the design that you may ask for. Shops with the latest technology are forward thinking and will learn and implement new processes to keep up with the rising technology needed.

References and Samples of Work
A great machine shop will have a project book with photos of some of their past work along with the customer’s names and phone number and won’t be afraid to share these things with you. If they don’t give you references or explain past processes, they may be hiding something about their performance from you. The project book should have their most difficult jobs that they completed in it to show how capable the machine shop is in their business.

Flexibility
Machine shops that are proficient in their work will have some sort of process to allow flexibility in the project while it is underway. They should report to you at certain steps of the process to make certain they are on track and be able to change things if it isn’t to your specifications. This helps to get the first prototype correct and sets in place the specifics for a full production run of your products. If they don’t have a schedule set up, you may want to look elsewhere for a precision machine shop that is more compliant.

Quality Control
All machine shops should have a quality control inspector, whether in-house or out of house to ensure that your project meets all of the specifications that it should. They should be willing to talk about their quality certifications such as ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards and share with you what types of equipment they use to ensure the standards are met.

Looking for these items will help you to find a quality precision machine shop that you can use for prototypes, parts and projects of any size to successfully fulfill your wishes and demands.

high-speed machining

High-Speed Machining: What Is It and How Does it Help?

According to the US mechanical engineering schools, high-speed machining can be defined in two different ways. However, the most commonly used definition is based on the relative surface speed between the workplace and the CNC manufacturing tool. This definition is primarily a thermo limit since most of the CNC mechanisms depend on temperature. According to surface speed definition, high-speed CNC machining is favored by metal cutting researchers and toolmakers from US manufacturing department.

Researchers and tool makers define high-speed machining by indicating the range of a transitional region which is yellow, conventional machining region which is green and high-speed region which is red and depend on surface speed. The surface speed is in meters per minute, and its equivalent to v=πdn where n is spindle speed and d is the diameter of the milling work piece.

The second definition which is widely used by mechanical engineering schools is the DN number that is centered on the rotation capability of the loaded spindle bearings. D is the diameter in mm of the larger bearing bore, and N is the spindle speed in rpm.

High-Speed Machining Principles

High-speed machining operates on several principles. Keep in mind that not every type of machining will benefit from HSM, but most applications could from HMS with implementation of CNC automation and assumptions. Below are high-speed machine principles.

CNC machine
Tool holders
Cutting tools
CAD system
CAM system

How Does High-Speed Machining Help?

Every machining shop desires high productivity and improved machining process. Machinists make complicated metal parts, shapes and need to run complicated programs to help them provide good services to their clients. Machinists use high-speed machining to make their work faster and easier. Here are some benefits of using high-speed machining.

Reduced Energy or Heat Loss

High-speed machining helps in increasing the rate and speed of material cutting which reduces excessive heat loss and transfer. When you reduce heat transfer, turnaround time and transmission are kept low which lowers energy consumption. Traditionally, time was provided for metals to cool down and form a hardened metal but in this case, the coolant is used in metal cooling which reduces heat loss and increases the speed of production since less time is spent on cooling.

Increased Productivity Rate

High-speed machining has driven manufacturers and machining shops to higher rates of productivity. Faster productivity rates mean the machines can produce more parts in a short period. However, the functionality of high-speed machining is often affected by the ability of the cutting materials themselves. Manufacturing in USA prefer the use of faster cutters since their productivity is high.

Even if all cutters are faster, the results produced by cutters of different materials are unique. For instance, diamond, ceramics, HSS, tungsten carbide and cermets cutters all provide different outputs. High-speed cutting tools can take a lot of time and may even lead to stress. The main problem that is associated with high-speed cutting tools is that they don’t manage heat effectively and require a coolant.

Machine Shop

History of Machine Shops

A machine shop is a specialized room, building, or big company where CNC machining and other types of machining are done. The activities that take place in such a shop involve experts/machinists using various machining tools and cutting tools to come up with different parts. People tend to think that a machine shop must be a massive building with complex equipment but this isn’t true.

A typical machine shop can either be a portion of a large factory or simply a small store such as a job shop. The various parts manufactured are usually sold to multiple lines in the US manufacturing industry, car industry, and even the aviation industry. The production of these critical parts typically involves cutting, shaping of the parts, drilling, and finishing.

History of Machine Shops

The history of machine shops can be traced back to the 19th century when the first mechanical engineering schools started to come up in the U.S. The first machine shop appeared around this time. It is also during this time that the industrial revolution was at its peak and there was a high demand for various parts. Before this era, critical parts and tools were mainly produced in local workshops in villages and cities. However, the production was limited to small-scale, and the parts were primarily sold to local CNC manufacturing artisans.

Production of parts in large factories took place on site where every part was produced individually. As time passed by, the plants started to come up with their workshops to deal with the production of the required parts. During those days, the textile was still the dominant raw material.

After the 19th Century

Further developments in mechanical engineering CNC machining took place in Germany, Scotland, and England after the 19th century which led to the development of cheaper and simple techniques for the massive production of steel. This development triggered the rise of second industrial revolution which played a significant role in the electrification of factories, mass production of parts, and also an uprise of more US manufacturing schools.

Machine shops gained popularity around this time as they were commonly referred to locations where complicated mechanical parts are cut to the required size and carefully put together to form complete mechanical units.

However, the rise of the machine shops came along with its fair share of both manufacturing and organizational problems. This triggered the emergence of various theories and publications trying to solve the problems.

One of the earliest publications in the field of mechanical engineering which gained a lot of popularity was a series of books titled; “Modern machines_ Shop economics” that was authored by Horace Lucian.

20th Century

The beginning of 20th century saw an increase in the number of publications relating to machine shops with various authors including Frederick Winslow Taylor and Howard Monroe More funds were directed towards research and invention which led to the invention of the electric motors in late 20th century.

The electric motors took over power supply of the common machine tools from the conventional mechanical belt. This era also ushered in CNC automation and numeric control in the field of manufacturing in the USA. The two aspects production design and primary production became integrated.

American-Made Products

Popular Products Manufactured in the U.S.

Have you ever bought something because it read the label, “Made in the U.S.A.“? We’ve all been there. We all like American-made products and we value what’s constructed in our own country. Although the number is increasing, not a lot of products are made in the U.S. In fact, about 50% of the products we use are made in China. However, America is trying to even the playing field. With our increased knowledge of mechanical engineering and the US manufacturing schools available, more and more products involve manufacturing in the USA.

Furthermore, a new technology has advanced over the years — CNC machining and manufacturing. CNC manufacturing is a manufacturing process where a pre-programmed computer controls tools and machines. This is done through CNC automation, where computers and machines do all the work for us. This has created a mechanical engineering breakthrough leading to more excitement surrounding the United States manufacturing industry. But since China still makes over half of the products we use, what’s manufactured in the United States? See below for a list of the most popular products made on U.S. soil:

-Primary Metal
-Machinery
-Transportation Equipment
-Weber Grills
-Tesla Roadsters
-Harley Davidson Motorcycles
-Whirlpool Appliances
-KitchenAid Mixers
-GE Hot Water Heaters
-Stihl Gas-Powered Equipment

From machinery to kitchen mixers, the United States still makes some of the more important products that we use in our everyday lives. And with CNC manufacturing leading the way in mechanical engineering, machines are working smarter and more effectively. In addition, education for the mechanical industry is getting better year after year. Mechanical engineering schools are popping up everywhere and more people are realizing the importance of these skills.

Increased Productivity and Lower Costs Lead to US Manufacturing

With more and more products being manufactured in the United States, there has to be a reason why our production efforts have increased. One of them is our productivity. American workers have been proven to be more productive in the workplace. They are paid higher than employees are in other countries and the work environments are more enjoyable. With child-labor issues happening in China and other countries, more people choose American-made products for that reason alone. Another cause for increased U.S. manufacturing is shipping costs. Every day, it is getting more expensive to export materials from one country to the next. In order to save on costs and produce high-quality, dependable products, many manufacturing companies are choosing the United States are their hub.

The U.S. Prefers American-Made Products

The average American will choose an American-made products over one that’s produced in another country. Although China leads the pack for most of the products we use, that number is starting to decrease. One reason for the change is CNC manufacturing. As our technology gets more advanced, CNC automation and machining is growing in popularity. From production benefits to saving on costs, CNC manufacturing is here to stay.

If you’re looking for a professional, modern manufacturing company you can depend on, Tag Team Manufacturing is the company for you. We’ve been in business since 1987 and we specialize in machining CNC precision components for OEM’s in a wide range of different industries. We work with engineers to design effective materials that work properly and that last for many years to come. If you would like to learn more about Tag Team Manufacturing, don’t hesitate to give us a call today!

American Manufacturing

How do US Manufacturers Compare to Overseas Manufacturers?

Labor and production costs stop many American manufacturers from producing products for American consumption. Outsourcing component production or even whole products to overseas manufacturers has saved a lot of money for American manufacturers. But has it? A few strong points show that American Manufacturing compares better to overseas manufacturers.

The Problem

The original reason CNC manufacturing, for example, was outsourced overseas was that wages were lower. So many people needing jobs meant that if someone quit, there were twenty more who could fill the job. Since the foreign workers work for pennies per hour or per day, U.S. manufacturing more or less dried up.

For instance, let’s say mechanical engineering expert Joe Brown has designed a better home automation thermostat. Imagine a Singapore factory has been upgraded for CNC machining to produce the components of the thermostat. Since Singapore workers only make pennies per hour or per day, do they have the necessary incentive to ship quality merchandise?

What Was The Result?

American manufacturers have, for the most part, wanted to save money from the beginning. Over the years, however, some hard truths have come back to bite American manufacturers. A pennies wage isn’t the only criteria by which American manufacturing versus overseas manufacturing is judged.

What Are The Factors?

American schools are the best, bar none. This means that people all over the world trust graduates of mechanical engineering schools and U. S. manufacturing schools. Just ask anyone who uses Apple products, drives a Chevy and orders anything from Amazon on an American-made computer.

There are other factors highlighting the negatives of overseas manufacturing, such as:

-Shipping and handling charges have risen

-When ships remain in foreign ports, for reasons only the foreign country understands

-When merchandise sits at American Customs for weeks awaiting clearance

-It takes weeks and months for a ship to get from the foreign country to America. Meanwhile, the
manufacturer has no product to sell

-Smaller production runs are possible overseas, but shipping costs would be prohibitive

 

The Plus Side

Manufacturing in the USA has its advantages. The light has been shed on these advantages, giving American manufacturers the option of re-shoring or bringing manufacturing back home. Some of those advantages are:

-America jealously guards her intellectual rights. Manufacturers won’t worry about their designs being
stolen

-Safety standards, labor standards, and a healthy work environment ensure workers have incentive to
produce a quality

-A big rig transporting Mr. Brown’s product in days hands down beats a ship taking weeks or months to
arrive

-Manufacturing disasters like the one in Bangladesh many years ago don’t happen in America. American
manufacturers won’t have to explain to the buying public why its factory collapsed and killed thousands
of people

-American manufacturers have the flexibility to meet new production runs for increased sales

The Realization

One of those hard truths concerns having no inventory while product is in transport. The need for close proximity sourcing has become evident to American manufacturers. As a result, some companies are bringing manufacturing jobs home. While they’re on their way, the manufacturers are using nearby sources to keep product coming.

American manufacturing has come to the realization that in outsourcing to overseas manufacturers versus domestic manufacturing, there’s no place like home.

US Manufacturing

7 Reasons Why US Manufacturing is Important

Considering the current scolding regarding the importance of the US manufacturing industry, there have been critics who have tried to discredit the benefits associated with manufacturing in the current transformational age. However, their arguments are not right considering these seven benefits associated with US manufacturing.

Manufacturing enables Creation of Strong Middle-class Jobs.

Regardless of the claims from critics that manufacturing jobs are unpleasant, they, in fact, have not been to a modern machine shop as these offer a good work environment and a dependable source of income for many American families. Furthermore, most of them come with irresistible perks such as good health insurance, 401k plans and short term disability for its employees. Also, despite the fact that all jobs are good depending on personal preferences, some higher positions even pay up to $80,000-$100,000+ per year!

Manufacturing Creates Jobs

With a relatively high unemployment rate particularly among the youth, expansion of the US manufacturing industry has gone a long way in providing the much-needed jobs. Now, trade schools offer a 2-4 year education in Precision Machining. This is a good starting point if you are interested in manufacturing and machining. Unlike other positions that require high qualifications, entry level manufacturing jobs do not require such specialized skills and can absorb anyone willing to learn (although some schooling is a plus and will help the employee move up in the company). With schooling and on the job training, anyone with a passion in manufacturing can fit into the industry.

Manufacturing creates National Wealth

Buying and consuming imported goods will only make the country poorer since there will be no foreign income. However, by manufacturing products which can be sold locally and internationally, the nation’s economy becomes stronger since there will be foreign cash.

Factories/ Machine Shops are now Safer than before

The current American factories are very safe now and those interested in the industry should not be worried to work in this type of setting. Rarely are their incidences of safety breach or accidents with proper training and shop safety. Also, with the recent embracement of the worker safety policy countrywide, the possible safety incidences are continually being suppressed.

U.S. Industries are very clean

Compared to other countries where waste products are directed in rivers and other water bodies, American factories a very clean and are even getting cleaner. The waste produced in US manufacturing industries is treated and recycled to ensure that it does not harm the environment. As such, the world will be a healthier place if people bought more goods from the U.S. compared to other countries.

Workers with good jobs are healthy

Jobs in the US manufacturing industry are in most cases physically taxing. Whereas this may be seen as a negative, it is, in fact, good for the employee’s health as working in manufacturing also doubles up as exercise. Machinists are on their feet all day, constantly moving around. As a result, earning money and remaining healthy go hand in hand.

Manufacturing research leads to creative ideas

The US manufacturing industry contributes to approximately 75% of the private sector development and research. The mind-blowing innovations from the U.S. manufacturers keep the country competitive in the global platform hence making it an economic powerhouse.

In a nutshell, if taken alone, the manufacturing industry is the ninth largest economy in the world. As such, critics need to reevaluate their stand about the U.S. manufacturing industry.

manufacturing companies

How to find new customers in the manufacturing industry

Currently, there are so many manufacturing companies which mean there is bound to be competition for whichever products you produce. Does that mean you exit the manufacturing industry? No. It merely means you need to act smart when targeting customers. You have to keep in mind that your customers are always right.

So, how do you find new customers in the manufacturing industry? Here are a few tips which you can use to drive customers to your manufacturing companies.

Focus on Current Customers

The best way to get customers is through referral. But how do you get referrals? By focusing on your current customers. Once you get a customer, do everything you can to make him or her satisfied. Serve them with the best products in the market regarding quality. Make sure your employees can relate to the customers such that they would be willing to come back to the same shop the next time a need arises.

Once the customer is satisfied, you can relax knowing that he or she will tell other people about your business. And in that way, you will get more customers.

Research Customers

Most are the times when we research the market to know what is in demand and what is not. However, that should not be a priority. What is essential is to know customers. Even if customers are in the same industry, they always have different needs. Focus on their needs, their projects and their purchase criteria. Try to keep relationships by knowing why some customers stopped coming to your shop and why others keep coming back.

With that, you can know where you are going right and where you are going wrong and thus improve your sales strategy. In the end, you will attract more customers.

Improve your social media presence

We are living in a technological era where everything is done online. That means the best way to get customers is going online. Make use of the social media platform by posting your products and blogs on your company. In that way, more people will know about you, and ultimately, people will contact you, and that is a chance to sell your products and to make new clients.

Optimize your website

Your website should tell people who you are. Also, it should be appealing, mobile friendly and easy to use. In that way, people can access your products and your team. However, for your website to be recognized by many people, it has to be highly ranked by search engines. Therefore, the first step should be to optimize your website such that it is among the top-ranked on the internet.

Compete on scope

When looking to increase sales, it is easy to focus on the scale other than scope. But to get more customers, supply customers with what they want and not necessarily what you are making. You can partner with other manufacturing companies who will use your brand to produce different products. In that way, you can get what your customers need from such companies even if you don’t gain so much. In the end, what people see is the brand, and so, next time they need something they will come to you.

Make your customers your priority, and you will get new customers every day.

manufacturing future

Is there a future for the manufacturing industry in the US?

When you think of the manufacturing industry, what comes to mind? For most people, the term manufacturing brings a picture of reserved and dirty workers with different machines. That is not the case anymore, thanks to manufacturing technology. It is now a high tech industry which produces products such as iPhones, prototypes and vacuum cleaners among more.

Though the manufacturing industry is not a solution to all our economic problems, it is very important when it comes to creating job opportunities. It contributes to economic growth, and at the same time, it raises technological skills in the world. In most countries including the US, it is the backbone of industrialization, and so, the state of manufacturing should be a priority for any nation.

Over time, the manufacturing industry has evolved bringing both challenges and opportunities. There have been changes in the economies of production, nature of products, consumer demand as well as supply chain which has made companies change their way of doing business. That means, for any company to survive in the industry, they have to embrace change otherwise they will be forced out of the market.

As manufacturing technology evolves and develops, barriers to entry are eroded, and that means new markets can be developed. That creates competition and even if the vast CNC manufacturing companies still dominate the market, more innovative models are developed which make the manufacturing industry to continue growing. Therefore, as long as any US Manufacturing companies take advantage of these new opportunities, there will be a future for this sector.

Mechanical engineering schools and US Manufacturing schools should embrace the changes in manufacturing technology and educate the students on how to produce products that have a future despite the various changes. In that way, the manufacturing industries will keep growing since new and innovative CNC machining, and CNC automation models will be developed.

In the meantime, as the country waits to see how the NAFTA agreement will turn out, the manufacturing industries can only hope that it is not signed. In that way, there will be an increase in employment, stabilized trade and satisfactory wages for the people of US. However, as per now, there is pressure on the manufacturing industries given that the margin separating the manufacturers and the product sellers is slowly fading away. Most manufacturers are forced to build or create on order.

Looking at all the above factors, is there a future for the manufacturing industry? Is there a future for the mechanical engineering schools? Do the students focusing on manufacturing have a place to be in future? That will only be determined by the manufacturers. Are they creative and innovative enough to create a market even where there is no demand?

Manufacturers will need to understand the forces driving their industry. By doing that, it will be easy to leverage the skills and convey a structural advantage as they restructure their business models. As a manufacturer, you need to define your success by embracing the new manufacturing techniques.

So, is there a future for the manufacturing industry? Yes, there is as long as the companies consider factors such as product size and complexity, laws and regulations and level of technology or digitalization. Every business has to act smart and also, US manufacturing schools need to research ways of keeping the manufacturing industry. After all, it is the backbone of most economies.

CNC precision

What Is CNC Precision? When And Why OEM’s Need CNC Manufacturing and CNC Machining?

Original Equipment Manufacturing companies that strive for maximum production while operating complex industrial processes require CNC precision. CNC machining employs the use of computers to run, regulate and manage tools. Tag Team Manufacturing is a cutting-edge player in the precision industry. We provide state of the art solutions that revolutionize and set trends the manufacturing industry.

What is CNC Precision?
Computer Numerical Control precision is a technique of creating complex parts, components, and products with a very high level of accuracy. The journey of using computers in manufacturing started way back with the utilization of computer-aided design and computer aided machining methods. The advancement was not a walk in the park but embraced as an industry player in the late 80s. A program is loaded into the machines which have been calibrated professionally to produce intended products.

Who Uses CNC Machines?
Previously, CNC Machining was believed to be meant for large industries. Currently, the machines have shown exemplary performance in various lines of work including small sectors. It is indisputable that irrespective of the component you need, the right CNC machine produces required results. Some of the industries that have embraced them include wood industry, metal removal, and fabrication, electrical among many others.

When You Need CNC Manufacturing?
Various signs should tell OEM’s need CNC Manufacturing technology. If you are an OEM and you are wondering here are five questions you need to ask and answer.

Do you need Consistency?
Once you are in business, consistency in production with high degree precision could be what you need to remain relevant in the competitive market. With CNC automation, you can sit relaxed that technology will keep you consistently producing quality products 24/7. As a bonus, the time lost taking breaks, repairs and maintenance will be a thing of the past.

What is the cheapest way to Increase Production Rate?
Previously, for a manufacturing company to increase production was to employ more people. This can turn out to be not only expensive but also has the risk of human errors. A CNC Machine follows a specific program to produce the same product a million times.

Are you Efficient Enough?
Efficiency plays a significant role in reducing the cost of production in any industry. If you are efficient, you use little resources which can be raw materials and minimize wastage. There is no better way of being productive and maintaining intricacy better than CNC machines.

How safe are your Personnel?
Working in the manufacturing industry can be lucrative and at the same time risky. Sometimes one handles materials that are considered dangerous regarding toxicity, heat, and corrosion. With CNC devices this fear is taken away.

Do you want to simplify production?

Majority of manufacturers rely on complex production processes which can be expensive as it requires skilled operators. Instead of relying on 10 personnel, why not let one person manage 9 CNC Machines?

Do you like Interruptions?
Interruptions in manufacturing processes can be as a result of many avoidable things such as working hours. You can replace it with robots and say goodbye to unnecessary stoppage in your business.

All things mentioned above, the best CNC Precision comes from trusted, reliable, proven and experienced players in the market. Tag Team Manufacturing remains true long term caring partner.