ACE boosts export markets with new investment

Complex metal components manufactured in Telford are finding use in space exploration and the next generation of aircraft and cars thanks to the technical expertise of a fast-growing local manufacturer. Advanced Chemical Etching (ACE) has seen sales grow by 15% in the past year, with export orders increasing after the firm boosted capacity with the installation of two ‘Chemcut’ etching machines.

With a strong order pipeline and new opportunities in hydrogen fuel cell markets accelerating, the company has just agreed a deal on two further machines that will help it offer increased capacity and reduced lead times on parts. The machines should be operational by the end of the year and provide the platform required for ACE to secure £10m of sales by the middle of 2024.

Chris Ball, executive director at Advanced Chemical Etching, says: “Our ability to etch precision components quickly and in a range of materials is a big selling point, as is the way we control all the forming processes in-house. This makes us extremely competitive against the rest of the world and proves UK manufacturing can do battle on the global stage.”

ACE specialises in the development of precision components to customers in more than 35 countries, spanning aerospace, space, general engineering, automotive, electronics, medical, telecoms and renewables. The scope of its activities is far and wide and can include anything from safety-critical components for aircraft and Formula One cars, to meshes and electronic connectors, battery interconnectors, fuel cell bi-polar plates, cooling plates and heat exchangers.

All parts are developed and manufactured at its main site in Telford and at the company’s dedicated sister business, ACE Forming Ltd, in Kingswinford.
For further information www.ace-uk.net

Tooth-flank grinding for e-mobility sector

Gear grinding is currently attracting a lot of attention, especially in the production of components for electric drives. Production planners are demanding new solutions for a perfect surface that assures their smooth running at high speeds and heavy torque loads. To see how a niche machine tool builder implements these requirements, look no further than Emag SU and its tooth-flank grinding machines.

The gear grinding machine specialist’s G 160 model, for example, features a special ‘virtual’ axis concept for microscopically near-perfect surfaces. Simultaneously, the integrated material handling technology reduces cycle times to a minimum.

Emag SU says that its G 160 is the fastest machine on the market for components up to module 3 with a maximum outside diameter of 160 mm. The G 160’s speed is made possible by a special slide axis concept with two parallel workpiece tables that take turns moving at high speed (with the help of durable, high performance linear motors) towards the grinding wheel.

During the time that one component takes to machine, the loading robot inserts a blank into the other spindle, after first unloading the completed part, as needed. Self-centring alignment, or ‘meshing’, of the grinding wheel to the rough-cut gear component takes place directly on the workpiece spindle, at load position, in parallel with the main machining operation. This results in a chip-to-chip time between the grinding processes of only 1.6 seconds (a small value compared to grinding machines with turntables).

Here, it is important to note that the actual grinding time needed for a typical component such as a planetary gear wheel, is only about 10 seconds. The difference between the chip-to-chip times between grinding is therefore a real game changer.
For further information www.emag.com

ETG brings Axile brand to UK and Ireland

The Engineering Technology Group (ETG) is expanding its portfolio with the addition of the Axile brand of machine tools, for which the company is now the exclusive UK and Ireland technology partner. From a machine perspective, the company will be introducing the Axile G Series of gantry-type vertical machining centres and the DC series of double-column five-axis vertical machining centres that demonstrate high rigidity for the heavy-duty cutting of lengthy workpieces. There is also a complete range of options available for mill-turning with the MT versions of the machines.
For further information www.engtechgroup.com

Walter launches FW4 and MW4 wiper geometries

With the FW4 and MW4 wiper geometries, Walter is introducing two turning indexable insert geometries. The new FW4 and MW4 combine the ‘wiper effect’ with new chip-breaker geometries and wear-resistant Walter Tiger•tec Gold grades. Walter’s curved wiper edge sweeps over the machined surface again, making it possible to either double the feed rate and increase productivity by 100%, or significantly improve the surface quality while maintaining the same feed rate.

With these new geometries, Walter is now transferring this effect from the existing FW5 and MW5 double-sided cutting inserts to indexable inserts with a positive basic shape. The result is the FW4 geometry with a narrow chip breaker for finishing operations and the MW4 geometry with an open chip-breaker groove and longer wiper cutting edge radius for medium machining.

Both geometries are for universal application in ISO materials P, M and K, as well as for secondary applications in ISO S materials. The FW4 and MW4 geometries make it possible to achieve improved surface quality, productivity and process reliability thanks to the wiper edge with its curved design. This curved wiper design also helps when the machine is not aligned 100%, for example after a crash or with slightly offset turrets.

As a further advantage, the new chip breakers increase the chip-breaking range with higher feed rates, resulting in less machine downtime caused by ‘birds nesting’. Higher feed rates reduce machining times and therefore contact times, increasing tool life and reducing the number of tool changes. The combination of double the productivity and/or surface quality is particularly appealing for series manufacturers.
For further information www.walter-tools.com

End mills gain Lockheed Martin recognition

Kennametal reports that its Harvi solid-carbide end mills will be included as a preferred product in Lockheed Martin’s internal machining guide. The resource, produced by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’ Operations Technology group for internal operations and engineering, as well as global supply-chain partners, identifies the most effective parameters and processes for machining material-specific aerospace components.

“We’re honoured to be a long-time supplier to Lockheed Martin and have our Harvi III end milling portfolio featured in one of its most invaluable machining guides,” says Keith Mudge, Kennametal VP -metal cutting sales, Americas. “We work closely with customers like Lockheed Martin to solve problems and deliver the utmost accuracy in machining. The inclusion of Harvi end mills in this internal resource is a testament to our commitment in the industry and our high standard of excellence.”

Kennametal says that its Harvi solid-carbide end mill portfolio is an industry staple because of its ability to outperform other end mill tools when working on hard-to-machine aerospace materials like titanium and Inconel.A signature Kennametal brand and bestseller, Harvi end mills deliver time and cost savings in aerospace operations with fastmetal removal rates and longer tool life, reports the company.

Users experience maximum productivity from Harvi-style end mills with features like the
Harvi 1 TE’s twisted cutting edge for increased corner stability and ramping and helical interpolation operations. Further stand-out features include: proprietary relief from anti-vibration-anti-friction technology; unequal divided flutes, including some with variable helix, enabling vibration dampening and unmatched feed rates; and an innovative flute design with chip gashes to reduce cutting forces and promote more efficient chip evacuation.

In April, Kennametal launched a new end mill grade called KCSM15A and will be expanding its Harvi product lines further this autumn.
For further information www.kennametal.com