DMG Mori open house

At DMG Mori’s traditional open house to be held in Pfronten, Germany from 11 to 15 February 2020, areas of focus will include end-to-end connectivity as the standard for all machines, updating existing versions of the CELOS machine interface, the new customer portal ‘my DMG Mori’, and the co-operation with US software provider TULIP as an entry into digitalisation.

Among more than 40 machines on show there will be three world premieres: the DMC 65 H monoBLOCK universal, horizontal-spindle machining centre, the modular PH Cell automated pallet handling system and the LaserTec 400 Shape for laser texturing.
For further information https://pfronten.dmgmori.com/en

Laser provides enhanced cuts

The Ventis-3015AJ from Amada is the first fibre laser cutting machine to feature the company’s LBC (Locus Beam Control) technology, which improves both processing quality and productivity in stainless steel and aluminium. The machine also features a newly developed, high-brightness fibre-laser oscillator with single diode module (4 kW).

On conventional fibre laser cutting machines, energy density reduces as material thickness increases, leading to a lack of efficiency and the need for de-focusing the beam. Conversely, the use of LBC Technology, which is said to be a world first for the laser-cutting market, offers flexible beam pattern control matched to each application, while retaining high-efficiency cutting and high energy density. De-focusing is therefore no longer required. In short, LBC Technology can freely manipulate the laser beam to create an infinite number of locus patterns that are advantageous to cutting performance.
For manufacturers of conventional fibre-laser systems, the only way to negate the loss of energy density is to increase the power output of the laser oscillator, but this comes at a cost, both in terms of purchase price and greater electricity consumption. In contrast, the new Ventis, with its specially developed, 4 kW single diode module oscillator and LBC technology can reduce electricity bills by 30%, says Amada.
LBC technology can operate in three primary modes: productivity mode, quality mode and kerf-control mode. The most notable gains from integrated LBC technology are available on stainless steel up to 20 mm thick, and aluminium up to 18 mm. Ventis can also be used for processing many other materials, including mild steel (up to 25 mm), brass
(10 mm) and copper (8 mm).
For further information www.amada.co.uk

Quaser acquires Winbro Group

Winbro Group Technologies Ltd has been acquired by Taiwan headquartered Quaser Machine Tools (QMT).

QMT, a publicly traded company, is a manufacturer of multi-axis machine-tool technology with locations in Taiwan, USA and Europe. The Winbro Group provides manufacturing solutions to the aerospace and industrial gas turbine industries, based upon its core laser and high-speed EDM cooling hole machining technologies, as well as viper grinding and ECM machining processes. Winbro provides turnkey machining systems, services and manufactured components from its UK and USA sites.
For further information www.winbrogroup.com

Machining and AM in a single platform

A new five-axis machining centre with integrated laser-deposition welding capability for accurate, reliable, cost-effective, complete production of complex components in one hit has been introduced by DMG Mori. The LaserTec 125 3D hybrid is intended for the manufacture, maintenance and repair of workpieces up to 1250 mm in diameter by 745 mm high, and weighing up to 2000 kg.

Based on DMG Mori’s rigid MonoBlock platform, the LaserTec 125 3D hybrid offers automatic changeover between laser-deposition welding and simultaneous five-axis milling in a single set-up, reducing processing times by up to 80%. Such savings are helped by eliminating the need for heat treatment as a separate process step due to the machine’s ability to deposit material with a hardness of up to 63 HRc.
The alternate use of laser-deposition welding and simultaneous five-axis milling is beneficial for improving production processes or enabling new component geometries, an example being the manufacture of closed impellers. Another strength of these hybrid machines is the production and repair of hot and cold forming, and forging dies.
DMG Mori’s LaserTec 125 3D hybrid can also produce lightweight structures that reduce the weight of parts by up to 90%. A selling point of laser-deposition welding is the possibility it offers to change between two materials quickly under CNC. So, for instance, hard surfacing to reduce wear can be carried out in one area and corrosion-resistant welding for environmental protection may be performed in another. Alternatively, the cooling characteristics of a part can be significantly increased. As an illustration, a die-casting mould can be produced by starting with a bronze core that dissipates heat effectively, and welding on to it an outer skin of tool steel.
For further information www.dmgmori.com

PP Profiles installs colossal cutting machine

PP Profiles (West Yorkshire) Ltd has bought a plasma and flame cutting machine from Kerf Developments that measures 39 m in length.

To get a scale of the workload at the Batley-based heavy engineering business, it is processing an average of 400 to 500 tonnes of steel every month, and almost 40% of this material is run through the new Kerf RUR4500. It is this reliance on the Kerf plasma and flame cutting machine that justified its acquisition. The level of investment at PP Profiles (West Yorkshire) Ltd now stands at more than £2m in the past two years.
The reason behind the investment in the colossal Kerf RUR4500 was due to two older 12 x 2.5 m flame cutting machines – and a 6 m plasma machine – proving unreliable, creating an inefficient workflow.
Commercial director Daniel Morley says: “We specified the Kerf RUR4500 with a single high definition 400 A plasma cutting head on a 12 x 4 m bed and a two-machine 24 x 4 m bed that consists of both a six-head and a four-head flame cutting gantry – all in a single 39 x 4 m cell. This allows us to load much larger jobs and has opened us up to new markets, as parts over 12 m long are not uncommon.”
The arrival of the Kerf RUR4500 machine made the previous two flame and one plasma machine surplus to requirements, reducing the required floor area and improving efficiency and workflow.
“Now, we have four people running the three machines within the Kerf RUR4500 cell,” says Morley. “This workflow configuration has reduced our processing times by at least 50%.”
For further information www.kerfdevelopments.com