Advanced Manufacturing : Innovation + Job News

Ohio is the leader in the global polymer industry and is among the top states in the country for plastics and rubber production, according to PolymerOhio, Inc.

The Rubber and Plastics Research Association (RAPRA) in Hudson will be showcasing Ohio’s prominence in these areas at its first international polymer conference. The organization is hosting the Global Polymer Innovation Expo (GPIE) at Battelle Hall in Columbus August 26-29. RAPRA is collaborating on the event with regional partners Polymer Ohio and the Ohio Polymer Strategy Council.

“The conference will provide a venue for attendees to discuss and learn about new technology innovations in high-growth polymer sectors,” explains Laura Woods, RAPRA president.

The four-day conference will address critical needs in the polymer industry. According to a RAPRA news release, one of those needs is to accelerate innovations to market, thereby creating jobs through business growth. There will be a focus on introducing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educators to the polymer industry in an effort to address the shortage of skilled workers available to the polymer industry. Another goal is identifying career paths in the polymer industry for veterans, displaced skilled workers and the under-employed.

“Attendees will have an opportunity to gain skills and knowledge to implement the new technologies in their business,” Woods says.” We’ll also announce new product innovations during each opening session.” Woods anticipates 600 attendees. 

The expo will feature a unique one-to-one online networking system available to participants and exhibitors that will remain open after the conference ends for easy follow-up communication.  The conference also includes site visits to prominent industry companies.

According to Woods, “GPIE will provide the international polymer community with resources that will impact its growth for years to come.”


Source:  Laura Woods
Writer: Lynne Meyer

After three years of research and development, Ed Shaffer, CEO of Advanced Battery Concepts, is ready to unveil his new GreenSeal technology for improving battery performance in industrial applications.

“We’re licensing our technology to Crown Battery of Fremont, Ohio, and they will manufacture our first product under the Crown Battery name,” he says. “The product is a battery the size of a golf cart that can be used in variety of industrial applications, including fork lift trucks, tow motors, pallet movers and floor scrubbers.”

Ed Shaffer started Advanced Battery Concepts in 2008 in his Midland, Michigan, garage. In 2009, he established a partnership with Crown Battery in Fremont, Ohio.

“Crown was seeking new technologies to improve battery performance and they were interested in what we were doing,” he explains. “In 2010, they invited us to use space at their Crown Battery Renewable Energy Center (CBREC) in Port Clinton to help us accelerate our technology development.”

The partnership with Crown Battery and their space at CBREC enabled Advanced Batter Concepts to apply for and receive Ohio Third Frontier funding, he notes.

For two years, Advanced Battery Concepts refined and conducted internal tests on its GreenSeal technology at CBREC in Port Clinton and at a facility in Clare, Michigan. 
 
“GreenSeal technology improves lead-acid batteries,” Shaffer explains. “It reduces their weight and size, increases their cycle life and their power and energy. It also decreases the amount of lead in each battery, reducing their environmental impact while keeping them 100 percent recyclable.”

The technology will also speed up adoption of much-needed energy solutions, such as renewable energy, smart grid and electric vehicles, he says.

“Manufacturing this product will put us in a much stronger position in the changing environment of energy storage,” notes Patrick O’Brien, manager of business development at Crown Battery. Crown Battery has grown from 400 to 600 employees during the past three years. “With production of Advanced Battery Concept’s new product, we anticipate hiring more employees.”

Plans call for early production samples to be in customers’ hands by the fourth quarter of this year.

Advanced Battery Concepts is one of the portfolio companies of Rocket Ventures of Toledo, one of the six nonprofits that form the core of Ohio’s Entrepreneurial Signature Program.


Source:  Ed Shaffer, Patrick O'Brien
Writer: Lynne Meyer

eQED is developing a solar microinverter that will improve the efficiency of solar panels. As with all solar panels, an inverter converts the output from the panel to AC power. Normal setups use one large inverter for an entire string of solar panels. eQED’s technology places one small inverter under each panel, increasing the amount of power gained from each solar panel.
 
The HIKARI microinverter provides improved energy harvesting, is more reliable than traditional inverters, and is easier to install and requires little maintenance.
 
“With the microinverter you can adjust each panel individually to adjust for shade or bright sun,” explains John Patrick, chief technical marketing officer. “This way you can extract up to 15 percent more power in shady conditions and five to 10 percent more power in normal conditions.”
 
eQED’s 250-watt HIKARI solar microinverter earned the company a NorTech 2012 Innovation Award in March. eQED is a partner company of Quality Electrodynamics (QED), a medical imaging company. Both are growing substantially. QED employs 87 people – up from 75 a year ago.
 
“We probably have five or six openings right now,” says Patrick. “eQED has 10 people, but that number will grow quite a bit as we commercialize the product.” eQED is in the final stages of development before sending it to market. Patrick says they expect to conduct testing on several hundred units later this year and begin commercial shipments in early 2013.
 
 
Source: John Patrick
Writer: Karin Connelly

The Ohio Department of Development has seven Edison Technology Centers located around the state to provide a variety of product and process innovation and commercialization services to both established and early-stage technology-based businesses.

The Edison Welding Institute (EWI) in Columbus is one of those centers.

EWI recently launched a spinoff company – RealWeld Systems, Inc. (RWS) and unveiled its new product – the RealWeld Trainer.

“For about six years, EWI studied the problem of training welders,” explains Bill Forquer, RWS launch ceo. “It’s really hard to train welders effectively and efficiently. It’s a very skilled trade, and most of the training techniques involve an instructor looking over your shoulder and helping you properly position the torch, guiding the angle and advising how fast you should move. It involves a lot of hand eye coordination, as well as reading and interpreting the specifications for the kind of weld needed.”

The RealWeldTrainer provides the solution to the problem, Forquer says. “It’s the first and only training solution available that digitally records motions and objectively scores welding technique while performing real welds under production conditions.”

He likens the equipment to an airplane pilot simulator. “In the case of the RealWeld Trainer, however, the individual is actually welding,” he explains. “There’s a camera system that measures all your hand motions, angles and speed and records whether you’re using proper technique. It provides that data to you immediately on the screen after you’ve made a weld. It also provides consistency in training.”

He points out that, in addition to training, companies can use the equipment to screen welders before hiring them. According to Forquer, the RealWeld Trainer is state of the art. “It’s truly unique and has no competitors.”

The device costs $35,000, and potential customers include manufacturers who hire and train welders as well as vocational schools and labor unions who train welders. “We have half a dozen early adopter customers we’re working with right now who want to see how it works in their environment,” he notes.
 
Source:  Bill Forquer, RealWeld Systems
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

The demand for natural rubber will exceed supply by 15 to 20 percent within the next five years, says William Ravlin, Ph.D., associate director of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center of The Ohio State University.

“It’s not so much a case of diminishing supply as it is a sharply increased demand for rubber from China and India,” he explains. “The situation in the United States is one of national security, the economy and the growth of major corporations that depend on a sustainable approach to obtaining natural rubber.”

Rubber is used in a wide variety of products made in Ohio, and our traditional manufacturing economy relies upon its continued avaialbility. Slowly but surely, critical research is taking place to identify new sources for this material.

The Program of Excellence in Natural Rubber Alternatives (PENRA) was formally established in 2012 to help address this problem but, according to Dr. Ravlin, the founding members have been collaborating on it for the past five years. The founding members are Ohio State University, Oregon State University, Bridgestone America, Cooper Tire, Ford Motor Company and Veyance Technologies, an Ohio company. The United States Department of Agriculture, the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Guelph in Canada are also collaborators.

Research scientists involved in PENRA have discovered that the roots of an unlikely candidate – the Russian dandelion – are able to produce rubber that’s comparable to rubber used today. Seeds from USDA expeditions in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have been planted in field plots and greenhouses in Wooster, Ohio.

There are many challenges, however. “Planting a huge amount of seeds only nets a small harvest of good ones, so it’s a time-consuming and ongoing process,” Dr. Ravlin notes. “Large amounts of the root material need to be processed at the front end to produce enough natural rubber for industries to conduct large-scale tests. Plus, the rubber must meet exacting standards. Airplane tires, for example, are made of 100 percent natural rubber.”

PENRA funding sources include a grant from the OSU Ohio Research and Development Center and the Third Frontier program, with additional support from Bridgestone America, Cooper Tire and Veyance Technologies.

“We have 20 senior research scientists, each with several employees, working on this project,” Dr. Ravlin says. “We’ve completed the construction of a pilot processing plant in Wooster, and we’re in the midst of a testing phase that’s progressing very well.”


Source:  William Ravlin, P.h.D., Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

Lightweight yet strong.  Those two characteristics could come in mighty handy for a number of things.

Zyvex Technologies of Columbus knows a lot about making things lighter yet stronger.   It’s the first company to globally commercialize nano-enhanced products from carbon nanotubes. To the layperson, this innovation is part of a materials revolution that is helping to make stuff we use more fuel-efficient.

“A carbon nanotube is a tiny cylinder of carbon, just a few atoms wide and 1/50,000^th the thickness of a human hair,” explains Mike Nemeth, director of commercial and defense applications. “Our product – Arovex – uses carbon nanotubes and carbon fiber together. It acts as a reinforcement for materials you mix it with.” He described Arovex like a fruit rollup.  “It’s a tacky sheet that customers can lay into molds and then make parts.”

Zyvex recently partnered with Pacific Coast Marine (PCM), a leader in marine closures, to develop a set of 30 doors, hatches and other closures for boats. “They’re all 66 percent lighter and eight times stronger than the standard ones,” says Nemeth. PCM recently debuted the items at a marine show with positive results.

“There’s a big demand for making things that are lighter and stronger, which can improve safety and fuel efficiency,” Nemeth notes. He lists the aerospace and automotive industries as examples. “It’s helpful for sporting goods, too. A good example is super lightweight mountain bike wheels. We have a new partnership to provide a bicycle rim specifically for downhill mountain biking.” 

Zyvex uses two Ohio manufacturers, one in Akron and one in Dayton, so its products are all Ohio made and assembled. Zyvex has 40 employees and received Third Frontier funding in 2009.
 
Source:  Mike Nemeth, Zyvex Technologies
Writer:  Lynne Meyer
 

Big and bold. That’s what the Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI) is going for with its newest project.
YBI has mounted a campaign to fund the printing and installation of a massive 300-foot, 70-window mural depicting the economic and industrial evolution of Youngstown. The mural was created by six graphic design students who are studying at Youngstown State University.

According to Jim Cossler, CEO of YBI, the purpose is threefold. “We want to make sure our campus is a creative, exciting place for all our employees to come to work,” he says. “Second, a lot of people don’t realize we’re a four-building campus. The mural spanning our building will help people understand how much we’ve grown. Finally, Youngstown State University is not only our neighbor, but a very important partner, so we look to engage students in as many ways as possible."

The students have titled the mural “Metamorphosis” because it represents the transformation of Youngstown from a manufacturing city to one with a broader economic base. In order to get the mural printed and installed, YBI needed to raise $7,350, which they did during a 30-day online fundraising campaign.

“A total of 121 different individuals funded the project, and we met our goal,” Cossler notes.  “It’s a complex printing process, and we anticipate installation of the mural in either late July or early August.”

Speaking of innovatve technologies ... Thanks to a special see-though fabric and printing technology that is being used, individuals who are working inside of the YBI offices will still be able to see outside their windows once the mural is hung.

Source:  Jim Cossler, Youngstown Business Incubator
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

Polymers are big business in Ohio. According to Wayne Earley, CEO of PolymerOhio,  “Ohio is definitely a leader in the production and use of polymers.” According to its website, PolymerOhio is an Ohio Edison Technology Center focused on “enhancing the Ohio polymer industry company's global competitiveness and growth.”

Earley’s comments came on the eve of the two-day Ohio Polymer Summit, which was held June 6-7 in Columbus and attended by more than 150 people from throughout Ohio. This was the Ninth Annual Biennial Ohio Polymer Summit.

A presentation on innovation engineering leadership was one of the summit highlights, according to Earley. There was also a segment on shale gas and its impact on Ohio’s polymer industry. “Shale gas is very significant to our industry here in Ohio by lowering energy costs and also lowering the cost of basic polymer materials,” he explains.

Another important session was the introduction of the new computational methods program. “Small- and medium-size companies can’t afford to acquire the software needed for such things as mold design and extruder simulation,” Earley says. “With the assistance of a federal grant, Polymer Ohio is now making these tools available to smaller companies.” 

The polymer industry is Ohio’s largest manufacturing industry, he states. “More than 130,000 people are employed in Ohio’s polymer industry. It’s a growing industry here.

There’s high growth in several specific segments, including conductive and electronic polymer materials, polymer nanocomposites, biomaterials and feed stocks and recyclable polymers.”

Earley points out that polymers aren’t just plastic. “They’re also in adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and composites of other materials.”

He says that Ohio is the world leader in compounding of polymers – combining different materials to achieve a set of specifications. PolyOne in Avon Lake is the state’s largest compounder, according to Earley. “They’re successful because they have the technology and the capabilities to develop materials and compounds that are specific to certain important applications. They’re also very innovative,” he adds.

Source:  Wayne Earley, PolymerOhio, Inc.
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

Imagine students at four different high schools working collaboratively and in real time on a project to create a mechanically-fed birdhouse monitored via the Internet. The bird feeder automatically refills itself, based on a preset schedule.

One school team acts as project manager, while another is responsible for aesthetic design. The third school handles computer programming for refilling the bird seed. The fourth school determines the type and amount of bird seed used.

That example is provided by Julie Michael Smith, executive vice president at Applied Systems and Technology Transfer (AST2), to illustrate its Virtual Collaborative Learning Environment (VCLE).

“VCLE is a hardware and software technology that enables students at different schools to collaborate and communicate on projects in real time using social media, design and visualization," Smith explains. "It’s offered in a private cloud to integrate equipment, people and information in a secure, virtual manner.” 

VCLE enables people to use design software to create ideas and develop solutions collaboratively in 2D and 3D environments, according to Smith. “The design can then be prototyped by remotely accessing equipment such as 3D printers, milling machines and laser cutters.”

AST2 has developed a curriculum focused on innovation and creativity that helps students prepare for future jobs requiring skills in science, technology, engineering and math. “Over the past 10 years, STEM careers grew three times faster than non-STEM jobs,” Smith says. “That strong growth is projected to continue.”

The company will begin offering its curriculum and program to several high schools this fall with a goal of making it available to 1,000 high schools by 2016-2017.

AST2 recently landed a potentially multi-million dollar contract award from the Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for its MENTOR (Manufacturing and Experimentation Outreach) initiative.  

Source: Julie Michael Smith
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

University of Cincinnati research has led to cutting-edge software that will monitor wind turbine health, allowing the machines to work as efficiently as possible.

Students and faculty at UC's Center for Intelligence Maintenance Systems are testing an early version of the software, based on real-world data from commercial wind farms near Shanghai, China, and in Taiwan and North America.

The software is potentially groundbreaking because most wind turbine performance figures are based on computer models. Since the technology is so new, there is still much unknown about the real-life, long-term performance life and maintenance needs of these high-priced energy generators.

"This is a very closed community. It's tough to get them to open up. We were very lucky to get the (real-world) wind data," says UC doctoral student Edzel Lapira, who co-authored "Wind Turbine Performance Assessment using Multi-regime Modeling Approach." His paper, which was recently published in the Journal of Renewable Energy, analyzed two years’ of operating and environmental data from commercial wind turbines, as well as information on the maintenance software.

This data in essence drives the software, which has several aims, according to UC:

• To predict maintenance needs so a wind turbine experiences near-zero downtime for repairs.
• To aid just-in-time maintenance functions and delivery of needed parts.
• To decrease spare-parts inventory.
• To ultimately predict and foster needed redesigns for wind turbines and their parts.

The team behind the research includes engineering master’s student Dustin Brisset, engineering doctoral students Hossein Davari and David Siegel, and Ohio Eminent Scholar Ohio in Advanced Manufacturing Jay Lee, professor of engineering.

The group continues working on the software, while seeking a wider community of wind farms to test, Lapira says.

"Prediction, that is the overall goal," Lapira says. "Eventually the software will predict that there is a fault, where it is and what part would be needed to fix it. Right now (turbine) manufactures will look at a large number of systems and if they see something wrong, call the operator who will look into it. It's still manual and takes expert knowledge. We are trying to automate that expert knowledge."


Source: Edzel Lapira
Writer: Feoshia Henderson

There's a reason why Ohio Supercomputer Center's new $4.1 million,  HP Intel Xeon, processor based system has been dubbed the Oakley Cluster. Like the legendary Ohio-born sharpshooter and social advocate Annie Oakley, it's fast as hell, doesn't miss a shot and is improving the lives of Ohioans.

Just ask Ashok Krishnamurthy, Executive Director of the OSC, a facility that is funded by the Ohio Board of Regents and has been in existence since 1987. "We have more than 2,000 academic users across the state, and they're discovering new materials and developing advanced energy applications," he says. "To be competitive, we must provide the highest performance system, and this represents a new level of capability."

OSC's new supercomputer can achieve 88 teraflops, which is tech speak for 88 trillion calculations per second. Yes, in case you're wondering, that's lightning fast.

OSC's new system will help to achieve its mission of assisting academic and business users. Large companies such as Proctor and Gamble and Rolls Royce use OSC as a "second level system when they have needs beyond what their systems can support," says Krishnamurthy. OSC helps small and midsize companies develop and test prototypes virtually rather than investing in actual models, while academics use the system to complete their cutting-edge research.

"We give them access to software and expertise," says Krishnamurthy. "Once they understand the value of what this can do, it changes how they do business."

As one example, Krishnamurthy cites an Ohio company that is developing an LED projector small enough to fit inside a phone. How do they convince various manufacturers that their device can handle the projector's heat without testing every single one? That's where OSC's computer modeling comes in.

"You can simulate how the heat is dissipated," he says. "It's an easy, low-cost way to show potential customers how your design can be incorporated into their products."

OSC has also helped to develop courses for students at community colleges and four-year colleges and universities, as well as professionals who are seeking continuing education. "OSC is in a fairly unique position," says Krishnamurthy. "It is the most consistently state-funded center of its kind in the country."


Source: Ashok Krishnamurthy
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Cincinnati State’s Workforce Development Center in Evendale has teamed with AK Steel to provide a new advanced manufacturing training program for the company's workers.

The 400-hour Electronic Repairman Training program is one of the latest the Workforce Development Center has developed in response to local employer demand. The center has developed programs for Procter & Gamble and GE, among other major Cincinnati area employers.

AK Steel is headquartered in West Chester with major operations in Middletown, Mansfield, Coshocton and Zanesville. The company is a worldwide manufacturer of steel products for the automotive, infrastructure, manufacturing, construction and electrical power markets.

This is the Workforce Development Center's first partnership with AK Steel. The training program is about three weeks in, will last 15 months and train approximately 16 workers, says Larry Cherveny, the center's Industrial Maintenance and Green Technologies business manager.

Steeped in math, controls and electricity, the program is designed to train workers in modern manufacturing. Course titles include: motor controls, industrial electronics, industrial controls and instrumentation, motion control and AC & DC drives.

The Workforce Development Center offers a variety of certifications and programs for working students as well as modifies and creates programs for employers, Cherveny says.

"Companies come and ask us to develop these very specific programs, and we're able to customize them to fit what the need is. We see it sort of as a challenge. For instance, we weren't doing the DC drives training before, and through some donations, we were about to get about $7,000 worth of training equipment," Cherveny says.

The center works to meet company and worker demand in a fast-changing economic atmosphere. Courses are held at the Evendale Center as well as on company campuses. The center has even taken training programs across the country and to Mexico, Cherveny says.

"We are flexible and change quickly," he says. "As they come to us with new needs, that tells us the direction that we need to look into."

By Feoshia Henderson
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"If you're told it's impossible to do, we're the right place to come," says Patrick Hood, CEO and president of Dayton-based Cornerstone Research Group.

Started in Hood's basement in 1997, Cornerstone is a research and development organization that takes advanced materials technology from molecule to commercial application -- what Hood calls "a for profit incubator."

Hood says the company, which has as many as 60 projects under way at any one time, bridges the gap between market needs and technology. While the company focuses on advanced materials, its solutions have been applied in virtually every industry segment except for IT and pharmaceuticals he says.

A good example of how Cornerstone works is Spintech Ventures, a Cornerstone spinoff that takes advantage of Cornerstone's patented shape memory polymer technology and innovative tooling to make complex composite parts. The technology was developed at Cornerstone, but the early stage Spintech will give it legs.

Hood says that the typical cost of a complexly shaped carbon composite part is about $1,000 per pound. But the cost of the raw materials is only $25 to $50 per pound. The rest of the cost comes from labor and tooling, he says. Spintech's technology can reduce typical production costs by 85 percent, he says.

Cornerstone recently was one of 44 businesses nationwide that received the U.S. Small Business Administration's Tibbets Award, given to companies and individuals that drive innovation and create jobs through the agency's Small Business Innovation Research program.

In November, the company received the Dayton Business Journal's Business of the Year award in the Community Supporter category for its community involvement.

Over the years, the Cornerstone and Spintech have benefited from awards from the Ohio Third Frontier initiative, Hood says. Together, both companies currently employ about 100.

Source: Patrick Hood, Cornerstone Research Group
Writer: Gene Monteith

Surrounded by fields of corn, soybeans and alfalfa in Northwest Ohio sits a shining example of a global partnership that combines American steel-making tradition, Japanese technical and analytical style, and the strong work ethic and family values of a small town.

That partnership is PRO-TEC Coating Company, established in 1990 near Leipsic, Ohio, by U.S. Steel Corp. and KOBE Steel, Ltd., of Japan, two global giants in steel technology and production.

PRO-TEC began operation in 1993 with a state-of-the-art hot-dip galvanizing line to produce steel for the automotive industry. Its 90 employees quickly exceeded the line's original rated capacity of 600,000 tons per year and set world production records in 1995, 1996 and 1997. In response to increased demand, PRO-TEC built a second galvanizing line in late 1998.

Now PRO-TEC is on the grow again, with plans to produce advanced high-strength steel and ultra high-strength steel, also for the automotive industry. Both are new products for the company and call for the construction of a heavy-industry building to house a new state-of-the-art continuous annealing line. "The additional finishing process of annealing takes the steel to incredibly high temperatures to make it extremely strong," explains Courtney Boone, a U.S. Steel spokeswoman.

U.S. Steel and KOBE Steel are making a capital investment of approximately $400 million in this latest expansion that is expected to create 500 temporary construction jobs and add 80 new full-time jobs to the current 229 employee population. The Ohio Department of Development has awarded PRO-TEC a $500,000 Rapid Outreach Grant toward the purchase of new machinery and equipment.

"This new line will give us more operational flexibility in filling customer orders," Boone notes. Construction of the new facility is anticipated to begin in early 2011, with production start up in early 2013.

Impressive track record and future growth plans for a company surrounded by corn, soybeans and alfalfa.

Source: Courtney Boone, U.S. Steel
Writer: Lynne Meyer

Explosive sales growth in its high temperature composites for the aircraft industry could fuel hundreds of new jobs at Renegade Materials Corp. in Springboro near Dayton.

Laura Gray, Renegade's director of sales and marketing, says improvements in manufacturing have reduced the cost of making the high-tech, lightweight composites Renegade produces that replace heavier metal parts on both military and commercial aircraft.

Renegade will begin filling multi-million dollar orders for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in the next several months.

"As the materials become more broadly used by the military, the commercial companies become more confident in the product," says Gray.

An expected ramp-up in sales to commercial aviation customers could add as many as 160 new jobs over the next five years at Renegade. The company currently employs 15 at its $5-million dollar manufacturing facility.

The company has hired four new employees, all former auto workers, this year through the Dayton Development Coalition and the Montgomery County Job Center. Many of its future employees could also be hired through a similar process, says Gray.

"We are working with the Montgomery County Job Center to find and re-train displaced auto workers," she says.

Opened in 2008, Renegade specializes in a unique manufacturing process for high temperature composite materials that reduces many of the toxic chemicals and volatile organic compounds that made it so expensive in the past. Owners Robert Gray and Eric Collins have spent 30 years in the aerospace industry.

Source: Laura Gray, Renegade Materials
Writer: Val Prevish