3D-printing boost for Callum

Stratasys subsidiary MakerBot, a specialist in 3D printing, has supplied automotive and lifestyle product design and engineering firm, Callum, with a Method X 3D printer. The machine will produce functional prototypes, tooling and production parts across a number of luxury vehicles and lifestyle brands, including the limited edition Aston Martin Callum Vanquish 25 by R-Reforged.

Adam Donfrancesco, technical director at Warwick-based Callum, says: “Having put the 3D printer through its paces, the level of part accuracy and diversity of engineering-grade materials available is second-to-none versus other industrial desktop printers we’ve tested. Not only does this technology enable us to enhance our prototyping capabilities for true functional testing, but we can now optimise the production of tools and end-use parts where 3D printing previously fell short in terms of strength, surface finish and dimensional accuracy.”

For further information www.makerbot.com

Improving the quality of weld testing

Looking to keep its service in-line with customer requirements, Solus Testing has introduced an Innovatest Falcon 507 micro/macro Vickers hardness tester from Bowers Group to its Worksop facility. Solus Testing is a mechanical and NDT laboratory that carries out weld procedure qualification records and welder qualification to ASME IX and BS EN standards.

For Solus, quality and accuracy are the most important aspect of its service. In this particular instance, the Falcon 507 performs weld testing, allowing confirmation of any property changes that may have occurred during the welding process. The testing of a weld’s heat-affected zones must be particularly precise, usually on a microscopic scale, to ensure absolute safety of the finished product.

The Falcon 500 series provides users with micro-Vickers, Vickers and micro-Brinell hardness testing functions, improving conventional methods by focusing on eliminating user influence on the test results. A proprietary force actuator system utilises an electronically controlled closed-loop system and force sensor technology to achieve its high accuracy.

With its automatic indent measurement, two indenter positions, four objective positions, 5 mP HD camera and anti-collision system, Solus operates the Falcon in a laboratory setting that allows the hardness testing process to be carried out in a space where external factors cannot affect the results. The machine is in constant use and, with its high workload, it is important that the testing instruments can cope with demand.

Rob Tinsley of Solus Testing says: “The quality of the results that the Falcon 507 achieves is paramount. We must always reassure our customers that if production welding is carried out the same way as the welding test, the product will meet all standards required.”

For further information
www.bowersgroup.co.uk

Robotic welding at LaShip

Following strong organic growth in US markets, Pemamek has delivered a Pema VRWP-C robot welding station to the LaShip shipyard in Louisiana. The Pema VRWP-C robot station is a compact solution to automate micro-panel welding, but also other small-to-medium-sized assemblies. The basis of the system is Pema WeldControl 200, which Pemamek says enables easy weld-path creation and robot programming. Additionally, thanks to the station’s compact size, commissioning and ramp-up is possible within one week.

For further information
www.pemamek.com

Mills CNC adds business manager

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has appointed Martyn Jones as business manager for the Birmingham and West Midlands region. Jones is a seasoned CNC machine-tool sales professional who has acquired over 20 years’ experience in the sector at companies that include Gardner Aerospace, Arrowsmith Engineering and, more recently, as an applications engineer at a machine-tool distributor and area sales manager for a well-known machine-tool manufacturer.

“Mills CNC has an unrivalled reputation in the market for the quality and technical excellence of the Doosan machine tools it sells, and for its well-resourced and industry-leading after-sales and support services,” says Jones. “I’m delighted to have joined such a customer-focused and progressive company, and believe I have the experience, business approach and skill set to make a positive and telling contribution to Mills’ continued growth and success.”

For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

On-demand learning centre for Esprit

Esprit is unveiling its on-demand CAM training platform, Esprit Learning Center, to the general public. The new portal is an online training platform with on-demand, self-paced training courses created specifically for Esprit CAM programmers. Among the first learning paths available are: ‘New User Milling’, ‘New User Turning’ and ‘New User Mill-Turn’. Each learning path includes five to seven training courses that guide users through several different machine models and part models.

The main purpose for creating discrete online learning paths is to replicate what a student can learn from an on-site training class. Users can learn at their own pace by taking the course anywhere, and at any time. Each learning path also comes with one Esprit student licence for each learner, so users can take the courses at home or in their free time, without interrupting their daily programming or production work.

For further information
www.espritcam.com/learningcenter