25this month
We kick off this month by praising the Machine Tool
Technologies Association (MTTA) on its initiative to bring
engineering to primary school children in Warwickshire.
Our enthusiasm is prompted by this year’s abundance of un lled
university science and engineering places – although that’s typical,
we say. Our second issue’s comment concerns the globalisation of
the aerospace sector. It is the Farnborough Air Show that highlights
this; it has been restructured as a commercial operation that re ects
a broadening reach. Europe and North America still dominate, but
Japan, Eastern Europe and China will become more signi cant
manufacturers, we suggest. The journey to today’s cost-down, global
supply chain world is beginning.
244361_V23_MACH_Ceratizit 28/03/2019 11:08 Page 1
In news, the interest in high speed machining is demonstrated by
the ample coverage we give to Mori Seiki’s SH-50 horizontal
machining centre with 12,000 rpm (20,000 option) spindle. Claiming
a chip removal rate that is 50% higher than with conventional
machining, cutting feeds are up to 10 times greater, while cutting
force is up to 90% lower – the latter is bene cial when machining
thin-walled parts. A further bene t is that heat is taken up by the
chips, not the component.
The combination manual/CNC lathe is big
news at this time and Philips had launched
its Manual Plus control unit the previous
year. In the UK, Philips agent Robtec saw an
opportunity to bring in a complete
machine/control unit and is launching a
£35,000 machine (Philips, which also
incorporated Grundig, was acquired by
Heidenhain).
American machining centre maker
Cincinnati Milacron (subsumed within
Fives Group today), which has a
Birmingham manufacturing base at this
time, reports record global order levels for Q2 of £200m+, a 30%
increase over the same period last year. Italy’s machine tool industry
is also celebrating; it has seen a 30% growth in orders for Q1, the
country’s machine tool sector representative body reports.
Sliding-headstock/bush lathes are put under the spotlight this
issue, with the various construction approaches detailed. We are
still in an era where cam-driven machines remain in use and to
compete with these yet give companies more control over their
machines there are hybrid machines that have cam-driven tools
employing a standard set of cams controlled by CNC.
We also take a look at grinding using CBN wheels, although it
seems companies are reluctant to take advantage of the material.
Costs for larger wheels able to deliver the peripheral speeds
required seem to be an issue, so companies such as Jones &
Shipman are looking at developing higher speed spindles that can
employ smaller diameter wheels.
Mould tool manufacture remains a major topic at this time, but it
is the technology of capturing 3D data from physical models that, in
turn, captures our attention. We review a number of different
systems for obtaining 3D data, as well as machines that combine
digitising and cutting on a single unit, the latter effectively a modern
equivalent of tracing machines that traced and cut simultaneously.
This month sees one of our regular subcontracting supplements.
An interview with Sony’s buyer about his £600 million procurement
activity is the cover story. The thrust of the article is that information
technology is transforming the whole process of logistics and supply
chain management. Subcontracting in Scotland and the support that
the manufacturing sector receives in the country is another focus.
Outside of Scotland, in Bristol, we report on a new laser cutting
company, Laser It. Still a novel technology, much of the work it is
winning was not previously produced by laser pro ling. Short lead
times are demanded, with some 80% of work required on a three-day
turnaround, the company tells Machinery.
82
years ago
Creating interest in engineering; aerospace globalisation; high speed machining;
manual/CNC lathe new entrant; machine tool orders up; Sony’s buyer speaks; CBN
grinding slow uptake; mould tool digitising; subcontracting in Scotland, & more
september 1994
sep 94
▼ ▼
PA
Key Events
▼ ▼
German discount
food supermarket
Lidl opens rst 10
stores in Britain
TV: Dmitry Naumov /stock.adobe.com TV only: daboost/ stock.adobe.com
ASport and General/S&G and Barratts/EMPICS Sport
▼
Broadcasting
ban on Sinn Féin
and paramilitary
groups from
Northern
Ireland lifted
Roy Castle,
dancer, actor
& TV
presenter,
dies of lung
cancer at 62
Eight-time tennis
major winner Ivan
Lendl (34) plays
nal professional
match, retires
Russia & People’s Republic of
China agree to de-target each
other’s country with nuclear
weapons
PA
PA
/stock.adobe.com
/stock.adobe.com