AM boosts speed and cuts cost

Following investment in a Renishaw AM 400 additive manufacturing (AM) system, Frazer-Nash has produced a novel fastener for its customer, Kwikbolt, for use during aircraft assembly.

The component can be made quicker and at a lower cost when compared with traditional subtractive machining methods. Frazer-Nash now produces 25,000 AM parts a year and has expanded its range of components.
Paul Mortlock, managing director at Frazer-Nash, says: “The Kwikbolt project is a true AM success story. Using AM means we can easily produce a bespoke component based on each aerospace customer’s requirements. Renishaw’s AM systems have been flawless since we started working together. Over the past five years, we’ve developed a close relationship. We originally chose to partner with Renishaw due to its support services, and we’ve found these to be invaluable.”
For further information www.renishaw.com

Faro sets date for Northern Metrology Networking Day

After the success of last year’s event, Faro, Optimax, Bruker Alicona, Aberlink, Heidenhain, Manchester Metrology and the NPL are joining together to stage an even larger Northern Metrology Networking Day.

The event will take place on 18 September at the Eithad Stadium in Manchester, and will provide visitors with the opportunity to witness practical demonstrations of the metrology sector’s latest innovations and discuss their specific measurement problems with industry experts. If feasible, attendees are encouraged to bring parts along so they can be scanned and measured on the day. The free event is open from 09:30 to 16:30.
For further information https://measure-anything.faro-europe.com/

Show set to feature medical device zone

Advanced Engineering is back and bigger than ever on 30-31 October at the NEC, Birmingham.

With a two-day attendance of some 15,000 engineering professionals, the 11th edition of the trade show will provide companies with the opportunity to meet with OEMs and supply chain partners from sectors spanning the engineering industry. This year, the latest additions to the event are the Medical Device Engineering Zone and the revamped Enabling Innovation area, which will join the likes of aerospace, performance materials and nuclear engineering.
Supported by Medilink, GTMA, Gambica and other UK trade bodies, the new Medical Device Engineering Zone is in response to the rapid growth of the industry and will welcome manufacturers looking to showcase their innovations in this booming area of engineering. Visitors will also have the opportunity to visit the Medical Device Engineering Open Forum and discover how medical technology is going to develop further in the future.
For further information www.advancedengineeringuk.com

TEK4 building new technical centre

TEK4 plans to open a brand new, purpose-built technical centre in late summer 2019.

The facility is located in Blaby, Leicestershire, just six miles from the company’s current site. TEK4’s new centre will offer good accessibility, with the M1 motorway just 10 minutes away.
Enhanced customer facilities will be at the heart of the operation, which is set to be five times larger than TEK4’s existing site, providing the capacity to deliver up to 10 machines per month. Among specially designed areas will include those for research and development, and another for running trials and demonstrations. A temperature-controlled inspection area will also feature. The new development will facilitate continued growth at TEK4, enabling it to exceed customer expectations.
TEK4 was founded by Jason Duffin in 2002, who continues to run the business alongside a team of engineers and support staff who have underpinned the company’s success. Duffin has spent his working life developing special process technology for gas turbine component manufacture. He co-founded MJ Technologies Ltd, and was MJT’s managing director until 2001 before he left to establish TEK4. MJT subsequently became the Winbro Group.
TEK4 specialises in fast-hole drill (FHD) or high-speed drill (HSD) EDM machines for drilling straight and shaped cooling holes in aero and IGT blades, vanes, segments and other components. Solutions combine EDM and laser systems for FHD and ceramic coating ablation; laser for drilling and cutting operations; and ECM for the STEM drilling of deep cooling holes in gas turbine components.
For further information www.tek4.co.uk

EDM set to feature at gear machining event

A one-day seminar and open house on the manufacturing of gears will be held at NCMT’s Coventry technical centre and showroom on 9 July.

Various production methods will be demonstrated on Japanese-built Makino and Okuma machining centres, as well as on one of the latter’s multi-tasking turn-mill machines.
Methods covered will include hobbing, power skiving and ‘InvoMilling’, which is capable of producing different gears using the same standard machine platform. Gear grinding will also feature, involving the use of NCMT’s proprietary EasyGear grinding software. Wire-cut and die-sink production solutions demonstrated on Makino EDM equipment, will be among further highlights.
The main message during the event will be the flexibility, productivity and relatively low investment cost offered by producing external and internal gear types on five-axis machining centres, multi-tasking lathes and EDM machines, coupled with short lead-times, and high levels of accuracy and repeatability.
A further focus will be the inspection of gears to verify their accuracy. Measurement will be performed in-cycle via a touch probe on an Okuma Multus multi-tasking lathe, supported by off-line inspection on a Hexagon Metrology Leitz CMM equipped with Quindos software.
Completing the exhibits will be an automated system configured for gear-blank production based on an Okuma Genos L3000 lathe fitted with a Cellro robotic system for automatically loading billets and unloading components.
Proceedings will include guest speakers such as Dr David Curtis, senior technical fellow from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, and Dr Rob Frazer, head of the gear design unit at Newcastle University, who will be present on behalf of the British Gear Association.
For further information www.ncmt.co.uk