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V O L . X X V I N O. I V F E B R UA R Y 2 4 , 2 0 2 0 12 WO R K P L A C E T E C H N O L O G Y E lectron beams that meld layers of titanium. Powerful jets of water that slice through almost any material. e world's largest 3D printer, which can print a 5,000-pound object in just three days. Five-axis routers that machine components to any degree of complexity. Manufacturing tolerances that are a fraction the size of a human hair. ese are just some of the capabilities of Maine companies that offer computer-aided precision tech- nology, in a growing and evolving sector. ey serve industries in Maine and around the world, ranging from aerospace to medical, energy, construction, trans- portation, defense and even the arts world. In Biddeford, Form Tech Tool & Mold Inc. machines parts within tolerances that are 20 times less than the thickness of a human hair, says COO Kevin Kaserman. e company makes molds for various industries, from micro-medical to large military applications. A mold (also called a "tool") is a rigid frame used to make a product by filling it with a liquid or pliable material. e computer-aided machines that make Form Tech's customized molds can cost up to $500,000. ey include an "electro discharge" machine (EDM) that uses an electric arc to burn away base material. e fully automated "lights out" machine can be programmed to work without human supervision 24/7 — and change its own tools as needed throughout the machining process. "Before EDM, you might have needed 10 pieces to create a part," says Mike Raymond, production manager. "Now we can use one piece of steel and create the shape we want." e technology simplifies the molding process and cuts production time. "Twenty years ago, the normal lead time to build a large tool might have been half a year," Raymond adds. "Today, we build that same tool in six to eight weeks." "It's huge," Manufacturers Association of Maine's executive director Lisa Martin says of precision tech. "Of the 1,600 manufacturing companies in Maine, approxi- mately 25% are precision fabrication facilities." e sector's growth is tied to growth of industries, in Maine and beyond, such as aerospace, wood products and medical devices, she says. $1M machines Martin expects continued growth. "e sector is mor- phing, so more companies are using higher technology such as robotics," she says. "e growth is in technol- ogy-based sectors such as medical devices, composites, electronics and metal fabrication." F O C U S P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Mold operator Dennis Johnson controls an electric injection molding machine at Form Tech Tool and Mold in Biddeford. An electro discharge machine uses electron beams to make parts within tolerances that are 20 times less than the thickness of a human hair at Form Tech Tool and Mold in Biddeford. THE LAST MICRON Precision technology can produce tolerances down to a millionth of an inch B y L a u r i e S c h r e i B e r

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