The broad sweep
Impossible as it is to cover all EMO developments in full, a review of two major machine tool makers
gives the fl avour of developments in a number of technology areas. Andrew Allcock details DMG Mori and
Yamazaki Mazak’s offerings – more EMO developments will follow in future issues
In reviewing any major exhibition, there is
often a central theme or development that
breaks cover through multiple examples
and that demonstrates a new stage in some
area of manufacturing technology. There
wasn’t any such central draw, although there
were plenty of incremental developments
across a broad swathe of areas. So, let’s
look in detail at a couple of major machine
tool manufacturers, DMG Mori (https://is.gd/
equmos) and Yamazaki Mazak (https://is.gd/
otocah), who had news spanning a number of
technology areas. Both had plenty to show
off, taking in a variety of machine tool, CNC,
automation technology, Industry 4.0 and
arti cial intelligence developments.
Dr Masahiko Mori, president of Japanese-
German giant DMG Mori, describes machine
tools as a ‘platform technology’, a
foundation element to which services and
additional manufacturing equipment can be
added (sold). CEO Christian Thoenes
underlined that supplying a machine is not
enough. He said that customers want DMG
Mori to provide technology, starting at job
planning and stretching through to
monitoring. Well, the company is delivering
on that breadth.
Let’s start with the new machines, as
this is the least complex area to get to grips
with these days for DMG Mori, it seems.
There were just two highlighted by the
company: the CLX 750 single-turret, optional
Y-axis, optional sub-spindle turning centre
with 700 mm (640 mm for Y-axis version)
diameter by 1,290 mm turning length; and
the entry-level, simultaneous 5-axis
machining centre DMC 90 U duoBLOCK with
pallet changer and a workpiece capacity of
900 mm dimeter by 1,450 mm high and
1,500 kg weight, plus 20,000 rpm
speedMASTER spindle. The company had
45 machines on its stand, though, and has
DMG Mori’s Christian Thoenes reveals multiple digital
developments at EMO, including ‘myDMG Mori’, right
150-odd models in its portfolio, so plenty of
platforms.
DMG Mori’s application expertise in
conjunction with its machining technology
was underlined, however. Speci cally, the
existence of its aerospace, automotive,
mould and die, and medical centres of
excellence.
REBUILD, RECONDITION & MORE
Alluding to the fact that machine tool
performance itself has near-plateaued,
DMG Mori chose to underline its ‘Economic
Stimulus Program’ (available in the EU), part
of which is a rebuild/reconditioning service
for existing machines. To be fair, this is also
a sign of the economic times; Germany’s
VDW organisation, which represents the
country’s machine tool builders, revealed
that machine tool orders were 21% down
year on year up to and including July,
re ecting industrial uncertainty – although
machine tool output this year will only be 2%
down. Says DMG Mori: “After years of
growth, many DMG Mori customers now face
uncertain economic times.” And this
initiative is a ve-point one that additionally
takes in: machine buyback with immediate
payment, nancing, training and
maintenance services.
But most noise was around automation
and digital innovations, with even additive
manufacturing (AM) now an established
technology within the company, with little
new highlighted. Dr Mori expects AM take-up
to accelerate, adding that DMG Mori will
14 November 2019 www.machinery.co.uk @MachineryTweets
/
/
/www.machinery.co.uk