Bringing Solutions up the Supply Chain

Putting all your chips on the table is a risky proposition, but the leadership team at CAM Logic, Inc. went all in with a solution-based proposition to differentiate itself from its competitors. CAM Logic’s solution based offering consists of Siemens PLM Software (IMTS booth: 133346 and 433028), Markforged 3D printing hardware (IMTS booth: 432305), engineering and design, quality control, and manufacturing.

We had a wonderful legacy customer base from our software business and were already a trusted advisor in their eyes, says Vice-president Angelo Biondo. We just needed to prove our new vision.

Based in Auburn Hills, Mich., CAM Logic targets other small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), primarily Tier 1, 2 and 3 automotive suppliers and SMB OEMs in the metro-Detroit area. The company was founded as a value-added reseller of software for CAD, CAM, CAE, PDM, and PLM. CAM Logic offered a degree of engineering services, but Biondo knew the company needed more of a competitive edge.

Prior to joining CAM Logic, Biondo was CAM Logic’s banker, which provided him insight in the business model and financial make-up. Biondo’s vision to differentiate CAM Logic was in full development when Yvonne Wiedemann, former Account Manager, decided to purchase the company. Having ownership now in full support of his vision, Biondo & Wiedemann’s next key move was to lure back Joshua Ponzetti. An applications engineer who had worked for CAM Logic 10 years prior, Ponzetti now had two decades of experience and would be perfect as the company’s Director of Operations.

With ‘Ponz’ on board, it set the stage for our ability to become a complete solution provider, says Biondo. We are not just a VAR for Siemens software and Markforged printers – we use these products to deliver design and engineering services and offer 3D printing and fabrication services, respectively, says Biondo.

For the last five years, CAM Logic has focused on helping Detroit-area OEMs and SMBs understand the role of additive manufacturing in the automotive supply chain. The industry is very structured, so it takes attention to detail whenever suppliers suggest change.

Where we’ve found the most meaningful existence for AM has been for light-weighting the assembly side of the automotive industry, says Ponzetti. We don’t make parts for cars, we make the parts that move cars down the assembly line. Through DFAM and lightweight composites, we show customers how they can extract costs when moving parts from Point A to Point B.

It’s Like Disney World

While Markforged has some of the most reliable hardware on the market, its printers primarily use nylon-based materials. CAM Logic wanted to expand its material offerings for its manufacturing line of business – and IMTS 2018 was the place to go.

From the moment you arrive, you’re overwhelmed with all of the things you are exposed to, says Ponzetti.

The pair visited the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion and met with companies that provided printing systems for various materials, such as thermos plastics and composites. One of which was, polyethylene, because of its stability in different environments.

The solution we found at IMTS was the Raise3D (IMTS booth: 433137) fused filament fabrication platform, says Ponzetti. The Raise3D platform can print with a host of different materials including general production use, and specialty filaments for electrostatic discharge resistance and flame retardance.

At IMTS 2022, we will meet with long-running partners Siemens and Markforged, we’ll continue to explore the additive offerings, and we’ll meet with a lot of prospective customers, says Biondo.

CAM Logic continues to pursue technologies and solutions that best fit the needs of their customer and their business model.

Six, 12, 18 months down the road, believe me, Ponz will come back with a Christmas list of solutions he saw at IMTS, says Biondo.

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