The economy in Danville, VA is about to get a boost in the form of a new manufacturing center. The Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA) represents a $28.8 million investment in the Danville area and will be home to the Navy’s new Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (CoE). This is great news for the city and its residents!
Governor Glenn Youngkin was in Danville to celebrate the ribbon cutting.
“When we are thinking about the future of our own national security, we have to have these capabilities to make sure that these supply chains are here in the US and that we can protect and advance them and all of that comes together around this particular initiative,” said Youngkin about the new manufacturing facility.
What Is Additive Manufacturing?
Additive manufacturing is a process of making three-dimensional objects from a digital file. It involves building up an object by depositing material one layer at a time. This is in contrast to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods, such as final machining of castings or forgings, where material is removed from a workpiece to create the desired shape.
The Navy’s New Center of Excellence
The Navy’s new additive manufacturing CoE will be located within Danville’s CMA on the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research campus. The purpose of the CoE is to help the Navy keep pace with rapidly changing technologies.
Additive Manufacturing has many benefits, but there are a few that are particularly well-suited for the needs of the Navy. First, AM can be used to create complex parts and shapes that would be difficult or impossible to make using traditional methods. This gives the Navy more flexibility when it comes to designing and procurement of parts for their fleet. Finally, because AM produces less waste material, it is more environmentally friendly than traditional manufacturing methods.
We are excited to leverage our new Center for Manufacturing Advancement and work with the Navy and other partners,” said Telly Tucker, President, IALR. “ATDM is one of the strongest examples of what full integration of industry in the training process looks like, by bringing key partners together to be vested in the time-to-talent process and ensuring the unique requirements of shipbuilders and suppliers are achieved quickly to meet the demands of our nation’s defences.”
The announcement of the Navy’s new additive manufacturing center is great news for Danville and its residents. This type of investment will help create jobs and grow the local economy. In addition, it will also help raise awareness about additive manufacturing and its potential applications. We are excited to see what this new initiative will achieve!
FasTech LLC changing the Manufacturing Game
If you’re in the business of manufacturing parts, then you know that to succeed you need both quality and speed. The faster you can get your product to market without complications, the better. That’s where FasTech comes in. The leading company based in Danville, VA. specializes in rapid machining and additive 3D metal printing of BIG components, which means they can produce customers parts up to ten times faster than traditional additive manufacturing methods. Plus, their state-of-the-art equipment and skilled team of engineers mean that clients are getting the best possible product at the best possible price. FasTech LLC is all about changing the manufacturing game and they are excited to be part of this amazing project in collaboration with Austal USA and the Navy.
“Danville was chosen as the site for their facility due to its proximity to major universities like Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia, which both boast strong research and development programs. In addition, Danville is within a two-hour drive of nearly 80% of the U.S. population, making it an ideal location for distribution”, said Alan Pearce, Chief Executive Office at FasTech LLC.
The Navy is always looking for ways to stay ahead of the curve, and its Additive Manufacturing AM CoE reflects just that.
“FasTech LLC is proud to be a part of such a significant project and grateful to be supported by such great leadership from both Austal USA and the Navy. We are 100% committed to supporting our Navy and meet their strategic goals by driving AM forward. We are excited to see what the future holds for additive manufacturing and our team is working hard on developing new technologies and manufacturing processes that will push the boundaries of what’s possible within the industry. With our expertise, we are confident that we will be a key contributor to make the AM CoE a success,” said Richie Barker, Chief Operating Officer at FasTech LLC, while pointing at the 3D Printed Prototype they have developed together.
Fastech is delighted to be exhibiting at this year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS 2022) – the 33rd edition of this prestigious event, which will be held in Chicago on 12th-17th September 2022.
This year’s show is expected to attract nearly 130,00 visitors, involved in all aspects of manufacturing including C-suite executives, engineers, floor managers and machine operators. There will also be 2,400 exhibitors, from around the world, showcasing the latest equipment, products and software. Running alongside the show will be the IMTS 2022 Conference. Conference attendees will be able to update their knowledge, with a world class roster of speakers presenting on a range of cutting-edge themes including process innovations, alternative processes including additive and 3D printing, plant operations, quality and metrology and systems integration.
‘We are thrilled to be exhibiting at IMTS 2022,” says Alan Pearce CEO of FasTech LLC. “At FasTech, we offer a complete range of services including 3D metal printing, 5 & 3 Axis post machining and reverse engineering. Of particular interest to IMTS 2022 visitors, might be our 3D metal printing capability using our GEFERTEC 3DMP®arc605 equipment. With these machines, we can manufacture extremely large parts to very tight deadlines, often up to ten times faster than conventional additive manufacturing methods. For many industries such as the aerospace, power generation, defense and medical sectors, our ability to deliver big parts, fast is an important factor.”
If you plan to visit IMTS 2022, please drop by Booth 433118, to meet the FasTech team – we would love to see you.
In the meantime, to find out more about our range of services, please do get in touch with us at FasTech. We would be very pleased to hear from you.
FasTech LLC is delighted to now be a member of the Additive Manufacturing Consortium (AMC). Founded in 2010, by EWI, the consortium brings together more than 50 members worldwide with the goal of accelerating the manufacturing readiness of metal additive manufacturing technology.
AMC members are drawn from global industry, including aerospace and heavy equipment manufacturers, research and development organisations, government agencies and academia and provides an important forum for collaboration, pre-competitive research projects, partnerships on government funding opportunities and high-quality networking within the industry.
A large proportion of AMC’s income is invested in research initiatives with current 2022 projects including the continued assessment of additive manufacturing technologies, low angle printing without supports and the optimization of process parameters for thin wall structures.
“We are extremely proud to be a member of the Additive Manufacturing Consortium,” explains Alan Pearce, CEO of FasTech. “As a US-based middle market metal additive manufacturing company, our sector experience should provide some useful insights to other members at the quarterly meetings and help shape the technical research projects undertaken going forward. With this in mind, we are particularly pleased to be joining the Summer Meeting in Buffalo on the 3rd and 4th August and having the opportunity to present on “3D Metal Printing Applications When using Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) Technology”. Our presentation will highlight some of FasTech’s recent experiences plus provide a number of practical case studies on reverse engineering, 3D metal printing and post machining operations when using WAAM as the foundational printing technology.”
Find out more:
Additive Manufacturing Consortium operated by EWI
The advantages of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) Technology
Problems that critical industries can solve with WAAM
If you would like to find out more about Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), please do get in touch with the FasTech team. We would be very pleased to hear from you.
FasTech has announced that it is now a US distributor for the Scantech range of 3D scanners. These state-of-the-art scanners can rapidly create precise 3D models, ideal for use in the aerospace, automotive, defense, energy and transport sectors.
Scantech 3D scanners can be used for a variety of applications including product development, reverse engineering, first article inspection (FAI), quality control and repair and maintenance. The handheld portable scanners can measure and scan large or awkward shapes in narrow difficult to reach spaces or under large objects, automatically transforming the 3D scan data into accurate 3D models. The range offers accuracy levels of 0.100 mm up to 0.025 mm, with scanning speeds of 1,350,000 measurements per second to 2,020,000 measurements per second with resolution levels of 0.10 mm achieved.
FasTech will be distributing four of the Scantech product ranges in the US:-
Composite 3D scanners – KSCAN-Magic series
The KSCAN-Magic series, the first 3D scanner to combine infrared and blue lasers into a single instrument, has unparalleled scanning speed, accuracy, detail, scanning area and depth of field. The KSCAN offers Metrology-grade NDT Measuring. It has a scanning accuracy of 0.020 mm and 0.03 mm/m of volume accuracy which provides the ultra-high precision non-destructive testing (NDT) levels required by sectors such as the aerospace industry.
Hand-sized 3D scanners – SIMSCAN 3D Scanner
Weighing in at just 570 g, the handheld SIMSCAN 3D scanner is ideal for scanning in awkward and difficult to reach places. With its metrology-grade measurement system, the SIMSCAN 3D scanner can be used in narrow, awkward spaces or under large objects, to provide high quality 3D scans. The scanner is extremely robust, produced in aerospace-grade materials to ensure its extreme durability.
Tracking 3D scanners – TrackScan-P Series 3D System
Ultra-high precision dynamic 3D measurement, without requiring markers, the TrackScan-P has accuracy levels of up to 0.025 mm with a resolution of 0.020mm and can be used in quality control, product development and reverse engineering. With its powerful anti-interference capability which overrides thermal, vibration and environmental variations, the scanner can easily capture 3D data from shiny or black surfaces.
Color 3D scanners – iReal 2E 3D scanner
The iReal 2E color 3D scanner is specially designed for medium to large- sized objects and human body 3D scanning. The scanner uses infrared VCSEL structured light technology for a safe, comfortable 3D scanning experience.
“We are delighted to become distributors for ScanTech 3D scanners,” said Alan Pearce, CEO of FasTech LLC. “We have already been using the scanners for some time in our own manufacturing operations, which puts us in a great position to see their applications across a broad range of industrial sectors.”
If you would like to find out more about Scantech 3D scanners, please get in touch with the FasTech team. We would be delighted to discuss which of the range is best for your requirements.
For further information
Find out more about the Scantech range of 3D scanners for fast, accurate 3D models
Find out more about the KSCAN-Magic series
Find out more about SIMSCAN 3D Scanners
Find out more about the TrackScan-P Series
Find out more about the iReal 2E 3D scanner
Virginia based FasTech LLC will be joining other US companies in the USA Partnership Pavilion at this year’s prestigious Farnborough International Airshow, the global stage for the aerospace and defense industries, which takes place from 18th to the 22nd July.
The UK Show returns after a three-year hiatus, with 1500 exhibitors from 96 countries and 80,000 trade visitors expected during the five days. In 2018, the event generated an estimated US$192 billion of business deals and the 2022 show is expected to be even more successful.
This year there will be a number of dedicated zones focusing on the following key themes: space and the opportunities for its commercialization, defense and the security challenges currently facing countries, sustainability and innovation in the sector, future flight and the race to explore future technologies and the finally there will be zone focusing on the workforce and how the significant technological changes over the next decade will impact teams around the world.
“We are delighted to be part of the USA Partnership Pavilion at this must-attend exhibition for businesses in the aeropace and defense sectors,” explains Alan Pearce, CEO of FasTech LLC. “The event brings together key decision makes from around the globe and showcases the latest technology and innovation in the industry. As a cutting-edge metal additive manufacturer, FasTech can work closely with large equipment providers in the aerospace and defense sector to make parts for them that simply could not be produced using traditional manufacturing methods.”
If you are going to the Farnborough International Airshow, please do come and chat with the FasTech team. You can find us on Booth Number 2125 in Hall 2.
For further information
Farnborough International Airshow 2022
FasTech LLP, specialists in 3D metal printing, will be representing middle market manufacturers at today’s Northeast Private Equity Conference, at a panel session on the recently announced Additive Manufacturing (AM) Forward Initiative.
The 2022 SBIA Northeast Private Equity Conference is taking place on Tuesday, June 28 and Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at the Lotte New York Palace. The meeting is designed to provide an insight into current U.S. economic trends, valuable updates on potential policy changes which could impact funds and high-level networking opportunities with middle market contacts. This year, there will also be a bonus panel session considering the newly announced AM Forward Programme.
The AM Forward initiative, launched in May by President Biden in Hamilton Ohio, is a programme aimed at strengthening links between large US equipment manufacturers with America’s small and medium sized businesses to help speed up the adoption of additive manufacturing, key to ensuring supply chain security, speed and reducing costs.
“When we met President Biden at the AM Forward launch,” explains Alan Pearce, CEO of FasTech, “the importance of additive manufacturing to US manufacturing was stressed. Some complex parts, used in many key industrial sectors, just could not be produced using conventional methods. As a middle market manufacturer, the AM Forward Initiative is really important to us at FasTech – the programme will be invaluable by providing a more stable order book from large American equipment manufacturers, which in turns means that we can invest in our workforce to provide high quality well-paid jobs for the future.”
Today’s panel at the 2022 SBIA Northeast Private Equity Conference, includes representatives from large companies such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, O’Neal Industries, with the discussion focusing on highlighting investment opportunities for middle market companies and larger companies identifying where there are potential demand opportunities.
For further information
2022 SBIA Northeast Private Equity Conference
Fastech was proud to be invited to join President Biden in Hamilton, Ohio along with our key customer, Siemens Energy, for the launch of the AM Forward initiative. The programme is a partnership of several large US equipment manufacturers with America’s small and medium-sized organisations and designed to help speed up of the adoption of additive manufacturing. The AM Forward Initiative should also improve the competitiveness of small-and-medium-sized manufacturers, to create, and sustain high-paying manufacturing jobs, and to improve supply chain resilience through greater adoption of additive manufacturing across the United States.
During President Biden’s visit the importance additive manufacturing, often known as 3D metal printing, was highlighted: some vital, complex parts used in many sectors, simply could not be produced using conventional methods. Additive manufacturing facilities in the US also have the advantages of ensuring supply chain security, speed and reduced costs.
“We discussed with the President the importance of the availability highly trained additive manufacturing specialists in today’s current tight labor market – and which is one of our critical challenges at FasTech,” explained Alan Pearce, CEO of FasTech. “We work closely with Institute of Advanced Learning and Research in Danville as well as the local community college, the Danville Community College, which is outstanding in training machining and additive technology specialists. In particular, their third year Integrated Machining Technology Programme is used as our benchmark qualification: a standard all our engineers must achieve to ensure a good mix of skills – part manufacturing technician, part engineer.”
The AM Forward initiative is important to businesses such as FasTech in providing a more stable order book from large US equipment manufacturers, training the future workforce with the required skills and providing high quality, well paid jobs for the next generation.
Manufacturing supplies parts for some of the most critical industries in the world: aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, and heavy machinery. If these areas of business ceased to function efficiently, the world as we know it would grind to a halt.
Executives in these industries know how important their operations are. They also know that if their company does not deliver on its promises to its customers, those customers will look elsewhere for their parts.
These pressures are why these businesses value the work of FasTech LLC, an engineering firm that is capable of solving the following problems for them:
Slow Lead Times
“The biggest problem I’m seeing is people being unable to find the material and get parts made in a reasonable lead time,” explains Richie Barker, Chief Operating Officer at FasTech LLC. “Everything I hear seems to be that they can’t get material, can’t get forgings, can’t get castings. Everything is delayed. Something that would normally take three months is taking seven or eight now, and the prices are significantly jumping. Everything is costing more.”
He continues, “With FasTech, you don’t have to wait for material because we use standard off-the-shelf wire consumables, and you won’t have to use as much material, so it won’t take anywhere near as long to manufacture.”
Overly Expensive Operations
“In conventional manufacturing, you need a lot of space for material, there’s a lot of time and money involved in handling all of it, and there are additional costs for tool and machine wear, material waste and cost of recycling” Richie explains. “And the wear can be particularly bad if you’re regularly cutting down large blocks of material into smaller parts.”
“The WAAM process uses a lot less material and it is a much simpler method. All you need to do is buy your wire, which requires far less space to store, and then print your part and machine it. It’s as simple as that.”
Richie continues, “It’s the greater efficiency of 3D printing that produces so many savings. The material itself may be more expensive, but due to the fact that there are no material roughing requirements, the only finish machining process generates a fraction of the waste and can take as little as a quarter of the time. When you add all of this together, you are looking at a potential cost saving of around 50%.”
Inefficient Processes
“We’ve got a part we’re working on just now,” Richie says. “It only takes 20 hours for the customer to machine currently, but they then have to post-process it with another 50 or 60 hours of manual welding, re-machining, as they are adding other feature parts to the final component. We can print the whole part in one go. We take 40 hours to print and machine it, but all they have to do after that is drill some holes. We’ve been able to make the part faster and make it in a single piece when it would have typically required multiple parts.”
Wasted Material
“If a part has complex geometry and you make it using conventional machinery, you will need a big block of material which takes a long time to mill to the net shape and produces a lot of waste,” Richie explains. “This is where our WAAM 3D printing technology really comes into its own. We can print close to the near net shape, and therefore, use far less material to make it.”
Everyone in the manufacturing process knows that delays cost money, but it is easy to overlook a more subtle consequence of these hold-ups: enforced idleness for employees.
As Richie Barker, Chief Operating Officer at FasTech LLC, explains: “Many of our customers have critical projects that need to be running smoothly. If they can’t get the right parts at the right time, it could block potentially thousands of people from working. So it’s not just the knock-on cost of the part; it’s also about the implications of that part not being available. You could have people idle for many, many weeks as a result, and nobody looks at that.”
As Richie has identified, idle time is a significant problem in the manufacturing industry, and it does not get talked about enough. One of the most challenging aspects is that there are so many possible causes. Here are a few examples:
- An office employee waiting for access to a printer.
- An employee in any industry waiting for critical information required to proceed with a project.
- A construction worker waiting for a colleague to finish using the digger they need for their task.
- A technician waiting for the part they need to repair a piece of equipment.
Resolving Material Shortages
The principal cause of delays in the manufacturing industry is a shortage of material, which often takes ages to arrive after ordering. “The biggest problem I’m seeing is people being able to find the material and get parts made in a reasonable lead time,” Richie explains. “Everything seems to be can’t get material, can’t get forgings, can’t get castings. Everything is delayed. Something that would normally take three months is taking seven or eight now, and the prices are significantly jumping. Everything is costing more.”
When material shortages lead to delays stretching into multiple months, it is clearly a significant problem, and this is where FasTech can make the critical difference due to their solution.
“With us, you don’t have to wait for material because we use standard off-the-shelf wire consumable, and you won’t have to print as much, so it won’t take anywhere near as long to do,” Richie explains. “In an ideal situation, if a customer had a part that was relatively easy and required no development, you could print it in a day and machine it in a day. So that could cut a three-week lead time down to less than a week.”
It is incredible to think that something as seemingly simple as the choice of a state-of-the-art manufacturing process can make such a massive impact. However, when you think it through, the benefits of using something so readily-available are crystal clear and, importantly, long-lasting.
One company might use FasTech and feel grateful for the time saved on their current project. Then they might reverse back to the traditional manufacturing method. However, suppose they stop to consider the long-term impacts of a faster process. In that case, they will see that manufacturing parts by choosing an easy-to-acquire welding wire, using 3D WAAM metal printing technology, is a decision that will save them time and money over and over again as the years roll on, which makes a partnership with FasTech a wise choice in the long-term.
FasTech will once again be exhibiting at Rapid + tct, North America’s largest and most influential additive manufacturing event, which takes place this year from 17th – 19th May in Detroit.
Rapid + tct 2022 will give visitors the chance to see the latest advances in 3D additive technologies. The 2022 conference has a fantastic line-up of world class speakers, plus numerous case studies presentations to demonstrate just how this technology is being used to transform traditional manufacturing. The exhibition, running alongside the conference, is even bigger this year with over 300 companies – which will give attendees plenty of opportunities to network with other experts in the 3D additive manufacturing sector. And for those who can’t attend in person, Rapid + tct has gone hybrid this year, with digital passes available to live-stream and watch on-demand the keynotes, though leadership panels and much more.
We are pleased to be exhibiting at Rapid + tct 2022,” says Alan Pearce, CEO of FasTech LLC. “At FasTech, we offer a complete range of services including 3D metal printing, 5 & 3 Axis post machining and reverse engineering. Of particular interest to rapid + tct visitors, might be our 3D metal printing capability using our GEFERTEC 3DMP®arc605 equipment. With these machines, we can manufacture extremely large parts to very tight deadlines, often up to ten times faster than conventional additive manufacturing methods. For many industries such as the aerospace, power generation, defense and medical sectors, our ability to deliver big parts, fast is an important factor.”
If you are visiting Rapid + tct 2022in Detroit this year, please do drop by the FasTech stand – you can find us on booth 2846. We would love to see you.
However, if you can’t make this year’s event, please do get in touch to arrange a call to find out more about our 3D metal printing, our 5 & 3 axis post machining and our reverse engineering services.
