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ENQUIRY NO 061

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ENQUIRY NO 079

www.equipment-news.comasia pacific metalworking equipment news March 20132

30 Breathing New Life Into EDMAPMEN caught up with Brad Wang, vice GM of Chmer at TMTS to take a look at what is new in the world of EDM. By Sherlyne Yong

32 Filtering Out Unnecessary Cost In EDM ProcessesClean dielectric fluid and the use of high performance filters are the keys to efficiency and cost reduction in EDM processes. By Norbert Maurer, Mann+Hummel

38 Flexibility In Rigid Clamping OperationsFlexible clamping tools for turning minimise the time and expense for change-overs. By Olivier Löbert, Hainbuch

40 Adding 3D Printing To FixturingStefan Roeding of Materialise looks at how modular measuring fixtures are produced through additive manufacturing

CUTTING EDGE26Adding More Spark To EDM TechnologyAsia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) caught up with Kim Kiwon, principal engineer at Makino Asia to see that there is still plenty of excitement left in the field of EDM. By Joson Ng

SOFTWARE & METROLOGY42 Sensible Metalworking Sensors are used in the metalworking world to simplify operations and increase productivity. By Chris Chan, Sick

TECH TALK34 Finding A Proper FixAugustine Quek explores the possibilities in the world of fixturing.

FORMJOINCUT50 Successful Laser Welding Demands Optimised Laser Joint DesignAn optimised material joint design for laser welding is not only at the heart of a successful implementation, but the key to financial justification for the laser joining process. By David Havrilla, Trumpf

CONTENTSMarch 2013

46Providing The Right Touch For Form MeasurementsA strain gauge probe can turn a portal mill into a CMM, making accurate measurements and cutting down production time. Contributed by Malcolm Price, Renishaw UK

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CONTENTS

68Adding A New Coat To Steel MachiningCombining a universal insert geometry range for steel machining with a CVD coating process is said to improve steel turning output by up to 75 percent. Contributed by Jaslin Huang, Walter AG Singapore

67DMG/Mori Seiki Pfronten Open House If results from the traditional curtain raiser are anything to go by, the company can expect a good year. By Joson Ng

80pgREGULARS08 Business News74 Product Finder79 Exhibition Programmes80A Product Enquiry Card

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ASIA PACIFIC METALWORKING EQUIPMENT NEWS (M.E.N.) is published 8 issues per year by Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building #02-05 Singapore 169206 Tel: (65) 6379 2888 Fax: (65) 6379 2806.

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March 2013

FEATURES66Myanmar Emerging As A Natural Resources PowerhouseWith a mineral-rich landscape as a platform, Myanmar is ready to start its journey of economic development. By Syed Imran Abbas & Somsubhra Banerjee, Global Data

PARTING SHOT78Lighter Is BetterAutomating the production of CRP components can go a long way in helping future automobile and aircraft shed that excess weight. By Fraunhofer

ExECUTIvE ZONE64Four Strategic Points To Advance SMEsIn a competitive business environment, SMEs need to arm themselves with knowledge in order to balance their books, develop quality products and maintain their brand while keeping their customers happy. By Petros N Zenieris, The Business Criterion

EvENTS & ExHIBITION 70Event Review: Taiwan International Machine Tool Show

Event Preview: MTA 2013

62A Quick Word With Marcos RosenzvaigAs man explores the deeper reaches of the world for Oil & Gas (O&G), more sophisticated tools are needed to help in this endeavour. Iscar’s industry manager explains. By Joson Ng

INDUSTRY FOCUS60 Five Questions On Plasma Cutting In The Oil & Gas IndustryBruce Altobelli, GM, Manual Systems, Hypertherm sheds light on ergonomics, safety issues and the advantages of plasma cutting in the oil and gas arena. By Joson Ng

54Laser Welding To Benefit Developing EconomiesA viable process for aerospace, automotive and medical applications, laser welding will continue to grow rapidly, particularly in areas where innovative product designs are now being developed. By Terry VanderWert, Prima Power Laserdyne

58To Build A Lighter CarAt EuroBlech, an exhibition for the sheet metal industry, advanced and ultra-high strength steels were introduced to aid the automotive industry’s aim of producing lightweight cars. By Tata Steel

ENQUIRY NO 017

Editor’sNotE


Published by:

EastErn tradE MEdia PtE Ltd (a fully owned subsidiary of Eastern Holdings Ltd)

Reg No: 199908196C

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

etm EasternTrade Media Pte Ltd

an Eastern Holdings Ltd company

managing director Kenneth Tan

editor Joson Ng [email protected]

business development manager Randy Teo [email protected]

senior sales manager Derick Chia [email protected]

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circulation executive Samantha Tan [email protected]

contributorsSherlyne YongNorbert MaurerAugustine QuekOlivier LöbertStefan RoedingChris ChanMalcolm PriceDavid HavrillaTerry VanderWertMarcos RosenzvaigPetros N ZenierisSyed Imran AbbasSomsubhra BanerjeeJaslin Huang

board of consultants Wäinö a Kaarto AB Sandvik Coromant

dr Moshe Goldberg ISCAR

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

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MICA (P) No. 098/06/2012PPS 840/09/2012 (022818)ISSN 0129/5519

No, there is no typo in the headline. The year 2013 is a dragon year. Before you start scratching your head, flipping your calendar or sending an email to say that 2013 is actually the year of the snake (in accordance to the Chinese lunar calendar, for our readers that are not familiar), allow me to explain why.

China is tipped by many economists to do well this year. Back in Q2 of 2012, things were not as rosy as the GDP growth of the country slumped to 7.6 percent. It is not a disaster by any stretch of the imagination but after many years of double digit growths, there were fears that ‘the good old days’ are over and that the ‘dragon’ is beginning to slow down.

Even with the economy thought to be adjusting to a more sustainable development pattern, 2013 still looks to be a year where people can afford to be more optimistic. According to China Economic Monitoring and Analysis Center’s (CEMAC) national business climate survey results,

Business Climate Index (BCI) was 124.4 in the fourth quarter, an increase of 1.6 points quarter-on-quarter. The survey painted a positive picture of the business climate, current business situation and business outlook.

Elsewhere, the National Bureau of Statistics of China also reported a rise in industrial profits in 2012 fuelling hopes of a more positive 2013. In 2012, the industrial profits of enterprises above designated size achieved RMB 5,557.8 billion (US$892 billion), a year-on-year increase of 5.3 percent. In December, the industrial profits of enterprises above designated size achieved 895.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.3 percent.

Looking forward, a Think Tank in China has predicted an 8.4 percent economic growth in 2013, according to ChinaDaily.com.cn. Whether the prediction will actually ring true remains to be seen but the signs certainly point towards a year of the dragon.

Joson NgEditor

chairman Stephen Taygroup executive director Kenneth Tan

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ENQUIRY NO 054

The Global Economy In 2013 Expected To Grow Modestly

Davos-Klosters, Switzerland: The global economy faces fewer headwinds in 2013 compared with last year and will likely grow a modest 3.5 percent, participants at the 43rd World Economic Annual Meeting were told in Davos, Switzerland. But Christine Lagarde, MD, International Monetary Fund (IMF), described the recovery as “fragile and timid” because the Eurozone is prone to political crisis and slow decision-making processes.

“Some good policy decisions have been made in the various corners of the world, including by central banks,” said Ms Lagarde.

“In 2013, they have to keep the momentum.” She called on Europe to operationalise the new tools policy-makers have recently devised, including Europe’s banking union. Ms Lagarde also credited the US with making significant progress on fiscal consolidation, an achievement that she said tended to be overlooked.

Mark J Carney, governor of the Bank of Canada, echoed Ms Lagarde’s caution. “There are still tail risks out there,” he warned, refuting some claims made in Davos that these risks have been reduced or totally

eliminated. “While central bank action is crucial,” said Mr Carney, “this needs to be reinforced at the national level on the fiscal and structural sides, and neither of those agendas are anywhere being finished.”

Some Positives In AsiaIn Japan, the new government of PM Shinzo Abe has just unveiled a new economic policy that has been quickly dubbed ‘Abe-nomics’. Akira Amari, minister for Economic Revitalisation and minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy of Japan, described the new tack as “a clear commitment to pro-growth policies,” designed to reverse Japan’s prolonged deflation and accelerate GDP growth.

China provides another bright spot. “After seven quarters of slowing growth, the economy headed up in the last quarter,” said Yi Gang, deputy governor, People’s Bank of China. The economy will grow about eight percent in 2013, he added. Domestic consumption is becoming a more important driver of growth as evidenced by the steady shrinking in the current account surplus, a trend encouraged by China’s macroeconomic policies.

The outlook for emerging markets and low-income countries is much higher, at 5.5 percent, than for the developed nations, at 1.5 percent. But any notion of a decoupling is misguided. “We now live in a globalised world. What happens in Europe and the US will affect China, Asia, Africa and other economies,” said Mr Yi

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Rolls-Royce Opens Marine Service Facility In ChinaLondon, UK: Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has opened a Marine Service facility in Guangzhou, to better serve its growing customer base in southern China. The company is expanding its marine services network in China to deal with increased customer demand. The facility in Guangzhou joins those already in operation in Hong Kong, Dalian and Shanghai.

The 700 sq m facility, located in proximity to Guangzhou's busy commercial port and ship repair yards, includes a maintenance workshop and offices for a small team of service engineers and customer support personnel.

Gary Wieland, Rolls-Royce, Marine Regional director (China), said: "Rolls-Royce is continuing to invest in its global service capability. This modern facility in the heart of Guangzhou's Pearl River Delta, one of the busiest locations in the region for shipbuilding and repair, enables us to better meet the needs of our marine customers in the region.

Our global marine service network helps ship owners maximise vessel availability b y p r o v i d i n g t h e m w i t h sk i l le d ser v ice e ng ine ers and maintenance faci l it ies through long-term service and maintenance contracts."

T he fac i l i t y w i l l se r ve customers in the commercial and offshore sectors and can repair and overhaul a range of Rolls-Royce marine equipment, i n c l u d i n g d i e s e l e n g i n e components tunnel thrusters, and propellers. Rolls-Royce engineers will also carry out servicing and repairs on board vessels and can conduct essential maintenance underwater, minimising the need to dry dock vessels.

Delcam Supports EDM Equipment With Integrated Electrode Solution

Birmingham, UK: Delcam has extended the range of EDM equipment supported by its integrated solution for the design, machining and inspection of electrodes. Delcam Electrode can now provide scripts for all the leading manufacturers, including AgieCharmilles (Agievision and CT Millennium controls), Makino EDM, Mitsubishi Electric, ONA EDM, OPS-Ingersoll, Sodick and Zimmer & Kreim.

Scripts are the EDM equivalent of CAM programs for machine tools. They provide an automated process for the programming of the machine, instead of users having to program manually from a set-up sheet. The automated process is much easier and quicker, especially when a number of electrodes are being used on the same component. In addition, the direct link removes the human error that could always be possible with manual programming.

US Manufacturing Technology Orders Enjoy Best Year Since 1996US: December US manufacturing technology orders totalled US$499.43 million according to AMT — The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was up 17.8 percent from November but down 9.4 percent when compared with the total of US$550.99 million reported for December 2011. With a year-end total of US$5,705.58 million, 2012 was up 2.6 percent compared with 2011.

“Finishing 2012 with the highest order total in 13 years certainly confirms the renaissance of US manufacturing,” said Douglas K Woods, AMT president. “This also shows the resilience of the industry in the face of GDP contraction in the fourth quarter, along with fiscal and political concerns that have been overshadowing much of the general economy.”


Businessnews

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Hexagon Metrology Appoints GM Hexagon Metrology has appointed Leong Kim-Huat as the GM for Malaysia and Singapore. He will be based in Hexagon Measurement Technologies located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Mr Leong has more than 20 years of experience in the metrology industry.

APPOinTMenTs

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Thailand: Bank of Thailand has reported the economy expanded well as a whole in 2012, partly from private reconstruction investment after the flood and partly from the extra stimulus provided by the government and accommodative monetary conditions. Although the impact of weakening global demand became more apparent in the latter half of the year, spillovers beyond merchandise exports and export-oriented manufacturing production were limited.

Economic stability remained sound as the unemployment rate stayed low and inflation moderated from the previous year, owing largely to a decline in fresh food prices. The balance of payments registered a stronger surplus compared to the year earlier with contribution from both the current account and the capital account.

In December 2012, the overall economy moderated after having expanded strongly in private consumption and investment as well as showing an improvement in merchandise exports during the preceding months. This corresponded to a slowdown in manufacturing production.

Never theless, economic fundamentals remained sound, with rising employment, an uptrend in consumer and business confidence, and strong private credit growth.

Economic stability was meanwhile well maintained overall, with stable core inflation and a surplus in the balance of payments.

The analysis of the data is based on a seasonally adjusted comparison with the previous month. This can reflect the economic momentum more accurately than year-on-year growth figures which are distorted by the low base effect due to last year's historical flood. Details of the economic conditions are as follows:

Private spending decelerated following a marked acceleration in the preceding period. The Private Consumption Index (PCI) contracted by 2.9 percent month-on-month (mom) from lower VAT collection, which was in line with a decline in imports of consumer goods and automobile purchases.

Nonetheless, automobile purchases remained at an exceptionally high level as car manufacturers continued to utilise full production capacity to accommodate the order backlog.

The Pr ivate Investment Index (PII) also declined by 0.8 percent (mom) as investment in machinery and equipment had already accelerated in the flood reconstruction period. At the same time, construction investment was partly constrained by labour shortage.

Thai Economy Expanded In 2012: Bank Of Thailand

Wimolmas Poklin, Bangkok, Thailand

Merchandise export value was recorded at US$17.96 billion, down slightly from the previous month, reflecting a soft recovery in global demand. Exports of electrical products, especially H a rd D i sk D r i v e s ( H D D), petroleum and steel declined following a period of acceleration, while exports of vehicles and electrical appliances continued to expand well and exports of rubber recovered on the back of a pickup in demand from China.

Moderated domestic demand a nd mercha ndise ex por ts corresponded to a decline in manufacturing production and merchandise imports. The Manufacturing Production Index (MPI) contracted by five percent (mom) from the production of HDD, petroleum, and food and beverages.

Nonetheless, production of integrated circuits and parts g radua l ly improved a long with the easing of production constraints as a result of the flood, while automobile production was sustained at a high level. Merchandise import value was registered at US$17.67 billion, contracting slightly from the previous month from imports of consumer goods, capital goods as well as raw materials and intermediate goods.


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DMG/Mori Seiki Invests In Youth Development

Pfronten, Germany: DMG/Mori Seiki will be the official sponsor of WorldSkills Leipzig 2013, a competition to find the world champions in their apprenticed trades in 45 disciplines. The company will be providing a total of 32 turning and milling machines for the competition. DMG/Mori Seiki Academy has been providing practically oriented and educationally innovative training services in the field of CNC machining since it was founded in 1987.

As part of the sponsoring activities, the company has a special offer for the 24 participating countries in the four disciplines on all aspects of CNC machining. "With our WorldSkills package consisting of a turning or milling machine, the appropriate software and practically oriented training at the academy, we are able to offer our customers machine and service solution with good price/performance ratio," says Jan Möllenhoff, MD of DMG/Mori Seiki Academy.

Vero Software Acquires SurfCAM

Gloucestershire, UK: Vero Software has acquired SurfCAM from Surfware, a US based software specialist responsible for the development of SurfCAM and the TrueMill technology.

C o m m e n t i n g o n t h e acquisit ion, R ichard Smith, CEO of Vero Software says: "Across the enlarged group, the complementary products address the worldwide need for efficient and innovative CAD/CAM/CAE technology. SurfCAM is a CAD/CAM system with a large number of loyal customers and knowledgeable resellers. With an emphasis on sharing already proven technologies, we will provide the development platform to reinvigorate the SurfCAM product and continue to help its customers become more efficient, profitable and successful.

“ Fo l l o w i n g o u r r e c e n t European acquisition of Sescoi (WorkNC), this US acquisition is fur ther ev idence of our growing influence on the global manufactur ing market . We fully recognise the importance of product branding and it is important to emphasise that we will continue to invest in Sur fCA M through our new s u b s i d i a r y S u r f c a m , a n d welcome the existing US and overseas Surfware partners and resellers into the Vero network."

Pratt & Whitney To Build A Manufacturing Facility In SingaporeSingapore: Pratt & Whitney Singapore Manufacturing broke ground on a facility at the Seletar Aerospace Park. This production facility will manufacture fan blades and high pressure turbine disks for Pratt & Whitney's PurePower Geared Turbofan engines.

This 16,000 sq m facility will border the company’s existing flagship facility at Seletar — Pratt & Whitney Singapore Component Repair — further expanding the company's 30-year presence in the country.

Now with a total of nine businesses in Singapore, Pratt & Whitney Singapore Manufacturing will help the company achieve production capacity required to meet customer demand for commercial engines.

The facility is projected to be complete by 2014, and it will begin producing commercial engine fan blades in 2015 and high pressure turbine disks by 2016. The company is also in the final stages of completing its existing 15,000 sq m Singapore Component Repair facility in the Seletar Aerospace Park, which is readying for occupancy in the first quarter with initial production to begin by the end of 2013.

Luiz Fernando Pilz, Sao Paulo, Brazil


Businessnews

ENQUIRY NO 062

Malaysia: At the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, Bank Negara Malaysia decided to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 3.00 percent. The global economic activity is showing signs of improvement, albeit at an uneven pace. Growth in the major advanced economies remains constrained by ongoing fiscal consolidation and weak labour market conditions.

In Asia, growth is supported by sustained domestic demand and a gradual recovery in external

Kennametal Catalogue Available In Print & OnlineLatrobe, US: The Master Catalog 2013 from Kennametal puts the company's complete lineup of tooling solutions in one inclusive catalogue. Replacing all other Kennametal metalworking catalogues, it is a one-stop shop for finding and obtaining the latest and complete metalcutting tools and services.

The catalogue is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Czech, Polish, Dutch, and Turkish. Also available is a free electronic interactive app for iPad users available via iTunes.

The catalogue pages are divided into stationary and rotating tools, and cover a range of milling, holemaking, turning, and tooling system applications in each. Included are specifications, sizes, grades, and many other options on such tools.

Also covered are sections on such vital subjects as hole finishing, with information on poly-crystalline diamond tools and Romicron closed-loop fine-boring technology; and links to other Kennametal specific-engineered solutions for tooling systems, energy, automotive, and aerospace manufacturing applications.

Bank Negara Malaysia To Maintain The OPR At 3 Percent

demand. Stress in the international f inancia l markets has a lso receded. Notwithstanding these improvements, downside risks to the prospects for global growth still remain.

In the domestic economy, a broad set of indicators suggests robust expansion in the fourth quarter of 2012. Growth was driven by sustained domestic consumption and investment activity with some improvements in the external sector. Looking ahead,

domestic demand is expected to continue to expand, underpinned by firm private sector activity.

Private consumption will be supported by income growth and stable employment conditions while investment will be led by capital spending in the domestic-oriented sectors, the oil and gas industry and the on-going implementation of infrastructure projects. The external sector is also expected to gradually improve and provide additional support to the economy.

Domestic headline inflation averaged 1.6 percent in 2012. In 2013, inflation is expected to be higher but to remain modest. Selected global food prices and domestic factors are expected to increase costs and contribute to higher prices. Nevertheless, given modest global growth prospects, pressures from global commodity prices is expected to be contained.

The MPC considers the current stance of monetary policy to be supportive of the economy while inflation remains contained. In addition to domestic conditions, the MPC will continue to carefully assess the global economic and financial developments and their implications on the overall outlook for inflation and growth of the Malaysian economy.

Ho

osa

blin

k, S

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apo

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Stratasys' Objet-Line 3D Printers Win AwardMinneapolis, US & Rehovot, Israel: Stratasys announced its Objet line of 3D printers has been named a winner in Design World's sixth annual Leadership i n E n g i n e e r i n g p r o g r a m . The 3D printing technology was honoured in the Digital Manufacturing category.

Design World's Leadership in Engineering is an industry r e c o g n i t i o n p r o g r a m t o ac k nowle d g e e n g i ne e r i n g leadership across severa l disciplines. Winners of the sixth annual program were chosen by Design World online users.

2012 Best Year Ever For Haas AutomationUS: Haas Automation has reported that 2012 was the best year in the company’s 30-year history, with revenues exceeding US$967 million — an increase of 11.5 percent over 2011 — and CNC machine tool production exceeding 13,300 units, an increase of five percent.

Sales of Haas CNC machine t o o l s r e m a i n e d s t r o n g throughout 2012, with December yielding a near-record 1,512 units sold. Total sales for the year exceeded 13,000 machines — an increase of six percent over 2011 — and the company shipped a total of 13,324 units worldwide, with more than half going to international markets.

“It was an incredible year,” stated Haas GM Bob Murray, “our best year ever. And we owe a lot to our international customers. We will continue investing in our growing international markets to ensure that all Haas customers receive the high-quality products and world-class service they deserve.”

North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts December 2012 Book-To-Bill Ratio Of 0.92US: North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted US$924.1 million in orders worldwide in December 2012 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.92, according to the December Book-to-Bill Report published by SEMI (A global industry association serving the nano- and micro-electronic manufacturing supply chains). A book-to-bill of 0.92 means that US$92 worth of orders were received for every US$100 of product billed for the month.

The three-month average of worldwide bookings in December 2012 was US$924.1 million. The bookings figure is 28.6 percent higher than the revised November 2012 level of US$718.6 million, and is 16.2 percent lower than the December 2011 order level of US$1.10 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in December 2012 was US$1.01 billion. The billings figure is 10.6 percent higher than the revised November 2012 level of US$910.1 million, and is 22.6 percent less than the December 2011 billings level of US$1.30 billion.

“Both bookings and billings increased in December, but remain below figures reported one year ago,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “While uncertainty remains regarding the 2013 equipment outlook, the foundry and advanced packaging segments are the key investment drivers at the beginning of the year.”

The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers.

Creatz3D Distributes 3D Printing & RP Solutions In The RegionSingapore: Creatz3D is the authorised distributor for Stratasys’s 3D printing systems and materials as well as Materialise Magics Rapid Prototyping Software in Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. Established in 2012, the company is a subsidiary brand of Hong Chek Company. It also provides support in a form of machine and software training courses with the priority to integrate the machine at customer’s premises.

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Add: 10/F,GIFC,No.1438 Hongqiao Road,Shanghai 201103 ChinaTel:021- 2208 5112

[email protected] NO 056

Honda To Build Plant & Increase Production Capacity In Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand: Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co, Ltd (HATC), Honda's automobile production and sales subsidiary in Thailand, plans to build an automobile production plant with an annual production capacity of 120,000

units. The plant will be located within the property that the company acquired in Prachinburi Province (approximately 120 km east of Bangkok).

With an investment of approximately THB 17.15 billion (US$575 million), including acquisition of the land and construction of the automobile assembly and engine plant, the plant is scheduled to become operational in 2015 with initial employment of approximately 1,200 associates (excluding seasonal).

HATC is planning to produce primarily small and sub-compact sized vehicles at the plant, for which demand is increasing on a global basis. Furthermore, annual production capacity of the company's existing plant in Ayutthaya has increased from 240,000 to 280,000 units as of the end of January 2013, through the addition and upgrading of the existing facilities and equipment. The company is planning to make an additional investment to increase the annual production capacity of the existing plant to 300,000 units in 2014. Combined with the capacity of the new plant, HATC’s total annual production capacity will be increased to 420,000 units in 2015.

Envisioning the continuous growth of the small car market in Thailand and exports to ASEAN, Oceania, the Middle & Near East, Africa and Caribbean countries, the company will increase its production capacity while also enhancing its product lineup.

General Motors Has All-Time Record Month In ChinaShanghai: General Motors and its joint ventures sold more than 300,000 vehicles in a single month for the first time ever in China. January sales totalled 310,765 units, an increase of 26.0 percent from the same month in 2012 and 15.9 percent above the previous all-time monthly high of 268,035 units in January 2011.

Domestic sales by Shanghai GM and SAIC-GM-Wuling, and their Buick, Chevrolet and Wuling brands all set new single-month records as well in January.

Shanghai GM sold 154,220 vehicles in China, an increase of 24.3 percent year on year. SAIC-GM-Wuling sold 151,819 vehicles, as domestic demand for its products increased 26.6 percent on an annual basis. Demand in China for FAW-GM’s products increased 84.5 percent on an annual basis to 4,490 units.

Nissan To Expand In ASEANBangkok, Thailand: Nissan M o t o r A s i a P a c i f i c h a s announced plans to expand the Nissan Technical Center South East Asia (NTCSEA), its regional R&D function, to accelerate the company's R&D activities in the ASEAN region.

A b ro a d e n e d s co p e o f responsibility, the addition of new facilities and an increase of sta f f w i l l contr ibute to better addressing the needs of customers in the region. This will also allow for quicker alignment with market requirements, l e ad i n g to t he cont i nue d development of Nissan products.

The expansion of NTCSEA is an important step in solidifying the foundation for Nissan's growth objectives outlined in its mid-term business plan. The details of the expansion include:

By 2015, for models marketed in the region, NTCSEA will be responsible for a ll R& D processes following the vehicle e n g i ne e r i n g de s i g n s t a ge currently handled by the global R&D function in Japan. This expansion allows the centre to better reflect the specific preferences of customers in the ASEAN region.

With a total investment of JPY 3.4 billion (US$36.4 million), by mid-2014, NTCSEA will add a test course, several testing facilities including chassis and engine dynamometers, and a new management office.

Suzuki Receives Myanmar Government’s ApprovalHamamatsu City, Japan: Suzuki Motor Corp has been approved by the Myanmar government for the establishment of a new company. The company aims to resume automobile production in Myanmar, where it stopped operation in 2010.

The company is now proceeding with the establishment of the new automobile production and sales subsidiary, Suzuki (Myanmar) Motor with 100

percent Suzuki investment.Suzuki (Myanmar) Motor is scheduled to produce

compact truck at an existing plant located in Yangon, where the former Myanmar Suzuki Motor used to produce automobiles. The company plans to expand its automobile production and sales in Myanmar, as the infrastructure development advances in line with the economic liberalisation.


BusinessnewsAutomotive

Hypertherm Strengthens Presence In China

Shanghai, China: In line with increasing business in China, Hypertherm has expanded its Shanghai office, complemented by the addition of new staff. The company hopes to better support partners and end-users across the country.

Hypertherm China is now situated within a larger compound, and its Cutting Technology Center (CTC) is co-located with the new office. The CTC is larger and allows channel partners to have the opportunity to perform mechanised and stainless steel cutting, and to run demonstration on various air plasma systems. The company also has plans to carry out fibre laser and bevel cutting demonstrations in the near future.

Aaron Zou, director, Hypertherm China, said: “Our expanded CTC area allows us to hold more varied training and demonstration sessions to better equip our partners with the necessary sales techniques and technical skills they need to serve end-users.”

In addition, the company has appointed more local associates in recent months. The additional staff will allow the company to effectively cater to the needs of customers, provide even more efficient after-sales support, and establish a stronger presence in the country. EN

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March 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news www.equipment-news.com 21

Businessnews

Machine Tool Orders For Q4 Was Stationary: UCIMUItaly: For the fourth quarter of 2012, the machine tool index of orders produced by the Studies Department of UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre showed a 1.6 percent increase compared with the same period of the previous year.

The domestic index of orders showed a 38.8 percent increase when compared with the fourth quarter of 2011; the absolute value however is still very low, confirming the weakness of the domestic market.

As far as exports are concerned, the index of orders shows a 4.3 percent decrease. The absolute index is still above average, although this is not enough to give confidence to Italian manufacturers, who have been experiencing a gradual reduction in the number of orders for three quarters in a row.

On an annual basis, the index showed a 4.8 percent decrease compared with the 2011 average. This figure is due to a downturn in foreign demand (-5.3 percent), and the decidedly low level of orders within the domestic market, +2 percent, when compared with the previous year.

Luigi Galdabini, president of UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre, says: “These last figures confirm the feeling that investments in the main outlet markets for Made in Italy are slowing down. This is a very dangerous situation for Italian manufacturers, who in the last few years have concentrated their activities over the border to counteract the stagnation of the domestic market. It is certainly impossible to grow indefinitely, but the weakening of the main source of business for the companies of the sector has become a rather serious complication, taking into account that in Italy, investments in capital goods are still at a standstill.”

Machine Tool Orders In Japan Down 4.6%Japan: According to JMTBA, the total value of machine tool orders in December was JPY 84.1 billion (US$895 million). This is a decrease of 4.6 percent compared to November and marked the third consecutive month-on-month decline. In addition, this figure represented a decrease of 27.5 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, with December posting the eighth consecutive month of year-on-year decline.

Total orders fell below JPY 85 billion for the first time in 26 months and marked the smallest monthly order volume of this year for three consecutive months. Although risk factors remain, caused by instability in the European economy and concerns

related to the Chinese market, Japan's new domestic and foreign policies are expected to have beneficial effects.

Domestic orders fell by 13.3 percent from November, amounting to JPY 25.9 billion. This marked the first month-on-month decline in two months. This figure is a decrease of 26.7 percent from the same month of the previous year and marked seven consecutive months of year-on-year decline.

Looking at major industries, orders compared to November fell by 18.1 percent in industrial machinery, by 15.8 percent in motor vehicles and by 17.2 percent in electrical and precision machinery while rising by 18.2 percent in aircraft, shipbuilding and transport equipment.

Foreign orders fell by 0.2 percent from November to JPY 58.21 billion. This marked the third consecutive month-on-month decline. At the same time, foreign orders showed a decrease of 27.8 percent from the same month of the previous year, with December posting the third consecutive year-on-year decline.

By region, orders from Asia fell by 14.4 percent from the previous month to JPY 26.97 billion. This is a decrease of 42.3 percent from the same month of the previous year. Orders from Europe rose by 0.9 percent over November to JPY 10.59 billion. This is a decrease of 14.5 percent from the same month of the previous year.

Orders from North America rose to JPY 19.32 billion, an increase of 26.3 percent over November. This is a decrease of 3.0 percent from the same month of the previous year.

Total machine tool orders for 2012 totalled JPY 1,212.5 billion, which is a decline of 8.6 percent from the previous year. As a result, calendar year 2012 posted the first year-on-year decline in three years, although it was the second consecutive year with total orders over JPY 1 trillion.

Total domestic orders fell by 10.9 percent from the previous year to JPY 375.8 billion, and total foreign orders fell by 7.5 percent from the previous year to JPY 836.6 billion. As a result, the share of foreign orders hit 69.0 percent, an increase of 0.8 percent over the previous year.

Machine tool orders in Japan has recorded a third consecutive month-on-month decline.

Saya Yama, Aichi, Japan


BusinesssTATisTics

ENQUIRY NO 077

World Crude Steel Output Increased By 1.2% In 2012, With China Leading The Way

Rank Country2012 (Mt)

2011 (Mt

2012/2011 (%)

1 China 716.5 694.8 3.1

2 Japan 107.2 107.6 -0.3

3United States

88.6 86.4 2.5

4 India 76.7 73.6 4.3

5 Russia 70.6 68.9 2.5

6South Korea

69.3 68.5 1.2

7 Germany 42.7 44.3 -3.7

8 Turkey 35.9 34.1 5.2

9 Brazil 34.7 35.2 -1.5

10 Ukraine 32.9 35.3 -6.9Asia has led the way in terms of steel production in 2012

Table 1: Top 10 steel-producing countries

More Newswww.equipment-news.com

Br us sel s , Belg ium: World crude steel production reached 1,548 megatonnes (Mt) for the year 2012, up by 1.2 percent compared to 2011. This is a record for global crude steel production.

The growth came mainly from Asia and North America while crude steel production in the EU (27) and South America decreased in 2012 compared to 2011.

East Asia Lead The WayAnnual production for Asia was 1,012.7 Mt of crude steel in 2012, an increase of 2.6 percent compared to 2011. The region’s share of world steel production increased slightly from 64.5 percent in 2011 to 65.4 percent in 2012. China’s crude steel production in 2012 reached 716.5 Mt, an increase of 3.1 percent on

2011. China’s share of world crude steel production increased from 45.4 percent in 2011 to 46.3 percent in 2012.

Japan produced 107.2 Mt in 2012, a -0.3 percent decrease from 2011. In 2012, South Korea’s crude steel production was 69.3 Mt, a 1.2 percent increase compared to 2011.

EuropeThe EU recorded a decrease of -4.7 percent compared to 2011, producing 169.4 Mt of crude steel in 2012. Germany produced 42.7 Mt of crude steel in 2012, a decrease of -3.7 percent on 2011. Italy produced 27.2 Mt in 2012, a -5.2 percent decrease over 2011. France’s crude steel production in 2012 was 15.6 Mt, a decrease of -1.1 percent. Spain produced 13.6 Mt of crude steel in 2012, a -12.1 percent decrease on 2011.

Rest Of The WorldIn 2012, crude steel production in North America was 121.9 Mt, an increase of 2.5 percent on 2011. The US produced 88.6 Mt of crude steel, 2.5 percent higher than 2011.

The CIS showed a decrease of -1.2 percent in 2012, producing 111.3 Mt of crude steel. Russia produced 68.9 Mt of crude steel, a 2.5 percent increase on 2011 and Ukraine recorded a decrease of -6.9 percent with a year-end figure of 32.9 Mt.

Annual crude steel production for South America was 46.9 Mt in 2012, a decrease of -3.0 percent on 2011. Brazil produced 34.7 Mt in 2012, down by -1.5 percent compared to 2011.

Rus M, Almaty, Kazakhstan

@


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ENQUIRY NO 057


A v e t e r a n i n t h e unconventional realm of machining, Electric Discharge Machining

or EDM used to be the dominant technology available to machine complex shapes. Those parts are often difficult to produce with conventional cutting tools as they require very close tolerances and a good level of surface finish.

In today’s manufacturing world, EDM’s influence in the market has been affected by the rise of laser, waterjet and other technologies. Coupled with a general belief that the technology has reached the peak of its prowess, EDM may be seen in some quarters as archaic.

Contrary to such beliefs, there are some recent improvements in EDM that can lay waste to this view. Researchers at Makino recently demonstrated that there is still plenty of fight left in EDM and they can be relevant to the competitive and cut throat nature of today’s manufacturing environment, where cycle time is something that engineers are more than willing to cut down.

To EDM Technology

Adding

More SparkAsia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) caught up with Kim Kiwon, principal engineer at Makino Asia to see that there is still plenty of excitement left in the field of EDM. By Joson Ng

Mr Kim believes EDM will endure the test of time

CuttingEdgE


Figure 2: Cleaning efforts are more effective with large RSm

Stacking IssueOver at the die sinker segment, Mr Kim told APMEN in an exclusive interview that they had recently developed a technology that is capable of reducing maintenance cycle times of IC moulds in the semiconductor industry. Called the IC Mould Package, it allows cleaning efforts on an IC mould to be more effective and less frequent, resulting in higher productivity.

Mr Kim revealed that some customers are facing the problem of resin deterioration due to oxidation, resulting in resin residues adhering themselves to the mould. This gave rise to the need to clean the mould regularly, disrupting production. The problem is exacerbated by the usage of ‘green compound’, an eco-friendly resin, as they have higher adhesion and tend to stick to the bottom of the mould.

The IC Mould Package tackles this problem by improving the surface quality of the mould. “ C u r r e n t l y, d u r i n g m a s s production, the mould is cleaned after eight hours (cleaning interval). As there are materials (resin) sticking to the mould, cleaning time is at least two hours. In order to increase their productivity, they decided to minimise the maintenance time, which gave rise to the need of a certain type of mould surface that

reduces the adhesion of resins, so as to increase the cleaning/maintenance interval.”

An EDM technology is developed to produce better mould surfaces that will in turn increase cleaning interval and increase mould life time. Die sinker machines EDAF2 and EDAF3 are the machines said to possess such technology.

Get RoughAccording to Mr Kim, producing a uniform Ra (arithmetical mean roughness) value and a large RSm (the average width of a peak over the assessed length) value on the mould surface are keys to solving the problem.

He said: “RSm is the width from one peak point to another. Even when we have the same Rz (10-point mean roughness) value, the distance between

peaks (or valleys) is different because Rz only refers to depth.” (See Figure 1)

Thinking in terms of RSm and Rz may be difficult to visualise. It is therefore helpful to picture the following: a large RSm value will result in a large flower like pattern on the SEM pictures of the mould surface (See Picture 1). These large ‘flower’ pattern surface prevents the stacking on mould surface and allows much longer cleaning interval (See Figure 2).

Using the EDAF3 die sinker machine, a copper electrode of size 20 x 20 mm on a workpiece of material ASP23 and machining at a depth of 0.5 mm, the team managed to prove that their technology is capable of producing large flower patterns that are beneficial for productivity as compared to the current technology.

Assessed length Ir

RSm value is the average width of a peak over the assessed length

Image of Mould Cleaning

Small RSm

Large RSm

Xs1 Xs3 XsiXs2 Xs4 Xsm

Roughness curve

RSm = Xsi

m

i=1

1—m

Cleaning Sheet

Cleaning Sheet

Reduce Maintenance Time

Figure 1

Picture of SurfaceRa 1.8 µm

Existing Condition

RSm 76 µmRz 10.7 µm

RSm 160 µmRz 11.5 µm

NEWIC mould Condition

Picture 1: Flower pattern surface (R) ensures better productivity

Mould Surface

Mould Surface

CuttingEdgE


Enquiry No. 2001Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

“Normally when we get large surfaces, maintenance interval increases to 24 hours, three times longer than the original eight hour,” said Mr Kim.

Improvements In Wire Cut EDMIn this day and age where the profit margin in manufacturing industries continues to shrink, the age old saying of ‘time is money’ rings ever so clearly in most manufacturers’ ears. This ethos can be evidently seen in development projects commissioned to tackle timing issues in production. Like its die sinker counterpart, development projects in wire cut EDM are also aimed at lowering production time, mainly by the HyperCut and Anti-rust Function.

T h e m a i n t e c h n o l o g y enhancements in wire cut EDM, as pointed out by Mr Kim, is the reduction of the number of finish machining pass and anti-rust functions.

“We achieved a sur face roughness of Rz 3 µm by three pass machining. This is a new technolog y we developed. Normally in wire cut EDM, you need to do roughing first, resulting in surface finish of around Rz 18 µm, Ra 2.5 µm. If you want to improve the roughness to Ra 0.05, you need to machine several times. For Rz 3 µm, you need a minimum of four or five cuts. However, on the U3 (a wire cut

EDM machine), you can achieve that in three cuts. Machining time is reduced by about 20 percent and wire consumption is reduced by 14 percent,” said Mr Kim.

The Rz value of 3 µm is significant according to him, as it is a benchmark value widely used for standard stamping products in automotive stamping and electronics component stamping. The reduction of machining time stems from the actual machining time and set up time like cutting and threading of wire. This point is particularly pertinent when multiple workpiece machining is required (See figure 3).

Machining a material like steel can sometimes be problematic as it is prone to rusting. Machining steel in dielectric water while air is still freely available brings the problem to a whole new level. This is a problem that has plagued EDM and machining in general. Rusting occurs when oxygen ions in the fluid takes the place left vacant by the ferric iron (+Fe) in the workpiece that has dissolved into the water. (See figure 4)

L o o k i n g b a c k o n h i s e x per ience , Mr K im sa id: “Sometimes our customers have to cut a big steel plate and it takes about one week. After that, the material is totally rusted and we need to grind the workpiece. If grinding affects the tolerance, we have another new set of problem. If you are dealing with materials like Tungsten Carbide, prolonged

submersion in water would result in the Cobalt binder escaping the material. So having an anti-rust function in those cases would be attractive.”

The anti-rust function on the U3, and now in all new EDM machines, was first designed in Japan and subsequently tested and implemented in Singapore.

“By conduction of electricity, we give the workpiece a negative potential. As a result, +Fe ions are pulled into the workpiece, staving off the process of rusting while doing so,” he said.

The Road AheadEDM may not be the most ‘fashionable’ machining technique on offer now but according to Mr Kim, it still deserves to be taken seriously as it is capable of machining exotic materials that are conductive, like titanium, tungsten carbide and sometimes PCD, (Poly Crystalline Diamond).

Although described as “slow” when asked what the limitation of EDM might be, Mr Kim feels EDM still has a major role to play especially in the semiconductor industry. Using the IC Mould Package as an example, its development is a testament of the importance of continuous improvement of an established technology. Summing things up nicely, Mr Kim said: “EDM is here to stay.”

Improve for Multiple Workpiece Machining

Reasons for Rusting

3 pass machiningContinous machining pass for multiple workpiece machining

4 pass machining• Need for automatic wire

threading at each start holes

• A start hole has to be pre-machined

1st and 3rd

Start hole

Start hole Automatic

wire threading

2nd

2nd

and4th

Figure 3 Figure 4

Ferric Iron (+Fe) of workpiece dissolves in water

Workpiece

Rust

O2

O2O2

+Fe+Fe

+Fe

Table

Oxygen is added in places

Rusting(Ferric iron is oxygenated)

CuttingEdgE

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El e c t r ic a l d i sc h a r g e machining or EDM is a field known for the accurate cut t ing o f int r icate

parts. Recent technological a d v a nce m e nt s h ave s e e n manufacturers adding precise surface finishing and guidance systems for wires into the already competent technology, giving rise to wider application areas.

At TMTS in Taichung, Taiwan, late last year, Mr Wang told APMEN that his company Chmer has added more to the ever growing list of advancements in EDM.

“Our Q4025L wire cut EDM is representative of a series that we have recently launched. It has six main features. The first is its structure, which we have termed as the ‘moving gantry structure’. It is a first in the world. If you want high accuracy, such a structure is required in the machines. It is different from the T structure,” he said.

He said one disadvantage of the moving gantry structure is that it requires a lot of space and the machine might become obtrusive. However, this problem was circumvented when the company designed a machine that has a moving gantry structure, while retaining its precision but


reducing the amount of space it occupies. According to Mr Wang, the company has obtained a patent for this technology in Taiwan, China and Japan.

The temperature control system on the machine is also responsible for the accuracy of a part. Mr Wang said the control system has a tolerance of up to +/- 0.3 deg C, and added that the reason for such a tight control stemmed directly from today’s high demanding manufacturing environment, where temperature is an important factor affecting the accuracy of machines.

Linear DevelopmentApart from accuracy, the issue of cost is very much on the back of every part makers’ mind. It is therefore hardly surprising that the improvements made or newly developed technologies often address the question of productivity. The latest line of EDM machines is touted by the manufacturer to be cost effective a nd longer la st ing. These attributes are the result of the inclusion of a linear motor and the auto wire threading technology.

Said Mr Wang: “All products in the new series are based entirely on a linear motor, which is designed

and developed in-house. We also expect all our machines to be using linear motors by 2013. The advantage that a linear drive has over the traditional rolling movement is that it results in less wear and prevents a dip in accuracy. Typically, when wear occurs, users have to change the machine’s ball screws to maintain its accuracy, which adds on to overall cost. However, you never have to do this with a linear motor as it is non-contact, which ultimately results in a longer lifespan.”

APMEN understands that the wire used in the machine is 0.07 mm thick, and the auto wire threading technology enables fast threading speed, is stable, and uses the least components as compared to other machines in the market. These factors have led to the reduction of maintenance costs.

As the machine uses fewer components, greater design skills are required to ensure that it is as, if not more, reliable. Reducing the wire size from between 0.3 to 0.1 mm to that of 0.07 mm represents a breakthrough for the company. Mr Wang added that as the wire gets smaller, it achieves a greater level of accuracy.

Breathing New Life Into

EDMAPMEN caught up with Brad Wang, vice GM of Chmer at TMTS to take a look at what is new in the world of EDM. By Sherlyne Yong

Brad Wang

CuttingEdgE

Stay ahead of your competition with a Hexagon Metrology Global Silver Edition Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM). Superior performance for today’s ever changing manufacturing environment – the Global Silver Edition CMM’s technology combines cutting edge mechanical innovations, state-of-the-art motion controllers, advanced temperature compensation models, and PC-DMIS, the world’s most popular and advanced metrology software.

Hexagon Metrology Global Silver Edition offers the ultimate in flexibility with the capability to adapt as your business grows and technology changes.

www.hexagonmetrology.com

MULTISENSOR & OPTICAL SYSTEMS

PORTABLE MEASURING ARMS

LASER TRACKERS & STATIONS

WHITE LIGHTSCANNERS

BRIDGE CMMS

ULTRA HIGH ACCURACY CMMS

GANTRY CMMS

HORIZONTAL ARM CMMS

PRECISION MEASURING INSTRUMENTS

SOFTWARE SOLUTIONSSENSORS

Indonesia(Representative Office)Hexagon Metrology Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.Tel: + 65 6463 6242Fax: + 65 6463 [email protected]

MalaysiaHexagon Measurement Technologies Sdn. Bhd.Tel: +60 3 5632 8900Fax: +60 3 5632 [email protected]

SingaporeHexagon Metrology Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.Tel: +65 6463 6242Fax: +65 6463 [email protected]

ThailandHexagon Metrology (Thailand) Ltd.Tel: +66 2 361 3695 to 9Fax: +66 2 746 [email protected]

Vietnam(Hanoi Representative Office)Hexagon Metrology Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.Tel: +84 4 3936 7935Fax: +84 4 3936 [email protected]

Vietnam(Ho Chi Minh Representative Office)Hexagon Metrology Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.Tel: +84 8 5445 6665Fax: +84 8 5445 [email protected]

MTA 2013, Singapore9-12 April, 2013Hall 3, Booth No. 3D3-01

Global Silver Classic Global Silver AdvantageGlobal Silver Performance

Ad for APMEN magazine March 2013.indd 1 25-02-2013 14:01:32

Stay ahead of your competition with a Hexagon Metrology Global Silver Edition Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM). Superior performance for today’s ever changing manufacturing environment – the Global Silver Edition CMM’s technology combines cutting edge mechanical innovations, state-of-the-art motion controllers, advanced temperature compensation models, and PC-DMIS, the world’s most popular and advanced metrology software.

Hexagon Metrology Global Silver Edition offers the ultimate in flexibility with the capability to adapt as your business grows and technology changes.

www.hexagonmetrology.com

MULTISENSOR & OPTICAL SYSTEMS

PORTABLE MEASURING ARMS

LASER TRACKERS & STATIONS

WHITE LIGHTSCANNERS

BRIDGE CMMS

ULTRA HIGH ACCURACY CMMS

GANTRY CMMS

HORIZONTAL ARM CMMS

PRECISION MEASURING INSTRUMENTS

SOFTWARE SOLUTIONSSENSORS

Indonesia(Representative Office)Hexagon Metrology Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.Tel: + 65 6463 6242Fax: + 65 6463 [email protected]

MalaysiaHexagon Measurement Technologies Sdn. Bhd.Tel: +60 3 5632 8900Fax: +60 3 5632 [email protected]

SingaporeHexagon Metrology Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.Tel: +65 6463 6242Fax: +65 6463 [email protected]

ThailandHexagon Metrology (Thailand) Ltd.Tel: +66 2 361 3695 to 9Fax: +66 2 746 [email protected]

Vietnam(Hanoi Representative Office)Hexagon Metrology Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.Tel: +84 4 3936 7935Fax: +84 4 3936 [email protected]

Vietnam(Ho Chi Minh Representative Office)Hexagon Metrology Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.Tel: +84 8 5445 6665Fax: +84 8 5445 [email protected]

MTA 2013, Singapore9-12 April, 2013Hall 3, Booth No. 3D3-01

Global Silver Classic Global Silver AdvantageGlobal Silver Performance

Ad for APMEN magazine March 2013.indd 1 25-02-2013 14:01:32

ENQUIRY NO 078


The f ie ld of tool a nd mould making is under c o n s i d e r a b l e c o s t pressure. Although high

tech EDM machines are widely used in this industry, there are still certain inefficiencies in the systems. They can result in inferior quality, production stoppages or even machine breakdowns.

The quality of modern EDM machines are much talked about but the maintenance of such sophisticated machines deserves more attention as simple issues like proper filtration of dielectric fluid can be a major factor in the overall performance of the machine.

There is more than one task

for a dielectric fluid to fulfill in an EDM process. It serves to isolate and cool the electrode and workpiece, to develop the working channel, and to remove particles of ablated material.

Furthermore, clean dielectric fluid is essential for rinsing the cutting gap. It determines the electrode wear on the machine side and is also responsible for the amount of material removed from the workpiece, the machining accuracy and the finish.

The Right FilterThe purity of the dielectric fluid and its filtration is fundamental and is an important factor towards

increasing efficiency. The question is often asked: Why is the process so long and why are there so many malfunctions even though a filter has been fitted? And that brings us to the crucial point — the selection of a right EDM filter.

Field tests in high precision production show that the use of inappropriate adhesives in the filter leads to malfunctions. This is because the adhesives release solvents which have a negative influence on the dielectric fluid.

A further point is inadequate media impregnation. This can lead to increased elution of the phenolic resin, which negatively influences the conductivity of

Filtering Out Unnecessary Cost In

EDM ProcessesClean dielectric fluid and the use of high performance filters are the keys to efficiency and cost reduction in EDM processes. By Norbert Maurer, Key Account manager EDM Sales, Mann+Hummel

CuttingEdgE


Mann+Hummel has developed its second generation

of EDM filters with triple bellows. This is the result

of a development made in cooperation with

Japanese machine manufacturers. The result is

increased pressure stability for the EDM filters from

3 bar to over 3.5 bar, which therefore, enables the

filter to be used with EDM machines with or without

interference pumps.

Elsewhere, insertable handles enable flexibility

with regard to installation space. They make it easier to

fit and remove the filter. Finally, the space-saving concept allows the filter to be fitted

without handles in very small installation spaces.



the dielectric fluid. As a result, resin consumption increases by an over-proportional amount in comparison to quality filters.

Apart from that, with sub-standard filtration, the ion exchange resins increasingly absorb ultra-fine particles over the duration of the process. This additionally shortens the life of the resin. Compared to older generation machines, new EDM machines generate a considerably higher volume of fine particles.

High Performance Filters Reduce Costs The saving potential of efficient EDM filtration is shorter cutting and erosion cycles. Pure dielectric fluid enables higher ablation rates and so the mould maker is able to realise the finished dimension in a shorter time. In addition, it reduces non-productive time required for maintenance and repairs. This leads to lower running costs as the service life of wear parts such as diamond guides for wire, bearings, axle

guides and electromagnetic valves is lengthened.

The experience of mould makers and distributors shows that efficient filtration of the dielectric fluid reduces machining time by at least five percent. Therefore, for an assumed machining time of 40 hours, a saving of up to two hours is

possible. In comparison to the money saved by the reduction in machine running costs, the additional cost of a quality filter is insignificant.

A type of EDM f i lter by Ma nn+Hummel w ith t r iple progressive bellows design and synthetic media is said to achieve results of 30 percent longer service life in comparison to solutions currently available on the market.

In addition, the filter is made of plastic and does not influence the conductivity of the dielectric fluid so that resin consumption remains constant. The filter achieves a high filtration quality with a filtration fineness of 1 to 2 µm.

ConclusionThe reduction of running costs is closely linked to the fine tuning of processes and this is also true for wire EDM and die-sinking EDM. A strategy of purchasing lower priced filters with inadequate performance will, however, result in precisely the opposite, ie: higher costs. This is because cheap filters lead to a longer machining time, inferior quality and high tool costs. So a re-think is necessary.

Mann+Hummel: EDM Filters With Triple Bellows

Maintenance of EDM machines deserves more attention as simple issues like proper filtration of dielectric fluid can be a major factor in the overall performance of the machine.

CuttingEdgE


A fixture is any device that can hold or support work pie ce s du r ing processing, and forms

part of the work holding solutions used in the manufacturing industry. For example, during a machining operation, a clamp may be used as a fixture to hold a workpiece while it is being machined, or while the next component is added.

On a mill, fixtures are normally used to machine flat surfaces parallel to the table. Secure and precise fixturing performs a role that is simple, yet crucial to the success of any manufacturing system. In addition, a fixture also

locates and guides the tool to its correct position in addition to supporting the workpiece.

Mechanica l f ix tures are carefully manufactured from various materials depending on the application and the materials from which the assembly’s parts are fabricated.

Opening Up PossibilitiesAlthough fixtures are an essential part of a manufacturing process, a drawback is they are not particularly versatile as more often than not, a fixture is built to fit a particular part or shape. It is challenging to use the same fixture

for different parts or geometries unless some form of modification is done to it.

Several strategies have been designed to overcome such product dependency. Specifically, flexibility can be accomplished by using interchangeable inserts, machining multiple nesting options into a single piece of equipment, or designing the products being assembled with common location features to facilitate a variety of parts being assembled using the same nest.

Therefore, one consequence of fixtures on product design is the consideration and possible modification of the product parts to achieve more common elements within a product family. While flexible fixturing takes additional upfront effort in concept and design, this additional cost can create savings in both machine flexibility and longevity.

Having different nesting features on more than one face of the tooling also allows the tooling to accommodate different products with different faces. This strategy allows changing from one product to another by flipping or manipulating the tooling, with no need to change an entirely different set of fixtures as part of the process. A single nest that can accommodate more than one type of part assembly can also be created by retaining the same basic fixturing registration datums for similar parts.

With interchangeable inserts, or loose tooling, a single fixture can accommodate a variety of parts with similar geometries, such as a series of different nozzle assemblies. However, changeover times would be increased and parts could be lost while swapping them. One way is to provide multiple nests on a single indexable tooling, such as simply creating two separate nests on a single face of the tooling. The system can then be adjusted, depending on the assembly being produced.

Proper FixFinding A

Augustine Quek explores the possibilities in the world of fixturing.

TechTalk


Modular FixturingModular f ix tur ing systems basically consist of various types of base plates, with dozens of holes for attaching dozens of different brackets, blocks, clamps, spacers and locating bolts with their grids of slots or holes in their faces. This grid determines the location of the system’s components, which are attached to the base.

The grid pattern is machined to close tolerances to ensure the repeatability of the setups. The base plate attaches to the machine table, pallet, column, or angle. Once a component has been slid into the correct position, the nut is tightened to hold it in place. These components allow for flexible arrangement and interchangeability between different applications. Most modular fixturing systems also include precision and normal positioners, locators, manual and hydraulic clamps.

There are two common types of modular fixturing system, T-slot and dowel-pin. For fixtures that must be dismantled and rebuilt repeatedly, a dowel-pin system is preferable. As a modular system costs more than a single dedicated fixture, modular systems cannot economically replace dedicated fixtures in most workshops.

Modular fixturing are best suited for applications that require fast turnaround times, and for very short part runs that can reuse instead of rebuilding fixturing. Conventional production runs that would take weeks or even days would tie up a modular system’s components for too long to justify its costs.

Let There Be No AirAnother technique that has been in the market for some time is vacuum fixturing. Vacuum workholding is a technique for holding thin or irregular shaped or non-magnetic parts. For large

work pieces, a vacuum plate or mat can provide sufficient force to hold large surface areas. For small parts, vacuum slots, chucks and pods can be used.

A modular fixture that uses vacuum is the Rayco CMM fixture. The CMM fixture is a modular flexible fixture system based on a precision-drilled platform using interchangeable

components for part holding. These components consist of: stand-offs, special patented vacuum cups, magnets and clamps.

Unlike dedicated fixtures, the CMM fixture can hold a variety of materials, shapes and sizes. The vacuum cups allow the CMM user to hold plastic, glass, aluminium and foam.

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Flexible ClampingIt is also important to keep in mind that flexibility is possible in clamping that is used to secure different assemblies in a single piece of tooling. Hilma, for example, manufactures a number of clamps, including its sliding clamps, wedge clamps, angular clamps, ledge clamps and swing sink clamps.

These clamps incorporate a variety of different manual and automatic adjustment features, enabling them to hold pieces or parts of varying thicknesses. Because they can be adjusted, a single clamp can hold down flanges on a range of parts, even if those flanges are of a variety of thicknesses.

For example, a swing sink clamp is designed to be integrated into a press bed or press ram, for clamping dies. The clamp head pulls below the surface for die change. Another version of the swing sink clamps is made for external die clamping on car-body presses and power presses.

Suitable for external mounting on the ram plate or bolster, the swing sink clamp can be adapted to different bed and ram dimensions and to the clamping edge height of the die, since the tie rod is made to suit the application. The swing sink clamps produce a more uniform distribution of the clamping force when used in a symmetrical arrangement, which can extend the service life of dies.

The company also has several systems that are hydra-mechanical

or fully powered units that work vertically or horizontally, as does a universal clamp system. All clamping systems can be positioned on machine beds using the external clamping edges and keyways in their bases. Their surfaces and guideways are precision ground, and hydraulics is integrated into the slide for optimum protection against chips and dirt.

Robots As Fixtures?The increasing use of robots in manufacturing also naturally leads to their use in fixturing, with possibly more accurate, repeatable fixturing. One example is a technique used by Motoman and its parent company Yaskawa Electric Corp to handle, cut and weld automotive exhaust assemblies and components.

In one such application, a robot arm and gripper essentially holds and manipulates the exhaust tubes under a stationary fixed-beam CO2 laser for hole-cutting operations. In a sense, the robot arm provides a kind of infinitely flexible fixturing system. In another application, the material handling robot is equipped with custom pneumatic grippers that can grip a manifold assembly in place while a spot welding robot welds it.

Motoman also uses robots integrated with fixture stations. These fixtures are automatically adjusted using the UP130 robots and the part holding features. The operator inputs the part number, signalling the robots to move the machine fixtures to the correct setup, with changeover times of less than 20 seconds typically.

A Permanent Fixture In ManufacturingIn addition to flexible, modular, or robotic fixturing, fixtures can also be made in many different materials such as aluminium, bronze or steel. There are also many ways to hold a workpiece, including the hydraulic clamps and vacuum fixtures mentioned, as well as magnetic, freeze and electro-mechanical fixtures.

Therefore, a myriad of fixturing technologies are available to cater to jobs that demand various levels of accuracy, versatility, and repeatability. The demand for viable work holding solutions have always been high and fixtures, by their very definition, will remain on the manufacturing landscape for a long time to come.


Robots are essentially fixtures in some instances

Modular fixturing are best suited for applications that require fast turnaround times, and for very short part runs

TechTalk

ENQUIRY NO 212


Figure 1: The Centrex centring system makes it possible to change a standard Toplus OD clamping fixture...

Figure 2: to a mandrel for ID clamping...

Figure 3: or even for a three-jaw clamping fixture

FlexibilityIn Rigid Clamping Operations

Flexible clamping tools for turning minimise the time and expense for change-overs. By Olivier Löbert, team leader of product management, Hainbuch

Batch manufacturers are constantly on the lookout for new rationalisation p o s s i b i l i t i e s i n

order to cope with domestic and international competitive pressure. The trend is towards i nc re a se d f l e x ib i l i t y a n d constantly sinking batch sizes. Proper st ructur ing of the production plants is one of the best opportunities to stand out from the competition.

Possibilities for developing rationalisation potential can be found in the ever current issue of set-up times and in production m e t h o d s (s u c h a s h a r d machining and dry machining), in addition to versatile utilisation of the machine park.

The Modular ApproachThe modular approach has been recognised, resulting in the departure from single clamping devices in favour of a modular set-up system that enables fast and accurate change-over with minimum time and expense.

One example sees a centring system that enables users to change a standard clamping fixture to a full-fledged solid mandrel system for ID clamping, or even to a three-jaw OD clamping fixture in less than two minutes (Figures 1-3).

The centring system in this case is the Centrex, which performs the centring function

TechTalk


Figure 4: The jaw chuck used for the basis can be changed over by the self centring interface...

Figure 5: to an ID clamping fixture with a solid mandrel...

Figure 6: or to an OD clamping fixture


with a centring accuracy of less than 3 µm. This capability is not only in the individual clamping devices themselves, but also in the modular principle, which due to its diversity of applications, minimises set-up times and interruptions in production.

In addition, a jaw chuck and modular system, the B -Top3 was developed to enable this modular system to be used for smal ler quant it ies and material dimensions up to a diameter of 210 mm (Figures 4-6). The jaw chuck used as a basis can be changed to an ID clamping device with a solid mandrel or to a circumferential OD clamping device. This is especially advantageous, since a jaw chuck — due to its exposed jaws at increased rpms — tends to quickly lose clamping force.

However, it is frequently the deformation of the work piece caused by the narrow jaws that necessitates the use of a circumferential clamping device. One clamping device called Spanntop is said to allow the quick change of the end-stop and of the clamping head, which due to its concentric precision of less than 10 µm eliminates the boring of soft jaws on the jaw chuck.

Combining Jaw Chuck & Standard MandrelThe integrity of a machining

process can also be enhanced with the combination of a jaw chuck and standard mandrel t h a t e n a b l e s m a x i m u m machining performance with a high degree of concentric precision also with smaller ID clamping. The decisive feature here is the circumferentia l contact between the segmented clamping bushing and the work piece bore.

W h e t h e r f o r I D o r O D clamping, chuck elements or bar work, the axial draw force of the mounted adapter clamping device is often what is required for rigid and solid clamping with optimum properties such as high stif fness, v ibration reduction and maximum metal removal rates.

Full-Surface Contact Even With Large TolerancesChuck clamping head solutions used in the past demand exact clamping position for the ideal fitting of the clamping head in the chuck taper. The work piece tolerances during machining cause radia l d isplacement between the clamping head and the chuck taper. This results in narrow gaps that can be penetrated by contamination, such as fine chips or dust.

This gives rise to the need of clamping devices that offer ma ximum contact between

the c la mping e lement a nd the truncated pyramid of the chuck. The Toplus chuck is said to provide full -surface contact even with large work p ie ce to le ra nce s , so t hat contamination has no chance of penetrating the chuck.

A further innovation can be found in the chuck itself, where the exclusive use of steel for clamping devices was put into question. For the first time, a cast mineral composite was used for these chucks, with a similar composition to that already successfully used by mechanical engineers.

Compared with purely steel chucks, this clamping device is lighter and also has a lower mass inertia torque, which is advantageous especially during high acceleration.

For the user, this means measurable sav ings due to increased tool life for cutting tools such as hard metal. In addition, the manufacturers of the chuck claims that it can achieve a 25 percent increase in holding power as compared with their standard Spanntop chucks, in addition to a considerably longer tool life. This is due to the full-surface contact of the clamping head in the truncated pyramid of the chuck.

TechTalk


Stefan Roeding, marketing director of Materialise looks at how modular measuring fixtures are produced through additive manufacturing.

The constantly growing number of end-users requiring new solutions has led to higher product

standards and shorter production cycles. Not only do the producers have to respond to these growing demands, quality inspection has to follow the ongoing process of shorter design and production cycles. For instance, one main issue for car manufacturers is the way that workpieces are held during quality inspection.

Va r io u s m e t ho d s h ave become generally accepted for the manufacturing of measuring fixtures, gauges, cubing etc. However, since fixtures are needed faster, the use of adaptable systems has been established for the measuring tasks of car manufacturers.

Adaptable systems are modular and standardised items, which are

used to build measuring fixtures. They have an added advantage in that they can be adapted to any subsequent changes made in the part to be measured.

In addition, the individual components are available again for later projects. This fits well in the automotive industry where more cost savings and more flexibility as well as reusing of equipment is a key factor for short- and long-term savings. Finally, it meets the need for an eco-friendly approach.

Although the modular concept is versatile as it is, it too undergoes many developing processes to respond to the increasing quality demands. Now, a new technology has been developed that is said to guide measuring fixture building into a new direction, ie: adopting Additive Manufacturing (AM) in fixturing.

While AM is usually used

to create prototypes and user-products like industrial or medical equipment, it has shown its capability by building complete race cars and is now used to create workpiece locators (Workpiece locators are the connecting elements between workpiece and fixture-frame) for measuring fixtures and cubings.

One exa mple of such a technology is the RapidFit+ program by a Belgium company Materialise. It is a modular fixturing system, where workpiece locators are generated by the technology of AM.

Additive Manufacturing AM, also known as 3D Printing, is a process that forms 3D contours layer by layer using a wide range of different materials. Based on the CAD design of the fixture, the data are sent to an AM equipment and printed in layers. This manufacturing process is much faster than conventional machining of fixtures, especially when complex geometries are required.

Furthermore, numerous parts can be produced at the same time on a single machine. This method involves fewer steps than conventional methods of creating fixtures, such as milling from a complete block of aluminium or using aluminium casting.

As a result of this method, new possibilities are unfolding with regard to part shapes and complexity. Technical limitations, due to the traverse paths or axis layouts common to CNC manufacturing, do not exist with AM.

Any 3D shape, which often cannot be manufactured with conventional mechanical machining methods, can be manufactured. As several contours can be made simultaneously, the entire fixture building process is considerably faster. Subsequent changes in a part are easily accommodated as only those contour affected need

To Fixturing

Adding

3D Printing

TechTalk



to be re-designed, manufactured and replaced.

Freeform PartsWorkpiece locators deployed in a real environment shape as freeform parts are said to reduce production costs and material consumption. Locators as freeform parts are compatible with any kind of contours, curves, holes, pockets and pins.

Since there are no design limitations in AM, it is possible to realise dedicated complex freeform parts within a few hours.

To machine similar parts via CNC milling would be extremely time consuming and is therefore not practicable or very cost effective. Machining complex parts on a five-axis milling machine will require several settings which will incur an average of one hour per setting for one machine. Moreover, setting changes always come with the risk of increased manufacturing tolerances.

Integrated FunctionalityDue to the special capability, AM fixtures can be equipped with features or functionalities. The 3D printed components provide standardised options for integrated functionalities that are useful in the automotive industry.

Ve r y o f te n auto mot i ve workpieces have latches in order to ease the assembly process of a car. These situations will be simulated by holding fixtures in order to reproduce the original mounting condition during quality inspection. Adapters simulate for example the sheetmetal part in which the bumper will be clipped in. Therefore, the fixtures have to provide a clip functionality.

Due to the increasing just-in-time production in today’s car industry, workpieces will be placed back into the production cycle after measurement. Therefore a workpiece cannot be damaged during measurement. Fixtures

Complete fixture for mounting and checking air vent - grill parts

Top: Grey coloured surface machined according to customers’ specification as gauging contour

Middle: Functional locators with integrated functionality and quick release mechanism

Below: Fixture frame out of standarised reuseable components

have to fulfill this demand. Many conventional fixtures simulate only the mounting position and have limitations to release the workpieces unscathed. The release requires certain effort by the operator and can result in damages like scratches and deformations.

With conventional fixtures, the problem can be solved by installing a release function. The implementation of this functionality requires tremendous engineering efforts. Often a large number of different mechanically machined elements are required, which is a highly time- and cost-intensive process.

However, the AM-produced fixture elements are automatically printed with a clip release feature, which allows fast and easy clamp and release of flat or round latches by only actuating a trigger mechanism. This feature belongs to the standardised printing library and does not need any additional design or program operations.

All moveable elements, such as hinges, within the adapters are printed as well. Fit-to-part features like pins or holes can also be included. As these elements are produced all in one piece, the time for design, assembly and documentation is reduced.

Plastic Components — Stable Enough?For fixture components, two different kinds of AM materials are usually used. For locators, with integrated functionality, a high-tech

plastic is used. This material is very resistant to wear and tear. It can also be combined with steel inserts or locator bushings for example. With such combinations, material parts of up to 2,000 mm in length are possible.

For checking contours and gauging parts, Materialise has developed a material composed of aluminium and polyamide. Contour parts can be up to 700 mm in one piece, combining the specific advantages of both materials: lightweight, stiff, and stable (long-term). Additionally, this material can be post-machined when an accuracy better than +/- 0.1 mm is required. With this method, results up to +/-0.05 mm can be achieved.

ConclusionAM provides the possibility to create complete measuring fixtures within a minimum time frame and with high accuracy. But it also offers the possibility to sustain the current measure procedures, working routine and existing fixture equipment. In this case only the exchange of the workpiece adaptations is necessary.

The AM process gives freedom of design forms, which were impossible in the past, but realistic now. Today, fixtures can have complex, feature laden, freeform configurations. And despite the added complexity, it can lead to less cost and time and higher precision.

TechTalk


Sensors are used in the metalworking world to simplify operations and increase productivity. By Chris Chan, product manager, Business Unit Sensors & Connectivity, Sick

Sensible

Metalworking In metalworking industries, one of the most automated equipment families are the machine tools and metal

forming machineries. Machine tools fabricate parts by grinding and cutting, while metal forming machines form parts by forging, pressing, punching, bending and shearing.

Many types of sensors, such as ultrasonic sensors, vibration sensors, rota r y encoders, photoelectr ic sensors, are deployed to manage, position, and control the automated tasks. One of the most widely used are the contactless inductive proximity and the magnetic cylinder sensors, whose key roles are to check motion limits, detect positions and feedback angular movements.

Analog Proximity Sensors Simplify Machine ControlMachine tools and metal forming machineries have rotary tasks in their automation processes. Most of the time, rotary encoders are used to decode information on the angular displacement. Sometimes, several proximity sensors can be utilised in binary technique, eg: 00, 01, 10, 11, to decode rotary shaft information if the application is not too concerned about precision. One other optimum way is to use an analog inductive sensor to capture higher precision angular position sensing and measurement.

The major advantage of using analog inductive sensor is its inherent abilities to provide a variable analog output voltage or current proportional to the distance of the target from sensor face. As this sensor is contactless, no actual mechanical coupling between the sensor and the rotary shaft is needed. This is very useful to engineers who design machine tools that demand precision position sensing, without the worries of mechanical coupling, or any long term degradation issues.

Software &MeaSureMent


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Ty pica l appl icat ions of sensors are detecting angular position of a machine tool shaft in a metalworking CNC machine. Traditionally, designers use the expensive, bulkier rotary encoder. Alternatively, engineers can machine an eccentric shaped cam, eg: elliptical shape, to provide a variable distance between sensor face and the cam faces at different angular position.

Another advantage is that this compact analog inductive sensor is housed in diameter as small as Ø12, which is a few times smaller than the rotary encoder. Moreover, no mechanical coupling between rotary shaft and the physical sensor is required. As such, the sensor’s compactness and mechanical independence mean straightforward implementation and easy replacement. All these benefits will groom the analog proximity

sensor as an attractive candidate for rotary position feedback.

Dealing With ErrorAs with any data conversion, designers must also compensate for non-linearity of the output. Linearity error can caused a higher reading as expected in quadrant 2 (see graph), and compromise the automation task accuracies.

Consequently, designers should compensate the non-linearity error in their controller, by coding a simple lookup table to linearise the output across the whole dynamic output range. If lookup table is not desirable due to system resources constraint, then designers have to consider using only the most linear response curve of the entire dynamic range, such as those in quadrant 1 of the response curve.

O t he r appl ic at ion s for analog proximity sensor is the measurement of the rate of product flow in any metalworking automation process. In picture 1, the analog sensor is used to output analog data according to the ‘curvature’ of the metal bodies in real-time, and the rate of changes on the output can be computed into accurate rate of product flow.

Graph

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Analog proximity sensor for angular position

measurement

Magnetic Positioning Sensor Increases Productivity In some metal forming automation task, piston cylinders equipped with Magnetic Position Sensors (MPS) are gaining popularity. Unlike cylinders using standard magnetic sensor that detects only on-off status position, the magnetic position sensor can provide information on the exact piston position along the complete cylinder stroke. As manufacturing processes get more demanding, on-off status is no longer adequate. The system needs continuous feedback of pneumatic piston position for this sophisticated tasks realisation.

Tradit iona l ly, designers use various types of linear measurement sensors. These sensors are mechanical parts that follow, and measure directly the piston stroke. During the usage of such displacement sensors, Ingress

Protection (IP) can become an issue. In addition, as linear measurement sensors are often designed for a vast number of applications, they need special mounting brackets. Most importantly, linear sensors have mechanical moving parts which are subjected to operating wear and tear.

As a result, using magnetic position sensor in measuring piston linear displacement is gaining popularity due to the accuracy, simplicity, robustness and cost effectiveness.

Robustness-wise, the MPS involves no moving parts, and therefore not subjected to mechanical wear and tear. Simplicity-wise, the MPS is designed to be mounted on T-slots cylinders. Other notable features are that the MPS are rated IP67, which means that it can be used in harsher environment within the electronic industries.

Technology-wise, the MPS discussed here is an advanced microprocessor based sensors for pneumatic cylinders, electrical cylinders, grippers and slides. The sensor houses a row of Hall-effect sensors which ‘monitors’ the cylinder’s piston. The output is both analogue voltage output of 0…10 V, and analogue current output of 4…20 mA.

Application-wise, the MPS is able to measure the cylinder stroke ranging from 32 mm to 256 mm. It can be mounted on the popular T-slot cylinders, and no additional adaptors are required. For other slots, mounting accessories are available. Site commissioning is straightforward as indicative LEDs are guiding during installation. The optional teaching functions are available to designers to calibrate the required operating range.

Applications for MPS are increasing. Some common task of magnetic position sensor system includes orientation and positioning, assembly, inspection. More and more automation task, like precision depth-controlled drilling machineries, metal punch in metalworking, are starting to switch to magnetic position sensors.

In ConclusionWith increasing numbers of tasks in the metalworking industry demanding more rapid and precise inputs, both the analog proximity sensors and the magnetic position sensor are set to simplify and enable more sophisticated tasks at reduced cost.

With analog proximity sensors, precise angular information can be extracted without the need for encoder based design, simplifying machine tools design in the process. Likewise, using the magnetic position sensor, metalworking automation task like drilling and punching can reduce cost benefits.

Picture 1


ENQUIRY NO 060


As an aerospace stretch-forming specialist, there is hardly a part or a die in Triumph Fabrications’

shop in the US that is not sporting a parabolic, compound curved or cone shape. Various types of CNC machine tools are used to produce features on these formed parts, as well as to shape the forming dies themselves. Supporting this work upstream and downstream is a CAD/CAM department equipped with Catia V4 and V5, Vericut 7.0, Renishaw OMV Pro, AutoCAD, Inventor and other desktop engineering tools.

Apart from the machines and software programs, the company also believes in lean manufacturing as rapid, precise measurement of machining work on these special shaped parts — while still fixtured on the machine tool — is a core skill the company’s CAD/CAM department developed and refined.

Value Add Your Milling MachineAlthough the core skills are well developed, the consistent, high-accuracy measurement of small hole diameters, contours and geometric tolerances remained a big challenge. It took an RMP600 strain-gauge probe to bring the refined ‘touch’ needed for these operations. With no lobing (ie: true 3D triggering characteristic) and a repeatability of 0.25 μm, the strain-gauge probe delivers accuracy when triggered from any direction, after a one-time calibration routine.

The probe, combined with Renishaw’s OMV Pro software, gives the company’s Zimmerman CNC five-axis portal mill CMM-like capability, allowing complex parts to be ‘bought off’ the machine with measurement results that routinely come within 0.025 mm when double-checked with other devices.

As a result, offline checks of

work on a true CMM have been essentially eliminated, saving the company many hours of production delays, potential damage, and accuracy problems that arise when moving and re-fixturing high-value parts.

In-Process InspectionCAD/CAM Department manager Gary Medlock says on-machine probing is vital to the company’s goal to reduce cycle time, eliminate rework and reduce errors that can creep in from multiple fixturings of a part.

“We prefer to measure as soon as we cut, rather than move the part to a CMM,” he said. “These are high-value parts to begin with, and we’re adding value with each operation on the portal mill. On parts such as the forming die for a leading edge, our alternatives would be to lose nearly a day to tear down, measure, and re-setup the part; or finish the part completely, then inspect, and hope no rework is needed. In-process measurement confirms that each phase of the work meets spec before we put more value in the part.”

M o r e t y p i c a l l y, p a r t s processed on the Zimmerman mill are formed sheet metal, 0.635 mm to 3.18 mm thick that require machined holes and cutouts. These parts are vacuum fixtured. Holes of 2.5 mm to 9.5 mm — typical of aircraft applications — are drilled and reamed to accuracies of 0.05 mm, with true position tolerances of 0.30 mm to 0.71 mm.

“We measure hole size and true position with the RMP600 probe, using a 1 mm tungsten or stainless steel stylus, 50 mm extension, and the two-touch probing method,” Mr Medlock explains.

“We prefer the tungsten ball for the ability to reach deep into a hole. If you are careful about orientation, you can measure just about anything with this ball. The 50 mm extension on the

For Form Measurements

Providing The

Right Touch

A strain gauge probe can turn a portal mill into a CMM, making accurate measurements and cutting down production time. Contributed by Malcolm Price, Group Marketing Services, Renishaw UK



probe causes no loss of accuracy, keeps the probe at a distance from the workpiece to minimise crash potential, and is cheaper to replace if there is a collision. We use two-touch probing because we have calibrated at the same speed we’re using in the software, so the timing and angles are all established.”

Calibrate To AuthenticateMachine calibration is one of the keys to Triumph’s success with, and confidence in, its probing results. “We calibrate the machine once a year with a laser and ball bar unless there’s a wreck,” Mr Medlock says. “We also have a small calibration sphere on the machine that we calibrate with once a week, rotating the machine through a known set of angles and touching the sphere with the probe. These results are plotted on a histogram, with data going back two years, so it’s easy to see any trend developing. In addition, we have a traceable artefact with cone, sphere, slots and other features that we probe whenever there’s a change to any component of our QC program.”

T he co mp a n y h a s t wo Zimmerman portal mills. The newer FZ-30 model built in 2008 is equipped with a Siemens 840D CNC. “This machine has a volumetric accuracy of 0.1 mm, and for a large, well used machine tool, this compares very well with typical CMM accuracy,” Mr Medlock explains.

“Our alternative without the probe would be to take parts to the CMM room, measure them, then return and setup again,” he says. “We’d have to add a checking groove or other feature to aid in making sure each setup is identical to the first, which means more cost in the part, not to mention a lost day for the entire inspection cycle to be completed.

T he se de lay s , a nd t he

uncertainty that comes with each new setup, are simply unacceptable in a lean operation. On average, our probing cycle is about equal to the machining cycle, but this is a very broad average and some parts inspect much quicker, depending on the number of features. When probing holes, for example, we average about eight seconds each.”

Using The Software ProgramThe other key to Triumph’s success is programming the model and geometry. “All the features must be on the part if you want things to run properly,” Mr Medlock stresses. “We usually start with a STEP file that’s imported into the OMV Pro software to create the probing program offline. The software simulates the probing

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routine for collision detection and includes an ‘auto orient’ function that allows the probe to be automatically oriented into a suitable measuring position, without requiring manual input of the required angle. You can measure features many ways — for example, a hole can be measured as a circle or cylinder.”

The probing program runs on the CNC to col lect the measurement data, which is then evaluated offline in OMV software with CMM-type algorithms. The software compares the measurement data with the map/model file and produces graphical and numerical reports. The software reports on the deviations from the nominal, and will plot a graph to show the ranges.

A GD&T wizard in the OMV software leads programmers through the process of creating standardised report elements b a s e d o n i n te r n a t io n a l l y recognised symbols, allowing comparison of measurement results from the machine to the manufacturing drawing. “We currently use perpendicularity, angularity, surface profile and true position,” Mr Medlock adds.

Unlike a conventional machine tool probe, the strain-gauge-based RMP600 does not have to be calibrated for each vector, which saves cycle time in a

five-axis environment. “We do measure from all vectors, because it’s a five-axis application,” Mr Medlock explains.

“Because of the strain gauge triggering system in the probe, we get a good reading — the same reading — no matter what direction we touch the stylus from, which is perfect in a five-axis world.

When you do five-axis work, the probe is used in some strange orientations, and the ball might be touched from any practical direction. We’ve confirmed that when we measure something with the strain gauge probe, we’ll get the same identical readings if we have to re-measure. We have proved that we can measure true diameter of smaller holes, down to (2.5 mm) using a 1 mm stylus.”

Eliminating ErrorThe stra in gauge probe is fundamentally different from conventional machine tool probes in that its sensing mechanism eliminates lobing, an error inherent to all conventional machine tool probes. If the lobing is excessive and high enough to impact measurement accuracy, users must compensate by calibrating the probe along each measurement vector. This requires a complex calibration cycle and management of numerous probe offsets.

The RMP600 eliminates this

by measuring the contact force applied to the stylus and generate a trigger once the strain threshold is exceeded. This results in low trigger forces, less stylus bending, sub micron repeatability (0.25 μm 2σ), no lobing and a true 3D triggering characteristic.

“It’s critical to keep in mind that, in the end, the probe is only as accurate as the machine,” Mr Medlock stresses. “With our knowledge of this machine’s capabil it ies, condit ion and calibration history, we believe an inspection on this machine is equal to a CMM inspection. The machine is tested and calibrated to essentially the same requirements as our CMMs, and easily capable of producing part profile accuracies of 0.38 mm.

We can verify our metrology performance by probing a known artefact which has all the features we would encounter on our parts. Because of the high accuracy of this machine and its five-axis capability, the strain-gauge probe has proven to be a better match for our measurement requirements. Periodic double checks against other measurement devices rarely show deviations greater than a thousandth of an inch, giving us a high level of confidence and operational efficiency.”

Probe measures size and angularity of holes

On-machine probing i s v i t a l t o t h e company’s goal to reduce cycle time, eliminate rework and reduce errors that can creep in from multiple fixturings of a part.


MTA2013_APMEN_Feb13_275x205mm_FA(PATH).indd 1 2/8/13 12:35:19 PM

MTA2013_APMEN_Feb13_275x205mm_FA(PATH).indd 1 2/8/13 12:35:19 PM

MTA2013_APMEN_Feb13_275x205mm_FA(PATH).indd 1 2/8/13 12:35:19 PMENQUIRY NO 065


As the use of lasers in industria l materia ls processing applications b e c o m e s m o r e

widespread, designers and product engineers need to gain familiarity not only with the properties, advantages, and applicability of the laser-welding process, but also with how to design components and assemblies for successful laser welding. While the choice of laser type, component material selection, component part preparation, and part fixturing are all critical to successful implementation of the laser-welding process, all these points are of little or no practical value without a well-designed, laser-weldable joint.

Before jumping into designing for laser welding, it is important to understand the compelling reasons why laser joining has been implemented by literally thousands of manufacturers on almost every continent today for thousands of products — from extremely small components to very large structures.

La ser join ing of ten ha s higher throughput and improved per forma nce compa red to traditional welding techniques due to several factors: remote welding and multiplexing/beam-sharing; minimised workpiece distortion due to the small

heat-affected zone; increased component strength and/or reduction of component size and weight due to higher-strength welds; noncontact, single-sided access for welding in difficult-to-reach areas; minimal production downtime due to redundancy and ease of back-up ; and cost savings due to reduced material weight and scrap as well as reduced floor-space requirements.

Although these benefits have been discussed over the years, the ultimate way to capitalise on the laser-welding process is to design components and assemblies for optimum joining with light.

Design-For-Manufacturing PrinciplesCompared to traditional resistance spot welding and arc welding, laser welding will continue to offer fabrication solutions across a variety of industries including automotive, appliance, agricultural, marine, aerospace, medical, food and beverage, and more.

The primary considerations in minimising production cost and maximising part throughput for laser-welding processes is, when possible, to optimise the physical configuration and parameters or modify the assembly processes for the material components to be welded.

Material OptimisationKey design-for-manufacturing methods to improve the laser joining process include flange-width modification, gauge-thickness reduction, and use of alternate materials and structures.

Because laser welding is a single-sided process with narrow-beam access, flange widths can be reduced or eliminated, in turn reducing material component weight and cost. A flange for a resistance spot weld can be upwards of 20 mm, whereas for laser welding, the flange can be reduced to less than 10 mm or even eliminated if the flange with an overlap weld is replaced by a simple seam design with a butt weld. Depending upon how much resistance spot welding a particular product has, the potential for material cost and weight savings can be enormous.

Component weight and cost are also minimised by reducing material gauge thickness, which can actually increase component strength through optimised weld shapes or continuous weld seams in high-stress regions where parts are normally spot-welded.

In an auto body side-door, for example, laser stitches or short seams can join components across the upper roof frame and lower rocker panel. A continuous laser seam — impossible to create with a

Optimised Laser Joint Design

Successful Laser Welding

DemandsAn optimised material joint design for laser welding is not only at the heart of a successful implementation, but the key to financial justification for the laser joining process. By David Havrilla, manager of Products and Applications, Trumpf

TRUMPF

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resistance spot-welding gun — can eliminate the need for additional reinforcements in the areas where strength is critical for passenger safety. These long seams as well as ‘C’ and ‘S’ shaped laser welds and parallel welds are all tools in the engineer’s laser-welding portfolio that can meet the loading and stresses of the materials-processing task at hand.

Whenever sheet metal is attached to structural tubing using resistance spot welding, access holes are required to allow ingress of the lower electrode. With laser welding’s single-sided accessibility, these access holes can be eliminated and enable thinner-walled tubes or smaller sectioned tubes; either way, component weight and cost is again reduced. With single-sided laser access, the designer is also free to design, package, and assemble the product

knowing that access from only one side is required — a rather freeing paradigm compared to some conventional joining techniques.

Preprocess & Assembly ModificationsIn addition to the use of optimised or alternate material components for laser joining applications, manufacturing and preprocess assembly steps can be modified to gain further manufacturing cost savings.

A self-positioning design feature patented by Trumpf, called a K-joint can be used anywhere sheet metal or profiles are joined with flanges or lap joints by means of resistance spot welding (Figure 1).

Parts preparation for the K-joint involves stamping small depressions at intervals along a joint contour. These features act simultaneously as part locators

and weld-seam locations. Since the K-joint transforms what would have been an overlap weld to a butt weld, zinc-coated steels can be welded without issue. The K-joint can also be welded from both sides, providing increased manufacturing flexibility.

Another assembly modification is improved positioning aids. Positioning tabs and aids not only simplify fixturing requirements, they can also reduce or eliminate assembly mistakes by integrating a coding system into the location of the tabs and slots (Figure 2).

Positioning aids are laser-cut into the components and easily integrated into tube-to-tube, tube-to-flange, and bent-tube designs. They are simple, versatile, and flexible features that designers can use to simplify clamping and assembly, while simultaneously reducing manufacturing errors.

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To expand on improvements in positioning tabs, interlocking connections can ensure that two parts clamp together with high precision and accuracy (Figure 3). Whether bayonet style or tab and slot, interlocking connections have the advantages of providing part fit-up, relative part location, and part fixturing — simplifying part assembly and reducing clamping demands.

For sheet-metal parts, slotted tabs can be orientated at 180 degree so that slight flexing is required between the components. If flexing is impossible or impractical, the tabs can be bent after assembly to ensure secure laser-welded connections.

power disk and fibre lasers, more expulsion (spatter) is generated compared to the carbon-dioxide (CO2) laser. While the reason is complicated and debatable, it is related to wavelength and keyhole geometry (incidence angle) and how these parameters influence energy absorption.

The difference in the amount of spatter can be significant or insignificant, depending on the product being welded, weld depth, and weld speed. In general, the deeper the weld penetration (very slow speed of <2 m/min) and the faster the weld speed (greater than about 6 m/min), the greater the amount of weld spatter.

O ne appl ic at ion where minimising the spatter is crucial is laser welding of stainless-steel tubes. Whether used in the food industry or for automotive exhaust pipes, these tubes cannot have spatter on the inside of the tube due to function, nor on the outside of the tube due to form. Here, the CO2 laser excels.

A nother spatter- cr it ica l application is welding of powertrain components. The problem herein lies in combining really hard small particles with high-speed rotating gears and again, the CO2 laser has the advantage. Fortunately, there are numerous welding applications where spatter generation is inconsequential.

While it is tempting to take a maximum gap value for an assembly that is been designed for another joining technique and try to force-fit laser welding, design engineers should instead attempt to design or redesign components to reduce costs, improve productivity, and essentially optimise the manufacturing process. The two keys to success for any laser-welding application are selecting the right tool for the job and following available design-for-manufacturing guidelines.


Figure 2: Material joining can be improved through a variety of practical process improvements such as laser-machined positioning tabs and aids with coding systems that avoid assembly mistakes.

TRUMPF

Figure 1: A K-joint design transforms an overlap weld into a butt weld for improved performance and optimised laser joining.

TRUMPF

TRUMPF

Figure 3: Laser-enabled interlocking features include bayonet-style and tab-and-slot connections.

Right Tool For The JobEven i f you fol low a l l the aforementioned guidelines and design a component part ideal for laser welding, it is imperative that the fit-up of the components to be joined is appropriate for the laser-welding process.

The general rule regarding fit-up gap is that a gap of 10 percent of the thickness of the thinnest component in butt welding or 10 percent of the thickness of the top component in overlap welding can be accommodated by laser welding. However, this is a general rule only and a number of factors can affect the amount of gap that can be bridged in laser-welding applications.

When designing for laser welding, manufacturing engineers need to ensure that the wavelength, spot size, power distribution within the focus spot, and the depth of focus of the laser are not just appropriate but are best for the application in question. This will ensure that the process window within the production environment is as large as possible — an unquestionable key to success.

When laser welding in an overlap configuration, the strength of the joint comes from the weld-fusion area at the interface of the two components. In this case, a relatively large spot size and top-hat distribution will provide a relatively large weld width at the interface compared with a smaller spot and Gaussian distribution.

In butt-joint cases where edge geometries are poor, fit-up is bad, or seam position is slightly unpredictable, larger focused spot sizes are more forgiving and offer a greater process window. On the other hand, welding dimensionally critical, precision press- fit components (such as those in an automobile powertrain) benefits from a smaller focused spot size with narrow welds and low distortion.

Another consideration is spatter. When welding with high-

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ENQUIRY NO 073


Laser welding has become an important method f o r j o i n i n g a w i d e range of components

in virtually every sector of manufacturing. Components for aircraft airframes, automobile s t r u c t u r e s a n d m e d i c a l dev ices are rapidly tak ing advantage of the capabilities of laser welding.

In the aerospace industry, laser welding is a technology that enables a signi f ica nt

reduction of airframe weight and material usage while promoting increased fuel eff iciencies. Meanwhile, the efficiencies of laser welding can help make automot ive ma nufacturers g loba l ly compet it ive , a nd further the industry's drive to develop a unified platform for undercarriages, suspension systems and related assemblies.

Laser Welding ProcessesLaser welding makes use of

the ability to concentrate laser energy of sufficient magnitude to melt the materials in the joint. It occurs when a laser beam of sufficient energy density to melt the materials is absorbed by the surfaces impinged by the laser beam. While there are applications for laser welding of plastics, the majority of applications involve metals.

The two categories of laser welding are:

• Autogenous welding in which materials are fused together without the addition of extra materials. This form of laser welding requires the highest level of fixturing and joint preparation.

Since no material is added, it is essential the materials to be welded remain in intimate contact during the welding process. Any separation of the materials can result in, at best, an unacceptable weld profile and, at worst, complete failure of the welded joint. For this reason, fixturing to ensure consistent fit-up of the weld joint is key to successful laser welding.

• Additive welding is a process in which extra material is added to the weld, usually in the form of metallic wire or powder. By adding extra material, the joint becomes more tolerant to joint mismatch and acceptable welds may be produced from joints with less than perfect fit-up. The addition of wire or powder to the joint does, however, create extra control variables, and careful consideration should be given before any choice of weld type is made.

For industrial applications of laser welding, the main laser types to be considered are:

• Carbon dioxide, or CO2 laser The laser beam is produced by electrical excitation of a

Laser Welding

A viable process for aerospace, automotive and medical applications, laser welding will continue to grow rapidly, particularly in areas where innovative product designs are now being developed. By Terry VanderWert, president, Prima Power Laserdyne

To Benefit Developing Economies

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Laser type

Pros Cons

CO2 •Capableofcreatingdeep,highaspectratiowelds.

•Samelaserusedforcuttingcanalsobeusedforwelding,oftenwithonlyachangeofthefocusinglensassembly.

•ThefarIRwavelengthshowshigherabsorptionbyplasmathanthenearIRwavelengths.Uncontrolledplasmacanabsorband/orde-focusthelaserbeam,leadingtoinstabilityintheweldingprocess.

Nd:YAG •Pulsedversionsarefrequentlyusedforthinautogenousmetalweldingbecauseoftherelativelylowaveragepower.Notethatforlaserwelding,lowerpulseenergy/peakpowerisusedthanfordrilling.

•Pulsedweldingallowsweldpenetrationtobecontrolledindependentofweldspeed,allowingjointstobemadeinheatsensitivematerialsandcomponents.

•Pulsedweldingallowsflexibilityincontrollingtheheating/coolingoftheweldtocontrolweldmetallurgicalproperties.

•Relativelyslowandonlysuitableforthinmaterials,typically<2mmthickness.

YbFibre(orFibre)

•Capableofcreatingdeep,highaspectratioweldsduetohighbeamqualityandhighaveragepower.

•Samelaserusedforcuttingcanalsobeusedforwelding,oftenwithonlyachangeofthefocusinglensassembly

•Lesslikelihoodofplasmaformationthan withCO2laser.

•Relativelynewlasertypeandlessunderstoodthantheothers.mixture of carbon dioxide,

nitrogen, and helium.

• Nd:YAG laser The laser beam is produced by excitation of a neodymium doped YAG (yttrium aluminium garnet) crystal by one or more high intensity flashlamps or by diodes.

• Fibre laser The laser beam is produced by excitation of Yb (ytterbium) doped optica l f ibre using diode lasers.

For laser welding, the selection of the best laser source involves knowledge of the components to be welded (materials, joint type) and user goals for the laser welding system (eg: low capital cost vs high throughput vs flexibility for other applications today or in the future). Laser source selection is made by the welding system supplier based on considerations from the following table.

Laser welding requires the use of an inert gas to shield the metal during welding to prevent oxidation of the weld and the surrounding area. The choice of shield gas depends on the material being welded (eg: titanium alloys react

strongly with nitrogen so argon or helium is used) and laser type being used for welding.

Depending on the materials to be welded and the joint configuration, a broad spectrum of shield gas delivery options can be implemented. At its most basic level, this can take the form of a simple co-axial or off-axis nozzle to deliver a cloud of shield gas to the local area. In its most complex form, this can take the form of a complete inert, dry, oxygen free glove-box suite.

Laser Welding For Automotive ApplicationsLaser welding has a long history in automotive prototyping and production because of its ability to produce continuous and intermittent (eg: spot, stitch) welds in thin and thick sections with negligible distortion. Major applications of laser welding in automotive manufacturing include:

• Production of tailor welded blanks, sheets made by welding

different material types and thicknesses of metals and alloys to create a material optimised for the requirements of the component.

• Spot and short seam (also referred to as ‘stitch’) welding of sheet metal and tubular components (Photo 1).

• Welding of precision machined components for automobile transmissions, engines, fuel injectors and filters, and electrical components.

Ta i l o r b l a n k w e l d i n g contributes to lighter weight, higher quality, safer, and lower cost automobiles by reducing the number of parts, reducing the weight of the parts and reducing the number of welds.

In one case, a stamping of a tailor welded blank produced from three sub-blanks and two welds replaced nine stampings assembled using 120 welds. Tailor welded blank welding also provides a means of

Photo 1: Laser welding has been demonstrated to provide finished automotive assemblies the same crash performance of a resistance welded component but with 35 percent fewer welds.

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optimising the material used based on the requirements of specific locations within the vehicle. For example, thicker sections can be used in specific areas to increase safety of the vehicle and more corrosion resistant materials can be used more easily in areas likely to corrode.

Laser welding has also proven to be an effective alternative to resistance spot welding in joining automotive sheet metal panels. As an example, laser stitch welding, which produces short seam welds, was demonstrated to reduce the number of welds to join the components of a typical door frame by 35 percent.

Laser Welding For Aerospace ApplicationsL a s e r w e l d i n g h a s b e e n demonstrated to meet the stringent quality and consistency requirements of aerospace applications, as a viable alternative to more traditional joining processes such as brazing, resistance spot welding, TIG welding, and electron beam welding.

With the next generation aircraft that manufacturers are developing, customer requirements call for aircraft that are quieter, more fuel efficient and more environmentally friendly. Aircraft manufacturers are also anxious to reduce their environmental impact through manufacturing processes that expend less energy and use materials more efficiently.

One of the approaches to

achiev ing these goa ls and creating more efficient aircraft is to use materials that reduce the weight of the aircraft. Two materials in the airframe that are often cited are titanium alloys and composites. Greater use of these materials is driving the application of laser processing into new areas beyond its current and dominant role in aerospace engine manufacture. It can be used for new designs that did not previously involve welding.

Using Less MaterialsThe Buy-To-Fly ratio is the ratio of weight of material that is purchased for a component compared to the weight of the component which is eventually made part of the aircraft. Reducing this ratio is one way to reduce manufacturing costs associated with the material and its processing. Reducing the ratio also improves the overall efficiency of the manufacturing operations.

T he fo l low i n g e x a mple illustrates the ability of laser welding to enable a new design that reduces the Buy-to -Fly ratio. Producing the component exclusively by machining involved starting from a block of Ti-6Al-4V titanium measuring 130x100x60 mm and a weight of 3.48 kg. At the end of the machining process, the finished part weighed 0.21 kg for a Buy-to-Fly ratio of 16.5 to 1.

The a lternat ive process designed using laser beam welding starts with two plates measuring 130 x 100 x 10 mm

(weight: 0.57 kg) and 50 x 6 x 130 mm (weight: 0.17 kg) and a total weight of the two plates of 0.74 kg. The corresponding Buy-To-Fly ratio for the laser beam welded assembly is 3.5 to 1, a nearly 80 percent reduction in the materials used to produce the part.

As shown in Photo 2, the laser weld joint is a T-configuration, with the laser beam being directed at the surface of the horizontal plate away from the interface. Laser welding is genera l ly known for producing relatively narrow welds, which is one of the strengths of the process.

In this application, the weld has full penetration through the top (horizontal) plate into the bottom (vertical) plate so that the interface is completely welded. The desire for a relatively wide weld favours use of the CO2 laser. It is both a proven technology because of its beam characteristics, high average power and favourable interaction with the material. CO2 laser welding provides both a structurally sound weld and viable process while providing cost-effective processing speeds. (Photo 3)

Since the material being welded is a titanium alloy, the laser beam delivery system also includes components that provide an inert gas cover (Ar-He mixture) for the weld metal while it is molten and until it has cooled below 400 deg C. (These components are typical of ones also used in welding titanium alloys with the TIG process.)

Photo 2: The laser weld is bright silver

in colour. That colour indicates little (<20 parts

per million or ppm) oxidation of the weld, resulting in its

structural integrity.

Photo 3: Mechanical tests confirmed the quality of the laser welds with strength that exceeds aerospace mechanical requirements by 30 percent.

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Laser Welding For Medical Device ApplicationsSince the mid-1960’s, shortly after its invention, lasers were used to manufacture pacemaker components. Since then, device function and biocompatibility have improved many times over, and the range of laser processed medical products has increased many times. Now, a broad range of devices — everything from stents, orthopedic devices, defibrillators, pacemakers and even sterile packaging — are laser processed with high accuracy, efficiency and quality (Photos 4 and 5).

With laser welding, the laser beam can be focused to beam diameters on the order of 100 µm (0.004 inch), resulting in limited heating of areas adjacent to the weld. This not only ensures excellent mechanical properties due to the ability to control the heating and cooling of the weld, but leads to negligible distortion of the components, which is extremely important to the quality and efficacy of medical devices. Localised heat input is the basis for

welding components that contain heat sensitive materials and/or electronics without damaging the components.

ConclusionsLaser welding has a long history of producing high quality welds in a wide range of metals and alloys. This is due to the nature of the process. Rapid heating and cooling of the different materials being welded contribute to welds having minimal heat affected zones and, in most cases, negligible distortion.

Work piece fixturing that maintains good weld joint fit-up and integrated control of laser, motion, assist gas delivery, and process sensors assures consistent quality. Therefore, laser welding as a viable process for aerospace, automotive and medical applications will continue to grow rapidly, particularly in areas of innovative product designs. The range of laser sources continues to expand and with it, the range of laser welding applications too. MEN

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Photo 4: Laser welding a precision electro-mechanical medical device.

Photo 5: Process repeatability is one of the major strengths of laser welding systems.

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ICHI SEIKI PTE LTD 39 Kaki Bukit Road 2, K.B. Warehouse Complex, Singapore 417857T: (65) 6744 7600 F: (65) 6744 7611 E: [email protected]

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Reduce Manpower Requirementsby up to 50%

Reduce Production Running Cost by up to 30%

Reduce Upfront Costby up to 40%

Reduce Production Cycle Time by up to 30%

Machine Tools

Engineering Solutions (AEPA)

Double Column Machining Center

Heavy Duty Vertical Lathe

Automated Gantry LoadingSystem & Robotic Arm

Automate production line to reduce manpower costExpert engineering advise for new projectsProcess Assessment for improving productivity of current production

Booth 3K3-01

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Wo r l d A u t o S t e e l ’s lightweight small car concept, called Future Steel Vehicle

(FSV) features steel body structure designs that reduce mass by more than 35 percent over a benchmark vehicle and reduce total life cycle emissions by nearly 70 percent. With the FSV findings, steelmakers worldwide are responding to the automotive industry’s demand for lightweight car solutions that save costs, reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions.

Ta t a S t e e l p e r f o r m e d optimisation studies for application of its own advanced steels. Based on the current steel grades available, the company has now developed lightweight designs for steel car components, matching the FSV achievement in savings and total life cycle emissions.

The company’s R&D department studied the findings to develop optimised applications of its advanced and ultra-high strength steels and developed lightweight concepts for vehicle components.

Weight Loss ProgramThrough its experience in supplying all major car manufacturers in Europe, Tata Steel knows what the automotive industry requires.


The industry typically uses a thinner-gauge material to produce improved strength for higher load capacities and better crash safety performance. The need to further reduce weight, emissions and costs while at the same time increasing safety does not only apply to body-in-white, but also to other areas like chassis and seating.

The company offers a range of cold formable, high-strength and strain-hardened steels in strengths up to 1,000 MPa. The cold forming range includes both dual and complex phase grades in sheet and tube form that are suited for body-in-white, chassis and seating applications. Ongoing lightweighting studies are being used to develop new strain-hardened materials in strengths up to 1,200 MPa and with enhanced ductility.

Maintaining The Ease Of ManufactureWhen upgrading to higher-strength materials, there is always a concern about compromising on formability in relation to stamping and on weldability in relation to assembly processes — in short, about the ease of manufacture. The company addresses this issue and combines its application experience and material knowledge with computer-

based simulation expertise to build this thinking into a cost-effective solution.

A design shape resulting from the existing material and currently used processes was developed to understand what needs to be modified in order for new advanced and ultra-high strength steels to be used on existing process equipment.

It All Started In The Lab The R&D department of Tata Steel studied crash tests conducted on the FSV and used analysis runs to produce an overview explaining the impact performance of the vehicle structure. They re-engineered components for body-in-white, subframe and seating designs using its currently available steel grades and gauges with the help of CAD and CAE simulations.

During these design studies, stiffness, crash performance and durability were optimised and steel grade specifications were confirmed. Additional forming simulation techniques ensured the development of designs suitable for volume production, while cost studies resulted in designs that are cost-effective, taking into account every step of the manufacturing process, such as stamping and assembly.

Sander Heinhuis, marketing manager Automotive of Tata Steel in Europe, says: “Tata Steel delivers lightweight body-in-white solutions weighing only a few kilos more than the FSV model, which had used steels not available for commercial use before 2020. The steel solutions provide improved performance in terms of higher load capacity and crash safety without compromising front, rear and side impact performance. Further production cost savings over FSV can be achieved and the overall life-cycle cost is reduced due to the weight reductions.”

At EuroBlech, an exhibition for the sheet metal industry, advanced and ultra-high strength steels were introduced to aid the automotive industry’s aim of producing lightweight cars. By Tata Steel

To Build ALighter Car

Polina Ivanova, Yaroslavl, Russia

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+66 (0) 2642-6911

ENQUIRY NO 072


APMEN: What is the current market share of plasma cutting technology in the oil and gas industry? Do you see the take up rate increasing in the future and why?

Bruce Altobelli (BA): Within the Asian region or even globally, I would say it is probably relatively low, 10 percent at best. The cutting industry for Stainless Steel (SS), carbon and duplex steel is dominated by oxy-fuel or oxy-acetylene cutting as well as grinding and machining types of operations, depending on which aspect of oil and gas you are talking about.

If you are talking about pipe manufacturing, plasma has got really good market shares in terms of cutting the pipe to length and putting a bevel on a part.

Plasma offers some advantages over oxy-acetylene. They are higher cutting speed, easy clean-up operations and a lower operating cost. In pipe thickness from 6 to 20 mm, plasma can be 8 to 10 times faster. The crossover point from plasma to oxy-acetylene cutting is typically in the mid 30 mm range. Plasma will slow down as the thickness of the material increases while oxy-acetylene maintains a slow but near constant speed.

APMEN: What is the operating range of your plasma cutting systems and the typical applications in the oil and gas industry?

BA: Let’s put that into two types of systems. We have the large automated systems, which utilises an x-y table for plate cutting. We may also use a robot to cut structural steel shape or tube. On those systems, we use up to 800 A and can cut up to 150 mm of SS. In terms of manual systems such as air plasma systems, our range is typically up to 50 mm in SS. In addition, we can cut any conductive materials.

APMEN: Ergonomics is a traditional area for the development of hand held/portable equipment. Are there any improvements in this area?


BA: Our tools are lighter, weighing about a pound or two (about 0.45 - 0.90 kg) at most. We design handles so that they are comfortable in bare hands as well as gloved hands. Two years ago, when we introduced the Powermax 65 and 85, we included a nearly straight torch with a 15 degree angle at the end.

That torch came about through customer research. They were asking for the ability to cut into corners. If they have to get into a tight corner while cutting, this straight torch allows them to go right up to a corner (while angled torches cannot).

Also in gouging applications, in the case of a straight torch, the arc is coming straight out away from you, as opposed to a right angle from you. As such, the heat is going away from you. If you carry out gouging with a standard torch, which is a right angle torch, the heat is much closer to the hand. As a result, they require shields to protect the hand from the heat.

APMEN: Tell us about the safety features in your products and other latest technologies.

BA: Our plasma torches have a trigger mechanism, once you let go or drop the torch, the flame goes out automatically. Also, if you remove the torch from the metal, the flame stops as it is no longer conducting the metal even if the trigger is pressed.

APMEN: How much do you spend on R&D?

BA: We spend about 3 to 4.5 percent of our annual revenue on R&D. We have some 1,300 people working in our company and about 10 percent of those are engineers working in product and process development. In terms of plasma cutting, we have more engineers than the rest of the industry combined working on process and product improvement.

On Plasma Cutting In The Oil & Gas Industry

Five QuestionsBruce Altobelli, GM, Manual Systems, Hypertherm sheds light on ergonomics, safety issues and the advantages of plasma cutting in the oil and gas arena. By Joson Ng

IndustryFocus

ENQUIRY NO 209


Are there any technical challenges in metal cutting unique to the O&G industry?

Almost any application in the O&G industry presents challenges for metal cutting tools. Just to point out one, I would like to briefly address the complexity of the oilfield threading application. Going deeper and deeper in the sea and then into the ground means a large amount of oil pipelines. The seal between coupling and pipe is mechanical only, so the thread profile has to be accurate enough to avoid leaking under any circumstances, but also the thread — male and female — must withstand high torque forces.

What are some of the technological trends in the O&G industry and how does it affect metalworking?

The most challenging and expensive sector in the world today is deep water exploration. The growing demand in this sector is continuously pushing metallurgy engineering to the edge. To withstand high pressure and corrosion in this harsh environment, complex metal alloys with a high content of chrome and nickel have become very popular.

Are there any examples whereby a product or solution was specially formulated to cater to a particular development in the O&G industry?


Right now we are involved in developing a complex solution for a large Scandinavian customer. Due to government environmental protection regulations, the depleted oil pipelines in vast regions of the North Sea (in Europe) must be removed. This job is somehow easy if the pipeline is laid and exposed on the seabed.

However, drilling deep underground requires the oil rig to be assembled on-site. Then dedicated cutting tool systems penetrate the oil pipe casing and literally start destroying it upwards. Metal chip removal from deep underground to the surface is a real challenge. The combination of chip deflector and the correct carbide grade developed by us is the key to success in this difficult scenario.

With Marcos Rosenzvaig

A

QuickWord

As man explores the deeper reaches of the world for Oil & Gas (O&G), more sophisticated tools are needed to help in this endeavour. Iscar’s industry manager explains. By Joson Ng

IndustryFocus

ENQUIRY NO 014


In t o d a y ’ s b u s i n e s s environment, most Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) wi l l have to go

through various challenges in order to ensure the required progression and development in their business arena.

Four major areas have been identified for SMEs to take on from the beginning of their operation in order to ensure survival and healthy progression in their respective market(s). The four critical elements are cash flow analysis, customers’ satisfaction, product development and branding.

Go With The FlowCash flow analysis is a strategic tool by which a compa ny effectively plans and administers the control of its cash collection, the payment of its various debts and the management of all its liquid assets. It consists of accounts receivables and accounts payables, day- to -

day cash, cash in banks and borrowings from banks.

In other words, cash flow analysis as a tool assists SMEs to measure how much money they have at a particular time. As ‘Cash is King’, a business simply cannot function without any cash.

The application of proper cash management will ensure the availability of required cash (liquidity) needed for the company’s various functions in order to meet its numerous business obligations. For any SME battling in the business arena, to be able to always have available cash is imperative. They need to manage the three parameters listed below:

a. Accounts Receivable — Cash Inflow (Collect your payments early)

b. Accounts Payable — Cash Outflow (Stretch your payments)

c. Inventory (Do not tie up vital cash in the wrong inventory)

However, we must not confuse the term ‘Cash’ with ‘Profit’. Cash is what SMEs must have in order to keep their business running, while they are busy making profits. Profit on the other hand is the sum of money SMEs expect to make if all their customers pay their outstanding on time and all their expenses due are deducted.

Customer CentricPeter Drucker, the famous management consultant once said that “a company’s first task is to create customers.”

In today’s highly competitive business environment, SMEs management must dedicate substantial time and effort to not only create customers, but most importantly to make customer satisfaction a top priority for their company’s success.

Gone are the days where any SMEs management’s aim was to simply satisfy their customers’ n e e d s . F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e management of ordinary SMEs tend to believe that to ensure their customers’ satisfaction and win their customers’ loyalty is purely the sales and marketing departments’ responsibility. These views are not applicable anymore. All other relevant departments must organise themselves to form a customer delivery value system.

I n t o d a y ’s w o r l d , t h e management of SMEs must adopt the customer centric approach in order to deliver superior value to its target customers. According to Philip Kotler, an expert in marketing, customer centric companies are those ones focused on customer developments in designing its marketing strategies and on delivering superior value to its target customers. In other words he recommends building customers, not only products.

The ultimate task however for many SMEs nowadays should be to find optimal ways to balance the amount spent for increasing

Advance SMEs

Four Strategic Points To

In a competitive business environment, SMEs need to arm themselves with knowledge in order to balance their books, develop quality products and maintain their brand while keeping their customers happy. By Petros N Zenieris, The Business Criterion

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their customers’ satisfaction as compared to the increasing level of business satisfaction to other shareholders.

Product DevelopmentThere are two ways for an SME to acquire new products. It can be through an acquisition (by buying a patent or a licence to produce someone’s existing product or by buying another company) or through new product development.

The latter signifies the strategy which will create exclusively new products for the company’s current or future market segments. The product development process starts as an idea way back before the physical product appears on the market. After trials during the various stages such as idea generation, idea screening, concept development and concept testing, the product idea could then be turned into a potential workable product.

Based on their in it ia l ly accepted product concept, the next step for the SME will then be to prepare the marketing strategy and plan, which will cover areas such as sales, costs and profit projections, as well as estimated volumes in order to ensure that the product idea will successfully turn into an acceptable and potentially profitable product.

At the development stage, SMEs must take into serious consideration the importance of product differentiation element as compared to the existing competitive ones available in their respective market(s). In other words, what are the extra benefits an SME would be able to offer to the consumers with the introduction of their new product versus the existing competitive ones? The product differentiation element could create a significant impact at a later stage during the product launch by emphasising on the Unique Selling Propositions (USPs).

It is therefore very important during the product development stage for the management of each SME to have full cognisance of all available competitive products with their USPs, as such knowledge could assist them in their own product development stage and also cushion the probable negative business impact from introducing their products later in the respective market(s).

BrandingBranding should not be associated at any given time with any advertising and promotional activities. In addition, the brand must not be confused with the product.

We could define product as any thing which can be offered to the market for the use, consumption, utilisation or attention that might satisfy a want (desire) or a need (necessity).

On the other hand, we could define a brand as a name, symbol, design, or some combination, which identifies the product of a particular organisation as having a sustainable and differential advantage as compared to those offered by the competitors.

• Sustainable advantage — any advantage that is not easily copied by competitors due to the development of an outstanding reputation or image for quality.

• Differential advantage — a customer has a reason for pre ferr ing th is bra nd to competitors’ brands.

When the brand is properly managed and supported, it could be capable of enhancing the business’ reputation, motivating employees’ behav iour and creating long lasting loyalty among consumers.

Branding consists of the logo, its tagline, its brand name and in many cases could represent an important link or an association with the owner or founder’s vision and his long term plan in the SME. The successful brand could build a reputation for the SME as well as add on significant value to the company. Best brands are always associated with high quality and loyalty.

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Proper cash management will ensure the availability of required cash (liquidity) needed for the company’s various functions

SMEs management must make customer satisfaction a top priority for their company’s success.

ExEcutivEZonE

Industrial growth in Myanmar could potentially benefit every strata of society, promoting employment opportunities

and economic development. This requires the country to adopt holistic development policies in order to compete with other middle-income Asian nations, states a report by Global Data.

Research indicates that Myanmar has started taking steps towards economic development, as the new government ends decades of military rule. Myanmar benefits from its geographical positioning close to the fast-growing economies of China and India, where raw materials are in huge demand, providing a ready market for Myanmar’s mined minerals.

Australia and the US have recently lifted economic sanctions previously imposed on the country, paving the way for further economic development. New taxes enacted in the mineral-rich economies of Australia and Indonesia have also given


Myanmar an additional advantage, with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the minerals industry now looking more appealing.

Government InitiativesThe democratic government has undertaken several national initiatives to increase growth and development in Myanmar’s mineral sector, and has expressed interest in joining the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a global standard for increasing transparency in the extractive sector.

According to the A sia n Development Bank (ADB), the mining sector’s contribution to Myanmar’s GDP has increased from MMK15 billion in 2000 to MMK367 billion in 2010 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 37.6 percent. Myanmar holds minerals such as lead, zinc, silver, chromium, copper, gold, and precious gems.

The country also has several major oil and gas fields, but a lack

MyanmarEmerging As A Natural Resources Powerhouse

Engindeniz, TurkeyWith a mineral-rich landscape as a platform, Myanmar is ready to start its journey of economic development. By Syed Imran Abbas, associate analyst & Somsubhra Banerjee, senior analyst, Global Data

of technology and low participation from foreign oil companies has left most of its hydrocarbon reserves unexploited. However, May 2012 saw the Ministry of Energy announce that foreign oil companies will be allowed to make upstream investments in 23 offshore oil and gas blocks in the country.

Myanmar holds proven oil and gas reserves of 2.1 billion barrels (bbl) and 25 trillion cubic feet (tcf) respectively as of April 2011. Additionally, the country’s energy ministry estimates its domestic shale oil reserves to be around 3.3 million barrels (MMbbl).

FDI in Myanmar’s oil and gas industry stood at about US$13.8 billion for 2011 and 2012, representing almost 31 percent of the country’s GDP. However, the country must become a more investor-friendly nation to attract bigger international investments, and develop its fossil fuel production.

Better Infrastructure RequiredUnfortunately, Myanmar still struggles with weak governance and corrupt ion, and lacks suitable transport, power and communications infrastructure. Better facilities are required for industry and international trade, and the government must prioritise the development of ports, roads, and railways to fully exploit the country’s production and export potential.

Myanmar’s environment also requires protection from policy makers, who must control excessive felling of trees, the proper treatment of mining waste and water systems, and illegal mining. Mining without using proper safeguards can also put miners’ safety at risk, and harmful mining practices have been observed at gold mines in the states of Kachin and Karen, and in copper mines in Northern Myanmar. MEN


Features



DMG/Mori Seiki recently held their open house in Germany from January 29 – February 2, 2013.

Over the course of five days, orders worth some €150.5 million (US$ 199 million) were generated. This positive start to the year can be attributed to record visitor (6,078) numbers and also the number of exhibits on show, which stands at 72, according to the company.

Moving forward, the company can expect to add to the order number in the early part of 2013 as it gears up for forthcoming shows in East Asia starting in Taiwan with TIMTOS, before exhibiting in South Korea at the Intermold and finally at CIMT in Beijing, China.

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During the annual open house, DMG/Mori Seiki gave a world premiere to six machines. They are the Dixi 210 P, touted to be the largest high-precision machine in the world by the manufacturers; the DMC 80 H linear, a HMC designed for larger workpieces; universal machining centres DMU 125 FD monoBlock and the DMC 65 FD monoBlock; CTX beta 2000 and NLX2500Y/700, a universal lathe machine.

The Largest High-Precision Machine The Dixi 210 P from the company features a volumetric accuracy of 35 µm for the exact machining of large, heavy components.

It can handle heavy components

with diameters up to 2,500 mm, heights of 1,250 mm and weighing a maximum of 8,000 kg in just one setup, including efficient rough machining (with spindle torques of up to 1,550 Nm) plus final finishing with top dynamics (6 m/s2), fast feed rates (60 m/min) and a volumetric accuracy of <35 µm.

The universal milling machine is also equipped with a thermal management system that includes cooling of all heat-generating components, so this integral accuracy is also guaranteed for the customer when the machine is subsequently put into operation.

If results from the traditional curtain raiser are anything to go by, the company can expect a good year. By Joson Ng

DMG/Mori Seiki Pfronten

Open House

Features


When there is a proven te ch nolog y in a company, the next logical step is to use

that technology and apply it to its other product line, so long improvements can be achieved. Cutting tool manufacturer Walter has applied its Tiger•tec Silver technology to ISO turning for steel machining.

This marriage of technology and newly developed grades and geometries is a much heralded one. Gerd Kußmaul, who is responsible for global product management in the field of turning at the company has claimed “an increase in output of up to 75 percent when turning steel.”

In addition, the manufacturer revealed the platform for the generation of indexable inserts is a microstructured aluminium oxide. Due to the crystalline structure, tool life can be increased by 50 percent in the event of crater wear. This can then be used to reduce workpiece machining time.

Using an optimised cutting edge preparation process (Microedge Technology), it is also possible to increase tool life by 30 percent in the event of flank face wear or plastic deformation of the insert.

While the figures are impressive, it is worthwhile to also note there are also advancements in the area of process reliability. According


to the cutting tool maker, the mechanical post-treatment creates the unique residual stress rate, which maximises process reliability in mass production. Cracks, micro-chipping and breakages of the indexable inserts are reduced and each cutting edge provides a uniform tool life with the same wear.

As a result of the optimum seating in the toolholder, the ground contact surfaces increase machining reliability when making interrupted cuts and can improve the machining processes.

Grades & Geometries Available Walter has developed indexable inserts for steel turning consisting of three grades: WPP10S (ISO P10), WPP20S (ISO P20) and WPP30S (ISO P30). Alongside these three grades, four chip breakers have been developed in parallel within the Walter ISO P Generation: FP5, MP3, MP5 and RP5.

The indexable insert geometries of the double-sided negative model all have large, universal breaking areas, which increase the performance of the inserts. The four geometries have been matched to one another and the range of applications that they can cover has been increased by 20 percent to 40 percent in comparison to previous geometries.

The four ISO P geometries have

Steel Machining

Adding A New Coat To

Combining a universal insert geometry range for steel machining with a CVD coating process is said to improve steel turning output by up to 75 percent. Contributed by Jaslin Huang, Walter AG Singapore

also been given a new designation system for steel turning. The FP5 geometry is designed for finishing. With its twin V chip breakers, it ensures reliable chip control in longitudinal and face turning applications with cut depths of 0.2 mm and above. The MP3 geometry can be deployed for medium machining of long-chipping materials. With its positive, curved cutting edge, it is suited to machining steel formed parts such as gearwheels and ball joints.

The MP5 geometr y ha s been developed specifically for general, medium machining of materials. With its universal and tough basket arch cutting edge, it is suited to universal applications, ranging from smooth cutting on bar material through to interrupted cuts. The RP5 geometry is used for roughing. The stable, positive three degree chamfer is suitable for roughing with a low power requirement.

Finally, to cover all typical operations for smaller insert size, users can choose from the insert shapes CNMG, SNMG and TNMG, as well as from the two geometries FP5 and MP3 for finishing operations and medium machining operations.

Features

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The Taiwan International Mac h i ne To ol Show (TMTS) 2012 was held from November 7 – 11,

2012, at the Greater Taichung International Expo Center (GTIEC). Organised by the Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders’ Association, the show saw an 85 percent increase in overall scale from the previous edition, which included a 30 percent increase of exhibitors and the doubling of floor space to 36,200 sq m.

There was a total of 65,227 visitors, of which 1,984 were overseas participants who came from 45 countries, such as the US, the UK, Vietnam, China, South Korea, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia and India. Exhibitors displayed everything from machine tools components, accessories and tools to automation equipment. Twenty- one out of the 475 exhibitors came from 11 other countries, including Germany, Japan, South Korea, China and the US.

A cco r d i n g to M a Y i n g

Jeou, president of Taiwan, the local machine tool industry remains competitive due to its technology, which is difficult to replicate. Nonetheless, he added that one challenge of staying internationally competitive is in the ability to build an economic value chain in the manufacture of key components and precision equipment.

To this end, the Taiwanese government a ims to bui ld more free trade or economic cooperation agreements with other countries. Citing how the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China helped boost the industry, he

revealed that they are currently in active discussions with Singapore and New Zealand as well.

Highlighting the important role of the machine tool industry in Taiwan’s overall development, pre sident Ma urged loca l manufacturers to strive towards trade liberalisation, to do away with a traditional and protectionist mentality, so as to free themselves up to more opportunities.

November 7 – 11, 2012Greater Taichung International Expo Center (GTIEC)Taichung, Taiwan

Taiwan International Machine Tool Show


EvEnts&Exhibitions


Currently ranked sixth in the world in terms of machine tool production, Taiwan is both a major

producer and consumer of machine tools. It boasts of an export value that reached US$4 billion in 2011, making it the fourth largest in the world. Meanwhile, exports within January to August 2012 experienced a growth of 9.3 percent to reach US$2.87 billion, even with the global economic slowdown.

The country is able to maintain such a position as it continuously strives to be competitive. Apart from governmental support such as the development of the ‘Taichung City Precision Machinery Innovation Technology Park’, manufacturers are also expanding their focus beyond the core machine itself. Instead, t hey a re look ing towa rds innovation and improving on the softer aspects, such as customer satisfaction and aesthetics.

Moving From Hard To SoftMachine tools have always been promoted for their specifications, but some manufacturers are veering towards the less tangible. Fast becoming a trend, more companies are taking a bigger role in building their own software and controls. “Basically, in addition to hardware design, we also have excellent software planning and design, and this is the most creative and innovative competitive edge of the Taiwanese industry,” said Jui-Hsiung Yen, vice chairman of TMBA.

Of Taiwanese ManufacturingAPMEN spoke to several companies at TMTS 2012, who shared their plans for the future and provided a glimpse of how the Taiwanese machine tool industry has managed to stay competitive amidst a global slowdown. By Sherlyne Yong

Integrating technology with hardware into a holistic package is an emerging path that more are taking. Also seen abroad, Mr Yen observed that many companies at exhibitions in Japan and Chicago were talking about providing total solutions instead of coming up with new machine models.

He added that apart from just focusing on the manufacturing phase and output, other variables in the process such as applications, technology and skills are equally important. This will therefore be the direction of the industry, by shifting from external factors to internal ones, from hardware planning to software planning.

Being Customer CentricThe sentiment felt on the grounds of TMTS was one that was customer focused and shared by many. A lot of companies are thinking from the customers’ point of view by altering their offerings

in accordance to customer demand, rather than innovating something entirely new.

One such company is Everising, who has developed several new products which they are preparing to launch at TIMTOS 2013. According to Janice Chao, sales and marketing manager of the company, most of these products are new and improved versions of existing bandsaws and cutting tool machines. Most changes involve improvements in speed, stability, and fulfilling what the current machines are missing.

She added: “Customer needs are a priority and they have a need for special measuring devices and special materials, so we consider those factors and how they will affect the customer in terms of cutting.” Accounting for this, one of the things they have worked on is expanding the types of materials that can be used with the machines, such that it can now be used with aluminium instead of just steel.

Extron has also increased the functions of its existing machines, with aims of helping customers keep costs down. By focusing its R&D efforts on saving power and reducing costs, especially that of labour charges, the company has developed the LV65 — a vertical machining centre with an Auto Pallet Changer (APC).

The Future

Lucy Lai, ExtronJanice Chao, Everising

EvEnts&Exhibitions


“With the APC, you can do more jobs. Usually with the ver t ica l machining centre, employees will wait in front of the machine while doing nothing. But with the APC, they can change the work piece while outside and they can do it in comfort every time. This will help to keep costs down,” said Lucy Lai, sales manager at the company, who also shared plans to integrate the APC into their horizontal machining centres.

She believes that automation is key to the future as labour costs are rising, and will eventually affect developing countries as well. She added: “Saving on energy and increasing productivity is definitely the way of the future, because everybody wants to lower production costs and transfer the savings to customers.”

High Speeds & Extreme SizesWith increasing urbanisation comes a need to build larger structures against constraints such as time and space. Time is of the essence, and according to Lucas Chang, overseas sales manager at Defender: “The trend is going towards high speed and the ability to move faster.”

T h i s a p p l i e s n o t j u s t to machines itself, but the accompanying peripherals as well. For instance, machine covers

sometimes limit machining speeds because unlike the machine which has a motor, it cannot move on its own and has to be pulled.

“Because the machines are moving towards high speed functions, the bellows have to follow and match up as well,” said Mr Chang. As a result, his company has come up with the big sized horizontal lamella bellow models for horizontal milling machines and machining centres, which are able to move at speeds up to 80 m/min.

GSA+ has also developed a power tooling turret, the CLT-100SP, with the objective of increasing machining speeds, and ultimately, productivity and output. It can reach speeds of up to 5,000 rpm and has a maximum torque of 30 Nm. According to Paul Liu, vice supervisor of sales at the company, the turret was developed due to demands for larger models, and is catered mostly to the automobile industry, which needs to produce small components at a rapid pace.

Resea rch ef for ts in the company are also geared towards making the products more compact. “There is only so much space within the machine, so we try to fulfill the demand of the machine tool industry by making it compact,” Mr Liu explained. “At the same time, we are also going

towards bigger machines — both extremities — so that we will have more variety among our products.”

Likewise, Peng Sen Jung, GM of Posa Machinery, has revealed that the company puts in NT$5 million to NT$8 million (US$172,000 to 275,000) into research each year, with a focus on high speed. The tangible result of this are built in spindles for machining centres, the EMS 25 and EMS 30.

According to him, the spindles have speeds of up to 30,000 rpm, which is higher than what is available in the market. Everything is hidden within the spindle, and the built in motor has done away with the need for a belt, which makes it more compact and results in less noise.

Brad Wang, vice GM of Chmer has also shared that while the focus of R&D will still be on their core products, which include die sinker, wire and hole drilling EDM, they will be extending it to high speed products.

“In general, the pulse of the machine tool industry is heading into two directions. The first is towards high precision, while the second is building larger machines to accommodate the production of larger products,” said Mr Wang.


Lucas Chang (extreme L), Defender Paul Liu, GSA TechnologyPeng Sen Jung, Posa Machinery

EvEnts&Exhibitions


Over the years, Singapore has built up a vibrant system of oil majors, drilling contractors,

specialised marine equipment and offshore rig manufacturers, as well as engineering service providers. Riding on this wave, MTA2013 will be showcasing tools that aid in the manufacturing of machine parts for the oil & gas industry at the Singapore Expo from April 9 – 12, 2013.

Singapore is a leader for the design and construction of offshore rigs, platforms and support vessels. Even without hydrocarbon resources, the country currently dominates 70 percent of the global market share in the manufacturing of jack-up rigs for offshore drilling.

According to Singapore’s Ministry of Trade & Industry, the current economic uncertainties has not hampered the country’s progress, for Singapore’s marine and offshore sector continues to prove resilient with its total turnover in 2011 at S$13.3 billion (US$10.8 billion), and current net orders at a new high of more than S$16 billion with deliveries extended to 2015.

With such imperative need for offshore equipment, coupled with the projected increase in demand in Asia for oil exports, the outlook for machine tool compa nies specia l ising in producing machinery parts for the oil & gas industry continues to remain upbeat.

Solutions For High Value SectorsMTA2013 will be putting up a Capabilities Hub — a showcase featuring a group of precision engineering enterprises that provide a range of products and services catering to sectors such as aerospace, complex equipment, medical technology and oil & gas.

The hub is designed to address the demanding and varied needs of the industry sectors. For the oil &


gas sector in particular, it highlights the manufacturers’ capabilities that covers areas such as complex machining of specialised materials, fabrication of large components, materials testing, engineering services, supply chain management and systems integration.

From the technology suppliers to manufacturers, the hub participants, together with the exhibitors, provide an integrated experience for oil & gas industry professionals. Attendees can source for parts and components from suppliers as well as network with other manufacturers and industry solution providers under one roof.

“By allowing the manufacturers to showcase their know-how through the Capabilities Hub, the show provides the platform for attendees from around the region to see and gain the knowledge in what the precision engineering industry in Singapore can provide. This is especially so for the production of oil & gas equipment, where Singapore excels in,” states William Lim, project director at Singapore Exhibition Services.

Singapore ExpoSingaporeApril 9 – 12, 2013

Event Preview:

MTA 2013

EvEnts&Exhibitions





Aerotech: Multi-Input Data Collection Device

DMG/Mori Seiki: Universal Milling Machine

Sensor Fusion, a 3U data acquisition device from Aerotech, provides precise time alignment of motion and data acquisition functions in electronics and other industries. Integrating data acquisition into the motion control platform is a cost-effective data acquisition solution. It provides quick and easy configuration and setup for shorter development time.

The device is applicable in any test, measurement, or inspection situation where sensor data must be precisely aligned with position. Major application areas include semiconductor, display, automotive and medical device manufacturing. It is available in desktop, rack mount and panel mount configurations.

The DMU 100 P duoBlock d e v e l o p e d by DMG/Mori Seiki ensures p r e c i s i o n for five-axis m a c h i n i n g o f complex workpieces. These universal milling machines are equipped according to customer demands. As a result, they come with a milling head with controlled A- or B-axis, different main drives, a NC-rotary table with integrated measuring system and a swivel rotary table. The machine is said to be useful for the machining of complex parts in the aerospace industry such as HP compressor housing, compressor plates or integral components.

Finally, the universal milling machine has a work area dimension of 1 m3 and has a thermo-symmetrical construction.

Blum: Multidirectional Touch Probe Blum-Novotest has added speed, precision and operator convenience to their range of radio touch probe. With the TC62, the company has now a touch probe 40 mm in diameter, making it suitable for smaller machining centres and workpieces.

The touch probe is said to be fast and robust in data transmission. Instead of the usually applied channel hopping method

or channel assignment, the probe transmits data collected to the receiver via the BRC technology.

Higher measuring speed is enabled due to the design of the touch probe. While other systems measure at a speed of 400 to 500 mm/min, the probe can be used with up to 2,000 mm/min offering a reduction of measuring time. In addition, its rotation symmetric design offers constant and precise measuring characteristics in all measuring directions without a preferred direction.

Big Kaiser: Flexible Workholding For 5-Axis Machine Tables

Big Kaiser Precision T o o l i n g h a s strengthened and expanded its Unilock l ine of f ive -a x is workholding product offerings. These multi-axis workholding p r o d u c t s a r e designed for five-axis machining and five-

sided machining via multiple part transfers. The five-axis Duo Bridge, with Dual 45 degree 105/65

base plates, is an integratable solutions that can be mounted directly on the top of a five-axis table or loaded through a pair of zero-point chucks.

Unilock’s five-axis Riser chucks, extensions and reductions, with a working diameter of 80 mm, are available on base plates, or as stacking modules in heights of 75 mm and 100 mm. The infinitely adjustable first grips and dovetail grips are only limited by the length of the thread that pulls the jaws together.


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Fluke: Visual Infrared Thermometer

Fluke Corp has developed the Fluke VT02 Visual IR Thermometer, a troubleshooting camera with an infrared heat map. Until now, electricians and

automotive technicians have had to choose between single-point

infrared thermometers and high-resolution thermal imagers (IR cameras).

The thermometer fills the gap, for when a single-spot temperature reading is not enough and a high-resolution

thermal image is more than users ne e d . O ne to o l

combines the visual insight of a thermal imager, the visual images of a digital camera, and the point-and-shoot convenience of an IR thermometer.

Ifm Electronic: Optical Distance Sensor

The 100k lux optical distance sensor by ifm electronic has a diffuse range of 0 to 10 m. It is said to provide reliable performance, even in direct sunlight.

The sensor is insensitive to reflective surfaces such as reflective strips on safety vests or reflectors. It is suitable for outdoor applications in truck gantry, lifters and loading stations.

Featuring two switching outputs, one adjustable range switch, and the other a scaleable analogue output, the sensor is suitable for applications requiring high quality background suppression. A range of fixing components is available.

Hypertherm: Plasma Cutting & Gouging System

Hypertherm has developed the Maxpro200, a 200 amp LongLife air and oxygen plasma system. The system is said to be engineered for heavy duty, high capacity cutting and gouging. According to the manufacturer, the combination of LongLife technology and Air/Air and O2/Air cut quality enables operators to cut more parts per hour and minimises the need for secondary operations.

Other features include a one-step interface and automatic gas control, optional quick disconnect torches, two handheld and two mechanised torch options, among others.

Inus Technology: Probe-Based Measurement

Inus Technology has released its CAD-intelligent inspection software, Rapidform XOV3. With this release, the software becomes a full-fledged contact inspection platform, with support for every major portable CMM device on the market.

The LiveInspect system offers an automatic measurement guide that makes inspecting parts with a probe easy. After defining dimensions and tolerances on a nominal model, the software guides the operator on how to measure a part and then generates a report automatically.

In addition to the probing capabilities of the software, it has been updated to offer near real-time inspection results. Calculations are up to 10 times faster than before, making the process of aligning, deviation analysis and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing faster and easier.


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Kennametal: Multipurpose Milling Cutters

T h e K S R M l i n e o f cut ters i s a m u l t i p u r p o s e mi l l ing solut ion

from Kennametal specifically engineered

for titanium and stainless steel applications. Their

design enables pocketing, profiling, ramping, and plunging with up to 1 mm fz.

All KSRM inserts offer up to eight indexable positions for fast and accurate insert changes. These inserts were designed with a high positive rake angle and stronger cutting edges for lower cutting forces when machining titanium.

KSRM inserts are available in 12 mm and 16 mm diameters for KSRM face mills and screw-on, Weldon, and cylindrical KSRM end mills. These diameters are offered in SGE and ELE insert styles, which are suitable for titanium applications. SGE inserts are designed for medium and heavy milling tasks, whereas ELE inserts should be used at low cutting forces and to avoid edge build-up.

Lorch: TIG Torch That Achieves Higher Productivity

A TIG torch in a new form has been developed by Lorch. According to the manufacturer, the i-Torch is said to be ergonomic and has good functionality.

The longitudinally installed display in the Powermaster variant is particularly conspicuous. In addition, the operating concept enables the TIG welder to have a clear view and total control of all important parameters.

Finally, the welder has never been closer to the welding action. The distance of the operating hand to the arc has been reduced by a full 2 cm compared with standard torches. This ensures greater arc control, more precise torch guidance and higher productivity.

Siemens PLM: Increasing Engineering Productivity

The Femap software program by Siemens PLM is a pre- and post-processor

for engineering finite element analysis r u n n i n g o n t he W i ndows operating system. Version 11 is said to increase e n g i n e e r i n g

productivity in product development simulation and analysis

due to enhancements in data handling and graphic performance. The version also speeds data access by up to 25 times and reduces memory usage by up to 80 percent, delivering a smaller more manageable model file.

In addition, dynamic rotation of large, complex models is at least five times faster than the previous version. As a result of these, and several other enhancements, engineers can speed finite element analysis while maintaining product quality and performance.

Okuma America Corp: 5-Axis Vertical Machining Centre

Okuma’s MU-6300V delivers efficiency and productivity for five-axis multi-sided machining. The CNC vertical machining centre has a rigid and accurate double column structure and low centre of gravity in workpiece movement (trunnion table) that enable both heavy duty cutting and high speed finishing.

Built on the company’s thermo-friendly structure, this machine performs consistently from the first part to the last, regardless of warm up time or ambient temperatures. The machine is said to be especially suitable for the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries.


ProductFinder



Sutton Tools: Drills For Efficient Machining

Hardwearing super alloy materials call for tools for effective and efficient machining. Sutton Tools’ Black Magic Carbide Drill range provides suitable solution for drilling of the latest materials found in the aerospace and oil & gas industries.

The carbide drills are aimed specifically at stainless steels and super alloys — such as austenitic stainless steels 304 and 316, duplex grades, and Inconels 718 and 725.

Designed for use in CNC machines for component producers, the range is available from 3 to 13 mm in 0.1 mm step sizes, and from 13 to 20 mm in 0.5 mm steps. Further options include a choice of two drill depths — 3xD and 5xD — and two different drill lengths.

TaeguTec: Choosing Micro Tools Made Easy

As applications grow in complexity and shrink in size, machining micro components are getting more challenging. Choosing a tool provider that can handle small parts can therefore be a daunting task.

TaeguTec has made the choice easier with the introduction of the TopMicro test kit for internal machining of small parts in grooving, boring and face grooving applications.

The kits are available in various product types which include their recommended cutting conditions for simplified product testing. With this kit, which is designed for simplified testing, end-users will save money by testing different inserts on various applications and materials at once. Every kit comes equipped with five inserts, a sleeve and wrench to clamp the inserts tightly.

ENQ

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Partingshot

A large share of the components found in aircraft and Formula One racers are already made of CRP. Producing the components using reinforced plastic is still quite an effort, however — many worksteps still have to be performed manually, and even the automated steps often have to be reworked by hand.

Combined EffortS e v e n t y - t w o c o m p a n i e s , educational institutions and research institutes, together with supporting organisations in the Munich-Augsburg-Ingolstadt area, have joined forces to create the MAI Carbon Leading-Edge Cluster Initiative to get CRP in shape for mass production.

A key partner in the cluster, along with Audi and BMW, is the Fraunhofer project group ‘Functional Lightweight Design FIL’.

“Our goal is to reduce the manufacturing costs of CRP components by 90 percent over the five years of the project. We intend to accomplish this primarily through new production methods that are also well-suited for volume production,” says Prof Dr-Ing Klaus Drechsler, head of the Fraunhofer project group and holder of the Chair in Carbon Composites at the Technische Universität München.

The researchers in Augsburg have a lready developed a production method for the automobile industry. The method combines a braiding machine of the kind typically used in the textiles industry with a pultrusion system further developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT.

The braiding machine gives the dry carbon fibres the right form, and the pultrusion machine covers them with resin. The special thing about this method is up until now, everything had to be performed by hand — fibres placed in the tool and lined up and the resin injected — but now all of these steps are fully automated.

Made by hand, the individual components could only be produced step by step, with all components of a certain length. The combination system, on the other hand, produces the components continuously, so the parts it can produce could theoretically be infinitely long.

Aviation IndustryThe Fraunhofer project group has quite a bit to offer the aviation industry as well. Researchers are developing a fully automated production method for large-scale CRP components.

The core of the technology is a robot with a laying head: It picks up the resin-coated carbon fibres and lays them on the tool, where the fibres are then hardened. This step has been performed by hand until now — an elaborate undertaking resulting in lots of scraps and quality levels that are not always optimal. The automated process, on the other hand, is suited for volume production and delivers good and constant quality.

“The method has a good chance of being adopted in series production of aircraft construction, which will begin in around two years,” says Dr Drechsler.


Lighter Is Better

Automating the production of CRP components can go a long

way in helping future automobile and aircraft shed that excess weight. By Fraunhofer

Cars and airplanes need to lose weight — and one way to do that is to produce as many components

as possible using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CRP). Up until now, these components have been made by hand. Today, there are automated production methods that are also suitable for volume production in carmaking.

Carmakers and a irplane manufacturers are very particular when it comes to the weight of their models: the lighter they are, the less fuel they consume — and the less carbon dioxide they blow into the air.

New mate r ia l s , jo i n i n g technologies and lightweight-construction concepts will help cars lose weight. Particularly promising are the CRP. They are roughly 60 percent lighter than steel and around 30 percent lighter than aluminium.

The material also never rusts and can be used to construct crash-relevant structures such as body components. These materials get their stability from carbon fibres embedded in the plastic matrix. Depending on the demands, the fibres can be superimposed over several layers and in varying directions.

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ICT


March5 – 10TIMTOSTWTC, TWTC NangangTaipei, [email protected]

26 – 29Inapa 2013JI Expo KemayoranJakarta, IndonesiaGEM Indonesiawww.inapa-exhibition.net

april 9 – 12MTA 2013Singapore [email protected]

May16 – 18Subcon Thailand 2013BITECBangkok, ThailandUBMwww.subconthailand.com

16 – 19Sheet Metal Asia 2013BITECBangkok, ThailandUBMwww.sheetmetalexhibition.com

16 – 19Intermach 2013BITECBangkok, ThailandUBM Asia [email protected]

21 – 25Metaltech 2013PWTCKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaTradelink [email protected]/metaltech

22 – 25MTT 2013Jakarta International ExpoJakarta, [email protected]

June12 - 15Manufacturing Surabaya 2013Grand City Convention & Exhibition CentreSurabaya, IndonesiaPT Pamerindowww.pamerindo.com

20 – 23Manufacturing Expo 2013BITECBangkok, ThailandReed [email protected]

July2 - 5MTA Vietnam 2013SECCHo Chi Minh City, [email protected] www.mtavietnam.com

SepteMber4 – 6Vietnam Manufacturing Expo 2013ICE HanoiHanoi, VietnamReed Tradexvietnammanufacturingexpo@reedtradex.co.thwww.vietnammanufacturingexpo.com

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

4 - 7Mining IndonesiaJakarta International Expo KemayoranJakarta, IndonesiaPT Pamerindowww.pamerindo.com

OctOber10 – 12Metalex Vietnam 2013SECCHo Chi Minh City, VietnamReed [email protected]

nOveMber13 - 15Oil & Gas Indonesia 2013Jakarta International Expo KemayoranJakarta, IndonesiaPT Pamerindowww.pamerindo.com

20 – 23Metalex 2013BITECBangkok, ThailandReed [email protected]

DeceMber4 - 7Manufacturing IndonesiaJakarta International Expo KemayoranJakarta, IndonesiaPT Pamerindowww.pamerindo.com

The Editor (APMEN)Eastern Trade Media1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building, #02-05 Singapore 169206Email: [email protected] • Tel: +65 63792888


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©2013 Kennametal Inc. l All rights reserved. l A-13-03153

Double-sided insert with up to 12 cutting edges for a more productive cutting process.

Higher clearance angles designed in the cutter bodies to permit pocketing, profiling, and 5-axis machining.

Three different insert sizes and three topography styles per size, cover any type of material, component, and application.

Unique anti-rotation feature for excellent stability with higher feed rates and cutting forces while allowing for user-friendly insert rotation.

RodekaTM double-sided round inserts:

• Three insert ICs: 10, 12, and 16mm.

• Innovative, cutting-edge design increases tool life and reduces cutting forces.

• Also offered, RodekaTM 8, a tailor-made solution for turbine blade machining.

Working harder and smarter. That’s RodekaTM

. That’s Different Thinking.

Kennametal introduces a new and revolutionary double-sided round milling insert — Rodeka.

TM

It’s capabilities span multiple types of milling operations and workpiece materials, providing the latest double-sided insert technology to increase your productivity with the most efficient cost per edge. Now That’s Different Thinking. That’s Kennametal.

To learn more about RodekaTM

and the latest machining technologies, contact your authorized Kennametal distributor, call 800.446.7738, or visit www.kennametal.com.

ENQUIRY NO 068

apmen march 2013

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