APMEN March 2014

Special Feature: Aerospace Industry March 2014

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Advertorial

Come 19th March 2014, Yamazaki Mazak Singapore (YMS) will be embarking on new chapter in its milestone with its 5th expansion since its inception in 1992.

The expansion will feature the newly expanded South East Asia Technology Centre which will house 14 of their latest range of CNC machine tools from ranging from entry level 2 axis turning centres to complex and large 5 axis Multi-Tasking machines which are targeted at the fast growing South East Asian markets covering industries such as automotive, aerospace, medical, Oil & Gas, Energy and Precision Engineering.

The new SE Asia Technology Centre is equipped with an Application Training Center which offer courses in Basic & Advanced CNC programming and Hands On Training. It also has a Maintenance Training Centre which serves to provide machine service and maintenance training for customers, distributers and Mazak subsidiaries in the region. There is also a Turnkey & Projects section which will provide high value added solutions and services to customers which require customized solutions for their manufacturing needs.

Supporting the Technology Centre and the Turnkey sections is a fully equipped CMM and Inspection room with various metrology equipment.

To further enhance the Customer Support programmes, a new On Line Service Support Centre has been setup to provide faster and more responsive On Line telephone support to customers.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

A Regional Parts Center have also been expanded from 108 sqm to 225 sqm. It will have the latest computerized vertical storage system which will serve to provide faster after sales spare parts support for the region.

The newly expanded facilities also include a new 4,256 sqm assembly plant which has been setup with a more streamlined and efficient process flow to assemble the various products built in the Singapore plant such as 2 to 3 axis Turning Centres and Vertical Machining Centres.

The company is expected to increase the production capacity to 130 units/month from the existing 90 units/month with the launch of the Quick Turn Primos and new products in the next few years. www.equipment-news.com

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March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

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Contents

March 2014

24 40

Making the Cut 20 Grinding Technology: Defining Efficiency

Michael E Neumann takes a look at what is making waves in the grinding machine category.

Shop TALK 24

Colouring Motorcycles With RFID

High-temperature RFID tags and read/ write modules monitor and record process status in the most demanding industrial environments. By Derek Chua, Contrinex (SEA)

Design & Measurement 34

Fabricator's Note 40

What happens when you are presented with the prospect of measuring free-form surfaces without optical measuring options?

Contributed by CP Chuah, Wenzel Asia

Like sheet metal products, sheet metal advancements come in many shapes and forms.

We take a look at how specialised ERP and CAD/ CAM solutions for sheet metal applications can help the businesses of contract manufacturers.

By Michael E Neumann

Deal With Free-Form Surface Measurement The Tactile Way

36

Keeping It Current

Eddy current testing is one of the most extensively used Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques for inspecting electrically conductive materials such as copper and steel.

This article looks into the fundamentals of this technology, including its latest probes and sensors. By Shahnawaz Abdul Hamid

RFID: The Tool For Optimisation

30

No More Identity Crisis With RFID The durability and versatility of RFID can perform many tracking functions for metal fabricators. By Augustine Quek

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

Good Sheet Metalworking Is Not Just About Cutting

43 INDUSTRY

Special Feature:

Aerospace Industry

FOCUS 44

Rosy Future For Asia Pacific

The aerospace industry in this region is expected to be on the up, says aircraft manufacturers.

26

Used for integrating processes and automating areas such as asset management, RFID technology could well be the edge that the metalworking industry needs to stand out in an increasingly competitive market. By Sherlyne Yong

46

46

Can The MROs Keep Up With The Efficiency Drive?

38

Aerospace Industry Driving Demand For CMMs & Laser Trackers

Applications involving inspection of aerostructures and aeroengines will boost demand for customised metrology solutions.

By Aravind Govindan, Frost & Sullivan

Future aircraft will fly farther with less fuel and with lower emissions. We take a look at how MROs are gearing up to face these challenges

48

When An OEM Is Also An MRO Driven by market demands, one OEM is also wearing the MRO hat.

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Contents

March 2014

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.

54 50

Lufthansa Technik: Going East We take a look at how a German MRO is looking to spread its wings in Asia

52

MROs Facing Headwinds?

The influx of next generation aircraft is good news for passengers but is this sentiment shared by MRO providers?

54

Making The Cut In Aerospace

Reuven Shapir, Iscar’s aerospace industry manager gives us his take on the aerospace industry from a cutting tool supplier’s point of view.

56

A Quick Fix With Composite Materials

APMEN spoke with Jimmy Lui, Southeast Asia GM & Aerospace marketing manager of Morgan Advanced Materials on how composite materials are making their presence felt in the aerospace industry.

58

Manager's Take 60 Learn To Fly

Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) finds out more on the requirements, technologies and solutions for a successful start in the aerospace industry.

By Joson Ng

62

Starting Up

Getting started is always challenging. We look at how budding entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia can get going with help from their respective governments.

FEATURES 64

CECIMO To Bring Europe To Asia

Filip Geerts, director general of CECIMO (European Association of the Machine Tool Industries), talks about his confidence in European-made machine tools and how they can fuel Asia's rapidly developing machine tool market. By Joson Ng

Building Better Through Fibre Reinforced Polymers

The use of composites materials, specifically fibre reinforced polymers or FRPs in engineering applications is nothing new. In the building and construction industry, their demand is set to rise with the Asian construction boom.

By Shahnawaz Abdul Hamid

Regulars 10 Business News 74 Product Finder 78 Exhibition Programmes 80A Product Enquiry Card

Refer to Advertising Index

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

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

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

Federation of Malaysian Foundry & Engineering Industry Associations

68

Smart Honing Technology Gives Aerospace Hydraulic Pumps Making A Lift

A jobshop's adoption of a new technology makes tight tolerances look generous.

By Ray Kemble, for Sunnen

6

58

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: samanthatan@epl.com.sg

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For Advertiser's Enquiry Numbers

Indian Machine Tool Manufacturing Association (IMTMA)

China Machine Tool & Tool Builders' Association (CMTBA)

Machine Tool Club (MTC)

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ENQUIRY NO 012

Editor’s Note Published by:

Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd

A Booming

Aerospace Industry

A Tonic For The Metalworking Industry According to Boeing, there are some three million parts in a 777 aircraft and the parts are provided by 500 suppliers from around the world.

Three million parts is nothing short of mind-boggling and it seems to mandate a whole lot of metalworking and engineering endeavours.

If you think that then you are probably right because nearly all bra nches of meta lwork ing ca n be mobilised to build an aircraft.

While we can safely conclude that the metalworking business has a vested interest in the aerospace indu st r y, a mbit ion mu st me et capability. To be one of the 500 suppliers, or just to be in the aerospace business, there is a long arduous qualifying path and a high level of commitment is needed.

C a se in p oint is Lu f t ha n sa Te chnik , a G er ma n M RO. T he company has expanded its MRO operations in Shenzhen, China and is currently tripling its workshop

and warehouse capacity to nearly 25,000 sq m and strengthening its presence in the areas of component supply, logistics services and airline support teams for engine services across China and Asia.

Elsewhere, Airbus and Satair have opened a parts support and distribution facility in Singapore.

The 16,700 sq m facility will serve customers in the Asia-Pacific region and consolidate their supply chain operations.

As you may have guessed, the main focus for this month is the aerospace industry. We will bring you a special report from the Singapore Airshow and also some tips on how to make yourself ‘aerospace ready’.

Putting MROs under the spotlight, we will present stories on how the industry is slowly evolving, a nd how they a re overcoming technical challenges. We will round things up by taking a look at the industry’s future.

(a fully owned subsidiary of Eastern Holdings Ltd)

Reg No: 199908196C

managing director Kenneth Tan senior editor Joson Ng

josonng@epl.com.sg

business development manager Randy Teo

randyteo@epl.com.sg

sales manager Carrie Ho

carrieho@epl.com.sg

editorial assistant Sharifah Zainon sharifah@epl.com.sg graphic designer Jef Pimentel jeffreypimentel@epl.com.sg circulation executive Samantha Tan

samanthatan@epl.com.sg

contributors Derek Chua Sherlyne Yong Augustine Quek Shahnawaz Abdul Hamid Aravind Govindan Michael E Neumann Reuven Shapir Jimmy Lui Ray Kemble Filip Geerts CP Chuah 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.

Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd MCI (P) No. 050/06/2013 PPS 840/09/2012 (022818) ISSN 0129/5519

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Joson Ng Senior Editor

chairman Stephen Tay group executive director Kenneth Tan executive director Lum Kum Kuen

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Trade Media Pte Ltd an Eastern Holdings Ltd company

Head Office & Mailing Address: 1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building #02-05, Singapore 169206 Tel: (65) 6379-2888 Fax: (65) 6379-2806

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

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Business News ST Aerospace Inaugurates Aviation Centre In Singapore Singapore: ST Aerospace has opened its aviation centre at Singapore’s Seletar Aerospace Park (SAP). With an expanded Seletar footprint occupying over 75,000 sq m, the company is now the second largest tenant and the only integrated aviation service provider in SAP. This milestone is the result of a $26.6 million, two-year effort to enhance the company’s Seletar capabilities in response to the growing international demand for aircraft maintenance, business aviation, air charter, commercial pilot training, as well as technical crew training services.

The three -storey aviation centre houses a suite of air charter, ground training, flight training and support facilities.

The complex features a V IP customer lounge and a 24/7 centralised operations centre for its air charter business.

T h e c o m p a n y ’s c u r r e n t

Singapore Expands Its Aerospace Park An artist’s impression of JTC Aviation Two.

Singapore: JTC, Singapore’s developer and manager of industrial estates has launched the JTC Aviation Two at the country’s Seletar Aerospace Park. It is a multi-tenanted high-rise building developed to house SMEs specialising in parts supply management and MRO of aircraft components.

In response to an increase in demand for more land-based readybuilt facilities at the aerospace park, the organisation will also commence the development of the second phase of JTC aeroSpace that will add seven units to the current eight. These new units range from 1,300 sq m to 2,300 sq m in size and are expected to be completed by end 2015.

10

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

footprint in SAP includes hangars and facilities that can handle up to 11 narrow-body aircraft and 24 general aviation aircraft simultaneously.

US$32 Billion Worth Of Deals At Airshow Singapore: Singapore Airshow 2014 w rapped up the trade segment of the six-day event with deals worth up to US$32 billion, surpassing the value of deals announced in 2012. Major announcements include contracts for Airbus, Embraer, Boeing and Rolls-Royce.

The 2016 edition of the show will be held from February 16 to 21 at the Changi Exhibition Centre.

Your Intellectual Property

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BusinessNews

JMTBA: Machine Tool Orders Up In December Japan: The total value of machine tool orders in December was JPY 107.74 billion (US$1.05 billion).

This was an increase of 5.9 percent compared to November and marked the first month of increase in two months. This amount also represented an increase of 28.1 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, with December posting the third consecutive month of yearon-year growth.

Foreign orders rose by 18.1 percent over November to JPY 71.02 billion. This marked the first month-on-month increase in two months and topped JPY 70 billion for the first time in 15 months.

Foreign orders also showed an increase of 22.0 percent over the same month of the previous year, with December posting the second consecutive month of year-on-year growth.

T he i nc re a se i n fore i g n orders indicates an upward trend. However, the association cautioned that it is necessary to keep a close watch on the impact of the consumption tax before and after implementation, as well as related policies in the domestic economy, and economic trends in other economies.

Elsewhere, domestic orders fell by 11.7 percent from November, amounting to JPY 36.72 billion.

This marked the first month of decline in two months. However,

this figure was an increase of 41.8 percent over the same month of the previous year and marked the sixth consecutive month of year-on-year growth. Although domestic demand took a breather, the recovery trend remains on track, according to JMTBA. By reg ion, orders from Asia rose by 38.2 percent over November to JPY 32.22 billion.

This was an increase of 19.5 percent over the same month of the previous year.

Orders from Europe rose by 7.8 percent over November to JPY 14.52 billion. This was also an increase of 37.1 percent over the same month of the previous year.

Orders from North America rose by 0.1 percent over November, amounting to JPY 22.47 billion, an increase of 16.3 percent over the same month of the previous year.

Yearly Figures Still Weak Total machine tool orders for 2013 totalled JPY 1,117.05 billion, which was a decline of 7.9 percent from the previous year. As a result, calendar year 2013 posted the second consecutive year of yearon-year decline, although it was the third consecutive year with total orders over JPY 1 trillion.

Total domestic orders rose by 6.6 percent over the previous year to JPY 400.8 billion while total foreign orders fell by 14.4 percent from the previous year to

Japanese machine tool orders were up in December but the yearly figures remained weak.

E K, Singapore

JPY 716.25 billion. As a result, the share of foreign orders dropped to 64.1 percent, a decline of 4.9 percent from the previous year.

Honda To Establish Fourth Motorcycle Plant In India Greater Noida, India: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has announced plans to establish its fourth plant in India.

Takanobu Ito, president, CEO & representative director of Honda Motor Company (Japan) said with India potentially a “top market� for his company, a fourth plant is necessary to bring the company 12

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

closer to their customers.

This move is hardly surprising considering that HMSI sales volumes have reached second position for Honda's two wheeler business worldwide. The plant at Gujarat is expected to create an annual capacity of 1.2 million units and the investment is said to be in the region of Rs 1,100 crore (US$176

million). The plant is scheduled to become operational in 2015.

This capacity expansion plan will increase the company's total annual production capacity to 5.8 million units, including 1.6 million units at the first plant (Haryana), 1.2 million units at the second plant (Rajasthan) and 1.8 million units at the third plant (Karnataka). www.equipment-news.com

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BusinessNews

Boeing Forecasts 12,820 More Planes For Asia Pacific Region New airplane deliveries by region (2013–2032)

New airplane deliveries by region (2013–2032)

Region • Asia Pacific • Europe • North America • Middle East • Latin America • C.I.S. • Africa World Total

Region • Asia Pacific • Europe • North America • Middle East • Latin America • C.I.S. • Africa World Total

Airplanes 12,820 7,460 7,250 2,610 2,900 1,170 1,070 35,280

Singapore: Asia Pacific’s carriers will need an additional 12,820 airplanes valued at US$1.9 trillion, representing 36 percent of the world’s new airplane deliveries over the next 20 years, according to estimates by Boeing.

The company projects that passenger airlines in the region will rely primarily on singlea i sle a i r pla ne s to con ne c t passengers. Single-aisle airplanes

will represent 69 percent of the new airplanes in the region. For long-haul traffic, the company forecasts twin-aisle airplanes will account for 28 percent of new airplane deliveries.

The aircraft manufacturer says strong economic and passenger growth will be main drivers of new airplane demand in the Asia Pacific region.

“Asia Pacific economies and

Renishaw Creates The World’s First 3D Printed Metal Bike Frame

Renault-Nissan Alliance Posts Record Sales In 2013

UK: Renishaw has collaborated with a British bicycle design and manufacturing company to create the world’s first 3D printed metal bike frame.

Empire Cycles designed the mountain bike to take advantage of Renishaw’s additive manufacturing technology, allowing them to create a titanium frame that would be both strong and light using topological optimisation.

The result is a new frame that is some 33 percent lighter than the original and it has been additively manufactured in titanium alloy in sections and bonded together.

14

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

Par is, France: The RenaultNissan Alliance sold a record 8 , 26 4, 821 veh icle s in 2 013, propelled by record sales in the car group's two largest markets, China and the US. Re n au lt- N i s s a n's 2 013 c a le nda r-ye a r sa le s, wh ic h i n c l u d e s a l e s o f R u s s i a' s Avtovaz, increased 2.1 percent from 2012. This marks the fifth straight year of sales growth.

The strong performance is no doubt a shot in the arm for the manufacturers as RenaultNissa n’s cha irma n a nd CEO Carlos Ghosn explained: “Strong de ma nd i n t he world's top markets more than offset anemic growth and declines elsewhere.”

Renault group sold 2,628,208 units worldwide in 2013, up 3.1 percent from 2012. Sales in Europe rose 2.4 percent to 1,301,864 units despite a 1.7 percent decline in the overall

passenger traffic continue to exhibit strong growth,” said Randy Tinseth, VP of marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Over the next 20 years, nearly half of the world’s air traffic growth will be driven by travel to, from or within the region. The Asia Pacific fleet will nearly triple, from 5,090 airplanes in 2012 to 14,750 airplanes in 2032, to support the increased demand,” he added.

market. The company's European market share rose 0.4 percentage points to 9.5 percent, making it the fastest growing automotive group in Europe in 2013. The company continued to generate more than 50 percent of its sales outside of Europe for the second consecutive year with sales outside of the home continent totalling 1,326,344 units, up 3.8 percent from 2012.

Nissan Motor Corporation sold 5,102,979 units worldwide, up 3.3 percent — a record for the fourth straight calendar year. The company continued to generate more than one million units in its two biggest markets: China and the US. Renault & Nissan In China The alliance's top 10 markets in 2013 were China, US, Russia, Japan, France, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, the UK and Turkey. www.equipment-news.com

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BusinessNews In China, the world's largest auto ma rket, Nissa n sold a record 1,266,167 units in 2013, up 17.2 percent. According to the company, they are the leading Japanese brand in China, with a

5.9 percent market share.

In December 2013, Renault a n nou nce d it had re ceive d approval from Chinese authorities to start producing cars in China in 2016 through

US Manufacturing Technology Orders End 2013 On Strong Note

a joint venture with Dongfeng.

The joint venture will establish a plant in Wuhan with production capacity of 150,000 units a year, with the potential to double that figure in the future.

Autodesk Completes Acquisition Of Delcam

Carl Bass, president and CEO of Autodesk (centre) with (left to right) Glenn McMinn, president, Delcam North America; Clive Martell, chief executive, Delcam; Steve Hobbs, development director, Delcam; and Bart Simpson, commercial director, Delcam

US: December US manufacturing technology orders totalled US$491.89 million according to AMT — The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in The United States Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) program, was up 9.9 percent from November and up 11.8 percent when compared with the total of US$439.90 million reported for December 2012.

“With a strong finish to 2013 for manufacturing technology orders, plus strong reports for durable goods, capacity utilisation, and PMI, there is plenty of favourable momentum for the industry going into 2014,” said Douglas K Woods, AMT president.

“The average age of corporate fixed assets is at almost 22 years, and interest rates are historically low. This one-two punch is creating a ripe atmosphere for investment in capital equipment, which we anticipate will translate into more great news for manufacturing growth.”

However, it is worth noting that despite the strong end to the year, the year-end total of US$4.9 billion was down 5.1 percent when compared with 2012.

The USMTO report, compiled by the trade association representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national US orders data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment.

Analysis of manufacturing technology orders provides a reliable economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

Birmingham, UK: Autodesk has completed its acquisition of Delcam.

The company will now operate as a wholly-owned, independentlyoperated subsidiary of Autodesk.

“Through sharing our technology and expertise, this t ra n s ac t ion w i l l t ra n sfor m industries and improve how the world is designed and made,” said Delcam’s chief executive, Clive Martell.

“The acquisition is an important step in Autodesk’s continued expansion into manufacturing and fabrication and beyond our roots in design. Together with Delcam, we look forward to accelerating the development of a more comprehensive digital prototyping solution and delivering a better manufacturing experience,” said Buzz Kross, senior VP for design, lifecycle and simulation products.

Delcam has indicated that there will be no significant changes planned for its business. www.equipment-news.com

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BusinessNews

World Crude Steel Output Increased By 3.5% In 2013 Brussels, Belgium: World crude steel production reached 1,607 megatonnes (Mt) for the year 2013, up by 3.5 percent compared to 2012. The growth came mainly from Asia and Middle East while crude steel production in all other regions decreased in 2013 compared to 2012.

Annual production for Asia was 1,080.9 Mt of crude steel in 2013, an increase of 6.0 percent compared to 2012. The region’s share of world steel production increased slightly from 65.7 percent in 2012 to 67.3 percent in 2013.

China’s crude steel production in 2013 reached 779.0 Mt, an increase of 7.5 percent on 2012. China’s share of world crude steel production increased from 46.7 percent in 2012 to 48.5 percent in 2013. Japan produced 110.6 Mt in 2013, a 3.1 percent increase from 2012. South Korea’s crude steel production was 66.0 Mt, a decrease of -4.4 percent compared to 2012.

The EU recorded a decrease of -1.8 percent compared to 2012, producing 165.6 Mt of crude steel in 2013. Germany produced 42.6 Mt of crude steel in 2013, remaining at the same production level as 2012. Italy produced 24.1 Mt in 2013, a -11.7 percent decrease over 2012. France’s crude steel production in 2013 was 15.7 Mt, an increase of 0.5 percent. Spain produced 13.7 Mt of crude steel in 2013, a 0.7 percent increase on 2012.

In December 2013, world crude steel production for the 65 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) was 129.2 Mt, an increase of 6.3 percent compared to December 2012. The crude steel capacity utilisation ratio of the 65 countries in December 2013 declined to 74.2 percent from 75.8 percent in November 2013. It is 2.2 percentage points higher than December 2012. The average capacity utilisation in 2013 was 78.1 percent compared to 76.2 percent in 2012.

German Machine Tool Industry Down 6% In Q4 Frankfurt am Main, Germany: In the fourth quarter of 2013, order bookings in the German machine tool industry fell by six percent compared to the final quarter of 2012. Domestic orders were up by three percent, while export orders were 11 percent below the previous year’s figure. For the year 2013 as a whole, there is a minus of six percent, with domestic orders down by seven percent, and export bookings by six percent.

The year’s final quarter saw a minor setback in regard to a stable uptrend in order bookings.

Forming technology, for instance, the guarantor of success for the development of production output last year, lost 25 percent of its order bookings in the year’s fourth quarter. Nonetheless, overall orders in the second half of 2013 showed a definite plus.

Calling it a “rather unspectacular end to the year for the German machine tool industry,” Dr Wilfried Schäfer, executive director of the sectoral organisation VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) in Frankfurt, expects things to improve, especially in forming technology.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

[Index, nominal (seasonally adjusted and smoothed values)]

Note: Index basis shipments 2010=100, data until December 2013 Sources: VDW, VDMA

“This category is taking a short breather, as the big projects of the automotive industry, which is the main customer grouping, have been completed for the time being,” he says.

In 2013 as a whole, order bookings for forming technology

were down by two percent.

Order bookings for metal cutting technology fell by eight percent.

In 2014, the sector is expecting order bookings to rise again, by around 10 percent, set to come in equal proportions from Germany and abroad. www.equipment-news.com

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Making The Cut

A

quick look at the headline making news on the technology or business pages these days and the word ‘efficiency’ would probably come up a lot.

Businesses adore the word. A more efficient drive or flight would mean more money saved and an obvious platform to launch a marketing campaign, usually with an environmental touch to it.

In the automotive industry, Energy Efficient Vehicles or EEVs have been the flavour of the month for many months now, with environmental, financial and perhaps even political reasons to champion the production and purchase of EEVs. 20

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

Grinding Technology:

Defining Efficiency Michael E Neumann takes a look at what is making waves in the grinding machine category.

The CAM software developers are also taking the efficiency route, some might say quite literally. Delcam has added the vortex high-efficiency roughing across its CAM range of product.

Vortex produces toolpaths with a controlled engagement angle and so maintains the optimum cutting conditions for the toolpath that would normally be possible only for the straight-line moves. www.equipment-news.com

Makingthecut

The thread grinder won a prize in Japan’s 43rd Machine Design Awards last year

Generally speaking, when someone has an efficient product or process, they are not afraid to shout about it. Even the academics are getting into the act. UCLA have announced that their researchers have recently improved the process for manufacturing highly efficient solar cells.

While better efficiency is an enticing marketing proposition, its intrinsic value is perhaps what engineers are more interested in.

In the process of grinding, this is no exception and the value of efficiency transcends European and Asian machine builders as both spare no effort in banging the efficiency drum.

Universal Thread Grinder In vertical thread grinding, Mitsui Seiki has developed an industry-first universal thread grinder design configuration.

Sure enough, it contains elements for an efficient grinding process.

According to the manufacturer, the VGE60A universal vertical thread grinder offers improved accuracy, speed, performance, and multi-functionality over conventional horizontal thread grinder designs.

According to Tom Dolan, VP of Mitsui Seiki USA, efficiency www.equipment-news.com

is one of the main strength of this machine. “Highly accurate and efficient machining methods for various screws, such as ballscrews, have been on the rise. Typically, thread grinders have been made the same way for the last 50 years. This new technology changes everything,� he said. The ability to carry out different grinding operations has lent weight to that claim.

In addition to thread grinding, the machine can now perform spline, gear, OD, surface, and edge grinding operations in a single setup. The manufacturer claimed

that this can save customers production time while improving overall part accuracy.

Other features such as an automatic grinding wheel changer, automatic wheel guard and a CNC-controlled wheel dresser (to accommodate various shaped wheels) improve productivity.

Infinitely prog ra mmable grinding wheel tilt angles from +45 to - 9 0 - deg ree s prov ide increased grinding application opportunities.

Finally, putting operational efficiency aside, the designers of the machine also made the machine efficient in size. The vertical configuration requires 33 percent less floor space than a similar capacity horizontal grinder, and allows for improved human interface with the complete work zone.

Gear Grinding A continuous generating gear grinding machine, the LGA-2812 from Luren, can help increase gear production efficiency and accuracy, according to the manufacturer. In addition to the wheel spindle that can reach speeds of 5,000 rpm, the machine also includes a builtin automatic balancing system that reduces deviation caused by dressing or grinding.

Examples of combination grinding Threads

O.D.

Gear

Spline

Ball Screw

Threads Worm

O.D.

shows examples of additional applications that can be realised with the VGE

March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

21

Makingthecut accuracy of its roller linear guideways on the column as the main pillars of its confidence.

Grinding in the modern context is now an amalgam of accuracy and other factors that results in a productive manufacturing process

In a labour market that is tight, skilled operators may be difficult to come by. It therefore makes perfect sense when a machine is designed to be operated with ease. With the grinding software, the manufacturer insists that the program allows operators with little or no CNC experience to run the machine.

The software in question offers interactive dialogues and error feedback for program assistance. A neat feature here allows operators to add gear data and grinding requirements before witnessing the creation of the grinding program. The NC process sequences will be generated automatically after that.

Surface Grinding Over at the surface grinding segment, the JL-2550CNC is a CNC profile surface grinding machine

by Joen Lih which features a 22

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

longitudinal mechanism that the manufacturer says can help ensure positioning accuracy for many years.

Apart from the precise ball screw and dual anti-backlash nut s, a not her cont r ibut ing factor to the longevity of the machine is the hand scrapped table and saddle that provide the precision in flatness, parallelism and perpendicularity while the longitudinal x-axis table travels on double –vee guide ways.

A n o t h e r m a n u f a c t u r e r, Seedtec, is also placing great care in the movement of the machine’s column in order to produce good surface accuracy.

With a bold guarantee of 0.003 mm (surface accuracy), minimum vertical feed of 0.001 mm and a surface roughness of 0.02 Ra, the manufacturer points to the servo motor, precise ball-screws, positioning and the repeatability

Tool Grinding Finally, in the tool grinding segment, Switzerland headquarted Rollomatic claims its GrindSmart 528XS tool grinder is capable of concentricity accuracy under 0.005 mm. In addition, the manufacturer has picked up on the need for modular solutions in today’s modern machine shops.

Apparently, the workhead now offers flexibility to adapt different clamping systems according to specific needs.

The ShapeSmart NP5 by the same manufacturer is a reinforced precision cylindrical grinding machine that features a pinch/peel grinding process that reportedly gives optimal concentricity.

With a g rinding ra nge of 0.025 to 20 mm, the machine is suitable for cutting tool blank preparation as well as punch and mould applications that require complex geometr y and high length-to-diameter ratios. The manufacturer has also added a fifth axis that allows the ability to grind flats and non-concentric cam profiles.

Grinding Down The Challenges Grinding in the modern context is now an amalgam of accuracy and other factors that ultimately results in a productive manufacturing process. Although the process ha s cha nged drastically, the daily grind of demanding a good quality end product has never wavered.

The future of grinding machines will probably follow the footsteps of its machining centre counterpa r ts, where emphasis on efficiency remains the focus of a manufacturing world that demands the most out of very little.

Enquiry No. 2001 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Shop Talk RWMs that arises whenever the motion of moving parts is not fully constrained.

Plant-wide process control requires seamless data transfer from one end of the production line to the other — including associated feeder lines. It can typically be up to 31 RWMs, often many meters apart and connected as a simple daisy chain network, communicate via the a fieldbus protocol.

Colouring Motorcycles

With RFID

High-temperature RFID tags and read/write modules monitor and record process status in the most demanding industrial environments. By Derek Chua, regional sales and marketing manager, Contrinex (SEA)

N

owadays, automotive paint-shop processing is a far cry from the messy, manual operation that, less than a century ago, was a commonplace. Today, spraypainting and powder coating are fully automated in every major manufacturing plant, and parts are generally scheduled and transported between operations without any human intervention.

Enhanced RFID transponder and Read/Write Modules (RWM) capabilities have played a big part in enabling this change. Although in-process event monitoring has long been possible, designing RFID systems that are able to withstand

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

the environment is still a challenge for the industry.

Harsh Environment Motorcycles have relatively few colour-coordinated parts.

However, synchronising delivery and ensuring correct sequencing is far from being a trivial task.

Two significantly harsh, yet unavoidable, environmental conditions place heavy demands on the RFID system.

Firstly, the transponders must withstand process temperatures that may reach 250 deg C. Secondly, relatively long-distance sensing is essential to eliminate the risk of mechanical damage to

Step-By-Step Processing Body-in-white parts, in this instance the motorcycle’s fueltank cover and rear fairing, are loaded onto purpose-designed transport frames suspended from an overhead conveyor; each frame is fitted with an RFID tagcarrier and a high-frequency, hightemperature tag.

A s a f r a m e a p p ro a c h e s the first process station (pre-treatment), the remote scheduling system allocates the parts to a specific vehicle in the assembly master schedule and instructs a local, static RWM to write corresponding process identification data, including body colour, to the tag.

Simultaneously, the scheduling s y s t e m p ro g r a m s t h e p re treatment or degreasing station to execute the wash cycle specified for the vehicle in question. On completion of the cycle, the parts exit the process station.

From this point on, the frame, complete with parts, is destined to marry with a known vehicle on the final-assembly line. A second RWM positioned immediately outside the station may record the transit.

Alternatively, the arrival at the subsequent process area serves to confirm the completion of the prior operation.

Since the transport frame is not constrained from moving about its vertical axis, the exact path of the tag carrier may vary from frame to frame — often www.equipment-news.com

ShopTalk

What Is RFID? It is a device that uses wireless non-contact medium like radiofrequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects.

Like a bar code, the RFID device provides a unique identifier for a particular object. However, it does not require to be within the line of sight of the reader like a bar code and it may be embedded in the tracked object.

by several millimeters. Certain RWMs allow for this movement and produce reliable results that are independent of the exact tag position. Some high-frequency RWMs also feature an anticollision algorithm that identifies and addresses a specific tag, disregarding other transponders in the immediate vicinity.

Turning Up The Heat A similar sequence takes place at the automatic paint booth.

Pre-treated parts arrive; the scheduling system interrogates the transponder and activates the correct spray nozzle. Depending on the coating process employed at the plant, overspray may be

RFID devices that are able to operate at high temperatures eliminate the complex mechanical arrangements otherwise needed to shield devices from excess heat.

The flexibility of RFID systems allows plant managers to stay in control of a changing situation.

deposited on the tag carrier — a common cause of read/write performance degradation for some RFID systems.

H o w e v e r, c e r t a i n R F I D transponders and RWMs are known to operate reliably when embedded in or coated with most common materials, including plastic and metal, resulting in few degradation or loss of data.

In addition, at the paint-curing station where temperature is high, the entire transport frame, complete not only with parts but also with transponder, passes through the curing oven. During the curing cycle — again programmed by the central scheduling system — temperatures may rise to

250 deg C; temperatures this high are beyond the capabilities of many RFID devices. Hightemperature transponders, which are able to operate in this range, eliminate the complex mechanical arrangements otherwise needed to shield devices from elevatedtemperature areas.

Staying In Control As the painted parts arrive at the final-assembly area, additional RWMs confirm the presence of the correct transport frame for the motorcycle waiting on the production line. After the parts are unloaded from the carrier and fitted to the vehicle, the scheduling system carries out a final interrogation to confirm completion of the process, following which the transport frame is returned to the loading station.

The flexibility of RFID systems allows plant managers to stay in control of a changing situation.

Should the assembly sequence be altered as a result of variations in customer demand, in-process parts that have not yet been painted can be reallocated at the next read/write station by overwriting the transponder data.

The RFID system accommodates day-to-day variations with little or no disruption to operations.

Enquiry No. 2101 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

25

ShopTalk

ShomBer

RFID:

The Tool For

Optimisation

Used for integrating processes and automating areas such as asset management, RFID technology could well be the edge that the metalworking industry needs to stand out in an increasingly competitive market. By Sherlyne Yong

T

he 21st century has ushered in a barrage of innovations and developments across all industries, with the bulk of them circling around one theme — greater connectivity. As activities and operations become increasingly globalised, industrial environments are seeing a rise in technologies that aim to integrate and connect separate components.

Technology has long been touted as the solution to most problems and the same, perhaps even more, applies in the realm of manufacturing. Smart systems

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

are being adopted across all industry verticals as businesses worldwide work hard to retain their competitiveness amidst a drawling economy.

Cost, efficiency, productivity and fast time-to-market are often things that are at the top of agendas. They can be achieved with optimisation, the fundamental principle behind smart systems and one of its core components — Radio Frequency Identification.

Smart systems rely vastly on communication among workers, machines, and between the

two groups. RFID is one of the technologies that enable automatic object to object communication.

It integrates physical objects by allocating assigned identities to each component and is often coupled with software like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to create digital manufacturing environments.

Buoyed By Factory Automation Smart factories — where virtual and physical worlds merge to provide a seamless integration of process and people — are set to become the future of manufacturing. Both the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine to Machine (M2M) markets are seeing exponential growth.

According to a report by Research and Markets, the IoT and M2M markets are expected to have an increasing CAGR of 30.1 percent from 2012. Worth US$44 billion in 2011, it is expected to grow by US$290 billion by 2017.

Emerging markets include Europe, Asia Pacific and the US, where Asia Pacific is expected to contribute US$92.8 billion with a CAGR of 33.2 percent from 2012 to 2017.

Analyst firm Ovum believes that manufacturing will be one of the biggest industry verticals responsible for buoyant M2M revenues, of which it is estimated to contribute US$7.1 billion. It also expects a third of global M2M revenue to be generated in Asia Pacific, which will inadvertently trickle down to the RFID market.

According to Too Horng Cheng, area manager, Components and SSCB, Southeast Asia, Rockwell Automation, the metalworking industr y is experiencing a moderately high adoption rate of RFID. “We believe there will be an increasing number of players in the metalworking industry adopting RFID technology going forward. As exposure to RFID increases, especially amongst www.equipment-news.com

ShopTalk automotive and semiconductor (wafer fab) players where demand for high-quality end-products is very high, RFID adoption will rise to reduce errors during the manufacturing phase, which is imperative to maximising production efficiency,” he said.

D a t a f ro m E u ro s t a t h a s indicated that some of the most common applications for RFID in 2009 included supply chain management and inventor y tracking and tracing (29 percent), monitoring industrial production (21 percent) and managing service and maintenance information (15 percent). While exact figures have likely changed since then, the overall trends appear to be the same.

The technology is used in the metalworking industry for a variety of purposes, most of which are aligned to the goal of maximising efficiency and minimising machine downtime. Typical uses revolve around monitoring and detection, p re v e n t a t i v e m a i n t e n a n c e , inventory management, as well as to enhance information visibility and transparency.

Monitoring & Detection The inability to properly track production status on the shop floor could affect performance by failing to alert operators to problematic areas, which ultimately results in a slower throughput and wasted resources.

As a result, RFID is often paired with business management software to better integrate business processes, enabling fast and accurate data access.

Other wise known as digital enterprises, these are favoured for their ability to enhance operational efficiency, product quality, to lower inventory investments, and reduce cash flow cycles as well as material acquisition costs.

“The RFID system can be an integrated part of a factory automation system to track all www.equipment-news.com

Rolls-Royce has been employing RFID for its MRO activities.

the operation information via an EtherNet/IP Interface, so that realtime information can be accessed at any time by authorised personnel,” Mr Too explained.

This is only possible because the wireless technology accords systems with an interconnectivity that results in a tight and coordinated supply chain, taking away redundancies and the need for guesswork.

RFID tags can be attached to physical objects for integration; each tag includes an assigned identity that can be used to effectively track specific parts or components throughout the production process. Operators c a n t h e n u s e a re a d e r t o verify the processes that have been completed, or check on outstanding tasks.

The ability to access accurate data in real time has not only enhanced the traceability and visibility of parts, but also increased the speed of physical flows and reduced the amount of work in progress. By enabling proper communication between separate components, RFID promotes optimisation through these areas: • Recipe management to control material usage and quality of part

• Shortening cycle times by eliminating waiting time • Reducing energy costs by starting a process when it is necessary, rather than letting it run the whole time • Providing quality assurance through batch traceability For these reasons, the techology will continue to see growth in the metalworking industry, especially as its features are highly congruent with lean manufacturing and just-intime strategies.

Tooling Protection One specific, and growing, usage of RFID in the metalworking industry is in monitoring and identifying tools. “There is a growing trend here to implement RFID by OEM tool-head machine makers. The main purpose tends to be to protect the expensive investment in materials and tooling heads by ensuring routine maintenance is performed periodically,” said Mr Too. RFID tags not only provide the object with a unique identity, but also store information. In tool identification, data like ID number, geometry values and service life March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

27

ShopTalk

RFID enhances access in environments that register high amounts of dust, chemicals, moisture or temperature.

are stored in a memory chip that is embedded in the tool holder. With these data at hand, operators can engage in preventative maintenance to extend the service life of their tooling heads.

“In modern machines where tool heads are expensive, maximising production efficiency is key and minimising machine downtime is vital. RFID is used to monitor tool usage related to different moulds for end products. Typical applications include tool-head detection, cutter/blades-usage detection, grinders-usage detection, as well as tool-head inventory keeping. In addition, factories use RFID to carry out preventive maintenance on machinery and tooling in advance of the recommended servicing time,” he added.

Fanuc is one such company that have been driving the development of RFID in this area. The company teamed with Balluff several years ago to create an interface which pairs its controllers with Balluff’s RFID-based sensor system to track tool use. End-users used to shy away from using RFID as automating presetter data was considered an inconvenience that could sometimes take weeks to complete. With this development, that deterrent was removed.

This is an instance of how 28

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

Baloncici

RFID does more than monitoring production efficiency and utilising data storage within tags. According to Mr Too: “There are many other ways that RFID aids production, i n c l u d i n g f a c i l i t a t i n g p re programmed batches, accessing equipment in harsh environments, speeding product processing, as well as allowing reusable tags and hidden tags.”

Opportunities & Threats Using a non-contact technology does have its perks, especially in complicated settings. RFID provides greater access in large or harsh environments that may register high amounts of dirt, dust, moisture, chemicals or high temperatures, making it easier to track items.

Industry verticals like oil and gas, mining, automotive, and semiconductor, often employ a large variety of components, which are prone to being lost.

Consequently, there is room for construction management systems that use RFID to monitor materials, from manufacture to fabrication and eventually on-site.

In the automotive industry, where Returnable Transport Items (RTIs) are often misplaced, RFID technology is used in assembly plants to track containers, pallets,

and the progress of an automobile or its parts.

According to Mr Too, many automotive tool-head OEMs are also actively implementing the technology into their machine systems. “This ser ves as a differentiator to end users, who seek to protect their end-product investments,” he explained.

For instance, General Motors (GM) has been using RFID in one of its engine assembly plants to boost traceability and efficiency. Its biggest benefit however, is to prevent costly mistakes from occurring, such as damaged machines.

The company has installed temporary (and reusable) bolts with an embedded passive RFID tag on each cylinder head and engine block that goes into the engines.

Readers register information from the tags and ensure that machines are adjusted for the proper part, which keeps it from being damaged due to processing incorrect or incomplete parts.

Likewise, in the aerospace sector, Rolls-Royce has been employing RFID for its MRO activities. It uses RFID to track the bolt retainer, a key maintenance tool that could cause major damage or failure when left inside an engine.

By creating synergistic elements between discrete parts of the production process, the technology is adept at connecting systems into one fluid, integrated process.

“Due to these many reasons, RFID is an ideal solution for most manufacturers in the metalworking industry seeking to achieve greater efficiency, faster processing time and increased environmental friendliness,” said Mr Too. It is therefore likely that the technology’s presence in the metalworking industry will continue to grow, especially as operators seek new ways to maximise profits while the status quo remains.

Enquiry No. 2102 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ShopTalk

No More Identity Crisis

With RFID

The durability and versatility of RFID can perform many tracking functions for metal fabricators.

By Augustine Quek

R

FID tags can be used in many industries. In addition, they come w i t h s o m e i n h e re n t advantages. For instance, RFID scanners can read RFID tags even when they are inside a carrying case or embedded in the tool, whereas bar codes must be visible to be detected. More data can be stored in an RFID tag than on a bar code.

All these information can help in optimising performance in assets like machine tools. They also serve to increase asset value and maximise asset utilisation. In terms of production, the usage of RFID technology helps in devising production steps and

labour schedules. They result in reduced downtime and better managed schedules.

Keeping Track Of Tools For example, CribMaster has developed a solution known as Live Tracking that combines the company’s existing passive RFID tracking technology for the industrial market with Wi-Fibased active RFID tags and realtime location system software.

This solution allows machine operators, maintenance crew, administrative staff and anyone in the entire value chain to track small tools or other items fitted with smaller, less expensive EPC Gen 2 Ultrahigh-

Frequency (UHF) passive tags.

It also allows real-time location data to be obtained.

Better Manufacturing RFID can eliminate the manual intervention of machine operations, thereby freeing up labour to perform other, more value-added tasks. Effective deployment of RFID also has the potential to quickly provide high levels of accurate and reliable data that other current technologies cannot provide. This can have major impacts, particularly in high-volume and high-speed manufacturing operations, where speed, accuracy, and timeliness are critical for throughput and performance.

Turck, a German manufacturer of industrial sensors and process automation, has a RFID-enabled system for managing and controlling machines running on the factory floor. BLident is a modular RFID system that can be used to control a variety of machines, from a stamping press in an automotive assembly line to a conveyor system or to a welding station.

Mireque Kodesh, Prague, Czech Republic

The usage of RFID technology can help promote better managed schedules in factories.

30

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

www.equipment-news.com

ShopTalk The system employs highfrequency (13.56 MHz) RFID tags and interrogators supporting the ISO 15693 standard. The tags can be placed on either the products themselves, or on the tooling, depending on the applications.

For the system to work, the I/O slice containing the RFID interrogator reads the tag’s unique ID number, which it then searches for in a back-end database with the correct machine program. The system will only allow the machine to begin its operation when it discovers a match between the tag number and the tool or process.

Improving Metalworking Automatic tool identification with industrial RFID systems provides a safer option over risky manual or bar code based tool ID and tracking methods.

RFID based automatic tool identification system removes error prone manual steps from the tool selection and loading process and provides a complete record of tool offset and life information on the tool.

W h e n d a t a a re e n t e re d erroneously, the consequence can be costly as tool crashes, broken tools or spindles are expensive to rectify. Even when there is no damage to tools, error in data entry can result in setup errors and bad quality parts.

As the demand for RFID on production lines increase, a natural trend would be to build RFID directly into the manufacturing tools and equipment. Machine-tool builders are catching on to this trend and have created innovative solutions to meet this demand.

Laser tools maker Trumpf has enhanced its LensLine sensor system for 2-D laser cutting machines by combining it with an RFID lens. The RFID lens is now a standard feature on all of the company’s TruLaser Series 3000 CO2 laser machines. Each www.equipment-news.com

RFID makes it easier to manage tools.

chip is encoded with a unique ID number, as well as the time and date of the lens’ manufacture — information that could be used in the event of a lens recall.

The interrogator reads that data when the lens is installed in the cutting head. The machine also tracks how long the lens is being used, as well as the lens’ condition, and periodically writes that data to the chip.

The RFID chip attached to the lens also records condition monitoring data and other information, such as when the

lens has been cleaned.

The condition-monitoring test can now be carried out at predefined intervals automatically and the system is able to advise operators the optimum time to carry out cleaning operations on the lens. This allows operators to avoid carr ying out timeconsuming visual inspections or preventive maintenance.

When an operator needs to know a particular lens’ history, he or she can access the software on the machine and press a prompt requesting that data, March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

31

ShopTalk

Afonso Lima, Sao Paulo, Brazil

The emergence of RFID technology in metalworking may reduce the usage of bar codes.

which will then be read from the chip, translated and displayed on screen.

According to Trumpf, reliability of the cutting process has been improved using RFID technology because only lenses with the correct focal length are installed in the correct orientation in the machine.

This sensor system not only delivers objective, accurate measurements indicating the degree of lens contamination, but also provides additional protection in the event the lens is not cleaned.

Safety First In addition to tool tracking, process history and product quality, plant safety can be taken to a higher level with RFID, with respect to tool use.

UK-based Reactec has a system that uses colour coded RFID tags to tools used in the workplace.

These tags carry data about the tool, its make and model, a unique tool number, and an average tool vibration value.

Each day, workers collect an i-pod sized, portable device called the Hand Arm Vibration meter (HAVmeter) by signing it out with a personal swipe card that carries details of their allowed levels of vibration. The technology used is simple and 32

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

robust enough to be deployed in factory environments or on construction sites.

The HAVmeter is attached magnetically to any tool used during the day. Tool tags are coded red, yellow or green to give a visual warning of the vibration caused by a particular tool and the device displays their total vibration dosage, giving workers enough information to manage their own exposure.

T h e d e v i c e re c o rd s t h e vibration exposure by collecting data from the tool tags, storing details of tools used and the time that the tool was operated for. It also detects the actual levels of vibration experienced with its on-board accelerometers.

The device is return at the end of the shift and recharged at its docking station while data from the device is uploaded to the system for further analysis. The data extracted are analysed to study the vibration pattern of specific tools and the vibrations levels that each operator was subjected to. By doing so, changes can be made in maintenance and work practice in order to prevent potential harm to operators.

Deploy RFID Wisely In short, the durability and versatility of RFID can perform

many tracking functions for metal fabricators. They keep a tight control of work-in-process and maximise the use of plant assets while tracking them, proactively manage product quality and reduce the cost of nonconformance while improving safety in manufacturing.

H o w e v e r, R F I D m a y b e unfeasible for some tools and materials. For example, many consumable items such as grinding discs and cans of paint usually have a printed manufacturer’s UPC bar code, which scanners can read. Their low value and small size of these items, which diminishes as they are being utilised, makes it impractical to use with RFID tags.

Going forward, the design of suitable antennas and the search for better nonvolatile memory will be major challenges. The need for continued process improvement in manufacturing, and mounting cost pressures mean that fabricators must continue to increase efficiency while lowering costs. The growing interest in telematics, article tracking, and mobile commerce will bring RFID even closer to the manufacturers in the near future.

Enquiry No. 2103 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ENQUIRY NO 034

Design & Measurement Deal With Free-Form Surface Measurement

The Tactile Way

What happens when you are presented with the prospect of measuring free-form surfaces without optical measuring options? Contributed by CP Chuah, GM, commercial operations Asia Pacific, Wenzel Asia.

F

or a long time, tactile CMM was the first choice for Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerance (GD&T) measurement due to its universality and high accuracy. So far, no other measuring equipment has such a wide application in the field of geometric measurement.

As versatile as the CMM is, a work piece with a free-form surface, for example a turbine blade, can still pose significant challenges.

Although tactile CMM has been widely used in the turbine blade manufacturing segment for decades for quality control of aeronautical blades, there are shortcomings worth examining.

Non-contact methods can be used to solve some of the challenges.

Some of these shortcomings, however, like the cosine error, can be compensated for if the operator can recognise the inherent errors in tactile measurements and manage them to produce accurate results.

Taking Error Into Account The measurement of blade airfoil is normally performed by evaluating its specific section profiles regarding their profile/ positioning deviations. These section profiles have specific heights referring to a certain

Measurement of 3D planar curve using tactile method

datum, and are generated by intersecting the airfoil with planes.

These resulting closed 3D planar curves are the section profiles, which are to be inspected. Although these curves are planar, they cannot be treated as 2D curves, because the normal direction of each point is always changing in 3D. Due to this feature, the tactile method has the shortcoming defined as cosine error (radius compensation error).

While measuring section profiles, there are two approaches.

One way is to scan the profile as an unknown curve, while the other way is to measure it as a known curve. However, both have their own problems. For unknown curve scanning, software can lock the measuring height and set the component as k=0 with respect to the measuring vector i,j,k. As a result, all the delivered points will have the same z coordinate.

When a ball stylus is used to scan the section profile, the actual touching point with the airfoil is not the expected one (Figure 1). The measuring software records the stylus centre point coordinates, and does a radius compensation afterwards to get the actual point coordinates. In this case, the probe is already triggered before the stylus touches

Actual touching point Expected touching point

the expected point. Therefore, the compensated coordinates will have the cosine error.

In order to quantify the cosine error, we take the Ø1 and Ø2 styli under the condition of 15 deg and 30 deg incline angle to calculate the error value.

Airfoil Unilateral Bilateral Stylus incline error error diameter angle (mm) (mm) 15˚ 30˚

Proportion of bilateral error to blade thickness (1 mm)

Ø1 Stylus

0.0176

0.0353

Ø2 Stylus

0.0353

0.0706

3.53% 7.06%

Ø1 Stylus

0.0774

0.1547

15.47%

Ø2 Stylus

0.1547

0.3094

30.94%

Comparison of cosine errors by different styli under different incline angles.

We can conclude that with the same stylus, a larger incline angle will generate a greater cosine error.

Under the same incline angle, the stylus with a bigger diameter will also generate greater cosine error.

The Ø1 and Ø2 styli are the most commonly used configuration for blade measurement. When the airfoil incline angle reaches 30 deg, the resulting cosine error is up to 0.3 mm, which already exceeds the profile tolerance zone, and is also far beyond the accuracy of the CMM itself.

The above problem is under the condition of scanning the section profile that is referred to as the unknown curve. In order to overcome this effect, another method is sometimes used where every measuring point is probed along its normal vector i,j,k as a known curve.

It is common sense that no part can match the nominal to a 100 percent, and there is more or less a certain deviation. When the k component of the measuring vector 1mm

Comparison of cosine errors by different radii styli

Calculation of cosine error

Ø1 Stylus

Radius-compensated touching point

Ø2 Stylus

Radius compensation error

Figure 1: Cause of cosine error

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1mm

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Design&Measurement Figure 2: Height deviation of actual points probed using normal vectors Actual profile (negative deviation)

Figure 4: Material thickness compensation

Figure 3: Probing and radius compensation

Nominal profile Actual profile (positive deviation)

Airfoil with thickness compensation

Nominal profile

Actual section profile after radius compensation Connecting line of stylus center points

Datum Z=0

is not 0, and the airfoil has some deviations, the actual point heights will have a certain offset (Figure 2).

We also take 15 deg and 30 deg incline angle to simulate the situation. When the point is probed along its normal vector, the stylus radius does not affect the result.

Therefore, different stylus radii are not considered here. The offset value is as the following: Airfoil incline Profile deviation Measuring point height angle (mm) offset (mm) 15˚ 30˚

0.05

0.0125

0.1

0.025

0.05

0.0217

0.1

0.0433

Comparison of height deviation under different incline angles and profile deviation.

We can draw the conclusion that the resulting curve is a 3D spatial curve instead of a 3D planar curve.

This curve cannot be used for the evaluation of the blade parameters, unless it is post-processed by a software to convert it into a planar curve, but the conversion will certainly affect the curve accuracy as a result.

Hammer & Knot Sometimes profile distortion could also happen under certain conditions. As stated previously, the CMM records the coordinates of the stylus centre point while measuring. Radius compensation will be conducted afterwards to achieve the actual point coordinates for the following geometric element construction (Figures 3, 3a, 3b).

One situation is that the radius compensation direction of some www.equipment-news.com

Actual profile with wrong radius compensation

Figure 3a: Radius compensation due to large profile deviation

Figure 3b: Discrete point number due to missing points

measuring points are wrongly adopted when the actual profile has a relatively bigger deviation compared to the nominal. The cause is that the stylus radius is compensated according to the nearest nominal point and the wrong vector is used. The resulting profile will have a ‘hammer’ form at the edge.

Another situation is the discrete measuring point number, which jumps all of a sudden to a latter position. This will cause the curve to follow a back and forth route and generate a ‘knot’ form.

This also happens normally under the condition of a relatively big profile deviation, and with quite a few missing points at the leading edge/trailing edge.

In conclusion, although tactile CMM is capable of producing high accuracy, it can generate big error while measuring turbine blades, especially those with big twist and tilt. The error has nothing to do with CMM accuracy, but comes from the principle of tactile measurement. So, is there any solution to alleviate or even fully overcome these problems?

Compensating For Error Although there is more than one way to solve this issue, we shall concentrate on the tactile method based on the CMM and aim to find a method to eliminate the influence of cosine error. First of all, we need to add the thickness of the stylus radius to the surface and get a thickness-compensated airfoil.

To be more illustrative, it is like

using a sphere, whose diameter is the radius of the stylus, to roll over the airfoil. The outer enveloping surface is the new airfoil (Figure 4). To carry out section profile measurement, switch off the radius compensation functionality in the measuring software. It has the same effect of using a sharp-tip stylus to carry out measurement. The measuring vector has to be set horizontally (k=0). This way, the influence of the cosine error is already taken into account through airfoil thickness compensation.

Although this method can avoid accuracy loss caused by cosine error, it is still not an ideal solution.

The modified section profile with thickness compensation is no longer the original nominal.

All the measurements and e v a l u a t i o n s a re a l s o d o n e according to the modified profiles.

Since the new profiles have oneto-one correspondence with the original ones, it is logical to use the modified curve to reflect the original design regarding its profile and position tolerance, but then the evaluation of all the section profile parameters becomes meaningless.

To sum it up, tactile CMM is by far the first choice for geometric measurement. Although it has been tested and acknowledged, it is still very meaningful to explore its uses in special applications such as turbine blade measurement, and to discuss its potential problems.

Enquiry No. 2201 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

35

Design&Measurement

Keeping It Current Eddy current testing is one of the most extensively used NonDestructive Testing (NDT) techniques for inspecting electrically conductive materials such as copper and steel. This article looks into the fundamentals of this technology, including its latest probes and sensors. By Shahnawaz Abdul Hamid

T

he testing of metals to determine tensile and shear strength, conductivity and the presence of defects can be achieved mainly in two ways.

One involves testing the metal till it breaks or fails, for instance in a tensile strength test. The specimen is clamped at its ends, then pulled until it breaks cleanly or undergoes plastic deformation.

This first method is destructive, and while it still has its applications, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the limitations of such a method. When there are limitations, solutions are usually round the corner. The solution in this case is NDT. Tapping on various scientific principles, the same results can be derived, with less irreversible consequences.

The benefits in terms of cost are, needless to say, substantial.

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Eddy Current Testing (ECT) — Principle & Advantages Eddy current testing, or ECT, works on the principle of electromagnetic induction. Alternating current is passed through a coil, producing a magnetic field. When the coil is placed near a conductive material, such as steel or copper, the changing magnetic field from the movement of the coil induces a current flow in the material.

This induced current flow, known commonly as an eddy current, travels in closed loops, producing a magnetic field of its own that can then be measured and used to find flaws as well as characterise conductivity, permeability and dimensional features. Usually, changes in eddy current flow are the result of the presence of cracks within the test material.

One huge advantage that ECT has over other techniques is its ability to inspect materials moving at fast speeds. This is especially helpful when used to check the quality of metal parts such as wires, bars, tubes and profiles being moved along on a conveyor system, such as in a production line. Other techniques like penetrant testing are more time-consuming, making it impossible to inspect all the produced parts.

Another advantage of ECT is its ability to inspect both ferromagnetic and nonferromagnetic materials, instead of just ferromagnetic ones favoured in magnetic particle testing. The latter establishes a magnetic field in the test material itself, which exits and re-enters at the poles of the material. Defects such as cracks and voids cannot support too much flux, leading to leakage. This flux leakage is then detected to provide a more visible indication of the location of such defects.

A third advantage of ECT is its contactless inspection system. The ECT probe does not have to make any contact with the test material, reducing scratching or pitting of the metal surface. When scratched or pitted, metal surfaces can collect dust and bacteria in this microdepressions, often invisible to the naked eye. Industries which require these metals to ultimately be used in clean rooms with negligible foreign matter and dust content, will therefore find ECT very helpful.

Probes & Sensors While the principles behind ECT have mostly remained the same throughout the years, the technologies of probes and sensors used in ECT have certainly undergone some changes.

Some of these changes have been made to improve the reliability of ECT. For instance, it is widely known in the industry that one of the disadvantages of the www.equipment-news.com

NDT is widely used to check for defects

Keith Syvinski, Franklin, United States

Design&Measurement

Recent developments in probe and sensor technology have made it easier to detect flaws and defects in aircraft fuselages

contemporary ECT inductive coil probe is its inability to detect flaws that lie parallel to the inspection probe coil winding direction.

This usually means that small cracks that originate at the edges of a specimen are tough to find.

An example would be the cracks that appear around the fastener or rivet holes in aircraft multilayered structures. Often, the signal created by the edge or hole itself drowns out the smaller signal coming from the crack.

As such, instead of using these coil probes, solid-state magnetic sensors based on Giant MagnetoResistance (GMR) and SpinDependent Tunnelling (SDT) are now preferred. These solid-state magnetic sensors, unlike the coil probes, can be oriented in such a way to cut off any signal coming from the edge, allowing for defects there to be properly detected.

Nevertheless, coil probes are still the most widely used in the industry, given their low manufacturing costs, and ease of usage. There are several coil probe types which are commonly used. They include encircling coil probes, pancake-type probes, spiral coil probes and horseshoeshaped coil probes, depending on the application.

an absolute voltage signal or to compare two different parts of an inspected material. Probes used to achieve the former are known as absolute-mode probes.

They consist of a single coil that generates eddy currents and senses changes from the eddy current field.

Absolute probes can detect long flaws or slow dimensional variations in tubes or bars. Besides crack detection, the absolute change in impedance of the coil probe provides much information on grain size, hardness and stress measurement. However, these probes are usually susceptible to variations in temperature, where they can then lose sensitivity.

Probes which compare two different parts of the same material are known as differential-mode probes and have detecting coils wound in the opposite directions to make equal the induced voltages originating from the primary magnetic field.

Differential-mode probes have the advantage of being able to detect very small discontinuities.

However, differential coils do not detect gradual dimensional or composition variations, unlike absolute probes. This is mainly due to the close proximity of the coils.

Absolute Vs Differential Probes in ECT can also be divided into two groups depending on whether they are used to measure

SQUID Another sensor that has been used in ECT since the 1980s is the Superconducting Quantum

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Interference Device or SQUID, a very sensitive magnetometer designed to measure extremely weak magnetic fields.

While they may often be thought of as expensive, not to mention hugely cumbersome given the need to cryogenically refrigerate them to lower noise levels, using SQUIDs are highly advantageous given their high sensitivity, even in an unshielded environment.

SQUIDs have been used to test for mechanical stress, cracks and corrosion on aeroplane fuselages.

As mentioned earlier, such defects are often found in hidden layers near the rivets. With SQUID, the signal from the crack is distinct and separated from the underlying signals caused by rivet or fastener holes in the fuselage itself. This is usually not possible with other, less sensitive sensors.

The technology for sensors and probes in ECT is no doubt growing, fuelled by the need to make readings and detect flaws in a shorter period of time, without the ambiguity that arises when measuring at edges, or near rivets and fasteners where holes are already present.

While ECT technology is changing, its usefulness in this regard can be said to be a constant, and those who choose to utilise it will continue to benefit from this NDT technique in the future.

Enquiry No. 2202 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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37

Design&Measurement

Aerospace Industry Driving Demand For

CMMs & Laser Trackers

Applications involving inspection of aerostructures and aeroengines will boost demand for customised metrology solutions. By Aravind Govindan, measurement and instrumentation research analyst, Frost & Sullivan

L

eading dimensional metrology vendors are seeing huge market opportunities for tailored metrology solutions in the high-precision metrology space presented by the aerospace industry. The need to measure new aircraft designs or the latest lightweight bodies and components will sustain the metrology market.

Overall, dimensional metrology in the aerospace industry is transforming to accommodate a wide range of products. Continuous innovation and investments in technology will help win global aerospace clients and orders. As such, quality and technology are

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

believed to be the main drivers for the growing demand. This is hardly surprising given that applications involving aerostructures and aeroengines contributed 59.6 percent to the dimensional metrology market in 2012.

The Leading Pack In terms of market leaders, Hexagon Metrology, Carl Zeiss, Mitutoyo Corporation, Nikon Metrology and Faro Technologies have been seen edging out competition in these application areas which are not driven by price.

The top five dimensional metrology companies account for 51 percent of the total market, with

CMMs and laser trackers being the most widely used metrology solutions. The key factors behind the success of these companies are their global presence, wide product portfolio, technical expertise, and robust project management skills.

An analysis on the global dimensional metrology market in the aerospace industry showed that earned revenue in 2012 stood at US$482.9 million and estimated the figure to reach US$592.1 million in 2017. The research covers CMM, measurement gauges, Vision Measuring Machines (VMMs) as well as optical digitisers and scanners.

Many industry leaders have built their product portfolio with a range of products that are indicative of their capabilities, intensifying competition. These players are also leveraging their global reach to build an extensive regional presence and tap into opportunities in emerging countries, restraining the growth of medium-and-small sized dimensional metrology companies.

CMMs Still At The Top Despite an expanding range of new products, an old favourite is still coming up tops. CMMs continue to gain share over other technologies, such as VMMs and scanners, in the aerospace industry. They account for 67.2 percent of the total market.

End users require highprecision and flexible solutions to measure complex structures through contact and non-contact based measurement methods.

However, their receptiveness towards latest technologies, such as scanners and VMMs is estimated to be low. Leading dimensional metrology companies are educating end users on the benefits of VMMs and scanners as accessory products in order to generate steady revenue streams.

Enquiry No. 2203 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ENQUIRY NO 025

Fabricator's Note

S

heet metalworking involves plenty of processes and the products have a wide range of applications in many different industries.

For a contract manufacturer specialising in carr ying out sheet metalworking, it is not surprising to see the shop floor filled with different parts of varying shapes and sizes.

With such diversity comes a need to get organised because a cluttered warehouse or shop floor is never a model of productivity or efficiency.

Labels used to be in vogue but to get things organised in today’s manufacturing climate, ERP is the tool all decent-sized companies would look at.

There are many ERP suites around but not all are specially designed for sheet metal. The opposite is true as well. Although developed

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Good Sheet Metalworking Is Not Just About Cutting

Like sheet metal products, sheet metal advancements come in many shapes and forms. We take a look at how specialised ERP and CAD/CAM solutions for sheet metal applications can help the businesses of contract manufacturers. By Michael E Neumann specially for the industry, the ERP concept for the sheet metalworking industry follows the basis found in typical business management software suites.

For example, the aim of the software program is to enable the running of a successful

business through the collaboration and cooperation between a whole range of job functions, in order to maximise customer satisfaction while optimising profit margins.

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Fabricator'sNote

Did You Know?

ERP is believed to be introduced in the 1990s. Its roots can be traced back to various material resource planning software programs.

of a concept to achieve the aims of efficiency, communication and profit. According to the originator of the concept, information sharing in real-time is at the heart of the theory, working from a common database across the whole company.

Starting with the sales team a n d c u s t o m e r re l a t i o n s h i p management, quotations can be prepared and delivered in minutes, producing a c c u r a t e p r i c i n g f ro m l i v e information about material costs, production times and expected profit margins. Based on current workload, the team is able to offer realistic delivery times.

Once accepted, the sales order is processed and passed to production planning where the production order is placed and the job is fitted into the production schedule. Next the production engineers create the program, allocate the machine and the material and nest the par ts to maximise material utilisation.

Shared information goes to the warehouse where material is delivered to the allocated machine ready for manufacture and stock levels are updated triggering reordering of material where necessary.

On the machine, the operator logs start and finish times to record the status of the job and the manufacturing times as the parts are being produced. This real-time information goes to the administration team where delivery notes and invoices are raised, information about the www.equipment-news.com

A factory concept can produce improvements in efficiency.

cost of the job consolidated and instructions for shipment of the parts issued to the warehouse.

Managers have an overview of the complete process so that they can monitor production and the status of individual jobs and keep themselves informed about overall business metrics such as profit margins, sales and delivery performance.

The concept brings together all products necessary for each application into one integrated solution, enabling a solution for individual companies that will mimic the structure and interrelationships of all t h e d i f f e re n t a re a s w i t h i n t h a t c o m p a n y t o p ro d u c e improvements in efficiency.

Putting ERP Through The (Sheet Metal) Works One subcontractor of sheet metal, LaserMaster fabricates products for a variety of industries including aerospace, motor sport and automation.

Early in 2013, the company invested in a Bystronic BySprint 4 kW fibre optic laser with ByTrans automated sheet load/unload. At the same time, they installed an ERP system specifically designed for sheet metalworking.

To fill the available capacity that the new machine has created, the company needs to produce around 50 quotes ever y day. Tim Hicks, CAD/ CAM engineer at the company says: “It is vital for us to get the quotes done very quickly. All the parts we produce are different with the occasional repeat order. Lantek Integra includes information about material costs to give us accurate selling prices. In addition, the system monitors the success rates of our quotations so we can see how we are performing against our sales targets.”

W i t h L a n t e k M a n a g e r, a workshop management system, the company can keep track of the status of each job and its location in the workshop ready for secondary operations such as bending or painting. The solution is also able to generate sales orders, invoices and delivery notes, all related to the original quotation. Mr Hicks adds: “We can log into the system to check that no parts are missed and that all the operations have been completed.”

The new machine runs four to five hours most nights with the automatic sheet loader.

March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

41

Fabricator'sNote Machine utilisation during the day is around 70 percent. Parts are tagged into the sheet for efficient handling.

Mr Hicks says: “The Bystronic and Lantek software combination is 50 percent more efficient than our previous setup and we have the potential to produce four times more work than before.”

CAD/CAM For Sheet Metal Intec Laser Services specialises in the subcontract market and has customers in industries including aerospace, defence, automotive and white goods, supplying parts cut by both laser and waterjet. The company’s arsenal of sheet metalworking machine tools includes a 6kW Trumpf L3030

An ERP system can help sheet metalworking jobshops achieve better productivity.

fully automatic laser cutting machine fitted with a TrueStore sheet handling unit.

The machine enables the company to produce suitable components unmanned o v e r n i g h t . H e r e , L a n t e k ’s facility for microjointing helps to keep parts securely in the sheet. Dave Millar, MD of the company says: “We tend to use rectangular nests as we are generally making 10 or 20 sheets of the same product.

Without microjointing parts could jam the machine, which may result in the loss of a full night’s production.”

The speed of programming possible with Lantek Expert, is one of the major benefits of the CAD/CAM software. Mr Millar adds: “Because we are in the subcontract industr y we have a continual flow of new parts. The programming is fast, helping us keep up with customer’s demand for very short lead-times. In addition, when we have a bottleneck in manufacture, it allows us to easily switch nests from one machine to another quickly with two mouse clicks, improving the flexibility of production.”

Manage It Right Technological advances in fibre laser and automation have aided sheet metalworking immensely over the past few years and quite rightly captured the imaginations of many. However, without proper management, any increase in productivity or efficiency achieved during the cutting or transporting process will be lost.

For today’s contract manufacturers who can ill afford to keep a high level of stock in their warehouse, a good ERP system can go a long way in helping them achieve better operational productivity.

Enquiry No. 2301 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

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Industry Focus

Fly The

Asian Sky This year marks the 100th year of commercial aviation. In 1914, the world’s first scheduled commercial airline flight took place when a plane flew across Tampa Bay, Florida and into aviation history. Only one passenger was on board and the journey took some 23 minutes. To say that the industry has changed since is somewhat of an understatement considering its vast development in the decades that followed.

Today, the industry has covered more ground, connected more people and has truly become a global business with a fair bit of activities now taking place far from Florida. As Asia emerges as a key player in the aviation industry, Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News spoke with MRO service providers and aircraft manufacturers as they gave their take on Asia’s aerospace industry and also what lies ahead.

By Joson Ng

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March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

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IndustryFocus AerospaceIndustry

Rosy Future For Asia Pacific

The aerospace industry in this region is expected to be on the up, says aircraft manufacturers.

A

ircraft manufacturers are predicting great things in the future.

According to them, most of the action will be in the Asia Pacific region. Randy Tinseth, VP of marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes said in the next 20 years, he expects both the passenger and cargo segments of the industry to grow five percent per year. As a result, he sees a total demand of 35,000 new airplanes valued at US$4.8 trillion.

This increase will no doubt be a catalyst for manufacturing more airplanes, many of them destined for Asia. “Over the next 20 years in Asia, we expect a total demand of 13,000 aircraft. It is close to US$2 trillion in investment,” he said, adding that Asia is “the biggest market” for single aisle, wide body and large aircraft.

Driving the demand for aircraft in Asia, from the wide body perspective, is replacement.

“There is a pent up demand for new airplanes, especially pent up demand for replacement,” he said, before pointing out that the emergence of new business models will continue to create demand in the market.

Finally, he shared although the single aisle segment is also expected to grow, it will be for different reasons. He said: “The dynamics of the single aisle (market) is a little bit different; this is a segment that has benefitted from emerging, developing economies. It is driven by growth of low cost carriers.”

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T h e s u rg e i n p a s s e n g e r numbers however, is not the only reason for the Asian aerospace to rejoice.

Philippe Poutissou, VP in charge of marketing Bombardier’s commercial aircraft said there are two other reasons.

“They are the development of new airport infrastructure and the

liberation of traffic rights. China is a good example, they have a national program of expansion and the development of new airports.

Those tend to be in regional centres. They are exactly the types of destination that our aircraft are used to service,” he said.

Opening up the skies, according to him, is something that will drive up the demand for aircraft.

“When you liberalise that market into essentially the open sky principle, business models evolve. That is where you get the innovation from the airline industry that drives the demand for aircraft,” concluded Mr Poutissou.

Enquiry No. 2401 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

MRO Industry In Singapore Taking Off JTC Business Aviation One

JTC aeroSpace Over the last two decades, Singapore’s aerospace industry has grown at an average rate of 10 percent, and achieved a record output of S$8.7 billion (US$6.9 billion) in 2012. The country is an aerospace MRO hub in Asia, accounting for a quarter share of the region's MRO output.

Seletar Aerospace Park (SAP), the country’s industrial park catered to the aerospace industry, spans 320-hectare of purpose-built land and infrastructure, including the Seletar Airport.

The SAP is now home to 45 companies. The clustering of aerospace-related operations and businesses in the SAP is intended to help companies located there derive benefits from economies of scale and the many synergies from being in an integrated environment.

JTC has completed Phase 1 and 2 of the SAP and has embarked on the third (and final) phase of development and the organisation has reported that the JTC Aviation One @ SAP and JTC aeroSpace @ SAP, which enable quick start-up, are nearly fully taken up by companies.

The JTC aeroSpace @ SAP serves as a key Asia-Pacific hub for aircraft component manufacturing and MRO. It provides a series of eight land-based ready-built factories with gross floor areas ranging from 1,600 to 3,600 sq m and functional layouts with extended mezzanine floors.

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ENQUIRY NO 201

IndustryFocus AerospaceIndustry

Can The MROs Keep Up With The

Efficiency Drive?

Future aircraft will fly farther with less fuel and with lower emissions. We take a look at how MROs are gearing up to face these challenges.

I

f you can only use one word to describe the philosophy behind new generation aircraft, that word must be ‘efficient’. As fuel costs threaten to erode the profit margins of airlines around the world, aircraft manufacturers have responded by launching aircraft that are more economical to operate.

Scott Fancher, VP & GM in charge of the development of Boeing’s commercial airplanes, said as far as the developments of future generation aircraft like the 777-9X or 777-8X are concerned, there is one point that is of paramount importance.

“The entire strategy is geared on fuel efficiency. We spent time talking to our customers and we understand what they need to drive their growth.”

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Referring to the B777-300ER as a “great airplane,” he conceded that it was a hard act to follow but he was glad that his team was able to bring fore a new variant that is superior in terms of fuel efficiency, range, seat capacity, operation and maintenance cost. To sum things up, he said the 777X and 787 are right-sized and optimised to cover the market of planes from 200 to 400 seats.

The twin-engine 777-9X produces lower emissions and community noise, and comes with the advanced GE engine with laminar flow nacelles. In addition, it has the largest composite wing, which is not only lighter and more efficient, but results in lower fuel use. Finally, it has a folding wingtip for airport compatibility and longer wingspan.

Providing Thrust Bill Millhaem, GM (GE90/9X) of GE Aviation said they will bring a new generation engine called the GE9X to the 777X family that produces 10 percent better fuel burn per engine. He also mentioned four keys technologies built into the engine.

First of all, the engine has a fourth generation composite fan blade. It is worthwhile to note that the number of fan blades has been reduced from 22 on today’s GE90 engine, to 16 on the GE9X. The engine also delivers twice the strength and greater thermal capabilities than their metal counterparts, with just a third of the weight, by using ceramic matrix composite materials in the core. Finally, its combustor is said to produce greater efficiency and www.equipment-news.com

AerospaceIndustry IndustryFocus you could do today that you could not do 5 to10 years ago,” he said.

Significant emphasis was placed on fuel efficiency when designing Boeing’s new generation aircraft

lower emissions, and the highpressure compressor can boast a 27:1 pressure ratio.

Getting Prepared Ahead Of Time The first 777X and other aircraft may still be a few years away from now, but Lufthansa Technik is already gearing up to make themselves ready for this aircraft.

“Innovation has a very strong impact on Lufthansa Technik and also on the MRO industry,” said August Wilhelm Henningsen, chairman of the executive board of the company. Speed, according to him, is also essential for his company in order for them to steal a march on their competitors. “We have to be prepared to go very early in time and get our people acquainted with the first A350 and 777-9X.” The service provider has been using their experience on A380 and the 787 to make themselves future ready. He believes that dealing with components for the A350 would not be a huge step forward because of the experienced already amassed.

“On the A380 category of components, there is a certain standard that we have reached,” he said, adding that they had carried out a significant amount of sheet metal work on the wing-rib modification project on the A380. www.equipment-news.com

He revealed that average downtime for the extensive modification is now less than 49 days, and after one year, 15 modifications (31 aircraft under contract) are finished ‘noseto-tail’ or over the course of several downtimes.

Regional Jets In another segment of aircraft, the issue of efficiency is also under scrutiny and taken seriously.

Philippe Poutissou, VP of marketing for Bombardier (commercial aircraft) said: “The structure (of a plane) is a big driver of fuel efficiency. In a new aircraft like the C series, there are a number of things we can do to drive the aircraft to be more fuel-efficient than its predecessor. The manufacturing techniques available to us today, along with the usage of composite materials and advanced aluminium alloys help us make the aircraft lighter.”

Like Boeing on the 777-9X, the company has also put in a lot of effort into the wing of the plane.

“With composite, we can apply a process to the manufacturing of the composite wing called resin transfer infusion. The process allows us to make extremely precise shape; meaning if you were to look down the cross section of our wing, no two inches of the cross section are alike. This is the type of things

Design & Care OEMs are also getting into the MRO segment of the aerospace industry.

Look no further than Bombardier.

Like Lufthansa Technik, they too are busy making themselves ready for the next generation aircraft. There is one stark difference however, unlike their German counterpart, they are caring for the very planes they have designed and built.

Gary Martin, VP of sales, marketing and services programs (aerospace) of Bombardier explained the idea a day after opening a ser vice centre in Singapore. “Customers have said they would really like to lean on us to take care of the airplane because we know them best. It is in response to that market pull that we have created these aftermarket offerings,” he said.

According to Mr Martin, it is in his company’s interest to understand how to make their customers successful and help them manage the cost and performance.

In response to that, he revealed his company offers products on a cost per hour basis for both business and commercial aircraft.

Fit For The Future The airliners started the efficiency ball rolling by demanding for planes that are cheaper to operate. The aircraft and engine manufacturers responded with new generation airplanes and propulsion systems to satisfy market demand. This leaves the MROs to get themselves up-todate with the latest technologies.

Judging by how the MROs are reacting to the next generation aircraft, the trinity forged by the aircraft manufacturers, engine makers and the MROs look wellplaced to face the challenges ahead as the aerospace industry flies into a brand new age.

Enquiry No. 2403 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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IndustryFocus AerospaceIndustry

When An Is Also An Driven by market demands, one OEM is also wearing the MRO hat.

F

ollowing the establishment of a service centre in Singapore, it is fair to say Bombardier is taking their service business very seriously.

It has added full service interior refurbishment capabilities to its line and heavy maintenance offering at its Singapore service centre, which is now one of 10 OEM service centres worldwide.

Since it began serving customers in November 2013, the facility has responded to a growing demand for services, including heavy maintenance tasks such as C-Checks on their aircraft and AOG support across the Asia-Pacific region.

Brushing aside fears of overcapacity, Gary Martin, VP of aerospace sales, marketing and services programs said: “As the market grows, there will be more demand for services and the market will rebound. We have done surveys and we knew how much our service centre here in Singapore would be desired by our customers even though there are a lot of other providers in Singapore.”

His optimism could well be due to the fact that there are a total of approximately 250 Bombardier

“I think there is a place for us and MROs to coexist in the market place.”

- Gary Martin 48

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business jets currently based in Greater China, India and the AsiaPacific region.

This point was picked up by his colleague, Philippe Poutissou, VP of marketing, commercial aircraft. He said: “If you look at the type of fleet expansion around Bombardier aircraft in this region, it is almost uniquely growth. We don’t have fleets to replace yet.

The fleets we put into this region are relative young, certainly on the commercial side.”

With a good demand projected for their MRO business in Asia,

Mr Martin believes there is plenty of room for Bombardier and their competitors to co-exist.

“I think there is a place for us and MROs to coexist in the market place and afford customers with choice. Some (customers) want to do their own work and some are part of large MROs themselves. Others have a long standing relationship with MROs and they want to continue to use them,” he said.

However, for those who do not have the infrastructure or have never operated their planes

Philippe Poutissou (L) and Gary Martin

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AerospaceIndustry IndustryFocus

The company looks to align their interest with those of their customers by having airplanes that are reliable and easy to maintain.

before, he feels his company is able to provide the means for potential customers to feel comfortable about taking their airplanes and putting them in service, knowing that Bombardier is right behind them providing the service and support that once upon a time, they had to figure out themselves.

Fuel efficiency is driving the aerospace industry and the MROs are affected although they have no control over the changes aircraft manufacturers come up with. What they can do moving forward is to offer maintenance services that are economical.

Mr Martin said: “We try to determine how best to make the aircraft easier to maintain. We have recently finished the maintenance program on the C series and are delighted with the reduction and the amount of maintenance required on the airplane over its life. (Reduction of maintenance requirement) is going to be a feature on all the airplanes in the future.”

“We feel confident we are www.equipment-news.com

moving along that evolutionary cur ve in a good rate so the airplane and ser vice will be able to meet the requirement,” he said.

Echoing the same sentiment, Mr Poutissou said: “In terms of aircraft development, I will start by saying that our strength is in the integration of technology and manufacturing solutions into a product that meets the market demand. We focus on how do you pick and choose the best of the next wave of innovations and package it into a very efficient package.”

This development is not without its fair share of challenges.

One of them is posted by the usage of composite materials.

Explaining the company’s work with composite materials, Mr Martin said: “Composite — we know that this is a change for the industry, we started very early with our manufacturing colleagues to develop techniques and methodologies to maintain the airplane in service.”

“If you look at the type of fleet expansion around Bombardier aircraft in this region, it is almost uniquely growth.”

- Philippe Poutissou Finally, from the business p o i n t o f v i e w, h e s a i d t h e company looks to align their interest with those of their customers’ by having airplanes that are very reliable and easy to maintain. “We share the way that we manage the cost by offering some cost per hour programs so they can budget effectively,” he said.

Enquiry No. 2404 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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IndustryFocus AerospaceIndustry The company has expanded its operations in Shenzhen.

August Wilhelm Henningsen

Lufthansa Technik:

Going East

We take a look at how a German MRO is looking to spread its wings in Asia

M

any established names in the aerospace industry have set up their businesses in Asia. An aircraft manufacturer recently opened a MRO Centre in Singapore featuring 3,000 sq m of hangar space. Going the same way is Lufthansa Technik, a European provider of technical services for the aviation industry. They too are very interested in capturing a piece of the MRO pie, particularly in Asia.

“We are going to intensify our footprint here in Asia,” said August Wilhelm Henningsen, chairman of the executive board of the compa ny, which ha s invested extensively in this region and according to him, there are compelling business reasons to do so.

He sees an “upward trend” in the MRO business in Asia. He added that the MRO industry is set to continue its recovery path and register a growth rate of 4.5 percent per year. Meanwhile in Asia, MRO spending has been

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increasing and this trend looks set to continue well into 2018.

Figures showed that in 2012, spending was US$16.8 billion and it is projected to increase to about US$25.3 billion in 2018.

Buoyed by the uptrend, he said 2013 was “a great year,” which saw his company increase their revenue as well as their customer base around the globe. He revealed that his company now has some 750 customers worldwide.

These results came amidst some concerns on the issue of overcapacity in the industry from some market observers, which may potentially throw a huge spanner in the works.

Refuse to be drawn into the issue of overcapacity, he said: “The question here is not whether to have a hangar; it is how to fill it. At the end of the day, we will win if we are competitive and we provide good service.”

Asian Network In line with the company’s strategy to be more engaged in the Asian

MRO scene, Lufthansa Technik has various operations in countries like the Philippines, China, Malaysia, India and Singapore.

The Philippines establishment is now able to offer a full range of services from A320 to A380.

North of the Philippines, the company has expanded its MRO operations in Shenzhen, China. They are currently tripling its workshop and warehouse capacity to nearly 25,000 sq m and strengthening its presence in the areas of component supply, logistics services and airline support teams for engine services across China and Asia.

A large autoclave will also be commissioned when the new buildings and workshops become operational. This equipment will allow work on large composite material components such as those used in the A380 or Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft. Staying in the country, the company had also completed a two-year improvement program to reduce turnaround time by 10 percent.

Investing in Asia does not stop at infrastructures, labour is also a factor. Calling training “a very important issue,” Mr Henningsen said the company offers basic and type training through the Ameco Aviation College for up to 1,000 students.

Enquiry No. 2405 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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For further information, please find your nearest TAITRA office online : http://branch.taiwantrade.com.tw

ENQUIRY NO 026

IndustryFocus AerospaceIndustry

MROs Facing

Headwinds?

The influx of next-generation aircraft is good news for passengers, but is this sentiment shared by MRO providers?

T

he Dreamliner by Boeing and the A350 by Airbus are probably the two big hitters synonymous with the tag ‘next generation aircraft’. While airlines over the world are slowly arming their fleet with the modern aircraft, this transformation is also ushering a shift in the aerospace industry.

Some of the changes the industr y has to get used to are the usage of composite materials and the technical adjustments made specially to cater for this change.

Aw a y f r o m t e c h n o l o g y, there is also a seismic shift

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in the business arena in the aftermarket segment.

This trend, along with how t h e M R O p ro v i d e r s s h o u l d prepare for next-generation aircraft, are high of the agenda on the final day of a conference at MRO Asia, held late last year in Singapore.

Preparing For The Change The introduction of new generation aircraft has forced MROs into action as they gear themselves up to ser ve the ever-changing and increasingly competitive aftermarket segment. As such, certain action plans have been implemented

to help keep them relevant. For instance, process, engineering and repair technologies have to be kept up-to-date with the latest technologies borne out of the innovations introduced by the airframers.

In addition, it is also necessary for MROs to identify training requirements to help bring their staff to the required level of competency.

Some tangible examples are the training of specific repair methods like quick composite repair or QCR, on top of training for assessment and qualified response.

It is therefore hardly www.equipment-news.com

AerospaceIndustry IndustryFocus

MROs are experiencing new challenges as OEMs eye a piece of the aftermarket segment

surprising to see some MROs i n v e s t i n g h e a v i l y t o re a d y t h e m s e l v e s f o r t h e f u t u re .

For example, Gameco, a MRO headquartered in Guangzhou, has increased their hangar capacity and added a component and composite centre to their existing facilities.

Please Keep Your Seatbelt Fasten While in flight, it is impossible to avoid turbulence sometimes and this analogy can be aptly used for the MRO providers. Although challenges are inevitable, it is helpful to be able to look ahead and prepare for it.

In a presen tation at the conference, Gijs Van Rooijen, product suppor t director components of AFI KLM E&M p o i n t e d o u t a n i n t e re s t i n g trend that sees OEMs playing a larger role in the aftermarket segment, which is traditionally dominated by MRO operators.

He mentioned that in airframe maintenance of modern aircraft like the A350 and B787, there will be a larger role for OEMs in codevelopment and risk-carrying.

OEMs will also raise IP protection barriers and play a more important role in the aftermarket. This will www.equipment-news.com

leave independent MROs in a potentially vulnerable position as they may have difficulties with IP barriers and access to repair data.

Looking ahead, he also said there is a possibility of a reverse offshoring (Asia to Europe) trend on next generation wide body aircraft maintenance after a number of years.

A number of experts at the event also agreed with Mr Van Rooijen on his assessment of the situation. Dr Andrea Heizner, GM & CEO of Ameco Beijing also touched on the issue of IP, among others. He listed three major challenges in the future for MRO providers.

First up is the cost of labour.

Couple the labour issue with high investment cost and providers will see their profit margin decrease. Their woes do not stop there however; there is still an issue of the ever narrowing entry to IP to deal with.

These challenges, he said, resulted from the development of current market trends and will force or encourage MRO providers to form more alliances and networks in the future. Together, they will use shared services.

Gearing Up For A Soft Landing Although there are challenges ahead for MRO providers, Dr Heizner said MROs can help themselves by increasing their productivity, and optimising processes and resource management. These measures can help streamline operations but the most pertinent point here, according to him, is the availability of soft skills.

He said: “The technological advancement is a challenge, but soft skills make the difference.� With that, he listed qualifications, knowledge, experience, management, leadership and motivation as key values to help an organisation succeed in the future aerospace landscape.

To further mitigate the risk of losing out in the future, where talent in the field of aerospace may be dwindling, his company has set up an aviation college to be ready for future challenges. They also have strategies in place to share best practices and look at how to increase man hours with same number of manpower.

Enquiry No. 2406 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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IndustryFocus AerospaceIndustry method, High-Pressure Coolant (HPC) enables the increase of cutting parameters and doubles the cutting speed, due to the more efficient cooling. That in turn contributes to reducing the generated heat in the cutting zone and increases PPP. APMEN: Do you see the aerospace and defence sectors growing in Asia and how would it affect the metal cutting industry?

Making The Cut In Aerospace Reuven Shapir, Iscar’s aerospace industry manager gives us his take on the aerospace industry from a cutting tool supplier’s point of view.

APMEN: From a cutting tool maker’s perspective, what is the most pertinent trend in the aerospace industry which will cause the most impact in the metal cutting sector and why?

Reuven Shapir (RS): Demand t o i n c r e a s e P r o d u c t i v i t y, Performance and Profitability (PPP) has resulted due to a need to apply new cutting tools and grades for machining tough and hard steels, high temperatures alloys, and titanium with reduced Cost Per Unit (CPU).

Modern CNC controls with the ability to work and control very fast feeds lead to using the High Speed Machining (HSM) method that uses tools with an increased maximum number of flutes.

It also results in milling with a small width of cut and short contact time during the cut.

That contributes to reducing generated heat and increasing the cutting edge life when machining the tough materials 54

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

that are very common in the aerospace industry.

The results of extreme table feeds to achieve high Metal Removal Rate (MRR) with the advantage of less generated heat due to small contact time enable the ability to achieve more PPP. The increase of coolant efficiency by delivering the coolant directly to the cutting edge with a much higher pressure

RS: All of the forecasts show that the demand for aerospace products will increase in large numbers for the long term because the demand for passenger flights is rising rapidly due to globalisation and international tourism, placing increasing demands on the aviation industry.

The international political tension all over the world contributes to increase in military budgets with more demands for aerospace and defence equipment.

The aerospace industry in Asia is growing quickly. They have the advantage of being subcontractors with lower production costs versus production in western countries. In addition, there is an increase in demand for military aerospace products (for own consumption). These circumstances contribute

HPC is said to improve cutting speed, due to more efficient cooling.

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AerospaceIndustry IndustryFocus to the rise of the aerospace industr y in industrialised Asian countries.

APMEN: Do you see 3D printing as a competing or complementary technology for traditional cutting technologies in the field of aerospace?

Tools used for the aerospace industry should be designed to perform at extreme conditions.

RS: Due to the tough demands for strength and metallurgical features for parts in the aerospace industry, using parts produced by 3D printing technology is limited in the near future.

APMEN: What are the special characteristics that operators need to take note of while machining various airplane parts? Do you have any tips in terms of metal/composite materials cutting to help increase the productivity in manufacturing aircraft components?

RS: The aerospace industr y is managed under the AS100 standard with very strict QA rules. One of the main rules is that after the FAI (First Article Inspection) is done, it is forbidden to create uncontrolled changes in the production process.

Actually the process and technology are sealed and any

fur ther change demands a complicated approval procedure.

Therefore the demand in the aerospace industry is to produce parts which are 100 percent perfect from the beginning.

This requires the highest engineering and technology attention and focus in order to design the process right from the beginning of the production trials with the most suitable tool technology and CNC programs with the most efficient tool path.

In order to reach this goal, it is required to be very professional and updated with knowledge about the most innovative tools for each machining operation. Therefore engineers and technologists

The demand for better cost saving drives the need for an increased number of cutting edges per insert.

require close professional support from the tool manufacturers, with specific experience on the performance of their tools.

APMEN: What are some of the technological advancements in milling, turning and hole making that can be applied to the aerospace sector?

RS: The demand for better cost saving drives the need for an increased number of cutting edges per insert. Iscar’s standard double-sided inserts with double cutting edges are available as standard — rhombus, square, round, FF style (Fast Feed), hexagonal and octagonal (up to 16 cutting edges in one insert) — in all insert size ranges.

Milling aluminium parts with high spindle speed up to 33,000 rpm with high powerful spindle power above 100 kW and fast controls enable the increase of MRR for milling aluminium. Tools should be designed to perform at these extreme conditions. For example, the Helialu designated HSM90S line includes 90 deg milling cutters for milling aluminium at very high rotational spindle speeds.

Enquiry No. 2407 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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IndustryFocus AerospaceIndustry

A Quick Fix With

Composite Materials

Braze alloys are increasingly playing a vital role in engine MRO

APMEN spoke with Jimmy Lui, Southeast Asia GM & aerospace marketing manager of Morgan Advanced Materials on how composite materials are making their presence felt in the aerospace industry.

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APMEN: Could you share with our readers the role braze alloys are playing in today’s aerospace industry?

APMEN: What are the advantages of using such materials in the MRO sector?

What are the challenges?

Jimmy Lui (JL): In today’s aerospace industry, 50 percent of the 80,000 engines currently on order for the world’s aerospace engine market originate from the growth markets of Asia, the Middle East, and South America. With such a huge number of orders in place, there is a strong demand to prolong engine life and develop materials that withstand deterioration.

Braze alloys play a vital role in engine MRO as it is used for metal-to-metal bonding, assembly of aerospace components, and the repair of micro-cracks. Presintered preforms are suitable for crack repair and dimensional re s t o r a t i o n o f a e ro e n g i n e components. These brazed alloys come in paste, paint, powder, preforms, wire and foil form and are available in both precious and non-precious metals.

Inside turbines, Pre-Sintered Preforms (PSPs) are being used to repair vanes that are breaking down due to excessive heat and wear. PSPs are a sintered alloy with a small amount of braze alloy mixed with the parent metal; these alloys are used primarily in the turbine hot section for repairing vanes for cracks and wear areas not possible to weld.

JL: Non-precious alloys used in MRO are constantly evolving as better and more heat efficient alloys are developed. These alloys go through brazing, a joining process that relies on the wetting flow and solidification of a brazing filler material to form a metallurgical bond between two materials.

The advantages of brazing alloys used in MRO include the ability to withstand high temperatures. They are also able to provide a customised fit to the shape of the component.

Brazing alloys are known to be reliable and cost effective as it is able to extend the life of engine components by up to 300 percent.

Finally, like welding, the properties of braze repair are often better than the original materials in terms of wear and strength.

The quest to seek improvements in turbine component life and the performance of engines in order for them to be able to meet the demands of higher thrust and higher operating temperatures is challenging. As a result, materials scientists and engineers are working to develop better repair options and braze alloys to cater to the purpose of providing lower engine life-cycle

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

cost, longer ser vice life and quicker turnaround time within the MRO sector.

APMEN: What are the pertinent technological trends in the aerospace industry that will have implications on the usage of braze alloys or its related technologies in the future?

JL: One interesting trend in the aerospace industry involves the repair of squealer tips which form part of a directionally solidified or single crystal turbine blade.

Previously, this part would require replacing. However, due to the advances in brazing materials and techniques, repairs can be carried out on the damaged section.

APMEN: Gas turbine vane repair is one area where braze alloys are of use. What are the other applications in the aerospace industry?

JL: Apart from gas turbine vane repairs, brazed alloys could also be used in engine sensors that utilise metal-to-ceramic strips to monitor engine functions. In addition, active metal brazing facilitates the joining of some materials and components which has been especially beneficial in military applications.

Enquiry No. 2408 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ENQUIRY NO 038

IndustryFocus AerospaceIndustry

Smart Honing Technology Gives Aerospace Hydraulic Pumps Making A Lift A jobshop’s adoption of a new technology makes tight tolerances look generous. By Ray Kemble, president, Kemble & Drum Communications, for Sunnen

W

hen a machine tool produces nine bores per part with 0.5 µm variation all day long with essentially no operator attention, it comes as a surprise to even experienced machinists.

With a 2.21 Cpk process capability, the technology responsible for such results has been heralded as game changing in a precision grinding and machining shop called Waltz Brothers.

The mentioned parts — flightcritical hydraulic pumps — are produced by the hundreds every year. With a Sunnen SV-1015 honing system, the company managed to produce bores but also records its final air gauging measurements to track each serialised part.

One of the attributing factors is a smart tooling technology that servocontrols the force on a honing machine’s tool feed system. It and other machine automation capabilities, such as robotic part indexing and inprocess air gauging, have created a new reality at the jobshop.

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Carving Out A Niche One specialty at this 60-person company is the manufacture of parts that go into aerospace hydraulic actuation systems.

“Piston pumps are a good niche for us,” says company president Larry Waltz. “These are the most critical parts we make. There’s great variation in materials, design details, process flow and assembly requirements, but the parts do have fundamental similarities.”

The heart of the pump, called a cylinder block or rotor, starts as a turned blank up to eight inches diameter. Then, nine circumferential piston bores from 4.8 to 38.1 mm diameter are roughed in on a machining centre, and the part may be heat treated.

The piston bores are not through holes, but have small kidney-shaped slots cut through the bottom. Some designs call for heat treating, use of bronze bore liners, or bronze plating on the bottom of the part, its running face. Liners may be cast in or produced on the company’s screw

machines, then anchored into retaining grooves with a ballising process or swaging.

“Nine bores are common to most pump designs,” Mr Waltz explained. “We buy the raw stock and manufacture the cylinder block blank complete. We also manufacture several different parts that work within the final actuator assembly, including the pistons and ‘slippers.’

The pistons have a total diameter tolerance of 0.003048 mm, while the bore ID’s on the cylinder block have a total diameter tolerance of 0.006096 mm. We must also maintain tolerances of 0.5 µm for bore roundness, 1 µm straightness, 0.1 to 0.25 µm Ra bore finish, and less than 0.07 µm surface on the pistons. We have three Zeiss CMM’s that can scan the piston bores at various levels for cylindricity. All these parts are serialised, traceable to the material and processes used to create them.

D u r i n g p ro t o t y p i n g , w e determine where to leave needed stock on the part, but we fine- tune the stock allowance over time and tweak our processes to be as efficient as possible.

For example, heat treated parts are often carburised which creates only a thin layer of surface hardness at about 54 HRc. As a result, we want to remove as much metal as possible before hardening, so we aim for 0.0254 to 0.0381 mm honing stock in the bore in the hardened state. Parts with bronze bore liners are, of course, a different story.”

Manual Work The company had been using standard horizontal honing technology, where outcomes are heavily dependent on the operator’s skill. “The operator would hone one bore, clean the part, air gauge it at three different levels and then at 90 degrees bottom/middle/top to see if there’s any issue, such as taper www.equipment-news.com

AerospaceIndustry IndustryFocus After honing, Mr Waltz confirms the bore measurements with a CMM.

The work envelope of the honing machine shows airbearing index table in foreground, robot to left, honing spindle and tool upper centre, and air gauge right.

at the bottom of the bore which would have to be feathered out,” he explained.

“There’s a tremendous amount of back-and-forth to complete nine bores, and if you blow one bore, you’ve scrapped a part valued at several hundred dollars. After honing, we must have confirming CMM inspections on each part, each bore, and this becomes part of the manufacturing history for each block. Honing and inspection could easily take two hours per part.

Our challenge to the honing machine manufacturer was to automate everything, including part indexing, air gauging, and recording of gauge readings for the part’s history. We achieved all this with the honing system, but it was one of the standard features in this machine — multi-feed honing — that has played a role in taking our honing process capability to a new level.”

Multi-Feed Honing The multi-feed honing capability gives users a choice of tool-feed modes to achieve the shortest cycle times, lowest part cost, and longest abrasive life. Multifeed combines a controlledforce tool-feed with its existing controlled-rate feed system. The two different modes allow the user to select the better option to suit the workpiece geometry, www.equipment-news.com

material and tool type/size.

Typically, a production honing process is set up to use an abrasive tool with a combination of grit size and bond optimised for specific part conditions. Tool expansion to achieve the desired results and final size is programmed based on rate of time.

However, when a batch of parts comes in with a different heat treatment, distortion or a size variation, the operator must inter vene because the tool may expand too quickly and be damaged.

In the opposite case with a softer-than-normal or oversize workpiece, the tool will still expand at its programmed rate, when it might have been able to expand faster to reduce cycle time. Expansion at too slow a rate may also result in glazing of the honing stones, which will not self dress if the cutting force is too low.

Typically, the operator tweaks a rate-feed system periodically to compensate for these variables.

By servo-controlling the force in the tool feed system, however, the machine can sense and compensate for these variables. The controlledforce feature, which works in concert with the machine’s standard ratefeed system, functions like cruise control to maintain the optimum cutting load on the honing abrasive throughout a cycle, irrespective

of the incoming part’s hardness, geometry or size variation.

“In effect, the machine adapts the tool to what is happening in the bore when the abrasive contacts it,” Mr Waltz said. “This ‘smart tooling’ is an advantage when we are honing rotors with sleeved bores, because the liner sometimes has a little memory and can spring back. The new machine recognises these variations, adapts, and produces bores with consistent size control.

It may even shorten or lengthen the normal cycle time as it adapts to part conditions.”

Smarter Honing “On a recent project with an allowable bore tolerance of 0.006 mm, we held a tolerance range of 0.001524 mm — that’s 25 percent of the total allowable tolerance.

We also tripled the previous production rate, while reducing the labour component by 80 percent so the operator can do other work in the cell,” he said.

“We know from re-inspecting the parts on our CMMs that the results correlate well. The process capability and data reporting features in the machine have been an advantage to us and our customers, allowing that data to be downloaded to a spread sheet or SPC software.”

Enquiry No. 2409 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Manager's Take

Learn To Fly Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) finds out more on the requirements, technologies and solutions for a successful start in the aerospace industry. By Joson Ng

F

acing a competitive global manufacturing environment, a country like Singapore cannot afford to compete on cost. This is something that was recognised many years back and the strategies or policies that came after that realisation culminated in the country’s emergence as one of the aerospace hubs in Asia.

This direction taken by the government has given contract manufacturers in the country a chance to compete on quality rather than cost, giving them an edge over their regional competitors.

However, producing quality parts for the aerospace industry is not a simple task; there are steep challenges for suppliers to overcome. Once these ‘tests’

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are passed, the path taken by a reliable supplier of aerospace parts will be one that is filled with plenty of opportunities and ultimately, a rewarding one.

Various industry experts gave their take on how to successfully penetrate the aerospace industry by overcoming the challenges.

Along with presenters from S I M Te c h , t h e re w e re a l s o representatives from Siemens, Walter Tools and DMG/Mori.

Harsha B Y, regional product manager at Siemens, touched on Siemens NX applications for aerospace part manufacturing.

On the cutting tool segment, Carlos Magon, tools application engineer at Walter spoke on various advanced machining solutions for Heat Resistant Super Alloys (HRSA).

In machine tools, Richard Kellett from DMG/Mori Seiki Aerospace Excellence Centre told participants what he thinks are the points to consider in order to be successful in the aerospace industry.

What Do You Have?

What Do You Need?

With demand growing constantly in the industr y, Mr Kellett highlighted the impor tance of creativity in the field of aerospace. “Without innovation, you are only as good as your competitor,” he said.

He went on to talk about the three main types of parts in the industry. They are jet engine components, landing gears and structural components. As there is a plethora of parts and www.equipment-news.com

Manager'stake

Richard Kellett gave interested parties important insights into the aerospace industry.

possibilities in the industry, he told the participants to take a step back and think.

“Analyse what you got, what you are good at,” he said. He added it is a good idea to list down production capabilities and organise them into a table format so as to present a powerful demonstrative tool to prospective customers.

In addition to showcasing what a contract manufacturer is capable of, there are also certifications to worry about in order to open the door in the first place. According to Mr Kellett, the manufacturer requires an AS9100 certification.

Secondly, it is advisable to acquire an ISO 14001. Customer specific certifications round up the set of certifications that are needed for a company entering the industry.

Instilling A Right Mentality Everyone likes to be right but in the aerospace industry, being right is not a preference, it is an absolute must. This notion was emphasised by Mr Kellett. “It is important to be right the first time,” he said.

In addition, he felt that process monitoring is important for the aerospace sector. “They want to see that you are offering traceability on the part. They want to know the life of the component, from the time it arrives in your www.equipment-news.com

Carlos Magon

work shop to the time it leaves. For example, you not only measure spindle speeds and record them, you also measure coolant and pressure as these are important records. You need to be secured in the knowledge that you have made the part well.”

Apart from traceability, a manufacturer needs to assimilate into their customers’ work culture. He said: “When you go to your customer and try to win orders from him, he becomes your benchmark — for what you want to achieve and also for how your company should look like.”

Branching Out In today’s manufacturing climate, there is no prize for being good in one discipline. This is an ethos manufacturers should cultivate, particularly if they intend to supply to the aerospace industry.

He said: “You have to work with other suppliers and partners to be able to gain orders from OEMs. Suppliers are taking on more and more responsibilities like manufacture, assembly and testing. If you are just a supplier that is able to offer cheap machining, you are not going to win. You are only going to win if you offer a package of work, knowledge or expertise.”

With that said, Mr Kellett told

the audience they need to combine the ability to machine parts with a knowledge in NDT, cleaning, painting & surface treatment, documentation, marking and packaging & storing.

He also pointed out that when packaging is concerned, “think Japanese,” because any danger of damaging a finished component should be avoided.

Keep Your Eyes Open & Ears Up A successful supplier in the aerospace industry should also be mindful of the happenings in the industry, advised Mr Kellett.

With that, he touched on the issue of materials. Using titanium, an exotic material and aluminium, a popular material as examples, he said: “If you are going for something that is popular like aluminium, there will be a lot of competition. Less popular materials (like titanium) require more advanced machining. Think about the materials you are able to process.”

In the field of components, there is a trend that sees more individual components of the engine being combined into one single component, increasing its reliability. While this is good news, manufacturers have to pay a hefty price for better reliability as manufacturing procedures become more complex. He said: “It is interesting to keep your ears out for new types of components which are coming, and gain a competitive advantage to be the first to manufacture them.”

Finally, in the area of CAD/ CAM, he talked about using a CAM system that can generate documentations like drawings and procedures in order to gain an advantage, because programmers tend to spend a lot of time creating documentations to support the program rather than doing actual programming.

Enquiry No. 2501 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

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Manager'stake Organisation: SME Corporation Malaysia The organisation aims to promote the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through effective coordination and provision of business support. SME Corporation Malaysia provides infrastructure facilities, financial assistance, advisory services, market access and other support programmes.

Programme: Soft Loan For SMEs (SLSME) This scheme assists existing as well as newly start-up enterprises in project, fixed assets and working capital financing.

Organisation: SPRING Singapore The agency is responsible for helping Singapore enterprises grow and build trust in Singapore

Starting

Getting started is always challenging. We look at how budding entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia can get going with help from their respective governments. products and services. It provides assistance in financing, capability and management development, technology and innovation, and access to markets.

Programme: SPRING Startup Enterprise Development Scheme (SPRING SEEDS) The scheme is an equity-based co-financing option for Singaporebased start-ups with innovative products and/or processes with intellectual content and strong growth potential across

international markets.

Here are some other organisations that provide similar assistance to startups.

Indonesia: State Ministry of Cooperatives & SMEs Thailand: Office of SME Promotion of Thailand Vietnam: Agency for Enterprise Development Enquiry No. 2502 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

MORE THAN A MAGAZINE MEN Indonesia With a readership of 8,000, you will be able to gain a foothold in the rising Indonesian metalworking market with this magazine.

Print Magazine The most quantifiable way to reach 9,500 qualified readers.

Website Read our eBooks as well as business news here. eNewsletters Get regular updates from us and our sponsors with this service that reaches 30,000 subscribers.

Vietnam Guide Book An annual to help our Vietnamese readers (8,000 strong) arm themselves with the latest in metalworking technologies.

Social Media An interactive way to stay engaged with our readers.

Covering all angles and markets, Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News is the metalworking resource centre in both traditional and new media platforms. apmen@epl.com.sg Tel: (65) 6379 2888 Fax: (65) 6379 2805

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ENQUIRY NO 039

Features

CECIMO To Bring

urope To Asia

Michael & Christa Richert, Berlin, Germany

Filip Geerts, director general of CECIMO (European Association of the Machine Tool Industries), talks about his confidence in European-made machine tools and how they can fuel Asia’s rapidly developing machine tool market.

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APMEN: 2014 is a year with major trade shows happening in Asia and in the US. Are you wary of the ‘trade show effect’ bringing away market share from European suppliers, particularly in the direction of Japanese and South Korean companies?

Filip Geer ts (FG): I do not believe that this ‘trade show effect’ will have a noticeable impact on our market share.

First, the European machine tool industry is a solid global leader.

Following eight percent output growth in 2012, Europe’s share in global production is forecast to increase from 31 percent to 34 percent in 2013.

European expor ts, as represented by CECIMO countries, have also reached an all-time-high level in 2012 to €18.8 billion (US$25.6 billion).

This is an important sign that Europe is strengthening its position as a globally competitive manufacturing and export base.

Secondly, European machine tool builders already participate in some good Asian exhibitions.

To help them further reach their potential Asian customers in Shanghai on even-numbered years (or non-EMO years as we call them), we have decided to join forces with the exhibition Eastpo to create the EMTE-Eastpo Machine Tool Exhibition (EMTE stands for European Machine Tool Exhibition).

Finally EMO, the international machine tool exhibition happening every odd-numbered years in Europe, has no reason to be envious of its Asian counterparts.

The success of EMO Hannover 2013 proved this again.

APMEN: The EMTE Eastpo show will debut in 2014. What are the features that set this show apart from other shows in China? www.equipment-news.com

Features

Filip Geerts

FG: The EMTE-Eastpo Machine Tool Exhibition will be held in Shanghai at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from July 14 - 17, 2014. It is expected to be a showcase of technology and practical solutions.

Following the strong tradition of major exhibitions in Europe, the show has in place strict exhibitor admission rules. We will also ensure that the intellectual property rights of manufacturers are not infringed, and there will be live demonstrations of products presented according to their sector.

To complement this display of manufacturing technologies, a one-day CEO Summit will be held under the theme ‘Profitable growth through state-of-the-art manufacturing’. This event will bring together some 300 machine tool makers and their buyers from China and the rest of Asia.

To ensure this machine tool exhibition will uphold European quality standards for exhibitors and visitors, a CECIMO-EMTE organising team has been created.

As this initiative is founded and driven by the associations representing the machine tool builders in Europe, they have an understanding of the market needs. However this expertise must be complemented by good www.equipment-news.com

According to Mr Geerts, the success of the EMO show is a glowing testament to European-made machine tools.

local partners and we have the opportunity to partner with MP and Eastpo Culture and Development to jointly organise a large-scale machine tool trade show in Shanghai for the Asian market.

APMEN: In Asia, there is a reported slowdown in manufacturing activities. Do you feel this is a challenge for European machine tool builders because operators no longer need machines with exceptional productivity but can now afford to ‘take their time’ in producing parts using simpler machines?

FG: This slowdown is relative and has to be considered in a broader context. The global machine tool industry’s market is shifting towards Asia, more heavily towards China, which makes it the place to be for European machine tool builders.

A s i a ’s s h a re i n g l o b a l consumption amounted to just under 67 percent. Demand in Asia shows dynamic growth.

Most machine tools worldwide are purchased in China (for €28.1 billion) and with a share of 45 percent in world consumption. China is the largest sales market worldwide. China,

South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and India collectively account for 65 percent of the global consumption for machine tools, and they are looking to buy European machine tools.

Secondly, we always need more productivity. China is pivoting toward invention and greater quality and away from production in order to increase its competitive advantage. This new strategy of superior production and superior innovation can only be reached using high end machine tools.

Those machine tools will be provided by European machine tool builders.

Chinese companies strive for higher quality and unique design.

They are definitely adapting foreign technologies and business models to the Chinese marketplace and rapidly leveraging these experiences into new variations.

Companies have also absorbed p ro c e s s t e c h n o l o g y m o re completely than most imagined possible, as demonstrated by the nearly labourless auto plants now operating in China. The nation’s quest for so-called indigenous innovation is now the new mantra of China — and will be an opportunity for the European Machine tool industry to deliver advanced machine tools for that purpose.

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Features

66 percent of European machine tool builders foresee the production to increase in 2014

Mr Geerts said CECIMO would apply rules usually found in European metalworking trade shows in his show in China

APMEN: Some European machine tool builders are starting to build ‘entry level’ machines in Asia to compete against Asian competitors.

Some larger Japanese builders are doing the same too. Do you see this as a trend that will continue? Do you think this is a sustainable strategy or is it a short term fix?

FG: European machine tool builders must capitalise on their strengths to compete with their Asian counterparts. Europe has managed to maintain a competitive edge in metalworking technologies, despite new global challenges and competitive pressures, because of its capacity to produce high-quality, specialised machine tools tailored to their customers’ needs. This is achieved thanks to a combination of engineering know-how and a highly skilled workforce which enable a strong capacity of innovation and quality production.

An ongoing shift toward highervalue machines, such as machines with more advanced CNC controls and multitasking machine tools, is now being observed in Asia.

For example in the Chinese machine tool industr y, CNC machine tool is the type that sees the fastest growth. In 2012, 25.8 percent of metal cutting machine tools and 5.8 percent of forming machine tools were CNC machine tools; their portion is expected to be 29.2 percent and 6.8 percent respectively in 2013, and will reach 37.0 percent and 7.6 percent by 2015.

At the same time, increasing 66

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

regulations regarding energy conservation in Asia will lead to growth in demand for energyefficient machine tools. Because energy efficiency and sustainability are already driving forces in the European machine tool industry’s R&D activities, European machine tools will certainly fill the needs of Asian companies in that regard.

The Blue Competence Machine Tools initiative, for example, provides customers with a reliable standard to measure the sustainability and saving potential of their machine-tool capital expenditures.

APMEN: With the European machine tool production estimated to reach €22.3 billion in 2013 following a return to economic growth in the EU, how do you think 2014 will be for European machines?

FG: We expect a globally more balanced economic environment in 2014. While China’s economy transforms from an investment based one towards a more consumption based economy,

Europe is gradually exiting the worst economic crisis of its history.

Our statistics show that 66 percent of European machine tool builders foresee the production to increase in 2014. The recent CECIMO Business Climate Barometer survey confirmed that 42 percent of respondents expect their exports to grow in the near future.

The global machine tool consumption is estimated to have decreased by 7.4 percent in 2013.

However, this year we forecast the trend of investment in machine tool purchasing industries to turn upward and result in five percent machine tool consumption growth in the world. Asia will preserve its position as the biggest consumer.

We are especially happy to see increasing consumption in Europe. The strong bond between European machine tool builders and their clients feeds the dynamic innovation system that gives our machine tool industry its competitive advantage.

Enquiry No. 2601 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ENQUIRY NO 033

Features

Building Better Through Fibre Reinforced Polymers

The use of composites materials, specifically fibre reinforced polymers or FRPs in engineering applications is nothing new. In the building and construction industry, their demand is set to rise with the Asian construction boom. By Shahnawaz Abdul Hamid

T

he recent housing slump in the US and Europe has done little to stem the high construction demand in Asia. According to the Asia Construction Outlook released by AECOM and Davis Langdon, Asia is the largest construction market worldwide, accounting for some 40 percent of global construction spending in 2012.

Unsurprisingly, China leads the pack in terms of construction spending, with US$1.25 trillion spent in that same year. Other countries which look to add to this Asian construction boom are India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Naturally, these countries have a rapidly growing middle class that is increasingly urbanised, bringing about greater demand for homes, airports, roads, offices and factories.

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This boom brings with it an increased demand for composite materials, which have been used for decades in many sectors, namely aerospace, automotive and oil & gas. Their use in the bu i l d i n g a n d co n s t r u c t io n industry is relatively new, with materials previously unheard of, making buildings quicker to assemble and sturdier.

Composite s a re used for various reasons, and can refer to a wide range of different materials. They are basically defined as materials made from two or more constituents with significantly different properties.

At a microscopic level, the constituents remain distinct within the finished structure. A composite material therefore is likely to combine the benefits of both materials.

Composites In Construction Take concrete for instance, a common composite material in the building and construction industry. Concrete is made from a loose aggregate of stones held together by cement. This makes it much stronger than cement, and allows for it to withstand a high compressive force. Nevertheless, it can be stretched apart fairly easily. As such, it is fairly common to hear of reinforced concrete to be used instead, a composite of concrete and steel bars which resists high tensile forces.

Another composite material that ha s found its way into the building and construction industry is the Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP). This composite provides added advantage over traditional materials, given that www.equipment-news.com

Features it is relatively lighter, therefore requiring less support structure.

FRPs are also chosen because of their resistance to corrosion and rot, making them much more reliable than other building elements made from wood or steel.

Being lighter and resistant to corrosion and rot has several cost benefits. Lighter materials re duce t ra n sp or t at ion a nd insta llat ion cost s, a nd ca n reduce safety concerns as well.

Being resistant to corrosion allows for lesser maintenance, again reducing costs.

Development Of FRP Composites In The Construction Sector T he use of fibre - reinforced polymers in the building and construction sector were only introduced in the last 20 years or so, in an attempt to prevent the deterioration of infrastructure which came about because of an over reliance on traditional building materials such as steel and concrete. These building materials, while reliably strong, have a tendency to degrade over time.

FRP composites are made from high - streng th fibre s embedded in a polymer matrix, a nd t his colle ct ive binding e n a b l e s t h e c o m p o s i te t o work se a m le s sl y. D i f fe re nt co mb i n a t i o n s o f f ib r e a n d matrix mean that there can be virtually an infinite range of possible FRPs. Glass and carbon are the two most common fibres used in FRPs, while matrices tend to be epoxies, vinylesters or polyester resin. The ingredients that go into making the FRP can determine the characteristics of the building element itself.

For instance, the use of glass fibres results in lower costs, although these fibres can then result in lower elastic modulus. www.equipment-news.com

China’s rise is set to heighten demand for construction materials, including composites.

Annie Wang, Aestes, US

FRPs today boast a slew of adva ntages over traditiona l materials, making them an easy choice in the world of building and construction. Apart from t he i r l ig ht we ig ht a nd a nt i corrosion nature mentioned earlier, they are also easier to install, electromagnetically n e u t r a l , h av e l ow t h e r m a l conductiv ity a nd a re ea sily c u s to m i s a b l e to m e e t t h e mechanical properties needed in a particular building.

Nevertheless, it is not a ll bright a nd sunny in the world of FRP. There are some disadvantages to using these composites. FRPs can be costly, with higher initial material costs as compared to steel. However, when averaging this cost over the lifespan of the FRP structure, the durability of FRP can make it more cost-effective.

Manufacturing FRPs The increased usage of FRPs can also be attributed to the grow th of ma nufacturing te chnolog ie s which have aided their production. While there are many modern- day te ch n ique s which ca n b e u se d to ma nu factu re F R Ps, the ones more relevant to the field of structural engineering are pultrusion, wet lay-up and filament winding.

Pultr usion refers to a manufacturing process similar to the extrusion of metals. In t he ca se of pult r usion F R P bars, rods and other structural sections are made. The FRP part made can be of any length, and is unidirectional. Raw fibres are pulled through a resin bath then coated with resin, before being heated and shaped in a die until the polymer matrix forms.

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Gavin Mills, Toronto, Canada

Features

The construction industry, like others, has benefited from the use of composites.

We t l a y - u p , o r c o n t a c t moulding as it is sometimes k now n, refers to the use of FRP to improve or rehabilitate an existing structure, perhaps t he re sult of deter ioration.

Fibres are added to the resincovered structure, for instance a concrete pillar, and additional resin are rolled onto the fibres for greater impregnation. Upon curing, the FRP remains bonded to the structure.

T h i s te c h n i qu e i s m o r e economica l a s compa red to conventional techniques such as using steel plates, although it requires skilled labour to produce a certain degree of quality.

T he f i na l ma nu fac tu r i n g process which is relevant to the use of FRP in the building industry is filament winding.

A s t he na me su g ge st s, t he fibre is pulled into thin threads which are then wound round the structure v ia a rotating mandrel. This technique allows for much precision, and through 70

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

the use of fibres can be placed in any number of orientations.

Applications Of FRP Given the many types of FRPs available, there is a wide variety of applications for the composite material. In the building and constr uction industr y, F R P components have been used in various structures, ranging from pedestrian bridges to platforms for the marine and offshore sector.

Some of these structures consist entirely of FRP, while some may consist of FRPs being used to construct specific structural components. These include girders, cable -stayed bridge support cables, blast panels, space trusses, modular residential building systems, marine sheet piling and ground anchors.

In addition, FRP-reinforced concrete is increasingly being used in lieu of conventional reinforcing steel. Gla ss a nd carbon FRP rebars and reinforcing grids have been used to reinforce concrete beams

and slabs. W hile it may not seem obvious to the man on the street, FRPs can display ultimate strengths many times that of steel, making them an easy choice when used in such applications.

As mentioned earlier, FRP materials can also be used to repair and strengthen concrete structures such as load-bearing columns using the wet lay-up procedure. In fact, the nature of FRP makes it compatible when used with most materials (eg: metallic, timber, clay brick).

Composites, especially FRPs have generally been used in many industries, from aerospace to oil & gas. Their usage in the building and construction industry seems to herald an era where the built environment can last longer, resisting corrosion a ga i n s t n at u re’s e le me nt s, reducing business costs and promoting eco-conservatism in the long run.

Enquiry No. 2602 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ENQUIRY NO 006

Trying to target a foreign upcoming market?

Use their local language.

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In our annual Vietnam Guidebook, we feature Metalworking Equipment and bring you the latest in the industry, all in Vietnamese.

• Vietnam’s GDP reached US$141.7 billion in 2012, four times higher compared to figures from 10 years ago.

• Vietnam’s annual GDP growth rate from 2001 to 2010 was 7.3 percent, higher than its more established neighbours like Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

To advertise, please contact: Email: apmen@epl.com.sg Tel: (65) 6379 2888 Fax: (65) 6379 2803

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ENQUIRY NO 040

Product Finder Brother: Multi-Tasking Machine

Enerpac: Durable Slim Torque Wrenches

T he M14 0X1 S p e e d io compact multi-tasking machine performs both turning and milling operation. The machine

by Brother is equipped with a CNC-C00 controller that improves processing capabilities and enhances usability functions.

The manufacturer also claims that high-speed tool change is possible due to the turret magazine being mounted around the column with high performance built-in DD motor. Integration of the turning and milling processes brings various advantages and contributes to high-efficiency machining expected by customers.

Finally, the machine is equipped with machining support functions, such as torque waveform display, high accuracy mode, and heat expansion compensation system.

T he WCR - 4 0 0 0 S e r ie s torque wrenches has b e e n develop e d

by Enerpac.

The design has been optimised to provide the lowest radial and spanner thickness possible yet but it still delivers the rated torque required to provide bolting professionals with a versatile tool.

As well as minimising downtime associated with failure of less durable compact designs, the torque wrenches enhance efficiency and minimise fatigue and delay by accessing tight spaces, including API flanges commonly used in surface drilling and production pipelines and plant.

Available with a wide range of ring type spanners, the torque wrenches enhance safety by incorporating a safe fail link design inside the cassette, which safeguards against spanner fragmentation and associated injury hazards occurring outside the cassette with other designs.

Enquiry No. 2701 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

DMG Mori: 5-Axis Ultrasonic Precision Machining

Faro: Laser Scanner For 3D Documentation

The Ultrasonic 30 linear with its accurate, long term stable gantry design with integral temperature control concept opens up possibilities in fiveaxis precision machining of advanced materials for all precision-relevant machine components.

The application focus here is on dimensional accuracy, contour accuracy as well as surface qualities Ra < 0.1 μm for ultrasonic grinding of complex geometries in high performance materials for the optical, watch and medical industries as well as precision mould manufacturing.

The dynamic, actively cooled linear drives in X, Y, Z directions has up to > 1.2 g acceleration and 50 m/min rapid traverse. It also has the optional swivel range of ±120 deg in the B-axis to reinforce the efficiency of this machine manufactured by DMG Mori.

Enquiry No. 2702 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

Enquiry No. 2703 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Faro Technologies has released the Faro Laser Scanner Focus3D X 330. With a ra nge a lmost three times greater than previous models, the laser scanner can scan objects up to 330 m away and in direct sunlight.

In addition, the measurement accuracy has been increased and noise has been reduced, providing precise 3D models in a photo-realistic style.

These advances in performance did not come at the expense of safety as the equipment includes a Class 1 ‘eye safe’ laser. Finally, with its increased range and scan accuracy, the scanner reduces the effort involved in measuring and post-processing.

Enquiry No. 2704 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ProductFinder Fluke: Earth Ground Testers

ENQUIRY NO 031

Fluke Corpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s earth ground testers have the ability to speed up verification of a reliable connection to earth for grounded electrical systems and help solve power quality problems.

The 1623-2 and 1625-2 testers help engineers and electricians meet electrical codes, engineering standards, and local regulations to ensure that in the event of a lightning strike or utility overvoltage, current will find a safe path to earth.

The latter has features including automatic frequency control and R* measurement, which calculates earth ground impedance with 55 Hz to more accurately reflect the resistance that a fault-toearth ground would experience.

Enquiry No. 2705 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Grundfos: Smart Coolant Pumps

Hawe: Compact Power Pack

Subsystems responsible for coolant circulation play an important role in producing good parts in a machine tool. In addition to the filter technology, pumps that are capable of communication and variable power are essential components of the circulation.

Multistage, vertical immersible pumps of the MTRE series are now complemented by the MGE motor from Grundfos with integrated frequency converter used as the drive.

Together with the integrated frequency converter, these motors exceed the requirements of energy efficiency class IE4 Super Premium Efficiency (IEC TS 60034-31 ed. 1). According to the manufacturer, the combination of pump with the motor allows operator to customise the pump in the process.

With its type HK compact hydraulic power pack combined with a type NSMD cla mping module, Hawe Hydraulik SE now offers a hydraulic system that is suited for CNC lathes.

In this application, the unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constant deliver y pump is powered by a three-phase motor with frequency converter.

This ensures a constant volume flow that compensates for leakage losses at the rotary transfer joint of the chuck.

The frequency converter matches the speed of the motor to the volume flow requirements of the hydraulic consumer units.

The clamping module sets and monitors the clamping pressure. This is achieved by means of a proportional signal that is an output from the machine control system.

Enquiry No. 2706 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ProductFinder Losma: Filtration Group For Centralised Applications

Oerlikon Balzers: Service Life Increased With Coating

Losma, manufacturer of air and coolant filtration systems for machine tools, has developed the Newton Series, a modular filtration group for purifying the air in workshops.

It is said to be suitable for fitting large machine tools as more units can be connected to create a centralised application. The system is supplied in two main sizes: Newton 3 and Newton 6.

The family of product consists a static filtration group for cleaning the air from mists, smokes and odours produced during metalworking. It also comes with an electrostatic filter and a filtration module specific for filtering air containing dry dust and smokes deriving from dry machining.

O e rl i ko n B a l z e r s h a s developed a range of wearprotective coatings called Baliq. The introduction of the coatings is said to usher in a new dimension of productivity and reliability in metalworking because the developer claimed that until now, it has been impossible to coat tools used in microdrilling.

Subsequent testing has demonstrated that the coating can extend the life time of micro drills by 30 times and more. In other areas of application like gear processing, previously unusable coating materials can now be applied, an improvement that can boost toolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; life time by nearly 300 percent.

The improvements can be attributed to the unusually smooth surfaces as well as the extreme hardness, thickness, wear resistance and adhesive strength exhibited by the coatings.

Enquiry No. 2708 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Mitsubishi Materials: Efficient Grades

Renishaw: Contact Scanning System

Using the particle activated sintering method, Mitsubishi Materials has managed to create a stronger binding between the particles that enables the main CBN material to have a more reliable and stronger cutting edge than previous grades.

This advancement has led to the development of two grades. The MB4020 full face type grade is suitable for machining sintered materials.

The MBS140 grade allows high speed and efficient finishing in roughing applications. A balance of wear and fracture resistance in conjunction with the through hole clamping permits larger depths of cut and reduces vibrations even under high cutting loads.

Renishaw has developed the Sprint high-speed contact scanning system for CNC machine tools. With on-machine scanning technology, the system is able to deliver a step-change in the benefits of process control, resulting in fast and accurate form and profile data capture from both prismatic and complex 3D components.

At the core of the system is the OSP60 scanning probe. It has an analogue sensor with 0.1 Îźm resolution in three dimensions. The analogue sensor technology in the probe provides a continuous deflection output that is combined with machine position to derive the true location of the part surface. Finally, the systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s analytical capabilities allow it to measure 1,000 true 3D data points per second according to the manufacturer.

Enquiry No. 2709 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Enquiry No. 2710 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

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ProductFinder Rofin: Fifth Generation Laser Cutting System

Schunk: Quick Jaw Change

Rofin’s four-axes precision laser cutting system StarCut Tube has gotten an upgrade to continue to serve the tube and sheet material applications in the automotive and aerospace industry.

The fifth generation of the system has several improvements. For instance, it has a cutting head (BAKMC) that allows the micro-adjustment of the assist gas nozzle in the x/y plane without changing the beam guidance. With the integrated drawer, changing the protective glass is easy and requires no dismantling.

In addition, it offers a larger working chamber that provides enough room for long parts and/or customerspecific handlings. A drawer allows the removal of finished parts at any time during ongoing production — even during wet-cutting.

With a change- over time of five seconds per jaw, the Schunk Pronto quick jaw change system offers turbocharged set-up times for all standard lathe chucks with fine serrations of 1/16’’ x 90 deg and 1.5 mm x 60 deg.

The quick-change retrofit set from t he compa ny consists of supporting and changing jaws. It is suitable for OD clamping of pre-machined and finished parts. Via the selection of the interchangeable insert, the clamping range can be extended by up to 16 mm, without having to re-set the supporting jaw, an increase of 300 percent in comparison to conventional lathe chucks.

For jaw changes with exact repeat accuracy, the locking is released with an Allen key, the jaw is removed and replaced by another. As required by the application, three supporting jaw variants are available for small, medium, and large clamping ranges.

Enquiry No. 2712 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Sandvik Coromant: Insert Grades For Steel Turning & Cast Iron Milling Sandvik Coromant has developed insert grades G C4 315 a n d GC3330 for steel turning and cast iron milling.

According to the cutting tool manufacturer, they have applied Inveio, a technical breakthrough in material science in a bid to improve the performance of the grades.

The improved performance of these grades is made possible by controlling crystal orientation in the inserts’ CVD alumina coating. While they were random in the past, the manufacturer can now make them all line up in the same direction — towards the top surface.

These tightly-packed crystals create a strong barrier towards the cutting zone and chip. In addition, the unidirectional crystal orientation brings controlled and optimised properties to the coating.

The technology, also available on the GC4325 insert grade launched late last year, allows all three grades to display endurance, predictability and long tool life.

Enquiry No. 2713 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

www.equipment-news.com

Enquiry No. 2714 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Sitec: Laser Machining Centres

The LS55P laser machining centres by Sitec have a footprint of 1,800 x 1,200 mm as well as axis traverse rates (xyz) of 500 x 500 x 300 mm. According to the manufacturer, this is an optimal ratio of useful machine surface area.

Elsewhere, the basic mechanical structure of the machine comprises a gantry system of ground hard stone to ensure vibration-cushioned and precise location of rotary and linear axes.

Finally, the machine can achieve a repeat accuracy of +/- 2 μm per axis and a maximum acceleration rate of 10 m/s².

Enquiry No. 2715 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

77

Exhibition

Programmes

2014

8 - 11 MT duo

TWTC & Nangang Exhibition Hall Taipei, Taiwan TAITRA mt@taitra.org.tw www.mtduo.com.tw

15 – 17 Subcon Thailand 2014 BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) warayut.c@ubm.com www.subconthailand.com

15 – 18 Intermach 2014

March

11 – 13 JEC Europe

Porte de Versailles Paris, France JEC Group truong@jeccomposites.com www.jeccomposites.com

19 – 22 Inapa

JI Expo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia GEM Indonesia info@gem-indonesia.net www.inapa-exhibition.net

April

1–3 MTA Hanoi 2014 ICE Hanoi, Vietnam SES mta@sesallworld.com www.mtahanoi.com

4-6 IDEM Singapore

Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo, Japan Reed Exhibitions Japan metal@reedexpo.co.jp www.metal-japan.jp

16 – 19 Intermold 2014 Intex Osaka

Osaka, Japan Intermold Development Association www.intermold.jp

23 – 25 Semicon Singapore 2014 Marina Bay Sands Expo Singapore Semi semiconsingapore@semi.org www.semiconsingapore.org

May

7–9 Blech China 2014

Suntec Singapore Singapore Koelnmesse www.idem-singapore.com

Suzhou International Expo Centre Suzhou, China Mack Brooks Exhibitions info@blechchina.com www.blechchina.com

9 – 13 SIMTOS 2014

13 – 15 Inamarine 2014

KINTEX Seoul, South Korea KOMMA jjy0331@komma.org www.simtos.org 78

16 – 18 Metal Japan

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

JI Expo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia GEM Indonesia info@gem-indonesia.net www.inamarine-exhibition.net

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

15 – 18 Sheet Metal Asia 2014 BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) info@sheetmetal-asia.com www.sheetmetal-asia.com

21 – 23 Indorenergy 2014 Grand City Convex Surabaya Surabaya, Indonesia PT Napindo Media Ashatama info@indorenergy.com www.indorenergy.com

21 – 24 Metaltech

PWTC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Trade Link info@tradelink.com.my tradelink.com.my/metaltech

June

11 – 14 Manufacturing Surabaya

Grand City Convention & Exhibition Centre Surabaya, Indonesia PT Pamerindo www.pamerindo.com

18 – 22 CIMES

NCIEC Beijing, China Reed Exhibitions nicole.ci@reedexpo.com.cn cimes.net.cn www.equipment-news.com

EXHIBITIONPROGRAMMES 19 - 22 Intermold Thailand 2014 BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Reed Tradex contactcenter@reedtradex.co.th www.intermoldthailand.com

JULY

8 – 11 MTA Vietnam

SECC Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam mta@sesallworld.com www.mtavietnam.com

9 – 11 Aluminium China 2014 Shanghai New Int’l Expo Centre Shanghai, China Reed Exhibitions Greater China nicole.ci@reedexpo.com.cn www.aluminiumchina.com

14 – 17 EMTE Eastpo

Shanghai New International Expo Centre Shanghai, China MP International eastpo@eastpo.net www.emte-eastpo.com

AUGUST

27 – 30 Taipei Int’l Industrial Automation Exhibition 2014 TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall Taipei, Taiwan Chan Chao International automation@chanchao.com.tw www.autotaiwan.com.tw

27 – 30 Taipei Int’l Mold & Die Industry Fair 2014 TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall Taipei, Taiwan Chan Chao International show@chanchao.com.tw www.odm-dmi.com

27 - 30 MTT Expo Kuala Lumpur PWTC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ECMI info@mtt-indonesia.com mtt-indonesia.com www.equipment-news.com

SEPTEMBER

9 – 11 Medical Manufacturing Asia Suntec Singapore Singapore Messe Dusseldorf Asia shirley@mda.com.sg www.medmanufacturing-asia.com

24 - 26 MTT Expo Surabaya (Tentative) Grand City Surabaya, Indonesia ECMI info@mtt-indonesia.com mtt-indonesia.com

OCTOBER

2-4 Manufacturing Myanmar Myanmar Convention Centre Yangon, Myanmar SES mm@sesallworld.com manufacturingmyanmar.com

9 - 11 Metalex Vietnam 2014 SECC Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Reed Tradex metalexvietnam@reedtradex.co.th www.metalexvietnam.com

29 – 31 Indonesia Mining & Engineering

Jakarta International Expo Jakarta, Indonesia Reed Mining Events hanung.hanindito@reedpanorama.com www.miningandengineeringindo.com

Oct 30 – Nov 4 JIMTOF 2014 Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo, Japan JMTBA www.jimtof.org

To be considered for inclusion in the calendar of events, send details of event to:

NOVEMBER

5–8 Indo Aerospace 2014 JI Expo Kemayoran Jakarta Jakarta, Indonesia PT Napindo Media Ashatama yulisa@napindo.com www.indoaerospace.com

5–8 Indo Marine 2014 JI Expo Kemayoran Jakarta Jakarta, Indonesia PT Napindo Media Ashatama yulisa@napindo.com www.indomarine.org

5–9 TMTS 2014

GTIEC Taichung, Taiwan TMBA ricky@tmba.org.tw www.tmts.tw

12 – 14 Welding Busan Korea 2014 BEXCO Busan, South Korea Metal Network Korea Company www.weldingasia.org

DECEMBER

3–6 Manufacturing Indonesia Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia PT Pamerindo www.pamerindo.com

11 – 13 Indometal

JI Expo Kemayoran Jakarta Jakarta, Indonesia Messe Dusseldorf Asia beattrice@mda.com.sg www.indometal.net

The Editor (APMEN) Eastern Trade Media

1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building, #02-05 Singapore 169206 Email: josonng@epl.com.sg • Tel: +65 63792888

March 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

79

Advertising Index Page No.

Enquiry No.

Benign Enterprise Co Ltd

39

025

Bystronic Pte Ltd

05

029

Delcam PLC

07

012

Fritz Studer AG

17

022

HAAS Automation Inc

11

021

FC / IFC

032

Kennametal Inc

BC

011

Mitsubishi Electric

33

034

Optical Gaging (S) Pte Ltd

01

024

Peer Energy Singapore Pte Ltd

75

031

Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd (Manufacturing Myanmar 2014)

73

040

Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd (MTA Hanoi 2014)

45

201

Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd (MTA Vietnam 2014)

71

006

Taegutec Co

13

023

Taiwan External Trade Development Council (MT Duo 2014)

51

026

Trade-Link Exhibition ITE Sdn Bhd (Metaltech 2014)

67

033

Trumpf Pte Ltd

29

036

Tungaloy Singapore (Pte) Ltd

15

028

Advertiser

ISCAR Ltd

UBM Asia (Thailand) Co Ltd (Intermach 2014)

57

038

UBM Asia (Thailand) Co Ltd (Subcon Thailand 2014)

63

039

Walter AG Singapore Pte Ltd

09

030

Walter Machines Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

23

037

WIKUS Sagenfabrik Wilhelm H Kullmann GmbH

19

027

IBC/02-03

035

Yamazaki Mazak Singapore Pte Ltd

80

asia pacific metalworking equipment news March 2014

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ASIA PACIFIC METALWORKING

No. 2 2014

The Engineering Journal For Manufacturing,Automation & Quality Control

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3D FABRI GEAR Mk II Specifications

220

400

218.44mm

406.4mm

Maximum material diameter – Square pipe

152.4mm

299.72mm

Maximum material length (load/unload) –

8,001 mm

8,001 mm

Maximum material diameter – Round pipe

Options

Yamazaki Mazak Singapore Pte Ltd 21 Joo Koon Circle, Jurong Singapore 629053 Tel: +65 6862 1131 Fax: +65 6861 9284 Contact Person: MR IAIN SOH (LASER PRODUCT DIVISION – S.E ASIA) Email: ymsg_marketing@mazak.co.jp Website: www.mazak.com.sg

ENQUIRY NO 035

5,994.4mm, 11,988.8mm, 1,4986mm 5,994.4mm, 11,988.8mm, 1,4986mm

Maximum weight per meter

41.7 kg

60.5 kg

Maximum transfer weight

330 kg

481 kg

Yamazaki Mazak Singapore Pte Ltd (Malaysia Representative Office) No 1-G, 1-1 & 1-2, Jalan OP 1/6, Pusat Perdagangan One Puchong, 47160 Puchong, Selangor D.E, Malaysia Tel: 603- 8076- 6970 Fax: 603-8076-3643 Email: sales@mazak.com.my Website: www.mazak.com.sg

Yamazaki Mazak Vietnam Co., Ltd No 164 Le Van Viet Street, Tang Nhon Phu B Ward, District 9, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tel: +(84) 8 3736 1838 Fax: +(84) 8 3730 6851 Website: www.mazak.com.vn

PT. Yamazaki Mazak Indonesia Komplek Ruko Graha Bulevar Blok C06 Jl. Boulevard Raya, Kelapa Gading Timur Jakarta Utara 14240 Indonesia Tel: +62 21 2937 5280 Fax: +62 21 2937 5281 Email: sales@mazak.co.id

Knowledge and Performance in Concert Imagine running in perfect, synchronized harmony. Any project, any challenge, optimized and refined using digital intelligence to fundamentally transform your workflow into seamless, elegant, simple production. From art to part — to profit.

With NOVO™ you can now have the right tools on your machines, in the right sequence.

This enterprise-wide solution ensures that you execute flawlessly to accelerate every job, maximize every shift. And that should be music to your ears.

That’s Different Thinking. That’s Kennametal.

TM

www.kennametal.com/novo

Experience Powering Productivity ™

©2013 Kennametal Inc. l All rights reserved. l A-13-03372

ENQUIRY NO 011