TAKING AUTOMATION INTEGRATION TO NEW LEVELS RAMP, Inc. THE FUTURE OF AUTOMATION Edgewater Automation WRAPPING PRODUCTS IN SUSTAINABILITY Sonoco MANUFACTURINGINFOCUS.COM SE PT EMB ER 2 02 3THE PORTAL SERIES FROM DECKEL MAHO MORE THAN 1,000 MACHINES INSTALLED. DMC 270 U HIGHLIGHTS: + Milling and turning in one setup with the DirectDrive table with a torque up to , Nm + Biggest spindle range in the market: powerMASTER motor spindle with up to , Nm and torqueMASTER gear spindle with , Nm ANZ_DMC_270_U_A4_EN_PRINT.indd 1ANZ_DMC_270_U_A4_EN_PRINT.indd 119.04.23 16:0019.04.23 16:00 THE PORTAL SERIES FROM DECKEL MAHO MORE THAN 1,000 MACHINES INSTALLED. DMC 270 U HIGHLIGHTS: + Milling and turning in one setup with the DirectDrive table with a torque up to , Nm + Biggest spindle range in the market: powerMASTER motor spindle with up to , Nm and torqueMASTER gear spindle with , Nm ANZ_DMC_270_U_A4_EN_PRINT.indd 1ANZ_DMC_270_U_A4_EN_PRINT.indd 119.04.23 16:0019.04.23 16:00EDITOR’S CORNER THE PORTAL SERIES FROM DECKEL MAHO MORE THAN 1,000 MACHINES INSTALLED. DMC 270 U HIGHLIGHTS: + Milling and turning in one setup with the DirectDrive table with a torque up to , Nm + Biggest spindle range in the market: powerMASTER motor spindle with up to , Nm and torqueMASTER gear spindle with , Nm ANZ_DMC_270_U_A4_EN_PRINT.indd 1ANZ_DMC_270_U_A4_EN_PRINT.indd 119.04.23 16:0019.04.23 16:00 THE PORTAL SERIES FROM DECKEL MAHO MORE THAN 1,000 MACHINES INSTALLED. DMC 270 U HIGHLIGHTS: + Milling and turning in one setup with the DirectDrive table with a torque up to , Nm + Biggest spindle range in the market: powerMASTER motor spindle with up to , Nm and torqueMASTER gear spindle with , Nm ANZ_DMC_270_U_A4_EN_PRINT.indd 1ANZ_DMC_270_U_A4_EN_PRINT.indd 119.04.23 16:0019.04.23 16:00 3 People love their cars here in North America, but there is a certain grandeur to trains and streetcars, to airplanes and cruise ships. And so many communi- ties across this continent would benefit from more developed mass transit solu- tions, relieving the reliance on personal vehicles, reducing the impact of high fuel costs, and having a positive effect on the environ- ment while we’re at it! I suspect that, with the changing needs of this world and with new technologies and materials available, we are going to see a revitalization of mass transit manufacturing. We’ve seen some false starts, with the Hyperloop project falling by the wayside and some stalled attempts at other solutions, but also some success, such as the adoption of electric buses and various LRT projects in larger cities. What’s next? What is driving the development of new solu- tions, renewal of old infrastructure, and expansion projects in this sector? William Young takes a look at the manufacturing side of the story, with a specific focus on large-scale works. Find his latest piece in this issue, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles – The Making of Mass Transit. 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 Allison Dempsey | Claire Suttles | Jessica Ferlaino Karen Hawthorne | Margaret Eaton | Nate Hendley Pauline Müller | Robert Hoshowsky | William Young DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS James Corbett OPERATIONS MANAGER Severina Gachparova CONTENT DEVELOPMENT TEAM LEAD Scott Forbes SENIOR CONTENT DEVELOPER Wendy Hood-Morris CONTENT DEVELOPERS Dean Lucas | Jamal Francis-Anderson Lily Mitchell | Taylor Dunne SALES TEAM LEAD Pamela Taylor SALES TEAM Morgan Culpepper | Dean Lucas GRAPHIC DESIGN TEAM LEAD Laura Pratt GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ashley Dowling | Ebic Tristary Isaac McWhinnie | Yoana Ilcheva OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Julia MacQueen IT ADMINISTRATOR Rebecca Sanford CONTROLLER Jen Hamilton SENIOR ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN Christi Lingard PUBLISHER Jeff Hocken “I suspect that, with the changing needs of this world and with new technologies and materials available, we are going to see a revitalization of mass transit manufacturing.”INSIDE SEPTEMBER FOCUS ON: PACKAGING AUTOMATION FABRICATION & MACHINING 4 The Making of Mass Transit The manufacturing industry is no stranger to change, as materials, technologies, safety requirements, and customer demands evolve over time. Lately, the automotive sector in particular has been adapting to the new age of electric over gasoline in our very car-cen- tric culture across North America. However, the demand for innovation in mass transit vehicles remains high on the global scale, and the sector is seeing similar evolution on the manufacturing side. ENGINEERING & DESIGN SERVICES 5 MANUFACTURING IN FOCUS PACK EXPO LAS VEGAS 11 – 13 September, Las Vegas, NV Every two years, PACK EXPO Las Vegas brings together packaging and processing solutions suppliers and end users from more than 40 vertical industries. Exhibitors launch products, showcase their latest innovations, and problem-solve with customers. Attendees explore thousands of packaging and processing technologies on display and discover game-changing solutions to their packaging and processing challenges. For more information THE BATTERY SHOW AND ELECTRIC & HYBRID VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY EXPO 12 – 14 September, Novi, MI This event brings together engineers, business leaders, top companies, and innovative thinkers to network and discover groundbreaking products encompassing the entire advanced battery and H/EV value chain. The three-day educational event brings together battery and EV/ HEV manufacturers, industry experts, thought leaders, and academics to discuss and help solve your manufacturing, supply chain, and produc- tion challenges. For more information BIOMEDEVICE 20 – 21 September, Boston, MA BIOMEDevice Boston brings engineers, business leaders, disruptive companies, and innovative thinkers from the region’s top startups and medical device OEMs together to inspire the next life-changing medical device. Enjoy live demos and uncover the latest technologies, solutions and market-ready products from more than 200 biomed suppliers, and gain access to the experts with exciting keynote sessions, expert-led panel discussions, the Master Class Startup Series conference program, and more. For more information NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPO EAST 20 – 23 September, Philadelphia, PA With a focus on innovation and what’s new in natural and organic, Natural Products Expo East is the event to attend if you wish to discover emerging brands, products, ideas, and markets. Enjoy educational content, networking opportunities, exciting exhibits, the Harvest Festival on Sept. 20, and the newly co-located Innovation Experience on Sept. 22, featuring innovative exhibits, experiential education, networking, and discussion. For more information ADVANCED MANUFACTURING MINNEAPOLIS 10 – 11 October, Minneapolis, MN Don’t miss the Midwest’s largest annual “end-to-end” design and manufacturing event! Explore the latest technologies, equipment, and solutions at this five-in-one event bringing together Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M), Automation Technology Expo (ATX), Design & Manufacturing (D&M), MinnPack, and Plastec, all under one roof. Co-located are the Minnesota Chapter of the American Society for Quality’s Minnesota Quality Conference and the Surface Mount Technology Association’s International Electronics Manufacturing Conference and Exposition. 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 BAE TO ACQUIRE BALL’S AEROSPACE ASSETS IN LANDMARK DEAL Britain’s BAE Systems, one of several major names competing for Ball Corp.’s aerospace arm, secured the deal for nearly $5.6 billion making it the company’s largest deal to date and the UK’s biggest deal this year. Considered a key U.S. contractor in the aerospace, national security, and intelligence market, Ball builds spacecraft, instru- ments, and sensors for defense and civil satellites that are used to track objects and monitor weather and climate change. The acquisition will be funded using a combination of debt and existing cash. Proceeds from the sale will be used by Ball to cut its $9.7 billion debt load, which will enable it to focus its attention on its packaging business while returning money to its shareholders. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2024. While the general commentary around the deal is that it is costly, it is considered a good fit for BAE and will be supported by increased demand from the ongoing war in Ukraine. HUNDREDS OF APPLICANTS VIE FOR CHIPS ACT FUNDING The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced there has been substantial interest in funding via the CHIPS and Science Act, a law that was passed in 2022 to stimulate the domestic semiconductor industry. The government received 460 statements of interest from semiconductor manufacturers across the U.S. to gain access to the millions in funding that is available for manufacturing incentives, as well as research and development programs which will directly support the growth of the U.S. workforce, research and development, and economic security. Funding was originally intended to support manufactur- ing facilities alone, but it was later expanded to include investment in materials and manufacturing equipment for projects valued at or above $300 million. Those with smaller operations can look forward to new funding programs to be announced soon. Since the law was passed last year, $166 billion has been spent to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S. There have been countless major investments taking place around the country, with numerous suppliers following suit. 7INDUSTRY NEWS FORD ANNOUNCES $1.2B EV BATTERY PLANT IN QUEBEC Ford Motor Company will invest $1.2 billion in a new facility in Quebec that will manufacture components for electric vehicle batteries. The project is a collaboration between Ford and its South Korean partners. The facility is expected to produce up to 45,000 tonnes of cathode active materials annually. These materials are useful in the deter- mination of battery capacity and power. Half of the project will be funded through provincial and federal contributions. The companies selected a site on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River in Bécancour, Quebec, which is situated halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, for the 280,000 square meter project that is currently under construction. This is Ford’s first investment in the province. Once opera- tional in 2026, the facility will create 345 jobs. OPTIMA SYSTEMS BREAKING INTO U.S. MARKET British-owned Optima Systems, a leading manufacturer of premium glass wall partitions and door systems with a presence in the UK, Australia, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, is breaking into the U.S. non-residential building market as PurOptima. Benhar Office Interiors (BOI) has been appointed its first U.S. Project Delivery Partner for the New York City metropolitan market. BOI will manage new and existing client relationships in addition to installation. This partnership will build on BOI’s existing reputation as a trusted building interior solutions provider to bring PurOptima’s high-quality, sustainable glass wall partitions and door solutions to the North American market for the first time, which has been a longstanding ambition of Optima brand. 8INDUSTRY NEWS TELESAT TO SAVE $2B WITH SUPPLIER SWAP Telesat stocks surged on the news that the Canadian-owned satellite communications company would save $2 billion by switching suppliers for its planned light speed global internet network project, which is expected to launch mid-2026. The cost-saving decision to switch from French-Italian manu- facturer Thales to Canadian MDA to build the advanced sat- ellites will yield a significant savings as it looks to launch its global service. Service will begin when 156 of its planned 198 network of satellites are in orbit. VINFAST SELECTS CLAYCO FOR $4B EV PLANT VinFast, a Vietnamese electric car manufacturer, has selected Chicago-based Clayco to build the first phase of a first-of-its- kind electric vehicle plant on the Chatham County Triangle Innovation Point megasite near Raleigh, North Carolina. Ground has broken on the project and once all phases have been executed, the manufacturing campus will span 1,800 acres that will include five main production areas including a body shop, general assembly, press shop, paint shop, and energy centre, as well as supporting buildings for administra- tion, training, fire prevention, and more. The operation will employ upwards of 2,000 people. This is the first time VinFast has operated on U.S. soil. It also has operations in Vietnam, Canada, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Once completed, the facility will boast a produc- tion capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year including the VF 7, VF 8, and VF 9 models. Production is set to commence in 2025. 9Next >