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manufacturing is that design engineers can now create parts in ways they never even thought of before. Seeing the difference that robotic automation makes in our manufacturing processes made me think about the changing roles of the machinist, the programmer and the design engineer. We've replaced the manual machinist with a CNC machine operator who tends an automated cell that is programmed offline, so the operator is disconnected from the manufacturing process. That's one reason we acquired a 3D printer. Now we can print a physical model of the part so the machinist can actually see and hold it prior to production. This has greatly enhanced the operators' ability to connect with what they are actually machining. We've also taken that concept to our production readiness reviews prior to producing the part. Having a 3D model allows us to address workholding, special tools and other requirements for a successful production run. We've been in business for more than 50 years and have seen many manufacturing technology changes in that time. Considering how rapidly these new, advanced technologies are developing and their impact on our industry, I believe that any manufacturer that isn't moving in that direction will not be in business 50 years from now. Introducing automation into our manufacturing process has been a paradigm shift in how we are growing our company. For example, it has changed our criteria for recruiting new employees. Today, we look for engineering school graduates with automation experience or the ability and desire to learn about automation. So far, we've hired three engineers with automation backgrounds. Collaboration between the manufacturer, the supplier of machine tools and the system integrator is the key to developing a successful automation process. Our company, Morris South and Gosiger Automation worked together to come up with the best solution for our needs. For thousands of years, mankind has been manufacturing things by using tools to shape or cut other materials. We use carbide and diamond-coated tools to make parts from various kinds of metals, for example. However, this whole art of machining is about to change radically with the adoption of advanced technologies such as additive manufacturing. While there may not be head-to-head comparisons yet, we are already seeing examples of disruptive technology, such as putting machine tools and additive manufacturing tools together to cut time and cost per part. One of the most exciting aspects of this kind of advanced :: :: :: :: :: Here's another article on this topic: CNC Shop Employees Benefit from Robotic Automation is shop implemented two lathes equipped with robotic automation for better production. LINK :: short.productionmachining.com/okumaauto :: :: lathe performs milling and second turning operations. Between operations, the robot flips parts as necessary based on the part program. Post machining, the robot unloads the part from the third lathe and places it on a CMM for inspection. Data from the CMM measurements are fed back into the machine tools to enable automatic tool offsets. In addition to the time and cost savings, automation is helping the company accelerate growth strategies. In fact, it is ready to more than double the existing facility to about 70,000 square feet. is expansion will enable Northeast Tool to further automate the plant and provide much needed space for material storage. It will also help to improve shipping and receiving functions. e goal is to make every aspect of the business more efficient while moving into new markets. "When you consider it, mankind has always made things by using some sort of hard tool to shape softer material," Mr. Arant says. "We're still doing that with tooling that's harder than the materials we cut. Automating this process and integrating inspection to maintain tolerances takes it to the next level." He sees the company soon combining automated machining with newer technologies such as additive manufacturing to become even more productive. "I'm glad we had that wake-up call to automate a few years ago and that we found a capable and easy to work with partner in Gosiger Automation." For more information from Gosiger Automation, call 937-228-5174 or visit gosiger.com. For more information from Okuma America Corp., call 704-588-7000 or visit okuma.com/americas. For more information from Northeast Tool, call 704-882- 1187 or visit northeasttool.us. Robotic Automation productionmachining.com :: 39