INDUSTRY COMMENT EUSPEN
Design for precision manufacture: The voice of the sector
As the leading society for micro and nano manufacturing in Europe, Micro Matters is delighted to introduce the first in a series of columns from euspen, that offers comment on the developments in, and the dynamics that are of key concern to readers active in the precision manufacturing niche
e
uspen has a unique perspective on the micro and nano manufacturing
sector. It has been actively pioneering advancements in precision engineering and nano technology since 1998. The society already has representation in 32 countries, with its focus on best-in-class machining, processing, and metrology technology solutions. With the mission to assist in the continual development and advancement of the European precision engineering and nano-technology sector, this means that it exists to nurture networking possibilities and cross- fertilisation of information from OEMs manufacturing product in the precision engineering field, technology and service providers, academics, and researchers alike. It is the cross-fertilisation of ideas and the drawing together of all professionals in the sector that will ensure continued success. This column will focus on Design for
Manufacturing (DfM). At the heart of euspen is networking and getting various groups of professionals in the sector working together. When looking at OEMs and technology and service suppliers, a close relationship — and some would say a partnership — is key to success in the micro and nano sector, ensuring that it is in fact possible for the designs OEMs come up with to be manufactured, and be manufactured cost-effectively. It is all too often that technology and
service suppliers bemoan the fact that they were introduced to a product development programme at the 11th hour, and that they have to go through the awkward process of explaining to the OEM why the design that is being reviewed cannot be fabricated. This implies costly and time-consuming re- iteration of the design, and could be avoided if OEM and supplier had linked arms at the beginning of the product development process. Suppliers can improve a product through contributions to product design, technology, or ideas for producing new products. In most such instances, suppliers help buyers by pointing out ways in which designs can be improved or more desirable materials can be used.
14 SUMMER 2015 | MICROMATTERS
that are unique to manufacturing on the scale of a speck of dust or indeed smaller. Every stage of the development process throws up challenges, from design, material selection, processing, handling, and of course validation. Because of this, and because of the enormous opportunities that exist if product development is optimised in this dynamic sector, euspen actively advocates and promotes strategic OEM supplier partnerships. Membership of euspen opens up
Next, product quality can be enhanced.
In addition to providing design recommendations that result in improved products, suppliers are often sources of suggestions that allow buyers to hold consistent tolerances in production. Then there are the possible improvements in time-to-market as the product is more likely to be “right first time." When coupled with reductions in total product cost due to the streamlining of work processes (inventory management, new product design, scheduling, etc.) or replacement of costly components with less expensive— but still effective—ones, the financial upside of partnering is obvious. Buyer/seller alliances unleash a capacity for innovation that far outweighs the short-term cost savings offered by arm's- length competitive bidding. OEMs should explain their overarching needs to several dedicated suppliers and open lines of communication with them rather than simply defining their requirements and waiting for a blizzard of bids that are primarily— or sometimes exclusively — concerned with submitting the lowest cost option. Micro manufacturing is not the same as
macro-scale manufacturing. While the development processes have the same names, they require a whole set of skills
Figure 1:
Suppliers can be an important source of information on ways in which manufacturers can improve performance and productivity
numerous possibilities, and allows companies to raise their profiles and get actively involved in the global engineering and technology community. Ideas can be exchanged with other members worldwide, bringing in fresh ideas and new perspectives. This gears up all players in the sector, large or small, to be best equipped for the business, manufacturing challenges and opportunities ahead, and allows access to the information and competencies that will lead to a competitive edge. So far, the organisation has attracted over 4000 experts in the precision and nanotechnology area, and this makes it already one of the most influential global players in precision, micro, and nano manufacturing. As an industry body, euspen is fairly
“Buyer/seller
alliances unleash a capacity for innovation that far outweighs the short-term cost savings offered by arm's-length competitive bidding ...”
unique in that its membership base includes research institutes, OEMs, and technology and service providers alike. This ensures the most fertile environment for the sharing of views and research advances that progress the advancement of precision engineering techniques and their
optimal commercial use. euspen’s next Micro/Nano
workshop will be held 24-26 November 2015 at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).
euspen
www.euspen.eu 01234 754023
/ MICROMATTERS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112