German firm Rittal, a global manufacturer of control cabinets, is currently building the ‘factory of the future’ in Haiger. To this end, the company has placed a large order for a production line with Wemo worth “millions of euros”.

“The process begins with a stack of metal plates which our production line automatically feeds in, punches, corners-off and bends into a kit of parts that is then welded and painted by a third party to make a complete control cabinet,” explains Johan Lucas, commercial director at Wemo, which is represented in the UK by Press & Shear.
The fact that a leading German player such as Rittal – around €1bn in annual turnover plus factories on different continents – selected relatively compact Wemo in the Netherlands – “nearly 100 employees” – is significant because there are sufficient local and reputable machine manufacturers.
“As a builder and integrator of production lines for sheet metal working we deliver solutions for specific customer requirements which excel in terms of flexibility, speed and reliable technology, across their life cycle of up to 10-15 years,” says Lucas.
Rittal has in fact been a loyal and satisfied client of Wemo for many years.
“We have delivered lines for Rittal’s factories in America, among other places; and the next project is already in the pipeline,” says Lucas.
“As well as Rittal, we are very busy with other customers. For example, we have recently supplied complete lines, including assembly and welding, to Poland.”
For further information www.wemomachines.com

According to Haco Kingsland, the company’s new PressMaster series hydraulic CNC press brakes feature the full integration of high-level machine, control, software, safety and tooling technology for the benefit of short set-up times, high part accuracy and safe operation without compromising productivity.

The Multi Touch FastBend MT Premium control offers automatic tool search during the part design process, along with instantaneous calculation of bending sequence and NC program. PressMaster press brakes can be optionally equipped with the company’s ‘Smart Tool Locator’ system, which indicates the correct tooling position as well as tools that are active during the bending process.
Lazersafe’s IRIS optical safety guard system guarantees safe operation, controlling the entire area around the top tooling and discontinuing the fast downward movement of the beam instantaneously when detecting any safety hazard in the protected area.
Further features include a new standard tooling system that is said to offer high accuracy and durability. Vertical loading together with novel self-seating and self-aligning characteristics work together to facilitate short set-up times.
The symbiosis of these technologies is designed to provide customers with flexible press brake operation offering short set-up times and components featuring ±0.1 mm dimensional and ±20’ angle precision tolerances.

For further information www.kingsland.com

Salvagnini recently staged a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Salvagnini Robotica, the group’s new division for the development and manufacture of press brakes and associated robotic applications in Brendola, near Vicenza. The plant is situated just 8 km from Salvagnini’s headquarters in Sarego.

With a factory floor space of 4000 sq m, the new facility is devoted entirely to the manufacture of B3 press brakes, which currently come in 14 models, from 2 to 5 m in length, and from 60 to 400 tons force capacity. According to the company, the next step in the development of these machines is full robotic automation. With this in mind, Salvagnini says that its Roboformer technology is currently in development in Sarego.
Among recent announcements, the Salvagnini B3.ATA press brake has been upgraded with numerous automated devices that make it adaptive to different materials and products, while also offering completely autonomous operation in accordance with the company’s Industry 4.0 concept. The machine’s application extends from stand-alone operation to an integrated part of the Salvagnini FMC FlexCell which, for example, allows configuration with an L5 fibre laser-cutting system and P2lean panel bender.
For further information www.salvagninigroup.com

The University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) has made a £2.3m investment in new kit as it seeks to enhance the competitiveness of the UK’s automotive, aerospace and medical manufacturing sectors. A radial forge from Austrian company GFM GmbH has been purchased, making it the only machine of its kind available in the UK for R&D and demonstration purposes. The AFRC will use it to trial and prove the viability of new ways of manufacturing parts for hip implants, automotive transmissions and aerospace components, among other products.

Radial forges are much more common in Germany and Austria, where they are frequently used in manufacturing parts for the automotive industry. However, a large upfront investment has curbed their adoption in the UK. Developed specifically for the AFRC, the radial forge will enable manufacturers to try new alloys and other materials in a range of applications. Featuring two pairs of hammers, the forge allows engineers to incrementally develop more complex shapes, improve materials, work at lower temperatures and create parts that are nearer net shape.
The machine also offers induction heating, which allows it to control how parts are being heated, be more flexible, and produce components more quickly. With a maximum forging force is 1500 kN, the machine can work with parts of up to 950 mm in length and a diameter of 125 mm. Cold working internal and external tolerances of ±0.15 and ±0.25 mm are offered, as well as hot working tolerances of ±0.25 and ±0.5 mm, respectively.
Dr Alastair Conway, senior manufacturing engineer at the AFRC, says: “By working with a range of materials and proving the advantages that the process offers over traditional hammer and drop forges, we hope to show our manufacturing industries how they can compete more effectively
on the international stage.”
For further information www.gfm.at

Higher and more consistent quality of the formed vehicle part, the potential for shorter cycle times and better control over the entire manufacturing process. This is what customers can expect from AP&T’s new in-line process monitoring system for press hardening.

Pyrometers and infrared cameras are used to measure the material’s temperature both before and after pressing. The pyrometer registers the absolute temperature at a certain point, while the infrared cameras are used to read the heat distribution on the part’s surface. All of this takes place without any of the equipment coming into physical contact with the material. It is crucial that the blank is heated up, formed and cooled down at exactly the right temperatures to ensure that the finished vehicle part obtains the desired material properties. The higher the degree of precision, the better and more consistent the result.
In-line process monitoring has been developed by AP&T to meet the demands of both the press hardening process itself, and customers, and it satisfies car manufacturer standards such as CQI-9.
Press hardening technology enables sheet metal parts to be manufactured with low weight and high strength, which results in lighter, safer and more energy-efficient cars. AP&T is a supplier of complete production solutions for press hardening, and has installed close to 100 press hardening lines globally since the beginning of the 2000s.
For further information www.aptgroup.com