CNC Software establishes Mastercam UK

CNC Software LLC, the developer of Mastercam, announces that with the closing of its reseller 4D Engineering Ltd, a new business entity, Mastercam UK, will now support the UK. 4D Engineering, based in Cirencester, said recently that after supporting the Mastercam community for 32 years it would cease operations as of 23 March 2022. Due to the unique nature of this transition, Mastercam Corp will now provide industry-leading support and resources for users in the UK under the name Mastercam UK. Mastercam UK will operate independently and locally as a member of the global Mastercam reseller network.

For further information www.mastercam.com

Orders climb in Germany

Orders received by the German machine tool industry in the first quarter of 2022 were 44% up on the same period last year. Indeed, orders were only 8% below the record figures posted in 2018. In contrast, supply bottlenecks are the reason why production continues to lag far behind orders. During the first quarter, production rose by a disproportionately low 6%. In response, the VDW has lowered its production forecast for the current year from 14% to 8% growth. The VDW reports that some new machines are presently ending up in storage, as many of them cannot enter operation because of missing parts.

For further information
www.vdw.de

Get started with 5G, the easy way

For several years now, 5G has promised to improve production by enabling the monitoring of process flows or, for example, the control of mobile robots in real time. There are numerous companies with an interest in 5G, but many lack the know-how and resources to take the first steps. The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen has therefore designed a ‘5G Portfolio’, an offering that supports companies on their journey to 5G production, created with Ericsson’s Private 5G network solution.

The 5G portfolio ranges from evaluation and testing of various use cases, to in-house network planning and installation. Companies also can test a mobile 5G test system on their own shop floors. The system is particularly attractive to small and medium-sized companies, where the initial costs represent a hurdle and it is necessary to first prove the added value of 5G.

For further information www.ipt.fraunhofer.de

ITC tools take centre stage at Signcraft

Located north of Stockholm in Taby, Signcraft AB is a sign manufacturer that is celebrating its 30th year in business. The Swedish business offers a comprehensive service that ranges from company signage and displays, through to 3D scanning and vehicle decoration. For 20 years, the company has been purchasing its cutting tools from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC).

Recently, the company manufactured 3.4 m high stage prop ‘hands’ for the Swedish version of ‘The Voice’ TV programme. On this occasion, Signcraft AB applied a 20 mm diameter ball nose tools from ITC to cut more than 20 m3 of Styrofoam.

“We use a lot of ITC’s LG series single-flute tools for machining our plastic materials, and the STA series for machining aluminium or similar metals,” says company founder Henry Barker. “On occasions, we also use special ITC tools for machining stainless steel or other challenging materials.”

In Sweden, the government has committed a percentage of its budget for infrastructure and new buildings to creating art. One artist with a commission for a project to create sculptures for highway roundabouts approached Signcraft AB to manufacture ‘Selectric Typeballs’ from 1970’s typewriters. Standing at 2.5 m high, the spherical Selectric Typeballs was constructed from 22 cast aluminium sections measuring 1 m x 750 mm. The respective aluminium sheets were cast in a foundry, with Signcraft making the mould tools from high-density polyurethane sheets. The 3D forms were rough-machined on the company’s Kimla CNC routing machine with a 20 mm diameter ball-nose LG series tool from ITC, while finishing operations took place using a 6 mm diameter ball-nose LG series tool.

“We’ve found that the quality, tool life, quality and performance of ITC cutting tools is outstanding,” concludes Barker.

For further information
www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Comez adopts planning software

Comez International, a specialist in crochet warp knitting machinery technology, is using Dassault Systèmes’ digital planning and scheduling solutions to improve its production efficiency and competitiveness. Comez deployed Delmia Ortems applications to digitalise its manufacturing planning and improve the measurability, predictability and continuity of production processes.

With real-time data updates in a collaborative digital environment, Comez has a global view of all production elements, including machine tools, work orders, set-up and working hours. The company can quickly make decisions regarding the allocation and distribution of resources to fulfil orders and meet deadlines and product lead times, while reducing repetition and wasted time.

Since deploying Delmia Ortems applications, Comez has reduced forecast errors by 30%, production delays by 27% and set-up times by 20%, as well as increased production by 8%.

“We needed to become more efficient, effective and offer reliable and practical management planning,” says Paolo Malnati, general manager at Comez International. “We found the ideal partner in Dassault Systèmes, and their Delmia Ortems applications have helped immensely. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we had an unexpected and extremely important need: to double production for our mask-making machines. We had to quickly convert our production equipment to produce double the quantity in a very short amount of time. Without Delmia Ortems, this planning would not have been possible.”

Philippe Bartissol, vice president – industrial equipment industry, at Dassault Systèmes, adds: “Comez is able to meet the needs of its customers and boost its competitiveness by using Delmia Ortems to increase management capacity, strategic collaboration, productivity, visibility and agility.”

For further information
www.3ds.com