Manufacturing to Bounce Back in Near Future

To say that the US economy is dependent on manufacturing is an understatement. Millions of jobs were lost during the most recent recession. The state of the union is filled with optimism as every business sector is looking ahead to see if the economy can sustain steady progress.

Ball State University has recently conducted a study that reports a ranking of the 50 states based on economic position for the best turn-around in the manufacturing sector. The study reveals that the Sun Belt States seem to be in best position for a quick recovery. Due to low taxes while maintaining government spending for public services, a few states have laid out the ground work for manufacturing companies to flourish.

While this recovery is gaining momentum, FARO will be key in supporting the manufacturing sector. All of our products allow companies to operate leaner and more efficiently. The mission behind our products is to reduce scrap, decrease work stoppages and increase productivity. The FARO Laser Scanner Photon, for example, scans large scaled objects in half the time compared to traditional methods. Architects, project managers and designers spend less time in the field and more time innovating structural procedures.

To read the full article by Ball State University titled “Report: Nation’s Manufacturing Sector to Bounce Back in 2011–2012” click HERE.

3D Metrology Resource Center

Looking for a place to find information on 3D metrology and its applications? Look no further! We have developed a full resource center, geared toward educating the market on the technology of 3D metrology. In the resource center, you will find a variety of documents, videos and webinars to help you understand how to apply this amazing technology.

With all of the advancements in engineering, quality control and manufacturing it can be hard to keep up - especially in times when we are all forced to do more with less. Decreased staff, shrinking budgets and the demand for more output than ever before has left most of us frustrated and tired. There are solutions out there, though, that can help improve processes and increase efficiency - making it easier to meet tougher demands with less resources.

Take some time to look through the materials provided in the resource center and see how the different types of 3D metrology might apply to your company. There are numerous case studies of how organizations just like yours were able to implement a portable 3D metrology solution and save both time and money. Additionally, there are educational white papers and webinars geared toward efficiency and ways to improve your processes.

Visit the 3D Metrology Resource Center now!

List of Top 500 US Manufacturers Released

With all of the attention on the Gulf of Mexico and the oil spill catastrophe, it was interesting to see that Industry Week named Exxon Mobil and Chevron as the top two companies from their 2010 report on the 500 largest publicly held US manufacturing companies based on revenue. We’ll have to wait and see if recent events will change the landscape next year. It seems we’ve all become more aware of just how much money these types of companies bring in. They were also the top two companies in 2009. General Electric and ConocoPhillips (also two energy companies) came in 3^rd and 4^th respectively.

Despite a tough year, “many manufacturers improved profits or returned to profitability in 2009”. There was a 30% drop in net income on this list in 2008, so it is nice to see a 6% increase this year. William Strauss, senior economist and economic advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, noted that manufacturers cutting back their expenses (in some cases beyond the necessary amount) contributed to the recovery.

In the metal fabrication industry, overall revenue fell 27% to $73.9 billion, which included a 53% drop for United States Steel Corporation. Even though two oil companies took the top two spots on the list, they also saw a large drop at 35%. Healthcare companies actually saw an increase, and the alternative energy market continued its upward climb. First Solar Inc, for example, experienced a profit growth of 84% in 2009.

View the complete Top 500 List

Reverse Engineering Using Laser Scanning

This month FARO presented a webinar on reverse engineering using laser scanning. This adopted technology has become routine for rapid prototyping and CAD comparison. Because laser scanning captures free form surfaces with using point clouds, the data is extremely reliable. The usage of checking fixtures is becoming a process of the past. The cost of maintaining these fixtures as well as storing both play in favor to convert to laser scanning.

With the FARO Laser Scanner Photon, reverse engineering parts is not limited to only small or medium sized components. With a range of 395ft, the Photon is capable of capturing large scaled objects such as castings, trucks, yachts and even structures. The flexibility and speediness of the Photon allows users to gather the data in hard to reach areas and process the scans within the same day. Manufacturing can benefit greatly by implementing 3D laser scanning into the process.

To read the full “Reverse Engineering Method Using Advanced 3D laser Scanning,” click HERE.

To watch the recorded version of the webinar, click here.

Increasing Productivity, Accuracy, and Customer Base

Harvest Technologies, based in Belton, Texas, provides rapid prototyping and manufacturing for a wide range of industries – including oil and gas, automotive, medical, consumer goods, power tools, and aerospace. With over 30 years of engineering experience, Harvest has been leading the way in rapid prototyping for over ten years – having developed several proprietary techniques of post-processing and finishing rapid prototypes.

Rapid prototyping (RP) uses a technological process to produce complex 3D objects in a short period of time, usually days rather than weeks. Tight tolerances are a must and capturing contour measurements of various prototypes creates difficulties. When working with complex measurements, traditional measurement tools such as calipers don’t work, create guesswork, human error, and inconsistent results. Harvest needed a better solution to answer their customers’ needs.

Thanks to one of these customers, Harvest chose the advanced technology of the FARO Laser ScanArm®. The ScanArm’s ability to capture high end surface measurements and its ability to take fine point measurements for use in stereolithography (STL) files was key. The ScanArm allows Harvest to scan complex contours and place them into a CAD model using Geomagic software. Tolerances are verified when the scanned prototypes are compared to an original 3D model, providing first article and CAD-to-part inspection capability.

What used to take days, now takes only hours with the ScanArm. Products are created in less time, more cost effectively, and without the waste caused by human error. Any deviations are caught with the very first part, not after creating piles of scrap during a faulty production run. More importantly, deviations a caught before a part is ever sent to a customer.

“It’s a great tool – well worth its weight in gold,” says Jason Morgan, Stereolithography Production Manager at Harvest.

Read the full case application

Watch a recorded webinar on Rapid Prototyping

3D Laser Scanning Speeds Up Building Condition Surveys

Building Surveys emerged as a profession in the 1970’s and originated in the United Kingdom. Since that time it has become a well known profession that consists mostly of experienced surveyors. It is these surveyors that are being increasingly employed at all levels of the construction process. These building surveyors undertake a wide array of tasks such as: construction design, building works, project management and building surveys.

It is these building surveys that can be critical to the entire construction process. Not only does the documentation need to be accurate but it usually requires a timely delivery. An article on facilitiesnet.com discusses the advantages of using laser scanning technology in the surveying process. As it highlights the speediness of the technology, it is important to note that the FARO Laser Scanner Photon is the fastest phase-shift based laser scanner in the marketplace. With 976,000 points captured per second, the Photon is able to produce detailed point clouds up to 120 meters. Surveyors, who understand the importance of accuracy and saving time, rely on the Photon to enhance the building process.

To read the full “3-D Laser Scanning Speeds Up Building Condition Surveys,” click HERE.