SMEs form Resolve Engineered Solutions

A collaboration of four Cumbrian SMEs is embarking on a pioneering venture to establish ‘Resolve Engineered Solutions’.The joint venture brings together the expertise of Forth, React Engineering, PAR Systems and Cumbria Operations and Maintenance Service Ltd (COMS) to deliver end-to-end engineering services. It marks a significant step change in how the nuclear industry can access high-value capabilities. The four founding companiesenjoy recognition for their high-quality offerings and strengths. Through this collaboration, they will provide a holistic and efficient approach to tackling complex engineering challenges.
For further information www.resolve-engineered-solutions.com

AE set for SAMPE build competition final

The Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) will host the final of its building competition at Advanced Engineering, which takes place on 1 and 2 November at the NEC, Birmingham. The contest aims to provide a practical composite engineering challenge through Young Engineers and Students (YES), where the entrants will be challenged to create a suitable structure and display it at the show.

This year, each team must apply their composites knowledge and creativity to design and construct a bridge capable of spanning a 1 m gap while resisting simple weights. The winner will be the bridge that meets specified guidelines and withstands the greatest load before failure. All teams will receive a sustainable composite material kit supplied by sponsors, ensuring equal terms for all participants.
For further information www.advancedengineeringuk.com

Erodex invests £400,000 in latest automation

Erodex Group, a UK designer and manufacturer of graphite electrodes, tooling and fixtures is celebrating 50 years in business by investing £400,000 in automation at the company’s state-of-the-art graphite machining facility in the West Midlands.

This year marks 50 years in business for family-owned Erodex, which is looking to the future with the purchase of an automated pallet loading system to work in co-ordination with existing high-speed machining centres.As a result of the investment, the company expects to maximise efficiencies and output within the high-volume area of the business, creating capacity without the need to layer-in additional shift patterns.In addition, the alignment of existing machining capacity with automation provides Erodex with a portfolio that it has previously been unable to offer, thus creating new business opportunities.

The company’s facility in Wednesbury enables Erodex to machine its wide variety of graphite grades into highly complex components for a range of industries. It has also been a key driver in the significant growth witnessed by the Erodex Group in recent years, following a £1.75m investment in new machinery in 2021.

Steve Rolinson, director at Erodex Group, says: “Since the mid-1980s the Erodex Group has enabled customers to benefit from the capabilities of our ISO9001-accredited graphite machining facility, which is widely regarded as the best graphite machining facility in Europe.Continued planned investment as part of our continuous improvement programme – including that in automation – means we are well placed to capitalise on market opportunities moving forward. It also reinforces our position as UK leaders in the design and manufacture of graphite electrodes, tooling and fixtures for the aerospace and IGT sectors.”
For further information www.erodex.com

Log CPD points at Advanced Engineering

For the first time, attendees at Advanced Engineering 2023 will receive accreditation from The CPD Group, one of the fastest growing continuous professional development (CPD) accreditation services worldwide. Advanced Engineering is taking place at the NEC, Birmingham, on 1-2 November and will host over 150 industry-leading speakers across its forums, all of which are accessible with a visitor pass.

There are five forums at Advanced Engineering offering hours of content, all of which count towards attendees’ CPD. The main stage is a one-stop-shop for information on the latest industry developments, government policy and inspiring keynotes.Other forums include those for composites, aerospace and automotive. To obtain the certification, Advanced Engineering attendees simply need to scan the QR code at the exit of every forum, provide their name and email address and they will receive their certificate by email.
For further information www.advancedengineeringuk.com.

Latest sharpening solutions for tool production

Sharpening specialist Vollmer used last month’s EMO exhibition in Hanover to present automated grinding, eroding and laser machines for manufacturing tools made of ultra-hard cutting materials such as PCD, CBN and carbide.

This year’s product highlight on the Vollmer stand was the VHybrid 260, which can grind and erode tools up to 100% in a single set-up. The VHybrid 260 features multi-level machining realised via two vertically arranged spindles, where the lower spindle is for both grinding and EDM. With the new V@dison booster solution, the VHybrid 260 achieves a surface quality of up to 0.05 µm Ra when eroding PCD tools.

Thanks to the digital application, it is possible to integrate EDMinto tool production as a complete manufacturing process. According to Vollmer, with the Vpulse EDM generator, users can even producemicro-tools with diameters of 0.5mm and smaller with high precision, performance and surface quality. High accuracy is deliverable via the integrated ‘Laser Check’ measuring system, which achieves required tolerances of ±2µm in fully automatic closed-loop machining.

Also in spotlight at EMO was the Vollmer VGrind 360S tool grinder, which again features the concept of multi-level machining. At the show, Vollmer focused on the machining of CBN tools and how tool manufacturers can use the machine to configure and equip their production, regardless of whether they manufacture special tools or produce tools in high volumes.

Using appropriate automation such as the new HP 170 pallet magazine, the HPR 250 free-arm robot or HC4 chain magazine, the VGrind 360S is suitable for unmanned machining around the clock. With the HP 170, customers can also opt to integrate optical detection of the cooling channels.
For further information www.vollmer-group.com