THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Micro-abrasive waterjet machines on show

On Stand L1 at Advanced Engineering 2017 (NEC, 1-2 November), micro-machining specialist Rainford Precision will premiere the new line of Finepart micro-abrasive waterjet machines.

Visitors to the stand will find an intriguing new method of cutting common aerospace materials such as CFRP, glass, ceramic and aluminium alloys.
In comparison to conventional methods such as milling, wire erosion or die sink EDM, the Sweden-built Finecut waterjet system eradicates the issue of heat generation through machining. By processing parts without generating high temperatures, the waterjet series eliminates any structural or metallurgical concerns. Finecut machines have a micro-fine jet of just 0.2 mm with a positional accuracy of ±2.5 µm and an adjustable jet pressure from 500 to 4000 bar.
For further information www.rainfordprecision.com

Swiss-type lathe unveiled

At last week’s open house in Hove, Dugard lifted the wraps on its new Dugard 52 Swiss-type lathe, a turning and milling centre with multi-axis synchronous control. Featuring a double spindle and front and back tooling systems, the machine can be used with or without the guide bush (depending on part length).

The rotary guide bush design reduces bar vibration, improves machining accuracy and has a maximum part length of 350 mm (42 mm maximum turning diameter). When not using the guide bush, the bar end is shorter, saving vital production costs. Further features include roller type linear guideways on all axes, 6000 rpm maximum spindle speed and Mitsubishi M80 control.
For further information www.dugard.com

Supporting vocational training through WorldSkills

Sandvik Coromant was the official sponsor and exclusive tooling partner for seven skills competitions at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi last week. The global hub for vocational skills, WorldSkills, hosts a championship every two years to showcase talented students who compete in a range of competitions. Looking to win medals in their chosen skills, the students inspire thousands of young people to take up vocational careers.

This year’s competition included student representatives from 77 countries competing in 51 skill competitions. Sandvik Coromant sponsored seven of those competitions: CNC Milling; CNC Turning; Manufacturing Team Challenge, Industrial Mechanic Millwright; Polymechanics and Automation; Prototype Modelling; and Plastic Die Engineering.
For further information www.worldskills.org

Wearable robotic exoskeletons

IUVO, a spin-off company of the BioRobotics Institute (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna) in the field of wearable technologies, has recently received a joint investment from Comau and Össur. The objective of IUVO is to create wearable, intelligent and active tools for a better quality of life. Here, the first concrete examples are robotic exoskeletons capable of aiding and improving the quality of life for workers in the industrial and service fields, and for medical patients in need of improved mobility.

A fundamental aspect of the venture is the joint desire to progress and evolve human-machine collaboration within diverse sectors, including biomedical, manufacturing and consumer. With headquarters inside the Comau HUMANufacturing Innovation Centre in Pisa, and a group of engineers and researches, IUVO is leveraging the shared competencies of the extended team to develop and commercialise wearable technologies.
For further information www.comau.com

Bystronic open house well attended

Nearly 100 people attended Bystronic UK’s latest three-day open house held at its Coventry showroom during September 2017. Visitors were able to see many of the latest technological advances from the Swiss company and witness presentations and practical demonstrations.

The event also allowed engineers to catch up on advances announced at Bystronic’s ‘Competence Days’ held in June at group headquarters in Niederönz. These included manufacturing software, MES, which is being developed in collaboration with Spanish company, Lantek; ByCockpit, an Industry 4.0-compatible app that monitors sheet metal machining processes in real time; a new rotary axis for processing tube on a ByStar Fiber flat-bed laser cutting machine; and Xpert 80, a new press brake that can be moved around a factory by fork lift truck, yet offers a bending capacity of 80 tonnes over 1.5 m in a footprint of less than 3 sq m.
For further information www.bystronic.co.uk