£370m loan for Seaway7

The UK’s export credit agency has issued a loan guarantee that allowsoffshore wind specialist Seaway7 to secure a £370m loan to scale up its UK operations.UK Export Finance (UKEF) issued the guarantee under its Export Development Guarantee (EDG) scheme, which covers 80% of the total loan.UKEF’s backing is expected to help the firm win and service EPCI (engineering, procurement construction and installation) contracts for fixed offshore wind projects which will generate UK export revenue. Seaway7 has completed successful offshore wind projects in a range of markets, including Taiwan, the US and mainland Europe.
For further information www.gov.uk

Seco R&D delivers success for Scania

A challenging project with Swedish truck manufacturer Scania brought out the best in Seco’s R&D team, which found a way to extend the life of one tool by a factor of 20 when using it to cut a new type of cast iron for engines.

“The background was this new form of cast iron, which offers many advantages: it’s more environmentally friendly and stronger, which means Scania can make the engine walls thinner and lighter,” explains Stefan Frejd, R&D specialist – drilling at Seco says. “The problem that Scania wanted to explore was the fact that this material increased wear on the production tools, shortening their life.”

A project group took shape, the work of which paid off almost immediately.

“We got together with Scania’s engineers and discussed some of the problems and applications, and came back with new tools ready for testing,” saysFrejd. “The first drilling tool we tested turned out to have a tool life of more than 20 times the existing one, so that was a huge improvement.”

Other test tools managed to outlast their predecessors by a factor of seven, which represented a huge breakthrough.

For Frejdand his team, the learnings and discoveries came about due to the close working relationship with the customer and a strong desire to understand and find a solution to issues.

“The most important thing for us in R&D is the ability to co-operate with production engineers in different companies.As with Scania there are always problems that require solving, but when we come together, we often find we can do so quite quickly.”
For further information www.secotools.com

Aluminium machining in new dimensions

Machine tool manufacturer Bavius Technologie GmbH was able to achieve impressive material removal rates of over 20 l/min on its new high-end HBZ AeroCell 160 model with a new generation of high-volume milling cutters from Mapal. The result of this successful collaboration comes at the right time for the aerospace industry, which is taking off again following the downturn caused by Covid-19.

In order to test new machines and at the same time provide customers with references, Bavius carries out milling tests that push them to their limits and beyond. Here, the OptiMill-Alu-Wave, new and improved version of the solid-carbide roughing cutter from Mapal, was selected to showcase the HBZ AeroCell 160. For the tests on aluminium workpiece, the milling cutter with the largest available diameter of 25 mm ran with a spindle power of up to 175 kW, a torque of 66 Nm and a material removal rate of 30 mm.

At a spindle speed of 25,465 rpm and a cutting speed of 2000 m/min, the spindle power was gradually increased. Slot number 6 delivered the best material removal rate with a record-breaking 20 l/min.

“With the 25 mm OptiMill-Alu-Wave, we have achieved a new dimension in aluminium machining,” states Stefan Diem, application engineer at Bavius. “The milling cutter is definitely better than anything we have used previously.”

Bavius used the Safe-Lock system as pull-out protection.

“In this speed range, symmetrical pull-out protection is very important in order not to create imbalance,” explains Tim Rohmer, product manager – solid-carbide milling tools at Mapal. “A Weldon flat, which is often attached to such tools as pull-out protection, is the wrong solution here. To guarantee the smooth running of the machine, there’s no way around careful balancing, even with symmetrical tools.”
For further information www.mapal.com

Major casting award for William Cook

Sheffield-headquartered William Cook Holdings, a supplier of safety-critical steel components, beat off the challenge of the other finalists to secure the ‘Company of the Year’ title at the recent UK Cast Metals Industry Awards. William Cook impressed judges with landmark rail contract wins, support for the war effort in Ukraine and a £5m investment programme that reinforces its position in the nuclear power supply chain.The group also protected vital foundry skills when it saved 75 jobs by acquiring HI Quality Steel Castings of Chesterfield out of administration.

Organised by the Cast Metals Federation (CMF), there were also major accolades for Tamworth-based Foseco (Innovation) and Sylatech, which claimed the Component of the Year Award.The latter was for work in producing a prosthetic aluminium thumb for use by children.
For further information www.castmetalsfederation.com

SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING RETURNS IN FEBRUARYWITH ANTICIPATION RAMPING UP FOR SOLD-OUT EXHIBITION

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2024, which has evolved into an international event hosting a larger number of overseas companies than ever before, is set to unfold on 6-8 February at the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre. Despite space reallocation to accommodate an increased number of stands, the event is sold out again, as in previous years.

Originating as a regional affair in 1997, Southern Manufacturing moved to its current Hampshire location in 2008 and holds the accolade of being the first show to be held in the new, world-class expo centre when it was rebuilt a decade later. The event’s ongoing success is evident in its consistently high rate of return bookings, reflecting its efficacy as a forum for forging business relationships and generating ideas. Approximately half of the stands are dedicated to mechanical engineering, while the other half caters to the electronic and electrical sectors.

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics is now the most comprehensive annual industrial exhibition in the UK calendar and a major showcase for new technology, attracting visitors and participating companies from all over the world. It was not always like that. When European Trade & Exhibition Services started the project, it was a small gathering of local engineering firms. That it has grown to its elevated stature is testament to the strength of the original concept that saw two engineering disciplines merge into one event. Although somewhat counterintuitive, it has indeed worked very effectively for the last 27 years.

Part of the reason is that there is no demarcation between the different technologies, allowing visitors to walk freely between stands and perhaps discover things that they were not expecting to at the outset. It is this cross-fertilisation of ideas that visitors say is one of the show’s main attractions, especially as ‘Technology Trails’ grouping firms having expertise in similar areas help to guide visitors around the aisles.

It is an event of sufficient importance to attract big-name manufacturers, but it is also extremely accessible to SMEs. The organisers operate a policy of open access, discouraging larger companies from dominating the space to the detriment of smaller vendors. This mixture engenders a vibrant, dynamic atmosphere. With so many exhibitors under one roof displaying advanced, innovative technology across a multitude of sectors, the show addresses multiple sourcing requirements efficiently, especially in times when supply chains are under pressure.

The exhibition is a vital hub for professionals involved in design, production, procurement or management. It is the place to see all the latest in machine tools, tooling, workholding, additive manufacturing and other production equipment, as well as test, measurement, inspection and metrology solutions. There will also be mechanical, electromechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic components and assemblies, mechatronics assemblies, plastic injection and rubber mouldings, connectors, sensors, drives, encoders, fasteners, pressings, springs, gaskets, and more. In addition, a wide range of subcontract services will be on offer.

Other essential products and services for the successful running of factories will encompass business software, production and planning aids, oil and coolant supply, workshop equipment, dust and fume extraction, humidity control, workplace storage systems, bespoke case and foam manufacture, plastic packaging, injection moulding, hand tools, adhesives, industrial flooring, waste removal and recycling, training, freight services, and financial consultancy.

Automation will feature strongly, driven by a skills shortage in the UK and across mainland Europe. Manufacturing industry is also facing a battle to recover from the impact of Brexit, supply chain disruption and soaring costs, so the show will address these themes via numerous firms keen to explain the benefits of Industry 4.0, end-to-end digitalisation, and autonomous handling such as robotic and cobot (collaborative robot) machine tending. There will also be improved green energy technology and a greater stress on machines that draw less power, plus renewed interest in the reshoring of production.

Alongside the exhibition and demonstration areas, over the three days there will be free technical seminar programmes, one covering mechanical engineering and the other addressing the electrical and electronic sectors. They will give visitors and exhibitors alike valuable learning opportunities, with a particular focus on the technical, managerial and environmental issues facing manufacturers today.

Presentations will include digital process management, advice for small manufacturers looking to improve their relationship with customers, how to enhance a sales team’s performance, CE and UKCA marking compliance, sustainable practices in manufacturing, and management skills coaching (including how to address the challenges of hybrid working).

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2024 will co-locate with AutoAero, a specialist theme within the exhibition devoted to aerospace and automotive engineering. There is ample car parking, whileextensive road and public transport links serve the site well. A regular, complimentary bus service runs between Farnborough’s Main and North Camp railway stations and the showground. Parking and admission are also free of charge.
For further information www.industrysouth.co.uk