CINCINNATI INCORPORATED
How Cincinnati Incorporated has achieved such incredible machine tool innovation fame
Behind the scenes of every industry are the companies which create the necessary tools for success . Cincinnati Incorporated ( or CI ) has for many years been ubiquitous in the manufacturing arena for its press brakes , shears , lasers , powder metal presses , and , more recently , it has a reputation as one of the most innovative global leaders in big area additive manufacturing ( BAAM ). Founded in 1898 and privately held since day one , the ever-thriving machine tool manufacturer remains the last of its kind from a century-ago era in the Queen City ; we speak to Carey Chen , President , CEO , and Vice Chairman of the Board to find out why .
“ In 2015 , CI ’ s BAAM system was recognized by R & D 100 as one of the top 100 most technologically significant new products for that year , and was the Editor ’ s Choice in the category of process / prototyping as the best of the best ,” Chen explains .
“ In 2016 , BAAM was selected by JEC Composites for best overall innovation across over two dozen different industries , and at the end of that year , was also recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for its contribution in building the single largest 3D printed tool in the world – a tool for a component of a Boeing 777 wing . Even if we wanted to spend marketing dollars to prop up the technology , we could not have paid for the kind of attention that followed .”
Ground-breaking products These achievements all come down to the fact that what CI does is unique . BAAM is its specialty , which allows it to create items on a larger and more efficient scale than any other .
“ Our BAAM system is something unique to the market ,” says Chen . “ Historically , most 3D printers are about a meter cubed , can sit on a desktop , and print parts at a relatively slow rate of grams per hour . CI ’ s
64 April 2017