Next-generation taper angle control

Water Jet Sweden has launched Alphajet, the next generation of taper angle control (TAC) and perpendicular waterjet cutting.

Alphajet is mechatronics based on compact design with a fixed TCP point. According to the company, extraordinary cutting result are achieved with carefully selected machine elements and small precise movements at an angular accuracy within ±0.05 mm.
Alphajet features a compact design that means lower weight and less limitations on the work area. This factor is extra beneficial for those who want to arm their machine with more than one cutting tool. Users can fit up to four Alphajet systems on the same machine, thereby quadrupling the cutting capacity without compromising accuracy.
The less movement, the higher accuracy. This principle was one of the guidelines when designing Alphajet, which has a fixed TCP so that the machine’s X and Y axes do not need to move in order to handle TAC.
Alphajet also features a proprietary gearbox design. The 45-30-30° angles require very small movements in the A and B axes when cutting, while the choice to position the tool holder very low on the cutting head provides a low rotation point with small, more accurate movements. Alphajet has the ability to withstand a maximum angular compensation TAC up to ±13°, which the company says is the best on the market.
The mechatronic system is equipped with Fanuc absolute servomotors, thus no reference cycle needs to be run. These absolute motors are directly connected in a harmonic drivetrain to eliminate any mechanical sources of error, such as backlash and play.
No special CADCAM programs are required as IGEMS basic CAM waterjet modules already contain data for the most common materials.
For further information www.waterjetsweden.co.uk

Mazak appoints sales manager for Midlands

With over 20 years’ experience in the machine-tool sector, Brian Edmondson has assumed the role of Mazak area sales manager for the Midlands, having previously been the company’s area sales manager for the northwest.

Edmundson brings with him a wealth of technical expertise and hands-on engineering knowledge to now support customers in the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. He will be responsible for serving the needs of Mazak customers operating across a variety of market sectors, ranging from general subcontracting through to automotive, aerospace and medical.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

£6.5m boost for SME manufacturers

SME manufacturers across England have been given a £6.5m funding boost to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and address key barriers to growth.

The Manufacturing Growth Programme, which is funded by ERDF and delivered by Oxford Innovation Services, has been extended until December 2022, and will give a further 2800 companies access to industry experts and grants to tackle immediate business issues and support improvement plans.
This additional backing will safeguard/create 3500 new jobs and takes the total package of support the initiative can deliver to £18.3m across 17 regions, with businesses in Sheffield able to apply for the first time. Firms are given access to a dedicated local manufacturing growth manager, who will use GROWTHmapper – an in-depth business diagnostic tool – to develop an individual action plan and support business projects that range from environmental improvements, leadership, management and marketing, to skills, quality and supply-chain development.
For further information www.manufacturinggrowthprogramme.co.uk

Storage interface automates sheet metalworking

Automated material flow offers manufacturers significant time and cost savings.

With this in mind, Kasto has introduced a new system for efficiently transferring material automatically between its sheet-metal storage towers and flat-bed processing plant, such as laser-cutting machines and turret punch presses. The system enables minimally attended production, achieves high throughput speeds and relieves staff of the laborious and potentially risky task of handling large metal sheets.
The system comprises two sheet manipulators suspended from a gantry projecting from the storage tower and two pick-and-place tables below. These tables are positioned side by side at the same distance apart as the manipulators; the table nearer the tower being a similar distance from it and fixed to the floor. The second (shuttle) table has a slatted surface and is rail-mounted, allowing it to travel to a production area and back.
Each manipulator operates differently in that the one closer to the tower uses an array of suction cups to hold the sheet during lifting and lowering, whereas the other employs a rake-type gripper which opens so that the rake tips move further apart than the width of the sheet, allowing it to be lifted from underneath off the slatted shuttle table after the rakes have closed. Regarding motion, the manipulators always move horizontally in unison and vertically in opposite directions.
Kasto’s system is not designed to return the sheet containing laser-cut or punched components back into the storage tower, although such fully-automatic operation can be supplied by the company with double pick-and-place stations, and with manipulators moving independently – one above the other.
For further information www.kasto.com

BMW unveils AM campus in Munich

BMW has officially opened its new Additive Manufacturing Campus in Munich.

The new centre brings together the production of prototype and series parts under one roof, along with research into new 3D-printing technologies and associate training for the global rollout of tool-less production. At an investment of €15m, the facility will allow the BMW Group to develop its position as a technology leader in AM. Last year, the BMW Group produced approximately 300,000 parts using this innovative technique. The Additive Manufacturing Campus currently employs up to 80 associates and operates about 50 industrial systems.
For further information www.bmwgroup.com