Modern Machine Shop

APR 2017

Modern Machine Shop is focused on all aspects of metalworking technology - Providing the new product technologies; process solutions; supplier listings; business management; networking; and event information that companies need to be competitive.

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90 MMS April 2017 mmsonline.com FEATURE A number of factors seem to be boosting consumer purchases of cars, light trucks and SUVs/crossovers. Unemployment is low, the stock market is high, gas prices and interest rates are cheap. Dealer incentive programs are also entic- ing buyers with big discounts. However, none of these factors is locked in. Since the Great Recession of 2008, job growth has been slow and wage gains have been meager. Gas prices today reflect global production levels, which can be manipulated by major overseas producers. Interest rates are likely to creep up. The incentive programs may keep cars moving off dealer lots to make room for more output from the auto factories, but the impact on profit margins may curtail them. Nevertheless, in the short term, it appears that the pro-business stance of the current government administration contributes to a positive outlook for the automotive industry. Still, there are no guarantees. Historically, the automakers have rarely been nimble enough to respond to the whims of buyers without some substantial disruption to the supply chain. These disruptions may appear to be ripples to economists looking at the total economy, but they can be tsunamis to suppliers that lose big contracts. Another issue influencing the automotive sector is profound change in automotive design and production. Electric vehicles, lightweight con- struction and driverless operation seem destined to change how and what we drive. Another tech- nology likely to have an impact, perhaps a sweep- ing impact, on the style of vehicles and the style of manufacturing processes is additive manufac- turing. Fuel-efficiency mandates are likely to be rolled back, but this action may give automakers more breathing room to pursue long-term shifts in design and production, while revenues from the current vehicle lineup can be sustained longer. Speculation and predictions abound, but what lies ahead is, to use a figure of speech, clearly unclear. Whatever direction the industry takes, significant investment in capital equipment will be required Years ago, job shops and contract manufactur- ers learned to keep their customer bases diversi- fied to avoid over-reliance on one industrial sector. This advice was especially applicable to the automotive sector. Many shops enforced strict rules about keeping no more than 25 percent of their businesses to one industr y or customer. While opportunities to participate in the strong automotive market shouldn't be ignored, a mod- erate approach still seems wise. ADDITIVE FOR AUTOMOTIVE Several developments in additive manufacturing processes are worth noting here, because they are of special interest to automotive manufactur- ing. One is the ability to make parts as large, or larger, than a complete engine block. Although this capability is of primary value in R&D; for proto - typing, evaluating lightweight design options and so on, practical production applications include a more affordable, more efficient way to create parts for low-volume vehicles and personalized car parts such as a custom spoiler, for example. S p e e d i n g t h e p r o d u c t i o n o f t o o l i n g a n d fix turing items is also valuable in automotive production environments. The ability to make par ts more quickly and The Matsuura Lumex Avance 60 hybrid metal 3D printing and CNC milling machine is capable of accommodating a workpiece as large as this eight- cylinder engine block. The block was produced as a cutaway to show the internal features that reduce its mass and weight when produced additively.

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