INTERNATIONAL NEWS

German Chancellor meets service robot

Collaborating with robots and controlling them with gestures? German chancellor Angela Merkel experienced first-hand how this can be achieved in her opening day tour at the recent Hannover Messe 2018 exhibition. On the IBG Automation stand, Angela Merkel and the Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and his wife Angélica Rivera, got up close and in person with robotic hands from Schunk.

SCHUNK – HMI 2018, Hannover Messe, Hanover Trade Fair

Schunk’s SVH mechatronic gripping hand, which is designed for applications in assistance and service robotics, is very similar to its human counterpart in terms of size, shape and mobility. The five fingers can carry out all kinds of gripping operations with the help of nine drives. Elastic surfaces on the front phalanxes ensure a reliable hold on objects being gripped. As the hand can perform and imitate numerous gestures, visual communication between humans and service robots becomes significantly easier.
For further information www.schunk.com

On the straight and narrow

The Kennametal Narrow Slotting (KNS) cutter has been developed to ease some of the issues associated with this common machining operation.

Kennametal’s KNS has a double-V design for secure insert retention. A combination of radial and axial positioning not only improves tool life but part accuracy as well, says the company. The insert range accommodates slot widths from 1.6 to 6.4 mm.
Inserts are available in single or double-ended cutting edges, with either a flat or full radiused cutting edge. Cutter diameters range from 63 to 250 mm and, depending on the body size, arbor or shell mounting (or both) is possible.
Three insert grades are offered with the KNS programme. KCU25 and KCPM40 are multi-phase PVD grades that provide edge stability and wear characteristics in steels, stainless steels and high-temperature alloys, even at elevated feeds and speeds, says the company. KCPK30 is a CVD-coated grade suitable for rough milling and the general machining of steels and cast iron.
Good carbide is important, but so too is insert geometry. Thanks to a positive rake geometry and special edge preparation, KNS inserts are free-cutting without sacrificing the edge toughness needed in most slotting applications. What´s more, SGP geometry is said to promote excellent chip flow, curling even the stringiest materials into tight, easily-evacuated Cs and 9s.
The symmetrical Easy-X wrench design means no more digging in the chip pan for lost screws and inserts, no more wedges or clamps to misplace; simply pop the wrench into the cutter body, give it a twist, and the insert is replaced, even in tight quarters. Each cutter body and wrench is also clearly marked, so there is no chance of damaging the cutter body by using the wrong tool.
For further information www.kennametal.com

Tungaloy at Made in the Midlands

The annual Made in the Midlands manufacturing exhibition will be returning to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on 21 June, promising to be the largest show in its nine year history. Among those supporting the event will be cutting tool manufacturer Tungaloy. On Stand D3, Tungaloy will be showcasing a host of cutting tool innovations, as well as demonstrating how its ‘Dr Carbide’ app can prescribe the right tool for any machining requirement.

Being the first Japanese company to develop cemented carbide, Tungaloy is known for its ISO turning grades. This range has been continually extended with the recent addition of the company’s latest AH8005, AH8015 and T9215 grades.
The AH8005 and AH8015 grades have been designed for machining super alloys such as Inconel 909, 718 and 625, as well as Hastelloy C-4 and TiAl6V4 titanium, to list but as few. To support its claim, full test reports are available on request.
Alongside the super-alloy grades will be the T9215. Designed for machining ISO P15 steel, this grade was only released in March. When tested against other grades, Tungaloy says that T9215 can more than double tool life on materials such as S55C, SCM440, S32750 and SNCM430. Free-of-charge samples of all of these grades, as well as many others, will be available on the stand, so visitors can witness the benefits for themselves.
With over 300 exhibitors and 2500 decision makers expected at the event, the floor space for the 2018 show is treble its previous size.
For further information www.tungaloy.com/uk

Chuck provides best pull-out security

Sandvik Coromant has released the CoroChuck 935 high-precision hydraulic chuck for turning operations that is said to offer the market’s best pull-out security.

With CoroChuck 935, Sandvik Coromant says that machine shops can confidently perform demanding turning operations, including those with long overhangs. In fact, CoroChuck 935 ensures that a clamping length of four times the bar diameter can be achieved. Developed for use on lathes, turning centres and multi-task turn-mill machines, the chuck covers most common machine interfaces.
The design principle behind the high level of security offered by CoroChuck 935 is based upon fulcrum technology. A thin, brazed membrane offers an optimised clamping function whereby expansion creates two distinct clamping points on each side (fulcrums). The concept is said to ensure that the clamping force repeats for every use.
Additional benefits of the new chuck include the use of EasyFix sleeves to provide the correct centre height and help reduce set-up time. EasyFix sleeves are a solution for cylindrical boring bars that sees a spring plunger (mounted in the sleeve) click into a groove on the bar to guarantee the correct centre height. In addition, the metallic sealing offers good performance in applications that require high-pressure coolant.
CoroChuck 935 is available in 20 and 25 mm bore sizes to suit Coromant Capto, HSK-A/C/T, cylindrical shank and VDI machine interfaces.
For further information www.sandvik.coromant.com

Internal grooving systems feature coolant

Horn Cutting Tools has launched two grooving systems for the internal machining of bores. System 209 is intended for bores of diameter 16 mm and above, while system 216 machines bores greater than or equal to 20 mm diameter.

The two systems make use of tool holders with internal cooling. A robust shank with elliptical cross-section of the boring-bar neck ensures high-performance damping, says the company. The ground shanks, of g6 quality, are available in left- or right-hand design.
Coolant flows from a nozzle in the clamping finger and from the side of the tool holder. The two jets cool the cutting zone and remove chips from the inside of the workpiece.
Precision-sintered, indexable, two-edged inserts with cutting widths from 2 to 6 mm are available in geometries .5, .1A and .KF for cutting medium-strength materials. All three geometries are said to offer good chip control and targeted chip breaking, even on long-chipping materials.
System 209 tool holders with a shank diameter of 16 mm allow retraction distances of up to 30 mm in conjunction with a grooving depth of 3.5 mm. For bores with a diameter of 18 mm or above, a more stable shank diameter of 20 mm, also with a retraction distance of 30 mm, can be used to achieve a grooving depth of 5 mm. The 216 system tool holders, with a shank diameter of 20 or 25 mm, enable grooving depths down to 7 mm at a projection length of 2xD.
For further information www.phorn.co.uk