Smart wings offer a composite solution

A £1m+ project to develop ‘smart’ composite leading edges for aircraft wings with embedded heaters to protect the wings against ice build-up (while reducing weight and boosting efficiency compared with existing systems), has concluded successfully after crucial wind tunnel tests. The EU-funded ELWIPS programme brought together researchers from the University of Sheffield’s AMRC and aerospace companies Meggitt and AeroTex.
ELWIPS is a programme managed by aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. The AMRC designed and built a composite wing structure which incorporates electric heating technology and power control systems developed by Meggitt subsidiaries in the UK and France, while specialists in icing prevention and prediction, AeroTex, determined the sizing, zoning, power rating and control strategy for the heaters.
For further information www.amrc.co.uk

TDI Challenge now open to entries

Submissions for the 2017 edition of the Technology Design and Innovation (TDI) Challenge, the MTA’s flagship schools competition for young engineers, are now invited. There are four prize categories to be judged, two in each age group, which are 14-16 and 17-19. Each age category has two prizes on offer for individual and group projects. The winner in each category will receive an individual prize (which include iPads, GoPro cameras, Mini-rig speakers and drones) as well as a £1000 voucher for their school to spend on design and technology equipment. All entries must be received by 12 May.
For further information
www.mta.org.uk/tdi

Good attendance expected at ReTEC

The ReTEC trade fair for used machinery and equipment is set to take place in Augsburg on 25-27 April. Over three days, exhibitors will present pre-owned machine tools and metalworking technologies in halls 5, 6 and 7. Furthermore, some exhibitors will be offering a full range of services relating to used machines, including retrofitting, dis- and re-assembly, special transport and commissioning.
International visitor groups from countries such as Armenia, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and the Ukraine have already registered for ReTEC 2017. The demand for machinery in these countries is large but available finances are often only sufficient to allow for pre-owned machinery. As always, MTI magazine will be taking a stand (E02, hall 5) at ReTEC, from where it will be handing out copies of its show issue to exhibition visitors.
For further information www.retec.com

Two-axis lathe turns bar work on its head

The installation of a Hyundai Wia two-axis lathe has not only reduced cycle times by 18% on an existing component at Walsall-based DJT Engineering but, by releasing capacity, is enabling the company to double its output of components derived from bar. Supplied by TW Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC), the sole UK and Ireland agent for Hyundai Wia, the KIT450 was purchased “because I could see that it would produce immediate benefits on this fairly straightforward alloy steel part”, says the company’s managing director Lee Baker.
Produced from 45 mm bar, the 13 mm long component requires a 23 mm through-hole before parting-off.
“With just two tools involved, I wanted a suitable ‘simple’ and cost-effective two-axis machine that I could dedicate to this component and it appeared that Ward CNC was the only company that could supply such – with the Hyundai Wia KIT450,” says Baker. “The new machine has cut cycle times to such an extent that I have been able to release the former machine for other, similar parts. This has allowed me to process up to 12 tonnes of bar a month, compared with
6 tonnes.”
The Hyundai Wia, which has a swing over the bed of 530 mm and a maximum turning diameter and length of 170 mm and 300 mm respectively, joins a range of machines at DJT Engineering. The company, which specialises in the production of turned and milled parts, also offers the machining of special fasteners and assembly work in all material types, as well as finish coatings.
For further information
www.wardcnc.com

Victor reveals latest VMC range

New from Victor CNC is the P76 three-axis vertical machining centre series. The P76 incorporates a 30-tool ATC that can change tools in 1.6 seconds with a chip-to-chip time of 4 seconds. This speed is supported by rapid feed rates of 48 m/min in the X and Y axes, and 32 m/min in Z.
The Victor P76 offers a work envelope of 760 x 500 x 510 mm, a BBT-40 face and taper contact spindle configuration and a meehanite structure with a wide base measuring 1166 mm that helps dampen vibration and add stability. Furthermore, maximum spindle speed is 12,000 rpm, underpinned by a spindle motor that generates 18.5 kW of power output.
Able to accept a maximum component weight of 500 kg on its 840 x 500 mm table, the P76 comes with a range of standard accessories, including a fully-enclosed splash guard, Fanuc 0i-MF CNC with 10.4” monitor, and a spindle oil cooler. Additionally, the P76 offers rigid taping, a three-step warning light, levelling pads, automatic power-off and a screw-type swarf-removal system.
For end-users looking for a higher-specification solution, optional extras include a 40-tool ATC, coolant gun, automatic tool-length measurement, automatic part measuring and a fourth/fifth-axis interface. For enhanced precision and higher-speed machining, the P76 can be configured with a 15,000 rpm spindle, linear scales, rotary table, through-spindle coolant and a Heidenhain TNC-620/640 CNC.
For further information
www.victorcnc.com