Next generation in versatile milling

Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC) has introduced a solid end milling platform which offers an affordable series of cutting tools that demonstrate high performance and reliability in steel, stainless steel and cast iron applications. The new Widia WCE solid-carbide end mills deliver a cost-effective solution to suit small to medium machine shops.

Widia’s WCE platform initially features the new WCE4, a versatile four-flute geometry that offers features such as an asymmetrical pitch and variable helix. The asymmetrical pitch eradicates the harmonic effect of the tool to reduce vibration, enhance swarf evacuation and prolong tool life. Likewise, the variable helix geometry further reduces vibration to permit heavy cutting, while improving surface finish, tool life and overall stability.

WCE4 also introduces a new grade, WU20PE. According to ITC, this versatile grade provides exceptional versatility, giving the new end mills the facility to perform extremely well on steel, stainless steel and cast iron, as well as on high-temperature alloys and hardened materials. The grade’s design features, coupled with the four-flute geometry, deliver an end mill with reliable performance and application versatility, even in demanding operations such as full slotting and heavy cutting scenarios. Widia’s new variable helix end mills are available in diameters from 3 to 20 mm, and are suitable for shoulder milling, slotting, helical milling, ramping, plunge milling and 3D profiling.

The WCE platform includes four-flute square-end and ball-nose end mills with both straight and Weldon shanks available in metric and imperial dimensions. To provide complete flexibility, the new WCE4 series is also available with corner radii and a necked shank, providing engineers with additional reach when machining deep cavities, slots and complex forms. Later in 2022, ITC and Widia will be introducing the new WCE5 five-flute geometry end mills.

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

New Mazak laser facility in Milan

Yamazaki Mazak is set to open a new headquarters for its European laser business in Italy. The rising importance of European subsidiaries, as well developments in laser cutting technology, has ultimately led to the creation of a dedicated site, the new ‘European Technology Center (ETC) – Laser’ alongside the Italian subsidiary in Cerro Maggiore, near Milan.

The grand opening of ETC Laser will take place at an open house on 26-28 May. Notably, the new 800 sq m facility includes: a large showroom, where a selection of the company’s flagship laser-cutting machines will be in operation; a clean room, for maintenance operations on delicate optical components such as cutting heads; and other technological areas related to laser cutting machines.

For further information
www.mazakeu.com

£400,000 investment at Batten & Allen

A specialist in stamping, plating and the assembly of high-precision parts is celebrating its 50th birthday in style after announcing a new £400,000 investment. Batten & Allen, which employs 120 people at its factory in Cirencester, signed a deal at MACH 2022 earlier this month to purchase a new Bruderer high-speed press that can produce six million components every day.

The company signalled its intentions to use the 28-tonne BSTA 280-75B2 to stamp precision parts for use in electrical applications across the automotive, aerospace and consumer goods sectors. Fitted with a high-precision mechanical feeder, the machine offers a 750 mm bed to accommodate complex press tools. Says Batten & Allen CEO Ian Mackinnon: “Bruderer presses are known throughout industry for their precise control and repeatable accuracy; two of the reasons why this machine will be our 30th from them.”

For further information
www.bruderer.co.uk

Increase flexibility, productivity and savings

Lankapaja Corporation, one of the biggest and best-known sheet metal subcontractors in Finland, has invested in Prima Power’s Night Train FMS automated storage solution for its Nummela facility. The solution includes a new Combi Genius 1530 combi laser machine, which brings together laser cutting and punching technology with an automatic LSR loading and stacking robot.

“With automation we could reduce the number of different machines, increase production efficiency and lower costs,” explains R&D manager Christian Öberg.

According to Öberg, automation is one of the elements perceived as a guarantee that a supplier will be able to offer its customers competitive prices now and in the future.

“We do a lot of small runs, making shift times important,” he says. “This is why we chose the most flexible sheet metal machine on the market: Prima Power’s combi laser. It can run even small batches efficiently.”

Lankapaja runs the machines in two shifts, totalling about 8-12 hours of effective operating time per day, per machine. With the help of the automated storage solution, the goal is to reach 15-20 operating hours per day, per machine: a huge increase in productivity that will not trigger the additional costs of manual alternatives.

Jon Törnwall, IT manager at Lankapaja, goes further into the details: “This requires a new kind of thinking for programming and job queue planning. We investigated this at length and noticed that most waste in production comes specifically from the picking, loading and unloading of sheet metal. We believe we will reach our goal by automating these steps and that in the future, with the help of the storage solution, we will manage the same amount of work with two machines as we do now with three machines.”

For further information
www.primapower.com

Weld inspection research project

The University of Strathclyde and Babcock International Group have been awarded a prestigious national research accolade to develop a ground-breaking technology application. Babcock is the industry lead for the project, which will focus on real-time ultrasonic weld inspection and underpin a wider industrial academic partnership announced last year to deliver innovation through world-class projects. The University of Strathclyde will work with Babcock on sensor-driven, automated welding using ultrasonic imaging to improve the integrity of joints.

For further information
www.strath.ac.uk