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

ACE aids future of transportation

Precision components manufactured in Telford are increasingly finding their way into the next generation of electric cars and vehicles involved in space exploration. Advanced Chemical Etching (ACE) has bounced back from Covid-19 disruption to post a 17% sales rise on pre-pandemic turnover and is now targeting £10m in sales by 2024.

Chris Ball, executive director at ACE, says: “The sectors that are really tapping into our etching capability and the exacting precision this provides include electrical vehicles, fuel cell technologies, medical components and space vehicles. Yes, a small SME in Telford is helping international customers with quick delivery of etched parts for many new energy applications.”

For further information https://ace-uk.net/

FGX Sports gets shot at glory

A Preston-based business is teeing-up to revolutionise the golf-club industry, working with the University of Sheffield’s AMRC North West to explore design options and prototyping for its innovative high-end golf clubs. The AMRC produced CAD options for FGX Sports and manufactured a 3D-printed prototype. Golf manufacturing is usually a long and expensive process that does not lend itself to the creation of prototypes, so this was a faster and more efficient way to test the design. The project was all about accelerating the design cycle and providing support to shorten time-to-market.

For further information
www.amrc.co.uk