3D printing goes live on XYZ website

XYZ Machine Tools has created a separate page on its website dedicated to HP Muliti Jet Fusion 3D printers, for which the company is an official reseller.

Visitors to the page can see a range of videos that highlight the potential created by the technology. In addition, there is information on the materials that can be used in developing parts using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing system and SmartStream 3D build manager and command centre software. With build speeds up to 4500 cm3 per hour, HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers are capable of delivering 30 million drops per second across each inch of working area.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com/3d-printing

Master Abrasives installs first Micromatic

Master Abrasives has sold and installed its first Micromatic grinding machine in the UK, the ECO-200 universal model, at Coventry-based Earlsdon Technology, a builder of special-purpose machine tools for industries such as aerospace and automotive.

Brian Little, toolroom supervisor at Earlsdon, recognised the importance of choosing a cost-effective machine, with the necessary precision and versatility to meet the company’s wide-ranging requirements. “The machine was purchased on the basis that it will, in the long term, provide cost savings in producing customised tooling for the bespoke requirements of our customers and reduce the risk of causing delays in machine manufacture and approval.
“Currently we send this work out to subcontract and cannot rely on a speedy reaction time or the geometrical accuracy required,” he continues. “The ECO-200 will provide an in-house service which can be easily controlled to suit the demands and timeframe of our own machine production, meeting the accuracies required.”
Earlsdon’s new machine has a 400 mm grinding capacity between centres and an additional internal grinding spindle. The nitride-hardened steel spindle on the wheel head runs in multi-point hydrodynamic bearings, which Master Abrasives says gives high rigidity and excellent damping.
Martin Stevens, applications engineer at Master Abrasives, adds: “We encourage those who are interested to get in touch and arrange a visit to our grinding and finishing showroom. We can show Micromatic grinding machines in action, as well as other products, such as our demonstration tape finisher, measuring equipment and abrasives.”
For further information www.master-abrasives.co.uk

Exactaform continues growth with Vollmer machines

Located near Coventry, Exactaform’s new £5.8m facility is home to 12 Vollmer machines that include six Vollmer QWD750H, three QXD200, a QXD250, a QWD760, and now, the next-generation Vgrind 160. In 2012, Exactaform reported annual growth in the region of 25%, as its then seven Vollmer machines were running up to 158 hours out of a possible 168 a week. This level of automation and company growth has continued over the past five years, with staff levels rising from 13 to 63 and turnover almost quadrupling from £2m to £7m.

Exactaform recently developed its latest line of cutting tools, the Aero-Carb diamond-coated two- and four-flute end mills for composite machining, and the Aero-Ti line of end mills for titanium and aerospace alloys. Aiming to ramp up production volumes, the company wanted to improve its production efficiency. The answer arrived in the form of the Vgrind 160.
Company director Jamie White says: “We wanted the Vgrind for grinding pockets on small diameter tools. The combination of the 16,000 rpm high-frequency spindle and the facility for loading small grinding wheels instantly gave us the ability to pocket-grind tools in the 6 mm diameter range. This isn’t feasible with typical grinding wheels in the 70 mm diameter range and slower spindle speeds. The benefit was instant. We went from eroding tool pockets in 45 minutes to grinding them on the Vgrind in just two minutes. This was an astounding leap forward for our productivity levels, especially in the face of higher production quantities.”
For further information www.vollmer-group.com

Tool-holding technology

UK debuts are planned for a number of products from Gewefa and its partners (hall 17, stand 362).

For instance, the Gewefa M96 ER is a hydraulic tool-holding system that fixes on the collet location of ER driven-head spindles, while the Rainbow range of angle heads from Gewefa principal Pibomulti are assembled on a modular concept that creates cost savings of up to 30% over standard fixed-head units. Another Gewefa partner, EWS, a manufacturer of driven and static tool holders for CNC lathes, has upgraded its quick-change Varia modular system into Varia-VX, offering increased performance for turning and milling processes.
For further information www.gewefa.co.uk

World first for aero-engine production

TEK4 will use the show to introduce a world first dedicated to the production of aerospace blades and vanes (hall 18, stand 8).

As a specialist in cooling-hole drilling technology for jet engines and gas turbines, the company will be introducing its TEK4 6G FHD SA fast-hole EDM drill. The TEK4 6G FHD SA on the stand will incorporate full six-axis simultaneous machining, intelligent probing, and pre-breakthrough and breakthrough tool detection. These features are essential for machine shops in this sector as it enables companies to avoid the risk of back-wall impingement.
For further information www.tek4.co.uk