POST-FABRICATION METAL REIMAGINED KNOLL America Inc. LEADING CLIENTS THROUGH LITHIUM- ION ELECTRIFICATION TRANSITIONS TO SUCCESS Inventus Power THIS UNIQUE SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR CELEBRATES A CORPORATE MILESTONE ProVantage Automation MANUFACTURINGINFOCUS.COM A U G U ST 2 02 2Aiming for best-in-class quality? 961-572e-07.21 ©2021 Kistler Gr oup Better process reliability Higher quality standards Aiming for best-in-class quality? 961-572e-07.21 ©2021 Kistler Gr oup Better process reliability Higher quality standardsEDITOR’S CORNER 3 I’ll admit it: I’m the type to geek out about new tech and scientific discoveries. I probably spend way too much time on Reddit’s r/Futurology, but I’m not going to give that up! There is something hopeful about looking forward to what might be possible. Whatever modern- day crisis or disaster we’re in the middle of, I’m optimistic enough to believe we’ll find a solution in the future. We don’t always get the predictions right—where is my flying car, right?—but I think there is great value in this kind of hope. Humanity looks at the current situation, and while some of us moan about it, others actively find ways to make it better. Maybe I’m an optimist, but I’m guessing people who bring about positive change usually are. In the manufacturing sector, innovation is our lifeblood, and stagnation usually spells out the end for companies that don’t embrace change. In this issue, Karen Hawthorne writes about a better future and the technology to make it happen in her latest piece, The Time is Now – Investing in Next-Gen Tech. Tim Hocken Editor Suite 300, 7071 Bayers Rd. | Halifax, NS | B3L 2C2 | Canada P: 1-647-479-2163 | E: EDITOR Tim Hocken DEPUTY EDITOR Jaime McKee COPY EDITORS Thora Smith | Allister Havercroft CONTRIBUTING WRITERS William Young | Nate Hendley | Claire Suttles Robert Hoshowsky | Allison Dempsey | Pauline Müller Jessica Ferlaino | Karen Hawthorne | Anne Lindert-Wentzell DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS James Corbett SENIOR CONTENT MANAGER Brad Mike CONTENT MANAGERS Aaron Ferguson | Louis Susara | Coleman Merry Jamal Francis-Anderson | Nicholas Hamlyn SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Luke Simms SALES TEAM Pamela Taylor | Morgan Culpepper OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Julia MacQueen GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER Severina Gachparova GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Laura Pratt | Ashley Dowling Ebic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva CONTROLLER Jen Hamilton PUBLISHER Jeff Hocken “In the manufacturing sector, innovation is our lifeblood…”INSIDE AUGUST FABRICATION & MACHINING ENGINEERING & DESIGN 4 Investing in Next-Gen Tech Like many businesses today, yours may be wrestling with the realities of automation, sustainability, supply chain management, and a rapidly increasing choice of new materials and their promises to improve product development and deliver higher profits. SERVICES 5 MANUFACTURING IN FOCUS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS & MANUFACTURING (ICIRM) 8 – 9 August, Montreal, QC ICIRM brings together leading academic scientists, researchers and scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Industrial Robots and Manufacturing. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Industrial Robots and Manufacturing. For more information CERAMICS EXPO 2022 29 – 30 August, Cleveland, OH The premier event for the advanced ceramics and glass manufacturing supply chain, Ceramics Expo brings together engineers, decision makers, end-user OEMs, and buyers from across the globe to source new materials, components, and technologies, network with like-minded profes- sionals, and discuss the challenges and opportunities in the ceramics industry. Industry leaders share their technical expertise in ceramics and provide real-world case studies, new technologies and materials, and information on industry trends. For more information ELECTRIC & HYBRID VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY EXPO AND THE BATTERY SHOW 13 – 15 September, Novi, MI These two co-located events Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo bring together engineers, business leaders, top companies, and inno- vative thinkers to discover ground-breaking products and develop powerful solutions for the future. Discover and demo the latest products, technology, and solutions from more than 750 suppliers and connect with over 10,000 battery manufacturing and automotive professionals and decision makers seeking your products and solutions. For more information BIOMEDEVICE BOSTON 28 – 29 September, Boston, MA The essential event for medtech pioneers, BIOMEDevice Boston brings engineers, business leaders, disruptive companies, and innovative thinkers from the region’s top start-ups and medical device OEMs together to inspire the next life-changing medical device. Experience live demos and uncover the latest technologies, solutions and market-ready products from more than 200 biomed suppliers and connect with over 1,500 biomedical device engineers and buyers who are looking for new business ventures with your products and solutions. For more information NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPO EAST 28 September – 1 October, Philadelphia, PA Educational sessions and keynotes, networking opportunities, a Pitch Slam, Harvest Festival, and more come together to complement the Exhibit Hall at the Natural Products Expo. Take in the in-person experience for product discovery, networking, and industry trend discussions, with the option of online extensions as a resource for those who chose not to travel. For more information INDUSTRY EVENTS 6 Are you planning an event relating to North America’s growing Manufacturing Industry? To get your event listed in Manufacturing in Focus, please contact us at least six to eight weeks before the event takes place at or call 1-647-479-2163INDUSTRY NEWS SAMSUNG SDI BUILDING $1.3 BILLION MALAYSIAN BATTERY FACTORY South Korean multinational battery and electronics giant Samsung SDI recently held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of its second battery production facility in Malaysia. The new location, representing an investment of KRWI1.7 trillion (1.3 billion USD) will see the plant in Seremban built in stages until its final completion in 2025. Production of PRiMX 21700 cylindrical batteries is planned for 2024. “Today’s groundbreaking ceremony will serve as a starting point for realizing our vision to become a Global Top Tier Company by 2030,” stated Samsung SDI President and Chief Executive Officer Yoonho Choi. With successful completion and early sta- bilization of Plant II, we will make SDIEM the center of the global battery industry.” The decision to create the second Malaysian facility was made owing to an increased worldwide demand for cylindrical bat- teries. It is estimated the demand for these batteries is growing at an annual rate of eight percent on average, from 10.17 billion cells today to about 15.11 billion cells in 2027. Once in full pro- duction, the plant will produce batteries for the Electric Vehicle (EV) market and other applications, such as micro-mobility and electric tools. U.S. BOOSTING SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING From labour shortages to crippling supply chain disruptions, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught the world many lessons, one of them the need to increase domestic manufacturing and be less dependent on material products from other countries. Semiconductor chips are found in thousands of products, including computers and vehicles. Recognizing the serious- ness of the situation, the United States Senate recently voted 64 to 34 to advance the CHIPS Act, a massive, $52 billion bill to increase semiconductor supply at home. The goal is to not only minimize any future supply chain disruptions but also increase national security and make America more competitive against Chinese manufacturers. According to official Senate documents, “This bill establishes investments and incentives to support U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, research and development, and supply chain security. Specifically, the bill provides an income tax credit for semiconductor equipment or manufacturing facility invest- ment through 2026.” Along with the tax credit, the bill will see the establishment of a trust fund. This fund—“to be allocated upon reaching an agreement with foreign government partners”—will promote consistency in policies related to microelectronics, microelec- tronic supply chain transparency, and policy alignment toward non-market economies. Some government officials have already commented on the importance of the CHIPS Act and its role in protecting homeland security. Others have stated $52 billion is nowhere near the amount required by America to reduce its dependen- cy on semiconductor supplies from Asia, and that billions of dollars more is required for long-term success. 7INDUSTRY NEWS MCDONALD’S VOWS 100% RECYCLED PACKAGING Last October, McDonald’s Canada announced the introduction of wooden cutlery, wooden stir sticks, and paper straws in its over 1,400 restaurants Canada-wide by December 2021. This was, said the fast food giant, the company’s commitment to removing single-use plastics. This summer, McDonald’s Canada stated it will source 100 percent of its primary guest packaging from renewable, recycled, or certified sources by the end of 2025, representing the restaurant chain’s global pledge toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. “We recognize we have an important opportunity to help serve up a better tomorrow, and the actions we’re working on today are an investment in our future,” stated Michèle Boudria, President and Chief Executive Officer, McDonald’s Canada, in a media release. “When you live and operate in almost every Canadian community, serving more than a million guests every day, every single change—big and small—can have a noticeable impact.” The initiative is the latest of several environmentally friendly moves the company has made in recent years, including 20 percent smaller, 100 percent recycled fibre napkins in 2019, ending the use of extruded polystyrene foam in its gravy bowls and plastic breakfast platters, and a paper fibre-reduc- tion initiative for its McCafé hot cups in May. 8INDUSTRY NEWS ONTARIO INVESTS $1.5 MILLION IN MISSISSAUGA’S CYCLONE MANUFACTURING The Government of Ontario recently announced it is invest- ing $1.5 million into Cyclone Manufacturing, as part of an overall $21.4 million investment. The funds, through the Ontario Regional Development Program’s Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness Stream, will see the Mississauga-based leading supplier of aerospace components and sub-assemblies invest in new technologies like robotic assembly. The invest- ment will enable the company to perform processing work cur- rently being done outside Canada while creating 60 new jobs and providing upskilling for 100 employees at its four facilities. The announcement was made by Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, in the U.K. at the Farnborough International Airshow, where Minister Fedeli led a delegation promoting Ontario’s strengths in aerospace technology. “Ontario is a place where global aerospace giants expand their operations and homegrown businesses produce quality parts and innovative services,” said Minister Fedeli. “The province’s aerospace sector, part of the global supply chain for virtually every passenger aircraft in the world, has been proudly on display at Farnborough. And we’re proud to support this tremendous investment by Cyclone, which UNIQUE 3D-PRINTED SPACE HABITAT PROTOTYPE With recent discussions about missions to Mars and word that NASA will return to the moon this year, space is all the rage. One of the most recent innovations is a prototype of a 3D-printed space habitat which fits inside a SpaceX Starship. A prototype designed by students between the ages of six and 18 at Switzerland’s Institut auf dem Rosenberg, the Rosenberg Space Habitat (RSH) was created to be transported inside the spaceship. Recently unveiled at the school’s experimental park, the three-storey building—made in partnership with Danish architectural firm SAGA Space Architects—includes areas for astronauts to work and unwind. The institute released a well-timed statement coinciding with the 63rd anniversary of the first human moon landing. will help to grow and strengthen Ontario’s aerospace manu- facturing capacity. Our government will continue to support local businesses and promote Ontario’s leading industries on the world stage to help create good jobs at home.” Cyclone's Vice President Robert Sochaj added, “Cyclone’s partnership with the Government of Ontario comes with a strong commitment from our company to increase employ- ment, advance innovation and remain a global leader in aerospace manufacturing. We are grateful to Minister Fedeli and the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade for their dedication to Ontario's aerospace sector and the thousands of people it employs across this province.” “At Rosenberg, infusing education with real-life context is at the heart of what we do, rather than focusing on pure aca- demics alone,” stated Bernhard Gademann, Director General of Rosenberg. “Our aim is to provide future leaders with early exposure to the question of advanced space exploration, allowing our students to approach and solve these complex questions from a collaborative and holistic point of view.” Intended to house a two-person crew, the habitat proto- type is a hands-on research center for students to immerse themselves in learning modules encouraging creative prob- lem-solving. Every floor serves a specific purpose, including hygiene, work, recreations, entertainment, privacy and rest. 9Next >