Mapal improves machining of axial piston parts

Mapal has carefully examined critical components of the fluid power industry and their potential for complete machining. An example is axial piston pumps and motors, a central component of which is the cylinder block, made either of steel (C45 or 42CrMoS4) or spheroidal cast iron (EN-GJS-500-7 or EN-GJL-400-15. Mapal experts have developed a solution that reduces the machining time for a customer’s cylinder blockby 19%.

“One customer was struggling with high costs for manufacturing cylinder blocks,” says Tobias Stolz, component manager for general machining at Mapal. “A great deal of effort was required to ensure the defined surfaces, which had to be between Rz = 27 and 37 µm, as well as the high quality of liners with tolerances for roundness, straightness and parallel alignment of 3 µm.”

The customer today machines the pressure and suction kidney with the Mapal OptiMill-Uni-Pocket solid-carbide milling cutter as part of a new process. This tool supports the boring operation by way of inclined plunging. The machining of these inlets and outlets therefore does not require any other tools.

A step drill with Tritan-Drill geometry offers similar benefits when pre-machining the piston bores, dispensing with the requirement for a spot face. Furthermore, thanks to sharp cutting edges, the bottom of the bore no longer requires deburring. The multi-stage Mapal fine-boring tool ensures optimal quality before pressing in the brass bush. It is not only very precise during machining but also particularly economical thanks to the HX insert’s six cutting edges. These three tools alone reduce machining time by 19% compared with the previous method.

“We offer our customers economical processing solutions to their machining challenges for all functionally relevant parts in the fluid power industry,” summarisesStolz.

For further information www.mapal.com

Walter PVD grade suits high-load grooving

Walter is launching its patent-pending Tiger·tec Gold WSM33G grade: the company’s first PVD grade to accommodate the high loads that occur during grooving operations. The cutting tool material combines third-generation TiAlN with TiSiN to form a multi-layer coating with exceptional hardness and increased toughness, reports Walter.

A special post-treatment reduces friction and ensures a smooth surface, thereby optimising chip removal and process reliability. Furthermore, the gold top layer makes it easier for users to detect wear. Walter uses the new PVD coating on single-edged SX cutting inserts with positive engagement and a self-clamping system. It is also applicable to indexable inserts from the double-edged DX18 system, where a second prism ensures stability in the insert seat.

For manufacturers, the fact that this grade is usable with both systems delivers maximum versatility as it caters for all insert widths from 1.0 to 10mm. Another advantage of the Tiger·tec Gold WSM33G grade is its adaptability, even under challenging conditions. Walter says the universal grade is suitable for 75% of all applications, including grooving and parting-off, groove and copy turning,and slot milling.

The system can undertake these operations on a range of materials, including steel (ISO P30), stainless steel (ISO M30) and materials with difficult cutting properties (ISO S30). Offering universal application, long tool life and high resistance of the multi-layer coating against plastic deformation and flank face wear, Walter says that its WSM33G grooving inserts are a productive and reliable choice.

For further information www.walter-tools.com

Kasto sets out digital and ecological credentials

Kasto, the German manufacturer of automated warehouses for storing and retrieving raw material, both long stock and sheet, and which also produces sawing machines for cutting it to size, has been enhancing the connectivity and operational efficiency of its equipment. Whether it is a stockholder or a manufacturing facility using the storage systems and/or sawing machines, they now benefit not only from higher productivity but also lower running costs through more economical use of electrical power. As an added bonus, more data is available to drive end-to-end decision-making, from order to delivery.

The company says its solutions ensure continuously controlled, intelligent material flow. Machines, systems, goods and load carriers communicate autonomously, enabling flexible, resource-efficient, economical storage and fabrication. In this way, users remain competitive despite the rising costs of energy and materials, while at the same time improving their ecological performance.

KASTOlogic is a modular warehouse management system (WMS) designed for bar and sheet metal storage requirements. The software enables users to manage and monitor not only processes in the warehouse itself, but also upstream and downstream operations. It is also possible to integrate manually operated storage areas into the system using the mobile app.

KASTOenergysave is an energy recovery concept developed for automated storage systems. It enables excess potential or kinetic energy to be converted into electrical power, which is stored in double-layer capacitors for later use.

During sawing operations, users face the challenge of making the best use of stock and avoiding waste to lower material consumption and costs. The KASTOoptisaw software module optimises the assignment of long stock to every cutting order, taking into account the parameters of the various sawing machines. KASTOapp provides a status overview of all sawing machines in the system.

For further information www.kasto.com

Grinder of the Year

Young talent can now register for the Grinder of the Year competition and put their theoretical knowledge and practical grinding skills to the test. Alongside the Grinder of the Year 2024 title itself, training vouchers of up to €3500 are also up for grabs alongside many other attractive prizes. Apprentices, journeymen and women, as well as career-changers, can apply up to 26 February 2024. The campaign has been launched by GrindingHub, the trade fair for grinding technology, in cooperation with the Australian grinding machine manufacturer and principal sponsor Anca.

For further information www.grinder-of-the-year.de

Exhibitors sign up early for BIEMH

Four months before it starts, the organiser of the BIEMH 2024 machine tool show says 985 exhibitors have already booked space at the event. BIEMH, which will take place for the 32ndtime at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre on 3-7 June, will present the latest in innovation, technology, knowledge and business opportunities. Itsexhibition space will cover everything from cutting-edge machinery,tooling, accessories and components, to machine tools, metrology and production services. In addition, automation, robotics and digitalisation will consolidate their position as a prominent part of the event.

For further information https://biemh.bilbaoexhibitioncentre.com/en