Mazak opens laser centre for Nordics

A new specialist technology centre for laser machine users based in Sweden is due to open this month. The new Nordic Laser Technology Centre (NLTC) has been developed in partnership with Yamazaki Mazak’s two official distributors in the Nordic region, Ravema AB in Sweden and Norway, and the Wihuri Group, which operates in Finland.

Mazak’s new collaboration will allow each partner and its customers to benefit from shared resources and expertise, along with a state-of-the-art facility for demonstrations, virtual demonstrations, test cutting and training. In addition, a range of product solutions will be on display, including laser machines, sheet metal software, measuring systems, and automation systems.

For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

Promotion at Walter Ewag

Walter Ewag UK, the Warwick-based source of Walter and Ewag tool and insert grinding/erosion/laser processing machines, as well as Walter tool measuring machines, has promoted Matthew Redfern to customer care co-ordinator. Redfern has been with Walter Ewag UK for almost 10 years as a service technician, after an apprenticeship with a specialist tooling supplier that led to various roles, including machinery maintenance. He says his new position interacting with an extensive UK-wide customer base “will complement my enthusiasm for getting hands on and solving customer problems”.

For further information
www.walter-machines.com

OEM and subcontractor back a ‘Favorit’

In 2010, West Sussex based Cox Powertrain began its mission to deliver a new concept in ultra-lightweight diesel outboards. This process was the genesis of the CXO300. Since then, Cox has successfully raised over £120m of private investment in order to turn the outboard from a dream into a reality.

Cox Powertrain has invested £6.7m in a world-class production facility, with all components procured from a range of manufacturers. For instance, Delta Tooling (Horsham) produces the CXO300’s drive shafts using a machine tool acquired by Cox Powertrain.

Cox Powertrain’s head of DFM & manufacture Colin Stapley scrutinised several CNC universal cylindrical grinding machines with input from Gary Childs, the managing director of Delta Tooling. Stapley decided that the Studer Favorit was the ideal solution to meet the demanding dimensional and surface finish tolerances.

“With the assistance of Peter Harding, the owner of UK Studer agent, Advanced Grinding Supplies, Colin and I were able to precisely specify the Favorit to exactly meet Cox Powertrain’s demanding needs. Peter worked closely with us in areas such as developing the grinding process and ensuring the use of the correct wheels; he also helped organise the machine’s trouble-free installation and operator training.

“The machine is now in regular use and the quality of the drive shafts adheres to their challenging dimensional and surface finish specifications,” he continues. “In addition, the productive machine is helping us to satisfy ever-increasing demand.”

Stapley adds: “The decision to purchase a Studer Favorit and install it at the premises of Delta Tooling has proven to be a successful one.”

For further information
www.adgrind.co.uk

Turnkey grinding system for EV industry

GCH Machinery has recently shipped a turnkey grinding system to a major automaker. The system will manufacture transmission parts for the carmaker’s EV (electric vehicle) product line. Not only was the automaker’s older dual-head grinder updated to the latest technology, it was redesigned and repurposed by GCH Machinery to fulfil the global company’s green initiative. High-efficiency motors and a mist containment system are among new system’s components that will support the automotive plant’s move toward environmentally friendly manufacturing.

“Before reviewing the specifications of the car builder, we had a number of ideas of how to best serve the EV industry,” says Dan Geddes, president of GCH Machinery. “Everyone is going green and, as a cutting-edge grinder remanufacturer, we’ll play an important role in the EV industry.”

This fully automated grinder, with two separate and independent grinding wheel spindles, can process two ends of the part simultaneously, thus eliminating the need for a second grinder. Furthermore, the machine’s ability to process specific sections of the part at the same time leads to a more accurate part, which is critical to any transmission.

“We took an older machine that wasn’t able to hold size and was difficult to keep in operation due to its many older components, and retooled it for two brand-new EV parts,” explains Geddes. “The automated turnkey system produces parts that meet the automaker’s tight tolerances.”

The grinder meets all of the automaker’s green standards, as well as safety standards established by the UL.

Other features of the remanufactured grinder include updated electrical controls, an internal robot, an in-process part gauging system, an HMI touchscreen, a wheel balancer, an automatic part de-oiler, and new lubrication, pneumatic and electrical systems.

For further information
www.gchmachinery.com

Machining large quantities of stator housings

Electric cars still account for a relatively small proportion of total car sales, and a trend toward rapid growth for electric car production is still a long way off. But there are exceptions, as demonstrated using EMAG Scherer’s technology at a supplier in Central America. A total of 12 CNC vertical turning centres of type VDZ 520 XL ensure that up to 3000 stator housings, used solely in electric car motors, are machined every day.

Eight processes take place on the stator housing in only 240 seconds of chip-to-chip time. Ultimately it is possible to produce about 320 components per machine and day, although the customer ordered six machines to produce higher quantities. In the meantime, 12 machines are in use, which shows this solution is meeting expectations in every respect.

The finished component has a wall thickness of just 4 mm, with tolerances of only 0.016 to 0.25 mm and very precise roundness. At the same time, there are many bore holes and grooves, and the geometry is not rotationally symmetric.

Using the VDZ 520 XL, eight cutting processes take place in succession on the injection-cast blank – from the highly precise roughing and finishing of internal surfaces, external connecting surfaces and sintered bushes, to the milling of grooves and the drilling or milling of various cross and oblong holes.

The customised clamping solution from SAV has a special role, aligning and centring the sensitive component with high precision. Furthermore, the entire design of the machine is advantageous. Its vertical machining configuration ensures optimal chip flow despite the closed stator housing, while its synchronous drive technology with 64.4 kW power and 1110 Nm nominal torque ensures reliable, quick processes.

For further information
www.emag.com