The biennial IPS (International Partners in Steel) trade event will once again be hosted by Kaltenbach at its group headquarters in Lörrach, Germany on 25-28 June.

The 12th edition of this industry event will feature interesting demonstrations of the latest processing technologies, practically oriented seminars, as well as exclusive excursions that are designed to inform visitors about the latest innovations. In addition, Kaltenbach says that the technologies and trends of tomorrow will be on view.
IPS 2019 is the marketplace for steel experts, presenting an attractive support programme that offers the opportunity for successful and effective networking. The programme will include focus areas on: sheet metal, pipe and profile processing; handling and intra-logistics; separating and cutting; surface treatment of metal sheets and profiles; joining, welding and fastening; forming; and tooling.
Around 40 partner companies – leaders in their various disciplines within the steel sector – are also expected to exhibit and present seminars at IPS 2019.
In an area of around 3000 sq m, the latest technology, machines, tools and software will be demonstrated, while new trends and innovations within steel manufacturing, service centres and metal processing, will be discussed. Previous IPS events have seen approximately 3000 visitors attend from around the world, to network and contribute towards discussions on the latest technical developments.
An important aim of the event is to enable those involved in the steel sector to gain insights into new, cost-efficient production solutions.
For further information www.ips-fair.com

To launch its range of Compcut composite plate saws into mainland Europe, Sharp & Tappin last week exhibited at JEC World in Paris for the very first time.

The Sharp & Tappin range of Compcut composite plate saws has won positive acclaim in the UK market for precision, accuracy and consistency, demonstrating high standards for cut quality, parallelism and perpendicularity. At JEC World, the company highlighted its Compcut 200 model, a compact unit that has proved popular across the UK with R&D companies, university departments and composite test centres.
Says Sharp & Tappin’s CEO Ben Sharp: “We’ve been encouraged by the response from the UK market to our entire Compcut range, and sales have been very buoyant, particularly with the Compcut 200 model, which has fulfilled our goal of offering a high-quality, entry-level plate saw. It is this market reaction that has encouraged us to start exploring the potential for sales within mainland Europe.”
To underpin the company’s confidence in the performance of its composite plate saw, a Compcut 200 unit was working on the Sharp & Tappin stand throughout the show, cutting samples across a wide range of different composite materials. Visitors were also encouraged to bring along their own composite material/samples to cut on the demonstration machine.
For further information www.sharpandtappin.com

Romi will participate in the second edition of Plástico Brasil, which is being held at the São Paulo Exhibition and Convention Centre on 25-29 March.

Among the highlights on stand E106 will be a Romi EN 220 injection moulding machine, which features the company’s latest ‘Stop and Go’ system. Said to provide greater speed, precision and energy efficiency, the EN 220 suits applications such as PVC production, PET pre-moulds, and multi-material and multi-colour injection. Also on display will be the Romi ES 300 hybrid injection moulding machine and Romi D 1250 vertical machining centre.
For further information www.romi.com

Roemheld has unveiled newly developed towers for clamping multiple workpieces on the table or pallet of horizontal machining centres.

TS towers feature four vertical faces for holding four, eight or 16 parts, while TS TriStar versions have three faces for securing three, six or 12 parts. The latter models have the advantage of allowing improved spindle access for machining components from the sides.
Every unit employs a patented guidance and sealing system without the need for sheet-metal covers or plastic wipers, while the monobloc design provides stability and accuracy.
Roemheld has released two sizes of the four-sided tower, TS 100 and 125, and three of the three-sided tower, TS 80, 100 and 125 TriStar, the numbers representing the jaw width in millimetres. Stroke is up to 476 mm, while the maximum clamping force ranges from 20 to 40 kN. Manual operation of the vices delivers reproducible clamping force, which may be low to avoid deforming delicate components, making the towers suitable for a variety of applications. Alternatively, the largest of each type can be equipped for hydraulic operation.
In the Vector versions of the towers, applicable to all but the smallest TriStar model, a fixed jaw can be arranged in the centre on each face or, if desired, two fixed jaws can be supplied instead. Workpiece weights above 15 kg can be accommodated.
A range of accessories, including jaws and jaw inserts, is available, as are drawings and CAD models of the equipment, an advisory service and bespoke work-holding arrangements.
For further information www.roemheld.co.uk

With Tribos ER, Schunk is bringing its patented technology of polygonal tool clamping to sliding- and fixed-head lathes, and rotary transfer machines.

Pilot user Zisterer Präzisionsdrehteile GmbH in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany, has reduced machining time in demanding milling applications by one third, while significantly improving surface quality.
There are good reasons why Schunk is now unlocking the potential of polygonal clamping for lathe chuck technology. For one, the requirements for sliding-head lathes are constantly growing. At the same time, customers are facing considerable pressure to lower prices, particularly for high-volume parts. For Zisterer Präzisionsteile, Schunk’s decision to standardise the Tribos ER came just in time. The manufacturer of hydraulic components was regularly experiencing process disruptions due to tool breakages, as tools with a long overhang and cutting diameters of 2 mm could not withstand the vibrations that occur. Halving the speed was the only way to ensure the process stability required for high-volume production. Instead of 12,000 to 15,000 rpm, the company had to accept speeds of 6000 rpm and the resulting reduction in cycle time.
“The Tribos system saved us around 200 seconds at a total machining time of just below 600 seconds,” explains Uwe Walikewitz, head of CNC longitudinal turning at Zisterer. “The rotational speed was only reduced by 500-1000 rpm as compared with the recommended cutting parameters, and lo and behold, it worked perfectly.”
Tribos polygonal tool holders with ER tapers come in two different versions: the slim Tribos-Mini ER is suitable for micro cutting, while the Tribos-RM ER is aimed at high-volume machining at high rotational speeds.
For further information www.schunk.com