Casting co-op

Japan Engineering Network (JEN) and SMS group KK based in Tokyo, Japan, have signed a business partnership agreement on repair services for continuous casting moulds. JEN will perform aftersales activities in close co-operation with SMS group for the new condition monitoring system HD moldFO, which features an extremely high measuring point density over the full height of the mould.

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe

The positions of the measurement points can be freely chosen to allow more precise monitoring of the processes in the mould. SMS group’s service offer will also include mould coating with UniGuard technology.
For further information www.sms-group.com

£65m NMIS

Renfrewshire will be home to the new £65m National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland (NMIS), with the University of Strathclyde announced as the anchor university. Work to build the centre, which is intended to help manufacturing businesses throughout Scotland become world leaders in innovation, will begin this year.

The Scottish Government will invest £48m in NMIS with £8m from the University of Strathclyde. Renfrewshire Council will provide a further £39.1m through the Glasgow City Region Deal to support wider infrastructure work at the site. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Economy Secretary Keith Brown made the announcement during a visit to Rolls-Royce’s manufacturing facility in Inchinnan. Rolls-Royce is a founding member of the University of Strathclyde’s AFRC. Speaking after a meeting with some of Scotland’s leading manufacturers, the First Minister said: “This facility will help companies across Scotland embrace new manufacturing techniques, support cutting-edge research and further develop skills. The manufacturing jobs of the future offer exciting and rewarding careers for young people. We want to inspire them to work in this sector and revive Scotland’s tradition of manufacturing and engineering.”
For further information www.strath.ac.uk

Large capacity VTLs from Broadbent Stanley

Broadbent Stanley has announced a strategic agency agreement with Radar Industrial, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of CNC VTLs. The agreement will see Broadbent Stanley actively marketing and selling the Radar range in many markets, including the UK, Ireland, Egypt, Africa and the Middle East.

Radar VTLs are available in three model designations: the RAL-12, RAL-16 and RAL-20. The machines offer maximum turning diameters ranging from 1500 to 2400 mm, and turning heights up to 1600 mm – with a maximum workpiece weight of 13,000 kg on the largest machine. All three models come with the Fanuc 0i-TF CNC. As standard, Radar VTLs are equipped with a 12-position tool changer, which can be increased to 18 on the optional M-specification machines, with nine of those positions being capable of handling driven tooling powered by a 15 kW motor (with up to 2400 rpm available for the live tooling).
For further information www.broadbentstanley.co.uk

Musical etchings from Precision Micro

Birmingham-based photoetching specialist Precision Micro says it was proud to support a recent charity auction raising money for The Hepatitis C Trust. The main event is a secret auction held in London each November where more than 400 artists contribute postcard-sized original artworks.

The auctions have so far raised in excess of £400,000. One contributor who joined the 2017 list was Russell Marshall, an award-winning artist based in London who worked with Precision Micro to produce images of Sid Vicious, David Bowie, Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix. The images were etched on metal and donated by Precision Micro.
For further information www.precisionmicro.com

Titanium casting sets new record

The Castings Group of the AMRC has unveiled the largest ceramic-shell titanium casting ever created from a single pour in Europe. According to the AMRC, the casting is a milestone test piece and will become a showcase for development of the AMRC’s titanium casting facility (which became operational earlier this year).

The large-scale, near net shape casting is an industrial centrifugal pump housing, used for highly corrosive applications in the chemical and petrochemical sectors. Poured from a 680 kg melt, the finished part has a weight of 200 kg.
For further information www.amrc.co.uk