Nikkei reported HP was prepared to shift some of its production out of China to Thailand, Mexico and even Vietnam. One of the obvious reasons is certainly costs — which entails tariffs (if applicable), labour and materials. The other reason is certainly the intention to not be held hostage by a dominant player.

The report added HP will be expanding its production capacities in ASEAN and globally. Thailandposten.com mentioned HP is preparing to produce laptops for the Thai consumer market, while laptops for enterprises and use the production base in Mexico In addition to Thailand, HP is also planning to move production capacity to Vietnam next year.

Last year, HP sold 55.2 million PCs, of which between 3 and 5 million were made outside of China. There are a variety of computer parts suppliers, and HP decided to choose Thailand as another production base. While Mexico is an important production base in North America. and also has trade agreements with the United States and Canada.

The United States is currently a key market for HP with orders for about 31%, while the Chinese market accounts for less than 8% of the company’s sales. Competitors like Lenovo, including Huawei, dominate the Chinese market. 

The reason why HP has to move some of its production capacity outside of China is flexibility — prevent disruption of the production sector and want to satisfy customers who are all over the world. Apart from HP, Dell, is also preparing to move 20% of its total production capacity to Vietnam.

Including the transition to manufacturing products that rely on chips from China as well like HP, other manufacturers, such as Apple, are also aiming to diversify their capacity to Vietnam or India.

While there are many different types of machine tools involved in manufacturing computers, the main ones which are expected to enjoy a demand when the shift occurs would be:

1. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Machining Centers: They are versatile machines used for milling, drilling, and cutting various components with high precision and crucial for producing metal parts, such as computer cases, heatsinks, and internal components.
2. Injection Molding Machines: These machines are used for mass-producing plastic components, such as keyboard keys, laptop shells, and other plastic parts in computers.
3. Sheet Metal Fabrication Machines: They are utilised to form and cut sheet metal components, including computer chassis, panels, and brackets.
4. PCB (Printed Circuit Board) Manufacturing Equipment: This is essential for producing printed circuit boards used in computer assemblies. It includes machines for PCB etching, drilling, solder mask application, and component placement.
5. Automated Assembly Equipment: Computer manufacturing involves a lot of assembly processes, and automated assembly equipment like pick-and-place machines, soldering machines, and robotic assembly cells are widely used to increase efficiency and reduce human error.
6. Laser Cutting Machines: Laser cutting machines are for precision cutting of various materials, including metal and plastic, which are essential for making computer components.

It is hence important to note that HP, like many other computer manufacturers, likely uses a combination of different machine tools and manufacturing processes to produce their computers. The specific demand for each machine tool may vary depending on the model and specifications of the computers being produced, as well as changes in technology and manufacturing practices over time.

Related Stories:

OpenAI Sued For Copyright Infringement
ChatGPT – A Weapon Of Market Consolidation?
Companies Struggle To Protect Corporate Secrets From ChatGPT
Samsung Employees Accidentally Leaked Company Secrets Via ChatGPT
Samsung May Have A Semiconductor Factory In Vietnam
Samsung Sells Record US$1.7 Billion Of Phones Over India Holiday
Samsung’s Smartphone Shipments Drop By 8 Percent In Global Markets In Q3 2022
Samsung Envisions Hyper-Growth in Memory and Logic Semiconductors Through Intensified Industry Collaborations
Samsung To Produce Semiconductor Parts In Vietnam In 2023

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

CONNECT WITH US:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Letter to the Editor
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? APMEN News would love to hear from you!

Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post HP To Shift PC Production To Thailand To Reduce China Reliance appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

By Ed Scannell, TechTarget’s News Group

That relief might be short-lived. Pouring cold water on the lukewarm optimism chipmakers have with the CHIPS Act money are the slower PC-buying market following the pandemic and soaring inflation causing IT shops to hit the pause button on purchases.

“The PC industry went through a period of irrational exuberance during the pandemic,” said Glenn O’Donnell, vice president and research director at Forrester Research. “IT now has all the PCs they need, so naturally you see trouble coming for not just chipmakers, but carrying over to OEMs like Dell, HP and Lenovo,” remarked Glenn O’Donnell, Vice president and research director, Forrester Research.

Rising costs caused by inflation are slowing not only PC sales, but servers as well. Companies that typically replace servers every five years might extend the life of their existing servers another year or two as a cost-cutting measure, O’Donnell added.

Inflation’s rippling effect has also reached cloud providers like Microsoft, which is starting to milk its Azure assets longer and slow-walk the expansion of its data centers, O’Donnell said. This has meant that hyperscalers, who as a group buy a significant number of chips, have delayed their purchase of servers, which again contributes to the eroding chip sales of Intel, AMD and Nvidia.

Chip Supply Chain Slows

Top-tier semiconductor companies — most notably, Intel and Nvidia — reported down revenues for the quarter ending in June and/or forecast a continuation of flat to down revenues over the next two or three quarters.

Yet another factor that figures to hold chip sales down in the coming quarters is the slowdown in delivery of components that chipmakers need to deliver finished products — not just shortages on vital items item such as substrates, but other materials stretching from precious earth metals to aluminum. The latter material largely comes from war-torn Ukraine, where the flow of supply has slowed. This slowdown has reportedly caused a significant rise in the cost of that material, which is being passed on to chip manufacturers.

Some analysts see the lack of demand for PCs as one problem that will disappear sooner rather than later. They note that this down period is part of the normal selling cycle.

“Vendors sold more and more PCs, resulting in outsized growth even during the chip shortages, resulting in huge backlogs,” said Dan Newman, analyst at Futurum Research and CEO of Broadsuite Media Group. “You knew the merry-go-round had to stop at some point, but you are starting to see a move back to normalization.”

While falling PC sales affects all the top-tier chipmakers, each company has other problems unique to its situation. In Intel’s case, problems that started before the pandemic included not having the proper manufacturing equipment, which inhibited delivery of innovative technologies. This also caused the company to miss multiple delivery dates on strategically important processors.

The latest pushback occurred two months ago when, for the second time, Intel pushed back delivery of its next Xeon processor, code-named Sapphire Rapids. Intel had previously announced that Nvidia would use Sapphire Rapids, not AMD’s Genoa chip, in its DGX H100 system.

Chip Delays Continue

Intel initially planned to deliver Sapphire Rapids — a chip the company hoped would make it more competitive with Genoa — in the fourth quarter of 2021. Intel told TechTarget Editorial it expects to deliver the chip sometime in the second half of 2023.

With each delay, the company falls further behind the technology curve compared with archrival AMD, which has been steadily eating away at Intel’s market share.

“To fix most of its problems, Intel has to do three things: execute, execute and execute,” said Frank Dzubeck, president of Communications Network Architects. “Every delivery date has to be met, every chip plant opening date has to be met, and research has to be functioning on all cylinders.”

Intel’s move to correct a series of management missteps was to bring back longtime Intel executive Pat Gelsinger in February 2021. Gelsinger has been aggressive on multiple fronts: investing $100 billion to build new chip fabrication plants over the next three years in the U.S. and Europe, acquiring key chip manufacturers, and reorganizing the company to establish new divisions dedicated to data center and AI technologies.

Still, the company has missed delivery dates on critical products and not offered any word on fixes applied to its manufacturing problems. Some analysts believe the manufacturing problems won’t be resolved until the company builds the new fabrication plants starting in 2023 and continuing into 2025.

“The major challenge Gelsinger and crew have is to put better management in place to manage manufacturing,” said Jack Gold, analyst and president of J.Gold Associates. “They have great designers, but you must have the ability to manufacture what you design.”

Arm Momentum Continues

One other challenge Intel has is a competitive one with Arm Holdings. The U.K.-based manufacturer of lower-cost chips has gained impressive momentum over the past few years. Its competitive strength is that its chips require much less power than Intel’s — an attractive asset to owners of larger data centers concerned with energy costs and sustainability issues.

“Arm used to be seen as kind of a toy, looking down on it because it was mostly running mobile phones, not data centers,” O’Donnell said. “That view held up for many years, but it’s not so true anymore. You can crank it up now to outperform Intel at many functions.”

The good news for Intel regarding its competition with Arm is that it’s difficult to switch a large data center over from Intel chips to Arm chips. The process can be time-consuming and potentially expensive because it introduces compatibility issues with a data center’s existing server-based applications.

“Enterprise data centers have had applications optimized for x86 hardware for years,” Gold said. “To change over to Arm is not easy because the compatibility issues are not very transparent. Are busy IT people going to take the time to see if their mission-critical applications run efficiently on Arm? Probably not.”

Nvidia’s business has also been affected by the plummeting sales of PCs, particularly in the gaming market, where users heavily depend on the company’s GPUs to drive performance. In the recent quarter, the company reported sales to that market had dropped by 33 percent year over year. Revenues of its data center products were up 61 percent year over year, but those sales dramatically slowed to 1% from this year’s first quarter to the second, led by a decline in sales of its GPUs.

“Nvidia has had blowout numbers for so many quarters in a row, so there is no reason for people to lose their minds over this downturn,” Newman said. “You will see this pullback among consumers and businesses for a period of time before we kick into the next cycle — likely next year.”

One advantage Nvidia has over Intel for a quicker recovery is the advances it has made by aggressively investing in AI-based technologies, which can be seen in its Omniverse offering, and tying those technologies to its GPUs. The company is also the first to incorporate its GPUs with its own CPU, which results in much faster performance.

AMD had a decidedly more upbeat quarter, reporting its eighth straight quarter of revenue gains, led by strong gains in its data center and embedded product businesses. The company expects to see continued growth in its data center business through the end of the year with the arrival of its 5 nanometer chip technology, according to AMD CEO Lisa Su.

Intel said it expects to deliver its first 7 nanometer processor, code-named Meteor Lake, in 2023.

Su also said at the most recent financial analyst meeting that she holds a “more conservative outlook on the PC business in the coming quarter,” which could negatively affect overall revenues.

Microsoft underlined Su’s comments last month in its quarterly revenue report, saying production slowdowns and a deteriorating PC market caused a $300 million hit to its Windows OEM business, which supplies Windows to all PC manufacturers.

“AMD had decent growth in its PC business, but that was from a much smaller number than Intel’s,” Newman said.

What You Missed:

Industrial Control Strengthens Kassow Robots’ Solutions And Education Platform
Optimised Tools For The Future Of Sustainable Aircrafts
How Precision Machining Allows Adaptability To Complex Challenges
Cloud-Native Smart Manufacturing Platform In Southeast Asia
3D Systems To Accelerate High Volume Additive Manufacturing With Acquisition Of Dp Polar GmbH
SK Hynix To Break Ground On New U.S. Chip Packaging Plant Early 2023
Automotive Trim Developments Acquires Two Metal 3D Printers For Component Innovation
Samsung To Produce Semiconductor Parts In Vietnam In 2023
The Hidden Suppliers Of The Chip Industry

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

CONNECT WITH US:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Letter to the Editor
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? APMEN News would love to hear from you!

Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post Semiconductor Companies Face A Long Road Back To Growth appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

By Jessie Chiang, channellife.com.au

The preliminary results from the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker show this is the second consecutive quarter of lower shipments following two years of growth. The decline was worse than expected as supply and logistics further deteriorated due to the lockdowns in China and persistent macroeconomic headwinds.

IDC mobile device trackers research manager Jitesh Ubrani says fears over a recession continue to mount and weaken demand across segments.

“Consumer demand for PCs has weakened in the near term and is at risk of perishing in the long term as consumers become more cautious about their spending and once again grow accustomed to computing across device types such as phones and tablets. Meanwhile, commercial demand has been more robust although it has also declined as businesses delay purchase,” he says.

However, despite the recent decline and weakening demand, the IDC says the total PC volume is still comparable to the beginning of the pandemic when it reached 74.3 million in the second quarter of 2020. In addition, the market is still well above pre-pandemic levels as volumes in the second quarter of 2018, and 2019 were 62.1 million and 65.1 million units, respectively.

IDC’s devices and displays team research manager Neha Mahajan says that the US PC market is looking at another quarter of double-digit decline across most segments, with education PC appetite saturating and consumer demand slowing down.

“Commercial PC demand is also showing signs of a slowdown, however there are still pockets of growth expected in certain commercial sub-segments where demand for low-mid range Windows devices remains active and unfilled,” she says.

IDC says while rankings among the top three companies with the most units shipped did not change, Apple did slip into the fifth position, tying the company with ASUS, as production dipped during the quarter. As a result, Acer found itself in 4th place this cycle. IDC expects Apple to ramp up its production in the second half of the year, barring any further supply issues.

The rankings for global shipments in the second quarter of 2022:

1. Lenovo, 17.5 million units
2. HP Inc., 13.5 million units
3. Dell Technologies, 13.2 million units
4. Acer Group, 5 million units
5. Apple tied with ASUS, 4.8 and 4.7 million units, respectively

IDC declares a statistical tie in the worldwide Traditional PC market when there is a difference of one-tenth of 1 percent (0.1 percent) or less in the shipment shares among two or more vendors.

What You Missed:

Micron: ‘It Could Take a Few Quarters For Growth To Re-Emerge’ In Semiconductors, Analyst Says
Region’s First 3D-Printed Home Completed And Sold In South Richmond
Cybersecurity Experts On High Alert With Extremely Hazardous Black Basta Malware
Concept Car AKXY2 Has A Boat-Shaped Bubble And Picnic Area
The Internet of Things: Are We Living Through The Next Tech Revolution?
Saccade Vision Uses Mems-Based Cameras To Improve Measuring And Quality Control
Order Cancellations Strike, 8-Inch Fab Capacity Utilisation Rate Declines Most In 2H22, Says TrendForce
Struggling Industries’ Bid To Hire Young Talent To Fill Jobs With $80k Salaries
Harvard Scientists Develop A Method To Restore Damaged Tendons And Muscles
Bosch Ready To Spend US$3 Billion To Help Solve Chip Demand

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

CONNECT WITH US:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Letter to the Editor
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? APMEN News would love to hear from you!

Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post Worldwide Shipments Of PCs Fall By More Than 15 Percent In Q2 2022 appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Source: https://3dprintingindustry.com/

As part of a project which started last year, Toyota now uses HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing to create stock parts, before selling them alongside traditionally-produced spares. In addition to providing the company with enhanced short-run production capabilities, using the technology is said to allow it to optimize the designs and lead times of newly-developed parts. 

“Every day we are seeing growing traction and more mature 3D printed applications across many different industries globally, especially in automotive,” said Nobuki Okado, MD of HP Japan. “Leading automakers like the Toyota Motor Corporation are showcasing the power of 3D printing for flexible design, speed to market and sustainable impact.”

“HP and SOLIZE continue to work together to meet the demand for more innovative, personalized and sustainable products.”

Toyota’s automotive 3D printing expertise

As you’d expect from one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers, Toyota utilizes a range of production technologies to bring its vast vehicle portfolio from the drawing board into reality. On multiple occasions, the firm’s diverse manufacturing needs have seen it turn to 3D printing. Working with Materialise, for instance, the company has previously developed an ultra-lightweight 3D printed car seat. 

Since then, Toyota has gone on to invest in the technology’s R&D, by co-developing Somos Taurus alongside DSM, a material said to be ideal for automotive applications thanks to its lofty 95°C heat deflection temperature. At the University of Waterloo, meanwhile, the firm has had the 3D printing wing named after it, following a $2.1 million (CAD) donation it made to the institution to advance its R&D in 2019. 

In its Toyota Motorsport division, the company also continues to ramp up its adoption of the technology. To-date, the firm’s racing arm has unveiled plans to develop new lightweight automotive materials, as well as committing to collaborate with 3D Systems on ‘advanced technologies’ with high-end racing applications.

More recently, Toyota Racing Development (TRD), the company’s in-housing tuning division, has named Stratasys an Official 3D Printing Partner. In its new role, Stratasys has already helped TRD develop several end-use 3D printed parts for the Toyota GR86, a sub-£30,000 production vehicle that’s set to be raced in the new single-make GR Cup series. 

Toyota’s GR Cup-spec GR86 race car.
Image credit: Toyota.

Meeting Growing Demand With SOLIZE

Set up in response to rising customer demand, Toyota’s spare part 3D printing project is understood to be multifaceted. On the one hand, the firm’s working with SOLIZE to produce prototypes via a group of 5200 Series systems, and ensure the quality of its end-products. Elsewhere, on the other, HP says the technology is also helping Toyota “create a more flexible manufacturing process.”

Although the company hasn’t revealed the nature of the parts it has begun to 3D print, the 380 x 284 x 380mm build volume and 5058 cm3/hr print speed of its machines, make them scalable to an industrial capacity if needed. Likewise, since launching the 5200 Series, HP has worked with BASF to support it with materials like High Reusability PP5, which can be used to create functional, durable parts. 

Partnering with SOLIZE, a business with a background in automotive 3D printing, is also said to have been key to Toyota’s successful adoption of the technology within spare part production. In March 2021, it was revealed that the firm was 3D printing spares for Nissan’s heritage NISMO cars, and it now appears to be playing a similar role, in facilitating Toyota’s wider deployment of HP machines.

Reinforcing Automotive Supply Chains 

Given the problems that COVID-19 and Russia’s war in Ukraine continue to cause to global supply chains, it’s hardly surprising that a growing number of automotive firms are turning to 3D printing and in-house production to get around them. 

In June 2021, for instance, Daimler’s Trucks & Buses division, which now trades separately from the wider Mercedes-Benz Group, partnered with service brand Omniplus to launch a spare part 3D printing center. While the facility is based in Hamburg, it’s deployable by truck to any location, only requiring electricity and an internet connection to function. 

Not long after, the Sauber Group’s Sauber Engineering division also unveiled plans to establish a classic car spare part 3D printing offering. At the time, it was reported that Sauber was seeking to use the expertise gained from its 28 year-stint as an F1 team to set up a service, which offers to reverse engineer and print discontinued components. 

Elsewhere, the likes of Porsche have utilized the technology to ensure the sustainability and accessibility of replacement parts for its classic cars. The company began using custom-printed tooling and added a number of SLS and SLM 3D printed spares to its catalog in 2018, which were designed to help customers make their vintage vehicles run for longer. 

What You Missed:
Democratisation Of Commodity Supply Chain Data & Intelligence
GSK Opens Doors At US$110M Biologics Smart Factory In UK
3D Systems And AIPMA Partner To Promote Adoption Of Additive Manufacturing In The Plastics Industry
Singaporean Crypto-Miner Uses Sound to Create an AI-Based Maintenance Solution for Machines
DHL Express Singapore Spearheads Sustainable Logistics With 80 Additional Electric Vehicles
Micron: ‘It Could Take a Few Quarters For Growth To Re-Emerge’ In Semiconductors, Analyst Says
Region’s First 3D-Printed Home Completed And Sold In South Richmond
Cybersecurity Experts On High Alert With Extremely Hazardous Black Basta Malware
Concept Car AKXY2 Has A Boat-Shaped Bubble And Picnic Area
The Internet of Things: Are We Living Through The Next Tech Revolution?

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

CONNECT WITH US:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Letter to the Editor
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? APMEN News would love to hear from you!

Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post Toyota And Solize Unveil Automotive Spare Part 3D Printing Project Powered By HP Technology appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

How is additive manufacturing transforming the medical industry?

Mitchell Beness (MD): Whether it’s to produce anatomical models, medical instruments and equipment or personalised medical aids such as orthotics and prosthetics, 3D printing has helped improve patient comfort and outcomes. 

Today, advanced 3D printing capabilities provide essential equipment and key insights to help educate and prepare care givers as well as patients. For example, HP Metal Jet technology enables production of high-quality surgical tools such as surgical scissors and endoscopic surgical jaws, and new applications and geometries not possible with conventional metal fabrication technologies. In addition, HP Multi Jet Fusion can provide doctors and surgeons with rich, detailed models, which makes it easier for doctors to differentiate tiny details such as veins and arteries when practicing the procedures as well as countless other medical, health and wellness applications.

In prosthetics and orthotics, 3D printing has helped both patients and businesses improve patient outcomes by producing complex, custom designs. 

The impact of 3D printing can also be seen in the recent COVID-19 pandemic, where global supply chains were upended like never before – hospitals were facing a lack of critical life-or death resources. For many, 3D printing was brought to their lives for the first time – with many of their introduction to 3D printing was via personal protective equipment (PPE) or testing equipment, like face shields or nasal swabs. 

3D printing is transforming the medical industry in many ways, but more importantly, it’s helping improve patient outcomes, improve economics and provide new opportunities for learning. 

What are the benefits of 3D printing in the medical industry?

MD: Advances in the 3D printing industry have enabled the industry to make any idea, large or small, simple or complex a reality. HP’s 3D printing solutions enable innovative designs and the production of high quality, cost effective personalised products.

We collaborate with various partners and customers to produce strong high-quality parts that are production ready. HP’s advanced industrial capabilities enable customers to reliably move designs from prototype to mass production. The COVID-19 response was a clear example on how the community came together from prototyping to quickly deploying solutions to first responders on the ground with face shields, masks, testing swabs and more. We also work with industry leaders such as Everex, an engineering company that creates unique and technologically advanced products for the needs of their customers in the medical industry. With the HP Multi Jet Fusion technology, Everex wanted to design a new type of instrument from their device, Hemo One that is used to analyse samples of blood. The Hemo One was previously produced using traditional methods but Everex wanted a design that would be easier to assemble with an eye on reducing cost. 

How has additive manufacturing helped in the fight against the pandemic? What are some innovations?

MD: Additive Manufacturing has definitely played its role in the fight against the pandemic, especially in helping plug the gaps in supply chain for personal protective equipment. At the start of the pandemic, HP mobilised a global effort to design and manufacture products that could be 3D printed to support frontliners and healthcare workers. We started working with employees across the company as well as customers to start sourcing designs and print parts that will help with COVID-19 efforts. 

As of May last year, HP together with our partners and clients has printed and shipped over 5 million 3D-printed parts for ventilators, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) respirators, face shields, masks and other personal accessories. Together with our partners, we’ve also made these 3D printable designs freely available to the community.

All in all, the industry has definitely stepped up to meet the demands of the pandemic through continuous knowledge sharing, plugging the supply chain gap, and working with government agencies and health experts in determining parts most in need. 

To continue reading this article, head on over to our Ebook!

Check these articles out:

The 3D Printing Market Will Reach $51 Billion In 2030

HP And Siemens Expand Opportunities For 3D Design And Additive Manufacturing Innovation

Growing Possibilities Of 3D Printing In The Aerospace Industry

CADS Additive And Designairspace Launch First SaaS Solution

Hexagon And Authentise Partner To Deliver First Open End-To-End Software Solution For AM

Google Cloud And Siemens To Cooperate On AI-Based Solutions In Manufacturing

For other exclusive articles, visit www.equipment-news.com.

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

FOLLOW US ON: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

The post How 3D Printing Is Transforming The Medical Industry appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Sustainability is a priority for both iconic companies, which through joint exploration led to this unlikely, earth-friendly solution. The resulting injection molded parts are better for the environment with no compromise in the durability and quality standards Ford and its customers demand.

The recycled materials are being used to manufacture injection-molded fuel-line clips installed first on Super Duty F-250 trucks. The parts have better chemical and moisture resistance than conventional versions, are seven percent lighter and cost 10 percent less. The Ford research team has identified 10 other fuel-line clips on existing vehicles that could benefit from this innovative use of material and are migrating it to future models.

“Finding new ways to work with sustainable materials, reducing waste and leading the development of the circular economy are passions at Ford,” said Debbie Mielewski, Ford technical fellow, Sustainability. “Many companies are finding great uses for 3D printing technologies, but, together with HP, we’re the first to find a high-value application for waste powder that likely would have gone to landfill, transforming it into functional and durable auto parts.”

HP 3D printers are already designed for high efficiency, with systems and structures to minimise the excess material they generate and reuse a greater percentage of the materials put into them. Working with Ford, which uses HP’s 3D printing technology at the company’s Advanced Manufacturing Center, the team created this solution that produces zero waste.

“You get more sustainable manufacturing processes with 3D, but we are always striving to do more, driving our industry forward to find new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle powders and parts,” said Ellen Jackowski, chief sustainability and social impact officer, HP. “Our collaboration with Ford extends the environmental benefits of 3D printing even further, showcasing how we are bringing entirely different industries together to make better use of spent manufacturing materials, enabling a new circular economy.”

For its part, Ford is developing new applications and utilising a multitude of different processes and materials for 3D printing, including filaments, sand, powders and liquid vat polymerisation. The company already employs 3D printing for a variety of low-volume commercial vehicle parts, as well as fixtures used by assembly line workers use, saving production time and enhancing quality.

Check these articles out:

3D Systems Introduces Next Generation ‘High Speed Fusion’ 3D Printing System For Aerospace And Automotive Market Applications

When Grinding Receives An Unprecedented Dimension

Where 3D Printing Makes Sense

Ford Charges Electric Push In Beijing’s Transforming Market

3D Scanning Resolves Quality vs Cycle Time Conundrum

SLM Solutions Signs MoU For The Purchase Of Five NXG XII 600 With Major European OEM

For other exclusive articles, visit www.equipment-news.com.

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

FOLLOW US ON: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

The post Leading A Sustainable Revolution: Ford And HP Collaborate To Transform 3D Waste Into Auto Parts appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Technology advancements have continuously been redefining design and manufacturing processes, production facilities, distribution systems, and global supply chains. As we move toward Industry 4.0, manufacturers recognise that current business models are no longer sustainable, and that the time has come for them to start adopting smarter manufacturing processes and solutions.

READ: Additive Manufacturing and Journey to Industry 4.0

One such technology is 3D printing. 3D printing is a ground-breaking and innovative technology that has the potential to bring intermediate changes in manufacturing, society and business. As a crucial medium connecting the virtual and actual world, 3D printing enables the transformation of digital files into tangible objects. According to market analyst firm Inkwood Research, the global 3D printing market is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17 percent from 2019 to 2027 and reach a value of US$ 44.39 billion at the end of the forecast period. While North America is the dominating region, Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market for 3D printing.

Mitchell Beness, Category Product Manager Lead for 3D Print and Digital Manufacturing, APJ at HP Inc., says the overall growth in terms of revenue for the industry has been positive, double-digit growth year-on-year, globally, for additive manufacturing or 3D printing. “For us at HP, we see very exciting growth. If you look at the growth of the number of parts that we are producing, this is significant. If you look at the growth of our installed base and powder usage, it is very positive,” he notes. “I think, overall, it is an encouraging story for the industry and for us. Since entering the market, we have seen a lot of people rethinking their decision to move into traditional manufacturing and looking very carefully at what digital manufacturing can offer. I think this change in mindset has been an upward trajectory.”

READ: HP: Eight Trends In 3D Printing

HP and its partner DKSH Singapore were at the recent Industrial Transformation ASIA PACIFIC (ITAP) 2019 event in Singapore to showcase the latest HP Jet Fusion 580 System, a 3D printer developed specifically for lower volumes as an entry point. The Jet Fusion 580 System is the first of its kind in using a functional material—an engineering grade Nylon polymer—which can incorporate colour within the printer. It is a good example of an all-in-one machine, where it is printing, collecting powder, recycling powder, and redistributing powder, all in one very small unit.

Growing Adoption

Inkwood Research notes that 3D printing has achieved significant progress from the initial stages of production of simple plastic models to producing useful components, in the fields of surgical implants and prosthetics, batteries, robots, and among many others.

“I think the key area is prototyping, which goes throughout the different industries. We also need to differentiate between replacing and complementing the existing manufacturing process,” explains Robert Puschmann, Managing Director for DKSH Technology Business in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. “If you look at different industries, research is at the forefront. Researchers are looking into how 3D printing can be adopted, which is a very crucial progress because that will help create a new generation of mechanical engineers who are able to design in a totally different way than before. This will be used in more industries over time.”

READ: Accelerate Smart Additive Manufacturing with Simulation

3D printing or additive manufacturing offers a change in the traditional manufacturing processes, according to Beness. But convincing manufacturers to adopt the technology requires changing their mindset.

“It is an area that Southeast Asia is uniquely positioned to take advantage of considering its relatively young engineers. There are a lot of younger people in these countries, who are able to get access to quality education better than ever before,” he says. “Singapore is an excellent hub for education, and we see partnerships with dynamic clusters, such as Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Many of these types of educational institutions are fundamentally starting that design journey in the engineering space, with additive manufacturing in mind. I think the biggest challenge as well as the biggest opportunity is for people to change the way they design and engineer.”

Apart from the change in mindset, the business case also needs to be there so that people will understand more the benefits of integrating additive manufacturing in their processes.

“Overall, the return on investment (ROI) needs to be understood by the customer,” Puschmann says. “That is something we continuously educate the market with. Also, having a different mindset and knowing to design parts for 3D printing compared to conventional manufacturing are other decisive factors.”

READ: Powering Additive Manufacturing With Data Analytics

One way of educating the industry is through exhibitions such as ITAP. “The ITAP 2019 exhibition is an educational platform for a lot of people to know that 3D printing exists—I think that’s the first part,” says Puschmann. “On top of that, we conduct test printings with our demo machines to show customers that 3D printing is possible. We also run specific seminars on selected industry focus groups.”

It is also a lot of on-site work, according to Puschmann, where salespeople and applications specialists go from door to door and introduce the new technology and product directly to the customers.

Transforming Manufacturing

One aspect of Industry 4.0 is the synergy between the physical and cyber-physical world. And 3D printing is in this unique place between the cyber-physical world—which is the data—and the physical world—the output of the 3D printer.

“3D printing takes the digital world and makes it physical,” says Beness. “It has a very important and challenging role because it must address multitudes of data that are potentially for traditional manufacturing, and then try and make that into a physical product using additive technologies. I think that is the best way to describe industrial transformation. 3D printing takes digital files and turns them into physical objects. This is a critical part of Industry 4.0.”

READ: Infusing Purpose Into Emerging Technologies

Apart from this, 3D printing also enables distributed manufacturing. “You don’t need to produce all the parts and all the products at one place. Instead, you can distribute based on knowledge and available resources and bring them together,” explains Puschmann. “It’s not only a transformation with regards to new technologies, but also the transformation of existing manufacturing processes and infrastructures themselves.”

Future of Automation

The outlook for Southeast Asia needs to be in the perspective of the different markets in the region, as each is in its different stage of development when it comes to automation. “You have Vietnam becoming a new manufacturing powerhouse probably over the next few years,” says Puschmann. “Singapore is positioning itself very well in terms of industrial transformation and automation. In general, for automation to be implemented in Southeast Asia, I believe there needs to be a lot of education on the customer side as well as in universities so that there is more talent available in the market to drive the transformation.”

There is no way around it, according to Puschmann, as the industrial transformation process is going to happen. “The question is more about which industries will be first. I believe the manufacturing sector is probably one of the more difficult ones for adoption. The transformation process might take place more in the logistics space and in food production first, before it moves on to manufacturing,” says Puschmann. “Manufacturing is always unique—what is manufactured on the metal side on the one hand, and on the plastics side on another, always require different machines.”

READ: HP Inc. And Partners Battles COVID19 With 3D Printing Solutions

And when it comes to automation, it can be a step-by-step process, or a transformation in one go.

“You can do it step by step, by looking at what you are manufacturing today and by potentially automating certain modules of your manufacturing process. Or, if you have the capability, the knowledge, the budget and the breadth to implement it, you can do it in one go—which bears a higher risk, of course, but also results in a faster return,” explains Puschmann. “However, if you are a medium-sized company today and you are not looking into automation at all, you might risk not existing anymore in five years’ time.”

Industry 4.0 is a very big word, which might scare a lot of people, according to Puschmann. “To really achieve Industry 4.0, you must do much more than just automate. While the first step is getting into automation, how you get into it is through education, which means taking away the apprehension of the product and helping the customer with the application. There is also a need for support on having a common understanding with the customer and on taking away the general fear by underlining that automation is not about replacing, but about giving the opportunity to businesses to upskill their people and giving them more value-added opportunities and tasks. Once you have these companies interested in automation, the next step would be integrating the automation processes into their existing platforms,” he says. “What is going to be interesting and important for us is tapping into different ecosystems of knowledge platforms and manufacturers and bringing this network effect to life. This ensures that the customer can really utilize all the different products and equipment and knowledge out there to get the best solution for them. Automation and Industry 4.0 are very complex, and I think one party alone would probably not be able to handle it. Leveraging that network effect is where DKSH can play an important role for our customers.”

Check these articles out:

Creaform Launches 3D Scanning Solution Suite for the Aerospace Industry

How The ‘Amazon Effect’ Is Impacting MTO Manufacturers

Accelerate Smart Additive Manufacturing with Simulation

VinFast Deploys Siemens’ Full Portfolio To Deliver Cars Ahead Of Schedule

Hexagon’s Simufact Improves Metal Additive Manufacturing Efficiency

Siemens Opens Additive Manufacturing Network

Coronavirus Outbreak Reveals the Weakest Links In The Supply Chain

APAC: Demand For Machine Tools On The Upswing As Manufacturers Invest In New Production Facilities

Thailand Sets Sight on Industry 4.0

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

FOLLOW US ON: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

The post DKSH and HP Discuss Industrial Transformation Through 3D Printing appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

READ: HP: Eight Trends In 3D Printing

Initial applications being validated and finalised for industrial production include face masks, face shields, mask adjusters, nasal swabs, hands-free door openers, and respirator parts. HP is also coordinating with government, health, and industry agencies in numerous countries to ensure a synchronised and effective approach.

“HP and our digital manufacturing partners are working non-stop in the battle against this unprecedented virus. We are collaborating across borders and industries to identify the parts most in need, validate the designs, and begin 3D printing them,” said Enrique Lores, President and CEO, HP Inc.

READ: Coronavirus Hits Automotive And Aerospace Supply Chains

Some of the first applications being validated and produced include:

• Hands-Free Door Opener: Door handles are among the most germ-infested objects in houses, hospitals, factories, and elderly homes. This adapter allows for easy and more sanitary opening with an elbow.
• Mask Adjuster: Many hospital staff are required to wear masks for long periods of time. This clasp is designed to improve comfort and alleviate associated ear pain.
• Face Shields: Face shields are one of the highest-need personal protection items. Brackets to hold the shield and comfortably fit the wearer are a critical component.

READ: Coronavirus Outbreak Reveals the Weakest Links In The Supply Chain

Many more applications are in the testing and validation phase and are expected to begin production soon, including:

• Field Ventilator: 3D printed parts for a mechanical bag valve mask (BVM) that is designed for use as a short-term emergency ventilation of COVID-19 patients. This simplified design enables a robust and less-complex device, facilitating its rapid production and assembly.
• FFP3 Face Masks: Effective protective gear is needed for medical providers to treat the volume of expected COVID-19 patients. HP is validating several hospital-grade face masks and expects them to be available shortly.

For other exclusive articles, visit www.equipment-news.com.

Check these articles out:

Voice Of The Industry: Is Now The Time To Try Direct Digital Manufacturing?

With Additive Manufacturing To More Productivity

3D Printed Miniature Jet Engine Works, Uses Compressed Air

HP Launches New 3D Printing Solution, Industrial Alliances, and Global Production Network

ABI Research Names Siemens A Leader In Manufacturing Simulation Software

Bolstering Medical And Dental Applications With 3D Printing

COVID-19 Forces Companies To Evaluate How They Operate And Embrace Technological Investment

Nano Dimension And Harris To Develop 3D-Printed Hardware That Will Fly On The International Space Station

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

FOLLOW US ON: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

The post HP Inc. And Partners Battles COVID19 With 3D Printing Solutions appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Today, the world’s most successful companies are not those that insulate themselves from accountability. Rather, they’re the ones that routinely take stock of whether they are performing as the public expects—and now demands—of them. More than ever, this thoughtful self-evaluation is paramount, especially on the heels of a thought-provoking World Economic Forum last month.

Recently, Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), issued a sweeping manifesto in which he challenged companies around the globe to define their universal purpose in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). It is a thoughtful dissertation that urges leaders to spend as much time fulfilling human and societal aspirations as they do generating wealth.

READ: HP-NTU Corporate Lab Showcases R&D Innovations And Announces Digital Manufacturing Skills Development Programme

Industry 4.0 promises to completely reshape how businesses operate, make products and deliver them to markets throughout Asia and the world. While still in its early stages, this paradigm shift could lead to the creation of more than 133 million new roles, according to a study made by the World Economic Forum. As history has proven, though, radical change is difficult. Redefining value creation for the future invariably triggers some hesitation at the highest levels of business.

To that end, HP partnered with the Nanyang Technological University to launch the HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, which aims to drive the innovation and skills required for Industry 4.0 in Singapore and across the region.

Still, companies recognise they must embrace technology—and change—to advance their businesses and serve a greater purpose in this world. In the coming year, therefore, I expect robust government and business discussion around three key trends: the continued march of digital manufacturing; the rise of additive manufacturing and its implications for the environment; and the need to fill the ongoing digital skills gap.

The Tech Driving a Digital Manufacturing Revolution

To thrive in Industry 4.0, digital transformation is imperative. IDC predicts global investment in this area will approach $7.4 trillion between 2020 and 2023. The manufacturing sector, a major driver of global prosperity and economic health, has been the most active, with manufacturers spending more than $345 billion globally on digital transformation in 2019 alone.

READ: HP: Eight Trends In 3D Printing

In the year ahead, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), which enable the automation and optimisation of processes from design to delivery, will likely constitute much of that investment. A McKinsey survey found that nearly half (47 percent) of companies have implemented at least one AI capability, with robotic process automation, computer vision and ML being the most common. Manufacturers reported deriving the greatest value from such technologies, especially for streamlining operations, improving visibility into supply chains and asserting more control over business strategies and operations.

Manufacturers will also continue embracing the cost and operational advantages of cloud computing. This will not simply mean outsourcing all data to third party servers. Rather, most enterprise organisations will pursue hybrid strategies involving a blend of public and private clouds as well as edge computing. In fact, a global Nutanix study found manufacturers plan to more than double their hybrid cloud deployments to 45 percent penetration in two years.

Virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) are also on target to become more prevalent on factory floors. IDC says worldwide spending on VR and AR will jump to $18.8 billion in 2020 compared to last year, with discreet manufacturing making up $1.4 billion of that total. Asian-Pacific automakers, in particular, are embracing VR and AR innovation. Toyota, for instance, is using the technology to build cars faster and give customers a virtual glimpse of what is under the hood—without even lifting it. Hyundai and Kia, meantime, have established a VR design evaluation system to help enhance vehicle development processes.

Creating the reliable and trustworthy digital ecosystem outlined in Schwab’s manifesto requires leaders to invest in emerging digital technology that creates value, not just in their own supply chain, but also throughout their workforce and for their consumers.

How 3D Printing Will Build a Better World

Few technologies stand to transform industry as much as additive manufacturing, or 3D printing.

Advances in materials have made it possible to finally use this technology for more than just producing prototypes. It can now be used to make entire products. 3D printers will play central roles in the production of everything from consumer goods to aerospace and defence equipment to artificial limbs and organs.

READ: Accelerate Smart Additive Manufacturing with Simulation

Along the way, it’s likely this nascent industry will lead to substantial economic growth. In fact, the Asia-Pacific region is becoming the fastest growing 3D printing market in the world, according to AMFG, an additive manufacturer software provider. AMFG forecasts spending on 3D printing in the region will grow 18 percent to reach $3.6 billion within five years, led by China, Japan and South Korea.

Committing to 3D printing serves Schwab’s vision to “continuously expand the frontiers of knowledge, innovation and technology to improve people’s well-being.” Additive manufacturing also has significant implications for the environment, reducing the negative effects of manufacturing, from production runs to shipping.

In a recent study made by A.T. Kearney, a model on the sustainability of 3D printing showed CO₂ emissions could be reduced by 130 to 525 Mt by 2025, including a 5 percent reduction in manufacturing intensities due to 3D printing. The study went on to say that if 3D printing was applied to higher production volumes, it could even decouple energy and CO2 emissions altogether from economic activity. Embracing 3D printing wholeheartedly can help companies meet the Manifesto’s directive for organisations to become “stewards of the environmental and material universe for future generations.”

Considering the Skills Gap in the Era of Rapid Innovation

Rapid innovation and the digitisation of analogue processes are tenets of the Industry 4.0. As we move through this decade, millions of new tech-oriented jobs will be created, often without enough qualified candidates to fill them.

READ: Powering Additive Manufacturing With Data Analytics

To address this disparity, businesses will need to make it their mission to retrain current employees and contribute to educational institutions to ensure the next wave of entrepreneurs and workers are ready for the inevitable changes coming to the manufacturing sector. This investment in new and deepening skills will create a pathway for the profound ideas and solutions our global well-being depends on right now.

This is a time to celebrate change and a commitment to technologies that will make life better and more sustainable for everyone across this region.

For other exclusive articles, visit www.equipment-news.com.

Check these articles out:

Global Aerospace 3D Printing Market Poised To Surpass $2,857 Million By 2024

Coronavirus Outbreak Reveals the Weakest Links In The Supply Chain

Thailand’s Roadmap To Become The Regional EV Hub By 2025

Automotive 3D Printing Market To Reach Over US$8 Billion by 2024

APAC: Demand For Machine Tools On The Upswing As Manufacturers Invest In New Production Facilities

Driving the Next Industrial Revolution

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

FOLLOW US ON: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

The post Infusing Purpose Into Emerging Technologies appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

READ: HP-NTU Corporate Lab Showcases R&D Innovations And Announces Digital Manufacturing Skills Development Programme

“The year ahead will be a time of realising 3D printing and digital manufacturing’s true potential across industries,” said Pete Basiliere, Founder, Monadnock Insights. “As HP’s trend report indicates, digital manufacturing will enable production of users’ ideal designs by unlocking new and expanded software, data, services, and industrial production solutions that deliver more transformative experiences while also disrupting legacy industries.”

READ: Turning Additive Manufacturing Into Business

The 2020 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing Predictions Are:

1)     Automated Assembly Will Thrive on the Factory Floor

Automated assembly will arrive, with industries seamlessly integrating multi-part assemblies including combinations of both 3D printed metal and plastic parts. There’s not currently a super printer that can do all things intrinsically, like printing metal and plastic parts, due to factors such as processing temperatures. However, as automation increases, there’s a vision from the industry for a more automated assembly setup where there is access to part production across both metals and plastics simultaneously.

2)     Coding Digital Information Into 3D Printed Textures Will Accelerate

Organisations will be able to code digital information into the surface texture itself using advanced 3D printing, providing a bigger data payload than just the serial number. This is one way to tag a part either overtly or covertly so that both people and machines are able to read it based on the shape or orientation of the bumps.

READ: HP Launches New 3D Printing Solution, Industrial Alliances, and Global Production Network

3)     Sustainable Production Will Continue to Be a Business Imperative

3D printing will enable the manufacturing industry to produce less waste, less inventory and less CO2 emissions. Engineers and designers will rethink design throughout the product lifecycle to use less material and reduce waste by combining parts and using complex geometries to produce lightweight parts. This further reduces the weight of vehicles and aircraft to improve fuel efficiency which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.

4)     Demand for Students Who Think in 3D Will Increase

Higher education is at a crossroads, challenged with competing for enrolment, changing demographics and the need to adequately prepare students for the future of work. What’s needed is a complete mind shift to prepare for Industry 4.0.

READ: Five Reasons Why Companies Are Turning to AM

5)     Mass Customisation Will Fuel New Growth in Footwear, Eyewear and Dental

The consumer health sector will fuel digital manufacturing growth and adoption, as footwear, eyewear and orthodontics applications rapidly adopt 3D printing technologies. There’s a massive application space around footwear that’s very lucrative for the 3D printing industry.

READ: Bolstering Medical And Dental Applications With 3D Printing

6)     3D Printing Will Power the Electrification of Vehicles

Automakers are increasingly turning to 3D printing and digital manufacturing to help compete in a time of change, as the industry goes through its biggest transformation in more than a 100 years moving away from the internal combustion engine toward electric vehicles. As electric vehicles increase in popularity, automakers will continue to unlock the capabilities of both metal and plastic 3D printing systems to speed up their design and development in order to meet ambitious goals.

READ: 3D Printing The Future Of E-Mobility Tools

7)     3D Printing Will Drive New Supply Chain Efficiencies

The capability to deliver things digitally and produce things locally has not always won out. At the end of the day, manufacturers must analyse where in the supply chain it’s the most efficient to root production – whether that’s near the end users or near the source of material production.

8)     Software Will Push the Boundaries of Digital Manufacturing to New Levels

In 2020 we will close the gap between what 3D printing and digital manufacturing hardware is capable of and what the software ecosystem supports. Advancements in software and data management will drive improved system management and part quality leading to better customer outcomes. Companies within the industry are creating API hooks to build a fluid ecosystem for customers and partners that includes purpose-built individualised products.

READ: How Additive Manufacturing Will Transform Digital Manufacturing 

For other exclusive articles, visit www.equipment-news.com.

Read more:

Outlook For Additive Manufacturing With Copper: 51% CAGR Through 2027

Top 10 Industry 4.0 And Additive Manufacturing Articles For 2019

HP Launches New 3D Printing Solution, Industrial Alliances, and Global Production Network

Sandvik Coromant Connected Driven Tool Holder Maximises Machine Utilisation

Siemens Expands Additive Manufacturing Portfolio Through Acquisition Of Atlas

Thailand Sets Sight on Industry 4.0

E-mobility, Additive Manufacturing Driving Growth in Metrology Sector

Airbus Commits To Continued Automation Of Its Manufacturing Line

Additive Manufacturing Metals Outlook: Nickel Superalloys

HP-NTU Corporate Lab Showcases R&D Innovations And Announces Digital Manufacturing Skills Development Programme

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

FOLLOW US ON: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

The post HP: Eight Trends In 3D Printing appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.