INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Innovation meets tradition: CNC milled nutcracker

In keeping with the Christmas season and its traditions, Open Mind made an exact replica of a famous nutcracker from Erzgebirge, a region in East Germany. Milled from aluminium, the example demonstrated an end-to-end digital process chain and efficient five-axis machining with hyperMILL.

Production took place at Emuge-Franken’s Rückersdorf application centre on a Hermle C32 machining centre in a single clamping operation using five-axis simultaneous machining, thus allowing continuous machining without segmentation. Five-axis helical drilling providedthe opening cut for the large central pocket of the upper body. Strategies from the hyperMILL MAXX Machining high-performance package optimised roughing operations, while thefive-axis rest machining function ensured that the roughing took place safely and efficiently.

Finishing leveraged the benefits of ‘high-precision surface’ mode, whereby hyperMILL generates tool paths on the actual CAD surfaces and not on a calculation model. The large surfaces of the nutcracker that curve in two directions, lent themselves to the use of FRANKEN’s circle segment end mill in various shapes. Open Mind’s hyperMILL offers optimum control of the cutting edge area of circle segment cutters.

“In the nutcracker machining example, we had the problem that the dimensions of the part were actually too large for the work area of the machine – a challenge that many manufacturers face,” explains Michael Förster, senior product marketing manager at Open Mind. “What would normally require many manual adjustments and individual simulations in order to avoid travel limitations and find safe tilt positions can now be implemented quickly and reliably thanks to the virtual machine and NC code-based simulation.” 

The hyperMILL Virtual Machining package includes an optimiser that adapts the connecting movements between the individual milling operations to the kinematics of the machine and solve limit switch problems.

For further information www.openmind-tech.com

Mapal Group in mourning

Tooling specialist Mapal reports that Dr Dieter Kress passed away on 27 December 2023 at the age of 81 after a long illness. At the helm of the Mapal Group for almost five decades,he was a passionate entrepreneur and an impressive personality. Dr Kress shaped the once small company into an international group. Although he retired from active management in 2018, Dr Kress continued to take a keen interest in the company’s developments. “Mapal is my baby and that’s why I’ll never let it out of my sight completely,” he once said. The entire workforce joins the Kress family in mourning his passing.

For further information www.mapal.com

ABB robots to help build Volvo EVs

ABB is strengthening its long-standing partnership with Volvo Cars to supply more than 1300 robots and functional packages that will help build the next generation of electric vehicles (EVs). The move will support the Swedish car manufacturer in achieving its ambitious sustainability targets. ABB’s new, energy-efficient robot family and OmniCore controllers will help deliver energy savings of up to 20%at sites around the world.

This new agreement includes functional packages covering various production tasks, from spot-welding, riveting and dispensing to flow drilling and ultrasonic weld inspection. Each package is a ready-to-use, customer-proven combination of hardware, software and services that will see implementation at Volvo Cars’ facilities in Torslanda, Sweden and Daqing, China.

For further information www.abb.com/automotive

Metalex attracts over 98,000 visitors

The organiser of Metalex 2023, which took place at BITEC in Bangkok at the end of November, reports that the show attracted 98,686 visitors across the four-day event. It was the year’s largest gathering of the metalworking community in the ASEAN region, with crowds attracted to an exhibition comprising over 2500 brands and playing host to seven international pavilions. The event also hosted 119 speakers from various associations who imparted their expertise at 41 seminars.

Exhibitors, seminar participants and visitors all played an important part in solidifying the ASEAN region’s metalworking community, which is ready to innovate a new future for business. The organiser of Metalex now looks forward to welcoming everyone again at Metalex 2024, which take place at the same venue on 20-23 November.

For further information www.metalex.co.th

BLM Lasertube LT12: Cut for the future

BLM Group’s new Lasertube LT12 is a fibre laser cutting system for tubes and metal profiles that is capable of cutting tubes from 25 to 305 mm in diameter, representing an offer which was previously missing from the company’s machine portfolio.

It is possible to equip the LT12 with laser resonators of different power, with the machine capable of processing tubes up to 62 kg/m. The structure comprises of a mandrel at the tail and a steady rest that supports the tube in cut. Among the innovations here is‘interpenetration’, where the mandrel enters the steady rest to cut the end of the bar and thereby achieve minimal waste.

As with all BLM’s Lasertube machines, the tube is supported throughout the processing line, providing precise and fast laser cutting on both small diameter tubes and long, heavy tubes, maintaining this speed and precision over the entire range of diameters.The flexible system caters to multiple sectors, but is of particular interest to industries where it is common to find open and closed profiles up to 305 mm in diameter.

The new Lasertube system is modular in both loading and unloading lengths. In fact, two sizes for loading (8.5 and 12.5 m) and several sizes for unloading are available. The possibility of loading bar lengths up to 12.5 m was made to elevate processing through nesting, which optimally arranges each cut on the bar, so as to make the most of the material while minimising unused bar sections.

For further information www.blmgroup.com