Hexagon Announces HxGN Live Smart Manufacturing Detroit 2020

Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence division announces it will host HxGN Live Smart Manufacturing Detroit 2020, May 19 – 20, 2020.

Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence division announces it will host HxGN Live Smart Manufacturing Detroit 2020, May 19 – 20, 2020. The digital solutions conference will be held at Hexagon's newest U.S. facility and regional cornerstone in Novi, MI, which features a technology showroom, training center and a 14,690 sq. ft. laser tracker laboratory and calibration hub. The two-day event, with an emphasis on automotive industry applications, will showcase data-driven solutions enabled by Hexagon's manufacturing technologies for the smart factory. The action-packed program is designed to attract industry leaders and technology users from around the country to the Motor City area. The conference's focal point is helping attendees to understand how a connected world uses data to inform the product development process from start to finish. To register or for more information, visit here. ThepPress is cordially invited to this event, please email an RSVP to Belinda Jones, Hexagon Media Relations.

Norbert Hanke, president and CEO of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, will inaugurate the event on Tuesday morning, May 19, with his keynote address exploring the manufacturing digital transformation journey and roadmap to smarter factories. Hexagon will assemble its top thinkers and subject matter experts in Detroit to work with managers and users looking to improve efficiency, quality and productivity across their design, production and metrology processes. Part of the popular HxGN Live series, this event will have multiple levels of learning and product engagement from keynotes to educational sessions, interactive training to valuable networking time with fellow Hexagon users who thrive on smart change. Professionals from all walks of manufacturing attend HxGN Live including users of Hexagon's extensive simulation, production and metrology software portfolio and metrology systems from laser trackers to automated coordinate measuring machine.

"HxGN Live Smart Manufacturing Detroit 2020 is our conference dedicated to smarter automotive manufacturing. The two-day event will feature exceptional educational content, special events, and a stellar line-up of expert speakers and guests in three track areas - design and engineering, production and metrology," states Angus Taylor, president and CEO of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division in North America. "The conference program offers practical tools and resources to help our customer find 'the smart’ in their factories, tackle the inherent challenges, and transform product development through data-driven intelligence. We are proud and pleased to host the conference at our newest Detroit Excellence Center, home to our technology teams serving customers with the highest quality services."

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Plastikos, Inc. Invests in Micro Molding Equipment

Plastikos, Inc. has further diversified their product portfolio with the purchase of two Arburg micro molding machines.

Plastikos, Inc., a precision medical injection molder headquartered in Erie, PA, has further diversified their product portfolio with the purchase of two Arburg micro molding machines. Each machine is capable of delivering a shot size as small as 0.3 ounces of material. Medical sales for Plastikos increased by more than 10% in 2019 with a strong demand focused on smaller, miniature devices.

Rob Cooney, the company’s manufacturing manager, spoke highly of the opportunities that lie ahead for future micro molding projects, “Plastikos saw an opportunity as a result of an increasing trend within the medical industry through various micro fluidic and wearable devices. As components continue to be miniaturized and various hot runner technologies becoming available to go runner-less, it was therefore critical to provide smaller shot capabilities to ensure optimal barrel utilization and shot-to-shot consistency to maximize our quality and efficiency. These new machines provide us with the flexibility to meet our stringent customer demands at all cavitation levels.”

The upgrades are currently being completed within Plastikos’ ISO 7 cleanroom, which is being tailored specifically to accommodate the two medical micro molding machines, complete with side entry robotics. Once finished, the expected capacity within Plastikos’ original cleanroom is projected to increase by 25%.   

Philip Katen, the company’s president and general manager, explains that “Plastikos’ continued investment, both at Plastikos as well as at Plastikos Medical, represents our commitment to grow with and to support our strategic medical device customers, as their business and product portfolio continues to expand.”

Earlier this year, Plastikos attained their ISO 13485 certification and it was quickly followed by the Grand Opening of Plastikos Medical, a brand-new 25,000 square-foot facility that is 100% dedicated to cleanroom medical injection molding, within an ISO 7 cleanroom environment. In total, Plastikos and Plastikos Medical has grown to 42 molding machines, nearly half of which are in an ISO 7 cleanroom.

“We’re very excited to utilize these two brand new micro molding machines.” Katen explained, “It will enable our customers to provide the innovative medical devices that make their customers’ lives better every day.”

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2020 Top Shops Benchmarking Survey Now Open

Modern Machine Shop, the country’s leading media brand for manufacturing, opened the 2020 edition of the Top Shops benchmarking survey.

Modern Machine Shop, the country’s leading media brand for manufacturing, opened the 2020 edition of the Top Shops benchmarking survey. The survey is conducted in partnership with Gardner Intelligence, the preeminent source of economic information for goods manufacturing. Participants answer a series of questions about their businesses and their responses are anonymously compiled to create a composite of shops across the country. Each participating shop is given a custom report comparing them to the national average.

“Based on trends in the Gardner Business Index, Gardner Intelligence expects durable goods industrial production to contract in 2020,” said Steve Kline, Chief Data Officer. “By participating in the 2020 Top Shops Survey, these businesses will be able to identify strategies to remain competitive.”

Each year, Derek Korn, Senior Editor for Modern Machine Shop, selects four participating companies to be that year’s Top Shops Honorees, one for each of the pillars of the program: shopfloor practices, machining technology, business strategy and human resources.

The 2020 awards will be given at the Top Shops Workshop happening alongside IMTS, North America’s largest manufacturing event. They will dive deeper into the equipment, processes and business strategies that drive revenue and profit at machine shops.

More information and the survey are available at www.mmsonline.com/topshops and find Modern Machine Shop on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Best Practices for Use of Reinforced 3D Printed Injection Mold Tools

Fortify’s webinar on February 20, 2:00 pm ET, that will review best practices for designing, machining, and running 3D printed injection mold tools to reliably support prototype and low-volume production runs.

Machined aluminum has been the standard approach for prototype and low volume injection molds. While this saves time and money compared to steel tools, they are costly and slow to produce. 3D printed tools can combat price and long lead times, but testing over the past decade has shown that printed tools are not robust enough. By introducing reinforcing fibers in 3D printed parts, Fortify is able to print tools with an increase in strength, stiffness, and HDT. Fortify and MoldMaking Technology will host a webinar on February 20, 2:00 pm ET, that will review best practices for designing, machining, and running 3D printed injection mold tools to reliably support prototype and low-volume production runs.

Primary topics of this webinar will be best practices for designing reinforced 3D printed tools, business opportunities accessible using 3D printed injection mold inserts and operating differences between printed tools vs. metal. Follow the link to register for this free webinar.

The webinar will be hosted by Ben Arnold and John Eastham.

Arnold who leads Fortify’s sales and marketing efforts as the VP of business development. Arnold joined the 3D printing industry in 2006 and has been on the forefront of several industry innovations. Arnold brings this experience to Fortify working with customers to identify key applications for Digital Composite Manufacturing.

John Eastham is the president of IDEAL Systems, providing consulting services and technical sales for the plastics industry. Eastham leverages over 25 years of engineering and operations experience at custom injection molding companies and mold builders to provide manufacturing solutions to his clients.

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Concours Mold Completes First Acquisition

Concours Mold Inc. announces that it acquired the assets of Valiant Tool and Mold Inc.

Concours Mold Inc., a leading provider of molds and services primarily used in the production of plastic components in the automotive and non-automotive industries, announces that it acquired the assets of Valiant Tool and Mold Inc. This transaction marks the first acquisition for Concours under the ownership of Crestview Partners, a leading New York-based private equity firm, which acquired Concours in May 2019 as a platform to build and integrate tooling and mold companies to create a global technological leader.

The purchased assets will further expand Concours’ engineering change and service focus, establishing a dedicated services center in Windsor, Ontario, and supplementing its existing services operations in Alabama and Mexico.

“With this asset acquisition, we are excited to expand Concours’ services division to better serve the needs of all of our customers for engineering changes and service requirements,” said Andy Aiton, president of Concours.

“We are pleased to announce the first acquisition of our tooling platform to create a differentiated global industrial technology leader,” said Tony Nardone, CEO of Concours. “We are currently evaluating a multitude of additional acquisition opportunities and are eager to continue to build Concours’ scale and capabilities to better position it as a solutions-oriented partner to our customers.”