A record 175 exhibitors displayed the latest innovations in 3-D printing, robotics and laser cutting systems, among other leading-edge products and services.
“In the manufacturing world it’s always about that new technology. They have to stay on top of what’s new because that new technology will help them do what they do better and faster, which means at lower cost, which is what their customers are asking for,” Erbaugh said.
Middletown-based G&W Machinery Sales Inc. drew crowds with its five-axis abrasive waterjet cutting system, which performs compound-angle cutting in one-tenth the time of conventional machining, said Glenn Osborne, the company’s president.
“We are typically able to shorten the lead time and the cost for someone to produce the part that they’re already making, and in some cases make parts that they couldn’t make otherwise because they didn’t have the capability,” Osborne said.
Dayton-based Bastech Inc. introduced 3-D printing with metal, which the company is using to manufacture obsolete aircraft parts as replacements for the U.S. Air Force, said Brent Cox, Bastech’s marketing director. “The metal has opened up a whole new scope for us,” Cox said.
Technological advancements are allowing area manufacturers to be more competitive in the world market because they can produce more parts in less time, said Pete Heins, president of Franklin-based Superior Equipment Solutions. “You get twice as much capability for half the price today,” Heins said.
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