CTMA VIEW Voice of the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association The Winter 2021 TAKES TAKES FLIGHTFLIGHT IN CANADA IN CANADA Additive Manufacturing Technology A look at how this new technology is impacting the tooling and machining industry. Page 6. Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661www.ctma.com 2Canadian Tooling & Machining Association 3 CONTENTS WINTER 2021 FEATURES 10 CTMA hosts first virtual AGM 12 CTMA embraces new way of presenting Apprentice Awards 16 CTMA’s 22nd Annual Shotgun Golf Tournament was a great success MEMBER PROFILE 19 BOS Innovations Inc.: A Vision for the Future INDUSTRY UPDATES 20 CanExport government funding supports Canadian businesses during COVID-19 21 RRRF helping stabilize businesses during COVID-19 pandemic 21 Get a quote from Cowan for a chance to win $5,000 CTMA HEADLINES 22 Welcome new members! 23 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 1010 UP FRONT 5 A Message from the CTMA President ON THE COVER 6 Additive Manufacturing Technology Takes Flight in Canada 13131616 Winter 2021 Published For: The Canadian Tooling & Machining Association 140 McGovern Drive, Unit 3 Cambridge, Ontario N3H 4R7 Tel: (519) 653-7265 Fax: (519) 653-6764 marketing@ctma.com www.ctma.com The contributed articles presented in this magazine represent the opinions of the authors and the interviewees. Their inclusion does not directly or implicitly denote concurrence by the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association. Articles were selected for inclusion based on the issues and views of interest to the industry. Published By: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. 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Account Executives Andrew Lee, Brian MacIntyre, Cheryl Klassen, Colleen Bell, Frank Kenyeres, Jim Hamilton, Rob Gibson, Sandra Kirby, Tanina Di Piazza, Tenisha Myke Advertising Design James Robinson Layout & Design Kayti Taylor ©2021 Matrix Group Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Printed in Canada. The reproduction of any articles or pictures in this publication requires the prior written consent of the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association. To request permission, please contact the association’s office by e-mail at info@ctma.com. 66 ON THE COVER: Additive manufacturing technology is going to change the way CTMA members do business. Photos courtesy of Boeing, and Renishaw (Canada) Ltd.www.ctma.com 45 Canadian Tooling & Machining Association UP FRONT The Ontario apprenticeship program for machinists and toolmakers that served me well in the ‘90s has been lost and off track for many years. We need to understand the deficiencies to make changes that will be successful for our youth and the future of manufacturing. For reasons unknown to me, the secondary school boards have moved away from the training they used to provide to students looking for careers in the trades. Did decision makers think manufacturing was not a big component to Canada’s GDP and that we should rely on others to manufacture for us? Big mistake! We are, and have been, a world leader in manufacturing and technology. While the governments and schools dropped the ball, we as manufacturers kept on grinding in the background. While many large facilities introduced internal training programs, our industry still relies on the Ministry of Labour, Training & Skills Development (MLTSD) to provide final tests for the Certificate of Qualification, which we all so proudly hold as machinists and toolmakers. We really need to explain to the public how the apprenticeship program is meant to work, and I am hoping that after reading this, you will take the opportunity to explain to your friends and family what an apprenticeship really is. I assure you; you will be amazed at the reaction and the questions you get back. Do you have teacher friends? Have the conversation as they need to understand so they can support our youth and our future. The colleges are an integral part of the apprenticeship program as they teach apprentices theory and subjects relevant to our trade so that they will be successful when writing their final tests. But, in reality, we all know that the real training happens on the shop floor—NOT IN THE CLASSROOM. For some reason, this has been forgotten. Many colleges are trying to attract youth to their schools for two- or three-year programs prior to their apprenticeships within a manufacturing facility. This may be a good source of revenue for post-secondary institutions, and fills seats, but this is the wrong way to go and only creates unnecessary expenses for apprentices prior to hitting the shop floor. The CTMA’s Education Task Force has been reaching out to school boards across Ontario to help strengthen tech programs and spread the word about careers within our trade. Have you seen the video we have produced outreaching to students, parents, guidance counsellors, and teachers? Have a look —it takes just three minutes of your time—and then share this link with your friends and family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk-jRIKznWY&feature=emb_logo Imagine having programs in place for grades one to 12 where students can learn about manufacturing and start an apprenticeship right out of high school—the way it was meant to happen! The CTMA has been working with high schools that have these manufacturing engineering programs in place and when combined with co-op and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) placements, they are really changing lives for young graduates. Young people today are really starting to see the value of making money out of school rather than spending more money to go back to school. Why not let us pay you while you work, pay for your school, and teach you everything we know so you can be successful in life? We need to do our part and get the word out so that these young people do not get lost. ❙❙❙ It once was lost, but it can be found Chris Hergott CTMA President XL Tool Inc. The colleges are an integral part of the apprenticeship program as they teach apprentices theory and subjects relevant to our trade so that they will be successful when writing their final tests. But, in reality, we all know that the real training happens on the shop floor—NOT IN THE CLASSROOM. For some reason, this has been forgotten.www.ctma.com 6 ON THE COVER Additive Manufacturing TechnologyAdditive Manufacturing Technology Takes Flight in CanadaTakes Flight in Canada Main image: This new twin-engine Boeing 777X is powered by the GE9X engine, which contains more than 300 additively manufactured parts. Photo copyright ©Boeing, www.boeing.ca. Mountain bike parts printed with Renishaw AM system for Atherton Bikes. All inset photos courtesy of Renishaw (Canada) Ltd., www.renishaw.com. A turbine 3D printed with the RenAM 250 system.Canadian Tooling & Machining Association 7 Additive Manufacturing TechnologyAdditive Manufacturing Technology By Darla Read, Staff Writer he possibilities with additive manufacturing technology are in the forefront again, after recent news that GE Aviation’s GE9X engine has been certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorities, and Canadian tool and die manufacturers should take note. The GE9X engine, designed to power a new twin-engine Boeing 777X, contains more than 300 additively manufactured parts. At five per cent better specific fuel consumption than any other engine in its class, GE says it will also create less smog- causing emissions than any other engine in its class. This marks a significant development and provides further evidence that additive technology development is moving fast. Machine, tool, die, and mould makers should pay special attention as they may be able to create lighter and stronger parts with conforming, cooling, or heating channels that could not be manufactured any other way. Aerospace used to corner the market on metal applications, and now GE has entered that market. “I remember when 3D printing of metal components was first mentioned and I was enthralled by the prospect of being able to manufacture parts by this new method,” said Robert Cattle, executive director, CTMA. “At that time, I was part owner of MicroMetric and one of our biggest customers was a major supplier to the aerospace industry. I remember thinking that it would take years for the aerospace industry to accept this new technology as it sometimes tends to be wary of moving away from a proven path because of obvious safety concerns.” The Metal Additive Manufacturing Demonstration Program, managed by CME’s Canada Makes network, with funding support from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), is designed to help Canadian companies by de-risking initial trials, as well as increasing their awareness and understanding of the advantages of metal additive manufacturing technology. The program focuses on additive manufacturing technologies such as: laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), direct metal laser sintering, laser direct energy deposition, electron beam, and other emerging metal additive manufacturing technologies. Companies who participate in the program will have the opportunity to engage with a network of metal additive manufacturing service providers across Canada and receive up to $5,000 to have a contractor of their choice produce a metal 3D printed part of their own design. They have the benefit of receiving something tangible in their hands that they can touch and feel. While companies are encouraged to design something new, they can also use the technology to replicate an existing product. Companies who are eager to dive deeper into research and development may also have the opportunity to access additional innovation funding and advisory services through NRC IRAP. Renishaw Canada Ltd. has participated in the Additive Manufacturing Demonstrations Program with Canada Makes, to help companies investigate and learn about additive manufacturing design fundamentals and process capabilities. “It was great to be able to work with these companies looking to adopt additive manufacturing,” said Carl Hamann, solutions centre manager, Renishaw (Canada) Ltd. “We worked with the designers to help them adapt current product designs for our LPBF technology and looked at the design freedom available for new or redesigned components. Just like any manufacturing process, understanding the key design requirements to LPBF gives you the ability to reimagine a part or assembly continued on page 8 Renishaw’s latest quad laser additive system, RenAM 500Q. www.ctma.com 8 from the ground up and take the full advantage of what additive manufacturing can offer.” The Metal Additive Manufacturing Demonstration Program has been around for six years with participation from some 250 companies across all territories and provinces. A primary goal of continued from page 7 the program is for Canada’s industry to learn about the cost savings associated with additive manufacturing, and how they can take advantage of the main areas where it excels: light- weight parts, parts consolidation, and complexity of design. The program demonstrates the ability to produce low volume parts for diverse applications, including the repair of high performance/low-cost tools, dies and plastic, and composite moulds for stamping, forming, and trimming high-strength alloy steels. “The technology is across multiple industries. Canada has a bunch of success stories,” said Vladimir Franjo, an industrial technology advisor with NRC IRAP, noting there are applications in areas such as aerospace, medical devices, musical instruments, toys, automotive parts, robotic tools, and moulds for injection moulding for plastics. Aerospace has already adapted well to the technology, as well as the sector represented by the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association (CTMA)—the machine, tool, die, and moulds companies—a large cluster of which operates around Windsor, Ont. Aarkel Tool and Die benefitted from the program. Larry Delaey, president/CEO, says additive technology elevates Aarkel to one of the elite shops in the industry because it is now capable of producing in-house 3D additive manufacturing for its customers. When a customer comes to Aarkel, Delaey says, “We’re providing them engineering solutions that we can print inserts and details for them that a lot of other shops would have to outsource. We can keep that internal, so it keeps their IP [intellectual property] protected, plus it keeps costs down for them by not having to outsource.” Delaey agrees the technology is relatively new to the industry, and says it is also quickly changing. “We wanted to be ahead of the curve from our competitors, but also for supporting our customers,” said Delaey. “We are seeing some customers who are really adapting to this technology very quickly and utilizing it. They are seeing the gains. We have one customer who had cycle time issues and a quality issue. We printed 3D inserts for them, and the quality issue has gone away, and they’ve also reduced their cycle times.” Delaey says there is a short-term cost but the long-term benefits—over two or three years—are reduced cycle time, improved quality, and an increase in profit. He explains that the technology allows his company to build a cooling system inside the inserts that would never be able to be manufactured the way business is currently done. “What we do is we run a mould flow analysis with the parts, we look for these problematic areas for the customer, and we “It’s something that’s going to change the way we do business, and I believe CTMA members should be looking at that. It’s going to separate Canada—if we grasp this technology—from the rest of the world.”Canadian Tooling & Machining Association 9 provide solutions on how to design the inserts with conformal cooling to eliminate quality and cycle issues,” he added.“We have a couple of great young engineers, and they are having fun doing it. This is where we really see the gains. They’re smiling, they’re excited, it’s pretty neat to see all that. They’re doing things that normally we would never do.” With more than 25 customers across North America, Aarkel serves mostly automotive customers, but also does work for home products, agriculture, large trucks, and oil and gas. Even with oil and gas in a current downturn, and automotive being up and down, Delaey says Aarkel is well positioned because it has diversified between plastics and die casts, looking to the future of electric vehicles. “That’s why we bought the printer. Two or three years ago, we were looking forward at the changes.” The least expensive printer costs around $100,000, but the entire investment would be closer to $250,000. The better, larger, and more accurate machines can cost more than $1 million. The expense can be hard to justify for some shops because they don’t have enough work at the moment, but it’s only a matter of time before customers will come looking for that capability. Delaey agrees it was a costly venture to pursue additive manufacturing. The company had to hire two new engineers, and it took almost an entire year of research and development to meet the steel requirements of customers before even entering production. He says it’s not just the cost of the machine—you’re developing an entirely new process, but it is very much worth it. “It creates revenue for us obviously from the printing, but also brings in larger tooling packages for the plant. For the customer, it allows them to produce better quality parts with shorter cycle times.” Delaey encourages other CTMA members to jump on board with the opportunities that come from additive manufacturing technology. “It’s something that we really need to grasp in the future. It’s something that’s going to change the way we do business, and I believe CTMA members should be looking at that. It’s going to separate Canada—if we grasp this technology—from the rest of the world. It’s definitely going that way. Aerospace has really grasped the 3D printing/additive manufacturing concept. It’s going to change our industry, and we need to be on the forefront of it to make sure we continue to be leaders, as we are today.” The Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) Demonstration Program is open until March 2021, and companies are able to apply at any time. The number of participants is dependent on available program budget at the time of application, which is typically renewed every April. CME’s Canada Makes will manage each case, assess technical and business feasibility, and arrange printing of a metal part. Companies are encouraged not to rush the design process, but to take their time, look at the future, and consider new design possibilities. ❙❙❙ For information on NRC-IRAP or to speak with an Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA), please contact the NRC-IRAP regional office nearest to you or call the toll-free number: (877) 994-4727.Next >