Institute for Supply Management
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in June, with the overall economy notching a second month of growth after one month of contraction, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM^® Report on Business^®. The June PMI® registered 52.6%, up 9.5 percentage points from May. This figure indicates expansion in the overall economy for the second straight month after April’s contraction.

ISM via PR Newswire
Economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector grew in June after two consecutive months of contraction, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the latest Non-Manufacturing ISM^® Report on Business^®.

The Hill
The National Association of Manufacturers CEO, Jay Timmons, laid out for President Trump consequences that the new limits on work visas has on manufacturers and the economy. In a letter on Monday, Timmons said that consequences include plant managers in multiple sectors, including automotive and heavy machinery, will not be able to access their workplaces to ramp up new production and establish new production lines. Also, electric utility manufacturers will not be able to bring on high-skilled employees needed for engineering for infrastructure resiliency.

Industrial Machinery Digest
Whether driven by the reduction of in-ship personnel due to layoffs or to maintain social distancing guidelines into the future, many machines shops will likely be re-evaluating ways to eliminate labor-intensive manual operations if they can be automated instead.

Manufacturing.net
In recent years, investments in core information technologies have accelerated and expanded across manufacturing sectors. As new digital technologies make it possible to gather and analyze greater amounts of data across machines and functions, manufacturers can be faster, more flexible and more efficient in producing higher-quality products.

Today’s Motor Vehicles
Expensive metalworking fluids may no longer be needed to cool and lubricate workpieces and cutting tools. Instead, there is green and clean method, EcoCooling, which uses only ionized and cooled air and has none of the environmental hazards and costs related to oil-based fluids.

3D Printing Media Network
Relativity Space has announced a strategic alliance with 6K, a developer of microwave plasma technology for powder production, to 3D print rocket components made from sustainable materials. The partnership will establish a closed loop supply chain through which scrap materials produced by Relativity will be transformed into premium AM powders by 6K ad redeployed to Relativity for production. The companies will also work together to develop new materials for rocket manufacturing and space applications.

The BMW Group has opened a new €15 million additive manufacturing facility which is designed to “industrialize 3D printing,” and shorten production times across the company. Based in Munich, the campus will bring BMW’s prototype production, series parts manufacturing, research into new 3D printing technologies, and training, together under one roof. BMW aims to accelerate its integration of AM, and to further automate its design and production processes. 

Gear Technology
Today Gleason has four major concepts for high reduction transmission which are ideal for electric vehicles and hybrid cars. Gleason has begun to work with several electric vehicle OEM’s on the integration of these new concepts into production vehicles.

IMD
For a company that provides maximum agility to its customers in need of high-volume 3D printed parts, 3DEO stands as the perfect example of its own business model. Cofounded in 2016, the original intent was to produce a low-cost 3D printer as an additive manufacturing OEM. Early lessons learned include that prototyping was already well-served, as was low-volume printing. The real niche that needed filling was soon revealed to be high-volume parts production.

Robotics and Automotive News
Universal Robots is extending its American partnership with Phillips Corporation to India, joining hands with the largest lobal distributor of Haas CNC machines for Indian manufacturers.

Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) has evolved to a manufacturing technology for prototype and small scale production of gears. The case hardening steel 16MnCr5 is typically used and its material properties are well known and understood. However, the resulting material properties following the post-LPBF process sequence such as residual stress annealing, case hardening and hard finishing are widely unknown. This paper presents a study of processing 16MnCr5 with an EOS M270 LPBF-machine reaching 99.5 % relative density and above. The resulting microstructure and hardness of the material is examined. Furthermore, the tensile strength as well as the gear-specific tooth root carrying capacity are studied. The results are compared to a conventionally processed material via continuous casting. 

The U.S. Army Contracting Command- Detroit Arsenal has awarded GM Defense LLC the production contract to build, field, and sustain the Army’s new infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV). Designed to provide rapid ground mobility, the expeditionary ISV is a light and agile all-terrain troop carrier intended to transport a nine-Soldier infantry squad moving throughout the battlefield.

AGMA
This month, AGMA is offering two live and online courses that will help you grow your teams knowledge and capabilities as engineers and operators. Don't let the summer months or COVID-19 keep your employees from becoming the greatest assets in the industry. Basics of Gearing (July 14-15) and Detailed Gear Design (July 21-23).

The BMW Group is stepping up its e-mobility ramp-up and setting new standards for the transformation of the industry with its production. At its largest European manufacturing location in Dingolfing, the company opened the Competence Centre for e-Drive Priduction. Having produced electric powertrain components in Dingolfing since 2013, the BMW Group is now expanding its capacity significantly.

Transport Topics
Hyliion on June 25 announced its new fully electric Class 8 powertrain, which promises a range of 1,000 miles in between refueling with natural gas at a network of 700 existing stations. That would be more range than the stated for battery-electric trucks preparing for production at Tesla and Nikola Corp., which is also developing a regional haul hydrogen fuel cell Class 8 and the needed fueling infrastructure.

New Atlas
Maserati has long seemed an odd fit in the “motor valley” of Modena. Where its neighbors Ferrari, Pagani, and Lamborghini have focused on outrageous supercars, Maserati has been much more conservative, courting a luxury-focused customer base that feels like it’s grown out of the flashy stuff.

Bloomberg
Germany factory orders rose less than expected in May even after authorities loosened the coronavirus lockdown, highlighting how difficult it will be to repair the pandemic’s damage.

In the digital age, smart manufacturers understand the pivotal role technology can play. This is true whether it’s embracing robotics, 3D printing, 5G or IoT. After all, the ability to strategically leverage technology often surfaces as the crucial turning point for manufacturers working to establish a competitive advantage. However, regardless of what technology a manufacturer deploys, maximizing the investment can be a challenge.

PV Magazine
Responsibility in battery supply chains has become a growing focal point over the last few years and will remain a key theme as demand for mobile phones, electric vehicles and alternative forms of energy continue to increase. Alexander Preston from SAFE sets out how the application of blockchain technology can deliver visibility, build trust, and facilitate the battery sector’s digital transformation.