APMEN JanFeb 2011

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF MTA 2011 Jan-Feb 2011

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M.I.C.A. (P) No. 133/06/2010

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ISCAR THAILAND 57, 59, 61, 63 Soi Samanchan-Babos Sukhumvit Rd. Phra Khanong, Khlong Toey Bangkok 10110 Tel + 66 (2) 7136633 Fax + 66 (2) 7136632 iscar@iscarthailand.com

ISCAR VIETNAM (Representative Office) Room D 2.8, Etown Building, 364 Cong Hoa, Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City, Tel + 84 8 8123 519/20 Fax + 84 8 8123 521 iscarvn@hcm.fpt.vn

CV MULTI TEKNIK JL. Balikpapan Raya No. 28 Jakarta Pusat 10140 Indonesia Tel + 62 21 6307303 Fax + 62 21 6348062 multi@centrin.net.id

SINO TOOLING SYSTEM Blk 502, Jurong West Ave 1 #03-813 Singapore 640502 Tel + 65 6566 7668 Fax + 65 6567 7336 sinotool@singnet.com.sg

MESCO Reliance Corner Brixton St. Pasig City Metro-Manila Philippines Tel + 63 2631 1775 Fax + 63 2635 0276 mesco@mesco.com.ph

ENQUIRY NO 002

Cutting Down Production Costs with Winning Combinations for Optimal Productivity

DOUBLE OCTOMILL 16 GOOD REASONS TO CHANGE YOUR FACE MILL. TM

Coated and pre-hardened cutter body High precision insert location pins

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EASY CUTTING. DOUBLE SIDED INSERT WITH HIGHLY POSITIVE GEOMETRY Double OctomillTM is a performance face mill for roughing and finishing applications.

Suitable for normal and large machine tools, Double OctomillTM is a very economical face milling solution for steel, cast iron and stainless steel machining.

PRECISE. HIGH PRECISON INSERT LOCATION Double Octomill insert pocket seats are equipped with unique, hardened insert reference pins. Insert indexing is easy and secure. What’s more, the precise HSS pin ensures a high quality surface finish and a very long life for the pocket and cutter body.

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ENQUIRY NO 157

CONTENTS

January-February 2011

FIRST CUT

26 Boosting Productivity - The Power Of Three

Three factors – labour, machine and capital, get them right and productivity is almost a given. By Michael E Neumann

30

Give Productivity A Boost

Developments in drilling have come at a right time as productivity has come under increasing spotlight. By Kobi Kisos and Dr Moshe Goldberg, Iscar

32 Deep Hole Drilling: Cutting Down Machining Time Efficient drilling is sometimes just down to making the right choices.

By Christian Ossmann, Hoffmann Group

TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTS

34 Gearing Up For The Touch & View Debate

The concept of having something to touch and feel prior to the product stage is beginning to take shape in the fast-paced manufacturing arena. By Ami H Gold, Solido3D

36 Rapid Tooling Applications In today’s competitive marketplace, speed is the only thing. Rapid Tooling (RT) can compress the time in prototyping and reduce the tooling costs at the same time. By Avi Cohen, Objet Geometries

SOFTWARE & METROLOGY

38 Casting (White) Light On Turbine Blade Inspection

Measuring gauges and CMMs have a proven record in measuring turbine blades but measuring machines using white light is slowly winning fans with its speed and accuracy. By Wang MA, Wenzel

40 Insights: In-Process Measurement - A Probing Issue The decision to put a probe onto a machine to be used during a metal cutting process is a tough one. It challenges traditional beliefs and opens the debate between balancing cycle time and part quality. By Andy Buttrey, Renishaw

FAB & FORM 42 Laser Cutting: It’s All About Choices

Picking the right beam source is important for any laser cutting processes as applications dictate which laser technology to use. By Dr Hans-Peter Laubscher, Trumpf

44 Fibre Laser: Making The Cut

Cutting technologies are continuously evolving, and one of the recent advances in the field is fibre laser. By Doug Shuda, Hypertherm

4

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

Best choice.

User-friendly performance.

Laser | Bending | Waterjet bystronic.com

ENQUIRY NO 172

CONTENTS

January-February 2011

INDUSTRY FOCUS

46 Cruising To A Greener Future

The future is an enabler for green technology. Pushing forward necessary innovations allow more autonomous transportation with zero emissions. This represents opportunity for the metalworking field. By Mark Johnston

50

PLANT VISIT

Plant Visit: Productivity In Manufacturing

Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) goes to Mori Seiki in its first of four special features in ‘Plant Visit’. In this installment, we look at how certain policies and procedures are put into place at the company’s manufacturing plants to achieve better results. By Joson Ng

ASIA PACIFIC METALWORKING EQUIPMENT NEWS (M.E.N.) is published 8 issues per year by Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd 1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building #02-05 Singapore 169206 Tel: (65) 6379 2888 Fax: (65) 6379 2806.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: M.E.N. is available to readers on a per annum subscription basis depending on location: Singapore: S$60.00, Malaysia: S$60.00, Asia Pacific/America/Europe/ Others: S$100.00. Refer to the subscription card in each issue for further details. For change of address, please notify our Circulation Manager. For more subscription information Fax: (65) 6379 2806 Singapore E-mail: irenetow@epl.com.sg IMPORTANT NOTICE THE CIRCULATION OF THIS MAGAZINE IS AUDITED BY BPA WORLDWIDE. THE ADVERTISERS' ASSOCIATION RECOMMEND THAT ADVERTISERS SHOULD PLACE THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS ONLY IN AUDITED PUBLICATIONS

FEATURES

52 Market Outlook 2011

With stellar economic growth in Asia, Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) speaks to the bigwigs of the industry as they share their plans for 2011 and also address the impact brought about by the ‘green wave’ as industries worldwide gear up for the age of sustainability.

JOINT ADVERTISING DISCOUNT WMEM, 30,000 copies circulated quarterly in China combines with M.E.N, 10,000 copies circulated bi-monthly in ASEAN in joint advertising. Ask for more details now.

INDUSTRY

56 Delcam Asian

Endorsements

Technical Summit 2010

SPETA

The tenth in its series, the Asian Technical Summit showcases the latest the company has to offer and also a look into its history and future. APMEN is there to find out more from the top management of the company that gave the world PowerMill. By Joson Ng

Singapore Precision Engineering and Tooling Association (SPETA) Federation of Asian Die & Mould Associations (FADMA)

Federation of Malaysian Foundry & Engineering Industry Associations

60 DMG/Mori Seiki At JIMTOF 2010

Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News was at the DMG/Mori Seiki JIMTOF 2010 press conference in Tokyo recently where Dr Masahiko Mori, president of Mori Seiki and Dr Ruediger Kapitza, chairman of the executive board of Gildemeister shared with members of the press some of their future plans in the partnership.

By Joson Ng

62 Managing The Titans

Titanium materials are gaining popularity with its desirable mechanical properties. However, good news for the machinist is often bad news for the cutting tool. Submitted by Yvonne Ng, Walter AG Singapore

REGULARS 10 80

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83 84A

Indian Machine Tool Manufacturing Association (IMTMA)

64 EVENTS & EXHIBITION Special Report: Metalex 2010 JIMTOF 2010 JEC Show Asia 2010 TMTS 2010 Manufacturing Indonesia MedTec Southeast Asia Seco Launch Event TIMTOS MTA 2011

China Machine Tool & Tool Builders' Association (CMTBA)

Machine Tool Club (MTC)

Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI)

84

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Published by:

EASTERN TRADE MEDIA PTE LTD (a fully owned subsidiary of Eastern Holdings Ltd)

Reg No: 199908196C

managing director Kenneth Tan editor Joson Ng

josonng@epl.com.sg

writer Mark Johnston

markandrewjohnston@epl.com.sg

business development manager Randy Teo randyteo@epl.com.sg

advertising sales manager Yessica yessica@epl.com.sg

editorial assistant Sharifah Zainon

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graphic designer Jef Pimentel

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The New Year often brings contrasting emotions. On one hand, it promises new challenges and opportunities, but there is however also an air of uncertainty. With many economic indicators coming from various sectors and regions, there are many differing views on how the economy in 2011 will turn out. Despite the bleak economic outlooks in Europe and the US, one popular view sees Asia going on a good economic run this year.

At Metalex in Thailand late last year, Dr Fukunari Kimura, chief economist at Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia said the Asian economy looks set to grow well into 2011. “We must be confident of our economy,” he said. With that, he feels the manufacturing sector will once again lead the charge, pulling other sectors along in the classic spillover effect.

As far as trade is concerned, he noted that the ASEAN region is doing well with the conclusion of various FTAs as a firm commitment shown by the ASEAN 6 countries. In addition, he

felt there is a need for these countries to help their fellow members in ASEAN, ie: CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam). This can be achieved through “functional integration.”

Elaborating, he said: “CLMV should look for FDI from the ASEAN 6 nations, in addition to Japan and the US. These investments can provide a protection network.”

With ASEAN growing, Dr Kimura believes the region will be more significant to the world in the future with automotive and electronic sectors leading the way, supported by the service industries.

With the new year, we are pleased to celebrate our 25th anniversary and also introduce a new section in our magazine call ‘Plant Visit’ where APMEN goes on the road to bring you, our esteemed readers the insights on manufacturing and management. Last but not least, we would like to wish you a happy New Year.

Joson Ng Editor

contributing graphic designer Zhang Yue zhangyue@epl.com.sg

circulation executive Irene Tow

irenetow@epl.com.sg

contributors Michael E Neumann Christian Ossmann Kobi Kisos, Ami H Gold Avi Cohen, Andy Buttrey Dr Hans-Peter Laubscher Doug Shuda, Wang MA Yvonne Ng, Dr Moshe Goldberg board of consultants Wäinö A Kaarto AB Sandvik Coromant Dr Moshe Goldberg ISCAR

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced in any form or means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, taping, etc – without the written consent of the publisher.

Opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher and editor.

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metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

www.dmgmoriseiki.com

Turn & Mill

Complete machining– ShopTurn 3G for the highest performance ________

Turning and milling on the CTX TC – With top class complete

machining, you will finish your work piece considerably faster. The CTX gamma 2000 TC with a turret and revolutionary multi-channel ShopTurn 3G programming offer maximum productivity with up to a 60% time savings during programming.

HIGHLIGHTS CTX beta TC / gamma TC _ Simple and fast Turn & Mill programming with ShopTurn 3G – Easy-to-operate ShopTurn cycles and DIN functionalities can be combined according to fit your needs _ 12-station turret for additional flexibility and productivity (for the CTX gamma 2000 TC) _ Powerful turning / milling spindle with an NC-controlled B-axis and a torque motor _ Maximum stability and precision with the thermo-symmetric design and active cooling _ Diverse tool magazines for the CTX beta 1250 TC and the CTX gamma 1250 / 2000 TC is available

All DMG / MORISEIKI news is available online at: www.dmgmoriseiki.com DMG / MORI SEIKI Singapore DMG MORI SEIKI South East Asia Pte. Ltd 3 Tuas Link 1, Singapore 638584, Tel.: +65 66 60 66 88, Fax: +65 66 60 66 99

ENQUIRY NO 019

If your mobile phone is equipped with QR code recognition software, you will have direct access to our homepage.

The Precision Engineering Industry Event 2011 23 - 26 March 2011, Singapore Expo Hall: A4, Booth: C2 - 01

BUSINESSNEWS DMG Posts Good Results In Singapore

Singapore: DMG has reported its best ever-sales performance in Singapore during the second open house event hosted by DMG/Mori Seiki Singapore.

With 70 machines sold into the Singapore market, Frank Beermann, MD, DMG/Mori Seiki South East Asia had this to say about the benefits of Singapore and the internal competition across countries: “I think one of the biggest benefits we can offer in Singapore is we have a very experienced team here. What I like to sell to customers is a solution. The machine is one part of the solution. So we train the customer and the application personnel of the machine. My application team here is very experienced with many years experience with us.”

Attended by 312 visitors from over 300 companies in the four-day event, the open house saw a focus on productivity with live demonstrations of high-speed cutting on a 5-axis universal machine, 5-axis simultaneous milling and turn & mill as well as mill & turn complete machining. Both the higher end products and the company’s Ecoline series were demonstrated at the event. The event also saw the premiere of CTX310 eco with Mapps IV control.

In-House Exhibition In Germany Elsewhere in Europe, the company will mark the beginning of the trade fair season with an in-house exhibition at Deckel Maho Pfronten from February 1 – 5, 2011. The in-house exhibition will focus on the future subject of flexible complete machining with turning and milling, milling and turning machines, and 5-axis technologies from the company.

At the Gildemeister Group’s largest production site, more than 5,000 trade visitors are expected from all over the world and will experience a total of 65 machine highlights in action and a varied programme of seminars.

Rockwell Automation To Enhance Customer Service In Thailand M i lwau kee, U SA: Rock well Automation has entered into a new partnership with Sonic Automation, a newly formed full line industrial automation distributor in Thailand.

Customers in Thailand are now able to contact Sonic Automation for order placement, fulfillment, enquiries, full technical support and customer service.

Sonic Automation’s coverage 10

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

and capabilities will improve Rockwell Automation’s limited distribution performance, which is a critical component of its business model. Moreover, the partnership supports the company’s growth a nd p e r for ma nce bu si ne ss strateg y, which consists of e n h a n c i n g m a r ke t a cce s s , expanding its served markets and extending its geographic reach in this important region.

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Boeing Hits 2010 Airplane Delivery Target Seattle, USA: Boeing recorded 462 commercial airplane deliveries i n 2 010 , m e e t i n g co mp a n y g u ida nce of approx i mate ly 460 deliveries during the year.

The company posted 530 net commercial orders for the year a s air ca rriers shifted from economic recovery to expansion.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes maintains a strong order base of 3,443 unfilled orders.

“With 376 deliveries in 2010, the next-generation 737 set a company delivery record for the second consecutive year,” said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

“The 737 is the industry’s most in-demand airplane with 486 net orders as carriers continue to rely on its economics, versatility and continuous performance enhancements.”

The 777 led Boeing’s twinaisle programs with 74 deliveries and 46 net orders in 2010 as the airplane continues to rank at the top of operator, investor and frequent traveler polls for its efficiency and passenger comfort.

During 2010, the company announced a series of production rate increases throughout its product line to meet increasing airplane demand from carriers worldwide. The Next-Generation 737 production rate will grow to 35 per month in early 2012 and 38 per month the second quarter of 2013.

The 777 production rate will rise from five to seven per month in mid-2011 and grow to 8.3 per month in the first quarter of 2013. The 747-8 Freighter is slated for first delivery mid-year and first delivery of the 747-8 Intercontinental is planned for late 2011. The 787 Dreamliner continues in flight test.

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Sutton Tools Singapore Pte Ltd, No. 1 Ubi View #03-18, Focus One, SINGAPORE 408555 Phone: +65 67457366 Fax: +65 67455080 Mail: ekoh@sutton.com.au ENQUIRY NO 016 www.hoffmann-group.com

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ABB Extends Life Cycle Commitment

APPOINTMENTS

Dassault Systèmes Gets New Executive VP

Zurich, Switzerland: ABB is extending the life cycle commitment for its Symphony Harmony and Melody range of control systems.

“This initiative is part of our ‘evolution without obsolescence’ strategy and is aimed at supporting customers in finding a balance between the introduction of new technology and maximising the return on asset investments already made,” said Franz-Josef Mengede, head of the company’s power generation business.

The company will continue to invest in the development of the Symphony product range beyond 2015, as previously announced, allowing customers to effectively manage life cycle requirements and lower their total cost of ownership. Product development will be guided by the company’s life cycle policy, based on the principle that no product will be removed from the active sale until a compatible, equivalent or superior product is made available.

Speaking at a press briefing in Singapore, Massimo Danieli, head of the global instrumentation and control business for BU power generation further explained the company’s control product life cycle phrases. He said the products are sustained by defined life cycle phrases and committed a minimum 10 years of support after removal from ‘active’ sales.

Jeff Ray

Jeff Ray has been appointed as the executive VP, geographic operations, and member of Dassault Systèmes executive committee. In this newly created position, Mr Ray will oversee the company’s geographies in order to empower its local teams to serve customers’ and partners’ growing needs and fully exploit the market growth potential.

Bertrand Sicot Takes The Hot Seat At SolidWorks

Bertrand Sicot

Bertrand Sicot has been named SolidWorks CEO. Mr Sicot fi rst joine d Das sault Système s in 1997 where he was in charge of regional sales for SolidWorks in Europe. He then expanded the US operations from 2004 to 2007, and since 2007 has been leading the company’s global sales channel.

Pace Of Growth Improved In Fourth Quarter 2010 Singapore: Economic activity in Singapore picked up in the fourth quarter of 2010. According to advance estimates1, the economy expanded by 12.5 percent on a yearon-year basis in the fourth quarter of 2010, improving from the 10.5 percent growth in the third quarter.

On a seasonally-adjusted quarteron-quarter annualised basis, the economy grew by 6.9 percent, an upturn from the contraction of 18.9 percent in the previous quarter.

For the whole of 2010, the economy is estimated to have expanded by 14.7 percent, in line with MTI’s growth forecast of around 15 percent for the year.

12

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

Economic growth in the fourth quarter was primarily underpinned by a strong expansion in the manufacturing sector. On a year-onyear basis, the sector grew by 28.2 percent, faster than the growth of 13.8 percent in the previous quarter. On a sequential basis, the sector returned to positive growth, expanding by an annualised rate of 20.0 percent after posting a sharp contraction of 53.4 percent in the preceding quarter.

This strong growth was led by the biomedical manufacturing cluster, which saw a strong rebound in pharmaceutical output.

In contrast, the construction sector contracted by 1.2 percent on

a year-on-year basis in the fourth quarter, reversing from the growth of 7.1 per cent in the third quarter.

On a sequential basis, the sector contracted by 18.5 percent, mainly due to a decline in private sector construction activities.

1 The advance GDP estimates for the fourth quarter of 2010 are computed largely from data in the first two months of the quarter (ie: October and November 2010). They are intended as an early indication of the GDP growth in the quarter, and are subject to revision when more comprehensive data become available.

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A*STAR Spearheads R&D Efforts For The Oil & Gas Equipment Sector

JK, United Kingdom

Singapore: The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) will be initiating R&D in oil and gas equipment to position Singapore as an innovation hub for the Oil and Gas (O&G) equipment sector and strengthen Singapore’s marine and offshore industry.

The a nnouncement, made by S Iswa ra n, senior minister of state for trade and industry and education, at the 18th International Oil & Gas Industry Exhibition & Conference (OSEA 2010), highlighted that the organisation will be collaborating with the local universities to carry out R&D programmes in ruggedised electronics, multiphase flow analysis, and materials for marine and offshore equipment.

These three R&D programmes are designed to provide the technological solutions and innovations to the O&G equipment manufacturers for quality products. These products will address the

challenges of a harsher operating environment as oil and gas explorations transit into deeper waters.

Commenting on the programmes, Prof Low Teck Seng, MD, A*STAR said: “These three R&D programmes will leverage on the strength of our research communities to create an impact in growing the O&G equipment sector. The genesis of this was from a joint effort between EDB and A*STAR where I was co-chairing a task force together with Choon Shian (deputy MD of EDB). Through the collaborative efforts of A*STAR, NUS and NTU, Singapore can be positioned as an attractive innovation hub for the O&G equipment industry.”

Based on preliminary numbers, Singapore’s total marine and offshore industry output in 2009 was S$20.1 billion (US$15.3 billion). The industry contributed 9.4 percent of total manufacturing output and employs close to 92,000 people. (Source: Singapore Economic Development Board).

Seco Tools Makes Acquisitions In The US Sweden: Seco Tools has signed an agreement to acquire the American companies NC Industries (NCI) and Diamond Tool Coating (DTC).

“The end mill product area is rega rded a s strategica lly important, among other things for high - speed machining capability and the ability to close tolerance requirements.

14

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

The acquisitions will strengthen Seco Tools’ position and market share in the segment in general and the important US market in particular,” says Kai Wärn, president and CEO of Seco Tools.

NCI is a producer of solid carbide end mills under the Niagara Cutters and Arch Micro Tools brands and is among the

largest local producers in the US of these products. DTC is a producer of wear resistant diamond coatings. Most of the customers are found in the aircraft and power generation industries, as well as the general engineering industry. Both companies have combined annual sales of around US$ 37 million and 170 employees.

BUSINESSNEWS

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Panasonic To Set Up Welding System Company In India

Osaka, Japan: Panasonic Corp will set up a welding system company in India through its subsidiary Panasonic Welding Systems. The new company, Panasonic Welding Systems India, will be established in December 2010 in Gurgaon in the northern state of Haryana as an internal divisional company of Panasonic India and start production in August 2012.

India’s welding-related market has been growing rapidly in recent years. Apparent consumption of steel1 in the country has been growing year after year, and India became the world’s third biggest consumer of steel in 2009, after China and the United States2.

The Indian market is expected to grow further as increased production of transportation vehicles, such as automobiles and railways, is anticipated against the backdrop of rising personal disposable income and supply of goods.

The company will strengthen its welding solution proposals tailored to local needs through producing energy-saving, high-quality arc welding equipment and supplying Japan-made arc welding robots.

Notes: 1. An index closely related to the demand of arc welding equipment 2. Source: World Steel Association

ENQUIRY NO 011

Rob Owen-Wahl, United Kingdom

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

15

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Widia Finalises Brand-Migration Efforts Latrobe, USA: Widia products group has completed the brand’s consolidation with MetCut and MetalRemoval tools now moving under the group’s umbrella.

The result of this multi-year consolidation is a complete portfolio of milling, turning, reaming, grooving, precision hole finishing, and other applications from a single source.

“From the spindle to the work pie ce, Widia pro duc t s provide one-stop shopping for manufacturers seeking tools that

get the job done and improve production processes,” says Bernie McConnell, VP, Widia Products Group.

“Projections show that customers who buy product through indirect channels will soon represent a $10 billion market in high-performance metalworking,” Mr McConnell adds. “We are building great presence in China, Brazil, Russia, and India, as well as strengthening our position in mature markets such as Europe and the US.”

AMT Calls For Action To Revitalise US Manufacturing McLean, USA: The Association For Manufacturing Technology is calling for a national strategy to revitalise manufacturing in the US through cooperation and innovation. The manufacturing mandate, being brought forward by AMT, asks political leaders to establish a strategy of collaboration between government industry and academia.

This federal strategy would incentivise innovation and research and development in new products and manufacturing technologies; assure the availability of capital; increase global competitiveness; minimise structural cost burdens; enhance collaboration between government, academia and industry; and build a better educated and trained ‘smartforce.’

“Even though the US continues to be the leading manufacturing economy in the world, we have seen our country running a trade deficit in advanced technology products since 2002,” said Douglas K Woods, president of AMT. “We must take action that goes far beyond commissioning studies to ensure its revitalisation and develop a model for future growth. Our manufacturing mandate provides a clear path and cohesive approach to promote real economic growth. We are poised to work with the government, industry and the academic community to create a central manufacturing policy structure within the executive branch to develop policy, focus research and coordinate implementation of the manufacturing mandate strategies.”

Mr Woods says that while many resources are already in place, building a functional model will require collaboration. “The critical focus must be on incentivising innovation,” he said. “Manufacturing innovation clusters are already in place across the country and are natural hot spots for advances in 16

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

Robert Scoble , USA

manufacturing technology to occur. This is where AMT believes it can have a positive impact by identifying those technologies that have been created for very specific applications, but have potential for broader use, then linking the manufacturing community with universities or government agencies to move those technologies forward.”

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SIMTech Launches NiMI Robert Scoble, USA

Singapore: The Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) has launched the Nanotechnology in Manufacturing Initiative (NiMI). Supported by International Enterprise ( IE) Singapore, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and SPRING Singapore, this initiative explores nano -materials for i n du s t r y a p p l i c a t i o n s a n d addresses challenges in the adoption of nanotechnology for manufacturing.

To date, 13 companies are participating in the initiative.

E stimate s of the globa l nanotechnology market in 2010 range from about US$15.7 billion to US$1 trillion. By 2015, the market worth is estimated to be more than US$2.4 trillion (Source: Nanotechnolog y: A Realistic Market Assessment; 1 July 2010; BCC Research). This underscores the importance of raising awa reness of nanotechnology in Singapore, equipping the industry with the skill sets and know-how to handle the special instruments and adhere to the Environment, Health and Safety regulations.

In the Nanotechnology in M a nu fac t u r i n g Rou ndt a ble Discussion in April 2010, participants from the manufacturing industry have highlighted the technological and engineering issues relating to 18

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

scalability, quality and reliability of adopting nanotechnology in manufacturing, as well as the need for closer collaborations amongst the government, academic and industry players to bring down the high cost associated with nano-materials, special equipment and tooling.

Dr Lim Ser Yong, executive d i re c tor o f S I M Te c h , s a id: “SIMTech invests in this field of research for manufacturing e n te r p r i s e s to t a p o n t h e institute’s existing know-how and infrastructure resources to stretch their limited resources and sharpen their capabilities.

This initiative enables industry to pa r tner with SIMTech in innovative R& D to develop va lue - added na no - materia ls and manufacturing processes to cope with nanotechnology in manufacturing to develop feasible and optimised high performa nce products w ith enhanced functionalities. The collaboration among government agencies, research institutes and industry in lowering the R&D development cost for industry accelerates the adoption of nanotechnology. Industry can then explore new grounds and venture into high-value and hightech manufacturing, an avenue to grow and diversify the local manufacturing industry.”

NI Appoints Its System Integrator For North Vietnam H a n o i , V i e t n a m : N at io n a l Instruments ASEAN (NI) has appointed Advancing Technologies & Investment Consultants Joint Stock Company (AIC), as their System Integrator for defence systems, automated test, data acquisition systems, and signal analysis across diverse areas such as military, oil & gas, chemicals and glass production industries in North Vietnam.

With this partnership, the company will extend enhanced marketing support and technical consultancy for AIC, and engineers from AIC will in turn provide turnkey solutions to North Vietnam customers with system engineering services using NI technologies.

Both NI and AIC will work closely together on large system opportunities in North Vietnam.

By 2013, both companies aim to achieve a YOY growth of 20 percent for the Vietnam market.

Rio Tinto & Chinalco To Form JV For Exploration In China London, UK: Rio Tinto and Chinalco signed a non binding Memorandum of Understa nding ( MoU ) to establish a landmark exploration joint venture (JV) in China.

The JV will explore mainland China for world-class mineral deposits and is expected to come into operation in the first half of next year. It is intended that between three and five large area exploration projects will be selected for initial focus by the JV, with the potential for additional regions to be added at a later date. Chinalco will hold a 51 percent interest in the JV and Rio Tinto will hold a 49 percent interest.

Romer Absolute Arm The ROMER Absolute Arm is the most accurate ROMER CMM ever manufactured. It is also the first measuring arm to have absolute encoders, a development that will greatly simplify the inspection process. This technology avoids the earlier need with all measuring arms to initialize the encoders – now the user can simply switch the machine on and start measuring. The ROMER Absolute Arm is especially notable for its low weight and systematic, ergonomic design. Additional grip positions and a perfectly balanced main tube ensure the operator can work productively without fatigue during the inspection.

Visit us at

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Singapore

Malaysia

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Hexagon Metrology Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. 2 Woodlands Sector 1 #01-10 Woodlands Spectrum 1 Singapore 738068 Tel : +65 6463 6242 Fax : +65 6463 8030 contact@hexagon-metrology.com.sg

Hexagon Measurement Technologies Sdn.Bhd 11 Jalan PJS 7/21 (758921-A) Bandar Sunway 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Tel : +603 5632 8900 Fax : +603 5632 8955 contact.my@hexagonmetrology.com

Hexagon Metrology (Thailand) Ltd. 3 Soi, Bangna-Trad 34, Bangna-Trad Rd. Bangna, Bangna, Bangkok 10260 Tel : +66 2361 3695 to 9 Fax : +66 2746 9607 hexagon.thailand@hexagonmetrology.com

Hanoi Representative Office 5th Floor, Regus Hanoi Press Club, 59A Ly Thai To Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, S.R. of Vietnam Tel: +84 4 3936 7935 Fax: +84 4 3936 8069 hexagon.thailand@hexagonmetrology.com

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Nissan & Mitsubishi Motors To Expand Scope Of Cooperation Yokohama, Japan: Nissan Motor and Mitsubishi Motors have agreed to expand their current scope of cooperation towards new projects that will further strengthen mutual competitiveness, especially in the Japanese mini car and global commercial vehicle businesses.

They currently have several OEM agreements for vehicles in the Japanese market, including for mini cars and commercial vehicles.

In addition to expanding the scope of the current OEM partnership, the two companies agreed to study new opportunities, which would generate additional synergies. The cooperation agreement will be complementary to any agreements the two parties have already established with other partners.

Regarding the expansion of the OEM partnership, the following have been agreed: • Nissan to provide a light van/ wagon to Mitsubishi Motors for the Japanese domestic market • Mitsubishi Motors to provide an SUV to Nissan for markets in the Middle East Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn said: “This agreement is

important for Nissan as it supports our expansion in emerging markets, meets immediate capacity needs overseas, and enables us to grow our mini car business in Japan.

Our relationship with Mitsubishi demonstrates the ability of the Renault-Nissan Alliance – with its network of global partnerships – to constantly evolve and create new win-win relationships with other companies in function of specific needs and shared objectives.”

Mitsubishi Motors president Osamu Masuko said: “Amid the drastically changing economic and market environments, Mitsubishi Motors is in partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroën in the areas of SUVs and EVs, and is always searching for other optimal solutions suited for each area of our business. This agreement to expand our business cooperation with Nissan is founded on our good business relationship since 2003, through several OEM agreements of mini cars and commercial vehicles. I believe that the expansion of our OEM agreement will complement each others’ regional characteristics and product lineup, and the one-ton pickup and mini car projects will be the best solution to strengthen each others’ competitiveness.”

Honda To Start Electric Vehicle Testing Program In Japan

Saitama, Japan: Honda Motor is to start its electric vehicle testing program with Saitama Prefecture for its next-generation personal 20

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

mobility products, including Electric Vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric scooters, and electric carts.

Earlier on December 15, 2010, the company announced this Electric Vehicle Testing Program in the United States (Torrance, California). In addition to Japan and the United States, Honda is considering the possibility of conducting a similar program in China.

Lufthansa & Airbus Launch World’s First Passenger Bio-Fuel Flights Toulouse, France: Lufthansa is launching the world’s first ever scheduled commercial passenger flights using bio-fuel in the first half of 2011, with an IAE (International Aero Engines) powered Airbus A321 aircraft. The daily flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt, will be the first in the world to use a bio-fuel blend made from 50 percent Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). When it is consumed, fuel made from bio-mass material emits the CO2 it naturally absorbs when it grows, thereby helping neutralise overall CO2 emissions.

“We see great opportunities in t he use of bio - sy nt hetic ke ro se ne . But we a re f i r st gathering experience with it in daily practice. Indeed, Lufthansa is the world’s first airline to utilise biofuel in flight operations. This is a fur ther consistent step in the sustainability strategy, which the airline has for years been successfully pursuing,” s a i d Wo l f g a n g M ay r hu b e r, Lufthansa CEO. “Being a pioneer in this area, we are very proud that our renewable diesel technology is capable of meeting the strictest quality standards to help meet aviation needs,” said Matti Lievonen, Neste Oil’s president and CEO. “This technology has real potential for the future.”

“Daily bio-fuel flights are a significant step forward in our pursuit of a sustainable future for aviation. Airbus is bringing together feedstock producers, fuel refiners and airlines, and with today’s announcement of passenger flights, we have taken yet another step towards making this real,” said Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO.

TruLaser 5030 fiber: Your advantage in thin sheets.

Cutting thin sheets has never been more economical. The fiber-guided TruDisk solid-state laser features very fast and extremely productive feed rates resulting in unbeatable costs per part. In addition, the combination of minimal unproductive time combined with high energy efficiency saves money. The TruLaser 5030 fiber cuts a wide variety of materials. It even masters copper and brass with the high quality you expect from TRUMPF.

BBDO

www.trumpf.com

ENQUIRY NO 004

BUSINESS STATISTICS

Promising 2011 For Malaysian Electrical & Electronics Sector

Machine Tool Orders From Germany Have Doubled

Singapore: The Malaysian economy has had an impressive run in the first two quarters of 2010. Exports growth was led by the Electrical & Electronics (E&E) sector, which registered a robust growth in production; 29.9 percent in Q1 and 36.0 percent in Q2 2010.

In the third quarter due to moderation in the external demand the E&E sector witnessed a decline in the production of computers and parts, as a result the production in the E&E sector grew a mere 9.4 percent in third quarter of 2010.

According to Frost & Sullivan’s Asia Pacific automation & electronics program manager Tim Chuah, external demand has slowed down compared to the first half of 2010.

“Inventories across the semiconductor industry have been building up and hence production has slowed in many parts of Asia. Output from Malaysia E&E sector is also witnessing a similar trend,” he says.

Still, the overall growth is commendable and can be attributed to factors such as improvements in the global economic situation, stimulus packages and overall growth of the respective export oriented industries.

“In particular, the growth of the electronics sector is fueled by the pick up in external demand for semiconductors, consumer electronic equipments, computers and related equipments and other electronic components and devices,” says Mr Chuah.

With many leading solar cell manufacturers locating their operations in Malaysia in the past three years, the country is positioned to be a favourable destination among the ASEAN countries, laying the foundation for Malaysia to become a hub for solar cell manufacturing and attract more companies to invest in future.

The year 2011 is generally positive for the electronics industry at large. Chip makers in Taiwan and Asia will experience slower growth rates after the sharp increase in 2010 after the recession. Still, the outlook for the semiconductor industry remains positive with the world semiconductor industry likely to experience growth of five to seven percent in 2011.

In terms of specific segments of growth, in Asia Pacific the demand is likely to come from PCs, mobile handsets, smart phones, wireless devices, digital cameras, HDTVs and flat panel TVs. Malaysian E&E exports in the first quarter of 2011 are expected to account for 38 – 40 percent of the total exports.

Frankfurt am Main, Germany: In the third quarter of 2010, order bookings in the German machine tool industry showed a continuingly dynamic uptrend.

With a plus of 117 percent, order bookings reflected three-figure growth for the first time ever since statistics have been kept. Sales continue to be driven by demand from abroad, up by 128 percent. Domestic order bookings rose by 99 percent, but most recently in September they drew level with export demand.

In the period from January to September 2010, overall demand was 77 percent up on the preceding year’s equivalent figure. Domestic customers ordered 69 percent more on a like-for-like basis, while the figure for customers abroad was 82 percent.

“The good news is this – the upturn is gaining in breadth. Production output in the major German customer industries is picking up speed,” reports Dr Wilfried Schäfer, executive director of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) in Frankfurt am Main. But he warns against euphoria.

“Gratified as we are by the impressive growth figures, the comparison with the preceding year is a misleading one. It is more realistic to draw a comparison with the results in 2008. Then in the third quarter we’re 20 percent down on a like-for-like basis, and over the year as a whole we’re even 40 percent down.”

Capacity utilisation continues to make huge upward strides. At 85.9 percent in October, it is once again close to the long-standing mean figure.

Thanks to the flood of orders, existing production lines are being better utilised. In some case, however, capacities are being downsized. The order backlog in June was 6.9 months. Companies are reporting bottlenecks for important out-sourced components.

At the end of the year’s third quarter, there were 64,300 people employed in the German machine tool sector. This signals a slow up-trend in comparison to the nadir reached in summer this year.

“Against the background of the situational conditions described and above all the unexpectedly high growth in orders, the VDW has revised its forecast upwards,” reports Dr Schäfer. In August, he continued, sales had for the first time in two years entered the plus zone. Despite all the good progress made, though, this will not suffice for an actual rise in production output. But the decline will be only half as severe as originally anticipated. “Instead of a 12 percent minus, we’re now predicting a production minus of only six percent,” announces Dr Schäfer. At €9.3 billon (US$12.2 billion), this means the sector will be roughly equalling the status of 2004.

Fran Gambín, Murcia, Spain 22

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metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

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24 Kallang Avenue, Mitutoyo Building, Singapore 339415 Tel: (65) 6294 2211 Fax: (65) 6299 6666 E-mail: mapsg@mitutoyo.com.sg Website: http://www.mitutoyo.com.sg Mitutoyo (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

Mitutoyo (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

M(M)S.B. - Penang Branch Tel: (60)4-641 1998 Fax: (60)4-641 2998 E-mail: mmsbpen@mitutoyo.com.my

MTC - Cholburi Branch Tel: (66)3-834 5783 Fax: (66)3-834 5788 E-mail: office@mitutoyo.co.th

M(M)S.B. - Johor Branch Tel: (60)7-352 1626 Fax: (60)7-352 1628 E-mail: mmsbjhr@mitutoyo.com.my

MTC - Amata Nakorn Branch Tel: (66)3-846 8976 Fax: (66)3-846 8978 E-mail: office@mitutoyo.co.th

Tel: (60)3-7845 9318 Fax: (60)3-7845 9346 E-mail: mmsb@mitutoyo.com.my

Tel: (66)2-521 6130 Fax: (66)2-521 6136 E-mail: office@mitutoyo.co.th

PT. Mitutoyo Indonesia

Tel: (62)21-898 0841 Fax: (62)21-898 0842 E-mail: ptmi@mitutoyo.co.id

Mitutoyo Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. Ho Chi Minh City Rep. Office

Tel: (84)8-3517 4561 Fax: (84)8-3517 4582 E-mail: mitutoyo@mitutoyo.com.vn

Hanoi Representative Office ENQUIRY NO 012

Tel: (84)4-3768 8963 Fax: (84)4-3768 8960 E-mail: mitutoyo-hn@mitutoyo.com.vn

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Delivers superior performance on Titanium and high-temperature alloys, using either high- or low-pressure coolant systems

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ENQUIRY NO 137

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Boosting Productivity

246-You, Japan

The Power Of Three Three factors – labour, machine and capital, get them right and productivity is almost a given. By Michael E Neumann

L

ooking back at 2009 and for wa rd to 2011, one might say 2009 is about fighting for orders and staying alive. The task ahead in 2011 for those who survived could well be down to just one word – productivity. There is no doubt productivity is a must in manufacturing, be it in 2009 or 2011. With lead-times very much on top of the agenda, productivity will surely be on the back of everyone’s mind for the new year.

L i k e n e d to a t r i p a r t i te relationship, productiv it y encompasses factors like labour, capacity (machines) and capital.

In order to achieve this multifactor productivity, efforts are required to make machines run longer, using manpower in a more efficient manner, using less materials and cutting down waste. These are the basis for good productivity.

Listing them down on a piece of paper is easy enough, setting a manufacturing facility to achieve 26

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

that is a whole new ball game requiring a multi-faceted approach.

The establishment of modern management philosophies such as total productive maintenance, six sigma and lean manufacturing are testaments to the huge task at hand.

Laying Down The Foundation Right from the start, selecting a suitable location for a manufacturing facility is important in lowering the operational cost of the plant. The last decade has seen many companies shifting their production base to countries or regions that offer lower overhead and material cost. Countries like China and India come readily to our minds.

In the interest of productivity, challenges in operating in an overseas location like language and culture can be solved by implementing work standards, ie: the common dos, don’ts and the company’s standards in local language.

The Human Touch Labour productivity is measured as real output per hour worked.

Quantifying the productivity of an operator is always going to be a challenge as factors like skill, experience and even the personality of the individual have to be taken into consideration. In a bid to measure something that varies a lot, work and time study is conducted to ensure the facility is running in a tiptop condition.

For example, the time required to finish a part can be measured and used as a standard to measure labour productivity. In this case, there is a chance to identify areas where excessive labour are deployed or whether more labour should be allocated to ease the bottlenecks and hence improve productivity.

With the systems set in place, the next logical step would be improving labour productivity.

One quick and arguably easy way to go about motivating employees is by using incentives. Though

FIRSTCUT

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In milling, productivity can be improved by adopting an ATC arm which reduces the ATC time as a ram travels to a magazine and directly changes tools.

workers are concerned. With a significant sum locked away, they are unlikely to seek employment elsewhere. This plan motivates executive s a s well because

they often find themselves in a situation whereby their decisions affect the company’s financial performance.

ENQUIRY NO 017

monetary incentive is probably the most effective and direct, making the workers take pride in their job, showing care and giving complements on top of monetary awards may allow a manager to keep a happy and productive workforce.

Some machine-tool manufacturing companies in the US are using many forms of motivation bonus plans for hourly workers. Others have also resorted to reducing their labour force to increase productivity and profitability. Using incentives, at the moment, seems to be a winwin for both owners and workers.

Also, ownership through shares have a proven track record with companies successfully using it to motivate their workforce.

Profit-sharing plans have their merits as well. These plans tend to ‘steady the ship’ as far as older

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

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Quantifying the productivity of an operator is always going to be a challenge as factors like skill, experience and even the personality of the individual have to be taken into consideration.

Improving The Equipment Steering clear of the complex nature of labour productivity, improving production times, reducing wastage and scraps are sometimes simply down to using better machines, cutting tools and software.

In milling, the NVL1350MC large vertical lathes from Mori Seiki helps improve productivity by adopting an ATC arm which reduce s the ATC time a s a ram travels to a magazine and directly changes tools. In addition, hydraulic chuck specifications, two-station shuttle type APC and rack magazine specifications are available as options so that users can choose the best specifications to suit their machining.

In softwa re progra ms, Provideam offers downtime monitoring solutions to suit small users through to the largest companies. The company’s product, Provideam OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) monitors downtime, which allows user to analyse realtime and historical production data by shift. By highlighting the causes of loss, the system helps to reduce losses and increase productivity.

Developed in Ireland by DTL Systems, the product also includes a reporting interface, which allows creation of customised productivity reports over various periods. Time periods can be compared between machines.

Staying in the UK, Delcam’s PowerShape Compa nion for PartMaker, a 3D CAD offering that includes functionality for creating solid models, data repair, editing

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part designs for manufacture, and for the design of machining accessories, such as tool holders and machine components is another tool that helps the user to better their productivity. “ T h i s pro duc t w i l l he lp PartMaker users be more capable in a competitive global manufacturing env ironment,” according to Hanan Fishman, president of the PartMaker division of Delcam.

“Being able to undertake file repair and other modelling tasks on the shop floor gives extra capabilities to PartMaker users that can both make them more productive and minimise machine down time.”

F i na l ly i n cut t i n g to ol s, operating time for components is reduced with improvements on solid carbide drills. In Walter Titex X·treme solid carbide drills, there are four lands, two more than the previous generation.

The improved guidance enhances process reliability. In particular, the tools maintain their direction at the drill entrance or exit, even when machining inclined surfaces.

Now, the user is able to forgo preparatory operations such as milling a plane surface or drilling pilot holes. The four lands also ensure a better hole surface.

Another feature is the XPL aluminium chrome nitride-based coating. This coating currently repre se nt s a h ig h le ve l of development for solid carbide twist drills. It enables universal use of the tools for all ISO material groups. The user benefits from a maximum tool life.

Choosing a good location is an important start to creating a productive manufacturing facility.

Adopting modern production philosophies set the system in place. Investing in software products or machine s that increase productivity give the operator the hardware to do their job well. The final piece of the productivity jigsaw and perhaps the most unpredictable element is labour. Combining the above with a motivated workforce operating at their optimum level will fire up the productivity of the plant.

Enquiry No. 1001

Inus Technology: On-Demand 3D ScanTo-CAD Conversion System I n u s Te c h n o l o g y h a s d e v e l o p e d InvisHands, a tool that automates the process of creating complete CAD models from 3D scan data. It offers an option to anyone in need of accurate reverse engineered models of physical parts.

T h e s e r v i c e a ll ow s u s e r s of 3 D scanning technology to focus on data capture, and offload the post-processing work to InvisHands. Anyone can get an instant quote and delivery time information for the conversion of a 3D scanned object to a CAD model via the software’s app available online. MEN

Enquiry No. 1002

SOFTWARE

TURNING

The simplicity of truly POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY combined with MACHINES that are precise, fast & reliable means measurable productivity improvements for our customers.

HURCO (S.E.ASIA) PTE LTD

MACHINING

1 Ubi View #01-17 Focus One Singapore 408555 Tel: 67426177 Fax: 67457664 hseas@hurco.com.sg www.hurco.com.sg ENQUIRY NO 151

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Boost Give Productivity A

I

Developments in drilling have come at a right time as productivity has come under increasing spotlight.

By Kobi Kisos, hole making product manager and Dr Moshe Goldberg, marketing technical advisor, Iscar.

n order to sustain competitiveness, manufacturers are expected to focus on higher productivity and profitability without compromising on cost reduction. Competitiveness and higher productivity will also preserve jobs and employment and help meet short delivery times. Cutting tool manufacturers, with an aim to facilitate these targets, concentrate on providing features that contribute to the reduction of cutting forces, effective distribution, vibration e l i m i nat ion a nd e a s y c h ip evacuation.

The quality of the hole is affected by the depth, workpiece clamping setup, coolant qualities and chip evacuation methods.

Recent developments in the area of hole making combined with geometry features provide a high volume of metal removal with minimum energy consumption, delivering not just cost reduction but more importantly boosting productivity.

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metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

Heat Exchangers A manufacturer of heat exchanger products, requested a hole making solution, aimed for one of its tube sheet models.

The complicated application is a drilling operation of 1,700 holes per part, made out of SAE carbon steel.

The engineers were primarily facing a target of shortened cycle time, but equally important, to enhance productivity and profitability at the same rate.

The solution was implemented in a form of a 25 mm drill that exhibits improved head and pocket design together with no setup time, fast metal removal and economy indexing.

In a bid to improve productivity, a clamping mechanism has also been introduced during product design in order to improve productivity output rates, while enabling more insert indexes. The shank itself is designed with twisted nozzles and exhibits a durable and stably constructed body.

The de sig n a nd fe ature s

resulted in a 30 percent increase in cutting speed and a 25 percent increase in feed rate, compared to the tooling that previously equipped the machine.

The table feed displayed a 33 percent increment and the index ing time took only 10 percent of the time it had in the past. The drilling time per part was consequently reduced by 40 percent while productivity increased by 63 percent. This combination led to a total cost reduction of 21.4 percent.

Oil Industry E lsewhere, when eng ineers from a tool manufacturer were requested to visit a European manufacturer of gate valves, they were given the challenge to provide a tailored solution.

The ma nufacturer wa s facing some major productivity difficulties, like long lead times, late deliveries and subsequently, credibility loss. The clamping mechanism was one factor that was blamed, as it appeared unstable. The second fault was the powerful yet insufficient machine that was not strong enough to deliver the required torque for a high level of productivity.

In addition, chip evacuation played a major role in limiting the feed rate, which consequently slowed down productivity. The support engineers undertook the task of improving this customer’s p ro du c t i v it y a n d i n c re a s e profitability with standard tools.

The above-mentioned hole making application involves drilling eight holes with a diameter 26 mm each on a gate valve flange, with a batch size of 500 pieces. This gate valve part (manufactured out of conventional alloy steel AISI/SAE 4130) is used for the oil industry, as well as for urban infrastructure of water pipelines.

The engineers used a family of tools that uses indexable square inserts with four cutting edges,

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which is an economical feature compared to solid carbide drill.

The drill body is designed with twisted coolant holes that pass through the drill flutes. The design leaves more room for the chips to flow out of the hole uninterrupted.

Moreover, the coolant holes do not pass through the centre core of the drill, therefore, the drill is stronger and more resistant to torsion.

Using a tough substrate that ex hibits good per forma nce when engaged with alloy steel, the appropriate cutting edge geometry, together with the tool construction design delivers the removed material in the form of tightly packed chips, upwards through the gullets at a rapid rate of evacuation. The large gullets imbedded in the body construction are responsible for the rapid chip evacuation and as a result, provide the ability to operate the tool at high feeds. The construction is also bulky, to accommodate and deliver high torque without the risk of fatigue failure.

Using the combination of the drills and inserts provided stable and reliable drilling operation of 26 mm diameter over a depth of 55 mm. The cutting speed was 180 m/min and the feed rate was set to 0.18 mm/rev, which accounted

The support engineers at Iscar undertook the task of improving the customer’s productivity and profitability with standard tools.

for a 20 percent improvement, compared to the prior tooling performance.

The table feed was adjusted to 400 mm/min, which provided an improvement of 21 percent.

The tool life was tripled, yielding 360 holes per edge. Due to stable conditions, easy chip evacuation, efficient coolant flushing and durable tool life, the number of inserts consumed per batch was decreased to a quarter of what it The family of DR-Twist tools uses indexable square inserts with four cutting edges

used to be. In terms of cycle time, the drilling operation per hole lasted only 8.5 s, which was an 15 percent reduction in regards to time values; while the total production time per batch was decreased by 23 percent.

The Quest For Productivity The entire manufacturing world is now heading towards higher productiv ity. A n increa sing number of manufacturers are trying to optimise the production performance in order to drive the production cost to the bare minimum.

When it comes to productivity in hole making operations, great attention should be given to a fast penetration rate for the drill, as well as fast and effective chip evacuation. These two parameters accompanied by suitable machining conditions and fixtures that rigidly hold the workpiece, together with a large gullet for chip evacuation supported by meticulous design of coolant nozzle, will guarantee increased productivity. MEN Enquiry No. 1003 Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

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Deep Hole Drilling:

Cutting Down

Machining Time

Efficient drilling is sometimes just down to making the right choices. By Christian Ossmann, country manager (South East Asia), Hoffmann Group

F

or ma ny users, deep hole drilling is a constant challenge. Several tools are required to produce the hole, so the whole operation is extremely time-consuming. In addition, precision and process reliability are often difficult to guarantee.

To achieve an optimum process, SMS Meer, a German machine and plant builder decided to use deep hole drills; using these drills the company has been able to reduce by several fold the machining time for the production of special pipe technology products.

The company has to drill lubrication holes up to 1,200

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mm deep in an expander wedge.

A total of 60 holes have to be drilled in the component, which is used for calibration of large pipe mills.

Making Right Choices “Because of our workload, we had to find a way of significantly speeding up the machining process of the workpiece. In order to achieve this, we decided to drill all lubrication holes in a single set-up on a machining centre,” explained Dirk Kasper, NC programming manager at SMS Meer. “ T he mate r ia l we u se i s X38CrMoV5-1, a steel which is difficult to machine because of

its high tensile strength of 900 N/mm². The first challenge was to fi nd a tool that could cope with this material and at the same time achieve the desired drilling depth. It was critical to select a suitable tool that would deliver high process reliability when machining t he wedge pieces. This is because defects or problems with such a project would give rise to substantial costs,” he added.

One Step At A Time To ensure a high degree of process reliability, before the drill was put to use, a trial set of holes was

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end of the pilot hole, the feed is stopped and the speed steadily increased to cycle speed. Cooling water is supplied at 25 bar water pressure, which flushes the chips out of the hole.

The deep hole drilling is performed up to a depth of 255 mm, after which a single-lip deep hole drill is used to continue drilling to the desired depth of 1,200 mm. Withdrawal of the single-lip deep hole drill is performed at a reduced speed of about 300 rpm and normal feed rate of 1,000 mm/min.

Optimising Cycle Time & Quality “We produce components almost exclusively as one-off parts and in small series. In contrast to series production, the cycle time for an expander wedge such as this is around 10,000 minutes, which corresponds to about 21 shifts on the machine. Therefore a substantial time saving was also a vital reason for choosing the correct deep hole drill,” observes Mr Kasper.

Whereas previously the 60 deep drilled holes took 430 minutes, using the new drilling process, the company can drill them in the shortened production time of just 50 minutes.

Enquiry No. 1004

Quick, Precise & Clean In order to achieve results for the above-mentioned machining operation, the tool selected was a Garant HPC 30xD deep hole drill. Whereas previously several operations on various different machines were necessary in order to drill the deep holes, using the HPC deep drilling process, they can be drilled in a few steps on a single machine.

The drill is TiAIN-coated and has high-temperature hardness up to 900 degrees. The feature of the drill is the polish applied to the coating. The additional polishing gives the drill good chip conveying properties. In addition, unlike usual solid carbide drills, the drill has not two but four guide lands, so that it runs better in the hole. Its deep hole drill geometry allows the tool to drill up to 30xD depth without problems; moreover it is equally at home with horizontal and vertical drilling. MEN

Enquiry No. 1005

Dimensional Measurement Fast, Precise & Affordable,

1 Capture the part with a camera

2 Click the mouse to validate dimensions

3 Analyze the results of your production

Get free version online

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drilled in a test workpiece of the same material.

“The test runs were performed on a large machine with a complex mechanism, which therefore is very susceptible to vibration.

During high performa nce machining with the deep hole drill, the machine tends to vibrate when running at high speeds. For this reason, at first the drill broke on two occasions as it was being fed into or withdrawn from the drilled holes,” said Mr Kasper.

In order to determine the effective strategy, the company worked with the its tool supplier to determine the exact cutting dat a for t he mac h i ne , a nd based on that, a strategy of four machining steps: Pilot drilling, feeding the deep hole drill into the pilot hole, drilling the deep hole, and withdrawing the drill.

In the first step a pilot hole is drilled to 3xD drilling depth using a solid carbide drill. It is important here that the pilot drill has the same diameter as the deep hole drill, with an oversize of + 0.01/ + 0.03, so that the deep hole drill can subsequently run freely.

The deep hole drill is not subjected to vibration as it is fed into the pilot hole. Step two sees the speed restricted to 300 rpm and its feed rate to 100 mm/ min. Shortly before reaching the

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

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TECHNOLOGY

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INSIGHTS

Gearing Up For The

Touch & View Debate

T

The concept of having something to touch and feel prior to the product stage is beginning to take shape in the fast-paced manufacturing arena. By Ami H Gold, expert in rapid prototyping technologies, Solido3D

o d a y ’s d e s i g n a n d manufacturing process is experiencing a big revaluation that is in line with the fast advancements in our daily lives. New digital innovations are offering methods that a decade or two ago seemed too imaginary to even dream about.

The advances introduced us to new design tools. Computers and their processors, along with software applications are taking the design and manufacturing process to advanced methods. We can view, review, evaluate and make changes to our designs almost on the fly with the aid of CAD. With CAD, it is easy to rotate, scale, change colour and texture of our products before heading out to full production.

Mass Production It is important to realise that we are producing goods in quantities that are far greater than the numbers that we used to in the past. Quantities that are in the thousands are simply not good enough for our modern consumer demands. The high costs involved in production tooling, used to produce such quantities, do not leave much room for mistakes and revisions during the product stage.

This is the reason that we require more than just viewing our design on a flat screen display. We must evaluate an actual physical prototype before we sign off the design and send it to production tooling.

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Think about a new design for a toothbrush. This product is digitally designed to be very appealing to the potential customer at the supermarket or drugstore, but it would be a disastrous mistake to mass-produce it, then finding that it is not ergonomically suitable for our target audience.

This is where physical 3D prototypes play an important role in our decision making process.

Using 3D information created in a CAD system, one can produce a 3D model for generating a physical model.

From Digital Data To A 3D Object The modern CAD systems generate 3D objects by defining a collection of surfaces that enclose the part itself. A well-designed 3D model includes all the detail surfaces that rap the model, making it ‘water tight’. This means that if you would take all the surfaces and imaginably dip them into water, no water will be able to sip into the internal structure of the part.

In order to produce a physical 3D model, one must create an STL file by exporting the 3D information into STL format. STL data is represented by small connecting triangles that represent the part’s external and internal surfaces, in other words, the part’s geometry.

An STL file is a digital list of the coordinates for each and every

triangle on the part’s surrounding surfaces. This method has become the standard for the Rapid Prototyping (RP) industry and the STL file has become the default input for all RP machines and 3D printers.

A prototype is made by taking the STL file and mathematically ‘slicing’ it into layers. The layers are built one on top of the other creating the complete 3D object. The finer the layer thickness, the better, smoother and true representation of the actual design you will get.

Some may call this a ‘2½ D’ process since the layer thickness is defined.

Picking The Right System Besides considering related acquisition costs, your prototyping needs are evaluated by your application needs. For instance, RP machines that produce very accurate parts utilise lasers or very accurate 3D nozzles printing heads. As such, they are usually more costly.

The mechanical properties of your models should come into consideration as well. If you need flexible models that will give you the ability to build living hinges and clips, you need to look for the system that will deliver that capability. If the application calls for high temperature and fire resistance ability from your parts, then you have to select material that provides these.

Consumable material costs should also be evaluated. Is there a need to fill a large vat with costly material and what percentage of the material can be used again or mixed with fresh material for the next builds? Material waste level should be examined for recycling ability and hazardous material disposal charge rates according to local environmental regulations.

There are systems available that do not require special technical personnel background and others that require a skilled operator.

In addition, there are plenty o f s e r v i c e p ro v i d e r s t h a t

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produce prototypes for testing and evaluation. One can explore his parts in several technologies before actually taking the step

and committing to a certain rapid prototyping process.

Enquiry No. 1101

What 3D Printing Methods Are Available In The Industry?

Many prototyping processes are available to today’s product design teams. Since physical 3D models are produced in layers, the physical model can be created by either solidifying layers of liquid material, sintering powder particles, melting material through a nozzle, solidifying jetted particles, powder liquid bonding and cutting laminated foil.

• Stereolithography (SLA) – in this method a laser is used to activate photo-initiating particles that are mixed in a vat. The laser energy creates a chemical reaction that solidifies the exposed liquid sections. The reaction immediately stops when the material is no longer exposed. By solidifying selected areas, layer after layer, a solid object is created.

• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) – With the use of laser, powder particles are melted in defined areas called cross sections. The high temperature sinters the powdered material in the cross sections pattern thus generating the desired prototype layer by layer. Materials vary from nylon particles that can be filled with glass, ceramics and carbon to metal alloy powders of aluminium, steel, titanium and more exotic alloy powders that are driven by unique applications that replace traditional methods of manufacturing and doing so without the need of complex production tools.

• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) systems produce 3D models by melting thermoplastic supply wire through an extrusion nozzle and applying the melted core on a platform by following a sliced pattern. This is another layer additive process in which the desired prototype shape ‘grows’ layer by layer.

• Multi Jet Modeling (MJM) is a way to produce prototyping by spraying or jetting molten thermo polymer material through a printing head nozzle or jets, allowing the material to ‘freeze’ on contact. The printing head travels across the build envelope, depositing the material on the areas that are within the flesh sections of the part, each layer on top of the previous one to create the prototype.

• The Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) process for producing 3D objects is done by stacking layers of thin material, fusing the sheets together and cutting the contour pattern according to the slice data for each layer. When the build process is complete the desired parts are imbedded in a block. The surrounding material is then removed to reveal shape of the prototype. MEN

Enquiry No. 1102

ENQUIRY NO 017

• Powder liquid bonding is a method to produce 3D objects by applying a bonding material onto a powder bed thus solidifying the areas that are to be part of the prototype while leaving the rest of the powder untouched. The bonding material is applied in a similar way that an inkjet printer sprays its ink to get the desired image. After a layer was bonded, a fresh layer of powder is set on top and the process repeats until the build is completed. To get the parts, all the excess powder is removed.

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

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Rapid Tooling Applications In today’s competitive marketplace, speed is the only thing.

Rapid Tooling (RT) can compress the time in prototyping and reduce the tooling costs at the same time. By Avi Cohen, head of medical solutions, Objet Geometries

R

T is becoming a new model for the industry.

It is used as prototype tooling and applies mainly for low-volume production.

Depending on the part design and the choice of the material being injected, there can be numerous parts developed through this technique. Rapid prototype tooling services create precise moulds faster and with high-speed milling capabilities.

RT is not about the process but it is all about fast results that can be achieved and success is gained by embracing technology.

It is the combination of tools, methods, processes and people that makes the solution rapid. It is the result of an additive process driven by CAD design and requires little or no machining. Hence, the term RT is used to describe a process, which either uses a rapid prototyping technique as a medium to create a mould quickly or uses the rapid prototyping process directly to fabricate a tool for a limited volume of prototypes.

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RT takes less tooling time and cost than a conventional tool.

It can be used to make multiple parts out of alternative materials.

Process modelling; rapid product development; rapid soft tooling and rapid bridge tooling; rapid production tooling and the express tool process, all are terms or processes related to making multiple parts out of alternative materials with shorter lead times – and that is the primary advantage of rapid tooling.

The Value Of Speed The strong interest in RT stems from more broad directional change in industry towards more rapid

product development. There are numerous reasons for wanting to develop products more rapidly and there is a great deal of pressure to do so. Examples where RT cycle time pressures are well known include automotive, where the time to develop a new car is being reduced dramatically in past years.

The shorter the development time, the more effectively the developer can respond to current or recent customer trends, and this requires rapid and cost-effective development.

It is not enough to develop products rapidly, the products clearly need to be attractive and the processes for manufacturing them need to be both robust and cost-effective. Many RT engineers now realise how vital it is to move new products to market rapidly.

A company able to launch product ahead of their competition not only realises fully the market before rival products arrive but also tends to maintain a dominant position for a few years even after competitive products have been released.

From 3D CAD To Real Parts The term RT is typically used to describe a process, which either uses a rapid prototyping model as a pattern to create a mould quickly or uses the rapid prototyping process directly to fabricate a tool for a limited volume of prototypes. RT is distinguished from conventional tooling in that: • Tooling time is much shorter compared to a conventional tool.

A Quick Look At Rapid Tooling Advantages: An inexpensive process compared to machining. With possible usage of silicone or wax injections, it can achieve a wide range of shapes with a brief turnaround, especially when based on previously used moulds or standard designs.

Limitations: One can inject only basic part shapes and parts may require secondary work.

Viewed in this light, RT offers the simplest medium for production of non-ferrous parts and is chosen for production of small number of quantities with low tooling cost.

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• Tooling cost is much less than that of a conventional tool. Cost can be below five percent of conventional tooling cost.

• Tool life is considerably less than for a conventional tool.

• Tolerances are wider than for a conventional tool.

One should not intend to c o m p re h e n s i v e l y c o v e r a l l types of RT in this narrative.

As such, in silicone rubber m o u l d i n g , d i re c t i n j e c t i o n moulding is also an important member of the RT family.

There is a wide variety of rapid tooling technologies, including prototype and bridge tooling. For the foundry industry, RT offers a fast, cost-effective alternative for producing multiple investment casting wax masters.

RT technology originally meant that moulds could be made much faster than with conventional machining. That is still true. But in the last few years, the technology has evolved towards building moulds that provide up to 40 percent faster cycles compared to conventional technology.

That emphasis on productivity accompanies a shift in RT applications from prototype to full production tooling. Newer rapid tooling approaches can minimise or eliminate warpage and internal stresses caused by uneven cooling.

In addition, productivity is boosted by drawing heat more quickly from thick sections or other hard-tocool features in the mould such as bosses or ribs.

Taking The Heat Off Tests of newer high-conductivity tools by at least two sources reportedly found that cooling time in the moulding cycle could

be set to zero and the process would still yield acceptable parts.

The spectrum of RT technologies encompasses few distinct approaches to producing a mould or insert. Some create an insert with a surface layer of tool steel and a core of conductive metal.

Common to all these RT approaches is the creation of mould-cooling channels that conform to the contours of the part surface. Such conformal cooling makes it possible to draw heat out from areas that would be hard to access with conventional cooling channels.

Conformal cooling may also lead to a reduction of the overall number of cooling lines needed, which may save on tool build time. For RT moulds to be successful, moulders need to learn how to use them properly. One has to be careful not to cool the tool quickly or you may not get proper filling.

Moulders using the enhanced cooling methods may have to adjust their moulding process by increasing injection pressures and rates in order to be sure the material reaches the end of fill in the tool.

They may also have to increase the temperature of the printed model. Optimising the moulding process for a thermal tool may entail changing the injection speed, ejection speed, mould-opening and closing speeds, mould temperature, and cooling time.

Lack of understanding of how mould-cooling works can simply lead moulders to make a lot of bad parts faster because with more of the mould surface close to the cooling channel, thinner sections may cool too fast and then warp. A better approach is to move the cooling channel closer to the cavity where there is a hot spot and back it off a reasonable instance otherwise. MEN Enquiry No. 1103

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METROLOGY

Casting

(White) Light

On Turbine Blade Inspection

T

Measuring gauges and CMMs have a proven record in measuring turbine blades but measuring machines using white light is slowly winning fans with its speed and accuracy. By Wang MA, product manager, Wenzel

urbine blades are the key components of turbo machinery, which is widely applied for propulsion and power generation. The inspection of turbine blades is an important segment in the whole manufacturing quality assurance procedure.

Unlike other industrial parts, every single blade must be inspected for the purpose of long-term security and stability of an aircraft engine or a gas turbine generator unit.

Conventional turbine blade inspection relies on specific snapgauge and CMM. The snap-gauge, as an exclusive inspection tool, can only be applied for a single type of blades. In some cases, which in real situation happen very often, a snap-gauge can only be applied for a single section profile of a blade, which has variable cross sections.

This consumes huge amount of time and cost in manufacturing different types of snap-gauges.

Making It Simple Generally speaking, a turbo-fan engine, as an example, comprises of one fan stage, 12 - 13 compressor stages and five to six turbine stages.

During inspection, each stage differs in shape and size, which means that different snap-gauges are required for inspection. In addition, aero turbine blades are mostly twisted and have various

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section profiles at different heights.

Under the assumption of measuring three section profiles for each blade, around 50 different snapgauges must be made to fulfill the requirements of blade inspection for this single engine. Beyond any doubt, this will not be the first choice of any turbine blade manufacturer.

With high accuracy and great flexibility, CMM has become the mainstream for turbine blade inspection nowadays. Based on the given theoretical section profile data, CMM can accomplish different measurement tasks without too many changes on hardware. The only probable necessary change is the styli of different types.

Nevertheless, while in the pursuit of functionality that can be achieved through CMM, turbine blade manufacturers start to focus increasingly on the efficiency, in other words, the throughput.

This as such, heralded the age of inspection machines using white light for turbine blade inspection.

Measure With Light New generation white light turbine blade measuring machine can raise the throughput of turbine blade inspection by four times. The specialists from Wenzel ScanTec have chosen optical method to

accomplish this. Within the same time of a ‘beep’ on CMM, the optical sensor has already taken hundred measuring points. The combination of white light optical sensor, linear motors, swivel head and rotary table has reaped improvement on efficiency of turbine blade inspection.

The saying: ‘Time is money’, is always true, but especially true for the manufacturing industry. If the whole operation is dragged by quality inspection segment, this will be an unaffordable loss for the manufacturers. As tested, the time needed for the measurement and evaluation of a 100 mm height blade with three section profiles amounts to 55 s.

This is a good result when compared with a tactile scanning probe, which takes almost four minutes to complete the same procedure. The consumed time has reduced by 73 percent.

The speed advantage of this white light optical sensor is obvious through comparison. But its superiority over tactile probe in another aspect is not as evident as the speed. As known to everyone, tactile probe uses styli with a ruby ball on the tip to record spatial coordinates.

Actually when the stylus touches the object and the probe is triggered, CMM records the coordinate of the ruby ball centre, but not the coordinate of the contact point. Therefore, in order to get the correct coordinate of the contact point, the ruby ball radius must be compensated in a certain direction.

In some situations, the diameter can be unavoidably compensated in a wrong direction and leading to probing error. This kind of probing error happens very often when measuring small features and free-form surfaces. Therefore, it is a critical issue, which cannot be neglected in turbine blade inspection. MEN Enquiry No. 1201

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Insights: In-Process Measurement

A

PROBINGIssue

The decision to put a probe onto a machine to be used during a metal cutting process is a tough one. It challenges traditional beliefs and opens the debate between balancing cycle time and part quality. By Andy Buttrey, business development director (Far East), Renishaw

K

eeping a manufacturing process under control is never an easy task.

Throwing in material behaviour among other variables, such as tool wear and thermal stability, and you have your hands full. Things however get a little more manageable by using Quality Control (QC) methods.

The traditional approach to QC comes at the end of a process. It simply tells you after completing a production run, if you have a box full of accurate parts. QC tells you if a part is good or bad, but making sure you do not get a bad part is much more important. Cycle time after all is a measure of the time required to produce a good part.

A more holistic approach may be more useful as it gives us a chance to set things straight right from the start or even during a process. Using a touch probe as an illustration, the holistic approach involves the setup of the work piece on a machine and also the dynamic measurement of tool length and diameter.

The biggest cha llenges I have seen in manufacturing are making the decision of not using a measuring probe to having a probe in a machine. Normally that is the big decision to make. Since you put a probe onto a machine, it takes up cycle time. It takes longer to machine a part because there is an additional process to measure the part.

The tradeoff between the extra time taken versus the improvement

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in scrap rate can make the decision to adopt in-process measurement a particularly difficult one.

Challenging The ‘Tried & Trusted’ Formula In our own manufacturing facility at Renishaw, we use active measurement, ie: in-process measurement on complex parts. A typical example would be a steel ring for an encoder, which has a very tight tolerance on its central diameter.

We added a measuring process during the cutting cycle. First, the lathe undercuts the diameter then the probe measures the part and from there updates the next cut. This compensates for slight changes in material, temperature and wear of the tooling. Compensation for variables within the cutting cycle is only possible if you have a measurement system on the machine.

Comparing the active measuring method to 100 percent post process checking with feedback, we found ourselves in a strange situation because the latter method (arguably more thorough albeit impractical) is actually less accurate.

Astounding as it may be, the reason after careful consideration is surprisingly simple. Once you machine a part to size, it is done.

In-process measurement however, gives you a second chance. If the part is undersize, you can still recut the part. Also if there is a slight difference in hardness between different parts of a same batch, you can compensate for it if you take measurements during the process.

Andy Buttrey

Adding IP (In-Process) Into QC Metrology, especially in Asia can be quite manual which by itself introduces significant variation into a process making it difficult to control. Typical volume-based manufacturing in China sees the usage of micrometers and height gauges. The spread of results that you get from those manual measure methods is significant. In most cases, measurement results of an identical component vary from one person to the next.

With strong affinity to the traditional approach to QC, it is very difficult to convince people to carry out measurement earlier in the process. It involves the setup of tooling within the machine environment, where some company might feel is not good use of machine time. We however feel it is better to measure the tooling as close to the contact point as possible. This method is particularly important for 5-axis machine tools.

Large volume manufacturers tend to balk at the idea of in-process measurement, as operating time is important. Aerospace companies are more accepting of the idea as their parts are expensive and it is absolutely crucial to machine them correctly.

In Asia, gone were the days where manufacturers put their CMMs in showrooms as displays and we are moving towards more in-process measurement.

Though some companies are very proactive in Asia, we still have a long way to go.

Enquiry No. 1202

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Covering All Angles – The Productive Process Pyramid The traditional reactive nature of QC can be supplemented by preventative, predictive and intelligent endeavours, making up a productive process control pyramid.

INTELLIGENT

In-process control Intelligent response to inherent variation

PREDICTIVE

Process setting Establish location / size of all machining system elements

PREVENTATIVE

Process foundation Maximise stability of process, environment and machine

Here is an easy way to explain the productive process pyramid.

Using a car as an analogy‌

Post-process monitoring Verification of the process and the part Metal Cutting Machining Manufacturing

REACTIVE

The Thinking Box

Process foundation (preventative): Checking your car before driving it. eg: check fluid level, engine and tyre pressure.

Process setting (predictive): Planning your route on a map.

You know your destination and you have a rough idea how to get there but uncertainties (eg: road closure) remain.

In-process control (intelligent): Driving your car to the destination using a GPS system.

Post process monitoring (reactive): Reflecting on the journey and the route taken to get to the destination.

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The concept behind the process control pyramid is the further back in a manufacturing process we carry out our measurement function, the more effective it is. In process foundation (preventative), if the machine is not good, the process will not be stable. As such, it is important to use calibration equipment to ensure the machine is in a good condition. In addition, it is essential to track it for a period of time, recheck it to see if the machine is better or worse.

The process setting layer predicts variations like location and size of a part. The in-process layer takes care of variations during machining, ie: the actual metal cutting process. Finally, the postprocess monitoring sees parts checked against the specifications and results are recorded for study purposes. MEN

Enquiry No. 1203

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The pyramid shows how layers of control can be used to remove variation from machining processes

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

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FORM

Laser Cutting:

It’s All About

Choices Picking the right beam source is important for any laser cutting processes as applications dictate which laser technology to use.

By Dr Hans-Peter Laubscher, MD Asia Pacific, Trumpf

T

he application decides which beam source is best to use. In a presentation ‘L a ser Be a m Cutt ing Today and Tomorrow – Current Developments and Trends in Laser Cutting Technology’, it is said that material and sheet thickness will decide whether CO2 laser is a better choice for one application, while the solid-state laser a better choice for another.

The Universal Cutting Laser If users want a flexible way to cut across all sheet thicknesses and obtain good cutting quality, the CO2 laser is the beam source of choice – despite its lower efficiency compared to the solid-state laser.

If the user’s focus is on thin sheet cutting, the solid-state laser has real advantages.

The reason for this can be described by the absorption ranges of both laser beam technologies for iron: With a wavelength of 1 µm, the solid-state laser produces a very broad, almost constant absorption level across an angle of incidence varying from 0 to 60 degrees.

In the ra nge of about 78 degrees, a distinct level with

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a subsequently steep drop is noticeable. With a wavelength of 10 µm, on the other hand, the CO2 laser shows a significant increase in the absorption level with an increasingly steeper angle of incidence (greater than 80 degrees), and thereby an improved coupling of the laser output into the material.

These effects directly impact the laser beam fusion cutting – but not the flame cutting. In this case, the laser plays only a subordinate role. That is why the cutting quality and speed in flame cutting for mild steel do not vary between CO2 and solid-state lasers.

Thickness Rules The situation is different for thin sheet metal, which is processed at a generally higher feed rate and develops a flat cutting front.

This favours the solid-state laser and therefore leads to improved coupling conditions with the wavelength of 1 µm.

But with increasing sheet thickness, the maximum achievable cutting speed drops, resulting in a steeper cutting front. Conversely, this cutting front feature, in

conjunction with the high melting temperature, produces a constant high absorption rate in the CO2 laser beam in thick sheet metal. The molten material has homogenously low-viscosity across the sheet to the bottom edge and – despite its high volume – it can be driven out of the groove, improving the cutting quality.

This explains the different areas of application for these two laser technologies. Solid-state lasers show considerable advantages for stainless steel sheet thicknesses up to 4 mm. Compared to the CO2 laser, they cut faster and are therefore more efficient and productive with the same high cutting quality.

With the CO2 laser, in contrast, a broad material and sheet thickness range can be processed with very high quality cutting results.

Economical Aspect Apart from the productivity, the economical aspect needs to be considered a well. Also here a difference between CO2 and solid state lasers can be observed.

These days, it is more important than ever to factor economics into production. But in order to save costs in laser processing, users must know the critical points in the process at which they can influence their parts costs. The largest single cost – on average – is material, which accounts for approximately 50 percent.

Machine costs represent another 26 percent of the total and the operator accounts for 18 percent. The user’s costs for power and gas only amount to three percent of the total. In addition to these factors, there is another aspect with a decisive effect on the cost per part: the machine’s productivity. As simple as it may sound, the truth is exactly that – the more parts per hour a laser system can cut, the greater its cost effectiveness.

Enquiry No. 1301

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Doing The Math

Sample Calculation A CO2 laser: Cuts 60 parts an hour out of a sheet of 2 mm thickness.

Cost: €4.02 (US$5.29) Solid state laser: Cuts 86 parts Cost: €3.32 This difference reflects only the higher productivity of the solid state laser cutting machine since none of the other

Cost Factor

Productivity

cost factors have a decisive effect on the cost of parts.

Other Pertinent Points Energy efficiency of a laser beam source only affects a small fraction of the cost effectiveness of a laser cut ting system. If good cut ting quality over the whole range of sheet thicknesses is desired, the CO2 laser is the best beam source, in spite of

the lower efficiency level compared to the solid state laser.

For fusion cutting of up to 4 mm thick stainless steel, the solid state laser is superior. For flame cutting, there is no difference in cutting quality or speed between the two beam sources over the whole range of sheet thicknesses. MEN

Enquiry No. 1302

ENQUIRY NO 010

With a simple formula, users can calculate the real level of cost per part: the machine-hour rate (Euros per hour) divided by productivity (parts per hour) plus material costs. Thus the machinehour rate is only one side of the coin when calculating cost per part.

The productivity of the machine is at least as important. The more parts per hour the machine cuts, the lower is the final cost per part – a decisive variable in decreasing the cost per part.

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

43

FAB&FORM

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Fibre Laser:

Making The

Cut Cutting technologies are continuously evolving, and one of the recent advances in the field is fibre laser. By Doug Shuda, product marketing manager, fibre laser team, Hypertherm

K

e y t he r m a l c ut t i n g methods involve oxyfuel, plasma, and laser technologies. Of which, laser cutting offers good cut quality, especially for fine features and holes that have less than a 1:1 diameter-to-thickness ratio. This makes laser a suitable method for stringent precision cutting needs in any industry.

Within the laser-cutting category, fibre laser is garnering a lot of attention because it offers the speed and cut quality of CO2 laser, but costs less to maintain and operate.

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metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

Fibre Laser T here a re a few imp or ta nt things to take into account when adopting fibre laser. Eye safety is the first. As the light from a fibre laser system is at a wavelength that is hazardous to the eye, good eye protection is a must.

Training for proper system operation and safety is recommended as well, since the technology has only been around for five years or less.

Many operators do not have much experience cutting with fibre, so this lack of experience

needs to be addressed by some good training in controlling fibre-cutting systems.

Another consideration is the material to be cut. While fibre laser is good at cutting most materials, it cannot be used to cut acrylic or polycarbonate, and can only cut wood or fabric in limited applications.

Also, the thickness of material to be cut is an important factor in deciding when to use fibre laser. Thicker materials will require more power to cut, and in those instances, laser cutting may be less attractive of an option. This is where the ability to install fibre laser right next to a plasma cutting head may be well utilised. Operators can cut thinner material requiring tight tolerances with fibre laser, before switching to plasma.

It is also possible to cut the same part with two different cutting methods. For example, an operator can choose to cut the outside of a part with plasma, and then any inside shapes with fibre laser.

Complete Package One good final consideration is to assess which components are necessary for a comprehensive laser-cutting set-up, and how to acquire each part. A system that comes complete with the laser power source, gas console, laser cutting head and height control, the CNC and cutting control programmes will offer the valuable benefit of an all-in-one off-the-shelf solution.

With a comprehensive solution, the process of purchasing and integrating the fibre laser is less complicated. Consider shortlisting a system that was optimised specifically for cutting, where cut parameters were identified in advance so that cutting can begin as soon as possible.

Enquiry No. 1303

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Advantages Of Thermal Cutting Processes Oxyfuel • For metal plates thicker than 75 mm • Suitable for carbon steel; not effective on stainless steel or aluminium Plasma • Suitable for cutting thickness from between gauge to 75 mm • Preferred over CO2 and fibre laser cutting for materials > (6 mm) • Able to cut a wide range of material thicknesses and metal types, including ferrous and non-ferrous material, and can be used on rusted, painted, or grated metal CO2 Laser • Excellent cut quality and productivity on material ranging from gauge to 12 mm thickness • Cuts well for fine features on thin plate of around 6 mm • High-powered systems enable cutting a broad thickness range with good tolerance Fibre Laser • Best cut quality with highest energy efficiency on material less than 6 mm • Good for fine features on thin plate < 6 mm • Better cut quality than plasma on holes with less than a 1:1 diameter to thickness ratio • Lower operating and maintenance costs compared to CO2 laser; 86 percent more energy efficient than CO2 laser

Enquiry No. 1304

metal at your service Brütsch Rüegger Metals Ltd., your Swiss-based supplier for European high quality steel products: ●

hot rolled and cold drawn bars and profiles

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Key Advantages Of Fibre Cutting • No Size Restriction It is possible to install a fibre laser cone right next to a plasma cutting head on a plasma-cutting table.

• Compact The ability to bend or coil fibre means that the systems are compact.

• Low Maintenance Fibre laser solutions require less maintenance compared to CO2 laser cutting systems. MEN

Enquiry No. 1305

Brütsch/Rüegger Metals Ltd. PO Box | CH-8105 Regensdorf | Switzerland Phone +41 44 871 34 34 | Fax +41 44 871 34 99 info@brr.ch | www.brr.ch

ENQUIRY NO 162

• Energy Efficient Users can expect power efficiency figures of between 25 to 30 percent. As such, the system use about three to five times less energy overall than CO2 versions.

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

45

INDUSTRY

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FOCUS

Gerard79, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Cruising To A

Greener Future

The future is an enabler for green technology. Pushing forward necessary innovations allow more autonomous transportation with zero emissions.

This represents opportunity for the metalworking field. By Mark Johnston

T

he birth of the electric vehicle bega n in the 19 t h ce nt u r y b e fore the introduction of the internal combustion engine. It provided a means of transport that was unmatched for its era.

The story since then has also been the story of the battery and the breakthroughs that have ensued till the present day.

After the invention of the internal combustion engine, the electric vehicle got left behind, eventually not being able to match its performance.

While the internal combustion engine replaced electric motors for the automobile, electricity still remained the dominant propulsion method for other vehicles like trains and smaller vehicles.

Electric Propulsion In Asia Leading the world in electric vehicle

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metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

development is Asia with Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Toyota all developing and releasing new electric or hybrid vehicles.

This year Hyundai revealed its first all-electric car, the BlueOn, which can reach speeds up to 130 km/h and travel up to 140 km on a single charge. The vehicle will come with two charging docks, a household and an industrial socket for quick recharging.

The household socket takes six hours to recharge the vehicle while the industrial charge will reach 80 percent full charge in 25 minutes.

Other vehicles of note are the Nissan Leaf, a five-door allelectric hatchback, due for release this year. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovation Electric Vehicle), which will reach speeds up to 130 km/h and can travel up to 160 km on one charge.

Honda has been more

concerned with the hybrid vehicle than a pure all-electric model but has plans to release a car running on a hydrogen fuel cell rather than a battery powered electric car.

Finally the Toyota Prius, which is considered the most successful hybrid on the road with over one million sold so far. Building on the success of the Prius, Toyota has plans to release an all-electric vehicle by 2012 called the Toyota IQ. The Metal Connection The future will see a greater diversification in construction of automotive engines than it ever did in the past.

In the case of hybrid vehicles, the combination of electric drive and combustion engine will produce a more complicated arrangement. Considering this, it seems reasonable to see a greater number of cutting operations and

INDUSTRYFOCUS

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Zero noise. Zero pollution. The promise of green technology.

Ariel da Silva Parreira, Michoacan, Mexico

only when required allowing the electric motor to propel the vehicle at city traffic speeds.

Many models of the plug-in hybrid also include a combustion engine as the more autonomous

hybrid does. With the pure electric however, this is not the case where no combustion engine is needed.

In Europe, a study by the strategy consultants, Rola nd -

Ipsen – your one stop for heat treatment.

You can contact by phone at +606-646 7793 or by email at sales@ipsenmalaysia.com www.ipsenmalaysia.com

Hard work wins

ENQUIRY NO 007

cutting times than combustion-only automotives.

Gear cutting will see a promising future in the automotive arena with a need for gear cutting across the range of ‘green vehicles’ in the near to distant future. Experts have estimated that a hybrid will require 26 percent more turning operations and 13 percent more milling.

The difference between the manufacture of an electric vehicle and a non-electric vehicle will largely be seen under the hood.

There are components that an all-electric car does not need; a turbocharger or carburettor would be an example. The same cannot be said for the gearbox or cooling systems though. There are also important differences between the all- electric, the hybrid and the plug-in hybrid.

In the hybrid vehicle, the combustion engine activates

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

47

INDUSTRYFOCUS

Problems & Solutions A number of problems exist with an all-electric vehicle, firstly its range, not only in terms of how far an electric vehicle can travel on a single charge but also the availability of charging stations.

Another issue is that the batteries used can be expensive.

A popular solution to these drawbacks is the creation of a hybrid vehicle done ver y successfully with the Toyota Prius. The hybrid is a combination or ‘hybrid’ of the traditional petrol engine with an electric motor.

At low speeds or when in traffic, the vehicle behaves as an electric vehicle drawing power from the vehicles batteries producing zero emissions.

When more power is needed the petrol engine takes over which in turn is used to recharge the battery cells along with regenerative braking, which also acts to recharge the battery.

The effect of this means hybrid vehicles do not need to be plugged into an external power source for charging, effectively solving the drawbacks of an all-electric automotive.

This combination, an internal combustion engine working with the electrical power from the onboard battery cells overall produces less pollution and CO2 creating a much more efficient ‘greener’ vehicle.

The Future Of The Electric Vehicle While the number of electric vehicles being purchased today is modest at best, it is predicted by the marketing firm JD Power and 48

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

Associates that two million electric vehicles will be bought by 2020 with HSBC predicting even higher numbers with nine million being sold globally.

The future looks bright for the electric vehicle and more importantly for the ‘green vehicle’ in general.

Enquiry No. 1401

Future Technology The hybrid approach solves New material by Imperial College in European many of the shortcomings of an Partnership may help all-electric vehicle, but the ideal usher in a greener future solution would be a functional all-electric vehicle with none of the current problems, meaning, in the hybrid approach, more electric and less combustion.

The problem rests with the battery, both in terms of range, ie: how far a vehicle can travel on a single charge but also cost and weight.

A team of researchers at Imperial College London could have provided a solution, at least by increasing the electric component, by developing a material strong enough to be used in car body construction but is light and capable of storing and reusing energy to power a vehicle.

The material, which is being developed by Imperial College and their European partners including Volvo, will be made of carbon fibres and a polymer resin, and will be able to store and discharge large amounts of energy at a greater rate than conventional batteries.

Another advantage of the material is that it is quicker to recharge than a conventional battery, and the act of recharging causes little degradation in the material. This is because the material does not use chemical processes and therefore does not involve a chemical reaction unlike conventional batteries, which degrade over time.

Further improvements are planned for the material including increasing its mechanical properties by cultivating carbon nanotubes on the surface of the material, which will increase the surface area improving also its capacity for storing more energy.

Volvo, a partner in the project, is investigating fitting a wheel well component, built by the composite material into a prototype vehicle for testing. This could allow the company to decrease the number of batteries needed to power the vehicle and it is believed could reduce the cars overall weight by 15 percent leading to a significant improvement in the distance the car can travel without needing to recharge. MEN

Enquiry No. 1402

Brian Bell

Berger predicted that by 2020 e ve r y f i f t h ne w l y l ice n s e d vehicle would have an electric motor. Looking at trends in the industry it is easy to say the majority of these vehicles will be Hybrids and not pure electric in nature.

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ASEAN'S LEADING INTERNATIONAL MACHINERY AND SUBCONTRACTING EXHIBITION

Where Quality Counts Since INTERMACH began almost 30 years ago one important benefit has been constant… Quality.

Quality of equipment...Quality of presentation…and most importantly, the Quality of our trade visitors.

INTERMACH lets you get down to business by attracting the decision makers you need to make things happen.

19-22 MAY 2011 BITEC BANGKOK THAILAND Organised by:

Supported by: Co located with:

THAILAND 2011

Industrial Subcontracting Exhibition

For more information or reserve your space, please contact UBM Asia (Thailand) Co Ltd T. +66(0) 2642 6911 Ext. 212 F. +66(0) 2642 6919-20 E-mail: intermach@intermachshow.com

In conjunction with:

www.intermachshow.com ENQUIRY NO 009

PLANT

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VISIT

Plant Visit:

ProductivityIn Manufacturing Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) goes to Mori Seiki in its first of four special features in ‘Plant Visit’. In this installment, we look at how certain policies and procedures are put into place at the company’s manufacturing plants to achieve better results. By Joson Ng

R

eduction in lead-times – these words could well be the driving force behind the modus operandi of Mori Seiki for 2011 as it aims to fulfill the production orders that came in 2010. In order to shorten leadtimes, productivity is key.

APMEN visited Mori Seiki’s Iga and Nara campus recently to see the concepts and manufacturing technique s ava ilable in streamlining their operating processes and help in their course for higher productivity.

The Iga campus, established in 1970, is responsible for the shipment of some 20 machines a day. The 575,000 sq m plant is also the company’s biggest production site. It includes a sheet metal, spindle, ball screw, heat treatment, a ssembly a nd a machin ing plant. It also houses a service centre, a parts centre, a Mori Seiki university, a development centre and a guest house. Over at the Nara campus, which is subdivided into plant one and two, some 290 units were produced per month as of June 2008.

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metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

Cell Production Since 20 02, the production capacity of the plant has been boosted by the cell production system. They reduce waiting times between processes during assembly by allowing one operator to handle almost all process steps all the way through to completion, increasing efficiency and productivity.

In addition, APMEN understands standard machine, tools and fixtures are used to help the operator go about his or her work in a more efficient manner. Furthermore, all the components are prepared in advance, eliminating the need

In a continuous drive to improve, every Friday, employees at the plant are required to file a weekly report that allows management to gauge their performance over the week.

to search for components that are needed during operations.

Another pertinent apparatus to quantify and improve productivity is the Barcode Handy Terminal (BHT). This system, in place some eight years ago, allows workers at the assembly site to input the daily assembly status. The production control section can then track the progress in real time. When in doubt, the operator may also use the BHT to alert his or her supervisor on site who will then provide prompt assistance.

The system is also used by the QA personnel as they carry out tests to certify the machine.

The adoption of cell production has led to the reduction of four shipment days as compared to the conventional assembly line method, according to the company.

Nurturing Talents & R&D The Iga site also boa st the presence of a Mori Seiki University.

It offers training for staff and customers in programming, setup and maintenance. In its 26 years of history, the university has certified some 1,400 individuals in its programming school. In addition, it conducts basic oneweek course for new employees, with emphasis on skills like filing and handling of hand tools. English is taught everyday after office hour as the company sees effective communication with its overseas customers a priority.

Education has strong ties to R& D and in the company, the R&D department uses 3D CA D systems that eva luate performances by simulations before prototyping. For instance, in the Nara campus, there are some 393 engineers working in the development centre. Digital designs are adopted to reduce the number of test machines.

The company also taps into their sta ff outside the R& D department for innovations that can help improve productivity

PLANTVISIT

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Another pertinent apparatus to quantify and improve productivity is the BHT

The Mori Seiki University offers training for staff and customers in programming, setup and maintenance

High precision thread grinding is carried out in the ball screw plant

Mori Seiki

or the working environment in general. In a continuous drive to improve, every Friday, employees at the plant are required to file a weekly report that allows ma nagement to gauge their performance over the week.

Every month, every employee will submit an ‘improvement p r o p o s a l s h e e t ’, w h i c h would be graded in the scale from 1 to 10. The individual w i t h a g o o d i m p ro v e m e n t proposa l w ill be rewa rded.

From the examples seen in the two plants, in addition to the cell production system and other initiatives and innovations, t he comp a ny ’s i nve st me nt in bot h its employee s a nd R& D are also key drivers to productivity in manufacturing. MEN

The adoption of cell production has led to increase in productivity in the assembly plant

Enquiry No. 1501

Technologies To Increase Productivity Concepts and processes are in placed in the manufacturing plants to ensure productivity in the manufacturing process. The products however also possess technologies that help improve productivity.

With a sizable investment and corporate focus on R&D, the manufacturing campuses came up with some original innovations over the years. · DCG – Driven at the Centre of Gravity Machine vibration is reduced with this system that drives structural components at the centre of the gravity using two ball screws. The

machining accuracy and cutting performance.

system also improves machining times and tool life. ·

DDM – Direct Drive Motor It is said this system improves transmission efficiency compared to conventional worm gear systems.

·

BMT – Built in Motor Turret A built-in milling motor in a turret allows the increase in

·

ORC – Octagonal Ram Construction The octagonal construction of the feed structure retains the damping attributes of a square design but reduce the sliding resistance during high-speed travels.

Enquiry No. 1502

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

51

FEATURES

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MarketOutlook 2011 Joseph A Arezone MD (Asia Pacific) Faro Singapore

Matthew Fowles Group Marketing Manager LVD

Sustainability is touted to be one of the top concerns for CEOs and senior management in MNCs. How is sustainability affecting your business and your company?

Sustainability of the organisation is really about people. Without energetic, creative and satisfied employees, an organisation is destined to fail in the long-term. With this in mind, it is important to have good communication between managers and their staff. Hiring quality employees and then providing them with an open and challenging environment that allows for failure while taking creative risks, is key to our sustainability.

Of course, there are many factors for employee satisfaction including compensation, job challenge, career advancement and we have to continually evaluate ourselves to ensure we are in alignment with employee and market expectations. This is even more critical now as we get out of the global recession and employees have increasing expectations for pay increases and promotional opportunities.

As our customers become increasingly sensitive to making their operations more sustainable, we as a machine tool manufacturer are focusing on optimising machine and software performance so that our products are more energy efficient, reliable and operate at optimised productivity and energy consumption levels.

We are also focused on helping customers match the right product to their application because this is critical to sustainability (ultimately productivity is king). A machine tool and software solution that strikes the correct balance between price and performance, minimises waste and energy consumption, and provides the highest return on investment is our focus for our customers.

With an eye on sustainability, we are emphasising on non-contact measurements.

We try to provide very high-speed inspection in order to shorten measuring time, hence improving productivity and ultimately doing our bit for sustainability.

Masahiro Tsuji GM, Instruments Department Nikon Singapore

Jean-Louis Macey Manager Sandvik Coromant, South East Asia 52

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

Being part of a global company, sustainability is affecting our business in most of the mature markets and therefore we need to redeploy our resources where the business is growing more.

Fortunately, South East Asia is in the part of the world, which enjoys a very strong growth and our challenge is to be prepared for that. Our policy is oriented toward productivity improvement for our customers and this fit perfectly well with the challenges they are facing. By promoting dry machining we can also support this issue with less use of coolant, which is definitely not friendly with our environment.

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FEATURES

With stellar economic growth in Asia, Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) speaks to the bigwigs of the industry as they share their plans for 2011 and also address the impact brought about by the ‘green wave’ as industries worldwide gear up for the age of sustainability.

How do you incorporate sustainability in your product development?

What are the other upcoming trends in your industry?

Where are the ‘hot spots’? What are the products or technologies that excite you for 2011?

The key to sustainability in our products is active listening. This happens through various feedback channels we provide from our sales teams, so that the product development teams have a deep understanding of customer needs. A good example of this is our recent release of a next generation laser scanner, the Focus 3D.

We see the future of our industry as increasingly automated and non-contact in nature. There is an explosion of non-contact measurement and imaging technologies in consumer markets as well as industry and we expect to see many new advances in technology within the next few years.

3D cameras and televisions are good examples of new products that did not exist just a year ago. They allow consumers to interact and realise the benefits of 3D, which drives further interest and need for commercial/industrial application of 3D measurement and imaging devices.

We recently introduced an Energy Reduction System (ERS) for our punch press and bending equipment.

The system efficiently regulates power consumption throughout the operating day, reducing energy usage up to 30 percent compared to previous machine models.

Tackling the issue of reworking and wastage, our EasyForm laser in process angle correction and monitoring system for press brakes monitors the angle of the bend in real time, providing instant feedback to the machine control and ensures that parts are formed to the correct angle from the first bend.

Users are now more than ever interested in flexible, productive equipment. They must also be easy to use and more intuitive than machine tools of the past. We see customers turning to automation and integration of the fabrication process to streamline production.

One way that LVD has introduced greater flexibility is with more capable software; software that integrates punching, bending and laser cutting operations and examines and reports on equipment productivity and performance. Now and into 2011, we will introduce more user-friendly graphical user interfaces for new core products.

By producing non-contact measuring systems that allow fast inspection, we help reduce measuring time and indirectly improve productivity for the end user. This I feel is how we help in making a measuring process a more sustainable one. Also with HN-6060, Nikon’s next generation, non-contact multi-sensor 3D metrology system, more can be done in one machine, increasing the productivity ratio.

In terms of countries, we are focusing on China. We are also expecting some business in India, as well as Thailand and Indonesia. When we talk about specific industries, the automotive industry is one of the ‘hot spots’ we are looking at. As such, we have increased our activities in Thailand and Pune in India.

Sandvik Coromant has always invest in R&D and we continue to invest more than five percent of our total revenue in that area.

On the other hand, directly connected to sustainability, we have launched a few years back a program called ‘CRC’, also known as ‘Coromant Recycling Concept’ where we completely recycled carbide back to some kind of ‘virgin’ powder and in doing this we reduce our consumption of raw materials and consequently our dependancy on those who would like to control that market. We have achieved close to 50 percent reduction over the years.

More and more production is transferred to this part of the world including high tech industries such as medical or aerospace. The machine tool industry have also introduced a lot of new machining concepts which called for new kind of tools and we are seeing more and more new materials (titanium alloys, composite). In 2011 you can expect a lot of activities from us in these rather new segments.

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

53

FEATURES

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MarketOutlook2011 In terms of marketing strategies and business development, what can we expect from your company?

Joseph A Arezone

Our business focus is to simplify our customers measurement and imaging challenges through non-contact, easy-to-use systems and our two most recent acquisitions reflect our belief in this direction.

As stated earlier, the desire and need for 3D, by both businesses and consumers, is evidenced by many new 3D technologies in imaging, television and gaming.

MD (Asia Pacific) Faro Singapore

Matthew Fowles Group Marketing Manager LVD

We are strategically strengthening our local presence in emerging markets. We have expanded our presence in Thailand with a demonstration centre and training facility in Bangkok. We have also grown our market share in China through our joint manufacturing partnership with LVD-HD. In 2011, we will open a demonstration centre at LVD-HDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facility in Huangshi City, Hubei province. Also planned in 2011 is the opening of a subsidiary in South Korea to address the needs of this developing market. Increasing our presence and support of the Far East and Asian markets is key to LVDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global vision and brand growth.

As we are new to the metrology industry, we did not have CMMs in our product range until recently. We just started this year and so next year; we hope to show some tangible results. We aim to promote our products through exhibitions and magazines. On the other hand, we will also consider organising technical seminars and hands-on workshops.

Masahiro Tsuji GM, Instruments Department Nikon Singapore

We always have a strong policy of technical support towards our customers to ensure they are getting the best out of our production and that will continue. We will have to put more feet in the field especially in the faster growing markets.

Jean-Louis Macey Manager Sandvik Coromant, South East Asia 54

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

Enquiry No. 1601

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Delcam

AsianTechnical Summit

The tenth in its series, the Asian Technical Summit showcases the latest the company has to offer and also a look into its history and future.

APMEN is there to find out more from the top management of the company that gave the world PowerMill. By Joson Ng

T

outed the ‘Detroit of India’ by the locals, Pune has justified this claim with many big names in the car-making business setting up assembly plants in the region. With impressive infrastructures in place, it played host to the annual Delcam Asian Technical Summit (ATS), where delegates were treated to a visit to the Tata Motors factory.

This year’s summit saw Dr C G Krishnadas Nair, honorary president of the society of Indian aerospace technologies and industries (Bangalore) invited as the keynote speaker to the event.

In his speech, Dr Nair talked about the grow th of India’s aerospace industry and how IT tools play a role in enhancing the productivity and quality of products in this industry.

Dr Na ir, a lso the former chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics, shared with the delegates how the aerospace industry, along with the automotive industry, is driving the country’s manufacturing sector. For example, he mentioned that India looks set to cross the 400 million mark in passenger travel by 2020.

As such, more aircraft are needed to support this growth.

Looking Skywards According to Dr Nair, India is currently developing a multirole transport aircraft and also the Indian multi-role helicopter.

In addition, he remarked these major projects would pave the way for global collaboration and outsourcing opportunities.

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metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

2010

(From left) Clive Martell (MD), Buranang Suksamitti (MD Thailand), Y Bambang Nugroho (MD Indonesia), Chai Kok Hoe (business development manager for South-east Asia) and Sandy Moffat (Asia business development manager) The delegates visited the Tata Motors factory in Pune

Lastly, he urged MNCs like Delcam to take a leading role in helping local SMEs as they contribute to some 40 percent of industrial production in India.

Network Expansion Echoing the same sentiments in his welcome speech, Clive Martell, MD of Delcam has stated the company’s intent to continue expanding its network, especially in Asia and to increase investments in development. He revealed the company spent a third of its annual income in R&D, some £10 million pounds (US$ 15.9 million).

He a l so h ig h l ig hte d t he company’s consistent profitability in light of the financial crisis of 2009, which negatively affected some of the company’s competitors. The

consistent financial performance, he felt, is one of the reasons for the company’s ability to provide support in the long term.

Good post sales support is one of the reasons for its growing user base, which is expected to grow by 5,000 per year, according to Mr Martell. At the moment, the company stands at 35,000 customers.

Delcam took the opportunity to present its 35,000 customer, Southern Spar, a certificate, in a ceremony graced by her Majesty’s deput y high commissioner, Peter Beckingham.

Westin Pune, India October 19 – 21, 2010 Enquiry No. 1602

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Fresh From The R&D Lab As per previous editions of the ATS, attendees were introduced to new developments in the various software programs the company produces. New products like the Delcam for SolidWorks (DFS) software program, works within the confines of SolidWorks, allowing SolidWorks users the familiarity of its platform and at the same time the technologies found in FeatureCAM and PowerMill. DFS allows 2.5D milling, 5-axis continuous milling, turning, mill-turn and full machine simulation, among others.

PowerInspect 2010, a system for surface inspection has been improved to allow easier GD&T creation and automatic item types display. New options include PowerInspect Tubing and PartAligner.

Elsewhere, FeatureCAM 2011 boasts a new interface and modern techniques similar to Windows 7, according to the developer.

PowerMill, arguably the company’s flagship product, saw enhancement in smooth 3D offset where a smoothing algorithm is applied across whole toolpath, not just corners. The presentations were accompanied with live demonstrations to allow attendees better understanding and appreciation.

Delcam In India This edition of ATS saw Delcam India mark its 10th year anniversary.

Vineet Seth, Delcam India, spoke about how the Indian subsidiary grew from a liaison office into the “largest CAM vendor in the country.”

Mr Seth said the Indian economy is expected to grow at 10 percent on a regular basis for the next few years with aerospace and automotive leading the drive. With the company in the leadership position in the automotive sector and actively pursuing new domains in the aerospace industry, he felt Delcam in India is in a strong position.

Enquiry No. 1603

Enquiry No. 1604

Life On The ‘CAM’ Site Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) speaks to Clive Martell and Peter Dickin on the sideline of ATS to find out more on the secrets to the company’s sterling result and also its future marketing plans.

The Past, Future & Now – Clive Martell’s Take The year 2009 saw an unprecedented economic downturn and for many, ushered in the age of austerity. Bucking this current trend, Delcam has gone on a ‘spending spree’ in relative terms.

This strategy, according to Clive Martell, MD of the company, has paid dividends by posting record sales and growth, especially in Asia where the company saw its 1,500th customer in China recently.

“I think what we did right is our strategy to continue with our investments in the products, in the belief that the economy will recover. We continued our efforts in R&D and market expansion and we did not do what other companies did, ie: cut staff numbers and reduce working hours because we see our staff as our most valuable assets. Once you start treating staff as a disposable commodity, you

change the relationship,” said Mr Martell.

Under Mr Martell’s leadership, the company has grown from strength to strength. One telling factor can be down to his relationship with his subordinates. The company has a “family atmosphere” and as described by Mr Martell, is owned by the employees through share ownership. This relationship has enabled the company to power through some difficult times.

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Mr Martell has great hopes for Delcam India

Said Mr Martell: “Undoubtedly there are times when tough decisions had to be made. My way of dealing with it is to adopt a collaborative style that focuses on all-round discussions.

I make it a point to explain the reasons

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to why certain decisions were made.”

Look ing ahe ad to 2011, Mr Martell felt they could build on some encouraging signs in 2010 especially from Latin America and Asia. He however sounded a warning.

“2011 is still a time of considerable economic uncertainty as we do not know what will happen, in terms of the currency issues being discussed at the moment that can have significant impact on trade for our company,” he said.

Fast Forward – A Quick Glance After every technical summit, the various heads of country will stay behind for a meeting with their colleagues from the headquarters to discuss the company’s plans for the next year.

Solution Selling: ‘Fast’ Food For Thoughts Six most impor tant words in marketing: Do you want fries with that? What you normally hear in a fast food restaurant has made its way to the CAM software business according to Peter Dickin, marketing manager of Delcam. Looking at ‘solution selling’ for 2011, the company is looking to sell more products of different range to existing customers. As Mr Dickin will readily admit, there is no one product that can do everything, not even his own.

“In an internal audit carried out

by Delcam, we found a distressing number of our customers that only have one of our products. We felt if we have all these people and they are happy with what they got, why aren’t we selling more products to them?” said Mr Dickin.

With this in mind, the company is looking to carry on what they have been doing successfully over the years. A newer initiative according to Mr Dickin, would be DFS. Said Mr Dickin:“We will be looking to identify suitable partners within the SolidWorks community because within it, there is a desire from customers to have everything working within the SolidWorks window.”

Accidentally Green With SolidWorks big on the green initiative, APMEN asked Mr Dickin if Delcam is singing the same tune especially with DFS. He said: “Design and manufacturing sustainability is different. There are various elements to it. We contribute to the environment too by helping companies to be more efficient, for example, by using less energy or by reducing wasted materials, without putting a green or sustainability banner on it.”

Staying On Top Of The Pile According to the company MD Clive Martell, Delcam has been the world specialist in CAM for the last 10 years.

APMEN asked Mr Dickin his personal view how they can maintain their position at the top.

“Our portfolio is probably something that is going to keep us ahead. We have a number of CAM products developed to target different types of machining and different parts of a machine tool,” he said.

In addition, he felt that the amount of money invested in R&D, roughly a third of the annual turnover, results in the biggest development team in the CAM industry.

Finally, with an intricate and diverse

Giving APMEN a preview, he said: “We have a number of products such as the ShoeMaker, CopyCAD and PowerShape where 2011 will see a concerted effort in their development.

We are also going to expand our professional ser vices activities, focusing on the aerospace industry.

For instance, we are working with some leading aviation engine makers and aero-structure manufacturers to tackle issues particularly on hardto-machine materials like composite materials. Most efforts in Asia will be concentrated in Singapore, which is the centre of excellence for MRO operations.”

Enquiry No. 1605

Mr Dickin felt the obvious thing in production is to cut out waste. There is nothing to do with any green agenda, but it saves material and energy

dealer network worldwide, he felt the company is well-equipped to withstand potential economic slowdown, such as the one in 2009.

“The fact that we are spread all round the world, gives us a certain insulation to downturns. One of the reasons that we were not too adversely affected last year was because we are strong in China and India, which did not feel the same effect as compared to the US. Twelve years ago, it was the Asian countries having a dip in their financial fortunes and at that time, it was the European and US sales that offset the drop in sales in Asia.

To sum up, you need to have true global coverage and diversity across different industries,” he said. MEN Enquiry No. 1606 Note: ATS 2011 will be held in Zhuhai, China.

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ENQUIRY NO 158

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DMG/MoriAt Seiki Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News was at the DMG/Mori Seiki JIMTOF 2010 press conference in Tokyo recently where Dr Masahiko Mori, president of Mori Seiki and Dr Ruediger Kapitza, chairman of the executive board of Gildemeister shared with members of the press some of their future plans in the partnership.

By Joson Ng

I

n partnership since March 2009, the two heavy weights in machine tools manufacturing have seen major interest in the collaborations worldwide. In the presentations, Dr Masahiko Mori, president of Mori Seiki talked about ‘Monozukuri’, a unique style of Japanese manufacturing which focuses not just on manufacturing, but the upstream and downstream processes. With this approach, coupled with a high in-house production ratio, his company is able to reduce lead-times.

Dr Ruediger Kapitza, chairman of the executive board of Gildemeister, focused on the success of the partnership in his presentation, placing emphasis on their shared future plans, including the formation of new establishments in Bangalore (India) and Cairo (Egypt) next year.

Synergies Of The Partnership When asked about the nature of the collaboration, Dr Kapitza revealed they have cooperation

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JIMTOF 2010

fields in parts, components and technology. This enables them to “have the power to develop products for the future.” He also touched on tapping into each other’s strength, which is mutually beneficial. For example, he mentioned leveraging on Mori Seiki’s strength in Japan and the US to enable DMG to improve their standing in those markets.

Adding his thoughts on this issue, Dr Mori said: “Europe is the centre of machine tool ma nufacturing w ith some 40 percent of machine tools produced. Many global cutting tools makers also hail from Europe.

As a Japanese company, we have to keep a good relationship with these suppliers of cutting tools.

So the relationship with DMG is an important one.”

O n a se p a rate note , he highlighted the need for technical staff from both sides to be crosstrained. Said Dr Mori: “We have spent time in educating our people.

There are some 50 sales engineers

in Japan who can carry out servicing on the DMG machines.

This number will increase.”

The Next Step With the partnership in full swing in many parts of the world, there were some questions if the partnership would eventually find itself in Europe. Answering the media’s queries, Dr Kapitza said: “We are taking a step-bystep approach in the cooperation.

Cross training at this point is more important. As we have a lot of backlog, we have to work on our delivery.”

On that note, he announced the possibility of a machine manufactured by both companies.

“We would like to assemble a common machine. That would be a good idea. It will be the first DMG/Mori Seiki machine with common ideas,” he said. “We want our customers to benefit.

If two champions are working together, I think it is ideal.”

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“We would like to assemble a common machine. That would be a good idea.

It will be the first DMG/ Mori Seiki machine with common ideas.”

- Dr Kapitza

“The relationship with DMG is an important one.”

- Dr Mori

Both companies hosted a joint 2,600 sq m booth featuring 15 new models among the 34 machines at JIMTOF

The Economy In 2011 With economists giving their predictions on the 2011 economy in earnest, Dr Kapitza and Dr Mori also gave their takes on their companies’ prospects in 2011.

Giving a bullish assessment, Dr Kapitza said: “Delivery time, that is the only thing to discuss.

Last year is about orders but 2011 is about how many machines we can build. Looking at strong performances in IMTS, German and Italian exhibitions (AMB and BIMU), we feel the market is coming back. I think it will be better than the experts are expecting today.”

Said Dr Mori: “My personal expectation is more than 20 percent growth in order intake for my compa ny. T his ye a r our order intake is about ¥120 billion (US$1.49 billion). Next year it can be around ¥140 to 150 billion.” MEN Enquiry No. 1607

Products On Show At JIMTOF Both companies hosted a joint 2,600 sq m booth featuring 15 new models among the 34 machines. · The ‘X-class’ machines from Mori Seiki debuted in Japan at JIMTOF 2010. The NLX2500 series ensures rigidity. The design uses different platforms for turning, milling, and Y-axis specifications. In addition, it can offer longer tool life and capabilities for heavy-duty cutting. · The NVX5000 series offers vibration damping performance and rigidity made possible by slideways used in all axes. The machine also uses the heat-symmetrical structure for the spindle to minimise thermal displacement. · The NHX series offers improved cost performance. It makes high speed, high accuracy machining possible with a traverse rate of 60 m/min. · The DMU 50 eco features 5-axis indexing machining with cost performance. This is a model for customers who consider introducing an entry-level 5-axis machine. · The Ultrasonic 20 linear is a next generation machine, offering both ultrasonic and high speed machining. This machine handles milling and machining of both hard and soft materials. · The Lasertec 40 Shape is another next generation machine boasting laser precision. Six-axis control makes detailed 3D machining possible.

Enquiry No. 1608

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Managing

Titans The

Titanium materials are gaining popularity with its desirable mechanical properties. However, good news for the machinist is often bad news for the cutting tool. Submitted by Yvonne Ng, Walter AG Singapore

A

ccording to aircraft ma nu fac tu rers, t he a mount of tita nium f l y i n g t h rou g h ou r skies is set to double. The new generation of passenger jets such as the Boeing Dreamliner or Airbus A350 XWB has a titanium alloy content of around 15 to 20 percent, while the generation still currently in service has a proportion of only seven percent.

The increasing amount of titanium components is just one half of the story. The other is the introduction of modern alloys. In addition to the conventional Ti6Al4V alloy for aircraft construction, the new Ti5553 (Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr) material is also gaining importance.

The main benefit of this high-end material is its greater temperature resistance.

The first components in ‘titanium triple-five three’, as the insiders call it, are already in production, but it will be some time yet before it takes off worldwide. In the aerospace industry, everything new takes time to launch because any change entails comprehensive laboratory investigations and approval procedures.

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Why titanium materials are already recognised as an integral part of the aerospace industry soon becomes clear when you realise that around 80 percent of applications belong in this industry. Such a large quantity of applications results in a high cutting volume. This is due to the typical contours associated with aerospace engineering: the walls of the manufactured components are thin, their forms are extremely complex.

A common process is the milling of deep pockets. Other impor ta nt sectors in which titanium is machined include motorsport and the medical and chemical industries. In medicine, the Ti6Al4V aircraft construction alloy is used for joint implants, for example. Not only is this material airworthy, it also has good tissue compatibility.

Ti: A Different Cup Of Tea However, three things make life difficult for the tools used in Ti machining: extremely poor thermal conductivity (Ti6Al4V = 7.56 W/mK; steel Ck45 = 51.9 W/ mK), a comparatively low elastic modulus (Ti6Al4V = 110 kN/mm2; steel Ck45 = 210 kN/mm2) and a distinct tendency to gum. The heat is carried away to a large extent by the cutting edge and not by the chips, as would be the case with steel.

Since the depths of cut are rather shallow, a small part of the cutting lip must be able to endure extremely high thermal and mechanical loads. These conditions make wet machining essential. The low modulus of elasticity very soon leads to oscillations, while cutting edge build-up due to the tendency to gum up exacerbates the effect.

As a result, the cutting speed must be significantly reduced.

Case Study At Airbus A project completed in collaboration with Airbus produced a welcomed result for a solid carbide shank mill: the Ti40 (roughing tool) manages twice the cutting volume in roughing operations with Ti6Al4V. Until then, the maximum cutting volume had been around 80 cm3/minute (Vc = 25 m/ minute), achievable with the use of HSS-E tools having a diameter of 32 mm.

At Airbus, this value was accomplished as far back as the mid-1990s, but since this time they had not been able to make any headway – for productivity managers, this is a long time with no improvement. The new generation of solid carbide tools made improvements, to 160-200 cm3/minute (Vc = 50-60 m/minute) with a tool diameter of 25 mm. This shows that the step forward has been made possible by the development of new, titanium-compatible carbide substrates.

Enquiry No. 1609

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Enquiry No. 1610

On Trial: New Generation Solid Carbide Tools Schnittgeschwindinkeit Vc = f(ae/D)

Schnittgeschwindigkeitsvergleich in % TiAI6V4 <--> Ti5553 120%

180

110

60

100

55

25 1

0.2 radiale Schnitttiefe ae/D

vc_Ti5553

0.02

vc_TiAI6V4

Vc [% von TiAl6V4]

200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

Vc [m/min]

A Tough Nut To Crack: Ti5553 With the new material Ti5553, it does not get easier. Ti6Al4V is an alpha-beta alloy with a balanced ratio of microstructures (alpha = hexagonal microstructure, b e ta = b o dy - ce nt re d cubic microstructure). Ti5553, on the other hand, has a higher beta content and is known as a nearbeta alloy. This not only gives the material its higher temperature resistance as mentioned, but it also makes the material even more difficult to cut.

At 430 deg C, Ti5553 still has a tensile strength of approximately 900 N/mm 2 . The tendency to gum is intensified by the beta microstructure content. In light of this situation, Josef Giessler, round tools development manager at Walter stresses that: “Professional titanium machining requires optimised tools.”

Up to a diameter of around 20 25 mm, these will usually be solid carbide tools. The developer adds: “The tools must be engineered in such a way as to minimise oscillation and to counteract the formation of cutting edge buildup. What is needed, therefore, is a chatter-free design.”

The most important means of adaptation are macrogeometry, microgeometry and surfaces.

Uneven spacing of teeth and narrow support chamfers on the cutting edge w ith zero clearance angles are tried and proven. Polished rake faces improve f low proper tie s of chip removal.

Coatings are based on AlCrN, because the Ti-based carbide coatings conventionally used with steel are simply incompatible with solid carbide tools. Also important is an internal coolant supply so that the heat generated on the cutting edge during roughing operations can be dissipated as effectively as possible.

100% 80% 60%

56%

50%

42%

Comparison of cutting speeds in the machining of Ti6Al4V and Ti5553

40% 20% 0%

1

0.2 radiale Schnitttiefe ae/D

TiAI6V4=100%

0.02

% vc fürTi5553

Further trials with material Ti5553 were conducted by toolmaker Walter. The aim was to determine how the new generation of solid carbide tools would cope with Ti5553.

The test piece had a tensile strength of 1,400 N/mm2 and a Brinell hardness of 430.

The test tool was a Protostar Ti40 with 16 mm diameter and z = 4. As expected, the cutting data had to be significantly further reduced by comparison with Ti6Al4V. For various types of use, the following recommendations were ascertained for a tool diameter of 16 mm: 1. Slot milling (ae = 16 mm, ap = 8 mm): Vc = 25 m/minute, fz = 0.06 mm 2. Side milling, roughing (ae = 4 mm, ap = 8 mm): Vc = 50 m/minute, fz = 0.08 mm 3. Side milling, finishing (ae = 0.3 mm, ap = 50 mm): Vc = 100 m/minute, fz = 0.12 mm The results showing cutting speeds with Ti6Al4V and Ti5553 are plotted against radial depth of cut (ae/D). Material Ti5553 requires a reduction in cutting speed of around 50 percent (medium machining). The trend shows that slot milling needs rather more of a reduction, while side finishing requires less of a reduction.

Enquiry No. 1611

Walter: High-Performance Drills For Difficult Materials

Walter is expanding its standard range X·treme D8/D12 VHM twist drills to include more intermediate diameters. They are suitable for drilling depths of up to 8xD and 12xD. Internal cooling and polished flutes ensure reliable chip evacuation. An optimised point geometry together with a double head coating produces a high cutting performance and long tool life. Neither pre-drilling with a pilot drill nor pecking during drilling is necessary, saving the user processing time and eliminating the need for extra tools.

The features mentioned above make the drills suitable for all materials, ie: for cast iron, normal steel, alloyed steel, high-alloy steel and materials that are difficult to machine. MEN Enquiry No. 1612

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EXHIBITIONS

Special Report:

Metalex 2010 Metalex 2010, in all its 45,000 sq m, welcomed some 66,743 visitors from over the world including business delegates and industrialists. With billions of bahts changing hands over four days, the event is a good indication for the metalworking industry going into 2011. By Joson Ng & Mark Johnston

Organiser’s Take In this special report, Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) speaks to Duangdej Yuaikwamdee (DY), deputy MD (commercial) of Reed Tradex, organiser of Metalex 2010 in the company’s recent road show in Singapore.

Being on the commercial side of your company, you must be familiar with the economy which drives the metalworking scene in Thailand. Given the recent political turmoil in Thailand, how has it affected the metalworking industry and the exhibition?

DY: During the crisis, it was naturally inevitable that some international corporations might express concerns over their continuous investments here. Nevertheless, the Royal Thai Government confined the situation and firmly reassured those investors with serious 64

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safety measures. For the overseas participants in our exhibition, in particular, apart from the national strategies which helped make the exhibition areas safe, we also reconfirmed their right decision making by providing a frequent series of effective communications in a form of situation report, upto-date investment news from BoI (Board of Investment) and current export figures which clearly reflected another side of the growing economy and real trade opportunities here.

‘Your manufacturing DNA’ features prominently in your advertising banner. Can you share with us the inspiration behind this slogan?

DY: DNA specifies the characteristic of the people. For Metalex’s case, it signifies the machinery and technology on show. For example, this year, visitors saw machines designed with low carbon dioxide emissions in mind.

Another feature this year is the low energy consumption machines.

The machines have high operating speeds but use less energy. In addition, post-production waste treatment has made their presence felt in the show. The DNA this year has reflected the future.

The year 2010 marked the exhibition’s 24th anniversary.

Being involved in a number of them, which is the most memorable one for you?

DY: The 2007 edition was very challenging. There was a high demand to satisfy. As such, we had to expand our exhibition space, giving birth to a super dome, a giant temporary structure.

This year’s exhibition will be memorable as well. As the country recovers from political uncertainties, we had to work harder to maintain the participation of the international pavilions and we succeeded. In fact, the number of exhibitors has increased compared to 2009 and once again, we erected the super dome.

Enquiry No. 1701

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Exhibitors’ Voice Charoenthai Machine & Tools An importer of industrial tools like cutting tools, hand tools and measuring tools, the company is also the partner of Sutton Tools. Sharing a booth at Metalex, Vichai Likhitcharoenpant of Charoenthai Machine & Tools reported a 100 percent increase in enquiries. Partly attributed to an improving economy, he feels booth location also plays a factor.

Engis When asked about innovations in the company Richard Tan, sales manager, Engis discussed the trend towards small parts and from their perspective Mr Tan explains: “The main innovation is the components are getting very much smaller so that means the diamond particles would also need to be even smaller. As said, we have to know if our diamond, even at below sub-micron sizes, are they able to finished the job to the required RA, it’s a challenge for now.”

When asked about Metalex Mr Tan stated: “It is usually the first two days slow but now they have cut down the number of days to four, it should be better.”

German Special Steel APMEN asked Ralf Schaffer, MD, German Special Steel about how it planned on competing with large steel producing nations like China, Mr Schaffer had this to say: “We do not

really compete with the Chinese, we sell material you cannot get in China. Many steels especially for turbines you simply cannot get it from China or from South Korea. You get them from Germany, also maybe from Italy and the UK.”

Nanofilm APMEN asked Ricky Chan, manager, Nanofilm about the increase in tool life expected from their coating technology. He states: “On certain applications we can see the tool surface life increase by 2.5 to 4 times.”

To any company, a well funded R&D program is vital to its long term success and Mr Chan’s organisation is no exception, when asked about the R&D budget he had this to say: “Every year we have an R&D budget of about US$200,000 to US$300,000.”

Renishaw Metalex saw the launch of the PH20 five-axis motorised probe head in Southeast Asia, according to Firoz Khader, GM of Renishaw Singapore. This new product is envisaged to provide significant productivity increases in measuring times for the precision engineering sector.

For the coming year, he revealed that the company is planning to launch new products and hopes to showcase the technology at MTA2011 in Singapore.

Enquiry No. 1702

Nikon: Made To Measure

Mr Tsuji (L) is satisfied with the turnout of the show

Metrology systems have a big role to play in the manufacturing industry.

With a wide array of equipment to support the sector, this exclusive group has helped raise the standards of metrology. Over the past year, this established group of players has been joined by a newcomer, Nikon.

“Nikon acquired Metris last year and having Metris, we have increased the industries coverage into the automotives, aerospace, marine and heavy industries where we have limited presence. This

acquisition allows us to apply our precision technology onto Metris 3D metrology experience. In JIMTOF, we launched a joint-developed multi-sensor 3D metrology system, HN-6060,” says Masahiro Tsuji, GM, instrument department, Nikon Singapore.

“As a newcomer, we have to show what we have. Metalex offers a platform for us to showcase our product offering because we alone can only do so much. This year, together with Hollywood International, who has been promoting Nikon products for more than 30 years, we participate in Metalex and showcase a series of new technologies like cross-scanner for CMM, portable laser scanner CMM, handheld digital microscope, bench-top SEM and high-speed surface profiler,” says Mr Tsuji, who is satisfied with the turnout of the show and has indicated the need

for a bigger booth in future shows.

He also gave a particular mention to the company’s new non-contact multi-sensor 3D metrology system, the HN-6060, which consist of a touch probe, laser scanner and a high-precision light section sensor.

He feels the product, although not physically present at the show, is suitable for the region, especially countries like Thailand and India who have boisterous automotive industries. The product, a result of the company’s R&D endeavours coming out from Japan and the US, where some six to eight percent of the company’s total sales are invested in, is also suitable for the aerospace, and electronics industries, where demands for non-contact 3D metrology system with high accuracies and speed has increased dramatically.

Enquiry No. 1703 Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

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Haimer: On The Right Track Haimer, a manufacturer in tool holders, took time out to speak to APMEN. The German headquartered company has an eye on the future, injecting 10 percent of its annual revenue into its R&D program.

One thing is sure, the trend in the tooling arena is towards the small, in some cases, the very small. The company knows this, with recent innovations in the nanotechnology segment, and its inductive shrink technology on the smallest of scales. Alexander Tjioe, VP, explains: “The most recent innovation to come out of our R&D program is in the area of nanotechnology, this is for induction, so that would strictly be on the form of a small cutting tool.”

The company’s shrink fit technology took centre stage with the company’s balancing machine, which was also on show. Visitors to the booth took an interest in their shrink fit machine as Mr Tjioe explains: “Some of the interesting enquiries we had yesterday were for the shrink fit machine, they were very interested in the comparison between the shrink technology we use and the old-fashioned methods.”

Taking part in an exhibition such as Metalex for Terrence Lim, regional sales manager of Faro, has an element of unknown attached to it. “You never know which part of the demographics you are going to meet. Obviously, the manufacturing group is big, which is a good thing as we are looking to target different industries,” he says.

Mr Lim shares with APMEN, in addition to attending exhibitions, they are actively hosting technical seminars for focus groups. He says: “We work with institutes such as TGI (Thai-German Institute) on this. The seminar, usually attended by about 100 participants, promotes the exchange of ideas. The main aim here is not to sell our products.”

To emphasise that point, Mr Lim reveals that attendees are allowed to bring their parts to the seminar and Faro would be happy to discuss the end result of the measurement.

According to Mr Lim, the efforts of their R&D department have resulted in Focus 3D, a high-speed 3D laser scanner which is some five times smaller and three times lighter than its predecessor. Weighing 5 kg, Mr Lim describes the scanner as “more portable”. Explaining in detail, he says: “The whole idea of portability hinges on the product’s ability to be moved anywhere easily, maintaining its accuracy at the same time, irregardless of the environment.”

The latest offering to come from Blum is an analogue probe, TC76, with scanning functionality to be used in grinding applications, which should allow scanning along the contours of a surface to match any deviations in a machining centre.

The company sees itself as delivering a complete package and not just providing a hardware solution but developing software to match customer expectations. This is important so the customers have confidence in the knowledge base of the organisation and put faith in product management.

Alexander Blum, president, said: “We are not just supplying hardware at the company when we introduced 20 years ago the step-by-step laser machine technology to the market.

It was a complex technology and we could not leave our customers alone with the applications. We had to make sure we provide a turnkey solution with software coming with it along with application support.

Because when it comes to a product like a work piece probe or a laser system in a machine tool, it is an investment for the end user. He only can get the return on this investment if he knows how to use it properly.”

Enquiry No. 1705

Enquiry No. 1706

Enquiry No. 1704

Faro: Knocking On New Opportunities

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Blum: Looking Forward To 2011

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IDI Laser: On The Mark

The company had on show its laser marking solutions, a wise choice for a show of this kind, being both portable and providing convenient demonstrations of their laser technology. Marking is just one side of their overall offering of course, as Chris Chan, director, IDI Laser explained, the laser industry can be split into three distinct categories, these being, mark, weld and cut.

Mr Chan explains about the advantages of their laser solution for marking and its application to tractability for the consumer: “What we are trying to show is mark and with the scanner you are able to read because a lot of customers are going into tractability so they are trying to replace methods of delivery. As these are not consumables, they are environmentally friendly. With laser marking, it is a very direct contact printing method without any consumables so we mark and then we can show them. We can go as small as 2 mm by 2 mm.”

Enquiry No. 1707

Rollomatic: Small Is Big APMEN spoke with Rollomatic, a Swiss company in precision CNC tool grinding machines.

The south east Asia region sees Malaysia as its strongest market, with further presence throughout Asia as Philippe Uebelhart, MD explains: “For the company, its strongest market is Malaysia for the south east Asia region.”

There is an obvious trend in the tool segment and the companies at Metalex this year know it. More companies are now focusing more research efforts into handling tools on smaller scales. There is also much effort on UX design and ease of use for customers of the company, as Mr Uebelhart explains: “We are in the area of precision and also small tools, one of the key aspects, however, is to make things easier for the user of the machines.”

Those machines on display were precison cutting tool grinder GrindSmart 628XS and the cylindrical grinder ShapeSmart NP5.

Enquiry No. 1708

Marposs: Staying In Touch Marposs is a company that deals with precision metrology equipment.

The company considers events like Metalex important as not only does it give it a chance to showcase its products but also to meet large numbers of existing customers. Roy Penwarden, GM south east Asia, explains: “Exhibitions like this are important to us because it gives us a chance to meet a large number of our existing customers. All our existing customers attend Metalex. We get to see almost all of them in a real short time; of course we are looking for new business too, so it serves two purposes. I would say the prime is our existing users.”

The products on show this year include a selection of the company’s offerings that are in use in Thailand, Mr Penwarden tells APMEN: “This year we are showcasing in-process gauging for grinding machines, wheel balancing systems for grinding machines, touch probe systems for machining centres and hand held equipment such as bore gauges and snap gauges.”

Enquiry No. 1709 Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

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Walter Machines: It’s A Small World

In a manufacturing arena where size matters, machining micro parts is big business.

Walter machines manufactures CNC machines for grinding and metal cutting. The company also provides CNC measuring machines for non-contact measuring of complex precision tools and parts. Exhibiting at Metalex recently, Michael Schmid, MD of the company’s Asia Pacific branch shared with APMEN his take on the exhibition.

“Thai Metalex is always an exhibition where you can meet new customers. Also, we want to introduce new products to our existing customers. As such, it is always a good show for us,” he says. To emphasise, he remarks he is “satisfied” with the visitor to potential customer ratio.

With a focus on the electronic and IT industries, the company brought Helicheck Plus, a metrology system that caters to small diameters, to the exhibition. This strategy looks set to continue when Mr Schmid reveals much of the technological innovations for 2011 will focus on miniature applications where accurate machining and good surface finishing can be achieved with the company’s technology in linear and torque motors. The technology is possible due to the R&D efforts by the company where substantial amount is channeled to its product development endeavours.

Enquiry No. 1710 68

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www.equipment-news.com

Tornos: Green By Default Exhibitions for Daniel Hess represent a chance to see and spot new opportunities. The MD in charge of the Asian wing of Tornos was recently at Metalex where he shared his views on the show with APMEN. One of the themes in Metalex this year is green technology and sustainability. For Mr Hess, there are many ways to classify sustainability and he has an interesting take on it.

“There is a lot of talk on Green Tech. For us, our philosophy is always to try to finish a part in one machining process to avoid multiple machining and less fixturing so you have less rejects/material wastage. For this, we are indirectly green,” he says.

The company’s philosophy of producing high-end machines for the automotive and medical industries naturally puts a lot of demand on its R&D department in Switzerland. He says: “We spend about five percent of our annual turnover on R&D.” The year 2011 will see Tornos launching new products according to Mr Hess. Most of them will be for the medical, dental and the automotive industries as they are the three main markets the company is concentrating its efforts on. In addition, Mr Hess is also organising seminars and plans to take part in more exhibitions next year, MTA Singapore being one of them.

Enquiry No. 1711

Trendspotting Yasuo Kawada, president of Japanese Society of Die and Mould technology (JSDMT) and managing officer, Toyota. Mr Kawada expects good automotive production in 2011.

Dr Fukunari Kimura, chief economist at Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) feels that Asian economy looks set to grow well into 2011 and believes ASEAN will be more significant to the world in the future.

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS

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he 25th Japan International Machine Tool Fair (JIMTOF) was held over a six-day period, from Thursday, October 28, to Tuesday November 2, 2010, at Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center).

Despite the difficult recent economic environment, the number of exhibitors at the show was almost the same as the previous edition in 2008, with a total of 814 companies (576 direct exhibitors, 238 co-exhibitors) attending from 22 countries and regions around the world.

Although the number of visitors was approximately 20 percent down on the previous show, due largely to inclement weather, including a typhoon, the total number of visitors reached 114,558, including 7,628 visitors from overseas. The show was also visited by 453 members of domestic and international media.

Event Review:

JIMTOF 2010 Lectures & Seminars A number of simultaneous events were implemented on a trial basis under a joint program. A variety of lectures and seminars were held on various themes including the environment, manufacturing and the aerospace industry. They received a consistently high attendance on each day of the fair.

Specially planned events by the organiser, included a ‘special exhibit of the hand manufacturing process of high performance powertrains’, which was made possible by the cooperation of Nissan Motor.

There was also other events and exhibits that displayed the latest industry developments,

including ‘Mono-zukuri Station’, featuring presentations by Tokyo Metropolitan Kitatoshima Technical High School and overseas machine tool associations, an exhibition of the ‘Olympia’ lathe as an example of specific activities being implemented by technical high school students, and an area for experiencing virtual processing presented by the University of Electro-Communications.

Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo, Japan Oct 28 – Nov 2, 2010 Enquiry No. 1712

www.wire-southeastasia.com www.tube-southeastasia.com 3rd International Wire, Cable, Tube & Pipe Trade Fairs for Southeast Asia

13 - 15 Sept 2011 Incorporating :

Industry partner :

BITEC • Bangkok Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre

wire & Tube Southeast ASIA 2011 Officially supported by :

IWMA - International Wire & Machinery Association

IWCEA - International Wire & Cable Exhibitors Association • Austrian Wire and Cable Machinery Manufacturers Association (VÖDKM-AWCMA) • International Wire and Cable Exhibitors Association - France (IWCEA-France) • German Wire and Cable Machine Manufacturers Association (VDKM)

Italian Wire Machinery Manufacturers Association (ACIMAF) Industry Partner Associations :

Organized by : Supported by Messe Düsseldorf / Organizer of

ENQUIRY NO 013

wire Southeast ASIA 2011

Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

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Event Review:

JEC Show Asia 2010

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ropelled by the fast pace of growth in the region, the JEC Show Asia 2010 exhibition and conference took place from October 12 to 14 in Singapore on a note of optimism, evidenced by an increase in exhibition space and a reinforced presence of key composites decision makers at the event.

The composites industry in Asia has been experiencing strong growth over the past few years, and the current Asian market is estimated at more than US$26 billion, with new application developments remaining a long-term driver for composites to replace other traditional materials and also create new applications.

Highlights Of The Show With a total of 346 exhibitors displaying a range of composites innovations, the show has grown in scale with a 10 percent increase in exhibition space due to bigger booths. The annual event continues to garner the support of various academic institutions and industry associations from across the Asia Pacific region including Australia, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

JEC Show Asia 2010 also featured an extended geographical scope as compared with previous editions, with new participating countries such as UAE making their debut 70

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

at the event. Another significant feature is the increased number of companies showcasing their latest products and technology capabilities for the first time in Asia at this year’s event.

The full lineup of JEC Show Asia 2010 exhibition, conference and business networking programs attracted 7,010 trade visitors, which include a high proportion of key decision makers in the global composites arena.

Introducing Composites Innovations The show marked the launch of the first ever Innovative International Composites Summit (IICS) in Singapore, held concurrently with the main exhibition. It took place over three days and comprised eight economicandtechnicalseminarsthat explored the latest breakthroughs in different applications sectors in the composites industr y.

The second IICS conference and forum is scheduled to take place at the JEC Show Paris in March 2011, with the third planned for next year’s JEC Show Asia in October 2011.

Higher Demand For Automated Processes One of the key technology trends identified in the 2010 edition of the show is the increased demand for automation to improve manufacturing processes across

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS FROM THE SHOW • 346 participating companies • 10 sectoral or national pavilions (C h i n a , Fr a n c e, J a p a n, I n d i a , Malaysia, and others) • Suppor t and par ticipation of Singapore institutions (EDB, STB, A*Star, NUS, SUTD, and others) • 7,010 visitors • 8 economic and technical seminars

different composites market segments in the Asia Pacific region, especially for high value-added applications in aeronautics and wind energy. Market penetration for automated manufacturing solutions is growing rapidly and there is great potential for process automation technologies to be adopted by manufacturers in Asia.

The Automation and Production Forum of this year’s IICS program brought together leading technology firms to share the latest automated processes for cost-effective manufacturing in the entire composites production chain.

JEC Show Asia 2011 will be held next year from October 18 to 20 in Singapore.

Suntec Singapore October 12 – 14, 2010 Enquiry No. 1713

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS

www.equipment-news.com

Event Review:

TMTS 2010

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h e 2 0 1 0 Ta i w a n International Machine To o l S h o w ( T M T S 2010) was held from November 3 - 7, 2010 at the Taichung Shuinan Economic and Trade Park. Organised

by Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders’ Association (TMBA), the show saw some 300 exhibitors showcasing metal cutting machines, metal forming machines, tube & wire processing machines and robotics among other technologies. Of the 300 exhibitors, some 28 are hailed from countries like Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, the US and Singapore, adding internationality to the show.

During the five exhibition days, some 51,025 visitors thronged the 22,950 sq m (gross) venue, which housed 1,300 booths. Spotting a similar trend to the exhibitors, the profile of the visitors also had a distinct international flavour with visitors from 41 countries from all over the world, including Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, Finland, France and Germany.

With the conclusion of the show, the organiser reported a transaction turnover in showground of over NTD 1 billion (US$33.2 million) and follow-up orders of over NTD 2 billion. As such, the organiser

TORNOS Sigma 20 II • Accessibility • Simplicity • Strength • Performance

c l a i m s 9 8 p e rc e n t o f t h e exhibitors are willing to attend the next TMTS.

Taichung Shuinan Economic And Trade Park Taichung, Taiwan November 3 - 7, 2010 Enquiry No. 1714

ALMAC CU 1007 Mini Machining Centre • Large Autonomy • Multiple Configurations • Modularity

NO MATTER WHICH FIELD YOU ARE IN, STRIVING TOWARDS EXCELLENCE, THERE IS A TORNOS SOLUTION FOR YOUR NEEDS

TORNOS TECHNOLOGIES ASIA LTD. Unit 4, Ground Floor, Transport City Building 1-7 Shing Wan Road, Tai Wai Shatin, N.T., HONG KONG Tel.: +852 2691-2633 / Fax.: +852 2691-2133 E-mail: asiapacific.contact@tornos.com Homepage :http:// www.tornos.com/

TORNOS S.A. THAILAND REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE 7th Floor, 119/46 Moo8, Bangna -Trad KM. 3 Road., Bangna, Bangkok, 10260, Thailand Tel : +66 2746 8840-1 / Fax : +66 2746 8842 Email: thailand.contact@tornos.com

TORNOS Delta Line • Simplicity • Ergonomics • Price/Performance

TORNOS TECHNOLOGIES ASIA LTD MALAYSIA REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE No. K-7-1 Lorong Bayan Indah Dua Bay Avenue 11900 Pulau Pinang Malaysia Tel. +6 (04) 642 6562 & 6563 / Fax +6 (04) 642 6561 Email: malaysia.contact@tornos.com

ENQUIRY NO 013

TORNOS Deco 10a • Reliability • Rapidity • Productivity • Versatility

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Event Review:

Event Review:

Manufacturing Indonesia MedTec Southeast Asia

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overing a total area of 32,727 sq m, Manufacturing Indonesia 2010 attracted some 31,596 trade visitors.

The event was held in conjunction with Plastic & Rubber Indonesia and Propak Indonesia, which attracted a further 17,811 visitors.

A total of 2,102 companies from 39 countries exhibited including national and regional groups from Austria, China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the UK. A temporary structure had to be built at the exhibitions’ grounds as the existing nine halls at the exhibition venue were too small to cater to the demand.

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Ian Roberts, MD of Pamerindo Indonesia said: “We plan to hold Manufacturing and Machine Tools separately from Plastics and Rubber/ProPak Indonesia starting in 2011 to allow both events to expand further. The exhibitions have now outgrown the venue and we had more demand this year than we could accommodate.”

Manufacturing Indonesia and Machine Tool Indonesia 2011 will next be held from Nov 30 – Dec 3, 2011.

ver the course of the twoday event, around 550 qualified medical device professionals visited the inaugural MedTec Southeast Asia exhibition while the conference attracted approximately 110 medical technology industry attendees.

“Our proven track record in focused medical device manufacturing shows was translated successfully to the ASEAN market. I am certain the inaugural show is a sign of bigger things to come in future events in the region,” said exhibition director Keith Tsui.

Highlighting the relevance of the medical device industry to ASEAN in his keynote presentation at the conference, Beh Kian Teik, director, Biomedical Sciences Group, at Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB) said: “The medical device industry in Southeast Asia has witnessed tremendous growth in the past decade and as a result, leading OEMs and component suppliers have in recent years chosen to establish new operations in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. As this growth continues, suppliers can be confident that the influx of new device manufacturers into Southeast Asia will continue to provide new business opportunities.

With these developments, I am confident that Southeast Asia will become the region of choice for medtech manufacturing, as companies continue to expand their footprint in Asia.”

Jakarta International Expo Centre Jakarta, Indonesia December 1 – 4, 2010

Suntec Singapore Singapore December 1 – 2, 2010

Enquiry No. 1715

Enquiry No. 1716

ENQUIRY NO 173

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS

www.equipment-news.com

Event Review:

Seco Launch Event New products are introduced at the first event of its kind for Seco Singapore. The event was held over two days with engineers and managers from the manufacturing industry in attendance. By Mark Johnston

Gisbert Roth explaining the comparison between Steadyline and the classic holder at high spindle speeds.

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rganised by Seco Singapore, the event was held from November 1112, 2010 at Safra Jurong.

There was a good turnout with over 50 attendees on each day from a diverse range of companies with one common interest, tooling.

The event was hosted by Gisbert Roth, the company’s tools marketing operations manager for Asia Pacific. A native of Switzerland, he started his career there, working at the company for seven years before moving to Singapore, with a total of 21 years of experience working for the company.

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The Presenters The event covered the full range of news releases for milling, turning and holemaking applications, with many solutions for different industry segments. There were four presenters, including Mr Roth.

Bengt Strand, international application expert aerospace, a native of Sweden, now based in Thailand, and has over 35 years of experience with the company. Mr Strand took charge of all the aerospace news presentations. Showcasing the latest product news is Benson Foo, regional segment team leader, key account manager aerospace.

For those interested in the oil and gas industry, Teo Kock Lim, key account manager for oil and gas, presented the company’s latest tooling for this sector.

Specialised Tooling With the aerospace industry being the largest industry for the company in the Asia Pacific region, Mr Roth shared with us what specific tools showcased today would be specific to this industry.

Mr Roth said: “CBN170 is one that is probably most exclusive. It is the world’s first whisker ceramic reinforced PCBN turning grade designed very specific to machine heat resistant super alloys actually and those materials you find in the aerospace industry.”

He went on to explain that Power4, an optimised new round insert milling solution for cavity milling, revealed at the event, would also find widespread use in the aerospace sector as well as the power generation sector, saying: “Power4 is more linked to power generation and aerospace.”

The Outcome Was the event a success? Mr Roth explains: “We had close to 100 people in two days, to me that is a good start.

We will be back with a fresh news package every six months now and that will simplify life for our customers to get updated.”

Giving his personal take on how he wants the event to evolve in the future, Mr Roth states: “Personally I would like to build a reputation for efficiency and clarity of information and deliver it in a clean and technical manner so that it is easy to absorb without our customers having to sit through hours and hours of presentations. Efficiency is key here.”

Safra Jurong Singapore November 11 - 12, 2010 Enquiry No. 1717

ENQUIRY NO 171

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS

www.equipment-news.com

Event Preview:

TIMTOS

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IMTOS 2011 has something special for show goers this March.

To help celebrate its 15th cycle, it is setting itself the ‘double 5,000’ goal, ie: the organisers is aiming to host 5,000 booths and welcome 5,000 oversea buyers.

Both TAITRA and the TAMI, the organisers of the event from March 1 – 6, 2011, are confident these goals will be met since there has been a demand for show space and interest in the show.

The show will be held in TWTC Halls 1, 2, 3 and the Nangang Exhibition Centre. More than 900 exhibitors have already registered, packing into more than 5,000 booths at this event.

They come from 14 countries like Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, US, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Systems and solutions related to metalworking that can be found at the show include CAD/CAM systems and software, quality control and measurement equipments, automation and control devices, machine tool components and accessories, tools, cutters, jigs, fixtures, pipes and wire processing machinery, sheet metal processing machinery, welding equipments, cutting machine tools, industrial robots and more.

Export Performance Overall export value of Taiwan’s machine tool products for the period of January-August 2010, reports Taiwan customs, reached US$1.8 billion, achieving 62.9 percent on the same period in the previous year. In the same period, export value of both cutting and forming machine tools grew by 67.2 and 49.8 percent year-on-year, respectively.

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underscores a clear trend towards economy recovery.

In terms of export destinations, China and Hong Kong ranked first in the January-August 2010 period. Export value to the region was US$881.74 million, increasing by 110.2 percent year-on-year and accounting for 47.9 percent of the total export value.

Strong performance was also seen in the emerging markets.

E x p o r t v a l u e s t o Tu r k e y, Indonesia, Brazil and Thailand has

risen year-on-year by 230.6, 108.5, 81 and 69 percent respectively.

As a result, the organisers have mobilised 56 branches around the world to proactively invite buyers from China and other emerging markets.

TWTC Halls 1, 2, 3 & Nangang Exhibition Centre Taipei, Taiwan March 1 – 6, 2011 Enquiry No. 1718

Held Inconjunction with :

The 4th Indonesian International Automotive Components, Spare Parts & Accessories Exhibition

Indonesiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Outsource Engineering & Manufacturing Event for the Automotive, Electronics, ICT, Mould & Die, Machinery, Metalworks, Plastics and Supporting Industries

ENQUIRY NO 159

For enquiries or space booking : Indonesia mtt@ecmi.cc +62 21 781 8954 +62 21 7884 1726

Overseas overseas@ecmi.cc +65 628 55507 +65 628 44355

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS

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oosted by the steadily recovering manufacturing sector in Singapore and the region, MTA2011, the trade exhibition and business forum for the precision engineering industries in Southeast Asia, will return from March 23 – 26, 2011, at the Singapore Expo.

Industry professionals and business visitors from Southeast Asia, India and China are expected to form the majority of the attendees at this key industry n e t w o r k i n g , s o u rc i n g a n d knowledge-sharing platform.

Seizing new opportunities in manufacturing clusters such as aerospace, oil & gas, and medical technology, the event will focus on these verticals by grouping technologies and applications under them. This enables buyers from specific industries to better navigate as well as explore new applications for their businesses.

As such, exhibitors of the show have been encouraged to bring state-of-the-art machines specifically for these sectors, in addition to those that serve the traditional precision engineering base. This will complement existing capabilities and at the same time, allow buyers to be better equipped to meet new challenges in areas that some of them might not have explored.

Economic Growth Confidence has returned to the manufacturing sector following strong rebounds in industry and economic performances in 2010.

Singapore’s manufacturing activity soared by 58.6 percent year-on-year in May, while Malaysia’s industrial sector produced 14.1 percent more goods in March than a year earlier, the strongest year-on-year growth since 2004.

Indonesia’s economic growth accelerated in the first three months of the year to the fastest pace since the third quarter

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Event Preview:

MTA 2011

of 2008, expanding 5.7 percent in the first quarter from the corresponding period last year.

While the immediate health of the manufacturing sector in the region looks rosy, industry players understand that dependence on the mass production of uncomplicated components and standardised product must be reduced.

Demand for such output can be highly volatile and trade regulations, political and economic situations can all drastically affect the health of the manufacturing sector. With the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in place on 1 January 2010, zero-tariff madein-China products and components will infiltrate previously sheltered markets in Southeast Asia.

“It is clear that moving up the manufacturing value chain into high value sectors is imperative to long term growth. The time is right for industry players to step up their efforts to grow their manufacturing capabilities,” said

William Lim, project director at Singapore Exhibition Services, the organiser of MTA2011.

The numbers speak for themselves. Taking Singapore as an example, the year-on-year growth for the general manufacturing industries was 18.5 percent compared with an impressive 40.5 percent growth for the precision engineering cluster. The biomedical and electronics manufacturing sectors also rose 117.0 percent and 51.8 percent respectively.

M TA 2 0 1 1 w i l l a l s o incorporate MetalAsia2011, MetrologyAsia2011, OutSource & SubCon2011, iAutomation2011, WeldTech2011 and ToolTec2011, all events that cater to the individual needs of Asia’s manufacturing industry.

Singapore Expo Singapore March 23 – 26, 2011 Enquiry No. 1719

PRODUCTFINDER Brütsch/Rüegger: Bars & Rods By Circular Anode Chroming

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Creaform: 3D Scanner

Brütsch/Rüegger has developed chromed bars and piston rods of improved coating quality by circular anode chroming.

Compared to the conventional bath chroming process, the circular anode chroming process offers advantages resulting in improved coating quality, environmental-friendly operation, higher efficiency and less waste.

The circular anode coating system enables a multilayercoating which results in improved corrosion resistance according to the ISO 9227 salt spray testing. Furthermore, the geometry of the coating is considerably more regular than the coating by bath system.

Creaform has developed the MetraSCcan 3D sca nner a s the logical complement to the HandyProbe optical CMM. Powered by the C-Track dual-camera sensor, it increases the reliability, speed and versatility of the measurement process.

Featuring the manufacturer’s TRUaccuracy technology, the scanner ensures accurate dimensional measurements regardless of the measurement environment (instability, vibrations, thermal variations) or operator skills.

Scanning, probing, gap and flush analysis, shiny part inspection and fine surface detail acquisition can be performed quickly through an integrated and uninterrupted process.

Enquiry No. 1801

Enquiry No. 1803

Chiron: Double-Spindle 5-Axis Machining Centre

Diebold: Modular High Frequency Spindles

DZ 12K S Magnum five axis is a doublespindle, 5 -a xis machining centre with 2-axis tilt rotary table for milling and turning complex workpieces in one set-up.

The possibility of complete machining in a single set-up reduces the total machining time and the costs per piece, simplifies material flows and allows customers to manufacture with less staff.

Compared to the single-spindle solution, the machine by Chiron doubles the productivity while saving up to 30 percent in energy costs at the same time. Compared to multiple-stage manufacturing strategies, an advantage of 5-axis machining lies in the improved surface quality and geometric accuracy.

Diebold has developed a line of spindles in modular configuration.

Machine tool builders in the high-end market need high frequency spindles with modern features such as vector control and sensors.

The line includes three spindle sizes, 80 mm, 100 mm and 120 mm housing diameter. All three spindle models, the HSG 80.50-3.A, HSG 100.36-6.AK and HSG 120.30-20.AK, have low vibration levels.

In addition, for high precision milling, the spindle growth is a critical factor, these models have spindle growth during milling of 0,012 to 0,019 mm.

Enquiry No. 1802

Enquiry No. 1804

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

PRODUCTFINDER

www.equipment-news.com

Hexagon Metrology: Measuring Arm With Laser Scanner The Romer Absolute Arm, the Hexagon Metrology portable me a su r i n g a r m , i s now available as fully certified laser-scanning system covering all types of scanning applications. With its absolute encoders, its ergonomic design and its modular system concept, the portable CMM is more versatile and easier to use than before.

This system is a universal scanning solution for all types of parts and applications.

The scanner’s semi-automatic laser power control allows working with different surface types without special adjustment. With the integrated laser scanner and the absolute encoders, operators can simply switch on the Absolute Arm, launch the software and start measuring.

Enquiry No. 1805

Makino: Next Generation HMCs

Makino’s a51nx a nd a 61n x horizontal machining centres extend the capabilities of the a-series with technologies for next-generation productivity, accuracy and reliability.

The models boast expanded axis travels to accommodate larger parts or more parts per fixture.

The a51nx features a 560 mm X-axis and extended Y- and Z-axes of 640 mm for a total axis volume of 8.1 cubic feet. Its additional Y stroke yields a 14 percent larger working envelope.

Both models offer standard and optional spindles.

The standard spindle is a 14,000-rpm design with 240 Nm of duty-rated torque and 22 kW of continuous output, a 19 percent increase over the previous model.

Enquiry No. 1806

AMAZING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES 5 Axis Waterjet Cutter With Elect Servo Pump 5 AXIS Cutting Sample

ENQUIRY NO 170

• Precision Angle Cutting • +/- 60 deg.

• Control Taper Cutting

ELECTRIC SERVO PUMP

• No Hydraulic Oil Leakage Problem • Small Szie & Compact, Save Space • Low Noise, 68db, Normal Pump 80db • Extreme Low Electric & Water Consumption • Precisely Control Working Pressure & Flow Rate • Prolong Spare Parts Life Of Span • Less Maintenance • Change Parts Within 5 min.

Servo Pump Retrofit To Your Existing Waterjet PLEASE CONTACT

Creative Machinery Enterprise

Block 3015 Ubi Road 1 #04-214. Singapore 408704 Tel: +65 6746 5959 Fax: +65 6745 7163 Email: sales88creative@gmail.com

ENQUIRY NO 022

5 AXIS ROTATING HEAD PAC-60

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PRODUCTFINDER

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Mate: Extending Versatility & Flexibility

Mori Seiki: High Rigidity CNC Lathe

Mate provides an expanded line of its LongLife slitting tool system to meet the needs of fabricators wanting greater versatility and flexibility for Trumpf punch press users. The system combines tool steel punch and die inserts with punch and die holders for cost effective slitting tool applications.

The expanded line now includes variable width and length punch and die inserts. The new lengths range from size 56, (19.98 to 56.00 mm) and size 76, (56.01 to 76.20 mm). Widths are now available in a range up to (6.35 mm).

Four standard shapes are now available: rectangle, oval, trapezoid and dovetail. Also available are onepiece and two-piece die inserts.

The NLX2500 series, which has evolved from the NL Series as a result of a full model change, is Mori Seiki’s series of compact CNC that consumes less power. It also has an inverter–type hydraulic unit, and LED lighting to reduce environmental burden and running costs.

The CNC lathe also comes with features like high rigidity, energy and space saving. In addition the machine uses a bed with coolant circulating inside.

This allows the machine to achieve active control over thermal displacement caused by cutting heat and changes in the ambient temperature.

Enquiry No. 1807

Enquiry No. 1809

Miller Electric: Welder/AC Generator

Prima: Multi-Axis Laser System

The Big Blue 350 PipePro is purpose built for transmission pipeline we l d i n g . I t provides 20 to 400 amps for both DC Stick (325 amps at 100 percent duty cycle) and DC TIG welding, 14 to 40 volts for MIG and Flux Cored welding (350 amps at 100 percent duty cycle) and 12,000 watt peak/10,000 watts continuous auxiliary generator power for running tools on site.

Built for the harsh elements encountered in pipeline welding, the machine is also designed for structural steel, construction, fabrication and MRO applications.

The machine by Miller features infinite arc control that allows arc characteristics to be tailored to specific applications in stick, MIG and flux cored welding.

The Laserdyne 430 is a 3-axis s y s t e m designed for precision c ut t i n g, welding and drilling two a nd three dimensional components.

The system is currently available with a fourth rotary/ circular axis option, and a fifth tilt axis will be available in 2011.

The machine operates at speeds up to 800 inch/ min in the X, Y, Z axis (0-20 m/min) with bidirectional accuracy of 12.7 um. This accuracy is throughout the system’s 600 x 400 x 500 mm work envelope, making it suitable for processing a range of components such as precision drilled fuel filters, electronic assemblies, and transition components at the highest rates with quality.

Enquiry No. 1808

Enquiry No. 1810

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

EXHIBITION PROGRAMMES 2011 4–8 Metaltech 2011

23 – 26 Automotive Manufacturing 2011

PWTC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Trade-Link Group info@tradelink.com.my www.tradelink.com.my

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Reed Tradex automan@reedtradex.co.th www.automanexpo.com

4–8 MTA Malaysia 2011

23 – 26 Intermold Thailand 2011

JANUARY

MAY

Bangalore International Exhibition Centre Bangalore, India Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association imtma@imtma.in www.imtex.in

20 - 26 IMTEX 2011

MARCH 1–6 TIMTOS

TWTC, TWTC Nangang Taiwan TAITRA timtos@taitra.org.tw www.timtos.com.tw

16 – 20 Intermold Korea 2011 KINTEX South Korea KODMIC koreamold@koreamold.com www.intermoldkorea.com

23 – 26 MTA 2011

Singapore Expo Singapore Singapore Exhibition Services mta@sesallworld.com www.mta-asia.com

23 – 26 INAPA 2011

Jakarta International Expo Jakarta, Indonesia PT GEM Indonesia info@gem-indonesia.net www.inapa-exhibition.net

PWTC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia MES enquiry@mesallworld.com www.mtamalaysia.com

19 – 21 Subcon 2011

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) sanchai@cmpthailand.com www.subconthailand.com

19 – 22 Sheet Metal Asia 2011 BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) info@sheetmetal-asia.com www.sheetmetal-asia.com

19 – 22 Intermach 2011

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) intermach@intermachshow.com www.intermachshow.com

APRIL

25 – 28 MTT Expo 2011

Exhibition Grounds Hannover, Germany Deutsche Messe www.hannovermesse.de

JUNE

4–8 Hannover Messe 2011

27 – 29 ASX 2011

Sands Expo & Convention Centre Singapore IIR Exhibitions michelle.tan@iirx.com.sg www.aerosupplierx.com

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Reed Tradex intermold@reedtradex.co.th www.intermoldthailand.com

JULY

5–8 MTA Vietnam 2011

Saigon Exhibition & Conference Center (SECC) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Singapore Exhibition Services events@sesallworld.com www.mtavietnam.com

SEPTEMBER

13 – 15 Wire Southeast Asia 2011 BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Messe Duesseldorf Asia wire@mda.com.sg www.tube-southeastasia.com

13 – 15 Tube Southeast Asia 2011 BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Messe Duesseldorf Asia wire@mda.com.sg www.wire-southeastasia.com

Jakarta International Expo Jakarta, Indonesia ECMI mtt@ecmi.cc www.mtt-indonesia.com

8 – 11 Manufacturing Surabaya 2011

Grand City Convention & Exhibition Centre Surabaya, Indonesia PT Pamerindo info@pamerindo.com www.manufacturingsurabaya.com Jan-Feb 2011 metalworking equipment news

83

ADVERTISING index Advertiser

Enquiry No.

4T TECHNOLOGIES PTE LTD

33

020

BRUTSCH-RUEGGER METALS

45

162

BYSTRONIC PTE LTD

05

172

CREATIVE MACHINERY ENTERPRISE

81

170

DELCAM PLC (INTERNATIONAL DIVISION)

07

090

DMG ASIA PTE LTD

09

019

ECMI SERVICES PTE LTD (MTT EXPO 2011)

77

159

FISCHER INSTRUMENTATION (S) PTE LTD

43

010

FLOW ASIA CORPORATION

27

017

HAAS AUTOMATION INC

13

005

HEXAGON METROLOGY ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

19

015

HOFFMANN GMBH

11

016

HORST WITTE GERATEBAU BARSKAMP E’K

37

122

HURCO (S.E.ASIA) PTE LTD

29

151

IDEMITSU LUBE (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD

17

014

IPSEN INDUSTRIAL FURNACES SDN BHD

47

007

ISCAR LTD

IFC

002

BC / 02 / 24

135 / 157 / 137

MALAYSIAN EXHIBITION SERVICES SDN BHD (MTA MALAYSIA 2011)

75

171

MAWEA INDUSTRIES SDN BHD

81

179

MESSE DUSSELDORF ASIA

69

105

MITUTOYO ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

23

012

NEWELL RUBBERMAID (M) SDN BHD

39

003

REED TRADEX COMPANY (INTERMOLD THAILAND 2011)

79

121

SECO TOOLS (S.E.A) PTE LTD

01

001

SINGAPORE EXHIBITION SERVICES PTE LTD (MTA 2011)

59

158

SUMITOMO ELECTRIC HARDMETAL ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

55

182

SUTTON TOOLS PTY LTD

15

011

TORNOS TECHNOLOGIES ASIA LTD

71

013

TRADE-LINK EXHIBITION SERVICES SDN BHD (METALTECH 2011)

73

173

TRAVERS TOOL CO., LTD

41

132

TRUMPF PTE LTD

21

004

UBM ASIA (THAILAND) CO LTD (INTERMACH 2011)

49

008

WALTER AG SINGAPORE PTE LTD

FC

006

WENZEL ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

35

018

YAMAZAKI MAZAK SINGAPORE PTE LTD

IBC

009

KENNAMETAL INC

84

Page No.

Manufacturers and advertisers that are featured in this issue will send you free information about their products and services. Fill up the Product Enquiry Form on-line at www.equipment-news.com.

metalworking equipment news Jan-Feb 2011

ASIA PACIFIC METALWORKING

The Engineering Journal For Manufacturing,Automation & Quality Control

ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES HEAD OFFICE SINGAPORE EASTERN TRADE MEDIA PTE LTD 1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building #02-05, Singapore 169206 Tel: 65-6379 2888 Fax: 65-6379 2805/2806 E-mail: apmen@epl.com.sg FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES GERMANY INTERMEDIA PARTNERS GMBH Tel: 49-202-271 6913 Fax: 49-202-271 6920 E-mail: mail@intermediapartners.de JAPAN Ted Asoshina ECHO JAPAN CORPORATION Tel: 81-3-3263 5065 Fax: 81-3-3234 2064 E-mail: aso@echo-japan.co.jp KOREA Young-Seoh Chinn JES MEDIA INTERNATIONAL Tel: 82-2-481 3411/3 Fax: 82-2-481 3414 E-mail: jesmedia@unitel.co.kr SWITZERLAND Rene Bachmann MEDIALL SA Tel: 41-56-442 14 40 Fax: 41-56-442 27 77 E-mail: rb@mediall.ch TAIWAN Robert Yu WORLDWIDE SERVICES CO., LTD Tel: 886-4-2325 1784 Fax: 886-4-2325 2967 E-mail: sales@wwstaiwan.com U. KINGDOM Eddie Kania ROBERT HORSFIELD INT'L MEDIA REP. Tel: 44-1663-750 242 Fax: 44-1663-750 973 E-mail: ekania@btopenworld.com This index is provided as an additional service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.

The closing date for placing advertisements is not less than FOUR WEEKS before the date of publication. Please contact our nearest advertising office for more details.

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From turning, holemaking, and indexable milling to solid carbide end milling, solid carbide drilling, and tapping, the most powerful tools in the business now proudly wear WIDIA brands. When you buy WIDIA products, you’re not just purchasing speed, power, and precision, you’re investing in quality and complete satisfaction.

Match the most expansive portfolio of precision-engineered products and custom solution services available today with a global, specialized network of authorized distributor partners and you have the tools you need — and the power that only comes from WIDIA brands. For product information, or to schedule an onsite demonstration, call (65) 6265.9222 or visit www.widia.com.

• Australia 1300.094342 • India 9180.2839.4321 • Japan 813.3820.2855 • Malaysia 603.5569.9080 • Singapore 65.6265.9222 • China 8621.3860.8288 • Vietnam 84.8.38447917.21 • Korea 822.2109.6100 • Taiwan 886.4.23501920 • Thailand 662.642.3455 ©2010 Kennametal Inc. l All rights reserved. l A-09-02229

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