FABTECH 2017—Opening Day

Attendees waiting for the show floor to open at FABTECH 2017.

Opening day at FABTECH always is exciting. Crowds of attendees start forming outside the exhibit halls long before the show officially opens. The people checking badges as visitors try to enter the halls could use a recorded message on a continuous loop that said, “Exhibitors only until the show opens.”

So, what might these attendees see at the show? Anything and everything related to metal fabricating. They—and I—have a lot of ground to cover and a relatively short time to do so. Here are some things that stood out to me during today’s booth visits.

Wilson Tool International, booth A2831, is showcasing an array of machines and innovative tooling. Its Express Crowning™ System is designed for fine-tuning the curve of press brake bends so that parts over 4-ft. long result in less problematic deflection. The system allows the user to adjust crowning to a macro and micro degree so that compensation is catered to the nuances built into the machine. One of my colleagues inquired about the innerworkings that make this possible only to be told that it is proprietary technology. Good answer. It shows true innovation on the company’s part.

Punching product manager John Johnson touched on an industry trend of great concern. As experienced workers retire, they are taking their expertise and “tribal knowledge” with them. Wilson’s technical experts are getting more questions from customers, and the company is focused on education. As Johnson said, improved technology “dummies people down a little, and they hit the wall where experience kicks it.”

Wilson offers a technical help service within all its divisions. It also covers the basics in a series of short videos. If you stop by the booth, you can pick up a numbered product; choose the corresponding video from a list on an iPad; and see how that product was made. It’s a qreat visual tool that is intended for those who have five years or less experience in the industry.

Also check out the company’s QuickTap™ tapping tool and XSharp™ grinder.

Yaskawa, booth B17020, is featuring the ArcWorld 2000, a robotic welding system that incorporates a Fronius power source, a ServoRobot vision system, and Hobart Filler materials. The system was used by Armor Lite to fabricate its aluminum smooth-side, end-dump trailer. Based in Sikeston, Mo., Armor Lite reportedly had difficulty finding skilled welders. The Yaskawa system does the job of 10 welders and at four hours per trailer, turns out two trailers per day.

Zane Michael, Yaskawa America director, thermal business development, told me that an Oregon-based dump truck OEM stopped by the booth early this morning and asked how he could get one of the systems. Two of his company’s welders are retiring soon, and he isn’t sure he can replace them.

Bystronic, booth A1819, hosted a press conference/tour at noon today. Its conferences always are heavily attended by the media. The Switzerland-based company prides itself on innovation, for which Switzerland is said to be No. 1 in the world. Bystronic has long been committed to automation and software, with a focus on eliminating bottlenecks in production. Among the products featured in its booth are the Observer, a web-based remote monitoring system for viewing equipment status in real-time and determining how the processing of orders is progressing; By Cockpit, which keeps users up to date with selected key indicators on machine performance, manufacturing efficiency, and material stock; and BySoft 7, its CAD-CAM software for networked sheet processing.

As far as Bystronic is concerned, the more automation the better. As one of the presenters said, “Programming a robot is complicated and nasty.”

When you visit this booth, check out the Xpert Tool Changer 150. It’s efficient and mesmerizing to watch in operation.

Bystronic Xpert Tool Changer 150.

Visitors must like what they are seeing, as President Robert St. Aubin announced that only two hours into the show, it had already been a very good show for Bystronic. As we toured the booth I couldn’t help but notice the “Proud New Owner” sign on the Mobile Bending Robot. It doesn’t get much better for an exhibitor than selling machines on the show floor.

Cincinnati has two booths at FABTECH. Today, I visited the company’s booth in the 3-D/Additive Manufacturing Pavilion (B70), located in front of the B Hall. Last year, I watched a demonstration of its big area additive manufacturing (BAAM ) system. This year, the company showcased its small area additive manufacturing (SAAM) 3-D printer. The fully automated 3-D printer is designed for rapidly producing prototypes, concept models, and plastic tooling. Best of all, unlike many 3-D systems on the market today, it has a buyer-friendly price of $25,000.

According to company representatives, there’s been a lot of interest in the technology. I can believe it. Each time I walked through the pavilion on my way to booths in the B Hall, it was busy. I noticed that many of the visitors were young, and I asked Cincinnati’s Rick Neff if my observation was correct. He confirmed that the younger generation is very interested in the technology as a way to quickly produce a product or component. He also said that the demise of high school shop classes has resulted in a lack of the skills students formerly learned that would aid them in technical roles. The 3-D printer eliminates the need for many of those skills.

Cincinnati sees the technology, which GE and other big corporations are investing in heavily, as having limitless capabilities, even for small shops.

Check back tomorrow for highlights from Day 2.

Rick Neff, CIncinnati Inc., demonstrates the small area additive manufacturing (SAAM) system.