Mazak opens machine-tool museum

The Yamazaki Mazak Museum of Machine Tools in Minokamo, Japan, is now open to visitors. Displaying machines of the 18th century, right through to the modern age of connectivity and automation, among the highlights is an automatic production line that uses IoT technology to manufacture components.

The museum exhibits portray the status of machine tools as ‘mother machines’ that produce the parts required to keep vital equipment operational in highly important industries such as aerospace, medical and automotive. These educational exhibits include several traditional machine tools in working condition, as well as other objects of interest, such as cars, aircraft and a steam train. Each exhibit has been painstakingly restored in co-operation with manufacturers from all over the world.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

Exhibition breaks attendance record

Southern Manufacturing 2020, held at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre last month, witnessed a 9% increase in attendance to set an all-time record.

A total of 9256 people visited the three-day show. Companies from all over the UK, continental Europe and further afield took part, showcasing a range of industrial products and technologies.
As one of the earliest major exhibitions of the year, Southern Manufacturing provides an interesting weather vane for the mood of UK industry, and particularly so this year, coming hard on the heels of Brexit. The show will return to Farnborough on 9-11 February 2021, and over 70% of stand space has already been reserved.
For further information www.industrysouth.co.uk

Collet-clamping head demonstrations

While known as a specialist in tools for sliding-head lathes, Floyd Automatic Tooling will be introducing newly developed tool-clamping technologies from Schaublin on Stand 472 in Hall 20.

To cater for manufacturers of cylindrical cutting tools, Floyd Automatic will be demonstrating the Schaublin range of products, and in particular, the SRS collet-clamping head with its precision runout adjustment system that give repeatability within 2 µm. At MACH, Floyd will demonstrate the Schaublin SRS system for tool-grinding machines using W or B type draw type collets. Also on show for manufacturers in the grinding arena will be the patent-pending PR25 quick-change collet system.
For further information www.floydautomatic.co.uk

Compact second-operation vice

During rough machining first operations it is good to have a known datum, which is where WNT’s ZSG4 Centric vice system provides a suitable solution.

However, when it comes to second operation work, a known datum on the component has already been created, so the requirement for a centric-jaw system is reduced, and it is here that the newly developed WNT ESG5 fixed-jaw vice from Ceratizit fully complements the ZSG4.
Providing identical footprints, with the vice bases measuring 160 mm in length (and an overall height of just 83 mm), the ESG5 and ZSG4 can sit side by side either directly on the machine table, or on WNTs MNG Zero Point baseplate system. In terms of clamping performance, again, the two vices are identical with a maximum gripping force of 35 kN, allowing components to be gripped securely on as little as 3 mm of material.
According to the company, accuracy and repeatability of ±0.01 mm are achieved by the overall vice design with precision matched slides, and the use of a ball screw to control jaw movement. The ability to switch jaws between the two vice types adds further versatility and compatibility to the WNT work-holding system. This compatibility opens up the choice of jaw from the range, which includes: reversible jaws; pendulum plate jaws; combi jaws; aluminium jaws; five-axis jaws; smooth carbide-coated jaws; and stepped jaws.
Says Adrian Fitts, business development manager at Ceratizit UK & Ireland: “The WNT ZSG4 vice has proved popular as it provides a cost-effective, efficient and compact work-holding solution. With ESG5 we have listened to customers and created a vice that fully complements ZSG4 and enhances the work-holding systems available from Team Cutting Tools.”
For further information https://cuttingtools.ceratizit.com

BREAKING NEWS
MACH postponed until January 25-28

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA), which owns and runs the MACH exhibition, has taken the decision to reschedule the show from April 2020 to January 2021.

Given the spread of Coronavirus, the MTA has decided that, in order to minimise the risks to visitors and exhibitors, the event will now take place on 25-28 January 2021. The show will still be held in the same halls at the NEC. All exhibitors that had booked for MACH in April will be offered the same stand space at the event held on the new dates.
James Selka, MTA CEO, says: “We believe that this decision, which has not been taken lightly, is in the best interests of the industry and those who work in it. Our first priority is, of course, the health and safety of the 30,000+ people who will visit and work at MACH. In addition, we believe that by moving MACH to January 2021 we are going to be able to offer a better experience for our visitors, and better value for our exhibitors, than by holding it in April under the conditions likely to be in place at that time.”
For further information www.machexhibition.com