Zeiss partners with Artec 3D

Zeiss is co-operating with Artec 3D, a Luxemburg-based technology company that develops, manufactures and distributes handheld and portable 3D scanners. Under the agreement, Artec 3D will offer inspection software from Zeiss as an extension to its range of 3D scanning hardware. This combination allows a wider user group to benefit from a 3D solution for metrology applications.

Zeiss software permits users to analyse 3D measuring data generated from 3D scanners and create reports. For Zeiss, the goal of this partnership is to improve further the market position of the company’s metrology software. Dr Marc Wawerla, head of Zeiss industrial quality solutions, says: “We are excited to partner with Artec 3D and enable customers from all industries to benefit from our expertise in metrology software solutions.”
More information www.zeiss.co.uk/metrology

Sustainable manufacturing hub launched

The University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has partnered with leading metrology experts to launch a new sustainable manufacturing hub that aims to address the challenge of commercialising early-stage research within key areas of manufacturing.

The Advanced Metrology Hub for Sustainable Manufacturing aims to make manufacturing processes more sustainable by reducing waste, emissions and pollution, as well as lowering production costs. It will also develop ground-breaking new technologies. The hub will be led by the University of Huddersfield and supported by a consortium of partners including the AMRC and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) – both part of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult network.

More information www.amrc.co.uk

New southwest sales manager at Mazak

Yamazaki Mazak has appointed James Fell as its new area sales manager for the southwest of England. He takes over from Tim Ponter, who is retiring after more than 30 years’ service at Mazak and nearly 50 years in the manufacturing industry. Fell brings with him a wealth of experience in the machine tool industry, having trained as a CNC programmer and technical sales engineer before moving into business development roles. In his new post, Fell will assume responsibility for Mazak’s broad range of customers throughout the region, with a particular focus on the subcontract manufacturing scene.

More information www.mazakeu.co.uk

Innovative front axle machining made easy

Bharat Forge Kilsta is one of the world’s largest forging companies, specialising in heavy crankshafts, front axle beams, steering arms and other chassis components. The company is based in Karlskoga, a Swedish city renowned for its centuries-old forging tradition. Here, Bharat Forge Kilsta mainly produces front axles for trucks and buses. It first forges beams from steel and machines them to make full front axles. To do this, the company previously used CNC machines of the older Unisign Univers model. However, the company invested in a trio of Unitwin6000 machines in 2022/2023.

Prior to expanding with the new models, Bharat Forge Kilsta needed to outsource part of its manufacturing process. “We didn’t have the capacity to machine all the front axles that our customers requested,” explains production development engineer Thomas Forsling. “To be less reliant on subcontractors we wanted to do more of our machining in-house. That’s why we started to explore options for extra machines.”

According to Forsling, the Unitwin6000 provides even greater speed, reliability and precision, although two of the older machines are also still in use. The Unitwin6000 enables Bharat Forge Kilsta to manufacture almost all of its front axles in-house. Another major benefit is speed.

“The old machines have one spindle that does the machining, which means we can do one side of the beam at a time,” explains Forsling. “In contrast, the Unitwin6000 machines both sides simultaneously. The handling is also quicker, because we don’t have to change the beams manually in the machine. As a result, our production speed is now a little over double what it was previously.”

For further information www.unisign.com

FANUC RoboDrill offers mill-turn capability

FANUC UK now offers what it describes as an affordable muti-axis turning and machining solution aimed at helping manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, utilities and energy supply chains reduce cycle times, cut costs, save space and boost production efficiency.

The FANUC RoboDrill D21LiB5ADV Plus vertical machining centre has a 24,000 rpm spindle and a Nikken two-axis high speed rotary table featuring a built-in direct drive motor that achieves 1500 rpm. Visitors to the MACH exhibition in Birmingham earlier this year could see the machine in action producing scroll compressor aluminium housings. The demonstration showcased the cost-saving and performance benefits available from combining milling and turning processes.

“FANUC and Nikken worked together to create a combined machining/turning cell with an extended range of functionality, offered at a fraction of the cost of machines with similar capabilities,” says Oliver Selby, head of UK sales at FANUC UK.

He continues: “At the heart of the solution is our D21LiB5ADV Plus RoboDrill, which is a three-axis machine in its core configuration. The Nikken table adds a further two axes, allowing users to turn and machine components on the same unit. This is a real breakthrough, bringing the functionality of million-pound machines within reach of SMEs at a significantly lower cost. It helps them become more competitive and to consider undertaking work that was previously beyond reach.”

Less than 3 m long and a little over 2 m wide, the RoboDrill/Nikken solution is a lean machine with a compact footprint. The Nikken 5AX-201 tilting-rotary table features pneumatic clamping to allow the rapid mounting and changing of difficult-to-hold components.

For further information www.fanuc.eu