UK NEWS

Finishing first

On stand D50, PDJ Vibro says it will shine the spotlight on its range of new and refurbished bowls, barrels and high-energy centrifugal equipment, as well as its series of consumables and the company’s repair and subcontract finishing services. PDJ Vibro’s main, high-end vibratory bowl range has chamber sizes from 7.5 to 6000 litres. Alternatively, three competitively priced, entry-level models have process chamber capacities of 300, 150 and 75 litres. They are priced at about 25% less but are nevertheless built to a high specification.
For further information www.vibratoryfinishing.co.uk

Field of view video inspection

Vision Engineering will likely promote its TVM field of view (FOV) video measurement system on stand CM7. The non-contact TVM combines a small footprint with larger system performance and ease of use. Time-saving, instant FOV measurements and a moving stage allow larger components to be measured quickly and easily. The TVM series includes the TVM20 and TVM35, with FOV sizes of 20 and 35 mm respectively. Both systems are designed to meet rigorous quality assurance applications in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, medical and plastics manufacturing. Cylindrical, flat or square components can be measured instantly within the FOV at the click of a mouse.
For further information www.visioneng.com

Keynote speakers announced

Advanced Engineering 2018, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham this week (31 October to 1 November), has announced keynote speakers including Jaguar Land Rover, Atkins, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, the Aerospace Technology Institute, the Department for International Trade, BARA and Siemens.

This year, the show comprises six co-located zones: Aerospace Engineering; Composites Engineering; Automotive Engineering; Performance Metals; Connected Manufacturing; and Nuclear Engineering. Each zone will have a range of speakers talking about current topics, such as big data, Industry 4.0, space, Brexit, aircraft of the future, electrification and robotics.
Alison Willis, industrial divisional director at Easyfairs, organiser of Advanced Engineering, says: “We are delighted to announce our speakers for the 10th year of the show and are excited to hear their take on the challenges and successes of the industry over the past year. Our expert speakers and industry keynotes will stimulate lively discussions with insightful presentations.”
For further information www.advancedengineeringuk.com

Reasons to use graphite electrodes

There has been a long-standing debate about whether graphite or copper is a better EDM electrode material for aerospace applications.

For this reason, Erodex has taken a closer look at the differences between the two materials and outlined reasons why graphite is likely to be the most appropriate for aerospace EDM needs.
Due to the wide range of graphite materials available, it is proven that some EDM grades are more economical than copper. Furthermore, most comparisons do not consider the cost of machining the electrode. Significant cost savings can be made choosing graphite over copper, generated through reduced machining times and speed of cut, less production time to create electrodes, faster EDM times and better throughput from EDM machines.
Graphite also offers a wide range of material characteristics in order to allow matching of the electrode material properties to the EDM application.
In addition, it should be noted that copper does not have the ability to handle current density as effectively as graphite, which performs exceptionally well at a high current density (even with complex geometry), allowing for various intricate machined details to be designed on the same electrode. The result is that the number of electrodes required to perform a job is reduced significantly.
Further reasons to select graphite over copper electrodes for aerospace applications include EDM performance, whereby graphite is able to achieve electrode wear of less than 1% in relation to the depth of cut, while working to more aggressive machine parameters. Moreover, fine-grain graphite electrodes are able to deliver similar surface finishes to that of copper, while offering much faster speeds and less wear.
For further information www.erodex.com

EDM for aero-engine production

TEK4 recently introduced what it describes as a world first, an EDM machine dedicated to producing aerospace engine blades and vanes. As a specialist in cooling hole drilling technology for jet engines and gas turbines, TEK4 has launched its 6G FHD SA (Small Aerospace), a fast-hole EDM drill specifically for industrial turbine production.

The TEK4 6G FHD SA incorporates full six-axis simultaneous machining and intelligent probing, as well as pre-breakthrough and breakthrough tool detection. These features are essential for machine shops in this sector as it enables them to avoid the risk of back wall impingement. The machine is fitted as standard with an automatic electrode guide changer and automatic electrode changer, which can accommodate electrodes up to 600 mm long for extended autonomy.
According to TEK4, the EDM generator works in combination with the in-house developed software. This compatibility allows for excellent metallurgical results, says the company, which is another critical parameter for this high-tech industry. In addition, the TEK4 6G FHD can be integrated in an autonomous robot cell with automatic part loading for unmanned operation. A laser ablation head can be incorporated in TEK4 FHD machines for the removal of the ceramic protective barrier. Having the EDM head and laser head on the same platform avoids positioning issues and offers reduced capital investment.
The TEK4 5G FHD machine has an X, Y and Z axis of 300 x 300 x 400 mm, with 360° rotation in the A (±180°) and C axes (360° continuous), a 600 mm drill stroke, and a maximum work part weight of 20 kg. This flexibility enables the machine to process holes from 0.25 to 10 mm diameter, and up to 200 mm deep.
For further information www.tek4.co.uk