£400m turbine blade facility

Earlier this month, work began on a new £400m offshore wind facility on Teesside, which is set to become the biggest of its kind in the world and create 750 direct jobs. SeAH Wind Ltd’s 1.13m sq ft facility will produce bases for offshore wind turbines from Redcar’s Teesworks, the UK’s biggest industrial zone.

To mark the occasion, politicians, business leaders and key stakeholders visited the site for a formal signing event, followed by presentations and a Q&A session ahead of the ground-breaking ceremony. When complete, the facility will produce between 100 and 150 monopiles per year, with subsequent transportation directly from the factory to Teesworks’ under-construction South Bank Quay before heading to the North Sea for installation using specialised pile-driving equipment.
For further information www.seah.co.kr

Magtec ‘co-ordinating’ quality with Mitutoyo

Founded in 1992, Rotherham-based Magtec is the UK’s largest supplier of electric drive systems and specialist hybrid solutions. The privately-owned firm’s technologies include motors, gearboxes, generators, power controllers, battery systems and condition monitoring systems for heavy goods vehicles, buses, multi-wheeled and tracked defence vehicles, and bespoke specialist vehicles.

To ensure the continuation of its premium quality standards, Magtec administers a rigorous, company-wide quality-control regime and makes use various advanced inspection aids. The latest addition to Magtec’s collection of high-technology measuring equipment is a Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex S CMM.

Explaining the purchase Magtec head of quality Tom Dalgliesh says: “When the need arose for a high-precision CNC CMM, in addition to considering the potential machine’s accuracy standards, mindful of our rapidly increasing production volumes, we also considered factors such as speed and ease of use. As it satisfied all of our accuracy and efficiency requirements, we chose a Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex S CMM with a measuring capacity of 900 x 1000 x 600 mm in the X, Y and Z axis respectively.

“Now installed in our temperature-controlled inspection department, the Crysta-Apex S is delivering the high levels of precision that we need,” continues Dalgliesh. “Also, because of its impressive speed of operation and fast acceleration, not only is our new Mitutoyo CMM able to keep pace with our current output levels, it will also be able to cope with the massive rises in production and the increased amount of inspection work that we anticipate.”

Having written a large number of part programs, Magtec is now able to load single large components or large batches of smaller parts on to the Mitutoyo CMM’s bed, recall the relevant programs and start rapid, automated CNC inspection routines.
For further information www.mitutoyo.co.uk

Walter releases Laser Contour Check

Laser Contour Check is the new non-contact cutting tool measurement innovation that ensures high precision and fast in-process measurement of tool parameters in Walter tool grinding and eroding machines. Walter Ewag UK reports that the new development utilises blue laser technology in conjunction with an intelligent measuring system to measure various features on cylindrical tools from 1 to 52 mm diameter accurately and efficiently. Direct compensation for deviations takes place during the machining process.

Laser Contour Check’s analogue laser beam measures a tool’s entire contour rather than measuring at specific points as with tactile or digital methods. Notably, laser technology also avoids possible damage to the tool’s cutting edges, as well as measuring errors that could occur due to probe tip wear during tactile measuring routines.

A short measuring time of just 16 seconds (including cleaning) for diameter measurement (depending on tool type) ensures high productivity, while the operator can easily and quickly generate optimised sequences for cleaning and compensation.

The measuring system, which will be available as an option for Walter’s extensive range of tool grinding and eroding machines, integrates directly into the machine’s working area and moves into position when required.

Walter Ewag UK says the blue laser beam used offers improved accuracy compared with a conventional red laser. Blue lasers have a shorter wavelength and so optimise the laser beam geometry and reduce the effects of diffraction.
For further information www.walter-machines.com

Desktop Metal extends SolidCAM partnership

Desktop Metal, a global specialist in additive manufacturing technologies for mass production, has expanded its relationship with CNC software innovator SolidCAM, creator of iMachining tool-path technology and a distributor of solutions to precision metal manufacturers worldwide. SolidCAM has offered Desktop Metal products in Germany since 2021. Now, the company will offer Desktop Metal solutions for direct printing of metal to customers in the US, where SolidCAM has technology centres at its headquarters in Newton, Pennsylvania, and Rancho Cucamonga, California, as well as the UK, Israel and India.
For further information www.desktopmetal.com

Revolution in vehicle quality control

Nikon Metrology has introduced its APDIS gap and flush system, a fully automated way to measure gap and flush on a moving production line for finished ‘vehicles on wheels’. Users can achieve the task without the need for robots and the complexity in programming and safety that they inherently require.

Developed in conjunction with VRSI, the system offers: the ability to track and measure at conveyor speeds up to 140 mm/s; a large internal measurement volume; and three laser radars for all-round coverage. The system can measure a wide range of vehicles from small hatchbacks to large SUVs and trucks, and everything in between.

Users track the vehicle directly using linear sensors, meaning no conveyor interface is required. Position is determined prior to the vehicle entering the system by a set of 3D sensors that automatically account for variations in position on the conveyor. Once the vehicle is inside the system, the three laser radars move synchronously along linear rails, with the long range allowing measurement of gaps and flushes at specific programmed locations. By continuously moving back and forth along the rails as the vehicle passes through, the system acquires data all along the vehicle with up to 170 measurement locations possible.

The large stand-off of the APDIS laser radar, greater than 0.5 m, inherently provides vehicle and operator safety, while the use of linear rails means the system never approaches the vehicle. Light curtains and floor scanners provide further operator protection. The results are no damage and zero line stoppages.

Depending on factory condition, dynamic repeatability of better than 0.15 mm on flush and 0.3 mm on gaps delivers reliable, precise measurements for the user.
For further information www.bit.ly/3Ofavvw