West Midlands wants ARIA

Business, academic and political leaders in the West Midlands have teamed up in a bid to bring the Government’s new Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to Birmingham. The new agency will help to cement the UK’s position as a global scientific superpower, while shaping the country’s efforts to build back better through innovation.

Regional leaders, including the Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, and Dr Clive Hickman, chief executive of the Manufacturing Technology Centre, alongside academic leaders, are calling for the agency to be headquartered at Old Curzon Street Station in Birmingham. Old Curzon Street Station, now the hub of HS2 in the city, was once home to the historic Lunar Society of Birmingham, which helped shape Britain’s scientific, political and social agenda throughout the 18th century.

For further information
www.the-mtc.org

Second Sodick EDM expands capacity

Erodex has a new Sodick AG60L spark erosion machine from Sodi-Tech EDM at its state-of-the-art machining centre in Halesowen. The machine brings vital extra capacity to the facility, which Erodex operates as an R&D manufacturing centre in support of its customers, around 75% of whom serve the aerospace and IGT (industrial gas turbine) sectors.

While Erodex already had a Sodick AQ35L, the company identified a clear need for a second die-sink EDM machine, as head of strategic capabilities Chris Grice explains: “In line with our growth over the past five years we’ve witnessed a requirement for more technical support among our customer base. At Erodex, we can see there’s real added value in providing customers with outsourced expertise.”

The company can of course simply manufacture electrodes to customer drawings, but thanks to its experience in the aerospace and IGT sectors, Erodex has deep knowledge of what customers are trying to achieve with regard to component geometry. As a result, design and production advice from the company is today a pivotal part of its offer and provides important market differentiation.

Erodex refers to its turnkey cost-per-part programme as ‘Application Assist’, an offer that is now even more efficient thanks to the arrival of the Sodick AG60L, which features linear drive technology and a direct link between the drive and control to ensure fast servo response and optimal spark gaps.

“Even though our customer base uses a variety of EDM machines, when it came to extending our capacity we chose another Sodick because of its reliable motion control,” explains Grice. “We get really good repeatability, which is vital in our line of work, particularly when we have multiple parts loaded in a fixture.”

For further information
www.sodi-techedm.co.uk

KMF recognises new talent

KMF Group’s annual awards celebrated the best of its young engineers, with eight awards handed out. This year, the event was held at KMF’s head office with apprentices and staff invited in person, while parents and guardians were able to watch on a live stream from home. This year’s winner of the big prize, Josh Clewlow (20), Level 3 apprentice and KMF ‘Apprentice of the Year’, says: “I didn’t think I’d win but it’s great to have been chosen. It’s an amazing apprenticeship that challenges you and helps you to learn and grow. I hope to stay on at KMF after my apprenticeship and want to progress to management eventually.”

For further information
https://is.gd/onozev

New tools for milling small holes

Cutting-tool manufacturer Horn has extended its range of products to enable the circular interpolation milling of holes down to 8 mm in diameter. With its triple-edged 304 system, the company is offering a versatile, productive solution for internal groove, thread and profile milling, as well as finish boring and chamfering.

The insert has a diameter of 7.7 mm. In conjunction with various vibration-damping carbide shanks, which feature an internal coolant supply, the tool is more economical and versatile than solid-carbide milling cutters for machining smaller diameters.

In terms of the portfolio, inserts are available in widths of 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 mm. For milling circlip grooves, Horn offers the system with cutting widths of 0.8, 0.9, 1.1 and 1.3 mm. In the case of the full radius versions, radii of 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mm are available. To enable the milling of chamfers, the system comes with angles of 45°, 30° and 15°. Regarding the substrates, Horn uses coated grade EG55 for general steel machining and IG35 for machining stainless steels and super alloys.

The Horn circular milling system is said to provide users with users many advantages, including a high level of reproducible quality. According to the company, it is fast, reliable and achieves good surface finish. During machining, the tool plunges into the material either at an angle or horizontally and is interpolated either in a circle, or helically to produce a thread.

For further information
www.phorn.co.uk

Cut costs and land net-zero targets

Leading aerospace companies including Airbus and Safran Landing Systems are working with a consortium led by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) on a new project aiming to offer a major sustainability boost, as well as cost and lead time savings, through a combination of forging, forming and additive manufacturing. The ‘Hybrid Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Sprint’ project partners include NMIS Digital Factory, Cranfield University and the Northern Ireland Technology Centre, along with an industry steering group of 13 companies.

The group is working to devise a new hybrid DED process that will help overcome current challenges that manufacturers face regarding the expensive and time-consuming process of manufacturing critical components required to operate under harsh environments. Although currently focused on the aerospace sector, the method will be applicable to a wide variety of industries including oil and gas, defence, space and automotive.

For further information www.nmis.scot