Edge 1 2017 en lr by Seco Tools

A MAG A ZINE FRO M SEC O I S SUE 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 017

TOUGHEST WHEELS ON THE PLANET

CAN WE TRUST SELF-DRIVING CARS? 3 TRENDS IN MACHINING

Self-driving cars are a major trend in the automotive industry. But do we dare let go of the wheel and play games just yet?

Contents ED GE IS SUE 1 – 2 017

NEWS AND TRENDS

KNOWLEDGE – GLOBAL TRENDS DIGITAL REALITIES Seco CEO, Lars Bergström, gets inspired, not downhearted, as all things digital continue to disrupt established industrial practice.

CASE: AUSTRALIA TOUGH ENOUGH? Seco helps ComSteel keep the wagons rolling in one of the most inhospitable places on earth.

CUTTING EDGE Q&A WITH PATRICK DE VOS Seco’s cutting-expert answers technical questions submitted by readers.

OUTLOOK: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES THE LOWDOWN

COVER STORY

We get to grips and up-to-date with the development of self-driving cars.

18 POSSIBILITIES SUSTAINABLE FLIGHT Records smashed and green power promoted; it just took two men with a lot of vision.

EDGE AND YOU FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION “I love research, learning and science but what I really like is to see it being applied in a real tangible outcome.”

CASE: RUSSIA A CUT ABOVE A collaboration with Seco at the Egoryevsky Mechanical Plant helps smooth the process in meeting increased demand for the company’s self-propelled mowers.

EDGE OF THE WORLD FRIDA HANSDOTTER When all her friends were partying she was halfway up a mountain; Frida Hansdotter explains how the joy of skiing led to championship success.

32 EDGE-UCATION THE LATHE GOES ATOMIC Seco records a world first in measuring how material is affected during cutting.

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Joint research for the future “Manufacturing is undergoing an evolution that is driving a business revolution,”

says Professor Sam Turner of the University of Sheffield, England, in an article featured in this issue. At Seco, we agree, and that’s why our company has, for many years, cooperated with different universities and academies on joint research projects. For us it’s important to be on the leading edge of the latest research into materials and methods that influence us and the manufacturing industry as a whole, and to continuously feed new findings into our research and development. The University of Sheffield is one such example; another is the exciting and groundbreaking project we are doing together with the University of Linköping, Sweden, and the DESY research center in Hamburg, Germany, of which you can read more on pages 32 to 35. As usual, Edge also contains a mix of articles covering new products, businesses, trends, and people from all over the world. Enjoy! HANS HELLGREN

VICE PRESIDENT, SALES AND MARKETING EDGE@SECOTOOLS.COM

EDGE is a customer magazine from Seco Tools published in 25 languages worldwide. Seco Tools AB Marketing Department, 737 82 Fagersta, Sweden. Phone +46 223-400 00 Fax +46 223-718 60 Internet www.secotools.com Publisher Hans Hellgren E-mail hans.hellgren@secotools.com Managing editor Jennifer Gauffin E-mail jennifer.gauffin@secotools.com Editorial production and layout Appelberg Publishing Group Project manager Per-Ola Knutas Editor Antony Riley Art directors Cecilia Farkas, Johan Nohr Print Elanders Cover image Samir Soudah EDGE (1. 2017)

NEWS AND TRENDS

NEWS FROM THE TOOL EXPERT

GARY MEYERS is originally from Detroit, Michigan, but has re-located to Fagersta, Sweden. Working in the industry since the 1990’s, Gary is now the Global Product Manager for Face Milling and has been working at Seco for five years.

SHORT FACTS Position: Product Manager Face Milling Education: Journeyman Tool and Die Maker. Studied Business, CAD CAM and machining theory at university. Career: From a machinist in the US Navy to a Tool and Die designer and manager, Gary joined Seco as a product manager for Indexable Milling and for Jabro/Niagara Cutter before relocating to Fagersta as Global Product Manager for Face Milling.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

New HQ in Shanghai Seco has opened new headquarters in Shanghai, China. The new facilities offer an opportunity to focus on building relationships with customers in the region as well as developing excellent and productive machining solutions. Seco China was established as a small subsidiary in 1994 and has grown to become the company’s third largest market globally. Seco’s new facilities in Shanghai were inaugurated by Bo Udsen, Managing Director, China, and Lars Bergström, President. A number of customers, distributors, partners as well as government officials also attended.

1932 EPB 890 BORING HEADS Regardless of the position of the boring head, the diameter setting and adjustment is made easy to read by Seco’s new removable digital display controller (DDC). The DDC replaces analogic verniers with a large display screen, operator’s preferences can be adapted by using a variety of settings. The DDC can display either diameter or radius values, and uniquely, it can work either in relative mode (diameter adjustment) or in absolute mode (actual diameter machined with the boring head). The system also features an innovative dynamic auto-balancing system as well as a double coolant flow.

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The year that Seco Tools traces its origins to. It was then that the Swedish steel manufacturer started producing metal working tools under the brand name Seco (“I cut”, in Latin).

AMERICAN FUTUROLOGIST JEREMY RIFKIN ON HOW 3D PRINTING SIGNALS THE BEGINNING OF A THIRD INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:

“ A new digital manufacturing revolution now opens up the possibility of following suit in the production of durable goods. In the new era, everyone can potentially be their own manufacturer […]. The process is called 3D printing.”

“ PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

The main thing to ensure is that every workpiece is correct, and it’s quite acceptable to spend some more time on it, as long as you are sure that the result is going to be good.” Seco’s Corporate Technical Education Manager, Patrick De Vos, reveals machining trends in profile article on edgeupdate.com. Go to bit.ly/devosedge

R220.88 FACE MILLING Seco has expanded its face milling cutter range to include a near 90° approach angle milling cutter system for face milling. The new R220.88 Face Milling system is designed with performance and economy in mind. This Face Milling system will feature direct pressed inserts and a new corrosion resistant cutter body material which contributes to the high quality of the cutter and has a positive environmental impact by eliminating the need for nickel coating. The system has been developed for demanding face milling applications in batch and mass production where cost per edge, productivity and reliability in the machining process are essential.

Hygiene initiative in India In line with the company’s ambitions within Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Seco Tools India has initiated activities in the Koregaon Bhima region outside Pune in western India. Together with an NGO partner, Seco India’s CSR team has reached out to over 2,000 students in three schools to teach them about sanitation and hygiene. The “Clean Koregaon Bhima” campaign also included renovating public toilets as well as installing dustbins at the three schools.

Going green

STEADYLINE® RANGE

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Solar panels on the roof and charging for electric vehicles – Seco’s Production Unit in Bourges, France, are taking actions in line with the company’s aim of reducing its environmental impact. “The Production Unit in Bourges has started the journey towards Industry 4.0 with the idea of a ‘green factory’,” says Matthieu Dassonville, Production Unit Manager. The production unit recently bought an entirely

electrical car used for on-site maintenance activities. At the same time, three charging slots were installed for employees that would like to charge their own electrical cars – for free. More stations will be implemented as more employees choose electrical cars. Furthermore, a 700m2 solar panel has been installed on the roof of the factory. The panel delivers about 100 kWh per year, equivalent to the energy consumption of seven houses.

Seco is broadening its range of innovative Steadyline turning bars and GL heads by adding new products including 60 mm and 80 mm diameter turning bars, threading holders with GL50 machine side connections and ‘Jetstream tooling’ turning and threading holders. For internal turning, threading and boring, holders with Steadyline damping can be used for several operations, by interchanging tools with GL machine side connections. This GL connection provides excellent cutting edge positioning and repeatability, while allowing for very fast head changing. EDGE (1. 2017)

KNOWLEDGE GLOBAL TRENDS

THE BATTLE FOR TALENT – A GLOBAL TREND

Digital destiny The cloud, big data, globalization, the Internet of Things, and an ongoing battle for talent are all contributing to manufacturing changing at a blistering pace. Seco’s CEO Lars Bergström is drawing inspiration from successful digital companies in order to keep up with this rapid development. Text: Per-Ola Knutas Illustration by Emma Hanquist

HE RULES OF BUSINESS have changed forever. If there’s one thing that new companies like Uber, Netflix and Google have taught us, it’s that safe, traditional and conventional business models are vulnerable to being turned on their heads by disruptive innovation. But what bearing do these new business practices have on the metalworking and manufacturing industry, and for Seco, a classic engineering company with a history stretching back 85 years? A great deal, according to Seco’s CEO Lars Bergström who recently took the company’s management team on a trip to Silicon Valley where team members spent seven days visiting everything from small start-up companies and prototype workshops to large, established companies such as Flextronics, Cap Gemini and GE Digital. “People have been talking about globalization and what it will mean for industry for many years now,” says Bergström. “But now,

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rapid-paced digital development is really taking place – in all industries. The infrastructure is now in place, with fast, cheap broadband connecting the majority of the world. This became extremely clear during our visit to Silicon Valley.” Bergström continues, “What struck me more than anything was the speed and the sense of inventing, developing and producing on the fly. The need for nimbleness and for change within the industry has never been clearer to me. We previously talked about things occurring over years in development projects, now we’re talking about months.” Another major trend affecting the manufacturing industry is the Internet of Things – the linking together of machines and processes in a worldwide network – and this has already begun changing operating conditions for the manufacturing industry. It’s something that Bergström frequently encounters when he is meeting customers.

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The need for nimbleness and for change within the industry has never been clearer to me. Lars Bergström CEO, Seco Tools

“What’s happening is that everything is becoming connected and enormous amounts of data can be transferred in the blink of an eye,” says Bergström. “This means that it’s possible to share ideas and solutions across the whole world, and that for a component manufacturer in the Czech Republic or China, being connected within the global, digital ecosystem is a critical factor for success.” Another strong trend according to Bergström is that products are dropping in terms of their relative value. They are quickly becoming commodities that anyone can rapidly copy. “By contrast, knowledge and services are increasing in importance.” This is something that Seco has taken onboard. As customers continue to strive for increased efficiency, resulting in a tightening of staffing resources, the need will increase for qualified advice and services from their tool supplier. “As the speed of development increases,

our customers need more advice, as they themselves have less of their own time to work on optimization,” says Bergström. “An industrial engineer today has maybe 30,000 different work tools with thousands of different related combinations. It’s completely impractical, and so we are often called in as specialists and as providers of advice to improve our customers’ processes.” This is why Seco is boosting its presence in the world. The company recently opened new technical centers and offices in Shanghai, China and Pune, India. “We are also continuing to develop our digital, web-based support tool, MyPages. It allows individuals to personally handle issues that aren’t overly complicated and to get qualified advice via the Suggest function,” says Bergström. “We are meeting the new world head-on by expanding and by investing in tying our worldwide competence together with a strong local presence, allowing us to be closer to our customers.”

THREE TRENDS IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY BATTLE FOR TALENT Companies across the entire planet are wrestling with finding clever employees at the required pace. This means the industry must focus on creating attractive workplaces.

DIGITALIZATION Big-data trends allow enormous amounts of data to be sent across the world in no time, making it possible to cooperatively develop products virtually between different countries and then move them with the help of digital work tools. The importance of the physical location for certain types of manufacturing can thus be reduced.

INCREASED SPEED Globalization is increasing competition and creating even higher demands for change, efficiency and productivity across all industry sectors.

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CASE COMSTEEL, AUSTRALIA

The extreme weather conditions in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia really put mining equipment to the test, including the trains that pull the iron ore.

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TOUGHER than most

Rather than being held back by its nearly 100-year history, Australian railway wheel manufacturer Comsteel, embraces it. Combining its heritage with modern technology allows the company to create world-leading products. TEXT: DANIEL DASEY PHOTOGRAPHY: JOSHUA DASEY AND GETTY IMAGES

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CASE COMSTEEL, AUSTRALIA

Operations Superintendent Kevin R oberts says mining customers depend on the Comsteel’s wheels to keep their operations productive. There’s a huge emphasis on the wheels’ quality, hardness, toughness, and safety.

240 car mining trains in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia regularly pull loads of iron ore weighing more than 33,000 tons.

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o location on the planet is tougher on railway rolling stock than the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Mining trains in this remote part of the world regularly pull loads of iron ore weighing more than 33,000 tons, with each axle forced to bear 45 ton loads. Temperatures can approach 50 degrees Celcius and the nearest major city is more than 933 miles away. The job of producing rail wheels tough enough to cope with such demanding conditions is one that fits well with Comsteel, a manufacturer located on the other side of the continent in Waratah, a suburb of the city of Newcastle, New South Wales. With roots stretching back nearly 100 years, Comsteel relies on both strong traditions and cutting-edge technology to produce railway wheels with world-leading standards of toughness and durability. Operations Superintendent for Railway Products at the Comsteel plant, Kevin Roberts, says with enor-

“ The wagon manufacturers know our product works for highend applications with high axleloads and they can’t put just any wheel into that environment.” KEVIN ROBERTS, OPERATIONS SUPERINTENDENT FOR RAILWAY PRODUCTS AT THE COMSTEEL PLANT

mous mining customers depending on the company’s wheels to keep their operations productive, there’s a huge emphasis on quality, high degrees of hardness and toughness, and safety. “The trains used in the Pilbara are so big that if an incident does occur, there’s going to be major damage and a loss of production,” he says. “Our customers use our wheels because they know they won’t have those kinds of issues.” FOUNDED IN 1918 as The Commonwealth Steel

Company, Comsteel is now part of the global steel products company, Moly-Cop. In addition to over 150 different types of wheel, Comsteel manufactures railway axles and wheel sets, as well as grinding media used by the mining industry to crush ore. Comsteel Business Development Manager

Comsteel COMPANY: Part of the global Moly-Cop Group. LOCATION: Waratah, New South Wales Australia, about 150km north of Sydney. OPERATION: 24/7. PRODUCTS: Grinding media, and railway wheels, wheel sets and axles for freight, passenger wagons and locomotives. WHEEL-MAKING CAPACITY: 80,000 units per year. SPECIAL FEATURES: On-site steel making. CURRENT MARKETS: Australia, New Zealand, China, South Africa, and the United States.

Andrew Hemsworth explains that while wheels for use in hauling freight make up the bulk of the company’s sales, Comsteel also supplies wheels to every Australian rail authority for use in locomotives and passenger trains. THE COMPANY’S EXPORT MARKETS, meanwhile,

include South Africa, New Zealand, the United States, and, notably, China. “We supply wheels for wagons that are built in China and they are then sent to Australia,” he says. “The wagon manufacturers know our product works for high-end applications with high axle-loads and they can’t put just any wheel into that environment.” The biggest selling point for Comsteel wheels is their high hardness and toughness. Hemsworth explains the company’s heavy EDGE (1. 2017)

CASE COMSTEEL, AUSTRALIA

Seco’s Harold Phipps (center) says he and his colleagues are often on hand to offer Comsteel tooling advice and help machine prototypes.

haul freight wheels are made of micro-alloy steel produced using an on-site electric arc furnace. Micro-alloy steel ingots are sawn into cheeses before being forged and rolled. They are then heat treated, tested, and machined before being subjected to nondestructive, visual, and dimensional testing. Comsteel Wheels have been certified both by the Association of American Railways, Europe’s EN standards and international Quality Management standard ISO 9001. Kevin Roberts says tight procedures, quality systems and a respect for the experience of employees are key to the company’s success. Also vital is the culture of continuous improvement and the adoption of new technology, which ensures a quality product that meets customer needs. ROBERTS SAYS WORKING with high-quality suppli-

ers is also crucial. Comsteel has deepened its cooperation with Seco in recent years, with Seco now the Tier 1 tooling supplier for the company. “Seco’s tooling works very well on our wheels,” he says. “The performance

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of the carbide insert we use is very high and leads the way when machining our high hardness micro alloy wheels.” Seco inserts are used to machine the web of the wheel and the extremely hard wheel treads. Roberts says after trialing dozens of inserts over many years, he is yet to find an insert that performs better on the micro alloy wheels than Seco’s product. “Tooling is a high consumable cost and the Seco product performance works well with keeping our costs down,” he says. Another plus is Seco’s service. With Comsteel continually developing the strength of both its steels and wheel products, Seco is on hand to offer tooling advice and help machine prototypes. Area Business Manager for Seco Australia, Harold Phipps, says he and his colleagues strive to make themselves available whenever Comsteel needs help, and have worked long hours on weekends to solve problems. “We have helped bring down Comsteel’s tooling costs and improved their bottom line,” he says “It’s a true partnership with benefits for both Comsteel and Seco.”

Comsteel Micro Alloy wheels Comsteel developed its Micro Alloy material in the mid-1980s, drawing on years of experience and a heritage in specialty steel making. The addition of micro alloying elements improves wheel properties, allowing for the hardness of the wheel material to be increased without increasing the carbon level which would compromise thermal susceptibility. As well as providing greater resistance to wear thanks to increased hardness, Comsteel Micro Alloy wheel materials offer improved fracture toughness and resistance to rollingcontact fatigue thanks to improved yield and tensile strength.

Seco products supplied to Comsteel Duratomic™ Turning grades Triple-Zero™ Turning grades Seco-Max™ Ceramic inserts Threadmaster™ Taps Seco-Capto™ Tooling

CUTTING EDGE Q&A

PATRICK DE VOS, CORPORATE TECHNICAL EDUCATION MANAGER AT SECO TOOLS GROUP, ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MACHINING.

What is the benefit of Seco Jetstream?

ASK PATRICK

Do you have questions? Send them to the email address below: patrick.de.vos@secotools.com

ANSWER: The machining process generates a lot of heat in the cutting zone. This results in limited tool life and detrimentally high temperatures in the workpiece, which makes it more difficult to respect the quality demands on the machined surface. Cooling systems are used to evacuate heat from the cutting zone. The pressures and temperatures in the cutting zone make it physically impossible to get the cutting fluid to the source of the heat, where it would function most effectively. That is why most cooling techniques work indirectly, they cool the chip and as such the head is indirectly evacuated. This works well when the workpiece material has a high thermal conductivity but in other cases (titanium alloys and super alloys) this does not function well. Seco Jetstream is based on kinematic pressure build up (and not static pressure as in traditional systems). This creates a pressure which is high enough to enter the cutting zone. When the cooling stream is accurately pointed towards the cutting zone the efficiency is further increased. 

What is ‘High Feed Milling’ and what are the benefits?

ANSWER: The correct selection of the cutting conditions; the depths of cut, the feed and the cutting speed; is important for how a milling cutter performs. The 3 cutting conditions combined give us the so-called Metal Removal Rate (MMR ~ depths of cut x feed x cutting speed). MMR is a metric for the production pace, the cost efficiency, and the reliability of the process. Increasing the cutting conditions leads to higher productivity. However, there are consequences related to the order in which the cutting conditions are maximized. When the selection is made to concentrate first on higher feeds we talk about high feed machining or more specifically high feed milling in the case of a milling operation. An operation done with higher feeds combined with moderate depths of cut consumes less energy. High feed milling is a step towards energyefficient or ‘green’ machining without losing productivity. 

How does Seco Suggest work?

ANSWER: Today Seco offers more than 30,000 different products. With these products it’s possible to build about 600,000 different cutting tools. During a tool selection process, each one must be evaluated to find the most appropriate tool for an application. Seco Suggest is a computerized selection tool. You input the description of the application, in the form of a workpiece feature, for which a cutting tool and cutting conditions must be selected. In the databases that support Suggest, the possibilities and applicability of every cutting tool are described in the form of decision tables. Suggest uses decision rules to screen the decision tables to come to a ranking of tools from most appropriate to not useable. Once tools are selected, machining models and mathematics are used to calculate the best combination of cutting conditions for the selected tool. These models are described in the different machining books published by Seco. Using Suggest gives our customers the possibility to find the most appropriate tooling and cutting conditions in a very structured and time-efficient way. 

Don’t miss Seco’s profile article on edgeupdate.com where Patrick De Vos reveals machining trends. Go to http://bit.ly/devosedge EDGE (1. 2017)

OUTLOOK SELF-DRIVING CARS

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AN AUTONOMOUS

FUTURE BY DANIEL DASEY PHOTOS BY SAMIR SOUDAH, VOLVO CARS, GOOGLE

Far from the stuff of science fiction films, the first commercially available autonomous vehicles are likely to be on our streets within two to four years. While early models will have operational limitations, it may not be long before our cars and trucks do all the driving.

ANIEL J FAGNANT HOPES that his three

young children will never have to sit for their driving licences. A researcher at the University of Utah specializing in autonomous vehicles, Fagnant says the field is advancing so rapidly that cars capable of handling every aspect of driving could well be a reality in under 15 years. “My eldest son, Sam, is four, and my objective is that in 12 years when he is 16 he won’t have to get his licence,” Fagnant says. There’s ample evidence to suggest Fagnant could well see his dream realized. Automotive companies across the globe are currently trialling a wide range of autonomous technologies for private cars, public transport and commercial vehicles. While technology company Google led the charge when it began trialling self-driving cars more than six years ago, it has since been joined by carmakers including Volvo EDGE (1. 2017)

OUTLOOK SELF-DRIVING CARS

Driving forces Volvo plans to commercially release its first “fully autonomous” passenger car in 2020. Volvo Cars’ Senior Technical Leader for Crash Avoidance, Trent Victor, says the following factors are driving autonomous vehicle development.  The potential for improved safety  The potential for improved environmental outcomes  The potential for improved customer experiences.

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Cars, General Motors, Daimler, Ford, self-driving vehicles to be high, with the Jaguar, Audi, Tesla and BMW, all of whom technology required for autonomy adding are working towards commercial release tens of thousands of US dollars to the cost of some form of self-driving car. On the of vehicles. commercial vehicle front, manufacturers “There’s currently USD 100,000 in including Daimler, Scania and Volvo added technology costs and with the initial Trucks are all working on autonomous roll-out these should be somewhere of the trucks. order of USD 30,000 to USD 50,000,” he “Over the next two to four years, we’re says. “However, once mass manufacturing going to see a number of major really starts up, it should fall to USD 10,000 manufacturers and technology companies and, in the long-term, to somewhere putting out what they are probably going to around USD 3,000 in added costs.” call autonomous vehicles,” says Fagnant. FAGNANT ALSO EXPECTS the technology to rapidly “Human drivers are going to be able to check out temporarily as the vehicle drives improve beyond the limited operational itself in circumstances such as on the scope of the first self-driving cars. “It will start off being for use in specific freeway and they will then need to resume control. Meanwhile, in Europe, CityMobil2 environments, such as on the freeway or at low speed,” he says. “Eventually, these is looking at implementing the technology in small passenger buses travelling on restrictions will start to fall away and you’ll see that you can operate in more diverse consistent pre-defined routes.” environments. To get to the point where you Fagnant expects the initial cost of

People will have more free time while they’re travelling through traffic congestion going back and forth to work.” Trent Victor, Senior Technical Leader for Crash Avoidance, Volvo Cars

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In May 2014 Google presented a new self-driving car prototype. The two-seated prototype has neither a steering wheel, an accelerator or a brake pedal.

How it works

“ Self-driving cars will start off being for use in specific environments, such as on the freeway or at low speed.” DANIEL J FAGNANT, RESEARCHER, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

can get into the vechile whenever you want, and drive anywhere you like, might take 15 to 20 years, it all depends on how optimistically you see things.” Autonomous truck development is not far behind that of passenger vehicles, with Daimler recently sending a platoon of autonomous trucks between the European cities of Stuttgart and Rotterdam. VOLVO CARS IS ONE of the companies leading the automation charge and has plans to trial autonomous cars in Sweden, the United Kingdom and China beginning in 2017. The company plans to commercially release its first “fully autonomous” passenger car in 2020. Volvo Trucks, meanwhile, is testing autonomous trucks for use in underground mines. Senior Technical Leader for Crash Avoidance at Volvo Cars, Trent Victor, says the first major public trial of autonomous technology will take place around the Swedish city of Gothenburg when Volvo Cars leases 100 XC90 SUV vehicles to test drivers using the city’s ring road. “The ring road is a freeway with medians and a speed limit of 70 kilometres an hour,” Victor says. “We’re offering people a product that

will allow them to have more free time while they’re travelling through traffic congestion going back and forth to work.” While the system doesn’t yet allow drivers to hand over control for their entire journey, Volvo Cars describes it as fully autonomous. “What we mean by fully autonomous is that when the system is in use, we are doing the safety work and you can delegate to the vehicle. Volvo takes the responsibility for the liability for driving.” Victor says Volvo Cars sees a range of societal benefits in rolling out autonomous vehicles, including improved safety. Some 94 percent of motor vehicle accidents involve some form of driver error, something that efficient automated systems have the potential to reduce or eliminate. The environment also stands to benefit, thanks to improved traffic flows, reduced congestion and reduced fuel consumption. While the slow reaction times of human drivers tend to create and exacerbate traffic jams, autonomous vehicles will be less prone to this. “Then there’s the customer benefit of making driving more enjoyable and letting people relax and do other things when they are driving,” Victor says.

Autonomous vehicles rely on a combination of sensors, computer processors and actuators to respond to the changing environment around them. Autonomous vehicle researcher Daniel J Fagnant explains that sensors range from LIDAR laser range finders to radar, sonar and stereo video camera. “The sensors take in information and bring it back to central processors that are in charge of all the decision making,” he says. “The processors interpret what’s being seen and try to understand where the vehicle is within the lane and in terms of getting from A to B. The processors then send out a series of signals to actuators that issue commands to the steering control, braking and acceleration.”

AUTONOMOUS MILESTONES 1968 Electronic cruise control developed. 1978 First anti-lock brakes introduced. 1995 First GPS system for in-car navigation introduced 2003 Toyota introduces the first self-parking car. 2010 Google launches its Google X self-driving car project. 2015 Daimler tests its Highway Pilot system for trucks on public roads. 2016 A host of automotive companies are working on autonomous vehicles for passenger and commercial applications. In May, the concept suffered a trust blow when a Tesla driver was killed using the car’s autopilot’s safety features. 2018 The first autonomous vehicles are set for commercial release. Source: 2025ad.com EDGE (1. 2017)

POSSIBILITIES SOLAR-POWERED AIRPLANE

SOLAR phenomenon Much more than a magnificent flying machine, Solar Impulse 2 isn’t just a solar-powered airplane, it’s a giant green influencer. BY ANTONY RILEY PHOTO BY SOLAR IMPULSE

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FLYING AN AIRCRAFT with a wingspan of a Boeing 747

Jumbo Jet, the weight of a family car and the power of a small motorcycle, indeed the largest aircraft ever built with the lowest weight; Swiss pilots André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard knew they were going to turn heads. They hoped they might break a few records. They knew they weren’t taking any fuel. The self-styled “ambassadors for a green future” had already claimed eight world records with their prototype, now after 40,000 kms flying day and night they have circumnavigated the globe unaided by fuel, relying only on solar energy. They have now surely realized their goal of spreading the message of clean technologies.

BUILDING YOU OWN AIRPLANE? In EDGEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Possibilities section, we look at some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more interesting curiosities and the Seco tools that can be implemented to help construct them.

Light flight Composite materials with carbon fiber play an important role to bring down the weight of the Solar Impulse airplane. Seco offers a broad range of products aimed at the aerospace industries. On July 26 2016, the Solar Impulse aircraft touched down in Abu Dhabi, completing the first round-theworld solar powered flight.

Seco PCD drills With 30 years experience working closely with our customers, Seco offers highly technical PCD drilling and PCD milling solutions for composites machining. In addition, Seco offers qualified international technical support to maximise your productivity and assist with your individual project requirements. Read more at secotools.com/aerospace

“I’ve never been the guy taking car engines apart. I’m an engineer who likes to apply science to make an impact.” SAM TURNER, PROFESSOR AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

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EDGE AND YOU

ENGINEERED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Manufacturing is undergoing an evolution that is driving a business revolution, says Sam Turner, Professor and Chief Technology Officer of the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). The centre is at the core of developments in advanced machining and materials research. Interview by Cari Simmons Photo by Tom Pilston

Sam Turner

Age: 41. Job: Professor and CTO, AMRC, Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, University of Sheffield. Location: Sheffield, England. Family: Wife Grace, two children nine and six. Education: Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield (1996), MSc in Manufacturing Technology management (2001), PhD in titanium machining strategies (2009). Hobbies: Reading (especially about economic theories and engineering’s wider impact), watching and playing sports and spending time in the nearby Peak District.

I LOVE RESEARCH, learning and science but what I really like is to see it being applied in a real tangible outcome. That is what the AMRC is about. We are trying to change the mind-set of what manufacturing is and showcase the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution. Our mission is to be the best in the world and work with the best in world. We have state-of-the-art facilities with equipment for the automotive, aerospace and other manufacturing sectors where we apply engineering, science and R&D skills and knowledge to predict material and process behavior. We help companies transform manufacturing processes, develop new capabilities and reduce costs. The AMRC works collaboratively on projects with partner companies including Seco Tools. We can offer additional skills, technological capability and capacity to move R&D along at a quicker pace when companies engage with us. With Seco we have projects related to machining, casting and composite manufacturing. Our design group is looking into new manufacturingenabled design concepts for technologies like additive manufacturing. The AMRC also brings companies together for a broader impact so we are really at the heart of something significant, with a breadth of technologies that is very exciting. It’s not just for the sake of research – we are delivering benefits, saving money and creating jobs. EDGE (1. 2017)

CASE EGOREVSKY, RUSSIA

CHANGING WITH THE TIMES Despite Russia’s economic downturn, an agricultural plant in the Moscow region is boosting its production with the help of Seco Tools. BY SHURA COLLINSON PHOTO BY ALEX BELENKY AND MASKOT BILDBYRÅ AB/JOHNÉR

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CASE EGOREVSKY, RUSSIA

Egoryevsky Mechanical Plant’s main product, a self-propelled mower, is produced on the premises from start to finish. Plant director Vladislav Nikitin says the outlook for Egoryevsky Mechanical Plant is positive. The current boost in Russia’s farming industry has increased demand for the company’s self-propelled mowers.

T Produces mowers and spare parts

Egoryevsky Mechanical Plant’s main product, the Meshchera E-403, is based on earlier Fortschritt models that were previously widely used in agriculture across the Soviet Union. The plant also performs repair work on mowers and harvesters, and sells spare parts for forage harvesters made by the German company Forschritt and Italian-made Gribaldi&Salvia tractormounted mowers. EDGE (1. 2017)

HE EGORYEVSKY MECHANICAL PLANT, a private factory located in a Moscow region town just over 100 kilometers from the Russian capital, is no typical assembly line. The factory, whose main product is self-propelled mowers, is unusual in that it makes its machines on the premises from start to finish. The plant’s main products are the Meshchera E-403 mower and attachments to adapt the cutting equipment to various fodder crops, such as corn and grass. “They are modifications of the basic product, depending on the customer’s needs,” says Vladislav Nikitin, the plant’s director. The customers in question are generally enterprises growing fodder crops, including horse, cattle and sheep farmers who grow their own forage plants on site. Russia’s economy may have been in recession for most of the past two years, but the

Egoryevsky plant, which employs just fewer than 100 people, is increasing production. “We feel some trends; we don’t exist in a vacuum after all,” says Nikitin, but overall, the outlook is positive: “New clients are coming to us, we’re getting more and more orders,” he says. The factory has been working in metals processing since 1999 and began focusing on self-propelled mowers in 2012. It sells its technology through a chain of sales points operated under its Maral-Invest brand in Russia’s Moscow, Tula, Krasnodar, Vologda and Leningrad regions. To facilitate the boost in output, the company is updating its production line and using more modern tools, said Nikitin. About 35–40 percent of those tools – primarily for lathes – are made by Seco Tools. Evgeny Sannikov, a representative of Seco in Moscow, says his office started working

“ Our technical team consults with Seco on how to ensure optimum use.” VLADISLAV NIKITIN, DIRECTOR, EGORYEVSKY MECHANICAL PLANT

with the plant in the middle of 2015, though the factory was already using Seco tools before that. “When we went to the factory, they were already using our tools,” says Sannikov, explaining that the plant was at that time buying them from online middlemen, which often meant lengthy delays in delivery. “We came and offered them our fixed conditions – stable delivery times and prices – and drastically improved their delivery times,” says Sannikov. “Their production is well-organized, so it was more important for them to have reli-

able delivery times so they could plan their production timetable than to get it a few percent cheaper,” he says. Since the beginning of their direct working relationship, the Egoryevsky Mechanical Plant has also made use of the consultation services offered by Seco. “Naturally, our technical team consults with Seco on how to ensure the optimum use,” says Nikitin. At the beginning of 2016, Seco invited the plant’s head technician and his team to the company’s Moscow office. “We showed them a presentation and EDGE (1. 2017)

CASE EGOREVSKY, RUSSIA

“ Reliable delivery times means the company can plan their production timetable.” EVGENY SANNIKOV, SECO TOOLS, RUSSIA

Despite the economic recession, Russia’s agricultural sector has grown by 3.5 percent.

answered their questions, and talked in detail about some of our products so that they know more about our tools,” said Sannikov. Nikitin says now that his plant is in the process of buying new Seco tools, his team would probably consult the company again. While the Russian economy has for years been dominated by huge state-run businesses, in recent years the government has made an effort to support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, the domestic agriculture sector benefitted when Russia banned most food imports from many Western countries in 2014 in retaliation to sanctions imposed on Moscow by foreign governments over the Ukraine crisis. At the beginning of 2015, the government promised to increase agricultural subsidies to more than USD 2.8 billion, and in the same year agricultural production grew by 3.5 percent – more than any other sector. Nikitin says that any company has its own challenges, and his is no exception, but the plant appears to have carved out a niche in the market for mowers just as Russia’s agricultural sector has received a major boost. Now the Egoryevsky Plant is looking to cement its position with a universal and time-tested method: a guarantee of quality.

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Tools for turning and drilling Seco Tools supplies about 35–40 percent of the tools for Egoryevsky Mechanical Plant, including Duratomic CVD grade turning inserts and turning inserts for the multi-direction turning (MDT) system, as well as drills from the Seco Feedmax Universal range of solid carbide drills and the Crownloc range of exchangeable tip drills.

The plant is now increasing its production and employs close to 100 people.

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EDGE OF THE WORLD FRIDA HANSDOTTER

At home with the ski queen Frida Hansdotter is the best female slalom skier in the world and travels and competes across the globe. She says she shares one thing in particular with her sponsor, Seco: “We both want to be best in the world at what we do.” BY KARIN STRAND PHOTOS BY JONAS GAUFFIN

E MEET ON A HOT SUMMER’S DAY at the Fagersta Homestead Museum in Sweden, about as far from steep mountains and icy pistes as you can get. Frida Hansdotter is on a brief break from skiing for a couple of months. She last skied in May, and on August 1 it will be time to tighten up the ski boots again. During 2016, Hansdotter won the Slalom World Cup and she now has the right to call herself the world’s best female slalom skier, but here, back at home, she doesn’t come across as a ski queen. “There’s a big difference between home and the ski scene,” she says with a smile. “Here, I’m not ‘Frida the skier’, I’m just ordinary Frida.” Looking back on the 2015/2016 season, the competition in Jasna, Slovakia, in early March is, of course, top of my mind. That was where she secured the overall Slalom World Cup victory in the season’s second last competition. “That day in Jasna was my best and my worst. I had a lousy competition and ended up tenth, but I secured the overall victory. Then of course, I was really relaxed when competing in Saint Moritz, where I ended up third.” Hansdotter grew up Norberg, a small town about 15 kilometres from Seco Tools’ headquarters at Fagersta. She has skied her

CAREER SUMMARY: 2001 First International Ski Federation competition 2002 First European Cup competition 2004 First World Cup competition 2007 Gold in slalom at the Swedish National titles – Swedish championship 2013 World Ski Championship silver and bronze in team and slalom respectively 2014 First World Cup victory in slalom 2014 Fifth at the Olympics in slalom 2015 World Ski Championship silver medal in slalom 2016 Wins the Slalom World Cup

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entire life – first in a baby carrier backpack on her father Hans’ back, then on her own legs in the local skiing slope at Klackberg. Up until she was a teenager, she also skied cross country and played football, but then it was Alpine skiiing all the way. “We were a sporty family,” says Hansdotter. “When my friends were getting ready to go to the disco on Friday evenings, we got in the car and drove up to the Swedish mountains to go skiing. And we thought it was great fun!” Several times during the conversation, Hansdotter emphasises how much she enjoys skiing and the joy she feels, whether it be during competition, training or just skiing for pleasure. “It’s the enjoyment that has taken me this far and when I’m standing at the starting gate I always get a smile on my face,” she says. “I actually don’t get at all nervous apart from looking at the opportunities the course offers and feeling that I should give it everything and see how far that gets me.”

Full attack. Frida Hansdotter competes during the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals on March 19, 2016 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

BUT IS IT REALLY ONLY ENJOYMENT? Don’t you also

need a competitive mentality? “Yes, of course you do,” she says. “I have a really competitive mentality in everything I do, be it bowling, kubb [a classic Swedish picnic-game], or Yatzy.” She adds that she has gradually learned to focus, which has helped her in her amazing career. “When I manage to combine focus with harmony and technique, I succeed,” she says. “And I really enjoy testing my limits.” Hansdotter travels and competes for around 200 days of the year. She has visited many countries, but has never considered living anywhere other than at home, initially in Norberg and then in Fagersta where she lives with her boyfriend. “I have a secure existence here at home, close to family and friends,” she says. “It’s lovely to be here when I have a break from skiing, both for my head and my body. But, obviously, I’m also training and charging up ahead of next season.” Otherwise, she potters about at home and hangs out with friends and family. When I ask her where she has placed the crystalglobe trophy that shows she won the Slalom

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Frida Hansdotter’s three top tips for Alpine skiers One

ork on improving overall W strength. Two Do some extra leg-training. If you don’t want to go to the gym, do step-ups, lunges and squats at home. Three Invest in a pair of really good boots.

World Cup, she reveals that she still hasn’t unpacked it. It’s a fate the trophy shares with Hansdotter’s other awards. “But we have a guest cottage that I’m thinking about decorating with a ski-sports theme. There could be a special ‘Frida Cabinet’ in there,” she laughs. DURING THE 2016/2017 SEASON Hansdotter will be hotly pursued by other competitors. “It hasn’t really sunk in that I’m the best in the world and that everyone wants to beat me,” she says. “Obviously, I want to hold on to the title. But I also want to get my first podium finish in giant slalom, and so I’m looking forward to a good competition at the World Ski Championships in St. Moritz.” Hansdotter aims to keep competing until 2019. “That’s when we have the World Cup at Åre in Sweden, and a medal there would be an absolutely fantastic way to finish. After that, we’ll have to see. I’m not worried at all about the future.”

PHOTO: ALEXIS BOICHARD/AGENCE ZOOM, GETTY IMAGES

EDGE OF THE WORLD FRIDA HANSDOTTER

“ It’s the enjoyment that has taken me this far and when I’m standing at the starting gate I always get a smile on my face.”

CONNECTION TO SECO TOOLS: Frida Hansdotter has been sponsored by Seco Nordic since 2013. In 2014, she was a part of the company’s stand at the MAX trade fair Stockholm, Sweden’s most important fair for the engineering sector. “It feels really great to be able to work with a local company from here in Fagersta,” she says. “What’s more, Seco Tools and I have the same goal – we both want to be the best in the world at what we do.”

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EDGEUCATION ATOMIC-LEVEL RESEARCH

Lathe facts • Size of the structural framework: B 400 x D 400 x H 830 mm • Weight: 300 kg • Speed: Maximum of 800 RPM • Feed rate: Maximum of 0.25 mm/rev • Diameter of workpiece materials: Maximum of 160 mm •E ffect: The custom-built lathe works alongside PETRA III (a giant particle accelerator) to provide unique atomic level measurements

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A LATHE like no other…

A unique, custom-made lathe, the Petra III particle accelerator, and successful cooperation with Sweden’s Linköping University all played a role in making Seco the first company in the world to be able to undertake real-time, atomic-level studies of how material is affected during metal cutting. Text Anne Hammarskjöld Photo Jonas Gauffin Illustration Josh McKible

AVING THE ABILITY to study changes in

the cutting zone of inserts during metal cutting has been an elusive goal for both industry and academia for more than a decade. Perhaps the biggest challenge has been constructing a cutting rig that is suitable for use in the Petra III particle accelerator, the device used for testing at the DESY research center in Hamburg, Germany. The required lathe needed to be small and light enough to carry out normal turning operations in the accelerator, while also being sufficiently stable, rigid and heat-resistant. The high-energy X-rays generated in the Petra III are thinner than a stand of hair, but emit energy that affects the objects they penetrate. These objects must remain stable so that the precisely aimed beam can generate accurate readings. Only one person has succeeded in building a machine that meets the demands required for use in this kind of experiment and that person is Janne Eriksson from Seco in Fagersta.

From Sweden’s down-to-earth Dalarna region, Eriksson has a solid background as a technician, as well as a strong general interest in technology – all good characteristics for being able to solve such a unique construction challenge. But despite Eriksson’s suitability to the task, lots of others had tried to accomplish the same thing, and he admits that he had a few sleepless nights as the deadline for the project “came hurtling forward”. The crucial idea for how to construct the structural framework – the heart of the lathe – came from a seemingly unlikely source. “I read up on the subject, thought about it, read even more about sustainable construction, and began to wonder if I was stuck. Then one day, I sat down in the workshop and let my thoughts wander. My gaze fell on the fire hydrant and I suddenly realized that it was resting on an H-beam that was supporting the whole roof. And in that instant I got the idea from which the framework was developed.” EDGE (1. 2017)

EDGEUCATION ATOMIC-LEVEL RESEARCH

How it works 1. PETRA III is a 2.3-kilometre-long particle accelerator which supplies X-rays of exceptionally high brilliance. The facility offers optimum experimental capabilities through 14 beamlines with 30 measuring stations. 2. During testing, Seco Tools’ custom-made lathe was placed at one of the measuring stations while some six billion volts generated high-energy particle beams. Meanwhile, the cutting tool was held completely still and firmly secured in the framework.

3. The growth of coatings and changes within coatings during metal cutting was studied on atomic level.

“

The project opens up a new field of research.” Jens Birch, Professor of Thin Film Physics at Linköping University, Sweden

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Eriksson succeeded in making the idea a reality by working closely with his colleagues at the Seco Tools Technical Center in Fagersta. Once test runs were completed, further challenges cropped up when the lathe was installed on-site in one of the particle accelerator’s beamlines. Among other things, modifications were required to adapt the lathe to this new setting. At this stage Eriksson still had concerns about the project. Eriksson says, “I thought,

‘Okay, the machine’s now in the accelerator and is spinning a 30-kilogram lump of metal and is completely vibration free. But how long will it keep on going so well? A few minutes?’. But all my reservations quickly evaporated and now it has run for days at a time. Over the last year, we have been on-site in Petra III to both assemble and take apart the lathe for each test. The lathe has worked just as well each time.” The development of the lathe was part of Project X-Cut, a

consortium between the German research institute HZG Geesthacht, Seco Tools, and Linköping University. Seco’s manager for the cooperative effort is Mats Johansson Jõesaar, an R&D Expert within Seco’s Materials and Technology Development division. JOHANSSON JÕESAAR is proud and

pleased – both as a researcher and as a Seco employee – of the success achieved by the unique lathe and the opportunities it

4 questions for Jens Birch Professor of Thin Film Physics at Linköping University in Sweden

PHOTO: PER GROTH

S Seco’s Janne Eriksson and Mats Johansson Jõesaar − Unusual inspiration has led to brilliant development.

“ Seco is the first metalworking company in the world that’s doing it, and we now have a unique head start.” MATS JOHANSSON JÕESAAR, R&D EXPERT, SECO TOOLS

presents for growing knowledge around how materials react during the cutting process. While there is already existing knowledge around the cutting process, the new opportunities now available to study materials at the atomic level will be of major significance for the development of coatings and materials. “As we get to understand more about how the material is affected, we’re gaining completely new possibilities to taylor its proper-

ties such as extending tool life and reducing wear on products,” says Johansson Jõesaar. “Thanks to this increased understanding, Seco will be able to make more efficient products with higher levels of reproducibility. This atomic-level knowledge about materials during metal cutting is laying the groundwork for the next generation of materials and products. Seco is the first metalworking company in the world that’s doing it, and we now have a unique head start.”

ECO TOOLS AND LINKÖPING UNIVERSITY have

worked together since 2010. PhD students have worked real-time with X-ray-technology studies of Seco’s coatings. Why does your institution work together with industry? “Simply put, we are streamlining material process in order to better understand materials. It’s important that our research is close to reality, and so it’s only natural to pick up issues and problems from industry. As we produce the answers required, new knowledge often arises, which generates new questions and new ideas for new materials. It’s a really fun way to work.” What challenges are you taking on with Seco Tools? “We have worked together for a long time, among other things on real-time studies of the effects of pressure, temperature and other variables that affect the characteristics of the layers when they are used. We look at a few layers at a time to better understand each layer’s characteristics and to be able to interpret the results that we see. The intensity of Petra III’s X-rays offers unique opportunities in this area in terms of the number of measuring points and the amount of data. Just one second in Petra III gives more information than several days of measurements in our own X-ray equipment.” How would you describe the lathe that Seco has developed? “It’s a unique research tool with all the precision demanded for advanced real-time studies.” What further work will you undertake with the results from Petra III? “The results will provide us with new knowledge of how layers are affected during use. This means we can now go a few steps further by, for example, looking at how the workpiece, the chip, and the insert are influenced by each other in real time during turning. This opens up exciting new research fields for us.”

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WANT MORE? CHECK OUT Edgeupdate.com where you can access all articles from the magazine, as well as Seco’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

Seco’s unique used-edge detection capability gives a clear indication of used edges even in light finish-machining passes.

EDGE UPDATED Just like the magazine, Edgeupdate.com has a new look and a lot of new features. Be sure to check it out!

YOUTUBE CHANNEL Also check Seco’s channel on Youtube to watch videos on how our products shape the metal parts that build your world – from replacement body joints to jet engines.

TP3501 JOINING

THE NEXT GENERATION LIKE US! And don’t forget to visit our Facebook and Instagram pages, and send us a tweet on Twitter about anything Seco related.

MYPAGES Your digital portal to everything Seco.

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JOINING THE EARLIER successes of the TP2501, TP1501 and TP0501 grades (the Duratomic coating technology insert grades), the TP3501 provides improved toughness, heat resistance and chemical inertness for the longest possible tool life, while also offering the potential for even higher cutting speeds. The new grade also features usededge detection so machinists can quickly and accurately identify used edges with the naked eye. TP3501, TP2501, TP1501 and

TP0501 represent the best grade selection in steel turning, whether the desired result is reliable, versatile, balanced or high- speed productivity. TP3501 is a reliable grade with highly secure edge toughness, behavior that brings dependable productivity and secure part production to steel turning applications. It is the preferred grade for demanding operations that involve demanding speed limitations, workpiece material requirements and unpredictable working conditions.

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