ETMM March 2024

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Volume XXVI | March 2024 www.etmm-online.com

EDM

Sparking Innovation EDM drives precision and productivity in tool making

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI is transforming the future of manufacturing

Source: © BOMB8 – stock.adobe.com_KI-generiert

Market analysis

Mach 2024

Components

How Portugal carves its niche in the global mould making market

State-of-the-art metalworking at the UK’s premier industry event

Next level mould tracking for ultimate peace of mind

GAIN VISIBILITY OF YOUR TOOLING INVESTMENT!

REALTIME MOULD TRACKING Searching the industry to advance the maintenance and profitability of your injection moulds? OEMs and Moulders can now monitor assets with ProFile Bluetooth® connectivity: • Realtime visibility of mould performance and KPIs • Make data-based decisions to drive improved OEE • Global access with secure, role-based reporting Begin the journey to better tooling productivity today.

Visit procomps.com/ProFile or email from the QRC below to receive a proposal and plan that will achieve your vision.

MONITORING ADVANCEMENTS: PROCOMPS.COM/MONITORING

w w w. e t m m - o n l i n e . c o m

Editorʼs Message

Why Europe must value its toolmakers

The ETMM newsletter – weekly and with the latest news for tool and mould manufacturers

I

n the world of plastic products, tool and mould makers play a crucial role as a link between designers, plastics processors and user industries. Their expertise and services are invaluable as they enable innovative designs to be translated into feasible and efficient production processes. This expertise should not only be recognised, but also appropriately rewarded. However, the reality is often different.

The practice of having production resources such as moulds manufactured cost-effectively in countries such as China, while at the same time relying on the highly specialised expertise of European manufacturers — for instance for design and prototyping — reveals a discrepancy in the appreciation of these essential services. On top of that, large corporations often use their market power to dictate unfair delivery and payment terms that push small and medium-sized companies to their financial limits. The irony is that these corporations have reduced their own capacities to cut costs and are now dependent on the structures of the mould makers to ensure the feasibility of new products in injection moulding.

If the European tool and die industry continues to suffer or even disappear under these conditions, it could lead to a shift in market power, with Chinese manufacturers dictating prices and standards.

This would not only weaken the European industry, but would also affect the innovative strength and quality ensured by decades of expertise and experience. The strategic shift needed involves not just recognising the craftsmanship and innovation that European tool and mould makers bring to the table but also understanding the broader implications of manufacturing decisions, e. g. on sustainability.

It is of strategic importance that companies recognise and value the expertise and role of toolmakers as problem solvers and innovators.

Fair and appropriate remuneration for their services is crucial for the future viability and competitiveness of the European manufacturing industry. The aim is to promote a culture of appreciation and respect that forms the basis for a sustainable and innovative production landscape.

Inside your Industry

Subscribe now for your free ETMM newsletter: www.etmm-online.com/newsletter

Alexander Stark, Editor, alexander.stark@vogel.de ETMM 1 | 2024

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is a brand of

COVER STORY AI is transforming the future of manufacturing p. 22 How the manufacturing industry is turning to Artificial Intelligence to spark the next stage of development.

NEWS

BY THE NUMBERS 6 The US plastics industry in 2023 NEWS STORIES 8 Trumpf partners with space

start-up

TRADE FAIRS 10 Plastpol 2024 showcases

cutting-edge technologies

COMPONENTS 30 Mould tracking: smart, wireless

and user-friendly

CUTTING TOOLS 32 Resource-saving ultra-fine filtration

technology

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 38 High-octane storytelling with 3D

printing technology

INJECTION MOULDING

12 MTA announces flagship initiative

40 It's all in the mix: robots take

14 Mach 2024: Trade fair preview

42 Sustainable injection moulding

at Mach 2024

production to a new level leads the way

REPORTS Subscribe to our newsletter ▪ etmm-online/newsletter Facebook ▪ facebook.com/ETMMMagazine Events ▪ etmm-online.com/events Suppliers database ▪ etmm-online.com/suppliers Photo galleries ▪ etmm-online.com/galleries Industry news ▪ etmm-online.com ETMM Media ▪ media.vogel.de/etmm

4 ETMM 1 | 2024

MARKETS 18 How Portugal carves its niche in

the global mould making market MACHINING EQUIPMENT

CAD/CAM & SOFTWARE 44 Software rapidly simulates elastic

press deflection

45 Thyssenkrupp automates CAM

programming

QUALITY CONTROL

26 Transforming challenges into

46 Why Alltrista Plastics adopts

28 Linear machining for trouble free

48 The sound of quality: Intelligent

opportunities

production

advanced metrology systems detection in production

What advantages can AI offer the manufacturing industry? What do you have to watch out for?

EDM EUROPE EDM EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES 34 Mitsubishi Wire EMD gives spark

of productivity at MJ Toolmakers

36 Excel Precision's smart bet on

Sodick drives growth

REGULARS 3 Editor’s Message 49 Masthead 50 ISTMA World News

TOP ONLINE Ranking January/February’s most-clicked articles on etmm-online.com

Markets: The U.S. plastics industry in 2023 in 1. seven charts US tool and mould making market on 2. Markets: course for growth How wireless connectivity is 3. Components: changing tool and mould management

4. Management: Extensive job cuts loom at Bosch Materials: A very hot item: Thermoplastics for 5. up to 1,200 °C

ETMM 1 | 2024

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By the numbers

The US plastics industry in 2023 Assessing the US plastics industry landscape in 2023 reveals a year marked by nuanced shifts across multiple sectors. From fluctuations in production levels and shipments to the complex interplay between labour constraints and export dynamics, the plastics industry faced challenges and opportunities.

Industrial Production Index: Plastics products Index 2017 = 100, Monthly Seasonally Adjusted

101 101 Icon: © Skyline - stock.adobe.com

100 99 99 98 98 97

Jan-23

Feb-23

Mar-23

Apr-23

May-23

Jun-23

Jul-23

Aug-23

Sep-23

Oct-23

Nov-23

Dec-23

Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Plastics‘Forecast

Plastics Products Manufacturing

Moulds for Plastics Exports

All Employees, Monthly, Seasonally Adjusted, Thousands

$ Millions, Month

620

70.00

618

60.00

616 614

50.00

612

40.00

610

30.00

608 606

20.00

604

10.00

602 600

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Plastics‘ Forecast

6 ETMM 1 | 2024

-23 Fe b-2 3 Ma r-2 3 Ap r-2 3 Ma y-2 3 Jun -23 Jul -23 Au g-2 3 Se p-2 3 Oc t-2 3 No v-2 3 De c-2 3

Jan

Jan

-23 Fe b-2 3 Ma r-2 3 Ap r-2 3 Ma y-2 3 Jun -23 Jul -23 Au g-2 3 Se p-2 3 Oc t-2 3 No v-2 3 De c-2 3

0.00

Source: U.S. International Trade Commission and Plastics‘ Forecast

THE SLIDES REVOLUTION: INTRODUCING THE AMAZING FLOATING INSERT PLAY

MINI

MS SLIDE

COMPACT

COOLED

CS SLIDE

CR COMPACT SLIDE 6 INSERT DIMENSIONS & 9 STROKES

FLOATING INSERT Allows for self-centering in the cavity because of horizontal and vertical movement when the mold closes.

MS

CR CS

INSERT DIMENSIONS

STROKE

11.6x12.2

3

17.6x16.5

6

23.6x20.5

8

41.5x24

9

17

51.5x30

11.5

19

61.5x36

14

22

• FASTER INSTALLATION & MAINTENACE: Only one screw on the ejection side and two screws on the injection side.

• INDIVIDUAL MOLDING INSERT: Easily disassembling for customer to machine.

• APPROPRIATE FOR CLEANROOM: Turcite® wear plate eliminates the need for lubrication.

• SMALL SPACE REQUIRED: Very compact product enables its use in small places.

• OVERALL SAVINGS: Up to 50% less than other slides on the market.

• COOLING CAPABILITIES: Pre-drilled holes to easily customize the cooling channels.

LARGE STROKE

News

EXPANSION INTO INJECTION MOULDING

SPACECRAFT PRODUCTION WITH 3D PRINTING

In a press release dated 29 January 2024, Krones, Neutraubling (Germany) announced the imminent acquisition of 100 percent of the shares in Netstal, based in Näfels, Switzerland, from Krauss Maffei. On February 7th, the contracting parties signed the purchase agreement. The purchase is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities. Krones expects the transaction to be finalised in the first half of 2024.

With this acquisition, Krones continNetstal is a leading suppliues to implement its M&A strategy. er of injection moulding machines to the beverage market (PET preforms and caps) as well as to the medical and thin-wall packaging market. The company is a technological leader in its markets and has already been a strategic partner of Krones in the past. In the 2023 fiscal year, Netstal generated with a workforce of more than 500 employees a revenue of more than 200 million euros.

The profitability of the company is currently below the Krones Group level but is expected to close this gap over the coming years. Netstal will be reported as part of the segment Filling and Packaging Technology. (ast)

The German technology company Trumpf and the European space-travel start-up The Exploration Company are cooperating on the construction of core components for spacecrafts for missions in the earth’s orbit and to the moon. As early as spring 2024, the Ex- The Exploration Company uses 3D printers from Trumpf to produce core components. ploration Company will use 3D printers from the laser specialist to print core components of the Huracán and Mistral engines for the Nyx Earth and Nyx Moon spacecraft in Planegg near Munich. The aim is to make the Huracán engine reusable and refuelable in the orbit with bio-methane and oxygen.

“Our aim is to offer space missions more cost-effectively than was previously possible. Our spacecraft can benefit from Trumpf’s manufacturing and application expertise. Trumpf has decades of experience in the production of high-precision components,” says Hélène Huby, CEO of The Exploration Company. The start-up plans to send a space capsule to orbit the earth for several months in an initial mission in 2026. Starting in 2028, further missions are planned to go to the moon. (ast)

STANDARD PARTS

NO GLOBAL IMPETUS

Source: The Exploration Company

Trumpf partners with space start-up

Source: free licensed

Krones acquires Netstal

Orders received by the German machine tool industry in Q4 2023 were 17 percent down on the previous year’s figure. Orders from Germany fell by 20 percent whereas those from abroad dropped by 15 percent. Demand increased by eleven percent in nominal terms in 2023 as a whole. Domestic demand was down 14 percent, while foreign demand was nine percent lower. In real terms, there was a 16 percent decline in demand over the Dr. Markus Heering, Executive Direcyear as a whole. tor of the VDW “Our industry is receiving no impetus from the global economy at present. The international purchasing managers’ index reveals weak performance in the key markets,” said Dr. Markus Heering, Executive Director of the German Machine Tool Builders’ Association (VDW), commenting on the result. The only exceptions which could provide any impetus are India and Mexico. Domestic demand is also continuing to suffer from the geopolitical and economic uncertainty as well as from high interest rates and energy prices. The lack of orders has prompted the VDW to forecast a slight decline in production of three percent for 2024. (ast)

8 ETMM 1 | 2024

Source: Sarah Kastner/ VDW

Machine tool orders decline

Since the beginning of the year, Agathon has been the exclusive distributor of demoulding elements from the Lüdenscheid-based standard parts manufacturer Strack Norma in Switzerland. As an experiStrack Norma’s modern demoulding elements, enced expert in the combined with the technical expertise of field of precision Agathon’s sales staff, create synergy effects. parts for injection moulding, Agathon offers on-site advice and technical expertise on all matters relating to latch pullers, slide units and limit switches.

Strack Norma’s cooperation with Agathon, one of the leading manufacturers of grinding and laser machines as well as precision parts for machine, tool and mould construction, enables the standard parts manufacturer to offer its customers more comprehensive solutions in Switzerland.

“This exclusive partnership is a clear commitment by both companies to offer excellent customer service and high quality products.

Our modern demoulding elements, combined with the technical expertise of Agathon's sales staff, create synergy effects from which our customers can benefit in the long term,” explains Sebastian Peter, Sales Manager at Strack Norma. (ast) Source: Strack Norma

Strack Norma with new distributor

News

INCREASED FOOTPRINT IN TRUCK SECTOR

Sapa expands European presence with key acquisitions Italian automotive supplier Sapa is expanding into Northern and Western Europe with the acquisition of 100 percent of the Promens Zevenaar and Rongu plants in the Netherlands and Estonia. The plants were acquired from Berry Global, a world leader in packaging and engineered materials.

The two plants had a combined turnover of 105 million euros for the year ended September 2023, and employ more than 600

people. Following Sapa’s recent acquisitions in Spain and Morocco, this is an investment in expansion into the world of trucks.

The new 12-month pro-forma turnover of the Italian industrial group will exceed 400 million euros. With this acquisition, Sapa strengthens its presence with key customers such as Volvo, Scania and Daimler Trucks.

A key aspect of this growth and expansion is the introduction of the One-Shot process

to the truck sector. The company’s One-Shot technology enables the production of plastic components for commercial vehicles in a single process, improving efficiency, sustainability and quality for both electric and internal combustion vehicles.

According to the company, this acquisition represents an important milestone and confirms its steady growth in the sustainable mobility industry. (ast)

MANAGEMENT-BUY-OUT

Zahoransky sells tool/mould shop

Y IMMEDIATEL AVAILABLE

Source: Zahoransky

Zahoransky has sold the production site for injection moulds.

In the course of the further development of the group of companies, Zahoransky has sold the production site for injection moulds Zahoransky Formenund Werkzeugbau in Rothenkirchen (Germany) to MT Management. As part of a management-buy-out, the long-standing managing director and toolmaking expert Monty Tepper will take over the entrepreneurial responsibility. Since 1991, the site has been producing injection moulds for a wide variety of plastic products in the personal care and consumer products sector in the Vogtland region of Saxony with around 70 employees. In the future, the company will operate under the name Molding Tec Steinberg and will continue to focus on the production and sale of moulds and tools. Zahoransky is focusing on its production capacities for injection moulds at its sites in Freiburg and Coimbatore (India) in order to achieve further synergies. (ast)

Mould making

Single nozzle easyFILL EH 4010 Meusburger has extended its product range with the single nozzle easyFILL as an approx. 30% more cost-effective alternative to the single nozzle smartFILL EH 4000.

Characteristics: › Compatible with the fitting dimensions of the smartFILL series › Available for the sizes 27 and 37 mm in the lengths 60, 80, 100, and 120 mm › Recommended for plastics without glass fibre reinforcement and visually undemanding components

Meusburger Georg GmbH & Co KG | Kesselstr. 42 | 6960 Wolfurt | Austria T +43 5574 6706-0 | sales@meusburger.com | www.meusburger.com

Plastpol

PLASTICS PROCESSING FAIR

Plastpol 2024 showcases cutting-edge technologies Plastpol, the leading event for the plastics processing industry in Central and Eastern Europe, returns for its 28th edition in Kielce, Poland from May 21-24, 2024. The show will again feature advanced technologies, innovative injection moulding and extrusion machinery.

ielce : Targi K

Innovations in injection moulding machines used for polyethylene and polypropylene granule processing open new opportunities for manufacturers.

21–24, 2024. The majority of exhibitors, with whom the organisers have been cooperating for many years, have confirmed their participation. There are also many firsttime exhibitors who appreciate the power of Plastpol in Poland. Companies from many European and Asian countries, including India, China, the Republic of Korea and Turkey, are taking part in the fair. National stands will be hosted by Germany, the Czech Republic and Portugal. Kamil Perz, director of the Plastpol project at Targi Kielce says: “We already know that exhibitors will occupy the entire space of our exhibition and congress centre; we are open for the last registrations. There are not many spots available to choose from.”

Source

T

he world of advanced plastics processing technologies, innovative injection moulding and extrusion machines and modern polymer materials; this and much more will be on display at Targi Kielce (Poland) for four days in May 2024. Plastpol welcomes the most important companies in the industry from Europe and Asia, all coming to Kielce to showcase their latest offerings.

According to all indicators, the International Plastics and Rubber Processing Fair Plastpol will once again confirm its position as the largest event for the plastics processing industry in Central and Eastern Europe. For the 28th time, Targi Kielce will bring together the most important companies; the event will take place from May

Plastpol

Source: Targi Kielce

“For 27 years, the industry and its companies have perceived Plastpol as the place to meet significant clients, prosper for new markets and establish key business contacts”.

Kamil Perz Plastpol Project Director Plastpol will be held from May 21–24, 2024.

try in Poland against the backdrop of Europe. The Plastics and Rubber Processing Fair Plastpol will be the venue of the presentation. According to the experts speaking at the conference, the industry has been developing at an excellent pace over the years, but the decline in the industry's growth rate after a temporary recovery following the pandemic is a worrying trend.

Another activity offered to companies related to the plastics processing industry — the first Świętokrzyskie Bioeconomic Hackathon Bio Boosters. The event is organised by Targi Kielce and the Polish Foundation for Education and Social Dialogue Pro Civis. The aim is to develop and implement a more economical and ecological solution to be used in the exhibition halls of Targi Kielce. The final will take place on April 10-11, 2024 at the Kielce Exhibition and Congress Centre.

The Omniplast competition for experts in the plastics and rubber processing industry is an integral part of the exhibition. The aim of the event is to spread and popularise knowledge of plastics processing and related technologies. The competition is open to representatives of companies exhibiting at Plastpol, and the winners can look forward to attractive prizes. The 28th International Fair of Plastics and Rubber Processing Plastpol will witness the third and final stage of Omniplast. The event starts at noon on May 21, 2024 at the Kielce exhibition and congress centre. (ast)

At the last edition of the Kielce Plastics Processing Fair in May 2023, 600 companies from 29 countries presented their wide range of products. About half of the exhibitors are foreign companies from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Spain, the Netherlands, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovakia, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Latvia and China.

“Plastpol has been designed for business and dialogue.

The international character of the show is conducive to new supply chains, it enhances contract negotiation, and boosts networking and contact establishment. Leads become contracts”, emphasises Kamil Perz.

Innovative injection moulding machines and granulates Machinery and equipment are the foundation of the modern manufacturing industry. Innovations in injection moulding machines for polyethylene and polypropylene granulate processing are opening up new opportunities for manufacturers to increase work efficiency and product quality. The latest models of injection moulding machines and extruders that offer even greater precision, energy savings and integration with intelligent management systems; this and much more at Plastpol expo — these groundbreaking solutions are not only revolutionising the industry, but also contributing to the pursuit of sustainable development.

Industry conferences and the Omniplast competition “The new technologies exhibition is accompanied by conferences — meetings with experts and lectures offered by industry specialists are appreciated by our exhibitors and visitors. Such sessions serve their purpose — discussion, setting course of actions and new goals”, emphasises Agnieszka Dąbrowska, deputy director of the Plastpol project at Targi Kielce.

The atmosphere at business talks is conducive for the future. The future is full of changes and challenges for companies operating in the plastics and rubber processing industry. Exciting discussions accompanied the conference organised by the Plastics Europe Polska Foundation, the representative body of plastics producers in Poland, which has a long-standing tradition of presenting the latest data on the situation of the plastics indus-

ETMM-INFO

At a glance Plastpol brings together leading Polish and international companies. They showcase the latest solutions in: Technologies, machines and devices for plastics processing Design Plastics Rubber processing Recycling In 2024, the organisers expect 600 companies from 29 countries as well as 15,000 visitors.

The venue offers 7 expo halls, a modern congress center and 2,400 parking spaces.

7 airports within 180 km radius, direct access via the S7 and 74 expressways ensure quick access for visitors.

ETMM 1 | 2024

11

Source: MTA

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) will use its flagship event, Mach 2024, to launch a new initiative.

BOOST FOR MANUFACTURING

MTA announces flagship initiative at Mach 2024 The Manufacturing Technologies Association is launching Knowledge Hubs at Mach 2024, a flagship event aimed at helping UK manufacturers improve competitiveness, efficiency and sustainability.

The show will provide a perfect platform for possible solutions.

T

he Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) will use its flagship event, Mach 2024, to launch its new initiative to help UK manufacturers become more competitive while improving efficiency and sustainability. A series of Knowledge Hubs will feature at the exhibition, taking place at the NEC, Birmingham from April 15-19, 2024, all designed to encourage UK en-

“Mach is the UK’s only live, national event showcasing sustainable, innovative technologies used across the manufacturing spectrum.”

James Selka, CEO of the MTA

12 ETMM 1 | 2024

gineering-based manufacturers to adopt new technology and techniques to enable them to compete globally in a sustainable manner.

The UK’s economic growth is currently one of the slowest of the G7, characterised by low productivity, low wages and poor investment. In many cases, global competitors have not just caught up with the UK but have overtaken it in terms of productivity and investment.

Adoption of new technology and implementing latest techniques in manufacturing processes is one way to boost the UK’s economic output. The MTA’s Knowledge Hubs at Mach 2024 will focus on educating users on when and how to adopt new technologies such as Automation and Robotics, Data and Artificial Intelligence for manufacturing, sustainable manufacturing towards net zero and the use of Additive Manufacturing techniques.

The MTA is part of a united front by UK manufacturing organisations, along with the Manufacturing Technolo-

Mach

Sovereign manufacturer “Our Knowledge Hubs at Mach 2024 aim to reverse the decline and enable the UK to re-establish itself as a sovereign manufacturer. To do that we have to recognise the importance of investing in the latest technologies for improving manufacturing efficiency and optimising productivity. Our role is to help UK manufacturers focus on the new technology and provide impartial advice and way-finding on when and how to adopt. Mach is the UK’s only live, national event showcasing sustainable, innovative technologies used across the manufacturing spectrum and is the destination of choice for companies looking to adopt and invest in the digital revolution,” Selka continues.

Another of MTA’s Knowledge Hubs will focus on the adoption of Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in manufacturing – latest technology designed to help manufacturing achieve agility through improved production processes while reducing costs and streamlining the supply chain.

Likewise, Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a technology with huge potential to revolutionise the way parts and products are designed and manufactured.

Tantalising prospect for manufacturing “The possibilities offered by AI, married to AM techniques, is a tantalising prospect for the industry,” added Selka. “The ability of mass customisation to reshape production processes is revolutionising manufacturing as we know it. The notion of batch manufacture has been turned on its head with short-run production cycles and prototyping capable of being delivered at minimal cost and to high specification.”

The MTA has been supported in its stance by the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). The centre advocates the adoption of robotics and automation in UK manufacturing as a means to achieve higher productivity, efficiency and quality as well as aid sustainability.

Mike Wilson, Chief Automation Officer, MTC said: “We cannot compete in global markets without addressing our very low adoption of robot solutions. Adopting au-

Reversing UK manufacturing’s poor record for adopting new technology will be tackled head on at Mach 2024.

Source: MTA

gy Centre (MTC) and Mach 2024 Headline Sponsor Lloyds Bank, to increase the uptake of technologies such as automation and robotics.

The need for this approach was brought sharply into focus following the release of new figures highlighting the UK’s lack of investment in technology and its poor adoption of robotics in the industry. The figures show the UK currently languishing in 23rd place in terms of the global utilisation of industrial robots in manufacturing – lagging not just behind the economic superpowers, but also the likes of Spain and Finland.

Making the UK more automation & robotics focused is the aim of one of the Knowledge Hubs at Mach 2024.

The hub, supported by the MTC, aims to educate companies on how the technology can be used to automate many processes to improve productivity.

Commenting on the initiative, James Selka DL, CEO of the MTA, which organises the Mach exhibition said; “Although industrial robot installations in the UK were up three percent last year, this was just a tenth of what is happening in Germany and also behind the likes of France, Spain and Italy.”

tomation at all levels of manufacturing in the UK is necessary for us to continue competing effectively as a global manufacturing powerhouse and countering the ongoing labour shortages.”

Robotics and automation The MTC’s report, “Robotics and Automation: A New Perspective”, concludes the slow uptake of robotics among British manufacturers, and a reluctance to invest in automation, has contributed to the country’s limited improvements in productivity in recent years.

However, it states that automation, along with reshoring manufacturing operations, can lead to new opportunities for UK businesses.

The report says it’s not too late to turn the situation around but the priority has to be an improvement in the rate of adoption. It calls for a renewed emphasis on the need to improve productivity through the use of automation, with manufacturers, research organisations, equipment suppliers and Government working together to help businesses improve their performance through the intelligent use of automation.

The report also stresses the importance of independent advice to new users, particularly in the SME supply chain. Such advice will be available to those exhibiting and attending Mach’s co-located event, the Engineering Supply Chain Show. (ast)

ETMM-INFO

Knowledge Hub initiative The MTA, which organises the Mach event has been campaigning for greater adoption of new technology for some time. It will expand upon this at Mach 2024, which opens its doors at the NEC in Birmingham on 15th April, with dedicated Knowledge Hubs. These will focus on educating manufacturers on when and how to adopt new technologies: Automation and Robotics Data and Artificial Intelligence Energy Efficiency Additive Manufacturing Tooling

ETMM 1 | 2024

13

Mach

GRINDING AND DRESSING

ADVANCED MACHINE TOOLS

Leader Chuck will present the latest innovations from its Italian partner, Balance Systems, developed to expand the company’s range of retrofit solutions for grinding and dressing process optimisation. Balance Systems provides customisable and easy-to-integrate solutions to optimise almost every grinding and dressing process.

Whether gear, cylindrical, centreless, surface, profile or special-purpose, grinding machines are usually the last step in the manufacturing process. They support most precise geometric characteristics of the part: from dimension, profile, flatness, circularity, cylindricity, conicity, as well as good surface finish. This is why it is important to preserve machine qualities and whenever possible increase their performance. “Modernisation can increase the profitability of your old grinding machine,” explains Mark Jones, Managing Director, Leader Chuck. “There are three significant reasons to consider ‘retrofitting’ your grinding machines; balancing, touch detection and gauging.”

On Stand 320 in Hall 18 at Mach 2024, Starrag will be presenting its latest innovations from across the company’s diverse portfolio of high-performance solution-driven machine tools. From the Bumotec machine range, Starrag will present its latest turn/mill product lines that can now be viewed in the company’s new virtual showroom.

The virtual showroom is a replica of the Starrag facility in Vuadens, Switzerland and it provides manufacturers with an opportunity to investigate a wide range of solution-based innovations that range from the small and compact s128 simultaneous 5-axis machining solution to the 36-axis s1000/C transfer machine with 8 machining stations in a single footprint platform.

The virtual showroom enables manufacturers to view videos of individual machine tools, application demonstrations and machine specifications from the comfort of their connected devices. As a system integrator of highly productive manufacturing solutions, the Bumotec virtual showroom gives engineers a flavour of what is possible when they invest in industry-leading technology.

leaderchuck.com

www.starrag.com

Source: Starrag

Source: Leader Chuck

A balanced approach to optimisation Virtual showroom unveiled

PRECISION TOOLS

Paul Horn to unveil cutting-edge tooling solutions

14 ETMM 1 | 2024

ternal coolant supply and easy insert changes without removing the holder.

Horn has developed a new milling cutter range for efficient machining of stainless steels and other materials. The cutters, available in DSHPR and DSR types, are designed with specific geometries for both roughing and finishing, including applications in the food, chemical, pharmaceutical, watchmak-

Source: Horn

Paul Horn, the solid carbide tooling, carbide insert and tool holder manufacturer headquartered in Tübingen, Germany, has supplied more than 200,000 special tooling solutions over the years and currently offers 25,000 standard products, including five due to be introduced to the UK and Irish markets at Mach 2024. Wholly-owned subsidiary Horn Cutting Tools will be on stand 6-210 to explain the reasons behind the launches and will also exhibit a broad cross section of the manufacturer's tooling range.

An addition to the Horn Supermini boring, grooving and chamfering system will be announced, a variant with a precision-ground rake face designed for producing ultra-fine bores. The ground cutting edge is free from notches when viewed at a magnification of x200 and the tool can be used to machine components having an inside diameter from just 0.3 mm. Sharp insert geometry ensures process reliability, even with very small infeed and cutting feed rates. The specially developed coating is suitable for stainless steels, non-ferrous metals and other metals.

The Supermini Type 105 system insert is compatible with over 1,000 insert variants using a single tool holder, facilitated by in-

ing, and precision engineering industries.

The IG3 coating on these cutters provides high temperature resistance and longevity.

A new, high-performance, carbide grade from Horn, the SG3P, presents enhanced possibilities in terms of performance and tool life when whirling medical screws. It enables shorter cycle times for thread production thanks to higher cutting values, including when processing materials that traditionally are difficult to machine. In addition, the combination of an ultra-fine-grain carbide powder and a high-temperature-resistant coating raises process reliability and improves component quality. In-house coating of the inserts enables fast delivery times and the carbide grade is available for all standard Horn thread whirling systems.

To address vibration issues in boring operations with long overhangs, Horn presents a boring bar with adjustable damping. This feature allows for precise adjustments to minimise vibrations, leading to improved surface quality and increased insert life. The boring bars are readily available in standard length-to-diameter ratios, with higher ratios offered as special tools. www.horn-group.com

Mach

Messe Frankfurt Group

EDUCATIONAL HUB

Sandvik Coromant sponsors E&D Zone

Source: Sandvik Coromant

Sandvik Coromant, a leading specialist in global metalcutting, has reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing future talent in engineering by sponsoring the Education and Development (E&D) Zone at Mach 2024. The E&D Zone is the educational hub at Mach 2024 and is designed for students keen to explore what engineering-based manufacturing can offer them as a future career.

A crucial part of the E&D zone is guided tours of the exhibition. As part of these tours, students learn more about the latest manufacturing technologies being developed and deployed in the UK industry and get to learn about potential career paths and opportunities — even providing guidance on the manufacturing and engineering companies that are recruiting UK apprentices.

Commenting on Sandvik Coromant’s involvement with the E&D Zone, James Selka DL, CEO at the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA), who own and organise Mach 2024 said: “Attracting new talent into the engineering-based manufacturing sector is a key driver for the MTA. The dedicated E&D Zone at Mach continues to be our biggest opportunity to inspire a future generation into engineering as an exciting career.”

With over 3,000 students in the key age range of eleven to 18 expected to attend the event this year, Mach 2024 promises to provide lots for them to see and experience with interactive activities organised by key contributors. www.machexhibition.com/student-zone

BATCH PROCESSING OF PARTS

Source: Patrick Temme Photographie/ Walther Trowal

Mass finishing technology Walther Trowal shows a centrifugal disc finishing machine of the model range TT…A/2C for finishing the surfaces of small, mass-produced parts at Mach. The socalled “double-batch” system allows the processing of one batch, whilst a second batch is passing through a separation system, where the finished parts are separated from the processing media. The simultaneous operation of two separate process stages minimises unproductive idle times and allows high efficiency plus maximum throughput. The TT..A/2C systems are very compact.

The company also presents its CB circular vibrator, which can be integrated into automated manufacturing operations. Optional technical characteristics like the parts loading chute on the outside of the processing channel and the so called “gate clearing” feature greatly facilitate the integration of these machines into automated production processes and guarantees batch integrity.

Since most mass finishing processes require the addition of water and liquid processing compounds, the finished parts often undergo a drying operation.

Therefore, Walther Trowal also displays a G drier that not only dries the parts, but also generates a light polish. The machine can be combined with upstream mass finishing systems in batch as well as continuous feed operations. Additionally, the company demonstrates a ZM basket centrifuge that allows the cleaning and recycling of the mass finishing process water in a closed-loop system. www.walther-trowal.com

ETMM 1 | 2024

15

19 – 22.11.2024 FRANKFURT / GERMANY

formnext.com

Your answer to the challenges of modern production The demands on industrial production are constantly increasing. A rising need for complex and individualized parts, even shorter product cycles, a scrutinization of proven supply chains plus a desire for increased sustainability in this transformation – these are the challenges faced by industries worldwide. It is also a chance for AM to showcase its expertise and creativity.

Formnext 2024 provides the ideal platform to showcase your solutions in Additive Manufacturing or along the entire process chain. Actively design the future of production.

Register now as an exhibitor at Formnext and request an offer without any obligation.

Where ideas take shape.

Honorary sponsor

Mach

5-AXIS MACHINING

Source: Heller

50 years of precision manufacturing

Heller Machine Tools, a German-owned company with a manufacturing facility in Redditch, UK, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024 and will showcase its capabilities at Mach 2024. The machine tool manufacturer provides users with solutions to maximise machine availability and productivity, helping them to produce parts reliably and at a competitive cost per part in day-today manufacturing. The holistic Heller ser-

vice includes time studies which are accurate to ± 5 percent, evaluation of requisite workholding, consideration of automation and unmanned running requirements, built-in chillers for cooling the machine elements if they are required to achieve tolerance, tool life monitoring and broken tool detection.

Although not at the show, to be featured prominently on the stand will be the new F

BORE MACHINING

6000 5-axis mill-turn machining centre launched by Heller at the last EMO trade show. It has been designed from the ground up following extensive research carried out amongst the manufacturer's customer base.

Highlights of the new generation include new swivelling heads with integrated motor spindles developed in-house and an optional direct-drive torque table for carrying out in-cycle turning operations. A pallet changer is included as standard for first-level automation, enabling easy integration later on of a rotary or linear pallet storage and retrieval system.

Featured at Mach will be Heller-4-Industry, the group's drive towards integration of its machine tools and controls into the Industry 4.0 environment. Within the multi-faceted portfolio is the Heller-4-Services interface, which focuses on transparency of digital manufacturing and maintenance. The module forms the basis for evaluating machine data and statistics to reduce downtimes. Additionally, visualisation of specific information such as status displays of axes and spindles enables a user to predict wear and implement preventive maintenance. www.heller.biz

VERTICAL MACHINING CENTRES

At Mach 2024, Hurco Europe will showcase its latest advancements in prismatic machining equipment, with a focus on 5-axis machining and automation for 3-axis and 5-axis vertical machining centres.

The display will feature the integration of automation solutions like the Hurco Pro-Cobot Profeeder on a VM20i 3-axis VMC and an Erowa Robot Compact 80 on a VMX30Ui 5-axis model. Additionally, Hurco will present a range of 3-axis VMCs, including the popular VM10i and the entry-level VM One, designed for compact yet powerful machining options for small to medium batch runs.

Turning solutions will also be featured, with the introduction of a new range of driven-tool CNC turning centres, including the TMX10MYSi with a 10-inch chuck, showcasing higher power, speed, and a larger frame with added Y-axis for versatile machining.

Furthermore, Hurco continues its partnership with Roeders of Germany, displaying a high-precision 5-axis Roeders machining centre designed for applications requiring fine surface finishes.

16 ETMM 1 | 2024

www.bigkaiser.eu

Source: Hurco

5-axis machining and automation

Renowned as a specialist in precision tooling and holemaking applications, Big Kaiser has introduced a plethora of new products over the last twelve months — all of which will be on the stand at Mach 2024 in Birmingham.

From its portfolio of bore machining products, the expansion of the EWN Monoblock range will be shown. Designed to improve productivity and performance for end users, the system uses Smart Damper technology that reduces chatter and subsequently cycle times, delivering exceptional machining accuracy and surface finish quality. The EWN Monoblock fine boring heads have been expanded with the new CK1 and CK2 products that support the machining of diameters from 20 to 36 mm and 25 to 47 mm respectively.

The full EWN Monoblock family of products ranges from the smallest type CK1 to the largest model CK7 which now supports fine boring from 20 mm to over 200 mm diameter.

Also, new from the Big Kaiser bore machining stable will be the new MW rough boring bars. Manufactured from carbide, they deliver significantly improved precision levels.

Source: Big Kaiser/ ITC

Latest cutting tool innovations

www.hurco.de

Mach

PRECISION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

High-speed press innovations

The priority for nearly all manufacturers is sustainable production, where output or machine capacity is increased, while minimising costs and maintaining quality.

In order to achieve this, every step in the process — engineering, design, CAM programming and machining — should be inspected, verified and optimised. Vericut CNC Simulation software ensures programs are error free and all operations work together as intended, while optimisation capabilities of the software ensure the whole process is operating as efficiently and as sustainably as possible — the result is significant savings in manufacturing time, reduced energy consumption and increased profits.

Visitors to the Mach 2024 can get live demonstrations of the features in Vericut 9.4, plus an exclusive preview of what’s to come in version 9.5. Vericut is the renowned global leader in NC code simulation, verification and optimisation. It enables users to link all the machining operations end-to-end to evaluate and improve the entire manufacturing process.

Bruderer is set to highlight its high-speed press technology at Mach 2024, featuring the BSTL 350-88 in a live production line for the first time at a major event. This line will demonstrate precision, energy efficiency and the production of miniature components, alongside showcasing a new model, the BSTA 710-220, known for its large bed length and adaptability. The BSTL comes into its own for precision and continuity and uses up to 30 percent less energy when compared to older machine models.

A turnkey line will be established, featuring a state-ofthe-art pallet decoiler and winder, with purpose-built ‘Mach’ tooling set to produce commemorative giveaways for visitors to the stand. Experts from Bruderer UK will also be available to talk about the company’s growing range of machines and associated partner technology that is helping its customer base in automotive, aerospace, building products and the rapidly emerging electrification market. The company’s latest press will also utilise Bruderer’s new control system that can be accessed with different devices via a web browser.

www.cgtech.com

www.bruderer.com

NEW MACHINING CENTRES

INTEGRATED MOULD AND DIE HANDLING

Source: Bruderer

Improving sustainable production

Investment in productivity

Advanced workholding products

One of the highlights at Mazak’s stand will be the HCN-4000 Neo making its UK debut, a high-performance horizontal machining center with high productivity, accuracy and environmental performance. Alongside will be a second Neo machine, the Variaxis i-800 Neo, a next generation 5-axis machining center for full automatic operation over extended periods. With its high rigidity construction and equipped with a 10,000 rpm spindle as standard, machine users will be investing in accuracy and productivity.

Mazak will also be giving a UK debut to the FSW-460V (see picture), a purpose built machine developed to overcome the key challenges faced by manufacturers adopting friction stir welding (FSW) technology to join materials. With the FSW, Mazak has created a heavy-duty and highly rigid technology ideal for those requiring a machining and welding capability within the same machining envelope, in line with Mazak’s Done-In-One philosophy, to increase productivity and profitability. The machine is ideal for manufacturers working in volume production environments.

Roemheld is set to introduce its latest advancements in workholding technology and integrated mould and die handling systems. For the first time at a major UK exhibition, Roemheld will demonstrate its recently introduced, mechanically operated, self-centring machine vice. Manufactured in the group's Austrian factory in Rankweil, the new Hilma.UC 125 vice is of modular build and is intended for 3- to 5-axis prismatic machining applications. The design ensures easy tool access to the workpiece from all sides, allowing the use of short tools for high precision machining in a single set-up. Versatility in operation is ensured by having a separate vice base and two individual jaws that, when a single handle is turned, travel simultaneously inwards towards the centre to clamp the workpiece and out again to release it. The universal clamp, hence UC in the product name, can be adapted to accommodate a wide variety of prismatic and round workpiece geometries and sizes in just a few steps. The jaw opening can be extended quickly to 600 mm, one of the largest available on the market.

Source: Yamazaki Mazak

Source: CG Tech

CNC SIMULATION

www.mazakeu.de

www.roemheld.de

Source

: Roem

held

ETMM 1 | 2024

17

Markets

MARKET ANALYSIS

How Portugal carves its niche in the global mould making market The Portuguese tool and mould industry, with its roots in glass production, has evolved into a global powerhouse of the plastics industry. At the forefront of innovation, it consistently invests in research and development, adopting cutting-edge manufacturing technologies. Explore the landscape of today’s market in this deep dive.

Managing Editor ETMM

T

he Portuguese tool and mould industry started when Aníbal Henriques Abrantes brought the first injection moulding machine to Marinha Grande in 1943. This marked the beginning of a period of significant growth, attracting global investors and increasing the industry’s international presence. Initially focusing on glass moulds, the sector pivoted to plastics postWorld War II, reducing reliance on German and Austrian imports.

The production of complex moulds is one of the hallmarks of the Portuguese industry.

18 ETMM 1 | 2024

Since then, the Portuguese mould making industry has grown and consolidated its reputation in the international market, driven by external demand, integrated competences and innovative solutions offered to its customers. Portuguese mould makers have largely established themselves as one-stop-shops for tooling and moulds, covering all aspects from product development and simulation, through mould design and manufacture, to try-out, commissioning and maintenance.

Source: Alexander Stark

WRITTEN BY

Alexander Stark

Markets

Production vs. Exports Production Exports

Volues in millions

800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Source: Cefamol

In 2022, the mould making sector generated a value of around 631 million euros.

On average, exports amounted to 80 percent of total production.

As of 2022, Cefamol reports that the sector includes 478 small to medium enterprises, employing about 9,900 individuals. More than half of these companies are located in Marinha Grande (24 percent), Leiria (15 percent), and Oliveira de Azeméis (15 percent).

Collaboration, advanced technology and strategic growth One of the industry’s strength lies in its ability to design and manufacture complex moulds, backed by decades of experience and high vertical integration. Advanced design tools and metalworking machinery, along with a skilled workforce, ensure exceptional quality. This excellence has fostered long-term customer relationships.

A key success factor is the industry’s collaborative spirit and well-organised network. This includes sharing resources like injection moulding machines and recommending partners for complex projects, fostering a synergy that benefits all.

The industry’s infrastructure is supported by the fact that many companies own injection moulding machines of various sizes. These machines are used not only for contract manufacturing, but also for the manufacture of their own plastic products. This dual use ensures optimum machine utilisation and paves the way for new market opportunities and revenue streams. In particular, some mould makers are part of larger conglomerates.

This integration allows for the maximisation of mould making and injection moulding capacity, combining expertise and flexibility, especially for large projects.

To further increase scale and capacity, some companies have pursued growth through acquisitions. Others are seeking economies of scale through strategic alliances. A notable example is the Mexportools joint venture, which aims to grow in the Mexican market in particular.

This venture, comprising four Portuguese companies with more than 30 years’ experience in the manufacture of moulds of various sizes, works with Mexican public research centres. This approach not only addresses issues of scale, but also exploits geographical advantages such as proximity to the US. Despite challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic, automotive industry uncertainties, and raw material short-

ages due to global conflicts, the Portuguese mould making sector remains resilient. This is reflected in a significant increase in exports to demanding markets and industries.

Traditional markets in Europe and America remain strong According to the latest data, the Portuguese mould-making sector ranks 8th in the world and 3rd in Europe, with exports to more than 80 countries. Its success is attributed to adaptability, technological progress and strict quality control. Companies are highly export-oriented, selling a large proportion of their production to customers abroad.

In 2022, Europe and North America were the main destinations for national exports. Exports by Portuguese tool and die makers exceeded 500 million euros in 2022.

They recorded foreign sales of 505.42 million euros — an increase of 1.4 percent compared to 2021 — which not

ETMM-INFO

Highly organised structures Portugal’s mouldmaking and tooling industry is known for its collaborative approach. For example, under the umbrella of the Portuguese Engineering & Tooling Cluster, the country’s mouldmakers are promoting the collective brand of their industry on a global scale. This cluster is represented by Pool-Net and includes a wide range of stakeholders from business, science and technology.

As a recognised partner in public decision-making in Portugal, PoolNet’s role is to streamline and monitor the implementation of a strategic plan that includes long and medium term visions and strategies.

Pool-Net promotes cooperation, allowing companies to achieve synergies that would be difficult to develop if they worked isolated from other companies working in this field. app.toolingportugal.com/en

ETMM 1 | 2024

19

Markets

Main customer markets Europe

European Union

10 %

7% 79 %

North America

1% Rest of the World

2% Africa

Central & South America

Portuguese mould makers exported to 83 countries in 2022. Europe, especially the EU, and North America, especially the United States, remained the main destinations of their exports.

only represents a recovery from the pandemic effects of the previous two years, but also symbolises the reversal of a downward trend in the sector and the confirmation of its foreign market-oriented profile.

Europe, especially the EU, and North America, especially the United States, remained the main destinations for Portuguese exports, with shares of 79 percent and 10 percent respectively.

20 ETMM 1 | 2024

21 % 16 % 13 % 6% 6% 6% 5% 4% 3% 3% 20 %

Source: Cefamol

The traditional markets – Germany, Spain and France — remain predominant, with 51 percent of exports destined to these three countries.

The traditional markets — Germany (21 percent), Spain (16 percent) and France (13 percent) — continue to dominate, with 51 percent of national exports going to these three countries. The United States continues its upward trend in the top export markets, ranking fourth with the same percentage as the Czech Republic, which completes the top five. Portugal’s foreign trade data confirm that countries such as Poland, Mexico and the United Kingdom also remain markets of considerable interest.

Customer diversification and expansion into new sectors

Main export destinations

Germany Spain France USA Czechia Poland Mexico United Kingdom Belgium Italy Others

Source: Cefamol

1%

The adaptability of the sector to the international environment and the ability of companies to reinvent themselves during the pandemic period, leading to the design and development of new products with greater value from the customer’s point of view, have been driving factors in Portuguese production. In 2022, the value of the sector’s production will be around 631 million euros, a calculation based on the fact that the value of exports represents, on average, 80 percent of production.

In 2022, the automotive industry remains the main customer, accounting for 74.8 percent of the sector’s output. Although the automotive sector remains an important customer for Portuguese mould making, a significant trend is emerging. Other industries are increasingly turning to the country’s expertise for customised solutions. A prominent example is the medical equipment industry, where precision and high reliability are essential for success. This diversification is driven by the need to reduce dependence on the automotive industry

Source: Alexander Stark

Markets

Source: Alexander Stark

State-of-the-art machines and spotless shop floors impress even demanding clients.

Automation helps Portuguese mould makers stay productive 24/7.

Main customer industries

Automotive 74,8 % Packaging 8,4 % Electrics 3,0 % Houseware electrics 2,8 % Electronics 2,0 % Furniture 0,6 % Aerospace 0,4 % Safety Equipment 0,2 % Others 5,0 %

Source: Cefamol

and to explore markets with potentially better conditions and profitability.

Portuguese mould makers are adapting to the changes in the automotive industry, particularly around electric vehicles, and are confident of their ability to make a significant contribution to this sector. R&D is a key strength, with many companies collaborating with universities and participating in research projects. The use of advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing and additive manufacturing is becoming increasingly important, particularly in the production of complex tooling.

The packaging industry remained the second largest customer for tooling (8.4 percent). The other sectors were generally in line with last year’s results, with household appliances, electrical goods and aerospace showing slight increases. Telecommunications, agriculture/irrigation, construction, mobility were also reported as customer sectors for mould making companies, confirming the trend towards diversification.

The Portuguese mould making industry is characterised by its integrated service offering, commitment to quality, sustainability efforts and technological innovation. Despite challenges such as competition from lowcost markets and the need for economies of scale, the industry has shown remarkable adaptability and strategic foresight. The emphasis on R&D, combined with a global focus and a move towards diversification, positions the country as a leader in both technological advancement and market responsiveness. As the industry continues to evolve, its blend of traditional expertise, innovative solutions and strategic partnerships will be crucial in maintaining its competitive edge. (ast)

Source: Alexander Stark

Many mould makers offer try-outs on their own injection-moulding machines.

Although continuing as the main customer of this sector, production for the automotive industry decreased slightly in 2022 (around five percent), allowing for diversification into other areas.

ETMM 1 | 2024

21

Automation & Control

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI is transforming the future of manufacturing Automation and digitalisation are indispensable features of modern factories.

The manufacturing industry is now turning to Artificial Intelligence to spark its next stage of development. But what will manufacturing look like in the future?

WRITTEN BY

Daniel Schauber Specialist Journalist On behalf of VDW

A

rtificial Intelligence has become indispensable in the monitoring and control of machines. Neural networks are now used as a matter of course, even in highly specialised machine tools.

“Artificial Intelligence in the form of neural networks is often used to monitor machines. The networks are ‘trained’ using large amounts of data from various sensors in order to predict signal patterns,” says Prof. Berend Denkena, head of the Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools (IFW) at Leibniz University Hannover, explaining the principle. The staff are informed, and the machine is stopped if there is a discrepancy between the predicted and the actual signal pattern.

Will skilled workers become superfluous in factories once their knowledge has been transferred to the AI system?

AI is evolving rapidly, which means that industry professionals have to contend with a constant barrage of new trends. According to Denkena, current innovations of special interest include the development of AI assistance systems based on large-scale language models.

These model the succession of elements in a sequence.

AI assistants such as the Github Copilot are already gaining acceptance in the field of software development, for example.

The cloud-based tool, developed by Microsoft subsidiary Github and AI specialist OpenAI, helps specialists to program by auto-completing codes. “AI assistants also offer great potential in production where they can sim-

plify machine operation, which is currently highly complex in some cases,” says Denkena.

In the industry, AI has already become established in the field of predictive maintenance. Sensors and neural networks help detect whether a machine is defective and requires maintenance. Manufacturing technology manufacturers often partner with researchers and research-oriented startups in order to address this research-intensive field.

The Hamburg-based startup Ai-omatic solutions, for example, specialises in predictive maintenance. Lena Weirauch, CEO and co-founder of Ai-omatic, explains: “AI makes it possible to understand information, recognise patterns, solve problems, and make decisions. The data used for ‘training’ such AI therefore plays a very big role.”

This works particularly well in production technology, she says, because of the considerable data base which already exists. Predictive maintenance is also so attractive “ … because many machines are already equipped with a large number of sensors that generate data which can then be evaluated,” says Weirauch.

According to Weirauch, AI-based processes that have already made the leap from the research lab to industrial practice include image recognition technologies that are used for quality inspection in manufacturing or for autonomous navigation of robots and drones. Industrial robots and cobots (collaborative robots) are equipped with advanced AI algorithms to perform tasks in manufacturing, logistics and inventory management, she explains.

Intelligent sorting Such cobots are offered by the robot manufacturer Yaskawa in Kitakyushu, Japan, for example. The intelligent machines can pack pallets in a fully automated process.

They use AI which allows them to do away with protective guards, to work with different types of pallets, and to load different pallet heights.

Robotics specialist Schunk, based in Heuchelheim, Hesse, also equips robots with AI, enabling them to recognise objects and sort them accordingly. This allows small and medium-sized companies to automate sorting tasks, for example, and have their machines work through the night.

Laser specialist Trumpf, based in Ditzingen in the southwest of Germany, is also developing the use of AI in production. The company launched an AI-based system in 2020 that helps employees sort components. This Sorting Guide is displayed on a screen in their work environment, graphically showing employees which components belongs to which job orders. In addition, the screen also contains all relevant information on the follow-up processes. This should significantly increase production efficiency, especially in the case of sheet metal panels used for a range of different orders, promises Alexander Kunz, head of the Smart Factory unit at Trumpf.

More efficient than humans “We feed the AI with data until it can recognise new situations faster and make better decisions than a human or a conservative algorithm,” Kunz explains. “Only then do we refer to this as AI at Trumpf.” Two key use cases

Source: WZL/ Peter Winandy

Automation & Control

are diagnosis-based process optimisation and preventive prediction.

Trumpf’s Active Speed Control system for laser cutting, for example, makes use of a camera which takes 40 images per second. “We train the AI to distinguish good cross-sectional images from bad ones and then to decide upon appropriate action. This allows us to continuously improve the cutting quality,” says Kunz. In the case of preventive prediction, for example, the AI recognises independently if a contour is difficult to produce or when a part is in danger of jamming. “Again, we can train the system to take appropriate action by itself. This helps prevent mistakes before they happen.”

For Artificial Intelligence to be able to develop, it must be able to draw on natural intelligence and the experiential knowledge of humans. This means that specialists must train the AI before it can be used. This is the point at which a merely intelligent machine can turn into a self-learning machine.

The Pro KI network transfers AI applications into use to support workers in highly complex manufacturing processes.

Preserving knowledge to combat skills shortages This makes AI particularly appealing in the face of the current skills shortages. “In my view, demographic change is making the feeding of domain knowledge into Artificial Intelligence one of the most exciting research topics in production engineering right now,” explains Prof. Christian Brecher, who heads the Chair of Machine Tools at the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. The “preservation of expert knowledge,” as Brecher calls the transfer of knowledge from man to machine, will help to counteract the serious shortage of skilled workers in the future.

“AI makes it possible to understand information, recognise patterns, solve problems and make decisions.”

Lena Weirauch, CEO of Ai-omatic ETMM 1 | 2024

23

Automation & Control

ta. That is why Lena Weirauch of Ai-omatic has issued a pragmatic recommendation for companies to “ … first create use cases for which data may already be available.”

Integrating AI into existing production processes and machines can also be a complex undertaking which requires multiple adjustments and investments. This why it makes sense for companies first to use standard tools or existing AI applications instead of developing their own.

Source: Trumpf

Employees require training

Trumpf’s Easy Model AI creates an algorithm and the AI Filter for Visionline Detect, which applies that algorithm.

However, small and medium-sized companies often lack the necessary financial and human resources to integrate AI into their production. “One solution would be to collaborate and form partnerships,” says Brecher, who is also a board member of the WGP (German Academic Association for Production Technology), an association of leading researchers in production science. “In Aachen, this is the strategy we are pursuing in our numerous centers and specialist working groups.”

Furthermore, transfer projects are helping to take the knowledge from the research lab into the industry. One example is the Demonstration and Transfer Network AI in Production (Pro-KI), which is being given extensive support by the WGP. A total of eight centers throughout Germany are offering training courses and transfer projects to manufacturing companies.

It’s all about data The use of AI in industrial production offers many advantages, but it also brings its own challenges. First of all, AI models need sufficient quantities of high-quality da-

ETMM-INFO

Transformative impact of AI AI’s role in manufacturing extends to predictive maintenance, leveraging sensors and neural networks to foresee machinery defects.

Assistance systems and tools are simplifying complex machine operations and programming tasks. AI technologies have also advanced into quality inspection, autonomous navigation and the operation of industrial robots and cobots, facilitating tasks like packing, sorting and inventory management.

However, the integration of AI in production faces hurdles, including financial and resource constraints for small and medium-sized enterprises, the necessity of high-quality data and resistance from employees and executives. Despite these challenges, AI's potential to enhance efficiency, innovation, and competitiveness in manufacturing is undeniable.

24 ETMM 1 | 2024

Humans aren’t always easy to convince regarding the use of AI either, as the start-up founder notes. “Often, there is an initial antipathy toward AI — arising from ignorance and a lack of knowledge,” Weirauch says. Employees need to be prepared and given training in AI systems to ensure they can use them effectively. Nonetheless, Weirauch acknowledges that AI in manufacturing raises ethical questions, particularly with regard to the use of autonomous robots and their impact on jobs.

Will skilled workers really become superfluous in factories once their knowledge has been transferred to the AI system? Denkena considers the issue from different angles: “Before all major technological revolutions, the question was raised whether the new technology would make humans obsolete,” he says. “It was difficult to imagine what new role humans would play in factories before computer-controlled machines were introduced.

Today, of course, we see computers as tools that we use and not as our rivals. I think we’ll come to see Artificial Intelligence as a tool in the same way in the future.”

Tasks of skilled workers becoming more complex Nevertheless, the people working in smart factories will require new skills. “Employees will need software skills — and will need to be versatile,” explains Denkena. Artificial Intelligence is set to increase both the number of machines and their degree of automation. Programming the individual machines will become much easier, however employees will be expected to handle a large number of different machines.

If AI is to succeed, it will need to overcome a degree of resistance — even from the executives of manufacturing companies. “Many companies are still very reluctant to share data,” says Denkena. There are scarcely any industrial production datasets available on large AI platforms like Hugging Face, he says. In many other areas, however, open source has been instrumental in ensuring the success of AI models. “In addition, the level of standardised communication is still insufficient for the Internet of Things,” warns Denkena. Individual solutions are required for everything, including data acquisition. “The necessary financial investment make it particularly difficult for small and medium-sized companies to get started with AI.” Meanwhile, AI is clearly unavoidable if industrial production is to remain internationally competitive. “Given the challenges facing German and European industry, AI will play an important role in raising the efficiency of our production and business processes, and thus our competitiveness,” says Brecher. In addition, AI will be a decisive factor in determining a companies’ ability to innovate their products and production processes. (ast)

Automation & Control

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

RJG has introduced a new feature to its Copilot process control system called MAX, the Process Advisor. This feature incorporates artificial intelligence technology using Master Molder techniques to provide real-time guidance to optimise injection moulding processes.

MAX acts as an intelligent assistant that continuously monitors process parameters and provides troubleshooting suggestions.

This addition to the Copilot system is part of RJG’s ongoing efforts to integrate AI into its solutions to improve control, efficiency and quality in the moulding process.

The system is designed to keep injection moulding processes running at optimum performance levels. It addresses the industry’s skills shortage and focuses on reducing scrap and downtime, increasing efficiency and improving part quality.

MAX has a user-friendly interface and provides step-by-step instructions for process optimisation. This is designed to help operators of all experience levels effectively manage process issues and make immediate improvements.

The company has focused on providing solutions such as process control consulting,

Source: RJG

AI-powered advisor for enhanced injection moulding control

training and technology to address issues such as skilled labour shortages, downtime and increased scrap rates. MAX, powered by artificial intelligence and incorporating RJG’s Master Molder processing expertise, is designed to improve operational efficiency, reduce downtime and scrap, and support data-driven decision making.

The Copilot system, with the addition of MAX, offers several features, including in-

jection moulding process monitoring and control, real-time notifications, process troubleshooting advice, alarm setting, shotby-shot data review, part and process auditing, and process automation capabilities.

RJG is also running a buy-back initiative for existing customers who wish to upgrade from Edart systems to Copilot systems, offering credits towards new systems. www.rjginc.com

ROBOTIC APPLICATIONS

Keeping pace with the move towards automation

Source: Toolcraft

Toolcraft is using state-of-the-art technology to set new standards in robot machining. For example, robots can now be used to perform manufacturing steps such as milling, deburring, grinding and polishing components made from a wide range of materials, including metallic workpieces. For this proj-

ect, the company’s robotics team played a key role in the development of a 6-axis robot from Autonox Robotics.

Offline programming using CAM path planning allows the robot cell to be programmed efficiently and quickly in a similar way to a CNC machine tool and also enables movement patterns and reachability to be simulated. This means that machine operators who only have experience with traditional machine centres also find it easy to switch to the robot. The application can be extended by adding almost any number of tools, creating a flexible and efficient manufacturing process, since many different tools can be provided for automated running periods. A nominal reach of two metres combined with a simultaneously rotating machining table also allows larger components to be machined with just one or very few clamping setups. The rotating table has a load-bearing capacity of up to 5,000 kg.

The second recent development from Toolcraft is a hybrid robot application that can be used for additive and subtractive machining. The laser welding head can machine components using directed energy deposition. This technique coats and adds

new contours to existing components using selective material deposition. Damaged and worn components can be repaired by depositing material where it is required, with the laser-based and intricate welding process transferring little heat into the workpiece.

Besides saving costs, repairs use fewer materials than making new components and allow for combinations of materials that were not previously possible. The robot from Mabi Robotic has a machining radius of 2.25 metres, making it suitable for both small and large components. In addition to traditional laser-powder deposition welding, EHLA deposition can be used to coat rotationally symmetrical components.

The adaptive motor spindle allows components to be pre-machined, welded and post-machined in a single clamping setup within the same robot system. The switch from welding to milling is also fully automated without the need for any manual intervention. This allows surfaces to be prepared for the welding process, reference surfaces to be produced during the manufacturing process and surface finishes to be machined in further steps. www.toolcraft.de

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25

Machining Equipment

PRESS TOOL MANUFACTURING

Transforming challenges into opportunities As a family-run business, Canterbury Tools has been involved in the design and manufacture of press tools since it was established almost 50 years ago. To optimise the production of specialist press tools, the subcontract manufacturer utilises cutting tools supplied by Guhring.

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he West Midlands manufacturer Canterbury Tools specialises in the production of single operation tools, progression tools, transfer tools, as well as components and assemblies for automated and robotic processes in sectors as diverse as the agricultural and construction industries through to the medical, IT, aerospace and automotive sectors. To retain an industry-leading position, the ISO: 9001 manufacturer is always looking for opportunities to accelerate performance and productivity — and it is this determination to succeed that led the company to Guhring.

At Canterbury Tools, the company utilises a selection of 3-axis machines from small capacity to three meter bed machines as well as simultaneous 5-axis machining.

Discussing the daily operation of the business, Josh Bennett, the Operations Team Leader at Canterbury Tools says: “We pride ourselves on manufacturing high-quality press tooling and this includes everything from single operation to progression tools and small fine blanking work to automotive tooling. Press tools can be quite complicated projects, so we use a lot of different machine tools — and as technology has advanced, what was once done on manual machine tools is now moved to CNC machines.”

The company machines a lot of challenging materials that can rapidly erode tool life and profit margins if the correct tools are not selected. Alluding to this, Josh says: “We take massive pride in what we use in terms of cutting tools, as we have to cut very tough material daily. This means the tool life does make a difference. We do not cut materials like your everyday mild steel and aluminium where you can get away with using the same tools for a long time. When you are cutting things like D2 tool steel and running intricate forms with a high material removal rate, you really can burn through tools quite quickly.”

Alluding to how Canterbury Tools founded its relationship with Guhring, Josh continues: “We were introduced to Guhring at the Mach 2022 exhibition. We have always prided ourselves on being at the forefront when it comes to cutting tools. It is an ever-evolving industry, so you have to keep up with the technology. When we spoke to Guhring at Mach, they made promises that we have heard from many other cutting tool companies in the past. Guhring told us things like ‘We will improve your tool life’, ‘We’ll cut your tooling costs’ and ‘We’ll improve your material removal rates’. At the time, we were in the market to improve upon what we were doing and we thought we were already using very good cutters — but as always, were open to be proven wrong.”

A long series Guhring end mill at Canterbury Tools.

26 ETMM 1 | 2024

Source: Guhring

Proving a point Discussing the first tool that Canterbury used from Guhring, Josh continues: “The first Guhring tool was the Diver Series of end mills. Guhring told us that it was the ideal tool for our applications and everyday use. We trialled the Guhring Diver against the tools we were using at the time. To our surprise, they annihilated the performance of the apparently high-end tooling that we were using at the time.”

Machining Equipment

“The machinists really saw a difference in what they were doing every single day with the new cutting tools.”

“We found a 3X increase in performance compared to what our existing tools were doing. This was a massive surprise to our management team, the accountants who deal with the daily costs of our business and most importantly to the machinists on the shop floor. The machinists really saw a difference in what they were doing Josh Bennett, Operations Team Leader Canterbury Tools every single day with the new cutting tools. From this point, we took Guhring seriously and really put their tools through some rigorous testing. From the testing, we saw a threefold increase in our tool life when we ran turnaround service and adhere to very short lead times at the same speeds and feeds as our old cutters. With is critical to our business — and it’s something we can help from Guhring, their Navigator system and their en- only offer if we have the cutting tools and support availgineers, we honed our skillset and started to use this skill able from Guhring for the job.” (ast) to push the cutters to within an inch of their lives.”

Commenting on the tooling performance after upskilling the engineers at Canterbury When something exceptional develops between us: Tools, Josh adds: “We wanted That´s the MAPAL effect. to see exactly what we could get out of the Guhring tools.

We were increasing our cutting depths and stepovers by 1 to 1.5 times as well as increasing our speeds and feeds while maintaining a much higher tool life than what we were previously getting.”

Discussing the switch to Guhring, Josh adds: “By switching to Guhring, we found a much higher material removal rate and this meant that jobs were on machines for less time. In the world of CNC machining, this is massive.

You always want the job to be ‘on and off’ the machine as quickly as possible. Additionally, not having to change the cutters as often has reduced the downtime incurred by tool changeovers. To remove, reset and replace tools is a process that can take anything from five to 15 minutes — the numMAPAL – Your technology partner for die & mould ber of these tool changeovers has been drastically reduced.

If you have a tool that you expect to change every hour, and then you change to a Guhring tool that gives you four hours of tool life, you have cut out three tool changes in just one job cycle. Additionally, you have slashed your tooling costs.”

With regard to the service provided by Guhring, Josh says: “Another main advantage with Guhring is their next-day delivery. The service is excellent and if we are really stuck, they can often help us www.mapal.com with ‘same day’ delivery. Being able to offer customers a rapid

NEC Birmingham 15-19 April 2024 Hall 19 | Stand 332

RELIABILITY

IN EVERY FORM

ETMM 1 | 2024

27

Machining Equipment

FOR COMPLEX PARTS

Linear machining for trouble free production Dohlen & Krott Werkzeugbau elevates its production of complex injection moulded parts to new levels of speed and precision with a linear machining centre from Fehlmann. The company was convinced by its unmatched precision, energy efficiency and compact footprint.

The focus at Dohlen & Krott is on highly complex, predominantly hardened injection moulded parts with tolerances of 5 µm and surfaces of RZ 0.8.

28 ETMM 1 | 2024

The Managing Director of Dohlen & Krott Werkzeugbau, Ralf Kahlen, did not make it easy for himself. When the decision was made to invest in a new machining centre, an intensive benchmark was first carried out and, among others, the Fehlmann company in Switzerland was visited. The production depth, the quality, the availability of spare parts, the competence of the employees and the willingness to innovate convinced him. The tendency towards the Versa 645 linear, according to Ralf Kahlen, was already there beforehand: “The Fehlmann

Source: Fehlmann

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he main focus at Dohlen & Krott Werkzeugbau in Baesweiler, Germany, is on highly complex, predominantly hardened injection moulded parts.

Although a fully-fledged 5-axis machine was available for milling these components, it was difficult to achieve the required precision with it. Therefore, after an intensive benchmark, the decision was made in favour of the Versa 645 linear machining centre from Fehlmann, because the components in question can now be produced much faster and more precisely.

Machining Equipment

Source: Fehlmann

The employees at Dohlen & Krott are enthusiastic about the Versa 645 linear, not least because of the large screen of the Heidenhain control.

company had mentioned two well-known customers in Holland to me. I visited these companies and talked to the people in charge about their experience with these machining centres. The workpieces produced on them really impressed me. But also in comparison with the other machine manufacturers, my decision was made quickly. Our space is very limited. Any other machining centre would have been too big for the existing product portfolio. Irrespective of this, energy efficiency is also an issue for us. And then, of course, it was the precision that could not be achieved with any other machine.”

The tolerances in Baesweiler are 5 µm, the surfaces Rz 0.8, without air conditioning. This is one of the reasons why the high-precision package option was chosen. A package that Alain Strebel, sales manager at Fehlmann, specifies as follows: “We still scrape the contact surfaces of the linear guides, have a geometric precision protocol and check the positioning accuracy in all axes according to ISO 230/2. For both measures, we then set ourselves even tighter tolerances.” Peter Potjans, FE sales engineer for North Rhine-Westphalia at Fehlmann, adds: “We deliberately milled the test component for Dohlen & Krott

ETMM-INFO

INFO Dohlen & Krott is a medium-sized, owner-managed company that has been producing injection moulds for sophisticated moulded parts for a wide range of industries for over 30 years. A comprehensive after-sales service is offered for these moulds. From spare parts supply to spare parts management and maintenance — also within the scope of service contracts — to repair and revision. The clientele includes companies from the automotive and electrical and electrical industries, medical technology, cosmetics and packaging.

In a second business area, Baesweiler concentrates on contract manufacturing. Here, the focus is on single-part and series production.

At Dohlen & Krott, the options of tool changer with chain magazine for 86 tools and the high-precision package were drawn. The Versa 645 linear is considered extremely precise even in the standard version with cooled slide parts and machine structure, the supported X-axis along the entire bed length.

several times without air conditioning. With the result that the results were continuously within the tolerances of +/- 3 µm.”

A good feeling Dohlen & Krott is committed to milling anyway, because 98 percent of the components in the cavity area are polished. An EDM structure is not necessarily seen as an advantage. With the Versa 645 linear, which arrived in October 2022, it is now possible to deliver the components to the polisher with almost the final quality. Ralf Kahlen can confirm the advantages that Fehlmann describes for the Versa 645 linear. It starts with the work area, which is freely accessible from the front in any arrangement for set-up work and process monitoring. Automation can be connected without any problems.

“Technical data are of less interest to me, I have to keep an eye on our customers' products.”

Ralf Kahlen, Managing Director Dohlen & Krott Werkzeugbau

In Baesweiler, the Versa 645 linear machining centre is already prepared for an Erowa automation system. Although the Versa 645 linear is also used for contract production (25 to 30 percent), the future automation will be used exclusively for the area of multiple cavities (up to 96 cavities). Now the linear drives also permit high acceleration and dynamics. However, dynamics only play a subordinate role at Dohlen & Krott, because in mould making they are not looking for the second. Ralf Kahlen: “If I have a good feeling about such an investment, it is not the second or the price that decides. In the end, I have to have my customers' products in mind. And if, as with the Fehlmann, I can produce the precision and quality quickly and without problems, that is also an economic advantage.”

Another economic advantage is certainly the fact that a complete product range has now been transferred from another machine to the Versa 645 linear. Process reliability, on the other hand, was a high priority for Dohlen & Krott from the very beginning. Especially since a wide variety of materials are machined on the machining centre. This starts with M 330, extends to alloy and heavy metals, hardening up to HRC 62 and soon also titanium.

For a correspondingly large set of moulds, the machine can run for two days. But even then, there have been no problems with precision so far.

Now the products in Baesweiler are the same as before the investment. However, the required precision and quality can be produced much faster and without problems. And not entirely unimportant in this context is the fact that the employees are also enthusiastic about the Versa 645 linear especially since the tolerances are becoming increasingly tighter. (ast) ETMM 1 | 2024

29

Components

TOOL MANAGEMENT

Mould tracking: smart, wireless and user-friendly Progressive Components has been a pioneer in mould monitoring since 1994. Its latest innovations further streamline asset management for OEMs, mould makers and tooling companies by transforming tools and moulds into intelligent factory components.

WRITTEN BY

Alexander Stark

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ment and real-time monitoring system is tailored to the needs of OEMs, mould makers and tooling companies.

For OEMs, it provides real-time visibility of global tooling assets, including performance and key metrics.

Moulders benefit from the ability to track downtime and scrap, support OEE reporting and manage preventive maintenance work orders and spare parts inventory.

Together with hardware components such as CVe Monitors and a Gateway device, it transforms tools and moulds from an analogue asset to components of the smart factory.

New Bluetooth CVe Monitor Profile is a versatile tool for organising, maintaining and tracking tools and equipment globally. It can be used as a simple tracking system or fully integrated with Progressive’s CVe Monitor for comprehensive real-time monitoring. These electronic monitors track production cycles and time stamps on injection moulds.

This allows downtime and performance weaknesses to be identified and error trends to be identified.

Recently the company has launched the 4th iteration of these CVe Monitors. “The CVe Monitor RT allows users to view the tool’s cycle count and other data on the device, provides Bluetooth access to information using the Profile App and, with additional hardware, can send real-time data to the Profile App in the cloud for global access,” explains Carlos Saboga, Progressive Components’ European Technical Sales Manager, adding that “The CVe-RT is the latest advancement in the long history Progressive has in mould monitoring systems.”

The CVe Monitor RT works wirelessly to transmit data directly from the tool to the gateway and on to the cloud, where customers can view the information in the Profile Real-Time Asset Management System. The Source: Progressive Components

Managing Editor ETMM

or nearly three decades, Progressive Components has been at the forefront of mould monitoring innovation. In 1994, the company was the first in the industry to introduce cycle counters to accurately track mould usage and plan preventive maintenance before more costly problems occur over the life of the mould.

Since then, Progressive’s monitoring solutions have kept pace with the advancing possibilities offered by digitalisation. Naturally, for their tracking and monitoring solutions, connectivity is a given. And as the industry of things moves towards cloud services, Progressive Components has followed suit.

This is reflected in one of their latest developments, Profile v4. This advanced cloud-based asset manage-

The CVe Monitor RT works wirelessly to transmit data directly from the tool to the gateway and on to the cloud, where customers can view the information in the Profile Real-Time Asset Management System.

30 ETMM 1 | 2024

Components

system also supports supply chain data sharing, enabling connection to existing ERP/MES systems via APIs and integration with reporting platforms for customised reporting.

Each device is manufactured with a QR code and unique serialisation for assignment to a specific tool via the Profile system. This provides a convenient file sharing method for mould makers to share documents, prints and other information with customers, and mould makers and OEMs who want to view KPIs globally can do so with easier access.

The CVe RT can be used on the outside of a tool or not on a tool at all. Utilising a cable from a PLC or magnetic Reed Switch, it can route the data through the CVe to the Gateway, where information can be accessed in the Profile App without any actuation of the plunger. This makes it ideal for high-heat applications or stamping dies (up to 1,000 punches per minute).

Keeping track of your tool’s performance Like its predecessors, CVe RT comes with an OnDemand reporting software. When connected to the app via bluetooth, OnDemand generates comprehensive historical service records for the tool, allowing users to easily share critical data with customers and colleagues.

“The CVe-RT is the latest advancement in the long history Progressive has in mould monitoring systems.”

Carlos Saboga, European Technical Sales Manager Progressive Components CVe OnDemand is of particular interest to tool manufacturers. “Clearly defined roles and permissions allow mould makers to keep track of the performance of their tools at the customer’s plant,” says Carlos Saboga. Transparency is the key word here, allowing both mould makers and their customers to find the true sources of errors or underperformance — without giving away sensitive production data.

The software also features asset management, preventive maintenance, work order and parts management, cloud-based file sharing and multi-language options.

Using a USB cable, users can connect the CVe OnDemand to their computer or tablet and view the data on the dashboard, along with the reason for the report. Notes can be included and user information is recorded for historical reference. Users can view statistics on a particular mould, check productivity for preventive maintenance (PM) and other actual data compared to targets set by the moulder. It is also possible to view weekly cycle time and maximum mould temperature, tracking variances over time.

Progressive Components’ journey from introducing the first cycle counters to developing the advanced Profile v4 system and CVe Monitor RT reflects the company’s commitment to innovation in mould monitoring and management. By incorporating wireless and cloud services, Progressive is transforming traditional tools into smart manufacturing assets. (ast)

ETMM-TIP Visit Progressive Components’ website to learn more about CVe Monitors: procomps.com

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31

Cutting Tools

REGRINDING OF PRECISION TOOLS

Resource-saving ultra-fine filtration technology

Regrinding of cutting tools helps to reduce the environmental impact at various stages of the tool life cycle.

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leanly filtered cooling lubricants play a decisive role in the regrinding of tools and represent an important quality factor. The filter manufacturer Vomat from Treuen, Germany, uses high-performance ultra-fine filtration technology to ensure that purified cooling lubricants of the highest purity are always available throughout the entire production process. The Vomat FA 70+ small system is particularly suitable for regrinding. This single-station solution in compact dimensions combines special design features that enable tool manufacturers and resharpeners to produce in a resource-saving and profitable manner.

The dovetailing of climate and environmental protection with production efficiency and profitability in in-

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Source: Itsanan – stock.adobe.com

Vomat utilises advanced ultra-fine filtration technology to ensure the availability of pure cooling lubricants for tool regrinding. Their filtration systems not only save energy and costs but also enhance the performance of reground tools, approaching that of new ones.

dustrial metalworking is becoming increasingly important. One piece of the mosaic is the regrinding of cutting tools. This process helps to reduce the environmental impact at various stages of the tool life cycle, which in turn helps to reduce the CO2 footprint.

This leads to increased demand from the industry for tool reconditioning services from tool manufacturers and companies specialising in regrinding. This is because professional reconditioning and resharpening of high-priced precision cutting tools maintain their performance beyond their initial use and the performance potential is fully exploited thanks to the extended life cycle. Steffen Strobel, Sales Manager at machine manufacturer and filter manufacturer Vomat from Treuen:

Cutting Tools

“We welcome this trend, as it effectively saves resources. vice life of the filter elements and saves energy and costs.

At the same time, the integration of climate and environ- At the same time, less heat is added to the medium, mental protection into production profitability is also which in turn requires less cooling capacity and further reduces energy consumption. becoming increasingly important in the production of Steffen Strobel: “The fully automatic control and regcutting tools and their resharpening. More and more ulation of the filter capacity means that energy and optool grinders and resharpeners are attaching importance to the fact that their machines not only offer high effi- erating costs can be kept low. The filtration systems for ciency and quality, but also produce sustainably. This tool grinding and regrinding are tailored to the user's applies not only to tool grinding machines, but also to specific requirements and integrated into their production process. Thanks also to the high quality of the peripheral systems such as coolant filtration systems.” cleaned coolant during grinding, the reground tools This is where high-performance filter manufacturers such as Vomat come in. The product portfolio of the fil- achieve a performance that comes very close to that of a tration specialists include solutions for individual sys- new tool.” (ast) tems, modular systems, central systems and customer-specific special systems with central and decentralised functions. Thanks to numerous design advantages, the filters enable sustainable and at the same time profitable tool production and preparation. The FA 70+ stand-alone solution for tool resharpening is an example of this.

The compact system (dimensions L x W x H: 1,300 x 1,100 x 1,200 mm) has a maximum filter capacity of 70 liters/minute and provides clean oil in NAS 9 quality over a long filtration period. Optional additional modules such as an integrable 7 kW cooling unit with a control accuracy of +/- 1.0 K as well as magnetic and disposable filup to 70 Hrc ters enable customer-specific complete system solutions.

The residual sludge is disposed of manually using special bag containers.

Steffen Strobel: “State-of+/-0.003 mm the-art filter, cooling and disposal technology — including HSS pre-filters for mixed processing if required — ensure economic and ecological success in harmony. In addition, Up to 30% longer than previous generation our Vomat Filter FA 70+ is low-maintenance and takes up very little valuable production space thanks to its compact design.” up to 15 % shorter In order to optimise the operation of the ultra-fine filtration systems in terms of energy, Vomat relies on the use of efficient pumps with high efficiency. In conjunction with the optimised process control, unnecessary energy losses are avoided: Vomat systems automatically control the filter flow and backwash cycles as required. This extends the ser-

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EDM Equipment & Supplies

FAST AND RELIABLE

Mitsubishi Wire EDM gives spark of productivity at MJ Toolmakers Since its inception in 1995, MJ Toolmakers, a specialist toolmaking firm, has seen consistent growth. Addressing capacity concerns, the company recently added two Mitsubishi EDM machines from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).

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s a specialist toolmaking business that works with clients from concept through to manufacture, MJ Toolmakers has gone from strength to strength since the business was founded in 1995. Producing everything from mould tools, injection mould tooling, aluminium and zinc cast tooling and extrusion die tooling, the Market Harborough company is witnessing an ongoing period of sustained growth. It is the continuous upturn in business that has seen the company acquire two Mitsubishi EDM machines from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).

As an established manufacturer with a range of manual and CNC machine tools on the shop floor, MJ Toolmakers was witnessing capacity issues in its EDM department which consisted of four machines. In addition, MJ Toolmakers has a stringent policy to replace machine tools after five years of operation — this means that the 11-employee business is always running the most up-todate technology available. Commenting on the situation, Director at MJ Toolmakers, Paul McDermott says: “We needed to replace an ageing machine and we were intent on investing in a greener, more cost-effective and more powerful machine. Simultaneously, we know that a new machine would improve productivity whilst reducing our costs.”

The Mitsubishi SG8S enables MJ Toolmakers to run for longer periods with significantly higher productivity rates.

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Source: MJ Toolmakers

Elevated production capacity With a mixture of wire and spark erosion technology, the company undertook a full review of the marketplace and it took delivery of Mitsubishi MV1200S wire erosion machine in January 2023. This machine was rapidly followed by Mitsubishi SG8S die-sinking machine in March 2023. With no prior experience with Mitsubishi machine tools or working with ETG, fellow Director and brother of Paul, Nathan McDermott adds: “We reviewed the entire marketplace and ETG offered us the best machine with the best performance at a cost-to-performance ratio that met our needs. Additionally, the large work area of the Mitsubishi MV1200S with an extremely small footprint was a very attractive proposition for our workshop.”

Since the machine was installed in January, it has been running around the clock. As Nathan continues: “Our business works across a range of industry sectors from the nuclear, marine and oil & gas markets to the point of sale, automotive and electronics industries. With a prestigious reputation as industry-leading toolmakers in all of these markets, we have been able to re-shore work from Europe and the Far East. Sadly, a lot of toolmaking businesses went under during Covid and this has also left a lot of available work for toolmaking experts like ourselves.”

To help MJ Toolmakers absorb some of this capacity, the Mitsubishi MV1200S wire erosion machine is working around the clock. As Nathan says: “The MV1200S is running at least 85 percent of the time. As a business, we run 24/7 with lights out machining and the Mitsubishi MV1200S has been running non-stop since we bought it

EDM Equipment & Supplies

and it is running at approximately six times faster than our previous EDM machine.”

In comparison to the previous machine, the Mitsubishi MV1200S provides several benefits. Inevitably the ageing machine that was replaced incurred service issues whilst the power and consumable costs were higher than on the Mitsubishi MV1200S. This is because the Mitsubishi MV1200S incorporates next-generation drive systems and an optimum machine structure with linear shaft motors that help to improve surface finishes, and productivity rates and also prolong wire life. From an operational perspective, the Mitsubishi MV1200S has an impressive user interface that guarantees ease of operation and the ability to reduce human errors for customers. With the information displayed on a large 19-inch screen, the innovative CNC system can reduce set-up times by up to 40 percent.

Commenting upon this, Paul says: “We can programme the Mitsubishi MV1200S online and offline and it is a very easy machine to use. From a productivity perspective, the machine is significantly faster than its predecessor, and being more than six times faster than the previous machine, it is difficult to quantify the savings in consumer consumption such as wire.”

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“The Mitsubishi MV1200S has been running non-stop since we bought it and it is running at approximately six times faster than our previous EDM machine.”

Nathan McDermott, Director MJ Toolmakers

The instant impact of the Mitsubishi MV1200S led the company to add a new die-sinking machine to its armoury with the purchase of a Mitsubishi SG8S die-sinking machine in March. Adding this machine to the plant list, Paul says: “We needed more capacity, and the compact machine has an extremely small footprint with an auto spark system and a 10-position electrode changer to extend our unmanned running periods. We have one die-sink machine that has no tool change facility and another with four positions, so the 10-position electrode facility enables us to run for longer periods with significantly higher productivity rates. This not only reduces our set up times and reduces manual intervention, but the machine also achieves significantly reduced electrode wear.”

This is a credit to the new GV generator that has been designed for a wide range of applications. Superlative performance with extremely low electrode wear can be achieved when using graphite electrodes and the creation of intricate details and high surface qualities can be achieved with copper. The generator is just as suitable for machining carbide as for machining titanium and many other materials.

Concluding on the acquisition, Paul says: “We have been very pleased with the service from ETG and the quality of the Mitsubishi machines is second to none, we are extremely happy with the machines and they have been working around the clock since their arrival.” (ast)

ellor@mersen.com WWW.MERSEN.COM

ETMM-TIP Visit our EDM special section to read more about the latest technology: www. etmm-online.com/edm

ETMM 1 | 2024

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EDM Equipment & Supplies

ENERGY SAVINGS INCLUDED

Excel Precision’s smart bet on Sodick drives growth Excel Precision Group boosts production and slashes energy consumption with a fleet of eight Sodick machines. The investment has propelled the company’s yearly growth, halved its carbon footprint and proven critical in navigating recent energy price surges.

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aim of replacing those machines was simply to reduce our consumption of electricity and EDM consumables.”

After investing in its first two Sodick machines in 2019, Excel Precision learnt that they performed as well as the sales literature set out, especially in terms of energy efficiency. This realisation soon led to the arrival of more Sodick machines, including two AG60L die-sink models.

Source: Pixel Photography

Adam Masters, Excel Precision’s EDM Sink Manager with the Sodick technology.

ince 2019, the UK subcontract EDM specialist, Excel Precision Group, has taken delivery of eight Sodick machines from Sodi-Tech EDM, a mix of wire and spark-erosion models. Technical Director Steve Batt outlines the company’s reformative machine tool journey over the past four years: “Prior to investing in Sodick machines, we had seven older wire-erosion and seven older spark-erosion models,” he explains. “The initial

36 ETMM 1 | 2024

Source: Pixel Photography

Source: Pixel Photography

EDM Equipment & Supplies

(Left) Craig Turl, Excel Precision’s Senior Wire EDM programmer with (right) Lewis Andrews, Excel Precision’s Branch Manager with the Sodick technology.

“We went from seven EDM spark-erosion machines to three, reducing our power consumption by 57 percent,” says Batt. “Moreover, despite reducing machine numbers, we actually managed to increase our production and turnover from die-sink work.” The resounding success of this project led the company to invest in three further machines, including Sodick’s largest wire EDM, an AQ1200L model, and ALC400P and ALC600P wire machines.

ETMM-TIP Take a look at the latest EDM news and projects at etmm-online.com/ edm

New EDM machine boosts precision and efficiency Today, the company has eight Sodick EDM models across its three UK manufacturing facilities: five in Gloucester, two in Birmingham and one in Leeds. The Gloucester and Birmingham facilities are Nadcap-certified, which means they undertake Excel Precision’s notable quantity of aerospace work.

“We produce a lot of fuel pump parts for aeroplanes and helicopters, typically made from ‘S’ grade high chromium-nickel stainless steels,” explains Batt. “Some components are very small and undergo several spark-erosion operations, but the majority are wired.”

Critical among the features of these fuel pump parts is the aperture, which carries a very tight tolerance to allow a specific flow of hydraulic oil. Any compromises in precision can compromise data feedback to the fuel system’s computer, which constantly monitors hydraulic pressure and flow to ensure correct operation. The Birmingham facility of Excel Precision manufactures various fuel pump parts in batches of several hundred a

“On the Sodick wire machines we’re achieving better surface integrity in less cuts: two instead of three.”

Steve Batt, Technical Director Excel Precision Group

Lewis Andrews, Excel Precision’s Branch Manager with the Sodick technology.

month. Here, high-performance EDM machining is paramount.

“On the Sodick wire machines we’re achieving better surface integrity in less cuts: two instead of three,” states Batt. “Our throughput speed is also significantly higher, perhaps up to 30 percent. These benefits, added to the aforementioned reduction in machine numbers and consumables, means the carbon footprint of our wire EDM department is now 50 percent smaller.”

Growth amid rising electricity costs Looking back, Batt admits that if Excel Precision hadn’t made the transition to high-efficiency, high-performance Sodick EDM machines and instead continued with its 14 legacy machines, the recent spike in electricity prices would have likely seen the business struggle to move forward.

“Commencing this strategy in 2019 saved a lot of cost,” he says. “We started out looking to save money in electricity but obviously we didn’t know that in 2022 our electric bills would increase in price fivefold! We had to make some incredibly difficult decisions in late 2022 to ensure the business could move forward on a solid footing, but switching to Sodick machines certainly helped us get through an incredibly difficult period in our company’s history.”

But the company’s gains from Sodick machines do not end there; Excel Precision also enjoys high machine reliability and flawless after-sales support, as Batt confirms: “Sodi-Tech calibrates the Sodick machines at Gloucester and Birmingham as part of our annual Nadcap AC7116/3 rev B audit. The service is always impeccable.”

Excel Precision currently has a strong order book, particularly on the aerospace side of the business, helping to drive average linear growth of 22 percent in the ten years since 2013.

“Aerospace customers are interested in two factors: zero defects and on-time delivery,” says Batt. “However, we can only provide that level of service if we have the experience, skill set and the best machines for the job.

Going forward, as and when finances allow, we’ll look at buying more Sodick machines to continue driving improvements across our business.” (ast) ETMM 1 | 2024

37

Additive Manufacturing

‘FERRARI’ MOVIE

High-octane storytelling with 3D printing technology Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari’ film delves into the life of Enzo Ferrari, capturing the essence of his legacy and innovation in car racing.

Utilising CRP Technology’s cutting-edge 3D printing, the movie features authentically crafted props that mirror Ferrari’s pioneering spirit.

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CRP Technology, an Italy-based 3D printing company known for its advancements in the additive manufacturing sector, proudly collaborated with Michael Mann’s film production team, swiftly manufacturing and delivering functional 3D printed props, and showcasing remarkable efficiency in record time. Rooted in the Motor Valley, CRP Technology shares its birthplace and headquarters with Ferrari, adding a unique layer of significance to this cinematic collaboration.

Indeed, applying cutting-edge additive manufacturing techniques and employing its advanced Windform materials for laser sintering which is well known amongst the Motorsports key leaders, CRP Technology contribut-

Source: CRP Technology

3D printed visor for the helmet in glass fiber reinforced composite Windform GT, assembly test (on left) and helmet built, on the scene on actor and dummy (on the right).

estled in the soul of Modena, a city echoing with the thunderous symphony of engines and steeped in the storied tradition of automotive prowess, the eclectic and innovative filmmaker Michael Mann assumed the directorial helm to breathe life into the enthralling saga of Enzo Ferrari, the mastermind behind Ferrari cars.

Drawing inspiration from Brock Yates’ seminal 1991 biography, “Enzo Ferrari: The Man and the Machine”, Mann’s new cinematic masterpiece, “Ferrari” meticulously explores the profound impact of this visionary Italian luminary on the realms of both automotive engineering and motorsport history.

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Source: CRP Technology

3D printed cat’s eye in rubber-like thermoplastic Windform RL with special surface before delivery (small rectangle) and on the road on set.

3D printed pit part (starter motor) in Windform XT 2.0 with special surface effect before delivery.

ed significantly to the creation and development of functional components, some impacting on the film’s visual narrative.

The components were commissioned to CRP Technology while the film crew was shooting in Modena, to be used immediately, during the filming in Modena and northern Italy. Thanks to CRP Technology’s highly skilled staff, it managed to provide the required 3D printed parts in a short amount of time thus ensuring the strict shooting schedule.

Windform materials have been used in the most advanced industrial sectors such as motorsport, aerospace, UAV and are now also proving to be suitable for high-performance props.

Specifically, the carbon fiber filled Windform XT 2.0 (material for the pit parts), the glass fiber filled GT (visor), and the rubber-like thermoplastic elastomer RL (cat’s eye) have been chosen for their exceptional mechanical properties and suitability in diverse applications. These materials are part of the Top-Line range for the selective laser sintering process: Windform XT 2.0 is a carbon fiber filled composite, GT is a glass fiber filled composite, and RL is a thermoplastic elastomer.

The film production team expressed satisfaction with CRP Technology’s contribution, acknowledging the company for availability, efficient production, and timely deliveries. Additionally, they appreciated the quality of the 3D printed components, emphasising CRP Technology’s dedication to providing effective solutions. The successful integration of advanced manufacturing technologies into cinema showcases the potential of 3D printing in creating tailored, high-quality components across various industries. (ast)

Contribution to cinematic realism The collaboration involved crafting 3D printed props.

These components, created with precision using CRP Technology’s expertise and professional 3D printing (Selective Laser Sintering process), included: driver helmet parts (visor), pit components and cat’s eyes, which contributed significantly to the film’s narrative.

The mathematics of the parts was appropriately aged to adapt the 3D components to the scene needs. The 3D printed props also highlight the versatility of CRP Technology’s Windform composites: in fact, for many years

ETMM-INFO

Windform SLS materials SLS composite materials Windform Top-Line are for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), an additive manufacturing technique that uses a laser as the power source to sinter powdered material from a 3D model. This process does not require tooling to manufacture parts.

It has been designed to produce tough, functional parts or prototypes, with the possibility to achieve excellent surface finish and fine detailing. Prevalent SLS materials are thermoplastic polymers.

Windform Top-Line SLS materials are engineered to offer a full range of options, possibilities and features, from excellent thermal properties to resistance to high temperature, from high stiffness and excellent strength to reduced weight, just to name a few.

They are used for functional prototypes and end-use components for the most highly demanding industries.

Source: CRP Technology

Source: CRP Technology

Additive Manufacturing

3D printed visor for the helmet in glass fiber reinforced composite Windform GT before delivery.

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Injection Moulding

AUTOMATION

It’s all in the mix: robots take production to a new level Medmix Switzerland faced challenges in optimising production for 2-component systems used in the dental industry. To enhance efficiency and product quality, Medmix partnered with Krehl & Partner and Robomotion to employ ABB robots.

WRITTEN BY

Jürgen Stühler Robotics and Automation ABB

Production according to a “one-piece flow”: Medmix relies on robotic technology from ABB to manufacture static mixers for the dental industry.

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mixers are required when two components are only to be mixed together and applied or sprayed during application. Previous production using automatic assembly machines had an availability rate of only 60 to 70 percent, which was partly due to damage to the products during intermediate storage. The company wanted to significantly improve availability through the use of robotics. To this end, it commissioned the process optimisers from Krehl & Partner and the production specialists from Robomotion to develop a solution that would significantly increase the efficiency rate and improve product quality.

Challenges and solutions Previous production had relied on large stocks of the individual components to ensure availability. As some of the mixing elements had warped slightly during the

Source: ABB

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uality, precision and time play the most important roles in the manufacture of dental products.

The focus is always on patient safety and customer satisfaction. If one of these factors is not right, a product can quickly become unprofitable. Instead of buffering production delays with intermediate storage, the Swiss 1K and 2K application systems manufacturer Medmix has taken a different, much more efficient approach and uses robots from ABB for this purpose.

Medmix Switzerland is part of the Medmix Group. The company is a leading manufacturer of application systems for mixing, dosing and applying liquids in the healthcare, industrial and consumer goods segments.

The company has a total of around 2,600 employees and operates at 19 locations worldwide.

Within the product line of static mixers for the dental industry, Medmix wanted to optimise production for 2-component systems at the Swiss site in Haag. These

Injection Moulding

cooling process, the existing assembly had a relatively high reject rate and poor availability. This is a general problem when injection moulding production and assembly are separated — errors in production or product changes may only become apparent with a time delay.

The separation requires transport and intermediate storage logistics and generates more process steps because the individual parts have to be placed in the intermediate storage, transported and removed again in a coordinated manner. In addition, the individual parts have to be orientated from the intermediate storage units in a complex process via feeders using conveyor pots and fed back in individually.

Planning and realisation Source: ABB

In contrast to the old production process, the individual parts were to be removed from the injection moulding machines and assembled all at once using robots. To this end, the contractors Krehl & Partner and the engineers The use of ABB rofrom the integrator Robomotion were able to carry out bots and the merging test runs with the individual parts in advance, thus of injection moulding demonstrating that this type of production is possible production and asand efficient in terms of a “one-piece flow”. After all, The system was developed, assembled and tested in there were concerns that the entire production process advance at Robomotion. It was then installed at Medmix sembly brings numerous advantages would come to a standstill if one machine or robot failed. and fully commissioned within two weeks. The scope of for Medmix. Above This would have resulted in high follow-up costs if the development included the gripper systems, the joining all, availability and entire producpresses and the camera sys- productivity have tem of the quality inspection tion cell had to been significantly be restarted unit. Several robot-supported increased. step by step afproduction systems with a ter a shutdown. total of 20 ABB robots are A similar situanow in permanent use. tion occurs “Although we were initially when employunsure whether production could work without buffer ees have to enstorage, Robomotion’s soluter the producLaura Zwerenz, Senior Project Manager Industrialisation tion with highly reliable ABB tion cell for Medmix Switzerland maintenance robots completely won us purposes. over. In the meantime, we “The solution is to slow down the injection moulding have converted a number of production systems to robot production cycle in such situations, but not to stop it. technology and also extended them to other production This saves Medmix the downtime and expense of restart- areas,” confirms Laura Zwerenz, Senior Project Manager ing an injection moulding machine,” says Philipp Blat- Industrialisation at Medmix Switzerland. (ast) tert, owner and CEO of Krehl & Partner, explaining the advantages of the new approach. “As employees only need to be in the production area for a few minutes if ETMM-INFO necessary, this results in very low reject rates. The use of organised temporary storage systems would not have brought any advantages because they generate an enormous volume and it may not be possible to resolve different storage levels later on.”

The use of ABB robots and the merging of injection moulding proRobomotion was also able to impress with the project duction and assembly has numerous advantages for Medmix: thanks to the successful laboratory demonstration using Availability and productivity have been significantly increased. an ABB robot and the creation of a digital twin in Robot 100 percent of the products pass the inline quality control, which Studio, ABB’s simulation and programming software. ensures customer satisfaction and allows an immediate response This made it possible to show directly how simultaneous to problems. production can take place in a joining process and what This also contributes to the company's sustainability goals, as not efficiency increases are possible as a result. only is there less waste, but electricity consumption can also be In the system, four ABB robots — three of type IRB reduced.

1600 and one of type IRB 1200 — work in parallel with Intermediate storage is no longer required. This means that the three injection moulding machines. Three robots restorage space can be used for other purposes. move the individual parts from the injection moulding The logistics for transport from injection moulding production to machines and feed them to the subsequent process steps. assembly are eliminated.

Finally, the finished mixing element is fed to the fully integrated quality control and packaged.

“We were able to significantly increase the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) with the new production system.”

Advantages for the customer

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Injection Moulding

PLASTICS PROCESSING

Sustainable injection moulding leads the way From its first orange lids for Ovomaltine to advanced, automated manufacturing, Fuso combines tradition with cutting-edge technology.

Explore how this Austrian manufacturer is shaping the future of plastic injection moulding.

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he company Joh. Fuchs & Sohn (Fuso) was founded in 1947 in Waidhofen an der Ybbsitz in Lower Austria. The manufacturer entered the field of plastic injection moulding in 1964 with the production of orange-coloured lids for Ovomaltine cans. Today, Fuso employs around 80 people and produces sophisticated plastic parts from a wide variety of materials, including

high-temperature plastics, on an area of almost 3,000 square metres.

The components produced range from small parts weighing from 0.03 grams to parts weighing up to two kilograms. In addition to the production of plastic parts using 1- or 2-component injection moulding, the company also offers overmoulding of functional parts, com-

Fuso also maintains its own mould making facility. This image shows an injection mould produced using reverse engineering for the manufacture of an AMP connector (in the foreground). The connector is used in communication systems as part of critical infrastructures.

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e: Fus Sourc

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Injection Moulding

ponent assembly, bonding and welding as well as finishing using 4-colour pad printing. It also offers laser printing and 3D scanning for reverse engineering. 3D printing with a view to rapid prototyping can also be utilised.

Injection moulding tools and automation systems are planned, designed and manufactured by Fuso’s in-house toolmaking department.

Fuso relies on Smartpower injection moulding machines The newer machines supplied by Wittmann Battenfeld are exclusively machines from the Smartpower series, the company states. The machines operate with hydraulic technology and are equipped with fast-reacting servomotors and powerful fixed displacement pumps, says the manufacturer. This technology, combined with the Kers (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) installed as standard to utilise the braking energy within the machine, explains the high energy efficiency of the injection moulding machines. Other characteristics of the Smartpower are the small footprint and the swivelling injection unit, which ensures good accessibility to the screw barrel, making it easy and convenient to change the barrel.

With the exception of one machine, all are designed as insider cells. This means that the Wittmann robot and conveyor belt are integrated into the work cell. This variant offers a number of advantages. These range from space savings compared to systems with conventional automation systems to cost benefits, as all hazardous areas are already protected and fully certified. The robot cycle time can also be minimised thanks to shorter travel distances and the direct placement of the moulded parts on the conveyor belt.

New control and assistance system deliver impressive performance The injection moulding machines delivered in 2023 are already equipped with the new B8X control system and the Hiq Flow assistance system, as Wittmann Battenfeld

Source: Fuso

The demands of Fuso customers in terms of the quality and properties of the parts with regard to tolerances, appearance and the materials used are constantly increasing, however. As the requirements for the produced parts and assemblies increase, so do Fuso’s demands on injection moulding technology. The company’s machinery is also very new and production relies on automation.

All systems are therefore equipped with robots to ensure careful handling of the parts.

Energy efficiency of the machines and systems, connectivity with robots and peripheral devices and assistance systems are also becoming increasingly important.

Injection moulding machines with clamping forces ranging from 450 to 5,200 kilonewtons are used to manufacture the parts, 17 of which are from Wittmann Battenfeld. In addition, Fuso has long been a customer of the Wittmann Group in the automation sector and has over 40 handling devices with a payload of between 5 and 30 kilograms in use, ranging from the robot series 7 to the latest series 9 with R9 control.

This plastic housing for a power tool is also injection moulded at Fuso on Wittmann-Battenfeld machines.

Source: Fuso

Injection moulding with a focus on automation

This housing for an aqua sensor for monitoring water quality is used in dishwashers. These parts are also manufactured at Fuso.

explains further. The B8X control system also works with control components developed in-house. These enable a higher internal clock frequency and therefore shorter reaction times to sensor signals, resulting in better reproducibility of parts with unchanged ease of operation and familiar visualisation. The Hiq Flow assistance system is an injection control system that can be used to compensate for viscosity fluctuations in the plastic melt. This function enables process automation and compensates for even minimal fluctuations in material quality. According to Wittmann Battenfeld, Fuso was so impressed by the system that it was retrofitted to all machines where it was technically possible and economically viable.

Looking to the future, Fuso is poised for further growth and innovation. The company’s focus on automation, energy efficiency, and the development of advanced manufacturing capabilities positions it well to meet the increasing complexity and precision required by its clients across various industries. The company’s dedication to continuous improvement, employee expertise, and customer satisfaction remains central to its operational philosophy.

Moreover, Fuso’s in-house toolmaking department ensures that the company retains control over the entire production process, from design to finished product.

This integrated approach enables the manufacturer to maintain high standards of quality, reduce production times, and offer customised solutions to meet the specific needs of its clients.(ast)

ETMM-TIP Visit wittmann-group. com to learn more about sustainable injection moulding.

ETMM 1 | 2024

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CAD/CAM & Software

DIGITAL PRESS TWIN

Software rapidly simulates elastic press deflection Mould design is costly due to the extensive manual reworking of mould surfaces for quality parts. This is often because the elastic properties of machines and tools are overlooked in mould design. Fraunhofer IWU’s Pressmate software addresses these problems.

ETMM-TIP Interested companies can download a free demo version of Pressmate: www.iwu.fraunhofer.de

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matical model that is independent of the individual design of the ram or table assembly of the press.

arge pressing tools bring workpieces into the desired shape by applying tonnes of pressure. But what effects do the immense forces have on the tool behaviour itself? Not much can go wrong where so much solid steel is used — or can it? In fact, pressing tools and even the press itself deform elastically under process load, with corresponding effects on the workpiece.

If these effects are not taken into account during the design and incorporation of new tools, many expensive rework loops are required until the desired dimensional accuracy of the component is achieved. If the toolmaker has completely underestimated such deformation effects, the pressing tool must be completely reworked on a milling machine. There is a risk of production downtime, in the worst case for several months.

The Pressmate software developed at Fraunhofer IWU now helps to reduce the costs for tool reworking by up to 40 percent in many scenarios and to save several reworking loops. Pressmate is a special type of digital twin that maps the elastic deformation behaviour of the press and can be used for simulations and variant studies. This saves time and costs. The software can be used to analyse the elastic compliance behaviour of the clamping surfaces for individual tools. It is based on a special mathe-

Experience is good, but data is better The elastic deformation behaviour of a press is not adequately mapped when designing new pressing tools based purely on experience. It is neither available for simulations nor for variant studies. Extensive manual reworking of the mould surfaces is then the rule — until the workpiece quality “fits”. These test runs are time-consuming and very expensive. Solutions for a knowledge-based design of the die moulding surfaces for individual press properties are not fundamentally new.

However, the fact that previous possibilities have not been fully utilised is often due to the high level of complexity and the expert knowledge required, for example to link software tools for digital simulation and analysis.

Fast and uncomplicated variant simulation

Source: Fraunhofer-IWU

Pressmate is a special type of digital twin that maps the elastic deformation behaviour of the press.

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The software makes it possible to analyse the elastic compliance behaviour of the die clamping surfaces of presses for individual dies. The software is based on a special mathematical model that is independent of the individual design of the slide or table assembly of the press. This model can be calibrated quickly and easily by simply entering measurement or simulation data of the press properties. If this data is not yet available, the Fraunhofer IWU offers a calibration service. The measurement of the press now only takes a few hours, so that the costs for calibration and the measurement-related system downtime remain manageable. Once the model has been calibrated for a press, it can be used as often as required. Pressmate can then calculate the deflection behaviour of the clamping surfaces for any die/press combination. This makes it easy to determine an adjustment to the effective surfaces of the pressing tool, find the right press for an existing tool or compare presses.

Pressmate also offers decision-making aids for tool relocations: Pressmate can be used to assess whether it is possible and sensible to use existing press tools at other company locations — without having to physically install the tools in the press. This makes scenario analyses child’s play. (ast)

CAD/CAM & Software

STREAMLINING CAD/CAM OPERATIONS

Thyssenkrupp automates CAM programming The Toolmaking and Technology Centre at Thyssenkrupp Presta Steering has significantly streamlined its CAM programming process by adopting Hypermill from Open Mind Technologies. This move now includes the automated creation of NC codes.

Source: Open Mind

Source: WTZ Thyssenkrupp Presta

Christoph Steiner, Project Manager Production Planning: “Hypermill is the ideal CAM solution for us with the additional Hyper-CAD-S CAD module and various automation options.”

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he Oberegger Toolmaking and Technology Centre (WTZ) is part of Thyssenkrupp Presta Steering in Eschen, Switzerland, where it is integrated into the Solid Forming Operation Unit. The approximately 150 employees complete between 15,000 and 20,000 different tool orders every year, which they supply to all Thyssenkrupp Presta sites in Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Germany, France, Poland, Hungary, Mexico, Brazil, the USA, China and Japan. Up to 80 percent of the tools are intended for cold forming. The rest are tools for other business areas such as tube forming and forging.

The WTZ has automated its CAM programming with Hypermill. After opting for the CAD/CAM suite from Open Mind Technologies a few years ago in order to utilise advanced 5-axis strategies, the WTZ now also automates the creation of NC codes. For some part families, the programming effort has been reduced from hours to minutes.

It was not only Hypermill's 5-axis technology that played a key role in the evaluation of various CAM systems. The ease of programming with the help of macros also spoke in favour of the CAD/CAM suite from Open Mind. The toolmaking department at Thyssenkrupp Presta Steering has now gone one step further by using the Hypermill Automation Centre. Christoph Steiner, Project Manager Production Planning, praises the macro

Gear forming die including pressure and packer plate: Thanks to the Hypermill Automation Center, programming now only takes 30 minutes instead of up to ten hours.

and feature technology in Hypermill, but states: “However, we achieve the greatest savings with the Hypermill Automation Centre, which offers even more options. It allows us to standardise and automate even complex process sequences.”

Defined operations Reiner Burk, Vice President OEM Partner Management at Open Mind and long-time supervisor of the WTZ, explains: “Our automation environment accesses all Hyper-CAD-S and Hypermill commands and customises them. This allows users to specify which operation they want to use for a particular geometry — for example, equidistant finishing or another strategy. They can even specify how the blank is positioned and clamped.”

Automating the programming process is particularly worthwhile for part families where similar components have to be programmed repeatedly, differing only in size and in the number and shape of the surfaces, holes and threads to be machined. Steiner cites the gear forming die for a gear rack as a prime example — a forging tool that is required in various sizes and shapes. It used to take eight to ten hours to programme each tool. Thanks to the Hypermill Automation Centre, the programmer is now finished in 20 to 30 minutes. (ast) ETMM 1 | 2024

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Quality Control

CMMS

Why Alltrista Plastics adopts advanced metrology systems

Source: LK Metrology

The UK factory of Alltrista Plastics in Christchurch had been relying on two CNC coordinate measuring machines for over a decade, but the machines had become inefficient. The company replaced these with two new systems, which significantly improved productivity.

Peter Makosa setting up one of the reduced-height LK Altera S CMMs in the temperature controlled inspection room at Alltrista’s Christchurch factory.

46 ETMM 1 | 2024

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he two CNC coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) Alltrista Plastics had been using 24/7 for more than ten years at its Christchurch, UK factory had become inefficient. The accuracy and repeatability of touch-trigger probing were becoming compromised due to the age of the machines. The software would sometimes crash, risking a physical collision, damage to the probe and perhaps even to the component being checked. As the plastic medical parts and assemblies produced had become more complex over time, an angled stylus was often required in an inspection cycle, so an operator had to choose from half a dozen pre-set probe configurations, mount one manually and calibrate it. Additionally, the person would have to sort through different programs to identify and load the correct one.

This whole process has been streamlined and automated with the installation of two new Altera S 10.7.6 CMMs manufactured by LK Metrology in Castle Donington, UK. The supplier’s Camio 3-axis scanning and reporting software was also provided along with a Renishaw SP25M scanning probe and PH10M motorised indexing head. It is in effect two sensors in one, enabling continuous path tactile scanning as well as touch-trigger probing of discrete points. Together with a Renishaw matrix plate to allow accurate placement of parts for inspection, the set-up has resulted in a vast improvement in metrology productivity by facilitating fixturing of samples, speeding measuring cycles and virtually eliminating human intervention and the attendant risk of errors. It would not have been feasible to retrofit scan-

Quality Control

ning capability to the older CMMs, as the cost would have been prohibitive and in any case the machines were becoming obsolete.

Take control of your motion

Tailored approach to quality control Alltrista’s quality manager Peter Makosa said: “I operated LK CMMs for several years when working for an aerospace manufacturer, which had standardised on their use. When Alltrista decided to upgrade its quality room, we approached four potential machine providers including the incumbent supplier. LK’s response was by far the most comprehensive. It carried out an online demo on one of our parts and another trial when we visited Castle Donington. It was the only company to initiate a comprehensive on-site survey at our factory to check the feasibility of machine installation. On the basis of the measurements taken, bearing in mind that LK machines are taller than our previous CMMs, the manufacturer offered to reduce the height of the Altera S models during their build so they would fit comfortably through our doorways and in our refurbished inspection room.”

The decision to choose a particular supplier was based on three key factors: competitive pricing, the expertise of the engineers throughout the sales process and a strong track record of after-sales support.

SPEED. PRECISION. PERFORMANCE.

New standards in injection moulding The Alltrista site in Christchurch, part of the Jadex Group, is unique in that it is entirely powered by renewable energy. The ISO13485 certified company focuses on plastic injection moulding for the medical, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors, producing items such as drug delivery systems and packaging solutions such as contact lens blisters. The facility has Class 7 and Class 8 cleanrooms housing the majority of its injection moulding machines. Over the past decade there has been a significant shift towards medical devices, both in terms of percentage of sales and production volume, with an emphasis on tighter tolerances and stricter geometric dimensioning and tolerancing standards.

The Christchurch manufacturing process is characterised by a rigorous validation process to ensure product quality and consistency. This includes detailed initial testing and adherence to specific process capability indices. A notable requirement is the collection of more detailed data on moulding features, which has been facilitated by the introduction of a Renishaw scanning probe, enhancing both product development and customer reporting.

The introduction of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) with core inspection programmes for major customers has streamlined quality control. This system is supported by a user-friendly PC dashboard for easy operation and a Renishaw matrix plate to optimise component positioning and minimise human error. The quality control process, which Mr Makosa describes as foolproof since its inception in March 2022, may eventually be expanded to include laser scanning sensors to cope with the increasing complexity of plastic components. For now, though, tactile scanning and touch probing, including with a multi-tip stylus to access the underside of components without probe change, provides sufficient capability and capacity. (ast) ETMM 1 | 2024

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UK.AEROTECH.COM

Quality Control

SOUND SENSORS

The sound of quality: Intelligent defect detection in production DS Automation introduces advanced sound sensors capable of detecting even the slightest anomalies in metal, glass, or ceramic parts. These sensors identify defects early in the production process, enhancing efficiency and preventing costly errors.

S

pany develops sound sensors that use acoustic properties to reliably check the quality of small metal, glass or ceramic parts.

The dsound USS4 airborne sound sensor, for example, hears the slightest changes in sound and can draw conclusions about the quality of the component or material.

“If, for example, there are fine cracks in screws, inclusions in snap rings or geometry errors in turned parts, our sensors notice this immediately,” says Ronald Meyer, development engineer at DS Automation. In series production, the sound sensors recognise in real time whether a component or precision part has the right sound and can immediately eject defective parts from the production process. This makes quality inspection possible in areas where other systems, such as cameras, are too expensive or maintenance-intensive, too complex to install, or where defects are simply not visible.

“This has many advantages for industrial manufacturers,” explains Arndt Kritzner, Managing Director of DS Automation. “With our acoustic method, they can check the quality of their products at an early stage and quickly detect defective material. Defective parts do not enter the downstream manufacturing process, which ensures flawless end products.

As a result, our customers have better control of their processes, avoid costs and the stress of complaints, and avoid having to reject entire batches. Overall, the efficiency of the entire manufacturing process is increased.” DS Automation has developed a range of sensors Source: Joern Lehmann

ound detection is suitable for many in-process, comprehensive quality checks in production. Especially in industrial mass production, anomalies or deviations in the production process can be detected at an early stage and the risk of failure minimised. DS Automation is successful in this special field. The com-

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Quality Control

“With our acoustic method, customers can check the quality of their products at an early stage and quickly detect defective material.”

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Reader Service etmm-online.com/help or an e-mail to vertrieb@vogel.de with Subject „ETMM”.

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Editorial enquiries: Phone +49 931 418-2333 fachmedien@vogel.de Editor-in-Chief: Benedikt Hofmann, V. i. S. d. P. Managing Editor: editor@etmm-online.com Alexander Stark (ast)

for different applications, which solve both simple and very demanding tasks, and work extremely precisely and in sync with production.

Contributing Editor: Ahlam Rais (ars) Conceptual Design & Layout: Alexandra Geißner

Sensors for different performance levels

Spellings, names of firms and products: In general we follow the recommendations in Duden.

Legal disclaimer: The content of individual articles is the responsibility of the authors named and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of editorial staff. Although all published material is checked carefully, no liability can be accepted for possible inaccuracies. No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form or, with the help of electronic systems, processed, copied or distributed, without express written permission.

In the production process, dsound sound sensors check parts for dimensional accuracy, correct material composition, cracks, assembly completeness, tooth flank clearance in the gear, pressure tightness and other quality criteria. In many cases, ultrasonic testing is used to check features that would be almost impossible to detect using other testing methods.

Material properties, cavities or angled structures can be holistically and accurately checked for compliance with target criteria using sound. Both airborne and structure-borne sound can be recorded and analysed with dsound sensors.

Depending on the application, the complexity of determining a valid test result varies. For this reason, DS Automation offers sensors in two different performance levels, suitable for the application of either simpler or more complex test algorithms. Depending on the application requirements, there are also limited or comprehensive configuration options to adjust the detection.

With sound sensors, frequency spectra can be accurately detected well into the ultrasonic range and individual frequencies can be very finely determined and differentiated. The transient and decay behaviour of a test specimen can also be recorded and included in the classification. The test method can be easily integrated into new or existing production lines. (ast)

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ETMM-INFO Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG Max-Planck-Str. 7/9, 97082 Würzburg, Germany Phone +49 931 418-0 www.vogel.com

Acoustic sensors A change in sound can provide information about leaks in containers, cracks in materials such as metal, ceramics or glass, geometric defects and other quality differences in products. Acoustic methods are used to monitor production processes to ensure the quality of end products.

Furthermore, the acoustic behaviour of production lines and other large-scale facilities — often combined with the operating parameters — provides essential information about the condition of the facilities. Based on this, sound sensors can also make decisive contributions to the development of concepts for predictive maintenance tasks.

ETMM 1 | 2024

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Istma

ISTMA World News & Events The International Special Tooling & Machining Association (ISTMA) is an international association representing 19 special tooling and machining associations throughout the world. Collectively, ISTMA member associations represent over 8,000 companies and over 40bn Dollar in annual sales.

ISTMA World is in charge of the central coordination and organisation of all international activities

Istma webinar on green transformation The latest Istma webinar titled “Can Green Transformation Increase Competitiveness in Machining?”, held on 8 February and supported

by Istma Global Partner DMG Mori, explored the intersection of sustainability and competitiveness in the machining industry. The session, part of the Istma Sustainable Initiative Programme led by Istma Europe, featured guest speakers Michael Kirbach and Michael Kieslich from DMG Mori. The initiative aims to promote a comprehensive discussion on sustainability within the mould, tool and die industry.

Istma President Markus Heseding opened the webinar by highlighting the importance of process integration, automation and digital transformation in reducing waste, increasing productivity and promoting environmental, economic and social sustainability.

Kirbach stressed the need to integrate green transformation into corporate strategies for a sustainable future, and emphasised the importance of getting it right. Technology plays a key role in this endeavour, with Kirbach highlighting DMG Mori's holistic approach to sustainability through innovative solutions tailored to optimise resources and production processes.

Focusing on energy management and cost reduction, Kieslich identified streamlining productivity and process integration as key challenges. By reducing manufacturing processes and timescales, energy consumption and waste can be minimised, leading to improved productivity and sustainability.

Automation and digital twin technologies were suggested as means to improve performance, with DMG Mori offering practical solutions to help tool, die and mould manufacturers optimise their

operations. The adoption of such technologies also addresses the industry's concern about attracting young talent.

Overall, the webinar highlighted the need for green transformation to improve competitiveness while navigating the evolving landscape of sustainability in machining. www.istma.org/en

ASSOCIATION OF GERMAN TOOL AND MOLD MAKERS

VDWF welcomes 500th member The German association VDWF has reached an impressive milestone by surpassing 500 members, with 15 new companies joining in December alone. According to Ralf Dürrwächter, the Managing Director of VDWF, applications poured in from various parts of Germany between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Exchanges between companies have become essential, particularly amid recent turbulent years. VDWF has successfully cultivated a conducive network environment for its members, striving for even greater cohesion.

On this special occasion, the association extends a warm welcome to all new members, while recognising the contributions of its long-standing participants. Ralf Dürrwächter looks forward to fresh ideas, innovative projects and enriching exchanges in the coming year.

Source: VDWF

WEBINAR REVIEW

www.vdwf.de/en

MEMBERS Tool Factories Association www.svaz-nastrojaren.eu Estonian Special Tooling Association www.estatools.ee The Federation of Finnish Technology Industries www.techind.fi Association Française des Industries du Moule, Modèle et Maquette (AFIM) www.afim-france.com VDWF www.vdwf.de VDMA www.vdma.org

50 ETMM 1 | 2024

The Gauge & Tool Maker’s Association (GTMA) www.gtma.co.uk

Slovenian Tool and Die Development Center www.tecos.si

Szerszámgyártók Magyarorsazági Szövetsége (SZMSZ) www.szmsz.hu

Toolmaking Association of South Africa (TASA) www.tasaweb.co.za

Unione Costruttori Italiani Stampi e Attrezzature di Precisione (UCISAP) www.ucisap.it

Swedish Moulding and Press Tools Association www.sinf.se

Stowarzyszenie Techniczne – Tworzywa Sztuczne www.stts.com.pl

Swissmem www.swissmem.ch

Associação Nacional da Indústria de Moldes (CEFAMOL) www.cefamol.pt

International Mould Manufacturers Union www.ukub.org.tr

For information, contact: Mr. Manuel Oliveira Secretariat, Istma Europe c/o Cefamol Av. D. Dinis 17 Aptdo. 257 2430-263 Marinha Grande Portugal Tel. +351 244 575150 Fax +351 244 575159 istma-europe@istma-europe.com www.istma-europe.com

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