THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Okuma to hold open house in November

This year marks the 125th anniversary of Japanese machine tool manufacturer Okuma, as well as the 60th birthday of its in-house manufactured CNC system, OSP. In celebration of these milestones, an open house will take place at the group’s European headquarters in Krefeld, Germany on 21-23 November. The company will also provide guided tours in English and German, live machining sessions and new equipment presentations. Anyone wishing to attend the free event can register at the web address below. NCMT is the sole sales and service agent for Okuma in the UK and Ireland.
For further information https://openhouse2023.okuma.eu

Automated machining in action

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of DN Solutions and Zayer machine tools in the UK, and a supplier of advanced automation systems, will showcase a SYNERGi Premier automated manufacturing cell at the three-day FANUCopen house taking place in Coventryon 14-16 November.

The cellwill comprise: a compact 8”chuck/65mm bar diameter DN Solutions Lynx 2100LSYB sub-spindle turning centre with driven tools and Y-axis capabilities; a FANUCsix-axis industrial robot with 25kg payload and end-of-arm tooling; a SYNERGi Premier five-drawer (two-way) part loading/unloading station; and a 17” touchscreen iHMI. Mills CNC will demonstrate the significant productivity and process efficiency gains component manufacturers can expect to achieve from investing in a tried and tested automation solution.
Register at https://ukopenhouse.fanuc.eu

Trumpf 3D printers at Airbus Helicopters

Airbus Helicopters will use 3D printers from Trumpf to manufacture components for its helicopters, as well as for aircraft from parent company Airbus. The company is expanding its additive manufacturing capabilities with a new 3D printing centre in Donauwörth, Germany, with Trumpf supplying machines for the 3D printing ofstructural components made from titanium and high-strength aluminium.

“With innovative manufacturing processes, we are working on the helicopters of the future in Donauwörth,” states site manager Helmut Färber.“Among other things, 3D printing reduces the weight of components, which helps aircraft operators cut fuel consumption and lower costs. It can also help reduce CO2 emissions in flight. We’ll use the 3D printing process to produce components for the electric-powered CityAirbus, the experimental high-speed Racer helicopter and the Airbus A350 and A320 passenger aircraft, among others.”
For further information www.trumpf.com

Unison launches consumable tooling service

Unison Ltd, a UK manufacturer of tube and pipe bending machinery, is introducing a new bend tooling service to make it simple for businesses to receive quality consumable tooling precisely wheneverrequired.The result of a £500,000 investment to date, with a further £250,000 spend planned by Christmas 2023, at the heart of the service is a new tooling manufacturing centre at Unison’s Scarborough headquarters. From here, the company prepares tailored tooling agreements, with around £100,000 worth of tooling, including mandrel balls and wiper dies, held in stock.

“We’ve been aware of a gap in the consumable bend tooling market for some time,” says Unison sales applications engineer Luke Gibson. “As such, we wanted to extend our tooling service to provide even greater convenience to Unison customers, while also giving users of other makes of tube bending machines rapid access to our consumable and long-life products.”
For further information www.unisonltd.com

Engineering skills conference

Engineering and manufacturing leaders from across the West Midlands are set to descend on the inaugural Next Gen Makers Engineering Skills Conference at The Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology for an insightful day of discussion on 2 November.In partnership with MSC Industrial Supply, the free event will see leaders from across the region explore how to tackle the long-standing skills crisis currently posing a significant business challenge for engineering and manufacturing companies throughout the Midlands region.
For further information www.bit.ly/46oVKAg