A mag a zine fro m Sec o issue 1 – 2016
industry 4.0 explained
china’s challenge meet the tECH gurus
Contents EDGE ISSUE 1 – 2016
04 News and trends 07 KNowledge industry 4.0 explained Big data is opening the way for what is being called “the fourth industrial revolution”.
08 CASE: china COVER STORY efficient giant Economic challenges forced one Chinese company to rethink its work practices - with great results.
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cutting edge q&a with patrick de vos Seco’s cutting-expert answers technical questions submitted by readers.
14 Case: sweden hungry for business A competitive spirit has helped Fårbo Mekaniska increase turnover by tenfold in 10 years.
18 possibilities on the right track With demand for rail transport growing, could this ingenious prototype be the train of the future?
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edge and you haet lo/taiwan “The secret of our success is keeping up with developments in the industry. Seco is the same.”
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case: automation robot success Installing a robot cell has boosted the efficiency of Swedish tool-steel supplier Uddeholm.
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edge of the world jörgen andersson Seco product manager Jörgen Andersson’s passion outside of work is mine diving.
32 edge-ucation seco’s tech centres A new facility in Chennai, India, has boosted Seco’s global network of technology centres.
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EDGE (1. 2016)
Asia focusing on efficiency This issue of Edge features several stories from Asia. With over-production and increased competition, the region – China in particular – is currently facing a more challenging economic situation. In this new business environment,
it is becoming increasingly important for the metal working industry to choose suppliers that offer concrete benefits. At Seco we have a long tradition of helping our customers increase their profitability and efficiency. The story of how we have helped one of our customers in this way, the Chinese heavy industry equipment manufacturer MCC-SFRE, is told on page 8. And don’t miss Edge’s usual mix of new insights, such as the feature on Industry 4.0 on page 6, and interesting personal stories, such as the report about the Seco Product Manager who dives into abandoned mines in his spare time on page 28. 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 Katarina Annerby E-mail katarina.annerby@secotools.com Editorial production and layout Appelberg Publishing Group Project manager Per-Ola Knutas Editor Daniel Dasey Art directors Cecilia Farkas, Johan Nohr Print Elanders Coverphoto Li Jingwang/GettyImages EDGE (1. 2014)
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News and trends
JabroÂŽ High Feed MachininG The unique design of the JHF980 cutter allows for the highest possible feed rates. The addition of extra flutes means that these rates are now higher than ever. Often used in the machining of complex workpieces on modern milling machines, the JHF980 is perfect for machining steel, stainless steels and titanium alloys. The universal design of the cutter allows for chip thinning in multiple machining methods, such as peck drilling, helical interpolation and, of course, high-feed roughing. Benefits: More flutes allow true high feed roughing.
335.25 disc milling cutter Seco has added two new insert sizes for its highly successful 335.25 Disc Milling Cutter. The cutter now provides a comprehensive range of cutting widths from 13.5 mm to 32 m, aimed at a wide scope of applications. The highly versatile 335.25 cutters perform slotting, back facing, helical and circular interpolation and even plunging operations. Seco offers both fixed-pocket versions of the cutters with centralised coolant, and adjustable versions in widths to accommodate all types of production environments. Benefits: New cutting widths, lower tooling costs and reduced tooling inventory, maximum flexibility, reliability, precision and ease of use.
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EDGE (1. 2016)
Connected devices 2003 500 million
2010 12,5 billion
2015 25 billion
The right connection The Internet of Things (IoT) – advances in technology that allow connected devices and machines to communicate with each other – is transforming homes and industries around the world, the metal working industry included. Recent figures show that IoT has had a meteoric rise, and that it will just continue to grow. Read more on page 7 (the Industry 4.0 trend)
Check out Seco on Instagram
2020 50 billion
A social media account focusing on some of the fascinating custom tools made by Seco has attracted thousands of followers around the world. Adam Wojciechowski, a CNC technician at the Seco Tools Custom Tooling Facility in Troy, Michigan, set up the CNCTOOLS account on picture-sharing service Instagram in January. His posts focusing on novel and innovative custom tools quickly attracted the attention of the industry and by July he had close to 3,000 followers. Wojciechowski posts new images daily, and any questions about featured tools that he can’t answer personally are generally answered by other Seco staff on the forum. “Instagram has allowed me to share my passion for CNC technology and also to market and advertise Seco Tools and keep the name trending in the machining community,” he says.
Turbo range Seco Tools’ Turbo range of tools for square shoulder and helical milling is extremely versatile and flexible. It includes cutters on stock in diameters from 10 to 250 millimetres and a wide selection of inserts in four sizes. This allows for milling in both small and large machines, with unlimited combinations of materials and applications. With the existing Turbo XO..-insert geometries, corner radius program and cutting grades there are no limits to machine all kind of materials. Combinations of geometries and grades will always give an alternative to optimise the application. Rigid or weak machining condition, there is an alternative to achieve best possible productivity. Benefits: Flexibility, versatility, increased accuracy, best possible productivity.
... and coming soon: Seco’s new web www.secotools.com M6 chipbreaker
‘Suggest’ feature now on My Pages My Pages, Seco’s digital portal for customers in the metal working industry, now features a useful ‘Suggest’ function. To use the function, start by selecting the material from which your workpiece is made. Next, choose the appropriate geometry. My Pages will now come up with a suggestion for the tool that matches your workpiece needs. My Pages is designed to work on all platforms, regardless of whether your platform is a desktop computer, a smartphone or a tablet. The tool’s functions include product searches, orders, test reports, Threading Wizard software, and the new toolsuggestion function.
The introduction in 2015 of the M6 chipbreaker with Duratomic® Chrome grades TP2501, TP1501 and TP0501 featuring Used Edge Detection provided the perfect combination of properties for most types of medium to rough turning in steel. Customers have since asked for the range to be widened and it is now being expanded steadily – for example by more than 30 new items. Benefits: Reliable and versatile, easy cutting, unsurpassed in meeting high-performance needs thanks to the new Duratomic TP2501, TP1501 and TP0501 grades.
EDGE (1. 2016)
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News and trends
Secomax™ H05-H35 grade chain Seco’s new Secomax CH0550, CH2540 and CH3545 grades bring together a range of existing technologies and design approaches to provide a whole new level of product performance. The grades have been produced following extensive development and rely on several Read more: www.secotools.com/PCBN
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EDGE (1. 2016)
entirely new technologies. This new hardturning grade chain, together with the existing CBN060K (H15) from Seco, has been developed to meet increasing demands for productivity, surface finish and reliability from a range of industries.
knowledge global trends
Klas Andersson Manager, Customer Interface Services, Seco Tools
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BIG DATA IS A BIG DEAL
The next revolution
ollowing the advent of the
steam engine, the production line, and the computer technology boom, it’s now time for the next – and fourth – industrial revolution. We call the phenomenon ‘Industry 4.0’ and it will lead to an overarching – and fascinating – change to the way the production industry operates. While our industry hasn’t been as fast as the media and retail industries to make the most of digital technology, it could be the sector that stands to derive the greatest benefit from the fact that the world is increasingly connected. No other sector has as much data to exploit. Machines and processes churn out enormous amounts of data. And the industry player that is best at exploiting this in a smart production process, with tools, machines and end products all integrated, has enormous potential for powerfully increasing production efficiency.
Interview by Per-Ola Knutas Illustration by Mika Pollack/AgentMolly
Some industry 4.0 trends
hello
Social machines
Smart products
Yesterday’s machines worked together in a production chain, but tomorrow’s machines will be ‘social’. They will be able to communicate with each other and retrieve, deposit and process information, which they will then act on.
Industrial production is increasingly about products themselves dictating how they should be produced. This is thanks to the fact that products are now tagged with an increasing amount of information regarding what they should contain and are in constant contact with stock, machines and control systems.
Reduced impact on the environment Increasingly smart factories are running processes optimally, leading to less waste and fewer faults, better energy efficiency and reduced environmental impacts. Smart machines also automatically switch to a stand-by state when appropriate, further reducing energy consumption.
EDGE (1. 2015)
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CASE MCC-SFRE, China
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EDGE (1. 2016)
giant China’s efficient
The world’s number one steelproducing nation, China, is struggling to balance an economic slowdown with industry overcapacity. Based in the country’s northwest, state-owned company MCC-SFRE Heavy Industry Equipment is facing up to these challenges by constantly focusing on improving efficiency. By Wang Huazhong Photos by Wang Jing
EDGE (1. 2016)
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CASE MCC-SFRE, China
A state-owned giant SFRE was established in 1966 and entered a joint venture with MCC in 2004. MCC-SFRE has four machining plants and about 3,000 employees, of which 600 are technicians, including 95 senior engineers. The venture manufactures a wide range of machines for many different kinds of industries, but its main products are machines for steel works, mainly strip mills and plate mills. Their rolling equipment meets the standards required by developed economies such as Europe and Japan. The company formerly operated its own schools, cinemas and hospitals in Zhuangli township.
A bulletin board stands at the
gate of the machining plant operated by MCC-SFRE Heavy Industry Equipment Co in Zhuangli in north-western China. On it is spelled out the massive rolling-equipment manufacturer’s ambitious goal for 2015: generating CNY1.3 billion (EUR187 million) in industrial output. Based in China’s Shaanxi Province, the company is a joint venture between China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC), a state-owned conglomerate, and Shaanxi Forging and Rolling Equipment Works (SFRE), a heavy-duty equipment manufacturer and developer with 50 years’ experience specialising in rolling equipment and strip-treatment equipment for steel works. The rolling equipment that the joint venture produces is purchased by steel manufacturers, who use it to shape steel into a uniform thickness, ahead of distribution to customers. Yang Xuejun is Director of MCC-SFRE’s technology department and says the company has been forced to respond to a wide range of challenges in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis.
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EDGE (1. 2016)
“ We have to save and improve efficiency in every way possible. The consumption of cutting tools accounts for a large part of our costs.” Jia Xiaofeng, manager at MCC-SFRE No 1 machining plant
¥1.3 billion MCC-SFRE Heavy Industry Equipment Co’s ambitious goal for 2015’s industrial output.
“Even though market demand for steel has slumped, we have not cut production of rolling equipment, but rather increased it, because we have to cover operation costs and maintain the company’s momentum,” he says. Yang adds that steel producers are ordering
new-generation rolling equipment from the company to improve quality, eliminate obsolete production capacity and save costs. But because buyers dominate the deals, the company is producing more and making less money. In 2008 therefore, MCC-SFRE invested
Tough times ahead for China’s steel producers While there has been pressure from an economic slowdown, steel production in China has not decreased in line with market demand. According to official figures, Chinese steel output in 2014 reached a record high of 822.7 million metric tonnes, up 0.9 per cent year-on-year, and accounting for 49.7 per cent of the world’s total. Rolling-equipment makers will have to manage costs in order to survive the tough years ahead, amid an estimated 425 million tonnes of over-capacity.
CNY100 million to upgrade 80 per cent of its machining lines. The company now has the capacity to manufacture 50,000 metric tonnes of high-end-only metallurgy and rolling equipment a year. “We have to maintain and improve efficiency in every way possible,” says Jia Xiaofeng, a manager at the MCC-SFRE No 1 machining plant. “The consumption of cutting tools accounts for a large part of our costs.” Seco Tools has been supplying cutting tools to MCC-SFRE since 2000. Today, half of all cutting tools used in MCC-SFRE’s plants are Seco Tools products, thanks to EDGE (1. 2016)
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CASE MCC-SFRE, China the durability, proficiency and value-formoney advantages that they provide. “We use more than 20 brands of cutting tools, but Seco Tools have unparalleled edges, especially their milling tools which are sharp, resilient and fast,” says Yang. “That’s the major reason that we’re buying more from them and less from others.” Tang Jie, a sales engineer at Seco Tools’ Shaanxi operation, says that in addition to product competitiveness, MCC-SFRE chose Seco Tools for its on-site services and because of the long relationship between the two companies. This resulted in the biggest order to date, when in 2014 MCC-SFRE ordered tools worth millions of yuan, including 30,000 inserts and 100 cutters.
Meanwhile, the Seco Tools team in Shaanxi province interviewed machining plant managers to learn about how every turning machine operated. They were then able to use the data to provide the managers with proposals regarding the numbers and types of cutting-tool machines needed for both routine and non-routine jobs. The proposal was accepted by MCC-SFRE, reducing expenditures on cutting tools by more than 30 per cent. “MCC-SFRE is a typical Chinese stateowned company,” says Tang. “It makes changes cautiously and does not accept new ideas overnight. We need to be on hand to better understand their needs and to provide the necessary help and on-site training.”
A wide range of tools MCC-SFRE uses over 20 brands of tools in its cutting processes. Half of those tools are manufactured by Seco Tools, including: Octomill face milling cutters, Turbomill square shoulder milling cutters, Copymill cutters, turning tools and boring tools.
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EDGE (1. 2016)
Q&A What is STEP and why should I consider taking part?
Ask Patrick
Do you have questions? Send them to the email address below: patrick.de.vos@secotools.com
Answer: Right from its earliest days, Seco has had a strong focus on educating, training and informing customers about the most efficient and effective ways of using cutting tools. Over the past decade, the company has invested heavily in the creation of the Seco Technical Education Programme (STEP), an educational initiative aimed at the manufacturing industry, worldwide. STEP allows Seco to provide professionals in the global metalcutting industry with education and training programmes focused on using cutting tools in the most efficient and effective ways. Key focus areas have been ‘what to do and why’ and ‘how to do it’, helping professionals working in the industry to ensure that the machining processes that they carry out are reliable, productive and cost effective. STEP has been developed to provide participants with overarching models and general knowledge related to the machining process. As such, undertaking STEP training can be a smart move prior to undergoing product and application training. The more general knowledge a professional possesses, the more he or she is capable of recognising and exploiting the built-in features and potential of the cutting tools used in a diverse range of applications.
cutting EDGE Q&a
Patrick de Vos, Corporate Technical Education Manager at Seco Tools Group, answers your questions about machining.
What are the different STEP modules?
How should I use the new STEP textbooks?
Answer: STEP takes in a wide range of training packages and modules spread across several different levels. STEP Core Curriculum is a series of education packages aimed at explaining the basics of the machining process and tooling. STEP Advanced Curriculum contains packages that elevate the knowledge of participants to the specialist level. STEP Collection is a series of packages related to specific practical machining models. NEXT STEP offers a practical link between metal cutting technology and production economics. STEP is available through different channels, including classroom presentations and workshops, e-learning packages, technical literature (articles, booklets and guides, posters) and now also text books.
Answer: The STEP textbooks can be used by metal cutting professionals to study machining models, principles and methods about different aspects of the machining process. Metal Cutting, Theories and Models describes state-of-the-art machinability models for modern machining from a scientific perspective. The book provides an overview of all aspects that come into play in the machining process. It is the reference book for all the other books in the series published by Seco. Metal Cutting, Theories in Practice describes the same principles and models as presented in the previous book, but from a practical perspective. This book presents the machinability models in such a way that they become of practical usage in daily work. Tool Deterioration, Best Practices deals with a particular aspect of the machining process, namely tool deterioration. Tool deterioration is the balancing point in machinability models. Most problems in machining processes can be classified as tool deterioration related events. This book is a basic and indispensable tool in every machining expert’s toolbox.
EDGE (1. 2016)
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Case F책rbo Mekaniska
Small town heroes
Swedish industrial subcontracting company F책rbo Mekaniska has increased its turnover from four million Swedish crowns in 2005 to 50 million today, while its total number of employees has grown from four to 34. With that kind of momentum behind it, almost nothing seems impossible for this company from Fagersta in central Sweden. by Karin Strand Photos by Jonas Gauffin
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EDGE (1. 2016)
Fårbo Mekaniska Fårbo Mekaniska was established in 1988 and taken over by Roger Berggren in 2005. The company’s turn-over was 52 million Swedish crowns in 2014 when the number of employees was 34. The company is an industrial subcontractor that produces everything from the simplest parts through to advanced precision engineering, both in large production runs and on a one-off basis. Its customers include Atlas Copco Secoroc, Seco Tools, Sandvik, Outokumpu, Metso Minerals, Morgårdshammar, ABB and Ruukki. www.farbomek.se Brothers in arms. Ronnie Berggren, Production Manager at Fårbo Mekaniska, and his brother Roger, CEO and owner.
EDGE (1. 2016)
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Case Fårbo Mekaniska
Fårbo Mekaniska is located in an industrial precinct directly south of the Swedish town Fagersta. It sits on a plot of land almost immediately next door to Seco Tools, with whom the company has enjoyed a long history of cooperation. Fårbo Mekaniska produces items including spare parts for the rolling mill industry, products for the mining industry, tools for the engineering industry and parts for the shipping sector. In addition to Seco Tools, the company’s largest customers include other globally active Swedish companies such as Sandvik, Atlas Copco and ABB. “About half of what we produce are recurring items, with the rest totally new products where we adapt each product according to the customer’s wishes,” says Roger Berggren, CEO and owner of Fårbo Mekaniska. Berggren began working for Fårbo Mekaniska in 1988, straight after finishing two years of mechanical engineering training at secondary school. He took over the company in 2005. Since then, things
Fårbo Mekaniska is one of the manufacturers of Seco’s Secopoint Smartdrawer tool-dispenser. And, of course, the company uses the solution itself.
have only gone up and up, and in 2013 the company received a prestigious award from Dagens Industri, one of Sweden’s leading business newspapers. In 2014, Berggren was singled out as one of five finalists in the annual Confederation of Swedish Enterprise competition to find the nation’s most enterprising person. Berggren believes a large part of the company’s success
Located next door to Seco’s headquarters in Fagersta, Sweden, Fårbo Mekaniska produces Secopoint tool dispensers to be delivered to different markets across the world.
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EDGE (1. 2016)
stems from his own background. “I believe in what I’m doing and I also understand the operation,” he says. “I’ve stood working at the majority of the machines we have here, and if someone comes in and shows me a design, I can tell if we can make the product.” Berggren continues, “I’m also a very competitive person. I have a sports background and was part of a floorball team that won the Swedish national championships. I’m passionate about challenges and finding the best solution for every customer. I’m also a team player who, with my colleagues, wants to work towards just that solution.” Berggren’s proactive approach has resulted in the company becoming one of the larger companies in Fagersta, sitting behind giants such as Seco Tools,
Secopoint™ Smartdrawer One of the products Fårbo Mekaniska produces for Seco Tools is the Secopoint Smartdrawer tool-dispensing machine. Looking a little like a filing cabinet with a computer on top, it can be most simply described as a cross between a warehouse, store room and ordering point. Users type their unique code into the computer along with the name of the tool they want to access and can then easily find their way through the draws to locate the desired tool or insert. The tool dispenser can also be used for the storage of calibrated instruments, portable computers, and other items of equipment to be reused.
“ I’ve stood working at the majority of the machines we have here, and if someone comes in and shows me a design, I can tell if we can make the product.” Roger Berggren, CEO. Fårbo Mekaniska
Smartdrawer registers withdrawals and sends an order to the relevant subcontractor before the drawer becomes completely empty, meaning no machines need stand still due to a shortage of a tool or insert. “Of course we also use Smartdrawer ourselves,” says Fårbo Mekaniska’s Roger Berggren. “The dispenser has saved us lots of money, as we always have the insert needed. The consumption of materials has also fallen as everyone just picks out what they need.” Fårbo Mekaniska both produces and services Secopoint Smartdrawer. Over 100 of the tool dispensers are produced each year.
Atlas Copco, the local hospital, Bergslagssjukhuset, and the local municipal council. He sees two major challenges in running the business. “One is attracting the right people,” he says. “We have many clever operators, but I’m always looking for people who like to tinker and fix things. This job demands creativity.” Berggren continues, “The other challenge is delivery times. Customers don’t want to hold onto inventory and lead times are becoming increasingly shorter, often only two or three weeks. That means that we need to work around the clock and be flexible. We hired a production planner a year ago whose job it is to improve our delivery reliability and we’re becoming steadily better.” Berggren believes the future will continue to be bright. Fårbo Mekaniska is busy expanding its premises and has recently invested in three new machines. The company now has at its disposal a large array of machinery, including various lathes, milling machines and machining centres. All are equipped with inserts from Seco Tools. “The machines are the backbone of the company,” says Berggren. “With the short delivery times that we have, the machines mustn’t get too old. They have to run around the clock.” EDGE (1. 2016)
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Possibilities Urban Rail
Next stop: The future This full-size mock-up of a futuristic metro train shows that public transport could be about to take a big step away from the noisy, worn-out metal cages of the past. Driverless and with a sleek, attractive design, the Siemens Inspiro concept train is 30 percent more energy efficient and 20 percent lighter than conventional metro trains. The concept could well find a home in the growing market for rail transport, with German transport consultancy company SCI predicting that urban rail will grow faster than high-speed and conventional rail, albeit from a smaller base.
Building your own urban rail solution? EDGE’s Possibilities section takes a look at interesting developing technologies from around the world and the Seco tools that can be used to make them a reality.
Solutions for railway wheels From high-power locomotives to high-speed trains, Seco understands the complexities involved in machining new railway wheels. Our broad range of toolholders includes solutions designed for the unique challenges of specific railway wheels, allowing you to optimise machining of these large pieces, while also extending the life of your tools. Read more on secotools.com/ heavymachining
“ If we have a problem, Seco has a solution.” Haet Lo, Shie Ming Machinery Co. Ltd, Taiwan
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EDGE (1. 2016)
edge and you
Pushing the boundaries by John Scott Marchant Photo by Chung Shih-wei
Businessman Haet Lo heads a thriving machinery parts operation in northern Taiwan. His business philosophy is simple: flexibility, passion and responsiveness. These are values that also sync well with Seco’s approach.
Haet Lo When I started with Shie Ming MachinAGE: 44 JOB: Manager of Shie Ming Machinery Co. Ltd. LOCATION: Miaoli County, Taiwan FAMILY: Married with two daughters HOBBIES: Cycling, eating Hakka cuisine, following Formula One, hiking and travel EDUCATION: Bachelor of Business Administration at AsiaPacific Institute of Creativity, Taiwan.
ery as a driver 24 years ago, I never imagined that one day I would swap the seat of my delivery truck seat for a chair behind the manager’s desk. I’ve done nearly every job in this organisation and understand the role that listening and learning play in achieving optimal results. This approach is paying handsome dividends. Since taking the helm of the company in 2001, I’ve reduced our reliance on ICT products and secured a sizeable slice of the regional glass bottle mould business. I’ve also secured a firm foothold in the aircraft parts market with GE Aviation. DMG machines are the lifeblood of this business. We had one in 2006, 18 by the end of 2014 and are aiming for 38 by 2017. Seco is a central part of this growth. They take care of our machines and always provide highquality parts at a moment’s notice. The secret of Shie Ming’s success is our ability to meet the needs of customers and keep abreast of industry developments. Seco is the same. If we have a problem, they have a solution. If we need service, they are by our side morning, noon and night. Exploring fresh frontiers in the aircraft parts business is a major component of our future business plan, and we look forward to working closely with Seco in achieving this goal. EDGE (1. 2016)
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case uddeholm
Automation benefits everyone Manufacturing company Uddeholm is the heart and soul of a district in central Sweden and one of the world’s leading producers of tool steel for sectors such as the automotive industry. Such achievements require excellent forward planning, and a newly installed robot cell is helping the company to more efficiently meet customer demands for fine-machined tool steels. By Anne HammarskjÜld Photos by Tobias Ohls
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EDGE (1. 2016)
Intelligent industrial solutions can deliver great results. Swedish automotive-industry supplier Uddeholm recently installed a robot cell for milling, significantly increasing efficiency.
EDGE (1. 2016)
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case uddeholm
V
isiting Hagfors in the province of Värmland in western Sweden is a little like taking a fantastic journey back in time. The local landscape, with its large lakes and deep forests, has been home to the processing and refining of iron and steel since the seventeenth century. That heritage is today being maintained by Uddeholm, the world’s leading producer of tool steel for use in the production of industrial work tools for a range of sectors, including the automotive industry. While its heritage is a source of immense pride, having a long history doesn’t get you far in the face of tough global competition. Over the past eight years, Uddeholm has been at the centre of a comprehensive efficiency drive, involving the investment of one billion Swedish crowns (100 million euros) in the facility. In the spring of 2015, another 250 million crowns was invested in projects including a better flue-gas treatment system, a research and development facility for powder steel, and an eleventh remelting furnace. Another strategically important investment has been in the company’s first robot-loaded machine cell for double-sided milling, something that became fully functional in the spring of 2015 after about two years of planning, evaluation and testing.
CNC operator Erica Davidsson worked in milling before the arrival of the robot cell and was initially sceptical about the change. “I wondered how it would work with our different materials and dimensions. Our production covers a wide range of areas and this creates major demands. But now it’s working well and no one has lost their job as a result of the robot arriving.
Shaping our everyday lives It’s highly likely that your glasses and the car that you drive both have a link the district of Hagfors in Sweden’s Värmland province. The Uddeholm steelworks has been located here since 1878 and today produces one of the world’s best and cleanest tool steels. This steel is used for the production of industrial work tools for the cutting, shearing, and shaping of steel, other metals and plastic in both a cold and warm state. The steel is used by the automotive industry and producers of pacemakers, PET bottles and eyeglasses to name just a few applications. Uddeholm works with about 100,000 different customers in 100 countries. Some 50 percent of the production output goes to the automotive industry. Over the last two years, the company has taken on 100 new employees and profit margins have increased from 4-5 percent to 17 percent.
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Stefan Stenmark is a production engineer at Uddeholm and manager of the project, which came about when an older mill needed refurbishing. When it became apparent that the cost of refurbishment was too high, the idea of trying another solution was proposed. “When we evaluated the options, the existing solution just seemed completely wrong,” says Stenmark. “I’d long been thinking about a robot, and it now seemed the time was right. It’s been an intense and fun journey which has involved everything from evaluating suppliers to finding the money and putting the solution into service.” Stenmark says the procurement of the robot cell for milling started in 2013 and involved a new way of working, in every sense of the phrase. “We don’t usually collaborate with the supplier during procurement, but in this case it felt both natural and useful,” Stenmark says. “Among other things, we were able to discuss material solutions as part of a dialogue with Seco and the machine supplier, Stenbergs.” Håkan Nordh is a service engineer at Seco and Account Manager for Uddeholm. He says his involvement in the robot procurement process was an important and instructive experience, which among other things involved undertaking research trips to Turkey and Taiwan for “test runs in real situations and with the real material”. “Uddeholm’s requirement specifications to the machine supplier were for a 2RA surface finish, Sverker 21 tool steel, and a maximum throughput time of 2.5 minutes. These were the basic requirements that we had with Stenbergs. We really appreciated having the opportunity to be in the loop from an early stage and to work with Uddeholm on this important procurement.” EDGE (1. 2016)
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case uddeholm
“ Milled steel is as good as ground steel and the robot cell maintains the measurements better than the ground segments.” Ulrika Åhs, Head of Department, Uddeholm
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EDGE (1. 2016)
New Double Octomill™ allows for increased productivity
Following assembly and six weeks of trials, the machine was delivered to Uddeholm in December 2014 and then underwent fine tuning. The machine and a larger mill have both been fully operational since last spring. Together, the machines provide a complete solution, with the robot cell handling breadths from 25mm to 200mm and thicknesses from 4mm to 80mm, and the larger machine handling all other sizes.
The new-generation Double Octomill R220.48 face-milling cutter is a highly versatile, economical and productive tool that can be used for roughing and finishing. Seco’s Double Octomill is one of the face-milling cutters used by Uddeholm’s robot cell. The innovative Double Octomill has inserts that are positioned in the pockets by HSS pins, making indexing easy and secure. Nothing can go wrong because the HSS pins keep the insert correctly in place, ensuring an extremely long life for each pocket (65 HRC). The Double Octomill’s 16 cutting-edge inserts make it unbeatable value on a per-edge and per-part basis. The face-milling cutter is available in diameters ranging from 40 to 500 mm and it is particularly well suited to the processing of large components. All Double Octomill cutters use a unique pocket design and ground slots on the insert to achieve maximum precision.
Head of Department at Uddeholm Ulrika Åhs
says the robot cell means that customers have had to adjust to new, fine-machined plates. “Milled steel is as good as ground steel and the robot cell maintains the measurements better than the ground segments,” she says. “Thanks to thorough investigation, we also know that the new structure doesn’t affect the material properties any more than polished. And the chips from the robot cell are better for the environment. They can go straight back into the smelter for recycling, without further processing.” Uddeholm’s intention with the robot was never to reduce the workforce. Instead, the primary goal was to increase efficiency and in this way be able to offer a lower price for the material produced. “The competitive advantages that the robot cell offers our customers are: quality, time and delivery reliability,” says Stenmark. “For us internally, it frees up capacity and various people have now been given new work duties. Everyone is satisfied and the whole solution has turned out better than I expected.”
Seco’s Double Octomill is one of the facemilling cutters used by Uddeholm’s robot cell.
Some 850 of Hagfors’ 5,000 or so inhabitants work at Uddeholm, and many others have links to local suppliers. The company is, in other words, the heart and soul of the district, and the investments now being undertaken will impact on many people’s lives. “Uddeholm is a part of a 350-year-old production chain that is now being re-examined and developed,” says Stenmark. “We’re building our operation on skilled operators. At the end of the day, it’s about ensuring the district’s future.” EDGE (1. 2016)
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Edge of the world
“ We always have back-up systems of everything with us – extra breathing gas, extra lights, two separate scuba systems.” Jörgen Andersson, Product Manager for Milling at Seco and a keen mine diver
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It’s pitch-black, deep within the belly of the earth.
Dive into the past When Jörgen Andersson isn’t working as a product manager, he likes to pull on his scuba gear and dive into an old, water-filled mine. On display beneath the surface are forgotten but well-preserved mining workplaces and spectacular caverns. by Karin Strand Photos by Jacek Majek (Underwater photos) and Jonas Gauffin
The only light comes from our head-mounted lights and flashlights, which illuminate railway sleepers on the ground, a switchboard on the wall and a bundle of drill steel – all testament to the industrial activities that once took place here. We’re 80 metres beneath the surface of the earth in the old Tuna Hästberg mine, outside Borlänge in central Sweden. The mine provides Jörgen Andersson with a way of challenging himself. A product manager at Seco Tools during working hours, he regularly dives in the kilometre-long, water-filled former industrial spaces located beneath our feet. “I’ve been involved in sports diving since I was 16 and I’ve been a scuba diving instructor for 22 years,” he explains. “A year ago, I felt I was faced with the choice of either quitting or of developing myself as a scuba diver. That’s when I first heard about this mine.” Tuna Hästberg is an old iron mine located between the towns of Borlänge and Ludvika and dating from approximately the 16th century. The mining of iron ore here continued right up until 1968. Today, the almost 600-metre deep mine is filled with water up to a depth of about 520 metres. “Diving in a mine is, of course, completely different to diving in a lake or in the sea,” says Andersson. “Down here it’s not about exploring the unknown, but about exploring the forgotten. Not many people dive in mines, but it’s an incredible experience.” It’s easy to understand what Andersson is talking about. As we wander through the mine, even the sections above water are fascinating. All of a sudden, we find ourselves in a gigantic break-room with a ceiling that’s vertiginously high. Nearby, abysses open up to reveal that the water’s edge isn’t far beneath us. The water is crystal clear, with visibility of at least 30 metres. “So, you can imagine what it feels like to hover weightless through this water in this environment,” Andersson says. “It’s a mix of feeling completely relaxed while at the same time having to be incredibly focused.” Ropes are attached to the walls of the waterfilled former workspaces to assist the divers. A great deal of thought has been given to safety. EDGE (1. 2016)
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Edge of the world
“When you train to become a mine diver, almost everything revolves around solving problems,” Andersson says. “If anything happens down here, you can’t just surface. Although it’s incredibly beautiful and otherworldly, it’s also a very hostile environment should anything happen.” To avoid damage to both suits and equipment and to avoid getting caught on objects in this former workplace, the divers’ swimming technique, equipment and judgement all have to be perfect. If a diver gets too close to the bottom in the diving environment, the sediment can be disturbed, reducing the visibility to zero. A large part of the training involves practising for breakdowns and emergencies. Divers need to be able to find their way back to the entrance, even in complete darkness. “One of the differences between this and regular sports diving is that we always have back-up systems of everything with us – extra breathing gas, extra lights, two separate scuba systems, and so on,” says Andersson. “In total, all the equipment weighs close to 50 kilograms.” The only serious incident Andersson has been
involved in occurred during the mine-diving course when he failed to pressure equalize between 12 and 21 metres and burst an eardrum. He was fortunate to not have sustained permanent damage to his hearing. Mine diving is always undertaken in groups of two or three, and an average dive lasts about an hour. The cold limits the length of dives. The water temperature is only four degrees Celsius and despite the fact that Andersson wears a thick underlayer close to his body, it gets cold. As a result, it’s very pleasant after a dive to go into the heated mine cabin located next to the dive platform, have a cup of coffee and chat for a bit while your body returns to its normal temperature. Andersson’s working career began at ABB in the Swedish town of Ludvika where he spent 10 years working on a CNC milling
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Three tips for when diving in mines Train “Undertake specialised training. There’s a big difference between regular scuba diving and mine diving.” Be patient “Give yourself time to develop. Don’t undertake difficult dives too soon.” Be thorough “Don’t cut corners when it comes to pre-dive planning. Be extra thorough with the check list.”
machine. In 2000, he commenced studies at the Swedish School of Mining and Metallurgy in Filipstad, eventually graduating with a bachelor of science in metallurgy and materials. He next undertook a masters in materials science and did his thesis work at Seco Tools. He was employed by the company in 2006 to work in milling development. Today, he is Corporate Product Manager for Milling and Minimaster Products. “Without academic qualifications I wouldn’t have got this job,” he says. “But the truth of the matter is that the 10 years that I
Jörgen Andersson AGE: 44 Background: Three years of workshop training at high school, 10 years working on a milling machine at ABB in Ludvika, bachelor of science in metallurgy and materials from the Swedish School of Mining and Metallurgy in Filipstad, masters in materials science, Global Product Manager for Copy Milling Tools and Minimaster Products at Seco Tools. Family: Wife and five kids. Leisure activities: “There’s only time for work, family and diving.”
Diving in abandoned mines, in four degrees Celsius water temperature and with equipment weighing close to 50 kilos, requires rigorous precautions.
spent on the milling machine were probably the most valuable for me. I have first-hand experience with the application and this is invaluable.” So, is there anything here, down in the deep, that relates back to Andersson’s work at Seco Tools? “No, hardly anything. The bits of old drill steel we find down here are about as close as you come,” he says with a laugh. “It’s actually the opposite. Diving allows you to totally disconnect from the everyday world. I enjoy it enormously, particularly after a dive when you relax and talk about your diving experience. Then I really get a smile on my face.” From having been on the verge of giving up diving entirely, Andersson is now looking forward to developing further. “Now I feel like I have a reason to stick with it for at least another 15 years,” he says. “There’s lots to learn and lots of different levels within the mine to dive on. And there’s also lots of interesting mines in Sweden.” EDGE (1. 2016)
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edge-ucation
New insights. Seco’s tech centres, including the recently opened facility in Chennai, India, provide on-site training in new techniques and technologies.
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EDGE (1. 2016)
Centre of the action By Daniel Dasey Photos by Atul Loke
Opened in March 2015, Seco’s new Virtual and Practical Centre in Chennai, India, has already provided assistance to a large number of customers seeking help with technical and business challenges.
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hen a customer in India had a question about the precision of Seco’s drills, Seco’s new Virtual and Practical Centre in Chennai India was able to help. Centre Engineer Prakash Srinivasan says engine component manufacturer Gnutti Precision was interested in whether drills mounted using Seco’s shrinkfit system were more prone to run-out than those mounted using a competitor’s chuck system. Eager to demonstrate the superior reliability of the Seco product, the centre conducted a trial for Gnutti with clear results. “We invested in a shrink fit holder and held a demonstration in the centre,” Srinivasan says. “This proved there was no run-out. The customer was so convinced that they are now on the verge of purchasing their own shrinkfit machine from Seco.” The Chennai facility is one of a large number of technical centres provided by Seco around the world. Located in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany,
Hungary, Poland, the United States, Italy, France, China, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, the centres aim to not only showcase Seco’s tools but also to educate manufacturers about new techniques and technologies. They provide a venue where Seco can work together with customers to arrive at novel and innovative tooling solutions that improve the productivity of the customers’ business. The Indian facility is the newest technical centre and was opened in March 2015. Situated on a 560-square-metre site in downtown Chennai, it is capable of providing outstanding on-site training for up to 40 participants and also of broadcasting demonstrations to large audiences across India and the wider Asia Pacific region. The centre is equipped with state-of-theart equipment, including machine tools, CAD/CAM, tool measuring and setting equipment, as well as a full range of Seco’s latest high-performance cutting tools. Visitors to the centre can receive training EDGE (1. 2016)
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edge-ucation
Global problemsolvers Regardless of where in the world they are based, staff at Seco’s Technical Centres like nothing more than successfully solving customer problems.
Brand new facilities. Prakash Srinivasan, an engineer at Seco’s tech centre in Chennai, says customers have welcomed the opening of the centre and appreciate both the training and facilities that it offers.
through e-learning modules combined with hands-on trainings. The centre also hosts the South India sales office with a staff of nine and can produce customer specific component run-offs and host new product launches. It is available for booking to all of Seco Tools industry partners, customers and distributors. Srinivasan says Seco saw Chennai as a prime location for a new technical centre as the city is an industrial hub serving the thriving Indian automotive and ancillary sector, as well as the growing power generation sector. Visitors have so far come from across India, with the main customer segments being automotive, power generation, aerospace, and general engineering. “Customers have welcomed the opening of the centre and appreci-
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ate the training and training facilities it offers”, says Srinivasan. “We have offered them demos on the on 3-Axis DMG-Mori machine, the shrinkfit machine, presetter and the latest tooling.” One of the centre’s key focus areas is the Seco Technical Education Programme (STEP). The programme aims to fill the “technology gap” experienced by businesses when they fall behind the leading edge of technical advances. Keeping up to date allows businesses to improve productivity, reduce waste and reduce machining time. The Virtual and Practical Centre shares its premises with Seco Tools’ regional sales office, meaning that it is well placed as a venue for project discussions and for demonstrating the latest technical solutions for businesses.
When Seco opened its US technical centre in Troy, Michigan in 2008, one of its primary goals was to help customers solve technical problems and become more efficient and profitable. Seven years on, the centre has a long track record of doing just that. Don Graham, Manager, Education and Technical Services at the centre, is able to provide a long list of happy customers from industries ranging from aerospace to automotive. “One customer had to thread 70 HRc iron parts and was told that you couldn’t do that with PcBN (polycrystalline cubic boron nitride),” Graham says of a particular stand-out success. “We were able to help them produce a wide variety of thread forms using PcBN and solid carbide thread mills. It meant millions of dollars in sales for them.” Graham says the customer-centric approach of the centre is simple. “We want to be easy to do business with,” he says. “We want to partner with our customers. We want to help those customers remain viable in the global marketplace. In most instances we feel we can be of greatest benefit by helping them get their part cost down and productivity up.” Seco operates Technical Centres in countries including the UK, China, Hungary, the Benelux countries, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden and Italy and all take a similar approach. Emilio Scandroglio, Technical Director, at Seco’s Technical Centre in Guanzate, Italy, says day-to-day activities are all about educating and assisting customers. “We organise demos with all the typical applications and exercises with chip forming diagrams in order to show the cutting geometries behaviour in relation to the cutting parameters,” he says. “During other general visits, we organise factory production tours and practical demos on our available machining centre.” In Poland, Seco’s Marcin Hoszwa says the local technical centre is appreciated by customers. “Our main customers are from the aviation industry, and we help them to select the most efficient tools and machining conditions for different materials like super alloys, titanium or composites,” he says. “We organise STEP trainings for all customers, distributors and students to promote knowledge about using modern tools and machining methods, strategies.”
Seco’s Technical Centres
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US: “Our advice meant millions of dollars in sales for the customer.”
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Poland: “We help our customers to select the most efficient tools and machining conditions for different materials.”
Italy: “We organise exercises and demos with all the typical applications.”
Centre: Hungary Location: Budapest Opened: 2008 Special focus: Education, productivity Visitors per year: 10-12 groups Main customers: automotive, power generation 10
1 Centre: US Location: Troy, Michigan Opened: 2008 Special focus: Education, customer applications, competitive analysis Visitors per year: 1,400+ Main customers: Aerospace and automotive 2 Centre: UK Location: Alcester Opened: 2013 Special focus: Customer projects Visitors per year: 500+ Main customers: Large aerospace down to tier 2 suppliers
3 Centre: France Location: Bourges Opened: since 2007 Special focus: Education, tool testing, R&D Visitors per year: 350 Main customers: mainly general engineering customers but all segments and customers can use it, such as aerospace, agricultural and automotive. 4 Centre: Benelux Location: Braine l’Alleud, Belgium Opened: 1996 Special focus: Education, tool testing Visitors per year: Up to 150 Main customers: Automotive, aerospace, medical and general engineering
5 Centre: Germany Location: Erkrath Opened: 1992 Special focus: Customers, universities, schools, direct sales, and distribution partners. Visitors per year: 1,200+ Main customers: All customers who are interested in qualification and efficient application strategies. 6 Centre: Italy Location: Guanzate Opened: 1990 Special focus: Training, education, demos Visitors per year: 200 Main customers: Direct customers, distributors and students
7 Centre: Sweden Location: Fagersta Opened: New centre with dedicated demo hall and showroom will open in 2016 Special focus: R&D testing, demos, customer solutions Visitors per year: 1,500-2,000 8 Centre: Czech Republic Location: Brno Opened: 2015 Special focus: Technical and product information, CET, machining strategy
Centre: Poland Location: Warsaw Opened: 2008 Special focus: Trainings for customers, distributors and students Visitors per year: About 400 Main customers: Aviation 11 Centre: India Location: Chennai Opened: 2015 Special focus: Seco Technical Education Programme (STEP) 12 Centre: China Location: Shanghai Opened: 2008 Special focus: All kinds of external and internal training Visitors per year: About 400 Main customers: Potential and existing customers undergo STEP training EDGE (1. 2016)
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tools of the trade Want more?
Square/Helical t4-12
Edgeupdate.com’s new look, featuring access to our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. check out
Cutter dimensions range from diameter 25 – 125mm, with a corresponding imperial range from diameter 1 – 5”.
Edge Updated Just like the magazine, Edgeupdate.com has a new look and a lot of new features. Be sure to check it out! Cutters are available for different shanks and for shell end mill mounts, with two different pitch versions available.
youtube channel Also check Seco’s channel on Youtube to watch videos of how our products shape the metal parts that build your world – from hip bones to jet engines.
like us! And don’t forget to visit our Facebook and Instagram pages, and send us a tweet on Twitter about anything Seco related.
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BIG IS BEAUTIFUL. Seco Tools is expanding its Square/Helical T4 range with a variety of larger insert sizes. The new T4-12 is a 90-degree cutter for both slotting and contouring applications. It can be used in both square shoulder milling and helical milling, where a larger depth of cut is needed. Large contact areas in the T4-12’s pocket seat allow for reliable insert mounting, meaning the cutter delivers increased productivity and more reliable machining. The ease of the mounting process means
inserts can be positioned correctly, ensuring good surface quality. Inserts are available in a range of different cutting grades developed for different materials, with peak performance in steel and cast iron. The inserts are also suited for stainless steel, hardened materials, high-temperature alloys, and nonferrous materials. The T4-12 is suitable for industry segments such as general engineering, automotive, aerospace and power.
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