Stratasys to test 3D prints on the moon

Stratasys, a specialist in polymer 3D printing solutions, will provide 3D-printed materials for an upcoming lunar mission to test their performance on the surface of the moon. The experiments are part of Aegis Aerospace’s first Space Science & Technology Evaluation Facility mission (SSTEF-1), which focuses on technology development for space infrastructure and capabilities for the moon and near-earth space. The Stratasys experiments are sponsored by Northrop Grumman.

In this moon mission, Stratasys will provide 3D-printed samples that will be brought to the lunar surface by an unmanned lander in a carrier structure 3D-printed by Stratasys. Three materials will be the focus of two different experiments. The first assesses the performance of a sample coupon part made with Stratasys’ Antero 800NA FDM filament filled with tungsten. The second passive experiment will see how 3D-printed materials perform in space.

For further information www.stratasys.com

HELICAL ADDS COMPACT NAKAMURA TO PLANT LIST  

Finding a manufacturer with its own museum is unusual to say the least, but such is the passion for manufacturing at Helical Technology that the company has a locomotive, a Red Arrow and a Bluebird replica among other artefacts at one of its four facilities. This passion for manufacturing, precision and quality is why the company has added yet another Nakamura-Tome turn-mill centre from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) to its plant list. 

Established by James Morris in 1962, the family business is a manufacturer of valve rotators used in the marine, locomotive, mining, automotive and power generation sectors. The Lytham-based company undertakes the complete design, manufacture, assembly and testing of its products, which also include prototype exhausts for high-performance vehicles and actuators for leading OEMs worldwide.

Helical’s valve rotator division was founded in 1987, today producing more than 120 different assemblies. The company expects to complete over 4 million such assemblies in 2023, making a sizeable contribution to Helical’s circa £35m turnover. Large volume production is conducted off-site, with volumes up to 1000-off produced at Lytham. It is here that Nakamura-Tome machines from ETG are delivering results.

The machine shop has 21 turning centres that include both single- and twin-spindle machines with some Y-axis capability to produce components from 16MnCr5 steel. The turning centres comprise a multitude of different brands, but when one of the largest and most prestigious brands in the world let the company down badly, Helical turned to ETG and its Nakamura machines. The company started with a Nakamura-Tome WT150II in January 2020 and built upon its success with a second WT150II and then a NTY3-100 twin-spindle, triple-turret machine.

“The difference with the WT150II compared with existing machines was like night and day,” recalls operations manager Chris Waddington. “The cycle times were 5-10% faster than the other leading machines that we had, but it was just everything else about the machine. The Nakamura was more stable, robust, user-friendly, and easy to set-up and use. So, we bought a second machine and added to it with the NTY3-100. We have some of the most productive machines in the industry, but the NTY3-100 instantly took 20-25% out of our cycle times.”

With floor space at a premium, the company followed its initial purchases with a smaller Nakamura AS200LMSY and, earlier in 2023, followed up with another Nakamura: the AS200MYS.

Production manager Jonathan Rigby says: “We had an ageing single-spindle, single-turret machine that was having reliability issues. The machine got to a point where instead of laying out on an expensive repair, we bought the Nakamura AS200MYS. The purpose was to accommodate our billet work while utilising our other machines for production runs. We wanted a compact, robust and highly productive solution and once again ETG delivered.”

Purchased to machine a family of steel valve rotator parts, typically in volumes from 200 to 2000-off, the company manually loads billets into the Nakamura AS200MYS ready for turning and heavy-duty milling. Component reloading takes place to facilitate secondary finishing operations.

“The outgoing machine was a larger footprint than the Nakamura and it had a barfeed that we didn’t need,” explains Rigby. “We wanted a compact, heavy-duty machine with a spacious work area and the Nakamura AS200MYS has certainly provided that.”

From a performance perspective, the Nakamura AS200MYS has accelerated productivity, as Rigby confirms: “The typical cycle time is 6 minutes per set-up and the Nakamura is improving our productivity by at least 15-20% compared with its predecessor. The kinematics of the machine are reducing travel and ‘fresh air’ cutting, which is shaving at least a minute off the cycle time. With the number of parts going through the Nakamura, it adds up to a major reduction. We achieve this saving through heavier cutting cycles that are credit to the rigidity and stability of the AS200MYS. With regard to milling cycles, we’re witnessing a massive reduction in cycle times. On one sleeve part we can now take a 5 mm depth of cut compared with 3 to 4 mm on the previous machine.”

He continues: “There’s less deflection and vibration, and we see a great improvement in our surface finishes. We can machine straight in at 5 mm depth of cut with no need for a finishing pass; the stability and performance of the Nakamura are that good. Although we haven’t undertaken a tool life feasibility study on this machine, we know we can produce more parts per tool and this is undoubtedly reducing our tooling consumption and costs.”

Discussing the service that Helical receives from ETG, Rigby concludes: “When our old machine was beyond repair, we needed a replacement urgently. With a short delivery lead time on the Nakamura AS200MYS, ETG loaned us a Vulcan turning centre as a stop-gap. ETG are very supportive and will always endeavour to support our business in every way possible.”

For further information www.engtechgroup.com

QualiSense provides QA for magnet production

Augmented AI pioneer, QualiSense, is entering into a new deal with Johnson Electric to supply quality inspection systems for dozens of new manufacturing lines. The lines will produce millions of magnets per day: key components in electric motors for use by leading automotive OEMs.

Each production line includes multiple cameras, which will inspect two magnets per second. Johnson Electric selected QualiSense software because of its augmented AI technology, which allows fast and swift deployment thanks to knowledge transfer between different lines. Also, it has an ability to deal with complex surfaces and non-recurring defects present on the magnets.

The agreement is an extension of QualiSense’s continued partnership with Johnson Electric. Earlier this year, the two companies entered into a five-year deal to become the preferred software vendor for inspection and quality control using augmented AI technology.

“This agreement is a reflection of our successful collaboration with QualiSense, whose technology gives the highest level of performance and precision, ensuring no defect goes undetected,” says Austin Wang, senior vice president at Johnson Electric. “QualiSense’s Augmented AI allows us to deploy new production lines quickly that reflect our quality requirements and commitment to customers. For the Johnson Electric team, the technology allows us to save time and make quick model changes whenever needed.”

Erez Tsur, CEO and co-founder of QualiSense, adds: “The speed at which QualiSense’s technology is able to inspect millions of parts is one of the key reasons why companies like Johnson Electric choose us as their preferred software partner. On top of this, we’re committed to ensuring that we offer the highest level of reliability, which is essential for any business supplying to tier one OEMs.”

For further information www.qualisense.ai

MecWash optimises component cleaning at HSP

Hydraulic System Products (HSP) contacted MecWash to upgrade its component cleaning to meet increasing demand and the strict cleanliness requirements of clients. With high standards required from customers in the OEM construction industry, the quality of the wash and dry process was essential to the success of the business.

Alan Atkinson, sales manager at MecWash, says: “We carried out extensive research at HSP to understand the application and the contaminants involved in their hydraulic products. Delivering precision engineered parts manufactured to the highest specifications requires rigorous cleaning of the components.”

The MecWash MWX300 was selected as the most effective machine for HSP’s application, with full ultrasonic cleaning functionality. Ultrasonic wash and rinse capabilities transmit high-frequency sound waves through the wash solution, which destabilises the contamination and facilitates fast and economical cleaning with high process quality.

“The processes that follow include a flood and spray rinse, hot air dry, vacuum dry and ambient air cooling, providing an extremely thorough cleaning and drying process, and a fantastic finish,” says Atkinson.

Stephen Westwood, general manager at HSP, adds: “We considered several manufacturers, but through trials and proving out of the MecWash MWX300’s capabilities, we were impressed with the machine’s excellent cleaning results. This improvement has enabled us to meet or exceed our OEM client’s stringent cleanliness standards. We are delighted with our new machine and value its ability to clean and achieve our customers stringent cleanliness standards.”

For further information www.mecwash.com

Extreme surface finishing for e-mobility sector

Precision and process reliability have characterised automotive engineering for many decades. With the establishment of e-mobility, however, these demands are increasing once again, because many e-motor components require surface finish in the micron range so that no loud running noises occur on gear components.

In this context, the technology of Emag is drawing the attention of many production engineers. Among other things, Emag develops high-performance solutions for gear grinding that offer short chip-to-chip times, intelligent axis concepts, thermal and mechanical stability, and a high degree of user-friendliness.

The company’s solutions for the field of gear profile grinding include the G250 and G160. The G160 is for components up to module three and with a maximum OD of 160 mm (250 mm G250). In this field of application, Emag says it is the fastest machine on the market, made possible by two parallel workpiece tables that move alternately at high speed to the grinding wheel. Thus, while one component is undergoing machining, the internal loading robot inserts a blank into the other spindle or unloads the finished component beforehand.

Notably, the G160 does not have a tangential axis, but instead the existing Y and Z axes generate a ‘virtual’ tangential axis through simultaneous movement. As a result, the distance between the A axis and the tool contact point is very small, which in turn prevents so-called ‘ghost frequencies’ on the part surface.

The possibilities this approach opens up for e-mobility are shown, for example, by an ‘intermediate shaft’ with 21 teeth and a normal module, where manufacturers using the G1160 can achieve a floor-to-floor time of only 33 seconds (including entanglement compensation and proportional dressing time) and a grinding time of just 25 seconds.

For further information www.emag.com