Manufacturing Technology

Infinitum Acquires Circuit Connect, Inc. to Accelerate Production of Sustainable Electric Motors and Support Hypergrowth

Businesswire | April 19, 2023 | Read time : 03:00 min

Infinitum Acquires Circuit Connect, Inc. to Accelerate Production of Sustainable Electric Motors and Support Hypergrowth

Infinitum, creator of the sustainable, breakthrough air core motor, today announced the acquisition of Circuit Connect, Inc. a printed circuit board (PCB) fabricator based in Nashua, New Hampshire that has consistently served the OEM and electronic manufacturing industry for 30 years.

The acquisition of Circuit Connect, Inc. supports Infinitum’s efforts to become more vertical and immediately allows for a substantially higher production capacity of PCB stators. The acquisition also provides a framework for continuous volume growth, which is critical to meeting the high demand for Infinitum’s innovative electric motor technology.

Infinitum’s unique air core motor motors replace heavy iron found in traditional electric motors with a lightweight, printed circuit board (PCB) stator that is 10x more reliable. Infinitum motors are 50 percent smaller and lighter, use 66 percent less copper and consume 10 percent less energy than standard iron core stator motors. The motor’s modular design allows the housing, rotors, and stators to be reused multiple times, giving parts a second and third life to serve future generations.

Circuit Connect, Inc has supplied Infinitum with PCB stators for more than 5 years, and has been closely involved in developing the manufacturing process and quality product that is at the heart of Infinitum’s award winning motors. The company has 21 employees who will join the Infinitum family, while continuing to service existing customers via the operation from Nashua, New Hampshire.

“Our PCB stator is the heart of our sustainable electric motors and what allows us to deliver the efficiency and energy savings that is so important to our customers and the planet,” said Ben Schuler, founder and CEO of Infinitum. “Circuit Connect has worked side by side with us advancing and improving how PCB stators are made. Their acquisition will help us ensure consistent delivery of quality stator components as we execute on our hypergrowth phase and scale up manufacturing to meet demand for our motors that can power the world with less energy and waste.”

“As a leader in PCB fabrication in the US for more than three decades, Circuit Connect’s dedication to customer success aligns well with Infinitum’s mission to build motors with reliability and extended life,” said Rick Clutz, founder, Circuit Connect. “We look forward to continuing to serve our customers and are excited about the next chapter as we ramp up production to help create motors that can have such a lasting and positive impact on the environment.”

About Infinitum

Infinitum has raised the bar for a new generation of motor that is better for the planet and people. The company’s patented air core motors offer superior performance in half the weight and size, at a fraction of the carbon footprint of traditional motors, making them pound for pound the most efficient in the world. Infinitum motors open up sustainable design possibilities for the machines we rely on to be smaller, lighter and quieter, improving our quality of life while also saving energy and reducing waste. Based in Austin, Texas, Infinitum is led by a team of industry experts and pioneers. To learn more, visit goinfinitum.com.

Spotlight

When to Consider Additive Manufacturing for Your Applications?

Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions explains when to consider 3D metal printing (additive manufacturing) for your large parts and applications.

Spotlight

When to Consider Additive Manufacturing for Your Applications?

Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions explains when to consider 3D metal printing (additive manufacturing) for your large parts and applications.

Related News

Industrial 4.0

Telit Cinterion and Nestlé Brazil Partner on Private 5G for Industry 4.0 Factory Automation

PR Newswire | August 24, 2023

Telit Cinterion, a global enabler of the intelligent edge, today announced completion of a successful proof-of-concept trial of private 5G for factory automation. Conducted in partnership with Nestlé Brazil, the trial showcases why and how manufacturers are increasingly making 5G a foundational component of their Industry 4.0 transformation strategies. Many manufacturers are considering or already implementing 5G, including private 5G networks, a global trend that will be worth $109 billion by 2030. Nestlé conducted the trial at Parque Tecnologico São José dos Campos, a government-sponsored research park where it is one of the resident companies exploring next-generation technologies and business processes. The trial focused on how Nestlé could use 5G to connect autonomous manufacturing robots and automated guided vehicles at their plants like the one in Caçapava, Brazil. The trial used the Telit Cinterion 5G FT980-WW evaluation kit, which features the FN980 module. Based on the 3GPP Rel. 15 standard, the FN980m supports all major 5G frequency bands, giving private networks maximum deployment flexibility. The Nestlé trial focused on the use of sub-6 GHz spectrum. "Telit Cinterion has been a partner of Nestlé since we began conducting the first tests using 5G technology at Nestlé's Innovation and Technology Center (CIT) at the São José dos Campos Technology Park. We are very pleased with this unprecedented joint work, which is so important for the national industry," explained Gustavo Moura, Digital Transformation Program Manager for Operations at Nestlé Brazil. "Nestlé Brazil is one of several recent Latin America 5G factory automation trials that Telit Cinterion has been part of, which shows that manufacturers across the region see 5G as key for ensuring the success of their Industry 4.0 migration," said Neset Yalcinkaya, SVP Sales Americas at Telit Cinterion. "This successful trial also is the latest example of how manufacturers, systems integrators, and others turn to Telit Cinterion for private 5G factory automation and PoC trials." About Telit Cinterion Telit Cinterion is a global enabler of the intelligent edge providing complete solutions that reduce time to market and costs, delivering custom designed, ready for market connected devices in addition to maintaining the industry's broadest portfolio of enterprise-grade wireless communication and positioning modules, cellular MVNO connectivity plans and management services, edge-cloud software and data orchestration, and IoT and Industrial IoT platforms. As the largest western provider pioneering IoT innovation, Telit Cinterion delivers award-winning and highly secure IoT solutions, modules and services for the industry's top brands.

Read More

Manufacturing Technology

Shapeways Advances Digital Manufacturing through Generative AI

BusinessWire | August 25, 2023

Shapeways Holdings, Inc., a global leader in digital manufacturing, is adopting generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance digital manufacturing workflows powered by Shapeways’ MFG software platform and core technology. The focus on AI enhances order accuracy and service quoting. This advanced technology also creates robust user profiles to help manufacturer clients tailor offerings, and provides a 3D modeling service combining generative AI models with Shapeways’ proprietary technology. “Shapeways sits on a wealth of data and technology that we can securely analyze to build AI tools that will offer improved efficiencies and productivity for our customers and users,” said Greg Kress, CEO for Shapeways. “Shapeways is focused on transforming the future of manufacturing, and we believe that AI and machine learning will help us to further accelerate what we are already doing.” According to MarketsandMarkets Research, AI in manufacturing is projected to reach USD $16.3 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 48% from 2022 to 2027. The directional shift toward AI is more than just a technological advancement for Shapeways and its software offerings: “We’re combining generative AI models and libraries sourced from industry leaders such as Hugging Face and OpenAI, with Shapeways’ proprietary 3D model processing technology,” said Ajay Raina, Senior Vice President of Technology for Shapeways. “This fusion of technologies enables an innovative, prompt-driven 3D model generator and printing service that we are scaling using Amazon SageMaker.” Shapeways’ use of an ML service has already resulted in significant optimization of its Amazon Web Services cloud expenditure. The company is also working to harness broader AI technologies to elevate the quality of both buyer and supplier experiences through its MFG.com platform. This suite of AI services should lead to powerful tools that will further the digitization and marketability of manufacturers on the MFG.com marketplace, resulting in more revenue opportunities, higher profitability, and operational efficiencies. Additionally, on the buy side of the MFG.com marketplace, these tools will empower companies to build more robust RFQs, optimize jobs through enhanced 3D modeling, and achieve faster time to market. This transformative strategy reflects a solid focus on future-ready manufacturing and quality, firmly rooted in decades of industry experience. About Shapeways Shapeways is a global leader in digital manufacturing, combining additive and traditional technologies with proprietary software solutions designed for other manufacturers and their customers, reducing costs, and improving supply chains. Partnering with hundreds of companies engaged in industrial applications like automotive, medical, and transportation, as well as aerospace and defense, Shapeways helps them scale their businesses, solve complex problems in product development, and achieve critical manufacturing milestones. With access to a dozen additive technologies, six conventional manufacturing methods, and hundreds of materials and finishes, Shapeways ensures production of quality parts with the right technologies, at the right time, and at the right cost.

Read More

Robotics and Automation

Autel Robotics Further Boosts Manufacturing Capabilities to Supply North American and European Markets

PR Newswire | August 29, 2023

Autel Robotics Co., Ltd. a leading provider of drone products and industry solutions, highlights its factory in Hai Phong with leading manufacturing capabilities, where it now manufactures 150,000 units of flagship products that are supplying U.S. and European markets. The factory in Hai Phong, Vietnam covers an area of 10,000 square meters and has 500 dedicated and highly skilled employees. It boasts an annual production capacity of 150,000 units and has been producing the first batch of the Lite product series since September 2022 and the Dragonfish series starting from November of the same year, mainly supplied to the U.S. and European markets. UAVs are new to Vietnam, a country known for its skilled workforce and advanced technological capabilities, and Autel Robotics adheres to the principles of quality-first and customer-centric, producing top-quality drones such as the exceptional EVO Max series, the revolutionary Dragonfish, and EVO II V3 Series The groundbreaking products are the fruit of Autel Robotics' meticulous planning and seamless execution, and it has launched the production of 6 flagship series in Vietnam: 2022 EVO Lite Series Dragonfish Series 2023 EVO II V3 Series: EVO Nano Series EVO Max Series "Autel Robotics makes every effort to strengthen the team's foundations, enforces rigorous engineering standards, streamlines operations, and ensures our customers can have a good product experience. Our drone project in Vietnam will play an important role as the company's manufacturing center in the future, leveraging the favorable investment environment locally. We will continue to invest our factory in Vietnam, boosting the supply capability to meet the demands of overseas markets, especially North America and Europe," said Mr. Liu, head of the Vietnam factory of Autel Robotics. Autel Robotics aims to use technology to improve efficiency and create values for customers, and it recognizes the importance of data security and privacy protection with technologies and devices constantly advancing. Autel Robotics provides a number of tools and protection measures for industry application customers to ensure data security regarding drone activation, data transmission, multimedia storage, updates, and maintenance. All data except the PRC's is stored in AWS data centers within the US. About Autel Robotics Founded in 2014, Autel Robotics is a team of industry professionals with a passion for technology and years of engineering experience. Autel Robotics has always been customer-oriented and focuses on achieving excellence through ceaseless innovation. It is dedicated to delivering groundbreaking solutions for new aerial exploration leveraging its market-leading quadcopter and camera technology. Headquartered in Shenzhen, the industrial and software frontier of China and the capital of drones, Autel Robotics also has R&D bases in Seattle, Munich, and the Silicon Valley.

Read More