Making the shift to sustainability

Dormer Pramet aims to lead a change in the metalworking industry by making sustainability an integral part of its business.

At the core of this strategy is the use of new technologies and ways of working that deliver value for employees, customers and suppliers, brought together under a programme called ‘Make the Shift’.
The programme encompasses a range of initiatives and targets under four key headings: circularity, climate, people and fair play. A list of key actions and objectives are now in place with the aim to deliver all by 2030, including: increasing recycling of the company’s products and packaging material; reducing waste; lowering CO2 impact; halving the total recorded injury frequency rate; developing a diverse and inclusive workforce; and engaging in community involvement projects.
An example of the tangible results already achieved by this initiative comes from Dormer Pramet’s production and R&D department. Through international collaboration, a project team has made innovative technological developments which have enabled significant reductions in energy consumption and, at the same time, improved product quality. By implementing new insulation on its furnace coating (pictured), the manufacturer improved the heating of its CVD coating reactor, significantly shortening cycle time. This move not only improved deposition conditions, which affects the evenness of the coating on inserts, but also generated a positive environmental impact, reducing CO2 emissions by 25 tonne per year.
In addition, Dormer Pramet modified the sintering cycle during the production phase, which involved a redesign of the gas flow passing through the charge to enable a more efficient furnace. The project succeeded in shortening the length of a single sintering cycle by 100 minutes (10% of the total length of the cycle), while maintaining process quality.
For further information www.dormerpramet.com

Guhring supports COVID-19 effort

Social media is currently ‘alight’ with UK engineers doing the country proud in meeting the ‘Ventilator Challenge UK’ demand to support the battle against COVID-19. Likewise, the supply chain is flying the flag for UK manufacturing with its response to keeping this critical infrastructure in motion.

Guhring UK, which is part of this supply chain, has stepped up to the plate with the critical supply of cutting tools. As a UK manufacturer with a factory floor space of over 60,000 sq ft, Guhring UK is holding in excess of £5m of standard cutting tool stock items. This stock is being directed to F1, aerospace and medical OEMs involved in the ‘Ventilator Challenge UK’, as well as the subcontract supply chain. In fact, with the impact of the pandemic on imports and the wider supply chain, Guhring UK is even delivering its products to recognised cutting-tool manufacturers and competitors that cannot meet the urgent demands of their customers.
Despite Guhring UK holding a plentiful stock of thousands of standard cutting-tool items for next-day delivery, it is the UK manufacture and coating of special tools that are really “saving the bacon” for pockets of the supply chain at such a critical time. One particular customer, Bellurgan Precision Engineering Ltd, based in Ireland, urgently required a three-step special drill for the production of ventilator components. Guhring stepped up to the mark by delivering within 48 hours.
Within that timeframe, Guhring UK had liaised with Bellurgan, designed and created a tool drawing that was subsequently approved, and then the race was on. The Guhring UK team immediately manufactured 16 identical cutters at its Birmingham headquarters and coated all tools in-house with its Signum coating technology before delivery to Bellurgan.
For further information www.guhring.co.uk

Rebuilding the supply chain

IMTS 2020, which is set to take place in Chicago on 14-19 September, has launched a dedicated educational resource on its website to help rebuild the manufacturing supply chain post-COVID.

The new mini site provides a repository of information to help manufacturers, OEMs and job shops increase resiliency when faced with future disruptions. Content includes stories, videos, webinars and podcasts that provides the manufacturing industrial base with guidance on how to rethink, re-engage and re-establish its supply chain.
For further information www.IMTS.com/supplychain

MTC chief executive to head M2R

MTC chief executive Dr Clive Hickman has been appointed to head a new body aimed at leading the resurgence of manufacturing industry in the Midlands.

The Midlands’ Manufacturing Resilience Commission, to be known as M2R, will review the Midlands’ manufacturing landscape post-COVID, contribute to the creation of a wider Midlands’ manufacturing strategy, and develop recommendations to help build the region’s manufacturing resilience and its subsequent economic impact. Contributions will be invited from senior industry, academia and government representatives.
For further information www.the-mtc.org

Sharing machining knowledge

Sandvik Coromant has launched online application training to share knowledge and best practices for metal-cutting operations.

The eight-part programme has been released online and is accessible via the Sandvik Coromant website. Embarking on the programme, customers will develop theoretical and application-based knowledge in turning, milling, drilling and threading for both indexable and solid-carbide tools.
Communicated through pre-recorded presentations, the online training courses will provide customers with insights into the best practice strategies for machining. The programme includes specialist topic areas such as solid-carbide tools for drilling, milling and tapping, which is led by expert, Ben Lodge, solid round tools product specialist for north Europe at Sandvik Coromant. During the sessions, customers will learn the fundamentals for successful metal cutting, including the importance of process control and developing the correct machine set up.
A module on indexable drilling is led by Mikael Carlsson, indexable drilling and boring specialist for north Europe. Here, learners will develop an understanding of the vital process considerations for drilling deep holes and how to optimise chip formation for different drills and workpiece materials. A separate module on indexable milling is hosted by Barry Cahoon, indexable milling specialist for north Europe.
Lee Kendall, turning product specialist for north Europe, delivers modules on parting and grooving, thread turning and general turning, where learners can expect to develop new knowledge of different insert geometries and grades.
Each training module is approximately 30-minutes in length. As pre-recorded courses, the modules can be viewed at any time, allowing customers to complete the programme at their own pace.
For further information www.sandvik.coromant.com