INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Further evolution of Droop + Rein gantry mills

Starrag has announced a world first in Droop + Rein vertical milling centres with the launch of three machines – led by the FOGS HD “which takes heavy-duty cutting to the next level” – and the NEO update of existing series machines.

The latest developments and updates all involved existing machine designs and complete the Droop + Rein product range of large vertical milling centres. Of overhead gantry design are the newly developed FOGS HD and updated FOGS NEO/N40 machines; of floor-guided gantry design are the latest GS and GFS NEO/N40 models; and of portal design are the updated TS and TFS NEO/N40 machines.
Following Starrag’s philosophy of modular design, the FOGS HD with hydrostatic guideways can be supplied with a choice of control systems, table configurations, milling heads, tool-changing system and spindles – rated up to 100 kW/7500 Nm – to satisfy even the most demanding tasks asked of its X, Y and Z axes travels of 31, 6 and 2.5 m, respectively. Feed rates are 40 m/min in X and Y, and 20 m/min in Z.
Droop + Rein’s evolutionary update of its milling technologies is exemplified by the machines with the NEO designation, and this work includes a newly devised rack and pinion drive system for the ram (Z axis) and an integrated C axis design of ±400° using a torque drive.
The enhancements to the NEO machines’ main milling drive – which utilises the multi-functionality of a 40 kW main spindle drive and head change, and are designated as N40 models – include a newly developed main drive motor and two-stage gearbox that can now be extended to 60 kW and 1800 Nm in S6 mode.
For further information www.starrag.com

Sunnen makes direct sales

Starting January 2019, Sunnen is bringing direct sales and service to Canada, providing an enhanced customer experience and full access to the company’s total bore solutions.

The establishment of a Canada-based sales and support team will provide increased access to customer service and offer the full support of Sunnen’s corporate headquarters located in St Louis, Missouri. Sunnen products were previously available in Canada via a factory authorised distributor. All Canadian orders and customer-service requests will now be handled directly by a staff of sales representatives and technical personnel located in Canada.
For further information www.sunnen.com

300 exhibitors expected at SteelFab 2019

Taking place on 14-17 January at the Expo Centre in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, SteelFab will mark 15 years as a major technology showcase in the Middle East.

Indeed, the exhibition has evolved to become the region’s premier trade show for metalworking, metal manufacturing and steel fabrication. At the 2019 show, visitors will not fail to notice the strong macro-economic tailwinds propelling industrial growth in the Middle East. Significant among them is the rise in oil prices, which along with easier fiscal consolidation and tax reforms, helped to register UAE growth of 3.8% in 2018.
At SteelFab 2019, Haas and BLM will be among new machine tool exhibitors taking their place, while a new UK Pavilion will shine the spotlight on companies such as Chester Machine Tools, Kingsbury, Kitchen & Walker and Brierley. Heavy-duty machine tool specialist, Broadbent Stanley, will also be present. In total, 300 exhibitors from 23 countries are expected to take part. Spanning six halls, it is anticipated that over 7000 visitors will attend the show.
For further information www.steelfabme.com

CMT heads for UAE

Chester Machine Tools will be exhibiting a selection of CNC and conventional machine tools at the forthcoming SteelFab 2019 exhibition (Sharjah, UAE, 14-17 January).

Featured will be live machining demonstrations of the Chester V6L Delta CNC machining centre with Siemens control. Also exhibited will be an Astra CL54 lathe (2 m capacity), a Kitchen & Walker G62x1600 drilling machine and, making its debut with live demonstrations, a Style 510 CNC lathe. The machines on display have been selected to provide a cross section of solutions for industry, manufacturing and educational environments.
Chester’s sixth year of attendance at SteelFab demonstrates its continuing commitment to providing quality machine tools that support the growth of a diverse variety of customers, delivering advanced and custom solutions to sectors such as defence, oil and gas, automotive, aerospace and education on a worldwide basis for over 25 years. The company can be found in hall 3 on stand 1710.
For further information www.chestermachinetools.com

Grinder keeps pace with demanding schedule

A well-established Midwest-based manufacturer that cranks out millions of shafts each year, ranging from 38 to 203 mm in length, and up to 32 mm in diameter, has recently sourced a new centreless grinder from Total Grinding Solutions (TGS).

The machine was selected thanks to its ability to handle the company’s myriad of part sizes and diameters with minimal changeover time. Robustness was an equally important factor.
With hundreds of different component sizes to process, TGS incorporated two machine upgrades to ensure that parts were handled properly. First, a custom part-pusher assembly was placed alongside the load conveyor to ensure consistent part pick-up by the accompanying Fanuc robot. Second, an advanced vision monitoring system was attached above the load conveyor to check incoming parts for size and shape, and to eliminate any potential for misfeed. Since the initial order, the manufacturer has ordered two additional TGS machines with sophisticated automation systems.
For further information www.totalgrindingsolutions.com