APMEN Oct 2010

October 2010

www.equipment-news.com M.I.C.A. (P) No. 133/06/2010

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Contents

October 2010

26

REGIONAL REPORT: East Asia

Regional Report: A Peek At East Asia

APMEN takes a look at the manufacturing industries of China and South Korea, how their report cards read for the year so far.

28

FIRST CUT

Insert Here For Cost Savings Insert – the small hard object at the end of a cutting tool has a big role to play in productivity. By Michael E Neumann

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 #04-02 Singapore 169206 Tel: (65) 6379 2888 Fax: (65) 6379 2806.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: M.E.N. is available to readers on a per annum subscription basis depending on location: Singapore: S$60.00, Malaysia: S$60.00, Asia Pacific/America/Europe/Others: S$100.00. Refer to the subscription card in each issue for further details. For change of address, please notify our Circulation Manager.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE THE CIRCULATION OF THIS MAGAZINE IS AUDITED BY BPA WORLDWIDE. THE ADVERTISERS' ASSOCIATION

32

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE Machining Under The Loupe – Keeping Watch On Small Parts

Crossing over from the art of watchmaking to machining micro parts is made easy when the right machines and equipment are readily available.

By Scott Rathburn, Haas Automation

36

SOFTWARE & MEASUREMENT

1.2 Million Satisfying Tool Changes

Reliability, speed and precision – these are the features a manufacturer of surgical instruments depends on when using laser measuring system on four machining centres in unmanned, round-the-clock operation. By Theo Drechsel for Blum.

38

Metrology: Weighing Heavy On The Scale Of Things

An important element in today’s manufacturing landscape, metrology can be seen as an expensive process which adds to the operating cost, but ignoring it is potentially more costly.

By Tan Siew Leng, National Metrology Centre, A*STAR

42

Optical Comparator & Vision Inspection Systems Lead The Way

Going into the future, both optical comparator and vision inspection systems have a big role to play. By Lukasz Pienkowski, Atoms Optical Measuring

44

Vision Robot For Cylinder Head Inspection

The combination of vision systems and robot provides the optimum solution to replace the traditional visual inspection. By Pravee Kruachottikul, Maitree Himakorn, Nuttaphol Chureeganon, Solimaca Automation (Thailand)

4

metalworking equipment news October 2010

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Contents Regulars

FAB & FORM Punch Presses: It’s More Than What You Think

Despite their name, punch presses today are used for much more than just plain ‘punching’ and should not really be referred to as punching machines anymore. By Gabriela Buchfink, Trumpf

• 12 Business News • 75 Product Finder • 79 Exhibition Programmes • 80A Product Enquiry Card

60

MATERIAL FOCUS

Aluminium In Marine Applications

50

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Auto Engine Machining: Boring Down Process Time

Engine cylinder bore machining remains a high-cost bottleneck within the complexities of engine building and a central issue in any cost cutting endeavour. By David Zola and Marcos Rosenzveig, Iscar.

While there may have been a time when legitimate concerns existed about the use of aluminium in naval ships, those concerns have largely been eliminated through technology advancements.

By Nathaniel Beavers and Dr Brett Conner, Alcoa Technical Centre.

52

Portable Inspection: A Shot In The Arm For The Automotive Industry The combination of the portability supplied from measuring arms and the inspection software programs makes it easier to make many more inspections.

By Peter Dickin, Delcam

64

Metal Cutting Trends In Asia

54

Automotive Industry: Aluminium Usage To Pick Up Speed

With growing emphasis on fuel economy and green technology, the automotive industry is undergoing changes that see aluminium emerging as a rival to tradition materials like steel. By Mark Johnston.

58

APMEN speaks to Soo Kam Tatt, director, Asia, Hypertherm as he shares his views on the metal cutting industry in Asia.

66

EVENTS & EXHIBITION

Special Report: Mazak Product Launch + Open House Products made in Japan and Singapore came together in the recent open house, where visitors got first hand ‘green experience’. By Joson Ng

The Aftermarket For Light Vehicle Components In China To Grow 18.3 Percent Annually Through 2014

The combination of growing economy and increasing number of cars in need of repairs has catapulted the aftermarket sales of vehicle components to greater heights. By Evan Yan, The Freedonia Group

Refer to Advertising Index

FEATURES

Pg 80

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for Advertisers' Enquiry numbers

Jason Masten, USA

46

ENQUIRY NO 090

editor’s note

Published by:

Get It

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

Reg No: 199908196C

managing director Kenneth Tan editor Joson Ng

josonng@epl.com.sg

business development manager Randy Teo

randyteo@epl.com.sg

advertising sales manager Yessica

Confronted by a n eng ineering drawing, a process engineer has to consider some of the following: the availability of machines, skill level of technicians, tooling designs and other pressing concerns. While making sure the part falls into the manufacturing capability of the plant is important, there is one crucial factor the engineer has to consider before he goes ahead. That is the availability of measuring and inspection equipment and their effective measuring range.

If the measuring capability of the plant is unable to keep up with its manufacturing endeavours, the facility will have problems producing parts to its customer’s satisfaction.

Third party contractors may be engaged to fulfill the QA department’s role but moving parts from one location to another, especially delicate ones may proved to be a challenging act in itself.

In this issue of Asia Pacific Metalworkin g Equipment News, several articles aim to tackle the issue of measuring and inspection in the manufacturing environment. For example, simple matter like changes in environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity could influence the measurement results, sometimes significantly. The form of a metal part might get distorted under undesirable temperature

condition and its surface may rust if not being handled properly in humid conditions.

From case studies to articles that focus on the fundamentals of measurement, they all point to a common denomination, ie: it is very important to get measurements right.

This is arguably right up there with machining accuracy in the list of ‘must get right’.

In the automotive industr y, inspection techniques or philosophies have also come under increasing spotlight. As the saying goes, ‘time is money’. There is added pressure to produce inspection equipment that is both accurate and portable. In our industry spotlight section which focuses on the automotive sector, we look into the issue of timesaving in the inspection process. How by making measuring equipment portable in an automotive plant lead to timesaving and ultimately, lower cost.

On a nother note, A PMEN is turning 25 come 2011. On behalf of the publication, I would like to thank you for your loyal following as we continue to try our best in bringing you up-to-date articles and industry insights. In celebration of our 25th anniversary, we will be launching a new section in our magazine, along with other exciting activities; do keep a lookout for it!

yessica@epl.com.sg

editorial assistant Sharifah Zainon sharifah@epl.com.sg senior art director / studio manager Lawrence Lee lawrencelee@epl.com.sg graphic designers Jef Pimentel jeffreypimentel@epl.com.sg Zhang Yue

zhangyue@epl.com.sg

contributing graphic designers Ahmad Halik circulation executive Irene Tow

irenetow@epl.com.sg

contributors Michael E Neumann, Scott Rathburn Theo Drechsel, Tan Siew Leng Lukasz Pienkowski, Pravee Kruachottikul Maitree Himakorn, Nuttaphol Chureeganon Gabriela Buchfink, David Zola Marcos Rosenzveig, Peter Dickin Mark Johnston, Nathaniel Beavers Dr Brett Conner, Evan Yan board of consultants Wäinö A Kaarto AB Sandvik Coromant Dr Moshe Goldberg ISCAR All rights reserved. No portion of this publication covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced in any form or means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, taping, etc – without the written consent of the publisher.

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

Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd MICA (P) No. 133/06/2010 PPS 840/09/2011 (020177) ISSN 0129/5519

Eastern HOLDINGS Ltd Executive Board

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

etm

Eastern

Trade Media Pte Ltd an Eastern Holdings Ltd company

Joson Ng Editor

8

metalworking equipment news October 2010

Head Office & Mailing Address: 1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building #04-02, Singapore 169206 Tel: (65) 6379-2888 Fax: (65) 6379-2806

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ENQUIRY NO 137

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Businessnews Singapore & Sichuan To Jointly Lead Development Of Hi-Tech Innovation Park

Robert Davey, UK

Singapore: The development of the Singapore-Sichuan High-Tech Innovation Park (HTIP), a project supported by the Singapore-Sichuan Trade and Investment Committee (SSTIC), will be spearheaded by the private sector from Singapore and Sichuan.

On the Singapore side, a consortium is being formed to jointly lead the project with its counterpart from Sichuan. First raised at the 12th SSTIC meeting held in Singapore in June this year, the Singapore-Sichuan HTIP project saw more details firmed up following a meeting between Singapore SSTIC Advisor1 with Sichuan Party Secretary Liu Qibao and Sichuan SSTIC Advisor Governor Jiang Jufeng in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

During the meeting, both parties agreed on adopting a private sector-led approach for the project.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the collaboration is expected to be signed between

both secretariats of the SSTIC. At the same time, the Singapore consortium is expected to sign a separate MOU with Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone to set the parameters of collaboration and commit to a joint feasibility study for the project.

The Singapore-Sichuan HTIP project will involve the building of a 35 sq km development in the South Park of the Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone. The project will commence with an initial start-up area of 10 sq km.

It will integrate modern manufacturing, services and living into one, with emphasis on high technology and low carbon industries, as well as R&D. It aims to become a key regional business hub and gateway for businesses expanding into West China.

1 The SSTIC Advisors are Minister Lim Swee Say and Sichuan Governor Jiang Jufeng, while the Co-Chairmen are MOS Koo Tsai Kee and Sichuan Vice Governor Huang Xiaoxiang.

JTC Develops Innovative Industrial Solutions Singapore: JTC continued to support Singapore’s economic needs by developing innovative infrastructure solutions for businesses despite a challenging global economic environment in 2009. As Singapore enters the next economic phase, JTC will step up its efforts in delivering ongoing key projects and industrial concepts to anchor new investments in Singapore.

The corporation will be launching several industrylevel infrastructure projects that will derive synergies from clustering complementary industry activities together. These include the Offshore Marine Centre, General Aviation Centre, MedTech Centre and the Surface Finishing Complex.

The other concepts on which feasibility studies are being conducted are the ‘Cluster Industrial Concept 12

metalworking equipment news October 2010

with Mega-hoist’ and the ‘Plug-and-play Factory’ which could result in land savings of up to 30 percent.

JTC is also exploring ways of reducing construction time for industrial facilities in Singapore. The corporation is looking into construction methods and technologies that can improve site accessibility, use of precast and prefabrication works which aims to cut construction time by 10 to 15 percent.

The corporation’s other major developments are making inroads into new frontiers in the areas of competitiveness and environmental sustainability.

The projects include ‘Jurong Island Version 2.0’ which aims to introduce schemes to reduce carbon emission, and recycle wastewater and chemicals, and the new CleanTech Park and CleanTech One.

ENQUIRY NO 130

businessnews

www.equipment-news.com

Opening Of Lenox/Irwin Asia Pacific Distribution Centre

Shanghai, China: Lenox and Irwin have established an Asia Pacific Distribution Centre in Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone. The establishment of the centre is a step in the growth plan for the tool business in Asia.

The distribution centre is developed from former Lenox Asia Pacific Welding and Distribution Centre.

Aiming to fulfill the increasing market demand in Asia, particularly in China, the group made investment to expand the former distribution centre. The centre occupies 4,000 sq m.

With the manufacturing industry prospering in the

Asia-Pacific region, especially in China, the market demand for high-technology and high-quality tool products and services has been growing.

The centre will provide clients with products and services through its capability of warehousing, customised cutting and welding. An Asia Pacific Sawing Technology Training Centre is also affiliated with the distribution centre. The training centre will provide clients, customers, technical support engineers and sales engineers with advanced testing technologies and training programs.

Construction To Revitalise UAE Steel Demand Noida, India: According to RNCOS’s research report ‘UAE Steel Industry Analysis’, steel import in the UAE is projected to double by 2013 on the back on rising construction activities and commencement of infrastructure development projects. A large number of global steel players are showing interest to raise exports to the UAE, in view of strong demand and abolition of tariff on steel.

Besides, the UAE enjoys certain advantages such as its geographical location (equidistant from Europe, Africa, and Asian countries), cheap and reliable energy/gas resources, and a relatively cheaper availability of labour that contributes towa rds ma k ing the countr y a n attractive steel market.

The research has found that, regardless of the industry grinding to a halt amid the recession period, the UAE still accounts for more than half of almost all GCC construction projects. Moreover, the country had US$714.9 billion of infrastructure and construction schemes active in 2009. Furthermore, construction projects in the UAE are expected to see an enormous cash-flow in the coming years. The industry may soon witness growth in construction work as cost of materials and labour has been declining for the past few months. It is expected that the steel demand will swell due to speedy recovery in economy.

14

metalworking equipment news October 2010

abcdz2000, Bahrain

The production of steel will increase in the years to come, as many companies have started increasing their capacity to meet the domestic demand.

Companies including Emirates Steel, Hamriyah Steel, and BRC Arabia have started increasing their output as demand for steel is increasing in the UAE. On the back of these developments, it is projected that steel production will grow at a CAGR of around 26 percent during 2011-2013.

businessnews

www.equipment-news.com

KL, Malaysia: Fuelled by the upturn in economic activities, opportunities are unfolding for participants in the Asia Pacific generator sets market, according to Frost & Sullivan. The commercial and industrial end users are expected to be the major customer segments procuring generator sets for stand-by and prime power applications.

Among the various distributed power generation technologies, generator sets are preferred and are poised to continue their dominance in the foreseeable future. Being one of the most proven technologies for backup power, they are also cost effective and have a simple operating mechanism and easy procurement channels.

“As Asian countries are dominated by energyintensive industries, the need for reliable and stable power supply is a top priority for this seg ment,” says prog ra m ma nager, Suchitra Sriram. “To deal with unexpected power outages, all major industries and commercial buildings prefer to own generator sets.”

Revival of stalled projects in the construction and infrastructure segments is expected to stimulate the demand for generator sets. Moreover, expansion plans in the manufacturing, mining, and process industries are likely to ensure that demand remains robust in the near term.

The growing need for uninterrupted power supply has made generator sets indispensable as a stand-by application. Apart from this, the region’s topography makes it difficult to provide extensive grid coverage for remote rural areas and far-flung islands. In such places, generators sets are used for prime power application.

Although the outlook for the market looks bright, trends point to a low annual growth rate and varying demand patterns in each country. Some challenges have clouded the market landscape; the well-developed infrastructure and availability of cheap electricity from utilities have impaired market progression. The investment cap on equipment by industries, commercial enterprises, and institutional end users has also proven to be a hurdle.

Aside from this, the generator sets market was severely affected by the global economic downturn and several projects were either pushed to the back burner or cancelled due to lack of credit. Increasing imports from China have made it challenging for multinational companies to sustain their market share.

To remain successful in this highly price-sensitive space, generator set dealers must fine-tune their aftersales strategies by providing ready accessibility to spare parts and ramping up customer support.

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ENQUIRY NO 147

Asia Pacific Generator Sets Market Picks Up Steam

October 2010 metalworking equipment news

15

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Shell & PetroChina Complete Arrow Energy Acquisition The Netherlands: Shell and PetroChina have completed their joint acquisition of Australian coal seam gas company, Arrow Energy.

The acquisition follows an offer in March 2010 to purchase 100 percent of the shares of Arrow by CS CSG (Australia), a 50/50 joint venture company owned

by Shell Energy Holdings Australia and a subsidiary of PetroChina Company. CS CSG (Australia) agreed to pay A$4.70 (US$4.30) cash per share for all of the shares in Arrow, representing a total consideration of approximately A$3.5 billion.

“This acquisition is underpinned by rising global demand for gas as a clean source of energy,” said Malcolm Brinded, Royal Dutch Shell’s executive director of Upstream International.

“Shell’s LNG expertise and PetroChina’s access to

the Chinese energy market, together with the coal seam gas resources and expertise built up by Arrow’s staff, will further consolidate Australia’s position as a global leader in energy and resources supply.”

“As a natural gas producer, PetroChina welcomes this opportunity to work with Shell to expand our international LNG and natural gas production and supply activities through the acquisition of Arrow Energy,” said Qiliang Bo, VP of PetroChina Company. “This successful acquisition will continue our established history of working together with Shell on the fruitful development of joint projects.”

Arrow will remain based in Brisbane, Australia, with a board of directors composed of experienced Shell and PetroChina executives. The new CEO of Arrow is Andrew Faulkner.

Delcam Achieves Record Sales & Increased Profits

Birmingham, UK: CAD/CAM developer Delcam achieved record six-month sales and increased profits during the first half of 2010. Sales increased by 12 percent over the same period of last year to £18.1 million (US$28 million), while pre-tax profits were substantially higher at £1.1 million, an improvement of approximately £790,000 on the first half of last year.

Indeed, the company continues to increase its investment in R&D, which grew to £5 million in the first half of this year from £4.7 million during the equivalent period of last year.

The company saw software licence sales growth across all of its major markets, including North America and Europe, which continue to be its largest markets. However, the most significant increases were in Asia and South America, where licence sales rose by 48 and 50 percent respectively.

Maintenance revenues, derived from software maintenance and support contracts, contributed £6.3 million to the total, up from £5.8 million in the first half of last year, reflecting the positive response from customers to the latest versions of the 16

metalworking equipment news October 2010

company’s software. These revenues now account for approximately 35 percent of overall sales.

Commenting on the results, Delcam chairman Peter Miles, said: “I am pleased to report a strong recovery in Delcam’s sales and profits in the first half of the current financial year. These encouraging results reflect recovery across all our major territories globally and were supported by our decision to maintain investment in product development and marketing during the downturn in order to gain commercial advantage.”

“As we look ahead over the remainder of the year, while we are very encouraged by the company’s trading performance in the first half, the ongoing improvement in sales and profitability will be materially influenced by the final quarter of the year, which is our most important trading period, historically. At this early stage in the second half, we remain optimistic that the improving trend will continue and, if this remains the case, we would expect trading results for the year to 31 December 2010 to show an improvement on results for 2009.”

Tungaloy Singapore Pte. Ltd. 50 Kallang Avenue, #06-03 Singapore 339505 Tel: (65) 6391 1833 • Fax: (65) 6299 4557 www.tungaloy.co.jp/tspl/

ENQUIRY NO 143

Tungaloy Malaysia Sdn Bhd (876763-H) 50 K-2, Kelana Mall, Jalan SS6/14 Kelana Jaya 47301 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia Tel: +603-7805 3222 • Fax: + 603-7804 8563 www.tungaloy.co.jp

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Island Power To Begin Construction Of Power Facility Singapore: The GMR Group, which acquired a 100 percent ownership stake in Island Power in 2009, will release the execution of a 800MW combined cycle power facility on Jurong Island in the third quarter of this year.

The Siemens-Samsung consortium will provide a turnkey engineering procurement construction combined-cycle power plant comprising two SGT5-4000F gas turbines in single shaft configuration.

The power generating facility will be one of the first in Singapore to use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the LNG terminal on Jurong Island and is slated to be completed and operationally ready in 2013.

Keppel To Raise Stakes In An Associate Shipyard In The Philippines

Singapore: Keppel Corp, through a subsidiary Keppel Philippines Marine Inc, (KPMI), is raising its shareholdings in two associated companies, Subic Shipyard and Engineering Inc (SSEI) and Consort Land, Inc (CLI) to boost its near market, near customer strategy in the Philippines.

SSEI is a shipyard located in Subic Bay, the Philippines, which provides repair, conversion and building services to shipowners and offshore operators in the region. It also carries out routine and specialised machinery reconditioning works, as well as steel fabrication for marine and offshore structures. CLI owns 72 ha of land including the 20 ha on which SSEI is situated.

A total cash consideration of approximately S$86.5 million will be made by Keppel to raise its effective stakes from 44 to 83.9 percent in SSEI and from 33.7 to 38.7 percent in CLI. The sale and purchase of shares 18

metalworking equipment news October 2010

in both companies is expected to be completed by the end of September 2010, following which, SSEI will become a Keppel subsidiary.

Nelson Yeo, MD (Marine) of Keppel Offshore & Marine and chairman of KPMI, said: “We have been present in the Philippines for more than three decades, and are continuously improving on the safety, quality and productivity of our yards, as well as equipping them to undertake more sophisticated work to meet the increasing market demand for high value services.

The move to take a bigger share in the Subic shipyard reinforces our near market, near customer strategy to enhance the depth and breadth our services to global customers. It also demonstrates our confidence in the offshore and marine industry. As a majority shareholder, Keppel will be in a better position to add value to the Subic shipyard and fortify our offerings to meet the growing needs of our customers.�

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AEROSPACE

German Airbus A350 XWB Production Commences Toulouse, France: Airbus has commenced production of the latest Airbus product, the A350 XWB, in Germany. The green light was jointly given at the company’s production plant in Stade.

The first German component will also be one for the record books for its size. Measuring almost 32 m by 6 m, the upper wing shell is the largest integrated component ever to be built by Airbus from weightsaving Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP).

“The A350 XWB sets new benchmarks for the aviation industry and passengers. Advanced materials make the new Airbus the most economical and environment-friendly aircraft in its class.

We are also applying these new standards to our production with facilities and machinery operating to the hightechnology and quality standards.

Thanks to this production process, we are able to achieve a high efficiency,” says Tom Enders, president and CEO, Airbus.

The upper wing shells will be built using advanced production processes at the 30,000 sq m production hangars in Stade. For the first time automated tape-laying technology will be used not

only for the carbon fibre but also for the lightning strike protection and fibreglass components. The wing shell, measuring 31.6 m by 5.6 m, will then undergo polymerisation in the autoclave. This hightech oven is one of the largest facilities of its kind worldwide and can accommodate two wing shells simultaneously.

In addition to laying the wing skin panels, the plant also produces the stringers (longitudinal stiffeners used in wing panels). In order to produce these components the company has for the first time set up a flow line production system, which measures 140 m in length.

Other innovations include a quality control system, which now permits inspection of the external and internal surfaces of CFRP components of that size simultaneously. The plant also boasts the use of waterjet technology for edge trimming and a high-precision automated conveyance system in the production hall for large components.

In addition to producing the upper wing shells for the A350 XWB, the plant builds the vertical tailplane and, for the first time, CFRP fuselage shells.

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AEROSPACE

Boeing Projects $700 Billion Commercial Airplanes Market In North America

Ariel da Silva Parreira, Mexico

Montreal, Canada: Boeing forecasts that air carriers in North America will take delivery of about 7,200 new airplanes over the next 20 years at an investment of $700 billion.

New airplane deliveries in Canada and the US will be driven largely by the need to retire older, less fuel-efficient single-aisle airplanes and regional jets, as airlines replace them with new-generation, more fuel-efficient models. (For the purposes of the Boeing forecast, the North America market consists of the US and Canada. Mexico is included in Boeing’s forecast for Latin America.)

“North America is a large, mature market, and we expect passenger traffic for the region to grow at a modest rate of 3.4 percent,” said Randy Tinseth, VP of marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The fastpaced lifestyles in Canada and the US require rapid, frequent and reliable coast-to-coast and interregional transportation. Driven by this demand, nearly threequarters of the new deliveries over the next 20 years will be single-aisle airplanes.”

Taking retirements of airplanes into account, the North America fleet will grow from 6,590 airplanes today to about 9,000 airplanes by 2029.

The company forecasts that single-aisle airplanes will grow from 56 percent of the total North America fleet today to 71 percent of the fleet by 2029. Airlines are increasingly focusing on airplane age as fuel-

thirsty, older airplanes weigh increasingly on earnings.

Increased attention to aviation’s impact on global climate change also will be a factor in selecting airplanes that produce lower carbon emissions.

Newer airplane types such as the Next-Generation 737 offer significant advantages in environmental performance as well as improved capabilities, fuel efficiency and maintenance costs.

“After several years of losses among the region’s air carriers, we’re seeing signs of improvement and airlines are beginning to implement fleet renewal plans as they look to the future,” said Mr Tinseth. “To help meet this demand, the company will continue to work closely with more than 500 suppliers and partners in Canada.

The company imports parts and services from Canada amounting to more than a billion US dollars a year, more than $625 million of which is associated with Boeing Commercial Airplanes.”

Twin-aisle fleets will evolve in the region as airlines continue to expand international point-to-point services to a wider range of airport pairs and frequencies.

Small- and mid-sized twin-aisle airplanes will grow to represent 19 percent of the North America fleet by 2029.

Within the North America market, The company sees a demand for 1,180 new, efficient twin-aisle airplanes such as the 787 Dreamliner. Twin-aisles will account for only 16 percent of total airplane demand in the region over 20 years but will have a proportionally higher share of delivery cost, at 37 percent of the overall investment.

Large airplanes (747-size and larger) will not see significant demand in North America, with only about 40 units (all freighters), or one percent of the total investment.

Boeing also forecasts declining demand for regional jets in North America as airlines shift to more fuelefficient turboprops or larger jetliner models. High fuel prices, intensified competition and the superior efficiencies of larger single-aisles will take a toll on the economics of small regional jets. This category will account for just four percent of the total investment for new airplanes, with only 800 new regional jet deliveries over the next 20 years, nearly all for replacement.

ST Aeropsace Secures Two Contracts Worth US$63M Singapore: T’Way Air has awarded ST Aerospace two maintenance contracts. The total value of both contracts is US$63m (approximately S$85m). Both contracts commence immediately a n d w i l l s t r e tc h o v e r 10 y e a r s . T he se contracts validate ST Aerospace’s maintenance 20

metalworking equipment news October 2010

programmes for the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 family of aircraft.

The first is for the Maintenance-By-the-Hour (MBH) component support of the airline’s Boeing 737-800, and the other is an engine maintenance programme for its CFM56-7B engines.

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ENQUIRY NO 142

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statistics

Japan-China Trade Continues Its Recovery In The First Half Of 2010

Tokyo, Japan: According to a report released by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japan’s total trade with China (imports and exports combined) rose 34.5 percent to US$138.4 billion in the first half of 2010, setting a new record. This was the first increase (on half-year basis) since the second half of 2008.

Japan’s exports to China rose by 47.1 percent to US$68.4 billion, while the country’s imports from China rose 24.2 percent to US$69.9 billion.

Japan’s trade with China posted positive growth for eight consecutive months, from November 2009 to June 2010. The improvement was attributed to an increase in exports to the middle kingdom on the back of the country’s quick economic growth and a rise in Japan’s imports following its own economic recovery.

In the first half of 2010, Japan’s exports to China set a record on a half-yearly basis, on the back of expanding domestic demand in China and an increase in Chinese exports to Japan, the US and Europe. An increase was noted in exports of automobiles as well as parts and materials for production of finished goods in China.

Japan’s imports from China also set a record in the first half of 2010 (on a first half-year basis). This improvement was due to an increase in imports of finished goods such as electrical machinery, fueled by growing demand in the country on the back of its economic recovery.

The drop in Japan’s trade with China was smaller than that for the nation’s overall trade. As a result, the share of Japan-China trade dropped to 20.2 percent of Japan’s total trade. The share of Japan’s exports to China set a record, accounting for 18.9 percent of Japan’s total exports, while Japan’s imports from China dropped to 21.5 percent. China, however, remains the country’s largest trading partner in terms of imports, exports and total trade.

Japan’s Exports To China In The First Half Of 2010 Japan’s exports to China marked a quick recovery from a trough in 2009 induced by the global financial crisis, posting positive growth for eight consecutive months, 22

metalworking equipment news October 2010

from November 2009 to June 2010, and setting a record in the first half of 2010. Exports of parts and materials and also finished goods were up due to growing demand in China.

Fueled by increased infrastructure investment in China due to the government’s 4 trillion yuan (US$590 billion and approximately 50 trillion yen) economic stimulus package, which will continue to be implemented until the end of 2010, exports of construction and power generating machinery showed strong growth.

Reflecting a rise in industrial production, exports of semiconductors, electrical apparatus, metalworking machinery, plastic materials and motor vehicle parts were all up. Exports of cars, video equipment and other finished goods increased substantially, fueled by China’s rising consumption.

Japan’s Imports From China In The First Half Of 2010 After suffering a significant decline in 2009, Japan’s imports from China are showing a clear sign of recovery, posting positive growth for five consecutive months between February and June of this year. This was fueled by increased imports of electrical machinery, personal computers and nonferrous metals.

Outlook For 2010 Japan-China trade is predicted to post positive growth in 2010 as a whole, led by economic growth in China – where growth of over nine percent is expected in the second half of 2010 – and continued recovery of the Japanese economy.

Two-way trade, however, may deteriorate in the second half of 2010, due to projected sluggish growth in China of industrial production, fixed asset investment and consumption, as well as a possible slowing of Japan’s economic growth. Despite this, Japan-China trade in 2010 is expected to register its first growth in two years, possibly topping the previous record set in 2008.

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German Machine Tool Orders On The Rise Frankfurt, Germany: In the second quarter of 2010, order bookings in the German machine tool industry showed another unexpectedly steep rise, of 71 percent.

Domestic demand soared by 81 percent; export orders were up by 66 percent.

During the first half of 2010, overall demand was 58 percent up on the preceding year’s figure. Domestic customers ordered 51 percent more than in 2009, while export orders rose by 61 percent.

“The order engine is running at full throttle again,” comments Dr Wilfried Schäfer, MD of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) in Frankfurt am Main. “The steepest slump in the history of the machine tool industry has now been followed by the highest growth rates we’ve seen since the early 1970s.”

What he finds particularly gratifying is the high rate of growth in domestic demand during the year’s second quarter. This, he added, shows that production output has found its feet again in wide sections of German industry.

In The Ascendancy Other important statistics for machine tool trends are also pointing upwards. Capacity utilisation has climbed from its low point in the middle of last year, at 65.9 percent, to 76.3 percent in June of this year, while the order backlog, following its low point of 5.6 months in October 2009 has recovered to 6.9 months in June of this year.

In view of the downsized total capacity, however, this may be regarded as encouraging. At the end of the year’s first half, the sector was employing approximately 63,800 people: this corresponds to a fall of almost 10 percent compared to the preceding year. In the last few months, however, there has been discernible stabilisation.

German Machine Tool Industry

Staying Cautious Dr Schäfer calls for level-headedness in assessing the situation. There continue to be imponderables, he points out, such as setbacks on the US market, the anticipated slowdown in China’s growth or risks in the financial market. “The VDW’s forecast of a 12 percent fall in sales remains in force”, he affirms.

Three aspects, he says, indicate that despite the improved situational environment the sales figures will nonetheless show a minus.

Firstly, the order backlogs at the companies continue to be thin. Secondly, the high growth rates in order bookings are also attributable to a baseline effect. The order volume showed a minus of 66 percent in the first half of 2009. And finally, the key question is when the order bookings will show up in the actual sales figures. The answer has to differentiate between manufacturers of generalpurpose and customised machines: companies making general-purpose machines who possessed sufficient liquidity to fill their component stores are able to deliver quickly, and can indubitably book sales during the ongoing year.

T he major it y of cu stom i se d - mac h i ne r y manufacturers, however, need longer lead times, due not least to more protracted negotiations with high-demand large-scale users, plus the larger amounts of design work also required.

Their coffers are not going to start filling again until next year.

“For the reasons I’ve mentioned, there are plenty of indications that the gap in production value may not prove quite as wide as was feared early this year.

But a 19 percent drop in sales during the year’s first half speaks for itself”, affirms Dr Schäfer.

Shipments and Orders

German Machine Tool Industry Shipments and Orders Index, nominal (seasonally adjusted and smoothed values)] 180

Orders 160 140

Shipments

120 100 80 60 40 20

2000

2001

Note: Index basis shipments 2005=100, data until June 2010 Sources: VDW, VDMA

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

[Jan-Jun 10/09: Shipments -19%, Orders +58%] [Jan-Jun 10/09: Shipments -19%, Orders +58%] Note: Index basis shipments 2005=100, data until June 2010 Sources: VDW, VDMA

VDW | 18.08.2010

24

metalworking equipment news October 2010

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Germany & The UK Drive Stronger GDP Growth In The EU But Growth Slows In Japan & The US Paris, France: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) area rose by 0.7 percent in the second quarter of 2010, the same rate as in the previous quarter.

Real GDP grew by one percent in both the Euro area and the EU driven by record growth of 2.2 percent in Germany; its highest rate since reunification. GDP growth was 1.1 percent in the UK, up from 0.3 percent in the previous quarter; 0.6 percent in France, up from

0.2 percent; and 0.4 percent in Italy, unchanged from the previous quarter.

By contrast, GDP growth in Japan and the US slowed to 0.1 percent and 0.6 percent respectively, compared with 1.1 percent and 0.9 percent in the previous quarter.

Relative to a year earlier, GDP in the OECD area expanded by 2.8 percent, up from 2.4 percent in the previous quarter. Germany at 3.7 percent had the highest rate and Italy (1.1 percent) the lowest.

Gross Domestic Product Percentage change on the previous quarter, seasonally adjusted data

*Latest quarter not yet available

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Regional

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Report

Regional Report:

A

Peek At

APMEN takes a look at the manufacturing industries of China and South Korea, how their report cards read for the year so far.

China – Rosy Outlook China’s auto output and sales in the January-July period both surpassed 10 million units reaching 10.21 million and 10.26 million respectively. In terms of percentage, they were up by 44 percent and 43 percent year-on-year.

After a brisk start, the sales came down slowly as the market cooled. The monthly auto sales are down from April to July, by 10, 10, 1 and 11 percent respectively.

T h e s e f i g u re s sh owe d t h e increase in output and sales of automobiles from January to July compared with that of the previous year.

Sales of all models are on the increase with the number of passenger vehicles slightly higher than that of the commercial vehicles. The output and sales of passenger vehicles in the JanuaryJuly period both achieved 7.67 million, up by 46 and 43 percent year on year, among which the output and sales of cars were 5.28 million and 5.24 million, up by 40 and 36 percent year on year; the 26

metalworking equipment news October 2010

Nicole McDaniel, USA

East Asia

output and sales of commercial vehicles were 2.54 million and 2.59 million, up by 38 and 42 percent year on year.

Bucking the trend of enormous growth, the sales of small displacement passenger vehicles have a mild monthon - mont h g row t h rate, a nd t he ma rket sha re de clined.

From January to July, the sales v o l u m e o f 1. 6 L - a n d - b e l o w passenger vehicles were 5.25 million, with an increase of 39 percent year on year, which was 4.1 percentage points lower than the average growth rate of all passenger vehicles; and its sales accounted for 68 percent of all passenger vehicles, down by 1.8 percent year on year.

The self-owned brand autos however had better fortunes. The output and sales of self-owned brand autos experienced a rapid increase, and the market share increased year on year. The sales of self-owned brand passenger vehicles increased 48 percent to 3.56 million units, 5.7 percentage

points lower than the average growth rate of all auto sales; and the sales of self-owned brand passenger vehicles accounted for 46 percent of all passenger vehicles, up by 1.7 percent year on year. The sales of self-owned brand cars were 1.63 million, up by 46 percent year on year.

The auto import and export i nc re a se d rapid ly, a nd t he g row t h rate of i mp or t wa s higher than that of export. In the first half of the year, all vehicle s impor ted to China were 390 thousand with import volume increment of 1.7 times year on year; auto exports were 240 thousand units, up by 56 percent year on year, and the export volume was up by 29 percent year on year.

South Korea – Positive Signs In the second quarter 2010, the Mining and Manufacturing Production Index rose in various parts of South Korea producing semiconductors, motor vehicles a nd mac h i ne r y due to t he favourable trends in exports and domestic consumption.

The index recorded a high increase in regions producing electronic parts and motor vehicles. * Electronic parts: 89.6 percent (1Q) to 58.7 percent (2Q), motor vehicles: 51.2 percent (1Q) to 62.1 percent (2Q) (Source: Korea International Trade Association) ** Equipment Investment Index: 29.3 percent (1Q) to 32.2 percent (2Q) (Source: Industrial Activities, KOSTAT) E xpor ts ma rked a high increase in regions producing se m iconduc tors, f lat pa nel displays and motor vehicles.

Investment Trend • The Equipment Investment Index in June increased by 8.6 percent from the previous m o nt h a n d 2 4 . 2 p e rce nt from the same period of the previous year.

RegionalReport

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• T h e v a l u e o f D o m e s t i c Machinery Orders Received in June grew by 1.5 percent from the same period of the previous year.

Production Trend • The Industrial Production Index in June increased by 1.4 percent from the previous mo nt h a nd 16 . 9 p e rce nt from the same period of the previous year.

• The Producer’s Shipment Index in June went up 1.3 percent from the previous month and 14.6 percent from the same period of the previous year.

Steve Jurvetson, USA

• The value of Construction Orders Received at current price s decre a sed by 15.8 percent from the same period of the previous year.

The Mining and Manufacturing Production Index in South Korea recorded a high increase in regions producing electronic parts and motor vehicles

• The Production Capacity Index in June grew by 5.7 percent from the same period of the previous year.

Operation Ratio stood at 83.9 percent, which increased by 1.1 percent points from the previous month. MEN

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October 2010 metalworking equipment news

27

FIRST

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cut

Insert Here For Cost Savings Insert – the small hard object at the end of a cutting tool has a big role to play in productivity. By Michael E Neumann

A

n insert is a piece of highstrength metal attached to the end of a tool holder to make singlepoint cutting tools for metalcutting operations. Using inserts enable cost reduction because the tool holder can be made of a lessexpensive and tougher material.

The sheer size of the insert is arguably the main advantage of its usage, as only a small amount of cutting material is needed to provide the cutting ability.

Inserts are usually indexable, ie: they can be rotated or flipped without disturbing the overall geometry of the tool. Once a cutting edge is excessively worn, it can be indexed to another edge, or the insert can be replaced. A real timesaver, fresh cutting edges can be used without incurring additional set-up times.

In some situations, using an insert is better than a solid tool, because it combines the toughness of the tool holder with the hardness 28

metalworking equipment news October 2010

of the insert. On the flipside of things, one criticism on the usage of inserts is the poteatial loss of rigidity to the tool, making the joint between tool holder and insert extremely crucial. However, taking the financial aspect into consideration, sometimes rigidity is sacrificed for lower cost.

Financial Consideration Often seen as a cost effective way for machining, inserts in recent times have evolved from just a strong metallic tip attached to the main tool body. Inserts now not only reduce operating cost because it can be replaced, allowing the holder to be reused, it has brought something more to the plate. The insert itself has come into closer scrutiny and as such, much more has been done to it resulting in better quality and performance.

For true productivity to take place in machining, it is normal to look at high metal-removal rate and extended tool life. With this

two important operating mandate in mind, inserts technologies have advanced along those lines.

According to Kennametal, optimising high-speed milling applications is a task aimed at maximising a company’s milling pro duc t i v it y a nd re duc i n g manufacturing costs. Improving speeds (sfm/Vc) and feeds makes a big difference, as does achieving maximum metal removal.

Intelligent coolant application is hence the key. Mechanical cutting generates heat. At high cutting speeds, the rate at which heat is absorbed by the tool increases with velocity. To optimise their performance, tools must be adequately cooled. As such, making sure of good coolant delivery, heat transfer, and lubricity is of great importance.

Addressing Friction Improves Cutting Proper coola nt f low mea ns improved tool life and higher

firstcut

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maximum effective cutting speeds for a number of reasons. When not properly cooled, the insert will heat up rapidly, which shortens tool life. In many cases, the workpiece can heat up significantly too. This negatively affects surface finish and dimensional control, causing a failure mode typically called plastic deformation.

Traditional flood coolant jets are uncontrolled and wasteful.

This is because they are aimed at the cut, but often hit behind the cutting zone. Instead of making cutting more efficient, this can actually add to problems by pushing chips back into the cut, increasing chip friction and accelerating tool failure due to increased chip recutting.

Custom high-pressure systems (1,000 psi or higher) engineered to address this situation can cost tens of thousands of dollars to install and maintain. Even ultrahigh systems delivering coolant in excess of 4,000 psi have been observed emerging in specialty applications.

When coolant is delivered through the insert, at the interface of the milling cutter and insert, both problems can be solved.

With advancements in inserts technology, this is possible.

Conventional Cooling

Coolant-delivery through the milling cutter and insert is touted to prolong tool life compared to coolant delivery through the spindle in certain conditions

Hitting The Right Point Though by delivering coolant through inserts promises good cooling effect, it is important to consider the trajectory and direction of the coolant jet. Test cut graphs show typical cooling applications often miss the point of highest heat, generated where the tool shears the material.

Hitting chips after they have formed proves typical cooling applications can even work at cross-purposes by forcing chips back into the cut, accelerating tool wear. Part of the problem is that the coolant-delivering nozzle is located relatively far from the workpiece.

Citing a milling test carried out

by Kennametal involving titanium (TiAl 6 V4 ), results showed that

compared to coolant delivery through the spindle, its Beyond Blast tool life shows an increase of 200 to 300 percent depending on the insert geometry and cutting conditions.

Shape Plays A Part Moving away from coolant, the answer to higher productivity sometimes lies in the insert’s ability to achieve good chip breaking and operate well under extended time on low spindle power machines.

In NRF indexable insert range

by Walter, good chip breaking is attributed to the reinforced double g roove on the ma in cutting edge of the insert and the V chip forming element in the area of the cutting edge radius.

Through Insert Cooling

The difference between conventional cooling and cooling by delivery of coolant through the insert

October 2010 metalworking equipment news

29

firstcut

Extended machining time on low spindle power machines is sometimes seen to bring up production costs. To counter that, inserts that provide curved main cutting edge leading to lower cutting forces are suitable in this respect and have a positive influence on productivity.

Irrespective of the form or shape of the insert used, the number of different geometries previously required in production across the machine shop can be reduced with inserts with universal geometry. This helps reduce inventor y costs. For instance, the NR F geometr y expands the application areas in compa r ison to prev iou s single-sided roughing indexable inserts, as both heavy roughing and straightforward turning of contours during the last cut are possible.

An example of the performance of the inserts is the roughing of a ball bearing ring made from 42CrMo4 ( BS708M40, EN19A) for wind turbine gears. A n SNMM 190624–NRF grade WPP20 was used. The approach angle was

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75 degrees. At a cutting speed of 140 m/min, a feed of 0.7 to 1.0 mm/rev and a varying cut depth of 2.5 to 10 mm, it was possible to increase the number of components machined with this indexable insert.

Getting Tough Increases Cost Savings The lifespan of an insert has direct impact on cost savings. The longer an insert lasts, the less a machine shop requires and as a result, less money is spent.

The simple logic may be easy to understand but the science behind producing a tougher insert requires further explanation.

The a nswer lies in coating.

With PVD, the coat of longevity enables grades to combine high toughness of conventional PVDcoated grades (TiN, TiCN and TiAlN-based) with the high level of hardness and temperature resistance of CVD cutting tool materials (Al2O3 -based).

Advancement in this field has seen Walter add grade WSM10 to deal with unfavourable to medium conditions. This grade is based on an ultrafine grain

The lifespan of an insert has direct impact on cost savings

substrate with high resistance to defor mat ion. G iven lowvibration machining conditions, this cutting tool material offers good performance during the machining of austenitic steels, sup e r a l loy s a n d t it a n iu m materials.

For e x a mple, dur ing t he machining of Inconel 718 with 46HRC it was possible to increase the cutting speed by 40 percent f rom 50 m/m in to 70 m/m in.

Improvements in tool life of 50 percent and more are possible according to the tool maker.

A s such, the user profits from higher process reliability.

In particular, workpieces with larger machining volumes can be machined from start to finish without an insert change.

The More The Merrier Coating and coolant delivery a side, sometime s achiev ing good performance is a numbers ga me . It b oil s dow n to t he number of cutting edges. Once again, though the theor y is simple, the technology behind this is not.

Combining the advantages of negative inserts (both sides of the cutting edges can be used) with those of positive inserts (ideal mounted position and thus low cutting forces), a highprecision prismatic insert with a positive clearance angle on both sides improves chip evacuation, surfaces and ultimately, reduces costs per cutting edge.

In MaxiMill 273 by Ceratizit, cost savings are possible as short machining times are required at moderate cutting depths. With the maximum number of teeth per tool combined with easy handling and 16 fully usable cutting edges per insert, all these characteristics ensure an efficient machining process and thus reduced production costs. MEN Enquiry No. 7101

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ENQUIRY NO 022

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update

Keeping Watch Machining Under The Loupe:

On Small Parts

Crossing over from the art of watchmaking to machining micro parts is made easy when the right machines and equipment are readily available. By Scott Rathburn, marketing product manager/senior editor, CNC machining, Haas Automation

T

he average mechanical watch movement – say, from a Swiss Rolex automatic with date – conta ins around 135 individual parts. While some of those parts, such as the main plates, are relatively large (at least in watchmaking terms), the majority of them are quite small, often requiring magnification to see clearly.

“The main plates are fairly big, but thin – from as thin as 1 mm to 5 mm,” explains Steve Cotton, owner of Micro Precision Parts Manufacturing (MPPM), Canada. “The small parts can be as small as 0.5 mm – too small to hold with your hands. You have to assemble them with fine tweezers and a 10-power loupe,” says Mr Cotton, who is a watchmaker by trade.

“The skill set of watchmaking is a ver y good match for micromachining,” he points out.

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“If we are working outside of a 1- to 2-inch parameter, it’s a big part for us,” he says. Typically, parts are so small that 50 of them can be placed on a penny. But making small parts, he explains, is not simply a case of dealing with smaller dimensions.

All the elements of the machining system “have to work together.”

Increasing Efficiency While the company handles some production orders, much of the shop’s work is single-digit runs of custom parts, and replacements for obsolete items. “Mass production for us is 10 units at a time,” says Mr Cotton, “but we have bigger contracts starting to come through.

Right now, we’re setting up one machine to run 300 units; that’s a good production run for us.”

Looking to reduce tool- change time and labour, he settled on a Haas OM-2A Office Mill. To cut efficiently with tiny tools – some as small as 0.016” diameter – he also acquired a 200,000-rpm NSK pneumatic spindle to mount in the machine’s standard spindle.

To further boost consistency, he had a Renishaw laser tool-setting probe installed. “It sets every tool to the same standard,” he explains.

“If you are hand-setting a tool, you can be a hundredth out on your height, diameter and width.”

He uses the tool probe to adjust offsets to minimise scrap as tools wear, and to assure that replacement tools cut identically.

When grinding a ceramic part, he says: “We put 20 tools in the carousel, and tell the machine to run for one hour and then change the tool. The new tool has been ‘lasered’ as being exactly the correct size.”

“Once we set up all the tools in the toolchanger,” he says, “a gear that took me about 45 minutes on our benchtop machine takes us eight minutes now. But what I didn’t realise was that the scope of these machines is huge. The first year, we were doing probably 80 percent clockwork and 10 to 20 percent different machined parts.

The second year, we went to 80 percent machining, and our watch

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The average mechanical watch movement contains around 135 individual parts

side went to 10 to 20 percent – a huge change in one year.”

Finding A New Niche The company now machines parts from a variety of materials, including standard ferrous and nonferrous metals, as well as titanium and other exotic alloys, plastics and ceramics.

“We’ve cut medical-grade titanium, and a variety of ceramics, including alumina, silicon boron, cubic boron nitride and extremely hard silicon nitride,” notes Mr Cotton.

“Ceramics are ideal for medical applications,” he adds, “but they are difficult to machine, and expensive to manufacture. A part we can produce in titanium in four days takes seven to 10 days in ceramic to achieve the same accuracy. Titanium and other materials are machined with carbide tools, but ceramics require diamond-impregnated grinding burrs. We tried a range of cutting tools – some PCD, CBN and cubic zirconia – and they couldn’t

touch ceramic. It just blew them up,” he says.

Mr Cotton’s foray into ceramic machining came courtesy of Concept Solutions Inc (CSI), a Vancouver-based technology development company specialising in mechanical devices. “We were developing an advanced surgical implant – an aneurysm clip – that required ceramics,” explains CSI technical director James Klassen.

Mr Klassen chose ceramic for the aneur ysm clip for several reasons. Like titanium, it is biocompatible and nonmagnetic, so it is readily accepted by the body, and unaffected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Unlike titanium, however, ceramic is virtually invisible in an MRI image.

“Conventional aneurysm clips are made completely of titanium,” says Mr Klassen, “and they create a black cloud around the clip in the MRI called an artifact. The ceramic jaws are invisible in an MRI image, allowing the surgeon to see the clipped area immediately

after surgery, and periodically for the rest of the patient’s life. This is a great benefit to the surgeon, and the patient, because a small percentage of aneurysms are not completely clipped during surgery, and even when they are, some aneurysms will re-grow months or years later.”

Overcoming Challenges In Machining The ceramic aneurysm clips could advance surgical methods by an estimated 30 years, according to industry experts, but they posed serious machining challenges in the prototyping stage.

“The project had been declined by every shop we could locate that worked with ceramics, and we had finally decided to buy our own CNC machine and do the machining ourselves.”

Mr Klassen came across Mr Cotton’s shop ‘by accident’, while researching equipment and tooling online. “I was searching the Internet for diamond burrs, and Steve’s shop came up, so I decided to give October 2010 metalworking equipment news

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Ceramic aneurysm clips could advance surgical methods by an estimated 30 years

“The skill set of watchmaking is a very good match for micromachining,” says Mr Cotton

him a call,” he says. “He told us he didn’t know if he could do it, but he was willing to try.”

“I did some research,” says Mr Cotton, “and knew how hard it (silicon nitride) was – it’s very hard stuff. I got some agate, which is just under the hardness of silicon nitride, and machined that, so I had an idea what I was in for.”

“Silicon nitride is nearly as hard as diamond,” explains Mr Klassen.

“There is no way to machine it with ‘normal’ cutting tools, but it can be ground using diamond tools. The small features on the aneurysm clip made it extra challenging, because we had to use very small tools, which required a high-speed spindle to achieve the necessary surface speed.

“We sat down with Steve to 34

metalworking equipment news October 2010

explain the project, and set up a test to see if a 1 mm diamond burr could remove material from a silicon nitride ball bearing,” explains Mr Klassen.

The test was a success, so with the machining process proven out, Mr Cotton set to work on the first set of prototypes. The half-inchlong parts were machined from solid blanks of silicon nitride. They featured complex 3D contours with three contact surfaces, two of which specified zero tolerance.

“They had to be perfect,” Mr Cotton states. The remaining tolerances were ±0.0004”.

He used diamond-impregnated tools, including custom endmills as small as 0.016” in diameter, with grit as fine as 800 (~25 microns) for finish passes. “With a drill

or endmill that small,” he notes, “you really need to be up about 200,000 rpm.” The small-diameter tools require high rpm to produce sufficient surface speed.

Meticulous Work Before machining the contours, Mr Cotton ground the ceramic stock to a zero-tolerance surface on two sides. Those surfaces enabled him to clamp the part in a vise and establish datum points.

Accuracy concerns led the customer to specify that the part be flipped in the vise to machine each side, rather than using a 4th axis. “They wanted us to datum the flip. It sometimes took two hours to dial it up,” says Mr Cotton. Because large temperature changes would alter the setup dimensions, the company has a temperaturecontrolled atmosphere, and the machines are run up to operating temperature before machining the parts.

Such attention to detail pays off in the accuracy of the finished product. “The first set of parts sent for testing were within 10 microns of the actual drawing specifications,” he says. “We had a 20-micron tolerance, so they were pretty happy.” CMM inspection of a run of titanium springs – a critical part of the aneurysm clips – showed the shop “held a five-micron tolerance on every part,” he says.

“We’ve now developed a process to machine the silicon nitride ceramics reasonably efficiently for prototyping,” says Mr Cotton. “We grind away the ceramic very accurately, leaving a nice machined finish. The first set of aneurysm clips took us nearly four weeks to make. But by experimenting with speeds, feeds, coolants and tool deflection, we’ve narrowed that down to about a week.” MEN Enquiry No. 7201

Software

Turning

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

HURCO (S.E.ASIA) PTE Ltd

Machining

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

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measurement

S

+ A Martin produces surgical instruments used for bone cutting/punching.

They are mainly applicable for spinal disc operations, ie: forceps to hold vessels and tissues as well as titan acutenaculum which are very light and unmagnetic.

In order to be successful in this competitive field, modern automated machinery is required.

Out of their three Hermle milling machines, two of them are loaded by robots. In addition, with a Robotdrill, milling a workpiece is possible in half of the time compared to their old five-axis CNC-milling machine.

Probing Issues LaserControl NT, a tool setting system, which was developed for the rough working conditions were used on four machining centres.

The systems are used for simple tool breakage detection and noncontact tool setting in length and radius, single cutting edge control, setting and concentricity control as well as form and wear control.

The operating tasks at the company are clearly regulated.

Turning parts are externally produced by specialists, whereas the company focuses on milling, mounting, polishing, grinding and finishing the parts in their works for the end users. The machining centres are working unmanned, round-the-clock. This is possible due to a laser system. Each used tool is measured with this system in micrometre. For instance, before a new tool is used, it is measured first before the defined length and radius values are transferred into the tool correction memory.

The surgical instrument producer uses different tools.

These can be very small drills up to a diameter of 0.8 mm and also shaft milling cutters, sawing blades and radius milling cutters.

Besides tool setting, the system is also used for tool control between the machining steps. Concerned

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1.2 Million

Satisfying Tool Changes

Reliability, speed and precision – these are the features a manufacturer of surgical instruments depends on when using laser measuring system on four machining centres in unmanned, round-the-clock operation. By Theo Drechsel for Blum. about the possible breakage in sawing blades, the company executes a single cutting edge control; the drills are checked for breakage within seconds. The shaft and radius milling cutters, however, are scanned in single cutting edge control. They define a wear tolerance in the cycle. If the system detects that the wear limit is exceeded, the tool is replaced.

The specialists from Martin are following an intelligent measuring strategy, ie: the tool control is executed after machining. If the tool is fine they will know that the workpiece is fine too. If the laser detects that the tool is broken or blunt or that a sawing blade has a breakout, the complete pallet is taken out of the

machine automatically and a new pallet is loaded.

Keeping It Clean As coolant is absolutely necessary for production, high-precision measurement in polluted surroundings represents an enormous challenge. The pollutants pose a risk for serious measuring errors. “In order to avoid pollution of the optics, the measuring system is sealed mechanically against coolant during operation by a pneumatically operated piston. Furthermore the rotating tool is cleaned with air pressure before measurement.

During measurement, barrier air protects against pollution. To avoid

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early trigger signal generation and faulty measurement by falling coolant drops, the systems are equipped with NT-Technology.

By means of this technology and the usage of an integrated microprocessor, the measuring system can carry out a so-called ‘pulling’ measurement which eliminates interferences by coolant,” explains Erhard Strobel, technical sales of Blum-Novotest.

The system is not used for tool control only but also for thermal machine compensation. If the machine was not in operation during the weekend or if there are thermal variations in the production hall, the machine experiences a change after commissioning, which causes dimensional deviations on the workpiece.

“This problem can be solved by calibration with the laser system.

A calibration pin with known dimensions is measured with the laser in X/Y- and Z-axis direction and the deviation to an already reference measurement is defined. The actual deviation is then compensated in the control as additive workpiece zero offset,” explains Winfried Weiland, technical sales engineer at Blum-Novotest.

Precise Performance The probe systems have also delivered when it comes to zero point detection. The device is loaded, then the part is clamped and the probe picks out three to four program points on the workpiece. The values are subsequently transferred automatically to the memory and the workpiece zero point is available.

This cycle including the complete retrofit is done efficiently and without any problem within a few minutes. “Considering the way many companies are still working, we have essential advantages thanks to the measuring systems.

On the one hand we are economical as workpiece setting is automatic and very fast. On the other hand such a system is more precise than

Manufacture of surgical instruments used for bone cutting/punching requires modern automated machinery

LaserControl NT, a tool setting system, was developed for the rough working conditions

a simple edge probe which can be seen in the quality of our surgical products,” explains Ludwig Martin, surgical mechanic at S + A Martin.

Training and practice through Blum are positively judged by Martin as the systems are reliable, eg: there were problems with the circular saw blades in 2003. These special saw blades could not be checked

by LaserControl NT at that time because of their large number of teeth. Subsequently Blum adapted the measuring cycles especially considering this application.

“Without the measuring system, unmanned operation would not be possible. And though we are working on the machine since 2003, 5.5 days a week in three-shift-operation, we never had any trouble. In this period we had approximately 1.2 million tool changes where the system was used – and absolutely no breakdown,” says Mr Martin.

Enquiry No. 7301

Blum: Radio Probe Blum-Novotest has developed a radio touch probe. The TC60 high-speed probe with radio technology represents an extension of the company’s product range.

The probe was developed for situations where the distance between the touch probe and the receiver is very long or where a continuous visual contact during the measuring process cannot be guaranteed. This is for instance the case for machining centres with large machining areas, 5-axes processing or when the probe has to be immersed within the work piece.

Instead of using the usual data transmission via channel hopping or selection, it transmits data via inhouse driven BRC technology. MEN

Enquiry No. 7302

October 2010 metalworking equipment news

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Metrology:

Weighing Heavy

An important element in today’s manufacturing landscape, metrology can be seen as an expensive process which adds to operating costs, but ignoring it is potentially more costly. By Tan Siew Leng, head and principal metrologist, Optical Metrology Department, National Metrology Centre, A*STAR

On The Scale Of Things

M

etrolog y is the science of measurement, and mea surement is the language of science. It is a universal language people around the world all need for communicating and quantifying a property of an object or a physical effect such as the size, weight of an object, the speed of a vehicle, the temperature in a room and the time interval between two events. Metrology is therefore an indispensible part of our daily activities ranging from consumer protection and fair trading to quality control of production lines.

The economic success of most manufacturing industries is critically dependent on how well their products are made and reproduced. This is especially true for modern high-value-add industry that demands everincreasing accuracy down to the nanometre level.

The Price To Pay For Not Measuring Accurately Ever y ma nufacturer uses measurement tools or instruments for quality control of their products, either in-line or at the end of the production process. The operators depend on the indicated measurement results displayed on these tools/ instruments to pass or fail a

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Ben Earwicker, USA

product against the required tole ra nce s. I f t he se to ol s/ instruments do not perform properly and faulty products go through, the user of such products might suffer dearly.

A few ye a rs a go, a hig h precision machine manufacturer decided to out-source the making of a vertical column to a company in order to save cost. The machine assembled using this vertical column, however, could not meet the specifications and failed the test as the z-axis of the machine could not move in a straight line.

With much investigation, it was found that the contracted company did not have measurement tools accurate enough to ensure the quality of the product. The problem caused significant delay in delivery and the manufacturer had to face a penalty of tens of thousands of dollars.

How To Measure Accurately?

As far as dimensional measurement is concerned, metal inspection

How To Measure Accurately?

1. Handle measuring equipment and UUT properly 2. Adopt correct measurement method 3. Using correct equipment 4. Measurement traceability 5. Evaluating uncertainty of measurement

may require measurement of one or more of the following parameters: The thickness of a part, the flatness and roughness of a surface, the diameter and roundness of a cylinder.

To o b t a i n r e l i a b l e a n d accurate measurements, some important aspects in the process must be observed: handling of equipment and Unit Under Test ( UUT ), applying the correct measurement method, choosing the appropriate instrument to measure, ensuring measurement traceability and evaluating the measurement uncertainty.

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• Handling Of Equipment And UUT It is well known that changes in environmental conditions such a s temperature a nd humidit y could inf luence the mea surement results, sometimes significantly. The form of a metal part might get distorted under undesirable temperature condition and its surface rusted if not being handled properly in humid condition especially in tropic countries such as Singapore.

If high accuracy is required, it i s i mp o r t a nt t h a t t he measuring equipment and the UUT be allowed to stabilise to the same temperature before a measurement is taken. The stabilisation time will take at least a few hours. The larger the dimension, the longer the time required. Put on gloves or

use a pair of tweezers to handle the measuring equipment and the UUT to avoid excessive heat transfer from the body to the devices and prevent contacting the devices with wet hand which may cause corrosion to the devices.

In ultra-precision manufacturing for instance, materials with extremely low thermal coefficient of expansion are chosen for building the major structure of a machine to minimise error due to temperature effect and to improve measurement accuracy.

Z e ro du r (G la ss ce ra m ic) having a thermal coefficient of expansion close to zero is widely used nowadays to construct the machine bed for a metrological atomic force microscope and the linear encoder for a coordinate measuring machine.

• Applying Correct Measurement Method The surface hardness varies with different metals. To nondestructive testing, appropriate measurement techniques must be applied to avoid damaging the material under test.

• Choosing The Appropriate Measuring Instrument The measuring instrument must be of superior quality than the UUT. As a general rule of thumb, the accuracy of the measuring instrument should be at least four times better than the required accuracy of the UUT (accuracy ratio of 4:1) or higher.

• Ensuring Measurement Traceability A traceable mea surement is one that could be linked to a recognised standards

ENQUIRY NO 060

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October 2010 metalworking equipment news

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Figure 1: Traceability chain of thickness measurement

• Evaluating The Uncertainty Of Measurement A measurement process will be incomplete without the uncertainty of measurement.

The uncertainty evaluation involve s e stablishing a mathematical model to reflect the measurement process, that 40

metalworking equipment news October 2010

is, how the measurement results are obtained, with considerations to all possible influences to a measurement such as the thermal effect, measuring force, elasticity, hardness.

In cases where the metal part under test is made of a material having a very different thermal expansion coefficient

Measurement Is An International Affair All measurements form part of the science of metrolog y.

Metrology is therefore about the validation of measurement results and the establishment of measurement standards.

Mea surements a nd the communication of measurement results today are international.

It is no longer sufficient just to m e a s u r e s o m e t h i n g . A measurement will not be complete without an associated uncertainty of measurement and must be interchangeable between different measuring bodies.

Enquiry No. 7303

The National Measurement System A traceable measurement must be linked to a recognised standards maintained by a national measurement infrastructure. The National Metrology Centre (NMC) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is entrusted by an Act of Parliament to be the custodian of national physical standards in Singapore.

Being the national authority in physical measurements covering areas in electrical & magnetism, mechanical, length & dimensional, optical radiation, temperature & humidity and time & frequency, NMC maintains the national measurement system and provides the link between measurements carried out in Singapore and the international system. Out of the six metrology fields in NMC, precision engineers, Length and dimensional in particular, have a major interest in length and metrology covers primarily measurement of length, angle dimensional metrology. and geometric relationships

Length & Dimensional Metrology Length and dimensional metrology covers primarily the measurement of length, angle and geometric relationships.

Over the past 30 years, the length and dimensional metrology development in NMC has been advancing to support a wide cluster of industries from plastic and rubber industry, tool and die making industry, metal stamping industry, connector industry and precision tooling industry to the latest nanotechnology industry.

These include high precision measurement capabilities for surface roughness, surface roundness, spherical and aspherical profile, micro-parts with uncertainty of measurement in sub-micrometre or nanometre range. MEN

Enquiry No. 7304

kalyana sundaram, India

ma inta ined by a nationa l measurement infrastructure.

T h e i n s t r u m e n t u s e d to measure must be calibrated using a known standard, and the known standard must be further calibrated using a standard of higher quality to ensure it is accurate and reliable. This unbroken chain of comparison is the traceability.

The selected instrument must be properly calibrated by a recognised laboratory such as an accredited laboratory which has been assessed under a recognised accreditation scheme to be technically competent to perform the calibration.

Re sults produced in a calibration report should carry an uncertainty value indicating a range whereby the measurement could probably lie within a certain confidence level as no measurement is absolute.

Uncertainty in a way reflects how sure a laboratory is to determine the value of a measurement. The traceability concept illustrated could be seen in Fig 1.

than the measuring device, the final measurement results will have a big error in it.

ENQUIRY NO 148

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Optical Comparator & Vision Inspection Systems

Lead The Way Going into the future, both optical comparator and vision inspection systems have a big role to play.

By Lukasz Pienkowski, sales manager APAC, Atoms Optical Measuring

I

n today’s manufacturing landscape, optical inspection is widely used by manufacturers in quality control. One of the most popular inspection tools is the optical comparator, which remains based on a patent filed in 1925 and invented as early as 1919 by James Hartness and Russel Porter.

Continuous Innovation Since James Hartness’s and Russel Porter’s times the device has undergone multiple changes and upgrades and has been known by many names such as shadowgraph, optical comparator, profile projector and most probably countless more.

With every incremental innovation step to the device came predictions of the downfall of the classical optical comparator.

Nevertheless it continues to exist in shop floors and QC laboratories throughout the manufacturing sectors ranging from automotive, medical and aviation. This is mostly due to the very principle of design,

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ease of use and efforts to constantly update the functions in line with manufacturers needs.

Today’s devices are a far cry from the bulky device used even a decade ago. Innovations in glass technology, standardisation, digital readouts, automatic edge detection, image analysis, CAD data compatibility and miniaturisation have all added to the success of the optical comparator we know today.

Some of the main reasons why the device remains relevant for manufacturers include the quick set-up and the ease of use.

Optical comparators require no programming thus allowing for near instant measurement. This is especially beneficial when the unit number to be measured is low and the critical feature can be captured by silhouetting.

Furthermore operators can be trained faster on the use of an optical comparator than on vision inspection systems which often require specialist training. Cost-

effectiveness and a sturdy design reducing the wear and allowing for application in rough environments further add to the advantages of these devices.

Growing Pressures In The Market Place Even the most modern devices featuring moveable stages, optical sensors and digital read-outs are experiencing a growing pressure from vision inspection systems. In essence, these systems can perform similar functions as the classical optical comparator but further e n h a n c e a c c u r a c y, re d u c e subjectivity and increase the scope of applications.

These systems often feature high-end optics, high megapixel cameras with relatively small but highly accurate sensors, and LED lighting to ensure stable illumination.Most importantly, they are always linked with analysis software that allows for distortion correction, algorithms for sub-pixel calculation and measurement data collection, analysis and storage.

In direct comparison, vision inspection systems are still more complicated than optical comparators though recently manufacturers of these devices are successfully simplifying their software, allowing quicker programming.

With these developments, operators being increasingly computer savvy and the added benefit of increased productivity, vision inspection systems will eventually catch up with optical comparators on the ‘ease-of-use’ aspect of measurement.

Looking at the commercial aspects of the devices, the market place offers an indication for the fast advancement of vision inspection systems. This results in optical comparators, though still a widely popular product, not experiencing a large growth of market share.

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Key For The Future – Automation Automation features in optical comparators will cement its midterm future, especially as most of the modern devices can be upgraded.

By adding external controllers, repetitive measurement operations can be simplified. In addition, operational steps can be automated to reduce user input resulting in increased productivity, reduced subjectivity and a reduction in cost of measurement.

Another advantage added to optical comparators by external controllers is the handling of data in a variety of formats such as Text or MS Excel files. The ability to store all measured features of a production series is an inherent requirement for the analysis of the production process and allows for the inclusion in quality schemes.

Vision inspection systems, with most of the automation features added, have developed further in several directions. Fully digitalised solutions of the optical comparator for the measurement of the field of view are being introduced for fast and accurate measurement of small production series. These miniaturised devices take up a fraction of classical optical comparators or vision inspection systems while offering the advantages of both sides.

I n s p i re d b y a u t o m a t i o n practices, flexible solutions are emerging. Components such as software, lenses, cameras and lighting are being sourced individually to specifically create systems that fit the intended measurement objectives. They are offering cost-savings to manufacturers looking for entrylevel solutions or dedicated measurement stations.

The consolidation of contact and non-contact measurement, such as lenses, lasers and touch probes into one device has created universal devices, which allow for accurate measurement of complicated geometries in

three dimensions. Furthermore, development of standard practices tends to integrate the design process into inspection by directly using CAD files with specified tolerances in vision inspection systems.

There Is Room For Both It is evident that both systems are getting more similar with

MTA 2011(S)_APMEN_Sept10 FA.indd 1

time, partly even fulfilling the same functions.

The constant introduction of innovation steps in measurement devices will ensure that the optical comparator and the vision inspection system will see nearly eye to eye for the foreseeable future. MEN Enquiry No. 7305

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Vision Robot For Cylinder Head Inspection

The combination of vision systems and robot provides the optimum solution to replace the traditional visual inspection.

By Pravee Kruachottikul, manager, Maitree Himakorn, senior R&D engineer, Nuttaphol Chureeganon, R&D engineer, Solimac Automation (Thailand)

V

isual inspection has been widely used in industries to check the quality of products for a long time. The inspection is mostly done by operators – sometimes with magnifier or microscope.

However there are some factors that make the visual inspection result inconsistent.

Fatigue and human error are the main factors that can lead to errors in inspection. In addition, the error in inspection results in higher expenses due to product rejections, which decreases the reliability of the manufacturer.

The solution in this case comes in the form of a vision system.

However, vision systems alone may not be suitable for some applications especially those that involve motion movement.

In addition, with a new product, new set up times are incurred.

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As a result, robot is introduced in order to complement vision system, giving birth to the robot vision system.

Measuring Process Image one shows a robot vision inspection system used for the inspection of an automobile cylinder head. The system consists of three main stations – a colour station (colour inspection station), robot station, and turn-table station (OK or NG sorting station).

With these three main stations, the system can inspect, analyse, and classify the product from the production line and separate them into OK or NG Exit.

Colour station has a one-axis actuator with two cameras attached moving along the cylinder head to inspect the cotter and the colour of the spring for each valve. The axis works by sending the position

complete signal when it moves to each inspection point.

The signal will be passed to the PC, which will be read by the main inspection program. Once the program receives the signal, it will go to capture state. It sends the command to the camera to capture the image at that specific point using IMAQdx and then saved for later analysis.

When the actuator moves to all positions, the program starts to load the logging image one by one for analysis. The program will consider the model signal input and the position of the capture image to select the inspection tools. During the analysing time, the product is passed to the robot station for further analysis.

As the robot plays the main role, the station next to the colour station is called the robot station (as shown in the main image in this article). The robot carrying one camera is moving around the parts to capture the image around the product. Using the robot provides flexibility and eliminates limitation of the movement of the camera.

Six degree of freedom provides the precise position and rotational angle for the camera in order to reach most of the inspection points which otherwise cannot be done by the fixed camera. At this state, LabVIEW (A graphical programming environment used to develop measurement, test and control systems) controls the robot library for the communication between the robot and PC. The program will send the command to move the robot and read the feedback signal to capture the image once the robot is in position. In this case, the robot will move the camera along to read the serial number (Using OCR function to determine the stamped characters). Then, the robot will move to the bottom of the conveyor to inspect the valves.

This is another benefit of using the robot, especially when the working

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environment is hazardous. The inspection process will be the same as in the colour station.

Display panel makes it easy for the inspection process Image 1: With these three main stations, the system can inspect, analyse, and classify the product from the production line and separate them into OK or NG Exit

the database management, model search, result search, which run separately without any disturbing with main process flow.

For the database section, database connectivity toolkit provides the connection using ODBC, which allows connecting with MySQL server for the data

storage. The database will store the model infor mation a nd inspection results. With this database, the user can search for the inspection history and make a SPC data to control the production. MEN Enquiry No. 7306

ENQUIRY NO 070

Inspection Process After all the analyses are done for both colour station and robot station, the program will send out the overall inspection result to PLC via NI-DAQ card. PLC will decide the action for that part by controlling the turntable. Its task is to assign the correct path for that inspected part. OK part will go on to the next station and NG part will be rejected to the NG line.

Standard state machine (a term in the design patterns for programming taught in LabView) will take care of the overall process flow while event case structure will run in order to detect any commands from the front panel. The actions from event case structure are about

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Form

the cut-fracture ratio of a highprecision fit, for example, is to make an initial hole and then use a slightly larger tool to produce the final hole with the required diameter. Up to 100 percent of the edge created in this way is actually cut.

Punch Presses:

More Than What You Think

It’s

Despite their name, punch presses today are used for much more than just plain ‘punching’ and should not really be referred to as punching machines anymore.

By Gabriela Buchfink, Trumpf

T

he classic sheet perforation methods of punching and nibbling have been joined by an array of other techniques that include forming, tapping, and other processes like bending small tabs or the marking of workpieces.

This, in turn, has made it easier to produce complete parts using only a single machine – something that all sheet metal fabricating companies strive to do. For years, machine and tool manufacturers have been working to make this dream a reality.

The Punching Principle Punch presses work in much the same way as a paper punch. A metal sheet is placed between the punch and the die, after which the punch is rammed into the die.

As the punch and the die move

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metalworking equipment news October 2010

past each other, the parallel, but opposing movement of their edges causes the sheet to be cut. Because of the way sheets are cut, punching is classified as a shearing operation.

The punching process can be divided into four phases. First the punch strikes the sheet and causes it to bend. Then the punch begins cutting into the sheet. The stress inside the material continues to build, until the sheet finally fractures along the contour of the cut. The ‘slug’, or part that is punched out, is ejected towards the bottom of the machine. When the punch is raised again, the sheet may be pulled up with the punch.

If this happens, a stripper frees the sheet from the punch.

The greater the proportion of the sheet edge that is cut instead of fractured, the better the edge quality will be. One way to improve

Overlapping Holes Nibbling is a technique that involves punching out holes so that they overlap. The combination of overlapping holes can be used to produce all types of cutouts and contours. Nibbling is used to produce any kind of irregular contours or shapes with large radii.

T he ma rk s made by t he individual strokes of the machine remain visible on the nibbled edge.

Moving your finger along the edge, you can feel the uneven surface.

The more the holes overlap, the smoother the edge is. A greater degree of overlap, however, also means that more hits have to be made by the punch press.

Slotting – Smooth Approach Nibbling is not used to produce straight edges, especially visible ones. Instead, slotting is the preferred method for this work.

Slotting produces an edge that is finer than a nibbled edge and just as smooth as a laser-cut edge. The punch used for slotting has a long, narrow rectangular shape with a beveled cutting surface.

In a slotting operation, the punch strikes the sheet, but returns to the top of the stroke without actually cutting the scrap off from the rest of the sheet.

The second hit is then slightly offset from the first, creating a continuous cut separating the part and sheet skeleton.

A large portion of the punched edge is actually cut, and there are none of the grooves you typically see marking the beginning of a hit. Instead of punching out separate slugs, the machine cuts a continuous strip. The strip gradually curls up as the cut

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The punch forces the sheet into the die. The sheet begins to bend, the top of the sheet is cut, and the rest breaks off

Forming New Capabilities The addition of forming capabilities greatly increases the versatility of punch presses. No longer just machines for making holes in sheet metal, punch presses have

been used for years to produce common formed features such as extrusions, beads, and louvers.

The tools are designed so that the workpiece is formed between the punch and die.

For an example of how forming works, let us look at extrusions.

E x trusions a re round holes whose edges have been stretched up or down. The extrusions are made by first punching a small hole, and then forcing the edges through a die.

The forming tool used for this process has a punch shaped like an awl and a die with a corresponding depression. As the punch is lowered, it forces the edge of the hole into the depression in the die, causing the metal to stretch and change its shape.

Tapping With Punch Presses Sheet metal parts are frequently attached to other parts using screw fasteners. Putting threads in the parts used to mean welding or

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progresses and is separated from the sheet when the cut is finished. The long, continuous strip created during the cutting process has one problem: it limits both the length of the cut and the sheet thickness.

October 2010 metalworking equipment news

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Metal flows into the gaps in the tapping tool

pressing threaded nuts manually into the parts at another station.

This involved several steps: a hole had to be punched, the part had to be taken off the machine, and the nut had to be pressed into the part and welded, if necessary.

Now punch presses can be fitted with tapping tools that are able to form the threads directly on the sheet much more quickly and accurately.

This method can be used to produce standard thread sizes from M 2.5 to M 10 as well as their corresponding measurements in inches.

Threads are made by first punching a hole and then forming the threads on the inside of the hole. In thin sheets, the edges of the hole are extruded before forming the threads, enabling fabrication of longer threads that are capable of bearing higher loads. The threads are formed on the inside of the extrusion.

Bending Is Possible Punch pre sse s ca n a lso be used for bending parts. Special bending tools make it possible to produce flanges with bent angles of up to 90 deg. Designers who know how to take advantage of these capabilities can design many sheet metal parts so that they can be produced entirely on a punch press. This, in turn, enables sheet metal fabricators to eliminate not only this step but also the costs associated with the use of a press brake.

Bending tools work in a variety of ways. One involves the use of a roller that is set into the die.

When the punch is lowered, 48

metalworking equipment news October 2010

A bending tool can employ a moving roller that is set into the die

it presses the workpiece up against the surface of the roller.

The pressure created by the punch causes the roller to rotate, and the movement of the roller then bends the sheet upward.

In addition to simple bends, multiple bends and diagonal bends can also be made.

The dimensions of both the

bend and the bent surface, however, are limited. They are determined by the size of the bending tool and the maximum clearance between the punch and machine table. For longer bends, separate bends can be made so that they are aligned in a row.

Enquiry No. 7401

Embossing & Engraving Whether it is a company logo, part number, date, or special symbol for use in assembly – sheet metal parts often have to be labelled in some way.

To mark a sheet, the desired shape or design is pressed into the surface of the sheet. This process creates tiny depressions that are only a few tenths of a millimetre deep. Embossing is a technique in which a single machine stroke is used to press the design into the sheet.

The punch produces the entire design, for example a logo, letter, or number.

Punches used for engraving, meanwhile, have a fine tip. When a part is engraved, the punch produces small dots on the surface of the sheet at a rate of up to 2,800 hits per minute. The combination of dots forms the design.

Stamp Of Consistency High quality embossing means producing designs that all have the same depth.

Deviations in depth of only a few hundredths of a millimetre can be seen with the naked eye. Variations in the sheet thickness can produce different results, even if the punch travel length is the same. Since the sheet thickness may differ from one batch to another, the embossing depth can vary and, with it, the part quality.

To counter the effects of such fluctuations, machine manufacturers have developed an adaptive stroke calibration system. A special device measures the sheet thickness, and then the calibration system calculates the optimum tool path, compensating for any differences and ensuring that the embossed design always has the same depth. MEN

Enquiry No. 7402

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spotlight

Auto Engine Machining:

Boring Down Process Time

Engine cylinder bore machining remains a high-cost bottleneck within the complexities of engine building and a central issue in any cost cutting endeavour. By David Zola, chief technical officer and Marcos Rosenzveig, automotive team assistant, Iscar.

I

n the race to produce more economical and fuel-efficient cars, global automakers have more cost- cut t ing opt ions ava ilable for t heir vehicles. For example, they can turn to alternative materials for the construction of passenger compartment.

For the chassis, they can create more versatile multi-model ‘platforms’ and standardise more parts. As for the add-ons and electronics, they can generate more sophisticated subassemblies.

Considering the 50 million-plus passenger vehicles planned for manufacture during this year, the monies saved per unit became an eight-figure savings for the industry as a whole.

It is a different picture in engine

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metalworking equipment news October 2010

manufacturing, which represents an estimated 17 percent of the total manufactured cost of a passenger vehicle, according to IRN, a consulting firm serving the automotive industry among others headquartered in the USA. In addition, the gasoline engine is the most complex, most exacting, most costly component in the vehicle production process.

Bottlenecking In Engine Cylinder Bore Machining Hot, high- stress ser vice conditions effectively rule out use of all materials but metal.

Using even the best near-net technologies, the intrinsic closetolera nce requirement s for engines dictate that, sooner or later, you will have to machine

some of that metal – including cast iron. On cylinder bores, for instance, you will have to make chips fast, yet bring the part in within 0.01 mm on dimension, roundness and cylindricity – absolute and relational – and 10 times less on finish.

Indeed, for these reasons, engine cylinder bore machining remains a high-cost bottleneck within the complexities of engine building and a central issue in any cost-cutting endeavour. This critical application normally i nvolve s t h re e op e rat ion s: roughing, semi-finish and finish cylinder bore machining.

Clearing that bottleneck can exert a lot of leverage in cost reduction. Shortening cycle time on one bore means you save time on the next three, five or seven – depending on the number of cylinders.

Two-In-One Tool Reduces Cycle Time With cost reduction in mind, by combining two of those three operations – roughing and semifinishing – within the capability of one milling tool, cylinder-bore application can be more efficient.

A recent re-engineering of the cylinder-bore operation at one German auto engine plant illustrates the savings potential ava ilable in this operation.

Supported by tailored tooling, the processing change led to a 44 percent reduction in the machining cycle time.

Now each cylinder in a fourcylinder engine is rough and semi-finished in 9.2 s, compared to 16.6 s before, under the very same cutting conditions. The tool count is also reduced. Now a single tool completes two operations, which formerly required its own tool.

While multifunction tooling is not uncommon in high-volume operations, it is quite rare in such tight, relational-tolerance applications as cylinder boring.

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Two different sets of tangentially clamped coated carbide inserts in a single cutter body, one set for roughing and one for semi-finishing reduce cycle time and preserve the surface quality requirements

The reason is, that unless every part of the tool runs perfectly and stays sharp, the tool is useless.

Boring Or Plunge Milling?

In the machining process at the engine plant, the GG 25 cast iron sleeves are machined, followed by press-fit operation into cast aluminium engine blocks. The operation enlarges the bores from 74.50 to 76.10 mm over a 138 mm length of cut. Although termed ‘cylinder boring’, the process is more like vertical plunge milling; the tool diameter matches the finished cylinder bore diameter and advances straight along the centreline of the Z-axis.

Under the previous method, roughing and semi-finishing were done sequentially with sepa rate tools. Bot h t he roughing and semi-finishing tool used a cutter with five effective CBN -tipped inserts clamped into fixed seats. Besides taking 16.6 seconds per cylinder bore, the tools often failed to clear chips effectively, marring the finish and wearing out cutting edges due to recutting.

The automaker approached Iscar looking for a better costeffective alternative. Their key goal was to find a rigid process on the existing operation that would reduce cycle time and preserve the surface quality requirements.

Paired Tangential Inserts The solution involves using two different sets of tangentially clamped coated carbide inserts

in a single cutter body, one set for roughing and one for semifinishing. The three roughing inserts are seated horizontally in fixed pockets on the bottom of the tool whereas the three semi-finishing inserts are seated vertically in adjustable seat pockets around the circumference.

The roughing set enlarges the bore by approximately 1.00 mm on radius; the semi-finishing set removes the final 0.60 mm in diameter. Internal coolant flow directed to every insert ensures effective chip evacuation. With the adjustable pockets for the set of semi-finishing inserts to minimise harmonic chatter, the inserts are arrayed asymmetrically along the cutter circumference.

In such a tangential insert positioning, the inserts lie flat in the pitch circle rather than stand up radially. This singular clamping design presents the insert’s strongest cross-section to the main cutting force vector.

Cutting loads are directed to the cutter body, generating a longer tool life as a result of less chattering. In addition, by clamping the insert tangentially, the screw is not subjected to tension stresses. This provides a more stable cutting action.

Changing Cutting Parameters Analysing the machine settings show where the time sav ing of the machining cycle comes from. Speed was unchanged at 1,500 RPM, cutting speed Vc =

360 m/min and stock removal in both cases was 0.50 mm per insert corner.

The big differences were in increased feed rate per tooth from 0.07 to 0.10 mm per tooth and contributing to a considerable table feed increment a nd increased net feed rate. These gains were made possible by the stronger tangential cutter design and inserts with a smoother lowfriction surface, leading to 35 percent increase in performance.

E a rly in t he retooling process, it was recognised that ample unused spindle power wa s available in the engine manufacturer’s existing machine.

That reserve capacity opened the door for faster cutting and higher cutting forces without stalling the machine. Even at the higher cutting rates, the spindle power rate under the new process never exceeded 7.66 kW. A f ter severa l mont h s of actual operation, the engine ma nu factu rer ha s not only ma inta ine d t he 9. 2 se cond cycle time, but also reduced insert costs. Main sources of these unanticipated savings are reduced ratio between expensive CBN and coated carbide, more edges per insert and better tool life resulting from the tools’ tangential insert orientation. MEN Enquiry No. 7501

By clamping the insert tangentially, the screw is not subjected to tension stresses

October 2010 metalworking equipment news

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Portable Inspection:

A

Shot In The Arm

For The Automotive Industry

The combination of portability supplied from measuring arms and the inspection software programs makes it easier to make many more inspections. By Peter Dickin, marketing manager, Delcam

I

nspection was traditionally carried out in a separate, dedicated area away from the production line. It was carried out at the end of the manufacturing process, usually by specialist metrologists, using expensive equipment that could not be moved.

Recently, there has been a transition to the use of portable inspection arms from companies such a s Fa ro a nd Hexagon.

These devices offer high levels of accuracy, combined with the ability to undertake inspection virtually anywhere in the factory at any stage in the manufacturing or assembly process.

Of course, the va rious manufacturers of measuring arms can take much of the credit for this development. However, a part has been played by Delcam through the development of its PowerInspect inspection software.

While it does work with a wide range of inspection devices, including static Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs), and optical and laser-based systems, it is also a suitable software for portable inspection arms.

T he combi nat io n o f t he portability of inspection arms and the software makes it practical to make many more inspections than is possible with a dedicated CMM 52

metalworking equipment news October 2010

located a considerable distance from the point of manufacture.

Allowing more inspections, plus giving real time results in an easyto-understand format, means that problems can be identified earlier and corrected at lower cost.

This translates into considerable savings in time and money for a wide range of manufacturing companies. It also allows companies to offer higher and more repeatable quality to their customers.

From Drawings To CAD Models A parallel development that has also benefited from the i nt ro duc t ion of i n sp e c t ion software programs has been the move away from drawings that were traditionally used as the basis for inspection. Most design data is now issued to sub-contractors as CAD models rather than as drawings. It is more efficient and reliable to allow inspection directly against the CAD model than against drawings generated from that model.

While the prime motive for the development of PowerInspect was to allow inspection against CAD data, the opportunity was also taken to address the problems of inspection speed and complexity.

It was also decided that the

software must be independent of the hardware being used.

Much of the other inspection software on the market is linked to particular inspection devices.

Thus, companies using a range of equipment must have staff trained on a variety of software.

In addition, it can be difficult to enforce standard reporting met hods a nd for mats from different software.

Inspection Software Programs At BMW A typical application for inspection software is its use on two Zett Mess AMPG measuring arms to inspect chassis prototypes in the ‘Process Technology Prototype Development’ of the BMW Group.

The system gives faster results, and is suitable for both inspection specialists and for production experts who have not had training in measurement technology.

Ever y new BM W cha ssis prototype is received by the development team as a CAD file, which is used to weld the

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design. Welding distortions of 3 mm are the norm and have to be eliminated in a continual process of welding – inspection – correction – inspection. In the past, the inspection process for some of the parts required up to two hours; now, only five minutes are needed. This gives significant time savings since up to five inspection passes are required per component.

“Many inspection programs are complicated to use,” claimed Stefan Schneider, application engineer at Delca m. “The program’s ease of use is essential for situations like that in BMW’s chassis prototype development, where both metrology specialists and production staff need to use the software.”

E a s y op e rat io n a nd t he shortest possible learning curve allow casual users to be able to work accurately and efficiently with the measuring equipment.

After only two days of training, BMW employees could use the software program in combination with the Zett Mess arm.

In addition, the softwa re does not require the parts to be held in a specific fixture.

Its best-fit routines mean that inspection can be undertaken in any position. Furthermore, the arm and software make it possible to inspect two parts simultaneously on one table.

If the alignment between the two parts is known, the user can switch between the two inspection sequences.

It is also quicker to add extra points into a me a surement sequence. The additional data can be incorporated with the earlier measurements and the combined results displayed immediately, instead of having to re-measure the whole part. Similarly, it is possible to change the datum being used for the inspection and have the inspection report regenerate quickly.

Maintaining Quality Inspection is often seen as a ‘ne ce ssa r y ev il’ by some manufacturers. While they know quality control is essential, they regard it an extra expense that cannot contribute to the bottom line. By moving to portable inspection systems and inspection software, many companies have been able to meet their quality needs and also reduce the time

and cost of their manufacturing.

By being able to inspect more often can, at the very least, discover immediately when parts are so far out of tolerance that they cannot be recovered.

This will not be good news but it is still much better than continuing work on a part that is already scrapped.

Enquiry No. 7502

Time Is Money The combination of inspection software programs and measuring arms has also reaped benefits in other industry.

In this case, inspection times have been reduced.

Investing in a Romer CimCore portable coordinate measuring arm with PowerInspect has proved to be a time-saver at Rayco Manufacturing, equipment builder based in the US. “It saves us many hours compared to the manual way most fabrication shops check their work,” said Roger Timmons, quality assurance engineer, “and we get more information about our production faster, so we can make adjustments quickly and accurately.”

Most of the work at the company is cutting and welding steel to form the structures of the machines. As the company grew and its product ranges expanded, it decided it needed to further improve the consistency of its steel fabrications and assure their quality from the first laser cut through to the completed fabrication.

“Five minutes with the inspection software saves an hour out on the assembly floor,” Mr Timmons claimed. “We can make adjustments before the components get into the assembly flow.” For example, the software showed that the run-out on some of the feed wheels used on its chippers was not acceptable. Detecting the situation prior to assembly saved the one and a half to two hours it would take to remove and replace an inaccurate feed wheel. In another example, the frame for one of its machines was exhibiting a twist during assembly. Said Mr Timmons: “We measured it during welding and found that the fixture needed correction. We also use the system for troubleshooting out on the assembly floor to determine why a part may not be fitting perfectly, so future parts can be corrected before they go to assembly. We can do this in about 10 minutes, a time saving of up to 1,000 percent compared to any manual method.” MEN Enquiry No. 7503

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Automotive Industry:

Aluminium Usage

T

he s t a te o f t he automobile today is unrecognisable from its beginnings as a steam-driven locomotive.

Progress is about efficiency and the automobile is constantly moving towards lighter, more durable materials. This will only increase and in recent years there have been signs of this progress accelerating with automobile companies placing greater urgency towards more agile, cost effective, greener vehicles; and governments mandating targets for CO2 emission.

Automobiles have come a long way since their inception in the 1800s where they were modelled after the horse carriage and crafted from wood. Because of the limited power from early combustion engines, wood was an excellent choice in terms of its torsion and stiffness. This all changed in the 20th century with the use of steel paving the way for mass produced, affordable automobiles.

The Emergence Of Steel When metalworking methods such as drop-hammering and powerhammering, hydraulic stretching, drawing and stamping appeared in the first 35 years of the 20th century, metals such as steel and aluminium began to take over at a rapid pace.

Aluminium, although having its advantages was a more precious metal, demanding higher cost due to increased complexity in production and refinement. As a result, steel was the preferred choice at that time.

A major advantage of steel is its ability to cool down rapidly from an extremely hot temperature after being subjected to water or oil. Physical properties of steel 54

metalworking equipment news October 2010

Arjun Kartha, India

To Pick Up Speed

With growing emphasis on fuel economy and green technology, the automotive industry is undergoing changes that see aluminium emerging as a rival to tradition materials like steel. By Mark Johnston

A Cleaner Drive In Asia and globally, new fuel economy and green house gas emission policies are coming into effect and being enforced by government around the world eager to reduce air pollution and slow global warming.

South Korea is to introduce new fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards with effect from 2012. The government states these standards are being introduced to help meet the global industrial trends on energy conservation and environmental protection.

The standards being introduced by the government of South Korea will be tougher than those put forward by the American administration. Woo Ki-Jong, secretary general of the state committee stated: “The plan that will be phased in from 2012 through 2015 stipulates that local car makers must make vehicles that on average can travel 17 km or more on a litre of fuel, and emit less than 140 grams of greenhouse gases per kilometre traveled.”

He said that companies who failed to meet such standards would be penalised after a grace period that has yet to be fixed, while those that satisfy the requirements will be rewarded in the form of tax benefits and other incentives.

The standards put forward here will apply to all cars with less than 10 passengers; requirements for large buses and trucks will be worked out in a few years.

Concerning technology development, Mr Woo stated: “Because time is needed for companies to develop the necessary technology, only 30 percent of cars made by companies for sale in the country need to meet the requirements in the first year of their implementation, with numbers to go up to 60 percent and 80 percent in 2013 and 2014, respectively.”

Enquiry No. 7504

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include high strength, durability, flexibility and corrosive resistance.

They are all ideal properties for use in the automobile industry.

Why Aluminium?

Over the past century, there has been a willingness to embrace new materials, in particular aluminium for car construction. Innovation in the automotive industry slowed however during and after WWII due to automobile manufacturing plants being reassigned to help in the war effort. After the war the industry suffered steel shortages especially in Europe.

The shortage of steel in the wake of WWII meant automobile manufactures needed to explore alternative materials as a priority and so began to introduce lighter alternatives such as aluminium alloys and composite materials.

At this stage steel replacement

was only in body panelling, transmission and other components. In the frame, steel was still considered to be the only option for two reasons. The cost of aluminium by weight is six times that of steel, and secondly, to reach the necessary stability and torsion stiffness, aluminium frames need a special construction and assembly method resulting in a higher cost for the manufacturer.

The use of aluminium as a replacement to steel in automobiles has continued over the decades though steel still remains the material of choice for the frame. The use of an all aluminium frame has yet to find its way into the mainstay of automobile manufacture and its use is limited to medium to large size vehicles at a higher price point.

Compared to steel, aluminium provides better fuel efficiency, better handling and increased crash

safety. Though its cost still remains significantly higher than steel; six times higher. Experts believe that increased production capabilities and lower cost of raw materials, together with more rigid legislation regarding fuel economy and recycling targets might soon make aluminium the primary material in automobile frame and body design.

Although aluminium does not have the same surface hardness as steel, its other advantages compensate and can correct these flaws. The elastic modulus of aluminium alloys is around the 70 GPa mark.

This is about one third that of steel, meaning when a given force is applied to the surface area of an aluminium sheet, its deformation will be three times that of a geometrically equivalent steel sheet. However, aluminium has properties such as its ductility,

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Complementary Or Competing?

It is important to note however that there are applications within the automobile where it would not be advisable to use aluminium, regardless of cost. This limitation in their application is related to their lower fatigue strength compared to steel.

Steels have been shown to display a much higher fatigue limit than aluminium, ie: the amount of stress that can be withstood before failures begin to occur. Because of this, it is not advisable to use 56

metalworking equipment news October 2010

aluminium or its alloys in areas that require high fatigue strength.

Looking at the big picture, the main aim of automobile manufacturers is to make reliable vehicles with environmental considerations as well. As such, using the right material for the

right application should be the golden rule. Though steel may have lost some ground to aluminium in recent times, utilising the properties of the two would surely be the way forward.

Enquiry No. 7505

Achieving Fuel Economy – A Weight Loss Program?

In Europe, there will be a mandatory standard to remove emissions to 130 grams of CO2 per km by 2015. While the US will introduce a standard 250 grams per km for light-duty cars, trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles.

According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the transportation sector was responsible for about 23 percent of energyrelated greenhouse gas emissions in 2004. Passenger vehicles account for about 45 percent of this total, and will remain the predominant source of these emissions for the foreseeable future.

It becomes obvious that increasing fuel economy and decreasing emissions from automobiles is a top priority for many government around the world. A speed up in research and development should be expected with increased interested in breaking from the old and experimenting with the new. This is a time of change for many automobile manufactures, more so than ever.

There are many ways manufacturers are working to develop greener cars.

One of the ways to do this is quite simply by decreasing its weight. Doing this requires a change in the materials the car is made of.

As mentioned the weight of the vehicle is one of the ways to reduce fuel economy and greenhouse gases. Reducing a vehicle’s weight by 10 percent can reduce fuel economy by six to eight percent. By replacing aluminium for steel in a vehicle’s body can reduce its weight by 50 percent. This reduction in weight allows savings of approximately 3,000 litres of fuel and 7,500 kg of CO2 over the lifetime of the vehicle. To put the cost difference into perspective, the current rate for aluminium is US$2,000 per tonne while the cost of steel is US$325 per tonne. Despite aluminium’s high cost, it is being widely used for an increasing range of components in mass-produced cars.

With increased demand and government-backed pressure on automobile manufactures to explore more ways to increase automobile efficiency, it is hoped prices will drop further. MEN Enquiry No. 7506

Kym McLeod, Australia

its low melting point and its density, which make it much easier to mould into a desired shape without the same risk of fracture as compared to steel.

These properties are the main reason why aluminium is a superior choice over steel in regard to finding a lighter alternative with the flexibility of conforming to more complex shapes. Using aluminium to its advantage, it is possible to design a structure that is both stiffer and lighter than steel. If we were to consider the bending of a thin-walled tube, the second moment of area is inversely related to the stress in the tube wall, ie: stresses are lower for larger values.

The second moment of area is proportional to the cube of the radius times the wall thickness, therefore increasing the radius (and weight) by 26 percent will lead to a halving of the wall stress.

It is for this reason that bicycle frames made of aluminium alloys use larger tube diameters than steel or titanium in order to yield the desired stiffness and streng th. In the automotive world, cars made of aluminium alloys employ space frames made of extruded profiles to ensure rigidity. This is a huge change from the practice of using steel, which depends on the body shells for stiffness, also known as a unibody design.

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21 Tannery Road, Singapore 347733 Tel: (65) 6741 8880 Fax: (65) 6741 8998

Email: sales_epl@smartscope.com.sg

Singapore • Malaysia • Thailand • Indonesia • Philippines • Vietnam • Hong Kong • Taiwan • South China • India • Australia • New Zealand

ENQUIRY NO 139

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Aftermarket

The

For Light Vehicle Components In China

To Grow 18.3 Percent Annually Through 2014 The combination of growing economy and increasing number of cars in need of repairs has catapulted the aftermarket sales of vehicle components to greater heights. By Evan Yan, industry analyst and MD (Beijing office), The Freedonia Group

T

Griszka Niewiadomski, Poland

he aftermarket for light ve h ic le co mp o ne nt s and parts in China is forecast to advance 18.3 percent per a nnum to 164.7 billion Yuan in 2014. Growth will be stimulated by the country’s rapidly expanding stock of light vehicles in use. Rising numbers of older cars, which require more frequent and expensive repairs, will also contribute to aftermarket sales gains.

In addition, value gains will be suppor ted by increa sing dema nd for higher- end aftermarket parts. The greater penetration of nonessentia l pro duc t s, suc h a s b ac k- up sensors and GPS, will provide additional impetus for aftermarket sales growth.

T he se a nd other trends are presented in Automotive Aftermarket in China, a study from the Beijing office of The Freedonia Group, a Clevelandbased industry research firm.

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metalworking equipment news October 2010

Demands On The Up Mecha nica l products w ill remain the largest light vehicle aftermarket segment through 2014, due in large part to the reg ula r replacement requirements of products such as brake parts and filters, and the

high cost of items such as engines and associated parts.

Dema nd for electronic products will see the fastest growth, supported by the ongoing rise in the electronic content of the typical light vehicle, as well as increasing consumer demand for nonessential features a nd enter ta inment options, which typically have a high electronic content.

Replacement rate s for exterior and structural parts and for electrical products will also rise, aided by growth in the number of older cars and the relatively poor road conditions in many areas, which leads to greater wear-and-tear of certain components such as tires.

A lthough facing fierce competition from light vehicles, low-speed vehicles will remain a major form of transportation equipment in many rural areas in China, benefiting from their low costs and superior per for ma nce in ter ms of carrying passengers and cargo on poor roads. The expanding number of low-speed vehicles in use will provide opportunities for sales of components and parts in the aftermarket. MEN Enquiry No. 7507

ENQUIRY NO 106

Material

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Focus

Jason Masten, USA

Aluminium In Marine Applications

While there may have been a time when legitimate concerns existed about the use of aluminium in naval ships, those concerns have largely been eliminated through technology advancements.

By Nathaniel Beavers and Dr Brett Conner, project leader sea systems, Alcoa Technical Centre.

T

he US Nav y has been using aluminium to help build ships for more than 100 years and continues to rely on aluminium almost exclusively for the fastest and lightest ships in its fleet, including Littoral combat ships, joint high speed vessels and future ship to shore connectors. All of these ships use aluminium alloys as a primary structural material.

Aluminium has been widely used by most marine countries for commercial and naval vessels since the mid 1950s, and numerous current US Navy ship classes use substa ntia l a mounts of aluminium. However, long-standing misperceptions about aluminium ships continue to persist, even though continuous progress and technology advancements have mitigated many of the past problems with aluminium.

Growth Of Aluminium Shipbuilding Expertise In shipyards and repair facilities, there are more than 430 shipyards

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metalworking equipment news October 2010

around the world with the capability to build and repair aluminium ships, including 44 shipyards and repair facilities in the US. The world’s shipyards and naval ship builders fabricate with both steel and aluminium and have specialised expertise with the metal.

Many of the world’s largest shipbuilders that are historically associated with steel shipbuilding a lso work w it h a luminium, including Newport News, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Bath Iron Works and BAE Systems Ship Repair.

Concerns about not being able to find an experienced shipbuilder or repair facility are not valid.

As far as the availability of aluminium welders is concerned, there are more skilled aluminium welders than there are active members of the US Navy and US Coast Guard combined. That means there are nearly 50,000 skilled aluminium welders in the US and more than 300,000 aluminium welders worldwide.

Some critics say it is too difficult for steel welders to learn how to

work with aluminium. But Tony Anderson, a technical training manager for ESAB North America, a welding company, says that is not the case.

“Aluminium is not difficult to weld when compared to steel, it is just different,” said Mr Anderson.

“With the introduction of the Metal Inert Gas Welding processes in the 1940s, aluminium became an easy material to join by arc welding. It is my experience that the average welder who is proficient in the welding of steel can be very easily trained to weld aluminium by a competent welding instructor.”

In addition, a luminium welding ha s benefited from sig nifica nt adva ncements – including new equipment that uses less heat and automated processes such as Friction Stir Welding ( F SW ) – that a llow welds to be made easier and more precisely than ever before.

Alcoa is developing a portable FSW machine that can be operated at shipyards or even onboard the ship.

Materialfocus

Addressing Concerns About Aluminium Ships Aluminium performs better in marine environments than steel and is easy to protect from corrosion. While steel rusts quickly in saltwater, aluminium has good corrosion resistance in marine environments for both fresh water and saltwater. Using a non-conductive barrier to isolate the steel from the aluminium can prevent corrosion issues that occur when aluminium comes in direct contact with steel.

One of the advantages of aluminium ships is that only the underside of the ship needs painting. Unlike steel, the inside of the structure can be left unpainted. It will react with air to form aluminium oxide – a hard, protective coating that protects the underlying aluminium. With the thousands of naval craft

in service around the world, significant corrosion problems are the exception, not the rule.

Some critics believe that aluminium will burn, thereby ma k i n g it a le ss de sirable material for military ships. But aluminium as used in marine structural applications does not burn and is not toxic. According to a Department of Navy report, media-reports of aluminium ship damage “in every case was caused by either fuel fires or massive explosions, and in some instances included ships with steel superstructures improperly reported as aluminium.” 1 Both steel and aluminium ships require fire insulation. Because aluminium has a lower melting temperature than steel, more areas require fire insulation versus a comparable steel design. Even with passive fire protection,

aluminium still has better specific strength than steel. And because aluminium is more ductile than steel, aluminium armour alloys offer excellent protection from projectile fragments.

Aluminium is a tough material that has proven to hold up well in naval ships. When the Japanese Coast Guard retired the Arakaze patrol ship in 1981, it took samples from various parts of the ship to test for fatigue and corrosion.

The aluminium was still in good condition after 27 years of service.

And that ship was built in 1954, before advancements that further improved the endurance and survivability of aluminium ships.

The Advantages For Using Aluminium Ma r ine g rade a lu m in iu m – including sheets, plates, extrusions, forgings and castings – are readily

ENQUIRY NO 145

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October 2010 metalworking equipment news

61

Materialfocus

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There are more than 430 shipyards around the world with the capability to build and repair aluminium ships

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metalworking equipment news October 2010

Vicki Watkins

available from aluminium mills or distributors in the US and around the world. The American Bureau of Shipping currently lists 23 approved suppliers of aluminium flat rolled products and extrusions.

R e p a i r wo r k s i n v o l v i n g aluminium is no more difficult and no more expensive to repair than other shipbuilding materials. In fact, the repair of aluminium structures is relatively straightforward. It requires tools and expertise that are similar, if not the same, than what is needed to repair ships built with steel. Repairs are less difficult because aluminium is easier to cut and weld than steel.

There are very few restrictions on what can be repaired on an aluminium ship, and there are numerous repair facilities in the US and around the world with the expertise to repair aluminium vessels. BAE Systems Ship Repair, for instance, provides aluminium structural repair at its US facilities.

In addition, there are several programs in place to train workers on how to effectively repair aluminium naval structures.

The acquisition costs of aluminium ships are competitive with steel ships. The material costs of building a ship are only one to two percent of the total cost of the ship. Major costs are associated with the manufacturing of the ship. Today’s advancements in manufacturing with aluminium, are

Herry Lawford, UK

“Aluminium is not difficult to weld when compared to steel, it is just different,” said Tony Anderson

offering significant cost savings, and making aluminium ships in parity with steel ships.

Shipbuilders such as Austal are implementing additional improvements in the production of aluminium ships – involving router cutting, work kitting, complex extrusions and welding – that will significantly improve productivity and reduce costs in the future because labour is the highest cost in building a ship with aluminium. Austal USA and Marinette shipbuilders a re both under ta k ing the use of fr iction stir welding panels to reduce structured manufacturing costs.

Aluminium ships have an advantage over steel ships in total

ownership costs. That is because aluminium ships are lighter and use less fuel than steel ships.

They also do not incur lifecycle maintenance costs associated with painting, and because they are generally smaller, they require less manning. When an aluminium vessel reaches the end of its life span, it continues to provide tremendous value as a result of its high recycling value. MEN Enquiry No. 7601

Note: 1 Department of the Navy Report on Aluminium Ship Structures to the House Appropriations Committee – Defence, 1996

Did You Know?

As a strong and lightweight material, aluminium has proven to add value to naval ships. Aluminium ships can acquire faster speeds, carry bigger payloads and travel longer ranges while enjoying increased stability and better fuel efficiency.

ENQUIRY NO 086

Features

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Metal

Cutting Trends In Asia

APMEN speaks to Soo Kam Tatt, director, Asia, Hypertherm as he shares his views on the metal cutting industry in Asia.

How did the metal cutting industry fared so far in 2010, globally and regionally?

There has been an improvement over 2009 with recovery in the Asian region, but less so in the international scene. Re-stocking of inventories may have contributed in part to the improvement in our business.

Do you see any interesting trends in the automotive industry in Asia Pacific from the laser and plasma-cutting point of view? Why? Now, a lot in the automotive industries tend to use pressing instead, so there is not much plasma cutting within the sector these days. Every part is pressed out rather than cut out – car doors and car frames can be pressed out very easily and then formed into shape.

But we do still see some plasma cutting usage in Thailand, for example, where robotic cutting is used.

Separately, on the maintenance side of these industries, we do see the application of plasma systems.

Where did Hypertherm see the greatest growth in the region, and what were some notable trends there?

China, which recovered quickly after the financial 64

metalworking equipment news October 2010

crisis, is in the forefront of growth. This is not unexpected as China has been the main engine propelling the Asia region onto the path of recovery.

The construction and agricultural equipment segments have rebounded strongly, fuelled by infrastructure developments.

The shipbuilding industry, however, is still languishing due to a record number of ships being decommissioned, and marine transportation is suffering from the slowdown in US and Europe.

What about other Asian markets that you serve?

The entire ASEAN region did well in recovery with some notable exceptions like Thailand due to its political unrest. India, which is more insulated from export orientation and international banking, almost did not skip a beat and maintained its contribution to the industry.

Which industries have impacted the metal cutting business the most this past year?

Construction and infrastructure-related developments have both made significant contribution to our business in 2010.

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laser and plasma, especially when metal thickness increases, plasma technology has gained an edge. This is because recent technological advancements have enabled cost-savings while preserving cut quality.

How do you view other metal cutting processes, eg: waterjet cutting. Do you see it as a competitor to laser and plasma cutting or do you see the potential for these processes to be complementary?

These metal cutting processes are somewhat competitive as they are able to cut selectively within the range of metal thickness of plasma systems.

Within these selective ranges, they (lasers and waterjets) produce precision cut quality with matching cut speeds especially on thin sheets, but do not match up to the productivity of equivalent plasma systems. For example, waterjet cutting can cut thicker material accurately, whereas lasers tend to perform better on thinner materials.

How important is automation in laser and plasma cutting? Do you see the take-up rate in automation and software programs greater in certain countries and industries?

Automation is definitely an integral part of the cutting process. Mechanised cutting in itself is automated in the sense that it involves CNC control automation for profile cutting, for instance.

Automation and software go hand-in-hand with what we use today in laser and plasma cutting.

Computer numeric controllers are a commonplace and we cannot leave them out because they provide the automation for the entire cutting process. As for software, it has become much more integrated in the cutting process now, and is critical in linking cutting with other line processes during manufacturing.

How widespread is the use of oxyfuel, plasma and laser in metal cutting applications across Asia?

Oxyfuel is still the dominant metal-cutting method in most emerging markets in Asia and these present significant opportunities for plasma for productivity reasons.

But where there are some overlaps between

What sustainability and environmentally-friendly initiatives, if any, does Hypertherm undertake, and what is the impact to-date, as well as the expected effects in upcoming years?

As a company, Hypertherm is committed to sustainability with green efforts as one of our corporate priorities in 2011. Product-wise, we will continue introducing plasma technologies that offer higher performance with lower power consumption, enabling users to do more with less impact on environmental resources. MEN Enquiry No. 7701

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ENQUIRY NO 132

Mr Soo feels the ASEAN region did well to recover from the economic downturn

What can metal cutting users expect from industry suppliers like Hypertherm in the next few years?

Our users can expect greater performance, reliability and ease of use with new-to-market applications that will simplify the intricacies of technological integration.

October 2010 metalworking equipment news

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exhibitions

Special Report:

Mazak Product Launch + Open House Products made in Japan and Singapore came together in the recent open house, where visitors got some first hand ‘green experience’. By Joson Ng

G

reen instead of the corporate colours of orange, black and white dominated the product launch at Mazak Singapore. With green technology integrated to the design of new machines, it results in more environmental friendly and energy efficient units.

Some 120 participants representing the oil and gas, aerospace and general engineering sectors visited the show rooms from September 8 – 9, 2010, to see for themselves the capabilities of the new machines. The visitors were also treated to live demonstrations and a tour of the cyber factory.

Mazak Singapore Singapore September 8 – 9, 2010 Enquiry No. 7801 66

metalworking equipment news October 2010

Stars Of The Show Prior to the launch in Singapore, there was a worldwide launch in Japan back in May 2010. The three entry-level models on show in Singapore were handpicked from over 20 models in the launch in Japan for the ASEAN region.

• Quick Turn Smart 100S, 150S The Singaporean-made machine features ergonomics design for convenient operations.

• Vertical Center Smart 430A The VMC features a large front door opening and a movable CNC panel among others.

• Integrex J Series The multi-tasking machine is designed to deliver high speed, accuracy and ease of operation.

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Executive Insights APMEN speaks to KS Chong, director (sales and marketing), Mazak Singapore on the product launch, the company’s marketing plans for the future and also a little bit on himself.

The Mazak product launch cum open house provides a unique chance for visitors to visit the company’s cyber factory, its manufacturing and assembly facility in Singapore. From the organiser’s point of view, it is a chance for them to get in touch with the people from the industry. As always, this kind of interaction opens up learning opportunities for both groups.

For Mr Chong, he feels the visitors now are “better informed” about the latest manufacturing technologies, machine tools as well as tooling technologies that are available today. He explains: “Unlike before, where we sometimes have to make elaborate explanations, the visitors can more or less figure out what the technology on our new machines is about when they visit us.”

This event saw a ‘first’ according to Mr Chong. It is the first time they are launching both Japanese and Singaporean-made machines in tandem. APMEN understands the event took about a month to organise and though the timeline is short, the turnout was good.

“Normally what we do in Singapore is one open house a year. Apart from that, we also host joint seminars or events with business partners like the tooling, lubricant and machine tool accessories suppliers.

We do this in order to make the event more holistic. Rather than just machine tools by itself, we include other supporting solutions to make it more interesting,” says Mr Chong.

‘Green’ Machines An interesting feature found in the machines during the launch is the green initiatives incorporated into the design. Commenting on the push towards more environmental friendly machines, he says: “The main focus of this new product is the green technology employed.

For example, instead of using oil for slideway lubrication, grease was used instead.”

Elsewhere, in the hydraulics and power system, new designs have been adopted according to Mr Chong, in order to achieve higher efficiency whereby less power will be consumed.

Examples on power saving and prolonging the life of the CNC screen see the machines switch to ‘idle mode’, which works like a screen saver on computers.

Says Mr Chong: “Another interesting green technology is the machines have an Infra red sensor on the CNC control panel such that when the operator is not around for more than a preset time, the machine will go into a power saving mode. The power saving mode do not only limit itself to the CNC display screen but also controls the machine power and hydraulic system.”

Push For Innovation With the motto ‘Your Partner for Innovation’, APMEN asks Mr Chong to delve into his memory bank to cite some examples whereby the company extends its assistance to various industries.

Painting an example, he says: “Our setup or investment in Singapore is not just on sales and services. We also have a cyber factory, engineering and R&D facilities here. As such, we are able to go one step further to look into the customer’s manufacturing needs. We try to help them improve the manufacturing process through customisation with local engineered solutions.”

One example given by Mr Chong is the fact that they deliver many turnkey solutions and also engineered solutions with robotics and automation. “We produce our own robot handling system for loading and unloading

parts for our CNC lathes. In addition, the R&D department develops and customises software for production monitoring,” he says.

Trends & Analysis Though Mazak Singapore’s clientele traditionally includes general engineering (job shops), aerospace, oil and gas as well as the automotive industry from countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, Mr Chong is noticing a new trend in a form of power generation.

He says: “We can see that alternative energy, for example, wind energy, is starting to pick up in a strong way in Vietnam due to its rapid infrastructure development.

Machine tools are used to make component parts or modules in this industry.”

Recipe For Success Passion, for Mr Chong is a key point for any kind of job. He feels whether it is for sales or service, one must have passion for the job.

“If you do not have passion, you cannot move forward. I tell my staff that if they have passion for what they do and believe in what they do, they will naturally do it well. With passion, the person will try to learn more about the product, industry and even our competitor’s product. If they are well equipped with this knowledge, he or she will be able to carry out their function well,” he concludes.

Enquiry No. 7802

October 2010 metalworking equipment news

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EVENTs&exhibitions

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Event Preview:

EuroBlech 2010 The exhibition’s layout is clearly structured and represents the 15 product categories of the show, including sheet metal, semifinished and finished products, handling, separation, forming/flexible sheet metal working, joining/welding and surface technologies. Tools, process and quality control systems, CAD/CAM applications plus factory equipment, safety at work and R&D complete the range of products on display.

F

rom October 26 – 30, 2010, the 21st international technology exhibition for sheet metal working, EuroBlech 2010, will once again take place in Hanover, Germany.

More than ever, this year’s event will be the focus of the global sheet metal working industry for its role as the trade exhibition and trend barometer for this industry sector.

After a difficult year, the latest economic outlook and forecast from the most important associations in this industry branch give reason for cautious optimism.

“One thousand one hundred companies from 37 countries have already reserved a total of 77,000 sq m in net exhibition space. Given the current difficult economic situation, this gives a very positive picture, as it corresponds with the booking status of the same period of time before the successful EuroBlech 2006 show. Even if we compare it to the February booking status for the record show in 2008, it only represents a five percent decrease,”

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metalworking equipment news October 2010

reports exhibition director Nicola Hamann on behalf of the organisers, Mack Brooks Exhibitions.

Time For Innovation With its motto ‘Time for Innovation’, this year’s event will focus upon R&D, technologies and sophisticated solutions. “The current situation demands a great deal of innovative capacity from every single company.

Making wise business decisions and sourcing the right equipment is now more important than ever.

The show will present a range of the latest machines, fabrication systems, tools and materials,” says the exhibition director.

“Visitors can look forward to discovering a large number of machine demonstrations at the show. We know from our exhibitors that the live presentation of machines and systems will once again be a major focus for participating companies.”

The show will again occupy halls 11,12,13,14,15,16,17 and 27 at the Hanover Exhibition Grounds.

Global Business Contacts EuroBlech 2010 will again be an international show, with a high percentage of exhibitors from all over the world. Some 45 percent of the 1,100 exhibiting companies that have already booked their stands are from outside Germany.

After Germany and Italy, Turkey represents the third biggest group of exhibitors so far. China and Taiwan are also well represented, whereas the percentage of exhibitors from the USA, which has been the sixth biggest exhibitor country in 2008, has decreased.

“The exhibition is known for its high numbers in international trade visitors: From a total of 69,400 visitors at the previous show, 35 percent came from outside Germany. While industry experts forecast that the pick-up of the industry production will widely differ from country to country, the development of an international business network has become ever more important,” explains the exhibition director.

Hanover Exhibition Grounds Hanover, Germany October 26 – 30, 2010 Enquiry No. 7803

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Name _________________________________________ Name _________________________________________ Positiion Positiion _________________________________ _________________________________ Company Company _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Company _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ AddressCompany Address _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Address Address _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Tel: ___________________________________________ Tel: ___________________________________________ Fax: ____________________________________ Fax: ____________________________________ Tel: ___________________________________________ Tel: ___________________________________________ Fax: ____________________________________ Fax: ____________________________________ E-mail: E-mail: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail: E-mail: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Our products/services Our products/services are: __________________________________________________________________ are: __________________________________________________________________ Our products/services Our products/services are: __________________________________________________________________ are: __________________________________________________________________

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Please Please me send meExhibiting on exhibiting on Visiting exhibiting at Machine at Machine Tool Indonesia Tool Indonesia 2010.2010.

I am interested Isend am interested ininformation ininformation Exhibiting Visiting ENQUIRY NO 119 I am interested I am interested in Exhibiting in ExhibitingVisitingVisiting Name _________________________________________ Name _________________________________________ Positiion Positiion _________________________________ _________________________________

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MaysiaMaysia Stephanie Stephanie PT Pamerindo PT Pamerindo Indonesia, Indonesia, JakartaJakarta - Indonesia - Indonesia Maysia Maysia Stephanie Stephanie Tel:Pamerindo +62 Tel:21 +62 316 21 2001 316 Fax: 2001 +62 Fax: 21 31621 316 1983/4 PT PT Pamerindo Indonesia, Indonesia, Jakarta Jakarta - +62 Indonesia -1983/4 Indonesia Email: maysia@pamerindo.com Email: maysia@pamerindo.com Tel: +62 Tel:21+62 31621 2001 316Fax: 2001 +62 Fax: 21+62 31621 1983/4 316 1983/4 www.pamerindo.com www.pamerindo.com Email: maysia@pamerindo.com Email: maysia@pamerindo.com www.pamerindo.com www.pamerindo.com AndrewAndrew Todd Todd Overseas Exhibition Exhibition Services Services Ltd, London, Ltd, London, UK UK AndrewOverseas Andrew Todd Todd Tel: +44 Tel: (0) +44 20 7840 (0) 20 2134 7840Services Fax: 2134 Fax: (0)+44 20 7840 (0) 20UK 2153 7840 2153 Overseas Overseas Exhibition Exhibition Services Ltd,+44 London, Ltd, London, UK Email: atodd@oesallworld.com Email: atodd@oesallworld.com Tel: +44 Tel: (0)+44 20 7840 (0) 202134 7840 Fax: 2134+44 Fax: (0)+44 20 7840 (0) 202153 7840 2153 www.allworldexhibitions.com www.allworldexhibitions.com Email: atodd@oesallworld.com Email: atodd@oesallworld.com www.allworldexhibitions.com www.allworldexhibitions.com CarolynCarolyn Lee Lee International International Expo Management Pte Ltd,Pte Singapore Ltd, Singapore Carolyn Carolyn Lee Expo LeeManagement Tel: +65 Tel: 6233 +65 6777 6233 Fax: 6777 +65 Fax: 6233 +65 6233 6768 International International Expo Management Expo Management Pte 6768 Ltd, Pte Singapore Ltd, Singapore Email: carolyn@iemallworld.com Email: carolyn@iemallworld.com Tel: +65 Tel: 6233 +65 6777 6233Fax: 6777 +65 Fax: 6233 +656768 6233 6768 Email: carolyn@iemallworld.com Email: carolyn@iemallworld.com

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Event Preview:

JIMTOF 2010

T

he 25th Japan International Machine Tool Fair, jointly organised by JMTBA – Japan Machine Tool Builders’ Association and Tokyo Big Sight, will be conducted at Tokyo Big Sight between October 28 (Thursday) and November 2 (Tuesday), 2010. The event will gather 573 exhibitors from 19 countries and various areas throughout the world.

Although some companies asked for fewer booths than before, many others took the opportunity to increase the number of booths or to exhibit for the first time. As a result, the exhibition has been finalised at some 4,957 booths.

Overseas companies also expect the Japanese market to recover, and this exhibition provides an important opportunity for them to meet visitors from the rapidly growing Asian market that are looking to install high-end products.

The close cooperation with domestic companies continues, with many overseas companies

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exhibiting as domestic exhibitors, so the increase in foreign companies is actually greater than the increase in the number of booths.

Keynote Speech & Seminars In order to respond to high interests from the visitors, the event will develop various lectures, seminars, and special exhibits. On the first day, a keynote speech under the tentative title of ‘Japan’s role as an advanced nation for providing solutions to issues’ will be presented

by Dr Hiroshi Komiyama, chairman of Mitsubishi Research Institute.

On November 2, Dr Takayuki Suzuki, executive technical adviser, Hino Motors, will give a special lecture. Additionally, on November 1, seminars and a panel discussion will be conducted under the theme of the aircraft industry, which is expected to further grow.

IHI Corp will provide a seminar under the title of ‘The latest production circumstances of aircraft engines and machine tool builders’ and Fuji Heavy Industries

will give a seminar titled, ‘Regarding processing CFRP in aircraft manufacturing’ and companies belonging to AMATERAS (Advanced Manufacturing Association of Tokyo Enterprises for the Resolution of Aviation Systems) and OWO (Nextgeneration Aviation Parts Suppliers Network) will participate in the panel discussion titled, ‘Manufacturing in regional clusters targeting entry into the aircraft industry’.

Furthermore, as special exhibits, the hand manufacturing process of ultra high-powered engines for sports cars will be demonstrated under the title of ‘Special Exhibits of hand manufacturing of Power Trains for ultra high-powered sports cars by professionals’.

Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo, Japan Oct 28 – Nov 2, 2010 Enquiry No. 7804

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F

rom its inauguration until the 24th edition this year, Metalex has been presenting good numbers of total net space, domestic and international exhibitors as well as visitors.

With some 55,000 Thai and ASEAN buyers and 4,000 new machinery and technologies on show this year, the event has garnered international recognition. This can be seen with the number of countries making up the international pavilions.

The 11 international pavilions at Metalex are China, Germany, India, Machine Tools Club, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Mould and Die Pavilion, Thailand Pavilion by BUILD and the United Kingdom.

Co-located with Sheet Metalex 2010, Wire Tech 2010, Tube Tech 2010 and Welding 2010, the event also sees 500 conference and seminar tracks. The 2010 edition also sees some 2,700 exhibitors, coming from disciplines like machine tools, sheet metalworking, mould and die, foundry, welding technology, assembly technology among others.

Industry Watch Machinery and parts rank among Thailand’s top five most imported goods with inbound shipment totalling US$12.57 billion in 2009. The top three countries of machinery and parts importing to Thailand are Japan at 24.6 percent, China at 21.3 percent and USA at 9.4 percent.

Growth in Thai automotive and Electrical Appliances and Electronics (E&E) industries is boosting demand for modern machine tools. Automotive and auto parts companies are the biggest buyers of machine tools with 35 percent of domestic market and the E&E industry purchase stands at 14 percent.

Thai industrial machinery sector as exporter doubled during six years from US$3.88 billion in 2004 to US$7.72 billion in 2009.

Electronic Parts & Component The electronics industry has been very well developed in China, Japan, NIEs and ASEAN countries over the last three decades with manufacturing facilities of leading firms being set up. The Asian countries hold 57 percent of the world’s electronics production share with 39 percent of the market share.

In ASEAN’s six markets, electronics products values was US$181.6 billion in 2009, some 13.67 percent of the world’s electronics production share with 9.35 percent of the market share. Thailand is considered the major electronic component manufacturing base of Southeast Asia and is part of a global supply chain.

It is the manufacturing base for four out of five major Hard Disk Drives (HDD) producers.

The country’s main electronics exports are 72

metalworking equipment news October 2010

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Event Preview:

Metalex 2010

HDD and integrated circuits, which account for about 54 percent and 29 percent of total electronic exports, respectively. The primary markets for these exports were China (17 percent), EU (17 percent), USA (16 percent), ASEAN (15 percent) and Japan (12 percent).

Due to AFTA, the Thai electronic industry has benefited from reductions and revocations of import and export tariffs on electronics components among the ASEAN countries.

Auto Parts & Component ASEAN automotive sales in the ASEAN’s six markets, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia declined by 10.2 percent in 2009 to approximately 1.9 million units, down from 2.1 million in 2008.

Nevertheless, forecasts suggest combined vehicle sales in ASEAN’s top six markets are expected to be two million units in 2010, a slight increase over 2009, and slightly below 2008 figures.

Thailand has about 16 automotive and seven motorcycle assemblers at the top of the supply

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Government of Thailand has encouraged manufacturers of low-emissions cars to produce in Thailand.

This program, called ‘eco-cars’, provides incentives to automakers that build small and fuel efficient cars which meet Euro 4 emissions standards and consume less than 5 litres per 100 km. BOI offers up to eight years’ corporate tax breaks and duty free import of related machinery and equipment to companies investing in the manufacturer of small eco-cars.

As a result of the above agreements, in the last 5 years, Thailand has witnessed an increase in investments in its automotive parts segment.

Most of the international Tier 1 suppliers now have plants in Thailand.

According to Dr Atchaka Sibunruang, secretarygeneral of the Board of Investment, Thailand remains an attractive investment destination and has seen the considerable increase in applications for investment promotion that had been received at the BOI during the early month of 2010 (Thailand Investment Review June 2010).

BITEC Bangkok, Thailand November 24 – 27, 2010

chain that is driving the growth in the automotive sector. There are approximately 1,800 automotive parts suppliers in Thailand, of which about 700 are OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers). The local part manufacturers supply approximately 80 percent of all parts used for assembly of pick-up truck, around 55 percent is supplied for passenger cars and nearly 100 percent for motorcycle manufacturers and assembly.

Auto parts and accessories exports have increased over the past few years and accounted for US$8.4 billion in 2008. According to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), the quality of automotive parts in Thailand is the highest in any ASEAN nation. Thailand has confirmed auto part and component Free Trade Agreements with ASEAN 6 nations, Australia, China, India and New Zealand. The agreement is leading speedy growths to Thai auto parts and component industries.

The Thailand-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, JTEPA, increase the market potential for local parts producers. Under the JTEPA, tariffs on all but five automotive parts will be lifted by 2012. The

ENQUIRY NO 149

Enquiry No. 7805

October 2010 metalworking equipment news

73

EVENTs&exhibitions

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Product Highlights Felss: Axial Forming Machine

Nikon: Portable Shuttle Style Digital Microscope

Numerous workpieces used in the automobile and other industries are provided with splines for the purpose of transmitting torque. Due to the latest developments at Felss, amongst which recursive (frequency modulated) axial forming is particularly noteworthy, a method is now available for the manufacture of precise internal splines also in a hollow workpiece or a blind hole.

Machine and automation alternatives come in a form of the Aximus VO2, a vertical axial forming machine which is suitable for short workpieces or components which cannot and do not have to be clamped on the outside diameter. These components are held in an intermediate holding device or counter pressure holder, or they are simply placed on a recess in the table plate.

The Nikon ShuttlePix P-400R digital microscope is made for inspection, observation, simple measurement and recording of high-resolution images. For on-site analysis of samples, it serves as a handheld microscope that shoots high-resolution images.

For stationary use, the microscope interfaces with a motorised stand. Equipped with 17-inch touch-screen monitor, the user can control, display, measure or print images. The microscope also connects to a standard PC or laptop running dedicated 3D image reconstruction software.

Metalex 2010 Hall 106 Booth 6B23

Enquiry No. 7806

The Quick Turn Smart series by Mazak is a compact CNC turning centre. According to the manufacturer, it comes in a competitive price and higher productivity when compared to similar machines.

It is equipped with a high-rigidity integral spindle/motor for good machining performance. In addition, it features a servomotor driven drum turret, an intelligent thermal shield heat displacement control, and NC tailstock. When equipped with optional specifications, it can achieve 22 percent lower electrical power consumption due to its efficient LED work lights used for illumination of the machining area and the CNC display. Finally, the CNC system can utilise both EIA/ISO format programs code and conversational programming.

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metalworking equipment news October 2009

Enquiry No. 7808

4T Technologies: Dimensional Measurement Software

Mazak: CNC Turning Centre

Metalex 2010 Hall 102 Booth G01

Metalex 2010 Hall 101 Booth No: F17

Enquiry No. 7807

Swiss software developer AOM (Atoms Optical Measuring) has developed Atoms Precision V2, a dimensional measurement software to the Thai market at Metalex 2010.

The software has been developed for verification of dimensional features with the aid of video equipment and performance lenses. The software is compatible with a variety of hardware components allowing users to tailor solutions to their specific manufacturing requirements. This flexibility not only reduces the cost but also allows for retrofitting of devices already in use at manufacturing sites.

Metalex 2010 Hall 106 Booth 6D19

Enquiry No. 7809

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ProductFinder

ASVIC: Add-On For ZWCAD 2010

Ceratizit: Tooling System For Small Diameters

ASVIC, a software company has released ZWmech – an integrated engineering add-on for ZWCAD. The release complements designs, as well as speed up the modeling process.

The software is a customisable add-on that meets the needs of professionals in all industries. This application’s interface gives both new comers and veterans of CAD designs an easy and efficient way of modeling. The Mechanical module contains utilities for the drawing of a range of fasteners, bearings, shafts, sprockets and several configurations of material handling rolls and conveyors.

Continuously more complex structures of components represent considerable challenges for modern tools.

Very small dimensions have to be machined with the highest precision.

In reaction to the increased demand, Ceratizit responds with tooling system MSS-AX with the following characteristics: small, precise and stable.

At last, circular face grooves with extremely small diameters no longer represent a problem.

The system now closes a gap as the minimum possible diameter is now only 10 mm, leaving a ‘core’ of 4 mm. It also combines the positive characteristics of inserts and solid carbide tool bit solutions.

Enquiry No. 7901

Enquiry No. 7903

Bystronic: Reliable & Precise Waterjet Cutting

Everising: Circular Saw Machine

The ByJet Classic L by Bystronic is a waterjet cutting system developed for all users who would also like to process XXL formats easily and without problems. One of the features involves flexible processing of various shapes and sizes with a nearly unlimited variety of materials.

Control is provided by ByVision, it ensures easy, fast, and complete control of the system. Numerous processes such as engraving and nozzle calibration can be automated.

Parameters such as cutting speed, pressure, and quantity of the cutting sand are infinitely adjustable and are continuously adapted to the material and the shape of the contour path.

The circular saw machine by Everising is the classic type with high capacity for the metal cutting market.

It is developed for high efficiency and accuracy demands. The improving process is based on the customer’s feedback and also research efforts to increase the competitiveness. The product is also a result of the maker’s cooperation with major saw blade manufacturers.

According to the maker, the efficiency of this machine is three times the major band saw cutting machine in the present market.

Enquiry No. 7902

Enquiry No. 7904 October 2010 metalworking equipment news

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productfinder

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Faro: Non-Contact 3D Imaging System

igus: Energy Chains Tool

The Faro 3D Imager AMP is a non-contact 3D imaging system, capable of collecting millions of points in seconds.

The system is suitable for parts with complex shapes or large, smooth surfaces due to its ability to measure a large surface area in one shot. With the click of a button, it captures the complete, detailed image of the object within its half-metre field of view.

The AMP also offers improved measurement of dark and shiny parts that are often missed by optical systems, and with its portable, rugged, and thermally-stable design, it is right at home on the shop floor or the assembly line.

Energy chain maker igus has developed a chainopening tool. With it, assembly time can be reduced even further. With the tool, it is possible to open a 1 m section of E2/000 energy chain in just two seconds instead of 33 seconds using the standard method.

At the beginning of the energy chain, the chain opener is placed at the side part, right up to the crossbar and then simply pushed by hand in one go. The plastic tool is designed in a way, that the closing/opening mechanism of the E2/000 can safely be unlocked rapidly without damaging the chain.

Enquiry No. 7905

Enquiry No. 7907

Hypertherm: Plasma Cutting System

Iscar: Chip Splitting Insert

Hy per therm ha s developed a n 80 0 a mp HyPerformance Plasma system for cutting thick stainless steel and aluminium. In addition to its ability to production pierce 75 mm and sever 160 mm thick metal, the system just as easily cuts thin metal – including gauge – without the need to switch torches.

The HPR800XD system’s thick piercing capability is due to PowerPierce, which eliminates the need for pre-drilling and minimises damage to the torch by using a liquid cooled shield to repel molten metal during piercing and cutting. In testing, the company found there was no damage to its consumables or lessening of cut quality, even after piercing 75 mm thick stainless steel 400 times.

The insert by Iscar features serrated cutting edges.

It can be used on any Helido H490-17 tool. It is most efficient when used on extended flute and endmill cutters for deep shouldering and slotting operations.

The H490 ANKX 1706PNTR-CS insert splits the chips into narrow strips, which results in approximately 15 percent lower power consumption and higher output from low power machines and unstable spindles.

The inserts have 3 splitting grooves on one cutting edge and 2 on the opposite side. It is recommended to mount the inserts in alternating edge configuration on adjacent cutter flutes, to achieve the most effective chip splitting.

Enquiry No. 7906

Enquiry No. 7908

metalworking equipment news October 2010

productfinder

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LMC: Face Driver For Machining Gears

MDC Max Daetwyler: CNC-Based Precision Water Jet Cutting Machine

L M C Wo r k h o l d i n g h a s developed the Neidlein FFBHZ face drivers for gear grinding, gear hobbing and gear milling, suited for high run out result op e ra t io n s w it h z e ro backlash. The face drivers design offers less down time when changing drive diameter ranges within one face driver size. Hydraulic compensating drive p i n s e n su re she a r force-free clamping of workpieces with badly machined surfaces at clamping areas. The built-in hydraulic cartridge is easy to change and maintain.

The face drivers grip and turn a workpiece from its end, allowing the entire part to be machined in just one operation, including cutting off the ends and eliminating the need to flip the part.

Precision machine building company MDC Max Daetwyler and water jet company Waterjet, in collaboration with NUM, have developed an CNCbased water jet cutting machine capable of cutting materials to within ±1 micron – which is 20 times more accurate than competitive machines, according to the makers.

T he Womajet/ microWaterjet machine is also efficient – it consumes considerably less water and abrasives than traditional systems – and looks set to open up application areas for this form of materials processing technology.

It also provides a stable, precise and repeatable manufacturing process capable of creating complex contours – it can handle land widths as narrow as 0.02 mm.

Enquiry No. 7909

Enquiry No. 7911

Mag: 5-Axis Volumetric Error Compensation

Mori Seiki: Integrated Mill Turn Centre

A system simultaneously corrects tool position in multiple axes to deliver machining accuracies on large machines that cut complex shapes.

T h e Vo l u m e t r i c Error Compensation (VEC) system by Mag is capable of analysing and correcting positioning errors in all machinetool axes simultaneously to achieve machining accuracies on large parts.

The methodology reduces the time to determine needed error compensations from days to hours, and integrates both linear and rotary axes into the tool point compensation process. The multi-axis VEC was conceived to improve machining accuracies for large machine tools needed to produce today’s large, monolithic and complex-shaped parts.

Mori Seiki has debuted its X-class machines, which fills the needs of the times. Of which, the NTX1000 is suitable for machining small precision parts for medical equipment and measuring instruments, which have complex shapes but need high-precision and highefficiency machining.

The machine uses the company's original direct drive motor, octagonal ram construction and built-in motor turret technologies, offering high-precision complete machining of small precision parts.

In addition, the installation area has been reduced by approximately 40 percent compared to conventional models.

Enquiry No. 7910

Enquiry No. 7912 October 2010 metalworking equipment news

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productfinder

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National Instruments: Fibre Optic Sensor Interrogator

Walter: Solid Carbide Drills

National Instruments has developed the NI PXIe-4844 optical sensor interrogator, a two-slot 3U PXI Express module for Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors.

FBG sensors operate by reflecting a wavelength of light that corresponds to changes in physical phenomena such as strain and temperature. Unlike conventional electrical sensors, FBG sensors are nonconductive, electrically passive and immune to electromagnetic interference, making them a safe and reliable alternative in environments subject to noise, corrosion or extreme weather.

Walter has developed Titex solid carbide drills for the diameter range 3 to 20 mm and drilling depths 8xD and 12xD: the types X路treme D8 and D12. In comparison to the previous solid carbide drills in this category, improvements in performance and tool life are achieved.

A whole series of features include an internal coolant supply and polished flutes for reliable chip evacuation.Above all an optimised tip geometry and a type of double tip coating (DPP coating) ensure machining performance and previously unmatched tool lives.

Enquiry No. 7913

Enquiry No. 7915

Schunk: Milling Toolholder For Heavy-Duty Cutting

Walter Surface Technologies: Metal Finishing Disc

The SINO -R from Schunk is a maintenance free toolholder suited for rough milling. The universal toolholder is based on an expansion technology system with a solid body as a pressure medium quickly clamping the cutting tool by using a simple actuation wrench. This simple operation saves unproductive machine downtime.

Interaction of radial rigidity and dampening characteristics are features that increase the smooth running of the tool.

The result is a high tool life and increased material removal rates.

Enduro - F lex Tu r b o by Walter Surface Te c h n o l o g i e s w ith its cyclone technology combines a mixture of abrasive grains with cooling agents that produce fast removal rate plus a uniform finish. The grinding disc with flap geometry, can achieve a 36 Grit cut rate with a 60 Grit final finish.

Plain arithmetic quickly demonstrates the labour cost savings along with the reduction in tool costs, due to the durability of the disc. Cost savings can be reduced by as much as 30 percent according to the maker when compared to standard blending discs.

Enquiry No. 7914

Enquiry No. 7916

metalworking equipment news October 2010

Exhibition 2010/2011 Programmes October 7–9 Metalex Vietnam

Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Reed Tradex metalexvietnam@reedtradex.co.th www.metalexvietnam.com

26 – 30 EuroBlech 2010 Hanover, Germany Mack Brooks Exhibitions info@euroblech.com www.euroblech.com

28 – Nov 2 JIMTOF 2010

December

1-4 Machine Tool Indonesia 2010 Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia PT Pamerindo info@pamerindo.com www.machinetoolindonesia.com

2011 January 20 - 26 IMTEX 2011

Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo, Japan JMTBA jimtof@tokyo-bigsight.co.jp www.jimtof.org

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

November

March

ShuiNan Economic & Trade Park Taichung, Taiwan Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association ricky@tmba.org.tw www.tmts.tw

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

3–7 TMTS 2010

9 – 13 CIIF

Shanghai New International Expo Centre Shanghai, China National Development and Reform Commission ciif@shanghaiexpogroup.com www.ciif-expo.com

24 – 27 Metalex Thailand 2010 BITEC Bangkok, Thailand Reed Tradex Channipar.Vala@reedtradex.co.th www.metalex.co.th

1–6 TIMTOS

23 – 26 MTA 2011

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

April

4–8 Hannover Messe 2011 Exhibition Grounds Hannover, Germany Deutsche Messe www.hannovermesse.de

27 – 29 ASX 2011

Sands Expo & Convention Centre Singapore IIR Exhibitions michelle.tan@iirx.com.sg www.aerosupplierx.com

May

4–8 Metaltech 2011 PWTC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Trade-Link Group info@tradelink.com.my www.tradelink.com.my

4–8 MTA Malaysia 2011 PWTC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia MES enquiry@mesallworld.com www.mtamalaysia.com

25 – 28 MTT Expo 2011

Jakarta International Expo Jakarta, Indonesia ECMI mtt@ecmi.cc www.mtt-indonesia.com

23 – 26 INAPA 2011

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

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79

advertising index

Advertiser

Page No.

Enquiry No.

4T TECHNOLOGIES PTE LTD

19

150

AGMACHINE TECHNO CO LTD

47

077

BYSTRONIC PTE LTD

09

141

Carl Zeiss PTe ltd

35

148

DELCAM PLC (INTERNATIONAL DIVISION)

07

090

EVERISING MACHINE CO

61

145

exxon mobil asia pacific

23

108

HAAS AUTOMATION INC

05

138

HOFFMANN GMBH

13

130

HONG CHEK CO (PTE) LIMITED

25

140

hurco (S.E.Asia) Pte ltd

41

151

IDI LASER SERVICES PTE LTD

73

149

ISCAR LTD

IFC

146

BC/02/10

135 / 144 / 137

LAP LASER APPLICATIONS ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

27

079

LICO MACHINERY CO LTD

45

072

MESSE DUSSELDORF ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD

55

105

NEWELL RUBBERMAID (M) SDN BHD

49

120

nikon singapore pte ltd

21

142

optical gaging (s) pte ltd

57

139

69

119

63

086

43

118

31

022

15

147

59

106

TAIWAN TAKISAWA TECHNOLOGY CO LTD

39

060

TRAVERS TOOL CO., LTD

65

132

tungaloy singapore (pte) ltd

17

143

WALTER AG SINGAPORE PTE LTD

01

102

YAMAZAKI MAZAK SINGAPORE PTE LTD

IBC

152

KENNAMETAL INC

PT PAMERINDO BUANA ABADI (MACHINE TOOL & MANUFACTURING INDONESIA 2010) REED TRADEX COMPANY (METALEX THAILAND 2010) SINGAPORE EXHIBITION SERVICES PTE LTD (MTA 2011) sumitomo electric hardmetal asia pacific pte ltd SUTTON TOOLS PTY LTD TAIWAN ASSOCIATION OF MACHINE TOOL AND ACCESSORY BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION (TMBA)

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VARIAXIS VARIAXIS

Multiple/ --Simultaneous, surface // Simultaneous, Simultaneous, 5-Axis Machining Machining Center Multiple - Multiple surface surface 5-Axis Machining 5-Axis Center Center Productivity Efficiency Accuracy Productivity Productivity Efficiency Efficiency Accuracy Accuracy

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LargeArea Machining Area Area Large Machining Large Machining

La Machine Interference Prevention Machine Interference Machine Prevention Interference Prevention

INTELLIGENT SAFETY SHIELD SHIELD INTELLIGENTINTELLIGENT SAFETYforSHIELD SAFETY Function safe operation during machine setup and manual operation Function for safeFunction operationforduring safe operation machine setup duringand machine manual setup operation and manual operation Verbal Message System (Patent Pending) Verbal Message System Verbal Message (Patent Pending) System (Patent Pending)

MAZAK VOICE ADVISOR ADVISOR MAZAK VOICE MAZAK ADVISOR VOICE Verbal support for machine setup and safe condition confirmation Verbal support for Verbal machine support setup forand machine safe condition setup and confi safermation condition confirmation Minimized Vibration Minimized Vibration Minimized Vibration

ACTIVECONTROL VIBRATION CONTROL CONTROL ACTIVE VIBRATION ACTIVE MinimizedVIBRATION vibration function for high-speed, high accuracy machining and longer tool life Minimized vibration Minimized function vibration for high-speed, functionhigh for high-speed, accuracy machining high accuracy and longer machining tool life and longer tool life Heat Displacement Control (Patent Pending) Heat Displacement Heat Control Displacement (Patent Pending) Control (Patent Pending)

INTELLIGENT THERMAL SHIELD SHIELD INTELLIGENTINTELLIGENT THERMAL THERMAL Unique Mazak SHIELD heat displacement compensation system Unique Mazak heat Unique displacement Mazak heat compensation displacementsystem compensation system

Tel +65 6862 1131 Fax +65 6861 6861 9284 9284 Tel : +65 6862Tel 1131 :: +65 Fax6862 : +651131 6861 Fax 9284 :: +65 Email : marketing@mazak.com.sg Email : marketing@mazak.com.sg Email : marketing@mazak.com.sg Website :: www.mazak.com www.mazak.com Website : www.mazak.com Website

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Our complete portfolio.

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From turning, holemaking, and indexable milling to solid carbide end milling, solid carbide drilling, and tapping, the most powerful tools in the business now proudly wear WIDIA brands. When you buy WIDIA products, you’re not just purchasing speed, power, and precision, you’re investing in quality and complete satisfaction.

Match the most expansive portfolio of precision-engineered products and custom solution services available today with a global, specialized network of authorized distributor partners and you have the tools you need — and the power that only comes from WIDIA brands. For product information, or to schedule an onsite demonstration, call (65) 6265.9222 or visit www.widia.com.

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