APMEN Jul-Aug 2013

Your first step into the success-ful world of Bystronic

The path to the summit begins with the first step. The path to success begins with a wise decision. Laser cutting system BySun 3015: your first step toward a successful future.

Laser | Bending | Waterjetbystronic.com

ADVE

RTIS

EMEN

T

www.equipment-news.com

July - August 2013

Drilling Tough MaTerials Does aM aDD up? roboTs: They Know The Drill

IBAQUS, the first full package technical application of its kind for tablet/smartphone devices combines useful applications such as: ITA (Iscar Tool Advisor), CMS E-Catalog, etc. Nonstop Continuous Cutting with

ISCAR Products Minimum Machining Downtime!

SINO TOOLING SYSTEMBlk 502, Jurong West Ave 1 #03-813 Singapore 640502Tel + 65 6566 7668 Fax + 65 6567 7336 [email protected]

ISCAR THAILAND57, 59, 61, 63 Soi Samanchan-BabosSukhumvit Rd. Phra Khanong, Khlong Toey Bangkok 10110Tel + 66 (2) 7136633Fax + 66 (2) [email protected]

CV MULTI TEKNIKRuko Gsa Blcok B No. 8 BN-BP, Podomoro City JL.Letjen S.parman Kav.28Jakarta Barat 11470 Indonesia Tel + 62 21 29206242/44/45/59Fax + 62 21 [email protected]

ISCAR JAPAN 1-5-3 Shinsenri-HigashimachiToyonaka-shi, Osaka 560-0082Tel + 81 6 835 5471Fax + 81 6 835 [email protected]

MESCO Reliance CornerBrixton St. Pasig CityMetro-Manila Philippines Tel + 63 2631 1775Fax + 63 2635 [email protected]

ISCAR TAIWAN395, Da Duen South Rd. Taichung 408Tel + 886 (0)4 247 31573Fax + 886 (0)4 247 [email protected]

ISCAR VIETNAM (Representative Office) Room D 2.8, Etown Building, 364 Cong Hoa, Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City, Tel + 84 8 8123 519/20 Fax + 84 8 8123 [email protected]

www.iscar.com

IBAQUS, the first full package technical application of its kind for tablet/smartphone devices combines useful applications such as: ITA (Iscar Tool Advisor), CMS E-Catalog, etc. Nonstop Continuous Cutting with

ISCAR Products Minimum Machining Downtime!

SINO TOOLING SYSTEMBlk 502, Jurong West Ave 1 #03-813 Singapore 640502Tel + 65 6566 7668 Fax + 65 6567 7336 [email protected]

ISCAR THAILAND57, 59, 61, 63 Soi Samanchan-BabosSukhumvit Rd. Phra Khanong, Khlong Toey Bangkok 10110Tel + 66 (2) 7136633Fax + 66 (2) [email protected]

CV MULTI TEKNIKRuko Gsa Blcok B No. 8 BN-BP, Podomoro City JL.Letjen S.parman Kav.28Jakarta Barat 11470 Indonesia Tel + 62 21 29206242/44/45/59Fax + 62 21 [email protected]

ISCAR JAPAN 1-5-3 Shinsenri-HigashimachiToyonaka-shi, Osaka 560-0082Tel + 81 6 835 5471Fax + 81 6 835 [email protected]

MESCO Reliance CornerBrixton St. Pasig CityMetro-Manila Philippines Tel + 63 2631 1775Fax + 63 2635 [email protected]

ISCAR TAIWAN395, Da Duen South Rd. Taichung 408Tel + 886 (0)4 247 31573Fax + 886 (0)4 247 [email protected]

ISCAR VIETNAM (Representative Office) Room D 2.8, Etown Building, 364 Cong Hoa, Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City, Tel + 84 8 8123 519/20 Fax + 84 8 8123 [email protected]

www.iscar.com ENQUIRY NO 149

MACHINING COMPETENCEAT YOUR SERVICE.

WWW.SECOTOOLS.COM/SG

COMPETENCE

TECHNOLOGY

PASSION

PRECISION PERFORMANCE

FLEXIBILITY

STRENGTH

EFFICIENCY

RELIABILITY

NEW TURBO 10 SHOULDER MILLHigh performance square shoulder milling for all materials. Machine it faster and consume less power. NEW DOUBLE OCTOMILLTM 05 FACE MILLSmall 16-edged inserts. 1 edge in use and 15 waiting to perform.

NEW SMALL SQUARE 6TM SHOULDER MILLSmall 6-edged, double sided inserts. A new level of performance and economy for small machines.

MACHINING DNAYes, there is a common DNA string that connects these milling cutter systems: it is performance and cost efficiency. High cutting data, smooth cutting action and the most edges per insert. Deployed with our application support & machining competence, these tools will make a measurable difference in your production environment.

Milling ad 1 EQN mag 2012 new Corp ID V2.indd 1

MACHINING COMPETENCEAT YOUR SERVICE.

WWW.SECOTOOLS.COM/SG

COMPETENCE

TECHNOLOGY

PASSION

PRECISION PERFORMANCE

FLEXIBILITY

STRENGTH

EFFICIENCY

RELIABILITY

NEW TURBO 10 SHOULDER MILLHigh performance square shoulder milling for all materials. Machine it faster and consume less power. NEW DOUBLE OCTOMILLTM 05 FACE MILLSmall 16-edged inserts. 1 edge in use and 15 waiting to perform.

NEW SMALL SQUARE 6TM SHOULDER MILLSmall 6-edged, double sided inserts. A new level of performance and economy for small machines.

MACHINING DNAYes, there is a common DNA string that connects these milling cutter systems: it is performance and cost efficiency. High cutting data, smooth cutting action and the most edges per insert. Deployed with our application support & machining competence, these tools will make a measurable difference in your production environment.

Milling ad 1 EQN mag 2012 new Corp ID V2.indd 1

SECO TOOLS (SEA) PTE LTDTEL +65 68412802FAX +65 [email protected] ENQUIRY NO 129

www.equipment-news.comasia pacific metalworking equipment news Jul-Aug 20132

36 Case Study: Building Up Dental RestorationDirect metal laser sintering has given rise to a new approach in dental restoration, giving traditional lost-wax technology a serious run for its money. By Martin Bullemer, EOS

22 Drilling Tough MaterialsThe aerospace sector has thrown out materials that are difficult to drill and tool suppliers have since risen to the challenge. By Teun Van Asten, Wilco van den Boogaard & Pär Nordberg, Seco Tools

26 Tapping Into Better Productivity & Tool LifeMinimal work-hardened drilling and clean thread tapping for small threads are keys to success in producing parts for the IT industries. By Eddy Pau, Sutton Tools

28 Drilling: Food For ThoughtDrilling and reaming tools with above-average deep-hole machining properties are needed to ensure output, reliability and machining quality. Contributed by Jaslin Huang, Walter AG Singapore

CUTTING EDGE18Drilling: Geometry With A TwistKobi Kisos, Iscar’s hole making tools product manager talks about drilling technology. By Joson Ng

SOFTWARE & METROLOGY38 The ‘Wind Chill’ FactorWith various enhancements in Windchill, PTC’s flagship PLM product, the company is setting its course for a greater footprint in several industrial verticals. By Joson Ng

TECH TALK32 Does AM Add Up?Additive Manufacturing has arrived. Looking at how things are going, it is no flash in the pan. By Joson Ng

CONTENTSJuly-August 2013

42Empowering Businesses In The Industrial Machinery Sector With PLMAn all-encompassing platform that acts as a linkway for various mechanisms within a company is something many organisations should aim to establish. By Rajiv Ghatikar, for Siemens PLM Software

46Managing The Life Of A Machine ToolA paradigm shift in thinking is required in order to harness the full potential of a modern machine tool. By Ralph Schiffler, for DMG/Mori Seiki

Best choice.

24/7

Lightly-manned production of parts around the clock. The ByAutonom laser cutting system makes it possible, even if the raw material has to be changed. It changes the focal length, changes and centers the nozzle, detects collisions and rectifies their consequences. And everything automatically.

Laser | Bending | Waterjetbystronic.com

ENQUIRY NO 139


CONTENTS

80pgREGULARS08 Business News75 Product Finder79 Exhibition Programmes80A Product Enquiry Card

Refer to Advertising Index

For Advertiser's Enquiry Numbers

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.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: M.E.N. is available to readers on a per annum subscription basis depending on location: Singapore: S$60.00, Malaysia: S$60.00, Asia Pacific/America/Europe/Others: S$100.00. Refer to the subscription card in each issue for further details. For change of address, please notify our Circulation Manager. For more subscription information Fax: (65) 6379 2806 Singapore E-mail: [email protected]

Federation of Asian Die & Mould Associations (FADMA)

China Machine Tool & Tool Builders'

Association (CMTBA)

Indian Machine Tool Manufacturing

Association (IMTMA)

Federation of Malaysian Foundry & Engineering

Industry Associations

Singapore Precision Engineering and Tooling Association (SPETA)SPETA

INDUSTRYEndorsements

Machine Tool Club(MTC)

IMPORTANT NOTICETHE CIRCULATION OF THIS MAGAZINE

IS AUDITED BY BPA WORLDWIDE.

THE ADVERTISERS' ASSOCIATION

RECOMMEND THAT ADVERTISERS

SHOULD PLACE THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS

ONLY IN AUDITED PUBLICATIONS

Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI)

July-August 2013

INDUSTRY FOCUS52 Robots: They Know The DrillRobots are deployed to weld special drilling tools with lengths up to 14 m. By Stephan H Gursky, Reis Robotics

58Built For China, Ready For The World Using sheet metal machine tools that are specifically tailored to the needs of the Chinese market have allowed a Chinese subcontracting company to manufacture products that reached as far as Times Square in New York. By Martin Engel, for Bystronic

60Change That Default Setting On ManufacturingDuring the Autodesk Manufacturing Conference 2013, Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) spoke with the company’s MD of ASEAN, V R Srivatsan and Richard Blatcher, senior industry marketing manager (manufacturing industry group), on the trends in manufacturing. By Joson Ng

FEATURES56Documenting The 3D WaveThe 3D community of Singapore came together to see for themselves what 3D documentation is all about. By Joson Ng

EVENTS & EXHIBITION 62APMEN At Metaltech 2013With the Petronas Twin Towers nestled in the background as a reminder of Malaysia’s economic strength, this year’s edition of the show also displayed its considerable might by growing in size. By Joson Ng

Laser Network – Connecting Innovation & EfficiencyLaser network solutions offer cost and time savings, where a single laser source can be used to power multiple applications. By Sherlyne Yong

Event Review: Manufacturing Expo 2013

Event Review: Intermach & Subcon Thailand 2013

Event Preview: EMTE-Eastpo

Event Preview: Vietnam Manufacturing Expo 2013

FORM.JOIN.CUT48Cast The Spotlight On Band Saw BladesThe nondescript band saw blade actually has more to offer than meets the eye. By Michael E Neumann

Co

ry L

aFL

amm

e, A

jax,

Can

ada

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

senior editor Joson Ng [email protected]

business development manager Randy Teo [email protected]

senior sales manager Derick Chia [email protected]

sales manager Melvin Wong [email protected]

editorial assistant Sharifah Zainon [email protected]

graphic designer Jef Pimentel [email protected]

circulation executive Samantha Tan [email protected]

contributorsKobi KisosTeun Van AstenWilco van den BoogaardPär NordbergEddy PauJaslin HuangMartin BullemerRajiv GhatikarRalph SchifflerMichael E NeumannStephan H GurskyMartin EngelSherlyne Yong

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.

Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd

MCI (P) No. 050/06/2013PPS 840/09/2012 (022818)ISSN 0129/5519

Terms like ‘build up’, ‘bring up’, or ‘grow up’ give a positive, uplifting impression. On the other hand, ‘cut down’, ‘bring down’ or ‘fall down’ have an ominous feel to it. Like the signs + and -, + represents everything positive.

This belief is evident everywhere. In a construction site, a building rises floor by floor. In life, a person builds up his or her experience, bit by bit. For most things in life, the positive route of progression involves building onto something or taking small steps towards the final destination.

In metalworking, especially in machining, the opposite is true or is perceived as positive. Most people are familiar and attuned to the conventional way of machining, which is a subtractive process. A block of material is cut down to size. The rest of the material is usually thrown away. This is the fact of life for as long as we can remember.

Wit h t he a r r iva l o f Addit ive Ma nufactur ing (A M ), ever y thing has changed. The concept of AM is

different (putting it mildly) from the traditional machining technologies in metalworking. Applying this inverse relationship AM has with subtractive methods to the construction industry would result in the following scenario: erecting a block of concrete and carving a building out of it. While this particular way of construction is unheard of (and quite frankly absurd) at this point in time, AM is anything but absurd in the metalworking context.

While AM is beginning to make the crossover from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, we take a look at how it is garnering more attention in the metalworking industry, and how the medical, aerospace and automotive sectors can benefit from it.

Although it is only starting to make a small dent in the manufacturing sector, it is fair to think that a paradigm shift in manufacturing could potentially be upon us. The questions of ‘when’ and ‘if’ cannot be answered for now but with the test of time, we will see if AM really adds up.

Joson NgSenior Editor

chairman Stephen Taygroup executive director Kenneth Tan

EastErn HOLDInGs LtDExEcutIvE BOarD

Why

When You Can

Add?Subtract

win

terg

erst

& fa

iss

powered by Tiger·tec® Silver

The new generation of mills from WalterBlaxx™ stands for a reliable system which captivates the user with its absolute precision and stands out through its extremely high productivity. The Blaxx™ F5041 and F5141 shoulder mills are therefore based on a newly developed, incredibly robust tool body, which is fitted with the most efficient of Walter indexable inserts, powered by Tiger·tec® Silver.

Find out more about the unbeatable combination of Blaxx™ and Tiger·tec® Silver now: www.walter-tools.com

Walter AG Singapore Pte Ltd20 Science Park Road#01-04A/05, Teletech ParkSingapore Science Park IISingapore 117674Tel: +65 [email protected]

Watch trailer:

PoWerfuL, PreciSe, reLiAbLe.

AZ_W_Mi_Blaxx_EN_WSG_205x275_RZ_000dpi.indd 1 19.09.12 10:37

ENQUIRY NO 084

Sandvik Coromant Opens Productivity Centre In Singapore

Singapore: Sandvik Coromant has opened its doors to a Productivity Centre in Singapore, the 27th

centre in the world. The centre is a training facility offering training demonstrations and training facilities to customers and employees across the globe. Training programmes are customised with the purpose of improving the technical competencies and provide a place to apply the newfound skills in practice.

The inauguration ceremony of the Singapore Productivity Centre was attended by Klas Forsstrom, president Sandvik Coromant, Lee Ee Sian, president Market Area Asia Pacific, Jean-louis Macey, Coromant manager, South East Asia and Guest of Honour, Chang Chin Nam, executive director of the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Looking forward, Mr Forsstrom said that there are three trends to note. Changing demographics means that there will be more travelling and in order to remain competitive, airplanes will need to use less fuel and be of lighter weight.

As such, manufacturers will shift to using more composites. There will be more open source of collaboration as the world becomes more connected and globalised. The product of the future will not just be a physical asset or tool but rather, it will be knowledge. These trends also form the foundation on which the Productivity Centre is built on as people come together to learn, collaborate and be competitive in the new market place.

UCIMU Eyes The Indonesian MarketItaly: UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre, the association of Italian manufacturers of machine tools, robots, automation and auxiliary products, has participated in a mission to Indonesia. The mission provided B2B meetings and practical seminars of specific importance in the field of machine tools. The meetings and seminars have seen the participation of more than 200 Indonesian companies.

In 2012, Italian exports of machine tools grew by 12.6 percent compared with the previous year, reaching a value of €16 million (US$21.4 million). The grinding machines are the most requested types of machine tools of the local market, with a market share of 21.7 percent of the total, followed by drawbenches (17.3 percent), and by presses at 16.1 percent. These results put Italy at seventh in the list of the suppliers to the Indonesian user industries.

In addition, the GDP of Indonesia recorded an increase of 6.2 percent in 2012 compared to the previous year. The vivacity of the country's economy is said to be a business opportunity for Italian manufacturers. These numbers have pushed the Italian manufacturers to increase the coverage of the area.

Hexagon Conference Unites 3,500 Technology Experts In Las Vegas

Las Vegas, US: Hexagon AB has held its third annual international conference, HxGN Live, in early June at MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Welcoming more than 3,500 attendees from over 70 countries, the conference attracted users from Intergraph, Leica Geosystems and Hexagon Metrology.

The conference shed light on what is unfolding in the world of design, measurement and visualisation technologies. The four-day event included previews of new solutions, interactive demonstrations, technology certifications, and networking opportunities.

Professionals from the geospatial, surveying, power & energy, construction, aerospace & defence, public safety & security, automotive and manufacturing industries, among others, were represented at the event.


Businessnews

Singapore +65 6274 1222 Philippines +63 2 915 8725

Malaysia +603 5569 5901 +6019 6631 901

Haas Factory OutletVietnam +84 8 38 44 71 92

Indonesia +6221 29094177

Thailand +66 2726 7191 +66 3811 2700

www.HaasCNC.com

Single setup

Machine 5 sides

Repeat (max profit)

The UMC-750 | 3+2 machining | Affordable Haas price.

Universal Edition

ENQUIRY NO 136

Bielefeld, Germany: Gildemeister Aktiengesellschaft has voted for a change in the company's name from Gildemeister to DMG Mori Seiki Aktiengesellschaft and has thereby taken a further step in deepening the cooperation.

In May 2013, a cooperation agreement was signed to deepen the trust-based partnership between the two companies. Amongst other points the agreement provides for adapting the name of each company to the joint brand presence that has already been established.

CIMTElsewhere in China, the companies presented 33 exhibits and service solutions at CIMT Beijing. Occupying more than 1,800 sq m, both companies are

Gildemeister Is Now DMG Mori Seiki

presenting their portfolio for the first time as DMG / Mori Seiki at the show. The cooperation introduced their established joint structures with 12 branch offices, four technology centres and two spare parts centres nationwide.

Supporting the trend of technology upgrading in China, the company plans to localise key technologies in China. Starting this year, the horizontal machining centres NHC4000 and NHC5000 will be assembled in Mori Seiki’s Tianjin plant. With the local production of the DMU 50, DMG’s Shanghai factory steps into five-axis simultaneous machine tool assembly.* All in all, the company reported an order intake of €56.6 million (US$75.7 million) and sold 237 machines.* Start of production in Shanghai planned from 2013 upon approval of BAFA

CIMT

Dassault Systèmes’ 3DExprience Customer ForumSingapore: Dassault Systèmes’ 3DExprience Customer Forum was held on June 6, 2013 in Singapore. Philippe Forestier, executive VP of the company gave the crowd a brief introduction to the company’s 3DExprience Platform, a stage, which enables enterprise stakeholder to participate in the innovation process and contribute in driving value for the end customer as a result.

During his presentation, he mentioned that the company centres what they do with their customer. With a keen emphasis on Business to Consumer (B2C) or B2B2C model, he said products

alone are no longer enough; it is the holistic value that drives business. He also revealed that the company is among the top 100 most innovative companies in the world according to Forbes. This is probably one of the reasons for the company’s performance in 2012.

He said there were 20,000 new customers last year and 10 million users worldwide. In addition, the company’s revenue stands at US$2.6 billion with Asia the best performing region. Although the company’s size places them amongst the big boys in their field, Mr Forestier said the company has made four acquisitions in the past months.Philippe Forestier


Businessnews

TaeguTec Ltd. World Headquarters1040, Gachang-ro, Gachang-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 711-865, KOREATel: +82-53-760-7640 Fax: +82-53-768-8055 http://www.taegutec.com

Argentina _ Australia _ Belarus Rep. _ Belgium _ Brazil _ Chile _ China _ Croatia _ Czech Rep. _ Denmark _ Finland France _ Germany _ Greece _ Hungary _ India _ Indonesia _ Ireland _ Italy _ Japan _ Malaysia _ The Netherlands _ New ZealandPakistan _ Philippines _ Poland _ Portugal _ Romania _ Russia _ Serbia _ Singapore _ Slovakia _ SloveniaSouth Africa _ Spain _ Sweden _ Taiwan _ Thailand _ Turkey _ Ukraine _ United Arab Emirates _ United Kingdom _ U.S.A.

New Head-changeable Drill• One drill body covers the different drill head diameters• Innovative quick change system• Optimum flute design with twisted coolant holes• Polished flute for smooth chip evacuation and coated body for prolonged body life• New TT9080 grade with multiple layer structure to guarantee longer tool life• Latest expansion: Diameter 7.0 mm ~ 25.9 mm

For Pre-thread Hole Making Chamfering Ring

ENQ

UIR

Y N

O

14

7

Toulouse, France: Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced that it will purchase up to 50 more A350 XWB aircraft. The agreement covers a firm order for 30 more A350 -900s plus options for a further 20 aircraft. The deal allows for the airline to select either the baseline A350-900 or the larger A350 -1000 when exercising the options.

The latest agreement will represent the third order from the airline for the A350 XWB. Upon confirmation, it will see the airline’s total firm orders for the aircraft increase to 70, excluding options. The aircraft wil l be used by the a irl ine on both medium a nd long haul routes.

The A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) is a mid-size long range product line comprising three versions and seating between 270 and 350 passengers in typical three -class layouts. The aircraft will use 25 percent less fuel than existing aircraft in this size category and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. To date, Airbus has recorded 616 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 34 customers worldwide.

Geneva, Switzerland: Germany’s aircraft engine manufacturer has inaugurated a centre of excellence for blade integrated disks (blisks). The building in Munich includes a fleet of GF AgieCharmilles’ milling machines.

The 10,000 sq m shop floor area is available for production. When it is completely up and running, the shop will have 20 milling machines, seven combined turning and milling machines, and eight coordinate measuring machines, allowing the company to expand its production capacity from 600 blisks per year to as many as 3,500 blisks per year by 2016.

In line with GF AgieCharmilles’ promise to help customers to achieve more success, the engine manufacturer adapted several Mikron HPM 800U milling machines to accommodate their pallet- and clamping-systems. The shop is designed to house up to 24 Mikron milling machines as part of the company’s optimised, automated process workflow system.

MTU Aero Engines Inaugurates Centre Of Excellence

Singapore Airlines Orders Up To 50 More A350 XWBs

UK: GKN Aerospace is to open a new advanced engineering centre in Bangalore, India. The centre will commence operation in August 2013 and will provide e n g i ne e r i n g re sou rce s to the company’s international aerospace projects, across all its areas of expertise. It w i l l ex tend the company’s worldwide engineering design,

GKN Aerospace Establishes Engineering Centre Of Excellence In Bangalore

a n a l y s i s , a n d pro du c t io n support streng th and a lso manage the company’s local supply chain.

Initial activities at the centre will support the company’s engine systems operation, which is one of the three major aero-engine structures providers to the global aerospace market. Over the longer term, the centre

will provide engineering support for projects across the GKN Aerospace enterprise, including the development of both engine and airframe structures.

Marcus Bryson, CEO of GKN Aerospace and Land Systems e x p la i n s : “O u r B a n ga lore centre will form an integral part of our global engineering strength, helping us support our customers internationally with the very best engineering solutions.”


Businessnews

Tungaloy Singapore Pte. Ltd.31 Kaki Bukit Road 3#05-19 TechlinkSingapore 417818Tel: (65) 6391 1833 • Fax: (65) 6299 4557www.tungaloy.co.jp/tspl/ENQUIRY NO 146

Deloitte: CFOs Report Optimistic OutlookNew York, US: For the first t ime since the start of the economic recovery, many CFOs globally are reporting solid optimism, looking forward with anticipation instead of anxiety, and displaying the confidence to g row b ot h orga n ic a l l y and internationally. This is according to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited’s (DTTL) recent G loba l CFO Signa ls Q1 report.

The report surveyed CFOs from 16 countries across the globe, found that worries over the currency crisis in Europe and possible slowdowns in China and the US appeared to have eased. This means CFOs are no longer adopting a wait and see approach, as reported in previous editions;

rather they finally have the comfort level to actively pursue expansionary tactics.

In grow th a nd the M& A market, CFOs are looking for g row th oppor tun it ie s a nd evaluating their next move. W h i l e m a n y a r e l o o k i n g internationally, the views vary by geography.

In policy and regulatory implications, more than 90 percent o f CFOs in Nor t h America say that current and recent policy decisions/debates are impacting plans and 40 percent of those CFOs indicate an increase in their government advocacy and lobbying efforts as a result.

In China, regulatory hurdles are seen as one of the key challenges of doing business

in that country, both in terms of volume of regulation and uncertainty in interpretation.

W i t h g re a te r op t i m i sm mov ing for wa rd, CFOs a re resuming their strategy roles.

In China , 65 percent of CFOs report that their CEOs are asking them to focus on strategy setting, development, and execution as one of their top three priorities.

Add it iona l ly, wh i le t he report found a sense of relief driving optimism, it was not a l l good news. W hi le CFO sentiment in North America has improved, with earnings expectations up for the US, in contrast, more than half of China’s CFOs expressed doubt about a recovery in the US and Europe.

France: Alstom and its local j o i n t v e n t u r e , S h a n g h a i Alstom Transport Electrical E qu ipme nt ( SAT E E ), have b e e n aw a rde d a co nt rac t by Nanjing Metro Group to provide traction systems and associated ser v ices to the Nanjing Metro line four phase one project. The contract value is approximately €28 million (US$36.6 million). The metro l ine is expected to be put into commercial operation in October 2015.

The said metro line is about 34 km in length and includes 18 stations. It will connect the western and eastern parts of the city. The system will be manufactured locally by SATEE and supported by A lstom’s m a nu fa c t u r i n g fa c i l i t y i n Charleroi in Belgium.

Alstom To Supply Traction System For Nanjing Metro Line

Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology Opens Competence Centre In Indonesia

Singapore: Carl Zeiss has opened an Industrial Metrology Competence Centre in Bekasi, Indonesia on June 5, 2013, in a bid to better serve and enable customers to realise their metrology ambitions.

The centre, with a total floor area of 108 sq m, would serve both as a demonstration centre providing real time demonstration of physical components on the company’s metrology systems, as well as a technical centre offering measurement services, programming solutions, application training courses and other customer-oriented events.

The grand opening event was attended by Budi Suryatantra, chief representative of Carl Zeiss Indonesia Rep Office and Shaun Lim, regional division manager of Carl Zeiss Southeast Asia, Industrial Metrology Business Group.


Businessnews

NLX-Series

The new standard in CNC universal turning machines

NLX Series Highlights

_ Further enhancement to the popular NL Series, with over

10,000 machines sold

_ Integrated cooling system in the machine bed for better thermal

stability

_ BMT® technology with a direct drive motor in the turret for

powerful milling

_ Various customisations available (example: directly driven tools,

Y-axis, powerful counter spindle)

_ Energy efficient: Up to 30 % power savings over previous models

_ A compact integrated automation solution – Work piece storage /

GX05 loading station and precision work piece measuring by

Magnescale for optimal process integration*

_ MAPPS IV control with a 10.4" TFT screen –

optional with a CAM module from Esprit

* Optional

cooperation sustains innovation

If your phone is equipped with QR-code recognition software, you will be directed to our homepage.

All of the latest news available at: www.dmgmoriseiki.comDMG / MORI SEIKI South East Asia Pte LtdNo. 3 Tuas Link 1, Singapore 638584Tel.: +65 66 60 66 88, Fax: +65 66 60 66 99

SG_APMEN(July)_NLX_205x275_19June_Layout 1 6/19/13 1:48 PM Page 1

NLX-Series






stability


powerful milling









* Optional





NLX-Series






stability


powerful milling









* Optional





ENQUIRY NO 148

Boeing Assembles The 787-9 Dreamliner

Everett, US: Boeing has begun final assembly of the first 787-9 Dreamliner. The newest member of the 787 family began taking shape when the company started

GE Aviation Signs Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Agreement With Sigma LabsEvendale, US: GE Aviation and Sigma Labs have signed a Joint Technology Development Agreement (JTDA) to advance and implement in-process inspection technologies for additive manufactured jet engine components.

The mutually-developed inspection technology will verify the quality and geometry of additive components during the additive build process, increasing additive production speeds up to 25 percent in support of GE Aviation's growing production rates.

"Today, post-build inspection procedures account for as much as 25 percent of the time required to produce an additively manufactured engine component," said Greg Morris, GE Aviation's business development leader for additive manufacturing. "By conducting those inspection procedures while the component is being built, GE Aviation and Sigma labs will expedite production rates for the additive manufactured engine components like the LEAP fuel nozzle."

By 2020, the company will produce more than 100,000 additive manufactured components for the LEAP and GE9X engines. The company will install 19 additive manufactured fuel nozzles on every LEAP engine, which has amassed more than 4,500 orders. The LEAP fuel nozzle is up to 25 percent lighter and five-times more durable than traditionally manufactured fuel nozzles, leading to fuel savings.

Additive manufacturing enables optimised designs for complex components. GE Aviation uses additive manufacturing methods such as direct metal laser melting (DMLM) to build 3D-designed production engine components that traditional manufacturing methods are incapable of producing.

The company's additive manufactured components weigh less than conventional parts because they replace complex assemblies with single pieces, reducing the need for brazing and welding. Additive manufacturing also generates less scrap material during the fabrication process.

ST Aerospace Wins Awards Singapore: ST Aerospace has won two industry awards, the ‘LIMA 2013 ASEAN Airframe MRO Service Provider of the Year' and the 'Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance (ATE&M) Best Asia Airframe MRO Provider of the Year'.

T h e i n a u g u r a l A S E A N Commercial Aviation (ACA) Awards, organised in conjunction with LIMA 2013, aims to recognise and honour outstanding achievements by the ASEAN commercial aviation fraternity for 2012. The awards also intend to capture the spirit of leadership and innovation that inspires significant, broad-reaching progress in aviation.

Boeing

joining large sections of the jet.The company wil l bui ld

the first three 787-9s on its Temporary Surge Line in Everett to allow for smoother integration

of the 787-9 into the production system while continuing to ramp up production across the 787 program.

The plane will complement and extend the 787 family, offering airlines the ability to grow routes opened with the 787-8. With the fuselage stretched by 6 m, the 787-9 will carry 40 more passengers an additional 555 km while using 20 percent less fuel than similarly sized airplanes.

First flight of the 787-9 is scheduled for the second half of 2013, with first delivery to launch customer Air New Zealand set for early 2014. Twenty customers around the world have ordered 355 787-9s, accounting for 40 percent of all 787 orders.

Your Intellectual

Property


Businessnews

ISO Insert Series for Stainless Steel Turning

MMC Hardmetal (Thailand) Co., LtdTel: +66-2661-8170Fax:+66-2661-8175

Singapore BranchTel: +65-6634-8250Fax:+65-6634-8257

Indonesia Representative OfficeTel: +62-21-8261-6353/54Fax:+62-21-8261-6352

www.mitsubishicarbide.com

Viet Nam Representative OfficeTel: +84-4-3772-8362Fax:+84-4-3772-8299

ENQUIRY NO 141


APMEN: Some variants of drills in the market today include solid carbide drills, drills using indexable insert & exchangeable drill head and combination drills. Moving forward, what are the improvements you expect to see in those drills? Kobi K i sos ( K K ): Severa l interesting innovations will be introduced to the market soon. We can briefly mention a few of them. Let’s start with a geometry called HCP (Figure 1).

It is very common to use a pre-hole operation when using a drill over 5xD ratio, as well as drilling at long overhang. Machining without a pre-hole operation will result in poor hole accuracy, vibration, hole deviation and in many cases

unpredictable drill breakage. We have developed a solution for the drilling operation in long overhang conditions. The HCP heads have a geometry with enhanced self-centring ability.

The HCP geometry allows gradual penetration into a material with a reduction of cutting forces. The geometric hole requirements are the same or even better than those which are achieved with a standard drilling process using the pre-hole operation.

Over at deep drilling operations, the implementation of the balanced self-centring drilling heads on a gundrill provide two effective cutting edges, which lead to four times higher feed rates compared to those which are achieved with conventional brazed gundrills.

Finally, the replacement of the drilling head inside the machine results in minimising the pre-setting time. No regrinding service is needed due to the indexable concept. The enduser now has the ability to clamp different head geometries for optimal performance according to material specifications. These drills can be used on standard horizontal milling centres, lathe machines, multi-task machines and dedicated gundrill machines. (Figure 2)

APMEN: In terms of product enhancement, do you see more potential in taking the coating route or the mechanical (geometry) route?KK: As a matter of fact, the combination of both is the only way to success. Taking into consideration today’s machinery

Kobi Kisos, Iscar’s hole making tools product manager talks about drilling technology. By Joson Ng

GeometryWith A Twist

Figure 2: In deep drilling operations, using balanced self-centring drilling heads on a gundrill can result in higher feed rates compared to those which are achieved with conventional brazed gundrills.

Figure 1: HCP

Drilling:

CuttingEdgE

Jul-Aug 2013 asia pacific metalworking equipment news www.equipment-news.com 19

market demands, we clearly see that high-speed machining and tool reliability are the major factors.

New machines are designed to run at higher speeds and feeds. This has led us to develop dedicated grades for drilling operations.

For example, a grade used in interchangeable drilling heads comprises a submicron grain substrate and TiAlN multi-layer coating. Together, they allow very high cutting speeds, such as 160 m/min in alloy and carbon steel, while maintaining high feed rates up to 0.5 mm/rev in appropriate sizes.

In addition, we recently developed grade IC907. This grade is made of fine submicron IC07 carbide grain substrate, which features an increased edge toughness and deformation resistance, combined with TiAlN PVD nano-layer coating technology for wear and peeling resistance, providing long and predictable tool life in cast iron and austenitic stainless steel. Customer can reach cutting speed levels of 180 m/min in cast iron and 80 min/min in stainless steel.

There are also developments in geometry. In order to achieve optimal hole accuracy, finding the correct cutting geometry is the challenge. In addition, when machining at high feed rates and high cutting speed, chip evacuation and proper cooling processes are major factors.

For optimal chip evacuation process and high coolant flow rates,

we have implemented the twisted nozzle technology. This technique provides up to 30 percent more flute gullet volume as well as high flute helix angle for easy chip flow. The peripherally positioned coolant nozzles provide high coolant flow rate to the cutting zone. (Figure 3)

APMEN: From a technical standpoint, what can be done to a drill in order to improve the roundness of the holes produced by it?KK: Let’s div ide this issue into two parts — one refers to balanced drills and the second, unbalanced drills.

When we speak of balanced drills we mean solid carbide drills, brazed and indexable-head drills. Roughly speaking, we can describe the structure of the cutting geometry by the main cutting edge, the secondary cutting edge and chisel.

The fully ground geometry provides a balanced drilling process and therefore provides high hole accuracy. A major part of the hole roundness will be influenced by the proper cutting process in the chisel area.

In addition, it is very important to keep the chisel axis and spindle rotation axis concentric with a maximum misalignment of 0.02 mm. Any larger misalignment will cause the deviation of the drill during the drilling process and as a result, we achieve less of a round hole shape.

The second part refers to unbalanced drills. These drills don’t have a self-centring ability. During the drilling process, each insert creates a cutting segment with specific cutting forces and those must be balanced in order to make accurate holes.

We use a four- seg ment technology, which allows us to stabilise the tool during the drilling process, creating a specific direction during the process. The twisted technology helps us to provide the drill body with improved rigidity and optimal chip gullet shape for easy chip flow.

APMEN: Internal cooling supply and low friction coating are two common ways used by drill manufacturers to improve chip evacuation. Are there any interesting tips formulated by users to aid chip evacuation you would like to share? KK: When we speak about modern machining process with new CNC machines with internal coolant supply, we pay a lot of attention to the chip evacuation issue. On the other hand, when we talk about conventional machines, sometimes we see interesting solutions.

One example is to implement a chip-splitter on the cutting edge. This will make the chip size smaller and make it easier for evacuation. An additional solution that was implemented on an old conventional lathe machine

Figure 3: Cutting geometry is crucial in order to achieve optimal hole accuracy

Improve Chip Evacuation On Conventional Machines• Introduce a chip-splitter on the

cuttingedge

• Introducevibratingmechanisms

Tips From The

Shop Floor

CuttingEdgE


for deep drilling operation was a vibrating mechanism. This mechanism helped achieve very small chips and improved the chip evacuation process.

APMEN: Do you agree that hole making requires a certain degree of intuition from the operator? Why?KK: Indeed I agree with you. Hole making operations are considered to be problematic. During the drilling/reaming process, we never see what is happening inside the hole. Therefore, as an operator’s experience and knowledge is more extensive, the lower the chance for problems, breakage or incorrect functioning. We have met many operators who can decide if the tool works well or not just by looking at the chip colour and shape.

APMEN: What are your latest technologies in the following industries?

Aerospace KK: One of the major materials that are used in the aerospace industr y is the composite materials. Delamination and splintering are common problems. Combining Carbon Fibre (CFRP) with a stacked material such

as titanium or aluminium, adds difficulties as the different materials vary in machining methods.

ICF drilling heads from the Sumocham line are designed to match hole requirements, taking into account the delamination factor on CFRP and stacked mater ia l s . T h is ge omet r y combines reduced point angle and positive rake angles. This provides low axial forces for smooth penetration during the cutting process, without splintering phenomenon, which is critical on thin-wall workpieces. Multi -angle point geometry ensures no delamination on the penetration and exit area.

AutomotiveSeveral years ago, we launched a line of long solid carbide drills with a drilling ratio of up to 22xD, which has been developed for drilling oil holes in crankshafts. Recently we’ve upgraded the performance of this line, by reinforcing its geometry, carbide grade, coating and post treatment.

When speaking about time savings we must mention the development of the conical hole in steering knuckle manufacturing process. This tool combines the indexable Sumocham drilling

head which is fol lowed by tangential milling inserts. The feed rate with this tool can reach 1.0 mm per revolution in cast iron material. This tool leaves the minimal allowance for the following reamer, simplifying the operation as a result.

There is another product that was recently implemented in the automotive industry. The 12xD standard Sumocham drill bodies are produced with a twisting technology and feature high helix flute angle with variable flute geometry along the drill length.

The polished surface and above mentioned features provide durable drill structure, as well as a smooth and easy chip evacuation process, which provides a stable drilling process even for a large depth.

Oil & GasWhen speaking about oil and gas manufacturing, we often relate to the large sized holes. To achieve high productivity rates, we have developed two Combi drill lines; the MNC and MNM drills.

These drills feature the central Sumocham drilling heads and square indexable inserts. The MNC standard line comes in a diameter range from 26 mm to 50 mm, in a 5xD drilling ratio. The self-centring heads provide accurate holes with the tolerance of 0.1 mm. The cutting conditions that can be used with these drills are high in speed — up to 250 m/min and with feed rate up to 0.45 mm/rev for steel machining (Figures 4).

When we need to make deep holes up to a 12xD ratio in a diameter range of 33 to 50 mm, the MNM drill line is a suitable option. The drill features modular structure of drilling head and body. One body can carry several different drilling heads. On the other hand, one head can be suitable for different body lengths, which make it an economical solution.

Enquiry No. 5001Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Figure 4

CuttingEdgE

InnovatIve band saw blades for your requIrements of today and tomorrow

Customised band saw blades and support for higher efficiency

Made in Spangenberg, made in Germany. www.wikus.com

With more than 50 years of experience in the development and production of high-performance tools, WIKUS is Europe‘s largest manufacturer of band saw blades and global technology leader in metal sawing.Precision band saw blades from WIKUS represent innovation and productivity with the objective of higher efficiency for the customer.

WIKUS is offering you:· Innovative band saw blades, optimised for all kinds of sawing tasks· Competent and individual customer service in the entire sawing process· Cutting tests directly on location of the customer

WIKUS-SägenfabrikWilhelm H. Kullmann GmbH & Co. KGmelsunger str. 3034286 spangenbergGermany tel.: + 49 5663 500 – 0eMail: [email protected]

ENQUIRY NO 130

The goal of aircraft weight reduction is driving the current increased use of advanced exotic

materials such as composites, titaniums and Inconels in the aerospace industr y. While materials such as these are lighter and stronger than those typically used, they each present their own sets of challenges when it comes to machining.

During machining operations, manufacturers must achieve the highest levels of quality possible — often accomplished through carefully monitoring and maintaining process security. There are concerns about cost per part, but in most instances, producing perfect parts has a much higher priority, and increasing productivity tends to be secondary.

Aerospace manufacturers strive for process security and consistency through predictable performance of machines and tooling. In the case of tooling, these manufacturers must have drills that deliver practically the same exact amounts of tool life from one tool to the next. And even when they do know precisely how long a tool will last, aerospace manufacturers

often schedule machines to exchange tools well before they are completely worn.

Thanks to machine and cutting tool technologies, materials such as composites, titaniums and Inconels have advanced from a stage of being almost impossible to machine to the point today where aerospace manufacturers machine them with confidence and efficiency.

Tools have been developed specifically for overcoming the machining challenges presented by these materials. Through the incorporation of various coatings and geometries used in tandem with advanced machining techniques and strategies, these specialised tools will not only provide process security, but will also increase production speed and output.

Drilling CompositesFor aerospace applications, drilled holes in composites must be perfectly clean and without ragged or frayed fibres that can interfere with, and compromise, subsequent assembly operations.

Two common challenges of dri l l ing composites are delamination and uncut fibres, especially on the backside or drill

The aerospace sector has thrown out materials that are difficult to drill and tool suppliers have since risen to the challenge. By Teun Van Asten, engineer Marketing Services, Wilco van den Boogaard, application engineer Solid Milling, & Pär Nordberg, R&D and project engineer, Seco Tools

ToughMaterials

Drilling

www.equipment-news.comasia pacific metalworking equipment news Jul-Aug 201322 www.equipment-news.comasia pacific metalworking equipment news Jul-Aug 201322

CuttingEdgE

exit side of workpieces. When drilling, tool forces push down on the material and, as the drill nears the exit side, excessive force can cause the drill to push through, as opposed to cutting through, the last portion of the hole. The result is composite fibres that are ripped and ragged instead of cleanly cut, causing material delamination.

To overcome these challenges, tooling companies strive to decrease drill feed forces against the material through the use of different point angles and helix angles on drills. It should be noted that some drill geometries generate lower feed forces and perform better than others.

For example, a 140-degree point angle — the most common for solid carbide drills — will work quite well for several holes when drilling composites. Unfortunately, as soon as the tool dulls, it loses its effectiveness.

With C1 diamond coated solid carbide drill for composites, Seco imparts a geometry with two point angles — a 130-degree angle in the centre and 60-degree angle on the chamfer of the drill. In operation, the drill’s centre point exits the end of the hole first, cutting away some of the hole’s material. So when the 60-degree portion exits, the feed forces of the drill through the material are reduced. As a result, there is less delamination and fewer, if any, uncut fibres.

In addition to two fluted, diamond coated dril ls, the company has developed a three-fluted PCD-tipped drill geometry for composites. Applied with the same cutting conditions as standard composite drills, this PCD drill geometry provides better results because three edges are cutting as opposed to only two.

The drills have sharper cutting edges and generate less feed force per revolution, especially when

Asia 360˚

APMEN: The region of Asia Pacific will probably be one of the fastest growing

compared to the other regions where Seco Tools is active in. How do you feel about

taking on this role where expectations are arguably higher?

Andreas Fritz (AF): Growth expectations in Asia Pacific are certainly higher compared

to Europe or US. Besides Asia, we also focus strongly on CEE and Brazil, which are both

growth market areas.

This expectation is a positive pressure as the challenge is to grow. I am looking forward

to working with my colleagues within Asia Pacific. I personally feel proud and honoured to

have the opportunity and the trust of my CEO in Seco to take up this position.

APMEN: What is the outlook for the Asia Pacific region for the rest of the year and

in early 2014?

AF: Presently, Asia is showing very mixed signals with India and China changing their

demand pattern. In Japan, even though there is ‘Abenomics’, I don’t think it will have an

effect this year. South Korea has slow local demand now. In Australia, mining is down and

people are waiting for the elections. In Southeast Asia (SEA), Indonesia and Thailand are

two growth markets. Vietnam and Myanmar will also contribute to the growth.

According to industrial indicators, many people believe in an improving scenario from

Q3 onwards. We are focusing on our own positioning and activities to continue to gain

market shares as we did in the previous years. We don’t want to wait for the economy.

In terms of organic growth, we are well-positioned to gain market shares in Asia where

it is smaller compared to Europe. We will also increase our capability in R&D, product

management and sales as we believe in being closer to our customers and having high

responsiveness.

APMEN: What are the thoughts and considerations behind the decision to base

yourself in India, rather than China or Singapore where Seco has fairly large

establishments?

AF: In China, we have a sales unit and a production facility. In total, there are around 200

people. However, Seco India is the biggest subsidiary in Asia with almost 500 people

working in manufacturing, custom tooling, R&D, IT and sales & marketing. It is therefore a

natural decision for me to be based in Pune. Singapore will continue to be the HQ for the

SEA markets.

APMEN: What are your business plans or strategies for SEA, taking into account

the region’s diversity?

AF: Our strength lies in the ability to provide a decentralised network for the sales

subsidiaries to be responsive to customer demands, in order to take market share and at

the same time, improve reliability with our centralised backend. With this balance, we are

quite unique. We also focus on short lead-times along with good IT support to connect

our customers to Seco via our online store.

We believe in local competencies and as such, we do not have too many foreigners.

We also have individual market plans as well as regional programs to grow Seco above the

market development. We have a good mix of people who know the Seco world and people

Andreas Fritz (VP of Asia Pacific) and Gisbert Roth (manager of Marketing Operations Asia Pacific) gave their individual takes on Seco Tools’ plans and initiatives for the region of Southeast Asia in this exclusive video interview. By Joson Ng Andreas Fritz Gisbert Roth


CuttingEdgE

exiting a hole. Additionally, with a full PCD tip, as opposed to one that is diamond coated, the drill can provide up to four times longer tool life in many instances.

Drilling TitaniumIn the aerospace sector, most hole diameters are small. For diameters less than 1 mm and up to 20 mm, solid carbide drills are used quite extensively in drilling titanium as well as Inconel.

A similar occurrence in the milling of titanium is that heat from the drilling process also tends to go into the tool instead of being carried away within the chips. To combat this, drill geometries typically involve very sharp cutting edges.

Normally, drills for titanium are uncoated because of this requirement for extremely sharp cutting edges. Also, coatings can increase friction somewhat, adding to heat generation. One more important part is the shrinkage of material after machining. Due to that, a bigger back taper is needed on the drill body.

Drilling InconelBecause Inconel is very abrasive

who know local demands. Our management team in Asia Pacific consists of 13 people,

female and male, with nine nationalities providing knowhow and diversity.

APMEN: Do you also work with distributors?

AF: Distributors are an important integrated part of our sales channels.

GR: Some markets have higher levels of distribution sales, in particular, Japan and South

Korea. There are historical reasons, especially in Japan. People are used to working with

distributors and wholesalers who provide them with other equipment as well. On the other

hand, Singapore has an almost direct sales arrangement because of its size and structure.

APMEN: What are the technological trends in cutting tools in the next five years?

AF: There are different trends. For example, from the material side, composite is a booming

area not only in the aerospace but in the automotive and leisure industries. Another trend

sees smaller work pieces or miniaturisation because products are getting smaller. There is

also emphasis on productivity, eg: doing things faster with less tools, giving rise to the usage

of universal tools, in order to reduce the number of tool changes and increase productivity.

Besides our headquarter resources in Europe, we also have additional R&D and

product development located in Asia Pacific, presently in India, South Korea, Singapore

and China. We do have local competencies to develop customised products and services

for our Asian customers.

APMEN: How do you plan to present new technologies to the Asian market?

AF: We have road shows in different cities. There is also e-learning where we move

presentations online for people to access.

GR: We use e-tools to good effect internally. It is a fast and economical way to cover

distance, especially for big countries like China and Australia. In the future, we may equip

external sales people with the ability to call on support from a tech person based in another

location. This virtual ‘local’ support will come, I’m sure.

APMEN: Please share with us the reasons behind forming the new Seco Technical

Media Platform. Is it only for Seco’s customers?

AF: Virtual leadership, e-learning, and webinars are buzz words providing the potential to

increase the speed for product and service launches, transferring competencies from Seco

to our customers and connecting a vast area like Asia Pacific in an efficient and effective

way. The technical media platform is just one of our initiatives in this direction.

GR: The customer zone on the website is where people can go to find information, buy tools

and check our stock levels. Customers can log onto the technical media platform and find

individual information on tests and analysis results. For instance, the PCA or Productivity

Cost Analysis studies and results are available there. It is a simulation software we use to

study a production process. We look at a customer’s production process and identify its

bottleneck. We substitute their existing, slow solutions with ours in the simulation and see

how it will impact production. The virtual test can be carried out on single or multiple tools.

We then publish the results onto the media platform and customers can access it there.

APMEN: How has the Seco Technical Education Programme (STEP) been

received in Asia?

GR: It has been very well received. It is not product training; STEP is not a product training

system, it covers technology and products in neutral general terms. For example, it discusses

what happens when a tool is in cut. It also delivers background information. People can use

it to improve their production. It is education, not training. The programme is available in all

Asia Pacific countries. As such, our chief training officer spends some 1/3 of his time in Asia.

For aerospace applications, drilled holes in composites must be perfectly clean and without ragged or frayed fibres that can interfere with, and compromise, subsequent assembly operations.


CuttingEdgE

and work hardens, effective drill geometries for the material are basically the same as those for titanium. However, coatings are added for increased wear resistance and to reduce friction. Seco, for instance, uses titanium aluminium nitride coatings to protect its Inconel drills and extend their working lives.

When drilling Inconel, lower speeds and feeds are used, mainly because the material is harder and more difficult to cut. The machinability of the material comes into play when drilling, much as it does when milling Inconel. In aerospace applications, hole depths in Inconel components are typically only 3 x D.

Coatings have played a key role in boosting aerospace drilling

Close to 200,000 people worldwide have been trained over the years and we will continue this.

AF: The programme is also available in Mandarin, Korean and Japanese languages. The

size of a physical class is from 5 to 75 students and it is headed by a local STEP master.

Virtually, we may connect hundreds of people.

APMEN: What are the popular topics?

GR: Materials are popular, as people want to understand the material (they cut). Also

popular is optimisation. One can optimise production by speed, or by cost, for instance.

The approach to which path should be chosen is defined by the customer. If one wants to

maximise output in the shortest possible time, this will incur higher tooling cost since tool

life is shorter running at higher cutting speeds (and generating more heat).

Cost optimisation will take a longer time to achieve a certain number of components.

Very often, the sweet spot is somewhere in between. There should be a good balance

between output and speed. Also, when factors like cutting speed and feed are considered,

one can optimise feed without a trade-off in tool life, by loading the tool a bit more but still

staying in a safe area. Whereas if cutting speed is increased, heat rises and that shortens

the tool life. The feed method is therefore a simple and popular method. It works well without

affecting cost, yet it improves productivity.

APMEN: Any closing remarks you would like to make?

GR: For us, the key is value-based selling. It is the delivery of a full set of services

around a tool, technically sound recommendation, implementation and continued

support and optimisation.

AF: There is an automotive study that says the direct costs of cutting tools are responsible

for less than three percent of the cost of a car. This three percent can influence the remaining

97 percent. If you can influence the 97 percent (positively), the production cost is lowered.

Seco’s value-based selling focuses on the 97 percent.


process security and productivity, and tooling companies continue to gain better control and master drill cutting edge treatments. Through effective variations of coatings, such as titanium aluminium nitride, and the control of cutting edges, the company has been able to develop drills that essentially allow the doubling of drilling speeds and feeds.

In the future, there will be more changes made to existing geometries to further improve drill performance. Many of these minor changes will only be realised or made possible with today’s advanced machine tool technology. Those aerospace manufacturers that are drilling millions of holes have already set their sights on such specialised drills.

ConclusionTo effectively machine today’s challenging aerospace materials, the key is to obtain a complete machining solution, and not just a product. A complete cutting tool solution includes not only the necessary geometry and design, but application engineering support as well. The knowledge and experience of the human resource is combined with the advanced product to form a complete solution and achieve ideal results.

Part quality and process security require the best possible tool designed for the particular application at hand, whether it is composites, titanium or Inconel. But that tooling must be acquired from a supplier who is able and willing to provide guidance on the proper way to run it for optimum performance. Education and training is key to getting the most benefits out of today’s advanced tooling designed for tough aerospace materials.


There will be more changes made to existing geometries to further improve drill performance.


CuttingEdgE


Increasing productivity and lowering operating costs are the goals in today’s highly competitive manufacturing

environment. The tapping process is no exception.

Traditionally, end users consider choosing the correct tap as the only issue. But the tap hole’s quality and size control is also of equal importance, especially in roll tapping. In fact, the tap hole diameter has a decisive influence on the minor diameter of the internal thread and the thread height percent, which are of strict control on IT parts recently.

If the drilled tap hole size is too small, it would result in a high thread percentage (≥100 percent) and undersized minor diameter; while if the drill tap hole size is too large, it would result in a low thread percentage (≤60 percent) and an oversized minor diameter. All these would result in costly rejects.

Manufacturing IT PartsAustenitic stainless steels, such as SUS304 and 316 are widely used in the manufacturing of IT parts. But it is well-known that austenitic stainless steels are difficult-to-machine materials because of the effects of work hardening, poor heat conductivity and also chip breaking and swarf management problems.

Hardness values close to the machined surface can increase to 200 percent of the original value if an incorrect tool is used, which would be detrimental to the subsequent tapping process. This is still very common in machining stainless steel today.

The work hardening effect when drilling the austenitic stainless steel is the main cause of problems. The steel hardens progressively as it is cold worked. During drilling, it is essential to maintain the feed to cut through the work hardened layer generated as the metal is cut.

Dwell or rubbing must be avoided. Non-step drilling is recommended to avoid entry and re-entry after backing out. Swarf must be allowed to get away freely from the hole that is being drilled. Any build-up of chips in the hole can cause roughness of the hole wall, or in worse cases, clogging or drill breakage. The key to successful drilling is to apply a right geometry which will form and evacuate a chip efficiently, carrying away the heat.

Test 1To combat the issue of work hardening in 300 and 400 series stainless steels, drills like the VA drill by Sutton Tools can be considered as it is said to be able to reduce work hardening. The drill manufacturer claims that faster speeds and feeds, higher accuracy, better surface finish and longer tool life can be achieved.

These improvements are

Minimal work-hardened drilling and clean thread tapping for small threads are the keys to success in producing parts for the IT industries. By Eddy Pau, sales manager (Northeast Asia), Sutton Tools.

Tapping Into

Productivity & Tool LifeBetter

CuttingEdgE



believed to be due to a 40 degree flute helix with a radius flute form that produces short chips, allowing non-step drilling of 3 to 4xd hole depth to take place. In addition, the four facet point geometry is sharp. As such, lower forces are generated when drilling stainless steel. Finally, the cobalt grade high speed steel (HSSCo) is coated with a smooth TiAlN coating, providing the optimal combination for high heat resistance.

Test one shows a case of an IT parts manufacturer in China, on how to increase productivity by using the right tap hole drill for smaller sized roll tapping.

Feed rate increased by 300 percent, together with non-step drilling. Cycle time was reduced to approximately 20 percent (of total time for the whole drilling process). Conventional HSS drills can normally only achieve holes of IT12 while the VA drills can achieve IT9-10, which is more favourable for precision and consistent tap hole sizes for roll tapping in terms of control of minor diameter and thread height percentage.

Test 2The tool life difference can be

attributed to the work-hardening of tap hole surfaces as drilled by the conventional HSS drills and also the multiple pecks. As far as roll taps are concerned, conventional roll taps are made for use in all ductile materials, but recent tap geometry refinement and advanced coating technology have made the roll tapping process suitable for a wider range of work piece materials and for running at higher speeds.

Roll form tapping is suitable

for almost any bendable material with tensile strength of 1,200 N/mm2 and in some cases, up to 1,400 N/mm2. However, different materials react to cold forming in different ways. Specific application necessitates practical testing with specific combinations of geometry and coating.

Due to the high amount of frictional heat generated in the forming process, the use of oil or emulsion coolants is recommended, especially for steels and stainless steels. When tapping blind holes exceeding 3xD depth, it is necessary to have a choice of coated taps.

Tap hole diameter accuracy is the most important factor for successful roll tapping. If the hole diameter is too small, the workpiece material will be over-formed in the thread root posing excessive process forces.

If the tap hole diameter is too large, the thread root is not sufficiently formed and the minor diameter of the internal thread will be too big. It is recommended that tests on tap hole drill diameter are to be conducted to determine the optimal drill size for different kinds of materials.

Comparison of tool life of roll tap. The same roll taps were used on holes drilled by different drills.

DrillConventional

HSS jobber drillVA stub drill D153

Dia. 1.8 mm 1.8 mm

Vc (m/min) 5 15

N (rpm) 883 2,650

F (mm/min) 35 106

Depth (mm) 6 6

No. of pecks 5 0

Coolant Water soluble (10%) Water soluble (10%)

Machine Tapping centre Tapping centre

Finish hole size 1.81 ~ 1.85 1.80 ~ 1.82

Tap hole by conventional jobber drill

Tap hole by VA drill D153

Roll tapSutton Tools

T515Sutton Tools

T515

Size M2x0.4 M2x0.4

Limit GH4 GH4

Vc (m/min) 12 12

N (rpm) 1,908 1,908

F (mm/min) 763 763

Hole type blind blind

Tapping depth (mm) 4 4

Coolant Water soluble (10%) Water soluble (10%)

Machine Tapping centre Tapping centre

Tool life (holes) 2,500 4,000

Test 1: Using different tap hole drills for roll tapping (M2x0.4 GH4) of stainless steel 304

CuttingEdgE


The food industry shares many commonalities with that of other sectors, such as energy or aerospace

engineering. In the industry, machinists encounter complex workpieces and increasingly more stubborn materials, particularly X steels with a high percentage of alloying elements such as chromium, nickel or molybdenum.

Hygiene requirements in the food industry make the use of these types of steel an absolute necessity. This can be seen at Hassia Verpackungsmaschinen, a company based in Ranstadt, Germany. The company is a producer of fully automated form fill seal machines for pot

packaging applications. Typical steels for this machinery are stainless and acid-resistant steel grades 1.4404, 1.4301 and the super duplex material 1.4410.

Maintaining Reliability In Sticky SituationsThe high content of alloy additives is not the only problem. In many cases, plant engineers have to resort to forged semi-finished products. In comparison with rolled material, the forged output material is pit- and pore-free, which is an important prerequisite in this sector because pits and pores on the surface could allow bacteria to settle.

This property is a disadvantage

for the machine tool: Forging leads to a further increase in strength values, and chip formation during subsequent machining becomes even more unfavourable.

O t h e r c o m m o n l y u s e d materials include aluminium alloys, particularly aluminium bronze (CuAl10Ni) because of its resistance to acidic solutions and salt water. Although relatively soft, these materials are by no means easy to cut. In a similar way to X grade steels, they tend to stick quickly or form build-up on the cutting edge.

In short, programmers and machine operators have no choice but to revise cutting speeds and feeds downwards if process

Food For Thought

Drilling:

Drilling and reaming tools with above-average deep-hole machining properties are needed to ensure output, reliability and machining quality. Contributed by Jaslin Huang, Walter AG Singapore

CuttingEdgE


reliability is not to suffer. “For us, process reliability is the most important factor because we are machining high-quality and expensive workpieces,” says Markus Stein, head of production at Hassia. Process reliability is therefore essential for new tools.

Thread Milling From Top To BottomTo manufacture small threads, especially blind hole threads in materials which stick is no mean feat. At the company, these threads are often relatively deep — down to 2.5xD. Through hole threads, while easier to manufacture, are out of the question for many workpieces. This is because any kind of open hole, crevice or even through hole thread presents a considerable risk to hygiene because they collect germs.

Thin components or parts with cross holes already make it essential for core hole depths to be fully utilised. The threading tool should therefore cut all the way to the bottom. To make sure of this, it is not unusual for machinists at the company to rework the bottom of the hole using a milling cutter.

Due to their conical lead chamfer, conventional taps do not succeed in cutting deep enough. Moreover, typically encountered materials such as stainless steel or aluminium bronze have an extreme tendency to stick and lead to premature breaking of tools with disproportionate regularity. Where taps are used,

production chiefs are often faced with the problem of having to remove eroded tool fragments. With aluminium materials, things begin to get tricky.

“It is not uncommon for parts of the tool steel to be fired into the workpiece. Once erosion occurs, particles are always present and that hinder the secondary machining of the thread or even make it impossible,” reports master production engineer Christian Seum. In such cases, the only other option is to use a bush. All this is time-consuming and therefore costly.

Alternative MethodAn alternative to thread cutting is thread milling. Thread mills have a diameter smaller than the hole and, as a result, no jamming

occurs. That is not to say that this process does not have its difficulties either. A standard thread mill plunges down to the full depth of the thread and machines the core hole to the very bottom.

Tough materials produce a high lateral pressure that deflects the tool. Particularly small threads soon become tapered, dimensionally unstable or begin to exhibit chatter marks in the thread flanks. This effect is not experienced by the TMO (Thread Milling Orbital) orbital thread mills of Walter Prototyp.

“As only a few thread teeth make contact,” explains Wolfgang Taube of Technical Support and Sales at Walter Deutschland, “the passive forces produced are a great deal lower than with conventional thread mills. Exact cylindrical threads are the result.”

Orbital thread mills ‘screw’ their way through the core hole with a helical motion, which is essentially a combined radial and axial motion. The cutting time is therefore slightly longer.

“As far as our components are concerned, we will gladly accept an extra couple of seconds of machining time if it

We will gladly accept an extra couple of seconds of machining time if it means that quality and process reliability meet our expectations

— Rolf Zöllner

Small and relatively deep threads (M3 to M8) for large and expensive workpieces in stainless steel are frequently encountered at the company

CuttingEdgE


means that quality and process reliability meet our expectations,” says Rolf Zöllner, responsible for tool organisation and CNC programming. The company uses tools from M3 to M8. Taps are now used only in non-critical applications.

Going DeeperOne of the key components at Hassia is the rotary slide housing. This is responsible for feeding and metering the food product when the pot packaging is being filled. A finished machine fills up to 50 plastic pots at a time with jam, butter or other foods. The more units to be filled per machine, the larger the rotary slide housing. The slides themselves glide into precision bore holes mostly with a diameter of 45 or 50 mm.

These holes are premachined by insert drills 43 or 48 mm in diameter. With these tools, the housings are drilled from two sides so that the holes meet in the middle. Previously, drilling tools measuring 4xD in length had been used. This was not the case for long, as 5xD drills were soon on the production manager wish list.

Drills of this size class did not feature in the previous tool

supplier’s standard product range, so Hassia would have been forced into switching to an expensive custom-made option. At first, Mr Stein and his team helped themselves to an interim solution.

“Where rotary slide housings had holes even deeper than 4xD, we would drill in two stages: first with a smaller insert drill and then with a variant of the conventional HSS twist drill available in 5xD size.”

An alternative would have been to manufacture the holes on a deep-hole drilling machine. Even then, the company would have had to enlist the services of an external machinist. The associated loss of time was something they wanted to avoid.

Insert drills were used to help deal with this problem. The maximum standard depth reached by these indexable insert drills is 5xD, which is sufficient for the rotary slide housings currently being manufactured.

The real length of a drill is one thing, the actual cutting depth is another. Often, the two are not the same. In cases where a drill is used down to the very last millimetre of a specified drilling depth, one difficulty might present itself: The last of the chips are no longer transported out of the hole

reliably. Consequently, it becomes a question of the indexable inserts’ chip breaking properties.

“The 4xD drills which we once used gave us crowding problems,” recalls Mr Zöllner. He adds that is no longer the case with the new drills and the final chips break reliably.

R e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h i s improvement are the indexable inserts, they have a chip-forming geometry developed specifically for this type of machining. According its manufacturer, this is a combination that is particularly suited to stainless materials and materials with difficult cutting properties.

With the drills, the cutting time for a rotary slide bore hole 48 mm in diameter in a housing made from material 1.4410 is around 245 seconds, with drilling depth of 240 mm (5xD), cutting speed (Vc) of 80m/min and feed (f) of 0.12 mm/rev.

Even when time comparisons are of l i tt le use given the many variants in single-piece product ion, ever y cutt ing specialist would have to agree: in comparison with the two-stage method involving the HSS twist drill, use of the 5xD insert drill is a step forward.


Walter: Core Hole Drilling

The X•treme Step 90 chamfer drills by Walter are stepped tools developed for creating

threaded core holes according to DIN 336 Part 1. The dimensions of the tools meet the

requirements of DIN 8378, according to which drilling and chamfering are performed in

one operation without the need for a tool change.

These stepped tools are available for a diameter range of between 3.3 mm and 14.5

mm (M4 to M16x1.5), ie: the range also caters for fine pitch threads. In addition, an XPL

coating on an aluminium chromium nitrite base maximises tool life. It allows the tools to be

universally used for all ISO material groups.


Did You Know?Hassia Verpackungsmaschinen develops and produces form fill seal machines for making pot packaging and stick packs. Asceptic processing is one of the company’s core competences.

CuttingEdgE

Machine tool failure gets your attention.Flashing lights, broken parts, lost time.

Trouble-free machine performance,on the other hand, tends to be unnoticed. Day after day of smooth, quality production. That’s the Hwacheon way.

In our 60-year history, we have not changed our dedication to crafting high quality machine tools. Each one is built by Hwacheon, from castings, box guideways, spindles, gears to sheet metal.

It’s not easy doing it the way we do it, but it makes for happy, productive customers.

Made by Hwacheon

Made in Korea

Simply Quality

Hwacheon Machine Tools. So reliable you may forget you have one.

Aerospace Automotive Oil & Gas Mold & Die Part Manufacturing Pumps & Hydraulics

Hwacheon Asia Pacific Pte Ltd21 Bukit Batok Crescent #08-79WCEGA TowerSingapore 658065 +65-6515 4357 [email protected]

Dealers :SingaporeTechno Machinery (S) Pte Ltd +65-6417 9973 [email protected]

Malaysia (North)BME Industries (M) Sdn Bhd +604-640 8686 [email protected]

Malaysia (Central)MaxEffect Resources Sdn Bhd +6012-218 5457 [email protected]

Malaysia (South)Xtra Technic Machinery (M) Sdn Bhd +607-351 3219 [email protected]

ENQUIRY NO 145

Visit us at

Booth: AJ3-05


Some people hail it as the next industrial revolution. The less excitable ones see it as a technology with

good potential. Whatever it is, Additive Manufacturing or AM is slowly but surely creeping into mainstream manufacturing. At very least, most people in manufacturing would have heard about it by now.

The technology itself is not exactly new but it is now the ‘in thing’ in the manufacturing industry, thanks to coverage in the media and also better understanding of the technology.

How is it really going to affect manufacturing? There are some intellectual guesses but of course, they are just theories. Before going into that, we take a look at the excitement AM is generating across the world and in particular, Singapore.

The Spread & Potential Speed BumpsThe year 2012 is widely believed to be the ‘bre a kout’ ye a r for AM. At the International Manufacturing Technology Show ( IMTS), AM was highlighted as one of the stars of the show. Called the ‘next major manufacturing breakthrough’, the technology is said to reduce prototype and part development as well as eliminate waste.

A m a j o r d r i v i n g f o r c e b eh i nd t he spre ad o f A M may well be the benefits it brings to the manufacturing community (rapid product development at a low cost, and ease of development of custom products) but government support is also a factor.

Over in Asia and in Singapore in particular, AM or 3D printing

is primed for a more significant role in the city state’s knowledge-based manufacturing arena.

In h is opening addre ss a t M TA 2 01 3 (a r e g i o n a l metalworking fair), Lee Yi Shyan, senior minister of State, Ministry of Trade & Industry and National Development called 3D printing a “new area with strong growth potential.” He also added that the development of AM will benefit the precision industry of Singapore.

With the government giving it a seal of approval, there is every chance of a spike in sales for 3D printing machines in Singapore.

Although there are many who will argue fervently for the adoption of AM, there are a few chinks in the armour that need to be addressed before AM can be a world beater.

Not to pour cold water for those who think AM is on the verge of greatness, the most spoken about limitation of AM is arguably its limitations in mass production. Away from the technical side of things, regulatory hurdles, for example in the aerospace or medical industry may prove to be a challenge for AM.

Reaching An Industry Near YouIn a report by Markets and Markets, it is said that AM is a potentially growing market in every manufacturing sector with a global AM market of US$1,843.2 million in 2012. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.5 percent to reach US$3.47 billion by 2017.

In another study, Lux Research finds that the automotive, medical and aerospace industries will take an 84 percent share as the market grows.

“Over the longer term, 3D printing has the potential to reshape the manufacturing ecosystem, but it will have the most impact in the near term

Add Up?Additive Manufacturing has arrived. Looking at how things are going, it is no flash in the pan. By Joson Ng

Does

TechTalk



At a PTC event in late April, Sean Looi, manager of Creatz3D, an authorised distributor for Stratasys’ 3D printing systems and materials gave attendees his take on the future of 3D printing.

“Rather than prototyping, in the future, you will print out

what you are going to sell,” said Mr Looi as he looked ahead

into 3D printing’s future.

During the talk, Mr Looi gave two possible scenarios.

According to him, scenario one will see a 3D printer in every

house. “3D printing will be much cheaper. Every household

will be able to afford it, replacing all 2D printers,” he said.

Printing bureaus or printing houses will emerge in

scenario two. He said every community will have a 3D

printing house. Customers will send data to the bureau and

they will print the products.

Mr Looi pointed out that these two scenarios will

culminate in the eventual decentralisation of industrial

areas. “In the future, the technology will evolve and improve,

resulting in the decentralisation of industrial areas. When it

will happen is anyone’s guess. It will happen. It is a question

of when.”

He also spent a substantial amount of time on the

benefits of 3D printing. He mentioned the technology can

help shrink the design cycle, reduce the cost of error, have

all things done in-house and increase creativity. However,

the most important benefit is communication.

“You can have clearer communications with an engineer

or a client. Having a 3D prototype, they will be able to

understand what you are trying to get at,” he said.

The Future Of 3D Printing

Sean Looi

ENQ

UIR

Y N

O

15

3

TechTalk



for products that are made in small volumes, require high customisation, and are more cost-tolerant,” said Anthony Vicari, a research associate at Lux Research and the lead author of the report titled, ‘Building the Future: Assessing 3D Printing’s Opportunities and Challenges.’

The report states that small

Additive Manufacturing For Biomedical Applications

In the medical sphere, performance,

safety and cost combine into a somewhat

poisonous concoction of demands that

drives manufacturers of medical devices

to find the best materials available in order

to manufacture the best device. While

titanium and other materials have served

the industry and some patients well over

the years, it is now AM’s turn to have a

good run at this industry.

At first glance, the medical industry is

almost tailored made for AM. Customised

solutions in low volume is a common model

in this industry, especially for products like

hip and knee joints.

Why AM?

At a SIMTech seminar held in Singapore

in May, Dr Wei Jun, group manager of

the Joining Technology Group, SIMTech,

shared some pertinent points for the

adoption of AM in manufacturing in general

and also how the technology can be

relevant in the bio-medical field.

Calling AM “the third industrial

flexibility the technology provides.

The technology can also ensure surgery

plans are accurately transferred. This opens

the door to 3D physical models of specific

human anatomy as AM physical models

can be produced based on the patients’

CT scan.

According to him, the technology is also

applicable in the manufacturing of tissue

engineering scaffolds as it can control pore

size and pore size distribution. He added

that these structures are difficult to achieve

with the conventional approach. Lastly, AM

can be used to produce artificial organs like

ear, bladder, skin and kidney as long as the

printing material is bio-compatible.

The medical engineering experts from

the University of Leeds have a motto: 50

active years after 50. They endeavour to

increase the quality of a person’s second

half-century by carrying out extensive

R&D. While the first half, or first 50 years,

is largely decided by nature, there is every

chance AM will have a part to play in the

second 50 years.

The ability to print out body parts is no longer science fiction.

Lesli Lundgren, Oxford, UK

AM could keep us active in our later years

Low Cost 3D Printing Of Titanium ImplantTitanium is one of the most utilised materials in orthopedic and dental applications. Its leading position is now challenged by AM. Over at SIMTech, 3D printing of titanium has great potential for high-mix low-volume applications, such as biomedical where personalised dental or implant is required. Titanium and binder powder are mixed, undergo prototype printing and followed by debinding and sintering.

volume production will do well, led by aerospace engines and automotive components. Together, small-volume manufacturing will transform from a niche market to a billion dollar one in 2025.

The automotive industry is believed to be the industry that consumes the largest portion of the AM pie. The appeal of the

technology in the automotive industry could be attributed to its ability to produce end products fast. Over in the aerospace industry, fuelled by its healthy obsession to lose weight, light weight honeycombs and multifunctional structures have found use there.

Light weight honeycombs are

revolution,” Dr Wei listed cost as one

reason behind the adoption of AM. As the

technology is well-suited for low volume

production, it makes economic sense as

mould manufacturing is expensive.

Secondly, the technology allows an

increased geometry freedom. According

to him, AM does not have geometrical

limitations. It can print complex systems

whereas conventional techniques require

the production and usage of moulds, which

may not be able to generate complicated

features in components.

Along with more geometrical freedom,

AM can increase part functionality. For

example, he mentioned that the porosity of

a part can be controlled in order to aid the

incorporation of other functions into the part.

AM To Keep You Active?

With the potential of AM well-documented,

it is important to consider how the promise

can be harvested into useful products.

Dr Wei said patient specific orthopaedic

implants are products that can utilise the

TechTalk


used to reduce product weights by providing micro honeycomb structures in manufactured parts. They optimise local structures so as to provide products with the best performance while reducing weight.

Time Savings In The Automotive IndustryIn the automotive industry, speed a nd convenience in manufacturing are two factors manufacturers cherish. In racing in particular, the need for speed is much more pronounced.

In a Stratasys case study involving Joe Gibbs Racing, it is said the designing and machining of parts can take up to 30 days or more using conventional methods whereas functional prototype parts can be made in three days with 3D printing with Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). The racing team in question managed to manufacture a new custom duct outlet in less than three days from concept model to finished part in time for their next race.

Away from speed, aesthetics and performance have a place in the automotive industry too. Engineers are known to use functional prototypes, (truck

fenders in this case) made by AM, for testing. Operations like sanding is possible to allow a good level of aesthetics and functionality.

AM Taking Off In AerospaceIn the aerospace industry, it is thought that engines represent the main growth area for AM. In an industry where titanium is widely used, there is potential for the technology because titanium is notoriously difficult and expensive to machine.

Elsewhere, AM allows the elimination of expensive tooling during the design process. It can free designers to focus on creating lighter weight structures instead, boosting efficiencies and reducing emissions.

Recently, Pratt & Whitney has given the technology a vote of confidence by advancing their AM research along with the University of Connecticut in a joint effort.

Calling AM “necessary to build the next generation of jet engines,” Pratt & Whitney’s chief operating officer Paul Adams said the technology is complementary to traditional methods by enabl ing new

innovation in design, speed and affordability.

The Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center will be used to further AM R&D. Mr Adams added that the company is currently using the technology to build complex components with extreme precision for the flight-proven PurePower commercial jet engine.

Jury’s Still Out But Signs Are PromisingBefore we get too excited about AM and start comparing it to establ ished manufactur ing technologies like casting, forging and machining, let us not forget that AM is relatively new and it is still developing, some might say in its infancy.

To put things in the right perspective, AM first emerged in 1987, according to a Wohlers Report on History of Additive Manufacturing. Machining on the other hand is a much more mature technology with more than a 100- year history.

While the industrial revolution is widely believed to have started some time in the late 18th century, another revolution might well be upon us. That is of course if AM can make it to most homes (as predicted by some), much like a desktop printer, which we all have today.

Once the crossover to a consumer product is complete, (some might argue it already has) then terms like ‘revolution’ would be more justified.

For now though, it is a wave. It is difficult to predict what we would end up with, but the smart money is on mainstream home use. To answer the previous question on ‘how is AM really going to affect manufacturing?’ The answer would be: You might be able to carry it out at home in the not too distant future.

In the aerospace industry, it is thought that engines represent the main growth area for AM


TechTalk


Case Study:

The fine art of dental re storat ion re scue s damaged teeth at every level of repair, from simple

fillings done in the mouth, to crowns, bridgework and implants that are manufactured via multiple processes away from the dentist’s office. The vast industry that has sprung up around this type of ‘non-chairside restoration’ is a complex business. After all, no two individual’s teeth are the same and every type and extent of tooth damage is unique.

Many such restorat ions performed today still use lost-wax technology that has barely changed in 100 years. But the restorative dentistry picture is changing rapidly as economic realities, skyrocketing gold prices and outsourced manufacturing put pressure on patients and professionals alike to find more cost-effective methods.

Major Shake Up“We’ve realised that our present

product line supporting lost wax is probably going to be obsolete in 10 to 15 years,” predicts Bill Oremus, president of Rhode-Island based Bego USA, a dental product manufacturer. “The end of casting is approaching as the application of additive manufacturing to dentistry begins to alter the landscape.”

With an eye to the fast-approaching future, the company launched an initiative into on-site

Dental RestorationDirect metal laser sintering has given rise to a new approach in dental restoration, giving traditional lost-wax technology a serious run for its money. By Martin Bullemer, business development manager (Medical), EOS

Difficulty:To produce patient specific restorations made of a high-performance alloy in an economic manner.

Solution:The manufacture of fully dense restorations without porosity.

Conclusion:Accuracy of +/- 20 microns was achieved and the restorations have good quality and durability.

Building Up

TechTalk



production of non-precious alloy restorations with a Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) system.

A Faster SolutionLess than a year following the setup of their EOSINT M 270, the company is producing hundreds of units a week, which are fully dense and without porosity. CAD data is a basis for this. “Our customers simply send us any open STL file of a patient’s mouth scan and, after a file review step, we manufacture the coping in about 48 hours,” explains Mr Oremus.

The laser sintering system, which holds a bed of powdered metal material, processes the crowns or bridges layer by layer. After a thin layer of powder is applied, a focused laser beam solidifies the powder. Once a layer is completed, the powder bed drops by a fraction of a millimeter to begin the next layer.

The DMLS system provides a typical accuracy of +/- 20 microns. While the traditional casting process can produce about 20 dental frames per day, DMLS manufacturing is scalable up to 450 units of crowns and bridges in the same time period.

“The restoration only needs some rubber wheel finishing in the margins and it’s ready for veneering with ceramics. In the case of a bridge, the end product doesn’t need sectioning and just drops right into place,” says Mr Oremus.

More Success, More SavingsAccording to Mr Oremus, the quality of the restorations is good, as well as the surface structure of the copings. While he has been able to save on time and cost, he notes that the marginal integrity is impressive as well. In an industry where patient specificity is critical, these qualities are obviously crucial. He compares 10 different restoration cases of long-span bridges, side-by-side, to underline this point.

“If you were to put them through the old lost-wax technique, you’re probably looking at only 50 to 60 percent accuracy. That’s a lot of do-overs, not to mention increased wait-time for the patient. Using our system today, we’re getting a 90 to 95 percent success rate in a lot less time,” he says.

Since their laser sintering system can work with virtually any properly prepared metal powder,

the company has patented its own chrome-cobalt-molybdenum alloy, Wirobond C+. According to Mr Oremus, the material contains more than 20 percent chromium, which, during manufacturing, creates a passivity layer that prevents the release of free ions and ensures high biocompatibility.

The fact that laser sintering systems can be run with a wide variety of registered/validated materials is also of particular interest to the dental industry, which is always on the lookout for a l loys w it h improve d characteristics.

“Durability and performance are key in restorations,” he says. “The muscles of the jaw generate huge amounts of force on teeth and they have to withstand thermal expansion and contraction.”

Whatever the materia ls, DMLS uses less of them than more traditional manufacturing methods. “A major advantage is the cost-effectiveness of the build-up technique versus so many of the other CAD/CAM processes that are subtractive techniques via milling or pressing,” says Bego USA’s CAD production manager Ryan LeBrun.

“When you get into high-end metals, you’re looking at portions of your profit just ground away. But there’s almost no waste with additive manufacturing. We can filter any extra unused powder and reuse it on the next production run. We’re able to pass our savings on to the laboratory and the technician to help give them a better profit picture.”

What’s more, says Mr Oremus, other advances in the digitalisation of dentistry are primed to support the acceptance of the technology. “The use of chairside mouth scanners will make CAD modelling increasingly common and further drive the use of additive manufacturing in dentistry.”

Laser sintering system can be run with a variety of registered materials, making it suitable for the dental industry.

TechTalk


Today’s business milieu is a complex one often fraught with challenges and requirements. Although

there are more obstacles, there are also plenty of avenues for someone to acquire help. One popular way, especially for users of design software programs or product management suites, is to get help from a user community — a place created by the solutions provider or in some instances, by the users themselves.

Some of these communities have grown significantly, transcending borders and cultures. The energy of these communities cannot be underestimated as they are responsible for certain products having a ‘cult’ following.

With this ‘community spirit’

TheFactor‘Wind Chill’

With various enhancements in Windchill, PTC’s flagship PLM product, the company is setting its course for a greater footprint in several industrial verticals. By Joson Ng

well and truly alive in the online world, the passion and enthusiasm of users in real life can only be seen firsthand at a users’ conference.

Recently, PTC held a Solutions Day for their users in Singapore. Although the participants were not as fanatical compared to their US counterparts, it is clear that they were there, eager to learn and contribute. Those at the conference were not disappointed as the company presented some of their latest offerings to aid better productivity and cost reduction.

CAD Vs PLMThe two main products in the company’s portfolio are Creo (CAD) and Windchill (PLM). While they both have new features and complement each other, they face

very different fortunes according to PTC’s Robert Kocis, senior divisional VP of Asia Pacific Sales & Distribution.

In an exclusive interview with Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN), held on the sideline of the Solutions Day, he said that the company has an edge in the PLM segment. The fight however, is tougher in the CAD arena.

“In CAD, it is tough. The products are more matured and therefore, there is less differentiation between two products. On the Windchill side (PLM), we are considered as benchmarks over the world. Companies take years and millions of dollars to validate the technology. As a result, when they say they are going to use Windchill, that is a big statement,” he said.

Product Lifecycle

Management

Software &MeaSureMent


To emphasise the point, Mr Kocis revealed that one major deal was recently concluded with Embraer, the third largest commercial aircraft producer in the world.

Over at the CAD business, even though competition is stiff, Mr Kocis insisted Creo has what it takes to come out tops.

“For Creo, what we have done is we have realised that the engineers need a strong, usable

product. Earlier on, usability was not our strong suit. It was more on the power of solid modelling. We are now focusing on providing a user experience. As such, we are providing apps where individual users can choose which app best fit their needs and apply those accordingly. It is a more dynamic system because different people can use it in a different way and it can also be used collaboratively,” he said.

Continuous DevelopmentDuring the opening speech, Mr Kocis highlighted the company’s R&D endeavours over the years. With 17 percent of the company’s annual turnover reinvested into R&D, it is easy to see that the company views product enhancement as one of their priorities.

“For Creo, we are focusing on the users to dr ive the enhancement. We are talking to

ENQ

UIR

Y N

O

08

0

Our PLM business is about US$500 million and it is growing by some 10 to 15 percent a year.

-Robert Kocis

Software&MeaSureMent


the user community and we really understand where they want to go with this product. We then enhance and develop this product based on that roadmap.

On the PLM, application lifecycle management and service side of things, part of it (R&D activities) is driven by users but some advancements are visionary (dependent on the vision of the R&D team) because products like service lifecycle management are still very new.

Another element is our products need to work together as one system. So in our R&D department, we have experts in each discipline, but they work collaboratively, under one chief technical officer. He is driving each group but also driving one process to improve the overall system,” he said.

To illustrate how the company views R&D, he added that the R&D department employs some 1,890 R&D engineers.

Strong GrowthWhile speaking to the users, Mr Kocis also touched on the company’s growth and current status. He said Windchill seats currently stands at 1,327,000 and the company is growing by 8 to 10 percent per annum.

APMEN asked him how long the company took to reach that

particular milestone.“Windchill was acquired in

1998. We started selling it then, but we only started selling it in a broad sense in the early 2000s because that was when customers were really adopting it,” he said.

According to Mr Kocis, this uptrend looks set to continue well into the future. He said: “Our PLM business is about US$500 million and it is growing by some 10 to 15 percent a year. As such, we should be able to double that in five to seven years.”

Expanding The Eastern FrontWith Asia currently accounting for some 24 percent of the company’s business worldwide, we asked Mr Kocis how he intends to bridge the gap between Asia and the company’s two other significant territories of Americas and Europe, which both are currently responsible for 38 percent.

“We want to grow all regions, as well as our operating margins. As for Asia, we should grow at a faster rate. We are investing heavily in China, South Korea, India and in Southeast Asia. Our primary focus and growth area however, is China,” said Mr Kocis.

He said the two verticals in China that are doing well at the moment are the electronic & high tech and aerospace &

defence sectors. He also revealed to APMEN that PTC’s PLM suites are not number one in China in the automotive sector. However, with local companies like FAW currently expanding their reach in terms of distribution, he felt that their product will see its footprint rapidly expand in the country.

PTC Heading Out To SEAWith the focus on China, Mr Kocis conceded that other parts of Asia may have taken a back seat, but that is about to change.

“Maybe before, we didn’t invest as much in Southeast Asia (SEA) and India, but we see great opportunities for growth there,” he said.

For the region of Southeast Asia, APMEN understands the company will prioritise its resources and for good reasons too, as each country has their unique idiosyncrasies.

“Singapore and Malaysia are key areas for us, especially in aerospace and defence. We are going to add resources to help focus on that. There is definitely a growing opportunity in Vietnam too. You see a lot of manufacturing moving there, along with some R& D and engineering. Our Vietnam business is starting to grow,” he said.

Pledging to do more in Southeast Asia, Mr Kocis said more will be done to ensure that support for both partners and users will be up to the mark.

“We need more support resources. As our technology broadens, we need to provide more support. We have a good customer base here. We want to support them better. In addition, we want to give our partners all the training they need in order to support their customers. Our strategy in this part of the world is carried out through our partners as we feel it is more sustainable. I do not want to break that model,” he said.


Robert Kocis feels users are crucial in driving product enhancements.


ENQUIRY NO 137


The strong global consumer demand for manufactured goods has boosted the demand for machinery

equipment, and this has resulted in the growth of the industrial machinery equipment sector in Asia.

According to Ernst and Young, in the decade to 2020, machinery and transport equipment (excluding passenger cars) are expected to make up a greater proportion of Asia Pacific countries’ exports. China’s exports of machinery and transport are forecast to increase from US$751 billion in 2010 to US$2,557 billion; Indonesia’s from US$17 billion to US$59 billion; and Malaysia’s from US$86 billion to US$235 billion.

Still, despite an optimistic outlook, various challenges remain for these markets. More established ASEAN markets like Singapore and Malaysia are facing increasing competition from emerging ones like Vietnam and

Myanmar, which are becoming more at tract ive to g lobal companies looking to invest in manufacturing plants.

I n d u s t r i a l m a c h i n e r y manufacturers also find themselves facing an increasing number of new regulatory requirements that are impacting costs and competitiveness.

For example in Thailand, companies are facing rising costs as a result of the implementation of minimum wage for workers by the government. While the government is providing concessions in the form

of tax rebates to lessen the impact, companies which are labour intensive, and export-oriented, are still finding it a challenge to be competitive on the global platform.

Forging A Collaborative EnvironmentToday, there is a market demand for more flexible machine designs that can be rapidly adapted to new products, as well as machines that can be easily integrated into existing plants. Companies are under pressure to continuously innovate and optimise their products while ensuring an appropriate return on innovation investments.

This continuous innovation has become a core driver of growth, performance, and valuation. Equally important is the fact that the basis of competition is shifting towards delivering excellence in service and parts management. Manufacturers are also required to drastically reduce the time it takes to develop new industrial equipment, while ensuring that these machines can operate at close to 100 percent uptime.

Industrial machinery companies need to establish a collaborative engineering and manufacturing platform that will enable them to design modular machines and support multiple machine variants.

In many cases, these platforms and variants are being developed by global design and engineering teams and manufactured by multiple plants around the world, including Asia. These operations need to track project schedules, resource allocations, customer specifications

Empowering BusinessesIn The Industrial Machinery Sector With PLM

An all-encompassing platform that acts as a linkway for various mechanisms within a company is something many organisations should aim to establish. By Rajiv Ghatikar, VP & GM for ASEAN/Australasia, Siemens PLM Software

Today, there is a market demand for more flexible machine designs that can be rapidly adapted to new products, as well as machines that can be easily integrated into existing plants.



and all of the product/process knowledge that is generated by a distributed value chain.

With this requirement in mind, machine builders and their suppliers are turning to Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) technology as the basis to establishing a flexible collaboration environment that can facilitate global engineering and manufacturing.

PLM platforms are especially adept at extending the product design process with processes that allow the capture of design requirements, performing real time analysis of the design intent and performance evaluation from a production perspective.

The Growing Role Of PLM In Pre-Defining Process Plans PLM has always had a major role in developing the predefined manufacturing process plans. Selection, design, specification and documentation of tooling and sequences of manufacturing operat ions , together with planning for the movement of parts around the factory can be a task that is similar in magnitude to product design.

This role for PLM has been growing, because companies are now looking at ways to minimise the number of issues that end up being fixed on the shopfloor. Engineers must foresee all possibilities, and provide correct, well-structured manufacturing documentation and instructions for increasingly

customised products. There is also cost and time pressure to reduce the number of prototyping cycles, and devote production capacity to customer orders, not in proving out complex manufacturing operations.

The result is the transition of production process development from the workshop to the desktop. This involves accurate simulation of manufacturing processes. The simulation models enable manufacturing engineers to not only design and develop manufacturing processes, but also to support production operations. This aspect of digital manufacturing gives management teams more flexibility in planning distributed operations.

Companies are increasingly offering flexible configurations of complex machines based on common platforms and modular options. The result is a very large number of configurations that a customer may order. This makes it very difficult to create manufacturing process plans that foresee every combination.

Some machinery companies are responding by increasing the role of PLM to include ‘assembly’ of elements of manufacturing process plans in response to each customer order. This automated generation of manufacturing documentation saves both time and cost.

Adopting A Holistic Approach To Design Today’s industrial machines are becoming more complex. Systems

are more integrated, with a range of functions to prevent, track and issue system failure alerts. This trend is causing machine builders to take a holistic approach to design that encompasses systems engineering, as well as electrical, mechanical and software design. A holistic approach requires today’s value chains to look at early system layout and system performance through hybrid 2D/3D layouts and digital engineering models.

PLM enables organisations to realise this integrated process by communicating design changes throughout the operation’s various functional disciplines. It facilitates a rich integrated product development environment that addresses the needs of all of these different disciplines with a single source of product and process knowledge.

PLM’s Role In The Organisational Strategy The starting point for a machinery manufacturer is to establish a shared understanding of PLM across the management team. A management team that sees PLM as something for the engineering

A management team that sees PLM as something for the engineering department will recognise many potential PLM benefits, but a management team that sees PLM eliminating delay and improving collaboration across all functions will recognise more (benefits).

Interactive grab handles quickly establish positions and tool axes.

CAM software suites provide advanced programming capabilities optimised for machinery parts.



department will recognise many potential PLM benefits, but a management team that sees PLM eliminating delay and improving collaboration across all functions will recognise more. Thinking of PLM as a ‘wrapper’ to package and distribute engineering files may be a first step, but PLM offers more potential benefit when implemented to bring together all views of product data.

Real value comes from the insight that PLM can be deployed within the engineering group and across the enterprise to deliver not only efficiency, productivity and quality but also:

• Collaboration — by connecting people, product and process information

• Agility — by managing change in a globally distributed environment

• Knowledge — by enabling specialists to create, capture and communicate their know-how

• Re-use — by simplifying search and selection, and supporting in-depth enquiry

The value of PLM for a sales department gives insight into the value of PLM for customers. The use of PLM to model and analyse a specific machine configuration for a customer meets the growing expectation of decision makers for 3D visualisation and machine performance predictions. But this is just the beginning.

A customer enquiry about working with an unusual material can be answered by searching PLM data to find references to that material. If appropriate, the search could cover both product data sheets and installed machines. The quick and accurate response helps maintain company image, and win the next order.

The priority is to explore the value of PLM in relation to an organisation’s business strategies. PLM could be defined as an information strategy because it builds a coherent data structure that consolidates systems. You could also call PLM an enterprise strategy, because

it allows global organisations to innovate, develop, support and retire products as one company, while capturing best practices and lessons learned along the way.

As an in format ion and enterprise strategy, PLM has benefitted the organisations that have implemented it, such as Hyundai Heavy Industries, Sandvik Coromant and Zoomlion. What these companies have found is that ultimately, PLM empowers businesses to make unified, information-driven decisions at every stage in the product lifecycle, reaping a myriad of benefits.


Leveraging Virtual Machines For Machine Tool Builders & Part Manufacturing Digital manufacturing solutions for machine builders, including virtual machines, can be

used specifically by machine tool builders to assess and validate new machine tool designs.

In addition, as an important validation step of the design process, virtual machines can

further support the early development of CNC cycles and specific operator interface pages

on the human-machine interface. Most importantly, this virtual replica of the machine tool

can illustrate how a machine will operate — even before it is built.

End users can also benefit from the machine tools. The virtual machine can be used

for many nonproductive tasks, such as program testing, setup checking and even operator

training. Program code can be edited and changes verified right on the virtual machine,

saving valuable time on the real machine.

With respect to part manufacturing, digital manufacturing solutions can be used

to define and optimise a manufacturing plan that can subsequently be connected for

execution on the shop floor. This bridge between production planning and the shop floor

takes manufacturing planning and production environments to new levels of efficiency,

enabling users to reduce manufacturing cycle times and improve quality. In addition, the

electronic delivery and automated entry of machine tool setup information and increases

confidence that the right manufacturing information and equipment are in the right place

at the right time for production.


Multi-stage machining tracks in-process material from station to station.

NC programs can be created faster for prismatic parts using a volume-based approach that tracks uncut material and instantly displays a visual preview of the planned machining operation.


ENQUIRY NO 140


Looking at the amount of machine tools involved in metal-cutting worldwide, future-oriented service

solutions are inevitably gaining importance. The provision of spare parts and assignment of service personnel alone do not do the job anymore. This is why modern manufacturers started to look at the whole lifecycle of a machine tool.

Service for commissioning machine tools, fast- on -site support, as well as the availability of spares are still the backbone of a long machine tool life. Constant improvements have been made in those classic areas.

Now, modern spare parts logistic networks spread globally, serving users fast with the spares they need. For instance, service engineer localisation enables fast local language on-site service and remote diagnostics through hotlines or software solutions help to further minimise expensive downtime on the shopfloor.

Service training for the correct maintenance of machine tools is another important component. Manufacturers have increasingly realised that purchasing a high-end machine is like owning a car: the better cared for, the smoother and longer it runs, ensuring a high return on investment.

Prevention is the keyword. Check-up systems in the control help to plan maintenance intervals and service work. Software for remote troubleshooting or remote monitoring on smartphone or tablet devices prevents longer machine failure.

Productivity: Optimising A Machine Tool Periphery products are crucial components of the product

lifecycle that increase machine and tool life span, precision and productivity. True l i fecycle management starts even before the machine is purchased. It involves choosing the right machine configuration and continues with training operators to ensuring reliability in the production processes through round-the-clock local support or remote diagnostics. Regularly planned inspections of safety functions, main spindle, hydraulics, cooling units and software status help minimise unexpected service assignments.

Looking at systems around the machine tool, customer specific solutions in automation such as robot and handling systems, engineering and tool pre-setting

ManagingThe LifeOf A Machine ToolA paradigm shift in thinking is required in order to harness the full potential of a modern machine tool. By Ralph Schiffler, technical editor/MD, pressGATE for DMG/Mori Seiki

Future-oriented service solutions are gaining importance in machine tools




devices significantly increase a machine tool’s productivity and help to get the best out of the machine tool’s life span. The use of tool presetting equipment in manufacturing frees expensive machine tools from unproductive setup t imes and therefore increases their availability ‘in a calculable manner’.

Taking A Closer Look At Software SolutionsIntelligent software solutions increase efficiency and ensure reliability in production. One focus is the prevention of failure. Another angle is the optimisation of performance of the machine tool.

Software products involve the complete process chain from drawing, simulation and programming, to the f ina l machining of the work piece. They add to fast and efficient m a n u f a c t u r i n g , a v o i d i n g u n n e c e s s a r y m a c h i n e s t o p o r f a i l u r e t h r o u g h preventive simulation.

Remote d ia g nost ic a nd support software kicks in when technical problems occur, as the operator can setup a secure internet connection right from the machine to the manufacturer’s service department by pressing a button on the machine tool.

A service employee will be assigned to undertake an immediate and detailed problem analysis

and also to rectify a multitude of machine problems directly — as if being right there on site.

Another approach is monitoring. The capacity of metal-cutting machine tools continuously increases and production processes have become more efficient. Efficient handling, prompt provision of manufacturing resources and avoidance of downtimes are ways to reduce costs.

This particularly applies to production processes running over long periods. In this environment, the most up-to-date information about operating states of the machines plays a decisive role. Software solutions allow users to check the current state of their machine at any time, independent of their location, and to respond to an error instantly if needed. Immediate text or email messages are one

option; other more comprehensive functions collate information to be transferred.

A New Lease Of Life The provision of reasonably priced machines with comprehensive manufacturer’s guarantees and the repurchase of older machines within the scope of a new investment have opened the doors to used machines trading, retrofitting and upgrading. Machine tool users nowadays can retrofit their existing machine park and increase productivity without purchasing new models.

Overhauling of complete machines or components as well as giving them in part payment for a new machine (including dismantling and transport), is another way of providing solutions for productive operations using products which have reached the end of their lifespan.

Professional reconditioning includes thorough incoming inspection and complete cleaning of all components. Defective parts and wear parts are replaced with original components. Once re-assembled, the machine goes through a longer time operating test and outgoing inspection. Reconditioned in such a way, the quality and efficiency of a machine tool do not depend on the year of its manufacture.

Reconditioning can breathe new life into a machine tool.

Modern technologies are used to improve diagnostic capability.



Maybe it is the parts it produces; they look simple. The mention of band saw cutting

tends to trigger a mental picture where a horizontal band saw is used to cut long materials to the desired length. Granted, they do not look as complicated as the parts produced by five-axis machines but the real travesty here is that this perception has led to the over simplification of the process of band sawing.

Whatever the reasons are, band saw cutting machines and the blades are more likely to be tucked away in the ‘corner’ of a machine shop. It is not something people show their visitors but its contribution to the machine shop cannot be ignored.

These opinions obviously do the technology a disservice, particularly when the technology and principle behind a seemingly s i mple b a nd s aw c a n b e substantial. The truth is band saw cutting and band saw blades require more consideration than many would think.

The Right BladeFor instance, choosing the correct blade for sawing operations would result in a better performance as well as reduce materia l waste. The blades in question here are the carbon tool steel or bimetal blades.

Thought to be less expensive compared to bimetal blades, carbon tool steel blades will cut mild steel if used at speeds under 200 feet per minute (fpm), preferably with coolant. However, in a production setting, bimetal blades are supposed to have the edge. They are believed to have a longer life than carbon blades (reportedly up to 10 times) and are therefore more economical to operate in the long run.

The longer life of bimetal blades can be attributed to the addition of a spring metal. Its

The nondescript band saw blade actually has more to offer than meets the eye. By Michael E Neumann

Cory LaFLamme, Ajax, Canada

Cast The Spotlight On

Band Saw Blades

FORMJOinCut


flexibility provides a platform for better tool life and performance. Finally, they are also capable of cutting harder materials, such as stainless steel.

Performance RulesThere are many factors at play to ensure a good cutting performance of a band saw blade. The teeth of the band saw for example, are particularly significant because the distance between the tip of two teeth or the pitch, is essential for the right selection of band saw blades.

Standard tooth with constant tooth pitch or variable tooth with unevenly spaced teeth are the two common choices faced by band saw operators. The rule of the thumb dictates that variable tooth cutters are more suited for problematic work pieces because they reportedly eliminate or dampen the harmonic vibration. Finally, tooth pitches are selected based on wall thickness and outer dimensions of tubes or structures.

Elsewhere, speed is also a critical component of a good cutting performance. In order to cut quickly in the bandsaw arena, carbide could well be the way to go. Chen Gao-Ya, Lenox’s director of marketing for APAC, said: “We have been making investments in the US and the carbide blade is a focus area. Including carbide into the tooth tip of the blade is set to raise performance benchmark significantly.”

According to the bandsaw blade manufacturer, carbide-tipped blades are for users who want to cut faster and reduce cutting costs. They are suitable for metals which are more abrasive such as tool steel, stainless steel, titanium and nickel-based alloys. These blades could yield cutting speeds that are three to four times faster. Carbide-tipped band saw blades resist wear even

when cutting difficult-to-machine materials. While they cost more, the increased productivity will lead to a lower cost per cut compared to the bi-metal blade.

Flexibility CountsApart from cutting speed, the versatility of a cutting blade also ranks high in the performance of a bandsaw. Carbide-tipped blades

have harder teeth but they are averse to impact or vibration. That is one reason why bimetal blades are recommended for structural applications.

Mathew Lacroix, director o f m a r k e t i n g f o r L e n o x , Massachusetts USA, said: “Bi-metal blades are the most common type of band saw blade used and are the most versatile for cutting

UNISIG deep hole drilling machines are engineered to

handle the most demanding applications industries

such as oil & gas. Drill accurately and efficiently while

reaching critical tolerance requirements. UNISIG

machines are capable of BTA or gundrilling.

Ask about our Express Delivery Program and find out

how you can be drilling sooner.

www.unisig.com | PH +1-262-252-3802 | FX +1-262-252-4075 | [email protected]

Visit UNISIG at

Hall 16, Stand C25Hannover, Germany

www.emo-hannover.de

Please visit www.unisig.com to download reference guides and find exclusive reps in your region

ENQ

UIR

Y N

O

15

4

FORMJOinCut


various materials. Currently, bi-metal forms about 75 percent of the market and carbide-tipped is about 20 percent. In addition to carbide-tipped blades, we also offer our clients a large range of bimetal products to satisfy all cutting needs.”

One bimetal blade available today features strong teeth to handle the forces created during an interrupted cut, thereby meeting the demanding cutting needs of the structural, tubing and bundles market.

When it comes to working with large blocks or especially difficult-to-machine materials, a blade that is frequently used in metal-cutting applications for the automotive and aerospace industries (eg: Contestor GT blade) is able to achieve good performance with mould steel, tool steel, stainless steel and nickel-based alloys. The same producer also has another blade called the Contestor XL, to complement its Contestor GT blade in this segment. The two blades is said to help end-users achieve high productivity while lowering the cost per cut.

Lenox: Bi-Metal Band Saw Blade

The Long Haul Ba nd saw blade s per form differently from one material to the next. When a plethora of band saw machine makers like Amada, Behringer, Everising and Kasto, just to name a few, are added to the mix, things start to get a little more interesting, especially in the tool life of the blades.

Band saws are used in the automotive industry to cut large blocks.

Lenox has developed the Contestor XL bi-metal band saw blade to provide long life and

precision when sawing large blocks of difficult-to-cut metals.

The blade is said to be able to help make straight, accurate cuts on large blocks of

even the strongest metals. This blade design will help operators do their jobs right and

ultimately keep their costs under control.

Other features include increased wear-resistance and better tooth hardness for better

abrasive wear-resistance without sacrificing tooth toughness. The blade is available in

a range of specifications to cover the most popular sizes, from 1¼ to 3 inches in width.



Concerns over the tool life of blades vary by users. Some of the common causes leading to premature wear include:

• Incorrect speeds and feeds

• Improper or nonexistent break-in process

• Incorrect coolant flow or mixture

• Incorrect blade tension

In order to effectively tackle premature wear, identifying the correct speeds and feed rates for the blade’s specific applications are important.

Training is also important as they can help bring awareness to undesirable operating habits and increase appreciation for sawing technologies. As a result, operators can maximise the effective usage of their sawing tools. With the correct parameters and selection criteria in place, the ‘unremarkable’ band saw blade could well turn out to be the star of the show.

FORMJOinCut

ENQUIRY NO 155


From small wells to the pile foundations of the tallest building of the world, rotary drilling rigs are being used

in civil engineering for special drilling requirements. These rigs have considerable dimensions — up to 14 m in length and 1.5 m in diameter. They are manufactured from a soul tube (inner tube) and the drilling spiral itself is welded around onto the tube.

A wear part, the so-called ‘b e g i n n e r ’, w h ic h d i f fe r s depending on the ground to be drilled, will later be mounted onto the tip. Although the design resembles a spiral staircase, the components must, however, withstand extreme pressures.

What decides the quality of a drill is not just the selection of the sheet metals, but their sturdy

Robots are deployed to weld special drilling tools with lengths up to 14 m. By Stephan H Gursky, PR-specialist of Reis Robotics

connection to the soul tube as well as the welded armouring at the outer edges.

In the past, such drills at Bauer Technologies, a civil engineering company from Germany, were produced by welders who connected the pre-manufactured spiral elements to the core tubes.

The next step was the built-up welding of an armouring on the narrow outer edges of the spiral. It is hard to imagine how labourious and strenuous these tasks were. An additional aggravation was the heat radiation which every welder was exposed to, given that the metal masses were heated up after several welding processes.

The Search For Automated WeldingWith the demand for the drills

remaining steady, a decision was taken to automate the welding process as much as possible, according to Gerald Huber, vice factory manager of the Bauer plant in Germany.

He says: “We turned the topic of whether and how this could be feasible into the subject of a diploma thesis in order to find out what a welding cell might look like. Since our drills are quite similar, but rarely exactly identical — depending on the operational environment — our demand was for a solution that was flexible enough to weld different drills from standardised elements. For this purpose the portfolio of our drilling tools was analysed.”

In the end it turned out that the drills could be more than 13 m in length, up to 1.5 m in diameter

Robots:

They KnowThe Drill

IndustryFocus


ENQ

UIR

Y N

O

12

4

and weigh up to 3.5 tons. To make things worse, the outer diameter of the drills were sometimes progressive and therefore not uniform. After the preparatory work, the tender was issued to the robot suppliers.

Adding Laser Sensors To The MixEventually, a spacious robotics welding cel l is adopted to a c c o m m o d a t e t h e l a r g e workpieces. It is also equipped with a rotary/ tilting device and a linear traversing unit which provide additional features.

The first feature is a twin-wire torch with two weld wire supplies attached to the robot hand. With one wire the connections to the core tube are welded, with the other wire the hard armouring-wearing coat on the outer edges of the spiral is welded.

Rotary drilling rigs are being used in civil engineering for special drilling requirements.

IndustryFocus


Taking advice from Reis Robotics, the initially considered torch changing device was no longer required. Both wire coil packs move on the linear unit along with the robot and are always ‘on board’. To ensure durable compounds for the high loads during drilling, each time at least three layers are being welded.

A particular challenge was not only the general programming of the robot movement, but the automatic adaptation of the tolerances in the mm range that cannot be avoided when working on such large-scale sheet metal workpieces.

Regarding this additional feature, Mr Huber says: “For the ‘normal’ programming of the basic data, Reis Robotics developed a software tool for us. Using the existing 3D construction data, the basic welding procedures for the

workpiece were defined.” This is the case both for joint

welding and armouring. Due to the deviations of the spiral sheet metals, which cannot be avoided, a sensor from Servo-Robot is used.

The laser camera tracks the course of the seam and is able to recognise deviations and influence the robot path accordingly. The camera ‘sees’ — even chamfered/beveled — component edges and has a wide camera vision field. This allows the camera to recognise the further course of a seam early on, even with large components, and to continue welding precisely even over already applied weld beads.

As a result, homogeneous seams can be achieved even with a lot of weld layers. For a 13 m long drill with a diameter of 1 m, approximately two rolls of weld wire — that means about 30 kg

— will be used for joint welding alone. Another 15 kg of special wire are required for the armouring afterwards. This corresponds to a weld seam with a length of 200 m.

“The programming of the laser camera for welding the armouring is another highlight,” Mr Huber adds. “A starting point, the soul tube diameter, outer diameter of the drill tool and lead of the spiral are entered into the tool and displayed on the monitor. This information is sufficient for starting the welding process.

F o r a r m o u r i n g , t h e corresponding seam shape is selected as well on a graphical computer interface and is also transferred to the automatic seam tracking of the camera. In total, the time for producing a complete drill is reduced by about 30 percent. The workers only pretack the spirals and then the robot welds the defined paths automatically in a two-shift operation.”

Safety FirstThe introduction of automation not only freed the workers from highly monotonous tasks, it also reduced physical demands on the workers. In terms of exhaustion system, a spot suction unit which is attached directly to the robot is now being used.

It is higher in efficiency and more targeted compared to an exhaust hood, which is not feasible in this case due to the working paths of the robot. Using an exhaust hood would have meant new contours interfering with the robot movements and therefore limits the usability and flexibility of the system.

With the spot suction unit, less expensive air power is required. The flue gases are micro-filtered with a purification degree of 99.97 percent so that the air can be returned into the workshop.


The introduction of automation not only free workers from monotonous tasks, it also reduces physical demands on the workers.

IndustryFocus

ENQUIRY NO 142


To an average metalworker, ‘3D documentation’ and ‘point cloud’ are abstract terms that do not come

up on a daily basis. However, with today’s manufacturing climate moving increasingly towards a 3D environment, many 3D imaging and measuring solutions providers are rushing to establish their technologies as a de facto industry standard.

As this is a job for a technologist, the rest of us should concentrate on understanding ‘3D documentation’ and ‘point cloud’ on a deeper and more meaningful level. The opportunity came when Faro organised a 3D Documentation Conference in Singapore on April 25 – 26, 2013. Held for the first time in the Asia Pacific region, the theme of the event was ‘Connecting 3D Communities’. Connections were made in a conventional sense as the event provided a chance for participants to share expertise and create new business dimensions.

For participants who were there for a more educational purpose, they were not disappointed. While subliminal persuasions to embrace 3D scanning solutions were present, there were also important insights into the world of 3D for the knowledge seekers.

Big PotentialJoseph Arezone, senior VP and MD of Faro Technologies (Asia

DocumentingThe

3D WaveThe 3D community of Singapore came together to see for themselves what 3D documentation is all about. By Joson Ng

Features



Pacific) kicked off the event with a welcome address that focused on the potential of 3D technologies. Referring 3D as “the beginning of something big,” he said the term ‘3D’ garnered some eight billion hits in Google a few weeks prior to the event but it had grown to about 10 billion a day before the conference.

“The world’s desire for everything 3D is growing rapidly. A huge wave is coming and I don’t think a lot of people recognise that wave,” he said. After building up the potential of 3D technologies, he ended by urging the crowd to take the first step and learn what they can accomplish with 3D technologies.

Focus On 3DJay Freeland, CEO and president of Faro Technologies, then took over from Mr Arezone and began speaking to the crowd on a “disruptive” technology his company introduced.

He said it is able to document the world in 3D to an accuracy of 1 or 2 mm. The ability to create accurate 3D models of large volume of spaces has opened up new opportunities for the company. For instance, he said companies like Airbus and Boeing are their customers and they would not be able to build the A380 or Boeing 747 without technologies from Faro.

The technology he was referring to was the Faro Laser Scanner

Focus3D. According to Mr Freeland, the scanner was released in the fourth quarter of 2010 and the adoption rate has been high, as it is now the number two bestselling product in his company.

Although things are looking up, Mr Freeland insisted “the best is yet to come.”

He hinted the next laser scanner, which will be launched “well before 2017,” will have improvements in size, range and price. Working towards the next step with a healthy obsession, he concluded: “Everything in the world is in 3D, why isn’t everything documented in 3D? We will democratise the ability to capture and document in 3D, making it easier and more accessible.”

Technology InsightsDr Bernd Becker, chief technology strategist and evangelist, Faro Technologies (Germany), touched on the technical aspect of 3D documentation and its key enabler, laser scanning.

He defined the technology as the ability to capture 3D geometries and images of real objects accurately and reproducibly at a certain point in time and saving them as an informative model.

According to him, a laser scanning machine is able to capture the true status of the 3D reality, generate reliable copies of it, all within a tolerance of accuracy.

With such a level of reliability, the data can be used for industrial applications.

“People use it for accident investigation — images are captured immediately and people can move on quickly with repair work, saving time in doing so,” he said. Although the technology is suitable for forensics and for the manufacturing industries, Dr Becker pointed out land surveying and architectural are two of the biggest markets for 3D scanning technology.

During his presentation, he also shared an interesting application in the metalworking industry. “3D measuring technology can help in enhancing productivity. It can measure the dimensions of hot glowing (semi molten) steel without having to cool it down for measurement, before heating it up again. This helps save time and energy because the scanner can correctly capture the geometry of the surface,” he said.

In summary, he gave 3D m e a s u r i n g te c h n o l o g y a favourable review, calling the combination of imaging and 3D measurement a “huge benefit for human.” He also revealed that in the 10 years since the release of the technology, sales have grown some 100 times and future growth looks set to be exponential.

Joseph Arezone Jay Freeland Dr Bernd Becker

Features


Ge n e r a l t e c i s a subcontracting company that provides Electronics Manufacturing Services

(EMS). The company was founded by Chinese and US partners in 2005, and now employs approximately 300 people. Based in the economic metropolis of Tianjin, China, the company has seen operating results improved by 50 percent from 2010 through 2011, tripling their level of 2008.

The typical service of an EMS provider is the mass production of electronic circuit boards. This means the soldering of electronic components onto electrically insulating materials.

Today, as a rule, this is done on Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) production lines. They are an alternative to through-hole technology — a process that produces more robust, albeit more expensive circuit boards that are also larger and therefore, unsuitable for many devices. The company owns four SMT lines; the newest of these was installed in 2012.

Made In ChinaThe company has a wide range of

orders on its books, and compared to the millions of iPhones Foxconn manufactures, the volumes of the individual jobs are small. “Over 20 customers entrust us with producing their electronic components,” says Tingli Wang, the GM of the company.

In the production area of the company, metal sheets and other semifinished metal products are processed using equipment for chipless production and for machining. It is also where subassembly manufacturing takes place: components, such as frames for the giant LED screens that can be seen in public places all over the world.

“One of the largest screens on Times Square in New York was manufactured in this hall,” Mr Wang reveals. Building two, as this area is known internally, also contains a paint shop and a department for function testing. As with the SMT lines in Building one, the machine systems in Building two are advanced equipment.

“To us, anything else is simply out of the question. An OEM that transfers broad segments of its value chain to an external partner, demonstrates great trust in that partner,” Mr Wang explains.

Quality is everything in the EMS industry, and it is perhaps no surprise that the company

Ready For The World

Built For China,

Mr Wang believes in turning a customer’s idea into a feasible product.

Daniel Leung

Daniel Leung

Using sheet metal machine tools that are specifically tailored to the needs of the Chinese market have allowed a Chinese subcontracting company to manufacture products that reached as far as the Times Square in New York. By Martin Engel, for Bystronic

Features



fulfills all ISO 9001, ISO/TS 16949 and ISO 14001 quality standards, and chooses its machine suppliers very carefully.

Despite this, competition between EMS providers is intense, making competitive pricing essential. “Quality on the one hand and good prices on the other require a balancing act, which we have to master,” says Mr Wang, explaining one of the greatest challenges for his company.

Tried & Tested A total of five Bystronic machines are in operation at the company. The most recent investment included an Xcel 250 pressbrake and a BySun 3015 laser cutting system. Both machines are tailored to the requirements of customers in China.

As part of its field testing, the laser cutting system underwent a six-month trial operation at the company, before finally being purchased.

“From day one, we were able to produce for 12 hours with the BySun. For the entire duration of the test, we only had minor problems that could be solved quickly,” Mr Wang recalls. Compared to the ByJin 3015 laser cutting system, the new machine has lower maintenance costs and its design is more ergonomic.

“The costs for cutting gas on the BySun are approximately one third lower than on the ByJin,” Mr Wang explains. This is mainly attributed to the former’s use of premix laser gas; in contrast to the latter, which does not.

In addition, the Swiss-made ByLaser 3300 laser source, with its 3.3 kW of laser output, is efficient. This means that the machine consumes litt le electricity. Furthermore, the laser source’s wear-free semiconductor excitation and the magnetic bearings of its blower are not subject to wear and tear — resulting in low maintenance costs.

The ergonomics of the recently purchased laser cutting machine are primarily demonstrated by the machine’s workspace: It is freely accessible throughout its entire length, allowing barrierfree access to every point on the cutting table. In this way, the machine manufacturer ensures that customers who purchase their laser cutting system without the optional loading table can still easily load and unload the machine.

In such cases, the machine operator rolls the metal sheet over steel balls embedded in the machine frame, and into the workspace of the machine.

W he n a ske d ab out h i s thoughts on the recent addition, Mr Wang says it is more compact

and requires less floor space. As far as precision is concerned, he says it is in no way inferior. The resonator, for example, supports the piercing process — ensuring fast and reliable piercing. This allows cutting orders to be processed even faster.

In addition, as a result of the piercing process, the piercing hole is minute. Mr Wang’s conclusion on the field test was positive. “We would repeat such a test at any time,” he explains.

In summary, he is pleased to have both the laser cutting systems on his production line. “Both systems support us in ensuring customer satisfaction.”

Sheet metal machine tools have served the EMS provider well.

Daniel Leung

Daniel Leung

Daniel Leung

Features


APMEN: Tell us what the trends in manufacturing are?Richard Blatcher (RB): There are challenges and pressures on timing and cost. There are also considerations from the material, labour and transport point of views. The majority of the cost of a product is locked in very early in the design stage. You should have that connection and collaboration all the way through the process and supplier chain.

Manufacturers are expected to collaborate and sell B2B and B2C on multi channels. ASEAN, given its agility, is in a unique position to get ahead of the curve.

Finally, the issue of complexity is really important because machine tools and products are getting more complex. How they look and how they are presented is a challenge and also a trend. What that means is, there are many manufacturers looking within themselves for how they can turn those challenges into opportunities. Particularly here in ASEAN, companies are keen to compete on a global platform. We see our technology helping.

APMEN: How did your business fare in the first half of 2013? What are the trends

in the second half of 2013 and early 2014?V R Srivatsan (Sri): I think macro economically speaking, ASEAN continues to be a strong region globally. If you break it down, you could see that every country is still recording strong growth.

I n d o n e s i a i s g r o w i n g tremendously. Thai land is growing well as they recover from the flood. Even in the Philippines, you see design h o u s e s c o m i n g b a c k a n d activities in the electronics industry. Vietnam has potential from furniture to high tech. For Malaysia, we expect things to pick up again after the election.

W e a r e s e e i n g t h a t investments into the region continue to go up. FDIs are going up in ASEAN. There is a desire to be successful and competitive. The economies are generally quite robust and ASEAN is a better place to be in than many parts of the world.

RB: Manufactur ing in the ASEAN region on a whole is agile and attractive. However, there is a huge opportunity

Change That Default Setting On

ManufacturingDuring the Autodesk Manufacturing Conference 2013, Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (APMEN) spoke with the company’s MD of ASEAN, V R Srivatsan and Richard Blatcher, senior industry marketing manager (manufacturing industry group), on the trends in manufacturing. By Joson Ng

Richard Blatcher and V R Srivatsan

Features


Visit us at

4-6 Sept 2013 • Booth no: K01

SODICK (VIETNAM) CO., LTD 153 Cong Hoa Street, Ward 12, Tan Binh District, HCMC, Vietnam Tel: 84-8-3948-3782 Fax: 84-8-3811-3328

SODICK (VIETNAM) CO., LTD - Hanoi Representative OfficeNo 25N7A, Trung Hoa New Urban Area, Nhan Chinh Ward, Thanh Xuan Dist, Hanoi, VietnamTel: 84-4-3555-3619/20 Fax: 84-4-3555-3621

ENQ

UIR

Y N

O

15

6

for improving efficiency and productivity. Product quality is key in this region and it needs to be looked at from a design and manufacturing process (point of view).

APMEN: Are there any technological trends applicable to the Asian region?Sri: There are three areas on how technology is going to assist the design industr y. We have talked about cloud computing. Leverage on the cloud, it is growing. We see a cloud and desktop strategy — customers will use both desktop and cloud. Some collaborations will be done on the cloud and the rest, on a desktop.

The second trend is being mobile. We can work on some designs while on the move. Why do you have to go back to the office to complete things?

F ina l ly, we have soc ia l media. The power of soliciting i n p u t a n d f e e d b a c k m a y seem counterintuitive but it is happening. Social media in ASEAN is much more accepted. I believe that will spawn a way of doing things. You have a designer come up with a design and put it out on the web. It won’t work on confidential designs, but you will see more of that (usage of social media). Instead of one brain, you can go get quick feedback and shorten the time of rework.

APMEN: What is your strategy for the region of Southeast Asia, how do you plan to gain more market share?Sri: Overall, we are playing in mult iple industries l ike manufacturing, construction and entertainment (among others). We are focused on maximising o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n c e r t a i n geographies and industries because it is going to give us more results. The opportunities around automotive, supply chain

and oil & gas are huge. F r o m a g e o g r a p h i c a l

viewpoint, we are looking at Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, where oil & gas exploration and mining are taking place. Places like Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, Rayong and Penang are interesting. This is one aspect of expansion. We are also looking to make inroads into markets like

Myanmar and Cambodia. From the product perspective,

we are focused on two new areas. They are in simulation and data management. There are lots of opportunities but I always believe in picking out one or two in each particular area and focus on those.


Features


Th e 1 9 t h e d i t i o n o f Metaltech took place f ro m M a y 2 1 – 2 5 , 2013 in Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia. Held at PWTC, the

Metaltech 2013With the Petronas Twin Towers nestled in the background as a reminder of Malaysia’s economic strength, this year’s edition of the show also displayed its considerable might by growing in size. By Joson Ng

APMEN At

event is arguably held at the most picturesque and unique venue on the show calendar in Southeast Asia due to its location in the central of the city, its

spread-out arrangement and its trademark link bridge separating machine tools (hall one and two) from the rest of the exhibits.

For example, hall one housed established companies from the machine tool segment this year. It consisted DMG/Mori Seiki, Mazak, Sodick, Mitsubishi Electric and Hwacheon.

In the cutting tool segment, Widia and homegrown HPMT were featured prominently in hall four. Metrology dominated hall five, with Carl Zeiss, Faro, Hexagon Metrology, Mitutoyo and Nikon Metrology all having a presence.

EvEnts&Exhibitions



Organiser’s TakeAsia Paci f ic Meta lworking Equipment News (APMEN) caught up with Dato’ Albert Lai, MD of Trade-Link Exhibition Group to talk about his thoughts on the show and also how he intends to lead his team into 2014 where challenges wil l be aplenty, including a new competing trade show.

According to Dato’ Lai, the show this year has grown. He said: “We have increased floor size by 12.5 percent. In terms of exhibits, values have gone up by 20 percent. It is now at MYR 220 million (US$72.2 million).”

He added that the Taiwanese contingent is the largest in terms of size. They were represented by two associations. Singapore is second, followed by China. South Korea is the fourth largest with a reported increase of 20 percent. In total, there were four country pavilions at the show, (Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and Austria) in addition to the China national group.

Although the size of the show had grown, Dato’ Lai conceded he is running out of space and further expansion may prove to be difficult. He said: “Due to limited space, there is not much expansion I can foresee. Maybe

we could use the mezzanine floor at hall one. That would result in another 8 to 10 percent increase.”

Along with the perennial space issue, or rather the lack of it, Dato’ Lai has something else to think about in 2014, ie: the formation of another

metalworking show. The show is s lated for August 2014, (information is accurate as at time of print), only three months after Metaltech 2014. Dato’ Lai however, prefers to concentrate on his own game and the pedigree of his show.

He said: “To me, at this moment, our show is recognised. We have been around for 19 years. As such, I leave it to the exhibitors to decide. My plan is simple, we will work harder, especially on the Singapore side (ie: Machine Tool Club). In addition, we are working with partners in Europe, hoping to bring in more European groups. We believe they will enhance our show.”

PWTCKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaMay 21 – 25, 2013

Product HighlightsWe take a look at the products that made their debuts at Metaltech and some other that have caught the eye.

Step Up Into The Digital Age

Over at Delcam, the CAD/CAM solutions provider brought a 3D scanner for orthotic

design. The iQube is used to capture data for the design of orthotics and is part of the

Delcam Crispin Orthotic CAD/CAM solution.

The scanner is the first step of producing a custom-made foot orthotic. Once the

footprint is captured, the orthotic is designed. OrthoMill is then used to manufacture the

orthotic. The scanner weighs 14 kg, making it portable. It allows quality, full colour, 3D

images to be produced in approximately three seconds. The data collected is accurate

to within 0.4 mm.


The scanner was shown for the first time at Metaltech

Dato’ Albert Lai

EvEnts&Exhibitions






Robot Arms For The Masses

Size Matters

Homegrown Technologies

Coming Soon, To A Desk Near You

Making its first official appearance in an exhibition in Malaysia is the UR5 by Universal

Robots. Jason Kwan, director of Automation Systems & Services said the UR5 is small in

size and lightweight, making it suitable for applications in the SMEs. Its size however, is

not the only plus point.

He said: “It (the robot) has a safety feature, which stops the robot after it is met with

a force of 150 N. As such, this allows operators to work side by side with it. This is unlike

conventional robots, whereby most are fenced.” APMEN understands the robot weighs

18 kg and has a six-axis movement. Mr Kwan added that because of the robot’s flexibility,

users do not have to change the layout of their production.

On the business front, he mentioned they are paying attention to the OEM market with

a special focus on materials handling. One example can be found in metal profile bending

applications as some of the parts have sharp edges and may pose a danger to operators.

While the ability of the robot to carry out pick and place operations may be a contributing

factor, Shermine Gotfredsen, business development manager of Universal Robots said

there is another reason for the company’s success in Asia.

She said: “We have found the gap in the robotic industry where no conventional

robots can provide. We combined easy programming and safety so even SME can use

(our products).” She added that between 2011 and 2012, sales turnover for the Asia region

increased by 95 percent. She attributed this increase to the sudden explosion of interests

in robotics.

It may not be too long before 3D printers

start invading homes. Making its

Malaysian as well as worldwide debut

at the show, the UP Plus 2 3D printer

is touted to be “the next generation of

printer,” by Owen Poh, MD of 3D Printer.

He told APMEN the printer is

calibration and maintenance free. Users

need to only connect the printer to a

computer, install the driver, and send

the file to the printer before printing

commences.

Using ABS as a printing material, the

printer is capable of printable volume of

135 mm3. To emphasise its suitability for

home use, Mr Poh said the printer’s size

is 245 mm (w) x 260 mm (d) x 350 mm (h)

and it costs MYR 7,500 (US$2,470).

Malaysia’s HPMT was also busy

launching new products at the show.

The NiTiCo line of end mills is said to

possess high positive rake, designed

to provide good material removal rates

in carbon steel, aluminium and copper

alloys, among others.

The honour of exhibiting the largest machine

at the show belongs to NCT Technologies.

The DBC-3260 hails from the DBC-H series

of double column machining centre from

Hartford. APMEN understands the machine

features a large milling capacity and a rigid

bridge design, making it suitable for mould

production and the aerospace industry.

The robotic arm measures electrical current in its joints to determine force and movement. The individual joints can be turned by hand (as APMEN found out in a hands-on session) so long as a button is pressed on the underside of the remote control. This allows quick correction and is suited for users who prefer to handle the arm.

Shermine Gotfredsen & Jason Kwan

The machine stretches almost to the ceiling.

The products from the NiTiCo line are suitable for industries like aerospace, power generation and general engineering.

The printer has printing speed of 3 to 30 mm3/s.

EvEnts&Exhibitions

ENQUIRY NO 138


With world economies in the midst o f recover ing f rom the financial crisis,

cost and efficiency are never far away from the customers’ minds. This continued quest has in turn, influenced the development of new innovations.

According to Dr Hans-Peter Laubscher, MD at Trumpf Asia Pacific, the innovation driver for his company lies in laser technology. This was demonstrated at the Trumpf Open House, held on May 21, 2013, at the German Centre in Singapore. On show was a laser network that comprised the TruDisk 3001, a solid-state laser; the TruLaser 1030, a 2D laser cutting machine and the TruLaser Cell 3010, a 3D laser cutting and welding machine.

Elaborating, he said: “The idea is to create a laser network using one laser source to power two or three laser applications. We are currently the only laser manufacturer who is able to do so.”

Due to its benefit as a price attractive entry point into fibre guided laser technology for both cutting and welding applications at the same time, many customers in Japan and Germany are already running such a setup and the


network solution is gaining traction in more countries as well.

Enabling Flexibility Time-Sharing is one of the features of the laser network system. One TruDisk laser source can supply up to as many as six separate workstations. As soon as one laser job is completed, the laser beam is directed to the next job, thereby increasing utilisation rate of the laser beam source.

The individual laser light cables connecting the various stations to the laser source can also be reconnected even when one of the other connected cables is in use, further enabling multi-tasking.

In addition, the laser source utilises a solid disk as its active medium and diode lasers for its pump source. According to Francesco De Bonis, area sales manager at Trumpf Headquarter, diode pumped solid state lasers such as a TruDisk, have an efficiency rate of 25 percent as opposed to the 10 percent seen in CO2 lasers.

Advocating the use of solid state lasers for laser cutting thin materials, he said: “If you are cutting only thin material (eg: mild steel, aluminium, stainless steel and even copper or brass) the solid state

laser is the right machine because of the higher cutting speed, same quality and better efficiency rate as well as lower power consumption due to the diode lasers.”

However, he added that CO2 laser machines will still be the better choice when it comes to selecting the right laser source as they provide more flexibility in cutting different material thicknesses, especially for thick stainless steel, where CO2 lasers offer better cutting quality.

Increased Machine AvailabilityAn impor tant cata lyst o f productivity is increasing machine availability — a concept that could be seen in all the machines that were on display. For instance, the disk in the laser source allows a more stable system that is not (in contrast to other solid state lasers) as sensitive to back reflections while cutting (eg: aluminium).

At the same time, the TruLaser 1030 comes with a cutting head that has an automatic focal adjustment. Minimum setup time is further achieved with its one cutting head strategy, where only one head is needed regardless of material thickness. The addition of a safety glass between the nozzle and lens also protects the lens from the molten material splatter, thereby reducing the need to touch it and the subsequent necessity of beam alignments.

More importantly, the machine is further equipped with a collision protection system. The cutting head is linked to a spring system and jumps out upon hitting a part to prevent damage. Sensors have also been incorporated to switch off the laser and stop the axis from moving if a collision occurs.

These are all important machine qualities that when paired with the efficiency of a laser network, result in greater cost control, flexibility and automation.

Laser network solutions offer cost and time savings, where a single laser source can be used to power multiple applications. By Sherlyne Yong

Connecting Innovation & EfficiencyLaser Network–

EvEnts&Exhibitions

www.metalexvietnam.com

Reserve your exhibit space now and enjoy extensive branding opportunities!For more info, please contact Tel: +66 2686 7299 E-mail: [email protected]

Vietnam’s International Exhibition on Machine Tools & Metalworking Solutions for Production Upgrade

10-12 October 2013Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC)

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Spirit • Innovation • Technology • Knowledge • Network

Vietnam’s manufacturing sectors is upgrading their production ef ciency for the expansion of ASEAN market. Meeting the increasing standards of foreign manufacturers is the key, and you can help them raise the bar of ef ciency by offering them your quality machine tools and metalworking solutions at METALEX Vietnam 2013. This is the place they will come discover exactly what they want including new knowledge and a wider network in the supporting industries. This is the place for you to answer to their needs while expanding your market share in Vietnam.

500 Global Brands, 25 Countries

10,000 Quality Buyers

HI-TECH Zone with “Robot Demonstration”

Conferences & Technology Presentations

Part of “METALEX,” the Largest Event in ASEAN

Organized by:Local Partner:Co-located with:

ENQUIRY NO 143


Manufacturing Expo 2013 has come to a close with the auto-parts and industrial-

parts manufacturing industries now speeding towards a future full of opportunities. The show organiser reported a total of 48,941 participants, who thronged the show floor to discover new technologies. All in all, it is said that sales leads generated for exhibitors can potentially be worth up to several billion baht in terms of new investments.

It is not just about sales figures however, as seminars held alongside the show also helped promote knowledge exchanges. In total, the organiser said some 3,708 conference delegates participated in various events in effort to gain a competitive edge in the industries they are active in, and to help them


in their quest to hold or expand their share in the market once the AEC is established.

Highlights Of The Show•Automotive Automotive par t makers

saw how high-technology machines could help reshape their efficiency, through the demonstrations of 10 of the world’s best die & mould making machinery brands at the same venue. In addition, they were given an insight into the future of the auto industry, especially green technology. They also learned efficiency management from international experts.

•AutomationConference Thai SMEs learned about the

prospects that will follow the establishment of AEC, as well as

recommendations on how to stay on top in the market with the help of automation systems.

•ConsultancyCentre Problems on mould making

and materials in manufacturing industries were solved by the experts free of charge at the special zones: ‘Plastic Innovation’, ‘Mould & Die Guru’ and ‘Surface & Coatings Corner’.

•FactoryVisit Overseas business delegates got

the rare chance to look at the assembly lines of Isuzu Motors Company (Thailand). They learned and exchanged ideas on how to improve their production.

•EngineerMasterClass Delegates at Engineer Master

Class #2 have for a second year, gained the knowledge to improve HR management and communications skills, as well as mould-making technologies, from Japanese and German mould makers.

•AsiaBusinessConference Japanese entrepreneurs and

engineers in Thailand had a chance to learn about the investment opportunity and trend of industrial movement in the Mekong River region.

•EU-ASEANReadiWorkshop Manufacturers got to meet

and network with the leading policymakers in environmental technology from over 20 countries at the EU-ASEAN Readi Workshop by Readi.

The next edition of the show will be during June 19 – 22, 2014 at BITEC, Bangkok.

BITEC Bangkok, ThailandJune 20 – 23, 2013

Event Review:

Manufacturing Expo 2013

EvEnts&Exhibitions

Organized by:Of cially Supported by:

For more information:Tel. +66 2686 7299 e-mail : [email protected]

w w w . m e t a l e x . c o . t h

Raise ASEAN Pride Sky HighThe emerging investment destination preferred by industries worldwide, ASEAN prides ourselves on the achievements that are partly possible by new machinery, technologies, knowledge, and network which have been enjoyed by participants of METALEX for the past 26 years.

In 2013, this ASEAN’s largest metalworking event will continue its legacy with more international participations, more technologies, more contents, more activities, and more networks for you and 70,000 industrialists to come together to create the wonders that we have taken pride in.

ASEAN’S Largest International Machine Tools and Metalworking Technologies Trade Exhibition & Conference - 27th Edition

B I T E C B A N G K O K20-23 NOVEMBER 2013

ENQUIRY NO 151


Hailed as ‘bigger and better than ever’, by UBM Asia (Thailand), Intermach and Subcon Thailand

2013 raked in some 43,402 trade visitors during a four-day period. This number is reported by the organiser as an increase of 12.6 percent compared to the previous edition.

In addition, international visitors, arriving from 37 countries, posted a 23.2 percent increase. This jump is attributed to ASEAN participation. Elsewhere, business transactions totalled over THB 10.7 billion (US$345 million) with more expected in follow-up deals in the months ahead.

The 2014 edition of the show, happening from May 15 - 18, 2014 is said to be in demand. In fact, the organiser said the exhibition space for the event next year is already over 75 percent full.

Sanchai Noombunnam, the show director explained why that is the case. “The number of participants this year was over 1,200 companies from 35 countries. They exhibited over 4,000 products and technologies at the event, which covered 32,000 sq m. One of the main reasons for the show’s success was the technologies launched for the

first time in Thailand and ASEAN including European fibre laser brands plus technologies from Japanese brands.

Another highlight was the participation of industrial part manufacturers from Japan (Osaka, Toyama and Kanagawa) and ASEAN countries in Subcon Thailand. There were also many ‘insider’ seminars and conferences such as ASEAN Supporting Industry Forum, Japanese Management Seminar a n d M o l d Te c h C e n t r a l ’s Workshop. These presentations were double of those of last year’s show,” he said.

Narucha Ruchuphan, director of the BOI Unit for Industrial Linkage Development (BUILD), Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) and co-organiser of Subcon Thailand 2013, weighed in with his input.

He said: “Subcon Thailand 2013 brings its business opportunities linking subcontractors with parts buyers both domestically and internationally. We welcomed the world’s top industrial parts buyers from 15 countries. For instance, Mercedes-Benz, JTEKT Automotive, Toshiba Consumer Product, Denso, Robert Bosch, IHI Corporation and Samsung.

The final tally for business transactions during the event exceeded THB 6.8 billion, which came largely from 3,540 parings of business matches, which took place during the show.”

BITECBangkok, ThailandMay 16 – 19, 2013

Intermach & Subcon Thailand 2013

Event Review:


EvEnts&Exhibitions


The EMTE (European M a c h i n e T o o l E x h i b i t i o n ) - E a s t p o Machine Tool Exhibition

will be held in Shanghai at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from July 14 – 17, 2014. The joint exhibition will leverage on the combined strengths and expertise of three partners: CECIMO, Eastpo Culture Development, and MP Organisation.

The global machine tool market is marked by a shift towards Asia, especially towards China, which makes it the place to be for European machine tool builders.

A s i a ’s s h a re i n g l o b a l consumption amounted to just under 67 percent. Demand in Asia shows dynamic growth. Most machine tools worldwide were purchased in China for €28.1 billion (US$36.1 billion), accounting for a share of 45 percent in world consumption. China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and India collectively account for 65 percent of the global consumption for machine tools, and they are looking to buy European machine tools.

By holding a machine tool exhibition in the heart of Asia, CECIMO’s national associations hope to establish a stronger footing in Asia for their member companies to sustain their business and, potentially, capture a bigger market share in these emerging economies. After all, that is what the organisation is all about: promoting the European machine tool industry worldwide.

A Joint EffortThe first installment of the exhibition is expected to showcase technologies and practical solutions presented from around the world. Following the strong tradition of major exhibitions in Europe, EMTE-Eastpo has in place strict exhibitor admission rules. Organisers will


e n s u r e that the intellectual property rights of manufacturers are not infringed, and that there will be live demonstrations of exhibits presented according to product sectors.

The event will showcase the best of the machine tool industry from around the world, according to the organiser. The exhibits will be displayed in sectors that include machine tools, precision tools, parts, components, accessories, manufactur ing & process automation, metrology & quality assurance, and services.

Shanghai New International Expo CentreShanghai, ChinaJuly 14 – 17, 2014

Event Preview:

EMTE-Eastpo


The partnership with Eastpo and MP

to jointly organise a machine tool trade

exhibition in Shanghai has given CECIMO

the opportunity to graft itself to one of the

three largest machine tool exhibitions in

China and the region. The collaboration

agreement was signed by the partners in

Singapore on February 19, 2013.

Cementing Partnership

EvEnts&Exhibitions


Chainarong Limpkittisin, MD of Reed Tradex said that according to statistics from the

Foreign Investment Agency (Ministr y of Planning and Investment), Japan became the largest investor of Vietnam in 2012, accounting for 13.6 percent of the total registered capital. Japanese FDI projects in Vietnam are large in terms of investment capital and concentrate in high technology industries which have a positive effect on the Vietnamese economy.

Investments from Japan in Vietnam are predicted to continue to increase in the time to come. This will not only benefit Japanese businesses but also offer the promise of new employment and technology transfer opportunities.

Growing Support IndustriesVietnam’s industrial sectors have only focused on basic assembly rather than developing the

supporting industries, which has prevented businesses from attracting foreign investors. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT), the country spends US$100 billion for imports annually, including over US$20 billion (23 percent) for machinery and equipment.

In many key industries, the proportion of domestically-

made inputs is around 25 to 30 percent. These are evidences of the weak performance of domestic supporting industries. To become an industrialised country in the next decade as expected in the Socio-economic Development Strategy 2011-2020, it is urgent for the country to build up powerful supporting industries.

Moreover, strong supporting

Event Preview:

Vietnam Manufacturing Expo 2013

Mr Limpkittisin (2nd from left)

EvEnts&Exhibitions



industries would help Vietnam reduce its trade deficit, attract more international companies and provide opportunit ies for local part producers to further participate in the global production chain.

Influx Of TechnologyIn this regard, technology transfer plays a vital role in handing over technological knowledge, information and know-how across organisational border from developed to less technologically developed countries. This transfer will enable effective acquisition, learning, absorption and application of knowledge to reach the execution conditions of production activities and management similar to those of the original economic entities.

I n S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 , i n d u s t r i a l i s t s f r o m t h e manufacturing and supporting i n d u s t r i e s w i l l d i s c o v e r a new world of technologies and business opportunities from three exhibitions, which will create a driving force for their business future. Industrial parts manufacturers will have productivity, product value, profit, and personal experiences enhanced by parts-manufacturing technologies and industrial parts that will fit their needs.

Celebrating four decades of strong relationships between Vietnam and Japan, the three exhibitions will come together to create one event that will offer all Vietnamese manufacturers an experience filled with the right technologies, knowledge, and partners.

3-In-1Between September 4 - 6, 2013 at the International Center for Exhibition (ICE) in Hanoi, three exhibitions will aim to create a force for supporting industries and Japanese technology. They are the fifth Vietnam-Japan Exhibition on Supporting Industries in Hanoi (SIE 2013), Japanese Monozukuri Technology Exhibition, and Vietnam Manufacturing Expo 2013.

During the course of the show, the combination of three expos will create an all-under-one-roof meeting centre for the manufacturing community.

Buyers and sellers would meet, exchange knowledge and ideas, discover technologies, and develop their business networks. Th is w i l l open doors for Vietnamese makers to network with Japanese industrialists for machiner y import and industrial production, and to urge Vietnamese SMEs to develop higher competitiveness

to prepare for further Japanese investments.

The Japan WaveH i ro k a z u Ya m a o k a , c h i e f representative of JETRO’s Hanoi Office said: “Vietnam is one of the promising countries for Japanese investors. By the year 2020, Vietnam will become an industrialised country with sufficient supply of raw materials and basic fuels. This show in September will be a chance that industrialists, manufacturers and businessmen in Vietnam should not miss.”

F igures f rom the of f ice revealed that the number of new investment licenses Japanese companies have received was 234 in 2011 and 317 in 2012. The number of new Japanese FDI projects in 2012 covers 25 percent of the total number of FDI to Vietnam and the total amount of new Japanese FDI in 2012 covers 50 percent of the total amount of FDI to Vietnam.

Cultivating Strong Manufacturing EnvironmentSupporting industries play a vital role in Vietnam, especially the parts manufacturing sector which is a fundamental factor to determine the growth of supporting industries — be it the motorbike, automotive, or electronics sector — and also the economy and society.

A strong manufacturing industry of supporting industries can bring benefits to the country, such as reduced costs of parts imports, higher local skills, enhanced productivity and efficiency, superior product with added value and a healthier economy.

ICEHanoi, VietnamSeptember 4 – 6, 2013

Buyers and sellers would meet, exchange knowledge and ideas, discover technologies, and develop their business networks at the show.

EvEnts&Exhibitions

Randy TeoBusiness Development ManagerTel: (65) 6379 2867HP: (65) 9101 9995Email: [email protected]

Melvin WongSales ManagerTel: (65) 6379 2866HP: (65) 9747 7208Email: [email protected]

CompositeMaterialsSupplementAsia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News is proud

to present the Composite Materials Supplement.

The supplement will delve deep into various issues

in the following areas:

• Reinforced plastics

• Metal composites

• Ceramic composites

• Composite building

materials

• Aerospace

• Medical

• Automotive industries

Circulation: 5,000

Publication date:

November 2013

To be distributed at

Metalex Thailand 2013

Manufacturing Indonesia 2013

Space is limited.Advertise today!

ADVERTISEMENT Singapore$SIZEFull Page 3,0001/2 Page 2,000

For more details, please contact our sales representatives:

B C

lear

y, Ir

elan

d E

ire





Ametek: Non-Contact Linear Measurement Sensor

A non-contact linear measurement sensor with a range of available outputs has been introduced by Solartron Metrology, a unit of Ametek. The Orbit LT Laser Triangulation System is designed to support quality control in high volume precision manufacturing applications requiring verification of every part.

The sensors provide 15 mm range, 45 mm offset, with 0.1 percent FS (Full Scale) accuracy. The heavy duty casing is IP 67 rated. Easy installation includes teachable settings for different surfaces.

BD Sensors: Energy-Independent Digital Gauge

B D S e n s o r s ’ e n e r g y -i n d e p e n d e n t digital gauge DM 01 has an ‘Easy-Connect System’, which ensures t hat pre ssu re t r a n s d u c e r s w ith di f ferent

measurement ranges (0.1...400 bar) can be exchanged without the use of any tools by ‘plug and play’ and that the display is automatically parameterised. The accuracy of the gauge is < 0.05 percent FSO BFSL and this includes the linearity, hysteresis, reproducibility and the temperature error.

Including a graphics-enabled and backlit LC display, the gauge also has an integrated data logger which records times, pressure data and temperature data. The data can be read with the BD|LOG software and processed further with standard commercial office software.

Cleaning Technologies Group: Ultrasonic Cleaning System

Cleaning Technologies Group, a provider of cleaning and waste minimisation technologies, has developed the CleanVeyor Ultrasonic Cleaning System.

The washer utilises a combination of spray, immersion, and ultrasonic cleaning technologies and has successfully achieved Six Sigma consistency in a number of applications requiring high production outputs and tight cleanliness levels.

Parts with complex and internal geometries that need final cleaning prior to assembly are suitable candidates. This cleaning process has proven to reduce or eliminate warranty related failures that would be attributed to inadequate part cleaning. The system is modular so that more stages can be added as needed.

Delcam: Multi-Axis Milling

Delcam’s PartMaker Division has released PartMaker 2013 R2, which features an improved four- and five-axis simultaneous milling strategies. The functionality can be added across the entire PartMaker CAM suite, including the PartMaker Mill, Turn-Mill and SwissCAM modules.

A functionality, known as ASM-MX, or Advanced Surface Machining — Multi-Axis has been priced cost effectively relative to other high-end milling CAM systems on the market.

The strategies found in ASM-MX are based on the same approach to multi-axis programming used in PowerMill. It provides the user with complete tool-axis control for all five-axis simultaneous machining strategies.


ProductFinder





Kennametal: Better Speed & Tool Life

Beyond KYS40-grade solid ceramic endmills from Kennametal is capable of machining high-strength nickel-based alloys, roughing at cutting speeds up to 3,300 SFM (1,000 m/min) with tool life two to three times longer than comparable solid-carbide tools.

Two types of solid ceramic end mills are available, a six-fluted version for face milling and profiling; and a four-fluted, necked version for slot milling and pocketing. Both product lines allow ramping, helical interpolation, and trochoidal machining strategies as well.

The wear mechanisms and wear indication on the solid ceramic end mills is completely different from carbide, allowing running ceramic end mills beyond the point where carbide tooling would need to be replaced.

Mate: Sharpening System With Touch Screen Interface

Mate has developed the Premia Sharpening System for automated, precision sharpening of all popular punch press tooling styles.

T h e s y s t e m ’ s touch screen interface s impl i f ie s a l l tool setup and maintenance operations. Everything is menu-driven, with three standard programs for small, medium and large tools, plus two more that are completely customisable.

These programs ensure consistency, no matter who operates the machine. If an operator prefers manual operation, there is the manual mode. For maximum operator versatility, the interface allows a choice of language and measurement units. The software interface is updatable via a USB port or SD card.

HGG: Combining 3D Pipe Cutting With Logistics

HGG has developed a pipe cutting machine that optimises the production process. The SPC-RB fills the gap between pipe cutting and the logistic challenges pipe handling companies are facing nowadays.

The machine incorporates the log ist ic advantages of a roller bed type machine with the accuracy of a chuck driven machine. Using this system, the machine provides accurate and fast solution for pipe works, steel structures and offshore structures.

Besides this logistic system, the machine is also designed to compensate any pipe distortion through creep and slip compensation.

Greenleaf: Ceramic Insert

Greenleaf Corp has developed the Sialox, a ceramic insert cutting tool. According to the manufacturer, the insert belongs to a class of high-temperature ceramic materials that exhibits high strength.

As a result, it is said to demonstrate better tool life in removing scale and in interrupting machining as well as in the machining of Waspaloy and exotic materials like Inconel 718 Plus.

In addition, the coating of the insert allows high wear resistance, corrosion resistance, fracture toughness, low thermal expansion and oxidation resistance.


ProductFinder




ENQ

UIR

Y N

O

15

2

Prüftechnik: RFID For Plant & Machinery

Prüftechnik Alignment Systems has developed RFID tags for plant and for machinery identification. The RFID tag principle is simple and provides benefits to machinery and plant operators. Using the tags, machinery can be clearly coded and identified via a mobile RFID device with read/write capabilities.

RFID machinery identification add-on module allows the retrieving of the corresponding machine train details necessary for the alignment job at hand. A further advantage is the storage of the alignment status data on the tag. This data will then be available for condition-based maintenance at all times, and may also be utilised by third parties, such as service providers.

MMC: Economical Indexable Drill

The four-cornered inserts that are used in the MVX indexable drill is one of the reasons for it being an economical solution. In addition, the inserts have a wavy design that gives good chip control when machining steels, stainless steels and cast iron.

According to the manufacturer, good wall accuracy can be achieved with the wiper type geometry on the peripheral cutting edge, which is coated (CVD) to provide wear resistant. A PVD coated insert is used for the inner position for extra stability.

Combining the attributes of the inserts with a rigid body, the product can produce increased surface hardness and enables a maximum drilling depth of L/D = 6.

Sensor-Technik Wiedemann: Thin-Film Technology For Automotive Applications

STW’s thin-film element, OPTI, is a cost effective way to measure high pressure. The complete sensor element is made in stainless steel (1.4548) and works without additional oil filling. For this reason the measurement cell is suitable for industrial and automotive applications.

The pressure ranges are between 50 and 1,200 bar, and are available in different incremental steps. Customised variations are available depending on the short-term volume. Sensors for higher temperature and pressure can also be realised as a customer specific variation.


ProductFinder





TaeguTec: PCD Grade For Aluminium & Non-Ferrous Materials

Ultrachem: Variable Speed Electric Motor Grease

The Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) grade TD810 by TaeguTec is suitable f o r m a c h i n i n g aluminium and non-ferrous materials due to its hybrid mixture of fine and coarse diamonds.

The grade is said to combine wear resistance and toughness, resulting in a quality surface finish during high-speed machining applications. According to the manufacturer, it is also stable during continuous and interrupted cutting applications on aluminium, brass, plastic and wood as well as other non-ferrous materials.

Finally, during a cutting test on an AC9B-aluminium (HB 140-160) work piece, the manufacturer found that tool life was increased by 32 percent when using the PCD grade.

Ultrachem’s Ultra-sure VSD-GPE2 grease is a synthetic product formulated for electric motor lubrication in variable speed drive applications.

Recommended as an aftermarket replacement for almost all OEM Polyurea based greases found in the marketplace, the grease provides dependable, long term lubrication of both roller and plain bearings and is resistant to water wash-out, steam, and alkaline or acidic cleaning compounds.

Typical applications include air compressor motors, industrial mixers, automotive wheel bearings, vacuum pump motors and tool machine spindle bearings.

Stratasys: 3D Printer For Large Parts

Suhner: Straight Grinder

The Objet1000 is a multi-material wide-format 3D printer for creating large, industrial size models and 1:1 scale prototypes. Featuring a large build tray of 1,000 x 800 x 500 mm, it enables designers, engineers and manufacturers to quickly and precisely prototype any 3D CAD design, no matter how complex or detailed.

Unlike any other 3D printer of this size, the printer is said to be equally adept at printing large and small models with no compromise on precision. It is also able to print tough, 1:1 scale casings that can be drilled, assembled, and screwed together while also printing small-scale, multi-material prototypes that are almost impossible to distinguish from the final product.

With its USG 9-R, Suhner is launching an electric straight grinder that unites power and ergonomics. Together with its grinding and brush tools, the grinder provides a solution for machining stainless steel.

The grinder can transfer 1,050 W to mandrels 6 – 12 mm in diameter (chuck 6 mm standard, 8 – 12 mm optional). Due to its continuously adjustable speed of 3,800 – 8,300 rpm, the grinder is suitable for a range of applications.

The equipment includes a thermal circuit breaker an undervoltage protection. It is therefore impossible to activate the tool unintentionally following a power failure.


ProductFinder


2013September4 – 6Vietnam Manufacturing Expo 2013ICE HanoiHanoi, VietnamReed Tradexvietnammanufacturingexpo@reedtradex.co.thwww.vietnammanufacturingexpo.com

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

OctOber9 - 12MITF 2013PWTCKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaExpo [email protected]

10 – 12Metalex Vietnam 2013SECCHo Chi Minh City, VietnamReed [email protected]

24 – 26Intermach Myanmar 2013Tatmadaw Exhibition HallYangon, [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

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

2014march11 – 13JEC EuropePorte de VersaillesParis, FranceJEC [email protected]

april1 – 3MTA Hanoi 2014ICEHanoi, [email protected]

4 – 13SIMTOS 2014KINTEXSeoul, South [email protected]

July14 – 17EMTE EastpoShanghai New International Expo CentreShanghai, ChinaMP [email protected]

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


2013-2014

exhibitiONprOgrammeS

Vis

it Us

Vis

it Us

Vis

it Us

Vis

it Us

Vis

it Us

Vis

it Us


Advertisingindex

ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES

HEAD OFFICESINGAPORE EASTERN TRADE MEDIA PTE LTD 1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building #02-05, Singapore 169206 Tel: 65-6379 2888 Fax: 65-6379 2805/2806 E-mail: [email protected]

FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES

JAPAN Ted Asoshina Echo JAPAN coRPoRATIoN Tel: 81-3-3263 5065 Fax: 81-3-3234 2064 E-mail: [email protected]

KOREA Young-Seoh chinn JES MEDIA INTERNATIoNAL Tel: 82-2-481 3411/3 Fax: 82-2-481 3414 E-mail: [email protected]

SWITZERLAND Rene Bachmann MEDIALL SA Tel: 41-56-442 14 40 Fax: 41-56-442 27 77 E-mail: [email protected]

TAIWAN Robert Yu WoRLDWIDE SERvIcES co., LTD Tel: 886-4-2325 1784 Fax: 886-4-2325 2967 E-mail: [email protected]

U. KINGDOM Eddie Kania RoBERT hoRSFIELD INT'L MEDIA REP. Tel: 44-1663-750 242 Fax: 44-1663-750 973 E-mail: [email protected]

This index is provided as an additional service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.

The closing date for placing advertisements is not less than FOUR WEEKS before the date of publication. Please contact our nearest advertising office for more details.

Manufacturers and advertisers that are featured in this issue will send you free information about their products and services. Fill up the Product Enquiry Form on-line at www.equipment-news.com.

enquiry no.

Page no.Advertiser

BENIgN ENTERPRISE co LTD 41 137

BYSTRoNIc PTE LTD Fc/03 144/139

cREATz 3D PTE LTD 39 080

DEES hYDRAuLIc INDuSTRIES co LTD 53 124

DELcAM PLc 05 017

DMg ASIA PAcIFIc PTE LTD 15 148

EhN & LAND ASIA PAcIFIc PTE LTD 77 152

ExPoWoRKS SDN BhD (MITF 2013) 65 138

hAAS AuToMATIoN INc 09 136

hWAchEoN ASIA PAcIFIc PTE LTD 31 145

IScAR LTD IFc 149

JYoTI cNc AuToMATIoN PvT LTD 33 153

KENNAMETAL INc Bc 068

MESSE DuSSELDoRF ASIA (WIRE & TuBE 2013) 45 140

MMc hARDMETAL (ThAILAND) co LTD 17 141

REED TRADEx coMPANY (METALEx ThAILAND 2013) 69 151

REED TRADEx coMPANY (METALEx vIETNAM 2013) 67 143

REED TRADEx coMPANY (vIETNAM MANuFAcTuRINg ExPo 2013) 55 142

SEco TooLS (S.E.A) PTE LTD 01 129

SIEMENS INDuSTRY SoFTWARE PTE LTD IBc 150

SoDIcK (ThAILAND) co LTD 61 156

TAEguTEc co 11 147

TuNgALoY SINgAPoRE (PTE) LTD 13 146

uBM (ThAILAND) co LTD (INTERMAch MYANMAR 2013) 51 155

uNISIg 49 154

WALTER Ag SINgAPoRE PTE LTD 07 084

WIKuS SAgENFABRIK WILhELM h KuLMANN gMBh & co Kg 21 130

ENTER PRODUCT ENQUIRY NUMBER HEREFOR FAST INFORMATION !

YOUR READERREGISTRATION NO. _________________________ Enquire online @ www.equipment-news.com OR Complete and post to: Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd, 1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building #02-05 Singapore 169206 OR fax to: 65-6379 2806 (Singapore)

To: The Manager, Circulation Department,

From: (Surname) ____________________________________ (Given Name) ________________________________

Job Title: ___________________________________________

Company: __________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Country: _________________ Tel: __________________ Fax: _________________ E-mail: __________________

Do you want to receive (continue to receive)Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News?❑ YES / ❑ NO (Not valid without signature)

Signature ___________________ Date _________________

SIzE OF COMPANY❑ 001 1 – 10 ❑ 002 11 – 30 ❑ 003 31 – 50 ❑ 004 51 – 100 ❑ 005 101+

TYPE OF BUSINESS (Please ✔ ONE box only)

Do you use METAL in your production/manufacturing process? ❑ Yes ❑ No

Do you use machine tools and related equipment? ❑ Yes ❑ No

Do you use automation systems & equipment? ❑ Yes ❑ No

Note: This form must be duly completed and signed.______________

ENTER ENQUIRY NUMBER (S)

No. 5 2013

YOUR BUSINESS ACTIVITY (Please be specific)

❑ 221 Basic Metal/Foundaries/Mills

❑ 150 Electrical & Electronics production

❑ 222 Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturing

❑ 120 Aircraft maintenance/components mfg.

❑ 223 Dies & Moulds mfg.❑ 122 Motor Vehicles Parts❑ 123 Shipbuilding

❑ 160 Design & Consultancy Services❑ 180 Govt bodies, Trade Assns, Exhibitions Cos.❑ 200 Agent/Distributor/Trader of Machine Tools & Accessories❑ 224 Mechanical, Fabrication and all other metal engineering works

❑ 078 OThERS (Please specify) ____________________________________

❑ 300 CNC Machining

❑ 303 Milling

❑ 306 Gear Cutting

❑ 309 Grinding

❑ 315 Stamping

❑ 318 Shearing

❑ 321 EDM/ECM

❑ 324 Inspection/Measuring/Testing

❑ 301 Design with CAD/CAM

❑ 304 Drilling/Boring

❑ 307 Tapping/Threading

❑ 310 Lapping/honing

❑ 313 Forging

❑ 316 Rolling

❑ 319 Die Casting

❑ 322 Welding

❑ 302 Turning

❑ 305 Coil Forming

❑ 308 Broaching

❑ 311 Plastic Moulding

❑ 314 Pressworking

❑ 317 Automated Assembly

❑ 320 Beading

❑ 323 Electroplating

YOUR METAL PROCESS USED ? (Please be specific)

❑ 350 OThERS (Please specify) ____________________________________________________________________________________________

JOB FUNCTION (Please be specific)

❑ 021 Senior & Middle Management

❑ 023 Maintenance Engineering

❑ 025 Research & Devt

❑ 028 Testing & Inspection

❑ 030 Sales & Marketing

❑ 022 Production Engineering

❑ 024 Quality Control/Assurance❑ 026 Design Engineering

❑ 029 Purchasing/Sourcing

❑ 027 OThERS (Please specify)


(Refer to Advertising Index for Advertisers’ enquiry numbers)

ASIA PACIFIC METALWORKING

The Engineering Journal For Manufacturing, Automation & Quality Control

TYPES OF PRODUCTS TO BE PURCHASED IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS❍ Cutting Tools ❍ Machine Tools ❍ Software ❍ Metrology ❍ Others_____________


Name: (Surname) ______________________________________ (Given Name) ___________________________

Company: ____________________________________________ Job Title: ________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________

Country: _____________________________________________ Telephone No: __________________________

E-mail: _______________________________________________ Fax No: _________________________________

Signature _____________________________________________ Date ___________________________________

SUBSCRIPTION RATESAIRMAIL (1 YEAR – EIGHT ISSUES)

■ *Singapore/Malaysia S$60.00 *(GST applicable) ■ Asia Pacific/America/Europe/ Others S$100.00

YOUR BUSINESS ACTIVITY (Please be specific)

❑ 221 Basic Metal/Foundaries/Mills❑ 150 Electrical & Electronics production❑ 222 Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturing❑ 120 Aircraft maintenance/components mfg.❑ 223 Dies & Moulds mfg.❑ 122 Motor Vehicles Parts

JOB FUNCTION (Please be specific)

TYPE OF BUSINESS (Please ✔ ONE box only)Do you use METAL in your production/manufacturing process? ❑ Yes ❑ NoDo you use machine tools and related equipment? ❑ Yes ❑ NoDo you use automation systems & equipment? ❑ Yes ❑ No

FAST PERSONAL COPY SUBSCRIPTION FORMINVEST $0.15 PER DAY IN TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION

FOR YOUR CORPORATE STRATEGIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

❑ 123 Shipbuilding❑ 160 Design & Consultancy Services❑ 180 Govt bodies, Trade Assns, Exhibitions Cos.❑ 200 Agent/Distributor/Trader of Machine Tools & Accessories❑ 224 Mechanical, Fabrication and all other metal engineering works❑ 078 OThErS (Please specify) ____________________________________

❑ 021 Senior & Middle Management❑ 023 Maintenance Engineering❑ 025 research & Devt

❑ 028 Testing & Inspection❑ 030 Sales & Marketing❑ 027 OThErS (Please specify)

❑ 022 Production Engineering❑ 024 Quality Control/Assurance

❑ 026 Design Engineering❑ 029 Purchasing/Sourcing

YOUR METAL PROCESS USED ? (Please be specific)

❑ 313 Forging❑ 316 rolling❑ 319 Die Casting❑ 322 Welding❑ 302 Turning❑ 305 Coil Forming

❑ 308 Broaching❑ 311 Plastic Moulding❑ 314 Pressworking❑ 317 Automated Assembly❑ 320 Beading❑ 323 Electroplating

■ Cheque/Bank draft - made payable to Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd

■ Amex ■ Visa ■ Mastercard

Send this Fast SUBSCrIPTION FOrM to Circulation Department, Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd 1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building #02-02, Singapore 169206 or Fax: 65-6379 2806

Note: This form must be duly completed and signed.

Account Number

Expiry Date Signature

Cardholder’s name

Commencing from: Year Month

■ Telegraphic Transfer Payment United Overseas Bank, Singapore Bank Code: 7375 Branch Code: 037 Account No.: 921-343-851-0 Company: Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd

❑ 321 EDM/ECM❑ 324 Inspection/Measuring/Testing❑ 301 Design with CAD/CAM❑ 304 Drilling/Boring❑ 307 Tapping/Threading❑ 310 Lapping/honing

❑ 300 CNC Machining❑ 303 Milling❑ 306 Gear Cutting❑ 309 Grinding❑ 315 Stamping❑ 318 Shearing

❑ 350 OThErS (Please specify)

• Receipt will only be issued upon request!

Security ID–

Answers for industry.

CAM solutions so powerful they drive machines and business.Get it done. Get NX for manufacturing.

www.siemens.com/plm/nxcam

NX™ CAM from Siemens PLM Software helps you succeed with complex and profitable jobs. With powerful advantages in 3-axis, 5-axis, multi-function, wire EDM, and high-speed machine tool programming, NX CAM dri ves your machines

and business faster and more accurately. The benefits? Improved equipment utilization, shortened manufacturing times, fewer errors, and on-time delivery of parts. Find out more at www.siemens.com/plm/nxcam.

ENQ

UIR

Y N

O

15

0

Siemens Industry Software Pte LtdThe Siemens Center | 60 MacPherson Road | Singapore 348615Website: www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_sg | Email: [email protected]

©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

Documents

APMEN Jul-Aug 2013