The second VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) symposium in Vietnam sought to tap into the country’s recent economic acceleration.

Machine-tool consumption, an important indicator of the industry’s modernisation efforts, is forecast to grow by 8.2% in 2019. A total of 11 machine-tool manufacturers – including Alzmetall, Chiron, Gleason, Grob, Heller, Index, Kapp Niles, Röders, Siemens, Trumpf and Weisser – presented their latest innovations to around 100 representatives from Vietnamese industry.
Since 2014, German machine-tool exports to Vietnam have risen by more than 150%, with a 215% increase in 2018 alone. Indeed, orders from Vietnam have more than tripled recently. The German machine-tool industry offers technologically advanced solutions that stand out from the mass-produced offerings of Asian competitors, which was confirmed by Duong Tuan Ngoc, vice general director at Hong KY Ltd of Ho Chi Minh City: “We’ve already purchased machine tools from Switzerland this year. However, in the future, we’ll be taking a keen interest in high-precision milling machines from Germany.”
For further information www.vdw.de

For those looking to reduce or prevent vibrations that occur during machining, Mapal has developed a special damping system that is located in the main shank of the tool.

The system is said to provide advantages such as improved surface finish, better accuracy, reduced machining noise and extended tool life.
Cutting tools for boring and milling with very long projection lengths tend to vibrate due to insufficient dynamic rigidity. When designing new tool-holding systems, Mapal product developers took into account all factors arising from the interaction of the machine tool, the cutting tool, the type of clamping and the part. The result is a system for vibration damping that is matched to the stiffness of all common machine types, and can be used for cutting different types of materials with a variety of tools.
Mapal’s self-contained system of auxiliary mass and several steel spring packages, counteracts and minimises tool-body deflection. Vibration in the system can be up to 1,000 times lower compared with tools that are not supported by the absorber system, which helps to improve surface finish. When milling case hardened steel (16MnCr5) with a 250 mm long combination of arbor and cutter with ISO indexable inserts (50 mm diameter) featuring five edges, the Rz value was halved from 7.8 to 3.9 µm (3 mm depth of cut) compared with the same tool system minus vibration damping.
Mill arbors with vibration damping in the shank are available from Mapal with internal coolant supply for clamping diameters of 16, 22 and 27 mm, with a length of 200 or 300 mm. At present, these tool-holding adaptors are available for SK40, SK50, HSK-A63 and HSK-A100 connections.
For further information www.mapal.com

The TurnTen-Feed turning series of tool inserts from Tungaloy are designed to maximise machining performance and efficiency when undertaking medium to heavy turning operations.

Target components include those manufactured for the aerospace, power generation and heavy engineering sectors, where high material removal rates and extended machining hours are required.
Tungaloy’s TurnTen-Feed inserts feature 10 cutting edges in double-sided format. Each insert is mounted in a secure dovetail clamping tool-holder design that ensures high insert reliability and stability during demanding operations. The dedicated -MNW style chip breaker is designed to ensure smooth chip flow, while the wiper geometry built into the cutting edge allows high-feed machining at a rate of up to 2 mm/rev.
There are two inserts sizes available: the POMG110612 designation with a 15.875 mm IC (inscribed circle diameter); and the POMG130612 in 19.05 mm IC. In addition, the Tungaloy TurnTen-Feed turning series can be offered with insert grades that include the T9215, T9125 and T9225 from the company’s T9200 CVD series.
Two types of tool holder are available to extend the turning application range. The HD holder is suitable for depths-of-cut up to 7 mm, whereas the HF holder enables high-feed turning at speeds up to 2 mm/rev. Holders can accommodate either type of insert.
For further information www.tungaloy.com/uk

The VSM890-12 face and shoulder milling series from Widia is now available in the UK from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC).

VSM890-12 cutters are said to be among of the very few eight-edged, double-sided tools with genuine 90° milling capability.
Widia’s VSM890-12 cutter is able to conduct operations that include face milling, shoulder milling, Z-axis and contour plunging, and 100% radial engagement slotting. This operational diversity is credit to the availability of a course, medium or fine-pitch insert density that corresponds with a newly developed pocket seat design which enhances stability and rigidity during roughing applications.
VSM890 is available with a 32 mm diameter Weldon end-mill configuration, while the shell mill tool bodies come in diameters from 40 to 250 mm, with a cartridge face mill providing a 315 mm diameter. Each tool diameter is offered in the aforementioned course, medium and fine-pitch variants, whereby the course-pitch tool bodies are the optimal choice for low spindle power machines that may have an unstable set-up. For machine shops that have reasonably robust set-ups and spindle power, the medium-pitch tool body is first choice, while operators using heavy-duty machine tools with high spindle power will find the fine-pitch variant to be the optimal solution.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of the WSM890 tool is its true 90° cutting for wall and step milling. With an integrated wiper facet and positive rake design on the inserts, the VSM890 cutter generates high levels of surface finish and an efficient and smooth cutting action for low-power machines. Furthermore, with eight-edged inserts, ITC can offer a cost-effective milling solution.
During the remainder of 2019, Widia will be extending the range with the introduction of 7, 9 and 15 mm insert dimensions.
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Following the installation of a HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200, Wales-based industrial design consultancy Design Reality is utilising HP’s subscription-based pricing for its 3D printing materials to pay for what it prints, as it prints, with a clear view of running costs.

The concept is said to be the industry’s first pay-per-use subscription model. Design Reality’s team can monitor usage and costs via a digital dashboard, providing critical insight on print job usage and associated costs. This guaranteed price-per-build enables Design Reality to quote the cost of a part with confidence and consistency.
For further information www8.hp.com