Editor’s Pick

Speed and accuracy aids world record attempt

Having smashed the previous mark by 20 mph, Scunthorpe-based Becci Ellis set a world record of 264.1 mph on 17 August 2014 and became the world’s fastest woman on a conventional motorcycle over a standing-start mile. Achieving the female land-speed record also makes her the fourth fastest rider in the world, just 30 mph behind the overall world record set by late American rider Bill Warner.

Becci’s feat was performed at Elvington Airfield in North Yorkshire on a 1300 cc Suzuki Hayabusa that, when launched in 1999, won acclaim as the world’s fastest production motorcycle. In preparation for Becci’s record-breaking run, her Hayabusa was highly modified, enabling it to generate 650 bhp.
Not satisfied with being the current holder of the record, Becci is now busy preparing for a new attempt to set the benchmark even higher. In addition to multiple further modifications to the previously record-breaking Hayabusa, particular attention is now being paid to the aerodynamics of the bike.
Rather than use traditional wind tunnel testing methods to analyse and improve the bike’s aerodynamic performance, the team behind Becci’s latest record-breaking attempt are using advanced virtual simulation techniques.
To help gather the raw data needed to enable the best possible virtual simulation outcomes, the team enlisted the help of Manchester Metrology, a specialist in the field of laser scanning and data capture. Mindful of the need to acquire highly accurate data, the staff of Manchester Metrology used a Faro Edge ScanArm HD to undertake the critical scanning routines of the bike.
Philip Knowlson of Manchester Metrology says: “The Faro arm was ideal for this application as it has a scan rate of up to 560,000 points/second.”
For further information www.faro.com

Intelligent measurement from Hexagon

The latest large-scale portable laser scanner will be among a raft of measurement technologies highlighted by Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence (hall 18, stand 430).

The Leica Absolute Scanner LAS-XL not only offers a scan-line width of up to 600 mm and measurement stand-off distance of up to 1 m, but accuracy to within 150 µm. Hexagon says the scanner’s expanded measurement field and point acquisition rate means components and assemblies such as large blade surfaces or aircraft and rail carriage interiors can be digitised faster than ever before.
Speed is also the hallmark of Hexagon’s Romer Absolute all-purpose, portable measuring arm, which will be demonstrating its rapid 3D data capture capability via a new integrated RS4 scanner. Thanks to an ultra-wide laser strip of up to 150 mm, the RS4 scanner is able to acquire 752,000 points per second, reducing the number of passes required to fully scan a part.
For further information www.hexagonmi.com

Toyota Auris to be built at Burnaston

Toyota says it will build the next generation of its Auris hatchback at the company’s Burnaston plant in Derbyshire.

The Japanese carmaker also says its Deeside factory in North Wales will build most of the required engines. It comes after Toyota promised to invest £240m in upgrading Burnaston last March. According to the company, the move will secure more than 3000 jobs across its Burnaston and Deeside plants. The factory is being upgraded with new equipment, technologies and systems to enable manufacture of vehicles on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform.
For further information www.toyota.co.uk

Clamping force verification made easy

Workholding equipment manufacturer OK-Vise has announced two new systems for checking how tightly a component has been clamped, mindful that during automated machining in particular, the verification of holding force has always been a challenge. The products are available in the UK through 1st MTA.

The accuracy of workpieces, especially those that are delicate or of thin-wall construction, can be adversely affected if the clamping pressure is too high. Conversely, if the grip is too weak, there is a possibility of the part becoming dislodged during machining, risking operator injury, machine damage, tool breakage and scrap.
During automated hydraulic clamping, oil pressure is easy to measure, but other variables can also influence clamping force. In manual clamping systems, straightforward torque measurement is often used, although the relationship between torque and actual clamping force can be inaccurate. As a result, the approach that OK-Vise has taken is to integrate clamping force measurements directly into the company’s modular Multi-Rail RM fixturing system.
An on-screen digital readout of clamping pressure enables the operator to verify that a hydraulically secured component is held correctly. If required, an optional SCADA system can collect information from several displays over a standard Modbus connection so that historical data can be viewed and adjustments made as necessary.
The system also allows the holding force of manually secured workpieces to be checked. Here, a visual red dot in a clamp module gradually fades to grey as a spanner is turned, showing when the holding force is correct. Various modules are available for different clamping pressures.
For further information www.1mta.com

DJM installs first XYZ 500LR VMC in UK

Based in the village of Warkworth, near Banbury, DJM Engineering has recently acquired an XYZ 500LR vertical machining centre – the first of its type in the UK – to handle the company’s requirement for one-off and small batch work. A Siemens 828D control was supplied with the upgrade to Shopmill software, along with Renishaw Primo tool and work probing as part of the overall package.

“We are impressed by the capabilities of the XYZ 500LR machine, and are not holding back on speeds and feeds across a range of materials,” says director Colin Merry. “The machine is more than capable of maximising modern cutting-tool technology, and provides us with a working envelope that is ample for our needs in a compact footprint.”
The machine was purchased to meet growing demand for not only its own work on special machines, but an increase in subcontract jobs.
“From the word go, discussing our requirements with XYZ, we were confident that we were being pointed in the direction of a machine that would meet our needs, not just a machine that XYZ wanted to sell,” says Merry. “As a small family concern it is a refreshing change to get such service from a supplier, as it is how we like to think we treat our customers; the result being ongoing business.”
The XYZ 500LR was launched in 2017 as the first XYZ machining centre to feature linear rail guides, a decision taken as XYZ now feels that this technology meets its stringent quality/performance criteria. The three-machine LR series (500, 750, and 1000) also features the standard Siemens 828D, which allows customers to tailor the options to their requirements, such as the Shopmill feature used by DJM.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com