INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Big machines for big aerospace aspirations

Large-capacity Doosan vertical turning lathes occupy centre stage at the new Hanwha Aerospace aero-engine parts production facility in Vietnam.
South Korea-based Hanwha Aerospace has announced that its plans to significantly ramp up the production and supply of civil aircraft engine parts (fans and compressors) to the global aerospace market through the creation of a new manufacturing facility in Vietnam, are nearing completion.

The new factory, located near Hanoi, is substantial at 60,000 sq m, making it approximately eight times the size of a football pitch. Once fully operational, it is anticipated that Hanwha Aerospace will be able to increase sales turnover to US$879m.
To help the company achieve its ambitions, Hanwha has invested heavily in a number of large-capacity Doosan vertical ram-type lathes (VTRs). By the end of January 2019, it is expected that 30 Doosan VTRs will have been installed at the new Vietnam factory, rising to 120 machines by 2024.
The Doosan machines supplied to Hanwha Techwin comprise VTR 1012F and VTR 1216F models. Doosan’s F-designated VTR machines have a fixed cross beam design, as opposed to a travelling cross beam design and, as such, are said to be particularly suited
to the machining of smaller, shorter components such as aero-engine rings.
In addition, both VTR models also have a wide column and box guideway design, and are equipped with ram-type spindles (up to 45 kW/400 rpm), as well as large diameter cross-taper roller bearings for heavy-duty machining operations.
VTR machines also feature servo-driven tool changers, swarf evacuation and management systems for increased productivity and trouble-free machining. The maximum turning diameter is 1600 mm (VTR 1216F). Mills CNC is the UK agent for machine tools from Doosan.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

NASA link-up

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry is developing a partnership with the North American Space Agency (NASA), as US space scientists look to use MTC-developed technology in future space missions.

The link-up comes after work done by the MTC for the European Space Agency (ESA). MTC is home to the ESA’s additive manufacturing (AM) benchmarking centre. US scientists from five NASA centres, including the Kennedy Space Centre, have visited the MTC and are particularly interested in teaming up on projects involving the manufacture of complex and high-stress components through AM.
For further information www.the-mtc.org

AVL and Comau join forces

AVL List GmbH, an engineering, simulation and testing technology specialist for powertrain systems, and Comau SpA, which develops automation products and systems, have joined forces to offer modular and flexible solutions for the electric vehicle market.

As of 1 January 2019, AVL and Comau will have an open co-operation in the simulation, design, assembly and testing of powertrain components for electric as well as traditional vehicles. The initial focus of the partnership will be on assembly systems and end-of-line testing for automotive batteries.
For further information www.comau.com

Machine tool factory expands

At a grand opening held last month, DMG Mori unveiled extensive improvements to its Famot machining centre and CNC lathe factory in Pleszew, Poland, one of the largest production facilities in the group with around 700 staff. A total of €60m has been invested, partly to extend the factory to 50,000 sq m, including 14,000 sq m of production area and 7000 sq m devoted to assembly, which together receive more than 140,000 parts a day from store. In the production hall alone, 50 machine tools, mainly from DMG Mori, operate around the clock. New also are a castings store, logistics hall and inductive hardening facility.

The remainder of the investment went on digitising the entire process chain, from receipt of order, through production planning and monitoring, machine data acquisition, supply chain management and machine assembly, to shipping. It is the first DMG Mori plant to operate digitally over a manufacturing service bus, end-to-end, on all added-value levels.
For further information www.dmgmori.com

Trumpf records best year in company history

Trumpf has released its financial statements for the 2017/18 fiscal year, showing thatsales rose by 14.6% to almost €3.6bn – the highest figure in company history since its foundation in 1923. Also, profits are up by 52.3% to €514m, while thegroup-wide workforce grew by 12.9% to 13,420. Orders received increased 12.5% to €3.8bn. The company’s largest business division, Machine Tools, increased sales by 11.3%, whilethe Laser Technology division achieved sales growth of 21.5%. Germany was the largest single market for Trumpf, followed by China and the USA.
For further information www.trumpf.com