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Sawing: New Technology Wikus Skalar® Bandsaw Blade

While WIKUS analyzes in detail all parameters, which influence the cost per cut, this rigorous evaluation of the cutting process is a key factor in achieving reduced cutting costs and with its product portfolio, WIKUS offers highly efficient, long-lasting solutions for any cutting task.

Cutting times and cutting costs can easily be reduced, blade lifetimes increased and additional capacities obtained through highly efficient tool performance. Moreover, innovative top-quality WIKUS bandsaw blades give an excellent finish to any cut, a factor which reduces the number of subsequent process steps. The results are increased efficiency and productivity, reduced cost per cut as well as the realisation of potential savings.

SKALAR® precision metal cutting bandsaw blade

WIKUS introduced the newly developed SKALAR bandsaw blade to the bimetal product family. This high-tech bandsaw blade meets the highest standards in metal cutting.

In developing the SKALAR® blade, Wikus especially took customer requirements into account. The bandsaw blade has many new features resulting from cooperation between Wikus’s Research and Development and Technical Support departments. The SKALAR® blade performs exceptionally well in terms of blade-life when cutting difficult special materials such as stainless- and acid-resistant-steels, while achieving an excellent finish to the cut surfaces. A series of successful internal and external cutting trials verified the performance of this new high-quality blade.

The blade’s ground tooth technology allows high performance cutting of many special steels and metals, namely stainless and acidresistant steels (ferritic), nitriding and highspeed steels, cast iron, tool steels, hardening steels, spring and ball-bearing steels, carbon and heat-treated steels, construction, deepdrawing and cutting steels, non-ferrous metals and aluminium / aluminium alloys.

ParaMaster 3.0 – online cutting data program

This software application has been designed for the optimization of the cutting process, taking into account the materials that need to be cut and the customer’s requirements.

With the online ParaMaster 3.0 cutting software, registered users can enter the parameters for a specific cutting task and receive the appropriate specifications regarding the best choice of bandsaw blade and the particular cutting parameters for the job in hand. This simple, useful tool is available through First Cut on the WIKUS website.

For more information, contact First Cut – Tel: 011 614 1112

Sawing: Kanefusa Cold Saw™ Technology

 

Kanefusa’s V-tech™ PCD saw blade, FM Cold Saw™ technology and advanced material technology coating on cutting edges are demonstrations of their innovative strength.

Satisfied users all around the world testify to the reliability of Kanefusa’s products.

Kanefusa’s FM (Ferro Max) cold saw blades (single use) cut on average three times faster than a conventional bandsaw or metal saw, which means one machine can do the job of three. Less energy is needed to power the machines, less oil mist is generated and less space is required.

FM cold saw blades such as the Ferro Max Speed can outlast a conventional saw blade by up to 10 times. In the same period, a conventional saw blade must be reground nine times. This process produces a lot of sludge that requires costly disposal and each time a blade needs regrinding there are associated pickup and delivery costs nine times over. FM cold saw blades also allow for a thinner kerf than resharpened blades, which leads to a better material utilization and less swarf that must be either disposed of or recycled.

Every Kanefusa blade provides a constant cut quality and durability, providing absolute excellence and reliability blade after blade, a factor which is key to timeous and efficient production.

For more information, contact First Cut – Tel: 011 614 1112

New Safety Technology Enables Teamwork

Heavy-duty robots in manufacturing, which can easily lift components weighing 200 kilos, swivel around quickly or move with a speed of up to two meters per second, pose a danger to human lives. To rule out any potential risk to employees, these steel colleagues have so far operated in a separate environment. However, cooperation would be much more efficient if humans and robots worked side by side, without protective barriers. But how does one ensure safety? The Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU has now come up with a solution to this problem.

The experts at Fraunhofer IWU have developed a differentiated safety concept that begins by defining different levels of collaboration. The more intensive the interaction between human and machine, the higher the level and more stringent the safety regulations. For example, if the robot needs to hand over a component to an employee, it moves as slowly and carefully as determined for this level. When working on separate tasks at a safe distance from each other, robots can work at full speed. Fraunhofer researchers have defined a total of four levels of collaboration.

These levels are supplemented by dividing collaborative work areas into spatial zones.

Each zone specifies how close humans and machines are to each other. At the lowest level, there are only two zones – a green and a red zone. If the employee is at a safe distance from the robot, it indicates a green zone and the robot can work at full speed. As soon as an employee approaches, a red zone is activated and the robot immediately stops working. In instances where teamwork is required – for instance to swap components or tools – then a yellow zone of cooperation is added. The heavy-duty robot now moves carefully and at low speed.

Cameras, sensors and intelligent algorithms

In order for the robot to respond properly, it must know the employee’s position and route at all times. It can do this with the help of several cameras that enable it to see. Two cameras are placed above the work area and provide a view of the entire work space. They also show the employee’s current location. An additional camera sits on the head of the robot and captures the close-up area. It helps the robot recognize the face, hand or component in the employee’s hand.

A row of sensors supplement the cameras. To prevent a collision, they register parameters such as the robot’s position, acceleration and power as well as the employee’s position and movement. The intelligent algorithms developed by Fraunhofer IWU help evaluate all this data. They ensure that the robot’s behavior is constantly aligned with all the safety regulations based on the task and situation at hand.

“Our system is already fully functional and has been tested in the lab. This year, the goal is get the trade association to test an application and enable its implementation in the industry,” says Prof. Matthias Putz, Director of Fraunhofer IWU.

Teamwork in virtual reality

This technology has already been tested in virtual reality. Using VR goggles, users can virtually experience teamwork with the machine. The system runs at full speed in virtual reality mode. “VR technology is thus an excellent way to realistically test the interaction with a robot,” says Prof. Putz. Fraunhofer experts want to refine the system in the near future. “Soon it should be able to adjust to the employee’s behavior by analyzing the person’s movements,” explains Putz. “In addition, we are working on gesture recognition, which will enable an employee to control the steel colleague with hand movements. For example, using a hand gesture to ask the robot for a tool.”

Every Drill Bit Counts

Currently, factories work on a principle of one size fits all when it comes to replacing or regrinding tools such as drill bits, milling machines or planes after a specified period of time – whether they need it or not. Not only does this unnecessarily increase the time spent on maintenance, it is expensive, too.

In the Cute Machining project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS in Duisburg are working on the issue by creating individual tool service records and employing a new communication technology that uses RFID tags. The aim is to optimize productivity, quality, throughput time and inventory in the manufacturing operations of the Industrie 4.0 era.

Machining is a core element of the manufacturing process, whether it’s drilling, milling, turning or planing. Not only the workpiece sheds material, however: these processes also lead to gradual wear on the tool. The decision on when to have a tool replaced or reground depends on its service life. This is far from easy to determine, however, on account of the differing circumstances to which each individual tool is exposed. A tool’s properties are easy enough to calculate, but the impact of machine settings, which are usually left to the employee, has been unquantifiable to date. As a result, a tool’s service life can vary by around 25 percent. In a bid to avoid downtime and damage to workpieces, tools often end up being exchanged too early – and this can push costs up by as much as 50 percent.

RFID tags enable uninterrupted operations

The key to success – and more tool productivity – is to be able to determine each individual tool’s maximum possible service life. This means factoring in a range of parameters, including the nature of the cutting operation, employee settings and the workpiece material. The solution is to create an individual tool service record that details every event in the time a tool has been in service. This data is then fed into a special management tool to create a digital twin of the tool, which lets users determine exactly when a tool must be serviced or replaced. But how to get the data from the tool to the management tool? Manual reading is not an option. Not only would it disrupt operations, but tools are often located in hard-to-access areas. On top of this, the surroundings tend to be highly metallic and therefore disruptive of conventional communication techniques, ruling these out.

In response, researchers at Fraunhofer IMS have developed a new RFID technology. The new transponders operate at a frequency of 5.8 GHz and can be read from up to a meter away even in the tricky metallic environment of a production plant. This allows for effective communication between tools and the management database. Since the RFID transponders take up an area of less than 5mm2, they can be easily installed on tools’ surfaces.

New applications for Industrie 4.0

For companies embracing the era of Industrie 4.0, the technology goes beyond making maximum use of their tools. “A big part of Industrie 4.0 is how it collects data to facilitate a production process as transparent as possible. That’s exactly what we’re doing with this new solution,” says Dr. Gerd vom Bögel, head of the Wireless & Transponder Systems business unit at Fraunhofer IMS. “Of course, the first step is to identify the tool, but as the project continues the sensors could also be used to provide information about a tool’s environment as well as about the tool itself. That’s what makes it possible to monitor processes in real time, make them more transparent and, ultimately, more effective.”

What is more, the technology could also be employed in other areas of Industrie 4.0. One option would be to equip all physical assets, including tools, workpieces, machines or vehicles, with RFID tags – thereby providing even more information. This could then be used to identify further potential for optimization.

In addition to Fraunhofer IMS, the project consortium comprises the technology companies CIMSOURCE and PROMETEC Gesellschaft für Produktions-, Mess- und Automatisierungstechnik, ID4us, the Heinz Nixdorf Institute of the University of Paderborn and the application partner Sandvik Coromant. The Cute Machining project is supported by the German state government of North Rhine- Westphalia and the EU as part of the EFRE-NRW program.

Sawing: Everising P-Series – The Solution To High Speed Cutting, Reduced Cost Per Cut And Full Automation

A specialist in medium to large band saws since 1982, Everising derives its technological innovation from customer requests.

“This is very much in line with the First Cut philosophy of finding niche solutions to customer application requirements in order to provide longterm sustainability and productivity, while at the same time reducing maintenance and downtime,” says First Cut Director Steve Van Wyk.

“Everising bandsaw and circular sawing machines are ISO accredited, and are among the finest in the world, renowned for their extraordinary rigidity and accuracy, while exhibiting the most advanced cutting tool technology,” says Van Wyk.

The P-series CNC machines are equipped with some outstanding features, such as automatic loading tables which support a large number of work pieces. This allows for automatic feeding of bar stock during cutting operations, resulting in continuous output. This range of machines can cut round, square, hollow, tube and flat bar.

The P-series also has a user friendly touch screen, with very clear graphics. All the cutting parameters are represented on the touch screen controller. This includes a self-diagnostic function for on-screen troubleshooting, so that problems can be detected and resolved immediately.

The gear transmission driver provides high efficiency and consistent cutting speed and the carbide guide pads are used to strengthen the rigidity of the saw blades, which means not only accuracy, but the life of the saw blade is extended.

Recently, installing the new and improved P100 at one of First Cut’s customers who required minimum wastage and a faster cutting time was achieved by adding a third vise which resulted in a 15mm remnant piece and an indexing capability of 1000mm.

A new addition to the P-Series family is the unrivaled P230. The new evolved and uniquely adapted P-230B can cut up to an impressive 230mm in diameter. In addition to reliability and affordability, the Everising P-230B Series CNC cutting machine brings a new level of speed and accuracy to the user.

Key features of the P-series include the requirement of only one operator to set and load the machine, with no supervision thereafter, machine sorting of remnant pieces into a separate bin and a space saving potential of +/-60m² if 5-6 bandsaw machines would be replaced. Add to this a milling cutter finish with a tolerance of 0.02mm and the ability to cut a 50mm round bar in 8 seconds.

“With our national footprint, we guarantee fast and reliable deliveries, including installation and thorough training on the range of machines offered. While our highly skilled technicians install, service and maintain all machines offered, our call center is available to assist with machine related queries, booking of services and scheduling maintenance contracts. Last not least we have full spares back up for all our machines” concludes Van Wyk.

This machine is ex-stock, while stocks last.

For more information, contact First Cut – Tel: 011 614 1112

Sawing: High-Performance Circular Saw With Outstanding Automation Potential

Whether in press shops or forging plants, at manufacturers of fittings or electrical parts, at steel stockholders or automotive industry suppliers: in countless industries, there is a demand for sawing solutions that combine high cutting performance with efficiency and precision.

With KASTOspeed C 9, the sawing specialist KASTO has just such a solution in its portfolio. The highperformance automatic circular saw has been specially designed for economic series production and can be integrated in a controlled, end-to-end material flow by means of the KASTOsort robot interface.

The KASTOspeed C 9 is suitable for sawing steel and has a cutting range of up to 90 millimetres for round material and 80 millimetres for square material. The automatic circular saw helps minimize cycle times and makes it possible to produce millions of high precision cut parts every year when operated for two or three shifts per day. Thanks to its outstanding reliability and precision in continuous operation, KASTOspeed is one of the most frequently purchased high-volume circular saws in the world.

The KASTOspeed C 9 uses carbide-tipped saw blades. The optimum positioning of the saw drive, and the four-point workpiece clamping arrangement, enable an extremely short saw stroke. The robust machine construction with helical gearbox, combined with a hydraulically damped measuring stop and a bar pusher that can be moved rapidly into position, permits accurate cutting and very high output.

What is more, the KASTOspeed C 9 offers many different ways of improving efficiency. The KASTOsort robot interface makes it possible to automate upstream and downstream production processes and integrate these in a controlled, end-to-end material flow that includes the sawing operation itself. Industrial robots are able to remove the cut parts automatically and accomplish numerous other tasks, from deburring and chamfering, through centring, tapping, marking and printing and on to sorting, stacking and picking. This robot-saw solution can be further integrated with a container management or driverless transport system.

Depending on the customer’s requirements, KASTO integrates the robot controller into the saw controller, its own KASTOlogic Warehouse Management System or in an existing ERP system. As a result, the user can control and monitor all the processes over a single interface and benefits from a perfectly harmonized process chain. A number of different magazine variants are available to allow large quantities of raw material to be stored upstream of the machine. This means that companies can run the system fully unattended even for long periods when required.

For more information, contact Retecon – Tel: 011 976 8600

Sawing: Precise High-Performance Band Saw Reduces Cutting Times By Up To 50 Percent

The metal sawing and storage technology specialist KASTO has brought out a new high-performance band saw, the KASTOwin pro AC 5.6. Users will appreciate its short cutting times, long tool life and intuitive operation.

The fully automatic machine is optimized for bimetallic and carbide blades and can be applied in areas such as the steel trade, steel production, forging mills, machine manufacturing and the automotive industry. Besides helping to reduce tool costs, it significantly increases production speed and efficiency. Depending on the type of blade, cutting times can be reduced by 50 percent and more.

The KASTOwin pro AC 5.6 is designed for a wide range of applications and delivers top performance with both carbide and bimetallic saw blades. An important feature is its innovative feed system, which is controlled by means of two ball screw spindles, each with a servo drive for precise, infinitely variable control. The KASTOwin pro also has a retraction unit on each side for lifting the band from the surface when the saw head moves back. This makes for particularly efficient, exact sawing with minimal tool wear.

The fully automatic machine is optimised for bimetallic and carbide blades and can be applied in areas such as the steel trade, steel production, forging mills, machine manufacturing and the automotive industry.

The KASTOwin pro AC 5.6 is driven by an 11-kilowatt frequency-controlled motor, which provides plenty of capacity for use with carbide blades. The cutting range is 560 millimetres and the smallest dimension to be cut is 25 x 25 millimetres. The shortest residual length is ten millimetres for individual offcuts and 35 millimetres for automatic operation, enabling operators to reduce waste to a minimum. Two electrically driven plastic brushes keep the band free of chips. They are easy to replace and are automatically adjusted throughout their service life. The sawing unit has a heavy, torsionally rigid welded structure with vibration-optimized ribbing, ensuring quiet operation with shorter cutting times and a long tool life.

The KASTOwin pro AC 5.6 also has a powerful coolant pump and a large coolant reservoir so that difficult-to-machine materials can be cut with minimal tool wear. In addition, this fully automatic saw comes with EasyControl, a high-performance control unit. It is easy to use and reduces idle times in automatic operation for maximum cutting performance. All parameters can be optimized to match the type of blade being used.

For more information, contact Retecon – Tel: 011 976 8600

 

Sawing: The Specialist For Longitudinal Cutting

The KASTOvertical semi-automatic vertical band sawing machine is for sawing square or flat materials with different cross sections from small rolled blocks or rolled plates.

The KASTOvertical has a cutting depth of up to 680mm and a cutting height of 600mm. The maximum cutting length is 1,260mm. It can efficiently saw all commonly used materials, including those that are very hard to machine, at a high level of quality. Its robust welded structure ensures quiet operation and precision. The saw has a movable material support table with a height of 1,150mm, allowing fast and safe handling of bulky workpieces with weights of up to two tonnes. In contrast to conventional machines for making longitudinal cuts, which have stationary tables and a moving saw head, the KASTOvertical has a movable material support table.

The saw, which is designed for longitudinal cutting, has a movable material support table that permits fast and safe handling of bulky workpieces with weights of up to two tonnes.

Thanks to this special feature, users can position, align and anchor the material outside the machine’s working area, and these tasks can be done safely, easily and quickly. The table and its guide have a cast-iron structure to cope with the rough conditions encountered in everyday operation. Support rails with T-slots allow quick and secure clamping of workpieces, and they are suitable for a wide range of clamping and fastening devices. Linear guides with zero-play carriages guide the material support table on the machine bed. They are driven by a ball screw spindle with servomotor, which comes as standard.

The KASTOvertical has an amply dimensioned frequency-controlled saw band drive. The cutting speed and saw feed rate are infinitely variable. For this purpose the KASTOvertical is equipped with KASTO BasicControl, an intelligent controller with easy touchscreen operation. A swivel-mounted operating panel allows users to keep their eyes on the workpiece and saw blade from any position.

A durable, low-maintenance ball screw spindle moves the saw with very high precision.

In addition, KASTO offers an extensive range of saw accessories. A wide range of measuring stops are available for aligning blocks and plates. The simplest version is a manually adjustable clamp-on measuring stop. For longer materials there is also a stop bar which extends the entire length of the table and can be adjusted by means of a hand wheel with a digital display. Alternatively, this stop can be moved by means of an electric motor. The KASTOvertical is a powerful, compact sawing machine with outstanding value for money.

For more information, contact Retecon – Tel: 011 976 8600.

Whisperline Anti-Vibration Boring Bars With Exchangeable Turning Heads

The maximum overhang for solid steel boring bars is up to 4 x BD. Machining with a longer length of steel shank (more than 4 x BD) can induce unwelcome vibrations due to the elasticity and characteristics of the steel.

Solid carbide boring bars can limit vibrations on a higher overhang of more than 4 x BD and up to 6 x BD and offer an excellent, highly efficient option for boring applications of up to six times the tool’s machining depth. However, even the use of a solid carbide shank can cause vibrations when machining with high overhangs of more than 6 x BD.

WHISPERLINE anti-vibration boring bars have been designed to significantly reduce and even totally eliminate vibrations when working with a high overhang from 7 x BD to 14 x BD, thanks to a unique damping mechanism inside the tool, consisting of a heavy mass supported by a rubber spring element containing oil to increase the required dampening effect.

In addition, the system contains other elements which help to further reduce vibrations. The reactive damping mechanism comes into action during machining with high overhang work depths and acts as an effective counter to vibrations.

The highly effective, anti-vibration damper effect is applicable for large D.O.C and high feed rates and ensures continuous, efficient machining. ISCAR’s inspired WHISPERLINE anti-vibration tools considerably improve machining stability and enhance insert life. These factors enable meaningful increases in productivity to be achieved, improvements in surface quality on high overhangs to be attained, scrap levels to be reduced and users’ profitability to be enhanced.

WHISPERLINE anti-vibration tools enable the delivery of internal coolant to be supplied directly to where it is required – the insert’s cutting edge. Efficient distribution of coolant increases the insert’s tool life by reducing temperature and also improves chip control and chip evacuation.

The WHISPERLINE boring bars represent a cost-effective, modular system with a wide range of standard shanks and eight different interchangeable boring heads.

For more information, contact ISCAR South Africa – Tel: 011 997 2700.

TDM Powered Skills Development Programme Celebrates Milestone

During the past decade, it became clear that the knowledge economy and 4th Industrial Revolution require a different, more flexibly-skilled worker who can contribute to greater profitability and productivity. It was evident that the skills development programmes should align with the needs of industry to ensure successful employment of workers.

The TDM (Tool, Die and Mouldmaking) Powered Skills Development Programme was initiated as a solution to counter the skills erosion and job losses hampering the TDM sector by addressing the challenges identified. This Programme forms part of a multistakeholder initiative that was established in 2009 under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and the Toolmaking Association of South Africa (TASA) to implement a turnaround strategy for South Africa’s distressed tooling industry.

To this end it was decided to introduce a comprehensive articulated skills delivery system in South Africa to provide the basic and advanced skills required by the TDM sector. The intervention is based on the following guiding principles: Dedicated career guidance, assessment and selection processes, specialized student support services, strengthening of students’ entry into the Programme, the new qualification structures, new qualification design principles, capacity building through partnerships, deployment of newly skilled resources and sustainability.

Dirk van Dyk, CEO of NTIP said that the training of sufficient skilled people for the tooling industry is of critical importance as manufacturing is one of the cornerstones of a South African economy, facing serious growth challenges. “South Africa has to build its tooling manufacturing capacity to become globally more competitive if the country wants to create more jobs. The TDM Powered Programme plays a pivotal role in providing sufficient skilled people to the aerospace, automotive, chemical, electronics, leisure, marine, medical, mining and packaging industries,” Van Dyk added.

“The programme is a strategic growth stimulator for manufacturing and technical skills development and is a complement to the South African government’s commitment to eradicate poverty and unemployment,” explained Van Dyk. He added that the accomplishment of these candidates receiving their Occupational Certificates: Toolmaker, will contribute towards adding better workmanship, techniques and high standards of knowledge into the somewhat stale and old-fashioned manufacturing industry.

Van Dyk said that handing out these first Occupational Certificates: Toolmaker is a milestone for the TDM Powered Programme, as manufacturing industry has been waiting for qualified Toolmakers with international standards. This group of new-generation Artisans will bring advanced Toolmaking skills to the manufacturing industry. “Our candidates are innovative and can operate independently. During the TDM Programme, they were encouraged to be aware of and adapt to global manufacturing trends. This group of candidates is playing an important part in our company’s mission to alleviate skills shortage in South Africa,” Van Dyk concluded

From left: Aletta Zikalala (Employment Coordinator NTIP), Allen Sithebe (Toolroom Foreman at WaterTech and one of the speakers at the event), Christie Lennon, Travers Gallent, Keiven Kwinda, Ruan Steenekamp, Marie Oosthuysen (TCOE Coordinator NTIP), Juanay Johnson, Andy Berger (Lecturer), Jan Sephalane Mokwena, Moses Cindi, Matthys Uys (Lecturer) Wele Gcwabe, Sizwe Manana and Sandile Lthuli.
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