Grinding specialist sold

Körber has sold its machine tool business operating under the United Grinding Group.

The new ownership structure consists of a strategically oriented pool of investors organised by the Swiss BZ Bank Aktiengesellschaft. United Grinding Group comprises eight major brands: Mägerle, Blohm and Jung surface/profile grinding machines; Studer, Schaudt and Mikrosa cylindrical grinders; and Walter and Ewag tool grinding machines. “BZ Bank is delighted to be able to offer its customers the opportunity to invest in a high-yielding international industry group,” states Martin Ebner, CEO of Swiss BZ Bank.
For further information www.grinding.ch

Eight-axis CNC machining centre

CNC specialist NUM has helped Chinese machine builder Original Point Machine Tools (OPMT) to develop an eight-axis CNC machining centre capable of processing many different types of materials, including metal, ceramics, glass and cemented carbide.

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The project came about after OPMT was asked by Guangdong University of Technology to develop a machining centre that combined high-speed laser cutting and milling capabilities. The result is the ML125 multi-function machining centre, which is entirely controlled by NUM’s latest-generation Flexium+ 68 CNC platform. Movement of the laser head is controlled by five NUMDrive
X servo drives.
For further information www.num.com

Major 3D-printing investment at MTC

The Manufacturing Technology Centre is to install cutting-edge equipment that will further advance its additive manufacturing and 3D-printing capabilities.

The MTC near Coventry is to take delivery of a metal binder-jetting printer, which allows for the fast production of complex and detailed components. Supplied by Swedish 3D-printing specialist Digital Metal, the machine is designed for small, highly complex parts, and will be the only one in the UK. DM’s binder-jetting printer will be available to MTC member companies and others interested in testing the technology or taking designs to prototype and pre-production level.
For further information www.the-mtc.org

Female students visit Factory 2050

Women in Engineering students were “blown away” by the advanced technology they saw in action during a visit to Factory 2050 at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

Female engineering students from the University of Sheffield visited the collaborative research facility, which is home to the AMRC’s Integrated Manufacturing Group (IMG).
The students – members of the university’s Women in Engineering Student Society – witnessed first-hand some of the research and innovation projects being conducted by the group into reconfigurable robotics, digitally assisted assembly and machining technologies.
The visit was organised by Serena Linley, the society’s former secretary, to give members
a glimpse into how the technologies they had been learning about were being used to drive innovation and overcome manufacturing solutions for companies.
For further information www.amrc.co.uk

More AM solutions available

AddUp, a French manufacturer of metal additive manufacturing (AM) machines and production lines, has acquired another French AM machine producer, BeAM.

The Strasbourg firm is a specialist in directed energy deposition technology, which is dedicated to the production of large and highly complex parts, feature addition, and component refurbishment, including the repair of aero-engine parts. As AddUp is represented in the UK, Ireland and Middle East by sole sales and service agent Geo Kingsbury, the latter is now able to offer a considerably increased AM equipment portfolio in those markets.
Based in Clermont-Ferrand, AddUp was formed as a joint-venture company by Fives Group and Michelin on 1 April 2016. With a US subsidiary, the business employs over 180 people worldwide, including 100 engineers working on the development of new AM solutions. BeAM was created four years earlier, has subsidiaries in Cincinnati and Singapore, and employs more than 45 staff. The company has a broad range of customers in France and other countries, particularly in the aerospace, defence and energy sectors.
For further information www.geokingsbury.com