THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Turning convention on its head

GF Machining Solutions, Fraisa, and Blaser Swisslube have teamed up to develop the GR3 graphite machining system. Designed for wet-machining graphite operations, the system can also cut other materials on the same machine, even in the same set-up. According to GFMS, the result is an efficient process that is able to achieve 0.005 mm tolerances while providing a healthier work environment and lower tooling costs.

“It’s a perfect interplay between machine, metalworking fluid, filtration and tooling,” says Martin Spencer, managing director at GF Machining Solutions (UK). “With this most recent innovation from GFMS, we have not only solved the problem of dust build-up, but also now allow a single machine to be used for graphite, copper and steel machining.”
For further information www.gfms.com

TIMTOS 2023 will launch fresh themes

The Taipei International Machine Tool Show, also known as ‘TIMTOS’, will return in 2023 on 6-11 March at the Nangang Exhibition Centre. According to the organiser TAITRA, all exhibition spaces are now sold. TIMTOS 2023 will accommodate more than 6000 stands to showcase a full line of metal-cutting machines, CNC units, key components, smart manufacturing solutions and more. What’s more, there will be a trio of new theme areas: ‘Advanced metalworking Technology’, ‘Additive Manufacturing’ and ‘Future Manufacturing’.

Key players at the show will include FANUC, Heidenhain, Mazak, Mitsubishi, Siemens, Takisawa, Trumpf and Victor. Switzerland, Germany, the US and Denmark will also set up national pavilions at TIMTOS 2023, ensuring that the latest models and smart manufacturing technologies will be present in every aisle of the show.
For further information www.timtos.com.tw

Team Penske invests in stereolithography

Team Penske, one of the most recognisable and successful teams in world motorsport, notably NASCAR and IndyCar series, has purchased a new Stratasys Neo 800 3D printer. The system is Team Penske’s first stereolithography-based 3D printer from Stratasys, and will perform the rapid 3D printing of scale model components for aerodynamic testing.

“As additive manufacturing’s applications continue to evolve in motorsport, Stratasys continues helping us improve race performance ahead of the competition so we can turn ideas into parts and get them on the track faster and with greater reliability than ever before,” says Matt Gimbel, production manager at Team Penske. “We can now make parts in ways not possible through traditional manufacturing.”
For further information www.stratasys.com

Ward CNC strengthens customer offer

TW Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC) has announced key appointments that will further enhance the customer-endorsed levels of service provided by the machine tool supplier.
Heading up the newly shaped department in the position of head of service and operations is new appointment Nigel Hudson (pictured second left). Other recent appointments include Steven Bridges as spares co-ordinator and Fiona Waite as customer service administrator, while Ellie Radford gains a promotion to customer service team leader.

The new structure will continue to provide high-level focus on customer demand and response times across Ward CNC’s customer base in the UK and Ireland. Managing director Simon Whitworth (far left) states. “Nigel will further improve what we believe is one of the strongest levels of engineering support available in the industry today. This customer support extends to the expertise we’re able to leverage from working so closely with the principals that we exclusively represent, notably Hyundai-Wia, Hartford, Soraluce, Takisawa and Hankook.”
For further information www.wardcnc.com

Nakamura from ETG is 80% more productive

The disruption of the pandemic for the aerospace supply chain has been catastrophic for some businesses, and for those that remain the challenge is to ramp up production to meet returning demand. Coventry-based Harris RCS Precision Engineering is one business that has successfully navigated this period and is now looking to take full advantage of the upturn with the recent installation of a Nakamura-Tome WT100F from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).

Managing Director Graham Harris says: “Primarily working in the aerospace industry, we were inevitably impacted by the pandemic, and we’ve had to ramp up our production with less staff. This has given us the impetus to invest in new technology and automation to meet the rapid upturn in demand. With several twin-spindle, single-turret machines and a twin-spindle, twin-turret machine on the shop floor, we needed to accelerate productivity further and reduce shop-floor operations by completing more jobs in one hit. The Nakamura-Tome WT100F was the perfect solution.”

Commissioned at the start of the year, the WT100F has rapidly made an impact on the machining of aerospace components such as valves, unions and fixtures for wings, fuel control systems and undercarriage. Machining everything from aluminium, stainless steel, Inconel, nickel alloys and other aerospace-grade materials, the Nakamura has increased productivity by upward of 80%.

“We have one operator running two machines in many instances, but with the twin-spindle, twin-turret configuration on the WT100F, it’s like having one operator running four machines as the Nakamura undertakes simultaneous machining on the main and sub-spindle to slash our cycle times,” says Harris. “What’s equally important is that we have significantly reduced our secondary operations.”
For further information www.engtechgroup.com