A second-hand 1000-tonne forging press from Schuler has been installed at Schondelmaier GmbH. The press, which had been providing dependable service at a major automotive manufacturer since 1985 still had “plenty of life left in it”.

Over the course of just a few weeks, the machine was dismantled, transported to Schondelmaier’s headquarters in Germany’s Black Forest region, re-assembled and commissioned into service.
“We believe that this press will run for another 20 years,” states managing director Joachim Schondelmaier. “Used presses from Schuler are basically always a safe bet. We purchased a pre-owned 500-tonne hydraulic machine through Schuler subsidiary Vögtle earlier this year, while our press shop also houses a number of other cold-forging machines from Schuler.”
For further information www.schulergroup.com

The new MikroTurnGrind 1000 from Hembrug Machine Tools combines the advantages of precision hard turning and fine grinding in one machine. Kyal Machine Tools is the UK agent.

By combining both techniques, hardened workpieces can now be machined complete in one set-up, which saves on process steps and costs. Moreover, sub-micron precision can be achieved by, for example, avoiding clamping errors.
In addition, the absence of re-clamping errors results in sub-micron accuracy. The machine has a B-axis that offers optional space for features such as an external grinding spindle with a 300 mm diameter grinding disc and an internal grinding spindle.
If preferred, one of the grinding spindles can be replaced with a milling spindle. The MikroTurnGrind 1000 has a maximum machining capacity of 380 mm diameter.
Hembrug’s MikroTurnGrind 1000, which has fully hydrostatic bearings, can produce workpieces up to a diameter of 380 mm, or 200 mm x 1000 mm between centres. According to Hembrug, the machine is ideally suited to small to medium-sized product series. Automation is optionally available. The MikroTurnGrind 1000 was presented in public for the first time at the recent AMB 2019 exhibition in Stuttgart.
For further information www.hembrug.com

Italy-based Pietro Rosa TBM, a specialist in LP and HP compressor blades, blisks and fan blades, has teamed up with machine-tool expert Starrag to develop a process for producing multi-bladed aerofoil components, complete with appropriate programs, fixturing and tooling (ceramic for roughing operations and solid carbide for finishing).

Each of the super alloy multi-bladed compressor components is machined into the required shape, carrying very tight tolerances throughout – including within 50 µm on the profile.
Pietro Rosa TBM’s most recent investment in Starrag machining centres, an LX 021, has been specifically designed for the machining of blades. Andrea Maurizio, chief of technology at Pietro Rosa TBM, says: “Importantly, the machine’s built-in adaptive milling routines provided by the RCS CAM software were vital, as were Starrag’s integrated production system principles. These include ERP-interfacing cell management software and process quality control that avoids collisions via 3D modelling.”
For further information www.starrag.com

The Creaform HandyScan AeroPack is a new 3D scanning solution suite that addresses the specific challenges of aircraft quality control, such as assessing damage from hailstorms or aircraft incidents, as well as flap and spoiler inspection. HandyScan AeroPack can also be used for reverse engineering, maintenance and repair operations, and designing hard-to-acquire spare parts. The suite is available in the UK from Measurement Solutions.

Creaform’s HandyScan AeroPack includes HandyScan 3D, a metrology-grade, portable 3D scanner designed to acquire accurate, repeatable and reliable measurements – even in difficult environments, such as aircraft hangers or shop floors, and with both complex surfaces and parts of all sizes. Also featured is SmartDent 3D, an aircraft surface inspection software for assessing aircraft flaps, spoilers and fuselage panels. VXinspect, a dimensional inspection software module for quality control workflows and inspection reports, and VXmodel, a post-treatment software module to finalise and further process 3D scan data in any CAD solution, complete the offer.
Simple and intuitive to use by operators of any skill level, HandyScan AeroPack makes quality control and reverse engineering processes efficient by reducing user impact on measurement results and accelerating the generation time for final reports or CAD designs.
HandyScan 3D is listed in the Airbus Technical Equipment Manual, and is part of Boeing’s Service Letter, meaning it can be used for recording the physical attributes of dents on all Boeing commercial aircraft.
“Aerospace is facing increasing challenges due to manufacturers’ accelerated innovation, stricter regulatory standards, heightened concerns for passenger safety, mounting costs of grounded aircraft and profitability targets,” explains Jérôme-Alexandre Lavoie, product manager at Creaform. “As the HandyScan AeroPack was developed with these challenges in mind, aircraft and MRO companies can now tackle them head on.”
For further information www.creaform3d.com

Italian subcontract manufacturer, R Busi, has made a strategic decision to move to five-axis CMMs. The use of Renishaw five-axis measurement heads has enabled the company to meet the verification needs of increasingly complex part designs and deliver the tolerances and repeatability required.

R Busi operates from a 22,000 sq m facility in Mezzanino, where its factory houses 40 production machines that include lathes, five-axis vertical milling machines and four-axis horizontal machining centres. Some 40 production personnel are employed, working in two shifts.
The five-axis measurement technology adopted by the company had to provide the flexibility required to verify a highly diverse range of parts produced for a range of sectors.
Initially, the company had a measurement head retrofitted to an existing three-axis CMM. Once the system was proven, two new CMMs were added, both specified to include five-axis measurement heads at the outset. Renishaw’s Revo and PH20 five-axis measurement systems were selected.
Head of quality at R Busi, Paolo Orlandi, says: “We already used Renishaw machine probes throughout our production processes, so equipping a dedicated measuring room with closely related technology from the same supplier was a logical and easy step to take. Since our production activities can often include some quite complex bespoke parts, we really wanted to adopt something a little better than a standard three-axis CMM; something that would give us the accuracy, flexibility and speed needed.”
The introduction of five-axis measurement technology has had a wide-ranging impact on R Busi’s precision manufacturing operations, as Orlandi explains: “By dramatically increasing measurement speed and significantly reducing production downtime, the business has gained a serious productivity advantage.”
For further information www.renishaw.com