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PRODUCTION SNIPPET: GET IN THE GROOVE • EVENT REVIEW: MTA ASIA 2015 May - June 2015

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2015 CONTENTS

METAL CUTTING 24 Reliability & Longer Tool Life

New toolds, caotings and geometrics set standards in parting off operations. By Lim Gan Shu, Walter Singapore, Marketing

28

Production Snippet: Get In The Groove

Kobi Guy, product manager of Iscar’s parting tool systems, shares some tips on parting operations.

GREAT GEAR & SYSTEM 30 The Way To Efficiency & Functionality

Measurement service provider Lometec upgraded the measuring software for its tactile Wenzel coordinate measuring machines from Metrosoft CM to Metrosoft Quartis.

Lomotech’s Chief Executive Officer Jörg Werkmeister and Technical Director Marc Lange talk about their practical experience using the example of a dimensional inspection of a turbine blade testing device.

28 32

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Automation: Co-Bots In Competitive Sustainable Manufacturing

36

Today, SMEs are focusing on smarter automation to grow their businesses.

Robot technology is helping hundreds of manufacturers across the Asia Pacific region to maximise resources, improve productivity, enhance quality output and increase revenue.

By Shermine Gotfredsen, General Manager, APAC, Universal Robots

IN DESIGN 36

Getting Novel With Electrode Solutions

A novel CAD/CAM file format – the .Trode file, enables the design, machining, inspection and use of electrodes to be integrated completely in a single project. Peter Dickin, Marketing Manager, Delcam, has more on this.

40

FAST FAB 44

Most leading companies utilising CNC machinery, regardless of the industry, already use digital manufacturing technology to improve their NC machining processes. But most companies don’t realise that some of their existing technology can be utilised even before a new CNC machine has been delivered. By Bryan Jacobs, Marketing Communications Manager, CGTech.

In a global market, an Asia-Pacific manufacturer’s toughest competitor could be the facility down the street and that facility shares the same infrastructure and labour advantages, so the ability to compete comes down to technology and management skill. By Hans Örtengren, Global Product Area Manager Equipment, ESAB

Production Ready: Having The Best Simulating Experience

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

Welding: Simplifying Productivity & Getting Quality Gains

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Best choice.

Double capacity and triple flexibility ByTrans Extended takes over loading and unloading your laser cutting system. This intelligent automation solution has two cassettes for double the raw materials and expanded applications.

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2015 CONTENTS 48 56

MAY JUN

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.

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60

Which is the best metal sheet and plate cutting process systems to use for a given application or range of products? The answer is not always simple and does not always involve just one of these processes. By: Jim Colt, Application Technology Manager, Hypertherm

Tracking and identification management is a growing field with emerging technologies, such as those related to the Internet of Things, gaining market traction. By Augustine Quek

Delivering The Perfect Cut

FEATURES 54

Gaining Competitive Advantage With Modern ERP Systems

Accredited to:The trend for today’s manufacturers is to keep costs down and this is best done with an effective ERP system to manage processes. Craig Charlton, Senior Vice PresidentVP, Asia Pacific, Epicor Software Asia Pte Ltd has more on this.

INDUSTRY Endorsements Singapore Precision Engineering and Tooling Association (SPETA)

Tracking & Identification Management

Federation of Asian Die & Mould Associations (FADMA) Federation of Malaysian Foundry & Engineering Industry Associations

EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS 64

Event Review: MTA Asia 2015

Indian Machine Tool Manufacturing Association (IMTMA)

Reported by Michelle Cheong

68

Event Preview: MTA Vietnam 2015

China Machine Tool & Tool Builders' Association (CMTBA)

70

Machine Tool Club (MTC)

Event Preview: Manufacturing Expo 2015

56

Automotive Manufacturing: Remote Laser Welding

Automotive manufacturing, given its complexity and volumes, requires the use of efficient, high-volume processes which can guarantee productivity and quality. In practical terms, this can be translated in the need for effective performance-based welding solutions that deliver both speed and precision – the drivers behind the increasing use of lasers for cutting, welding and brazing.

Alessio Cocchi, Comau Robotics Marketing Manager shares more on this.

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Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI)

Event Preview: MTT Indonesia 2015

REGULARS Business News 8 75 Product Finder 79 Exhibition Programmes 80A Product Enquiry Card

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Refer to Advertising Index

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For Advertiser's Enquiry Numbers www.equipment-news.com

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Delcam headquarters Small Heath Business Park, Birmingham, B10 0HJ Tel: +44 (0)121 766 5544

Delcam (Malaysia) Sdn.Bhd. Wisma UOA II, 20-1, No.21, Jalan Pinang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: +603-2711 0145

PT. Delcam Indonesia Perkantoran Pulomas satu Gedung-1, Lt-3 Room 12A Jl.A Yani No2, JAKARTA, Indonesia Tel: (62)-21-4894964

Delcam S.E.A. Pte. Ltd. 6001 Beach Road, #18-01 Golden Mile Tower, Singapore 199589 Tel : +65 97233095 & +65 64511124

Delcam Vietnam Representative Office Office 602, 159 Dien Bien Phu, Binh Thanh Dist, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tel : +84 8 35144078

Beijing Delcam Integrated System Co., Ltd. Rm. A411, Jinyu Jiahua Building, No.9, 3rd Street , Shangdi, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China Tel +8610 6298 5591

Delcam (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. 11 Rama II Road Soi 54 Lane 4-3, Samaedam, Bangkhuntien, Bangkok 10150, Thailand Tel: +66 2 899 1182-4 ENQUIRY NO 075

EDITOR’S NOTE

In The Name

Published by:

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

Of The Buck If you think of metalworking, your immediate thoughts would probably centre on machine tools, cutting tools and metrology products. Looking at a run of the mill machine shop, the milling machine comes to mind since it is the most commonly found machine in the shop. The point here is that even for traditional machines and tools for the metalworking world, there’s always room for something to be improved.

We all know that the milling machine is by not something that’s new – it has been around for quite a bit. However, it has taken machine control and machining operations to unprecedented levels of efficiency, all while maintaining its relevance in today’s ever changing world of technology. Re-invention is a trendy word these days especially when already existing technologies and hardware are moving forward with constant rehashes. For instance, look at drilling – there has been much enhancements and improvements made in order to handle materials that are increasingly used today.

As an example, in the medical sector, composites and materials such as titanium are being increasingly used and as a result, this creates a demand for specialised drills with very specific applications. With this, the market for such drills becomes all the more lucrative and companies who have the expertise in the production of such drills would do well to spot this trend and invest in long term R&D on it.

I n addition to ha rdwa re improvement, governmental policies also play a huge role in determining whether or not a new technology is going to be pervasive. Policies (for better or worse) almost always lend a hand in sparking new business angles.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

Like it or not, there’s money to be made in times good and bad. New industries and government policies have opened the door to new markets. For the wind energy industry, it was driven by the impending depletion of crude oil and higher awareness in clean energy.

While we think environment, there’s always a business opportunity behind this and as such has resulted in the growing demand for wind turbines for many years now. And how has this affected us here in the metalworking fraternity? Well, gearbox manufacturing in the generators requires substantial metalworking processes and machines.

Quite sometime back, several manufacturing analyst firms made the prediction that the wind power generator market is expected to take up to 12 percent of the global energy demand by 2020 and beyond.

The estimated worth predicted was somewhere around the US$70 billion mark. I expect the number to increase as we move forward to the next decade.

I don’t think there’s a cause to still wonder why.

As always, the evolvement of the metalworking industry is an ongoing process and relevance is found constantly in new areas. One expectation that you can be clear on is that the unlocking of the door to new frontiers lies in exploring new designs, techniques and in the world of manufacturing, the resultant creation of new markets.

Reg No: 199908196C

senior editor Syed Shah

syedshah@epl.com.sg

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

writer Michelle Cheong michellecheong@epl.com.sg

editorial assistant Sharifah Zainon

sharifah@epl.com.sg

graphic designer Jef Pimentel

jeffreypimentel@epl.com.sg

circulation executive Nurulhuda binte Suhaimi nurulhuda@epl.com.sg

assistant circulation manager Chiang Hui chianghui@epl.com.sg

contributors Lim Gan Shu Kobi Guy Jörg Werkmeister Marc Lange Shermine Gotfredsen Peter Dickin Bryan Jacobs Hans Örtengren Jim Colt Craig Charlton Alessio Cocchi Augustine Quek

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced in any form or means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, taping, etc – without the written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher and editor.

Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd MCI (P) No. 037/06/2014 PPS 840/09/2012 (022818) ISSN 0129/5519

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etm Syed Shah Senior Editor

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ENQUIRY NO 092

BUSINESS NEWS ABB, Bosch And Cisco Join Hands To Unify Smart Home Technology

Munich, Germany: ABB, Robert Bosch GmbH and Cisco Systems Incorporated have confirmed the formation of an international joint venture called mozaiq operations GmbH to develop and operate an open-software platform for smart homes. The platform will help to unify today’s stand-alone solutions for home automation and offer interoperability across devices.

The platform, to be developed by the venture, brings the Internet of Things, Services and People into consumers’ homes, making it easy and secure for a wide range of products to communicate with each other.

Consumers will be able to seamlessly and intuitively tailor their appliances and devices, regardless of brand, to deliver an unprecedented level of control, comfort and significantly improve energy efficiency. For example, on an unexpectedly hot day, either from a click from a smart phone or through a pre-set instruction, blinds in the home can be closed; the preset timer for the tumble drier could be switched off; and all screen devices automatically switched off for the children to go outside to play.

“This joint effort to develop an open-software platform for smart

homes fits perfectly with ABB’s strategy to leverage the expanding opportunities of the Internet of Things, Services and People for consumers and companies alike,” said Tarak Mehta, head of ABB’s Low Voltage Products Division.

“ABB has a comprehensive range of solutions for residential and commercial buildings and is committed to driving innovation in this exciting space. Collaborations such as mozaiq will ensure that consumers have faster access to the best-possible technology."

The mozaiq software platform will create opportunities for a range of new services by facilitating the simple, but secure exchange of data between different types of devices and their users. By creating a business ecosystem, the three companies seek to facilitate cooperation and accommodate stakeholders’ varying demands and perspectives as the software platform is developed.

The interim head of mozaiq will be Dirk Schlesinger of Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group.

He will be based in Frankfurt, Germany, until a permanent leader is appointed.

Swisslog And KUKA Present New Human-Robot Workstation Hannover, Germany: Swisslog and KUKA have presented the results of their first collaboration as one automation powerhouse at the Hannover Messe 2015 exhibition. Their highlight included a newly developed human-robot workstation named Automated Item Pick.

Based on KUKA’s LBR iiwa, a production-ready collaborative lightweight robot, it has turned Swisslog’s fully automated CarryPick and AutoStore goods-to-person picking solutions into interactive human-robot workstations.

A distinctive feature is that the order bins at the pick station are simultaneously serviced by a human and the robot’s grippers, 8

asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

without the need for a barrier or fence between man and machine.

T he work station offers flexible scalability as well as high throughput for storing and picking light goods.

With their collaboration, the two companies have created a forward-thinking concept suited for industrial applications.

Automated Item Pick combines traditional automation technologies with the technical achievements of the IT world, said Peter Hettich, CEO at Swisslog. “As part of our industry 4.0 concept, we aim to increase the availability of our systems and eliminate potential error sources from intralogistics processes early on.” www.equipment-news.com

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BUSINESSNEWS

New Centricut Products For ESAB Cutting Systems

Singapore: Hypertherm announced late last month their new Centricut brand quick change torch for use with ESAB plasma cutting systems. The torch, which incorporates proprietary Hy per t her m te chnolog y, is designed to replace ESAB PT-36, PT-600 and PT-19XLS torches.

It will perform as well as the original ESAB single piece torch design, while increasing productivity. The two-piece quickchange design allows operators to change out consumables up to three times faster or, through the use of multiple torch heads, load consumables for the next job while cutting the current job.

In addition, operators can ex perience a lower overa ll operating cost by using Centricut brand consumables with either the new quick change torch or their current ESAB single piece torch. In field-testing, cut quality and consumable life from the Centricut brand consumables were consistently equal to the OEM while costing 20 to 30 percent less.

The performance is due in part to the company’s SilverLine electrode and CoolFlow nozzle technologies.

The SilverLine technology features a hybrid copper/silver weld joint that delivers performance equal to a solid silver electrode for a fraction of the cost. Advanced cooling features reduce the operating 10

asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

easyJet Delivers 250th Airbus Aircraft

Hamburg, Germany: easyJet and Airbus have celebrated their successful partnership at a ceremony in Hamburg to mark the delivery the airline’s 250th Airbus A320 family aircraft. Carolyn McCall, easyJet CEO, Jean-Paul Ebanga, CFM International President and CEO, Didier Evrard, Airbus EVP and Head of Programmes, and Christopher Buckley, Airbus EVP Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific were present at the event.

To celebrate the 250th delivery, the airline unveiled its newest A320 with a unique livery featuring 250 miniature aircraft. As with other recent deliveries to the airline, the A320 is equipped with the latest technology and fuel-saving Sharklets.

McCall commented: “Taking delivery of our 250th Airbus helps us to continue to make travel easy and affordable. This milestone symbolises the long term and successful partnership between Airbus and easyJet. We are proud to count Airbus and CFM as such reliable partners.” easyJet is one of Europe’s airlines and flies 234 aircraft on more than 750 routes to over 130 airports across 33 countries. Since easyJet took delivery of its first Airbus aircraft (an A319) in September 2003, Airbus has delivered an aircraft on average every 16 days since the first delivery.

The airline has currently 158 aircraft on order, and is Airbus’ third biggest airline customer in terms of total aircraft orders. It flies a fleet of 85 A320s (180 seats) and 149 A319s (156 seats).

“It is hugely satisfying to witness easyJet’s growth and market success”, said Evrard. “easyJet’s investment in A320 Family aircraft, as well as their order for 100 A320neos, supports our A320 Family, and demonstrates easyJet’s commitment to operating modern, productive and comfortable aircraft.” temperature of the electrode maximising the hafnium pit depth and slowing its wear rate to extend electrode life. CoolFlow technology improves cooling to help maintain the size and shape of the nozzle orifice for longer life.

“This new torch provides owners of ESAB systems with the time-saving benefits of quick-change technology at a very affordable price,” explains Cynthia von Recklinghausen,

product marketing manager for Centricut. “On top of that, ESAB owners can realise further cost savings while enjoying improved cut quality and consumable life by coupling the use of their torch with Centricut consumables.”

Centricut products are designed with critical-to-function tolerances and are precision manufactured by advanced machinists to deliver the best quality product every time. www.equipment-news.com

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ENQUIRY NO 100

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BUSINESSNEWS

Platts: Spot Iron Ore Rises With Stronger Demand China: The seaborne iron ore spot market is going strong and has registered its strongest week so far this year. Platts assessed 17th April, Friday’s daily 62 percent Fe Iron Ore Index (IODEX) 75 cents higher to US$51.50/dry metric tonne CFR North China.

Just the beginning of April 2015 saw the IODEX low of the year, at US$47.50/dry metric tonne, but the April 17 price of US$51.50 is up US$4 since then. Compared to the same period a year ago, year-to-date average price for the 62 percent Fe benchmark is US$60.20 dry metric tonne CFR North China in 2015, then US$119.70 dry metric tonne in 2014.

Demand was strengthening as mills replenished stocks after keeping them low for quite some time. While there was intent to purchase more, offers were scarce as sellers withheld cargoes in anticipation of an even firmer market next week; there were expectations the Chinese government would either cut interest rates, or lower the cash reserve ratio for banks, which sources thought might push prices higher.

"Sellers are calling the shots now; many refuse to part with their material unless you are willing to give them a price near what they want," a steelmaker in central China told Platts. Still, some iron ore buyers were craving clearer market direction, wary that the steel demand outlook would not sustain stronger iron ore prices.

IBM Expands Its “Internet Of Things”

New York, United States: IBM announced late April that it will invest US$3 billion over the next four years to establish a new Internet of Things (IoT) unit, and that it is building a cloud-based open platform designed to help clients and ecosystem partners build IoT solutions.

The company’s pioneering work in Smarter Planet and Smarter Cities was based on practical applications of IoT in the enterprise and led to a broad set 12

asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

of solutions, ranging from water management to optimising retail and customer loyalty to alleviating traffic congestion. Now, the company has achieved enterprise IoT implementations that securely combine and analyse data from a wide variety of sources.

With new industry-specific cloud data services and developer tools, the company will build on that expertise to help clients and partners integrate data from an unprecedented number of IoT

APPOINTMENTS Otto Marine Appoints New Group CEO Singapore: Otto Marine Limited has announced the group’s new appointment of existing Executive Director, Michael See Kian Heng, as the Chief Executive Officer.

The former CEO, Garrick James Stanley, will take up the role of President of the group’s Shipping and Chartering segment, the largest segment contributor of the group.

Reporting to the group CEO, Mr Stanley will be responsible for overall performance of Shipping and Chartering, and will be accountable for its profitability, growth and sustainability.

Mr See’s CEO responsibilities will be supported by the President of Shipyard, President of Shipping and Chartering, Senior Executive VP for Newbuilding, Group Chief Financial Officer, and other members of the senior management team.

and traditional sources. These resources will be made available on an open platform to provide manufacturers with the ability to design and produce a new generation of connected devices that are better optimised for the IoT, and to help business leaders across industries create systems that better fuse enterprise and IoT data to inform decision-making.

“Our knowledge of the world grows with every connected sensor and device, but too often we are not acting on it, even when we know we can ensure a better result,” said Bob Picciano, senior vice president, IBM Analytics. “We will enable clients and industry partners to apply IoT data to build solutions based on an open platform. This is a major focus of investment for our company because it’s a rich and broad-based opportunity where innovation matters.” www.equipment-news.com

GE Phoenix X-Ray Inspection Systems GE Phoenix is a world leader in advanced industrial X-ray computer tomography (3D) based on nano-focus and micro-focus X-ray technologies. Applications include complete 3D part inspections, materials analysis, porosity and materials inclusion, fiber analysis, 3D measurements and metrology and fluid simulations. Cairnhill Metrology, with a network of 11 locations in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia, is GE PX’s authorized distributor for 3D and metrology XCT solutions.

nanotom m NanoCTÂŽ system for scientific and industrial CT and 3D metrology requiring highest CT resolutions.

v|tome|x c Compact high-voltage CT system with low maintenance and production oriented design features e.g., one-button CT automation.

Applications: Small biological and geological samples to medium sized industrial components.

Applications: NDT and quality assurance labs in foundries or aerospace industries.

Hexagon Metrology ROMER Portable Arm CMMs The ROMER Portable Arm CMM from Hexagon Metrology is a flexible tool for quality control. This 3D measuring arm is used for dimensional verification, alignment for assembly, CAD-comparison inspection, 3D scanning, reverse engineering, product development, rapid prototyping, tube geometry inspection, and many other quality control, inspection and verification applications across many industries.

ROMER products are can be applied in many ways, with the results being process improvement, faster inspection cycles, reduced scrap, and increased manufacturing efficiency. ROMER products help companies in industries including aerospace, automotive, defense, etc.

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BUSINESSNEWS It is estimated that 90 percent of all data generated by devices such as smartphones, tablets, connected vehicles and appliances is never analysed or acted on. As much as 60 percent of this data begins to lose value within milliseconds of being generated. To address this challenge, the company has announced that it will offer: • IBM IoT Cloud Open Platform for Industries: This platform will provide new analytics services that clients, partners and the company will use to design and deliver vertical industry IoT solutions. For example, the company will introduce a cloud-based service that helps insurance companies extract insight from connected vehicles. This will enable new, more dynamic pricing models and the delivery of services that can be highly customised to individual drivers.

• IBM Bluemix IoT Zone: New IoT services as part of IBM’s Bluemix platform-as-a-service will enable developers to easily integrate IoT data into cloud-based development and deployment of IoT apps. Developers will be able to enrich existing business applications – such as enterprise asset management, facilities management, and software engineering design tools – by infusing more real-time data and embedded analytics to further automate and optimise missioncritical IoT processes.

• IBM IoT Ecosystem: Expansion of its ecosystem of IoT partners – from silicon a nd dev ice manufacturers to industryoriented solution providers – such as AT&T, ARM, Semtech and newly announced The Weather Company – to ensure the secure and seamless integration of data services and solutions on IBM’s open platform.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

Proton, Lotus Group And Goldstar Sign JV Agreement

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Proton Holdings Berhad the ultimate holding company of Lotus Group, announced that it has signed a Joint Venture (JV) Agreement with Lotus Group International Limited and Goldstar Heavy Industrial Company Limited for a possible business expansion of Lotus cars in the People's Republic of China.

The collaboration seeks to accelerate the development of Lotus cars in the premium sports segment in China, leveraging on the incentives offered by the Fujian Provincial Government. Both Proton and Lotus Group are subsidiaries of DRB-Hicom Berhad.

Signing on behalf of Proton was the Honourable Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Chairman of Proton and former Prime Minister of Malaysia and witnessed by Dato’ Abdul Harith Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of Proton. Signing on behalf of Lotus Group International Limited was Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer and witnessed by Mr Rohime Shafie, Director of Lotus Group and Chief Financial Officer of Proton; and signing on behalf of Goldstar was Mr Zheng Qianghui, Chairman of Goldstar and witnessed by Mr Zhai Wenliang, President of Goldstar.

Dato’ Abdul Harith Abdullah said “The JV Agreement will see the establishment of a new JV Company for the purpose of undertaking research and development (R&D) activities in the use of efficient and advanced technology. The company will then produce and sell Lotus branded passenger cars as well as provide after sales services in connection with its products in the People’s Republic of China.”

With the automotive market in China being the single largest in the world today, and still growing, it is only natural that a company like Lotus would seek to embark upon the possibility of expansion, venture into the market and look for available opportunities, he added. “It is very difficult to ignore the market and Lotus will fill the gap in providing a lifestyle alternative to the growing demands of the affluent and market conscious local community.”

"On April 7, 2015, Lotus announced 55 percent increase in car sales for its 2014/15 financial year, compared to the previous year with 36 new dealers appointed during the period 2014/15. And China has appeared to be the top key growth market for Lotus exports and is expected to grow at a very fast rate. Lotus Group is excited about the opportunities of this new JV," Jean-Marc Gales commented further.

Chairman of DRB-Hicom Group, Dato’ Syed Mohamad Syed Murtaza was present with Board and Senior Management of Proton together with Lotus and Goldstar to witness the historical occasion.

Lotus will continue to manufacture its current range of Lotus sports cars (Evora, Exige and Elise) exclusively at its HQ in Hethel, England. www.equipment-news.com

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DKSH Technology Pte Ltd · 625 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh #03-00 · Singapore 319519 · kelvin.low@dksh.com DKSH Technology Co., Ltd. · E-Town 2 Building 1st floor, 364 Cong Hoa Street, Ward 13 · Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam · ngoc.thihong.vu@dksh.com DKSH (Thailand) Limited · 2106 Fantree 4 Building · Sukhumvit Road · Bangkok 10260 · Thailand · weilun.tsao@dksh.com DKSH Technology Sdn Bhd · Company No. 47709T · 46200 Petaling Jaya · Malaysia · claus.bressmer@dksh.com

ENQUIRY NO 098

BUSINESSNEWS

Mazak Opens New European Parts Centre

Leuven, Belgium: Yamazaki Mazak has officially opened its newly expanded European Parts Centre in Leuven, Belgium and has announced further investments to strengthen its manufacturing and customer support across the region.

Located in Leuven, Belgium, the centre has increased its warehouse capacity from 2,700 sq m to 4,600 sq m and is capable of shipping 97 percent of company parts on the same day.

The new facility has the capacity to ship over 20,000 parts per month with orders being processed 365 days a year. A second stage of expansion to the centre is due to complete in 2022 which will increase warehouse capacity to 5,528 sq m.

At the heart of the parts operation is the expanded warehouse, which will hold €37 million (US$55.2 million) of parts in stock and 35,000 parts numbers for machines across the company’s range, including those that are no longer in production, even for machines older than 30 years of age.

Once the scheduled further expansion to the warehouse is completed in 2022, the number of parts in stock will double.

The warehouse is fully automated and equipped with a new ‘mini-load’ system for small parts picking from 8,000 small trays, travelling from 70,000 locations within the warehouse, and a stacker crane system for 3,000 medium to large pallets.

In addition, the new 1,000 sq m logistical working area will house an automated conveyor belt system and four intelligent work stations. There will also be increased ground floor storage capacity for very large parts.

The entire facility is integrated into the company’s network with a highend parts ordering system which facilitates online ordering from each company branch, together with real-time stock visibility for dealers and linked website tracking for shipment status checking.

The European Parts Centre forms part of the company’s total support package, which includes service, spare parts, application engineering support, turnkey project management, training, and spindle servicing. The second phase of expansion for the Parts Centre is scheduled for 2022 to meet projected demand for parts in the European market.

Marcus Burton, European Group Managing Director of the company commented on the opening: “The expanded Parts Centre enhances our European parts capability, offering customers the most responsive parts ordering and dispatch service in the machine tool sector.

“The ability to rapidly identify, pick and dispatch spare parts is vital in keeping machines productive. We have many customers in Europe and it is vital that spare parts are readily available to maximise productivity and minimise downtime.”

He continued: “The expanded centre sends a clear message that after sales support is an essential part of our on-going commitment to customers and that we will continue to invest in our service and support capabilities.”

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

Toyota To Boost China Output By 100,000 Vehicles Guangzhou, China: The Toyota Motor Corporation has announced that it will spend US$440 million to launch a new assembly line in China as part of its global plan to reinvent the way it builds vehicles.

This third assembly line will be added to the company’s plant in Guangzhou, China. Production of the line is slated to begin in 2017 with a capacity of 100,000 vehicles. No mention was made about what model would be built on this new line.

Currently, the Guangzhou plant has two lines, operated with Toyota’s local joint venture partner, Guangzhou Automobile Group Corporation. These have an annual capacity of 360,000 units, and produce the Highlander SUV, Camry Sedan, and Yaris small car, among others.

The new assembly line will lift Toyota’s total capacity in China to 1.1 million units. Last year, its five plants in China produced 960,000 units.

The expansion of the company in China keeps pace with similar manufacturing plans of its rivals despite slowing of overall sales growth. Hyundai has opened its fourth plant in China this year, and will begin construction of its fifth later this year.

“If you’re an auto company planning for the future, you have to build in China,” stated Kurt Sanger, an auto analyst with Deutsche Securities Japan.

Toyota has also announced its plans for a US$1 billion plant in Guanajuato, Mexico, that will assemble the next-generation Corolla small car. Slated to open in 2019, it will produce 200,000 vehicles a year.

These latest expansions in China and Mexico will deploy low-cost manufacturing processes www.equipment-news.com

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BUSINESSNEWS and handle the company’s new modular platforms. Together, they will boost the company’s global capacity by 300,000 vehicles a year, from 9.8 million units. This would also give the company more wiggle room on a tight global utilisation rate that pushes 90 percent, up from the 70 percent in 2009.

The factory blitz is part of a global shift in the automaker's manufacturing strategy aimed at cutting the resources needed to produce new vehicles by 20 percent. The effort includes developing a new generation of platforms that will underpin half of Toyota's lineup by 2020.

It bre a k s t he t hree -ye a r "intentional pause" on greenfield sites ordered in April 2013 by President Akio Toyoda. During the moratorium, Toyota eked out more capacity from existing plants, while laying the groundwork for the new modular vehicle platform and efficient manufacturing processes. The goa l: Ta ke a breather to focus on lowering costs and improving quality.

The company’s effort, dubbed Toyota New Global Architecture, groups the production of similarly sized vehicles together. It is similar to modular platforms used by Volkswagen Group and RenaultNissan Alliance.

By increasing the number of shared parts and simplifying the ma nufacturing proce ss, the company expects to cut the investment needed for a new production line in half, and the costs of building a new plant like the one in Guanajuato by 40 percent.

"The competitiveness will increase by leaps and bounds," said a Toyota manager involved with the expansion. "We want to make qualitative as well as quantitative improvements."

These announcements show Toyota was working hard behind the scenes during its pause, said 18

asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

Kurt Sanger, an auto analyst with Deutsche Securities Japan.

"They were not just sitting on their thumbs," he said. "They are changing their way of production."

A Toyota official said they picked Mexico and China as sites because North America and China are expected to see sustainable growth in the long term.

Robot Holds Two Guinness World Records Titles Jap a n: Two Guinne ss World Records titles have been awarded to Kirobo, the robot astronaut developed as part of a joint research project between Dentsu Incorporate, the University of Tokyo’s Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology, Robo Garage Company Limited, Toyota Motor Corporation, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Kirobo arrived at the I n te r n a t i o n a l S p a c e S t a t i o n ( ISS) on Aug ust 10, 2013 a nd spent a total of eighteen months there, holding the world’s first conversation experiment in outer space between a robot and a human (JA X A astronaut Koichi Wakata) and conducting research for a future in which humans and robots coexist.

On February 10, Kirobo came safely back to Earth aboard SpaceX’s CRS-5 Dragon cargo supply spacecraft which splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off California, and then arrived back in Japan on March 12. Kirobo’s first words after returning home were: “From up above, the Earth glowed like a blue LED.” At the debriefing session held today at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo, the project members gave a summary report and showed a video of the highlights of Kirobo’s activities aboard the ISS. The session was chaired by Fuminori Kataoka, project general manager in the Product Planning Group of Toyota Motor Corporation, and the two speakers were Tomotaka Takahashi, the president of Robo Garage, and Yorichika Nishijima, head of the Dentsu Robot Centre. Kirobo also appeared on stage to chat with the project team members.

Erika Ogawa, Vice President Japan, Guinness World Records Limited, then presented Kirobo with two Guinness World Records certificates: 1. “ The first companion robot in space is Kirobo (Japan), which arrived at the International Space Station on 9 August 2013.”

2. “The highest altitude for a robot to have a conversation is 414.2 km above mean sea level and was achieved by Kirobo (Japan) on the International Space Station on 7 December 2013.” www.equipment-news.com

BUSINESSNEWS

Sembcorp Recognised For Water Treatment Capabilities

China: Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) has announced that its whollyowned subsidiary Sembcorp (China) has won the “Leader in Water Treatment for Industrial Parks” Award at the China Water Industry Annual Awards 2014.

Organised by ChinaWaterNet, a Chinese environmental online media, the award recognised the company’s technical, operational and management excellence in providing water and wastewater treatment solutions to industrial parks in China, as well as its success in securing and implementing water projects which support China’s industrial growth while helping customers and cities to conserve water resources and protect the environment.

“We are honoured to be recognised as a provider of water solutions in China’s industrial parks,” said Alan Yau, CEO of the company’s China subsidiary.

We have worked on areas such as industrial wastewater treatment and total water management over the years, and will continue to support the central government’s drive towards a more sustainable environment, he added.

Present in China’s national industrial parks such as Zhangjiagang Free Trade Port Zone, Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park and Tianjin Harbour Economic Area, the company has supported China’s recent environmental initiatives, including the policy of promoting third-party participation in reducing pollution in industrial parks.

In terms of industrial wastewater treatment, the company was the first in China to introduce the concept of developing, owning and operating third-party centralised facilities which can take multiple streams of concentrated industrial wastewater directly from companies in an industrial park, and effectively treat it to meet environmental limits without any pre-treatment required by the customers.

Last year, a significant milestone was the acquisition of an industrial wastewater treatment plant in Jiangsu province. Targeted to be completed by early 2016, the industrial wastewater treatment facility in the Lianyungang Lingang Chemical Industrial Park will be reconfigured and upgraded to treat high concentration industrial wastewater directly from source.

Supported by the Jiangsu Environment Protection Department, this transfer-own-operate project, with a capacity of 20,000 cubic m per day, offers a model that can be replicated in other industrial parks across Jiangsu and other provinces. www.equipment-news.com

US Machine Tool Orders Fell 10.6 Percent In February United States: Domestic manufacturers, including machine shops, ordered US$304.74 million worth of metal cutting and metal forming/fabricating equipment during February, 10.6 percent less than during January 2015 and 14.6 percent less than during February 2014.

T he se cond - con se cut ive monthly drop is also the fourth month in the past five to show a decline in the US Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report, the exception being the late-year surge recorded in December 2014.

A f ter t wo mont hs, U S manufacturers have ordered US$645.76 million, 9.8 percent less than they ordered during the comparable period of 2014.

Because of their critical role in manufacturing engineered components of industria l products, orders of machine tools represent a significant indicator of future manufacturing trends.

The USMTO is issued monthly by the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), which tracks new orders for machine tools and related technology based on actual data reported by participating manufacturers and distributors. It covers both domestically sourced a nd impor ted meta l- cutting equipment and metal-forming and -fabricating equipment.

“US manufacturing is facing some pressure in terms of a stronger dollar and lower capital expenditures from the energy industry, but in taking the long view, we’re still in a good position overall,” commented AMT president Douglas K. Woods.

“The automotive and aerospace industries continue to be strong performers, and a number of international manufacturers are May - June 2015 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

19

BUSINESSNEWS making significant investments in US production facilities,” Mr Woods continued. “We project that manufacturing technology orders will gain momentum as we move through the second quarter.”

In addition to the national data reported in the USMTO, the monthly summary includes data on new orders for metal-cutting and metal-forming/fabricating equipment in six regions of the US. However, because AMT revised its geographic references in 2014, the association notes that some comparisons for Metal Forming and Fabricating equipment orders are not an accurate reflection of the current data. AMT also notes that the report’s data is adjusted to reflect this change, but some categories remain unreported.

In the Nor thea st region, February 2015 new metal-cutting machinery orders totalled US$83.71 million, declining 30.6 percent from January and 6.0 percent from February 2014. The year-to-date total for new orders in the region is US$141.82 million, which is a 10.5 percent improvement over the January-February 2014 period.

In the Southeast, new orders for metal- cutting machinery rose to US$29.8 million during February, up 18.0 percent from January and up 1.2 percent from February 2014. The region’s yearto-date total is US$55.05 million, down 15.1 percent compared to the two-month total for 2014.

The North Central-East region reported total new orders of US$70.8 million for February, down 23.2 percent from January’s total and down 15.2 percent from the February 2014 total. For the January-February 2015 period, the region had new orders totalling US$162.99 million, which is 3.3 percent less than during the comparable year-earlier period.

The North Central-West region reported US$77.07 million worth of new orders during February, up 34.5 percent from January, 20

asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

and also up 34.5 percent from Februar y 2014. The region’s year-to-date new orders totalled US$134.4 million, which is a 26.5 percent increase over the same two-month period of 2014.

The South Central region’s February new orders for metalcutting machinery were worth US$26.95 million, declining slightly (-0.9 percent) from the January result but down 58.8 percent from the February 2014 report. The January-February total for the

region stands at US$54.15 million, or 51.1 percent less than the result for the same period of last year.

The last of the six regions, the West, reported metal-cutting machine orders of US$38.15 million during February, down 23.4 percent from January and down 30.3 percent from February 2014.

The result brings the West region’s year-to-date total to US$87.95 million, which is a decline of 31.1 percent from the comparable twomonth period of 2014.

ABB Provides Power Infrastructure For Wind Farms In Brazil Brazil: ABB has won orders worth around US$30 million from Casa dos Ventos, a renewables company in Brazil, to provide substations and related power infrastructure enabling the efficient integration of power from two new wind complexes and comprising 13 wind farm into the country’s transmission grid. The orders were booked in the first quarter of 2015.

The projects in northeastern Brazil are slated to complete in 2016. Once finished, they will be capable of generating enough renewable energy to meet the consumption needs of about 300,000 local households, avoiding the annual emission of approximately 325 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The two 216 and 130 megawatt (MW) wind complexes São Clemente and Tianguá will be located in the states of Pernambuco and Ceará. This would add to the Brazilian company’s large portfolio of wind projects in Brazil, with more than 4,800 MW of renewables capacity in operation or under construction.

“These substations and related infrastructure will facilitate the integration, transmission and distribution of clean wind energy to serve growing electricity needs in the region,” said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s Power Systems division. “They will also help strengthen grid reliability and secure power supplies.”

ABB will be responsible for the delivery of the 230 and 69 kilovolts (kV) air-insulated switchgear substations including compact 34.5 kV substations with distribution transformers, connection bays and overhead lines.

To reduce the impact of disruptions resulting from the integration of intermittent wind power into the grid, ABB is also supplying reclosers – circuit breakers designed to interrupt short-circuit current – to isolate faults and prevent outages from cascading across the network.

The substations will also be equipped with IEC 61850-compliant open standard automation capabilities as well as control and protection systems, to enable monitoring and control of all power assets to enhance operational and maintenance efficiency and safety at the facilities. www.equipment-news.com

ENQUIRY NO 094

BUSINESSNEWS

RS Components Expands Its Connector Solutions Singapore: RS Components has extended its range of interconnection solutions serving industries such as mining, chemicals, process automation, and oil and gas, with the addition of HARTING Han Ex connectors for use in potentially explosive environments.

Han Ex connectors meet the intrinsic safety requirements of CENELEC equipment codes ia, ib and ic, allowing use in explosion zones zero, one and two, zones one and two, or zone two respectively.

The connectors comply with DIN EN 60 079-0 and DIN EN 60 079-11 standards, and are T6 temperature classified for use where ignition hazard exists at temperatures as low as 85 deg C. The Han Ex connector range comprises a set of hoods, housings and inserts designed as a system to satisfy intrinsically safe applications. The vibration-proof Han-Quick Lock termination technology allows fast and easy assembly without special tools. Alternatively, crimp terminations are available, which can be used with wire gauges down to AWG 26. The inserts have greater than 10GΩ insulation resistance, and housings are powder coated in the standard blue colour used to indicate an intrinsically safe circuit.

All the connectors ensure IP65 ingress protection when mated, and are specified for operation in ambient temperatures from -20 deg C to 40 deg C. The full Han Ex range, comprising variants with four, seven, eight, or 12 contacts, is available now from RS Components.

Dassault Systèmes Acquires Modelon GmbH

Germany: Dassault Systèmes, t he F re nc h 3 D E X PE R I E NCE compa ny t hat produce s 3D de sig n sof twa re, 3D Dig ita l Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, recently announced its 22

asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

acquisition of Modelon GmbH, a German company that caters for sy ste m s mo del l i n g a nd simulation which are strategic to transform the transportation a nd mobility industr y. This transaction strengthens the

APPOINTMENTS New Appointments For Volkswagen AG Wolfsburg, Germany: Volkswagen AG has announced Dr Louise Kiesling and Julia Kuhn- Piëch are newly appointed members of the company’s Supervisory Board by Braunschweig Local Court with immediate effect. The appointments were made pursuant to Section 104 of the Aktiengesetz (German Stock Corporation Act) and were occasioned by the recent resignations of Professor Ferdinand K. Piëch and Ursula Piëch from their mandates as Supervisory Board members.

Dr Kiesling studied fashion design (University of Applied Arts, Vienna) and vehicle design (Royal College of Art, London) and worked as a designer in Germany, Austria and the UK. She is a partner and managing director of several business enterprises including Textilmanufaktur Backhausen GmbH (Hoheneich, Austria).

Julia Kuhn-Piëch (34) completed a law degree in Vienna and then went on to study real estate and facility management at Vienna University of Technology. She works as an independent real estate professional and has been a member of the Supervisory Board of MAN Truck & Bus AG since 2014.

French company’s portfolio of industrial content, applications and services used in today’s age of experience.

In the context of the Internet of Things, smart, connected objects such as autonomous driving systems are increasingly showing their potential to profoundly change consumer lifestyles, yet their highly intricate and interconnected systems must seamlessly work together to do so. Electronics are expected to comprise 50 percent of vehicle www.equipment-news.com

BUSINESSNEWS throughout the design process as well as during optimal system operations. This accelerates virtual product development and ensures the relevance and quality of transportation and mobility industry projects. “ Since 20 0 9, our content implements the latest advances in Modelica tools and standards and, as a result, has enabled major industry milestones,” said Johannes Gerl, CEO, Modelon GmbH. “A s pa rt of Da ssault Systèmes, we can expand the reach and impact of our assets to inspire electrified and ecologic product development that will be emblematic of the bright future of experience-based systems engineering.” “ We w e l c o m e M o d e l o n GmbH team and its solutions in our mission to demonstrate the transformative power of

3D universes,” said Bernard Charlès, President and CEO, Dassault Systèmes. “With our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and strong and growing ecosystem of content partners, we now look to replicate Modelon GmbH’s success in other industries such as aerospace, energy, process and utilities, and construction.”

The French company has long supported the use of the Modelica mo del i n g la n g ua ge for t he complex systems engineering at the core of the company’s flagship brand CATIA. The acquisition of Modelon GmbH marks the latest step in reinforcing its commitment to design smart products in the age of experience, following the acquisitions of Geensoft embedded systems development solutions in 2010 and Dynasim’s Modelica-based modeling and simulation solutions in 2006.

ENQUIRY NO 047

development costs by 2030 and the number of electric vehicles worldwide is predicted to reach 12 m illion by 2 021. Mo del based systems engineering is an important facet of defining, imagining and shaping virtual products and user experiences that flawlessly mimic future ones in the real world.

T h e G e r m a n c o m p a n y ’s p ro p r i e t a r y, mu l t i - p hy si c s modular and reusable content— based on the Modelica open standard modeling language— brings industries beyond digital mock up to deliver functional mo ck up, t ra n sfor m ing t he engineering and experimentation of connected vehicles. From electric power storage to electric power distribution, its portfolio delivers a unified picture of complex product subsystem interaction and performance,

www.equipment-news.com

May - June 2015 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

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METAL CUTTING

Reliability & Longer Tool Life New tools, coatings and geometries set standards in parting off operations. By Lim Gan Shu, Walter Singapore Marketing

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

toughness of the cutting tool m a t e r i a l s”, e x p l a i n s G e r d K u s s m a u l , S e n i o r Tu r n i n g Product Manager at Walter AG. The hardness of the optimised aluminium oxide is higher than its predecessor, which marks a significant improvement in wear behaviour. The friction on the rake face is lower thanks to an optimised surface structure, which in turn means a lower frictional temperature.

The Walter Tiger·tec Silver PVD cutting tool material has proven that wear resistance a nd toughne ss a re not a contradiction. The Al2O3 layer functions as a protective heat shield a nd is cha racterised

Sharp And Defined Cutting Edges A qu a r te t co mpr i si n g fou r carbide grades for recessing, groov ing a nd pa r ting off operations forms the future PVD aluminium oxide product range. The designations are WSM13S, WSM23S, WSM33S and WSM43S. These are universal

Walter AG

N

ew coatings and geometries are paving the way for previously unattainable peak performances during grooving a nd pa r ting off operations.

Their properties combine an e xcept iona lly high level of toughness and wear resistance – something which is hugely advantageous in parting off op erat ion s. Wa lter AG is a company that possesses the range of products for these applications, which both seeks to improve process reliability and enhances tool life.

Groov ing a nd parting off are types of turning operations which place unique demands on tools as a result of the conditions during machining. The company became seriously involved in this area a few years ago and has been able to use its experience in the field of cutting tool material development to integrate its innovative strength into other aspects of carbide tools.

The result of recent successful development work is a new tool family for grooving and p a r t i n g o f f w i t h sp e c i a l l y de ve lop e d g e o me t r ie s a nd carbide cutting tool materials.

Here t he ca rbide subst rate and the coating produce the carbide grade. “Through further development, Walter has succeeded in enabling a further increase in the hightemperature wear resistance of PVD aluminium oxide coatings w it ho u t co mp ro m i si n g t he

by a low thermal load for the micrograin carbide substrate.

The inflow of heat into the carbide is also lower than in comparable products as a result of the Al2O3 layer. The silver indicator layer makes it easy to identify worn and unused cutting edges. This ensures that all cutting edges are used to optimum effect. The micrograin carbide substrate produces an extremely high cutting edge quality. The highly precise microgeometr y also guarantees a consistent tool life.

The low coating thickness of the PVD coating enables a sharp cutting edge to be achieved. “The decisive advantage in practice is a result of the extremely consistent tool life”, says Gerd Kussmaul.

The complete range of parting off tools from Walter, consisting of the G1042 deep parting blade or the G1041 in a reinforced design. As well as the G1011 square shank tools or XLDE tools with specially angled clamping screw. www.equipment-news.com

cutting materials which a re used primarily in the area of ISO-P, ISO-M and ISO-S materials.

As a result of their distinctive ha rdness, cutting materia ls WSM13S and WSM23S are suitable for use under stable machining conditions, and particularly for ISO-S materials. The WSM23S is the universal cutting material for 50 percent of applications and for users who work with a wide variety of materials.

The WSM43S cutting material is the first choice for unstable clamping arrangements, low cutting speeds when parting off to centre and interrupted cuts due to its excellent toughness properties. This means that the optimum carbide grade is available for every application.

When used in connection with the new parting off geometries, a ll four cutting materials offer a high level of performance and tool life, and essential process reliability when groov ing. Particularly sh a r p a n d d e f i n e d c u t t i n g edges can be achieved because the coating technology used has a low coating thickness.

CF5 geometry with new Tiger·tec® Silver PVD coating – combined wear resistance and toughness are not a contradiction.

Geometries Ensure Maximum Precision The good performance of cutting inserts is achieved by combining the carbide grades with the three CF6, CF5 and CE4 geometries specially designed for parting off. The CF6 geometry - “The sharp one” - is characterised by minimal burr and pip formation and is particularly suitable for small diameters and thin-walled tubes. The CF5 geometry - “The positive one” produces low burr

Walter AG

With the G1042 deep parting blades, the 4-point clamping system is a userfriendly system which guarantees the optimum seating of the GX inserts.

www.equipment-news.com

Walter AG

METALCUTTING

and pip formation, covers the widest chip breaking area and is recommended as the first choice for parting off operations.

The CE4 geometry - “The stable one” - has a stable cutting edge a nd features excellent chip contraction. All three geometries are available in a right-hand and left-hand version with a main cutting edge incline of 6 deg, 7 deg and 15 deg.

Unique 4-Point Clamping With Parting Blades Depending on the machine type and machine adaptor, users require a range of different tools.

“It is in this area that the new Walter Cut GX System is leading the way in precise parting off operations”. During parting off operations, a distinction is made between small (diameter up to 12 mm), medium (diameter up to 40 mm) and large (diameter up to 110 mm) workpieces. The range comprises four tools and previously unseen innovations.

The G 1042 deep parting blade has an optimum insert seat design and features 4-point clamping.

“The 4-point clamping principle is unparalleled when it comes to parting blades and generates a higher level of stability”, explains Gerd Kussmaul. The self-clamping May - June 2015 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

25

METALCUTTING

Conventional PVD layer

system is ea sy to use. The reinforced G 1041 parting blade features screw clamping and is available for both right-hand and left-hand tools as well as for a contra version.

The G 1011 monoblock tool is suitable for grooving, parting off and recessing. It has a low tool head height for easy chip removal and its clamping screw is accessible both from above and from below. The new XLDE monoblock tool provides easy access to the clamping screw, is available as a contra version and is ideally suited to small part production and the bar turning industry. “I use the XLDE monoblock tool primarily in multispindle machines and Swiss type auto lathes since there is only limited space available in the machine room”, explains Gerd Kussmaul. “The clamping screw is inclined and facilitates simple insert replacement without having to remove the tool from the machine. This particular property helps to increase productivity.”

The Walter Cut GX System wa s e s se nt ia l l y de ve lop e d for grooving, parting off and recessing, for all types of lathe.

A cutting depth of up to 23 mm can be achieved during grooving operations with a diameter of up to 46 mm during parting off operations thanks to the doubleasia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

Walter AG

sided cutting insert. Grooving and parting off to a considerable cutting depth using the same tool are also possible with a singlesided cutting insert.

“The key advantage of the new tool technology for grooving and parting off is the fact that it is a grooving system for all grooving applications and all standard tool types for grooving and parting off”, says Gerd Kussmaul, summarising the properties of Walter Cut GX.

Chip

Cutting edge

Walter AG

Chip

Cutting edge

26

Tiger·tec® Silver PVD: thermal protection via Al2O3 with a PVD coating

Workpiece

Workpiece

Conventional PVD layer: high thermal loading of carbide

The high level of performance when using the new grooving tools ca n be demonst rated using the example of parting off a ball bearing race from work pie ce mate r ia l 10 0 Cr 6 (1.3505). “Here we are using cutting insert GX16-1E200N020CE4 WSM33S - Walter Tiger·tec Silver - to achieve a tool life of 950 components, which is 111 percent higher than our competitors can offer”, boasts G e r d K u s s m a u l . “A s s u c h ,

Competitor surface structure: high friction due to surface structure

Walter surface structure: low friction thanks to improved surface structure www.equipment-news.com

METALCUTTING

Stable

Walter AG

Cutting edge

CE4

CF5 A complete geometry range is available with three geometries specially designed for parting off and for cutting inserts with an incline of 15 degrees.

CF6

Low

High

type, the ratio between the insert width and the cutting depth should not exceed 1/8, i.e. in the case of a 2 mm wide cutting edge, a maximum diameter of 32 mm should be parted off. The parting off operation should be performed as close as possible to the chuck or collet in order to prevent unnecessary vibrations.

One pa r ticula r cha llenge faced by the parting off tools is the fact that when the maximum machine speed is reached, the

Wear resistance

Overview of Tiger.tec® Silver cutting materials Overview of cutting materials for grooving with Tiger·tec® Silver PVD cutting tool materials.

Walter AG

Additional Information: Parting Off Bar Stock It is essential to note during pa r ting off operations t hat the tool should be as rigid as p ossible. T he sha nk cross section should be as large as possible, while the cutting depth should be as low as possible.

This prevents vibrations which can have a negative impact on the quality of the tap and on the achievable tool life. In order to save material, the parting off should be as narrow as possible.

This will also minimise cutting forces. Depending on the tool

Fields if application / geometries

Sharp

mac h i n i n g w it h t he Wa lte r product is characterised by a more consistent tool life, improved flatness of parted surfaces a nd excellent chip control.” The G1011 monoblock toolholder was used as the tool.

The entire system (tool, carbide grade and geometry) ensure maximum process reliability.

“It is the unique development of a complete tooling system, that is to say tool holder, geometry and cutting tool material, that distinguishes us from other competitors on the ma rket.

Everything produced features state-of-the-art technology.”

cutting speed diminishes and decelerates down to zero in the centre. It is also no longer possible to access the coolant or lubricant in the cutting zone, which means high thermal and mechanical loads on the cutting edge. It is recommended that the parted off parts are tapped, since a component falling off and the wobbling that precedes this can damage the corners of the cutting insert, thus resulting in a fluctuating tool life which cannot be reproduced.

Parting off operations should a l w ay s b e p e r for me d w it h neutral cutting inserts wherever possible. The use of inclined cutting inserts does indeed reduce burr and pip formation, but at the sa me time ha s a negative impact on the tool life of the cutting sets and the quality of the parted off surface. It also has a negative influence on chip formation. In order to achieve particularly low burr and pip formation, it is possible to revert to ground cutting sets without corner radius.

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Toughness

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27

METALCUTTING

Production Snippet:

Get In The Groove Kobi Guy, product manager of Iscar’s parting tools systems, shares some tips on parting operations.

T

he parting process describes cutting off a workpiece at a specific leng th. It is normally used to remove the finished end of a workpiece from the bar stock that is clamped in the chuck. For such an operation, we recommend using a neutral

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

insert as first choice. Use a lead angle insert only if there is a need to reduce the burr size.

In addition, an efficient coolant plays an important role in the parting process.

To get the positioning right, the cutting height should be in the centre and the maximum

dev iation position should be Âą 0.08 mm. While cutting, v ibrations a re inev itable.

However, to mitigate the risks that come with vibrations, it is better to use a tool which has a minimum extension. Finally, it is highly recommended to reduce feed and speed before reaching the final cut.

Even if an operator follows all these suggestions religiously, the results would not be good if the operator does not carry out the process in the right conditions. It is therefore crucial to consider cutting conditions (feed and speed) as per insert geometry and carbide grade.

As a rule of thumb, the shape of the chip is our indication for correct machining. If we get long or curly chips, this indicate s t hat a n incor re ct insert was used. In such cases, it is important to check the cutting conditions and ensure the correct insert geometry is being used.

To fine-tune the performance and achieve the best results, i t m i g h t b e wo r t hw h i l e to keep the following in mind.

An insert which has a smaller corner radius will reduce the load on the work- piece a nd produce a smaller burr size. At the same time, a large corner radius allows higher feeds and increases tool life. When there is pure wear on the cutting edge, use a ha rder ca rbide grade. In case of cutting edge chipping, use a tougher carbide grade insert. This arrangement ensures that the insert’s body is internally cooled while also delivering an efficient coolant jet close to the cutting edge.

I n add it ion to prov id i n g improved surface finish, the use of the insert reduces or even eliminates built-up edge, e sp e cia lly whe n machin ing sta inle ss steel a nd high www.equipment-news.com

METALCUTTING

Parting and grooving operations are extremely important aspects of the turning process. As multiple factors need to be considered in all parting and grooving operations, including the machine tool being used, the kind of material being parted/grooved, the required depth of cut and feed, and speed rates, it is crucial to be able to pick out the most appropriate and efficient parting and grooving solution in all circumstances.

For the efficiency standpoint, the Penta IQGrip pentagonal parting and grooving insert has five cutting edges.

The inserts, available in 2 and 3 mm widths, are suitable for parting up to a 40 mm part diameter or up to a 20 mm depth of cut.

In parting, heat management is something that cannot be ignored.

A common problem in grooving and parting applications is that chips can prevent the coolant from reaching the cutting edge, therefore reducing the insert’s life.

Jet-Cut is Iscar’s Do-Grip parting insert that features an internal coolant channel which passes through the insert. This arrangement ensures that the insert’s body is internally cooled

temperature alloys. Materials su c h a s t it a n iu m , i n co n e l , or austenitic stainless steel tend to strain harden during the cutting process and form long and tangled chips. The efficient delivery of coolant to the cutting zone by the use of the parting inserts improves chip formation a nd sla she s flank and cratering rates.

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tend to strain harden during the cutting process and form long and tangled chips. The efficient delivery of coolant to the cutting zone by the use of the parting inserts improves chip formation and slashes flank and cratering rates.

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We constantly strive towards that accomplishment heimatec GmbH c) heimatec GmbH(Asia/Pacifi (Asia/Pacifi c) Distributor heimatec GmbH Vietnam 19 BBHillview 19 HillviewAve. Ave. phone 8112 singapore@heimatec.com Cap Do+65 Industrial Equipment Co. Ltd. phone +65 81126550 6550 capdo01@capdo.com.vn www.heimatec.de #01-03 Hillview #01-03 HillviewPark Park mail kmoessmer@heimatec.com mail kmoessmer@heimatec.com +65 81126550 669555 +84www.heimatec.com 8www.heimatec.com 38104533 SINGAPORE SINGAPORE 669555 web web

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Kobi Guy gives his take on the available systems in the market today.

while also delivering an efficient coolant jet close to the cutting edge.

In addition to providing improved surface finish, the use of the insert reduces or even eliminates built-up edge, especially when machining stainless steel and high temperature alloys. Materials such as titanium, inconel, or austenitic stainless steel

Static Tools • Live Tools for turning and machining centers

Parting & Grooving Systems

May - June 2015 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

29

GREAT GEAR & SYSTEM

The Way To

Efficiency & Functionality Measurement service provider Lometec upgraded the measuring software for its tactile Wenzel coordinate measuring machines from Metrosoft CM to Metrosoft Quartis. Lomotech’s Chief Executive Officer Jörg Werkmeister and Technical Director Marc Lange talk about their practical experience using the example of a dimensional inspection of a turbine blade testing device.

L

ometec GmbH is a n a cc r e d i te d m e t r o l o g y lab that provides a fully a i r- cond it ione d 22 0 sqm measurement room with optical and tactile measuring machines (Figure 1). Lometec’s cu stomers a re ma inly from the automotive and aerospace industry, medical technology and mechanical engineering.

Measuring Of The Cnc Manufactured Rings Of A Turbine Blade Testing Device All tactile measurement systems at L ome te c a re co ord i nate measuring machines from the metrology manufacturer Wenzel from Wiestha l. “The Wenzel CMMs offer a holistic concept of high- quality engineering, intelligent software and accessory options,” says Jörg Werkmeister who saw it as a feasible decision to upgrade from Metrosoft CM to Metrosoft Quartis.

I n l a t e a u t u m n 2 014 , Lometec was faced with a very sophisticated me a surement task. A CNC manufactured inner and outer rings of a turbine blade testing device ( Figure 2) needed to be checked for dimensiona l accuracy for a

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

customer. It was a very timec r it i c a l m e a su r e m e n t t a sk a nd t he me t rolo g i s t s f ro m L o m e te c u s e d t wo L H 10 8 Wenzel coordinate measuring machines (CMM) in parallel.

Efficiency In Daily Use Technical Director Marc Lange explains: “Due to the clearly designed workspace Metrosoft Quartis works more effectively than was possible with Metrosoft CM.” In the user interface, the

traditional menus and toolbars have be en replace d by t he Ribbon – a device that presents commands organised into a set of tabs (Figure 3).

A cco r d i n g to M a r c , t h e company found that the focus is now on the workspace that can be customised according to the user. All essential elements, 3D graphics, data management, the monitoring program and also statistics and the measurement report are visible. In addition, the second monitor allows a better overview. In the past there was a need for long searches for the required commands but new systems such as these eliminate t he proble m . I n t h i s c a se , the program accelerates the personal workflow and ensures greater efficiency in daily use.

Live Preview, CAD Functionality And Collision Avoidance The results of a working step ca n be prev iewed when the user moves the cursor over the appropriate result within the gallery. This dynamic function speeds up workflow because the result is shown instantly in the workspace. This is done

Figure 1: Fully air-conditioned 220 sqm measurement room according to VDI / VDE 2627 Bl. of Lometec GmbH.

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GREATGEAR&SYSTEM Figure 2: CNC manufactured inner and outer rings of a turbine blade testing device.

so that the user always has full control over the programmed measuring procedure and is able to implement adjustments or cha nges quick ly when necessary. A look at the status w i n d ow i s e n o u g h f o r t h e metrologist to see all important parameters and the current state of the CMM. The Quartis program’s CAD functionality is achieved by a CAD kernel from ACIS (3D ACIS Modeller). A ll popula r CA D formats are supported and can be imported and exported. In

Figure 3: The Metrosoft Quartis workspace. The inner ring of the turbine blade testing device is seen on the LH 108 coordinate measuring machine.

addition, collisions between the machines or between the probe and base plate of the sa me machine a re avoided.

This collision avoida nce i s b a se d on mov i n g s a fe t y zones that are automatically calculated around the probe con f ig u rat ion a nd mac h i ne comp one nt s. I f t wo system components approach each other and exceed the defined safety distance, the machines are stopped. The activation/ deactivation of this function can be recorded into a program.

Figure 4: Measuring Engineer Nico Zebrowski with his Wenzel LH 108 when measuring the outer ring.

Faster Working And Improved Quality Of Documentation When measuring the inner and outer rings of the turbine blade testing device, it turned out that not all features could be detected. For two dimensions the tactile accessibility with the probe wa s not possible in spite of the use of a servo positioning head system. Here, the measuring software scored with the possibility of a userdefined input feature so that the predefined chronology could be kept in the test report.

“A n i m p o r t a n t t a s k o f a measurement engineer is it to present the measurement data in clear and unambiguous reports,” said Jörg Werkmeister.

“By sw itching to Metrosof t Quartis we have become not only faster, but also reporting has improved revolutionarily. Thus, we significantly increased the quality of the documentation.

We are able to make further statements and evaluations at any time without having to measure anew. Our customers obtain reproducible data for possible correction of components and production parameters.”

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31

GREATGEAR&SYSTEM

Co-Bots Automation:

In Competitive Sustainable Manufacturing Today, SMEs are focusing on smarter automation to grow their businesses. Robot technology is helping hundreds of manufacturers across the Asia Pacific region to maximise resources, improve productivity, enhance quality of output and increase revenue. By Shermine Gotfredsen, General Manager, APAC, Universal Robots

R

ob ot te ch nolog y is more acce ssible to SMEs than ever before and it is the flexibility, portability, easy programming a nd price tag, which are making it an attractive option.

Rob ot s a re t he enablers of new designs and capabilities.

Therefore, it is not surprising that governments all over the world a re e ncou ra g i n g t he various industries to embrace automation.

The idea of embracing automation can be challenging for some but t his is where governments ca n prov ide further support by ensuring that the nex t generation of

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engineers that come through the education system has the relevant knowledge ingrained in them. Similar to chemistry or histor y classes, teaching robotics in schools will help pique the students’ interest at an early age to choose engineering as their preferred profession in the future.

With the constant advancement of technolog y, education will always be part a nd pa rcel of t he rob ot ic s industry. To stay ahead of the cur ve, it is imperative that SMEs always have one eye on the future when planning their production needs. Whether it is skills upgrading or product

lifecycle management courses, the growth of the industry will always go hand-in-hand with the right technology that works best for the business.

Changing Times and Trends Robots have long been key components of the modern production line. From automotive to electronics and pharmaceuticals, these industries sha re one common goa l: to achieve competitive sustainable manufacturing. The automation of production lines has and will continue to push the boundaries of productivity and ultimately, the company’s bottom line.

Given today’s “High Mix, www.equipment-news.com

GREATGEAR&SYSTEM Low Volume” manufacturing environment, manufacturers are required to execute small batch or seasonal productions depending on their customers’ requirements. As output can vary in quantity, application and development, flexible robots give manufacturers the option to alter their lines quickly to reduce potential downtime and loss of revenue.

A robot is flexible when it can be shifted around by hand to other areas on the floor where required. Therefore, it is critical that the robots are compact and lightweight. It is these key features that allow the robots to be mounted on the ceiling, wall or tabletop. Gone are the days where huge, clunky and heavy robots are permanent fixtures in production lines.

T he sma ll fo otpr int of a robot is a significant advantage for manufacturers when they choose to expa nd, move or grow their production line. In this way, the robot can be taken in and out of production lines with ease without the need to overhaul the floor layout. It is important to ensure the robot can be used for more than one application as this allows for the technology to remain relevant even after the business evolves or grows.

Collaboration Is King Manufacturers today are faced with numerous challenges to remain competitive. With rising overhead and real estate costs, processes need to be enhanced to ensure that productiv ity is maintained. Collaborative robots or co-bots that are userfriendly also play an integral role in ensuring manufacturers remain competitive even when the demand for their products fluctuates over the course of the year. User-friendly co-bots that are fitted with an intuitive www.equipment-news.com

The small footprint of a robot is a significant advantage for manufacturers when they choose to expand, move or grow their production line.

interface allow workers who are not experts in the fields of robotics or engineering to pick up programming the robots quickly.

Robots come in all shapes and sizes but the latest trend revolves around how they are coming into closer contact with workers and collaborating with them in tight spaces. These robots will have a greater range of capabilities to function efficiently as the second member of a two-man team or a standalone operator.

Choosing The Right Robot While most companies are aware of the benefits that technology can bring to their business, the main issue lies with choosing the right robot for the business.

It is very important to have clear communication channels between the management and workers. The workers on the ground are in the best position

With the constant advancement of technology, education will always be part and parcel of the robotics industry.

to advise on what they require for them to do their job well.

Safety should be the number one priority if you’re looking to automate. With the introduction of collaborative robots, people a n d ro b o t s c a n n ow wo r k together without the need for safety guarding (subject to the necessary risk assessments).

Equipped with adjustable safety features, these collaborative robots not only gives workers the confidence to do their job well but also prov ide s them w ith a more controlled environment that is geared towards their safety and wellbeing.

Collaborative robots can also add immense value to a worker’s career and provide a more ergonomic way of working.

For instance, deploying these robots frees up positions in other areas on the floor where the worker’s expertise can be May - June 2015 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

33

GREATGEAR&SYSTEM One of the major benefits of robotics that often gets overlooked is the long-term value that they can bring to businesses.

better utilised. These include supervisory or quality control roles that require higher level sk i l l s e t s a s co m p a r e d to repetitive tasks that can be strenuous or hazardous.

Cost And Investment Apart from addressing the most pertinent concerns of employees, business owners need to make a decision that is beneficial for the company as a whole. One of the major benefits of robotics that often gets overlooked is the longterm value that they can bring to businesses. Often, the focus is on the initial cost of ownership rather than the investment and value that can contribute to businesses’ continued growth and sustainability.

Also referred to as “payback p e r io d”, t he re mu st b e a n awareness that a well-packaged solution w ith no hidden ad hoc costs dow n the road can be a cost-effective route to take. These ad hoc costs ca n include new softwa re upgrades, parts maintenance and troubleshooting services. It is imperative that the business owner makes these clarifications 34

asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

The userfriendliness of the robots contributes to lower integration costs and is critical for SMEs to reduce downtime as well as facilitate faster time to market.

about additional costs before agreeing to purchase the robots.

Fast Set Up It no longer takes weeks or even months to commission a robotic solut io n . To day ’s bu si ne s s climate dictates that downtime must be kept to a minimum and this is where innovative robot manufacturers can ensure that their solutions are almost ready to deploy straight out of the box. As the requirements for each end user vary, there might still be an initial settlingin period of customising the right gripper for a particular application that is unique to that particular end user.

Easy Programming The user-friendliness of the robots contributes to lower integration costs and is critical for SMEs to reduce downtime a s we l l a s fac i l it ate fa ste r time to market. Today, robots ca n be prog ra mmed w ithin minutes using an intuitive touch screen user interface coupled with innovative programming methods. For instance, workers who are unfamiliar with the

programming software should also have the option to “instruct” the robot using their hands.

T h is involve s physic a l ly moving the robot’s arm from one waypoint to the next as the software captures this flow of motion. In this way, workers can now learn to program the robots themselves rather than depend solely on technica l suppor t. Putting automation back into the hands of SMEs gives workers the freedom to innovate and business owners the drive to scale their manufacturing business.

A user-friendly robot also negates the need for the SME to invest in a full time troubleshooter. If there are issues that cannot be resolved in-house, the robot manufacturer would typically have a local team in the area that can be reached either virtually or in person for technical support purposes.

The user-friendly robot is the gateway to more applications that is only limited to the end user’s imagination.

What’s Next?

The next generation workforce www.equipment-news.com

GREATGEAR&SYSTEM schools. Increasingly, school curriculums have been tweaked to expose students to robotics at an early age. Students in Singapore for example, are now encouraged to be more handson. A problem-based learning ex perience helps foster imagination and creativity in the children a nd this helps bridge the gap between the classroom and working life.

Harnessing One’s Fullest Potential There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to deploying robots in a production line.

There must first be a clea r u nde r st a nd i n g of what t he business requires and secondly, the pertinent challenges that need to be addre ssed.

SMEs today are blessed with a w ide ra nge of solutions

to choose from. By pa ir ing t he late st te c h nolo g y w it h informed foresight, SMEs will be enhancing their processes to maximise the full potential of their businesses.

Maximising business potential can only be achieved i f t h e co m p a n y i n v e s t s i n grooming their talents.

Adding value to the careers of employees through skills upgrading courses will give SMEs the edge in today’s fast paced competitive landscape.

They will possess a pool of professionals who appreciate t h a t t h e i r fe e db a c k s we r e heeded a nd that they a re collaborating with the latest state-of-the-art technology that the market has to offer.

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is both vibrant and savvy. Most of them would be comfortable u si n g t he late st e le c t ron ic gadgets that a re out in the market. Imagine if handling a robot excites them as much as the amount of time that they spend with their smartphones, there would be no shortage of engineers in the future. The robotics industr y is moving in the right direction. A s mentioned above, collaborative robots are truly revolutionising the way in which manufacturers are running their lines and the positive impact that it brings to all workers.

In order for the industry to carry on flourishing, greater excitement a nd intere st must be inculcated not only in the current work force but also the students i n p r i m a r y a n d s e co n d a r y

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May - June 2015 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

35

INDESIGN Getting Novel With

Electrode Solutions A novel CAD/CAM file format – the .Trode file, enables the design, machining, inspection and use of electrodes to be integrated completely in a single project.

Peter Dickin, Marketing Manager, Delcam, has more on this.

T

he .Trode file, which is central to the Delcam Electrode suite of software, contains all the information developed during each project, including not only the electrode’s de sig n a nd t he a sso ciate d drawings, but also the machining and inspection information, plus the set-up sheets and scripts for its manufacture and use. Having all the required information in a single file simplifies data management as well as increasing overall efficiency.

The production of electrodes is a key stage in the manufacture of many types of tooling, especially injection moulds for plastic parts.

Even though direct machining has replaced EDM in some cases, electrodes are still required to produce fine details in many moulds or when producing a tool to give a textured finish on the part.

With larger moulds having a lot of small features, several hundred electrodes can be required for a single tool. Even when the numbers are not so big, the availability of a faster, more automated method for the development of electrodes has the potential to increase efficiency and reduce lead times.

Designing The Electrode The first stage in creating the .Trode file comes during the initial design stage of electrode,

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which is undertaken in Delcam’s PowerSHAPE design software.

The software incorporates the Electrode Wizard, which allows users to quickly and easily define the region where the electrode will be used, extract the shape needed to produce the required feature in the part, and then edit the design to provide clearance from the main surface of the tool and to blend it into the blank size needed to fix the electrode into its holder.

The use of direct modelling in PowerSHAPE helps to speed the creation of the electrode design. Direct modelling allows the user to operate interactively with the component design by pulling or pushing on ‘handles’ on the geometry. This will usually be faster than having to input absolute values, although absolute values can be used if required. Of particular benefit are the ‘replaceface’ command, which ensures extensions are at the same height when merging electrodes to be machined from a single blank, and the ‘solid-split command’, which makes it easier to divide unwanted material away from the electrode to create a simpler shape for machining.

Another useful option is the ability to merge fragmented faces into a single, continuous surface and so produce cleaner,

simpler electrode geometry. This simplification makes subsequent operations, such as adding draft to complex regions of the model, much easier and also improves the operation of many of the other modelling tools in the software.

PowerSHAPE includes analysis tools to check that the draft angles and minimum radii used in the design will not cause downstream problems in the manufacture of the electrode. In addition, the ability to simulate the action of the electrode on the computer ensures that it will operate as expected on the EDM equipment.

To speed the design process further, catalogues of blanks and holders are included in the software from leading suppliers such as Erowa, Hirschman and System 3R that can be selected and incorporated into the design of the electrode assembly. Users can add their own standard sizes to these databases.

Once the design has been finalised, the information in the .Trode file can be extended to include the spark gaps necessary to provide the offsets required in the machining software that will be used to cut the roughing and finishing electrodes. Inspection points can also be added so that the measurement of the machined electrode can be automated to a www.equipment-news.com

INDESIGN large extent. In addition, set-up sheets and other drawings for the electrode’s manufacture and use can be produced automatically, either to a standard format or to a user-defined template.

More Complex Electrodes As well as providing a faster design method for conventional electrodes, Delcam Electrode supports the development of more complex designs. They can all be designed with the same quick and easy wizard-based process.

Burn-Vector Electrodes Burn-vector or side-sparking electrodes are used to spark undercuts within moulds, including those needed for submarine gates, or to avoid any possibility of a collision when sparking the base of a deep rib or similar feature.

They use an arbitrary axis for their operation, rather than being aligned with the principal axes.

Multi-Part Electrodes Multi-part electrodes can reduce the time needed for both machining and EDM compared to using severa l indiv idua l electrodes. In addition, machining multiple electrodes from a single blank can save materials and single holder can be used for the combined electrode.

The same design process is applied except that, once the electrode for the first area has Electrode Colours: The designer can add different colours to the various areas of the electrode to help the machining software to apply the appropriate offsets automatically

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been defined, the user then reruns the wizard for other burn areas to be included.

If particularly hard materials are to be burnt or if the same electrode design is required in several areas of the tool, a single electrode might not be sufficient.

A second electrode can be created within the blank, again by rerunning the wizard, so that, once the first electrode has worn out, the electrode assembly can be rotated to use the second one.

Family Electrodes In family electrodes, the roughing and finishing electrodes for a single area are combined in the assembly. Once again, the second part of the assembly is created by re-running the wizard. However, in these cases, the different machining offsets required for the rougher and finisher are applied when creating the various parts of the overall electrode.

In comparison to standard electrodes, both multi-part and family electrodes undertake more complex movements around the tool as they are used. To ensure that collisions don’t occur, collision prevention technology from PowerMILL has been added into the simulation algorithms used by Delcam Electrode.

Machining The Electrodes Programs to machine the electrodes can be generated in the PowerMILL

CAM system from the design data created in PowerSHAPE. All of the strategies within the software can be used to ensure that the electrodes are machined efficiently and accurately.

Even though PowerMILL offers fast calculation times, companies that produce multiple electrodes of similar sizes from the same material will find it worthwhile to develop templates within the CAM software to machine them in a more standardised way. Burn, clearance and blank faces of the electrode are automatically colour-coded during the design stage, with these details stored in the .Trode file so that they can be recognised by the machining software. Similarly, the size of the material block and the spark gaps for the electrode family can also be read from the .Trode file and applied to the toolpaths automatically. Although developing the templates does take some time and will need a skilled user, once the templates have been created, generating the machining toolpaths becomes a fully-automated process that can be undertaken by relatively unskilled or inexperienced staff.

This automation does save considerable time for the user.

However, when machining a large number of electrodes, it is inefficient to wait for toolpaths to be calculated on each individual project. To overcome this problem, the user can apply batch processing to multiple projects.

With this approach, processing the toolpaths starts as soon as the first project is loaded. Subsequent projects are displayed in a list, with calculations beginning on the next item in the list automatically on completion of each set of toolpaths. At any stage, the user can move items up and down the list, depending on the urgency of the various tasks. If the calculations for a particular electrode cannot be completed, for example, if the system detects a collision, the problem is recorded and the May - June 2015 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

37

INDESIGN quicker to export data directly from Delcam Electrode to the software used by the company’s Makino EDM machines.

Family electrodes: combine a rougher and finisher in a single compound electrode

software moves on to the next item automatically. Thus, a long series of calculations, which will be needed if a large number of electrodes are to be used on a particular mould, can be left to run overnight if necessary.

Alternatively, the complete series of projects can be collected into a folder and moved to a second computer for calculation, while the user carries on with other tasks on his main computer.

Inspection Once the machining is completed, the electrodes need to be inspected to ensure that they will operate as planned. This stage is carried out using the PowerINSPECT inspection software and can be undertaken either by using a probe fitted to the machine tool or by using an independent measuring device, such as a CNC coordinate-measuring machine or an inspection arm.

If a CNC device is used, the inspection process can also be automated. The inspection points can be identified and stored within the .Trode file during design of the electrode so that both the generation of the probe path for the inspection and the production of the inspection report can be undertaken automatically.

However, all of PowerINSPECT’s flexibility remains available if extra measurements are needed from any areas of the part that are causing concern. The results of the inspection are added to the .Trode file for quality control records.

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Generating Scripts Scripts are the EDM equivalent of CAM programs for machine tools. They provide an automated process for the programming of the EDM machine, instead of users having to program the equipment manually from a set-up sheet. With the Delcam software, scripts can be developed for leading manufacturers, such as AgieCharmilles (Agievision and CT Millennium controls), Exeron, JDMA EPX, Makino EDM, Mitsubishi Electric, ONA EDM, OPS-Ingersoll, Sodick and Zimmer & Kreim.

The automated process is much easier and quicker, especially when a number of electrodes are being used on the same component. In addition, the direct link removes the human error that could always be possible with manual programming.

This automation wa s highlighted as a major benefit by the Schneider Electric mouldmaking operation in Indonesia, one of the first organisations to adopt Delcam Electrode. For the company’s most complex tools more than 200 electrodes are required, in over fifty designs split between roughing and finishing electrodes.

Firstly, there was a high chance of a mistake being made when programming the EDM machine from more than 200 drawings – one for each electrode. Secondly, the time taken to enter all the information was considerable. It is now much more reliable and much

Constant Communication The automated generation of setup sheets from the .Trode for both the machining and application of the electrodes ensures that all the data needed at each stage of the project is readily available. A documentation pack, describing each electrode required and its key data, such as blank size, undersize value, material etc., including the GA and detail sheets, can be issued as drawings, HTML files or Microsoft Excel spread sheets. Furthermore, the .Trode file is compatible with Windows Explorer. This option allows electrode geometry, set-up sheets and script files to be viewed directly from the .Trode file using Windows Explorer with a single click on the desired item.

T he a b i l it y to g e n e r a te customised drawings automatically is another important benefit of the electrode solution. The information generated while the user progresses through the electrode-design wizard, such as the project name or the different spark gaps to be applied, is used to fill in details for the drawings immediately.

Generation of the drawings when the design is complete becomes much faster as a result.

A l l t h e s e o p t i o n s m a ke communication easy between the various people involved in the design, manufacture and use of the electrodes. Thus, as well as making the individual elements of design, machining, inspection and use more efficient, Delcam Electrode makes management of the overall process much easier and helps to eliminate any problems that could arise from misunderstandings between the different members of the team.

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INDESIGN

Production Ready:

Having The Best

Simulating Experience Most leading companies utilising CNC machinery, regardless of the industry, already use digital manufacturing technology to improve their NC machining processes. But most companies don’t realise that some of their existing technology can be utilised even before a new CNC machine has been delivered. By Bryan Jacobs, Marketing Communications Manager, CGTech.

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hen a compa ny purchases a new CNC machine tool, the process is u sua lly chronolog ica l: a specification of the requirements is created, a machine is selected, and after negotiation a delivery date is set. Once the facility is prepped and the machine is delivered, the shop then begins the process of creating new part programs and first part proveouts are run on the new machine.

By the time the post-processor is fine-tuned and production parts are being shipped, many valuable months have passed.

There are better ways. By

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using proven g- code driven NC ver ification, simulation a nd optimisation sof twa re, ma nufacture s ca n ga in the confidence that the first part will be good, often before a new machine has even been delivered. Better yet, simulation can help ensure that the machine specifications are correct. Making a mistake during the specification phase can turn out to be very expensive.

Shops must determine what features are important to simulate with a new complex multi-axis machine tool. To illustrate, following are two examples of shops using simulation well before receiving a new machine.

Proving out the process prior to machine delivery Aerospace Manufacturing Group (AMG) operates a state-of-theart manufacturing facility in California. They are supported by the latest technology in hardware, software and quality control, giving them the capabilities to manufacture the most complex parts in the aerospace industry.

Their investment in technology makes them a trusted source worldwide, and their products can be found on commercial and military aircraft for companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrup Grumman A MG recently added a Scharmann Ecospeed F to their existing line up of manufacturing capabilities. The Ecospeed F specialises in high-speed machining of medium sized aluminium structural components. It has a horizontal spindle, vertical pallets and a high speed Sprint Z3 parallel kinematic machining head and 150 tools. “It’s only been in and running for a couple weeks now,” said John Gates, AMG’s Director of Engineering. AMG purchased the Ecospeed F for a specific job with a family of parts. Although not at liberty to say what that job is, parts range in size from 68”x52” to 60”x200”. The new machine cuts metal very efficiently, and feeds up to 2,000” a minute. If there was any problem in the code with a tool path or possible impact the operator would never be able to stop it. A 10” cube of aluminium can be reduced to nothing but chips in two minutes with the new Ecospeed.

The NC programmers at AMG use Vericut simulation software.

They use it daily to simulate all of their machines and it was instrumental in getting the new Ecospeed F up and running as quickly as possible. “The new machine and control are quite a bit more soph i st ic ate d ,” explains Gates. “That’s really saying something considering www.equipment-news.com

INDESIGN the technology we have on our floor. I needed to write the post for the Ecospeed while it was being built, and before it was installed in the shop. We couldn’t afford to wait until it was in-house before getting to work.” Through the use of the simulation software Gates was able to debug 95 percent of his post before even seeing the machine in person. He estimates that they were up and running at least a month ahead of where they would have been without it.

“No program ever goes to any machine without completely going through Vericut. The code I send through Vericut is the exact code that goes out to the machine,” said Gates.

Vericut shows material removal at the work piece level and simulates entire machine tools as they appear on a shop floor. The program also simulates NC machine controls and supports advanced control functions to reduce the possibility of a machine crash. Machine simulation detects collisions and near-misses between all machine tool components such as axis slides, heads, turrets, rotary tables, spindles, tool changers, fixtures, work pieces, cutting tools, and other user-defined objects. A user can set up near-miss zones around the components to check for close calls, and detect over-travel errors.

“You can zoom, rotate, pause, whatever I want to do,” explains Gates. “To put it in perspective, if the average shop has a piece of 12”x12”x4” aluminum and you screw it up, that sucks, but you can go buy another one and move on. We are working on a piece of aluminum that is 260” long, 60” wide and 4.5” thick. It costs thousands and thousands of dollars, not to mention the months that it will take to get another piece like it. We can’t afford to make mistakes like that.”

Using simulation to determine machine specifications The R&D engineers at a large aircraft www.equipment-news.com

To develop the requirements for a new machine, simulation software was used to alter the dimensions of an existing machine.

After proving the process in the simulation, the virtual models were sent to the machine tool builder.

engine supplier are experienced at developing simple solutions to complex challenges. One such challenge involved developing the manufacturing process for the leading edge of the fan blades used in the fastest-selling engine in company history.

This engine powers the most advanced commercial aircraft in the world. The engine uses super high bypass, composite materials and specialised coatings, and a special fan blade that blends form and function. The blades’ composite material gives the engine a rare combination of unprecedented power and low noise and is combined with a titanium leading edge for extra protection. This creates a lightweight and durable combination.

R&D engineers were tasked with developing a cost-effective solution to manufacturing the titanium leading edge of this revolutionary new fan blade.

To realise this project, a group of engineers, designers and programmers were assembled.

They had at the time a 5-axis m i l l i n g m ac h i ne av a i la ble .

Traditionally, the leading edge is made using a patented grinding process developed by an outside

vendor (single source). The engineers sought to make the leading edge using a simple 5-axis milling approach, but needed a way to prove to management that it could work. The solution was to show management the proposed process by creating a video of a simulation.

To prove that a milling process could work for this leading edge, every element was tested in the virtual environment. The 5-axis machine available in the shop at that time had a 41” work envelope so the first step was to determine if the leading edge would even be possible in the current machine.

Every piece was validated in the simulation: the complete machine, all the fixtures, and many new tools that would have to be designed.

The final leading edge is a 3’ tall V-shape with walls down to .010” in thickness. The inside of the V is up to 5” deep but about 5/16 to 3/4” wide. The inside and outside of the V part is cut in small levels from top to bottom, with each level completing a roughing and finishing pass before proceeding to the next one. There are more than 200 levels. Multiple tool lengths are used to ensure they always utilise the shortest, most rigid cutter.

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INDESIGN

Simulation software was used to prove that the leading edge of a composite fan blade could be made using a 5-axis milling machine.

Their biggest programming challenge is that the CAM software does not know anything about the remaining material when generating 5-axis motions. They used simulation to detect the holder and tool collisions inside the V. Some of the holders come as close as .010” to the part wall.

When a collision was detected, they then created a new surface in the CAM software, reprogrammed the 5 axis motion to move the holder away from the wall, and verified it again. This process was repeated hundreds of times.

The simulation ran 16 hours a day for 2 ½ years to work out the details of the process. It would have been impossible to test new processes on an actual machine.

It gave the engineers the freedom to try every idea, no matter how impossible it might be. Only after the process was proven in a virtual environment was it was taken to the actual machine. This process has worked so well that they purchased new machines with the goal of shaving the machining time of each part down even further. Again, the process was first proven in a simulation.

To develop the requirements for a new machine, the engineer started with models of a new machine most closely matching his requirements.

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to alter dimensions of the machine to his specifications. Once his process was again proven virtually, the models were sent to the machine tool builder. The machine was configured to the exact specifications.

Simulation allowed them to test the latest machine technology, without having the actual machine in place. Without simulation, they would have been forced to buy the identical machine that they proved the process on. Even with many the changes to the process, there has not been a single machine collision, and only a minimum amount of scrapped material.

Not all simulation is equal E v e r y C A M s y s te m o f f e r s simulation, and most do so by licensing a faceted material removal engine from a third party supplier.

The simulated cut stock from these systems is a bunch of triangles.

This might be fine when there are flat surfaces, but multi-axis motion through material can result in a whole lot of triangles. The more you cut, the more triangles get created. The animation speed is typically fast initially but will slow as material is removed – especially when the triangle tolerance is set small enough to detect small gouges that can catastrophically ruin the work piece. On long part

programs it is even possible to run out of memory and fail because each block increases the amount of RAM used. Vericut’s unique algorithm provides fast, accurate results. Performance does not degrade with increased cuts, so Vericut can process programs with millions of cuts and virtually any type of material removal technique.

The amount of memory used is constant from start to end.

Another problem with the faceted material removal method is that analytic measurement accuracy is associated with simulation tolerances. The larger the tolerance, the faster the simulation, but you lose accuracy on the cut stock. OpenGL can be used to create shading tricks to ma sk imperfections, but measurements will still return results that don’t accurately reflect the nominal values in the part program. For example, interpolated hole sizes will depend on tolerance and the measured diameter will be different depending on where you pick.

As worldwide competition increases and customers demand more from manufacturers, it is critical that shops have a full arsenal of tools to ensure that the parts they produce are right the first time and new machines are upand-running as quickly as possible.

Simulating CAM output to view basic workpiece material removal is not enough. In order to survive, shops must operate as efficiently as possible; modern simulation and optimisation software has become a valuable tool to minimise the cost and time of production while increasing product quality. It has evolved into an important process that protects and frees up CNC machines, eliminates the prove-out step and even helps companies select the right CNC machine for the job.

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The 11th International Manufacturing Machinery, Equipment, Materials and Services Exhibitions

10 - 13 JUNE 2015

Grand City Convention and Exhibition Centre Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia Supported by:

Ministry of Industry, Republic of Indonesia

Organised by:

Indonesia Precision Tooling Industry Association

Indonesia Woven Polyolefin Manufacture Association

Indonesian Machine Tool Industries Association

Indonesian Mould & Die Industry Association

Indonesia Packaging Federation

Indonesian Automotive Parts & Components Industries Association

For Further Information Please Contact Your Nearest Office: Maysia Stephanie PT Pamerindo Indonesia Jakarta T: +62 21 2525 320 F: +62 21 2525 482 E: maysia@pamerindo.com www.pamerindo.com

Carolyn Lee International Expo Management Pte Ltd Singapore T: +65 6233 6777 F: +65 6233 6768 E: carolyn@iemallworld.com www.allworldexhibitions.com

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Andrew Todd Overseas Exhibition Services Ltd London T: +44 (0)20 7840 2134 F: +44 (0)20 7840 2119 atodd@oesallworld.com www.allworldexhibitions.com

www.ManufacturingSurabaya.com

FAST FAB

Welding:

Simplifying Productivity & Getting

Quality Gains In a global market, an Asia-Pacific manufacturer’s toughest competitor could be the facility down the street and that facility shares the same infrastructure and labour advantages, so the ability to compete comes down to technology and management skill. By Hans Örtengren, Global Product Area Manager Equipment, ESAB

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h e n it co m e s to welding, successful managers have t h e f o r e s i g h t to recognise how advanced welding technology can provide their company with a competitive advantage. In fact, manufacturers in ma ny industries – heav y equipment (farm, construction, aggregate and mining), power generation, t ra nspor tation, railcar, ship, offshore, structural steel and wind tower –need to seek every welding advantage they can gain.

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Inverter Advantages Today’s inverter-based, multiprocess welding power sources can provide a significant edge.

With multi-process flexibility to be used for MIG/MAG, pulsed spray transfer (including modified pulsed spray processes), TIG and Stick welding, and combined with a versatile wire feeder unit with the latest in control technology, as well as a torch designed with arc voltage measuring at the contact tip (it is not possible to get closer than that), the power source and components combine to provide

a complete welding system for optimal welding results.

An advanced inverter provides a competitive advantage as soon as it’s plugged in: with good energy efficiency (some units boast 88 percent efficiency) and more than sufficient power factor rating (with ratings at 0.94, 1.0 being perfect), such a unit lowers utility bills.

While energy costs only comprise a fraction of total welding cost (about three percent on average), three percent of a US$10 million operation is US$300,000, which can represent a significant annual savings. Good power factor may also enable manufacturers to expand their operations and add more energy-efficient equipment without expensive changes to primary power services.

In addition to energy savings, machine footprint is another area where modern welding technology provides a gain. Advanced welding systems can have a footprint that is 80 percent smaller and a weight that is 70 percent less (some, weighing a mere 44.5 kg) than conventional technology power sources with a similar output. www.equipment-news.com

FASTFAB broad range of metal thicknesses.

Because larger diameter wires cost less per pound than smaller diameter wires, using a larger diameter may save 2 to 25 percent on filler metal costs (depending on the wire type, diameter and wire packaging).

Gaining A Process Advantage Manufacturers who continue to weld parts the same way, using the same power source and filler metal, automatically limit their ability to enhance productivity. For those working with materials that are thin to moderately thick – in the range of 1.5 to 15 mm – pulsed spray and modified pulsed spray welding processes may provide a substantial advantage. These processes may enable users to:

• Greatly reduce or eliminate weld spatter and associated post-weld clean-up. The costs associated with spatter removal are often high. Paying a person to remove metal – after someone has just been paid to deposit a weld bead – is not only expensive but also, it increases cycle time.

• Control bead appearance, an important factor when customers value good-looking weld beads.

• Standardise on a single, larger diameter wire for welding a

• Weld thinner materials without burn - through or wa rping,

increasing first-pass yield and reducing scrap rates.

• Increase the travel speed because these processes better manage heat input, they can potentially reduce cycle time.

• Weld vertically up. While highvolume fabricators prefer to weld in the flat or horizontal positions because they enable increased deposition rates, that’s often not possible with conventional spray transfer. Pulsed spray and modified pulse spray processes enable all-position welding while maintaining reasonably high deposition rates and travel speeds.

Modified Pulsed Spray T he modified pulsed spray process differs from conventional pulsed MIG in that it starts with one conventional pulsed

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The compact size and light weight especially help fabricators who want to move their welding system around a large weldment, have limited space in their welding cells or want to mount the power sources on a mezzanine or pedestal to get it off the factory floor.

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FASTFAB

Manufacturers who continue to weld parts the same way, using the same power source and filler metal, automatically limit their ability to enhance productivity.

waveform and then combines it with a second waveform – or even another process – to achieve specific goals. Possible combinations include: 1. Pulse/short arc, which provides maximum control over heat input for welding thin sections, as well as for root pass welding.

2. Pulse/pulse, for welding material from 1.5 mm and up with great control over heat input, bead profile, bead appearance and travel speed.

3. S pray arc/pulse, for higher productivity on thicker sections while still preserving the ability to weld vertical up without any weaving motion, which reduces operator fatigue.

The modified pulsed spray process overcomes the limitations inherent in both the short circuit MIG and conventional spray transfer processes. With pulsing, the power source pulses the arc 46

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between a high peak current that promotes metal transfer and a low background current where no metal transfer occurs but the arc does not become extinguished.

By v a r y i n g t he a mpl it ude , duration and frequency of the peak and background current, the system can more efficiently control heat input while ensuring excellent fusion. Further, the process reduces spatter (there is little-to-no post-weld cleanup required), promotes faster travel speeds, enables all-position welding, enables using larger diameter wires across a broad range of metal thicknesses and (using the modified pulsed spray process) produces a TIG-like bead appearance. In short, the process can increase productivity and quality while reducing weld costs in many operations.

As mentioned, the modified pulsed spray process provides a TIG -like bead appearance.

Traditionally, many operators e n ha nce d t h i s app e a ra nce by manipulating the gun with

whipping motion, directing the wire from the leading edge the puddle, back to the middle of the puddle and back again to the leading edge. However, this type of manipulation can add unintended variables. To produce the classic “stacked dime” bead appearance without any gun manipulation, the modified spray pulsed process was developed.

This process enables operators to easily adjust the distance between “stacks.” By combining excellent, customisable bead aesthetics with a consistent travel speed, the power source satisfies the needs of both welding operators and supervisors/QC personnel.

Built-in Intelligence When first introduced, pulsed MIG systems offered a handful of canned programs. If one of those programs didn’t work well, it took an expert to modify them.

Today, these advanced welding systems are much easier to use, more flexible and capable. In fact, they can provide built-in synergic lines dedicated to pulsed spray, including t hose for ca rbon steel, duplex steel, MIG brazing, nickel-chromium-molybdenum, stainless steel and aluminium.

These synergic lines provide outof-the-box functionality for about 95 percent of all applications, and the system enables experts to program and store custom synergic lines.

While using these welding systems may sound complicated, the opposite is true. What this means is that operators start by selecting the welding process (MIG short arc/spray transfer, pulsed spray or modified pulsed spray), then select the wire type by AWS classification, shielding gas type and wire diameter. The system then sets the optimum welding parameters for those variables u si n g it s p re - p ro g r a m m e d synergic lines and displays the data on the panel interface. www.equipment-news.com

FASTFAB For manufacturers who struggle finding qualified welding operators, some of today’s advanced welding systems offer artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency of short arc welding by automatically optimising welding parameters.

Via the welding system’s controller, they can set limits on voltage and amperage, ensuring that operators can’t step outside of a set welding procedure.

With each synergic line there is a set of start and stop data set as default. Some of those functions (creep start, hot start and crater fill) can be activated by using the keys on the interface.

To further fine tune the weld settings, the start and stop data can be customised and subsequently stored.

Ma nufacturers who ma ke t he s a m e p a r t a t mu lt ip l e locations want to ensure that all operators, on all shifts and at all facilities use the same welding parameters. Via the welding system’s controller, they can set limits on voltage and amperage, ensuring that operators can’t step outside of a set welding procedure.

Further, once the weld data has been set, the control box can be locked, preventing unauthorised personnel from changing the data. Additional quality functions include storing data on welds, monitoring production statistics such as arc-on time and quantity of wire consumed and exporting www.equipment-news.com

statistics and procedures using a USB connection.

Improved Short Arc Efficiency For manufacturers who struggle finding qualified welding operators, some of today’s advanced welding systems offer artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency of short arc welding by automatically optimising welding parameters. In one such system, operators push a single button and then weld for eight seconds on a sample of the actual joint they plan to weld. The system automatically selects the optimal short circuit frequency for the gas/wire combination installed. By varying the number of short circuits per second and the duration of the short, along with other variables, the machine provides ideal weld pool conditions, consistent weld quality and can lower spatter levels for reduced post-weld cleaning. This technology can even adjust for variations in electrode stick-out, such as when welding in a deep corner or groove.

Such automat ic set t i n gs combined with pre-programmed synergic lines, provide for easy weld pool heat adjustment. To “weld hotter and faster” or “colder and slower” (such as when shifting from the flat to vertical position), operators simply adjust wire feed speed up or down. The system automatically adjusts all other welding parameters to maintain optimum performance.

By eliminating the technical adjustments, this technology frees newer operators to focus on gun manipulation and technique.

Coupled with other features that reduce cost and increase efficiency, advanced welding systems are designed to simplify productivity and quality gains for fabricators and manufacturers across a broad scope of industries and applications.

For more information, consult a welding equipment supplier or manufacturer.

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FASTFAB

Delivering The

Perfect Cut

Which is the best metal sheet and plate cutting process systems to use for a given application or range of products? The answer is not always simple and does not always involve just one of these processes. By Jim Colt, Application Technology Manager, Hypertherm

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he reality of the situation to the question above is that none of the processes are perfect in respect to their capabilities for handling all cutting requirements; rather, each has its niche area that may involve a thickness range, cut part tolerance advantage, metallurgical advantage or an outright speed/productivity advantage.

This article provides a better understanding of the systems that will best suit a particular application and a high level overview of the cutting processes and metal cutting performance.

Process Attributes The attributes of a cutting process that are most often important from a metal fabricator or job shop perspective are as follows: • Capital equipment cost While each of these cutting processes requires relatively sophisticated CNC motion control and fume control equipment, as well as CAD and CAM software packages to unlock the best potential, there are differences in these requirements for each process. As an example, motion control systems on a laser designed to cut thin steel at very high speeds are required to have much greater accuracy as compared to the motion control system for waterjet or oxy-fuel that operates at much lower cutting speeds. These

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requirements have a direct and often large effect on capital equipment cost differences between these technologies.

• Cutting cost per part or per metre This type of cost calculation must include consumables (gas usage, consumable nozzles, electrodes, garnet abrasive, etc.) and utilities, (electricity, water), etc. In some cases, amortised capital equipment cost may also be included, as well as labour cost (such as for loading fresh sheets, or unloading cut parts and scrap).

It is necessary to ensure that the same type of inputs is used for each system when comparing the relative cutting costs of each. The cut costs should be broken down to per metre or per part as opposed to cutting cost per hour, as this levels out the speed advantages that some processes have on some materials. The cutting cost per metre calculations will always show large advantages to the processes with the cut speed advantage.

• Ease of use This attribute puts the heaviest weight on the softwa re (especially CAM) as well as the CNC control capability. Today’s best technology systems have relatively short learning curves and have developed embedded

expertise in the systems, often minimising the need for expert operators. While difficult to put a value on these types of advantages, it is necessary to think about this when introducing sophisticated systems on the shop floor.

• Productivity Often also called throughput, this is essentially the amount of parts that are cut to specification at the end of a shift. Productivity or cut speed is the biggest influence on the real cost per part and, in some cases, accuracy specifications of cut parts (that may have been tighter than necessary) can be reduced in favour of a process that provides dramatically lower cut costs and a bigger pile of parts in a shorter period of time.

• Cut part accuracy There are many ways to measure the accuracy of the wide variety of parts produced in metal fabricating. Often the outside contours of parts have much looser tolerances as compared to inside details such as holes.

Also, often times, only the top of a part is measured, yet the bottom (based on edge taper) will be substantially different in dimension. For simplicity, plus or minus expectations for tolerance as measured from the top of the part will be used here, as well as a reference to edge angularity for each of the processes.

• Edge quality and metallurgical effects All of these processes will produce some different effects on the cut edge metallurgy that can affect machinability, formability and weld ability.

• Service and maintenance requirements Some of the long term operating cost calculations with each form www.equipment-news.com

FASTFAB of these systems will be affected by the need for maintenance, as well as the level of expertise required to per for m t hat maintenance.

Process Comparison Each process will now be briefly described. For compa rative purposes, a ‘complete system’ capital equipment cost will be calculated and is for comparative purposes only. This would be the landed cost of a turnkey system on the shop floor, with a 1.5 x 3 m cutting area, an industrial quality CNC machine (i.e. not an entry level or lightweight machine), and CAD and CAM software.

The following numbers are for rough comparisons, taking into account the fact that some systems require a more precise and sophisticated CNC machine as compared to others - which will impact the pricing.

Oxy-Fuel The oxy-fuel cutting process is by far the simplest of the cutting technologies being discussed.

The process essentially uses a fuel gas to heat steel to its ‘kindling’ temperature of around 980 deg C. Once the steel is at this temperature (preheat), a pure oxygen jet is activated to create an exothermic reaction with the hot steel, rapidly eroding the steel. Oxy-fuel has the ability to cut only mild steel, and does a good job in the thickness range 6 - 150 mm. Cutting speeds are better than other processes on material thicknesses over about 50 mm. It is easy and inexpensive to add multiple torches to a CNC machine to increase cutting speeds by cutting multiple parts simultaneously.

• Capital equipment cost for a turnkey 1.5 x 3 m CNC: US$40,000 – US$50,000 (relatively simple machine due to low speed requirements). www.equipment-news.com

Figure 1: Hypertherm’s HDi thin stainless steel technology brings HyDefinition cutting technology to thin stainless 3-6 mm

Figure 2: Examples of HyDefinition plasma cut profiles

• Cutting costs per part or metre: Gas usage is fairly high and cut speeds are slow, but the cost of cut parts gets more competitive with plasma as the steel gets thicker. Typically oxy-fuel has a moderately high cost per metre as compared to plasma and gets better on 50 mm and above.

• Ease of use: Ox y-fuel cutting on a CNC machine requires a high level of operator skill to get the best cut quality and maximum speed potential. Constant monitoring of the cutting process is generally required.

• Productivity: This is a relatively slow process with its advantages being based on lowest capital cost and the ability to cut very thick steel.

• Cut part accuracy: With a good operator (able to set proper speeds, heights, gas settings, tip size) the oxy-fuel process can typically achieve tolerances in the +/- 0.75 mm range and with edge angularity of less than one degree of edge taper.

• Edge quality and metallurgy: Large heat affected zone is produced because of the low speeds and edges are typically rough and with some dross removal required.

• Service and maintenance requirements: Simple systems to maintain which typically can be handled in house.

High Definition Plasma High definition plasma uses a high temperature ionised gas to produce a high energy density cutting arc that is capable of cutting any conductive material. The latest technology systems can be almost completely automated to eliminate the need for operator expertise and do their best work on 0.5 – 50 mm steel thickness with a maximum up to 80 mm, and do well on steel and aluminium from 0.5 mm through to 160 mm thickness (Figures 1 and 2).

• Capital equipment cost for a turnkey 1.5 x 3 m CNC: US$75,000 – US$90,000. Higher speeds are possible, but torch height control systems and better fume control are necessary for HyDefinition (a patented consumable technolog y of Hypertherm) class plasma cutting.

Higher current densities are made possible through the use of vented nozzle technology that delivers sharper top edge quality, smoother cut surfaces with minimal angle deviation combined with long nozzle life).

• Cutting costs per part or metre: Plasma has the lowest cost per part on 6 – 50 mm thick steel.

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FASTFAB • Capital equipment cost for a turnkey 1.5 x 3 m CNC: US$400,000 - US$500,000. Laser systems require more precise motion control as well as a light tight enclosure for safety reasons.

Figure 3: HyDefinition plasma bevel cutting

• Ease of use: With the latest technolog y CNC and software, plasma is extremely easy to learn and use as expertise is embedded in CAM software, so minimising the need for operator expertise.

• Productivity: This is definitely the fastest, most productive of all the processes, being faster than laser on more than 6 mm and faster than oxyfuel up to 50 mm.

• Cut part accuracy: Typical cut part accuracy on steel is in the range +/- 0.38 - 0.5 mm. Cut edge angularity is 2 to 3 degrees on steel under about 9.5 mm, and about one degree on steel 12.5 to 38 mm thick.

Figure 3 shows plasma bevel cutting capabilities.

• Edge quality and metallurgy: A relatively narrow heat affected zone is produced, typically less than 0.25 mm, with very little edge hardening and excellent weld ability. Smooth edges with minimal dross on steel.

the latest technology in laser cutting. These systems, using a solid state laser generator or power source, are far more efficient tha n the CO 2 la ser systems that they are quickly replacing in the field. An example is shown in Figure 4.

Furthermore, fibre lasers operate at a light wavelength that allows them to deliver the beam to the cutting head using a flexible (fibre optic) cable, as compared to the mirror and tube delivery system used by CO 2 lasers. This provides a simpler complete system layout which requires far less maintenance a s co m p a r e d to t h e o l d e r technology. The laser uses a properly focused, high energy laser to melt a small spot on the material being cut, and an assist gas (typically oxygen for cutting steel) to remove the molten metal. A three kilowatt fibre laser can cut with similar speeds and power to a 4-5 kilowatt CO2 laser, indicating its better efficiency.

Cut capability on steel is from thin gauge to about 20 mm.

• Cutting costs per part or metre: The big advantage of laser is with materials that are thinner than 6 mm. Above this thickness the speed is considerably reduced, although excellent cut quality and accuracy are maintained. It provides the lowest cut costs on thin materials, but is higher than plasma on steels above 6 mm.

• Ease of use: With the best technology CAM software and CNC control the system is as easy to operate as the newest technology plasma systems. All settings can be automated.

• Productivity: By far the best productivity on gauge thicknesses upwards of 1 mm, but speeds are similar to plasma at around 6mm.

• Cut part accuracy: The best technolog y fiber lasers can produce cut part tolerances in the range +/0.25 mm. This is better than plasma and almost as good as abrasive waterjet. Edge angularity on most materials and thicknesses is less than 1 degree. An example of cut quality is shown in figure 5.

Figure 4: HyIntensity 3kW Fibre laser

• Service and maintenance requirements: Simple systems to maintain which typically can be handled in house, or with factory phone tech support.

3 Kilowatt Fibre Laser Fibre laser cutting systems are 50

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FASTFAB handled in house in conjunction with phone technical support.

Figure 5: HyIntensity Fiber Laser cut profiles

• Edge quality and metallurgy: Slightly narrower heat affected zone as compared to plasma.

• Capital equipment cost for a turnkey 1.5 x 3 m CNC: US$100-150k. Relatively simple motion control with relatively low speeds keeps the cost lower than laser and slightly higher than high definition plasma.

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• Service and maintenance requirements: Maintenance requirements have reduced dramatically over earlier solid state design CO2 lasers and can generally be

Abrasive Waterjet Waterjet technology has been in use for decades for cutting a wide variety of materials from cake to granite. Figure 6 shows waterjet cutting of aluminium gears. Softer materials can be cut with a pure high pressure waterjet (2,750 – 4,135 bar) forced through an orifice to increase its velocity and energy density.

A b r a si v e w a te r j e t s i nj e c t an abrasive (usually garnet) downstream of the orifice, so the abrasive becomes the `teeth` of the saw, propelled by the waterjet to do the cutting job.

Today`s best technology systems have pumps that can boost water pressure to as much as 6,900 bar.

Higher pressure means higher cutting speeds, but this has

historically increased down time for maintenance (pump seals fail periodically and must be replaced). The latest technology systems have improved rebuild ability, allowing for minimal downtime for maintenance. Huge advantages for abrasive waterjet over other processes are that no heat affected zone is produced and its ability to cut almost anything. In addition waterjet provides the best tolerances.

The biggest downside of waterjet is that the cutting speeds are lower compared to the other processes.

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Figure 6: HyPrecision waterjet cutting of aluminium gears

• Cutting costs per part or metre: Because cost per part is affected by cut speed, this is the most expensive cutting process. The consumable garnet also adds to the costs.

• Ease of use: Probably the easiest to use process. It can be fully automated with the best CAM and CNC systems and operator expertise can be low.

• Productivity: Slow on steels, but better on aluminium.

• Cut part accuracy: By far the best cut part accuracy, typically within +/- 0.127 mm, and less than 1 degree of cut edge taper.

• Edge quality and metallurgy: Cut edge smoothness and quality can be controlled by cut speed (slower = smoother) and the grit size of the garnet abrasive.

There is virtually no effect to base material metallurgy.

• Service and maintenance requirements: Simple systems to maintain, and typically can be handled in house.

Practical Comparison At a recent show Hypertherm displayed 12.5 mm steel parts that had been CNC cut with five different processes; an air plasma 52

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Figure 7: Hypertherm’s Powermax85 air plasma cutter

( Powerma x105 ), a L ongL ife Oxygen based industrial plasma (MAXPRO200), a high definition class plasma (HyPerformance HPR130XD), a 3 kW Fiber Laser (HyIntensity Fiber laser), and an Abrasive Waterjet (HyPrecision Waterjet). The part file was an AutoCad style .dxf file that was input into the CAM software for each of these processes (Figure 7).

Superficial inspection showed all of the parts appeared identical, but upon closer inspection, edge taper and hole taper on the air plasma cut could clearly be seen.

Furthermore, on examining the more expensive processes the angle of the taper diminishing, with less taper on the oxygen plasma, was almost completely absent with the high definition plasma, and virtually non-existent with the laser and waterjet samples. The bottom line, while the cuts were very nice with all of the systems, the systems with more expensive capital costs, and more expensive operating costs clearly had cut quality and metallurgy advantages. Using only 12.5 mm steel to compare the different cutting processes may not be completely fair for those that desired excellent cut quality at the lowest price, as that would likely force the choice of the high definition plasma. If the sample had been 3 mm aluminium, then the waterjet and laser would definitely be the most productive, most accurate processes. If the criterion used is low capital cost

with looser tolerances, perhaps the air plasma would have been adequate with its extremely low capital cost.

The Final Cut Selecting the best cutting process is difficult as this is depending on the specific application, the business needs and what areas are most critical. For instance; capital equipment cost, cut quality, productivity, operating costs and flexibility. This article provides more insight in the different cutting processes, the estimated costs involved, possibilities and limitations, which could be helpful when choosing the process which best fits the application needs.

Oxyfuel is limited to mild steel and is not effective on stainless or aluminium. It is typically used for very thick plate.

Plasma provides an optimal mix of cut quality, productivity and operating costs for mild steel, stainless and aluminium across a wide range of thicknesses.

Laser provides excellent cut quality and productivity on material less than 6 mm and can be used up to 20 mm.

Waterjet can be used to cut a wide variety of materials including steel, stone, granite, food, etc. It provides the best tolerances and there is no heat affected zone, although cut speeds are lower.

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Gaining

Competitive Advantage with Modern ERP Systems

The trend for today’s manufacturers is to keep costs down and this is best done with an effective ERP system to manage processes. Craig Charlton, Senior VP, Asia Pacific, Epicor Software Asia Pte Ltd has more on this.

M

any companies in metal fabrication prioritise two things for survival: keeping operational costs under control, and increasing profitability. In recent times, both things have been harder to achieve due to fluctuating raw material costs and continued downward pressure on product prices. Customers are also demanding more complex and often bespoke products and configurations in an effort to move these processes up the supply chain. As a result, many soon find that a strategy to compete purely on price is not sustainable, and that a different approach is needed.

Controlling Costs, Protecting Profits To get out of competing solely on price, leading companies are planning to launch initiatives aimed at achieving more profitable growth. Today, this is normally done through adopting disruptive technologies such as big data and the Internet of Things. With the ability to analyse detailed, real-time data on things such as inventory, shipments and downstream customer demand, businesses can increase productivity on the plant floor, optimise their supply chains and leverage global sourcing opportunities to keep costs in check.

At the same time, manufacturers

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are also trying to be more customeroriented by adding more value and differentiation to their offering to defend against competition on both price and the ability to replicate standard products quickly. The shift toward providing more valueadded services has been a steady trend for the past few years, and it is usually done by offering services such as Research & Development (R&D) capabilities and the ability to manufacture configurable or customised products. Today, more and more businesses are going even further with initiatives that help to improve the customer experience for greater client loyalty and longer lasting relationships between supplier and purchaser.

The Customer Experience T h e c u s to m e r e x p e r i e n c e represents an opportunity for manufacturers to really get ahead of their competition, especially in industries that are traditionally cost-oriented. An IDC Manufacturing Insights white paper stated that only the top nine percent of manufacturers worldwide understand the importance of how creating a customer-centric culture and process workflows can turn the customer experience into a competitive advantage.

In meta l fabrication, the customer experience extends

beyond meeting specified product features and specifications. It also includes any of the interaction that a business might have with their customer. This can encompass things like ease of doing business with the company, reliability in terms of quality and consistency, speed of interaction and the accuracy and timeliness of delivery. These could prove to be the essential difference that puts businesses above the competition.

The Role Of ERP The right Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system can be key to supporting these initiatives. For example, it can enable companies to manage costs and control quality as more customisation and configurations can lead to increased complexity of the manufacturing and logistics processes.

W h ile a t radit iona l E R P system might be able to help with operational cost control, it is limited in its capability to support growth in an environment which requires more customisation and a closer customer relationship. This was the experience of leading industrial pump manufacturer Ensival Moret, who’s traditional ERP could not support their need to produce a large variety of products at very low volumes, all within very short lead times. When they opened their new plant in China, they took the opportunity to invest in a modern ERP system to meet the requirements of their complicated production processes. Today, Ensival Moret reports being able to provide better quality and delivery times to their customers, and they have attributed these successes to their modern, fully integrated and flexible ERP system.

A modern ERP system impacts a business in a few ways. Firstly, it can help by giving operations increased visibility and better access to data from the plant floor for more accurate decision making.

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FEATURES front offices, enabling integrated customer relationship management (CRM), warranty management and aftermarket management functionalities. In the Ensival Moret example, their sales teams can offer customers quick and complete responses to their queries on their order, as the data gets pulled through in real-time. They are also able to give more exact delivery times to these customers based on detailed information.

What The Future Holds Using a modern ERP system need not be painful, neither in terms of resource requirements nor implementation. So when choosing a system for one’s business, look out for ERP systems that offer flexibility in terms of deployment and architecture, which allow for future expansion and manageable costs. Also, make sure to select an

ERP which is easy-to-use to reduce training time and improve employee engagement. For example, Epicor’s ERP 10 contains intuitive navigation and configurable dashboards that users of today’s consumer apps and devices will find familiar.

ERP systems have been a fixture in the manufacturing sector for years now, and have helped support companies in being efficient and streamlined. Modern ERP systems can support what is potentially the most important initiative of all – making your business adaptable to customer demands and their increasing expectations.

The ultimate goal is to win their respect and continued business with a customer experience that represents a strong, measurable competitive advantage.

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can all be compromised without this visibility. It also supports greater internal collaboration that can reduce errors and inefficiencies in the manufacturing process.

This helps streamline operational processes and improves efficiency.

Secondly, it has a direct impact on customer experience. Like the example above, providing better quality, accuracy and speed all contribute to a positive customer experience. However, this may prove hard to achieve, especially where higher levels of customisation are expected, and requirements might change from job to job. A company that can effectively offer a better customer experience might wield a highly differentiated offering that is not easy to replicate.

Closer collaboration can also be achieved as a fully integrated ERP acts as a link between the back and

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I

Automotive Manufacturing:

Remote Laser Welding Automotive manufacturing, given its complexity and volumes, requires the use of efficient, high-volume processes which can guarantee productivity and quality. Alessio Cocchi, Comau Robotics Marketing Manager, shares more on this.

The solution also combines the reduction of mechanical stress with the added simplicity of off-line programming.

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n practical terms, this can be translated in the need for effective performance-based welding solutions that deliver both speed and precision – the drivers behind the increasing use of lasers for cutting, welding and brazing.

Many companies are focusing b o t h re s e a rc h a n d d e si g n efforts on laser welding and its subsequent applications for many reasons, starting with efficiency and the fact that it is able to guarantee high productivity with respect to cycle times.

Compared to spot welding, laser welding – especially remote laser welding – offers added flexibility in terms of ease-of-use and throughput. The technology also eliminates process downtime and is among the fastest available on the market. Yet the true advantage of laser welding is its strength. A single welding point is an asymmetric junction between the joined plates which due to its very geometry does not have a preferred direction of resistance.

A linear stretch of laser welding measuring 25mm in length with a width of 8 tenths of a millimetre, appears to be more resistant by around 30 percent, depending on the type of steel to be joined.

Laser welding also ensures quicker a nd more accurate processing than conventional spot welding. Remote la ser welding, in particular, offers further advantages in terms of increased positioning speed and the reduction of criticalities of access between the robot head and tooling to achieve the joint.

W here a s a conve nt iona l focusing head needs to be moved and repositioned to complete each welding stitch, Comau’s SmartLaser technology allows remote operation (>750 mm). In addition, the welding stitch can be quickly and easily modified simply by adjusting the working angle of the laser beam and its www.equipment-news.com

FEATURES higher overall quality and the virtual elimination of downtimes certainly compensates the initial capital investment.

The welding system integrates a remote laser focusing and repositioning module with a standard articulated robot to create a comprehensive solution that combines the precision and versatility of robotics with highspeed and extremely accurate laser technology.

SmartLaser consists of a 3D Remote Laser System that is fully integrated with a Comau robot and based on the CO2 remote la ser application k now- how (AgiLaser). What’s more, the entire system is controlled by a single C5G Control Unit.

The SmartLaser works in a somewhat unique way. The high-quality gain medium (beam source) is positioned near the

welding cell, and the laser beam is transmitted by an optical fibre that is coupled to the robot at the axis 4. The fast handling of the mirrors, which intercept the laser beam and direct it onto the work piece, helps eliminate stresses to the fibre as well as issues related to the presence of external equipment. The solution also combines the reduction of mechanical stress with the added simplicity of off- line programming. In addition, the system delivers a high quality of dynamics across the entire workload, with acceleration of the linear motors of up to 8G. In addition, the repositioning speed of the Z axis is equal to 10 times that of a normal articulated robot.

When using laser welding on complex objects repositioning and control become important considerations, and in Body-in-

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focal length. Remote laser welding also makes it possible to reduce the flange width of the joints by up to five millimetres and use profiles elements (hydroforming) with a significantly higher process speed (two laser stitches per second) than how it would be possible with spot welding.

For these reasons it can be argued that the laser represents a significant advantage for any type of production that requires high speeds. It is especially beneficial, if not critical, for the production of moving parts and all the areas of that must be welded together to create the geometry of the body during the framing phase.

And while the cost of the technology is still elevated, due exclusively to the high cost of the apparatus that generates the beam, the performance it delivers in terms of increased productivity,

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FEATURES

To proceed through the framing phase multiple locking tools are activated, which means you need to go through several steps from one end of the body to another in order to weld it together.

White (BIW) operations there are essentially two possible approaches. You can move the piece that needs to be welded, as in the case of gears, but this is only possible if it can be moved on a single axis. The other option is to move the beam itself, or rather the focus of the beam which, in the case of SmartLaser, is integrated within the robot, which is how bodyshells are welded. This is because the shell cannot be rotated on a single axis and bodyshell welding requires that the beam to be repositioned for each different section.

However, the act of physically mov ing the robot from one welding point to another can significantly affect the production process, giving rise to very low yields and very high costs. If one considers the speed of the laser in terms of how quickly it welds and the reduced thickness of the sheets to be joined, the beam source would only be used for approximately 15 to 20 percent of the working cycle. The remaining 80 to 85 percent of the time would be dedicated to moving from one point to another.

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Remote laser welding solutions c a n i n c r e a s e p ro du c t i v it y and subsequent profitability, e sp e cia l ly for h ig h -volu me operations. Sticking with our bodyshell example, the framing phase is where the geometry of the body takes shape as the top,

bottom and side parts are welded together. To proceed through the framing phase multiple locking tools are activated, which means you need to go through several steps from one end of the body to another in order to weld it together. The same is true in the completion phase; even if there are fewer locking systems and the “circumnavigation” times are shorter by around 35 percent.

Here is where SmartLaser enables auto manufacturers to reduce transfer times and increase “hot” phases – those in which the laser in active and is performing welding. Remote laser welding, in the case of SmartLaser, means the ability to obtain a weld of six millimetres in diameter from over a metre away, with the added possibility of easily redirecting the beam.

This means that there are markedly fewer movements of the system, which increases the possibility for the laser to be active, thereby increasing the hot phases and rendering the entire process more efficient. Thanks to the speed of the optical cavity

The big advantage of roof laser brazing is the removal of the seals and side mouldings, in addition to the obvious improvement in overall aesthetics.

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FEATURES mirrors that direct the laser beam at the different points to be welded, and the speed of the robot during its transfer movement, the SmartLaser beam remains in the welding position for the exact time necessary to weld and then quickly move to the next step.

Laser brazing, another laserdriven technology for BIW, is largely used for aesthetic joints due to its high seam quality, which enables the assembly of the outer parts without the need for revision operations. The increased use of laser brazing has created new opportunities for Comau’s laser-driven BIW solutions that several years ago were considered impossible.

Current applications areas include roof joining and the assembly of the upper and lower panels of the tailgate/decklid, for example. The big advantage of

roof laser brazing is the removal of the seals and side mouldings, in addition to the obv ious improvement in overall aesthetics.

For the tailgate, the ability to stamp the outer panels in two parts makes it possible to simplify operations in the stamping process.

This combination of precision and quality inherent to laser brazing allows it to satisfy the stylistic requirements of each customer.

Although laser welding is a process commonly used with steel, the technology can also be applied to lightweight materials, such as aluminium parts. Comau’s Smart5 NJ110 Robot for aluminium welding for roof and deck lids, for example, can perform the welding of zero-gap joint in visible areas and welding in edge and lap joints.

Considering that vehicle aluminium content is expected to approach 35 billion pounds,

the automotive industry will become the most important global market for this material and the laser welding technology has an increasing part to play.

The very first application for the remote laser welding solution was at the Cassino plant for the production of doors for the Fiat Bravo, Lancia Delta and Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Today, SmartLaser is being used for remote laser welding, roof laser welding and underbody laser welding.

On a worldwide scale, it is deployed at Fiat of Pernambuco, Brazil, passing through the Melfi factory in Italy, as well as in central China to produce Jeep and Fiat, in Serbia for the production of the 500L and in the Tofas plant in Turkey for new Fiat models.

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Tracking & Identification

Management

Tracking and identification management is a growing field with emerging technologies, such as those related to the Internet of Things, gaining market traction.

By Augustine Quek

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he re a s b a rco de s require a flat surface for display of the black bars, RFID tags can be embedded almost anywhere, and do not require line of sight of the reader. This advantage allows RFID to be used in many industries, from construction, to manufacturing, to waste management. Thousands of tools and equipment on locations in different countries have been tracked simultaneously with embedded RFID tags, reducing inventory check times, incident errors related to tool condition and location, and maintenance costs.

S i m i la rly, i n pro duc t ion processes, barcodes and RFID are already being used to automate the track ing a nd tracing of products within the plant. Realtime inventory visibility from tracking everything from raw material levels, to Work-In-Process (WIP) to finished products.

In contrast, Global Positioning Sy ste m s (G P S ) a re u sua l ly used for larger objects, in fleet management such as trucks, ships or for valuable cargo.

GPS consists of a network of satellites that orbit the earth at

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fixed points above the planet.

These satellites transmit signals down to earth and signals can be decoded by anyone with a GPS receiver. These signals carry a timecode and geographical data point that allows the receiver to pinpoint their exact position, speed and time anywhere on the planet. It was first developed during the Cold war in the 1960s by the US military, and was opened to civilian use in 1983. From an initial five satellites, the number was expanded to twenty-four by 1993. Today’s GPS network has around 30 active satellites in the GPS constellation.

As mentioned, a common use of GPS today is in the tracking of vehicles in a fleet. Fleet management using the GPS network provides reliable data for management decision-making. Such systems also include engine diagnostics that can help identify and prevent vehicle breakdowns, control maintenance costs, and improve customer service. Improvements in reporting capabilities allows tracking vehicle performance over time, identify trends, and intervene with timely actions to enhance productivity.

Tracking and identification

(T&I) of assets always involve transmitting information from the object being tracked to the tracker.

Although a variety of T&I systems exists on the market, they receive information collected from the assets either ‘lag time’ or ‘real-time’.

Lag time T&I systems collect information after an asset has pa ssed a point, where t he information receiver is fixed. For example, a bar code scanner at a checkout counter or electronic toll-booth gate. Real-time T&I’s are able to locate the asset anytime, with a constant transmission of information, or on demand from the tracker. Examples are GPS, used widely to track anything from vehicles to parcels.

T he se system s do not necessarily work independently of each other, and many supply chains today use a mix of both. For example, a passive RFID system would be used in a warehouse to scan the boxes as they are loaded on a truck — then the truck itself is tracked on a different system using GPS with its own features and software.

T h e w a s te m a n a g e m e n t industry has responded quickly to this emerging trend. Sensors, vehicles, Machine-To-Machine (M2M) communications can be integrated into the entire waste collection and delivery process, to provide analytics in real-time.

Waste bins and containers can communicate with collection trucks, via unique RFID tags, providing data on location, time and weight at each collection. This information can be synched with an in-vehicle reader and transmitted via 3G networks. GPRS on the same truck constantly relays its location back to a central monitoring station, or from an external location connected to the server. This is especially important for the recycling industry, in which every unit collected is not a waste product but a resource and facilitates the generation of reports. www.equipment-news.com

FEATURES ultrasonic identification. Ultrasonic sensors work independently of light and illumination, and are used in applications where cameras cannot work, such as transparent objects or labels, and low-light conditions.

Capacitive sensors use electric fields to measure and identify objects. These sensors ca n be used to detect a nd measure proximity, position or displacement, humidity, fluid level, and acceleration. Applications include label positioning during application, label counting and identifying defective parts in assembly testing. Capacitive sensing also has implications for using human body parts f o r i d e n t i f i c a t i o n (c a l l e d Biometrics). Capacitive fingerprint identification is one example, where it has found applications in securing consumer products such as the iPhone touch capacitive

finger print sensor. Capacitive sensory technology can now even identify fake fingers from real ones, as claimed by US-based NexID Biometrics.

Tracking Of Services In addition to tracking of physical assets, tracking and identification of services are also playing an increasing role in automation.

A relatively new concept in the industry is the Internet of Things ( IoT ), an interconnection of uniquely identifiable informationexchange devices within the existing Internet infrastructure.

All manner of objects, animals and people can be equipped with electronic devices with unique identifiers. When connected to the internet, these devices confer the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-

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Other Technologies Be side s t he t hree common technologies mentioned, other technologies are also used in T&I, including vision, ultrasound and capacitive. Cameras have been used for decades to track vehicles and traffic rules violations on roads, while the more recent development of in-vehicle cameras serves to identify surrounding vehicles and provide evidence in case of accidents.

Ultrasonic sensors can have the ability to both transmit and receive high frequency sound waves. They are being used to track object distances, track liquid height levels (eg: in tanks), and identify labels. Like RFID, they are not dependent on line of sight, but are limited by the shapes of surfaces and consistency of material.

Inconsistent material, such as foam, may hamper the efficiency of

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FEATURES

Leszek Soltys, Poland

In the factory of the future different technologies, such as Augmented Reality, and Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) will be available to factory operators.

computer interaction The IoT is being touted as a significant force in the next industrial revolution.

Contrary to popular belief, IoT is not a disruptive technology but is instead a complementary infra str ucture to sma r t applications and mobile devices.

A major break through that ma ke s IoT possible in manufacturing, or in any other field, is the wireless sensor. When used in a wireless network, sensors are responsible for wireless data acquisition that combines with wireless I/O to collect and transmit signals from analogue or digital devices to the internet. Wireless technology today is based on IEEE 802.15.4 with numerous possible protocols, such as ZigBee, WirelessHART, and 6LoWPAN, for operating under different situations.

O ne adv a nta ge t hat IoT holds in manufacturing is the reduction of network layers, where communications go through the Internet, instead of through expensive in-house network outlays. This allows more devices to be controlled centrally, and control software to be installed directly into individual devices.

Together with the ability to view information remotely in real-time, the programming of individual devices can also be done remotely.

Another advantage to real-time data is automated monitoring, where all connected hardware, including those on another continent, can be polled continuously for fault detection. IoT-enabled hardware can use Ethernet or GPRS to send 62

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data to a centralised server to be read and analysed by engineers or even analytical software. For smaller data amount, the more ubiquitous cellular networks can be used to send data to mobile receivers such as smartphones.

Aircraft manufacturing, for example, has benefitted greatly from barcoding and RFID for the movement of its parts through tens of thousands of steps. Previously, manual processes meant that mistakes can be costly and managing workflow through smart tools and intelligent processes have evolved naturally. Through the use of real-time data and smart tools, communications with a central database can be made locally with operators, or to other smart tools as needed to provide operators with situational awareness. For example, tightening nuts or bolts on an aircraft body can be mind-boggling due to the sheer number of points that requires tightening. Smart tightening tools, however, can receive feedback from its sensors and know which tasks the operators are about to perform, and automatically set the torque, and record the location and outcome of the task in a central database to avoid any future conflicts or mistakes.

For the manufacturing industry, IoT may become ubiquitous sooner than one can imagine.

The networks, with its connected sensors, databases and data analysis software already exists, deployed and routinely used in most companies.

In particular, two trends are converging towards realisation of IoT: the continued growth of mobile devices in the workplace, and the rise in popularity of identification readers. These readers are either small, lightweight devices that can attach to mobile phones, or work in tandem with smart devices. Such mobile readers are different from traditional handheld barcode or RFID laser scanners, in that workers are already comfortable with the form factors and ease of use with their own devices.

Another advantage is that it is usually cheaper to use these mobile readers for consumer devices than traditional scanners. The lower total cost of ownership is due to workers owning their own devices.

The readers can be used for a variety of business applications, including access control, asset tracking, authentication and verification, food safety and traceability, inventory management, logistics and transportation.

In Conclusion T&I have certainly come a long way since the days of manually counting, recording, and taking stock based on guesswork. From the striped patterns of the barcode to the use of space technology in GPS, T&I technology has continually been revolutionised by the everincreasing speed of computers. The advances in T&I technologies have virtually eliminated errors of data recording and data storage.

Legal requirements and rising demands for process quality have made full traceability with perfect identification virtually indispensable in any process system. Therefore, tracking and identification will never become obsolete, and its multiple functions have assured its future in any modern society.

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ENQUIRY NO 109

EVENTS& EXHIBITIONS Event Review:

MTA Asia 2015

The MTA2015 featured the indutry’s latest technologies and trends, particularly from two upcoming and popular areas — 3D printing and robotics. Much was learnt and shared during the 4-day event that concluded successfully.

Michelle Cheong reports.

alongside the MetrologyAsia2015, the event provided a platform for manufacturers and exhibitors of the region and beyond to connect.

Gue st of Honour, Lee Yi Shan, Senior Minister of State for Trade & Industry and National Development, mentioned in his opening speech: “Staying at the forefront of technologies is crucial to the competitiveness of our manufacturing industry”. The MTA thus provides a valuable opportunity for informationgathering, knowledge-sharing and networking for individuals of the manufacturing industry in all areas of the world. Mr Lee encouraged all to look to the MTA for solutions for their production needs, as well as to sell their newest technologies.

In With The Theme The theme for this year’s MTA revolved around 3D Printing and robotics, two increasingly popular areas in the industry earmarked as the future of manufacturing due to their flexibility in catering to applications in the different i ndu st r ia l se c tors suc h a s aerospace, automotive, and oil and gas.

NTU’s 3D printed concept car is Singapore’s first urban solar electric car.

T

he MTA2015, a precision engineering event for the manufacturing industry, saw over 12,000 trade attendees over the 4-day event.

A total of 350 exhibitors from 27

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countries were present at the event to showcase their latest technologies in automation, ro b o t i c s a n d 3 D p r i n t i n g .

Being the largest metalworking exhibition in Singapore and held

3D Printing Takes The Centre Stage Taking advantage of the event to spread awareness of 3D printing technology, exhibitors showcasing related products and technologies such as Creatz3D, Renishaw, Stratasys, and even academic institutions like Na nya ng Polytechnic (NYP) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) organised 3D Printing Technology tours for attendees. These tours not only allowed exhibitors to share their expertise in the field with visitors, but also created a platform for knowledge sharing and business collaboration.

Particularly popular exhibits that captured the attention of many visitors were those by the academic institutions. N Y P’s Additive www.equipment-news.com

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS Manufacturing Innovation Centre displayed their 3D printed aircraft which they had designed and built, and NTU’s Singapore Centre for 3D Printing showed their 3D printed concept car.

Today, more applications that have used traditional methods are increasingly being replaced with 3D printing methods. One example is in moulding, where w it h 3D pr int ing, it is now possible to create more complex designed tools or objects. A rising concern is therefore: can 3D printing one day take over traditional methods of production in the metalworking industry?

Creatz3D’s general manager Sean Looi shared his view on that concern: “3D printing still a long way to go.” With the current conventional methods used in metalworking production, products are still more sturdy and reliable when made with raw metal and material than when they are 3D printed, he explained.

“Today’s 3D printing is not a production technolog y for mass production,” he added, as 3D printed production takes a significantly longer time to make the same number of products than if current conventional methods are used. However, 3D printing can be complementary to production, especially when complex pieces are required, or when one needs small numbers of unique pieces, he said. With 3D printing still at an infancy stage, it may take a while till it completely replaces traditional methods of production in the metalworking industry, if ever.

Use Of Robotics Exhibitors such as ABB, Yaskawa and Faro that are involved with robotics engaged similarly with trade attendees through their multiple robot demonstrations, some occurring almost every hour.

These companies not only provide solutions for their own www.equipment-news.com

Visitors watching a welding robot demonstration by ABB.

operations, but also help support others in their productions. One such example is ABB and the robots they provide. ABB’s Local Business Unit Manager of Robotics, Ang Boon Hua, said: “Having engaged in developing technologies and robots to suit the industry since the 1980s, the robots of ABB now support welding applications, material handling and machine tending for CNC applications among many others.” In doing so, ABB supports other companies such as Makino and Mazak in their productions.

With regards to the current t re nd s of rob ot ic s a nd 3 D Scanning, Quah Beng Chieh, Head of Marketing-Asia Pacific, Faro Singapore, said: “Today, ever y thing has moved from 2D to 3D measurements. This is where scanning technology come s in because the data collected can be used to measure every thing of an object like components of technology used in manufacturing.”

V i sito r s we r e g i v e n t h e chance to use the Faro scanners to e x p er ience t heir e a sy handling, as well as understand more about how the data points collected could translate to mea surements. A unique advantage of 3D scanning is that it easily measures objects that may be difficult to measure with conventional 2D methods, such as car parts, added Mr Quah.

Collaborators A unique feature of this year’s show was the Capabilities Hub. D eveloped in collaborat ion with the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology ( S I M Te c h) , i t a l l o w e d f o r local parts and components ma nu fac tu rers a nd ser v ice providers for aerospace, oil & ga s a nd me dic a l se c tors to display their newe st technologies, and created a platform for networking and knowledge-sharing as well.

Future Factories and Manufacturing Asia Conference The conferences held in conjunction with this year’s show were valuable opportunities for all involved in the industr y to gle a n new k nowle dge of current trends and the latest technologies especially with re ga rd to I ndu st r y 4.0 a nd precision engineering.

The “Future Factories and Manufacturing Asia Conference” pa r ticula rly addre ssed a nd featured case studies on digital ma nufacturing, Industr y 4.0 and industrial automation to prov ide de le gate s w it h i n depth knowledge and insight of the evolving business and industrial landscape for Asian manufacturers.

Dr Satish Lele, Vice President of Asia-Pacific, Frost May - June 2015 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

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& Sullivan, emphasised on smart manufacturing, and particularly the importance of the competency in manufacturing, especially in Asian countries, in order to pit against other competitive countries like the US. To bridge gaps between growth rates, he suggested that Asian companies focus on developing capabilities of manpower and technology, and on increasing productivity levels.

T h e I n du s t r y 4 . 0 o f fe r s opportunities for the evolution of multiple business facets such as industry convergence, services, and supply chain. However, Dr Lele and the panel foresaw challenges in the implementation of it as well as for smart manufacturing here in Asia due to companies’ ability to cope with additional investments to balance return on investments, abilities to handle large amounts of data, and cyber security issues.

Still, smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 are needed to keep manufacturing relevant in Asian countries, especially since the manufacturing sector typically contributes to 20-30 percent of a country’s valueadded GDP. Dr Lele said: “The next five to seven years would be critical because we (Asia) would need to settle issues like standardisation and security, and work on specific business models to fully benefit.”

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Precision Engineering Centre of Innovation (PE COI) Annual Conference With Singapore’s upcoming 50th celebration of independence this ye a r, the theme of the conference was “The Singapore Precision E ng ineer ing ( PE ) Industr y: The Past 50 Years and Future”. Jointly organised

by SIMTech and the Singapore P re c i sio n E n g i ne e r i n g a nd Technology Association (SPETA), speakers spoke of current status, future growth prospects and challenges of Singapore’s PE industry, and suggested ways to influence growth of the industry, not just in Singapore.

One such way is by upgrading skills capabilities of employees as speaker Tan Hui Khim, Director of Future of Manufacturing at the Economic Development Board mentioned. Matthias Giessler, Deputy General Manager of Design, Makino Asia, also talked about Industry 4.0 and the profitability

of automation, as it would reduce manpower needed while increasing production quality.

Steven Koh, Deputy Chairman o f S PE TA , e mpha si se d t he importance of global partnerships, and sharing his experience of how he transformed a local small-medium enterprise (SME) Armstrong Industrial Company Limited to a multi-million business, said a “three-prong structure of overall growth” comprising cash, profit and productivity growth should be a company’s primary focus to be successful.

In line with MTA2015’s theme, experts also mentioned strong potentials for applications and R&D of 3D printing and robotics in the PE industry especially with respect to aerospace, medical technology and semiconductor areas. With these two growing sectors to boost the PE industry, this could further growth of a country’s manufacturing sector as a whole.

Wit h t he sat isfac t ion of exhibitors, visitors and delegates in spreading awareness of the themed 3D printing technology and robotics, gaining new knowledge of the latest trends and technologies, and formation of new connections made between businesses, the MTA2015 concluded successfully.

This forms higher expectations for the next MTA to be held in Singapore in two years’ time, from 4-7 April 2017.

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4-7

rket Where Manverge Leaders Co st

ate to Unveil L ies g lo o n Tech s e Solution to Provid atives & Altern ery to Meet Ev Need ring Manufactu

JIExpo

Kemayoran Jakarta

Impressive Technologies New Launches Total Solutions Innovative Ideas

and Many More ........

Register Reg egiste ster Online Now !

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EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS

M

TA V i e t n a m w i l l return will return to the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City from July 7 – 10, 2015. As with previous years, the show will be featuring metal cutting and metal forming machinery as well as tooling systems that cater to Vietnam’s ever growing manufacturing industry.

Since 2005, MTA Vietnam has played a pivotal role in bridging the international manufacturing industry and Vietnam market. The 2015 edition is expected to open with more than 280 international and local companies from 19 countries and regions, including 11 international groups from Germany, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

S o m e o f t h e i n d u s t r y ’s biggest international brands have confirmed their return to MTA Vietnam this year to bring forth a myriad of manufacturing equipment and supplies that meet the critical needs of the local manufacturing players. They include Amada, Bystronic, Carl Zeiss, DMG Mori, Dine ,Haas, Hurco, Guehring, Mazak, Mitutoyo, Mori, Nikon, Sandvik, Sodick, Studer, Trumpf and many more.

“MTA Vietnam is specifically tailored to meet this critical demand, by providing manufacturing professionals in Vietnam an established business platform to source for the latest technologies and best-selling products available in the global marketplace. In addition, the event also offers value-added seminars for the industry to discuss pertinent issues, trends and developments,” says William Lim, project director for the show from Singapore Exhibition Services (SES).

Remarking on last year’s show, Dr Hans - Peter Laubscher, Managing Director-Asia Pacific of Trumpf Pte Ltd said, “A s Vietnam has moved towards

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Event Preview:

MTA Vietnam 2015

the production of high quality and competitive products for both domestic and international ma rkets, factories here a re embracing advanced technology which is ver y necessa r y to achieve this. MTA Vietnam – as the key technology platform in Vietnam – plays an important role in this. I am very pleased that the industry recognises our strong technology. The quality of the enquiries we have received so far has been excellent.”

In all, there is a sharp increase in pledged FDI, reflecting well on

the country’s competitiveness in labour-intensive manufacturing, which may drive the Southeast Asian country to become an a l te r n a t i v e to C h i n a a s a manufacturing base.

SECC Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam July 7 – 10, 2015 Got a Question? Make An Enquiry.

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ENQUIRY NO 079

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS

Event Preview:

Manufacturing Expo 2015 M a nufacturing E xpo 2 015 l o o k s to b e back with a bang at BITEC, Bangkok from June 24 -27, 2015. According to the organiser, manufacturing technologies from more than 1,600 brands as compared to last year from 46 countries will be presented at the show.

With the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) coming to fruition later this year, ASEAN countries are adapting their laws and regulations for seamless integration and more than 90 percent of this work is already done. The AEC will be recognised as a single market and economic power of over 600 million people in one of the fastest developing region of the world. With this, manufacturers in A SE A N have been gea ring up their plant processes to make their technologies world class grade, and competitive to emerge as regional leaders and much more.

In this case, Thailand has concentrated its energies into developing t he automot ive industry and the country has reached its aim of becoming one of the largest auto makers in the world. Back in 2013, auto pro duc t ion in wa s a l re ady predicted to reach 2.4 million vehicles, and major brands are expanding production, to meet growing domestic and export demands.

Thailand is still considered one of the top destinations for investment by international ma nufacturers. The Thai

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Department of Industrial Works has revealed that the latest statistics of business expansion in the first 10 months increased by 170 percent compared to the same period last year, and the

total number of submissions for new factories establishment and expansion reached 4,445 factories, altogether equal 469,429.75 million Baht (US$15 billion) compared to the same period last year www.equipment-news.com

w e A N ter

10 12

September 2015

International Center for Exhibition (I.C.E) Culture Palace 91 Tran Hung Dao Street

Hanoi Vietnam

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Vietnam’s Leading Exhibition on Machine Tools, Technologies, and Automation for Mold & Die, Auto Parts, and Plastic Packaging Manufacturing Exhibit space is open for reservation.

Vietnam +84 8 3520 7756/57/58 Thailand +66 2 686 7299 vietnammanufacturingexpo@reedtradex.co.th www.vietnammanufacturingexpo.com www.facebook.com/vietnammanufacturingexpopage

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Local partner:

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS

Thailand is still considered one of the top destinations for investment by international manufacturers.

or nine percent increase. The automotive industry alone has acquired 12,298 million Baht in investment (US$430 million).

With Manufacturing Expo 2015, the various needs of Thailand’s and the region’s automotive industry like metal, non-metal parts, rubber parts, plastics parts, assembly technologies, electronics and others, will be achieved. This show brings 72

asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

t he l a te s t te c h no lo g ie s to v i si to r s w h o a r e A S E A N ’s leading ma nufacturers, a nd subcontractors of components and parts for automotive and electronics industries.

Manufacturing Expo 2015 includes five UFI approved events: InterMold 2015, Automotive Manufacturing 2015 and Assembly Automation 2015. In addition three co-located shows: Industrial

Components & Subcontracting 2015, sourcing hub for industrial parts; NEPCON Thailand 2015, on assembly, measurement, and testing technologies for electronic manufacturing; Surface & Coatings 2015, on surface treatment, paints, and coatings provide the linkages among the various parts and supplies to enable industries to find all they will require within a single event.

A s w it h e v e r y y e a r t h e pavilions will be much larger, with more attractive displays.

Manufacturers will be able to see as with previous years for the latest technologies in High Speed Milling, Grinding, Wire Cutting, and Multi-Task Turning among others.

Complimentary activities such as the Business Matchmaking Program, Manufacturing Gallery, Automotive Summit are designed to offer business visitors highly effective tools to expand their network s, a nd develop new businesses.

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand June 24 - 27, 2015 Got a Question? Make An Enquiry.

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8-10 October 2015 SECC (TT Trien lam Saigon)

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Vietnam’s International Exhibition on Machine Tools & Metalworking Solutions for Production Upgrade

Possessing the best metalworking productivity will be easier than ever as “METALEX Vietnam 2015” is designed, molded, and shaped to be the center of metalworking excellence. This is where the latest machine tools and metalworking solutions by 500 brands from 25 countries will reveal to you how the manufacturing and the supporting industries can achieve top-notch production efficiency and confidently venture into the challenging AEC era. METALEX Vietnam will provide technology providers first-class chance to meet prospective buyers, learn their needs, and discuss how you can help them be the best that they can be. Reserve your space, today, and start reaching your buyers now.

ENQUIRY NO 089

Exhibit space is open for reservation.

Vietnam +84 8 3520 7756/57/58 Thailand +66 2 686 7299 metalexvietnam@reedtradex.co.th www.metalexvietnam.com www.facebook.com/metalexvietnampage

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EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS

Event Preview:

MTT Indonesia 2015

T

he biennial event MTT I ndo ne sia re t u r n s to Jakarta from August 4 7, 2015 at JIExpo. Once again, experts from the machine tool, metalworking and industrial automation fields will be present to lead the audience through their innovations that will no doubt make an impact in today’s manufacturing world.

Indonesia, arguably the fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia and one of the fastest in Asia, is finally coming out of a difficult period through political and economic reforms. This looks to promise steady growth in the coming years ahead according to analysts’ reports. According to data provided by certain analysts, Indonesia which is sitting at position number 16 in terms of economic size, could potentially move as far up as fifth in about 15 years. This is an exciting development indeed for investors seeking to open up plants and manufacturing hubs within the country.

Indonesia’s population looks

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to grow to 141 million people by the year 2020. This means a growth of roughly four and a half million plus people on a year on year basis. Moreover currently, it accounts for nearly half of Southeast Asia’s gross domestic product (GDP). At the same time, the region’s largest economy is also witnessing the build-up of its domestic consumption, which accounts for more than half of the country’s GDP. To ride on this economic progress, the MTT Indonesia 2015 is a highly focused annual exhibition of manufacturing machinery, equipment, materials and services event with over a decade of success. The event presents many opportunities to meet face to face with potential clients who are actively looking for suppliers to grow their business.

Over the years, MTT has been run with its pulse synchronized w it h t h e he a r tb e a t o f t he marketplace. Every feature of MTT is designed, machined, moulded and pressed into the shap e a s prog ra m me d a nd

specified by the manufacturing se c tor s it t a rge t s a nd t he industries it serves at large. A steering committee comprising of industry stakeholders, exhibitors and government bodies set the pace and direct the steps of the MTT events.

Exhibitors are touting the show to be the show to be at and take the opportunity to connect with new business partners and to contact them and demonstrate new products or services.

MTT Indonesia 2015 is the ideal place to generate real time ma rket feedback on new or existing products or services.

JIExpo Jakarta, Indonesia August 4 - 7, 2015 Got a Question? Make An Enquiry.

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MDA174R-witu15-APMEN-80x240.ai

1

PRODUCT FINDER 27/4/15

3:12 pm

Beckhoff: IO-Link Box Module Devices

Beckhoff has launched IO-Link box module devices that offer protection class IP 67 and enable the local connection of binary and complex sensors and actuators in the field with simple and cost-effective sensor cables. This provides straightforward data transfer to an IO-link communication system.

With 24 bus systems, a compact form factor and 28 different available designs of the module that are in accordance with IO-Link specification V1.1, the modules suit a wide range of application requirements and environments.

C

M

Got a Question? Make An Enquiry.

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CGTech: Vericut V7.3 Software

CY

CMY

CGTech has released a latest version for their Vericut software, V7.3. The software can be operated independently or integrated with CAD/CAM systems and machine tools. With the machine simulation feature, collisions and near-misses between all machine tool components like axis slides, heads, turrets and more can be detected. Machine movements can also be simulated while stepping or playing backwards in the software’s review mode. Without requiring a license and even offering animations of CNC machining processes, this mode can play forward and backward while removing and replacing material.

Got a Question? Make An Enquiry.

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ENQUIRY NO 102

K

May - June 2015 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

75

PRODUCTFINDER Dormer Pramet: Milling Cutters And Inserts

FARO: 3D Scanner

Dormer Pramet has recently launched a new range of tangential face milling cutters and robust doublesided inserts for heavy roughing in the power and marine industries, which result in good impact strength and cost-efficient machining due to both high feed and cutting depth capabilities. The tangential inserts LNEX suit the S60LN15C cutter for face milling of cast iron and steel in heavy conditions.

The inserts were produced with grades M5326, M8326 and M8346, developed specially for heavy milling to offer additional durability, and come as M and KR chipbreakers. M suits positive geometry for standard workpieces and promotes low cutting forces, while KR suits negative geometry for hard workpieces and heavy cutting conditions.

Developed by FARO Technologies, the Scanner Freestyle 3D, complemented with a Microsoft Surface Tablet, scans objects to a distance of three metres and captures up to 88k points per second with an accuracy of 1.5 mm. Weighing less than a kilogramme, the portable handheld scanner not only enables the user to manoeuvre the device to scan hard-to-reach places such as car interiors, but it also allows realtime visualisation of an object by the user through view point cloud data as it is captured. Its memoryscan technology lets users pause and then resume scanning and data collection at any time without requiring artificial targets.

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EWM: Energy-Saving Welding System

Harmonic Drive UK: Semiconductor Robot

The EWM forceArc welding machines and process used in the construction of renewable energy plants is both economical and environmentally friendly. The process has shown to be highly efficient in reducing production time, power and material used thus saving costs in manufacturing components for power plants.

The energy-reduced, heat-minimised joining process also results in less distortion and errors during welding, improving product quality. The system can be used for manufacturing all parts of an energy plant, not limited to only certain components.

Harmonic Drive UK has launched a two-variant CDS series of compact lightweight semiconductor robots, the CSD-2UF and the CSD-2UH. Differing in outside diameters and overall lengths, the two variants offer torque capacities from 12Nm to 450Nm and 850Nm respectively, and in six and seven sizes and three ratios of 50, 100 and 160:1. The space-saving design includes a hollow shaft that allows cables, pipes and other services to be passed through the centre of the unit. With a high level of positioning accuracy, the robots can be used in any high precision application, not limited to robotic or semiconductor applications.

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Got a Question? Make An Enquiry.

ENQUIRY No.

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PRODUCTFINDER

In an increasingly competitive environment, no company engaged in manufacturing of high-tech tools can afford to remain idle. Therefore, Heimatec has developed drilling and milling heads for axial and radial machining on different lathe machines.

With a transmission ratio of 1:4, these tools can reach a speed of 24,000 rpm, according to the manufacturer. In addition to internal cooling of 70 bar for the axial drilling and milling head, and 140 bar for the angle-drilling and milling head, the tools are supplied with an ER16 AX u-tec change system.

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Heimatec: High-Speed Tools For Drilling & Milling

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77

PRODUCTFINDER Hommel+Keller: Marking Tools

TaeguTec: TwinRush Drill

Hommel+Keller offers two marking procedures for efficient and cost-effective production processes, namely the revolving marking procedure and the spring return system. For the former, tool series 130 and 131 combined with marking rolls 40 and 40-A, or series 311 and 312 combined with marking roll 40-K can be used for conical applications and flat surface marking. These combinations offer increased flexibility when marking, and allow individual characters to be easily replaced so a new marking roll is not needed. For the spring return system, all series 431 and 432 tools are suitable, allowing them to be flexibly adapted to workpieces of different diameters and shapes. The tools can suit specific applications, and enable easy handling, letting users create precise results quickly.

Taeg uTec ha s combined two of its popular dr ills into a single tool, the TwinRush, which now comprises a centering insert with a pair of precise square inserts on either side. The former enables precision self-centered machining for achieving hole concentricity, and the latter are specially designed 4-corner SPGX type equipped with a wiper ground area for improved roughness, and offer double the productivity. The tool has improved body rigidity, excellent chip control and enables users to drill directly without a pilot hole. Available in a diameter range from 26 mm to 45 mm with a 5xD drilling depth of cut, the tool is covered with TT9080 Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) multi-layered coated grade to protect against premature wear or damage and extend the drill’s life to save on tool cost and downtime.

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RS Components has expanded its range of inspection cameras to include two new low-cost cameras, TF3309H80 and TF3319HLMX, that have borescope/ fibrescope capabilities to help identify problems in machinery and buildings such as corrosion, leaks or damage in hard-to-reach areas. The cameras are able to withstand temperature ranges from 0 - 55 deg C and are resistant to a wide range of chemicals and solvents including oil, fuel and brake fluid. TF3309H80 features a high-resolution 640 x 480 VGA display and a 1.5 m long, 8 mm VGA camera wand that has a wide viewing angle, four times zoom, built-in LED lighting and high detector sensitivity to capture images even in low-light conditions. The TF3319HLMX includes the aforementioned features, with an added ability to record still and video images.

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4610

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WIDIA: Multi-Purpose End Milling

RS Components: Inspection Camera

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WIDIA has launched the VarilMill GP (general purpose) tools comprising of cost-saving multi-purpose end mills suitable for roughing, semi-finishing, and finishing in a wide range of materials like aluminium, stainless steels, and cast irons. The end mills have a 30-degree helix angle to provide strong edges and stability, a thick TiAlN coating to prevent against wear and prolong tool life. They are available in two- and four-flute versions in square-end, chamfered-edge and ball-nose varieties, and inch and metric sizes with varying lengths and shank styles.

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EXHIBITION PROGRAMMES MAY

20 – 23 Metaltech

PWTC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tradelink info@tradelink.com.my www.tradelink.com.my/metaltech/

27 – 29 BuildTech Yangon 2015

Grand City Convention & Exhibition Centre Surabaya, Indonesia info@gem-indonesia.net www.inapa-exhibition.net

SEPTEMBER 7–9 Aluminium India

Myanmar Convention Centre Yangon, Myanmar Sphere Exhibits sphere@sph.com.sg www.btyangon.com

Bombay Exhibition Centre Mumbai, India Reed SI Exhibitions aluminium@reedsi.com www.aluminium-india.com

JUNE

18 – 23 EMO

10 – 13 Manufacturing Surabaya

Grand City Convention & Exhibition Centre Surabaya, Indonesia PT Pamerindo Indonesia maysia@pamerindo.com manufacturingsurabaya.com

24 – 27 Manufacturing Expo 2015 BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Reed Tradex manufacturing-expo@reedtradex.co.th www.manufacturing-expo.com

JULY

7 – 10 MTA Vietnam

SECC Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam SES event@sesallworld.com mtavietnam.com

AUGUST 4–7 MTT Expo

JIExpo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia ECMI exh@mtt-indonesia.com mtt-indonesia.com

26-29 PDMEX 2015

World Trade Center Metro Manila, Philippines MAI (Market Access & Innovation) Management Philippines mai_mgt@compass.com.ph www.equipment-news.com

12 - 14 Inapa Surabaya

2015

Hannover Fairground Hannover, Germany www.emo-hannover.de

OCTOBER

8 – 10 Metalex Vietnam

SECC Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam contactcenter@reedtradex.co.th www.metalexvietnam.com

28 – 31 Korea Metal Week

KINTEX Seoul, South Korea Korea Trade Fairs master1@ktfairs.com www.korea-metal.com/en/asp/main.asp

NOVEMBER 18 – 21 Metalex

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Reed Tradex metalex@reedtradex.co.th www.metalex.co.th

To be considered for inclusion in the calendar of events, send details of event to:

The Editor (APMEN) Eastern Trade Media

1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building #02-05 Singapore 169206 Email: syedshah@epl.com.sg Tel: +65 63792888 May - June 2015 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

79

ADVERTISING INDEX Page No.

Enquiry No.

AGMACHINE TECHNO CO LTD

77

081

BENIGN ENTERPRISE CO LTD

21

094

BYSTRONIC PTE LTD

03

091

CAIRNHILL METROLOGY PTE LTD

13

096

DEES HYDRAULIC INDUSTRIAL CO LTD

51

068

DELCAM LTD

05

075

ECMI SERVICES PTE LTD (MTT EXPO 2015)

67

108

FRITZ STUDER AG

15

098

HAAS AUTOMATION INC

09

086

HEIMATEC GMBH

29

107

HOFFMANN QUALITY TOOLS ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

11

100

ISCAR LTD

IFC

093

KENNAMETAL INC

BC

104

LICO MACINERY CO LTD

61

082

LIEN CHIEH MACHINERY CO LTD

35

067

MAI (MARKET ACCESS & INNOVATION) MANAGEMENT PHILIPPINES (PDMEX 2015)

69

079

MESSE DUSSELDORF ASIA PTE LTD (WIRE & TUBE 2015)

75

102

OKUMA CORPORATION

IBC

088

PEER ENERGY SINGAPORE PTE LTD

77

085

PT PAMERINDO INDONESIA (MANUFACTURING SURABAYA 2015)

43

080

REED TRADEX CO LTD (MANUFACTURING EXPO 2015)

53

106

REED TRADEX CO LTD (METALEX VIETNAM 2015)

73

089

REED TRADEX CO LTD (VIETNAM MANUFACTURING EXPO 2015)

71

090

SCHUNK INTEC PTE LTD

17

103

SECO TOOLS (S.E.A) PTE LTD

01

087

SINGAPORE EXHIBITION SERVICES PTE LTD (MTA VIETNAM 2015)

63

109

SOFIMU SRL

45

101

TAILIFT CO LTD

55

099

TAIWAN TAKISAWA CO LTD

57

095

TORNOS TECHNOLOGIES ASIA LTD

59

097

TRADE LINK ITE SDN BHD (METALTECH 2015)

39

042

WALTER AG SINGAPORE PTE LTD

07

092

WENZEL ASIA PTE LTD

FC

105

ZWCAD SOFTWARE CO LTD

23

047

Advertiser

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80

asia pacific metalworking equipment news May - June 2015

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KOREA Young-Seoh Chinn JES MEDIA INTERNATIONAL Tel: 82-2-481 3411/3 Fax: 82-2-481 3414 E-mail: jesmedia@unitel.co.kr

SWITZERLAND Rene Bachmann MEDIALL SA Tel: 41-56-442 14 40 Fax: 41-56-442 27 77 E-mail: rb@mediall.ch

TAIWAN Robert Yu WORLDWIDE SERVICES CO., LTD Tel: 886-4-2325 1784 Fax: 886-4-2325 2967 E-mail: sales@wwstaiwan.com

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ASIA PACIFIC METALWORKING

No. 4 2015

The Engineering Journal For Manufacturing,Automation & Quality Control

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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

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EDM/ECM Inspection/Measuring/Testing Design with CAD/CAM Drilling/Boring Tapping/Threading Lapping/Honing

❑ 313 ❑ 316 ❑ 319 ❑ 322 ❑ 302 ❑ 305

Forging Rolling Die Casting Welding Turning Coil Forming

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Broaching Plastic Moulding Pressworking Automated Assembly Beading Electroplating

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Motor Vehicles Parts

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ENQUIRY NO 088

Simply a smarter insert. That’s Beyond Drive.

That’s TM

TM

With Wear Detection Technology Black Insert

Hard to detect wear.

BEYOND DRIVE TM

TM

Our most advanced surface treatment: • Bronze outer layer simplifies wear detection • Reduces coating stresses • Improves coating adhesion

At Kennametal, our inspiration is driven by asking “what if?” Engineering a complete portfolio of inserts that utilizes advanced wear detection technology while also increasing metal removal rates — is a result of that drive.

A simply smarter insert. Now That’s Different Thinking, That’s Better Thinking. That’s Kennametal.

Beyond Drive inserts coupled with NOVO — our suite of powerful digital tools — will lead to increased performance. To learn more about your productivity gains using Beyond Drive inserts and NOVO, call +1 800 835 3668 or visit www.kennametal.com/BeyondDrive TM

TM

TM

TM

TM

TM

ENQUIRY NO 104 ©2015 Kennametal Inc. l All rights reserved. l A-15-04413

www.kennametal.com/BeyondDrive