APMEN Nov-Dec 2013

EMO 2013 Review

Bystronic Competence Days

Metalex vietnam review November-December 2013

www.equipment-news.com

Machining Titanium:

It’s Complicated PG 22

Composite SPECIAL:

Best Of Both Worlds PG 51

Tool Balancing & Setting:

Maintaining

A Fine Balance

Machining Machining Intelligently Intelligently

ISCAR ISCARHIGH HIGHQQLINES LINES

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ENQUIRY NO 216

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ENQUIRY NO 129

Advertorial

Small CNC Lathe

『QUICK TURN PRIMOS�

Produced at Singapore factory and will be released to Asia region including Japan & India

Yamazaki Mazak Corporation has released the QUICK TURN PRIMOS on November 8, 2013.

It is a new compact CNC lathe, which is in high demand in Asian markets including Japan & India.

The machine is mass-produced at the Singapore factory.

As of now, the Singapore factory has been going through its fifth expansion since opening in 1992. The expansion will be completed by the end of this year and will also include a new Technology Center. This new facility will be fully operational from next spring.

After the expansion, the production capacity will increase to 130 units/month from the existing 90 units/month. We aim to meet high demands from India where Singapore has FTA 2

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

with, and demands from other Southeast Asia nations.

This small CNC lathe QUICK TURN PRIMOS produced at the Singapore factory is a series of 2 axis CNC lathe for mass production or automotive industries. It features a spacesaving compact design and delivers cost-effective solutions with high performance.

Within such a compact size, a built-in main spindle delivers high speed and high accuracy.

It is designed to facilitate userfriendly operation and allows easy maintenance. Various options are added to improve automation and productivity. The compact lathe is the smallest, yet the most efficient, with enhanced operability, maintainability, and maximum automation capability.

Model:

Industry:

50S or 100S with 5 and 6 inch chuck

Motorcycle industry, etcs

150S with 8 inch chuck

Automobile industry, etcs

Feature

QUICK TURN PRIMOS , the latest model of the QUICK TURN series, which has been sold more than 80,000 units since its release in 1981 has been designed to meet demands for the competitive manufacturing industries. This includes automobile/motorcycle industries in Asia which has been expanding rapidly.

Our technologies, cultivated over the years make it possible to achieve a simple yet userfriendly design based on human engineering with various www.equipment-news.com

Advertorial options to meet demands from production lines. Mazak is proud to announce this is one of the most compact CNC lathe in the series that deliver good performance value.

Improvement of operability and maintainability • Machine size reduced - The floor space has been reduced efficiently by about 20% from the current models - The height of all models are under 1,700 mm, promoting better visibility • Equipped with standard FANUC NC, which is in high demand in Asia market • Easy access to main spindle • Small and lightweight door for easier operation • 45 degrees window’s angle allows clearer visibility • Standard oil pan at the rear makes cleaning of chips possible while machine is in operation.

• Can be easily transferred by forklift to change production layout

• High capacity oil pan prevents increase in coolant temperature and achieves high accuracy

• Various options available for automation/unmanned operation

Specification

High accuracy • High productivity

QUICK TURN PRIMOS 50 S

QUICK TURN PRIMOS 100 S

QUICK TURN PRIMOS 150 S

200U

200U

250U

Center dimension

• With high rigidity built-in main spindle, it improves circularity and surface roughness

Chuck size

5 inch

6 inch

8 inch

Maximum swing

φ444mm

φ444mm

φ580mm

Maximum machining diameter

φ180mm

φ180mm

φ250mm

Maximum rotating speed*1

5,000min-1

5,000min-1

4,000min-1

Motor output(40%ED)

7.5 kW

9 kW

11kW

• Equipped with a main spindle feature which deliver good torque even at low speeds, which is suitable for processing parts for the automobile and motorcycle industries

Maximum torque

47.7 N.m

75.1 N.m

131 N.m

Height

1,700mm

1,700mm

1,700mm

Floor space

1,395mm×1,230mm

1,395mm×1,230mm

1,600mm×1,500mm

*1 The rotating speed depends on the spec of chuck

YAMAZAKI MAZAK SINGAPORE PTE LTD 21, Joo Koon Circle, Jurong, Singapore 629053 Tel: +(65) 6862 1131 (12 lines) Fax: +(65) 6861 9284 www.mazak.com.sg

www.equipment-news.com

Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

3

Contents

November-December 2013

CUTTING EDGE 22 Machining Titanium: It’s Complicated

Machining titanium is a popular choice these days but it comes with a number of issues.

By Paul Lanari, TaeguTec

26

Making Titanium Work For You

Machining titanium should not be such an arduous task. By Michael E Neumann

28

Titanium In Medtech

We look at a shop that deploys flexible machines and versatile machining procedures to making medical implants out of titanium and other materials. By Matt Bailey, for Haas

TECH TALK 30

Maintaining A Fine Balance

Vibration-free running allows for higher feed rates during tool grinding.

By Wolfgang Klingauf, for Haimer

SOFTWARE & METROLOGY 34

Cleaner Diesel Emissions Driven

By Non-Contact Optical Metrology

Interferometric non-contact surface profilers are introduced into the manufacturing processes of diesel engine parts, giving manufacturers a fast, accurate, and repeatable method of metrology. By Michael Schmidt, Zygo Corporation

38

Articulating The Value Of 3D Measurement Tools In Aircraft Component Manufacturing

3D articulated measurement arms are a welcome addition to a Japanese contract manufacturer active in the aerospace industry. By Yoshihiro Iida, Faro Japan

FORM.JOIN.CUT 40

Plasma Cutting: Making The Cut With Steely Resolve

Known to be tedious in the past, plasma cutting of stainless steel is now a more efficient process. By Steve Liebold, Jon Peters & Jesse Tyler, Hypertherm

4

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

INDUSTRY FOCUS 44

Having A Vision For Quality Electronics

To capitalise on growing consumer demand in Asia, manufacturers need to deploy cuttingedge technology to reduce errors and raise productivity. By Didier Lacroix, Cognex

www.equipment-news.com

Best choice.

Fiber technology in a nutshell Swiss quality at a local price: The BySun Fiber 3015 is tailored exactly to your needs.

Laser | Bending | Waterjet bystronic.com ENQUIRY NO 214

Visit us at Machine Tool Indonesia 2013 4th–7th Dec 2013 | Booth A 2130

Contents

November-December 2013

Cover credit: Haimer

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.

EXECUTIVE ZONE 48 Taking Flight In Manufacturing With developments in air travel and the capabilities of local supply chains, the aerospace industry could well be Indonesia’s solution to greater economic growth. By Sherlyne Yong

COMPOSITE Materials SPECIAL 51

Efficient Drilling Of Advanced Aerospace Materials & Composites In the aerospace industry, connection technologies for moulded parts remain under question so that fixturing with rivets is still the dominant reliable process in practice.

Machining those composite materials efficiently, however, especially in holemaking operations, challenges cutting tools by requiring high hardness as well as optimum tool geometries. By Dr Qiang Wu, Fabian Rosenberger & Dr Christoph Gey, Kennametal

56

Composites Machining In Aerospace: A Numbers Game

The development in the machining of composites is a factor growing in importance, especially in the aerospace industry. A particular focus is on total cost-per-hole — taking into account the time needed for tool change, tool cost and above all, productivity.

By Christer Richt, Sandvik Coromant

Regulars

1 0 Business News 76 Product Finder 79 Exhibition Programmes 80A Product Enquiry Card 6

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

60

‘Plying’ A New Trade

A new fabric can change the way we design and manufacture products. By Steve W Tsai, Stanford University, Michel Cognet & Philippe Sanial, Chomarat Group

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

FEATURES 64

Event Review: EMO Hannover 2013 APMEN takes a look at what are making waves at EMO. By Wong Tsz Hin

69

Developing World Class Capabilities

To secure a spot in the global market, it is important for sheet metal manufacturers to increase efficiency, reduce costs and simplify their process. By Sherlyne Yong

EVENTS & EXHIBITION 71 Event Preview: Manufacturing Indonesia

Event Review: Vietnam Manufacturing Expo 2013 Event Review: Metalex Vietnam 2013

80

Refer to Advertising Index

pg

SHOULD PLACE THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS ONLY IN AUDITED PUBLICATIONS

INDUSTRY Endorsements SPETA

Singapore Precision Engineering and Tooling Association (SPETA)

Federation of Asian Die & Mould Associations (FADMA)

Federation of Malaysian Foundry & Engineering Industry Associations

Indian Machine Tool Manufacturing Association (IMTMA)

China Machine Tool & Tool Builders' Association (CMTBA)

Machine Tool Club (MTC)

Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI)

For Advertiser's Enquiry Numbers

www.equipment-news.com

ENQUIRY NO 017

Editor’s Note Published by:

Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd (a fully owned subsidiary of Eastern Holdings Ltd)

Reg No: 199908196C

Getting The Mix & Balance Right

managing director Kenneth Tan senior editor Joson Ng

In our regular sections, balance is one of the key themes. The concept of balance is important in all facets of life.

Without balance, there can be no strong foundation for future growth. In the metalworking world, balance too plays a big role, particularly in surface finish and tool life. In order to achieve a high surface finish, vibrations must be kept within a bearable range. Vibrations, induced by imbalance, can also result in more heavily loaded tools, which must subsequently be replaced earlier.

Once again, we have come to the final issue of the year. The year 2013 has truly been an exciting one with plenty of highs and lows, along with moments of excitement and disappointment. In the interest of maintaining the theme of balance, this is the only logical outcome for the year and the metalworking community would not have it any other way now, would it?

Finally, we at APMEN wish you, our dear readers, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

randyteo@epl.com.sg

senior sales manager Derick Chia

In a world where technologies are adva ncing at a bre a k neck speed, traditional machines or manufacturing philosophies quickly become outdated or even obsolete. Even for the most discerning souls, they must make sure they do not miss this pursuit for distinction as it is a route that demands a following purely out of necessity.

The search for excellence however, d o e s n o t s to p a t m a c h i n e r y o r manufacturing philosophy. It goes even into raw materials. In this issue of Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News, we are bringing you a special section on composite materials. Given its importance, even the traditionalists cannot begrudge composite materials a place in today’s manufacturing world.

In this composite materials section, we hope to bring informative insights and articles to people who are working with composite materials in order to help them overcome challenges and embrace composite materials, or at the very least, be open to using them in the future.

josonng@epl.com.sg

business development manager Randy Teo

derickchia@epl.com.sg

sales manager Melvin Wong

melvinwong@epl.com.sg

editorial assistant Sharifah Zainon sharifah@epl.com.sg graphic designer Jef Pimentel jeffreypimentel@epl.com.sg contributing graphic designer Peh Loon Chin pehloonchin@epl.com.sg circulation executive Samantha Tan

samanthatan@epl.com.sg

contributors Paul Lanari Michael E Neumann Matt Bailey Wolfgang Klingauf Michael Schmidt Yoshihiro Iida Steve Liebold Jon Peters Jesse Tyler Didier Lacroix Sherlyne Yong Dr Qiang Wu Fabian Rosenberger Dr Christoph Gey Christer Richt Steve W Tsai Michel Cognet Philippe Sanial Wong Tsz Hin board of consultants Wäinö A Kaarto AB Sandvik Coromant Dr Moshe Goldberg ISCAR All rights reserved. No portion of this publication covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced in any form or means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, taping, etc – without the written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher and editor.

Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd

&

Merry Christmas

Joson Ng Senior Editor

Happy New Year!

MCI (P) No. 050/06/2013 PPS 840/09/2012 (022818) ISSN 0129/5519

Eastern HOLDINGS Ltd Executive Board

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

etm

Eastern

Trade Media Pte Ltd an Eastern Holdings Ltd company

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

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

www.equipment-news.com

Watch trailer:

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ENQUIRY NO 084

powered by Tiger·tec® Silver

Business News Walter Wins Award At EMO 2013

Hannover, Germany: Walter AG and machine tool manufacturer Starrag AG have won the MM Award for Innovation for having the most innovative exhibit in the milling category: The production-scale machining of turbine blades with CO2-based cryogenic cooling.

The feature of the approach developed by the companies is the liquid supply of CO2 coolant through machine, spindle, toolholder and tool, right to the cutting edge — all without loss of pressure and therefore at room temperature.

Cooling to a maximum of minus 73 deg C first occurs at the nozzle, when the CO2, which has been in liquid form until that point, expands.

Users can therefore machine up to 70 percent faster in comparison to dry machining. Conversely, the cryogenic CO2 cooling doubles the tool life, as long as the cutting parameters are not increased.

The developers at the companies have, however, refined their solution even further: A second media channel supplements the CO2 cooling. This channel can be used for aerosol or minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), for example for milling high-strength alloys for heatresistant turbine blades. Because both media — CO2 and MQL — are completely separated and only come into contact with one another at the tool cutting edge, this allows an efficient lubricating effect to be achieved.

Ford China Sales Up 51 Percent In First Three Quarters Shanghai, China: Ford China’s sales soared with 647,849 wholesale units sold in the first three quarters, an increase of 51 percent compared to the same period last year. Driven by continued strong demand for the company's new product lineup in China, September sales increased by 61 percent with 96,111 wholesales sold, compared to 59,570 sold in September last year.

“Ford’s strong sales demonstrate our continued progress on our aggressive China growth strategy,” said John Lawler, chairman and CEO for Ford China. “By refreshing our product lineup, expanding our dealer network, and growing our team and production capacity, Ford will continue to deliver a safe, high-quality, fuel efficient, and connected driving experience to our Chinese customers.”

10

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

Airbus Develops Presence In Malaysia Toulouse, France: Airbus is set to develop its presence in Malaysia with the expansion of its joint venture maintenance unit Sepang Aircraft Engineering (SAE) and the establishment of a Customer Services Centre.

The developments are the first in a series of projects that will see the manufacturer increase its footprint in the fast-growing Southea st A sia n region a nd provide more support services for operators of its aircraft.

The new hangar at SAE, which specialises in the maintenance and overhaul of Airbus single aisle aircraft, will have a floor area of 13,000 sq m and will be capable of accommodating three A320 Family aircraft for major maintenance checks. This will be in addition to the existing hangar, which can accommodate six single aisle aircraft at any one time.

T he cu stomer ser v ice s facility, 100 percent owned by Airbus, will be located adjacent to SAE. It will be an expansion of the manufacturer’s global network of offices providing 24/7 specialised major aircraft engineering and repair services.

“The announcements we are making today reflect the enormous potential we see for the aerospace industry in Southeast Asia,” said Fabrice Brégier, president and CEO, Airbus.

“With a skilled talent pool, qua lit y work ma nship a nd competitive cost base, Malaysia is one of the countries that have the right ingredients to become a key partner for Airbus.

This is in line with our strategy to have a stronger footprint in international markets and develop our support services for operators of our aircraft nearer to their home bases.” www.equipment-news.com

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ENQUIRY NO 209

+84 8 38 44 71 92 +6221 29094177 +66 2726 7191 +66 3811 2700

BusinessNews

Stratasys Opens Office In Singapore

Singapore Company Improves Productivity With Satellite Warehousing Solution

Jonathan Jaglom

Singapore: Stratasys has opened an office in Singapore. The office will enable the company to meet the demands of its Asean-based customers and the local 3D printing market.

The Singapore government recently announced the support of the industry with an investment of S$500 million (US$400 million) over the next five years under its ‘Future of Manufacturing’ p r o g r a m . T h is prog ra m is designed to drive the development a nd adopt ion of adv a nce d manufacturing technologies.

Jonathan Jaglom, GM, Asia Pacific & Japan, said: “Adoption of 3D printing, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, has increased significantly in the past few years.

In addition to Singapore, other governments, including China and Japan, have also stated their support for the industry. We expect adoption to grow in the region.

As an industry leader, we strive to continue offering cutting-edge technologies, helping to shape the industry’s innovation and service excellence standards.”

Establishing local presence in Singapore will enable the company to offer the most appropriate solutions and support to both its channel partners and customers in the country.

12

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

Singapore: Singapore-based supply chain company YCH Group hosted a productivity showcase featuring a solution comprising the company’s proprietary Warehouse Management Solution (WMS) integrated with a satellite automated cart storage system. Set to increase efficiency and throughput by three times, this integrated solution not only achieves higher operational efficiencies, it also improves safety and working conditions.

Worth over S$1 million (US$798,000), the technology investment is inclusive of warehouse management system customisation and it achieves more than 30 percent increase in space optimisation when compared to conventional pallet storage. It also reduces workplace hazards and incidents through reduced exposure to direct pallet handling and minimising operator stress. Reach truck and forklift operators now have more opportunities to cross-train in job processes and gain multiple skills.

Tay Ee Learn, VP of Global Operations, YCH Group, said: “As an innovation-driven company focused on achieving continuous productivity and scalability for our customers, YCH deploys a variety of automation in supply chain management across our logistics establishments. The automated facility installed in our warehouse within the Tampines LogisPark increases the productivity and efficiency of our operations as compared to conventional warehousing methods."

US Cutting Tool Consumption Up 1.3 Percent US: August US cutting tool consumption totaled US$161.7 million, according to the US Cutting Tool Institute and AMT — The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) collaboration, was up 1.3 percent from July’s total but down 13.2 percent from August 2012.

Year-to-date shipments are US$1.33 billion, which is down 7.9 percent from the same period in 2012.

“While US manufacturing has demonstrated very modest growth through 2013, purchasing manager surveys point to a pickup heading towards 2014,” said Dave Povich, president of USCTI. “Cutting tool sales statistics suffered throughout the first half of the year due to some robust sales comps from 2012. These comps should turn more neutral to positive throughout the third and fourth calendar quarters.” www.equipment-news.com

1040, Gachang-ro, Gachang-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 711-865, KOREA Tel: +82-53-760-7640 Fax: +82-53-768-8055 www.taegutec.com Argentina _ Australia _ Belarus Rep. _ Belgium _ Brazil _ Chile _ China _ Croatia _ Czech Rep. _ Denmark _ Finland France _ Germany _ Greece _ Hungary _ India _ Indonesia _ Ireland _ Italy _ Japan _ Malaysia _ The Netherlands _ New Zealand Pakistan _ Philippines _ Poland _ Portugal _ Romania _ Russia _ Serbia _ Singapore _ Slovakia _ Slovenia South Africa _ Spain _ Sweden _ Taiwan _ Thailand _ Turkey _ Ukraine _ United Arab Emirates _ United Kingdom _ U.S.A. _ Vietnam

ENQUIRY NO 218

TaeguTec Ltd. World Headquarters

BusinessNews

Frost & Sullivan: Positive Displacement Pumps Market To Grow In Southeast Asia Singapore: The development of new applications for Positive Displacement (PD) pumps in end-user industries will sustain the PD market in Southeast Asia. The market in the region is in the growth stage, and is highly competitive with a large number of regional participants.

According to Frost & Sullivan, the market earned revenues of US$680.0 million in 2012 and estimates this to reach US$866.1 million in 2017. Expanding applications in different areas such as marine, chemicals, food and beverage, and power generation boost the potential for the PD market. Escalating energy costs and environmental concerns have placed emphasis on energy-efficiency, and the need for precise and accurate pumping measurements in industries further fuels demand for PD pumps.

“The enforcement of environmental laws has been a strong driver of the PD pumps market,” said Frost & Sullivan Industrial Automation and Process Control senior research analyst Vandhana Venkatesan.

“Restrictions on gas emissions, chemical pollution, and energy consumption to reduce environmental contamination encourage the use of PD pumps for their low energy consumption and low chemical waste emissions.”

However, awareness among end users on these energy-saving capabilities of PD pumps remains low, curbing sale volumes. Maintenance can be another challenge as the shortage of skilled technical experts in Southeast Asia makes end users reluctant to purchase advanced equipment.

“Intensifying competition makes it important for PD pump suppliers to provide better post-purchase technical support as well as value-added services,” suggested Ms Venkatesan. “PD vendors must equip end users with additional tools such as asset management solutions that will help ensure energy efficiency and decrease downtime risks.”

EMO Hannover 2013 Posts Good Results Hannover, Germany: EMO Hannover 2013 reported over 2,100 exhibitors from 43 different countries over the duration of the show. The event attracted a total of just under 145,000 trade visitors from over 100 different nations over six days.

According to a visitor survey, one out of every five visitors reported placing an order at the show. A similar number, at 20 percent, intended to finalise purchases after the event, with the figure being double in the case of customers from abroad.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

APPOINTMENTS Change Of Leadership At Schaeffler

Klaus Rosenfeld

Herzogenaurach, Germany: The Supervisory Board of Schaeffler has decided on a change of leadership.

CEO Dr Juergen M Geissinger will leave the company by mutual consent with immediate effect. Until the appointment of a successor, CFO Klaus Rosenfeld will take over as acting CEO, in addition to his current tasks.

AGC To Build Its Third Chinese Automotive Glass Plant Tokyo, Japan: AGC has decided to establish an auto glass plant at its subsidiary AGC Flat Glass (Suzhou), the third of its kind in China. The company will gradually stop running the manufacturing facilities for photovoltaic cover glass at AFS, which are currently in operation, and convert the relevant assets into a plant for producing automotive glass.

From now on, the company will invest a total of about JPY4.5 billion (US$45.7 million) in this project, planning to start mass-producing automotive glass in the first quarter of 2015.

In China, auto production is expected to exceed 20 million units in 2013 and, even after that, continue growing at a high rate of five percent annually. Because of this, demand for automotive glass is projected to increase steadily.

Meanwhile, selling prices of the cover glass of solar cells are rapidly dropping due to excessive capital investments by Chinese glass manufacturers. Against this backdrop, AGC closed a photovoltaic cover glass plant in the US in 2012, and stopped producing raw glass for photovoltaic cover glass in the Philippines. Despite such measures, profitability of the photovoltaic cover glass business is deteriorating as the situation of lower prices for such glass has not been improved, hurt by excessive supply.

Under such business circumstances, the company has decided to convert the photovoltaic cover glass plant of AFS into an automotive glass plant. The third automotive glass plant will have an annual production capacity to equip approximately 1.2 million vehicles in total, and such number for the company in the whole of China, including this plant, will increase to about 3.6 million in total. www.equipment-news.com

ENQUIRY NO 215

Tungaloy Singapore Pte. Ltd. 31 Kaki Bukit Road 3 #05-19 Techlink Singapore 417818 Tel: (65) 6391 1833 • Fax: (65) 6299 4557 www.tungaloy.co.jp/tspl/

BusinessNews

National Instruments Increases Activities In Malaysia Johor & Peta ling Jaya , Ma laysia: National Instruments ( N I ) h a s e nte re d a st rate g ic collaboration with Majlis Amanah Rakyat ( M A R A) to set up LabView Academies at the two colleges of higher education under MARA. The academy provides academic NI & MARA forging institutions around a partnership. the world with classroom curricula and hands-on exercises to

train students on the NI LabView system design software.

Elsewhere in Petaling Jaya, the company organised a Graphical System Design (GSD) Summit to showcase technologies in control, design, test & measurement and automation.

“Conversations in the engineering and scientific world are shifting towards accelerated innovation and applied innovation. Pressures to keep pace with the rapidly changing times and create solutions for emerging global challenges are driving increased take-up for our flexible and easyto-use innovation tools,” says Chandran Nair, MD for National Instruments in Southeast Asia.

GSD Summit 2013 will take place in 11 other cities across six Southeast Asian countries from October 3 – December 10, 2013.

Rise In Investment To Continue In Asia Pacific: PwC Bali, Indonesia: Forty two percent of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in Asia Pacific are ‘very confident’ of revenue grow th over the next 12 months and close to 70 percent intend to increase their investments in the region, according to a study by PwC. The study surveyed nearly 500 business leaders on their attitudes towards doing business in the region and found that the confidence among Asia Pacificbased executives are on the rise.

Some 42 percent of executives say they are ‘very confident’ of revenue growth in the coming year, up from 36 percent last year.

Longer term, 52 percent say they are confident of growth over the next three to five years, about the same as in 2012.

The survey points towards urbanisation in many Asia Pacific economies, the emergence of the local middle-class and the need for infrastructure development being the main reasons for driving the increase in confidence.

“Executives in the Asia Pacific region are in the midst of a major transformation taking place within the region driven by a gradual but steady rise in income 16

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

a nd e conom ic opp or tu n it y for millions of people,” says Dennis M Nally, chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers International. “While overall confidence in growth in Asia Pacific remains undiminished, APEC economies now also face many of the uncertainties of slower growth, previously limited to the more developed markets.”

In the survey, executives were also asked to identify their ‘dark horse’ pick — an Asia Pacific economy that could surprise with more business opportunity tha n is currently expected.

I ndone sia wa s t he top pick, followed by Myanmar, China, The Philippines, and V ie t n a m . A m o n g t he m o s t cited attractive qualities were expanding middle classes, ample natural resources, increasing transparency, infrastructure improvement plans and political stability.

Other Findings • Nea rly 90 percent of A sia Pacific CEOs say their growth strategies are influenced by the growing market of middleincome consumers. And nearly

half of investment increases are focused on new products, services and distribution — growth areas for serving the growing middle class.

• About one in five CEOs is p u r su i n g m ob i l e - e n a b l e d products and services such as transactions.

• D e v e l o p i n g b r o a d b a n d network and urban transport will bolster economic growth, as will changes in regulatory and legal barriers and trade infrastructure.

• Regulatory consistency across t he reg ion cou ld u nle a sh additional investment. A fifth of CEOs say that if rules concerning intellectual property, corporate governance and services are harmonised they are ‘highly likely’ to invest more.

• The multiple trade discussions a mong A PEC economies i s we lcome d by ab out 70 percent of reg iona l CEOs, but 22 percent also see them leading to more uncertainty and administrative costs. www.equipment-news.com

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BusinessNews

Trumpf Acquires Chinese Mechanical Engineering Company

DMG Mori Opens Plant In Tianjin

Ditzingen, Germany: Tr u mp f a n d t h e Chinese machine tool producer Jiangsu Jinfa ng y ua n CNC Machine Company (JFY) will soon be cooperating closely as the former has acquired a majority stake of approximately 72 percent in the Chinese company.

"Acquisition of this prestigious Chinese company is strengthening our presence in the world's most important mechanical engineering market," said Trumpf president Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller. "It is very unusual that a direct investment like this has been made possible for us, as a medium-sized company — and especially in mechanical engineering, which the Chinese government has classified as a key sector."

JFY manufactures machine tools for sheet metal processing and, in terms of output quantities, ranks as the Chinese market leader for punching and bending machines. With its majority stake in the company, Trumpf continues to expand its position in the Chinese market. Importantly, this acquisition is giving the company access to the market's dynamic middle segment.

The acquisition is one of a series of changes by means of which the company intends to realise growth opportunities in promising markets over the coming years. The company continued to grow over the past fiscal year of 2012/13: the Ditzingen-based company increased its sales to €2.34 billion (US$3.2 billion).

This is the highest sales figure in the 90-year history of the company.

Tianjin, China: DMG Mori has opened a plant in the west zone of the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area. The floor space of the facility is approximately 22,000 sq m in the first phase of development. The company plans to make models like NHC4000, NHC5000 in the plant and production capacity is said to be 100 units/month (First-phase). Total investment for the first-phase is approximately JPY4 billion (US$41 million).

The Tianjin plant is the company’s second overseas manufacturing facility, following the North American plant which started operation in 2012. The Tianjin plant not only focuses on producing horizontal machining centres for Chinese customers, but also acts as a manufacturing base for casting parts that will be supplied to other plants in Japan and the US. The addition of the plant will help strengthen the company’s global production network that spans Europe, North America, Japan and China. By taking advantage of this production network, the company will work on reducing logistics costs and delivery time in order to provide customers with even better products and services.

Research: Cracked Metal Heals Itself Cambridge, US: MIT researchers have discovered that under certain conditions, putting a cracked piece of metal under tension — that is, exerting a force that would be expected to pull it apart — has the reverse effect, causing the crack to close and its edges to fuse together.

The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair incipient damage before it has a chance to spread. The results were published in the journal 18

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

Physical Review Letters in a paper by graduate student Guoqiang Xu and professor of materials science and engineering Michael Demkowicz.

The answer to this surprising finding appeared to lie in how grain boundaries interact with cracks in the crystalline microstructure of a metal — in this case nickel, which is the basis for ‘superalloys’ used in extreme environments, such as in deep-sea oil wells.

By creating a computer model of that microstructure and studying its response to various conditions, “We found that there is a mechanism that can, in principle, close cracks under any applied stress,” Prof Demkowicz says.

A computer simulation of the molecular stucture of a metal alloy, showing the boundaries between microcystalline grains (white lines forming hexagons), shows a small crack (dark horizontal bar just right of bottom centre) that mends itself as the metal is put under www.equipment-news.com

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BusinessNews stress. This simulation was one of several the MIT researchers used to uncover this new self-healing phenomenon.

Most metals are made of tiny crystalline grains whose sizes and orientations can affect strength and other characteristics. But under certain conditions, Prof Demkowicz and Mr Xu found stress “causes the microstructure to change: It can make grain boundaries migrate.

This grain boundary migration is the key to healing the crack,” Prof Demkowicz says.

The very idea that crystal grain boundaries could migrate within a solid metal has been extensively studied within the last decade, Prof Demkowicz says.

Self-healing, however, occurs only across a certain kind of boundary, he explains — one that extends partway into a grain, but not all the way through it. This creates a type of defect is known as a ‘disclination’.

Disclinations were first noticed a century ago, but had been considered “just a curiosity,” Prof Demkowicz says. When he and Mr Xu found the crack-healing behaviour, he says: “It took us a while to convince ourselves that what we’re seeing are actually disclinations.”

These defects have intense stress fields, which “can be so strong, they actually reverse what an applied load would do,” he says.

In other words, when the two sides of a cracked material are pulled apart, instead of cracking further, it can heal. “The stress from the disclinations is leading to this unexpected behaviour,” he adds.

Hav ing discovered this mechanism, the researchers plan to study how to design metal alloys so cracks would close and heal under loads typical of p a r t icu la r appl ic at ion s.

Techniques for controlling the microstructure of alloys already exist, Prof Demkowicz says, so it is just a matter of figuring out how to achieve a desired result.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

Bombardier Named Manufacturer Of The Year At The Light Rail Awards 2013

Germar Wacker and Oliver Schmidt from Bombardier Transportation collecting the Light Rail Award for Manufacturer of the Year from BBC anchorman and awards host Nicholas Owen (left) and Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (right)

London, UK: At the 2013 Light Rail Awards held in London, Bombardier Transportation won the award for Manufacturer of the Year. Taking this award for the third year running after winning Worldwide Supplier of the Year in 2010, the company impressed the judges with its commitment to technological innovation,

reliability and customer service.

“The highly-prized accolade M a n u f a c t u r e r o f t h e Ye a r underscores our capability as a provider of light rail solutions and as a reliable partner for our customers,” said Germar Wacker, president Light Rail Vehicles, Bombardier Transportation, upon receiving the award.

UCIMU: The Italian Market Is On The Up Italy: For the third quarter of 2013, the machine tool order index, issued by the Studies Department of UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre, shows the internal order index (domestic market) has started growing again, with an increase of 1.7 percent when compared with the same period of the previous year.

The absolute index value has reached 17.7 percent.

Luigi Galdabini, president of UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre, said: “The main emerging element is the change of trend in the domestic market, which shows a recovery in production machinery investments, however small this may be.

The positive sign in the number of internal orders received is much more than an injection of trust in Italian manufacturers, it is probably also a demonstration that the market is returning to a stable position, a necessary factor to enable the recovery of the whole manufacturing sector, whose activity has been stalling for much too long.”

Following the forecast data processed by Oxford Economic, consumption of machine tools in Italy will increase by 4.5 percent in 2014, by 7.1 percent in 2015, by 8.7 percent in 2016, and by 9.6 percent in 2017. The increases estimated by the institute have all been revised upwards when compared with the previously published ones, produced last spring. www.equipment-news.com

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Cutting Edge

T

he popularity of titanium is spreading across every industry due to the metal’s e x c e p t i o n a l s t re n g t h to weight ratio and corrosion resistance. However, it also means any shop machining components on a schedule has to be creative enough to achieve desired productivity while keeping costs down, due to the challenges titanium poses.

The intensive research and development by the cutting tool industry has led to big improvements that have facilitated the expansion of titanium into everyday industrial applications.

The field now boasts many tooling solutions that effectively machine titanium and titanium alloys. Poly Crystalline Diamond (PCD) inserts, diamond coated inserts and specially designed milling tools that enable quality finish on thin titanium alloy components within specified tolerances have made machining titanium and titanium alloys less complicated.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

Machining Titanium:

It’s Complicated

Machining titanium is a popular choice these days but it comes with a number of issues. By Paul Lanari, marketing specialist, TaeguTec Sharper insert geometries have been introduced that lower cutting forces while PCD and diamond coatings have proven to be effective in increasing productivity and, when possible, speed. On the other hand, concepts such as cryogenic gas show promise but further testing is required.

Overcoming Challenges Metallurgically speaking, titanium is divided into four types: pure and un-alloyed, alpha alloy, alpha and beta alloys and beta alloy. Among the four, alpha and beta alloys are the most commonly applied in the manufacturing sector.

Yet, despite its advantages, machining this metal poses certain

difficulties. While titanium is 30 to 40 percent easier to machine in speed and Metal Removal Rate terms (MRR) over HRSA, titanium alloys such as Ti5553 is far trickier. One of the down sides of machining titanium and titanium alloys is its thermal conductivity characteristic.

If the incorrect tooling solution is applied to titanium alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V, the heat generated during machining would cause total failure of the cutting tool. Success depends on the titanium grade, application, workpiece thickness and other aspects of the cutting conditions; this will determine the speed and feed of the machine.

In the aerospace field, titanium www.equipment-news.com

CuttingEdge Getting Around it The mentioned examples demonstrate the challenge when machining titanium and titanium alloys but there are solutions. One being to use round type inserts at a reduced speed when using a five-axis machine — this will extend tool life and enable very favourable MRR. In milling thick titanium parts, the use of high positive radial/ axial rake angle cutter bodies with strong cutting edge inserts in roughing, will achieve longer tool life and high MRR. Titanium Users Since the 1960s, titanium has proved invaluable across the industrial spectrum. In the aerospace field, it is used for components such as air frames, wing access panels, landing gears and most importantly, the ‘cold’ section of jet engine

components such as engine casings, compressor discs and blades.

By using titanium types like Ti-6Al-4V, these components resist both metal fatigue and the resulting stress cracks when operating in temperature deviation situations.

As a result of these very favourable features, the aerospace field dominates the demand for titanium by accounting for over 50 percent of the market.

Outside the aerospace field, its biocompatible nature means it is very popular in the medical field, where it is used in manufacturing prosthetic parts such as hip and dental implants.

The corrosion resistance characteristic means it is suitable for salt water and certain types of chemical environments — it is used for submarine hull and ship propeller manufacturing, as well as desalination plants and pipes,

ENQUIRY NO 080

alloy is used for blades and casings which have complicated shapes.

Even if thermal conductivity were not an issue, in some cases, high feed cutting tools cannot be effective because in five-axis machines, which dominate this field, applications with complicated tool paths cannot change direction at the intended speed.

In milling applications involving thin titanium workpieces, improper tooling solutions ‘push’ up the component from the fixture, resulting in it being out of tolerance, therefore ruining the workpiece. Due to thermal conductivity, up-milling is not an advisable course of action.

From a concept perspective, the issues for cryogenic gas machining has the potential to increase productivity but there are drawbacks such as safety concerns and cutting tool design limits.

www.equipment-news.com

Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

23

CuttingEdge

Titanium is suitable for the manufacture of frames for airplanes.

and drills for off-shore rigs. It is also widely used in petrochemical and paper making plants. In its finished form, it has luminosity so it has a very smooth, fine and attractive look. This makes it very much in demand for everyday household items.

Higher Productivity Tips The goal when machining titanium is productivity through high speed and feed when it is feasible, or through MRR. The point is to adopt the right cutting tools that diffuse the generated heat and encourages the longest tool life.

Additionally, the machine set-up in multi-axis complicated tool path milling needs to be ver y rigid to withstand vibration. This also means the fixture inside the machine must be as secure as possible.

In turning applications on Grade 5 titanium (Ti-6Al-4V), using PCD inserts with high pressure coolant cuts chips effectively and reduces the generated heat when machining at speeds of up to 150 m/min versus carbide’s speed of 60 to 80 m/min and a feed rate between 0.2 to 0.3 mm/rev.

In Grade 2, titanium diamond coated inserts with high radial/ axial rake angle and high pressure coolant achieve higher MRR and longer tool life.

24

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

In drilling, to achieve longer tool life in both roughing and finishing applications, higher productivity with speeds averaging between 60 to 80 m/min, and a feed rate averaging 0.15 to 0.2 mm/rev, it is advisable to use sharp positive cutting edge indexable/nonindexable drills with less honing.

Applying an unequal space end mill on a component such as an impellor or blades with high pressure coolant minimises chattering. When taking all the above factors into account, the primary objective when machining titanium does not change — to achieve the highest MRR under

the best velocity and speed while minimising production cycle times.

Depending on the application, a good MRR runs from 30 cmÂł. If such rates are achieved, a shop is on the path to optimal tool life and production cycle time.

There are a number of solutions that can be used when machining titanium. While not being the easiest material to machine, the recent introduction of grades, geometries, cutter body designs as well as tool machine set-ups has made titanium and titanium alloy machining that much simpler.

Enquiry No. 8001 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

TaeguTec: Better Cutting Performance TaeguTec has accentuated its ChaseMold line with the introduction of a variety of tools such as end mills, modular heads and face mills, as well as an insert geometry that brings ease of use.

The line is characterised by its eight indexing insert edges that offer industrial users an improved solution for machining in stable conditions while reducing tooling costs.

The MM chip former for machining parts in the power generation, aerospace and die and mould industries includes a higher rake angle for reduced cutting force, a stronger cutting edge to avoid sudden insert breakage, and offers very stable, smooth milling on difficult-to-cut materials such as stainless steel and titanium alloys.

Enquiry No. 8002 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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CuttingEdge

Back To Basics:

Making

Titanium Work For You Machining titanium should not be such an arduous task. By Michael E Neumann Iscar

A

quick look in the various forum pages usually coughs up typical questions on speeds and how better surface finish can be achieved as far as machining titanium is concerned. While not all parts are ever the same and each machining process has its own challenges, it is worthwhile to know titanium and how to tackle the material.

First up, what makes titanium so special? In the aerospace context at least, the selection of titanium results from the specific properties associated with the metal, including:

There is no doubt that there are plenty of attributes titanium brings to the table in terms of product design and applications. However, during the manufacturing process, titanium has proven to be a handful, for the uninitiated anyway.

According to Iscar, there are five points to look out for while machining titanium parts.

• Titanium is known to generate a work-hardening characteristic.

• Use a lot of coolant to prevent temperature build-up.

• Strength to weight ratio

• Machining titanium results in a great increase of heat on a localised portion of the cutting tool.

• Do not stop feeding while the tool is in the cut. This is to prevent work hardening of the workpiece.

• Reliability • Corrosion resistance • Outstanding mechanical properties • Thermal expansion 26

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

• Cutting Forces — machining titanium requires cutting forces that are higher than those required for machining steels.

• Titanium has more ‘springiness’ than steel, so work tends to move away from cutting tools, unless heavy cuts are maintained or proper backup is employed.

• Titanium alloys have a strong tendency to alloy with or to react chemically with the materials in cutting tools at tool-operating temperatures.

Secret To Success Although there are various challenges in machining titanium, it is not all doom and gloom. There are some strategies to help machinists achieve success in cutting titanium.

Here are four strategies.

• Keep tools sharp.

• As many titanium alloys can be age hardened, it makes sense to machine titanium alloys while they are in their softest state possible.

Enquiry No. 8003 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ENQUIRY NO 212

CuttingEdge

Titanium In Medtech We look at a shop that deploys flexible machines and versatile machining procedures to making medical implants out of titanium and other materials.

By Matt Bailey, international media relations for Haas

O

ne of the parts the founder of Phillips Precision Medicraft (PPM) made some 40 years ago is on the moon, precisely where the Apollo astronauts left it. Other parts that he made more recently are just as out- of-reach, but much closer to home. It is lodged precisely and in perpetuity in his own spine. Many patients live with an implant in them these days and many are manufactured out of exotic materials like titanium and even PEEK. The situation today is a far cry from the business that was started back in 1967. Located less than 20 miles from New York City, PPM today manufactures advanced orthopedic implants, instrumentation, and sterilised delivery systems. It specialises in implants for the knee, hip, elbow, shoulder and spine, as well as the instrumentation and tooling necessary to install such devices in the body.

Complicated Titanium Parts & Impromptu Orders The company is not making commodity parts; the components produced on the long lines of neatly laid out machines contain precise a nd highly- complex features.

For instance, the company’s con ica l stem s a re comple x

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

titanium parts that utilise several machines for operations that include close angular tapers, milling, drilling, tapping, turning, and broaching hexagons.

The flexibility of the machines is a vital element in the day-to-day success of the business, especially when it comes to the production of conical stems.

According to John Phillips, PPM’s president of Operations, the company can offer up to 60 different sizes of conical stems at the touch of a ‘start’ button for example, often in batches up to 1,200 or 1,500 a month. At the same time, the company will often produce custom runs of just 5, 20, or 100. This flexibility is something the company can fall back on due to the fact that it rarely gets much advance notice of what parts will be required, or when.

Taking The Medical Route “Basically, we upgraded to the manufacture of medical devices and never looked back,” says Mr Phillips. “No one was in orthopedics back then, so it was a major opportunity for the business. Obviously, nowadays it’s a whole different game. We made a concerted effort to invest a few million dollars to build our quality systems, procedures, and control plans to ISO 13485 standards.”

Today, the pressures faced by

PPM centre largely on customers seek ing offshore solutions, typically from China, Malaysia, and other low-cost areas of the world. As a result, the company has created a niche for machining high-end medical components that “no one else wants to cut, because it’s just not profitable for them.”

Typical materials processed on their Haas machines include 17/4 stainless steel, 400 - and 3 0 0 - s e r i e s s t a i n l e s s s te e l , titanium, cobalt chrome, and PEEK (polyether ether ketone).

“Take this hip broach, for exa mple,” says Mr Phillips, holding a part approximately 10” long with tapered cutting-tooth geometry at one end, transposing to hexagon geometry at the other.

“It would norma lly be produced on a CNC grinding mach i ne , but we u se Ha a s fourth-axis and right-angle head technology to introduce a tool at such an angle and high rpm that we’re able to simulate a five-axis application, producing the broach with a tool geometry that cannot be duplicated using grinding technology. The resulting broach offers a very aggressive cuttingtooth design, which the doctors love, because they can get in and out very quickly, reducing surgery times.”

Making medical parts may have its unique sets of challenges but the rewards can sometimes transcend the realm of profitability. Mr Phillips and his family understands fully the importance of the parts they are making, the difference they can make to a recipient’s life, and the need to pay close attention to specifications and quality. This is because his father has PPM spine parts in him and they are working well, allowing him to have an active life.

Enquiry No. 8004 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ENQUIRY NO 217

Tech Talk

Andreas Fuchs

Maintaining A

Fine Balance Vibration-free running allows for higher feed rates during tool grinding. By Wolfgang Klingauf, for Haimer

B

alancing grinding wheels and arbours on a tool balancing machine is said to bring about higher productivity to a Germanybased tool grinding shop, Fuchs. With proper balance, the wheels now have a smooth run, allowing the medium-sized company to increase the feed rate during the grinding process and at the same time, raise the tool life of the grinding wheels

30

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

and that of the valuable spindles.

Last but not least, balancing was also beneficial for the quality of the HSS and solid carbide tools manufactured by the company. Today, the production of these tools represents the main business areas of the company, a far cry from its formative years where regrinding of tools constituted the largest area of operation. www.equipment-news.com

TechTalk

Cost Savings With A Balanced Approach Now these issues have come to a n end, a s Mr Fuchs was able to solve these problems with the help of balancing. He can achieve up to 25 to 30 percent higher feed rates with balanced grinding wheel sets. The tool life and dressing cycles of the wheels are extended to the same extent. Even the lifetime of the spindle profits from balancing the grinding wheels.

Furthermore, another positive effect was achieved. The high speed steel and solid carbide tools manufactured by the company achieved an improvement in quality.

The production manager explained: “Vibrations of unbalanced grinding wheels obviously pass on to the tool and can cause micro-cracks or microtears in those areas. That is where the wear starts earlier and the tool life decreases.” He is convinced that the surface finish of his tools has improved significantly due to the implementation of the balanced grinding wheels.

Software Makes Balancing Easy When an operator places a tool adapter into the www.equipment-news.com

ENQUIRY NO 206

The Silent Treatment When Andreas Fuchs, production manager at the company, mounted the first fine-balanced clamping arbour and grinding wheel tool assembly onto the grinding machine and started it up, it was an ‘aha’ moment as the noise from the machine changed drastically.

The constant ‘humming’ previously experienced in the CNC tool grinding machine was an indication of unbalanced grinding wheels. It transformed into a practically noiseless operation with balanced wheels. Referring to the difference in noise levels as “a difference like night and day,” Mr Fuchs attributed the previous noise to vibrations, which is a sign that the system is not running flawlessly.

It is important to keep the issues of unbalanced tools and the subsequent vibrations to a minimum because they have varied effects. The reduced productivity is apparent immediately. In order to achieve a high surface finish, the vibrations must be kept within a bearable range. This can be achieved through reduced feed rates, an action which is necessary but undesired for reasons of cost-efficiency.

Other costly consequences of imbalance are only gradually visible. The direct drive high performance spindles in particular, are more heavily loaded and destroyed due to the imbalance — they must be replaced earlier. Even the grinding wheels wear out faster and must be dressed more frequently.

Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

31

TechTalk

On the total tool assembly of tool holder and grinding wheel, a laser beam marks how both balancing rings must be turned against each other in order to achieve the optimal operating smoothness.

The Tool Dynamic Automatic is a universal, vertical CNC balancing machine which is equipped with a four-axis machine tool

balancing machine, he/she needs to choose suitable specifications from the menu. Subsequently, in a step-by-step process, the program takes the user through the balancing process. A laser marking on the tool, which needs to be balanced shows where the corrections of weight are necessary.

Instead of screwing in small balancing screws on defined areas or drilling out material, the company prefers to work with the balancing rings. These rings have a defined unbalance. Two of them are placed over one another on the grinding wheel arbours. After the balancing process, the balancing machine shows exactly how both of these rings must be turned against each other, in order to remove the unbalance.

A benefit of the Haimer technique is that wheel sets with different weights can be balanced directly one after the other. This is different to competitors’ balancing processes where for example, it is measured by how far the axis is deflected by the unbalance.

Haimer’s balancing expert, Franz Ziegltrum, explains that this technology is dependent on mass and the system must be recalibrated for each changed tool weight. However, with the technique, calibration is only necessary once during the startup procedure.

All in all, the balancing act is a joint operation.

Mr Fuchs said that even if his grinding wheel supplier were to deliver perfectly balanced wheels, it would not be possible to achieve the desired precision. This is because only the joint balancing of the tool holder (arbour) together with the grinding wheel results in the high runout accuracy.

Enquiry No. 8101 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

Economic Gains With Balanced Tools The state of imbalance produces centrifugal forces which increase exponentially with spindle speed. A spindle running at 10,000 rpm produces a centrifugal force which is 25 times higher compared to the force at a speed of 2,000 rpm.

The resulting vibrations put a strain on the spindle bearing, which can reduce the spindle life time by approximately 50 percent. Manufacturers of machine tools and spindles responded to this rule of thumb with the instruction to use fine-balanced tools only. If fine-balanced tools are not used, there is no warranty or only a limited warranty for the spindle.

Vibrations can also deteriorate the tool life considerably.

Furthermore, the machining quality decreases. In order to achieve the required results, the tools can either be balanced — or the spindle speed, feed rate and cutting depth must be reduced. This results in a decrease in productivity.

In an example presented by Haimer, it illustrates the problem with a few simple figures. A modern tool grinding machine costs approximately €100 (US$136) per hour (one-shift operation, 1,600 hours of operation per year).

A 10 percent increase of the grinding capacity through balancing can save €10 per hour. That equals to €16,000 a year. Experiences from both Haimer’s own production and statements from customers, who already balance their grinding wheels, tend to speak of even higher increases in terms of grinding capacities through balancing.

This can be seen in the example of the company Fuchs.

The bottom line is that more than €20,000 can be saved per machine each year with a balanced system. The savings from improved surface finishes, higher dimensional accuracy and less machine tool downtimes have not yet been considered.

Enquiry No. 8102 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ENQUIRY NO 210

Software & Measurement

Cleaner Diesel Emissions Driven By

Non-Contact Optical Metrology Interferometric non-contact surface profilers are introduced into the manufacturing processes of diesel engine parts, giving manufacturers a fast, accurate, and repeatable method of metrology. By Michael Schmidt, market development manager, Zygo Corporation

M

ost people remember diesel cars from their childhood as loud, rattling, smoky boxes which Dad took to work, disturbing our morning sleep because of the need for ‘warming up the engine’.

Back then, diesel fuel was unrefined, unclean, and generally run in engines which would inefficiently burn that fuel into our nasal memories. Much of the technology of that day no longer exists and the amount of science, technology, and know-how now present in diesel engines rivals some of the greatest gasoline advancements achieved over the last 30 years.

Gone are the loud engines, the glow plugs, and the unclean e m i s s i o n s . We l c o m e d a r e quiet, efficient, clean engines praised by high-end European ca r ma nu facturers such a s Volk swagen, Audi, Porsche, BMW, and Volvo. Heavy duty diesel vehicles are also seeing a boost from cleaner, more efficient engines within companies such as Cummins, Caterpillar, and MAN. Surface Metrology: Making Things Cleaner But why are the diesel engines of today cleaner, more efficient, and more cost effective than those

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

of earlier years? A large part of the answer is surface metrology.

Advancements in diesel engine manufacturing have brought to the forefront new technologies in manufacturing — and the associated metrology required to create those components which maintain lowered diesel emissions and increased vehicle efficiency.

Current diesel engine technology stems from a fuel delivery system consisting of a high pressure fuel pump, a pressure rail, and diesel fuel injectors. These components, collectively, comprise the Common Rail Diesel (CRD) engine.

CR D e ng ine s op erate at high pressures and very tight m a nu fa c t u r i n g to l e r a n ce s .

Components in the CRD engine are subjected to intense pressures — on the order of 32,000 psi. To put this in perspective, the pressure the diesel injectors experience is more than double the pressure found at the deepest point in the ocean.

In order to operate with these intense strains, fuel pump and injector components must be manufactured to tight tolerances using special processes. These processes, typically polishing, lapping or superfinishing, can produce a surface with an average roughness (Ra) better than 25 nanometers. For reference, a typical sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick. A mirror finish is typically on the order of 100 nanometers of average roughness.

To pro duce t he se pa r t s consistently with little variation, metrology systems are needed to control the process by monitoring the effect of the manufacturing activity. For most parts, with much rougher surfaces, stylus systems can be used, which operate by contacting the surface, dragging a stylus tip across and reporting the topography of the path traced along the part.

This is a very easy and quick

Without the ability to measure the surfaces repeatedly and reliably, new processes cannot be established or maintained with confidence. www.equipment-news.com

Software&Measurement way to characterise the roughness of the part. However, for these high pressure, high tolerance parts, stylus instrumentation is no longer adequate and will leave a scored surface which the high pressure diesel fuel can follow, causing a leak in the injector.

How Interferometric NonContact Surface Profilers Work Interferometric non- contact metrolog y is ba sed on the interferometric principal that two light wavefronts, when they interact, can either build or detract from the intensity of the original light source.

This is very similar to when we cast stones into the local pond and watch the ripples interact. Those wave crests or troughs which interact with one another will generally add up to a large wave, while the crests and troughs which would combine will essentially cancel each other out.

The principle with scanning white light interferometry is fundamentally the same. One light wavefront reflects off an extremely flat and smooth reference surface a nd interacts w ith a nother wavefront, which is reflecting off a sample of which we want to collect data.

When these two light wavefronts combine at the camera, the user will see a series of black and white fringes. As with the water ripple analogy, these black and white fringes are the result of constructive and destructive interference of the ‘crests and troughs’ of the light, increasing or decreasing the amplitude of the light source used to illuminate the sample of interest.

Because the high quality reference surface is fixed in position relative to a microscope objective, the instrument will scan normal to the surface, taking slices of the surface at small increments.

As the instrument scans the surface, each frame of data is stored and later reconstructed in www.equipment-news.com

3D, allowing the user to analyse the surface for its roughness or waviness characteristics. Some instruments are capable of a vertical resolution better than 0.1 nm, with the ability to measure step heights exceeding 10 mm.

These instruments allow their users to adapt the tool to almost any application from micro roughness to large step heights, from single field of view cone angle measurements to large area stitched flatness inspection. These capabilities were important to the diesel parts industry, as many of the seals are ring-shaped, and contain many conical slopes.

New Metrology Proves Itself For a long time, stylus contact metrology methods had been appropriate for the diesel part manufacturing industry’s rougher textured surfaces. But to transition to extremely low surface roughness parts, produced by current manufacturing processes, the metrology needed to be quicker and non-contact.

Trying to solve the problem, some manufacturers used a single wavelength light source, such as a green light bulb, to measure the smooth sealing su r face s w it h a te c h n iqu e based on single waveleng th interferometry. But precision was limited to an operator’s visual count of the fringes viewed through the glass; and the results introduced too much uncertainty in the measurement. This was a subjective analysis at best.

Interferometric non-contact profilers are used in R&D and preproduction parts to ensure that the manufacturing processes needed to attain new, low tolerances are achievable. Without the ability to measure the surfaces repeatedly and reliably, new processes cannot be established or maintained with confidence.

In order to qualify new processes, non-contact optical profilers were

Typical optical schematic for non-contact interferometric profiler.

Camera

Field “zoom” lens

Reference mirror

Interferometric Objective

Beamsplitter Object

introduced to the manufacturers as an extremely fast, accurate, and repeatable method for objectively providing quantified results. By proving that key in-production applications had excellent results in the field; the adoption of the technology after the initial R&D and lab systems was quick. Eventually, most metrology labs replaced their contact stylus technology with the more suitable non-contact optical profiler technology.

Today, non-contact surface profilers are used at diesel component manufacturing sites worldwide, providing the ability and adaptability to measure hundreds of different parts with features ranging from cone seat angles — critical to the release of wellshaped diesel fuel discharges from the injector into the combustion chamber — to the high pressure fuel pumps, where high precision sealing surface flatness and roughness is critical to maintaining the fuel’s high pressure in the common rail assembly.

Metal-To-Metal Seals The inside of the CRD injector consists of sealing and clamping surfaces under immense pressure.

Through piezo-crystal technology, where a material can expand and contract extremely fast when current is applied, these surfaces Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

35

Software&Measurement Form and roughness image from a CRD nozzle cone seat; note the ‘bumps’ from the machining process.

must maintain proper fuel flow up to 1 billion lifetime opening and closing cycles, while maintaining the manufacturer’s specified pressures. Any manufacturing failure in the form of excess surface roughness or deviation from flatness will dramatically reduce this lifetime, causing fuel leakage or complete injector failure.

While maintaining proper seal flatness is important, so is maintaining proper surface roughness. Low surface roughness on sealing surfaces prevents the high pressure fuel from leaking.

When the texture or waviness of the surface is not within tolerance, the diesel fuel will seek out the path of least resistance from a high pressure area to a low pressure area, resulting in the lowering of pressure at the nozzle tip. As a consequence, the injector needle either disperses the wrong amount of fuel into the combustion chamber, or leaves residual fuel in the fuel sac when the needle is closed. The outcome is incomplete combustion and poor emissions.

In automotive component ma nu fac t u r i n g, t he abi l it y to resolve issues and provide solutions quickly relies on the capability of the quality control instrument to provide fast and accurate results. With hundreds of thousands of parts made monthly, a small issue, if left unidentified, can mean scrapping thousands of parts or worse yet, a major recall.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

With non-contact interferometric profilometers, quick acquisition and analysis identified problems before they became major issues.

Versatility & Transferability Requirements The ability to measure multiple types of surfaces with different shapes, textures, and angles means the software must be robust. In addition, the capability to acquire, analyse, and process the data for roughness, waviness, and flatness is required by most automotive component manufacturers while adhering to the newer ISO 25178 standards for areal (3D) metrology.

Automotive manufacturers needed unique objectives designed for everyday use at manufacturing plants. The needs were for the largest range of interferometric objectives from 0.5X to 100X, including long working (20 mm) and super long working (30 mm) distance designs, and the highest lateral resolution of 100X. These provide users with the ability to scan and analyse data from parts which are not attainable by other non-contact methods, providing solutions for deep injector cone seats, deeply recessed pump parts, and, through the use of special techniques, the ability to measure cylinder bore texture and injector high pressure bores.

An Optical Profiler in the market (Zygo NewView) has the ability to scan, in production, critical sealing

surfaces to measure both the form and roughness, allowing the injector manufacturer to identify and correct any issue with the manufacturing process.

Through the use of automated and programmable software and staging, each instrument can be tailored to perform one or many specific tasks on the production floor or the R&D lab.

Worldwide, diesel engine emissions could have contributed more significantly to air pollution were it not for new technologies and processes applied to diesel engine components, exhaust gas filtering systems, and fuel quality.

Because of the use of Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), new materials contained in exhaust systems, and new manufacturing and metrology proce sse s, modern die sel vehicle emissions have dropped tremendously.

Based on the Euro Emissions s t a n d a rd s , t h e a m o u nt o f hydrocarbon (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions will have dropped 82 percent from 1997 to 2014. Particulate Matter (PM), which was the largest concern for lung health in humans, will have dropped 96.4 percent (based on the Euro 1 to Euro 6 standards; from 1997 to 2014).

To put these effects into perspective, a recent study completed by researchers at the University of California Riverside, showed the amount of particulate matter from a hamburger on a commercial under-fire charbroiler produces more particulate matter than today’s average diesel truck, driving 140 miles.

Due to current optical profiler technology, a ride to the local store or restaurant in your new clean and efficient diesel vehicle will, in some respects, place fewer burdens on the environment than cooking the patty in your burger.

Enquiry No. 8201 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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

ENQUIRY NO 211

Software&Measurement

Articulating The Value Of

3D Measurement Tools In Aircraft Component Manufacturing

3D articulated measurement arms are a welcome addition to a Japanese contract manufacturer active in the aerospace industry. By Yoshihiro Iida, marketing manager, Faro Japan

T

he Boeing 787 is an aircraft with advanced features that improve a passenger’s air flight experience. The first Boeing 787 in Japan was launched

by All Nippon Airways in 2011. This was possible in part due to Meiwa Kiko, which manufactured various components of the aircraft.

The company is involved in the areas of metalworking and mould & tool production. However, they started making aircraft components as well in the early 1990s. The production and inspection of aircraft components required the use of 3D CAD data. In order to do this well, it became essential for the company

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to use 3D measurement instruments that can compare the 3D CAD data with completed components.

In scouting for the most appropriate equipment, the company tested 3D measurement instruments from various manufacturers.

They took several factors into consideration: short measurement programming time, easy comparison of CAD data, simple and intuitive operations, and portability for on-board measurement jobs.

Eventually, the company decided to employ the FaroArm Platinum (3D articulated measurement tool) in the manufacturing of its aircraft components.

On-Board Measurement Of Large Components Meiwa Kiko produces small to large metal components for use in the aeronautical industry. In the making of large components, checking whether each meets the specifications can be a tedious task.

After machining, the part is usually transported to a measurement room to assess its accuracy. If any inaccuracy is found, it needs to then be corrected by secondary operations, and this can cause installation errors.

Another issue that the company faces involves transportation, because the larger the component is, the more difficult it is to be moved.

This was no longer a problem after the company purchased the articulated measurement tool.

The portable measurement device allows measurements to be carried out directly on the production shop floor so that workflow can be continuous with minimal disruption. This was a benefit for the company as it manufactures a high volume of these large components.

Mr Komiya, president of Meiwa Kiko, said: “In the past, a m e a s u r e m e n t sp e c i a l i s t needed to have a certain level of competency in using a vernier caliper or height gauge in order to take measurements. However, young operators today are adept www.equipment-news.com

Software&Measurement at using measurement instruments in an integrated manufacturing environment and it helps since anyone can be quickly trained to become an operator within two to three days.”

The Future Of Production Technology Deviating from the aerospace sector, Mr Komiya added: “We look forward to undertaking various other manufacturing jobs irrespective of the fields in future.

For example, we are interested in producing vehicle bodies for electric cars. Unfortunately, large manufacturers are now often placing their orders overseas in order to save costs.

If the quantity is high or the level of difficulty is low, it is understandable that they would outsource these jobs. However, I believe that in order to survive in future, Japan needs to manufacture diverse products in low quantity, or produce parts that require high precision or difficulty.

At Meiwa Kiko, a majority of our products consists of large components that are difficult to transport, come in small lots, are of high value, have high material costs, or are difficult to manufacture. As the order quantity is low, there is a need to manufacture with precision right from the first article. As a result, a portable and precise 3D measurement device like the FaroArm is an optimal tool to achieve our final objective.”

Enquiry No. 8202 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

ENQUIRY NO 128

Orders From Other Industries At the company, the section which houses the large production machines is air- conditioned, and the factory itself is kept at a constant temperature, as required in the high-precision manufacturing of aluminium components.

The main production machines are two five-axes systems. These were installed in the machining centre within the temperature controlled building for the production of large components with complex forms. These machines are capable of meeting orders that have elaborate requirements, and can even meet

the needs of clients from industries apart from aerospace.

“Most of the pa r ts we manufacture are larger than 1 m in size,” says Mr Komiya. “By introducing the 3D measurement device together with the production machine, we are not only able to undertake aerospace related requests but can also accept orders from other fields.”

www.equipment-news.com

Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

39

FORM Join Cut ď Ž

ď Ž

S

Plasma Cutting:

Making The Cut With

Steely Resolve

Known to be tedious in the past, plasma cutting of stainless steel is now a more efficient process. By Steve Liebold & Jon Peters, mechanised plasma engineers & Jesse Tyler, marketing, Hypertherm

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

tainless steel accounts for a relatively small percentage of the worldwide steel consumption, but it is vitally important to economies, particularly in the energy and food processing markets. Where cutting stainless steel is concerned, there are several cutting technologies that manufacturers employ. The most common of these are plasma, band saws and waterjet that boast broad thickness ranges, and laser and sheers for thinner plates.

Focusing on plasma systems, they use thermal energy and high velocity gas to melt and remove material from a cut surface, resulting in fast cut speeds when compared to band saws and waterjet systems. Unlike laser, plasma features a thicker cutting capability, and the flexibility to quickly switch from severing 160 mm stainless steel plates to cutting fine features on thin stainless (0.8 to 6 mm) and mild steel, as well as on aluminium.

Early plasma systems designed for cutting thick stainless steel used very high amperage and delivered slow cut speeds compared to recent technological developments.

Modern plasma systems however, allow end-users to select from an expanded range of gases and amperages to produce optimal cut speeds and desired cut quality for a variety of needs.

The Challenge Of Cutting Stainless Steel With Plasma When cutting mild steel, oxygen, plasma gas and air shields can effectively deliver cut quality across the full range of thicknesses. Success on stainless steel, however, requires a different type of gas and consumable technology for varying thickness ranges and grades. Proper gas selection is the first step towards success in plasma cutting stainless steel. www.equipment-news.com

Form Join Cut ď Ž

ď Ž

Electrode Air/Air Plasma Gas Inlet N2/ N2

Plasma Gas Vent (High Flow) Vortex Nozzle

H35 & N2/ N2

Shield Gas Vent

H35/N2

Workpiece

F5/N2

Gas options - outcome

The following table gives an overview of the results of using various plasma and shield gases: Technology Requirements For Different Stainless Steel Types Plasma processes engineered for Plasma Gas

Shield Result Pros: Fast, minimal dross, square edge, inexpensive, low cost

Air

Air

N2

Pros: Smoother than air cutting, fewer oxides formed Cons: Edge is black, top edge is rounded; significant angularity can result

N2

H2O

F5 (5% Hydrogen, 95% Nitrogen)

Cons: Surface is black, rough and heavily oxidised; secondary operations often required

Pros: Silver to straw-coloured surface, sharp top edge, fume suppression, low cost Cons: Water management, potential impact when used on a dry/downdraft table Pros: Silver colour, good cut angles and sharp top edge

N2 Cons: Thickness limitations, useful to about 10mm only Pros: Gold to blue to gray colour, square cut edge

H35 (35% Hydrogen, 65% Argon)

N2

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Cons: Gas mixture not readily available in all regions, limited to mid-range thickness and above (dross results on thin stainless steel)

Manufacturers can achieve good cut quality on mild and stainless steel with the vented nozzle process

a specific grade of stainless steel may not necessarily perform well on other types of the same metal.

For example, a plasma system meant for use on 304L, an austenitic stainless steel that is the most commonly used grade worldwide, brings about dross and a rough cut edge when used on 316L. When used on 304L, cuts are clean with no visible dross. The 316L cut can be improved to the same cut quality of the 304L cut by increasing the cut speed and shield pressure slightly.

As the above instance illustrates, each material type responds differently to plasma cutting. In order to cut various grades of stainless steel, a wide range of cutting processes is necessary in order to attain the best results.

Molten Material Viscosity & Piercing Two other challenges presented by cutting stainless steel with plasma are molten material viscosity and piercing. Unlike cutting mild steel with oxygen or air, the viscosity of the molten material when working with stainless steel is much higher.

As a result, secondar y operations such as grinding often need to be carried out in order to

remove the slag. Factors that can reduce, or even eliminate, the formation of dross on stainless steel include equipment design, gas type/selection, gas settings, cut speed, and cut height.

Recent Technology Advancements Recent years have witnessed the development of a vented nozzle process that allows manufacturers to attain excellent cut quality on thin stainless steel.

This technology was initially meant to advance cut quality on mild steel. Higher gas volume within the vented nozzle increases pressure to form a tighter constriction on the plasma arc, which enables the use of a smaller nozzle bore, and results in higher energy density. Venting improves nozzle life by constricting the arc, while higher flows cool the nozzle.

Additional innovations are also available. They can deliver cuts with sharp top edge quality, a shiny surface finish, and superior angularity with reduced angle variation. Such solutions combine cut quality with extended consumable life for consistent, productive and cost-effective results.

Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

41

Form Join Cut 



Mixing Gases Well Despite modern advancements, mid-range stainless steel (6 to 50 mm) cutting still brings to mind the topic of gas selection.

Using H35 (35 percent Hydrogen, 65 percent Argon) delivers the benefit of good cut quality and cut edge colour with a nonoxidised edge, but cut speeds are relatively slow. On the other hand, nitrogen produces much faster cut speeds for increased productivity, but the cut edge is oxidised.

In order to capture benefits of using each individual gas, and to minimise the disadvantages, auto-gas consoles for mechanised set-ups with the ability to mix H35 and N2 have been developed. The plasma gas mixture significantly improves cut speeds while maintaining the desirable silver or grey cut edge.

Fuss-Free Piercing Recent innovations are available to extend the thick stainless steel (50 to 160 mm) piercing and cutting range of plasma far beyond what was previously attainable. One such technology enables the liquid-cooled shield to repel molten material, and prevents it from adhering to the torch shield during piercing. The liquid-cooled shield technology also reduces: • O-ring melting • Interference with initial height sensing • Clogging of the shield's vent hole • Orifice melting Another method is to use a controlled-motion to deliver maximum pierce. While so-called moving or ‘flying’ pierce processes have been practised for many years, the new process provides the advantage of minimal pierce 42

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

Gas options – H35-N2 mixture

H35

H35-N2

N2

length — usually only about as long as the material is thick.

This essentially involves controlling table motion with torch height, to create a trough that enables the slag to exit the pierce hole and direct it away from the torch front-end. The pierce is initiated as high above the plate as the power supply will allow without losing the arc, and then traversing at a relatively high (gouging) speed to create the trough. The torch then begins to drop while at the same time table motion slows until the pierce is achieved and normal cutting speed ensues.

‘Dogleg’ For Thick Stainless Steel Cutting & Piercing The extended thickness capability for piercing and cutting stainless steel brings with it a new challenge due to the physics of plasma: the arc lags behind the torch at around 15 degrees.

As a result, a small tab may develop when cutting a thick part in a nest, causing parts to stick to the nest, and internal features may have pronounced dings, bumps or nubs. This can be overcome with the new ‘dogleg’ technique, which also minimises any additional plate consumption.

The dogleg method for cutting and piercing thick stainless steel takes advantage of this

lagging arc by focusing it onto the tab section of the cut. At the point where the leading kerf edge breaks into the leadin edge (and before the voltage reaches the critical value of the transformer), the cut path changes direction into an acute angle (60 degrees works well) towards the skeleton. This allows the arc to transfer to the skeleton material, which reduces the voltage while driving the molten material down towards the tab and subsequently melting it off.

Plasma For Stainless Steel Cutting Using plasma to cut and pierce stainless steel plates has traditionally been known to be a tedious process. When using conventional plasma systems, operators needed to apply the appropriate mix of gases to bring about optimal cut speeds, while knowing which technology works best for the different grades of stainless steel.

H o w e v e r, w i t h r e c e n t technological advancements, cutting the metal has become much easier. A variety of new technologies and methods are now available, which allow manufacturers to efficiently produce clean, high quality cuts whether for thin, mid-range and thick stainless steel.

Enquiry No. 8301 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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The The24th 24thInternational InternationalManufacturing ManufacturingMachinery, Machinery,Equipment Equipment Materials Materials&&Services ServicesExhibition Exhibition

4-7 4-7 DECEMBER DECEMBER 2013 2013 The Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran The Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran

Organised by:by: Organised

Supported by:by: Supported

Indonesia Precision Indonesia Precision Tooling Industry Association Tooling Industry Association

Indonesian Indonesian Machine ToolTool Machine Industries Industries Association Association

Indonesian Indonesian Mould & Die& Die Mould Industry Industry Association Association

For ForFurther FurtherInformation InformationPlease PleaseContact ContactYour YourNearest NearestSales SalesOffice: Office: Maysia Stephanie Maysia Stephanie PT PT Pamerindo Indonesia, Jakarta - Indonesia Pamerindo Indonesia, Jakarta - Indonesia Tel:Tel: +62+62 21 21 2525 320320 | Fax: +62+62 21 21 2525 482482 2525 | Fax: 2525 Email: maysia@pamerindo.com Email: maysia@pamerindo.com www.pamerindo.com www.pamerindo.com

Andrew Todd Andrew Todd Overseas Exhibition Services Ltd,Ltd, London, UKUK Overseas Exhibition Services London, Tel:Tel: +44+44 (0) (0) 20 20 7840 2134 Fax: +44+44 (0) (0) 20 20 7840 2119 7840 2134 Fax: 7840 2119 Email: atodd@oesallworld.com Email: atodd@oesallworld.com www.allworldexhibitions.com www.allworldexhibitions.com

Carolyn Lee Carolyn Lee International Expo Management PtePte Ltd,Ltd, Singapore International Expo Management Singapore Tel:Tel: +65+65 6233 6777 Fax: +65+65 6233 6768 6233 6777 Fax: 6233 6768 Email: carolyn@iemallworld.com Email: carolyn@iemallworld.com

w ww ww w. m . maannuuffaaccttuurri innggi innddoonneessi iaa. c . coom m

ENQUIRY NO 161

Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Industry, Republic of Indonesia Republic of Indonesia

Association Association of Metalwork of Metalwork and and Machinery Machinery

Indonesian Indonesian Automotive PartsParts Automotive & Components & Components Industries Industries Association Association

Industry Focus

Having A Vision For Quality Electronics To capitalise on growing consumer demand in Asia, manufacturers need to deploy cutting-edge technology to reduce errors and raise productivity.

By Didier Lacroix, senior VP, International Sales & Services, Cognex Ilker, Izmir, Turkey

T

he consumer electronics ma rket in S out he a st Asia looks buoyant. In Thaila nd, Business Monitor International ( BMI ) believes that the market will expand by about 12 percent in 2013. This is due to factors like 3G mobile rollout and digital T V migration. Digital T V licences, awarded in October 2013, will encourage television set purchases, as households upgrade to digital.

About 100,000 new homes will be built in Bangkok and it s su r rou nding prov ince s.

This is part of a house building program, which is also expected to encourage demand. The main driver of growth in consumer electronics should come from Light Emitting Diode (LED) and 3D TV sets, tablets and smartphones.

I n S i n ga p o re , t he sm a l l size of its local population is compensated by the country’s wealth and technologically savvy inhabitants, according to BMI. In

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the earlier part of 2013, demand for desktops and notebooks held up better in comparison to other developed markets. Consumers have also purchased greater qua ntitie s of sma r tphone s, tablets, hybrids/convertibles and internet-connected TVs. In Vietnam, BMI believes that the low-cost smartphone market will be lucrative over the next three years.

The smartphone penetration rate in Vietnam was only 11 percent in 2012, although it still has a higher than average mobile penetration rate compared to its regional peers. BMI’s view is that Vietnamese Smartphone potential will be unlocked in the next three to five years.

As manufacturers move in to capitalise on the growing opportunities in Asia, product quality is an important factor that can affect their reputations and ultimately sales. Machine vision offers capabilities that can ensure error free production on the manufacturing line.

In many instances, it replaces unreliable human-eye Quality Control (QC) processes and speeds up inspections. This effectively reduces errors while helping to increase overall production volume. Equally important is the repeatability of inspections that needs to consistently meet the required and specified standards of the application — something that is impossible for human QC operators to achieve.

Manufacturing Requirements A consumer electronics manufacturer has introduced a product that takes advantage of M ic ro e le c t rome c ha n ic a l Systems ( M E M S ) to deliver unique capabilities. MEMS need to be accurately positioned in a plastic housing to submicron tolera nce s. This is to a lig n mechanical components on the die with interfacing components on the housing.

The MEMS device requires a reliable in-process inspection at each stage of the complex manufacturing process. This was previously carried out by a human operator using a microscope, and required over five minutes to complete. As a result, the facility needed 15 human inspectors to be deployed to keep pace with the high production volume.

The bigger problem however, was that human inspectors were not able to consistently make the precise measurements that are required in this application. The manufacturer was concerned that these limitations could result in product failures in the field, which might negatively affect the reputation of the product. Yet, this application was particularly difficult to automate because the flexibility of the plastic housing makes it difficult to fixture.

Finally, the solution came in the form of an inspection tool that uses two CDC-200 cameras and a MVS-8100 frame grabber. www.equipment-news.com

IndustryFocus stage. The operator selects a recipe before activating the cyclestart command, via customised computer touch screens and a standard computer keyboard.

Communicating Graphics As the nest is moved into the inspection area, an image of the part is automatically captured by an onboard reader. The location of features on the assembly is deter mine d by a dig ita l Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS)-based camera, using a low resolution lens.

A n o t he r c a m e r a w it h a high resolution lens accurately measures those features. A lightcurtain ensures operator safety, and immediately halts the machine if an object interrupts the curtain while the latter is in operation.

The cameras use CMOS active pixel sensor technology to convert

light energy directly into digital image data. The camera changes the image data into a digital stream, before breaking it up into data packets, according to the CogLink camera communications protocol. It then sends the digital stream over the high- speed serial bus to the frame grabber. It reassembles the packets of image data and makes the captured camera image available to the software that runs on the host PC. As mentioned before, a key challenge was to repeatedly fixture a part that is framed by a deflectable plastic material. To resolve this issue, a sophisticated mechanical design using a sixp oint k inemat ic con st ra int fixture and highly repeatable low-friction clamping force, was developed. The part rests on a vacuum bed that draws it against three carbide support balls to

ENQUIRY NO 180

This a llows more tha n 50 0 measurements to be performed across nine manufacturing steps.

At a cycle time of no more than 30 seconds per step, the process involves loading, unloading, and moving a part during the inspections. The automated visionbased inspection system ensures that the required submicron tolerances are adhered to. It also provides the flexibility that makes it easy to accommodate design changes and process improvements.

The automated precision inspection system performs the task at a speed that is 15 times faster than that of a human inspector. It offers the consistency and repeatability that cannot be achieved by human operators.

Components are manually loaded into custom-built nests installed on a 0.02-micron X-Y

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Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

45

IndustryFocus Iceviking, Iceland

The main driver of growth in consumer electronics comes from smartphones

maintain a constant plane. X-axis movement is limited with the use of registration pins on either side of the part.

A snugger riding on a lowfriction slide assembly then engages a notch on the part and applies a force that holds the part against the back of the fixture, to maintain the part in the x-axis plane. The applied force is low to avoid permanent plastic deformation. The part can be removed from the fixture, replaced and re-measured with 0.2 micron repeatability.

Tools For Measurement The assembly also includes a diced die that is glued to a ceramic substrate which is mounted to a plastic housing. A flex circuit is attached to the housing. The next inspection step verifies and measures the adhesive on the ceramic, prior to attachment of the die.

Since highly accurate measurements are not required at this stage, the low resolution camera is used to inspect the adhesive. Several hundred line finder and caliper functions from the VisionPro tool library are utilised to measure the amount of adhesive on the substrate 46

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

— ensuring that it is within the required specification.

Even with noise in the image background, the caliper tool can still be used to locate edges or edge pairs. The vision inspection task is completed in just a couple of seconds, and the rest of the 30 second cycle time is taken up by loading, moving, and unloading of the part.

If the substrate adhesive passes inspection, a diced die is placed onto the substrate. The X-Y stage moves the fiducials one-at-a-time, to the centre of the image of the second highresolution camera. A part and feature location tool is applied to locate the fiducials on the die using the low resolution camera.

The tool is able to accurately locate objects, despite variations in part appearance caused by process variations, reflective surfaces, pa r tia l occlusion, nonlinear changes in lighting, or uneven image formation.

The high resolution camera then captures an image used to determine the offset and rotation of the fiducial to submicron tolerances relative to a golden sta nda rd me a su re d by t he National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Component Placement The next step in the process is to install a flex circuit on the substrate.

Flex circuits allow the board to conform to a desired shape and are manufactured with components that are identical to those used for rigid printed circuit boards.

The flex circuit has fiducials that are inspected in the same manner as the MEMS die. Once the flex circuit has been checked, bonding the wires between the flex circuit and MEMS die is the next step, before the wire bonds are encapsulated. The assembly is then re-inspected to measure the encapsulation via the same methods that were used to measure the adhesive in the earlier inspection step.

The precision inspection machine is capable of checking more than 500 measurements across nine different process steps. This is achieved at a rate of 120 parts per hour, enabling a complete inspection with just one operator. The kinematic fixture provides better than 0.2-micron repeatability when removing and replacing parts.

T he in sp e c t ion syste m measures both the large and small features on the same part, and correlates measurements between high a nd low magnification cameras. The cameras and frame grabber offer the high levels of resolution that are needed to ensure that submicron tolerances requirements are adhered to on every unit.

On high precision production lines, human-driven QC often falls short of the required standards due to operator subjectivity and errors. With the proper investment however, technology can fill this gap with the help of machine vision — ensuring that products meet performance expectations of the consumer marketplace.

Enquiry No. 8401 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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ENQUIRY NO 201

Executive zone

With developments in air travel and the capabilities of local supply chains, the aerospace industry could well be Indonesia’s solution to greater economic growth.

By Sherlyne Yong

L

ong touted as one of Asia’s fastest growing markets, Indonesia has attracted scores of investors with its huge population and natural resources. The country is home to more than 230 million people and is, unsurprisingly, perceived as the largest market in the Southeast Asian region. It is rich in natural resources, which have led to a booming mining industry, alongside the automotive and oil & gas industries.

It is not just western nations who are looking to tap into the expansiveness of the market, but those in Asia as well. Countries like Japan (Indonesia’s second largest foreign direct investor in 2012) and India have been investing in projects across multiple sectors.

Japan spent a total of US$2.29

48

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

billion in the manufacturing sector, which included rubber processing, textiles, pulp & paper, chemical, and automotive.

Meanwhile, India has been exploring opportunities in sectors like energy, tourism, automotive, information technolog y and infrastructure among others, where Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) amounted to US$78.1 million last year. The two countries are also aiming to achieve US$25 billion in bilateral trade by 2015, by no means coincidental to the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

Manufacturing’s Role Part of Indonesia’s allure is its partial immunity to global economic waves, buoyed by the strength of its domestic market.

Prayitno, Los Angeles, US 3 (Main)

Taking Flight In Manufacturing However, the country’s reliance on domestic demand is also a doubleedged sword as it currently faces the double whammy of weak global demand and rising inflation.

This is further exacerbated by issues that include a widening income gap, the costs involved in infrastructure development, as well as an over-reliance on commodity exports.

HSBC’s Purchasing Managers’ I n de x ( PM I ) fo r I n do ne sia revealed a sharp contraction in manufacturing activity for August, where the index reached a 15-month low. In general, the manufacturing industry is feeling the pinch as domestic demand wanes. This is none truer than for the automotive industry, which only managed to buck global recessive trends last year due to strong demands at home.

Lacklustre results are a cause for worry as manufacturing is vital for economic growth. Not only is it less volatile, it also creates huge employment opportunities for the www.equipment-news.com

executivezone country’s large population. The government understands this and is trying to boost industrialisation through Free Trade Agreements (FTA) and policies that incentivise manufacturers to build the entire production chain locally, in hopes of adding value to the output.

This includes restrictions on the exports of mining products and the implementation of antidumping duty on steel products.

Nonetheless, more needs to be done as Indonesia’s traditionally strong sectors (eg: automotive, oil & gas) are becoming increasingly saturated with suppliers. Perhaps then, a focus on the aerospace sector could be the solution to Indonesia’s sluggish economy.

Growing Wings Indonesia’s aerospace industry ca n b e div ide d into t wo sectors: manufacturing (OEM) and manufacturing ser vices (MRO). According to Ravikumar Madavaram, consultant — Asia Pacific, Aerospace & Defense, Frost & Sullivan, the former was worth around US$400 million last year, half of which was dominated by national aircraft manufacturer Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI).

P T D I ’s b u s i n e s s m o d e l focuses on the four areas of aero structures and components, maintenance services, aircraft and helicopter assembly, as well as technology and development.

It has scored long-term contracts with the likes of Aerocopters, Spirit Aerosystems, Korea n Air, and is also the exclusive supplier for an Airbus A380 wing component. However, this comes with a catch. “ T he k i nd o f work t hat Indonesia does is generally labour intensive manufacturing. PTDI does have contract agreements with Boeing, Airbus and many such other companies,” said Mr Madavaram. As developments in this area are technology dependent, progress is slow as a result. www.equipment-news.com

The same can be said for OEMs that have set up bases in Indonesia, who have done so mainly to tap on lower labour costs and to better cater to the regional market. There is still a dearth of technology intensive value-added production.

Yet, all is not lost. PTDI is embarking on a major project that if successful, will change the entire aerospace manufacturing landscape. It is trying to develop a whole new aircraft on its own, which will inevitably give rise to enhanced local capabilities as the country develops its own supply chain.

Local Supply Chain “The benefit for Indonesian companies doing this is that it (the country) has already built some form of aircraft before in 1996. It had developed an aircraft called N250 which successfully flew, but the plans had to be scrapped because of the Asian crisis at that time. They have revamped the same program and are trying to build a new aircraft.

It will start having its own supply chain, so that will also affect aerospace manufacturing market in Indonesia,” said Mr Madavaram.

Pa r t of t h is ste m s f rom the OEM’s inclination to build comp etence in I ndone sia with components from local manufacturers. While it is unclear

Local projects have provided a boost to the aerospace industry of Indonesia

what the project might mean for the region, one thing is sure — it will definitely impact the local market, especially in terms of logistics.

For instance, PTDI’s past outsourcing collaboration with SME PT Ina Indotech Engineering (IEE) resulted in the development of ma nu fac tu r ing to ols for producing NC 212-400 aircraft, and helped the latter become an independent supplier in the process.

Evidently, local projects that involve aircraft manufacturing will greatly boost efforts and developments in supply chain production. Propelling this dream further is a comprehensive a g re ement b et we en A irbu s M i l it a r y a n d P T D I fo r t he development of the NC212i aircraft.

G ra nte d, te ch nolog ica l developments are still essential for this to happen. “Aerospace is a very niche sector, which needs a lot of investment before it can produce results. As of now, we haven’t seen any investment from the government, nor has it been affirmed in improving the capabilities of this sector,” said Mr Madavaram.

He explains that funding is lacking in this area as the government has only recently seen the fruits of its economic de ve lopme nt s. I n ste ad , he

Prayitno, Los Angeles, US

Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

49

Yoppy, Kawasaki, Japan

executivezone

The aerospace industry can help alleviate the problems of growing stagnancy in the automotive industry.

expects them to funnel funds into R&D within the next three to four years, such that technology advancements will happen from 2020 on.

Fuelled By Domestic Demand Contrary to the manufacture of aircraft components, the future for the services and MRO sector looks much clearer. According to Mr Madavaram, “The MRO market for last year was worth about US$540 million dollars. It is bigger than the manufacturing market and is expected to grow tremendously, which will reach US$800 million dollars by 2020.”

The reason for this is increasing affluence and flight travel among Indonesians. Unlike components manufacturing, the MRO market is directly correlated with domestic consumption. Air travel is widely expected to increase in Asia Pacific over the next few years, with Indonesia being one of the core markets.

As such, Indonesian carriers are expanding their operations as they prepare for an influx in domestic travel. Both Lion Air and Sriwijawa Air are placing more orders for commercial aircraft. In particular, Lion Air made headlines for ordering a fleet of more than 400 aircraft, which include planes like the Boeing 737 Max, Airbus A320 and A320neo family.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

air travel, the Lion Group has plans to purchase 50 units of sub-20 N219 aircraft from PTDI, which will accord benefits like lower operational and maintenance costs.

It is also building an MRO facility on Batam island, which will handle heavy maintenance for airlines under the group, together with heav y checks for third party customers. The facility will comprise four wide body hangars, component repair and overhaul shops, as well as an engine MRO centre, which allows the group to work on both airframes and engines, as well as landing gears, avionics and auxiliary power units.

An increased focus on aviation safety has also been spurring developments in MRO services for the aerospace industry. Indonesian carriers have the unfortunate track record of safety issues, affecting the quality perception of the country’s airlines.

As a result, industry players — both airlines and the government — have been stepping up efforts to change that perception. For instance, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is looking into products that can offer air traffic management.

The Future Of Aerospace It is undeniable that Indonesia still has a long way to go in building up its capabilities for the aerospace industry. With manufacturing

activities dominated by the automotive industry, it is evident that the country has processes in place for components manufacturing.

Transferring these processes to aircraft manufacturing however, requires greater technological advancements, which will only be available with increased funding for R&D purposes. Despite its challenges, it is important for Indonesia to improve on its capabilities, especially with the impending formation of the AEC in 2015.

“When that happens, the markets open up more to local and regional competition,” said Mr Madavaram. It is highly likely that Indonesian manufacturers will receive competition from players in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. While challenging, competition might not necessarily be a bad thing, for it will also bring in more technological advancements into the country.

To encourage the import of technology, greater focus should a lso be placed on building legal frameworks that provide manufacturers with protection.

A t t h e e n d o f t h e d a y, Indonesia’s aerospace industry is one that holds great potential.

While somewhat underdeveloped at this point, the rising demand for air travel in the region will undoubtedly spur growth in the sector.

It is an upcoming area that can help alleviate the problems of growing stagnancy in the automot ive indu st r y, while mitigating the effects of a n e co no m y t h a t d e p e n d s o n commoditie s ex por ts. With changes in infrastructure and an expected reallocation of funding over the next few years, aerospace manufacturing could well become Indonesia’s next up and coming sector.

Enquiry No. 8501 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Composite Materials special

Efficient Drilling Of Advanced Aerospace Materials & Composites

Tool Development To develop a PCD-enhanced drill requires in-depth understanding of a suitable synthesis approach.

Such process development not only determines tool performance, but also influences the tool’s manufacturing efficiency and costs.

There are four main technolog ie s for producing synthetic diamond-based drills for composite materials: • CVD diamond coated drill • Capped PCD drill • Vein PCD drill • Brazed PCD drill.

Boeing

In the aerospace industry, connection technologies for moulded parts remain under question so that fixturing with rivets is still the dominant reliable process in practice.

Machining those composite materials efficiently, however, especially in holemaking operations, challenges cutting tools by requiring high hardness as well as optimum tool geometries. By Dr Qiang Wu, senior engineer, Fabian Rosenberger, senior engineer & Dr Christoph Gey, director of Product Development, Kennametal

A

d v a n ce d a e ro sp a ce materials, Carbon Fibre Reinforced Pla stic (CFRP) alone or stacked with titanium and aluminium plate s, a re w idely u se d i n aerospace industries worldwide for their high strength-weight ratio and stable material properties in demanding environments.

Boeing’s Dreamliner 787, for example, has 80 percent composites by volume, equivalent to 50 percent of its weight, eliminating 1,500 aluminium sheets and up to 50,000 fasteners, achieving 20 percent better fuel efficiency compared to the Boeing 767.

C u r r e n t l y, c o n n e c t i o n technologies for the moulded

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parts like gluing or welding are still under question so that fixturing with rivets is still a dominating reliable process in practice. Due to the substantially different mechanical properties of carbon fibres and metals, drilling fastener holes efficiently cha llenges cutting tools by requiring high wear resistance as well as optimum tool geometries.

Poly- Cr ystalline Diamond (PCD) shows great potential for improving machining efficiency comp a re d w it h t rad it iona l tungsten-carbide cutting tools in machining advanced aerospace materials. PCD solid drills are being developed and offered by some metal cutting tool manufacturers.

3D Brazing The 3D brazing needs a bulk of PCD block of the desired grade and microstructure to be cut in a helical shape as designed. A corresponding helical-shaped slot is ground in a solid carbide drill to host the PCD blade.

Compared with the capped PCD solution, this technology only applies PCD on functional areas, substantially enhancing machinability. This 3D brazing te c h n o l o g y i s s e l e c te d to develop the test PCD drills in this research.

T he 3 D bra z i n g me t ho d enables developing different PCD grades to explore the most suitable grade for drilling CFRP/ titanium stacks. In this tool development, three different PCD grades, G4, KD1415, and KD1425 are investigated (see table 1).

Table 1 shows a theoretical comparison of the three PCD grades regarding abrasive resistance and chipping resistance. Abrasive resistance is a function of diamond particle content (hard phase) and grain size. The larger the PCD grains, the more resistant the diamond grade against abrasive wear; the dominant wear mechanism when cutting CFRP materials.

Unfortunately, large PCD grains negatively affect chipping resistance as larger chunks are being ripped Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

51

CompositeMaterialsSpecial out of the diamond matrix when chipping occurs. Chipping happens when mechanical forces on the cutting edge are larger than the inter-matrix bond strength of PCD. Taking these dependencies into account, a theoretical rating for these properties has been assigned and will be verified by drilling tests.

Another important factor for the choice of a suitable PCD grade is machinability of the diamond material. Machinability has been rated by measuring manufacturing times for identical tools made from different PCD raw materials.

The focus has been set to all manufacturing steps involving PCD disc erosion and PCD grinding.

The results of this machinability test are being displayed in the rating in Table 1. The better the machinability, the higher the rating, as faster manufacturing times relate to less expensive manufacturing cost; equally important as tool performance in developing a competitive tooling solution.

PCD Brazing As the tool being introduced in this paper requires a braze joint of a helically cut slice of PCD raw material into a tungsten carbide body, the selected bra zing technology needs to prevent graphitisation of the metastable poly-crystalline diamond, but also bond the PCD to tungsten carbide.

This requires an active brazing technolog y. An active braze material usually includes higher melting compounds like titanium.

Brazing temperatures are therefore higher, which negatively affects stability of the diamond phase.

In order to prevent graphitisation, an oxidising atmosphere needs to be shut out during brazing. Current technologies include induction brazing using argon atmosphere and vacuum brazing.

Optimum Tool Geometry Choosing the optimum tool 52

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

Table 1: Comparison of three different PCD grades

Description

Fine grain sized PCD

Grade name

G4 (development)

KD1415

KD1425

4µm (average)

10µm (average)

2 - 30µm (multi-modal mix)

Abrasive resistance

+

++

+++

Chipping resistance

+++

++

+

Machinability (erosion, grinding)

++

+++

+

Grain size

Medium grain Multi-Modal sized PCD grain sized PCD

Note: In Table 1, “+”, “++”, and “+++” stand for low, medium, and high level, respectively

geometry for drilling composite/ titanium stacks is difficult, as the two cutting materials require different drill features. Drilling CFRP normally employs high helix angles and long cutting edges, as carbon fibres should be sheared along the cutting edge. Long cutting edges are being realised by low point angles. Additionally, drills for CFRP should induce low axial forces in order to avoid exit delamination.

All this translates to rather sharp cutting geometries with small wedge angles. Clearance angles go as high as 20 degrees with helix angles around 30 degrees. Cutting titanium can in principal also utilise a sharp cutting edge, however compared to CFRP drilling, a more stable wedge angle is needed. Typical clearance angles for titanium applications are in the range of 8 to 14 degrees.

Compared to steel machining, the se cle a ra nce a ngle s a re typically higher (in the presented case around 12 degrees) as heat development on the clearance face should be minimised in order to decrease flank wear.

As high clearance angles in combination with typical helix angles of around 30 degrees would weaken the cutting edge too much, the helix angle has been lowered to the range of 15 to 20 degrees in order to counterbalance using high clearance angles.

The presented manufacturing technology allows for variable helix angles depending on the tool

geometry needed. This is one of the presented technology’s principal advantages, as typical cornertipped PCD tools only allow for helix angles up to eight degrees.

In order to achieve tight hole diameter tolerances, it is absolutely necessary that the drill point have an excellent self-centring capability.

From another perspective, point angle also plays a significant role on burr formation. It is known that either below 90 or above 150 degrees, point angles help minimise hole exit burr height.

A drill with a point angle of 155 degrees would therefore be suitable for titanium exit needs, but does not have good centring capability. Therefore, a double point angle design is proposed with an inner point angle 130 degrees and an outer point angle with 155 degrees.

Overall point height of such a drill is rather short compared to usually used drills with long cutting edges. This brings the third and fourth margin in contact with the material very quickly, helping to keep hole tolerances tight.

Experimental Study The developed PCD tools are tested experimentally with the purpose of evaluating the most suitable PCD grade and tool geometries for the targeted applications. The test setup and cutting parameters are as follows.

• Test Tools Brazed PCD drills, diameter of 11.113 mm, with three different www.equipment-news.com

CompositeMaterialsSpecial PCD grades (G4, KD1415, and K D1425 ) a nd a n uncoated solid carbide drill with the same geometry.

Figure 1: Unused PCD drills (Grade of G4, KD1415, and KD1425) SEM photos taken at drill corner (X250), gash (X100), and flute surface (X1,000).

G4

KD1415

KD1425

x250

• Test Coupon Test coupon consists of an 8.7 mm thick commercially purchased CFRP (Isocarbon 3K) plate securely stacked with a 10.8 mm thick Ti-6Al-4V plate.

Test tools drill through holes, entering the CFRP side and exiting from the titanium side.

x100

x1,000

• Machine Tool & Coolant A C N C m ac h i n i n g ce nt re ( Heckert CWK 400) with a horizontal spindle and throughspindle MQL coolant (Vascomill MMS FA2) is applied.

• Tool Inspection To monitor tool wear progression, test drills were inspected under microscope after drilling of every four holes. Wear mechanism inspection was conducted under SEM after drilling of 24 holes.

Figure 1 shows an unused PCD drills’ geometry, corner (X250), gash (X100), and flute surface (X1,000).

• Hole Measurement After all machining tests, test coupons were cleaned and marked. All drilled holes were inspected. Hole diameter was measured at four depths of each hole (two in the CFRP layer near the entry and exit surfaces, and two in the Ti layer in the same manner). Hole exit burr height on the Ti bottom surface was also measured.

Results & Analysis A long, predictable, and consistent www.equipment-news.com

Hole diameter [mm]

• Cutting Parameters Cutting parameters of 20 m/min (65 SFM) cutting speed and 0.05 mm/rev (0.002” ipr) feed rate for both CFRP and titanium. No pecking cycles were used.

Figure 2: Hole count vs diameter exemplary for a PCD tool (KD1415 – tool 3).

Hole diameter vs hole count

øCFRP - entry øCFRP - exit

Hole #

tool life is the key factor deciding a tool’s success. In drilling of CFRP/ Ti composite matrix, several re qu irement s mu st b e met simultaneously to accept a good hole. Hole size must be within a tight tolerance to fit a fastener, and exit burr must be controlled within certain height to ease or eliminate deburring.

To avo id p ote nt ia l hole damage by tool’s catastrophic failure and try to keep the tool reconditionable, corner chipping must be minimised and monitored.

The following criteria are chosen to decide where the test tool reaches end of life: a. Hole size tolerance of 11.113 + 70 µm (H10); b. Burr size of 0.2 mm; c. Corner chipping occurrence.

Test results show corner chipping was the primary failure mode for the PCD drills at the end of life; and the carbide drill failed by exceeding burr height sp e ci f ic at ion. H ole qua l it y requirements could be met for all drilled holes in this test.

Hole Size Figure 2 shows the hole diameters exemplary for one tested PCD tool. For each inspected hole, hole diameter was measured at four different positions; two in the CFRP section and two in the titanium section, close to the hole entry surface and the bottom exit surface respectively.

It can be seen that the hole diameter in the titanium layer is well within the middle of the specified tolerance fluctuating in a small range of 10 μm. Hole size at the entry of the Ti layer is Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

53

CompositeMaterialsSpecial Figure 3

Burr height progression versus hole count due to tool wear

Burr height [µm]

Carbide Tool PCD Tool G4 PCD Tool KD1415

Hole #

Carbide worn corner

PCD sharp corner

Figure 4: Carbide drill’s worn corner vs. PCD (KD1415) drill’s sharp corner after 24 holes.

close to the size at the hole exit.

In the CFRP layer, however, t he re i s a re l a t i v e l y l a r g e difference in hole size between entry and exit. This difference is the result of chips scratching the hole wall during evacuation.

Improved chip control is essential to reduce chip scratching and enhance hole size consistency.

It is difficult to solve the chip control issue by tool design alone. It is proven in practice that adding pecking cycles or vibration-assisted drilling will help to control chip length and decrease the scratching effect.

The results indicate that the proposed new drill point design is capable of creating holes in H10 tolerance. Using optimised machining conditions, even H8 hole tolerance levels are achievable with good process reliability. A dependency of hole quality on cutting edge material could not be seen. PCD and carbide tools with the same drill point geometry create similar hole quality results.

54

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

Burr Height A clear dependency on drill cutting edge material can be shown when discussing drilling results in regard to burr height control and wear mechanisms.

Figure 3 shows the burr height progression versus hole count exemplary for a carbide and two PCD (grade KD1415 and G4).

It can be seen that a carbide drill creates excessive titanium exit burrs after only 14 holes, whereas the first hole out of specification for the two PCD drills are at 57 and 117 holes, respectively. As the burr height measurements for the tools show large scatter, data points have

Table 2: Starting burr height and burr height progression for different grades showing minimum and maximum values for three tested tools of same grade.

Grade

been analysed by assuming a linear wear progression due to progressing tool wear, as shown in Table 2.

This analysis shows starting burr height as well as burr height progression for carbide tools in comparison with PCD tools starts higher and progresses five to six times faster.

Starting burr heights for the different PCD grades show an increasing trend from G4 via KD1415 to KD1425, indicating that finer grain sized materials can be machined with sharper cutting edge geometries leading to low starting burr heights. The burr height increase per hole for the different PCD grades is about the same level (<1.5).

I n t h e o r y, b u r r h e i g h t progression should be a function of corner wear of the cutting tool. This can be shown between carbide and PCD due to the big difference in material hardness a nd therefore the slower progressing corner wear on PCD tools, as shown in Figure 4.

The PCD drill has much less corner wear than the carbide drill. The difference in the wear progression among the three PCD grades seems to be minor.

The dominating wear pattern of PCD grades is the cutting edge/ corner chipping.

Wear & Failure Mechanism Analysis Tool wear mechanism and wear progression on PCD drills were closely monitored and analysed during the tests. It was found the same wear pattern, edge chipping,

G4

KD1415

KD1425

Carbide

Starting burr height (µm)

59 - 74

67 - 76

76 - 85

100 - 120

Burr height increase per hole (µm)

1,0 - 1,2

1,0 - 1,4

1,0 - 1,2

5,8 - 6,2

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CompositeMaterialsSpecial 0

14

21

Drill 1 28 holes

Drill 2 123 holes

Drill 3 81 holes

Drill 1 68 holes

Drill 2 71 holes

Drill 3 88 holes

Drill 1 56 holes

Drill 2 62 holes

Drill 3 16 holes

G4

28

35

49 KD1415

64

80

88 KD1425

Figure 5: Wear progression on the KD1415 (drill3) after 0, 14, 21, 28, 35, 49, 64, 80 and 88 holes.

crossed all the tested PCD drills.

Figure 5 shows a typical wear progression on the KD1415 No.2 drill from new to the end of life (88 holes).

Photos were taken at test intervals (0, 14, 21, 28, 35, 49, 64, 80, 88 holes) to illustrate the drill corner, main cutting edge, gashing, point, and flute surface. It can be observed that the cutting edge was smooth when the drill was unused.

After 14 holes were drilled, multiple micro fractures initiated on the main cutting edge while the rest of the drill still looks intact.

Micro fractures gradually connected and extended into flutes in the rake face, which could be clearly identified as edge chipping as shown in the image after 21 holes. The formed edge chipping was fairly stable for quite a few holes (from 21 to 80 holes).

Finally the chipping ended at the drill corner and margin within eight holes resulted in a catastrophic corner failure. The end of life criteria of (c: corner chipping occurrence) is reached.

Table 3: Tool life results of the three tested PCD grades.

As said, other test PCD drills showed the same wear pattern but varied in width and depth of edge chipping and how fast the edge chipping progressed to the final catastrophic corner failure.

Figure 6 shows the end of life images of all tested PCD drills.

All tested PCD drills failed as excessive corner chipping while hole quality still meets targeted requirements.

Table 3 gives an overview of the tool life results of the three tested PCD grades. As can be seen, G4 and KD1415 are very similar in regard to average tool life. KD1415 shows more consistent tool life as well as the best machinability to reduce manufacturing cost. It is therefore chosen as the most suitable grade for this application.

Conclusions Brazed PCD solid carbide drills with three different PCD grades and optimum tool geometries were developed a nd tested.

The conclusions of this work are as follows: G4

KD1415

KD1425

Drill 1

28

68

56

Drill 2

123

71

62

Drill 3

81

88

16

Average

77

76

45

(46/49)

(12/8)

(17/29)

Deviation (+/-)

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Figure 6: Failure mode on all tested PCD drills.

1. 3 D b r a z i n g t e c h n o l o g y allows manufacturing of PCD tools with flexible helix and therefore large rake angles.

Compared with capped PCD solution, 3D brazing enhances machinability by removing less PCD from functional faces.

2. W i t h t h e o p t i m u m t o o l geometry (double point angle, helical flutes, internal spiral coolant channels, large rake angles), the developed PCD drills were able to generate good hole qua lit ie s ( hole size dia meter a nd bu r r height control).

3. C o mp a re d w it h u nco ate d solid carbide drills, PCD drills show significant improvement in tool life.

4. A ll tested PCD drills have the same wear pattern which starts off from micro fractures in the rake face, and finally ends with catastrophic corner chipping.

5. K D1415 outperformed G4 and KD1425 in consistent tool life a nd b etter machinabilit y.

Therefore, KD1415 was chosen as the most suitable grade for this application.

Enquiry No. 8601 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

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CompositeMaterialsSpecial

Composites Machining In Aerospace:

A

Numbers Game

The development in the machining of composites is a factor growing in importance, especially in the aerospace industry.

A particular focus is on total cost-per-hole â&#x20AC;&#x201D; taking into account the time needed for tool change, tool cost and above all, productivity. By Christer Richt, technical editor, Sandvik Coromant

A

bout 30 percent of all hole-making in Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) is carried out using manual, hand-held units.

More than 25 percent is done in machine shops using CNC machineries or robots. The rest (over 40 percent) uses powerfed equipment (ADU). Due to ongoing aerospace harmonisation programmes, there is a clear shift towards more-controlled ways, ie: using CNC and ADU. This leaves

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

manual hole-making limited to some parts of assembly.

Process-shift offers opportunities. Better cutting tools, methods, set-ups and utilisation, result in shorter machining times and better, more consistent quality levels throughout longer tool-lives.

With more controlled, stable and consistent ways of making hole s, ( by using power- fed equipment and CNC-machineries) the potential of tool designs and materials much more suitable

for CFR P and metal-stacked components can be utilised.

Precision holes need good, steady precision methods and equipment. For them to be made efficiently, precision in cutting tool type and application is needed.

The cost per hole in composites is highly dependent on working solutions that are consistent in performance and results.

Engineered tooling is a vital and substantial success factor in composite hole-making and today, the core of the broad basis of design and experience.

Composite - component m a nu fa c t u re r s a re m o s t l y concerned with the challenge of tool life and delamination present. This Did You Know?

Polycrystalline diamond is formed in a press and Polycrystalline diamond tools are used extensively in automotive and aerospace industries. High volume processes, tight tolerances, and highly abrasive processes are ideal for diamond tooling.

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CompositeMaterialsSpecial

The development of tooling will be an increasingly essential factor in machining, and to what extent composite make inroads throughout aircraft manufacturing. is followed by issues concerning hole roughness and splintering as well as dust management. When CFRP is stacked with metals, aluminium and/or titanium, chip control, burr height and holetolerance become additional issues.

But increasingly, there are issues with the number of operations needed to make the finished hole and the time taken to change tools.

Development Of Tools The development of tooling will be an increasingly essential factor in machining, and the extent to which composite makes inroads throughout aircra ft manufacturing. The number of operations needed to finish a hole in a composite part is a productivity factor growing in importance, as is the elimination of operations, such as deburring, that require disassembly.

Recently, the development of tools ha s contributed to cases where four hole-making operations have been reduced to one operation using a more suitable, modern tool. This was by eliminating pre-drilling, reaming and deburring, and performing just one drilling operation. Oneshot operations obviously have a huge influence on the economics of manufacturing when masses of holes have to be made.

Quick Change Tool changing is another influential productivity factor and one that is easily optimised using the right means. In one case, changing one tool in a CNC-machine making holes in composite parts took 25 minutes.

By converting the tool holding to include a quick-change concept, www.equipment-news.com

A new programme of holemaking tools drills have been developed to make holes optimally in composites.

the whole stoppage was reduced to a few minutes.

For rotating tools, there are tool holding concepts with high-tech couplings between the spindle interface unit and the cutting unit that is easily and quickly changed with high accuracy.

An exchangeable head system is an ideal solution, where the head can be changed easily in a few seconds. Not having to remove the tool shank and no further presetting of the cutting edge results in minimal machine stoppages for tool changes.

Using â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Diamondsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; For Machining Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) is ideal for machining composites, as well as stacked materials. Carbide and PCD have different limitations as tool materials. For example, carbide is strong but wears out relatively quickly in composites whereas PCD is very wear resistant but relatively brittle.

When combined, they make for excellent hole-making solutions. A drill with cemented carbide as the core tool material with integrated PCD cutting edges or coating of PCD has a very valid application area in composite hole-making today. It is seen as the best option for drilling composites.

Diamond-coated tools have evolved to achieve 70 percent of the tool life offered by solid PCD edges and represent a lower tool cost. Cemented carbide can often offer a preferred solution for more controlled machining when a very sharp cutting edge is needed â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that which can only be easily achieved with a ground, finegrained uncoated carbide edge.

Know The Drill There is a range of modern standard, semi-standard and engineered drills with CVD-coating available in different grades and geometries to suit material and machining conditions. These drills have also been developed to make holes optimally in composites varying from fibre-rich to resin-rich as well as offering all-round alternatives and suitability for stacked materials, including titanium.

The proportion of diamondcoated tools is growing as coatings develop and tool life approaches that of solid PCD. An advantage, apart from the lower initial tool costs, is that the coated tools are not so easily damaged when handled. The combined offer of PCD vein-technology tools and coated tools provide an advantageous base for arriving at the best solution. Vein technology is where PCD - edges are Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

57

CompositeMaterialsSpecial integrated in a cemented carbide tool, strategically positioned and shielded, allowing unique variations in engineered drillgeometries.

As for standard drills, selection is according to the character of the composite at hand, with different cutting geometries and grades. One type is best suited for fibre-rich materials having added capability to minimise tendencies for fraying in holes. This drill has spurs at the periphery to better cut fibres, avoiding splintering in the process. It can also be used for some stacked-material combinations involving composite and aluminium.

Sintered PCD-Edges In vein-technology drills, PCDedges make optimal use of the hard, wear resistant cutting edge in a tough drill shank. A carbide drill has a PCD-edge sintered into a slot strategically positioned and sufficiently away from the drill-tip, allowing the use of a high-strength joint. The tool geometry is ground, leaving the cutting edge shielded to a variable extent by the carbide part of the drill.

Vein-technology allows for a variation in cutting geometries that are impractical or even impossible to achieve with conventional PCD tool-bit processes. It also allows variations in tool design to cope with less rigid set-ups to stable, high-volume applications of precision holes.

Typically engineered for a specific solution, a PCD-vein drill can be the best solution in an automated set-up for optimising performance and hole quality consistency when drilling CFRP. It provides a sharp cutting geometry that can handle the most abrasive of composites.

Part of a unique design, for example, results in a strengthened tool corner to allow higher cutting speeds in combination with tight entry and exit limits.

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asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

A lte r nat ive ly, it may b e eng ine ere d for CF R P- meta l stacks. As such, it can feature micro-features located to cope in concentrated areas of highstress, providing the drill with added ability to remain sharp and exact throughout a long tool life. The cutting edge cuts the composite fibres with a low thrust force, resulting in minimal fibre breakout, delamination and also eliminates exit burrs on the metal.

Methods That Offer Options In addition to conventiona l drilling, hole-making methods have evolved considerably. For example, the orbital drilling concept is based on rotating a cutting tool around its own axis and simultaneously about a centre axis, which is off-set from the axis of the cutting tool. The tool can be moved simultaneously in an axial direction to drill or machine a hole â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and/or combined with a radial motion to machine an opening or cavity. By adjusting the off-set, a cutting tool of a specific diameter can be used to drill holes of different diameters.

Drilling units that provide orbital drilling, with controlled off-set, can define and optimise the drilling process in many different ways. This makes it possible to machine complex and close-tolerance holes and perform finishing operations using the same tool and set-up.

Portable orbital hole-making units are light in weight and are attached to templates or other devices during the drilling operation. Special tool solutions are available for achieving high hole - qua lit y whet her using portable or CNC-machinery, with ongoing developments to further develop and optimise tools for different stack combinations.

Vibration drilling is another specialised hole-making method used increasingly in composites, particularly with metal stacks.

Standard drills selection is according to the character of the composite or stack at hand.

The principle is based on breaking the chips as they are being generated. The method involves using an oscillation movement in combination with the feed movement in the drilling process.

The forced mecha nica l vibrations are generated in an axial direction with low frequency, and are variable to best suit the application. The advantages of the process are improved chip control in metal, cleanliness, especially when machining is dry, its application as a one-shot operation and for stack-drilling.

The compact units for vibration drilling are universally and easily applicable.

Minimising Total Hole-Cost The combination of dedicated, engineered drills and drilling method, along with specialist support and experience, can achieve very competitive solutions today.

In a particular aerospacecomponent example, drilling is performed using a powerfeed unit for a CFRP-titanium stack, with minimum quantity lubrication. The hole tolerance in this case is 50 microns, Ra for CFRP is within 6.3 microns and for titanium, 1.6 microns, with no delamination allowed.

In addition to two demanding materials, the challenge is also the instability of the portable power-fed machine, and that spindle speed and feed rate are the same for composite and metal.

A PCD vein-type drill was www.equipment-news.com

CompositeMaterialsSpecial

In vein-technology tooling, cutting edges in PCD are integrated in a cemented carbide tool, making optimal use of the hard, wear resistant cutting edge in a tough drill shank.

provided improved chip control in the titanium to eliminate any chip interference with the surface finish as well as a more predictable tool life.

The result of this design work and application support was a superior single operation solution that minimised the total hole cost. The hole tolerances, surface finishes, burr-free exits and delamination-free holes were achieved throughout a long and predictable tool life.

Enquiry No. 8602 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

ENQUIRY NO 124

seen as the most suitable along w it h t he v ibrat io n - d r i l l i n g method and minimal quantity lubrication. In this case, it was the engineering of the drill ge omet r y t hat wa s t he key element to success.

Va r ia nt s of t he sele c te d drill were designed and tested, with characteristics such as web thickness being perfected.

Hole -making was performed w ith a nd w ithout v ibration drilling, but the latter alternative

Conclusion There is no doubt that the machining costs in making composite and stacked components are playing an increasingly important role.

The role of evolving machineries, methods and tools will be part of a more important segment in how these combinations of light, strong and durable materials will be put to use in the aerospace industry.

H e r e , to o l a n d m e t h o d adva nce s a re prov ing t hat machining economy ca n be considerably improved a nd thereby be success factors that determine machine utilisation, costs and productivity. With tool costs playing a significant role in making holes in CFRP and metal stacks, a focus on the total cost per hole is all the more important.

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Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

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CompositeMaterialsSpecial

‘Plying’

A New Trade

A new fabric can change the way we design and manufacture products. By Steve W Tsai, professor Research Emeritus Aeronautics & Astronautics, Stanford University, Michel Cognet, Group MD & Philippe Sanial, Group R&D director, Chomarat Group

C

arbon/epoxy laminates are significantly st ron ger a nd st i f fer than aluminium, but only 20 percent weight s av i n g s ove r a lu m i n iu m i s rea lised. There is something off in the current practice. Once we move beyond the traditional black aluminium design rules, new design and manufacturing concepts will be possible.

This new concept is borne out of a team of companies and universities from around the world and relies on three building blocks: Shallow angle, thin plies and anisotropy. Depending on the

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geometry and specific load of the part, any or all three of the building blocks can be introduced into the design. C-Ply (Carbon Non Crimp Fabric-NCF-) is a recent patent pending invention by Stanford University and Chomarat that offers weight and cost reductions.

Black Aluminium W hen advanced composites emerged from the discovery of boron and then carbon fibres in the 1960’s, only designers having ex perience w ith a luminium aircraft were called upon to design composites. Anisotropy, lamination, micromechanics, and

totally different manufacturing processes were foreign to them.

It was their natural instinct to make composites behave as closely to aluminium as possible.

Many rules that were made then dominated composites design for half a century.

Examples of the rules include the use of unitape as the building block, four ply angles of 0, ±45, and 90, symmetry with respect to the mid-plane (to avoid thermal warpage), balanced laminates (to avoid anisotropy), 10 percent rule (each of four angles must be 10 percent of the ply combinations to cover diversified loads), ply drop rules (to achieve tapering), and strain allowable (of 0.4 percent analogous to that for aluminium at 0.8 percent).

All these rules may make composites like aluminium but they bring additional costs. If 90 degree plies are not needed, they should be left out. This additional ply brings not only extra weight and cost, but also a n additiona l fa ilure mode.

It also makes manufacturing difficult because this ply causes bridging, ie: refuses to bend in sharp corners. Requirement for laminates being symmetric is not without cost. Two plies must be added to maintain this symmetry while only one ply is required.

Balanced laminates are needed if shear stress is fully reversible.

An unbalanced laminate can be highly anisotropic that makes bend-twist coupling practical.

This unique oppor tunity is removed in balanced laminate.

If a laminate is built by having many repeated sub-laminates, many of the rules are no longer necessary. It would automatically become homogenised, therefore symmetrical, dependent only on ply combinations, not dependent on stack ing sequence or permutation, and is structurally simple to understand and easy to calculate. Anisotropy should www.equipment-news.com

CompositeMaterialsSpecial not be prohibited (by permitting use of balanced laminates only) because bend-twist coupling can offer gust load alleviation in wind turbine blades.

Ply drop is a black art as it is practised today. The rules governing ply drops are more concerned about the local stress concentration as stipulated by the ply thickness drop and the distance between drops. Ply drop also requires the maintenance of mid-plane symmetry. As a result, mid-plane symmetrical plies are dropped simultaneously. In fact, laminate properties change as plies are being dropped.

F i n a l l y s t ra i n a l low a ble is t re ate d incor re ct ly a s a scalar quantity (like density, temperature, voids, thickness, and safety factor). Although this simple number is easy to accept, it is mathematically wrong. Strain, like stress, is dependent on the reference coordinates. It does not remain constant as the coordinate axes change.

Safety factor is a scalar and therefore, a better measure; failure strain or its allowable is not. Because of anisotropy, composite laminates do not behave like aluminium. Their Poissonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ratios can be larger than 0.5, and stress and strain respond to loads in a totally different way.

It is a huge disservice to express allowable strain by a single number irrespective of the applied load and the ply combination of a laminate.

Thin Plies C-Ply is a Non Crimp Fabric (NCF) developed by Chomarat.

Among its features are the thin plies of carbon fibres made from spreading large tows into highquality plies before stitching. The weight of each ply is 75 grams per sq m, equal to half of the weight of conventional unitape.

The fabric is made of two or three thin plies. The ply thickness is one half or less than the conventional plies; it is 75 gsm www.equipment-news.com

(grams per sq m) as compared with the normal 150 gsm of the conventional unitape. Thinner plies are also possible.

T hin plie s cont r ibute to severa l cr it ica l fe atu re s of C-Plies. Thin plies offer stronger and tougher laminates because the number of plies for a given laminate thickness is doubled or more, ie: a laminate with 50 conventional plies will have 100 or more thin plies.

With a finer structure, each ply accounts for a smaller percentage of the total laminate. At the same time, thinner plies help suppress microcracks. A part can be loaded and unloaded without damaging the laminate. A finer structure is more likely to reach higher strength and more resistance to edge delamination.

In C-Ply, each ply is made thinner by a spreading process resulting in a higher quality ply.

The resulting laminate can be designed for higher strength and is more resistant to delamination.

Using Two (Shallow) Ply Angles The fabric can have two plies with one [0] ply and an off-axis ply with an angle of either 20 to 30 degrees, or 45 or higher.

In the case of shallow angles, 30 or less degrees, two plies can be better matched to take applied load; ie: the resulting ply failures are closer to each other so the first-ply-failure envelopes are higher than the case of a crossply laminate like [0/90], where one of the plies would fail at a much lower applied load than the other. In other words, [0] and [90] plies have totally different, and incompatible load-carrying capabilities.

C-Ply, on the other hand, has two better-matched ply angles.

This matching is particularly useful for the combined load of bending and twisting. Such combinations are common in wings, shafts, and other beam-like

Bi-angle construction of fabric

structures. Shallow angles allow designing stronger micro-cracksfree laminates.

Homogenised Laminates The combinations of two angles and thin plies will have a sublaminate of 150 gsm, as compared with the conventional four angles and thick unitape, which is 600 gsm, or four times heavier.

Homogenisation is achieved when a total laminate consists of many identical sub-laminates.

The resulting laminate is stronger and tougher than a laminate made of thick unitape (at 150 gsm or higher), or thicker sub-laminates having many more ply angles than two or three. There are 12 ways to stack a four ply angle, four-ply sublaminate, ie: [0/90/45/-45], [0/45/90/45], and so on.

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CompositeMaterialsSpecial

Step 1

Step 2

A two-step production technique

When the number of plies in a sub -laminate increases further, there are hundreds or thousands stacking possibilities.

For this reason, optimisation of ply stacking is not done in practice. So there is no rational way to determine how optimum a composite structure is if it is stack-sequence dependent, and not homogenised.

On the other hand, topology optimisation of a homogenised composite structure is practical.

The fabric is suited to offer the best sub -laminate for its combinations of material (carbon versus glass), ply thicknesses (thick or thin combinations) and continuous variable in the offaxis angles (from 20 to 30, and 45 and up).

A homogenised la minate i s automat ic a l l y b e com i n g symmetric. Sub-laminates can be stacked continuously without concern of the location of the midplane, and of the mirror image of the stacking below and above the mid-plane.

Laminates are increasingly insensitive to the thermal warpage as the number of sub-laminates increase. The in-plane and flexural stiffness is equal. The governing equations of motion, vibration and buckling are all much simplified.

Many closed-form solutions are available. Confidence in analysis and design will increase. There is no effect of stacking sequences.

Only ply combinations matter.

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One-Axis Lay Up Another feature of the fabric is the one-axis layup. Instead of threeor four-axis layup of the black aluminium design, C-Ply with one or two off-axis plies plus [0] can layup a structure in stacking fabric or tape along one axis.

The savings in time are in hundreds of percent depending on the length-to-width of the composites component. The productivity of each automated tape laying machine can be increased many times. For very long components such as spars and stringers, the speed can be increased by an order of magnitude.

Being homogenised, optimum tapering can be defined by topology optimisation tools. Ply drop can be more easily done because in-plane symmetry need not be maintained.

Plies or bi-angle layers can be dropped at any location along the thickness of the laminate.

Laminate properties remain constant as tapering takes place.

This is so as long as the laminate is homogenised. With ATL, there is a decrease in the layup time, as well as quality of the product.

With one-axis layup, there is no transverse layer to cause residual stress from curing. Gaps and laps are not expected to affect the properties along the one-axis.

All layers are mechanically and thermally compatible. There is no tendency for wrinkles to form.

Products made from one-axis layup are therefore more defect-tolerant.

Conclusions The fabric offers design and manufacturing advantages over the conventional unitape. First, the traditional design rules of black aluminium are no longer necessary and, in fact, should be superseded by more effective ones.

Such a laminate is homogenised for which the stretching and bending stiffness becomes the same. The laminate wo u l d b e s y m m e t r i c , a n d quasi-isotropic, orthotropic or anisotropic (not balanced).

From a basic bi-angle C-Ply, we can make laminated structures with three, four, six, eight, and more angles if necessary. In fact, we can make [Ď&#x20AC;/6] and [Ď&#x20AC;/8] laminates with two axis layup, which have shown much higher impact re sista nce tha n the conventional [Ď&#x20AC;/4] now in use.

For the automated tape laying machine, many structures can be made with one-axis layup for panels with C-Ply. All components can be optimised in term of geometry and loading to take full advantage of this shallow angles and thin ply concept.

Fifty percent of weight savings are achievable from taking full advantage of the lighter weight of ca rbon composite s over aluminium. Being made of thin plies, these panels can often offer design options for a minimum gauge not possible with thick unitape. Equally important are the increase in productivity (from faster layup time), and improved quality from having fewer layup axes than the traditional three or four axis design.

T h e c u r re nt g e n e r a t i o n C-Ply can be extended to many combinations of material, geometric and processing options. For example, of the two plies, we can have carbon/glass hybrids, thickthin ply combinations, different layup axes, and different tapering.

Enquiry No. 8603 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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CompositeMaterialsSpecial Chomarat: Material For High-End Markets

Netzsch: Dynamic Mechanical Analyser

Oflex Design by Chomarat is a flexible coated composite reinforcement that offers design possibilities and performance. It is the result of synergy between textile expertise for composites and coating technology skills.

The material consists a glass, aramid or carbon fabric or multiaxial impregnated with a flexible, translucent thermoplastic matrix. The concept enables a broad range of combinations between a weave (plain, twill, satin, multiaxial) and a material (glass, aramid, carbon or hybrid).

The material is said to offer a customised engineered textile, with a matchless weight/mechanical properties ratio compared to traditional concepts, due to the use of high-performance fibres.

The modular design of the dynamic mechanical analyser DMA 242 E Artemis by Netzsch makes it a viable long-term investment. This instrument combines easy handling with the user-friendly Proteus measurement and evaluation software to allow for fast and simple characterisation of dynamic mechanical properties in real-world applications.

Standard data analysis takes less than one minute.

Over 30 different sample holders are available in order to perform measurements on a wide variety of samples while taking material properties into account.

A step motor with a travelling distance of up to 20 mm allows for precise testing on materials which undergo substantial changes in length during measurement. This is particularly applicable in the various static experiments which can be realised with the analyser, such as creep, relaxation and TMA mode.

Enquiry No. 8604 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Enquiry No. 8606 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Hamuel Reichenbacher: CNC Machining Centre

Sigmatex: Spread Tow Fabrics

Developed by Hamuel Reichenbacher, the EcoNT is a machining centre that features a fixed portal, allowing low vibration. Suitable for plastics, aluminium and composites, the working areas of the machine can be flexibly adapted for each machining task while offering optimum machining conditions for all applications.

The machining centre can also be equipped with integrated tool changing systems, which are mounted to the x-slide. Finally, high-speed spindles with up to 60,000 rpm assure the efficient machining of the entire component.

Using high-speed weaving principles, Sigmatex has developed the sigmaST range of fabrics. According to the manufacturer, this range of products exhibit near zero crimp properties and high output. In addition, the manufacturer says that the fabrics have better transition of material properties due to the reduction of tow thickness, the improved filament regularity and fewer interlacing points.

As a result, lighter composites can be achieved using this particular range of fabrics. Other notable benefits include aerospace capability and the reduction of effects of multi-ply stacking for improved finish.

Enquiry No. 8605 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Enquiry No. 8607 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Features recovery, and the total output of the continent is still below the 2008 peak. In addition, companies have to pay attention to difficulties in India and other emerging markets as well.

To help companies in Europe compete domestically and abroad, the European trade policy has in place favourable conditions that lower the duties and other associated costs at the borders, reduce the need to perform extra testing at different countries, and ensure that there is fair competition.

Event Review:

EMO Hannover 2013 APMEN takes a look at what are making waves at EMO. By Wong Tsz Hin

E

MO Hannover 2013, one of the largest international trade fairs for the machine tool industry, was held from September 16 - 21, 2013, in Hannover, Germany.

With the keynote slogan of ‘Intelligence in Production’, over 2,100 exhibitors from 43 countries took part in the event to showcase their innovations to just under 145,000 trade visitors from over 100 different nations. Around 60 percent of the exhibitors and 41 percent of the visitors were from overseas, with Asia accounting for 17 percent of the visitor total.

At the opening ceremony, Karel De Gucht, European Commissioner for Trade, suggested that stability has returned to the financial

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markets in Europe. “You may not have noticed, but this summer was the first for several years without a crisis related to the euro,” he said.

He added that according to the data in August, the economies of both the euro-zone and the European Union have returned to positive growth, “driven by particularly good output in Germany, France and the UK.” Although countries that were worst hit by the crisis are showing progress, with Ireland set to become the first country to leave its bailout program by the end of the year and steady growth in the Spanish and Portuguese economies, he cautioned that there is still much work to be done as the growth figures only point towards a slow

Sunshine In The Rain Despite the gloomy global economic outlook and slowdown of emerging markets like China, many companies have remained optimistic. One of them is Iscar, an Israeli tool maker affiliated with the IMC Group. As Hadas Zeira, marketing communications m a n a g e r o f t h e c o m p a n y, explained, they have observed trends that indicate the economic downturn in Europe is ending and the industry is gradually recovering.

“The metalworking industry is like the petroleum industry, the world cannot live without it,” he said. With the automotive industry accounting for around 40 percent of the metalworking industry, the market has become the trendsetter that the company is paying a close eye to.

Mr Zeira said that for manufacturers to remain competitive, they have to increase productivity. “We have worked closely with machine builders to create tools that are high speed and high feed.”

Over the past year, the company has released around 15,000 new products under its High-Q-Line campaign to ensure that the tools can function as efficiently as the machines.

Similarly, productivity is the focus of US cutting tool technology www.equipment-news.com

Features developer Greenleaf Corp’s product design. The company was showcasing their latest series of products, including a high feed mill which will utilise both carbide and ceramic inserts unique to the cutting tool industry, whisker reinforced ceramic inserts that offer higher performance values than other ceramic inserts and silicon nitride inserts strengthened with a proprietary toughening agent as well as coated carbide for cast iron applications.

“As the world gets smaller and companies are more competitive globally, productivity is the first and foremost thing that they are looking for,” David E Rydbom, VP of sales and marketing, explained.

The way that the company combats against economic slowdown is to expand its presence in other parts of the world. With already a growing presence in Europe, it will be opening a full office in China that will provide inventory and technical support for the region.

Mr Rydbom foresees that the aerospace, power generation and medical sectors will continue to climb, as the automotive industry regains of some form of stability.

Focus On Asian Market Besides opportunities, globalisation also presents challenges for Asian manufacturers. This is especially true given the current market conditions as they have to juggle between two fronts.

HPMT Industries, a cutting tools manufacturer from Malaysia and one of the many Asian exhibitors at the show, believes that it is a good time to look closer to home.

As Khoo Seng Giap, COO of the company, explained, after building their client base and strengthening their business through the show some years ago, the company will now focus its efforts on the emerging markets in the East, including Indonesia, Malaysia and www.equipment-news.com

Over 2,100 exhibitors from 43 countries took part in the event to showcase their innovations.

Singapore. In order to achieve that, the company will redesign its program so that there are specific products that cater to both European and Asian customers.

“The value proposition to Europe and the value proposition to Asia are very different actually,” Mr Khoo said. “Our products fit better in the European environment, where customers understand the tools and how to apply them. In Europe, you have to be efficient and you need good auxiliary and tools to support the machines. In Asia, however, the working environment and technical competence are hard to optimise, so price becomes a more important factor.”

The company also observes that the requirements and needs of individual country markets within Asia itself are starkly different and therefore, it will be developing products that target the respective markets accordingly.

“We will be setting up a manufacturing unit in Indonesia,” he added. After that, they will look into expanding their sales networking and increasing their

marketing and branding efforts, part of which includes the redesign of the company’s website and the addition of a product listing page that displays all product offers in the catalogue, a tool adviser to help customers optimise their tools and a general catalogue.

Bilz is another company that fully appreciates the potential of the Asian market. “I can see that certain elements of business that were taken by China are moving back to Europe. However, the emerging markets are still the ones to watch for because overhead costs are much lower there,” Andy Hooper, general sales manager of the company, said.

“In China, the bubble is starting to burst and we see GDP in single digit figure, but it is still positive.”

The growth in China and Southeast Asia is the motivation behind the company’s decision to set up regional offices and invest in local staff in Shanghai, China, and Thailand. In addition, it will also be extending its reach in Indonesia and Vietnam through distributors and sales network.

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Features

Somes 145,000 trade visitors went to Hannover to be part of the forefront of metalworking.

plants, one in Germany and the other in India. Despite the common misconception that products made in the Indian facility is inferior to that from the German plant, Mr Hooper explained that the same quality standards applies. “Based on India’s overhead costs, basically we can bring to the market quality at a lesser price. We use the price advantage to specifically sell products to Asia.”

Rebranding Bilz will also be making investments in building stronger brand awareness and it is certainly not the only company that sees the importance of branding.

Besides launching 18 world premieres at the show, DMG Mori Seiki announced at a press conference that all their products will be marketed under the brand DMG Mori. At the same time, all machines offerings will be available uniformly in either black or white colours.

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As of October 1, 2013, Mori Seiki has been rebranded as DMG Mori Seiki, while Gildermeister Aktiengesellschaft has been rebranded as DMG Mori Seiki Aktiengesellschaft.

Korber Schleifring also underwent a similar rebranding exercise. At a separate press conference, the company announced that it will merge with United Grinding Technologies USA to form United Grinding, Korber Solutions. As part of the marketing change, Studer, Magerle, Blohm, Jung, Schaudt, Mikrosa, Walter and Ewag will become brands under the new name.

Providing a fresh take on what companies should do during the economic s l o w d o w n , M o s h e S h a ro n , former TaeguTec president and current representative director of the company at its parent company IMC, warned that companies should not be too reactive to market conditions as “reducing investments would be

detrimental when the economy recovers.”

“In the time of recession, we need to invest more and develop more,” he suggested. “We need to use the time. In this sense, we increase activity. It does not matter whether it is in other industries. It is more risky, but what is not risky?”

Even during the economic crisis of 2009, the group did not lay off any of its staff even though many other companies were doing so. His reasoning is that by doing that, companies will be losing the skills and experience that the employees have amassed.

“Where do you get them back when the economy is good again?” he questioned. “As long as there is viability in the company, you should not do it.”

Looking ahead, he is optimistic for the industry next year. “I have a positive feeling about 2014,” he added. “I feel there is an increase, slight increase and some comebacks. It is not like 2009 where everyone is affected. There are economies in serious difficulties, but there are other opportunities to replace them. Projects are moving from place to place and it is encouraging. I see it as a situation that is a positive trend.”

Overall, exhibitors and visitors seemed positive about the future.

With the struggling market slowly recovering, companies have been able to find a silver lining in rapidly growing markets in the East, especially in the Southeast Asian region, which is set to become a focal point for the industry going forward.

The next edition of the show will be held in Milan, Italy, from October 5 - 10, 2015.

EMO Hannover Hannover, Germany September 16 - 21, 2013 Enquiry No. 8701 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Features

Products At EMO 2013 Colibri: HSM Spindle

Haas: Rotary Table

The Typhoon is a patentpending family of fluid-driven spindles for various machining, including semi-finishing and finishing applications, such as milling, drilling and grinding.

The system uses an existing energy source — the high pressure coolant pump and the original flushing system of the machine to rotate a turbine with high rotational speed — up to 40,000 rpm.

This provides cooling effect and chipping evacuation, resulting in increased efficiency and performance of the cutting tool.

The spindles can be gripped automatically by the tool changer and stored in the tool magazine as a regular tool. They are available in three models, with each covering a specific range of tool diameter and speed and supporting different work piece materials and machine tools.

The HRC210 is a compact, high-speed rotary table driven by a cam system that provides indexing speeds up to 830 deg/s. It can generate some 110 ft-lb of spindle torque for synchronous four-axis machining and has a pneumatic brake that yield 134 ft-lb of holding torque for stationary work.

Indexing accuracy is ±30 arc-s, with repeatability of 4 arc-s. The 210 mm platter of the machine has a six inch centre height, with a two inch precision pilot bore and 1.77 inch through-bore. There are six radial T-slots that help simplify fixture and workpiece mounting.

Enquiry No. 8702 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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DMG Mori: Vertical Machining Centre

Mikron: Milling Cutter

The machine concept of the DMC 650 V is based on a machine bed made of mineral casting, on which the rigid table with a clamping surface of 900 x 570 mm rests. The machine column made of cast iron forms the basis of the X/Y slide, so only the tool is moving.

The rapid traverses in all axes are 36 m/min. Instead of a 10,000 rpm spindle, a spindle with 14,000 rpm and 121 Nm is used in the standard version. The traverse paths were also improved to 650 x 520 x 475 mm.

New in the machine segment is the cooling of the drives and guides. The ball screw nuts and the linear guides are cooled via contact pressure rails and frictional heat is effectively being dissipated.

In addition to the standard spindle with 14,000 rpm, further spindle versions of up to 24,000 rpm are available and optional.

The CrazyMill Cool is an end miller in the diameter range of 0.3 - 6 mm that features integrated through cooling. The cooling channels are integrated into the carbide shaft.

The miller helps control the temperature of the tool by eliminating challenges of using external cooling, such as interference from cutting edges and flushing of flutes, which prevent the continuous shredding of chips.

Coolant ports are at the end of the shaft taper where they produce a steady and massive cooling effect of the cutting edges to facilitate high cutting speeds. The robust carbide shaft helps to achieve stable and non-vibrating milling.

Enquiry No. 8703 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Enquiry No. 8705 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Features

Products At EMO 2013

Sandvik Coromant: Cemented-Carbide Grade For Steel Turning

Sandvik Coromant has developed the GC4325, a coated cemented-carbide grade for steel turning.

This grade provides a higher potential for increasing cutting speeds and a longer, more predictable tool life with high reliability, over an extended broad ISO P25 application area.

The insert substrate and coating of the grade have been developed to better withstand high temperatures, thereby reducing the effect that causes excessive wear.

As a bonus, the grade is capable of maintaining the insert edge line at higher temperatures, which translates into the capability for higher cutting speeds with added security through more predictablility.

Walter: Milling Cutter

The F5138 is the first porcupine cutter from the company in a refined Blaxx design. Four-edged, tangential indexable inserts made of Tiger-tec Silver cutting material are positioned in the cutter to ensure a large mass carbide in the direction of the cutting forces.

At the same time, with the design of the insert seat, the tool body has a reinforced core and benefits from a large material cross-section. Four available cutting materials â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from very hard to very tough â&#x20AC;&#x201D; mean it is possible to select the optimum cutting material according to the component material: WKP25S and WKP35S for steel and cast iron, WSM35S and WSP45S for stainless steel and materials with difficult cutting properties.

Enquiry No. 8706 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Schunk: Toolholder

Zeiss: Computer Tomograph

T h e Tr i b o s - M i n i H S K - E 2 0 polygonal chuck is the first standardised precision toolholder for micro machining with the spindle interface. In comparison to conventional short taper interfaces, the interface provides an axially flat work surface for the toolholder, ensuring change and positioning accuracy.

The toolholder has a concentricity and repeat accuracy of <0.003 mm at an unclamping length of 2.5 x D and a balancing grade of G 2.5 at 15,000 rpm. It is suitable for tool shanks in h6 quality, transmits torque up to 4.5 Nm (at 6 mm diameter) and makes high rotational speeds of up to 85,000 rpm possible.

Similar to other polygonal toolholders, the mount has no movable parts, which guarantees almost complete maintenance and wear-free clamping.

Process reliable tool changes can be done in seconds with the help of a hydraulic clamping device.

The VoluMax computer tomograph combines the benefits of two measuring methods. It generates 3D volume data in a matter of seconds and is insensitive to temperature fluctuations.

X-rays deliver valuable insights into the interior of workpieces. The computer tomograph generates 3D volume models much like a computer tomograph in the measuring lab. Like 2D radiography, however, it is equally suitable for the shop floor. It can be used between temperatures of 15 and 40 deg C and delivers the measuring results in just a few seconds.

In order to achieve such a short measuring time, the company has increased the X-ray power compared to its existing computer tomographs.

Enquiry No. 8707 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Enquiry No. 8708 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Enquiry No. 8709 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Features

Developing

World Class Capabilities

To secure a spot in the global market, it is important for sheet metal manufacturers to increase efficiency, reduce costs and simplify their process. By Sherlyne Yong

A

s the world becomes increasingly globalised and boundaries are b l u r re d , p ro c e s s e s become more complex. To top it off, demands in the manufacturing industry are becoming more rigorous and markets more volatile, such that speed and reduced costs have become priority.

“Your competitors are no longer the person down the street.

Your competitors are people in the Americas, people in Europe; your competitors are people in Asia.

This is truly a world economy,” said Robert St. Aubin, president of Bystronic Inc. Understanding the challenges that sheet metal manufacturers face today, Bystronic organised the Competence Days 2013 in September at its headquarters in Niederönz, Switzerland, where a global array of customers from places like the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Kenya, India, China, Eastern and Western Europe gathered to see the latest innovations in sheet metal processing.

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Staying true to the theme of ‘World Class Manufacturing’, the company showed its customers — through presentations, live demonstrations and a showcase of unreleased prototypes — how challenges in the global market can be overcome.

Summing it up succinctly, Alex Waser, CEO and president of Bystronic Group said: “We have identified three areas that help you further in developing into a world class manufacturer — increasing efficiency, reducing costs and simplifying process.”

Integrating Processes Just like how efficiency, simplified processes and cost savings are all intertwined, the integration of systems and processes greatly affects optimisation, especially in terms of transitioning from one process to another.

According to Mr St. Aubin, “automating only the mechanical concepts is no longer enough in world class manufacturing.

In order to manufacture on a

worldwide basis, we have to automate even the software aspects, and the ability to move our products through the process very efficiently.”

The BySoft 7 software serves this purpose by supporting the user throughout the entire manufacturing process, from calculating part costs, to cutting and bending, and even up to the loading and unloading or parts.

It essentially reduces throughput time with a simple operating interface that supports automatic and fast parts programming, with the ability to simulate and detect potential production conflicts.

It could also be something as simple as labelling laser-cut parts, such as the PartID function, which prevents mix-ups and facilitates a smooth transition to subsequent processes like bending. The identification code laser engraved onto the part is registered by a scanning unit at the pressbrake, to which the bending program is then loaded immediately.

Other modules like the Plant Manager further support the vision of integration and efficiency by planning and monitoring laser and waterjet cutting. For instance, customer orders can be organised by priority, deadlines and urgency, and parts can be colour-coded using the part removal feature.

Optimising Resources At the same time, higher throughput and reduced costs can also be achieved with streamlining processes, simply because it requires fewer resources. Flexibility enables manufacturers to save on time and effort, while precision prevents material wastage.

For instance, the BySprint Fiber laser is capable of machining materials of different thicknesses without any interruption from the operator. Meanwhile, its Cut Control option uses sensors and light reflection to detect whether a piece is cut properly, especially for Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

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Features sharp corners, which results in low rejection rates for machined parts.

The machine is also equipped with precise edge detection, which determines the exact position of the metal sheet so that material utilisation is optimised.

The same qualities can be found in the ByAutonom, a CO2 laser cutting system that offers better material yield with fewer offcuts. Its automatic nozzle and lens changer along with conflict detecting capabilities makes it autonomous.

The laser also comes with a Power Cut option that makes it possible to cut, from the previous threshold of 15 mm, to stainless steel up to 25 mm thick without the need for elaborate reworking.

To highlight how collaboration can lead to optimisation, the company unveiled its technology twins — machines that can be paired together for greater efficacy.

One such pairing is the BySprint Fiber and Xcite pressbrake for thin to medium materials, which combines the fastest cutting speed for thin materials and low maintenance costs (from the fibre laser) with high feed rates (from the press brake).

For medium to thick materials, the company has recommended the pairing of CO 2 lasers with the Xpert pressbrake, which combines precision and scrap reduction to achieve maximum output and throughput. Like salt and pepper, these pairings are made to complement each other, creating a sense of fluidity between the two processes.

Mobility Mobility on the other hand, plays a huge role in enhancing responsiveness — key in an era characterised by rapid d e v e l o p m e n t s . To h e l p customers in this aspect, the company is launching systems that provide users with greater accessibility to information and 70

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Alex Waser

data, even on the go.

One such instance is the OPC Interface, which collects data on manufacturing progress and transmits the information to the users’ own monitoring systems.

By helping users react quickly to deviations from production plans, unscheduled idle time is reduced and order calculation is made more accurate, resulting in greater productivity.

The increasing prevalence of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets has also led to d e v e l o p m e n t s i n B y Vi s i o n Bending, an offline bending control software. It is now compatible with Windows tablets and the software’s BendSolver feature is available on mobile devices as well, allowing users to calculate actual bending simulation while on the go.

Meanwhile, mobile remote monitoring is made possible with the Observer, a web-based, camerasupported system that will be available from 2014. “The Observer ensures that you can keep track of what is going on during production, whether you are in the factory or not,” said Daniel Nauer, senior VP of Market Division Asia & Australia at the company.

He added that this is especially useful in Asia, particularly with the debate on work-life balance

Robert St. Aubin

gaining traction in the region.

It also increases efficiency by exempting operators from the need to be physically present, such that they can spend the time doing something else.

Further expounding these benefits is a voice control feature added to the ByVision bending software. Inspired by the fact that operators waste as much as two hours per shift carrying out corrections on the control unit, important commands on pressbrakes can now be executed via voice.

This development, among many more, are just one of the effects of taking time to find out what customers truly need, even if they do not realise it themselves. Focusing strongly on customer service, the innovations by the company were clearly inspired by their sheet metal processing customers and the community, such that the spirit of collaboration could also be seen among its solutions.

At its core, world class manufacturing can only be achieved by listening to, and fulfilling the needs of the world, the result of which have led to the showcase at Competence Days 2013.

Enquiry No. 8710 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Events& Exhibitions Event Preview:

Manufacturing Indonesia

M

including two supplementary custom constructed halls to occupy over 32,000 sq m of exhibit space.

In total, the show is expected to gather over 2,400 exhibiting companies from 39 countries, with more than 20 group pavilions from China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the UK. Strong Support Also featured alongside the event are Industrial Automation & Logistics Indonesia and Tools & Hardware Indonesia.

They are primary gateways in their own right but they too reinforce the integrative nature of Manufacturing Indonesia series as a comprehensive and progressive end to end manufacturing platform. Together, the shows facilitate heightened engagements between solution providers and users, buyers as well as trade professionals.

Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia December 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7, 2013 Enquiry No. 8801 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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anufacturing Indonesia 2013 is scheduled to return from December 4 - 7, 2013 at the Jakarta International Expo Centre. The manufacturing and engineering trade event, which is into its 24th series, will converge cutting edge technologies, innovations and practical solutions from around the globe, providing a perspective on the multitude of application opportunities to engage Indonesiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolving industrial developments.

The manufacturing event in Indonesia will span across all available halls at the venue

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Events&Exhibitions

V

ietnam Manufacturing Expo 2013 is the fifth and the largest edition of the show ever. The exhibition has broken its own records in several dimensions. It is larger in terms of space. It is also bigger in terms of collaborations between participating parties.

The organiser said that they are seeing a greater number of companies and organisations, both from the public and private sectors, coming together to jointly promote the strength and competitiveness of the supporting industries. This is especially pertinent in the concerted efforts between Vietnamese and Japanese organisations, who are celebrating the anniversary of the 40th year of friendship. As such, the total number of attendants during three days reached 13,164.

I n a d d i t i o n t o Vi e t n a m Manufacturing Expo, SI Exhibition: Vi e t n a m - J a p a n S u p p o r t i n g Industries Exhibition, Japan Monozukuri Technology Exhibition and Industrial Components & Subcontracting Vietnam were also held at the event. This kind of alliance has created the transfer of new technologies and know-how and the expansion of business networks that are being transformed into tangible results.

Strong Support For Collaboration According to the organiser, visitors managed to find new parts buyers and subcontractors because of the collaboration of the Japan External Trade Organization in Hanoi and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency.

Together, they have brought together Japanese parts buyers and Vietnamese sellers to meet them at SI exhibition.

Not to be outdone, the Hanoi Trade Promotion Center, with support from Hanoi People’s Committee, has led Vietnamese parts sellers to meet buyers at Industrial Components &

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Event Review:

Vietnam Manufacturing Expo 2013

Subcontracting Vietnam.

In celebration of the 40 th anniversary of Vietnam and Japan’s relations, the executive committee for Japan-Vietnam Friendship Year expanded the visitors’ horizons with Japanese technologies such as the bicycle-riding robot Murata Boy, Honda’s Asimo robot, Terumo’s thinnest medical needles, as well as Mitsubishi’s jet plane parts in the Japanese Monozukuri Technology Exhibition.

The four exhibitions for supporting industry received support from: Ministry of Science

& Technology (MST), Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT), Hanoi University of Technology (HUT), Hanoi People’s Committee, Hanoi Trade and Promotion Center, JETRO Hanoi, Vietnam Automation Association (VAA), Vietnam Electro – Technical Industry Association(VELINA), Vietnam Steel Association (VSA), Vietnamese Association of Mechanical Industry (VAMI), Vietnamese Society of Automotive Engineers (VSAE), www.equipment-news.com

Events&Exhibitions Taiwan Association of Machinery Industr y (TAMI), Singapore M a n u f a c t u re r s ’ F e d e r a t i o n (SMa), Association of Electronics Industries In Singapore (AEIS), and BOI – Unit For Industrial Linkage Development (BUILD).

Year Supporting Committee said: “The Japanese Monozukuri Technology Exhibition is one of the events to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Japan-Vietnam diplomatic ties and it is a great opportunity to show our friends in Vietnam who want to get a glimpse of advanced technologies from 32 Japanese companies. We hope the visitors will be inspired by these high-technologies and feel how they can serve their clients in the new and better world.”

The next edition of Vietnam Manufacturing Expo will return to fortify the supporting industries during August 27 – 29, 2014 at ICE Hanoi.

ICE Hanoi, Vietnam September 4 – 6, 2013 Enquiry No. 8802 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

ENQUIRY NO 099

Japanese Influence HE Yasuaki Tanizaki, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam said: “We are celebrating the 40th year of strong diplomatic and trade relations that keep getting stronger with time. I am proud of the Japanese Monozukuri Technology Exhibition and believe it will benefit both Vietnamese industrialists and their Japanese partners. These events are great paths to stronger industries.”

Daisuke Hiratsuka, executive VP of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO HQ) said: “The

situation of Vietnam’s supporting industries is promising. JETRO has organised the ‘SI Exhibition: Vi e t n a m - J a p a n S u p p o r t i n g Industries Exhibition’ since 1994 and we believe this event will contribute to further growth of the industries by bringing Japanese buyers to meet Vietnamese sellers to conduct business which will carry on long after the show.”

Atsusuke Kawada, chief representative of JETRO, Hanoi Representative Office added: “With 57 Japanese buyers and 54 Vietnamese suppliers at the SI Exhibition 2013, we are confident that both exhibitors and visitors will be doing more networking and creating new business partnerships that will result in development of the supporting industries in Vietnam.”

Shouei Utsuda, chairman of Japan - Vietnam Friendship

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Events&Exhibitions

D

uangdej Yuaikwarmdee, Deputy MD of Reed Tradex said that Metalex Vietnam attracted 14,580 visitors during the show days. He claimed that the visitors have found the right technology they were looking for and have established new business alliances.

On the other hand, exhibitors were happy to meet target customers and distribute their products. Vietnam, particularly the supporting industries in Ho Chi Minh City, has been fired up to move with the times. Increasingly confident from the networks established and knowledge gained, business owners are more ready for the coming of larger business that will follow the establishment of the AEC in 2015.

Event Review:

Metalex Vietnam 2013

Show Highlights Various events were organised in conjunction with the show. For instance, the second Engineer Master Class in Ho Chi Minh City wrapped up successfully with 558 engineers delighted at the new knowledge they could use to improve their business.

They were each presented with a certificate to commemorate their participation.

Elsewhere, a soldering competition was held and after three days of competition, the first prize eventually went to Le Van Duc from Spartronics Vietnam.

Mr Le will now be sponsored by IPC to enter the World’s Hand Soldering Competition in Las Vegas, US. The next edition of Metalex Vietnam 2014 and Nepcon Vietnam 2014 will be held during October 9 – 11, 2014 at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC).

SECC Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam October 10 – 12, 2013 Enquiry No. 8803 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Events&Exhibitions

Notable Quotes Osamu Morimoto, president of Japan Q ualit y Assurance Organizat ion (JQA): My expectation is that we can enhance the international trade and bilateral collaboration between Japanese and Vietnamese companies through exhibitions like this.

For Japanese manufacturers, we have JIS (Japanese Industry Standard) that our suppliers should comply with, so it would be to both Japan and Vietnam’s advantage if the supporting industries here can improve their efficiency to that standard.

Gary Yang, director/Exhibition Division of Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry: Exhibitions like these are good chances for both Taiwanese companies and Vietnamese consumers because you can find many quality products with high efficiency and competitive price.

Adam See, president of Association of Electronic Industries in Singapore (AEIS): The business relationship between Singapore and Vietnam is growing, and this is very important. As the electronics industry in Singapore is quite advanced, we would like to focus on this aspect in this exhibition because it creates a really good opportunity to develop our working relationship with different countries, especially with Vietnam.

Pham Ngoc Thang, VP – general s e c r e t a r y, V i e t n a m Au t o m a t i o n Association: Nowadays, the manufacturing sector needs to upgrade their production line. The show is a good platform for both Vietnamese, regional manufacturers and technology providers to exchange knowledge and acquire the right machinery, as well as technologies to enhance the production efficiency.

Hoang Thai An, president, The Vietnam Electro – Technical Industry Association: Metalex and Nepcon Vietnam 2013 are important platforms for international players to build strategic networks as well as update new technology. Currently, the technologies involved in the automotive and industrial parts keep evolving and changing. The Vietnamese manufacturers need to keep themselves updated at all times and also look out for new technologies.

Kamon Nakasuwan, president of Thai Tool and Die Industry Association (TDIA): Currently, the profiles of the supporting industries in Thailand and Vietnam are different, and the Thai companies are not well known in Vietnam yet. By organising our exhibition here, we would like to study the market here more and establish our presence to increase cooperation between companies of the two countries.

Enquiry No. 8804

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

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Product Finder Aerotech: X-Y Linear Motor Stage

Aerotech ha s introduced an X-Y linear motor stage with geometric and dynamic performance for applications where straightness and flatness are critical.

The PlanarDL series includes nine different travel and performance configurations to support diverse uses like surface profilometry and high-speed scribing of semiconductor and LED wafers.

With anti-creep crossed-roller bearings, precisionmachined surfaces and linear motors driving through the axes’ centre-of-stiffness, the stages deliver straightness to ± 0.4 µm and flatness to ± 1 µm.

The stages achieve 1 m/s velocity and 1.5 g acceleration, enabling throughput, high-accuracy processing and low total cost of ownership. Highperformance options are available to enable accuracies and straightness values down to ± 400 nm and orthogonality down to 1 arc second.

Enquiry No. 8901 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Faro: Contact/Non-Contact Portable Measurement System Faro Technologies has released the Faro Edge Laser Line Probe ES. According to the company, the power of the laser line probe combined with the flexibility of the FaroArm creates the world’s smallest, lightest, a nd most affordable contact/ non-contact portable measurement system, the Faro Edge ScanArm ES. The system fe ature s Enhanced Scanning Technology (EST), which is the combination of multiple hardware and software improvements designed to boost performance by improving the ability to scan challenging surfaces.

The equipment is suitable for product development, inspection, quality control and offers capabilities such as point cloud comparison with CAD, rapid prototyping, reverse engineering, and 3D modelling.

Enquiry No. 8902 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Kjellberg: Fibre Laser System For Cutting & Marking

Wit h t he fibre la ser s y ste m X Fo cu s 5 0 0, Kjellberg Finsterwalde extends the range of products for laser cutting and marking of alloyed and unalloyed steels as well as aluminium.

The system comes with a laser performance of 500 W and is suited for marking and cutting mild steel with a thickness from 0.5 to 5 mm, stainless steel with a thickness from 0.3 to 5 mm and aluminium with a thickness from 1 to 3 mm.

In total, up to nine different cutting speed values are available for each type of material and material thickness.

Enquiry No. 8903 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

MAE: Automatic Straightening Machine

Automated and flexible processes are indispensable for the efficient production of gear shafts. The M-AH automatic straightening machine is designed specifically for integration in production processes.

A DMC reader scans the workpiece data and passes it together with the straightening values back to the central computer. The Trilos laser system measures runout errors on gears during the process in a noncontact manner. A robot system provides efficient loading and unloading.

Finally, the sequence of motions of the system allows for automatic workpiece palletisation.

Enquiry No. 8904 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

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ProductFinder OR Laser: Mobile & Powerful Laser Welding System

OR Laser, the manufacturer of laser welding systems, has developed a laser system (IQ Laser LS) that is a mobile, hand-led system. It also has a high power of 300 W. The laser operates with laser diodes instead of conventional flash lamps. According to the manufacturer, these diode-pumped lasers are up to 15 times more energy-efficient than other lasers, require no water cooling, and operate nearly maintenance-free.

Rofin: More Power For Welding & Cutting

In response to customer needs for increased welding and cutting performances, Rofin has developed a 6 kW fibre laser, FL 060.

Due to the more powerful pump modules, the manufacturer is able to generate 6 kW laser power out of four fibre laser units that generate 1.5 kW output power, each at sufficient power reserve.

The unit is said to be efficient and has been designed for optimum reliability. Through the use of switchable optical fibres with diameters from 100 Îźm up to 800 Îźm, the beam quality can be precisely adapted to the processing task.

Enquiry No. 8905 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Osborn: Continuous De-Burring Of Small Details

Osborn International has developed a complete automatised machine, the Sinjet CX-28/ BBB - R BC, meant for continuous de-burring of small details. The machine consists a round table with 28 spindles, which rotates continuously and is equipped with three brush stations for maximum results.

The complete solution of a machine in combination with a robot is a development from the company.

Sinjet RBC is served by a small exact spindle robot with vision system. This solution is flexible and makes it possible to handle a wide range of various details. Output of the machine is up to 30 details/min.

Enquiry No. 8906 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

78

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

Enquiry No. 8907 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Seco: Milling Tough Materials

Seco has expanded its Turbo range of products to include helical cutters that bring increased machining flexibility, stability and productivity to aggressive metal cutting operations such as aerospace shouldering applications.

The helical cutters are available in diameters from 32 mm to 80 mm with cutting depths between 0.8xD and 2.0xD, and include Seco-Capto mounting options.

The range of Turbo inserts, which includes new grades and geometries for these helical cutters, bring increased metal removal performance to materials with unique machining challenges, including titanium, aluminium and stainless steels.

Enquiry No. 8908 Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

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2013-2014

Us it s

15 – 17 Subcon Thailand 2014

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

4–7 Manufacturing Indonesia

Vi

December

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) warayut.c@ubm.com www.subconthailand.com Us it s

15 – 18 Sheet Metal Asia 2014

2014

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand UBM Asia (Thailand) info@sheetmetal-asia.com www.sheetmetal-asia.com

March

11 – 13 JEC Europe

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

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

Us it s

14 – 17 EMTE Eastpo

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

August

27 – 29 INAPA Surabaya Grand City Surabaya, Indonesia info@gem-indonesia.com www.inapa-exhibition.net

24 – 26 JEC Asia

Singapore JEC Group truong@jeccomposites.com www.jeccomposites.com

April

Vi

1–3 MTA Hanoi 2014

www.equipment-news.com

8 – 11 MTA Vietnam

Us it s

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

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

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

July

21 – 24 Metaltech

19 – 22 Inapa

9 – 13 SIMTOS 2014

15 – 18 Intermach 2014

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

Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia PT Pamerindo www.pamerindo.com

ICE Hanoi, Vietnam SES mta@sesallworld.com www.mtahanoi.com

May

Vi

20 – 23 Metalex 2013

Vi

November

Vi

2013

Exhibition Programmes

Us it s

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: josonng@epl.com.sg • Tel: +65 63792888

www.equipment-news.com Nov-Dec 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news

79

Advertising Index Advertiser

Enquiry No.

AGMACHINE TECHNO CO LTD

45

180

AKYAPAK MAKINE SANAYI VE TICARET A.S.

77

225

BENIGN ENTERPRISE CO LTD

33

210

BYSTRONIC PTE LTD

03

214

CREATZ 3D PTE LTD

23

080

DEES HYDRAULIC INDUSTRIES CO LTD

59

124

DELCAM PLC

05

017

EHN & LAND ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

77

224

EVERGREEN INTERNATIONAL CORP / TAITRA MT DUO 2014

37

211

EVERISING MACHINE CO

27

212

HAAS AUTOMATION INC

09

209

HEXAGON METROLOGY ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

17

219

HWACEHON ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

21

221

ISCAR LTD

IFC

216

JYOTI CNC AUTOMATION PVT LTD

31

206

KENNAMETAL INC

BC

068

LICO MACHINERY CO LTD

39

128

LVD COMPANY NV

25

213

OPTICAL GAGING (S) PTE LTD

19

220

PT PAMERINDO INDONESIA (MANUFACTURING INDONESIA 2013)

43

161

SECO TOOLS (S.E.A) PTE LTD

01

129

SINGAPORE EXHIBITION SERVICES PTE LTD (MTA HANOI 2014)

47

201

SUMITOMO ELECTRIC HARDMETAL ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

29

217

TAEGUTEC CO

11

218

TAIWAN TAKISAWA TECHNOLOGY CO LTD

71

196

TUNGALOY SINGAPORE (PTE) LTD

13

215

UNIS INDUSTRIAL SOLUTION CORP

77

179

VISION WIDE TECH CO LTD

75

100

WALTER AG SINGAPORE PTE LTD

07

084

IBC / 2-3

222 / 223

73

099

YAMAZAKI MAZAK SINGAPORE PTE LTD YIH CHUAN MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO LTD

80

Page No.

asia pacific metalworking equipment news Nov-Dec 2013

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QUICK TURN PRIMOS New Launch 50 S / 100 S / 150 S

A compact, high-performance turning center with unsurpassed productivity QUICK TURN PRIMOS series

QUICK TURN PRIMOS 50 S

QUICK TURN PRIMOS 100 S

QUICK TURN PRIMOS 150 S

Chuck size: 5” Spindle speed: 5000 min-1

Chuck size: 6” Spindle speed: 5000 min-1

Chuck size: 8” Spindle speed: 4000 min-1

Maximum productivity/m 2

A Variety of factory automation is optionally available to meet your production requirement Example workpieces

Quick loader system

Gantry loader system

Integral spindle / motor for high-accuracy, high-speed machining

Increased ease of operation and maintenance

Large variety of options for increased productivity

Automotive component Material / S10C Size / 20mm x 40mm

Automotive component Material / Stainless Size / 100mm x 20mm

Automotive component Material / S45C Size / 60mm x 30mm

YAMAZAKI MAZAK SINGAPORE PTE LTD

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ENQUIRY NO 222

Double-sided insert with up to 12 cutting edges for a more productive cutting process.

Higher clearance angles designed in the cutter bodies to permit pocketing, profiling, and 5-axis machining.

Three different insert sizes and three topography styles per size, cover any type of material, component, and application.

Unique anti-rotation feature for excellent stability with higher feed rates and cutting forces while allowing for user-friendly insert rotation.

Working harder and smarter. That’s Rodeka. That’s Different Thinking.

TM

Kennametal introduces a new and revolutionary double-sided round milling insert — Rodeka.

TM

It’s capabilities span multiple types of milling operations and workpiece materials, providing the latest double-sided insert technology to increase your productivity with the most efficient cost per edge. Now That’s Different Thinking.

That’s Kennametal.

Rodeka double-sided round inserts: TM

• Three insert ICs: 10, 12, and 16mm.

• Innovative, cutting-edge design increases tool life and reduces cutting forces.

• Also offered, Rodeka 8, a tailor-made solution for turbine blade machining.

TM

ENQUIRY NO 068 ©2013 Kennametal Inc. l All rights reserved. l A-13-03153

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

TM