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Contents March 2012

Cutting Edge 22 Using Inserts

In recent years, the use of inserts in the metalworking industry have steadily grown, given their usefulness. By Shahnawaz Abdul Hamid

26

When Ceramics Meet Metal

The use of composite materials may not be new in cutting grades but improvements are aplenty in order to make them better, faster and more productive. By Dr DongGil Ahn, TaeguTec

Tech Talk 30

Case Study: Using DDM For High-End Titanium Parts

DDM can help reduce the cost of manufacturing titanium components. By Prof Milan Brandt, RMIT University & Kathryn Hay, 3D Systems Asia-Pacific

Software & Metrology 32

Using CAD As An Optimising Tool CAD has evolved from its traditional design role to a sustainability driver in production.

By VR Srivatsan, Autodesk

34

Achieve Productivity With Design For Manufacturability

Making sure that designs fall within the realm of manufacturability can bring about cost benefits. By Sharon Toh, Dassault Systèmes Singapore

Sheet Metalworking 36

Industry Focus 40

Laser processing is giving EDM a run for its money in the production of turbine engine components. By Peter Thompson & Mark Barry, Prima North America, Laserdyne Systems

A laser tracker provides real-time measurements directly against the CAD data, enabling engineers to visualise deviations from the nominal while reducing the time required to certify large parts, tooling and machinery. By Dan Alred, Faro

Laser Processing Of Shaped Holes In The Manufacture Of Turbine Engine Components

2

metalworking equipment news March 2012

Reduce Repair Turnaround Time With A Laser Tracker

44

Machining Titanium Aerospace Parts

Using advanced cutting strategy can achieve higher volume of metal removal. By Dr Moshe Goldberg & Reuven Shafir, Iscar

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Contents March 2012

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.

48

50

Aerospace parts can be cut better with higher throughput and accuracy with better toolpath management. By Martin Oakham, for CGTech

A lot has happened when it comes to the development of tools and machining methods, not least when it comes to making parts for the aerospace industry.

By Christer Richt, Sandvik Coromant

Taking A Better Path In Wing Structures Manufacturing

Making Aerospace Parts Efficiently

Executive Zone 54

ONLY IN AUDITED PUBLICATIONS

Despite the global economic uncertainty, Vietnam’s metalworking industries are still poised for good growth in 2012. By Divya Saiprasad, Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific

Features 58

62

Report: Intech 2011

Techno Show 2012

The metalworking community gathered at Makino Asia to witness the launch of a large vertical machining centre fully developed and manufactured in Singapore. By Joson Ng

Events & Exhibition 64

• Event Preview: SIMTOS 2012 • Metalex 2011: Revival Underway

With the theme ‘Manufacturing Revival — fast track to normal production’, Metalex 2011 opened belatedly from December 21 – 24, 2011 to signal the beginning of the road to recovery for the Thai manufacturing cluster. By Joson Ng

08 Business News 75 Product Finder 79 Exhibition Programmes 80A Product Enquiry Card metalworking equipment news March 2012

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The Metalworking Pulse Of Vietnam

Sound government policies have resulted in a stellar economic performance in Vietnam where its young population is providing a tremendous platform for future growths.

By Joson Ng

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IMPORTANT NOTICE IS AUDITED BY BPA WORLDWIDE. RECOMMEND THAT ADVERTISERS

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Vietnam Outlook: Solid Growth To Continue

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Flying

Aerospace:

Faster & Farther

Published by:

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Reg No: 199908196C

managing director Kenneth Tan editor Joson Ng

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business development manager Randy Teo

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senior sales manager Derick Chia

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assistant sales manager Sally Chuen

The aerospace industry is experiencing a boom in Asia. At the Singapore Airshow, Airbus forecasted that airlines in the Asia-Pacific region would take delivery of around 9,370 new aircraft over the next 20 years. They also expect the number of passengers carried by Asia-Pacific airlines to rise by 5.9 percent per year, compared with the global average of 4.8 percent.

Elsewhere, Bombardier Aerospace will open a full-scale companyow ne d a nd op e rate d se r v ice centre in Singapore in 2013. These numbers and investments are no doubt a real shot in the arm for the MRO cluster in Singapore and the supporting metalworking industry, as more machine tool, cutting tool and metrology equipment would be needed to sustain the high demand for aircraft production and maintenance.

With aircraft over the world defying gravity and the laws of nature on a daily basis, maintenance is of paramount importance, and so is R&D. The need for R&D in the aerospace industry is a given, be it in good or bad times. With the focus on flying faster and farther in a more sustainable manner, designers and researchers are fixing their gaze on the usage of lighter materials for

airframes and introducing a more fuelefficient propulsion system.

Staying with technology and R&D, in Singapore, where a sizable MRO cluster exists, there are newly developed technologies pertaining to the usage of advanced metal forming technology to lower material cost. They are developed by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). This is good news for the MRO sector where they have to fabricate parts out of nickelbased and titanium alloys on a regular basis, which is a costly process.

Another technology is Laser Aided Additive Manufacturing (LAAM), where it can be used to accurately repair damaged parts and directly manufacture nickel-based and titaniumbased superalloy 3D components.

In this issue of Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News, we are focusing on the aerospace industry where we feature articles on aerospace parts manufacturing. From the design stage, to the processing stage and finally to metrology, these articles all have a common theme, ie: how to make those parts in an efficient way.

sallychuen@epl.com.sg

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

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contributors Shahnawaz Abdul Hamid Dr Dong-Gil Ahn Prof Milan Brandt Kathryn Hay VR Srivatsan Sharon Toh Peter Thompson Mark Barry Dan Alred Dr Moshe Goldberg Reuven Shafir Martin Oakham Christer Richt Divya Saiprasad 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 MICA (P) No. 053/06/2011 PPS 840/09/2012 (022818) ISSN 0129/5519

Eastern HOLDINGS Ltd Executive Board

chairman Stephen Tay group executive director Kenneth Tan financial controller Robbin Lim

etm Joson Ng Editor

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Businessnews Manufacturing Technology Orders Up 66.4 Percent In 2011

McLean, US: December US manufacturing technology orders totalled US$519.98 million according to AMT — The Association For Manufacturing Technology and AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was up 12.2 percent from November and up 12.7 percent when compared with the total of US$461.48 million reported for December 2010. With a year-to-date total of US$5,508.81 million, 2011 was up 66.4 percent compared with 2010.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTO program.

“USMTO finished its strongest year in more than a decade as manufacturing led the US recovery into 2012,” said AMT president Douglas K Woods. “The 67 percent increase is nearly 20 points higher than forecasters predicted, which is great news in terms of reducing the foreign trade deficit. Manufactured goods represent more than 65 percent of trade, so the rise of US manufactured products will help reduce our reliance on imports and support growth in exports.”

Record Breaking Sales For Rapidform In 2011 S e o u l , S o u t h Ko r e a : I nu s Te c h n o l o g y, d e v e l o p e r o f Rapidform 3D scanning software, has achieved 23 percent revenue growth in 2011. This achievement surpassed the company’s best sales year ever in its 13-year history in 2010.

O vera ll, the compa ny experienced growth across all products and geographic markets, most significantly in Japan, despite the economic effects of the tsunami in March 2011. This record breaking year is attributed to increases in license sales, partnerships with 3D scanner manufacturers, value added resellers, and international reach with expanded offices in the US, Germany and China.

“It is very inspiring to exceed our internal sales expectations,” said Calvin Hur, CEO of Inus Technolog y. “The increased adoption of 3D scanning technology around the world drives us to continue adding value for our customers who choose Rapidform software because it reduces their costs, speeds timeto-market and improves quality.

We are very excited to make 3D scanning more productive for them with the release our latest product versions this spring.”

3D Systems Corp Acquires Z Corp & Vidar Systems South Carolina, US: 3D Systems Corp has completed the acquisition of Z Corp and Vidar Systems (Vidar) for US$135.5 million in cash, net of cash received and subject to final closing adjustments, from Contex Group, a subsidiary of Ratos AB, a listed private equity company located in Stockholm, Sweden.

The company also consolidated its entire personal and professional 3D printer businesses into a single unit under the leadership of John Kawola, former Z Corp CEO who was named 3D Systems VP and GM, Personal and Professional 3D Printers business unit. The company affirmed its plans and expectations to deliver combined 8

metalworking equipment news March 2012

revenue and cost synergies in the range of US$5 - 10 million dollars in 2012 and reiterated its expectation to incur incremental fourth quarter 2011 acquisition costs in the range of US$2.7 to US$3.2 million.

This acquisition integrates Z Corp and Vidar products and services with 3D Systems’ portfolio, positioning the company for accelerated growth in the expanding 3D content-to-print space. The transaction completes the company’s range of product capabilities, fills price gaps with complementary products and technology and doubles its reseller coverage globally.

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Haas Automation Produces 125,000th CNC Machine U S : H a a s A u to m a t i o n h a s produced the 125,000th Haas CNC machine tool. The VF-1 is a fitting model for the 125,000th machine, as it is the model that began the Haas legacy nearly 25 years ago.

T h e co m p a n y c u r r e n t l y

manufactures a complete line of CNC vertical machining centres, horizontal machining centres, CNC lathes and rotary products.

The compa ny a lso builds a variety of specialty machines, including five-axis machining centres, mould making

Fran Gambín, Murcia, Spain

The Global Semiconductor Industry To Grow

London, UK: The global semiconductor industry will continue to grow in the medium term, as it has done for virtually all of the past 40 years. And this growth is expected to continue averaging 7.4 percent through to 2015 to reach US$429 billion according to a new study by PwC, ‘Faster, greener, smarter — reaching beyond the horizon in the world of semiconductors’.

R a ma n Ch it k a ra , G lob a l Technology Industry leader, PwC said: “The global semiconductor market is fuelled by technological developments, consumerisation of technology and above average growth in emerging markets with China leading the way as the growth engine for the industry.

China’s growth in consumption of semiconductors will come

from an increase in its own end markets as well as the strong role played by it as the global hub of manufacturing for the technology industry. This continued demand from emerging markets will somewhat compensate for the economic risks in North America and Europe.”

Led by its strong position in technology manufacturing, by 2015, Chinese consumption will account for some 50 percent of the global semiconductor market rising from 40 percent in 2010. Chinese domination in consumption of semiconductors will be at the expense of Japan who will see its market share decline to 13 percent from 16 percent in 2010.

Europe, North and South America will also see declines, dropping to 16 and 11 percent respectively,

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

machining centres, toolroom machines, and gantry routers.

All the products are built in t he compa ny’s 1 million sq ft ma nufacturing facility in Southern Ca lifornia, a nd distributed through a worldwide network of Haas factory outlets.

and the remainder of the world is predicted to pull back from 13 percent in 2010 to 10 percent in 2015.

High Growth Potential In The Auto Industry One of the main growth areas for semiconductors is in the automotive industry where the average semiconductor content p er vehicle is e x p e cte d to increase, and by 2015, the number of light vehicles assembled will increase to 99 million.

This growth will be driven by the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) who will account for a 39 percent share of the assembly market, and to a lesser extent by the US. Sales in the semiconductor industry in this sector will increase at an annual 15.8 percent to reach US$46.9 billion by 2015.

Businesses with industrial customers (eg: in the a rea s of power plant construction, energ y distribution and rail vehicles) are expected to grow by 8.9 percent per ye a r to US$42.9 billion. Semiconductor dema nd from the computer industry will grow at a modest 6.9 percent annually to US$175 billion by 2015.

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

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businessnews

Machine Tool Orders Fall In Germany Frankfurt am Main, Germany: In the fourth quarter of 2011, order bookings in the German machine tool industry fell, for the first time in two years, by a total of four percent.

Domestic orders were two percent up on the preceding year’s figure, whereas order bookings from abroad fell by seven percent.

“December is responsible for the decrease in the year’s fourth quarter, with a minus figure for the first time in 25 months,” explains Dr Wilfried Schäfer, executive director of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association). The preceding year’s equivalent month, however, reached the highest figure since order booking statistics began to be recorded in the early 1960s.

Overall demand was up by 45 percent in 2011. Demand from German users rose by 46 percent, from foreign customers by 45 percent compared to the preceding year.

Production output of machine tools rose by one-third in 2011, the highest increase ever recorded.

Capacity utilisation averaged 93.8 percent over the year as a whole.

The order backlog was at 9.3 months.

Against the background of these results, the VDW is anticipating another rise in production output for 2012, this time of five percent.

It is indisputable, however, that the German machine tool industry is at a high level on all the key statistics.

“For this reason alone, growth is going to be slowing down this year,” says Dr Schäfer. In terms of demand, particularly, he added, further growth can no longer be anticipated. Nonetheless, the sector is in optimistic mood as it faces the new year. Under the ongoing circumstances, no one expects international investment activity to suddenly slump.

12

metalworking equipment news March 2012

www.equipment-news.com

ABB & RWE To Offer EVs Charging Infrastructure Solutions

Zurich, Switzerland: ABB and RWE, the European utility company, have agreed to work in close collaboration to investigate a combined technology offering for networked charging infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (EVs).

Both companies, represented by their 100 percent subsidiaries ABB BV, Rotterdam, and Dortmund-based RWE Effizienz, signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

Both companies together can offer fast-charging technologies for EVs, since ABB has direct current charging capabilities and RWE already provides alternating current charging infrastructure and IT-solutions for customer data management and billing to their commercial and private e-mobility customers. RWE uses its grid and system competence to offer charging products, which provide grid-friendly charging with loadmanagement for easy integration into future smart grids.

Siemens Extends Partnership With Frontal Software

Singapore: Siemens PLM Software and Frontal Software, an industrial IT solutions provider, are in a partnership agreement allowing the companies to help clients accelerate their adoption of PLM solutions.

Frontal Software’s industry a nd proce ss e x per t ise w ill complement Siemens PL M Software’s portfolio of solutions

to deliver enhanced value to their customers in India. Frontal Software provides a complete sp e ct r u m of PL M - relate d services, from consulting and implementation to migration, installation and training. Siemens PL M S o f t w a re’s e nte r pr i se offerings include Teamcenter software and NX software and Tecnomatix software.

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Embraer Expands Customer Support In Asia

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Australia: Rio Tinto will run the world's first automated long-distance heavy-haul rail network, with a US$518 million investment (Rio Tinto share US$478 million) in driverless trains.

The first driverless train will be launched in 2014, with the AutoHaul automated train program scheduled for completion a year later.

AutoHaul is being pioneered as part of the automation component of Rio Tinto's Mine of the Future initiative that also includes driverless trucks and autonomous drills. On its 1,500 km rail network, the company currently runs 41 trains from mines to ports, comprising 148 locomotives and 9,400 iron ore cars.

Automating train operations allows the company to expand Pilbara production capacity without needing to make a substantial investment in additional trains.

It will also drive productivity improvements, with greater flexibility in train scheduling and the removal of driver changeover times creating extra capacity in the rail network. Other benefits include more efficient fuel use, resulting in lower energy costs and a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions for each tonne of iron ore produced.

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S ​ ingapore: In major additions to its customer support network in Asia, Embraer has added new partners in the region and expanded relationships with current partners to cover the full line of Embraer Executive Jets. The additions to the Embraer Authorized Service Center (EASC) network include India, Singapore, Western Australia and Japan.

The company has appointed Indamer to provide Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services for its ultra-large Lineage 1000 executive jets in India. The move comes on the heels of the entry into service of the first Lineage 1000 in India, in 2011. It also complements Indamer’s existing mission as an EASC in India, where it already provides MRO services to operators of Phenom 100 and Legacy 600/650 jets in the country.

Embraer also expanded its relationship with Singapore’s Hawker Pacific, which is now the first EASC in Asia Pacific to offer full maintenance services for the entire portfolio of Embraer Executive Jets in the region. The move adds MRO services for the Lineage 1000 and the Phenom 300 to Hawker Pacific’s portfolio, which includes the Phenom 100 and Legacy 600/650.

March 2012 metalworking equipment news

13

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Alstom To Supply Trains & Signalling Upgrade To Singapore

Sandeep Nair, Singapore

Singapore: The Land Transport Authority of Singapore has awarded Alstom a contract worth around €240 million (US$316 million) to provide new trains for two metro lines, the Circle Line (CCL) and North East Line (NEL), along with signaling upgrade for both lines.

Eighteen trains will be delivered to NEL whereas 16 will be supplied to CCL. Delivery is to start in 2015. These additional trains will boost capacity of the Singapore metro, in order to meet a growing demand which has increased from 1.78 million passengers in 2009 to over 2 million in 2010.

IE Singapore: Overseas Investment Outflows Enjoy Growth Singapore: International Enterprise (IE) Singapore reports healthy numbers for internationalisation and trade in spite of volatile economic conditions. In 2011, Singapore’s direct investment outflows amounted to S$31.7 billion (US$25.2 billion), a 9.7 percent increase over 20101.

As of end 2010, Singapore companies continued to expand aggressively overseas, with cumulative Direct Investment Abroad (DIA) hitting S$393.3 billion at end 2010, an 8.9 percent increase over 20092. The importance of the external economy is increasingly evident today. Cumulative DIA soared 27 percent above GDP in 2010, having accounted for 60 percent of GDP in 2000.

Trade also registered positive growth. Singapore’s 2011’s eight percent trade growth3 outperformed WTO’s world merchandise trade growth forecast of 5.8 percent4. In particular, export of goods grew 7.5 percent year-on-year in 2011, while NODX grew 2.2 percent. Export of services also grew 4.8 percent in 2011 to reach S$142.9 billion5.

Singapore is also a centre for 14

metalworking equipment news March 2012

global trading operations. In 2011, offshore trade hit the one trillion mark — it grew 45.6 percent to reach a turnover of S$1.29 trillion6.

The energy sector remains the major contributor, accounting for 75 percent of the turnover. However, the agri-commodities and metals sectors are increasing steadily, accounting for 18 percent and seven percent respectively.

Said Mr Teo Eng Cheong, CEO of IE Singapore: “It is critical for Singapore companies to look at internationalisation as a long-term competitive strategy. A global footprint enables companies to build resilience against uncertainties, access new markets, tap on resources and become globally competitive. There are many business opportunities in emerging markets, especially Asia. It is not a question of whether we should venture into these markets, but how quickly and effectively we do so.”

Note: 1 Source: Department of Statistics 2 Source: Department of Statistics.

Latest figures for DIA (stock) are as of 2010.

3 Source: IE Singapore 4 Source: United Nations Statistics Division 5 Source: Department of Statistics 6 Source: IE Singapore, as at end January 2012

Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners Begin Construction In Singapore Singapore: Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners have b e g u n con st r uc t ion on t he company’s facility at Singapore’s Seletar Aerospace Park.

T he ne w, a pprox i m ate l y 15,0 0 0 sq m, ma nufacturing facility and office building will be the latest addition to the company’s suite of businesses in Singapore, with an office area housing production management, various support functions and Global Services E ng ine er ing — A sia , which provides aftermarket repair design innovation to give airline customers optimum air-worthy, high qua lit y, cost ef fe ct ive material reuse solutions.

The facility w ill utilise some of the most advanced technologies in the world. It is expected to be ready for initial occupancy during the first quarter of 2013.

Mitsubishi Electric’s Thailand Factory Outputs 100,000th Elevator/Escalator To k y o , J a p a n : M i t s u b i s h i Elevator Asia recently surpassed an historic milestone with the production of its 10 0,0 0 0 th elevator/escalator unit.

To meet the growing global de m a nd for e le v ator s a nd escalators, Mitsubishi Electric plans to expand production in Thailand mainly for the NEXIEZ series, which was launched in 2010 as the company’s global flagship elevator series.

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Automotive

Renault-Nissan Alliance Posts Record Sales In 2011 For Third Consecutive Year Paris, France: The Renault-Nissan Alliance sold a record 8,029,222 units in 2011, a 10.3 percent increase from 2010, fuelled by robust sales in emerging markets and the US. Sales rose for the third consecutive year. Renault sold 2,722,062 units worldwide, up 3.6 percent from 2010. Nissan sold 4,669,981 units, up 14.4 percent.

As a result, the Renault-Nissan Alliance captured 10.7 percent* of the global market in 2011, up from 10.3 percent the previous year.

“The alliance capitalised on the resurgence of the US economy and gained significant market share in the regions that will drive growth in the 21st century,” said Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn. “Doubledigit sales growth is solid progress — particularly during a year in which we faced Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, the abnormal strength of the yen, and financial turmoil in Europe.”

Renault Group Highlights In 2011, Renault posted record global sales of 2.7 million units, up 3.6 percent compared to a year ago, with 43 percent of those sales generated outside Europe. Sales outside Europe totaled a record 1,172,686 units, up 19.2 percent, driven by fast-expanding markets such as Russia (+40 percent), Turkey (+13 percent) and Latin America (+10 percent).

In 2011, six out of the Group’s top 10 markets were located outside Europe with Brazil replacing Germany as Renault’s second-biggest market after France. Renault’s sales in Brazil, where it plans to expand capacity in 2013, grew 21 percent to a record 194,300 units in a market that expanded three percent. Its market share stood at 5.7 percent, up 0.9 percentage points from 2010.

In Russia, Renault posted both record sales and market share. Sales jumped 60 percent to 154,734 units, making it Renault’s fastest-growing market. Market

share rose to 5.8 percent, up 0.7 percentage points from the previous year.

Nissan Highlights Nissan posted record global sales of 4.67 million units in 2011, up 14.4 percent compared to 2010.

In China, Nissan’s largest market, the company posted record sales of 1,247,738 units, a 21.9 percent increase over 2010.

In the Americas, the company reported record sales of 1,561,230 units for Nissan and Infiniti brand vehicles throughout the region encompassing North, Central and South America, up 17.2 percent compared with the previous year. The Nissan brand alone gained a market share of 7.5 percent, up 0.6 percentage points, becoming the number two Asian automotive brand in the region.

In Mexico, where the company will open a third plant in 2013 to support its rapid growth across the Americas, sales grew 18.6 percent while its market share grew to a record 24.8 percent.

In Brazil, where Nissan plans to build its first plant in Resende in 2014, the company's sales nearly doubled to 67,097 units. Nissan was Brazil’s fastestgrowing automotive brand in 2011.

In Japan, the company reported sales of 591,312 units, down 8.4 percent year-on-year in a market that shrank 15 percent. The company's market share climbed one percentage point to 14 percent.

In Europe, Nissan posted record sales of 695,703 units, up 25.4 percent year-on-year. Its market share rose to a record 3.7 percent, up from 3.1 percent in 2010. In Russia, its top market in Europe, sales jumped by 73.1 percent, or nearly 60,000 units. *Total passenger car and light commercial vehicle sales based on Renault’s estimate of 74,793,900 units in 2011.

Mag’s Global Automotive Business Achieves Record Growth

Erlanger, US: Mag Ias (Mag Americas) and Mag Europe ended 2011 with a strong close and backlogs which stretch to 2013 in the companies’ key automotive 16

metalworking equipment news March 2012

segment. Order intake amounted to US$834 million, marking a record increase of 90 percent (2010: US$438 million).

The results include a significant amount of business in the fast growing ma rkets of China and India with more than two thirds of orders coming from these countries. Dr Sebastian S chöning, globa l pre sident Automotive at Mag, said: “During

the last five years, we expanded our automotive business activities significantly, partnering with OEMs from traditional and emerging markets. I am pleased that we were able to foster existing customer relations and at the same time win new, promising key customers.

In Asia for example, we provided productive ma nufacturing technology to local OEMs as well as to European and American manufacturers setting up new facilities in the region.”

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Aerospace

Boeing & Lion Air Finalise Historic Order Singapore: Boeing and Jakartabased Lion Air finalised a firm order for 201 737 MAXs and 29 Next- Generation 737-900ERs (extended range). The agreement, first announced last November in Indonesia, also includes purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes.

With orders for 230 airplanes valued at $22.4 billion at list prices, this deal is the largest commercial airplane order ever in Boeing’s history by both dollar value and total number of airplanes. Lion Air

Boeing

will also acquire purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes.

Airlines operating the 737 MAX will see a 10 to 12 percent fuel burn improvement over

Bombardier Establishing OEM-Owned Service Centre In Singapore

Singapore: Bombardier Aerospace will open a full-scale companyowned and operated service centre in Singapore in 2013. The service centre will form the cornerstone of the company’s customer services offering in the Asia-Pacific region and ensure that Bombardier Business Aircraft customers have even broader access to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)backed service.

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18

parts depot. Together with other facilities based in the Asia-Pacific region, the company will create a full-service customer support hub in the region to complement existing regional networks in North America and Europe.

“We wa nt to ensure our customers in the Asia-Pacific region have access to the full range of customer support and services in their own time zone and in their own region. It is a reflection of our commitment to current and future operators that no matter where they fly, they will have access to our OEM-backed support,” said Éric Martel, president, Bombardier Customer Services & Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft.

“By 2030, there could be more than 1,100 business jets in service in the Asia-Pacific region, and we are ready and committed to support our existing and future customers, which we expect will make up a large portion of that fleet,” he added.

Oktober - November 2011

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JELAJAH KE MASA DEPAN YANG LEBIH HIJAU

service centre operated by the company outside of North America, bringing the total number to 10 worldwide. It will be capable of performing a variety of light to heavy maintenance tasks on all Bombardier Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft.

Bombardier’s Singapore Regional Support Office (RSO), opened in late 2011, will work in conjunction with the service centre location as well as the company’s current Singapore

today’s most fuel efficient singleaisle airplanes, and a seven percent operating cost per seat adva nta ge over tomorrow’s competition.

metalworking equipment news March 2012

Cross Scanners 11/9/11 8:04 PM

Mengotomatiskan Inspeksi 2/11/12 2:07 PM

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businessnews Aerospace

Singapore: Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region will take delivery of around 9,370 new aircraft over the next 20 years, according to the latest market forecast by Airbus. Valued at US$1.3 trillion, the deliveries will account for 34 percent of all new aircraft with more than 100 seats entering service worldwide over the forecast period, with the region overtaking North America and Europe as the world’s largest air transport market.

T he late st fore c a st for t he re g io n w a s presented at the Singapore Airshow by John Leahy, COO, Customers, Airbus. In terms of growth, the company expects the number of passengers carried by Asia-Pacific airlines to rise by 5.9 percent per year, compared with the global average of 4.8 percent.

In the freight market, the amount of cargo carried by air through the region will increase by 5.6 percent annually, compared to a global increase of around 5.1 percent. Meanwhile, airlines in the region will replace 76 percent of the 4,270 aircraft currently in service, with the overall in-service fleet comprising some 9,965 passenger aircraft and around 820 freighters by 2030.

Ref lecting the concentration of g row ing populations around the main urban centres, the company predicts that the region will continue to lead global demand for widebody aircraft as the most efficient way to meet rising traffic and overcome capacity constraints at airports.

This, combined with replacement needs, will see carriers in the region acquire around 3,650 new widebody aircraft, representing 42 percent of all widebody deliveries worldwide. These will include some 730 very large aircraft, such as the A380, for the busiest routes and around 2,920 mid-size widebodies, such as the A330 and new A350 XWB, for medium capacity long range and regional services.

The latest Airbus forecast sees demand for single aisle aircraft in the region accelerating in the coming yea rs, la rgely driven by the significant incremental growth in the low cost sector. This, combined with replacement needs and continued demand on secondary short haul routes, especially in China and India, will see a requirement for some 5,720 new single aisle aircraft in the region, such as the A320 Family.

In the cargo sector, the region will continue to dominate the global market. According to the forecast, the dedicated freighter fleet operated

ENQUIRY NO 047

Asia-Pacific Leading Demand For New Aircraft

March 2012 metalworking equipment news

19

businessnews

www.equipment-news.com

Aerospace

by Asia-Pacific airlines will grow from 300 today to some 820 in 2030, representing 30 per cent of the global freighter fleet.

While many of the aircraft will be converted from passenger models, the company predicts that around 210 new production freighters will be delivered to the region over the next two decades. As in other world regions, around 40 percent of the freighters will be in the 60 – 70 tonne category served by mid-size widebody aircraft, such as the A330.

“We forecast strong growth for aviation in Asia and the Pacific. That’s good news for Airbus and the region alike. Asia-Pacific is second to none when it comes to current and future business prospects. A nd av iation g row th w ill br ing increased trade and significant wealth creation into the region,” said Mr Leahy. “With a modern, eco-efficient and comprehensive product line covering every segment of the market, Airbus will be especially well placed to meet the needs of airlines in this region.”

Business statistics

World Crude Steel Output Increased By 6.8 Percent In 2011

Elliott Brown, Birmingham,UK

Brussels, Belgium: World crude steel production reached 1,527 megatonnes (Mt) for the year of 2011. This is an increase of 6.8 percent compared to 2010 and is a record for global crude steel production.

All the major steel-producing countrie s apa r t from Japa n and Spain showed growth in 2011. Growth was particularly robust in Turkey, South Korea and Italy.

Annual production for Asia was 988.2 Mt of crude steel in 2011, an increase of 7.9 percent compared to 2010. The region’s share of world steel production increased slightly from 64.0 percent in 2010 to 64.7 percent 20

metalworking equipment news March 2012

in 2011. China’s crude steel production in 2011 reached 695.5 Mt, an increase of 8.9 percent on 2010. China’s share of world crude steel production increased from 44.7 percent in 2010 to 45.5 percent in 2011.

Japa n produced 107.6 Mt in 2011, a -1.8 percent decrease f r o m 2 010 . I n 2 011, S o u t h Korea’s crude steel production was 68.5 Mt, a 16.2 percent increase compared to 2010.

The EU recorded an increase of 2.8 percent compared to 2010, producing 177.4 Mt of crude steel in 2011. Spain produced 15.6 Mt of crude steel in 2011, a -4.6 percent decrease on 2010 while Italy produced 28.7 Mt in

2011, an 11.3 percent increase over 2010.

I n 2 011 , c r u d e s t e e l production in North America was 118.9 Mt, an increase of 6.8 percent on 2010. The US pro duce d 8 6. 2 Mt of cr ude steel, 7.1 percent higher than 2010.

The CIS showed an increase of 4.0 percent in 2011, producing 112.6 Mt of crude steel. Russia pro duce d 6 8 .7 Mt of c r ude steel, a 2.7 percent increase on 2010, and Ukraine recorded an increase of 5.7 percent with a year-end figure of 35.3 Mt. Annual crude steel production for South America was 48.4 Mt in 2011, an increase of 10.2 percent from 2010. Brazil produced 35.2 Mt in 2011, 6.8 percent higher than 2010.

In December 2011, world c r ude ste e l pro duc t ion for the 64 countries reporting to the World Steel A ssociation (worldsteel) was 117.1 Mt, an increase of 1.7 percent compared to December 2010. The crude steel capacity utilisation ratio of the 64 countries in December 2011 declined slightly to 71.7 p e rce nt , co mp a re d to 7 3 . 3 percent in November 2011. The utilisation ratio in December 2011 is also -2.1 percentage points lower than the ratio in December 2010.

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ENQUIRY NO 035

Cutting

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Using Inserts

In recent years, the use of inserts in the metalworking industry have steadily grown, given their usefulness. By Shahnawaz Abdul Hamid

T

he practice of cutting and shaping metals into various shapes has been the hallmark of the modern manufacturing environment. With the right cutting tools, anything from grooves to screw threads and smooth edges can be fashioned to help meet customer requirements and expectations.

T h e c u t t i n g p ro c e s s i n metalworking encompasses a wide range of activities, each of which serves a specific demand. Of these, the process of turning is perhaps the most fundamental, and involves rotating a workpiece via a spindle, then using a tool to remove material from it, either radially or axially.

This process is able to achieve precise diameters and depths, producing components of various geometries.

Despite it being a relatively straightforward metal cutting method, given its wide range of uses, turning is today a highly optimised process. This requires a thorough appraisal of the various factors of applications, to improve on the process and the turning tool to be carefully designed.

22

metalworking equipment news March 2012

The Bare Facts On Inserts Given the high performance of these tools, the cutting tips can often reach temperatures high enough to melt the brazing material holding it to the shank.

As such, removable cutting tips, known as inserts, which are neither brazed nor welded to the tool body, are used. These inserts are typically made from tungsten carbide.

Given that inserts are usually used only on the tips of cutting tools, the amount of material consumed is usually small. This makes economic sense, especially when one considers how much more expensive a material such as carbide is, compared to steel for instance.

Carbide inserts are made from a sintering process using powdered carbide. The insert is then baked, and various coating methods are used to cover the carbide substrate with a hard wearing surface only a few microns thick. This appears as gold or black depending on the coatings. Carbide inserts are a niche sector, with industryspecific applications.

Inserts may also be made from ceramics, cermets, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, and polycrystalline diamond. The insert is used until it becomes dull, then is indexed, or turned to utilise a fresh cutting edge.

For this reason, inserts are often referred to as indexable. When the entire insert is dull it can either be discarded or resharpened.

Reducing Vibration Manufacturers are often keen to reduce vibration during Given the wide application found in turning, turning tools including inserts need to be well-designed

Andrew Magill, Boulder, USA

Edge

CuttingEdge

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and GC4015, and relatively thin coatings, increasing the quality of the cut.

Depending on the required operation, the choice of insert style can affect the result of the machining process. T-style inserts are often chosen for internal longitudinal turning, as this style of insert uses an entering angle of 91 degrees. This

helps to direct cutting forces correctly. D and V-style inserts have good copying possibilities and small insert point angles, helping to reduce force variation and vibration.

Future Improvements In the future, the need for faster cycle times and better processes may push tool manufacturers to

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the turning process, given the potential reduction in material strength of the workpiece. Apart from this, processes that involve a high degree of vibration also result in more heat being produced, decreasing efficiency. Vibrations also result in deviations from the desired manufacturing outcome, either in terms of dimensions, or manufacturing parameters such as surface roughness.

Interestingly, the choice of indexable insert affects the level of vibration encountered during the turning operation. An insert with a smaller nose radius, compared to the cutting depth, prevents the tool from being pushed in the radial direction and affecting the dimensions of the component.

Wiper inserts are used on a milling machine or lathe to finalise cutting, giving the surface a smooth, even finish. However, given their large surface area in contact with the workpiece, they generally require more care when in use to prevent excessive vibration. Nevertheless, these inserts should not be used on fragile workpieces.

Vibration can also be reduced through choosing strong inserts able to withstand the cutting forces induced during turning, while at the same time able to suit the component and application.

Too large a cutting depth leads to excessive cutting forces, whereas a cutting depth that is too small results in increased friction between the insert and component. This can lead to component dimension problems. A practical hint is to not exceed two thirds of the cutting length when turning, reducing the cutting forces on the cutting edge.

Another criteria that affects the level of vibration during a turning process is the sharpness of the insert. Generally, the sharper the insert, the smoother the cutting action. Sharp inserts need suitable grades such as GC1025

March 2012 metalworking equipment news

23

CuttingEdge

Kliverap, Poland

www.equipment-news.com

Reducing vibrations allow manufacturers to reduce deviations in dimensions of the machined part.

The Identification Process Given the multitude of inserts available on the market today, a clear method of identification is required, so as to simplify the ordering process of manufacturers and to allow the industry as a whole to achieve certain standards.

Afonso Lima, Sao Paulo, Brazil

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) devised two standard identification systems, the ANSI B212.4-1986 and the ANSI B212.12-1991, to describe an insert in its entirety. The standards categorise inserts based on 10 characteristics: shape, clearance, tolerance class, type, size, thickness, cutting-point configuration, edge preparation, hand and facet size.

The first position on the identification defines the insert’s shape, represented by a letter: R for round; S, square; T, triangle; A, 85 deg parallelogram; B, 82 deg parallelogram; C, 80 deg diamond; D, 55 deg diamond; H, hexagon; K, 55 deg parallelogram; L, rectangle; M, 86 deg diamond; O, octagon; P, pentagon; V, 35 deg diamond and W, 80 deg trigon.

24

metalworking equipment news March 2012

The second position describes the insert’s clearance or relief angle. When mounted on the tool-holder, the actual relief angle may differ from that on the insert.

The third position indicates the tolerances, which control the indexability of the insert, and do not imply the manufacturing method. Similar to the first position, the second and third positions are represented by letters.

The fourth position or letter of the identification system indicates the type of insert used. For example, an insert with a hole and chip grooves on two rake faces is represented by the letter G, while inserts without both holes and chip grooves are represented by the letter N. Other types of inserts are also well represented.

produce inserts with longer life spans. This may involve coating the inserts, hardening them and increasing their lubricity.

Coatings also help to decrease the temperature associated with the cutting process.

Four such coatings available i n t h e i n d u s t r y t o d a y a re titanium nitride, titanium carbide, titanium carbidenitride and titanium aluminium nitride. Newer coatings such as diamond-like carbon are beginning to surface, enabling the cutting power of diamond without the unwanted chemical reaction between real diamond and iron.

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

The fifth and sixth positions indicate the size of the insert, defined by the diameter of its inscribed circle, and its thickness respectively. Unlike the previous positions, these are shown in numerals (the various measurements in inches).

The seventh position on the identifier refers to the insert’s cutting point configuration, which will be shown to be either a significant number indicating radius, tangent to the adjacent sides, or two letters indicating the details of the primary facet.

The eighth position is a letter that represents special conditions, such as edge treatment and surface finish. A sharp cutting edge is represented with the letter F, while the letter K represents an insert with double chamfered cutting edges.

The ninth and tenth positions indicate hand and facet size respectively. Hand, quite logically, refers to whether the insert is to be mounted for the right or left-handed, or if it’s geometrically neutral. Facet size, which occupies the tenth position, is a significant number representing the nominal sixty-fourths of an inch in length of the primary facet, a flat face on the insert’s geometric shape. MEN

Enquiry No. 2002 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Ceramics Meet

cutting tool materials and its stability restricts the chemical reaction with a workpiece when machining.

Its chemical stability has led to good surface finishes and a high standard of machining precision.

This characteristic also guarantees high quality levels when users want to complete their machining processes with final step finishing or medium-machining. With machining valves or alternate internal machining processes where the cutting heat is high and precision is critical, the material can perform well.

The cermet material itself has very good heat-resistance and wear-resistance, so maintaining sharp cutting edges on a cutting tool for a long period of time is comparably easier than a carbide tool that can maintain its physical shape for long periods.

Figure 2 is a comparison of the machining surface of carbon steels with both cermet and coated carbide tool under the same cutting condition. The result implies that cermet provides smoother cutting surfaces on a workpiece than carbide cutting tools.

Metal

The use of composite materials may not be new in cutting grades but improvements are aplenty in order to make them better, faster and more productive. By Dr Dong-Gil Ahn, advanced technical manager (R & D material department), TaeguTec

Characteristics Of Cermet Grades Industrial cermet grades have complicated chemical compositions, with cutting tools based on the TiC-TiN substrate incorporating secondary carbides such as WC, Mo2C, TaC and Co-Ni as a binder. Commercial cermet is a very hard material and is as strong and tough as a cemented carbide.

With this development, commercial cermet became a popular tooling material for metal machining.

The material is a cutting tool grade for medium-machining, semiroughing and finishing of various steels and cast irons. It performs very well when the depth of cut (ap) is under 2.5 mm, feed per revolution (fn) is under 0.25 mm/rev and feed 26

metalworking equipment news March 2012

per tooth (fz) is under 0.20 m/tooth.

To get the best performance from the material, users have to consider the following: For turning, an appropriate chip breaker for cutting volume is needed and in the case of milling or end milling, appropriate tool geometry is important. The composite material can be applied to the machining of many types of ferrous materials, such as carbon steels, alloy steels, mild steels, cast steels and cast irons.

Certain machining methods like turning, milling and end milling are also possible. By their nature, cermet is suitable for high speed machining while built-up edges do not occur easily. This ensures that users can obtain very accurate machining outcomes at low machining speeds.

Figure 1 shows the thermal and chemical characteristics of each cutting tool material. The biggest advantage of cermet is that it is chemically stable compared to other

Applications In Precision Machining Cermets have been used to machine various kinds of steels to date, but more recently, it has become the material of choice for the precision machining of cast irons and ductile cast irons. Machining cast iron creates high frequency vibrations

H.S.S Thermal Shock Resistance

T

he cermet grades are suitable for precision machining and near-netshape machining. The usage is increasing and they now form a fundamental element of many cutting tool materials. Researches have been undertaken to improve its toughness and the material now delivers greater performance on precise finishing operations.

Developed as a general cutting tool material that could be deployed for various cast iron and steel machining processes, cermet grades are winning attention as a substitute to cemented carbides with the sharp rise of tungsten prices.

PCD/CBN

Carbide (K)

Fig 1: Thermal and chemical characteristics of cutting tool materials

Coated Carbide Coated Cermet Ceramic

Carbide (M) Carbide (P)

Cermet

Chemical Stability Negative Tendency In Adhesion

CuttingEdge

www.equipment-news.com

Fig 2: Less adhesion with shiny surface

Table 1: Tool Life Comparisons Carbide Cermet (TiCNP10 based)

Test material: Carbon steel(S45C, HB230) CNMG 120408 MT, V 300m/min., F 0.25mm/t D 1.5mm, Dry Cutting

Cermet

Tungsten Carbide

Coated carbide P20 (PVD)

P10 (CVD)

Cutting speed / Vc (m/min)

125

280

200

300

Depth / ap (mm)

2

2

2

2

Feed / f (mm/rev.)

0.25

0.25

0.25

0.25

Tool Life / t (min)

45

30

30

30

Amount of chip removal / Cm (Vc x ap x f x t)

62.5

140

100

175

Turning, Carbon Steel

while rupture-like cutting chips are created as a by-product because the vibration causes chipping or damage on the cutting edge of cermet. However, today’s cermet grades are reinforced, so its toughness and strength can retain its cutting edge stability when they are used for machining cast irons.

Additionally, cermets can guarantee stable tool life and high quality surface finishes in general use applications. Moreover, it provides good surface finish and stable tool life when machining various alloy steels and heat treated steels that are below 45 HRc. As a current trend, economic feasibility and high speed machining is increasingly important and the composite material has improved its tool life capability by more than 15 minutes with balanced tool-life at a velocity of around 500 m/min.

Making The Correct Choice Users have to be careful to select an appropriate grade of cermet as its characteristics are different to that of coated cemented carbides.

Unlike coated carbide, cermet is not adequate for roughing. When large chips are created, a shear effect as well as large changes to cutting resistance occur and this continuous shock will exceed the material’s tolerance limitation until the material is damaged.

Additionally, when chips with large curls collide on the backside during large depth of cut machining, notch-abrasion tends to damage the material. This serious notch-

abrasion effect happens easily when machining difficult-to-cut materials such as Ni, Fe and Co based super alloys. As such, applying cermet to difficult-to-cut material is not very appropriate.

For this reason, machining difficult-to-cut material and roughing is more suited to coated carbide than cermet. Table 1 compares tool-life and the chip removal among carbides, coated carbides and cermets. In the table you can see that it is more economical to conduct high-speed cutting because of higher chip removal. Like CVD coated carbide, cermet is an economic tool for high speed machining.

Dry & Wet Machining Dry machining is suitable for cermet as the speed and feed rate of rough machining is continually increasing.

The use of coolant causes thermalcracks that will damage the cutting edge of cermet tools.

Compared to carbides, the material shows stability at high temperatures and performs well in dry machining. Generally, the material is used for wet machining at low feed rate and low depth of cut machining, which does not increase machining temperature. However, in severe conditions where the tool abrasion occurs rapidly, machining temperature increases abruptly because of cutting edge abrasion.

In this case, dry machining delays thermal cracking, resulting in stable machining performance.

Machining temperatures are

influenced by machining conditions at first, but thermal conductivity of workpiece, toughness and hardness are also having an influence on thermal cracking. To select the correct machining condition of a cermet, users have to understand all of the options. If there is no effect of thermal expansion or thermal deformation on precise machining, it is desirable not to conduct wet machining.

For milling applications, if wet machining is applied, thermal cracking occurs at a perpendicular direction to the cutting edge and this shortens tool-life. For milling applications where constant cutting heat and cooling at idling happens repeatedly, cermets tend to be weaker at thermal shock than cemented carbides. During wet machining, the cutting edge is cooled rapidly at lower load operations and this is the reason for thermal cracking.

Did You Know?

Cermet is suitable for…

• Medium-machining, semi-roughing and finishing of various steels and cast irons.

• High speed machining where builtup edges do not occur easily.

It is…

• Chemically stable compared to other cutting tool materials It has…

• Good heat and wear-resistance

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Recovered toughness Conventional Cermet

Functionally graded Cermet

High wear resistance zone

Distance From The Surface

Practical Illustration

100

Fig 4

CT3000, a cermet grade used for both CT3000 50 turning and milling, generally shows improved performance over conventional cermet grades in turning applications. Using fine grained TiCN 10 powder and optimised alloy design technology in the process, it displays good alloy properties Existing Cermets 5 and a stable microstructure. Higher nitrogen content largely contributes to the uniformity of the fine grained microstructure and this delivers the cutting performance.

200 300 500 1,000 100 Figure 4 shows the V-T curve showing the Cutting Speed, m/min relationship between cutting speed and tool life with high-speed cutting parameters of 180 to 500 m/min. The curve shows that CT3000 improved cutting speed and tool life when compared to existing cermet grades.

The grade also has chemical stability at high speed machining where lots of heat arises. This demonstrates the mechanical advantages such as wear resistance at high temperature and toughness. Due to its mechanical characteristic advantages at high temperature and the balance between wear resistance and toughness, it is mainly used in turning processes.

Tool life, min

Improvements In Toughness & Wear Resistance The need of higher quality surface finish is growing with the trend of precision machining in the automotive and aerospace industries. Applications and the amount of cermet used in these areas are increasing and tool-life improvement mainly focuses on toughness and wear resistance.

Studies regarding fine microstructure cermet (solid solution and high nitrogenising cermet) have been conducted.

To improve wear resistance, an improvement of the surface structure on the edge is necessary. To achieve this, less cobalt and a nitride binder are favourable elements for the surface structure. On the other hand, the internal structure with less binder compound will decrease toughness and shorten tool-life.

With the addition of alloy and sintering technology applications to PVD coated cermets, the content of the surface binder and internal structure; less binder content on the surface and more binder further inside (Figure 3) can be optimised.

This development has significantly improved stability to create longer tool-life when compared to conventional cermet tools. Compared with carbides, existing cermets fundamentally have lower toughness and thermal conductivity. They are available for only limited use in interrupted machining or cutting under thermal shock conditions.

Fig 3: Inclining structure

Metallic Binder Co/Ni

The use of coated cermets has been increasing in recent times and PVD coated cermets are now widely used for industrial purposes with TiAlN, TiN and AlCrN coatings applied. The TiN coating has improved build-up edge resistance while the TiAlN coating has improved thermal shock resistance and wear resistance to improve tool-life.

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The Beginnings‌ The use of cermet in cutting tools started since the initial trials of TiC chemical compound in the 1920s. In the 1950s, TiC-Mo-Ni was first developed for high speed finishing of steels. Compared to cemented carbides, the characteristics of a TiC based cermet such as high hardness levels, chemical stability at high temperature and low specific gravity gave it attention as an alternative to WC-based cemented carbide.

WC is the main element of cemented carbides, which are considered as strategic materials. But the TiC based cermet back then was not widely used as an industrial cutting tool material because of its lack of toughness even though the material was as strong as cemented carbides and had high hardness levels.

In the 70s, a lot of research was conducted into improving the performance of cermet. Finally, a fine-grained TiC-TiN based cermet with a high toughness level was developed and since then it has been widely used in the development of cutting tools. MEN

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T

oday, 3D printing is part of a new manufacturing trend known as Direct Digital Manufacture (DDM), and is rapidly gaining acceptance for the manufacture of low volume, specialised products within industries such as medical device, defence, aerospace and automotive.

DDM systems use commercially-available plastics or metallic powders to produce near fully-dense parts suitable for enduse applications. With it, parts can be built directly from computer models or from measurements of existing components to be reengineered, bypassing traditional manufacturing processes such as cutting, milling and grinding.

DDM Down Under RMIT Universities Advanced M a n u f a c t u r i n g P re c i n c t i n Melbourne, Australia, recently adopted Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology, a system that spreads a fine metallic powder in thin layers, typically 50 Âľm thick.

The technique allows functional components to be built while minimising the material wastage associated with subtractive technologies such as turning and milling.

RMIT is conducting a research project using SLM. The university team is working with the Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC), Lockheed Martin, 3D Systems, the University of Wollongong and the Defence S c i e n c e a n d Te c h n o l o g y Organisation (DSTO).

Their aim is to deliver new manufacturing technology for the production of smallscale, high-value titaniumbased components for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), to increase local capability when bidding for defence and civil-related manufacturing projects.

The JSF program, run by the United States Department 30

metalworking equipment news March 2012

Case Study:

Using DDM For High-End Titanium Parts

DDM can help reduce the cost of manufacturing titanium components. By Prof Milan Brandt, FLIA FWTIA, professor of Advanced Manufacturing, School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering RMIT University & Kathryn Hay, marketing manager, 3D Systems Asia-Pacific of Defence, aims to produce a f f o rd a b l e n e x t - g e n e r a t i o n strike aircraft weapon systems for the United States Navy, Airforce, Marines, and its allies, including Australia.

An important aspect is reducing the cost of manufacturing titanium components, which are attractive because of their high strength to weight ratio, the ability to retain that strength at high temperatures and high corrosion resistance compared to other alloys.

It’s About Efficiency & Effectiveness A major problem of manufacturing components from titanium alloys was the high rate of wastage.

Technologies which cut waste would significantly impact the cost of manufactured titanium components. Aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin was using additive technologies for large components and wanted to know if the same approach could be adopted for smaller parts.

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The studies aim to find out the effects of various parameters on the microstructure of the built titanium structures and the difference in mechanical properties between vertical and horizontal builds. That will then be used to redesign and manufacture the components based on bionic principles.

The efforts all lead to manufacturing small-scale JSF titanium components more efficiently and effectively while maintaining their quality and integrity. On the fundamental scientific level, the objective is to increase the understanding of the SLM process and translate that into practical information for uptake by the industry.

The Right Substitute The technologies’ versatility also lends itself in the production of medical instruments, implants and dental applications, where odd geometries are required. Other applications include the production of tools or inserts for injection moulding, containing internal cooling channels to reduce moulding cycle times and increase output.

DDM is a technology that will radically accelerate productioncycles. Although it will not replace technologies like injection moulding, investment casting, or CNC machining, it could be a substitute for the right applications.

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

Over At The Power Generation Industry…

ENQUIRY NO 004

Small to midsize hydro-electric power plants in inaccessible areas/landscapes, such as the Southern American Andes, are the specialty of Tushino Power Machine Tools.

The implementation of customised hydroelectric power plants for midsize towns yields a 20 percent improvement in efficiency when compared to competitive off the shelf products.

Each turbine with its blades is individually adapted to the water pressure, drop height a n d f l ow r a te o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l p owe r plant project. At the company, a team of mathematicians take each of these key values and all environmental conditions into consideration to calculate the most efficient turbine design for each specific project.

With the help of their production printer, the company is then able to turn the design into a master pattern for casting. The Francis-style turbine in the images has 14 turbine blades, a diameter of 150 cm and a capacity of 12 mW. The Stereolithography master pattern for investment casting weighs 70 kg, while the final cast model weighs 1,990 kg.

With traditional milling or CNC high speed machining, the production time for the turbines is extensive and costly, as each single blade would have to be milled separately and mounted to the body. With the QuickCast build style, a casting pattern is automatically produced unattended on the printer creating a hollow, honeycomb structure inside. This structure minimises the mass to burnout during the casting process, resulting in a custom turbine in a fraction of the time. MEN

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

March 2012 metalworking equipment news CBR_BRE_TCG_ｲﾝﾃﾞｯｸｯｽ広告版下_54x240_4c_英語版.indd

1 2011/11/01

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Metrology

The model allows the designer to evaluate opportunities to reduce environmental impact throughout the manufacturing process — for example, by reducing weld energy through optimi­sation of material thicknesses in an assembly.

Using

CAD Optimising Tool As An

CAD has evolved from its traditional design role to a sustainability driver in production. By VR Srivatsan, ASEAN MD, Autodesk

T

he business world is undergoing a permanent change, and this is especially evident in the manufacturing industry. The cost of materials like tin, copper, and steel are increasing, energy prices continue to escalate regardless of type and source and the global problem of waste is becoming more acute.

Sustainability In The Manufacturing Context In today’s competitive climate, large manufacturers are often faced with the choice of acting early with less reliable environmental data, or to wait for more trusted information to minimise the risk of altering their business operations inappropriately.

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Two factors help to reduce the risk of updating a production proce ss to improve its sustainability — one is using a proven methodology and the other, a proven technology.

L e a n Ma nu fac tu r ing a nd SixSigma are well-known process improve­m ent methodologies that target and eliminate waste to drive profitability; they usually improve the env ironmenta l performance of a process at the same time.

The other way to reduce risk is to take advantage of the latest software technology. Businesses that use a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) platform with digital prototyping capabilities can develop a single 3D model that evolves from concept through manufacturing.

Optimising For Outcomes Before Production With CAD Today, CAD software helps designers understand the impact of material choices and production processes on the product’s overall sustainability and outcomes that advance their top business priorities, such as lowering operating expenses or taking market share from a competitor.

Once the desired outcome is selected (such as lowering energy use during production by 20 percent), the design team can pick a strategy (reduce the number of heat-treating operations) and make use of the software tools to analyse the inputs and process steps to understand the impact of each of the outcome.

The team can then integrate all design data into a single digital model, streamlining the design process and improving communication. As the model develops it becomes a more accurate digital prototype of the product, reflecting the material attributes such as weight, strength and recycled content, and process attributes such as energy intensity and water consumption.

The team can experiment with alternatives that might achieve the desired goal. In this example, the team might consider using designs that can take advantage of selective induction hardening processes rather than bulk heat-treating.

Experimenting with different scenarios will reveal the feasible and cost-effective options.

As the product design evolves from concept through engineering and on to production, it can be tested, modified and optimised digitally to achieve the desired outcome, before the first prototype

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goes into production.

Product outcomes and strategies will vary widely according to the type of business, constraints and market opportunities. Examples might include: • Facilitating quick disassembly and recycling by using a single bolt to assemble the back to an office chair frame; • Substituting recycled metal and plastic for virgin lumber in playground equipment; • Lowering energy use by 50 percent and eliminating the need for oil and lubricants by creating a gearless elevator hoist, and • Enabling fast, cost-effective remanufacturing by using only standard, interchangeable parts.

Regardless of the specific sustainable outcome and strategy selected, a digital prototype will save the design team time and money as it analyses and tests alternative options. In many cases, the digital prototype created with CAD software can help predict the impact of the proposed change on the product’s characteristics and the energy consumed during its manufac­ture, even before it goes into production.

Armed with such data, the design team can quickly and cost-effectively experiment with different material and process variables until it discovers the optimal combination. Multiple options for the same product can be saved at any stage, from concept through manufacturing, allowing the team to pursue multiple strategies in parallel.

If the market or regulatory e n v i ro n m e nt c h a n g e s , t he product can quickly be optimised to meet the latest conditions.

The CAD model reduces risk by allowing the design team to incorporate changes much later

in the process, increasing design decision flexibility to support sustainable product strategies.

Rather than building physical protot y p e s, t he re a l - world performance of a product can be digitally simulated with CAD, saving time and money required to build multiple physical prototypes. The opti­mised design can be tested and broken virtually before spending a single dollar on materials or labour.

If a manufacturer chooses to design its product for disassembly, CAD simplifies the analysis. After the product is in production, the CAD can assist with accurate do cu me ntat ion of mater ia l and design data important for compliance with environmental regulations.

CAD and digital prototyping offer even greater promise for the future, and design software will become an increasingly important

tool in efforts to improve the sustainability of manufacturers.

By allowing designers to make better decisions in the early stages of product development, when they are most effective, future product capabilities may make it even easier and faster for manufacturers to design products that are resource-efficient, carbon neutral, healthy and safe.

Conclusion Sustainability is still a differentiator, but not for long — it is quickly becoming an expected part of doing business in the global economy.

A sustainable design methodology and CAD software are both essential tools to help designers develop products meeting one or more business-oriented, environmental outcomes.

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

Case Study: Unlocking Possibilities In 3D

Joy Mining Machinery

Digital Prototyping has been employed by Joy Mining Machinery in their manufacture of underground mining systems and machinery. The company made use of Autodesk Inventor software to create the Joy 14ED25, a mining solution integrating both mining and bolting functions to eliminate the need for two separate machines specialised for different tasks.

With the help of CAD software, the company was able to provide a solution to customers that gave them a competitive advantage with improved productivity and reduced cost.

In addition, the precision and reliability of the 3D digital prototypes meant that each new piece of machinery could be customised and adjusted digitally, with the team making use of the software to design, visualise and simulate without the need for physical prototypes that bring all 40,000 parts of the complex minerbolter machine together. Being able to do this reduces wastage and environmental footprint, as well as material costs, operational expenditure and time to market. MEN

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

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Achieve Productivity With Design For Manufacturability Making sure that designs fall within the realm of manufacturability can bring about cost benefits. By Sharon Toh, GM, South Asia, Dassault Systèmes Singapore

P

roduct design does not occur in a vacuum and has a significant impact on manufacturing.

In fact, 3D design carries even greater potential for streamlining production processes, especially when you take advantage of Design For Manufacturability (DFM) tools and applications.

With these technologies, you can avoid the manufacturing delays, cost overruns, and shop-floor retrofits that work against your company’s success and competitive position.

Design & Manufacturing Go Hand In Hand W i n n i n g i n to d ay ’s g l ob a l marketplace requires more than innovative and creative product designs. To succeed, you must also beat the competition to market, while controlling development costs and maintaining high levels of quality.

Accomplishing these goals demand the implementation of efficient and consistent processes throughout the product development cycle. If you create fantastic product designs but experience difficulties in manufacturing, you 34

metalworking equipment news March 2012

cannot achieve the healthy profit margins, ambitious production schedules, or consistent product quality that are necessary for your company’s success.

3D product design is a n i mp or t a nt pie ce of t he manufacturing puzzle because it can make your manufacturing processes run like clockwork. In addition to helping you shorten de sig n cycle s, a 3D de sig n platform that incorporates DFM tools and applications can help you address production pitfalls by automating and streamlining manufacturing.

Design For Machining Although the advent of CAM software represented a quantum leap in machining productivity, you can reap additional efficiency gains by using an integrated 3D design system that provides DFM tools.

No matter what process you utilise — milling, drilling, punching, laser/waterjet cutting, multi-access machining, or wire EDM — the critical requirements are starting with accurate, clean 3D geometry and using the machining technology that best fits your needs.

Design For Mouldability Manufacturers utilise moulds to produce a growing number of products. As any mould maker will tell you, however, not all shapes are mouldable. Regardless of the mould method used — including injection-moulding, t he r mofor m i n g, re si n f i l l s, blow-moulding, and rotational moulding — considering a design’s mouldability is a key factor for shooting quality parts at volume.

Although 3D core-and-cavity capabilities can facilitate the development of moulds, using DFM tools to assess mouldability can help you avoid production problems and extend mould service life.

For example, has someone done a draft analysis to ensure the part will pop out of the mould without damaging the part? What about undercuts, which increase the cost of the mould? Can you locate undercuts and eliminate them prior to tooling design? Is the part thickness consistent and/or is it too thick? Is your parting line in an acceptable location for the aesthetics of your design? Would a fluid flow or thermal simulation help you optimise your mould design and forming process? What happens when changes need to be made?

Avoiding mould production issues and extending mould service life can help save time and money.

Design For Casting & Forging Many manufacturers produce metal parts that are not machined, either through forging or casting.

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Forging is the preferred method for creating extra-strong metal pa r ts, in which the meta l’s grain is hammered or pressed into the shape of a part using a combination of pressure and temperature.

Casting is typically reserved for metal parts having complex geometries that preclude machining, or in instances where casting is faster and less expensive than machining. Cast parts are produced by pouring molten metal into sand, metal, or investmentcast moulds. As with mould development, using DFM tools can benefit both processes.

Regardless of whether you cast or forge parts, 3D design and DFM tools can help you check the draft of your parts, and evaluate the strength and precision of your fixtures, dies, and moulds.

They can help you predict more accurately the product of your forging and casting operations — instead of working through trial and error — saving you time and money in the process.

Design For Fabrication Fabricating assemblies requires the accurate and efficient processing of sheetmetal parts, welded structures, and fastening systems.

Turning sheet-metal designs into finished pieces consistently, quickly, and cost-effectively — including the precise handling of weldments and fasteners — is imperative to saving time and trimming costs.

Many manufacturers work closely with companies that specialise in fabricating assemblies. You want to ensure that the sheetmetal parts and structural components that you design are ready to go to the shop floor for manufacturing, with little or no need to modify or re-engineer the part to meet your partner’s manufacturing capabilities. DFM tools can streamline interaction with fabrication vendors, as well as automate and increase the accuracy of fabrication operations.

Design and manufacturing go hand in hand

Design For Assembly The methods utilised to assemble parts and subassemblies into final products can vary greatly: from pick-and-place robotics to machine-driven assembly/ packaging to human manual operations. With any assembly operation, the ability to visualise and simulate how a product goes together is essential for preventing assembly-related bottlenecks. In the case of a ssembly machine s, this capability can also help you develop the best-performing, most cost-effective system by using simulation data to design and size it perfectly.

Simulating assembly operations — whether manual or automated — is becoming i nc re a si n g ly i mp or ta nt for squeezing additional time and costs out of production.

Assembling manufactured parts into final products is an important aspect of many manufacturing operations. You can leverage 3D design data in ways that can transform your a ssembly operations into a more efficient and cost-effective operation.

Energising Production Through DFM Product design and manufacturing are no longer separate, autonomous functions, but rather two sides of the same coin. By taking manufacturing issues into consideration during initial design, manufacturers can avoid time-consuming delays, unnecessary costs, and undesirable quality issues.

With DFM tools and applications, you can improve the performance of your manufacturing operations and make a valuable contribution to your company’s bottom line.

Squeezing time and costs out of production are very attainable objective s, if you have the capabilities you need to make sure a product design is really ready to leave the virtual world and become real. It does not matter how you make it—whether it is by machining, mould-making, fabricating, metalworking, or assembly. If you can make sure that the design can be made efficiently and cost-effectively — with few, if any, unanticipated surprises — you will save your company time and money. MEN Enquiry No. 2203 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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MetalWorking

Laser Processing Of Shaped Holes In The Manufacture Of Turbine Engine Components

Laser processing is giving EDM a run for its money in the production of turbine engine components. By Peter Thompson, technical director & Mark Barry, VP, Sales and Marketing, Prima North America, Laserdyne Systems

O

ne of the ‘hottest’ topics in t he ma nu fac tu re of turbine engine components today is the production of shaped holes by laser processing. Both aero-engine and land-based turbine OEMs and their respective supply chains are showing a keen interest in the available processes and resulting shapes. They often describe a preferred solution with expected results. Their interest is tempered by technical limitations either experienced directly or rumoured through industry sources.

The reasons for the high level of interest in producing shaped holes by laser processing are simple: shaped holes can provide superior cooling for a turbine engine component.

Proper design of cooling components with shaped holes will result in fewer holes needed to accomplish a superior result. Fewer holes means shorter production cycle times, lower production costs, and a lower cooling air requirement.

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

Properly put into practice, this results in a more efficient and cost effective engine. The specific interest in laser processing comes from its speed relative to competitive methods and the ability to produce shaped holes in parts with thermal barrier coatings. (Figure 1) The use of shaped holes is well documented. Shaped holes have been effectively used in hot section components of turbine engines

Figure 1: The technology for producing shaped holes continues to advance with new hardware and software developments Figure 2: Laser processing of shaped holes provides combination of speed, flexibility and cost-effectiveness

for many years. Some engine component manufacturers employ conventional plunge Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) to produce these holes. Others use laser processing to produce shaped holes on specific parts.

The driver for choosing one process over the other in the past, and even more so today, is a combination of cost and flexibility. (Figure 2)

SheetMetalWorking

Laser Processing Vs EDM I n e v a lu at i n g sha p e d hole processing using laser and EDM technologies, it is important to define and understand two basic terms used to describe all shaped holes (whether EDM or laser produced). These terms are diffuser and metering section.

(Figure 3) Diffuser describes the section of the hole that contains the ‘shape’. It is on the exit side of the air path and is used to spread, or diffuse, a film of air over the part surface. The design criterion for diffusers is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice to say that over t he ye a rs di f fe re nt mo de l s have given design engineers an opportunity and tools to be creative in the describing and placing of holes.

When examining a part with shaped holes, what appears to be different shapes are the result of the angle at which the holes are drilled in relation to the surface, and their placement on the components. A wide variety of shapes is often the result of only these two factors.

Metering section refers to the cylindrical portion of the hole, produced by either a percussion or trepan laser drilling process.

Diameters ranging from 0.25 mm to 0.89 mm are common in turbine engine components.

EDM For Making Shaped Holes Designers of turbine engine components do not want to be limited to the hole processing techniques discussed in the examples above. The alternative they most often choose is to use conventional EDM with a shaped

electrode. The electrode is designed with a small, sometimes round, diameter leading end with the shaped section flaring out.

These electrodes ca n be easily formed from copper strip and are economical to produce.

The electrodes ca n a lso be combined into a ‘comb’, which holds multiple electrodes for producing multiple holes in a straight line.

While this process improves economy, the cycle time is still long and variations in individual hole angle and location are not easily controlled and achieved.

The individual electrodes in a comb require careful setting to produce the same shape and depth for each hole, and are also susceptible to damage, which can lead to higher than acceptable reworks and high scrap rates.

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Figure 3: Diffuser and metering section

2.94

Typ. Both Sides 14° 30’

Airfoil Surface

Another development that can render shaped electrode EDM unusable is the increased use of thermal barrier coatings on turbine engine part designs.

Thermal bearing coatings come i n a w ide v a r ie t y of compositions, most of which are not electrically conductive.

Electrica l conductiv ity is a requirement for EDM processing.

In comparison, laser drilling of thermal barrier coated parts is a widely accepted and successful process. (Figure 4) Two Laser Sources To Produce A Shaped Hole In this approach, the first laser source has the most capability to effectively drill the metering hole. The ideal characteristics of this laser are high pulse energy (to 45 Joules), a pulse repetition rate on the order of 200 Hz (for trepanning), and high brightness (a measure of beam quality).

Laser drilling of metering holes, even with older, less efficient design tuned resonator Nd:YAG lasers, continues as a successful, well understood process with many effective cooling hole designs produced in today’s turbine engine components. An example of laser parameters for this process: • 200 mm focal length lens • 1 ms pulse duration (a lso 38

metalworking equipment news March 2012

referred to as ‘pulse length’) • 180 Watts average power • 12 Hz pulse frequency • These parameters typically result in a focus diameter of 0.38 mm and a peak power density of 1.25 x 107 Watts per sq cm.

The second laser source in this approach has the capability to ablate, or remove micrometer thicknesses of material with each pulse, creating the diffuser section.

The diffuser sections of the hole are typically ‘machined’ with short pulse length (microsecond or tens of nanoseconds), lower average energy, high frequency (kHz) lasers.

These la sers have the capability to slowly ablate both thermal barrier coatings and metals. The parameters used for this process are similar to those used for laser marking applications. The beam delivery for a marking laser, in the form of a two-axis galvo scanner and flat-field focus lens, has also been borrowed. While there appears to be a solution by ablating the diffuser, further examination reveals significant limitations.

The first limitation is that drilling of the metering hole is a very fast process — four laser pulses at 12 Hz, for example. On the other hand, the creation of the diffuser using a marking laser involves very low material removal

rates and, when compared to drilling the metering hole, the diffuser cycle is much slower.

The capital expense is another problem for t his approach because it is high. Two or even three machine tools (balanced production) are required to achieve the desired result. Also to be considered are floor space for equipment, installation, utilities, programming, fixture transfer, load and unload times — all important cost issues that need to be addressed when evaluating this approach.

When combining the lasers into a single system, setup and load/unload time that is present in a two-machine system may decrease. However, the complexity of the system design is increased and large portions of the cost are retained because a significant part of the capital equipment purchased is idle for long periods of cycle time.

Variable Tuned Resonator Laser System A different approach to producing modern shaped holes is to address the characteristics of the meter drilling laser and ask why it is not appropriate to also machine the diffuser. The answer lies in the laser design known as a ‘tuned resonator’.

This design has been in use since the first use of lasers by the industry in the 1970’s. While effective for many applications, there are design constraints.

The major problem with this laser design for shaped hole manufacturing is that it can not effectively produce the widely varying laser parameters that are required for drilling and machining.

This has been overcome with the laser incorporating high frequency flash lamps, an ICT (Inter Cavity Telescope), and a VSM (Variable Spot Module). This laser produces both the high energy longer pulses required for drilling

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Figure 5: The motion required for shaped hole diffuser machining is very complex

Figure 4

the metering section, and the shorter, higher frequency, lower average power pulses required for machining diffusers. (Figure 5) Motion Programming Another problem in order for laser processing to compete with EDM in all facets of shaped hole production is the programming of motion required. By observing a shaped hole diffuser machining process on a laser system, it is easy to see that the motion required is very complex.

Fortunately, the machine tool controllers in use today often employ dual processors and are proven performers that can handle complex calculations, applying the results to form machine code.

With these new controllers, it is not essential for the engineer responsible for programming to calculate and code the individual motion statements.

This capability has been proven with features such as the Laserdyne CylPerf routine. This feature prompts the engineer to describe a complex pattern of holes on a cylindrical part in a series of simple geometry statements.

When the resulting statement is read by the controller, it is converted in real-time into the required machine code.

The same principle is now being applied to the machining of shaped holes. The engineer need only describe the diameter and length of metering hole, the type and characteristic of the diffuser section in a single statement.

When the statement is called and read by the controller the required motion is calculated and performed. What helps make this possible is that, the endless variety of shaped holes that are now possible on turbine engine

components are the result of the angle at which the hole is drilled to the surface and the topography of that surface, which is often not flat.

Conclusion The use of laser systems for producing shaped holes has been proven in the past and even more so in today’s demanding manufacturing environment.

Advancements in laser design and programming make the use of laser systems even more attractive today and this requires that engineers investigate and, in some cases, re-investigate this process.

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

Case Study In the early 1990’s, Pratt & Whitney (P&W) experienced a problem with cooling holes.

The holes were ideal for laser drilling but in use, the engine became clogged and less efficient. At the P&W North Haven facility, a group of engineers developed a dual laser drilling process to enlarge the hole diameter for a short section at the part surface.

The enlarged hole was drilled at the same angle as the original primary cooling hole. While this early use of a ‘diffuser section’ did not have the same degree of sophistication as later hole designs, it was cost effective. Easily processed, the parts were placed in the laser drilling system and completed in a single operation.

The result was successful and was implemented at several of P&W plant locations, eventually leading to a US patent being awarded. This laser process continues to be used today.

Enquiry No. 2302

Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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39

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Focus

Reduce Repair Turnaround Time With A

Laser Tracker

F

or a l most 2 0 ye a rs, Marianna Airmotive Corp (MAC) has been repairing and overhauling structural components for the Air Force’s largest aircraft, the C5 Galaxy.

Typically for most repair facilities, the company does not have access to the aircraft itself so it must build and certify fixtures that it can use to assemble and fabricate structural components to tight tolerances.

Among the largest aircraft in the world, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport designed to carry outsized and oversized cargo over intercontinental distances. It features a cargo compartment that is 19 feet wide, 13.5 feet high, and 121 feet long.

Aircraft Repair Challenges The company’s contract includes repairing all significant C- 5 structural components that are removable from the aircraft, such as the main landing gear door, aft cargo door, spoilers, inlet cowls, slats, flaps, and radomes.

For example, ground spoilers are deployed on landing to enhance wheel braking. Flight spoilers are used for specific flight manoeuvres.

Ground and flight spoilers are bonded panels with multiple hinges. The hinges need to line up to the aircraft wing mating points

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

A laser tracker provides real-time measurements directly against the CAD data, enabling engineers to visualise deviations from the nominal while reducing the time required to certify large parts, tooling and machinery.

By Dan Alred, product marketing manager, Faro precisely, with accuracy on the order of +/- 0.010 inch.

“The reattachment of the hinges needs to be done very accurately,” said Ryan Harvey, engineer for Marianna Airmotive.

Before obtaining the laser tracker, MAC Engineers used the CAD model to create a series of 2D templates to ensure a repair/ overhaul did not affect the contour of the part. But each template inspects only a single cross-section, so this method is not practical for inspecting a large contoured surface as is required for a more comprehensive repair/overhaul.

Another problem is that it is nearly impossible to accurately set up each template in relation to the others. Twists that result when a template is tilted in relation to its theoretical angle can cause the part to be out of specifications even when the template matches the cross-section perfectly.

“MAC decided to carefully build, inspect and certify tooling that enables our mechanics to meet the customer’s dimensional tolerance and fit requirements,” Mr Harvey continued.

Bond tools are used to lay up the skins and cores. The skins and cores are combined with an adhesive and cooked in an oven or autoclave. Vacuum or pressure is applied to form an integrated structure. The bond tool ensures the part contour is maintained.

After curing the bonded structure, it is moved to an assembly tool designed to ensure accurate alignment of frames and fittings.

Obviously, the accuracy of each tool is critical to the integrity of the repair/overhaul process.

The Need To Measure & Calibrate Tools “We needed a tool to measure and calibrate these tools,” said Bill Visage, an engineer associated with Marianna Airmotive. The

At MAC, Portable Metrology Enables…

• Reduced setup and tear down times • Reduction of inspection times for most parts from 1.5 hour to 30 minutes

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company selected a measuring arm that is comparable in function and accuracy to large fixed-bed CMMs, but is portable and easier to use.

The fixtures have stanchion points that align to the hinges to check their position.

The mechanics initially used a measuring arm to check the stanchion points against the drawings. From there, the company expanded the use of the arm to include other fixtures/tools, such as that used to assemble the wing tip.

Shortly after, they needed to perform even more detailed measurement on much larger parts.

“The rear cargo door of the C5 is 15 feet wide by 40 feet long,” said Mr Harvey. “We could inspect it with the FaroArm but we would have to leapfrog, in other words, change the position of the arm several times in order to inspect the entire perimeter.

This would take a considerable amount of extra time and raise the potential for inaccuracies. We asked the manufacturer if they could provide an alternative and they demonstrated the laser tracker.”

The laser tracker mounts on a tripod and emits a laser that is reflected off a retroreflective target positioned at the point to be measured. The laser then retraces its outward path back to the tracker.

Two angle encoders measure the elevation and rotational angles of the light while a distance meter is used to determine the 3D position of the retroreflector. The operator moves the target and the laser tracker measures the distance and angle of each point.

In the traditional incremental distance measurement approach, the operator is required to place the target in the tracker’s home position

and as the laser tracks along, to move the target into the measuring position while an interferometer measures distance. If the beam is broken, the measurement is not valid and the measurement process must begin from scratch.

Measuring Deviation From CAD Model In Real Time The company purchased the laser tracker along with Verisurf software to perform best fit alignments of surface data with a CAD model.

For example, if the part is tilted the software tilts the CAD model to match it. After the model and part are aligned, the software then determines the deviation of each measured point from the CAD model.

The results are provided in real time while the measurements are being taken. So if there is a problem with a part or fixture, the operator

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does not waste any time completing the inspection, but rather can abort the inspection as soon as they understand the problem and begin making corrections. The tracker can achieve 0.025 mm (0.001 inch) accuracy.

The company now uses the measuring arm to inspect smaller fixtures and parts, and the tracker to inspect larger fixtures and parts.

It takes about an hour to inspect a small fixture such as a bond tool for a spoiler, and three to four hours to inspect a larger fixture such as an assembly tool for the rear cargo door.

This includes checking the location of the points to be measured, booting up the computer and loading the software, starting the laser tracker, positioning the target, picking points on the CAD model to align with the target and finally measuring the points.

“The laser tracker is used for all parts over 12 feet in length and has improved our capability to repair components,” Mr Visage said.

“It is used to inspect surfaces for outer skin defects, indicate points where the skins are out of contour, and can perform reverse engineering by creating 3D CAD

models based on the measured points. Measuring directly against the CAD data allows the engineer to see real time deviations from the nominal. This allows parts to be produced with an inspection report certifying that it has been machined within acceptable tolerances. The addition of these measurement devices have enabled Marianna to improve our quality and reduce costly time spent on off-site purchases. Turnaround time has been reduced from weeks to days.”

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

Role Of Metrology In MRO — A Singapore Perspective Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News spoke with Anthony Lur, senior applications engineer, Faro Singapore in an exclusive Q&A

APMEN: From the standpoint of a metrology solutions provider, what are the common requirements or demands from the users in the MRO sector?

AL: The users in the MRO sector, particularly the engineers and designers, use the collected data to reverse-engineer, improve or create new parts and products — or improve how they are made.

Quality control personnel use it to verify that the parts have been made correctly, and, if not, where they need to be corrected.

In summary, their aim is to increase production efficiency while decreasing time-to-market, scrap and re-work costs.

Sara Haj-Hassan, Memphis, USA

APMEN: Do you see an increase in the usage of portable measuring arms or laser measuring equipment in the MRO sector in recent years? Why do you think that is the case?

Anthony Lur (AL): Yes, I am seeing an increase of such trends in the MRO sector because of the complexity of the modern aircraft components and their size. Portable measuring arm and laser measuring equipment have long been accepted for their capability to achieve productivity and accuracy. For instance, they are used in qualifying complicated assembly jig as well as reproducing critical parts of an aircraft.

APMEN: What is the advantage of using portable arms in the MRO sector? When did the MRO sector in Singapore start using portable metrology to help in their production?

AL: Fast in setting up and collecting data, mobile, advanced measurement technology, open architecture flexibility and the ability to access hard to reach areas are the advantages of using portable arms in the MRO sector. As far as I know, the MRO aerospace industry in Singapore has been using portable metrology since 1995.

APMEN: What are the challenges in measuring an aerospace part?

AL: Aerospace parts are generally large in size. Component can be very curvilinear in shape and tools can be very structurally complicated. To overcome such challenges, we need to deploy portable metrology with advanced technology in the shops or laboratory.

APMEN: Where do the MRO users usually deploy your products? Which are the typical parts they check on (eg: wings/landing gear)?

AL: To achieve a wide array of applications for MRO users, our products are adaptable or accommodating to environmental demands. These range from engineering research laboratories to the repair or assembly shop, or even to the extent of placing it in the outdoor repair environment.

Generally for tools, we check on engine thrust reverser, aerostructure composite bond tools, assembly gear for fuselage, whereas for parts and components, we use it for critical engine assemblies or components system maintenance. MEN

Enquiry No. 2402 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Machining

Titanium Aerospace Parts

Using advanced cutting strategy can achieve higher volume of metal removal. By Dr Moshe Goldberg, marketing technical advisor and Reuven Shafir, Aerospace Industry manager, Iscar

T

he use of titanium in airframes has continued to grow since the 1980’s, when it had its beginnings in military programs and ultimately moved into commercial aircraft. Titanium alloys effectively compete with aluminium, nickel and ferrous alloys in both commercial and military airframes.

Applications cover the range of airframe structural parts; from massive highly stressed, forged wing structures and landing gear components, to small critical fasteners, springs and hydraulic tubing. As new titanium products, alloys and manufacturing methods are employed by the aerospace industry, the use of titanium is due to expand rapidly.

The complex design of the parts and the ongoing demand for manufacturing called for the development of new machining technologies and solutions, aimed at assisting SME (Small/Medium Enterprise) shops to produce more parts and be more competitive.

Titanium Machining Characteristics & Its Limitations Titanium 6AL-4V is the most popular material for aerospace, due to its lightweight and high strength ratio. Machining titanium alloys requires cutting forces comparably higher than those required for machining steels. In addition, titanium alloys present metallurgical characteristics that make machining more difficult than steels of equivalent hardness.

Titanium is known to generate a work-hardening 44

metalworking equipment news March 2012

characteristic. That condition leads to a high shear angle during machining that causes a thin chip to contact a relatively small area on the cutting-tool face. In addition, the high bearing forces produced by machining, combined with the friction developed by the chip as it travel results in a great increase of heat on a localised portion of the cutting tool. Heat generated by cutting titanium does not dissipate quickly into the air, due to poor conductivity. Therefore, a substantial amount of heat gets locked between the cutting edge and the tool face.

This combination of high bearing forces and heat produces crater wear mechanism within the proximity of the cutting edge, resulting in rapid tool breakdown.

With its relatively low modulus of elasticity, titanium has more ‘springiness’ than steel, so work tends to move away from cutting tools, unless heavy cuts are maintained or proper backup is employed. Thin-walled parts tend to deflect under tool pressures, causing chatter, tool rubbing and tolerance problems. The key solution calls for rigidity of the entire system and the use of sharp cutting tools with the right geometric characteristics.

To make matters worse, titanium alloys have a strong tendency to alloy with or to react chemically with the materials in cutting tools at tool-operating temperatures, and they have a tendency to gall as chips weld to the cutting edges of tools.

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Figure 1

Figure 2

Trochoidal Milling — A Potential Solution Trochoidal (spiral) milling provides a potential solution to this problem. The basic idea is to program the cutter to move in a circular pattern with each circle advancing into the cut.

One key advantage of trochoidal milling is that only a small area of the cutting tool is engaged at one time.

The feed rate is always constant. In addition, trochoidal milling makes it possible to apply an endmill with a

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Solution For High Metal Removal One strategy that gains momentum for obtaining high metal removal when machining titanium is trochoidal milling. Machining either deep or shallow pockets in titanium is known to be a difficult task. For a start, a large proportion of the tool is continuously engaged with the workpiece, so cutting forces and heat are elevated.

A second point to take into consideration is the uneven chip load per tooth. It is high at the point where the cutter has advanced farthest into the workpiece and lower in other areas. The last point is the chip evacuation, with the cutter filling most of the slot width.

Little room remains for chip evacuation, so the chance of re-cutting chips is high.

The challenge in titanium machining is even greater when the slots are relatively deep in relation to their width, because this increases the difficulty of chip evacuation. In addition, when the slots are curved rather than straight, chip evacuation becomes even more difficult.

These difficulties typically make it necessary to run at a low feed rate and depth of cut when machining slots, to avoid vibrations and premature cutting tool failure.

These conditions lead to productivity deficiencies.

Even at low feed rates, tool life tends to be short when cutting slots.

March 2012 metalworking equipment news

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end of engagement (climb milling). The toolpath is optimised based on the results of previous machine cycles, eliminating air cutting and minimising retract movements.

New titanium products, alloys and manufacturing methods are employed by the aerospace industry

diameter that is smaller than the pocket’s width to allow room for chip evacuation. (Figures 1 and 2) Despite its potential, trochoidal milling also presents challenges. The cutter must undergo a complicated motion that is beyond the capabilities of conventional CNC software programming systems.

In addition, the machine tool must be rigid, and fast enough to accommodate trochoidal cutting.

The cutter likewise must be able to operate at high speeds and stand up to the material. Machine rigidity determines how aggressive the trochoidal cut can be. Other factors include the cutting tool’s size, workpiece material and Ap. The basic idea of trochoidal machining involves substantially increasing the cutting speeds and feed rates — chips are cut to their maximum thickness at the initial engagement of the cutter’s teeth with the workpiece and decrease in thickness at the

Trochoidal Milling — Programming Challenges Conventional CNC programming software typically cannot generate a program to perform trochoidal milling. Previously, the only way to perform trochoidal milling was for a programmer to manually code the complex tool motions involved. The programmer, however, cannot visually check the program without running it on a machine. For this reason, trochoidal milling is seldom employed.

CAM software developers recently added routine sections for trochoidal milling in order to reduce the amount of time required to produce a CNC program for that machining operation. These features also give the programmer access to the other capabilities such as graphically simulating machining.

Tests have shown that it can be faster to use the trochoidal method instead of the ordinary slot milling method, since much higher cutting conditions can be achieved.

An example of how trochoidal milling can improve productivity and reduce cycle time, as well as associated costs can be understood from the following case study, showing the Iscar Chatterfree tool in action. MEN Enquiry No. 2403 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Case Study Trochoidal milling improve s the productivity of slot milling operations.

Normal practice when machining a slot is to feed at a rate of about 20 percent of the rate used in normal side milling. Use of trochoidal milling enables the increase of feed rate up to about 80 percent of the normal side milling feed.

The intention here is to clearly demonstrate how trochoidal milling reduces the stress and heat involved in cutting. Despite that fact the case study presents much higher speeds and feeds than in normal slot milling, the wear on the cutting tool was identically developed.

Raw material: Titanium Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5), Annealed

a) Trochoidal Milling

Iscar endmill cutter: ECH160B32-6C16 Carbide grade IC900 Tool diameter 16 mm Vc = 115 m/min Fz = 0.12 mm/t Ap = 22 mm Ae = 1-1.5 mm Emulsion coolant Time to manufacture one part: 33 minutes Tool life: Four pieces.

Adaptation: BT40 Remarks: Substantial reduction in machine load. Machine demonstrated easy smooth operation — appeared to be free-machining.

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

b) Conventional Milling — machining conditions using ordinary cutting technique Iscar endmill cutter: EFS-B44 16-34W16-92 Carbide grade IC900 Tool diameter 16 mm Vc = 45 m/min Fz = 0.04 mm/t Ae = 12 mm Ap = 12 mm Emulsion Coolant Time to manufacture one part: 55 minutes Tool life: Four pieces Adaptation: BT40

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

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Taking A

Better Path In Wing Structure Manufacturing

Aerospace parts can be cut with higher throughput and accuracy with better toolpath management. By Martin Oakham, for CGTech

M

odern high - speed machine tools are equipped with digital cont rol system s incorporating very elaborate algorithms to ensure the machine does not shake itself to pieces when contouring at feeds in excess of 20 m/min. These features, more commonly known as the acceleration/ deceleration curves, work extremely well in most applications.

However, BAE Systems Filton found them to be an inhibiting factor when trying to optimise the production of key components for the wing structures of Airbus planes.

It was not straightforward at first; you cannot simply switch such control parameters off and hope for the best. That would have lead to some very unpredictable situations.

The company therefore set about contacting tooling and software companies for a solution. The result was a successful project involving CGTech and Kennametal.

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A Better Way Of Cutting Airframes B ot h compa n ie s set ab out optimising the setup on Cell F, comprised of Mori Seiki SH-50 machining centres mainly used to cut aluminium A-Frames for the A330/340 Airbus. These come in 60 variations and are situated along the leading edge of the wings.

There was no need to change the fundamental setup; material already arrived on a JIT basis pre-blocked, skimmed, and drilled ready for fixtures. So it was back to optimising feeds and speeds.

OptiPath was used to override various control parameters, while tooling allowed efficient cutting at higher feeds and speeds.

The toolpath optimisation software reads the NC tool path file and divides motion into a number of smaller segments. Because the software mathematically subtracts the material cut away from the model, it knows the depth/width/

angle of cut, and the amount of material removed.

Where necessary, based on the amount of material removed in each segment, the program assigns the best feed rate for each cutting condition encountered. It then outputs a new tool path, identical to the original but with improved feed rates.

The principle is simple — the shallower the cut, the faster the feed rate. In order to keep material cutting rather than just tearing at these accelerated feed rates, the spindle speed is ramped up accordingly. For deeper cuts the reverse is applied.

Increasing Throughput “CGTech got involved helping us to get the best out of our NC programs and changing the mind set at Filton,” said Matt Godfrey, EIT team leader.

“We swapped tools for ones with longer flute lengths and took greater

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A change in mindset led to better quality parts

depths of cut — and got better finishes. We didn’t have to change the part programs whatsoever.

OptiPath took care of feed rates for us — we just capped the programs at 7 m/min feed rate to stop thin cuts ramping up to 16 m/min. This would have given us unacceptable surface finishes for aerospace work.

The original program was set up to cut at around 1 m/min. We now have improved accuracy and better tool utilisation.”

The company experimented with two optimisation methods.

They are ‘Constant Volume’ and ‘Constant Chip’ thickness.

Operators found the constant volume method was more suited to the A-Frames. Using this method, run time was cut by 25 percent and throughput was increased by 15 percent — with the largest savings on roughing.

To ensure the master programs are never altered, subdirectories were set up to handle the optimised versions of each program. These are downloaded over the shop floor DNC system just as any NC program. They are standard

programs — the only difference is they contain optimised feeds and speeds. An attempt to do this manually would more than likely result in hours of programming

time for very little benefit.

The company also uses the software program to optimise part programs for Airbus ribs which run on Cell G, equipped with the older type Marwin Automax II machining centres. These machines do not run using normal G-code. Instead they use the direct CL output from the CAM system. The CL data is processed by the machine tool itself using tool diameter, length data measured by a tool probing system.

“To get around this we had a ‘reverse post’ written,” said Mr Godfrey. The CL file is run through Expertec software to turn it into a G-code file, then it is optimised using optimising software and turned back into a CL file.

M r G odfrey is cur rent ly concentrating on roughing where the savings are the greatest. The roughing procedure has improved a s such the swa rf remova l capability of the machines had to be upgraded. MEN Enquiry No. 2405 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

CGTech: Simulation & Optimisation Software C GTe c h h a s d e ve l o p e d the next version of Vericut CNC machine simulation and optimisation software.

V e r s i o n 7.1 f e a t u r e s enhancements to reduce the time required for manufacturing engineers to develop, analyse, inspect and document the CNC programming and machining process.

According to the manufacturer, the version contains over 400 customer requests and improvements to the software program’s user interaction, simulation capabilities and analysis, cutting tool creation and CAD/CAM integration.

The software simulates all types of CNC machine tools, including those from manufacturers such as Mazak, Makino, Matsuura, Hermle, DMG, DIXI, Mori Seiki and Chiron. It runs alone, but can also be integrated with CAM systems such as Catia V5, NX, Creo (Pro/E), MasterCAM, EdgeCAM and GibbsCAM. MEN

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

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Making

Aerospace Parts Efficiently A lot has happened when it comes to the development of tools and machining methods, not least when it comes to making parts for the aerospace industry. By Christer Richt, technical editor, Sandvik Coromant

A

lthough uncoated cemented - ca rbide indexable inserts still have a role in some aerospace-part machining, new coated inserts are taking over.

Recent developments have had a huge influence on performance.

The evolution of the two main coating processes, Physica l Vapour Deposition (PVD) and Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) and the materials used have made insert grades both dedicated, broad and able to complement each other as never before.

N e w P V D - co ate d g rade s have been introduced where the coating process actually lower any tensile stresses in t he mater ia l by cou nter ing compressive stresses. This is done through a high-impact treatment process, resulting in the edge-line of sharper cutting edges being stronger as well as more reliable.

This has had a direct impact and a huge benefit on lighter turning operations in titanium and HRSA. One insert-grade often has the versatility to machine an entire part. This is partly also due to the insert-geometry development that facilitates chip

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

control, burr-free results and a high degree of predictability.

The degree of sharpness needed and setting accuracy of the cutting edge is fine-tuned through a choice of available insert tolerances. PVD-inserts for HRSA and titanium have taken a substantial step forward in performance and reliability Among the latest developments in CVD -coated inserts, the progress that stands out for turning aerospace parts is the generation of less inherent m a te r i a l - s t r e s s i n t h i c k e r coatings along with new postcoating treatments. This has given inserts better capability to withstand the breakdown effects of high machining temperatures in combination with edge-loads.

It has above all, benefitted operations that pose a great risk to rapid break down of the edge from high heat and chemical loads — as comes with cutting HRSA and titanium. These new inserts have increased the capability to machine at higher cutting speeds while lasting longer and with better predictability.

Turning For Better Productivity Tu r n i n g i n s e r t g e o m e t r y developments have also provided

productivity-boosting effects in applications. Round inserts, of course, have the strongest edge and capability to remove material, and new geometries here have meant better cutting action with a relaxed emphasis on high rigidity in machine, part and set-up. But there are some new interesting alternative insert-geometries for the typical cuts that occur in aerospace parts.

A new insert design, having a wide flat instead of a cornerradius has, due to a suitable edgegeometry, provided a new means for dedicated HRSA-turning. It makes higher feeds as well as improved accessibility in confined spaces possible.

With its unmistakable insertshape, this CNMX-insert can be applied to combine the advantages of a 93-degree entering angle, in machining in two directions and into a corner, with the productivity of a 45-degree angle. This gives the insert versatility and suitability for many of the semi-roughing operations that are needed on HRSA-parts.

A recent machining example illustrates the potential for gains.

This involved the intermediate machining of an engine ring. With an aim to improve metal removal rates on the nickel-based-alloy part, the CNMX in a modern CVD-coated grade, replaced a conventional CNMG-insert. The cycle time could be reduced from one minute to 20 seconds through higher cutting speed with the new grade and almost a doubling of the feed rate as a result of the insert design.

Applying The Pressure When machining aerospace parts, high-pressure-coolant assisted cutting should not be underestimated as only a problem solver but also as a productivity booster.

It is especially so today, when many machines are capable of delivering the required pressure and modular tooling has well-

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Modularity — Providing More Options Modularity in tooling, which is taken for granted today in machines, has developed to open even more possibilities in providing high degrees of flexibility to keep machines running and for cutting time to be minimised.

A compact, but extremely strong interface has been developed to be as close to the cutting edge as possible to provide maximum benefit. This is a reality today, placed between the modular tooling-adaptor and the actual tool-blade holding the insert.

There is today a whole toolingsystem with a coupling, based on a specially designed serrated-locking interface. This provides very high stability during machining and good strength and accessibility in turning operations. In being able to utilise the capabilities of today’s CNC-machinery, it provides the link to a standard range of cutting edge solutions for more efficient turning of the grooves and profiles included in aero engine components.

Behind the serrated-locking concept lies an understanding of the typical, common geometrical features that occur in aerospace components. Tool-blades with this

interface can present the cutting edge at different angles, such as for dovetail grooves, and when long overhangs are needed, so as to give accessibility in external or internal confined spaces — using standard tooling.

The range of adaptor and blade alternatives give the flexibility to build many different tools from a limited tool inventory. Blades

Oil/Energy

Aerospace

Mold

include the required radial and axial clearances to reach deep into angled grooves with highpressure coolant supplied through the tool to the cutting edge. Having built-in dampening for ensuring performance at extended tool reach, these blades turn features in deep grooves often at some 20 percent higher cutting speeds, with tool-life being 50 percent longer.

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High-tech areospace applications often require holes drilled to strict tolerances in exotic metals such as Inconel and Titanium.

Aerospace drilling applications range from large landing gear and actuators, to smaller holes for hydraulics, instrumentation, and turbine shafts, to internally profiled actuator holes.

UNISIG has developed solutions and equipment to meet the high demands of these applications accurately and efficiently.

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connected internal coolant supply.

Coolant jets, controlled by built-in tool-nozzles, are directed at the cutting zone, giving a hydraulic wedge between insert and chip.

This reduces the temperature and facilitates chip flow and evacuation.

The effects of high pressure coolant provides a potential for raising cutting speeds in HRSA and titanium by reducing heat accumulation at the edge, leading to improved tool-life. Internal cuts, such as in many aerospace components, benefit additionally from high pressure coolant application in ensuring good chipshearing properties, chip formation and evacuation from tight pockets and grooves.

March 2012 metalworking equipment news

51

IndustryFocus

Milling Aerospace Titanium Frame Parts The successful milling of titanium that is experienced by machine shops are relatively small as alloys vary considerably in machinability.

Size and shape of configurations and matching tool size is one of the first determining factors.

Indexable insert cutters remove material most efficently and can today be seen as a broadly capable choice for roughing many configurations, as well as being unbeatable when it comes to finishing large flat faces. Solid carbide cutters form the solution for semi-finishing and finishing operations, especially when features are too small for indexable insert tools. In both tool-type areas, technology has moved forward.

New indexable -insert technology has helped to make available new means for the longedge milling of titanium.

Achieving Better Results The solution to arrive at new performance levels with long-edge milling needed an uncompromising, compact interface between insert and tool body. This has required a unique, new insert location design and new insert-manufacturing techniques to provide the precise, fixed location of the inserts.

Sharper, direct-pressed insert were needed to give lighter cutting action, sufficient edge-engagement with the material for lower power and higher feed rates.

In a long-edge cutter, the design and variation in size of coolant-jet nozzles at each insert position plays a crucial part in the level of success. Nozzles are aimed directly at the part of the insert in contact with the finished surface, creating a hydraulic wedge with the coolant. Because these nozzle holes are a non-adjustable part of the tool, a set-up variable has been optimised and eliminated from setup, resulting in a more consistent and secure process.

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

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Vein-technology drills is a tool-development for making satisfactorily round and clean holes, such as for fasteners joints, in composite and stacked materials.

High stability during turning of various grooves and profiles on aerospace parts need a solution that through modularity gives userversatility optimum strength and handling advantages.

Composite Hole-Making Advances Hole-making in composite parts is very much an area for dedicated tooling, engineered for the application at hand. Neither two material characteristics are the same nor is the machinability.

But there is a new generation of standard tools with both all round and more specific capabilities for CFRPs as well as for stacked-withmetals structures.

Polychrystaline Diamond (PCD) cutting edges applied as in veintechnology or PCD-coated carbide hole machining tools are often the best solutions, when designed in a qualified way to provide the right hole-quality with high efficiency.

Today, new combinations of tool-geometries and grades can eliminate delamination, splintering and excessive burrs as well as providing just the right balance of wear resistance and toughness for higher, more secure productivity.

The relatively new, PCD-vein technology for composite drills gives sharp, shielded cutting edges that are designed to give the best results in all these aspects. Even precautions for operator inconsistency with power-fed or hand-held tools can be incorporated in this tool-type, an area traditionally dominated by PCD-coated drills.

In one example, involving CFRP

stacked with either titanium or aluminium and drilled with handheld tools, the best solution was a vein-PCD drill having an engineered geometry with a double land on the cutting edge. More tool strength, longer tool-life and shorter machining times were needed for machining the part, as were measures to improve and maintain the hole-roundness tolerance on 6 to 10 mm holes. Demands also included keeping the close limits on dimension and surface quality, which minimised exit burrs.

The engineered solution was a dedicated drill-point design for the PCD-vein tool. This gave extra strength to the hand-held application, for the drill to centre itself, and much lighter feed-force is needed from the operator. When used with a guide bush, the drill produced holes with a minimal, acceptable difference in size between the stacked materials.

The results also included an increase in tool-life from 15 holes to 100; the number of drills required for the application fell from 79 to 25 pieces. Many hours were also saved in pre-setting and loading as well as tool changing, and holes were well within limits, in spite of variation in operator performance. MEN Enquiry No. 2407 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

ENQUIRY NO 053

Executive

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zone z

Vietnam Outlook:

Solid Growth

To Continue

Sound government policies have resulted in a stellar economic performance in Vietnam where its young population is providing a tremendous platform for future growths. By Joson Ng

A

s one of the 3G cou nt r ie s (G loba l G r o w t h G e n e r a to r s countries), Vietnam has successfully undergone economic reforms in recent years. With its induction into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2007 a further stimulant for economic growth, the country continues its ascend on the world stage.

Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News spoke with William Lim, project director, Singapore Exhibition Services, organiser of metalworking trade shows in Vietnam as he shared his experience and gave his take on future trends in the country. “ V i e t n a m’s e c o n o m y i s growing at a steady pace. Foreign direct investment is estimated to have reached US$11 billion as of October 2011. Some key upcoming projects include Nokia’s planned US$1.5 billion mobile phone factory and Nikkiso’s expansion of it s a i rc ra f t comp one nt s production facility,” said Mr Lim. “The country also have plans to build a national automobile centre by 2012 in central Vietnam.

This project will include two South Korean car manufacturers Kia and Hyundai. The upcoming projects, together with existing 54

metalworking equipment news March 2012

multinationals like Honda, Toyota, Canon and Panasonic who are already anchored in Vietnam will benefit the economy by boosting the competitiveness of local SMEs and encourage growth in other supporting industries,” he added.

Referring to a report by the General Statistics Office, Mr Lim stated the manufacturing sector in Vietnam has experienced a growth of about 10 percent and he feels, future prospects will continue to be rosy.

“In a nutshell, foreign investments are still pouring into the country and as such, the country will enjoy healthy economic growth so I think the outlook of Vietnam looks fine,” he said.

Government Policies Fo r a de ve lop i n g co u nt r y, government policies are

William Lim

extensively studied by potential investors and as such, have great significance when it comes to attracting foreign investments. For Mr Lim, he feels the policies have been conducive in this aspect.

Said Mr Lim: “The growth in the manufacturing industries can be attributed to the government initiatives and its commitments to the WTO to reform policies a nd moder nise t rade laws.

Other than that, the continuous investment by multinationals will push growth further especially in the manufacturing industry and the business environment on a whole would be enhanced due to increase in trade.”

Business Challenges Though Vietnam is a conducive place for business, the country and the nature of its

Foreign investments are still pouring into the country and as such, the country will enjoy healthy economic growth - William Lim

ExecutiveZone z

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industries come with its unique idiosyncrasies, which can be challenging for investors new to the countr y. For Mr Lim, the main challenges that he faced were the diversity of its industries.

“The main challenges would be the dynamic and diverse nature of the manufacturing industries in the country. As the manufacturing capability is very diverse, our marketing efforts for MTA Hanoi have to be tailored in order to appeal to the different target audience.”

Other challenges include the relatively unskilled workforce and to a certain extent, the l a n g u a g e b a r r i e r. M r L i m however, is not too worried.

He said: “The population of the country is generally young a nd they will be tra ined a s

more i nve st me nt s p ou r i n.

Language wise, Vietnamese is still the main spoken language but English is getting more popular.”

Future Happenings The industries in developing countries tend to be labourintensive a s the re spective governments tr y to prov ide e mploy me nt to mo st of it s p opu lat ion. A s such, much effort is placed on attracting heav y industrie s such a s automotive and shipbuilding.

For Vietnam, Mr Lim could see the country going in two w ay s, i e : m a s s p ro du c t io n and the development of niche markets. Elaborating, he said: “Some of the industry like the automotive sector require s ma ss production whereby

medical and aerospace indust r ie s tend to be more specia lised. They require a d ive rse se t of e x p e r t i se , mater ia ls a nd e quipment. I think it is dependent on government policies and also t he k ind of inve st ment t he country attracts.”

Though where the pendulum swings in the future is a nybody’s guess, Mr Lim has some timeless advice for people who may be interested in investing in the country.

“Do your homework before investing, that is very impor ta nt. In addition, find out more about the people that you are reaching out to,” he concluded. MEN Enquiry No. 2501 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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55

ExecutiveZone z

The

Metalworking Pulse

Vietnam Of

Despite the global economic uncertainty, Vietnam’s metalworking industry is still poised for good growth in 2012. By Divya Saiprasad, consultant, Automation & Electronics Practice, Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific

T

he uncertainties in the global economy are being felt significantly in the manufacturing industry in the Asia-Pacific region, with major countries such as Japan, China and India clearly witnessing slowdown in their economies.

This is expected to have a trickledown effect on the metalworking industry, which is heavily reliant on the manufacturing sector.

The industry witnessed slow growth in the aftermath of the global economic crisis in 2009, when manufacturing industry was significantly impacted. With another global crisis looming large, the growth of metalworking industry in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to remain subdued in 2012.

The globa l machine tool production declined to US$55 billion in 20 0 9 from U S$81 billion in 2008. Asian countries approximately accounted for 50 percent (US$27 billion) of the world market share and had surpassed the European countries. The worst hit Asian 56

metalworking equipment news March 2012

country during the economic crisis was Japan, whose machine tool industry crumpled down by almost 60 percent from the previous year. China led the world, in the consumption of new machine tools, in 2009. In 2010, China’s CNC metal cutting machine tools production increased by approximately 65 percent.

Vietnamese Metalworking Industry The Vietnamese government has taken several initiatives to transform the country’s economic structure from agriculture-driven to industry-driven over the past few years. Vietnam’s economy is expected to have grown 5.90 percent in 2011, compared to 6.78 percent in 2010, which is a significant achievement given the weak global economic conditions.

With its trade relationships with over 150 countries and regions, Vietnam’s trade with other countries have been rising consistently, playing a vital role in the country’s economic development. Machines,

Steven Tay, Singapore

www.equipment-news.com

parts, product oil, steel, textile material, leather and piece goods are the main imports into Vietnam from China mainland, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea.

The annual rate of Vietnam’s industrial production rose 19 percent in 2010 with an annual growth rate of 30 percent for imported modern technology.

Seven percent of Vietna m’s metalworking and industrial products are domestically made and remaining 93 percent of the products are imported.

Machine tools and parts take up the largest proportion of the imported products. Vietnam being the fifth largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world has a very promising market for motorcycle parts. Machine tools are vital to improving industrial competitiveness and adding value to export products, which currently account for more than 70 percent of Vietnam’s G DP. Industrie s in Vietna m are developing, entailing huge demand for machines, equipment and technology solutions.

I n a n e f fo r t to l o c a l i s e industrial products, especially in the machinery engineering sector, the potential partnership between Vietnamese and Italian

ExecutiveZone z

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businesses is likely to drive the process of localisation. Access to Italian machines and tools will prove to be a great opportunity for Vietnamese manufacturers to maximise productivity and output, given the high versatility of the equipment, owing to sustained investments in research and development.

Italian machine tools also help increase sustainability for the machine tool engineering industry in Vietnam by creating efficiency, cutting the trade deficit and containing the influx of technology waste.

Among the measures that are expected to have a significant positive impact on the metalworking industry, is the zero percent import duty on machine tools. Given the positive growth of sectors such as ship building, electrical and

electronics, and automotive, among others, the metalworking industry in Vietnam is poised for significant growth in the coming years.

With Vietnam aiming to become an industrialised country by 2020, companies are keen to adopt modern machinery and technology solutions to enhance production capacity and product quality.

Key Trends Across Asia Dependable economic conditions have boosted the Asian automotive and electronics industries, and have thereby improved the imports of machine tools and metalworking machinery mainly in the SEA region.

India’s consistent GDP growth has been a promising market for the production industries and has been a key driver for the machine tool industry in the country for

the past few years. The Indian machine tool industry is forecasted to reach US$5 billion by 2020.

The Malaysian metalworking industry is expected to grow by approximately 20 to 25 percent year on year in the next five years.

The Philippines metalworking industry is likely to achieve 8 to 10 percent annual growth rates.

The rising freight and shipment business is likely to drive the metalworking equipment industry in Singapore.

Rapid development in the automotive, electric, and moulding industries promotes huge demand for machine tools in Thailand. The demand is witnessed mainly in the subsidiary parts of machine tools with an annual import value of US$186 million. MEN Enquiry No. 2502 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

KOMET GROUP GmbH Zeppelinstraße 3 74354 Besigheim www.kometgroup.com k.ravikumar@kometgroup.com

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ENQUIRY NO 051

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March 2012 metalworking equipment news

57

FeatureS

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Special Report:

Intech 2011 A

midst the plethora of sheet metalworking technologies at the event where innovation is ubiquitous on the exhibition floor, Trumpf announced the largest revenue rise in its entire history.

During the past fiscal year (ending June 30, 2011) the machine tool producer saw an increase of 51 percent, with sales rising by €683 million to e2.024 billion (US$911 million to US$2.703 billion).

“Within just one fiscal year, we’ve regained what we lost over the previous two,” said the head of the family-owned company, president and chairwoman of the Managing Board, Dr Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller. At €2.22 billion, orders received have actually exceeded the record value so far.

Away from number crunching, the event also marked 40 years of laser for the company. With laser arguably taking the centre stage, the highlights in the exhibitions showcased how, harnessing the power of laser can bring further productivity in sheet metalworking. Some of the products on show were the 2D solid-state lasers, the TruLaser 5030 fiber, a high-speed laser cutting machine, which is particularly suited to thin sheet metal and high batch sizes and the TruLaser Cell 8030, which was developed for laser cutting hot-formed 3D components in high-output production environments.

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

Snapshots: Intech Highlights TruMatic 3000 and TruLaser Robot 5020 link via an intelligent laser network.

TruLaser 3030 is one of the best selling CO2 laser, according to the manufacturer.

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

Solid State laser — for thin sheets and now, even copper, which cannot be cut by laser previously, according to the manufacturer. The green glass acts as a security feature for solid state lasers.

Features

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Update By The President At Intech, Dr Nicola LeibingerKammüller spoke about how the company handled the financial crisis back in 2008/09, how it is looking forward to the future, and how the company intends to position itself.

“We kept staff onboard during the crisis and maintained the R&D department by recruiting engineers and scientists. It gave us the ability to deliver the right products,” she said. During that period, her family injected some €75 million into the company and she took a pay cut.

Pointing the way forward, Dr Leibinger-Kammüller said: “We want to enhance our growth in various markets and we are particularly confident about the China market.” She went on to say the company expects “a double digit growth” this year.

With the right product available for the market, the company has also sanctioned expansion plans

in plants located in Ditzingen and Schramberg (Germany). The need for expansions is driven by many factors, none more pertinent than the need to innovate. Dr LeibingerKammüller revealed that 1,200 people work for the company’s R&D department worldwide in countries like USA, Austria, China and Japan. Some 800 work in the Ditzingen facility.

“We have increased our outlay on R&D, already high as it is, by 22 percent. Only in this way can we offer our customers products that give them the competitive edge,” she added.

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

Dark Clouds Ahead?

Higher Management’s Take…

Facts At A Glance Sales By Region (Fiscal year 2010/11, in percentage) - Germany 29 - Pacific-Rim 23 - Western Europe 22 (Excluding Germany) - Middle/Eastern Europe 9 - America 16 Employees: 8,550 Factories: Germany, Austria, China, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA

Machine Tool & Power Tool Division

Dr Mathias Kammüller, executive VP Trumpf and head of Machine Tool and Power Tool Division.

After talking to more than 50 people at Intech, no customers said the economic situation is bad. There may be a slight decline but it is actually a breather for some people. Machine tool for sheet metal is a growth market particularly in the area of productivity.

For us (machine tool division), Europe is the most important market. Though there are some worries in Italy and Spain, Eastern Europe continues to do well. Over in Asia, China is increasing in importance all the time. In 2007/08, they were responsible for four percent of our sales. It has now increased to 18 percent. Elsewhere, Japan is also growing and India is still a country with potential but has not developed as quickly as China.

March 2012 metalworking equipment news

59

Features

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Laser Technology & Electronics Division Dr Peter Leibinger, vice chairman Trumpf and president of Laser Technology and Electronics Division I can confirm with the talks I have had so far at Intech that the mood is quite good especially in the automotive industry, where we see the need to lighten the weight of car bodies.

There are also research projects now, which are ready to be moved into production phase. As such, our situation is good. The projects for example are on basic fundamentals (10 to 20 percent of our R&D budget) and also laser diodes, ie: how to increase output. For advanced developments, we are partnering universities.

Enquiry No. 2603

Business/ Product Range Machine Tool Business Field - Punching & Combination Processing - 2D Laser Processing - Laser Tube Cutting - Bending Power Tools For Sheet Metal Laser Technology Business Field - CO2 laser - 3D Laser Processing - Solid State Lasers - Marking Lasers Electronics Business Field

Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Med Tech Business Field

Plant Visit: Ditzingen Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News visited Trumpf’s manufacturing plant in Germany to find out what goes on in there.

Trumpf uses the synchro system that ensures lean production — no unnecessary things are left lying around and there are no central storages as well. In a mixed assembly line, where the company produces different types of combination machines, different stations carry out specific work and only the tools required in that section will be available there 60

metalworking equipment news March 2012

and in no other places. The plant operates in one shift.

The plant in question produces the TruMatic series. Comprising of 12 stations, the machine segments are transported between stations on customised air cushioned pellets. The segments spend 10 hours in every station. After the twelfth station, the machine is completed and shipped. In

other words, a machine leaves the factory every 10 hours. At the moment, 3.5 months is the company’s leadtime to delivery, according to the manufacturer.

The Ditzingen pla nt a lso includes a CO2 laser assembly, which is e ssentia lly a f low assembly line. MEN Enquiry No. 2604 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

ENQUIRY NO 055

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Techno Show 2012

Home Grown VMC: The F8

The metalworking community gathered at Makino Asia to witness the launch of a large vertical machining centre fully developed and manufactured in Singapore.

By Joson Ng

M

akino Asia held its Techno Show on February 1 – 2, 2012, showcasing some 21 machines and over 100 toolings and accessories. The event was attended by 350 visitors from the precision machining industries. Together, they witnessed the unveiling of a large vertical machining centre, the F8, which was wholly developed and manufactured in Singapore. With the F8, the company would be able to expand its portfolio of vertical machining centres, offering to a wider spread of the metal machining industry.

The vertical machining centre is one of the latest products designed from the company’s international R&D centre, which was established in 2010. The centre in Singapore currently has the staff strength of 100.

The F8 has a Y stroke of 800 mm and X stroke of 1,300 mm and the F9 is the next size up. George Lim, VP of Marketing felt that the market sentiment in Asia is right to launch a large size machine by judging from the growth of the automotive, aerospace and oil & gas sectors.

The effort and resources spent on the project resulted in the largest machine being built by the company in Singapore to date. It is suitable for deployment in the automotive, aerospace and consumer industries. Mr Lim felt the Y stroke of 800 mm, helps fills a void not many machines can currently cater to.

Enquiry No. 2605

The F8 features: • Rigid structural design • Super geometric intelligence software to enable fine motion control • Rigid axis layout • Effective chip management system • The fine motion control allows the machining of consumer products like the air conditioner panel.

(Figure 1) • Low vibration spindle results in the smooth finishing on the centre console of a car. (Figure 2)

Figure 1

Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Technical Seminars Partners from the cutting tools, tool holding, metrology, metalworking fluid and accessories spectrum were on hand to share their expertise in metalworking.

Away from the product launch, the visitors were invited to attend technical seminars conducted by Haimer, System 3R, Iscar, SMa, Walter, Blaser, Carl Zeiss, Idemitsu, Grundfos, Sandvik Coromant, Guhring, Makino, Blum, Mitsubishi, Renishaw, Houghton, Seco and EDM Tools.

In one particular seminar by Haimer, the presenter talked about the importance of balancing tools and how they can affect machine spindle, tool life and part quality. He also illustrated the difference between static and dynamic runout on spindles and dispelled misconception on the lack of need to balance tools while operating on what is perceived as low rpm. He gave an analogy on balancing tyres on vehicles showing that balancing tools are important even at low rpm operations.

Enquiry No. 2606

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

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EVENTs&

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exhibitions

Event Preview:

SIMTOS 2012

T

he 15th edition of Seoul International Manufacturing Technology Show (SIMTOS) would be held from April 17 – 22, 2012 at KINTEX. With an exhibition space of 108,049 sq m, this represents a sizable increase from the previous edition in 2010. According to the organiser, the event is expected to attract some 710 companies from 30 countries, a 52.2 percent increase from 2010. The exhibitors will take up 5,275 booths.

Hosted by the Ministry of Knowledge and Economic (MKE) and organised by the Korea Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (KOMMA), the show will feature six brand pavilions.

They are: metal cutting and die mould working; press and metal forming; parts materials and motion controls; CAD/CAM, measuring system, automation & robotics; tools and related equipment and cutting machines and welding.

T h e o rg a n i s e r e x p e c t s visitorship to cross the 100,000 mark, a 42 percent increase from the previous edition. Some 5,000 foreigners are expected to attend.

In addition, visitors to the show can see up to 62 percent of the top 50 machine tool companies.

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metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2011

Korean Machine Tool Market Trend In 2011 The total amount of orders for machine tools in 2011 increased to KRW4.3266 trillion (US$3.8 billion), which is an increase of 23.9 percent compared to the previous year, setting a new record.

NC Milling (KRW 3.6655 trillion: increased by 27.0 percent compared to the previous year), general-type milling machine (KRW 189.6 billion: increased by 11.6 percent compared to the previous year), Moulding Machine (KRW 471.6 billion: increased by 8.1 percent compared to the previous year).

Sales of machine tools for automobiles and parts increased by 11.8 percent to KRW 850.4 billion, while sales for electric, electronic and IT industries decreased by 39.3 percent to KRW 221.5 billion compared to the previous year.

Production Numbers Total production of machine tools in 2011 increased by 24.5 percent to KRW 3.4880 trillion while shipping increased by 30.9 percent to KRW 3.7978 trillion won compared to the previous year.

Despite the recently decreased

orders, total production and shipping have been increasing gradually for 25 consecutive months and 24 consecutive months respectively.

Exports & Imports Total exports of machine tools in 2011 increased by 37.2 percent to $2.3 billion compared to the previous year, setting a new record.

Total imports also increased by 24.1 percent to $1.79 billion compared to the previous year.

The South Korean machine tool industry has been maintaining a trade surplus for seven consecutive years since 2005. Trade surplus in 2011 reached $511.0 million, exceeding the $500.0 million level in three years since 2008.

Total exports of machine tools in 2011 increased by 37.2 percent to $2.301 billion compared to the previous year, setting a new record.

Total amount of exports to Asia increased by 2.2 percent to $1.172 billion compared to the previous year, but exports to other regions increased significantly compared to the previous year: Europe ($547.4 million, increased by 124.4 percent), North America ($350.6 million, increased by 135.9 percent), Central America ($153.1 million, increased by 164.2 percent).

Total imports of machine tools in 2011 increased by 24.1 percent to $1,791 million compared to the previous year due to a significant increase of imports from Japan, which took 53.9 percent of the total imports, and due to the expansion of manufacturing systems throughout all industries.

KINTEX Seoul, South Korea April 17 – 22, 2012 Enquiry No. 2701 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

ENQUIRY NO 172

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exhibitions

Metalex 2011:

Revival Underway

With the theme ‘Manufacturing Revival — fast track to normal production’, Metalex 2011 opened belatedly from December 21 – 24, 2011 to signal the beginning of the road to recovery for the Thai manufacturing cluster.

By Joson Ng

T

he mood at the opening of Metalex 2011 was one of anticipation and accompanied with a tinge of trepidation. Held against the backdrop of one of the country’s worst floods, the event was postponed from its original schedule in November 2011. Positive statements were aplenty at the opening ceremony to allay whatever fears people might have. There was even a light hearted moment when Titan, a robot from the UK made its appearance and generated some excitement in an otherwise serious business-like opening.

The chairman of the opening ceremony, Kittirat Na Ranong, deputy prime minister and minister of commerce returned to Thailand from his involvement in the WTO conference in Geneva to announce a comprehensive master plan to tackle future floods would be available shortly. This according to him is not the first time the Kingdom has formulated a master plan to counter a perennial flooding problem.

He said: “As early as 1999 we had a plan to restructure the system of

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

Titan the robot generated some excitement during the opening

the country (master plan), it was followed by another master plan in October 2000. They were supposed to address the overall infrastructure and system.” On hindsight, he felt more attention was placed on economic recovery after Thailand suffered badly in the 1997 Asian economic crisis.

Nevertheless, the deputy PM said as the flood crisis has affected every sector of the country including the manufacturing sector.

In a show of unity, the private and public sectors have joined forces to help repair the damages. He

welcomed the initiative of the ministry of industry, and the private sector led by the alliance for the supporting industries association (Reed Tradex Company, 40 allied associations and the exhibiters of Metalex 2011) in organising manufacturing revival fast track to normal production at the show.

They offer advice and create opportunities for exchanges of ideas to encourage restoration of factories and manufacturing and subcontractors in Thailand.

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

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Daniel Julie, Paris, France

When The Flood Recedes…

The Bangkok flood in 2011 came thick and fast, catching almost everyone out. With some industrial estates inundated, impact to the economy and the people affected were significant. The automotive industry of the country was not spared, resulting in the suspension of motorcycle, power products and automobile productions due to parts supply disruptions. The situation stabilised eventually and recovery is well underway. To help those who were affected, Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) spoke with industrialists affected by floods over the years to see how they overcome the devastation with grit and steely resolve. By Joson Ng Case Study 1: Germany 2002 In the year 2002, when the mountainous area in the Eastern part of Germany was hit by floods, Rudiger Kunze’s factory was inundated. Mr Kunze is CEO of Ibex Automotive and MD of Gebrüder Kunze. The companies are members of Ibex Group, a manufacturer of automotive components and a second tier supplier to the automotive industry.

The inundation of the factory came about after 36 hours of “abnormal rain,” said Mr Kunze. He and his team sprung immediately into action after the flood receded and to their credit, they came up with clear and concise recovery plans despite being confronted by massive rebuilding work.

First of all, they surveyed the damage and estimated how long they needed to recover. Working almost concurrently, there were plans to tackle problems in finance, claims and production. On the financial front, it was crucial to extend payment period

to suppliers and other loans, interests and taxes. On the other hand, the company tried to get payment from their customers immediately.

With the financial aspect stablised, the company worked with their insurance partners to clarify the rebuilding cost at the end of the recovery process.

Finally, the company sought to restart production. With Mr Kunze refusing to use ‘act of god’ as an excuse, they created a tight delivery plan and used the manufacturing facilities of partners (during odd hours and weekends) in the industries who had spare capacity.

Case Study 2: Thailand 2010 Before the floods hit Bangkok in 2011, the region of Korat where Siam Fukoku, Thai Fukoku and Fukoku AP were based was affected in 2010. The companies are part of the Fukoku Group, which manufactures rubber products for the automotive and manufacturing industries.

With his companies badly affected, Korn Pornprasertpattra, GM, shared in the seminar the problems he faced at the start.

First of all, there was complete communication failure because the computers, which housed databases like telephone numbers were damaged. Secondly, the employees’ homes were affected as well.

As the flood receded, Mr Pornprasertpattra organised three teams to speed up recovery efforts.

They were team recovery (took care of the cleaning, repairing and rebuilding work), an insurance claim team (worked with a team of claims adjusters from the insurance companies) and the miscellaneous team (in charge of personal and financial issues).

For Mr Pornprasertpattra, the insurance claim process was an important piece in the recovery jigsaw. He also suggested teamwork in negotiation. “Negotiate with the insurance company in a group.

Do not do it alone. Try a have a good relationship with the claims adjusters and most important of all, do not lie,” he said.

The aftermath of the incident saw the construction of a new factory and dam. There is now a drainage system that monitors water data.

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

Korn Pornprasertpattra (extreme left) and Rudiger Kunze (second from right) shared their experiences at the seminar

March 2012 metalworking equipment news

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Exploring PostFlood Opportunities With unprecedented flooding in Bangkok, APMEN spoke with Taveesak Srisuntisuk, MD of Hexagon Metrology (Thailand) to see how industries in Thailand are coping.

The flood of Bangkok came swiftly and caught out many in the industrial estate of Ayutthaya according to Mr Taveesak. “The biggest problem was people didn’t know (the flood was coming) and they had no time to react. The water came overnight. By the next day, the water level was already very high. In nearby Pathum Thani, people had more time but still were unable to protect their properties properly.”

“Part of the city went under water and most of the measuring machines were damaged beyond repair. In the area of Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, six industrial estates were affected, amounting to something like 20,000 factories.

Most CMMs were not portable and

as such could not be moved. We have some 80 to 100 CMMs in those area and they are all underwater,” said Mr Taveesak.

Beyond the painful images of destruction beamed across the world and Mr Taveesak’s customers’ bad experiences, the aftermath of some natural disasters can bring opportunities. This is what is happening at Hexagon Metrology in Thailand. “The flooding had provided a unique opportunity for suppliers like us. The question is who can capitalise,” he said.

Mr Taveesak is currently working with his customers to help them get back onto their feet. This includes giving them a “support price” for replacing their measuring equipment.

Leaving Its Flooding Woes Behind With Clear Direction Chainarong Limpkittisin, MD of Reed Tradex assesses the damage done by the Bangkok flood and how the country can move forward. He also gave his take on Thailand’s economy in 2012.

The Bangkok flood caused substantial damage to industrial areas and forced certain productions to a stand still. The exhibition 68

metalworking equipment news March 2012

business was not spared as well as Reed Tradex had to move Metalex from November to December 2011.

According to Mr Chainarong, there

“We like to support the industries, this is also our long term policy. We reviewed our margin in order to support our customers in terms of price. The response from our customer is very good,” he said. This policy has paid dividends for the company as Mr Taveesak revealed a 45-unit offer from one company in the hard disc manufacturing industry.

Investors’ Confidence The flood has brought about massive damage to some factories and disruption in production in the process.

The first step back to normalcy for many according to Mr Taveesak lies in the government’s future flood containment policy and assistance in insurance for those businesses that were affected. He felt with some insurance companies increasing premiums following the flood, the government may have to step in to help deflect those cost.

In terms of investors’ confidence, he felt there is another factor other than the flood, which is cost. “Flood is not something you cannot manage. It is partly man made. Flood or no flood, the labourintensive industries will move to Vietnam and Cambodia as Thailand is no longer cheap. As such, we have to produce things with more value,” he concluded.

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

is a silver lining to this shift.

He said: “Frankly, this time of the year is the best buying season. Most of the companies that were flooded have to place new orders. They cannot wait till they have finished clearing and cleaning work. They have to do things concurrently.

I think most of our exhibitors benefited from this.”

Moving away from the flood and to the recovery process, Mr Chainarong reported some heartening observations. He said:

ENQUIRY NO 029

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Mr Chainarong observed the recovery is faster than expected

“The manufacturing plants dried up faster than I expected. As such, many factories are in operation although some still need to wait for new machines. By the first quarter of next year (2012), things will be normal.”

Mr Chainarong revealed that with the exception of Honda, other car manufacturers have resumed their assembling work as planned, sooner then expected.

This is possible because the Thai government allowed them to import some parts for the assembly lines in the country. The deputy PM of Thailand also announced a master plan for flood protection in the future, slated to be released soon.

Tackling The Confidence Issue “What we are afraid of at the moment is how we are going to attract future investors. We have to have a clear direction from the government on flooding protection,” said Mr Chainarong.

He felt if the flood issue is addressed and managed in a satisfactory manner, Thailand’s reputation as the region’s automotive and electronic manufacturing hub should see the country through this current difficulty. Said Mr Chainarong: “Thailand produces some two million cars every year.

The production base is quite large so it is not so easy to move the production base to other area. I still believe that the big carmakers from Japan will remain here, as well as their tier 1, 2 and 3 suppliers. For the electronic sector, companies 70

metalworking equipment news March 2012

like Western Digital and Seagate will still be here.”

In addition, future investments also hinge crucially on the conviction of the government to protect the country from being adversely affected by future floods, as he believes the existing supply chain is attractive to potential investors.

Future Business Trends The flood, the financial instability resulting from Europe and the rise of Indonesia as the next automotive hub have no doubt cast a cloud of uncertainty in Thailand’s economy but Mr Chainarong can draw from positives he saw at Metalex and also the country’s strength and know-how in automobile production learned over the years to predict a stable future.

Looking at the European credit crunch, Mr Chainarong felt the

Mr Chainarong felt that exhibitors could choose to focus on larger shows in 2012

economy in Thailand would be affected one way or the other. In the exhibition business, some machine makers may choose to skip local exhibitions and opt to concentrate on the more established ones.

In the case of the flood, he prefers to look at the positives rather than dwell on the past and the damages that were already done. Quoting an example, he said: “If we look at the 1,600 Japanese factories registered with the Japanese chamber of commerce, 460 of them were flooded. Of the 16,000 large-scale machines, around 4,000 of them were flooded.

This presents a chance for machine makers to sell their machines.”

F i n a l l y, l o o k i n g a t t h e challenges posted by Indonesia, Mr Chainarong takes a view that there are equal opportunities for all.

“In ASEAN, Indonesia has good potential that has a lot of investors interested. This can be attributed to the political stability the country currently enjoys. With its large population, its automotive industry will grow well in the next five years where they would have to concentrate on satisfying their own demand first. As such, there should not be too much effect on Thai production.”

“After that, we will have to wait and see. The car makers may categorise their production item by item. For example, Thailand might concentrate on the production of

EVENTs&exhibitions

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eco cars and pick-up trucks, while other models such as SUVs could move to Indonesia. However, there are a lot of investments to be made in developing supplying industries and infrastructures,” he said.

Concluding, Mr Chainarong has no doubt the manufacturing industry in Thailand will make a quick recovery. The machines sold in the show reflects the preparation and spirit of the manufacturers who are getting their production lines back to normal as soon as possible. With the lesson learned from last year and the government’s flood prevention plan, investors will surely continue expanding their businesses in Thailand.

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

JETRO:

Daisuke Tsutsumi

Recovery By Attracting Foreign Investments Leading the Japanese pavilion at Metalex is JETRO, the Japan External Trade Organization.

Although the triple disasters in March 2011 brought Japan to its knees, the speed of recovery has been impressive. Daisuke Tsutsumi, deputy director, overseas trade fair division of JETRO spoke with APMEN on the current manufacturing situation in Japan and some of the measures in place to maintain investors’ confidence.

“The supply chain has completely recovered. The next concern people have is radiation.

As timely information is crucial for any investors to do business in Japan, we have been providing precise information on radiation 72

metalworking equipment news March 2012

and safety measures have also been taken,” he said.

Some of the measures include the environmental monitoring of soil, water and the atmosphere.

Strict radiation measurements are carried out on exports such as food products and industrial goods.

Containers are decontaminated if the standard value is exceeded.

In addition, monitoring posts are installed throughout Japan, carrying out 24/7 monitoring of radiation levels in the atmosphere.

“Japan is now reconstructing c e r t a i n i n f r a s t r u c t u re s a s the government is focused on recovery. You can see the situation

in many factories almost back to normal,” said Mr Tsutsumi.

Finally, with Japan on the mend, there are three windows of opportunities the organisation would like to highlight. They are the country’s status as an innovation hub where R&D centres can be established, the stability the country provides in terms of living standard and business climate and finally its reputation as a trend setter where the country offers a market for test marketing before entering other Asian markets. MEN Enquiry No. 2706 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

ENQUIRY NO 030

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Blohm Jung: Surface & Profile Grinding Machine

DMG/Mori Seiki: Vertical Milling Centres

With the machines of the Orbit series, Blohm Jung has extended its product range. The series of small to medium-sized surface and profile grinding machines will comprise of three machines with working areas from 500 × 200 mm to 800 × 400 mm. The machine features a modular cross slide concept and hydrodynamic guideways in the X-axis. This combination ensures a even grinding pattern.

There is a choice of two control versions, either a professional CNC control system with re-circulating ball screws and digital drives, or the easy touch control, which is available with hydraulic X-drive.

The vertical milling centres DMC 635 V Ecoline and DMC 1035 V Ecoline by DMG/Mori Seiki present themselves with added productivity. In addition, the larger safety panes additionally ensure a clear view of the operations in the work area, which is illuminated with energysaving LED technology.

The machine is also equipped with a Siemens 840D solutionline control. Combined with the ergonomic Slimline panel, its scratch-free surface and the swivelmounted control panel, a maximum of focus on the user with regard to handling as well as programming has been achieved.

Enquiry No. 2801

Enquiry No. 2802

Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

When Second Best Won’t Cut It.

See Mastercam X6 in action at www.mastercam.com.sg

Techtown Pte Ltd

www.techtown.com.sg • info@techtown.com.sg Tel : +65 6636 8215 • Fax : +65 6636 8221

ENQUIRY NO 044

Family of Products

March 2012 metalworking equipment news

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Hypertherm: Easy To Use Consumables

Netherlocks: Touchscreen Management Device

Hypertherm has launched the line of Centricut brand consumables for Kjellberg systems. They are designed for high amperage stainless steel cutting using Kjellberg’s FineFocus 800, FineFocus 800 Plus, FineFocus 900, PA-S70, or PA-S75 systems.

They include features that eliminate leaking compared to the OEM version and better cooling technology in the form of the CoolFlow nozzle.

This results in longer consumable life, enabling customers to lower their operating costs without sacrificing cut quality or productivity. The products include free technical support and come with sameday shipping.

Dutch company Netherlocks has d e v e l o p e d it s Interlock System Information (ISI) To u c h S c r e e n key management device.

As a standalone unit or integrated into either a key cabinet or control panel, the device stores all relevant information about a n interlock system in a digitised and centralised format that is accessible by any operator without a need for specialised training.

All relevant interlock keys are shown on screen, and simply touching them will display detailed information about the key itself and the related system: system name, operating sequence logic, P&ID and Location.

Enquiry No. 2803 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Mag Ias: Electronic Tracking System

Mag Ias has developed a W/Z zero tracking capability for its horizontal boring mills and HMCs with the Siemens 840D control, bringing an operator-friendly feature to machinists programming collinear axes.

W/Z tracking accounts for changes in machine geometry when one of the axes in a collinear set is repositioned in the part program. It electronically tracks each axis of the collinear set to calculate and maintain the correct part reference coordinate when one of the axes is repositioned.

Previously available only on the NumeriPath 8000 control, W/Z zero tracking for up to three collinear axes can be retrofitted to existing Mag machines with 840D controls or added to new machines.

Enquiry No. 2804 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

Enquiry No. 2805 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Salvagnini: Using Fibre Laser To Cut Film-Covered Material Salvagnini has developed a technology to satisfy the increasing number of fibre cutting laser users who require quality cutting on filmcovered stainless steel.

It allows the cutting of thin stainless steel or sheet metal protected by a plastic film. It is also possible to make the cuts in a single step on the company’s laser systems. The technology can be used with both fibre and CO2 lasers.

The technology is applicable to the L3 and L5 fibre laser cutting machines whose features are flexibility, stable cutting parameters, the ease of production changes between one material and thickness with another, highquality cutting and low power consumption.

Enquiry No. 2806 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

productfinder

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Seco: Square Shoulder Milling

ited pany (Pte), SinLgaim m o C k e 409032 h re po C g n Ho ctory Building l: +65 6746 1308 9-07 Yi Guang Fa Te 180 Paya Lebar

Road, #0

60 Fax: +65 6747 17om gchek.c Email: sales@honngchek.com Website: www.ho

ENQUIRY NO 052

Turbo 10 is a square shoulder milling cutter in the Seco Turbo family with improved stability, precision and tool life. It is versatile, and can for instance be used for slotting, step milling and contouring, face milling, helical interpolation and ramping as well as for the application of trochoidal milling and plunging.

The coated and hardened surface of the cutter body offers higher wear resistance and at the same time prevents chips from welding onto the body. Through optimisation of the cutting edge, heat generation during the milling process is reduced, while simultaneously reducing the cutting power.

The range covers diameters from D = 16 to 100 mm, cutting edges with 0.4 and 0.8 mm radii in two geometries and nine different grades with PVD or CVD coating.

r application; Laser systems fo cutting, , ng drilling, marki ing on av gr en , ng weldi c material ni ga organic, non-or n metals. and metal and no

Enquiry No. 2807 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

with highest precision! heimatec速 ASIA /PACIFIC Phone +65 8112 6550 Mail: kmoessmer@heimatec.com Web: www.heimatec.com

heimatec速 GmbH GERMANY Phone +49 7843 94660 Mail: info@heimatec.de Web: www.heimatec.de

ENQUIRY NO 033

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We manufacture tools

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System 3R: Robot On Rails

Widia: High-Feed Milling

WorkMaster Linear is an automation concept that delivers flexibility.

By putting System 3R’s Work Ma ster cha nger unit on rails, it can serve more machines while also creating more space for magazines and peripheral equipment. The served machines may be of the same type and make. They can also just as easily use different machining technologies and come from different manufacturers.

There are two basic magazine formats — rack or rotary. Each magazine unit comprises a number of racks adapted to the pallet systems in manufacturers product programs. The system offers a preparation/loading station, a washing station, air supply through the changer arm, an ID system (with or without automatic scanning) and a cell PC with WorkShopManager software.

Widia has developed two insert families designed for high-feed milling. They are the M270 and M370 Series.

The M270 inserts are designed based on Widia-Hanita X-Feed geometry. Three grades are available: TN2505 for good wear-resistance in materials up to 60 HRc hardness; TN6540 for added toughness; and TN6525, a mix of toughness and wear-resistance for dry-machining applications in steel.

The M370 Series is a double-sided high-feed concept that combines insert technology with performance and reliability for steel, stainless steel, and cast-iron milling.

Designed for high-feed-rate productivity, its double-sided concept and six cutting edges provide security and optimal metal removal with an efficient cost per edge.

Enquiry No. 2808 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Walter: Indexable Insert Range For ISO S Materials

Walter has added the geometries NRS and NMS for high-temperature alloys such as Inconel 718 and Waspalloy. NRS is used for roughing applications and NMS for medium machining and semi-finishing applications.

Both indexable insert geometries are coated with the PVD-aluminium oxide cutting material grades WSM10 and WSM20. These cutting tool materials combine several properties that are indispensable when machining high temperature alloys. They are extreme hardness, high heat wear resistance and a high level of toughness.

The NRS roughing geometry is available in the insert shapes C, D and S, and the optimised NMS geometry for medium machining is available in the basic shapes C, D, T, V and W. Enquiry No. 2809 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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metalworking equipment news March 2012

Enquiry No. 2810 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

ZF Friedrichshafen: Transmission Series For Machine Tools

ZF Friedrichshafen has expanded the production line for two-speed manual transmissions for machine tools.

With two sizes of the 2K precision transmissions, all common power, torque, and motor classes of industrial machine drives can now be covered.

The Duoplan 2K 450 and 2K 600 two-speed manual transmissions are designed for nominal input torques of 450 or 600 Nm. With their help, motors with installation dimensions of 100 to 280 mm axle height can be operated; the range of the transferred power is between 19 and 120 kW, the range of the nominal input torques is between 120 and 1,200 Nm. Enquiry No. 2811 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Exhibition Programmes

March 28 – 30 MTA Hanoi

International Center For Exhibition Hanoi, Vietnam SES mta@sesallworld.com www.mtahanoi.com

28 – 31 Inapa 2012

JIExpo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia PT GEM Indoneisa info@gem-indonesia.net www.inapa-exhibition.net

April

17 – 22 SIMTOS 2012

KINTEX Seoul, South Korea KOMMA intl@simtos.org www.simtos.org

18 – 21 InterMold

Intex Osaka, Japan Japan Die & Mold Industry Association iminfo@itp.gr.jp www.itp.gr.jp

May

3–6 MT Duo 2012

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

9 – 12 INAMarine 2012

2012

17 – 20 Intermach 2012

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

June

6–9 Manufacturing Surabaya 2012

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

12 – 16 CIMES 2012

NCIEC Beijing, China Reed Exhibitions (Shanghai) cimes@reedhuayin.com.cn en.cimes.net.cn

October

4–6 Metalex Vietnam SECC Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Reed Tradex rtdx@reedtradex.co.th www.metalexvietnam.com

November 1–6 JIMTOF 2012 Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo, Japan JMTBA www.jimtof.org

7–9 Indonesia Oil & Gas Expo 2012

Balikpapan Int'l Sport Arena Balikpapan, Indonesia Fireworks info@asiafireworks.com www.indonesiaoilgas.com

21 – 24 Manufacturing Expo 2012 7 – 10 Indo Aerospace 2012 BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Reed Tradex intermold@reedtradex.co.th www.manufacturing-expo.com

JIExpo Jakarta, Indonesia www.indoaerospace.com

December

July

3–6 MTA Vietnam

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

5–8 Manufacturing Indonesia 2012

Jakarta Int'l Expo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia PT Pamerindo www.pamerindo.com

JIExpo Jakarta, Indonesia PT GEM Indonesia info@gem-indonesia.net www.inamarine-exhibition.net

15 – 19 Metaltech 2012 PWTC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Trade Link info@tradelink.com.my www.tradelink.com.my

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Basic Metal/Foundaries/Mills Electrical & Electronics production Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturing Aircraft maintenance/components mfg.

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❑ 160 ❑ 180 ❑ 200 ❑ 224 ❑ 078

Design & Consultancy Services Govt bodies, Trade Assns, Exhibitions Cos. Agent/Distributor/Trader of Machine Tools & Accessories Mechanical, Fabrication and all other metal engineering works Others (Please specify)_____________________________________

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TYPE OF BUSINESS (Please ✔ ONE box only) Do you use METAL in your production/manufacturing process?

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YOUR METAL PROCESS USED ? (Please be specific) ❑ 300 ❑ 303 ❑ 306 ❑ 309 ❑ 315 ❑ 318

CNC Machining Milling Gear Cutting Grinding Stamping Shearing

❑ 321 ❑ 324 ❑ 301 ❑ 304 ❑ 307 ❑ 310

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❑ 308 ❑ 311 ❑ 314 ❑ 317 ❑ 320 ❑ 323

Broaching Plastic Moulding Pressworking Automated Assembly Beading Electroplating

❑ 350 Others (Please specify)

YOUR BUSINESS ACTIVITY (Please be specific) ❑ 221 ❑ 150 ❑ 222 ❑ 120 ❑ 223 ❑ 122

Basic Metal/Foundaries/Mills Electrical & Electronics production Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturing Aircraft maintenance/components mfg.

Dies & Moulds mfg.

Motor Vehicles Parts

❑ 123 ❑ 160 ❑ 180 ❑ 200 ❑ 224 ❑ 078

Shipbuilding Design & Consultancy Services Govt bodies, Trade Assns, Exhibitions Cos. Agent/Distributor/Trader of Machine Tools & Accessories Mechanical, Fabrication and all other metal engineering works Others (Please specify)_____________________________________

JOB FUNCTION (Please be specific) ❑ 021 Senior & Middle Management ❑ 023 Maintenance Engineering ❑ 025 Research & Devt

❑ 028 Testing & Inspection ❑ 030 Sales & Marketing ❑ 027 Others (Please specify)

❑ 022 Production Engineering ❑ 024 Quality Control/Assurance

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❑ 026 Design Engineering ❑ 029 Purchasing/Sourcing

ENQUIRY NO 040

The new definition of heavy duty. That’s KM4X. That’s Different Thinking.

TM

Kennametal redefines heavy duty with KM4XTM — the next generation of spindle interface.

In addition to its three-surface contact for improved stability and accuracy, KM4XTM provides optimized clamping force distribution and interference fit for higher stiffness. The result? A machine connection that delivers unmatched performance in heavy-duty conditions on even the most difficult-to-machine materials.

Now that’s Different Thinking. That’s Kennametal.

To learn more about KM4XTM and the latest machining technologies, contact your authorized Kennametal distributor, call 800.446.7738, or visit www.kennametal.com.

Extreme resistance to bending in heavy-duty applications.

Extraordinary strength for high-torque milling.

Designed to excel when machining large components in titanium and other high-strength alloys.

Higher speeds or heavier loads — KM4XTM outperforms your expectations in any application, in any environment.

Easy to retrofit existing machines for increased through put without investing in new equipment.

KM4X three-surface contact means stability and accuracy: • Heavy-duty rigid configuration with evenly distributed clamping force.

• Balanced by design for high-speed spindle capability.

• Capable of performing in a wide range of operations.

TM

ENQUIRY NO 009 ©2011 Kennametal Inc. l All rights reserved. l A-11-02685