Midaco is announcing a notable milestone in CNC productivity across Europe as it joins forces with Abplanalp in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). According to US-based Midaco, the new partnership underscores the company’s dedication to delivering innovative solutions that elevate efficiency and performance in the CNC industry. Machine shops in the Baltic territory can now anticipate advancements tailored to meet their evolving needs.

Established in 1969, Midaco is renowned for both automatic and manualpallet changers. All models of the automatic pallet changer system are available with a light curtain package. With three-sided guarding via a light emitter, mirrors and sensors, a pallet change will not occur upon breaching the invisible light beams surrounding the shuttle system.

In recent years, Midaco has expanded its line of pallet changers to accommodate the need for large precision parts machined to tight tolerances for the aerospace, energy, automotive, military, power generation, oil and gas industries. These jobs cause significant spindle downtime due to the long and involved process of heavy, large part changeovers.

When combined with crane loading, first article inspection and job interruption tasks, a machining centre can be idle for anything from 30 minutes to two hours. As a result,a large vertical bridge mill or double-column machining centre can be idle up to 70% of the time. Midaco single/dual automatic pallet changers are alsosuitable for machining centres which do not move in Yaxis, ensuring for the long component changeover process takes place while the machine is cutting.

More information www.midaco-corp.com

Sandvik has acquired PDQ Workholding LLC (PDQ), a US-based company specializing in custom work-holding fixtures and tooling for various industries, including aerospace, automotive and energy. PDQ will be reported in Walter, a division within Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions, thus supporting the strategy to grow in advanced machining solutions and lightweight materials.

The acquisition of PDQ will strengthen Sandvik’s offer to customers primarily in North America, enhance relationships with machine tool builders, and allow for earlier access to component projects in which both efficiency gains and the right selection of cutting tools are of importance. PDQ produces stationary, hydraulic and automated fixtures, alongside indexable tool bodies and carbide round tools.

“The addition of PDQ will enhance our customer offer within machining solutions and strengthen growth prospects in the US, very much in line with our strategy,” says Stefan Widing, president and CEO of Sandvik.“I’m pleased to see us complete another acquisition that further improves our ability to create value for our customers and stakeholders.”

Founded in 2010, PDQ operates from two manufacturing sites and has 107 employees. In 2023, the company reported a revenue of $36m. The impact on Sandvik’s EBITA (earning before interest, taxes and amortisation) margin and earnings per share will be limited.

More information www.sandvik.com

The OP-20 is part of a suite of fixtures that bespoke work-holding solution specialist Brown & Holmes has provided for use in the manufacture of aircraft turbine blades. In this case, the Singapore-based client had a good idea of what required machining at different operations. The challenge for the Brown & Holmes team was to ensure repeatable and accurate work holding as the company was dealing with highly complex geometry.

The project involved machining the aerofoil on both sides and around the leading and trailing edges. Platform machining additionally takes place on the fixture and, as this feature is in long-term service, it also involves machining the tip of the blade off in the same process. Access is key to ensuring a good tool path and producing the part in a single, uninterrupted operation.

As a two-part fixture, the dovetail holds the root of the aerofoil in the bottom half, where the accuracy of hold is key. The tip of the blade is then held at the top, so even if there are only microns of inaccuracy, there will be millimetres out at the top of the blade. The two halves must be completely in line to ensure that there is no variation or thickness of the finished machine parts.

Brown & Holmes has been supporting this fixturing solution for over 10 years, with some 19 fixtures used in the client’s operation in Singapore. The company supports this process with cutting trials in the UK, tool manufacture in Italy and delivery to the end user in Singapore.

More information www.brownandholmes.co.uk