Get set for Manufacturing World

The build-up is underway to Manufacturing World 2023, which takes place at INTEX, Osaka, Japan on 4-6 October. One of Asia’s leading manufacturing shows with over 1000 exhibitors, visitors must pre-register to gain admission. The organiser is expecting more than 33,000 people through the doors over the course of the three-day event.

The show, comprising nine concurrent exhibitions, will focus on solutions such as DX, AI and IoT, as well as additive manufacturing, factory automation, motion control, mechanical components, factory facilities/equipment and more. There is also a conference where visitors can learn about cutting-edge case studies from industry leaders. Speakers will include representatives from major blue-chip OEMs such as Toyota, Panasonic and Mitsubishi.
For further information www.bit.ly/3Z0MS0E

XYZ streamlines medical device development

ATL Technology in Cardiff is a specialist manufacturer of medical devices, particularly energy-driven instruments used in minimally invasive surgery. These devices use low-voltage, high-current RF energy waveforms to seal, coagulate, dissect, vaporise, resect or mobilise tissue. ATL utilises two tool rooms to produce prototypes, tooling, jigs, fixtures, special in-house machinery for assembly and disassembly, and spare parts.

The R&D toolroom initially adopted an XYZ SMX 2500 bed millin 1997. Over time, the company expanded its capabilities with the addition of a 660 HD vertical machining centre, a 1340 lathe and an XYZ 500 LR vertical machining centre featuring linear rail technology.

Meanwhile, the maintenance tool room utilises an RLX 1630 lathe, an XYZ 1500 manual turret mill and an XYZ RMX 2-OP, which machines light alloy and plastic parts from stock materials. The recent acquisition of an XYZ 500 TMC in March 2023 further highlights ATL Technology’s long-standing investment in XYZ machines.

Process development engineer Stephen Greensays: “The XYZ 500 TMC has a larger working area that enables us to machine bigger mould tools, jigs and fixtures in-house. It has more power, a 12,000 rpm spindle that is ideal for small tools, and through-tool coolant. This capability makes it easy to machine tool steels for injection moulds and electrodes for die sinking. It is also good at deep-hole drilling, delivering faster material removal rates. Withsubcontracting, it took many weeks to deliver a tool. Now we can produce an entire tool within a week, or a single part to repair a production line breakdown within 24 hours.”

Tool-room technician Ashley Gardiner adds: “90% of our work is one-off, small batches or spares, so the 12 tool pockets on the 500 TMC are sufficient for most of our needs.”
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Gear hobber offers three configurations

When developing the AF160, maximum versatility was the key goal of the engineering department at the Swiss family enterprise Affolter Group, a specialist in high-precision gear-hobbing solutions. As a result, three gear-hobbing configurations are available.

With the optional quick-change system, machine operators can switch from one configuration to the next in only 30 minutes. In configuration I, both the C axis and the C’ prime axis are equipped with driven spindles. This set-up leads to increased cutting quality, more torque and higher rigidity. In addition, the set-up offers an A axis of±50° swing, making it ideal for the production of spur, helical, bevel, crowned and face gears.

With a tailstock on the C axis and a spindle on C’ prime axis (configuration II), the operator gets more flexibility. The A axis can move from -50° to +115°, making worm milling possible. This configuration is also suitable for all gear types mentioned above. In configuration III, the C axis remains empty and the C’ prime axis features a driven spindle. As a result, users can undertake thepower skiving of internal gears and the production of face gears.

TheAF72 part loader features a double gripper system for parallel loading and unloading, and a telescopic arm. Customers can select different configurations depending on the volume, product and application. It is possible to equipthe AF72 with up to five feeding rails, enabling users to preload more parts and let the machine work autonomously for more than 24 hours.

The AF160 is configurable for any application. Hobbing options include skiving by sensor detection, and integrating a deburring process into gear production with the addition of the AF54 deburring unit.
For further information www.affoltergroup.ch

Machining centre choice made pure and simple

Mills CNC has supplied Pure Innovate Manufacturing, a project management and engineering solutions provider, with a new high-performance machining centre.The machine, a DN Solutions DNM 5700 is now in-situat the company’s new and spacious ‘Innovation’ facility in Wallingford, just a few days after relocating its operations there. It is the first machine tool acquired by the company in its four-year history.

The DNM 5700 acquired by Pure Innovate is a three-axis vertical machining centre equipped with FANUC iPlus control and 15” touchscreen iHMI. Further features include an 18.5kW/12,000rpm directly-coupled spindle, 30-position ATC, large worktable and fast rapids. Mills CNC supplied the machine with through-spindle-coolant capability and a Renishaw tool and workpiece probing system to increase machining flexibility and improve process efficiencies.

Pure Innovate is the brainchild of managing director, Carl Joy, who says: “Having our own dedicated machining resource at the Innovation facility improves our flexibility and responsiveness.We’re can produce prototypes [including any iterations] quickly and efficiently – and means we’re not only able to deliver high-quality, fast turnaround machined prototypes, but also the processes developed and used to machine them.”

He continues: “To increase the scope and scale of our Innovation facility in the future, we are actively looking at investing in new technologies, like simultaneous five-axis machines, and developing our in-house capabilities further through processes such as additive manufacturing and composite machining.Nothing is off the table.”

Joy took the decision to invest in a DN Solutions DNM 5700 for a number of reasons.

“Pound for pound, the DNM 5700 is the ideal machine for us,” he states. “The machine is fast, flexible and accurate. It will enable us to machine high-precision prototypes and pre-production parts quickly.”
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

Ceratizit buys Changzhou CW Toolmaker

CB-Ceratizit, a joint venture company of Ceratizit, part of the Plansee Group, has acquired 70% of all shares of Changzhou CW Toolmaker Inc. The privately owned company based in Changzhou, China, specialises in the design, production and sales of tungsten-carbide cutting tools for industries that include electronics, aerospace, rail, and mould and die.The acquisition is an important part of CB-Ceratizit’s growth strategy in Asia

Andreas Fritz, Ceratizit’spresident of the Asia-Pacificregional unit, says: “The expansion of the Ceratizit portfolio to include machining solutions for electronic components in the 3C sector (computers, communications and consumer electronics) is crucial for our success. By being able to draw on the high-quality production technologies and extensive manufacturing capacities of both CW and Ceratizit, we offer our customers significant added value throughout the full value chain.”
For further information www.ceratizit.com