Kosmo Machine, Inc.

Kosmo Hosts Lunch and Learn Seminar on 3D Printing

May 8, 2019

On April 9^th, Kosmo Machine held a Lunch and Learn Seminar on “The Shape of Things: 3D Printing in Manufacturing” for customers and others interested in learning more about the advanced technology. The event drew over 50 individuals from a variety of manufacturing industries.

“We had recently purchased our first 3D printer, and thought an educational seminar was a good opportunity to help customers learn more about what’s happening in the industry,” said CFO Bill Wheeler, noting that Kosmo purchased the Markforged Mark Two 3D Printer in September 2018.

At the seminar, Melissa Ragsdale, CEO for 3DOLOGiE, an Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based consultant who specializes in 3D hardware solutions, spoke about the challenges, risks and solutions of 3D printing, which is also known as additive manufacturing. Both terms refer to the process of building parts by joining material layer by layer from a CAD file. Lishan Mu, an application engineer with Markforged, also took part in the seminar.

Participants watched demonstrations of the Mark Two desktop as well as the Markforged X7 industrial printer and had the opportunity to examine sample parts manufactured on these printers from carbon fiber, Kevlar, and fiberglass.

Also on display were 17/4 PH stainless steel products created on the new Markforged Metal X. According to Ragsdale, seven other materials, including titanium and aluminum, will soon be available for printing through the system.

“In the past, materials have been a limiting factor, but that’s definitely a changing landscape. We’re seeing more materials available on the marketplace and that’s why this is a great time for manufacturers to utilize 3D printers,” said Ragsdale.

She noted there are some misconceptions about 3D printers, such as the idea that they can create only one object at a time. Some systems can print several parts simultaneously, including “functional assemblies, which are made up of multiple components designed to work together,” she said.

Another myth is that the printers can only be used to create prototypes. To help participants see other possibilities, she gave what she termed a “factory floor walk.” “I tried to show all the areas where a 3D printer can be used in a typical facility,” she said. For instance, the printers can be used to redesign and manufacture of parts and end use components and for quality checks.

The seminar concluded with a question and answer session, where participants could ask questions about using 3D printing for their specific manufacturing needs.

“I think the participants learned something and walked away with some good information,” said Wheeler. He felt the in-person, hands-on approach was helpful to the group. “We had attended two webinars [by other 3D printing companies] and found them to be very confusing. They gave very few answers,” he said.

Then, he met with Ragsdale in person. “When she came to talk to us, she was able to show us how 3D printing could help our business, and she provided some clear examples. She had samples with her, and it made sense.”

Kosmo has already manufactured some parts on its new printer for customers. While the printers are slow—it can take 24-48 hours to print a part—“if you program it properly, you can just walk away from it and let it print overnight. You don’t have to tie up any workers to watch it,” he said. “From a dollar standpoint, we spent less money on the material and obviously less money on labor”—ultimately leading to greater savings for customers.

The company plans to offer more Lunch and Learn events in the future. “We will be bringing in experts to address topics that affect manufacturing, from an advanced technology standpoint,” he added.

Established in 1976, Kosmo Machine Inc. is a Sandston, Virginia-based, employee-owned business devoted to quality production and superior customer service. The full-service precision machine shop specializes in CNC milling and turning, EDM machining, and custom welding processes. Quality certifications include ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D. The company’s 99.9% customer acceptance rate, and historically maintained 95% on-time delivery rate are well respected in the industry.

FREE Lunch and Learn Seminar

March 8, 2019

What is Dry-ice Blasting?

October 25, 2018

Also referred to as ice blasting, dry-ice blasting is a highly efficient method of using pressurized dry ice for cleaning appliances and equipments in industrial areas and environments. Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, and at extremely low temperatures, it is directed at industrial surfaces to remove dirt, contaminants, and other substances that can affect the quality of equipment and tools.

The cleaning solution is used in various industrial applications including food processing, shipbuilding, electric motor companies, oil mining, power generation, and chemical plants. This post details how dry-ice blasting can serve as an efficient form of maintenance and provide unique benefits in comparison with conventional blasting methods.

How Dry-ice blasting works

The mechanism for using dry-ice blasting is of two types: pellet system and shaved ice block. Both differ in ice density and each can provide unique advantages for specific kinds of equipments and surfaces. The ice block method produces a more delicate dry ice and requires less maintenance. It can be used in various ice block weights and sizes depending on commercial requirements and can be particularly easy to install and use.

A solid pellet system, on the other hand, offers higher dry ice density and pressure that can provide a more effective and robust method of cleaning. However, it requires greater care and maintenance. There are also solid pellet dry ice systems that are capable of directing dry ice at both low and high pressures.

The pellet system works by utilizing kinetic energy from the pellet, as well as the kinetic energy and shock effect from the transfer of heat in the system.

Benefits over other blasting methods

There are many other blasting methods that companies can use, such as plastic bread blasting and sand blasting. However, the dry-ice blasting system has unique benefits over these methods. These are as follows.
Non-abrasive
Abrasive cleaning methods use a machine to propel abrasive material against a surface at high pressures to remove contaminants and dirt through friction. However, abrasive materials tend to lead to health and safety risks for workers especially if they are very close to the surface. Dry-ice blasting, in contrast, is non-abrasive, which means that hazards are avoided and eliminated.
Free from grit media and solvents
Dry-ice blasting is also environmentally friendly as it is does not contain any secondary ingredients that can harm the environment such as solvents and grit media. This ensures all maintenance is achieved by considering the ecological and environmental impact of the blasting method.
Safe to use on electrical equipments
When used on electrical and mechanical parts, conventional blasting methods can lead to risks of electrical fires and damage mainly because the main substance being emitted is conductive. Dry ice, in comparison, is carbon dioxide, which does not conduct electricity or lead to the risk of starting electrical fires.

For more information on how dry-ice blasting can work for your industrial cleaning requirements, please contact us today.

New EDM Machines Offer Improved Precision, Greater Flexibility

October 25, 2018

Kosmo Machine recently purchased state-of-the-art wire and sinker Electrical Discharge Machines. “We’re really excited about these two new EDMs,” says Pat Smook, the company’s Vice-President of Sales. “They’re allowing us to complete even more complicated designs for our clients while at the same time offering unprecedented precision and repeatability.” The machines can be used to cut plate profiles and are popular in the tool and die industry.

The Fanuc Robocut x-C600iB Wire EDM is surrounded by a large tank, which rapidly fills with water. As a positively charged copper wire burns through a workpiece made of conductive metal, white sparks illuminate the area. Tiny bubbles of water carry away the microscopic shavings.

“The Fanuc offers positional accuracy of about 1/10,000 of an inch—about 1/30 the thickness of a single piece of hair,” he says. The six-axis machine offers great flexibility. “We can make a slot opening that expands in the piece and turns into a round hole. Or we can make a hole that is round on one side and square on the other. We can also do tapering.”

VIDEO// Fanuc Robocut x-C600iB Wire EDM in Action

Nearby, the new Mitsubishi Electric EA12S Advance Sinker EDM uses graphite or tungsten-copper alloy electrodes. These custom-made shapes are introduced to a positive electrical current. As the electrode approaches the workpiece, the tank is elevated and automatically fills with dielectric fluid.

Power settings are managed utilizing the patented “Fuzzy-Logic” system, which allows for automatic monitoring of conductivity and electrode gap distance. “This combination creates the ultimate control in dimensional stability while minimizing electrode wear,” says Smook.

The moving column sinker designer provides standard X, Y and Z-axes to 5 micron accuracy. To meet even more stringent requirements, Kosmo added a C-axis rotation. “With this rotation option, we can easily burn curved holes or what some call `port hole’ machining,” he says.

As an example of this, he points to an electrode on a table nearby. The piece has an unusual passageway—a hole that starts on top, goes straight down, then turns a corner and comes out the side.

The machine’s new Orbit-Pro System also assures more consistent side wall and bottom finishes and minimizes electrode usage—which translates to lower costs for the customer.

VIDEO// Mitisubishi Electric EA 12S Advanced Sinker EDM in Action

Both machines are noted for their ability to bore through extremely hard materials. They are used to create carbide wear parts as well as those made of titanium, tool steel, nickel alloys and tungsten—anything that’s electrically conductive.

“They may cost 10 times more than other parts, but they will last 50 times longer,” he says.

Kosmo’s aerospace, shipbuilding and advanced fiber clients appreciate the durability—and ultimately, the cost savings—of the EDM parts. “You don’t want to spend time shutting down the machine to keep changing that part that wears the most. It’s not just the cost of the part, it’s the assembly time,” he explains.

Guided by Computer Aided Engineering—using nano interpolation to compute position commands in nanometers—the EDMs are also valued for their precision and superior levels of tolerance; that is, their ability to duplicate parts within a slim margin of error. The wire EDM, for instance, can replicate parts to within one-ten thousandth of an inch, says Smook. “That is mind-bogglingly close tolerance.”

Cutting conditions are constantly monitored and cutting speeds are automatically increased using the Fanuc’s Flexible Discharge Pulse Control. “Many of our customers appreciate how small feature accuracy is improved through this feature, leading to more accurate geometry and straighter walls,” he says.

The model creates workpieces with improved corner accuracy and smoother transitions. “The age-old challenge of `approach control’ has been engineered to the point that entrance and exit witness marks are dramatically reduced,” he says.

Once the workpieces are completed on the EDM machines, they undergo a video inspection and are certified by Kosmo’s quality management system, which meets ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D standards. The system covers all the manufacturing work centers in the plant.

“We can inspect everything we make,” says Smook. “A lot of shops can make parts, but they can’t inspect them.”

With the controls in place, “our customers hardly ever see a product that is out of specification. We take great pride in our acceptance rate over 99.9%. Together with an on-time delivery rate of over 94%, those are the best measurements of how well our system works.”

If you would like to learn more about the new features of these machines, and see them in action, please watch our videos.

Established in 1976, Kosmo Machine Inc. is a full-service precision machine shop specializing in CNC milling and turning, EDM machining and custom welding processes. Kosmo’s quality management system meets ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D standards. The family-run business is devoted to quality production and superior customer service. Kosmo is located at 500 Trampton Rd, Sandston, Va. 23150. For more information or to request a quote, please call us at (804) 326-6819 or toll-free at (877) 798-1383, or visit our website, KosmoMachine.com.

Did you see the news?
Kosmo Machine was recently featured in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Here is a link to the article, click here.

Quality and Care that Goes into Every Kosmo Part

October 18, 2018

We’d like to show you the quality and care that goes into the creation of every Kosmo part.

In our new video, you can get an inside look at Kosmo’s full-service, precision machine shop, located in a climate-controlled, 62,000 square foot facility in Sandston, Virginia. We offer meticulous project management every step of the way—from handling RFQs all the way to production, inspection and shipping. We work hard to ensure that every part is of the highest quality and can meet even the most stringent of requirements.

You can also watch our state-of-the-art machines in action. Our Mazak 630-5XII 5-axis Mill/Turning CNC machine creates parts with incredibly complex geometries. We also recently purchased two EDM machines, a 4-axis Mitsubishi Electric EA12S Advance sinker EDM that attains superior tolerances and a Fanuc Robocut X-C600iB 6-axis wire EDM that allows for positional accuracy of 1/10,000 of an inch—about 1/30 the thickness of a single piece of hair.

We also offer custom welding, painting, parts assembly and reconditioning among our services. Dry ice blasting is one of the several advanced cleaning methods that we provide.

Most importantly, you now have the chance to meet some of our dedicated employees you might not have met before. Through our recently adopted Employee Stock Ownership Plan, our workers now hold equity in the company—and are rewarded for their long-term commitment to us and our customers.

As a Virginia-based, family-run business, we’ve been devoted to quality production and superior customer service since 1976. Our 99.9% customer acceptance rate and historically maintained 95% on-time delivery rate are well-respected in the industry. Quality certifications include ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100 for the manufacture precision machined parts including Aerospace and Defense, ASME/AWS certified welding, and parts reconditioning to European PED Classification CE Cat II.

I hope you enjoy the video. Please give me a call if you’d like to talk further or would like a tour of our facility.

Best Regards,

Pat Smook
Vice President of Sales
804-326-6825

For sales inquiries please call 804-326-6819 ext 4.
sales@kosmomachine.com