Grinding machine manufacturer Studer is awarding its research prize, the ‘Fritz Studer Award’, for the seventh time, invitingstudents from European universities and technical colleges to participate. The winners will receive a reward of CHF10,000.Participation in the competition provides young researchers with a platform for their creative solutions. The goal of the award is to advance and strengthen innovative developments in the machine tool industry.

For this competition,Studer is looking for work and research results with the following content: innovative machine concepts or components for precision machine tools; alternative materials in machine construction; simulation models for the dynamic and thermal behaviour of machine tools; control and sensor concepts for machine tools; digital solutions to support the grinding process; and new or advanced manufacturing technologies, especially in precision machining processes such as grinding and hard turning.

Anyone who has focused on scientific topics or applied research areas in their student research project, college work or dissertation is invited to enter. The applicant should also be able to produce substantiated results or partial results from their research work. What is crucial for the assessment? Firstly, the feasibility of findings in the machine tool industry. Secondly, the approach must be new. Studer will also assess the scientific content, form and accuracy of the statements.

A prestigious jury will assess the submitted entries and choose the winner or winners, who will receive a reward of CHF 10,000, the Fritz Studer Award and a certificate.The award ceremony will take place in mid-February 2024. Entrants should send their documents to Fritz Studer AG, Dr Frank Fiebelkorn, Head of Research and Technology,PO Box 177, 3602 Thun, Switzerland,no later than 30 September 2023.
For further information www.studer.com/en

Fein is now offering a new grinding product range, revealing new safety and performance features to meet the latest user needs. Following the launch, power tool operators working across disciplines will be able to choose from the extended range of over 40 grinding tools, with corded and cordless options available. The range arrives as a result of first-hand industry feedback, to provide a product suitable for every application, including angle grinding, die grinding and stainless-steel processing, for example.

The portfolio includes the launch of the CG 15 compact angle grinder, the first of its class to feature a fully encapsulated, brushless Fein PowerDrive motor. The tool’s 1500 W motor and notable power-to-weight ratio allow user to operate with efficiency and endurance, reports Fein. Furthermore, the angle grinder requires fewer wearing parts, has longer service intervals and incurs lower maintenance costs throughout its life.

Fein’s new CG 15 grinder also offers users extensive protection through a variety of safety features driven by user feedback, including restart protection, kick-back check, jam monitoring and an efficient brake which brings the tool to a stop in less than 2 seconds.

Another tool in the range is the Protago high-safety angle grinder, created in collaboration to set new safety standards in the industry. Bouygues, the construction giant, had previously banned the use of compact angle grinders following a serious accident. However, together with Fein, the teams developed the Protago with safety features that almost fully eliminate the serious risks associated with improper operation.

The Protago, in addition to nine other tools in this launch, is now available on the 18 V AMPShare battery platform, powered by Bosch.
For further information www.fein.com/en_uk

With the increasing regulatory pressure on PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), which might impact the future use of fluorinated solvents in industrial parts cleaning, many companies are racing to find direct drop-in replacements. Safechem, a chemical service company and solvent risk management expert, offers a long-term perspective – the use of modified alcohols in an airtight degreaser as a future-proof cleaning solution.

Safechem’s modified alcohol solvents – Dowclene 16-series and Dualene 1601 S – are chlorine-free, bromine-free and fluorine-free. Produced synthetically, modified alcohols are stable in temperature and pH. With both non-polar and polar properties, they can effectively clean off non-polar contaminants such as oils and greases, just as effectively as certain polar contaminations like cooling emulsions or solids such as particles and abrasives.

Modified alcohols have a flashpoint and application must therefore take place in vacuum closed cleaning machines, or so-called airtight/airless degreasers. Users currently operating open/semi-open equipment are likely to see the initial equipment expenditure as a hurdle. They might also be apprehensive about changing their cleaning process altogether.
However, compared with the high consumption of fluorinated solvents (PFAS-free or not) and their running costs due to emissions and drag-out losses, a closed cleaning machine can practically pay itself back due to the many cost savings it enables – in addition to increased process safety and minimised environmental impact.

Put simply, Safechem says that solvents used in closed machines are much cheaper than fluorinated products. Furthermore, solvents can be recycled and reused much more efficiently thanks to the built-in vacuum distillation unit. Another advantage is the potential to extend solvent lifespan by using stabilisers, resulting in less consumption and fewer bath exchanges.
For further information www.bit.ly/42Bgzpa

To function properly and last for a long time in the human body, orthopaedic implants require precisely defined finishes on different surface areas. For the targeted surface finishing of femur components at its new high-tech plant in Penang, Malaysia, Smith+Nephew is utilising two manufacturing cells, each containing three R 6/1000 SF drag finishers from Rösler.

The drag finishers undertake process stages that include pre-grinding with ceramic media, pre-polishing using plastic media and dry polishing with a specially prepared organic polishing medium. To prevent any disruptions of the surface finishing operation, all drag finishers are suitable for running the dry polishing process. Furthermore, four of the six drag finishers are suitable for the pre-grinding and pre-polishing as well as the dry polishing operation.

The drag finishers consist of a processing bowl with a diameter of 1000 mm and a carousel with six rotary spindles. These are equipped with specially designed workpiece fixtures, to which the femur components are mounted.

“We’re now able to process 18 femur components in one single batch compared with only 12 the past,” says Jürgen Preiser, senior manufacturing engineer at the plant. “This increases our throughput by around 50%, a truly remarkable productivity boost.”

The plant also has two fully automatic Z1000 centrifuges, equipped with the ‘Advanced’ digital process water management system from Rösler Smart Solutions, which ensure that the process water is reliably and efficiently cleaned and recycled. Another indispensable contribution towards the stability of the finishing operation is the continuous monitoring and classification of the grinding and pre-polishing media.
For further information www.rosler.com