Success for Metal Show & TIB 2022

Last month’s Metal Show & TIB 2022, the leading trade fair in Romania for metalworking, industrial technology and production equipment, saw visitor numbers exceed the expectations of exhibitors and the organiser. The 130 exhibitors (from 13 countries) welcomed 3512 visitors over the four days of the show, which covered a floor space of 10,275 sq m. Among the exhibits were machine tools for machining, sheet metal processing equipment, cutting equipment, precision tools, industrial software, instruments and measuring machines, equipment and accessories for welding, and robotics.

For further information
www.metalshow-tib.ro

Cycle time savings at Hollingworth

At the heart of Hollingworth Design’s subcontract capability in Stockport are two Index bar-fed turn-mill centres, a G200-2 and a C100. These machines, especially the G200-2 with its powerful B-axis and capability of simultaneous cutting with up to four tools, consistently open up many possibilities.
“Any job that can be machined from bar is classed as a turning job, and goes on these machines, even if there is no actual turning involved,” states director Paul Hollingworth.

Applying this philosophy allows cycle times to be drastically reduced, with help from cutting tool supplier Ceratizit UK & Ireland. A good example is one particular component destined for use on superyachts. Initially, Hollingworth Design was using a four-flute 6 mm diameter milling cutter on these 303 stainless steel components. Ceratizit recommended changing this to a five-flute Silverline solid-carbide cutter. Running at 6250 rpm spindle speed, 120 m/min cutting speed and 0.1 mm/rev feed rate with a 1.5 mm step down every rev, the Silverline cutter completed the entire batch of 4000 components without being changed.

“The performance of this cutter simply blew me away,” says Hollingworth. “We achieved a cycle time of 3.5 minutes per component, running the machine 24/7 and meeting all of our customer’s expectations.”

This job is a typical example of the approach that Hollingworth Design takes, to look at every aspect of the application and engineer a process to make improvements. To maximise the benefit for customers, the company looks at batch quantities from 500 upwards, recently completing a single order for 72,000 components. Machining these volumes demands support from Ceratizit in the form of regular visits, along with daily management of tooling through use of a Ceratizit TOM 840 tool-vending system.

For further information
www.ceratizit.com

MSL joins Renishaw channel partner programme

Renishaw has appointed Measurement Solutions Ltd (MSL) – the Peterborough-based scanning and metrology provider – to its channel partner programme. The agreement between the two companies sees MSL become a ‘premium partner’, providing access to the portfolio of Renishaw CMM, styli, gauging and fixturing products. MSL serves manufacturing customers throughout England in market sectors that include automotive, aerospace, general engineering and education.
The channel partner programme at Renishaw aims to enhance levels of local customer service and product support throughout the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) sales region. Partner company selection is on the basis of sector-specific experience and expertise in a range of cutting-edge metrology and manufacturing disciplines.

For further information
www.renishaw.com

Inserts with multi-layer MT-TiCN coating

With the WPP10G, WPP20G and WPP30G grades, Walter presents its new Tiger·tec Gold indexable inserts for turning operations. During development, Walter set out to reduce flank face wear by 30 to 60%.

In reality, tool life increased by an average of 50% according to the results of over 130 customer tests. The primary application is steel with a tensile strength of 600 to 900 N/mm². However, Walter’s new grades can also machine lightweight components made of steel with high tensile strength of 1000 to 1400 N/mm², which are on-trend at the moment.

The indexable inserts are of particular interest to mass producers in the automotive, energy and general engineering sectors, where they significantly reduce cost per component, says Walter. The company is launching the grades with nine geometries across the programme for applications such as optimised chip breaking on long-chipping, low-carbon materials (MP3) and interrupted cutting (RP7).

According to Walter, another key feature of the Tiger·tec Gold inserts for turning is their process reliability. This characteristic, alongside the performance and tool life of the inserts, is the result of their layer structure. A patent-pending, highly textured MT-TiCN layer reduces flank face wear, increases toughness and optimises elasticity. Additionally, a highly textured Al2O3 layer increases the product’s resistance to crater wear, while the gold-coloured top layer improves wear detection.

The final multi-stage post-treatment of the inserts ensures a smooth rake face, less friction and a high level of toughness, reports Walter. Individual alignment of the grades makes the indexable inserts highly versatile: WPP10G for continuous cuts and light interrupted cuts; WPP20G as a universal grade for 50% of applications; and the tough WPP30G grade for interrupted cuts as well as unstable or unfavourable conditions.

For further information
www.walter-tools.com

DISPLAY OF FORCE BY DURMA LASER

Impulse Point of Purchase, a designer and manufacturer of award-winning POP displays across a number of industries, has invested in a new Durma HD-FL 3015 fibre laser cutter with automated loader from Axe & Status. The machine is delivering a 30% increase in speed on thinner-gauge materials, and around 10% on average across all thicknesses, providing a notable impact on bottom-line profitability.

Based in Sandy, Bedfordshire, Impulse POP draws upon many decades of experience in the provision of end-to-end engineering, manufacturing and installation services to retail segments that include sport, music, fashion and jewellery, food and drink, health and beauty, and DIY and gardening. Each solution provides brands with highly effective merchandising opportunities.

Mark McKeown, a man with over 30 years of experience in the POP sector, established the business in 2005. After just three years, the company moved into its current 10,000 sq ft facility and has since grown into a £1.5m turnover business.

“We’re still smaller than some of our competitors but we offer a first-class tailored service,” he says. “We provide an intimacy with our customers that is often missing with many of the larger market players. Our customers use us because they know we can solve their problems.”

The in-house production capabilities of Impulse POP are a major advantage when it comes to winning new contracts, which is why the company insists on regular investment to keep pace with the latest manufacturing technologies. “We had a CO2 laser cutter from another supplier and, although there was nothing wrong with the machine, we knew that investing in a fibre-based solution would bring a number of important advantages,” says McKeown. “I see a laser cutter as a workhorse and, although we scrutinised many machines, we couldn’t see sense in spending top dollar unless we could really monetise that value. We have Durma press brakes, as well as a corner notcher and a guillotine, so it was a proven brand for us. The Durma HD-FL 3015 fibre laser cutter soon became the clear favourite. We also wanted a loader/unloader so we could work unmanned during the day and lights-out overnight.” Installed in October 2021, such is the confidence in the new automated Durma fibre laser cutter that Impulse POP dispensed with its previous CO2 machine.

“We had a couple of teething issues, which is normal, but Axe & Status, including the team from Durma in Turkey, reacted very quickly,” states McKeown. “I’m very happy with the support we received and I really like the machine; it was absolutely a good decision from our perspective.”

The majority of the material that Impulse POP processes is mild steel (for its display customers), but the company also runs aluminium and stainless steel. In addition, the introduction of the Durma fibre laser means Impulse can run copper and brass if needed.

Typically, the company works with material thicknesses from 1 to 12 mm. Impulse selected the 4 kW Durma HD-FL 3015, which can process mild steel up to 20 mm thick, stainless steel up to 10 mm, and aluminium up to 12 mm. However, versions up to 20 kW are available if companies want to cut even thicker materials. The HD-FL 3015 offers 3060 x 1530 x 160 mm in the X, Y and Z axis respectively, although models up to the HD-F 16030 are available from Axe & Status with travels that extend to 16200 x 3100 x 185 mm. Control is via Sinumerik 840D SL with 19” touchscreen.

“We design everything in SolidWorks and use Lantek as our programming software, from where the Durma laser pulls jobs as required over the network – we simply press the start button,” explains McKeown. “Once cut, we bend, weld and finish the parts accordingly.”

A good example of the work that Impulse POP handles is a display completed recently for Candy King, a leading supplier of pick and mix sweets, which wanted 950 units for the UK’s entire portfolio of One Stop convenience stores. This attractive POP solution featured a 1.2 mm mild steel body produced on the Durma laser, with the full assembly undergoing welding, powder coating and the application of branded transfers.

“It was amazing to watch this job on the laser,” states McKeown. “It took just 90 seconds to cut a full sheet of three display bodies, which was very fast. Within 10 hours we had completed the entire 950. Running the job on our new fibre laser with automated loader/unloader was quicker than using our previous CO2 machine, so it gave economies of scale. The Durma is at least 10% faster on average. However, for thinner work, such as the 1.2 mm mild steel display for Candy King, it’s more like 30% quicker.”

The Durma HD-FL 3015 fibre laser cutter features a linear motor motion system that delivers very high acceleration (synchronised 35 m/s2), speed (synchronised 226 m/min) and positioning/repeatability (±0.03 mm). The savings that Impulse POP accrues from the additional speed are supplemented by its use of compressed air as the assist gas.

“This strategy works really well on thinner materials,” says McKeown. “As long as the air is clean, it’s effectively free because we’re running our compressor anyway. We ran compressed air for the Candy King job, which probably saved around £150 of nitrogen. I also like the zero warm-up time with fibre technology. We would previously wait around 20 minutes for our CO2 laser to be ready.”

Being a full service provider with fast manufacturing technologies is key to success at Impulse, which is capable of supplying quickly and efficiently across a wide range of materials, including metal, wood and acrylic. Temporary and permanent retail displays, as well as in-store, pop-up, event and exhibition display stands, are all within the team’s in-house capabilities.

Notably, the Durma laser not only delivers short cycle times, but outstanding quality and flexibility in manufacturing, all of which bodes well for a bright future. “Of course, certain challenges remain, not least the fact that metal prices have doubled since the onset of the pandemic,” concludes McKeown. “What’s more, energy prices are rising almost constantly and transport companies are hitting us with surcharges to cover their growing fuel bills. All of this makes costing tricky. However, we are renowned for our problem-solving and we’ll find a way, particularly with the help of our new Durma laser cutter. Investment remains key to our ongoing success.”

For further information
www.axestatus.com