ITC launches Widia M1600 face mill

Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC) has introduced the new Widia M1600 face-mill series for roughing to semi-finishing operations in steel, stainless steel, cast iron and nodular iron materials. With 16 cutting edges and a novel insert design, Widia says that the M1600 performs exceptionally well under various machining conditions, including those with low power, unstable set ups and long overhangs.

“Face milling is one of the most common machining operations, so we designed a versatile and cost-effective solution that delivers substantial improvements concerning metal removal rates in steel and cast iron for our customers,” says Anna Kim, Widia’s indexable milling global portfolio manager. “The M1600 represents a turnkey solution for general engineering, energy and automotive customers who want to reduce their face-mill inventory and increase their machining outputs.”

The 16-edge, precision-ground insert with positive geometry facilitates low cutting forces and low power consumption, resulting in higher tool life and attractive cost per edge, reports Widia. Notably, the M1600 has one universal insert geometry in three versatile grades: WP35CM, WK15CM and WU20PM. The WP35CM grade targets all types of steels, while WK15CM is for cast-iron materials and performs best in dry applications but is also suitable for wet conditions. The universal WU20PM grade is for the machining of steel, stainless steel and high-temperature alloys, in both dry and wet face-milling applications.

The ‘smart’ insert design features a seating surface below the cutting edge that promotes smooth chip flow and reduces cutting forces on the tool. The insert also has a curved cutting edge and is axially positive, resulting in reduced power consumption. M1600 face mills are available in six metric diameter ranges between 50 and 160 mm.

For further information
www.itc-ltd.co.uk

XYZ strengthens sales team

XYZ Machine Tools has appointed Martyn Jones to the position of area sales manager. Jones is making a return to the company after a 12-month break, during which he continued his excellent track record of selling machine tools. However, a chance encounter highlighted the opportunity to return to XYZ Machine Tools and he grabbed it with both hands having recognised that making the sale was just part of the overall picture and that he was missing greater involvement and autonomy.
“Basically, I forgot how fulfilling it was to work with a customer from initial enquiry, completing the demonstration myself in many cases and getting involved with training the operators when required,” he says. “All of this gets you close to the customer and strong relationships are the result.” Jones is now responsible for sales of the XYZ Machine Tools’ range in the Coventry (CV), Hemel Hempstead (HP), Milton Keynes (MK), Oxford (OX) and Reading (RG) postcodes.

For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Benefits of electric tube benders

According to BLM Adige, the main advantages of an all-electric tube bending machine include production flexibility, repeatability, production rate, quality, the absence of transition periods and lower energy consumption.

In terms of production flexibility, an all-electric tube bending machine eliminates the manual adjustments usually necessary on other types of tube bending machines, such as adjustment of the clamp die, pressure die and mandrel position, or of the clamp die pressure on the tube.

For the manufacturer, the most important factor in tube bending is repeatability; that is the degree of consistency among the measurements of the part across the entire batch. An electric tube bending machine can record the axis co-ordinates and tube bending parameters, recalling them at any moment.

Another benefit is speed. An all-electric tube bending machine’s movement is controlled by a CNC axis, tapping into the full potential of the machine’s programming software. As a result, the release movements from the tube can be smoother and faster.
With regard to quality, an all-electric tube bender can modulate the force exerted by the various electrical axes in-process depending on the tube being bent. Both for thin or thick tubes, ductile or hard material, this type of tube bending machine can properly manage the force exerted, modifying it as needed in-process to improve quality.

Furthermore, electric tube bending machines do not have hydraulic oil to heat up and their electric drivers have the same behaviour regardless of temperature or thermal shocks. So, there are no ‘transition periods’, defined as time intervals in which the machine working conditions change.

Last but not least, to save operational costs, electric bending machines only consume energy when needed, resulting in considerable savings for the manufacturer.

For further information
www.blmgroup.com

New and used

Both the new and used machine tool divisions of the Vigilance Group (MACH Machine Tools and Machine Tool Sales Online) will be attending Southern Manufacturing. The companies will be showcasing individual products from their respective ranges on adjacent stands (H310/MACH Machine Tools and J270/MTSO), which are divided by a walkway. Explains Vigilance Group managing director David Andrew: “At Southern Manufacturing we are demonstrating that we can meet manufacturers’ needs by providing them with either new or pre-owned machine tools ready for immediate delivery and installation.”

For further information
www.machmt.co.uk
www.machinetoolsalesonline.com

Vericut 9.2 on show

CG Tech will exhibit Vericut 9.2 on Stand C15. Vericut 9.2 increases productivity and sustainability with improvements to collision checking and overall performance, as well as enhanced support for ‘intelligent’ cutting tools with performance information and detailed tool reporting. Also added is a 3DLive interface to import GDML files, enabling users to quickly and easily create realistic digital machines and introduce other moving components (rotary tables, articulating heads, fixtures with moving clamps, etc.) for more realistic simulation.

For further information
www.cgtech.co.uk