This coordinated Nadcap system results in a standardized approach to quality assurance and a reduction in redundant auditing throughout the aerospace industry.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) developed a low-cost sensor that can identify COVID-19 antibodies in approximately 10 seconds. The sensor is based on a special structure of tiny gold electrodes that are 3D printed using Optomec’s aerosol-jet process. The technology would allow clinicians to instantly and accurately detect the COVID-19 antibodies due to the specific geometry and surface characteristics of the printed structure. The test identifies two antibodies of the virus and is capable of detection even at very low concentrations through an electrochemical reaction sensed in the 3D-printed structure within a simple handheld device that interfaces with a smartphone.  

Change. It is something that all of us are faced with these days. From COVID-19 to civil unrest, we are facing new business and personal challenges that can also provide opportunities, depending on how you look at them.

A medical technology manufacturer ordered Despatch conveyor ovens to help produce COVID-19 diagnostic testing systems. Perforated plenums above the belt create a laminar flow that will keep the small, lightweight parts from being disturbed. Fresh-air ports were added to support the positive chamber pressure needed to achieve the required temperature uniformity of ±9°F (±5°C). The continuous belt design is suited for large quantities of similar workpieces being processed.

At the writing of this column, the world is at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Manufacturers and the supply chain are being disrupted like they have never been disrupted before.

The Executive Committee of the Forging Industry Association’s (FIA) Board of Directors has decided to cancel the International Forging Congress (IFC) 2020 scheduled for September 19-21 at the Marriott Magnificent Mile Downtown in Chicago, Ill. This step has been taken because of the safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. FIA could not be assured that the configurations in the venues where IFC 2020 activities were scheduled to be held could be arranged in a manner to provide sufficient protection for delegates and exhibitors against the transmission of COVID-19. Delegates who have registered and paid to attend IFC 2020 will be reimbursed 100% of their registration fees. Those companies that have reserved and paid for a booth or tabletop at IFC 2020 will be reimbursed 100% of their registration fees. Emails will be sent to both groups explaining the reimbursement process.

Fortin Ironworks, a third-generation, family-owned and operated ornamental iron and metal-fabrication company, is creating new products driven by a surge in consumer safety. These American-made products are destined to be an integral part of the “new normal.” The Columbus, Ohio-based company has been manufacturing products designed to keep people safe, such as fencing and gates, for nearly 75 years. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, however, Fortin Ironworks is getting requests for new ways of doing things.

Sheffield Forgemasters is devoting its 3D-printing facility to help protect vulnerable, frontline national health service (NHS) workers and assist in the U.K.'s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s Research, Design and Technology (RD&T) department has started to produce 3D-printed components for protective visors used by NHS staff. The initiative coincides with the request of the mayor of the Sheffield City Region for South Yorkshire businesses to join the national effort and help make life-saving medical equipment during the pandemic. RD&T uses its 3D-printing output to produce models and prototypes for ultra-large, complex steel components, but – with the ability to 3D-print the visor components – the business is more than happy to play its part in assisting the fight against the pandemic.

According to research conducted by Clear Seas Research (a BNP Media Company) April 16-20, 56% of active business and 50% of planned business throughout the manufacturing industry is still on schedule during the coronavirus pandemic. These numbers show a decline from the last survey April 2-6, which showed 63% of active business and 57% of planned business was on schedule. Along those lines, 11% of active business has been cancelled, which is an increase from the 9% reported in the last survey.

Stony Brook University released an article detailing its preliminary research and findings on the efficacy of dry heat sterilization on personal protective equipment (PPE). The research team used a Gruenberg dry heat sterilizer to determine if there was degradation of the N95 masks after several rounds of dry heat treatment. Results from the testing were positive, showing that the heat treatment did not cause visible structural damage and had no effect on the straps.