Seco Tools UK's Inspiration
Through Innovation event
drew an international
audience of almost 750
Change in the air
Seco Tools UK’s recent Inspiration Through Innovation (ITI) event signalled a change of direction for both
the event and the company. Andrew Allcock visited and reveals more
Fusion Coolant Systems
The company has a patented technology
that supports three-times-faster titanium
machining, two-times tool life for solid
end-mills and, for drilling, four-times
tool life (video: https://is.gd/kadoxi). It
is not a cryogenic process but one that
employs CO2 in its supercritical state – a
gas with the density of a liquid. It can
be employed with or without mineral oil.
The medical sector uses it without oil:
Stryker in Ireland has 25 machines fi tted
with the system and Johnson & Johnson
has signed a global deal to employ it
as its cooling system of choice. When
used with oil, it consumes 0.2 ml/min.
GKN Aerospace is about to takes its fi rst
system, while the University of Sheffi eld’s
AMRC has three units
October’s ITI get-together was the fth
such event held at Seco Tools UK’s
Alcester headquarters (https://is.gd/
kitono). This year there was a laser-like
focus on aerospace machining, with nine
cutting demonstrations, some of which are
capture photographically here. Attracting
almost 750 visitors across the two days in
October, it was an international gathering,
with attendees hailing from Europe, China,
South Korea, Australia, India and the US.
The venue for the event within Seco
Tools UK’s operation was the former custom
tools machine shop, which no longer
operates at Alcester, it having been moved
to France. Custom tool design is still
undertaken at the site, however. That
shop oor space will now be lled with
machinery and equipment from partners in
what is being called Seco Tools UK’s
Innovation Hub. To start with, a Hermle
5-axis machining centre (Kingsbury UK,
https://is.gd/exevoc) previously employed in
the manufacture of custom tools, a Heller
(https://is.gd/fapeva) 4-axis horizontal
machining centre, a DMG Mori (https://
is.gd/equmos) turning machine and a Grob
(https://is.gd/ecexok) 5-axis machining
centre will be in place.
The central idea behind the Innovation
Hub is a consultative approach that will see
customers, Seco Tools UK and other
technology suppliers work collaboratively,
targeting savings in time or cost of at least
50%. Effectively, the activity aims to
operate in similar if smaller fashion to the
High Value Manufacturing Catapult facilities
such as the University of Shef eld’s
Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre,
but at higher Technology Readiness Levels.
The aerospace and medical sectors will be
the company's focus. Operational details
are still in the early stage of formulation,
the company emphasises.
Another change at the company is one of
personnel, with long-standing managing
director Richard Jelfs having moved on to
become 'global head of people & cultural
development', based in California. He is
succeeded by Amul Shinde, whose previous
positions within Seco Tools have taken in:
director – channel sales Seco Tools India
and Asia, based in India, for almost four
years; senior general manager – channel
sales and logistics – Asia Paci c, for almost
eight years, also based in India; and director
and general manager – purchasing, sourcing
& logistics – India, for just over 10 years.
Prior to his Seco Tools career, he was
employed at the tractor division of Mahindra
& Mahindra in Nagpur, India.
Expect further news from Seco Tools UK
as the plans for the company’s new future
take on more solid form.
22 December 2019 www.machinery.co.uk @MachineryTweets
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