CONTENTS
Volume 177 Number 4289 October 2019
10 Lead feature Additive production
Bowman Additive, part of Bowman International, is adding value to the
group’s core business of bearing design and supply, innovating via
plastic additive manufacturing and replacing what is traditionally a
pressed metal part. It is set to multiply the company’s turnover many-
fold. Andrew Allcock visited to learn more
14 Additive manufacturing Another process
Andrew Allcock has details about yet another additive manufacturing
process, one that supports both metal and plastic 3D printing. It uses
both standard metal powder and plastic granules, using the same
material for both prototypes and production parts
19 Machining centres Profi t boosters
Fish farm parts output boosted with Bridgeport Hardinge; wheelchair
user tech made faster, better on XYZ Machine Tools’ equipment;
medical equipment maker opts for 5-axis Spinner
25 CADCAM & production IT Behind the brands
While there are many individual CADCAM brands on the market, behind
them are often some of the same software components. Same too for
CNC systems. Two companies, the UK’s MachineWorks and Germany’s
ModuleWorks, are prominent. Andrew Allcock explains
31 Quality & metrology CMM users positive
Mitutoyo CMM provides the right measure; Axion Too CMM hits right
note for motorsport exhaust producer; challenge of fuel cell
management measurement met by Taylor Hobson
37 Medical sector Fit & well
All areas of manufacturing technology in uence the medical sector,
including workholding, cutting tools, machine tools and 3D printers, as
Steed Webzell reveals
43 Exhibition preview Blechexpo: a matter of form
Steed Webzell looks ahead to Blechexpo 2019 (5-8 November,
Stuttgart), selecting some top picks that are sure to attract the crowds
48 Exhibition preview Advanced Engineering
Steed Webzell rounds up the technologies likely to catch the eye at this
year’s Advanced Engineering exhibition (30-31 October, Birmingham
NEC)
53 Subcontracting Supporting acts
Obviously the heart of any metalcutting subcontact business, machine
tools also require the support of control software, workholding and
CADCAM software to do their best work
Regular sections
7 Comment
News round-up
8 DMG Mori & Jungheinrich
work together on automation
8 ModuleWorks partners with
Okuma & Sandvik Coromant
8 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
emobility gear grinding news
8 MTC to set up in Liverpool;
links up with Exeter university
8 Filtermist expands UK
footprint by 30,000 ft2
8 Pailton Engineering
celebrates 50 years
9 Edgecam aerospace
machining demo
9 Ceratizit has deals on
spindle tooling
9 Aberlink supports Korean
skills event
9 Yamazaki Mazak celebrates
100 years
9 Appointments at: Hexagon
Production Software; HK
Technologies; Star Micronics
GB; XYZ Machine Tools
New products
9 Cool broaching
9 Gleason gear tech news
9 Large-scale bre laser
9 End-mills; stainless & more
9 Coolant suits wide range
9 Energy-ef cient gap-bed
9 Portable measurement
9 Cobots for auto sanding
9 Smaller Haas UMC
9 Higher capacity cobot
56 Classifi ed section
58 This month
25 years ago...
10
19
25
37
vertical machining centres is underlined by the Birmingham
operation of US machine tool maker Cincinnati Milacron (parts now
subsumed within Fives) announcing that orders for its Arrow line of
machines are three-times those forecast.
Another US machine tool maker with a UK base is Giddings &
Lewis (also today subsumed within Fives). It is celebrating 25 years
of UK operation with an event at the former Cross International
plant in Knowsley, Merseyside plant. This is the new centre of
operation for the rm, who previously ran its UK business from
Arbroath, Scotland. There are plenty of machines on the oor in
build, we note.
In a sign of this proto-digital period, the Copper Development
Association is making available a ‘data disk’ for £5 that gives
detailed information on certain materials’ inclusion in a
forthcoming CEN standard. Also re ecting the way information is
delivered at this time, cutting tool expert Hertel (now subsumed
within Kennametal), coolant specialist Castrol and material
stockholder Macready’s Carbon & Alloy Steels have togeher
published a paper wallchart – “The Machinist’s Guide to freecutting
carbon and alloy steels”. And Sandvik Coromant has published a
900-page tome covering Modern Metal Cutting. Move along, no
websites to see here.
25this month
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www.machinery.co.uk @MachineryTweets October 2019 5
Image: Andrew Allcock
Separate Aerospace Supplement
With the environment and climate change high on the agenda, the
aerospace sector is under re. What’s happening to make air travel
itself a greener form of transport? Machinery reviews two areas of
activity, biofuels and electrically-powered/supported ight. While the
former appears the nearer term solution, the pace of action is slow
and is not as sexy as the electric developments that get most news.
But before this new dawn breaks, it is business as usual for those
further down the supply chain as they produce the components for
today’s technology, as we set out in six case studies.
L ack of both industrial and government backing to support
world-leading gear manufacturing technology is bemoaned
this month. Gears are a basic mechanical engineering product
whose accuracy/performance requirements are always required to
increase – today its electric car demands. In 1994, Cran eld
Precision Engineering (now part of French group Fives) already has
world-beating technology. We suggest it deserves backing. In our
second issue of the month, the American machine tool industry’s
recovery is celebrated, although it is national not international
demand that is the spur. The biennial IMTS event underlines that,
which we attend and report on. Recent entrants in the vertical and
horizontal machining sector, such as Haas Automation, are making
their presence felt (although it is verticals that are the real growth
sector nationally and globally at this time); PC-based/PC-fronted
CNC systems are another trend; machine tool rebuilding/retro tting
is also prominent; and the country’s National Machine Tool
Partnership is helping the country’s industry develop its technology.
In news, Japanese machine tool builder Hitachi Seiki (subsumed
within DMG Mori today), having opened a German operation a year
ago, is planning a larger factory there that will open in two years’
time. Currently able to build 180 vertical machining centres, the
expansion will double that. And news from German company Traub
Heckert is that it has incorporated laser into one of its turning
centres. Drilling, milling, slitting and heat treatment are all claimed
possible. Italian rms are in buoyant mood, with attendance gures
for the country’s Bi-Mu show
well up; orders are also on
the up.
In the UK,
increasing
global
demand for
low-cost
laser and
issue include: punch press,Feature articles this but it is punch presses that
and their uses,control
plasma technologies development of a production sway at this time still; the that has
hold sheet metalworking company by a to be available
system, Redthorn, many – the package continues horizontal machining
found favour with technology and use of report on the to verticals, as far as
today;centres,gearmaking
a at this time run second which the subcontract short report on technology; and, as is
is concerned; a demand latest gear-making sector and also pretty typical for this period, several pages across three features
covering the rebuilding and retro tting sector.
58
years ago
UK gear-making technology; US show underlines change & growth; laser comes to
turning equipment; vertical machining centre demand high; G&L 25-year celebrations;
communication before the web; subcontractor develops production control software
october 1994
oct 94
PA
Key Events
Korea’s Daewoo
says will
start selling
cars in Britain
next year
Chinese fl ag: ParamePrizma /stock.adobe.com Pulp Fiction: movies / Alamy Stock Photo
Venus Williams’
professional debut
at age 14; beats
world no. 58
Shaun Stafford
Burton ‘Burt’
Lancaster,
American
actor (Spartacus),
dies of
heart attack
Pulp Fiction,
starring John
Travolta &
Samuel L
Jackson,
released
launches
Rover 100;
facelifted
Metro
▼ ▼ ▼
PA
PA
Rover Group
China
performs nuclear
test at Lop
Nor, PRC
Phil Talbot / Alamy Stock Photo
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Sponsored by:
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SUPPLEMENT
E-Thrust serial hybrid propulsion system – Airbus
OVER A CENTURY OF MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT
Sustainable air travel – biofuels: where are we? p4
Sustainable air travel – electric powerplant developments p9
Making today’s components – case studies p14
001_MCSP_OCT19.indd 1 27/09/2019 12:47
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