Subcontract manufacturing holds steady

In the face of rising energy prices, coupled with political and economic uncertainty, the latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) reveals that the UK subcontract manufacturing market held steady in the third quarter of the year. The CMI for Q3 2022 was 102, compared with 101 in Q2 2022, an increase of 1%. Overall the market was marginally up on the average level of activity during 2021.

In Q3 2022, machining accounted for 39% of the total market with fabrication making up 54%. Other processes, such as moulding and assembly accounted for the remainder. Commenting on the figures, Karl Wigart, owner of CMI producer Qimtek, says: “Although the overall figures suggest that the market has steadied, there is still a lot of turbulence and uncertainty out there. September was slow across all categories and, while October is much better, we still have many buyers who are waiting for clarification.”
For further information www.qimtek.co.uk

Hainbuch expands quick change-over portfolio

To strengthen its position even further in the area of stationary systems, Hainbuch, a manufacturer of high-precision clamping devices, has acquired the Docklock zero-point clamping system from Vischer & Bolli AG in Switzerland.

The Docklock system has been on the market for more than 20 years, while its features and user benefits match perfectly with Hainbuch’s product philosophy. Hainbuch has been offering quick change-over systems or zero-point clamping systems for lathes for many years, and now it is expanding its capabilities in the area of stationary systems. The four variants of the Docklock system now have Hainbuch branding. Both pneumatic and hydraulic variants are available for either manual or automated change-over.

According to Hainbuch, the Docklock zero-point clamping system has two decisive advantages over other systems. The first is form-fit clamping with a collet or clamping segments, ensuring stiff clamping and higher repeatability. This also means that there are no pressure marks on the clamping bolt compared with systems featuring balls or slides, which lead to inaccuracies and consequently the need to replace the clamping bolts. Secondly, it is impervious to dirt and swarf, which means less wear and less maintenance. The base plate, which screws on to the machine table, provides the base for a quick change-over.

Notably, it is possible to change the clamping device combined with Docklock in just two minutes. The zero-point clamping system thus produces savings in terms of production time and cost. Using the interface, users can perform set-up outside the machine, thus avoiding lost production. The collet chuck lock ensures the trouble-free insertion and removal of workpiece pallets, while direct installation on machine tables, pallets or fixtures can be implemented cost-effectively by means of flanged cylinders.
For further information www.hainbuch.com

Halter system extends unattended production

Compact robotic systems from Halter CNC Automation are suited to loading and unloading CNC machine tools, as family business Armbruster GmbH in Steinach, southwest Germany reports. The same machine tending technology is available in the UK market through 1st Machine Tool Accessories.

Armbruster employs about 130 staff and specialises in manufacturing complex, high-quality products such as surgical instruments and implants for the medical sector. It also provides subcontract machining services to a broad range of industries in batch sizes from 1 to 1000.

Florian Schätzle, team leader for machining support at Armbruster, says: “We’ve been committed to automation for a long time. The milling section is fully automated, although the eroding area is only partially autonomous. As regards turning and turn-milling, most production is automated by bar magazines but traditionally we load and unload billets manually for chuck-type work. We therefore decided to invest in a billet loading and unloading robot from Halter, a Universal Premium 35, which tends an existing Mazak Integrex i200 chucking lathe on the shop floor.”

The new solution made it possible to increase the number of workpieces of more than 200 mm diameter in the buffer of the robot cell from six parts previously to an additional 16 parts, i.e. a total of 22. Longer shafts from which several individual parts are machined may be similarly accommodated, enabling even longer periods of unattended production.

Says Schätzle comments: “Our staff realise that the robot cell enables them to organise their working hours better, for example for quality control of finished parts, without having to be present at the Mazak every minute to avoid machine downtime.”
For further information www.1mta.com

Optimising productivity in palletising applications

Automated product handling takes many forms and, with continued growth in manufacturing, a plethora of products are now seeing automatic transfer from the end of the line to pallets. The grippers used to handle these products are also becoming more sophisticated as the demands for flexibility and productivity increase. Vacuum layer gripping systems from Schmalz are fast becoming an integral part of the many palletising robots and gantry systems used across various industry segments.

Based upon a modular system, each gripper is configurable as required with choices for either rigid or flexible spring-mounded robot flange connections, designed to fit most common robots and gantry systems. Various gripper modules are available, with intermediate layer handling if required, layer detection and options for mechanical gripping support in applications where the top surface of the layer is unable to support the complete layer weight.

Layer gripping systems with foam are capable of handling virtually all items, and for applications where the layer may be uneven, the system is also available with vacuum cups. For extremely difficult workpieces the layer gripping system can be fitted with an outer skirt. In each case, Schmalz can supply these gripper systems with optional zoning to add further flexibility, allowing part layers to be handled or parts to be placed in groups or in different patterns.

The ability to configure the gripping solution to the application makes it possible to cater for layers with gaps, mixed layers, intermediate layers, pallets, cardboard and film packaging. In addition, loading and unloading of partially filled pallets is also possible by combining vacuum technology with mechanical gripping support.
For further information www.schmalz.com

New vice jaws available with 30-day free trial

Leader Chuck International used the GTMA’s recent Manufacturing Solutions event in Limerick to launch the Norgren Adaptix vice jaws to attendees seeking improvements in productivity and the elimination of waste from their machine shops and tool rooms.

Adaptix vice jaws present a new method of holding and gripping parts for milling. With sliding fingers, it is possible to adapt the system to any part geometry, reducing the time and cost involved in the design and development of vice jaws or bespoke fixtures.

Managing director Mark Jones explains how Adaptix vice jaws can benefit almost any workshop: “For many, the challenge of securely holding shaped material requires vice jaws machined to match the workpiece geometry, whether it is a cast or forged billet, a pre-machined part for second operations, or even a component being repaired or reworked. Every production or workshop manager knows this takes time, to produce a CAD file or drawing, obtain the materials for the bespoke jaws and then machine them. All before you can start cutting the part and making money.

“With Adaptix vice jaws you simply set the fingers against the workpiece and lock them in position,” he continues. “You can be cutting material within a few minutes compared to half a shift lost to producing machined bespoke jaws. And there is no waste, as the Adaptix vice jaws can be reset time and time again to suit any job that comes in.”

Leader Chuck International is so confident in the gains presented by the system that it is offering a free 30-day trial for any company that meets the product mix criteria; and is currently producing soft jaws and wasting valuable machining time.
For further information www.leaderchuck.com