THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Global machine tool market set for growth

The machine tool manufacturing industry is facing a transformative decade, and as manufacturers’ needs become more digitally focused, machine tool builders must evolve their products to meet changing market requirements. According to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, the worldwide machine tool market will grow by a CAGR of 4.3% from 2022 to 2032 and reach US$245.2bn in manufacturing value added.

“This growth is driven by new product design facilitating the need for new machine tools, old equipment reaching the end of its lifecycle and requiring replacement, and new machine tool solutions being provided and incentivising upgrades,” explains James Prestwood, industrial and manufacturing research analyst at ABI Research.
For further information www.bit.ly/3KaoVhL

Turning up productivity with lathes from Dugard

Companies with the heritage of AW Engineering are very rare. Founded in 1908 by Alfred Wood, the subcontractor switched its workload to munitions and aircraft parts during World War II and, ever since, the company has remained under the stewardship of the same family.

In 2020, AW Engineering moved to a new 15,000sqft factory in West Molesey, since when the companyhas doubled its turnover under the leadership of Mark Felstead, the great, great grandson of company founder Alfred. Contributing to this growth is the investment in three machine tools and a robot from Dugard: two SMEC SL2000BSY twin-spindle, single-turret turning centres; a Hanwha HCR5 collaborative robot (cobot); and a Hanwha XD38 IIRNHY sliding-head turning centre.

“During the pandemic, suitable machine tool supply was sparse,” says Felstead.“We spoke with Dugard and, within two weeks of placing an order for a SMEC SL2000BSY, the machine was on our shop floor and running. With furlough and other restrictions during the pandemic, Dugard was the only company that could serve our needs. Set-ups and programming are at least 20% faster with the Siemens control and we can prepare jobs and programs with confidence using the conversational programming and simulation within the system.”

Less than six months after the installation of the first machine, AW Engineering placed an order for a second SMEC SL2000BSY. A single operator mans the two SMEC machines. However, some components in the family of parts are above the 65mm diameter bar feed threshold and require manual loading. Here, AW Engineering has purchased a Hanwha HCR5 cobot from Dugard.

“Our cobot cell is now up and running, which means that both SMEC machines can run unmanned 24/7,” concludes Felstead.
For further information www.dugard.com

Latest MACH flat-bed lathes feature DynaPath control

MACH Machine Tools, part of the Vigilance Group, has introduced twoflat-bedCNC lathes into the market, both equipped with the DynaPath WinDelta control system.
The 8” (three-jaw) chuck MDL 1600 lathe and the larger 8/10” (three-jaw) chuck MDL 1800 model are equipped with 7.5kW/3500rpm spindles (12Nm), four-tool position turrets, sub-spindles (1kW/4000rpm), manual tailstocks (150mm travel), and boast 5 m/min rapids on their X and Z axes.

Capacity is model dependant.The MDL 1600 has X- and Z-axis travels of 230 and 820mm respectively, and a distance between centres of 1050 mm,while the MDL 1800 has 350mm (X-axis travel) and 1000mm (Z-axis travel) with 1250mm between centres.

The X and Zaxes on both machines feature precision ground box ways and precision ball screws for high accuracy and process optimisation.Both machines are suitable for performing a range of machining operations – turning, parting, grooving, facing, threading and tapping, as well as keyway, face and cylindrical milling of precision parts.

The DynaPath WinDelta control with 12.1” touchscreen available on all new MACH Machine Tools’ CNC lathes, tool-room mills and machining centres, is one of the most widely used control systems in the world. Deployed extensively in the US and the Far East for over 50 years, MACH Machine Tools says that the DynaPath control is flexible, versatile and easy-to-use, providing customers with simple-to-understand navigation and operation screens accommodating ISO and conversational programming on one platform. With online CAD editing capabilities, semi-auto functions and DRO operation, the DynaPath control provides power, speed and capability to even the most discerning machinist.
For further information www.machmt.co.uk

Renishaw and Metrologic renew strategic agreement

Some 20 years after their first agreement, Renishaw and Metrologic Group have strengthened their collaboration by signing a new strategic agreement to meet new challenges faced by the manufacturing industry. Customers will benefit from Renishaw’s Revofive-axis CMM scanning systems, PH20 five-axis touch-trigger systems and the Equator shop-floor gauging system, powered by Metrologic’s X4 software platform. This will provide full integration of metrology solutions with the X4 software platform.

Covering the entire manufacturing chain and bringing its expertise to five-axis technology applications and the Equator gauging system, Metrologic Group is introducing new developments to its universal software platform that will power Renishaw’s products with an easy-to-use, intuitive and ergonomic solution.

This win-win association allows the enduser to bring 3D measurement close to the production line with the combination of Metrolog X4 and Renishaw’s Equator system. Also, thanks to five-axis technology combined with the ease of programming of Metrologic Group software, manufacturers can increase their CMM productivity, improve part quality and reduce scrap.

Says Laurent Monge, president of Metrologic Group: “We are committed to working with our customers to improve their productivity and bring 3D metrology closer to the manufacturing line. As such, I am convinced that combining Renishaw five-axis technologies together with the Metrologic Group software solution represents a key step in that journey.”

Victor Escobar, president of Renishaw SAS, adds: “The integration of Renishaw’s measurement technologies with Metrolog X4 will allow both existing and new users of Metrolog software to reap the benefits of accurate, high-speed, multi-sensor CMM measurement and fast flexible shop-floor gauging. This combination of technologies from Metrologic and Renishaw will enable significantly faster, value-added measurement for both process control at the point of manufacture and conventional quality assurance activities.”
For further informationwww.renishaw.com

Trumpf to expand smart factory

Trumpf Group will add 55,800 sq ft to its production building for the manufacture of laser cutting, bending and welding machinery at Farmington, Connecticut. The project is part of ongoing recovery efforts related to damage sustained after an aircraft crashed into the production building in September of 2021. Trumpf will invest an estimated $40m into the project, which will include a smart factory that demonstrates advanced automated and connected precision sheet metal production. Completion is expected in May 2024.

“North America remains our most important business market outside of our domestic market in Germany,” says Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller, CEO of the Trumpf Group. “This project is an important step toward the next generation of manufacturing for Trumpf and our customers across the United States.”
For further information www.trumpf.com