Home Blog Page 86

Western European Passenger Car Market Expands

According to statistics released by the German Association of the Automotive Industry, sales of passenger cars in Western Europe and China increased in July – Russia and India actually recorded double-digit growth rates – while the US light vehicle market contracted.

In Western Europe (EU15 + EFTA) the number of new passenger car registrations added 2 percent in July to reach around 1.1 million new cars. Among the five largest national markets, France enjoyed the strongest growth of 11 percent. The markets also developed positively in Italy (+6 percent), Spain (+2 percent) and Germany (+2 percent). In the United Kingdom, by contrast, sales fell in July for the fourth time in succession (-9 percent). The Western European passenger car market grew overall during the first seven months of this year by around 4 percent to 8.9 million units.

On the US market, 1.4 million light vehicles (passenger cars and light trucks) were sold in July (-7 percent). Demand for passenger cars fell once again (-15 percent). However, sales of light trucks also decreased – for the first time since September 2013 (-2 percent). The accumulated light vehicle market since the beginning of the year has lost 3 percent, falling to 9.8 million units, but starting from a high level.

July saw the Chinese passenger car market continue its expansion. The sales volume came to 1.7 million new cars, with year-on-year growth of about 6 percent. Since January, passenger car sales have risen by 3 percent, reaching an accumulated total of 12.6 million vehicles.

Following contraction on the Indian market in June caused by a current tax reform, the market returned to a strong dynamic. Passenger car sales climbed to 299,000 units, i.e. 15 percent up on July 2016. Totaling 1.8 million units, the market remains clearly in the growth zone (year-to-date rise of 9 percent).

In Japan, new registrations of passenger cars increased in July for the ninth time in succession. The number of vehicles registered amounted to 357,300, which was 3 percent up on the same month last year. During the first seven months of 2017 sales rose by 9 percent to 2.7 million new cars.

The positive trend also continued in Russia. At 19 percent, growth was well into double figures for the third month in succession. The market volume came to 129,700 light vehicles in July. This means that since January a total of 848,200 new vehicles have been sold – 9 percent more than in the same period in 2016.

The Brazilian light vehicle market also expanded in July, rising by 2 percent to 179,000 vehicles. From January to July 1.2 million units were sold, which was a year-on-year rise of 4 percent.

 

CECIMO – More Than 25 Billion Euro Of Machine Tools Production And The New EU Industrial Policy Strategy

Positive outlook for machine tools production in Europe for 2017

This year the MT production in Europe is expected to grow again at an annual rate close to 4%, to hit 25.2 billion euro and increase CECIMO’s production market share beyond 36%. Germany and Italy are the biggest MT producers (46.2% and 19.3% respectively), shortly followed by Switzerland (12.0%). Hence, the CECIMO MT production is continuing its stable growth trend.

Dr Frank Brinken

The trade among CECIMO countries is rising. One out of four machine tools exported by companies in CECIMO countries is directed to another CECIMO country. Outside CECIMO, the largest customers are China (25.6%) and USA (18.0%). Moreover, the Chinese consumption is expected in 2017 to increase at an annual rate of 3.6 versus 3.2 in Europe and in the world. In 2016, all CECIMO exports amounted to 18.34 billion euro. As pointed out by Dr Frank Brinken, Chairman of the CECIMO Economic Committee and Vice- Chairman of Starrag Holding AG, “given the uncertainties by various announcements from the US about the implementation of protectionist trade barriers, we have to refrain from making a detailed forecast for 2017/18. However, we estimate, in an unchanged business climate, to reach an export volume slightly beyond 19 billion euro”.

The European MT consumption is likely to reach around 18.6 billion euro demonstrating a moderate but certain growth, in line with the world consumption trend. Investments in modern machine tools are fuelled by investment tax incentives in certain countries and the trend towards digital manufacturing, which requires a state-of-the-art machine population.

CECIMO reacts to the “Renewed EU Industrial Policy Strategy” of the European Commission

Filip Geerts

European Commission President Jean- Claude Juncker gave his annual State of the European Union address at the European Parliament urging us “to catch the wind in Europe’s sails”. While CECIMO appreciates the positive outlook of the EU, as described by President Juncker, we believe that the EU should do more to deliver its promises for a stronger and more competitive industry.

It is undeniable that the Machine Tool industry is a major driver for employment, skills and innovation in Europe and has a strategic role in advanced economies. In fact, machine tools are often called “mother machines” due to their essential role in – virtually – every manufacturing process and in industrial value chains like automotive, aerospace, energy, electronics, medical etc.

The European Commission through the recently launched Communication on a Renewed EU Industrial policy strategy has committed to support the European industry to address the current challenges and achieve its vast potential in the new industrial age.

CECIMO welcomes the EC initiative, nevertheless believes that it lacks a longterm vision. Moreover, the Communication does not outline a set of concrete actions to help the EU industry stay or become the world leader in innovation, digitization and decarbonization.

Luigi Galdabini

The most promising announcement in the Communication was the European Commission’s intention to join forces with the member states, the EU Institutions and the European industry to reflect on the main elements of such a strategy in the framework of a High Level Industrial Roundtable (to be set up in 2018) and the continuation of the EU Industry Day. “CECIMO is keen to contribute to this collaborative dialogue and ensure that MT industry’s needs and concerns are heard and acknowledged”, said Filip Geerts, CECIMO Director General.

In our view, the challenges of the EU industry remain the following – developing skills and competences, nourishing research, development and innovation, bridging the investment gap, building on our biggest strength – the single market and maintaining a global level playing field.

Effective market surveillance essential to ensure product safety and a fair Internal Market

EU legislation lays down the essential health and safety requirements that products must conform to. The non-enforcement of this legislation puts health and safety at risk, creates unfair competition and undermines the competitiveness of those economic operators who do comply with the rules. Market surveillance is therefore a key element of the Internal market.

“CECIMO welcomes the Commission’s intention to make proposals to enhance the cooperation among market surveillance authorities announced in the Industrial policy strategy and believes that effective market surveillance requires close cooperation between economic operators and public authorities”, explained Mr Luigi Galdabini, CECIMO President and Managing Director of Cesare Galdabini SpA. This is why CECIMO decided to proactively develop Guidelines to support economic operators, market surveillance and customs authorities to assess the conformity of machines with existing European product safety law.

Cutting Tools: Mitsubishi Hitachi Tool Engineering Creates Moldino

While as from 1st of April 2015 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (MMC) holds a 51% stake in Hitachi Tool Engineering, the new brand name, MOLDINO and logo were created. MOLDINO is a combination of the words MOLD + DIE + INNOVATION.

This name stresses the effort to be an innovator with a specialization in the die and mold industry, based on own research and development as well as own production and application support at customers worldwide. “MOLDINO is a statement of our clear focus for the future and also summarizes the way in which we’ve been operating for decades,” states a company spokesperson.

“Our customers face their global competition on a daily basis and are required to produce molds and dies with increasing speed, precision and quality. In consequence of this reality, our engineers are applying and implementing our cutting tools in customer’s processes. In doing so, we are focusing on achieving highest levels of process safety and repeatability, while striving for opportunities in terms of standardization. We always have standardized automated processes in mind that prepare our customers for the (industry 4.0) future.

“However, nowadays it is not enough to simply introduce another cutting tool into an existing process. In order to significantly reduce production time and costs it is necessary to analyse and adjust the entire process chain from start to finish: CAD, CAM programming and toolpaths, tool selection, production and programming strategies, machine selection, tool and workpiece clamping plus cooling, cutting parameters as well as chip evacuation need to be taken into account in order to achieve optimal results. Our growing number of application engineers aims to provide customers with this full service approach,” he points out.

Under the new MOLDINO brand name and logo, Mitsubishi Hitachi Tool Engineering is following its proven concept, while extending it even further with the current and future needs of the die and mold sector in mind.

Mitsubishi Hitachi Tool Engineering is one of Japan’s leading tool manufacturers. The company’s business has been focused on tool and mould construction for decades, developing a considerable tool range that covers the entire process chain.

For more information contact Multitrade Distributors – Tel: 011 453 8034

Cutting Tools: MMC Hitachi Tool Presents The New TD4N

Anzeigen P50

Joern Mackensen von Astfeld, Product Engineer (M.Sc.) of MMC Hitachi Tool, underlines, “the TD4N is not just an extension of our proven range of High Feed Cutting tools.

Novelties of TD4N are the newly developed high-feed geometry and the double faced, 4 corner inserts for economic machining.” He also points out that “the special cutting edge geometry optimizes chip formation and minimizes undesired residual material for subsequent operations. As a result the TD4N ensures a high process reliability and convinces with smooth machining, low costs per cutting edge and a long and stable tool life.”

The TD4N enhances the high-feed product portfolio and strengthens MMC Hitachi Tool’s strategic approach as an holistic technology partner for the die and mould industry. In combination with highly skilled application engineers, the characteristics of the new High Feed Cutting Tool TD4N emphasize MMC Hitachi Tool’s dedication for process optimizing in the die and mold industry. The effective and efficient integration of the cutting tool in the production process is a core component of MMC Hitachi Tool’s Production50® concept.

“By using advanced tools and application know-how with new manufacturing strategies and technologies, dies and moulds can be produced faster and thereby more efficiently,” Mackensen von Astfeld summarizes. With the indexable milling tool TD4N, MMC Hitachi Tool continues its course of innovation.

For more information contact Multitrade Distributors – Tel: 011 453 8034

Cutting Tools: Tough Materials Meet Their Match

Both the TC3020 and TC3030 ceramic grades are suitable for high temperature alloy machining where difficult-to-cut materials such as Inconel, rene and titanium are used.

These ceramic grades are characterized by their excellent toughness and anti-chipping capabilities making them the best choice for both interrupted and continuous machining. The new grades are available for insert lines in turning, milling and grooving applications.

The TC3020 is ideal for high temperature alloy machining and runs in the same conditions as the whisker ceramic grade. Its superior wear resistance is due to its high stability while it offers better flank and notch wear resistance compared to the competitor’s similar grade. Furthermore, the TC3020 has excellent high temperature strength and fracture toughness.

The other new offering, the TC3030, is also created to handle high temperature alloys with the difference being that the grade’s extreme toughness enables it more for higher feed and heavier depth of cut machining and is suitable for scaling and roughing applications while offering excellent thermal shock resistance and thermal conductivity.

By combining silicon nitride and aluminium oxide, TaeguTec’s SiAlON grade offers incredible chemical stability in order to reduce notch wear in demanding operations and has the capability to run at 4-6 times the speed of conventional carbide inserts.

Product testing in real-world machining conditions demonstrated increases in productivity and tool life. While performing a continuous grooving operation on an engine casing made from Inconel 718, the TC3020 grade’s productivity increased by 40 percent over the competitor’s similar ceramic grade. For an engine casing made from the same Inconel 718 with external interrupted turning and interrupted grooving operations, TaeguTec’s TC3030 increased tool life by 23 percent and 56 percent, respectively.

The biggest improvement over the competition was on a rene 108 material, the TC3030 performed incredibly well on a face milling operation of a shroud workpiece when it increased tool life by 100 percent.

 

For more information contact TaeguTec – Tel: 011 362 1500

Cutting Tools: The Route To Successful Composites Machining

New CoroMill® Plura routers unveiled by Sandvik Coromant offer optimized milling and slotting operations in composite materials such as CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced plastic) and GFRP (glass fibre reinforced plastic). Production engineers, machine shop managers and operators will all benefit from the patented geometries provided by the new routers, particularly those in the aerospace industry, where these materials are increasingly prevalent, as well as others in sectors such as automotive, motorsport, wind power and marine.

The CoroMill® Plura range comprises three cutters for composite materials: the CoroMill Plura compression router, CoroMill Plura low helix router (pictured), and CoroMill Plura serrated router.

Machining solutions dedicated to specific composite materials are becoming an increasingly important factor at machine shops looking to achieve improvements in quality, cycle time and costs. The abrasive content of many composites causes issues such as rapid tool wear, compromized cutting quality, elevated temperatures, vibration and unstable cutting conditions. With these challenges in mind, the latest CoroMill Plura generation from Sandvik Coromant has been developed to improve CFRP and GFRP machining on three-, four- and five-axis CNC machining centres, as well as gantry-type CNC machines and stand-alone robotic arm systems.

“The CoroMill Plura brand is long-established and proven throughout industry, and with this latest generation of routers, patented geometries have been designed specifically to boost the machining of composite aerospace parts that include fuselage, wings, stabilizers, stringers, spars, ribs, frames, substructures, floor beams, struts and pressure decks,” says Aaron Howcroft, Global Product Manager Composites, Sandvik Coromant. “The routers offer high productivity and have the longest tool life on the market. Furthermore, they are available as standard items for fast ordering, thus delivering benefits to procurement/ purchasing teams.”

When milling and slotting composite materials, the new routers are used primarily in full radial engagement and at full depth of cut. In some cases, finishing passes can also be deployed. Helix angles have been carefully designed for ideal sharpness and cutting edge strength, thus ensuring longer tool life and high-quality surface, edge and slot finishes. The range comprises three cutters – the CoroMill Plura compression router, CoroMill Plura low helix router and CoroMill Plura serrated router.

The CoroMill Plura compression router, with its dual 40° helix, works best with special woven glass layers on both sides of CFRP components. As there is an overlap between compressed flutes, the router performs well in thin, flat materials by reducing material vibration.

Specifically designed for smooth and burrfree finishing passes in CFRP workpieces, the CoroMill Plura low helix (5°) router features a high number of teeth and a coating that is designed to aid quick cutting and protect from heat. Right and left helix options allow flexibility in material with challenging support conditions, such as weak or compromised fixturing.

Finally, the CoroMill Plura serrated router, with its large flute form, allows for very high material removal rates. The geometry also offers a dual cutting action to reduce delamination and vibration, ultimately providing a single-pass solution to minimise stress on composite parts.

All three CoroMill Plura routers can be used with or without coolant.

For more information contact Sandvik Coromant – Tel: 011 570 9615

Cutting Tools: New Specialized Thread Mills From Reime Noris

The company already offers an unusually extensive product range of threading tools for the manufacture of large-threads from Ø 20mm.

However, to supply the customer with more economical solutions, REIME NORIS is expanding its thread milling NES TS and now offers this powerful and universal tool solution for threads from Ø 60mm with 1mm to 6mm pitch.

The three possible thread milling bodies of tool steel are equipped with pitch-overlapping carbide inserts. Due to the special design of the cutting geometry different pitches can be produced with one insert type. This results in a reduction of tool variants. Due to the constructive design of more insert seats (more working thread tooth on the circumference) more effectively higher feed rates are possible, thereby reducing the processing time dramatically.

For the user, the use of the NORIS thread milling system NES TS means cost savings, flexibility and increase the quality of work by this innovative tool solution.

For more information contact Duncan Macdonald – Tel: 011 444 4345

Cutting Tools: Endmills With Coolant Channels Expand The ECKI-H4R-CF Chatterfree Family

ISCAR is adding new endmills with coolant channels to the CHATTERFREE family for machining titanium with high removal rates.

The family of ECKI-H4R-CF endmills is expanding with the addition of tools that feature coolant channels with outlets directed to each cutting edge. These new endmills are available in .250, .312, .375, .500 and .625 inch diameters.

Featuring unique geometry and 4 flute endmills with different helix, variable pitch and coolant channels, the ECKI-H4R-CF endmills improve performance, process reliability and tool life; they represent the best chatter free tools for high removal rates when machining titanium.

 

For more information contact Iscar South Africa – Tel: 011 997 2700

Cutting Tools: High-Technology Simplicity

A new standard of indexable inserts: a carefully designed complex shape for effective cutting action.

While cemented carbide indexable inserts are an integral part of cutting tools today, cemented carbide inserts were first introduced in the early ’60s and have substantially changed tool designs, putting tools with brazed carbide tips on the back burner. Mechanical clamping of the indexable inserts provided significant advantages in productivity, efficient use of carbide and tool maintenance.

Advances in technology and metallurgy have facilitated the development of indexable inserts that are far more advanced than their predecessors, and complicated shapes which have replaced the simple forms that characterized inserts in the past.

The shape of an insert is a key factor for cutting geometry of a tool as a whole. For example, when milling, geometry variation by means of changing the position of the insert in the tool is very limited, and the results are far from optimal. Effective machining demands constant rake and relief angles along the cutting edge, which in turn necessitate complicated contours of the top of the insert (and also bottom for double-sided inserts) and its periphery. A land that strengthens the cutting edge and a minor edge for better milling by ramping further increases the design’s complexity.

The insert must ensure precise control of the flow of chips produced by the cutting action, and so the chip breaker on the rake face adjoining the cutting edge must be specifically shaped. This is particularly important for turning, especially if a machined material produces long chips; here, the chip breaker controls the direction of the chip flow so that the chip overturns and breaks into smaller segments.

Finding the optimal insert shape for efficient cutting and chip control is not a simple task and tool manufacturers have leveraged new technologies to develop successful solutions.

Indexable inserts are sintered products

Integrating dedicated automated and computer controlled systems into the tool fabrication facilities ensured both stability and repeatability in the powder metallurgy processes. As a result, pressing complicated forms became possible without fear of cracks and a technological base for forming challenging geometries of inserts was developed.

A surface that ensures satisfactory chip control, particularly chip breaking, is a combination of concave and convex elements: grooves, bosses, etc. Manufacturing this surface by grinding is both very limited and expensive. This is one of the main reasons why the first generations of the indexable inserts featured flat forms. In contrast, with the use of powder metallurgy the rake face of an insert can be configured as desired.

Today, cutting tool design engineers have at their disposal advanced working tools such as computer-aided design (CAD) and modelling, which have essentially changed the process of insert development. The new methods have opened up the possibility of simulating various processes, such as chip formation and chip flow. Consequently, an optimal geometry may be designed on a computer by changing various parameters of the virtual insert.

Progress on both fronts – manufacturing technology and design methods – has led to important breakthroughs in the production of indexable inserts.

ISCAR’s insert IQ845 SYHU 0704 for face milling cutters is a good example of how computer modelling and advanced pressing have resulted in a successful product (Pic. 1).

Computer modelling the chip flow has contributed significantly to optimizing the rake face shape for the family of ISCAR inserts CNMG-F3M (Pics. 2, 3) that was designed especially for the finish turning of ISO M materials (austenitic, precipitation hardening and duplex stainless steels).

Powder metallurgy is applied to the face of the insert as well as its cutting edge. For example, the inserts P290 ACKT of the ISCAR MILLSHRED family possess serrated cutting edges (Pic. 4) that are used as sintered. The serrated cutting edge shreds the chip and so greatly improves milling results in unstable conditions.

The concept of a cutting tool with mechanically clamped inserts pushed aside brazed cutting edge applications once the industry learned to produce sintered inserts with acceptable accuracy and dimensional stability. However, for high-precision cutting, rotating solid carbide and also brazed tools still retain the lead. A one-piece integral cutter, ground with strict tolerance limits, always has the advantage in accuracy in comparison with an assembled tool with inserts. There is a viable indexable alternative that not only overcomes the lack of accuracy but improves the tool by making it both versatile and economical: an innovative yet simple modular cutter that can incorporate various replaceable solid carbide heads.

ISCAR’s tool families target different types of machining: MULTI-MASTER (milling and drilling); T-SLOT (milling slots and grooves); SUMOCHAM, CHAMIQDRILL and CHAMDRILL (drilling); BAYO T-REAM (reaming). Manufacturing replaceable heads for the tools is based on technologicallyadvanced pressing and sintering processes. There are two kinds of heads. One is a tool of decreased length usually made of solid carbide, whereas the second head features a specific pre-sintered shape that is brought to final dimensions by fine grinding. Advances in powder metallurgy have influenced the second type of head, while technological progress has succeeded in producing highly specific shapes for improved cutting action and chip control that are very difficult or even simply impossible to reach by using grinding operations (Pic. 5).

The growth of modern technology opened the door for producing both the indexable inserts and the replaceable heads from cemented carbide in diverse shapes. This reflects the outcome of years of research and development in the field, and further illustrates ISCARs commitment to the development of machining performance. Essentially, an indexable cutting tool comprises only three components: the tool body, the insert or the head and a clamping element.

The carefully shaped cutting area of this modern tool removes material directly despite its small dimension and uniform structure. ISCAR’s research and development division is committed to the evolution of smart cutting tool solutions and technologies to improve production processes in metal cutting.

For more information contact Iscar South Africa – Tel: 011 997 2700

Battery Production Goes Industrie 4.0

Imagine you’ve had a hectic day and then, to cap it all, you find that the battery of your electric vehicle is virtually empty.

This means you’ll have to take a long break while it charges fully. It’s a completely different story with capacitors, which charge in seconds. However, they have a different drawback: they store very little energy.

In the FastStorageBW II project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, together with colleagues from the battery manufacturer VARTA AG and other partners, are developing a powerful hybrid storage system that combines the advantages of lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. “The PowerCaps have a specific capacity as high as lead batteries, a long life of ten to twelve years and charge in a matter of seconds like a supercapacitor,” explains Joachim Montnacher, Head of the Energy business unit at Fraunhofer IPA. What’s more, Power-Caps can operate at temperatures of up to 85 degree Celsius. They withstand a hundred times more charge cycles than conventional battery systems and retain their charge over several weeks without any significant losses due to self-discharge.

Large-scale production with minimum risk

The Fraunhofer IPA researchers’ main concern is with manufacturing: to set up new battery production, it is essential to implement the relevant process knowledge in the best possible way. After all, it costs millions of euros to build a complete manufacturing unit. “We make it possible for battery manufacturers to install an intermediate step – a small-scale production of sorts – between laboratory production and large-scale production,” says Montnacher. “This way, we can create ideal conditions for large-scale production, optimize processes and ensure production follows the principles of Industrie 4.0 from the outset. Because in the end, that will give companies a competitive advantage.” Another advantage is that this cuts the time it takes to ramp up production by more than 50 percent.

For this innovative small-scale production setup, researchers cleverly combine certain production sequences. However, not all systems are connected to each other – at least, as far as the hardware is concerned. More often, it is an employee that carries the batches from one machine to the next. Ultimately, it is about developing a comprehensive understanding of the process, not about producing the greatest number of products in the shortest amount of time. For example, this means clarifying questions such as if the desired quality can be reproduced. The systems are designed as flexibly as possible so that they can be used for different production variations.

Making large-scale production compatible with Industrie 4.0

As far as software is concerned, the systems are thoroughly connected. As with process clusters, they are also equipped with numerous sensors, which show the clusters what data to capture for each of the process steps. They communicate with one another and store the results in a cloud. Researchers and entrepreneurs can then use this data to quickly analyze which factors influence the quality of the product – does it have Industrie 4.0 capability? Were the right sensors selected? Do they deliver the desired data? Where are adjustments required?

Fraunhofer IPA are also applying their expertise beyond the area of production technology: they are developing business models for the marketing of battery cells, they are analyzing resource availability and they are optimizing the subsequent recycling of PowerCaps.

1...858687...100Page 86 of 100