Hurco draws the crowds

Taking advantage of relaxed Covid-19 restrictions over the summer, Hurco Europe was one of the first UK machine tool businesses to schedule an autumn open house, which took place earlier this month. Managing director David Waghorn says: “It was great to welcome everyone back to our facility. Nothing can substitute for meeting people face to face. As efficient as Teams and Zoom calls are, they really can’t replace standing in front of a machine and watching it cut metal.”

It would appear that the Hurco customer community agreed. Visitor numbers and pre-registrations were the best to date at the company’s new UK demonstration facility, which opened in 2019. In excess of 100 people from more than 60 companies attended over the two days. The show marked the launch of the new VM ONE, a super-compact, entry-level machining centre that replaces the VM5i. Also on show for the first time in the UK was the BX60i portal machine, which maintains dynamic stability and accuracy despite having large X- and Y-axis travels.

For further information www.hurco.co.uk

Webinar highlights Taiwanese innovation

In response to emerging global trends, Taiwan Excellence, supported by Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade, invited five Taiwan Excellence Award winning machine tool manufacturers to demonstrate their intelligent solutions in a webinar held alongside the recent EMO Milano 2021 exhibition. Within the main section of the webinar, Taiwan Excellence Award winning enterprises introduced their latest smart solutions and technologies.

The companies participating in the webinar included Tongtai Machine & Tool, Fair Friend Enterprise (FFG), Buffalo Machinery (AXILE), L&L Machinery and HIWIN Technologies. Titled ‘Beyond Smart’, the webinar welcomed 48 media outlets and 171 buyers from around the world. This year, a total of 47 Taiwanese manufacturers participated in the physical EMO Milano exhibition, including HIWIN, AXILE and FFG.

Watch the webinar at https://youtu.be/bdGYg2rhROs?t=56

Taking die-sink EDM to the next level

To enhance the manufacture of technically challenging moulds from hardened stainless steel, Ledwell Plastics has invested in a new Sodick AD35L spark erosion machine from Sodi-Tech EDM. This advanced die-sink EDM machine provides the speed and accuracy required to reduce costs and enhance precision, while also offering low electrode wear and the necessary reliability to facilitate unmanned overnight operations.

“Our toolroom makes moulds from many different materials, everything from aluminium through to hardened stainless steel,” explains managing director Benn Simms. “Recently, however, we were working almost exclusively with the latter material in the production of very small and intricate moulds, a trend that looked set to continue for some time. The problem was our existing die-sink EDM capability, which was somewhat antiquated, meaning we had issues with accuracy and breakdowns that were impacting project timescales and costing a lot in repairs.”

As a result, Ledwell Plastics sought a new die-sink EDM that could work to tolerances of less than 0.025 mm. In addition, the highly technical, hardened stainless steel moulds require a large amount of sparking, so fast processing speed was another factor high on the wish list.

“We looked at existing spark eroders, but after undertaking some research and speaking to other Sodick users, we settled on the AD35L,” says Simms. “During an on-site demonstration at Sodi-Tech EDM we could see that the machine’s performance was particularly impressive with its high-speed linear motors.

“Our new Sodick allows us to run overnight, unlike our previous machine, which we could never trust in that regard, particularly with blind components/features that are difficult to flush,” he continues. “The high-speed linear technology of the AD35L evacuates the cavities much better with its enhanced flow of dielectric fluid.”

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

Over 60,000 attend EMO 2021

Promoted by CECIMO and organised by UCIMU, the recent EMO Milano 2021 exhibition registered more than 60,000 visitors from 91 countries. Luigi Galdabini, general commissioner of EMO Milano 2021, states: “The exhibition data sets confirm the value of EMO, which is considered a reference point for the worldwide industry of machine tools, robots and automation systems. In such a complicated, historic moment, where the public health emergency is not yet completely over, EMO showed its importance.”

Alfredo Mariotti, director of the exhibition, adds: “A very large number of exhibitors have expressed their full satisfaction with the results achieved over the six exhibition days. ‘Qualified and very motivated visitors’, ‘a duly organised trade show in all its details and not least those related to safety’: these are the most common expressions of appreciation received both from habitual exhibitors at the show and from companies that have not participated previously.”

For further information www.emo-milano.com

High-precision vertical grinders

Superabrasive specialist Engis is releasing its EVG series of high-precision vertical grinding machines for the production of ultra-smooth surfaces. These machines can grind advanced materials to a high degree of precision in flatness and surface quality, greatly reducing or even eliminating the need for subsequent lapping.

Ideal applications for EVG series machines include semiconductor wafer grinding or back-thinning (SiC, GaAs, Sapphire, Si, GaN, AIN, InP), semiconductor equipment components, glass ceramic, as well as substrates for semiconductor packaging, including MEMS (ceramic, polyimide).

Engis EVG machines are available in three different models, the EVG-200, EVG-250 and EVG-300, all of which offer a PLC, 400 rpm work table speed and 2000 rpm max wheel speed.

Advanced machine control options are available, providing automated grinding wheel dressing, automated positioning of the grinding wheel relative to the workpiece and workpiece thickness measurement. For maximum control, an upgrade to in-process thickness measurement with feedback to the grinding cycle in real time is also available.

The most advanced model offers automated thickness options: multi-point contact probing for multiple wafer grinding or a choice of contact or non-contact continuous in-process measurement for single wafer machining.

EVG Series machines are equipped with Engis grinding wheels based on mixed abrasive diamond (MAD) wheel technology, which tailors the wheel to the material in cut. Engis specialist application engineers can provide specific process recommendations for particular materials and applications.

For further information
www.engis.com