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How To Be A Better Production Planner In 2018

How to be a Better Production Planner in 2018

Old methods of production planning are no longer sufficient for responding to today’s dynamic, globally connected supply chain ecosystem.

Without question, Industry 4.0 is the wave of the future. The benefits of digitisation, encompassed in AI, an advanced generation of business analytic capabilities, or augmented reality systems, are slated to revolutionise the manufacturing industry. This Industrial Revolution is certainly a different beast from the ones portrayed in history books. However, where do SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses) fit into this business paradigm? More importantly, how can SMBs avoid being overshadowed in the race to the top?

Some key findings by Sapio Research may help inform our next steps:

  • 65% of manufacturers do not possess real-time data about their suppliers’ manufacturing schedules.
  • 68% do not possess real-time data about manufacturing volume across their organization.
  • Only 30% have end-to-end visibility of their supply chain. This means that two-thirds of manufacturers have not yet implemented the tools to inject value generation into their supply chain.
  • 55% believe that an aggregated view across the supply chain is necessary, but key constraints make it an unrealistic expectation.

Because 68% of manufacturers lack real-time visibility across the supply chain, they cannot provide decision-makers with the necessary data to make informed business decisions.

Today, a demand-driven global consumer base craves product differentiation at a cost savings, all without sacrificing quality and consistency in delivery. To remain competitive, a good production plan and at its heart, a comprehensive ERP system that provides a real-time, aggregated view of the supply chain, is a must.

Issues That A Good Production Plan Must Focus On

A good production plan is aimed at increasing throughput. Increased throughput (and by extension, shorter time-to-market intervals) is what generates increased revenues. An effective plan also increases real-time visibility into the manufacturing process, allowing SMBs to eliminate bottlenecks (inefficiencies), decrease excessive buffer stock holdings, optimize equipment deployment, and maximize worker productivity.

In the era of Industry 4.0, the traditional manual process of managing day-to-day operations is fast becoming unsustainable. Instead of wrestling with a confusing array of spreadsheets, production planners in resource-restricted manufacturing companies need a cost-effective solution for increasing business agility.

How An ERP System Can Help

An effective ERP (enterprise resource planning) system provides a visual depiction of production data. Production planners are necessarily focused on reducing time-to-market intervals and increasing throughput. Monitor’s revolutionary ERP software (developed over a 40-year span) gives production planners an advantage: it helps them identify dependencies in the current manufacturing process and in case of disruptions, plan for the deployment of alternative procedures. By providing this level of flexibility to production planners, SMBs can leverage a leaner manufacturing process to their advantage.

The concept of lean production is closely related to Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints. By reducing waste, lean manufacturing generates reduced lead times, improved throughput, and increased profits. To increase throughput and lower OPEX (operating expense) costs, however, production planners also need to identify bottlenecks or constraints within the manufacturing process. With the combination of old-fashioned floor-monitoring and Monitor’s ERP software, planners can identify whether the constraints are physical, policy-related, part of a company’s unique corporate culture, or market-driven in nature.

Using the Theory of Constraint’s five focusing steps, production planners will then be able to exploit the constraint and ensure that all parts of the process support the needs of the constraint. “Exploiting the constraint” refers to maximizing the constraint’s current utility, without making any expensive operational changes.

The Monitor ERP system’s 6 integrated modules give production planners a bird-eye view of the end-to-end supply chain. This is a crucial advantage in determining how constraints can be eliminated with minimal expenditure and upheaval. As the demand-driven economy fuels the rising relevance of Industry 4.0, Monitor Systems is slated to support the shift from traditional MRP (material requirements planning) to DDMRP (demand-driven materials requirement planning).

Where MRP is focused on anticipated supply generation, DDMRP relies on actual demand allocations to align with today’s supply chain complexities. With DDMRP, SMBs can avoid the dreaded bullwhip effect, where faulty supply forecasts lead to supply chain dysfunction.

As an enabler of Industry 4.0, we have the expertise and experience to help SMB production planners thrive in a demand-driven economy. Our product’s ability to pinpoint WIP inventory accumulations (which typically precede constraints) is a key feature of our software. Interested? Find out more here.

Sources:

1) Sapio Research Market Report.

2) Monitor ERP website.

3) The Demand Driven Institute.

 

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Grundfos Presents ISolutions Range To Meet Taiwan’s Smart And Sustainable Manufacturing Needs

Grundfos Presents iSolutions Range To Meet Taiwan’s Smart And Sustainable Manufacturing Needs

Leveraging intelligent manufacturing as the key to Taiwan’s economic revitalisation, Grundfos introduced iSolutions – a product range with a focus on digitalisation and connectivity – at this year’s Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS).

In line with the government’s ambition to transform Taiwan into a global manufacturing hub by pushing industry adoption of smart machinery, Grundfos showcased a number of machine tool products under its iSolutions range. These products are intuitive and connected solutions that feature intelligent monitoring and adjustment features, which in turn optimise performance of the entire water system.

A key product of the iSolutions range is Grundfos’ E-motor, which comes with a built-in frequency converter and sensors that enable the motor to intuitively control pressure from the pump to match the system’s demand, ensuring optimum levels of operation at all times. This drives significant financial and energy efficiencies, in contrast to conventional systems that tend to run at constant speed and pressure throughout their operations, regardless of fluctuating demands.

With strengthening competitiveness and sustainability being key to the local machining industry’s projected growth of eight percent each year, Eric Lai, Grundfos’ Global Business Director, Machining Industry, said, “Grundfos is committed to helping Taiwan achieve its goals for intelligent machinery to enable manufacturers to offer more value-added services at greater productivity and environmentally friendly levels. The move towards Industry 4.0 is picking up pace, and it is crucial to consider new innovations that can greatly improve efficiencies.”

“With pumps accounting for 10 percent of the world’s electricity consumption, the opportunity to leverage Industry 4.0 to integrate intelligence into pump manufacturing and reduce both financial and environmental costs is unprecedented,” Eric Lai added.

According to Grundfos, the potential of intelligent pumps in the iSolutions range can help companies save energy by 40 to 50 percent

Grundfos Taiwan’s General Manager, Shih Hung Lin, said, “As global demand for Taiwan exports continue to rise, we anticipate smart development to be Taiwan’s next growth engine. iSolutions will be a key driver in the machining industry’s efforts to transform production to perform more effectively and efficiently.”

Grundfos’ CM-L pump, the latest variant the compact CM range was also launched. The new CM addition operates without a shaft seal, effectively eliminating the cause of pump downtime that could occur due to leakages as a result of mechanical seal failure. With the wear-and-tear of mechanical seals being one of the top causes for leaking pumps, the CM-L pump is expected to drastically reduce incidences of downtime, repair and maintenance.

It is worth noting that the CM-L is also a low-noise pump, due to the removal of the traditional motor fan and is ideal for Laboratories, IT servers and Data Centers. This feature also has strong appeal to a wide range of applications in the industrial sector, such as wire cutting.

 

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Metalworking Fluid Market To Hit US$14.5 Billion By 2025

Metalworking Fluid Market To Hit US$14.5 Billion By 2025

The global metalworking fluid market size is forecasted to reach US$14.5 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 4.4 percent, according to findings by Grand View Research.

Metalworking fluids are used to reduce heat, friction and to remove metal particles in industrial machining and grinding operations. There are many formulations from removal fluids to water-based fluid and may be a complex mixture of oils and other additives.

Increase application of metalworking fluids in heavy machinery and automotive industries due to increase in production capacity are driving the growth for metalworking fluids. The automotive industry end-use segment will likely see a CAGR of 5.3 percent revenue by 2025. Furthermore, Asia Pacific has the greatest consumption of metal working fluid owing to the large number of suppliers and distributors. With substantial growth in the manufacturing sector for emerging economies, for example, rising production of aluminium in China, the demand for metalworking fluids is set to rise.

Major players in the market include Houghton, BP, Quaker, FUCHS, Yushiro Chemical, ExxonMobil, Henkel, Chevron, Blaser, PETROFER, Master Chemical, Buhmwoo Chemical, JX MOE, Dow, Francool, Talent, Sinopec, Oemeta, Milacron, Amer, Peisun, Boer technology.

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Thailand To Lead In EV Battery Manufacturing And Assembly

Thailand To Lead In EV Battery Manufacturing And Assembly

Thailand’s assembly and output of Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries are predicted to reach 430,000 units by 2023, according to Kasikorn Research Center (K-Research). As such, Thailand will be responsible for three percent of global EV battery production by 2023 and will be placed top four in Asia. Moreover, sales of the three types of EVs—hybrids, plug in hybrids and battery EVs in Thailand will account for 25 percent of the total car market.

The research centre said, “The EV market is expected to increase significantly from 2019 as many car manufacturers have applied for the Board of Investment’s (BoI) incentives to localise EV assembly.”

With implementation of the government’s EV scheme to focus on hybrid and plug-in hybrid EVs, investment flow for EV battery assembly will follow. Furthermore, car manufacturers successfully granted the BoI incentives are required to carry out their plans within three years, by 2021. The assembly of battery EV’s depend on the coverage of EV charging stations, while hybrid EVs may extend into eco-hybrid cars. Sales of hybrid EVs will see significant increase since they have already been available. Car manufacturers like Toyota and Mercedes-Benz will be localising battery assembly, which will drive assembly manufacturing for EV batteries.

Thailand will be a hub for EV battery exports. 260,000 units of the 430,000 total battery output by 2023 will be supplied to the domestic market, while 40 percent or 170,000 batteries will be exported. Battery EVs will mainly be delivered to Japan, Oceania, Singapore and Malaysia due to rising income growth and government’s support for EV facilities. Furthermore, with the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement, Thailand is set to become the original equipment manufacturer EV battery hub for Japanese car manufacturers.

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Increasing Productivity And Quality Gains Through Digitalisation

Increasing Productivity And Quality Gains Through Digitalisation

Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News is pleased to conduct an interview with Hendrie Viktor, Regional Director at ZEISS Southeast Asia regarding current trends in the manufacturing and metrology industry.

1) Could you provide us with an overview of the current trends regarding the manufacturing industry in Asia?

In an attempt to soften the effects of globalisation, productivity and quality gain drives are most evident. Competing with neighbouring companies are no longer enough to secure one’s business interests. Through globalisation and commoditisation to some degree, the bar on price and quality has been raised exponentially. As a result, some manufacturing industries were adversely affected by consolidation. In my opinion, Asia in particular has been subjected to this harshly but responded well over the past decade—a great example are the quality gains on “Made in China” over the last few years. The relentless expectations on price competitiveness and quality standards has reached a point where traditional, incremental cost and quality gains are no longer enough and reaping the benefits of smart manufacturing or industry 4.0 is crucial.

2) To keep up with these manufacturing trends, what are the newest developments or technological advancements in ZEISS’s metrology solutions?

We address our customer’s ever-increasing productivity and quality requirements through solutions that enable manufacturers to inspect or measure faster and more frequently than before. Gone are the days of random sampling in a quality lab. In-process inspection and shop floor metrology have brought significant time savings and quality gains. Multi-purpose measuring instruments have replaced the need for multiple set-up’s, and workflow solutions have brought insights into manufacturing processes and quality that were previously unseen.

ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions has been and still is at the forefront of the inspection and dimensional metrology transformation and plan to keep it this way moving forward. We continue to make significant investments, at least 10 percent of our revenue, into R&D annually in order to continue to deliver market-shaping innovations.

3) With increasing digitalisation of the manufacturing sector, what are the main challenges faced by the metrology industry?

Firstly, the sudden shift can be overwhelming and we’ve seen countless processes being digitalised for the sake of it—with huge amounts of digital data being collected, but not put to good use. Determining where, when and how frequently digital data needs to be collected as well as how it will be put to valuable use is crucial but it remains a great challenge for many since skill shortages in the field of digitalisation exists. There is also data and platform incompatibility, or rather standardisation hurdles to overcome as suppliers mostly develop their own Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platforms. Lastly, data handling and security still deters many companies from taking that leap.

4) How do you think these challenges can be overcome?

Relevant education and continued learning will go a long way towards addressing hesitation and will help ensure digitalisation efforts pay off. I see the need for industry and universities or technical schools to work hand in hand. That will stimulate the need for faster adoption. Alliances between machine manufacturers can address platform and standardisation issues to unlock IIoT benefits. Such an example can be seen in the recently founded ADAMOS alliance, of which ZEISS is a founding member of.

5) Moving forward, where do you think the industry is headed in the next five to 10 years?

With the pace of today’s change, it would be difficult to even predict this with some degree of certainty. I think the value-add from productivity and quality gains through digitalisation and new manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing is going to be tremendous that consolidation is going to happen on a much broader scale. I see low volume, high mix through flexible manufacturing becoming a norm and thus bringing manufacturing closer to the end user, further reducing non-value-added costs. This will call for a very different approach to metrology.

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Global Metal 3D Printer Market Outlook

Global Metal 3D Printer Market Outlook

The global metal 3D printer market is estimated to value US$0.8 billion in 2017 and is projected to register a CAGR of 24.7 percent in terms of value over the forecast period till 2026, according to a report by Market Research.

3D printing is a method of making three dimensional hard substances from a digital file. It is the process of laying down successive layers of material until the object is shaped in the desired form, in an additive manner. Each layer can be seen as a thinly sliced flat cross-section of the eventual object and it is an extremely high-precision manufacturing procedure.

Metal 3D printing offers various advantages over conventional manufacturing processes. With metal 3D printers, a range of products with varying designs can be printed and less materials are used which eliminates waste. Industries like aerospace, automotive, construction, medical device and consumer electronics are increasingly using this technology to produce components and parts.  3D metal printing provides aerospace and automotive industries with lightweight components which increases fuel efficiency and enable customisation in medical device manufacturing. Furthermore, Asia-Pacific is forecasted to be the fastest growing market for 3D printing metal due to rapid industrialisation and economic growth which drives the automotive, medical device, aerospace and defense industries. All these factors contribute to the rising popularity of metal 3D printers.

Key Players in the market include EOS GmbH, General Electric Company, SLM Solutions Group AG, 3D Systems Corporation, Arcam AB, Renishaw plc., DMG MORI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, The ExOne Company, Wuhan Binhu Mechanical & Electrical Company Limited, Xi’an Bright Laser Technologies Co Ltd (BLT), Wuhan Huake 3D Technology Co Ltd, Optomec Inc.

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TTD-Tritan – Machining Of Heat Exchangers Taken To The Next Level

TTD-Tritan – Machining of heat exchangers taken to the next level

Many versions of heat exchangers are used in different industries. After all, they help to make heat generated usable for other processes. In the case of recuperators, two liquid or gaseous media with different temperatures are pumped into separate circuits. A heat exchange takes place without mixing the media. Recuperators include bundle heat exchangers, which are usually made of metal and consist of a tube bundle that conducts a medium and an orifice baffle with a front tube plate through which a second medium flows. Depending on the size of the heat exchanger, the front tube plate has a large number of bores. To ensure that the medium does not escape at this component transition, high requirements are set at the bores with regard to position accuracy and dimensional accuracy.

Triple edge drill is the method of choice

The triple edge replaceable head drill TTD-Tritan from MAPAL has been tested in the petrochemical industry and is convincing right down the line when machining a tube plate. On the TTD-Tritan, tool head and tool holder are joined by Hirth serration. This connection is easy to operate and particularly stable, so that all the drill reaches the performance level of the solid carbide equivalent. In addition, it guarantees the best torque transmission with simultaneous high changing and radial run-out accuracy. The TTD-Tritan is optimally centred via its pronounced drill tip and ensures very good circularity. In addition, the cost-intensive carbide is limited to the tool head for the replaceable head system, which leads to low tool costs even with large diameters. The replaceable head system has a positive effect on stock, as the wear parts are mainly limited to the drill heads: As a result, the capital tied up in stock is also reduced.

In a specific case, the customer needs each diameter version in several lengths to machine the different versions of tube plates. The complete MAPAL range makes it possible to provide all desired versions. In addition, smaller diameters are served with the solid carbide design.

Machining time reduced by 57 percent

The customer’s tube plates made of carbon steel are drilled into the solid using the TTD-Tritan. The bore diameter is 25.6 mm and the bore length is 63.5 mm. Here the TTD-Tritan operates with a feed rate 59 percent higher than the double edge replaceable head drill from a competitor used to date. For the solid drilling operation described, the TTD-Tritan achieves a tool life of a good 53 metres while the drill previously used only achieved almost 28 metres. In addition to this significant increase of 90 percent, the MAPAL tool performs the solid drilling operation in one machining step and only takes 29 minutes for the complete tube plate with 550 bores. In contrast, piloting was necessary in the previous machining process. The tube plate also had to be manually cleaned to remove the partly very long chips after piloting. Overall, the TTD-Tritan reduces the machining time by 57 percent.

QTD indexable insert drill with new pyramid tip for stack machining

In addition to the two front tube plates, slightly thinner intermediate plates with the same bore pattern are also installed in shell & tube heat exchangers. These intermediate plates are stacked above one another for machining, spot welded together, drilled and then separated again. With the QTD indexable insert drill with innovative, patented pyramid tip, MAPAL has the optimum solution for even this application in its portfolio. The newly developed indexable insert with pyramid tip has a very small chisel edge and a tip angle of 120°. Furthermore, the indexable insert is self-centering and ensures a controlled bore entrance. The intermediate plates can thus be reliably drilled in a single machining step.

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Vietnam Supports Domestic Automotive Manufacturing

Vietnam Supports Domestic Automotive Manufacturing

Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasised that development of the domestic automobile industry is necessary to achieve a self-reliant economy, during a meeting to discuss development of the country’s automotive sector. PM Phuc states that the government aims to increase localisation rate in automotive manufacturing and apply modern technologies during manufacturing processes as the industry moves towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Currently, more than 90 percent of car accessories and parts are supplied by foreign companies. The low localisation ratio and tax policies have resulted in high car prices which have hindered the development of the automotive industry. However, given the increase in income demographic and infrastructural improvements, the demand for cars are expected to rise. In fact, the automobile market is predicted to grow by 10 percent in 2019.

As such, the government will continue to revise institutional framework and work on favourable, long-term policies for automobile manufacturers and enable more local enterprises to participate in the automobile production chain.

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Tool Steel Market To Reach US$6.5 Billion By 2024

Tool Steel Market To Reach US$6.5 Billion By 2024

According to a report by Global Market Insights, the tool steel market size is set to grow with a CAGR of 4.9 percent, from current market value of US$4.5 billion to US$6.5 billion by 2024.

Tool steels refers to a wide range of carbon and alloy steels that are used to make various tools. Tool steels are very hard, has high resistance to wear and tear, high thermal conductivity, wear resistance and offers low cost component manufacture. They are used extensively in the manufacture of cutting instruments like gear cutters, tool bits, planers, saw blades, punches, router bits, drills and taps.

Growing demand for cutting instruments from various industries such as food and packing, automotive, aviation and power generation has accelerated tool steel market growth. High speed tool steel market size would increase at about 4.5 percent by 2024 due to increase in demand for manufacturing machine tools.

Increasing construction activities and investments in infrastructural projects due to rising demand for commercial and residential buildings in emerging economies such as India, China and Japan are also driving the market for tool steel. Infrastructure spending in India was valued at over US$10 billion in 2018 which presents numerous growth opportunities for construction activities. Applications such as injection moulding and die work further stimulate market growth.

The key players in the tool steel market includes: Hitachi Metals Limited, Voestalpine, Sandvik, and Dongbei Special Steel Group Company Limited, BOHLER, Eramet SA, Baosteel Group, Buderus Edelstahl GmbH and Nachi-Fujikoshi.

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3D Goes Long-Range With The First Scanning Laser Tracker

3D Goes Long-Range With The First Scanning Laser Tracker

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has launched a laser tracker line, the Leica Absolute Tracker ATS600. This new product introduces a new concept in metrology-grade laser trackers, with targetless 3D scanning possible for the first time, directly from the laser tracker. The ATS600 can scan a surface with metrological accuracy from a distance of up to 60 metres with no need for targets, sprays, reflectors or probes.

Following in the footsteps of the Leica Absolute Scanner LAS-XL that was released in 2017, the ATS600 delivers as much accuracy as is needed by targeted metrology applications, with its focus more on measurement usability and processing speed. Previously difficult to reach areas are simply measured without even the need for tracker repositioning, while surfaces that would previously have taken hours to manually scan can now be digitised in minutes.

“We’re always very focused on usability and productivity throughout our research and development process, and so large-scale scanning is a very interesting concept for us,” said Matthias Saure, Laser Tracker Product Manager at Hexagon. “Like the LAS-XL before it, the ATS600 introduces a fundamental change to the scale in which we think about non-contact scanning. We know that users are increasingly interested in digitising parts as a way to absolutely ensure production quality, and we think the ATS600 is a product that can really take digitisation into new places of industrial production and play a key role in expanding the role of quality assurance.”

The system works by identifying a scan area within its field of view and then creating a sequentially measured grid of data points that define that surface, with accuracy to within as little as 300 microns. Measurement point density is fully customisable, so that users can choose the ideal balance between detail and process speed for their specific application. The Leica Absolute Tracker ATS600 is unique in delivering this functionality at metrology-grade accuracy and alongside easy integration within established metrology workflows – the ATS600 is compatible with all major metrology software platforms as has been designed to sit comfortably within a wider metrology toolkit.

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New Demands, New Solutions

New Demands, New Solutions

New tool holding products mirror modern metalworking demands. Article by Andrei Petrilin, Technical Manager, Rotating Tools, ISCAR.

In general, tool holding (tooling) equipment has not undergone any fundamental changes for a long time. Although there have been some notable advances such as the introduction of quick-change tooling in the 1970’s and the appearance of modular systems using polygon taper coupling and systems based on  HSK adaptation for high rotational speed in the 1990’s, tooling development seems to fit quite firmly into the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” category.

Toolholders act as an interface between cutting tool and machine, and they should both ensure proper clamping of the cutting tool and also be suitable for mounting in the fitted spindle or tool changer magazine of a machine tool. The metalworking industry has compulsory standards to strictly specify the matching surfaces for both these purposes. These standards define a wide range of existing tooling systems to meet different manufacturer requirements: simple holders for manual tool changing for conventional machines with hand control, precise high-grade-balanced adaptors for high-speed machining centres. This variety of tool holding arrangements provides the manufacturer with multifold options for effective tool holding, depending on production targets and available machinery. This is mainly why tool holders reached a certain level of excellence that did not require groundbreaking changes.

Today, modern tooling is evolving along with metalworking industry developments in the world of Industry 4.0 and its impact on state-of the-art manufacturing and new technological horizons. Manufacturing digitisation also plays an important part in the development of new tooling features.

Advances in high speed machining (HSM) exemplify the cause and effect of these changes. Implementation of new technologies in this important field has necessitated a new level of tool balancing to ensure tool holder performance and reliability in a significantly expanded range of rotational speeds, with the objective of improving strength, rigidity, accuracy and other technical parameters of the traditionally designed tool holders. High-efficiency milling of difficult-to-cut aerospace materials, like titanium alloys, have increased demands for durable tool holders working in hard conditions.

The effect of these developments can be observed by noting ISCAR’s introduction of a range of tool holding solutions. As one of the largest cutting tool manufacturers in the world, ISCAR is recognised as a strong supporter of constant product innovation.

Today the company offers a rich choice of arbors, holders, adaptors, blocks, thermal and power chucks etc. for effective tool clamping. Following industry demands, performance parameters for these parts have been tightened up significantly. For example, SHRINKIN thermal shrink chucks with HSK 100 shanks now feature G2.5 balance quality and a residual unbalance of less than 1.0 g/mm (.00139 oz/in) at 20,000 rpm, MAXIN 32 power chucks ensure clamping torque up to 1,760 N/m (1,300 lbf/ft), and FINEFIT radial and angular alignment tool holders for high speed reamers maintain radial and axial runout adjustment to 0.001 mm (.00004 in).

Clamping And Cooling

ISCAR recently launched a series of new tooling families that provide an effective pinpointed coolant supply. In many cases, like machining titanium or exotic high temperature superalloys (HTSA), which are common for the aerospace industry, cooling is a critical factor of success.

X-STREAM SHRINKIN is a family of thermal shrink chucks with coolant jet channels along the shank bore. The family utilises a patented design for holding tools with shank, made from cemented carbide, steel or high-speed steel (HSS). The new chucks combine the advantages of high-precision heat shrink clamping with coolant flow, directed to cutting edges. X-STREAM SHRINKIN has already shown excellent performance in milling aerospace parts, particularly titanium blades and blisks (bladed discs), and especially in high speed milling. In machining deep cavities, the efficient cooling provided by the new chucks substantially improves chip evacuation and diminishes chip re-cutting.

Turning

In turning, ISCAR has developed a new concept for high pressure coolant (HPC) supply for VDI DIN 69880 quick-change adaptation systems, intended for turning machine tools. The JETCUT concept is based on bottom-fed HPC channels and provides coolant supply internally through the tool and externally through the flange. The resulting cooling effect significantly improves performance in turning, grooving and parting applications.

A wet coolant can act as an excellent tool in a radically different field: increasing the rotational speed of a tool. ISCAR’s SPINJET family of coolant-driven high speed compact spindles for small diameter tools is a type of “booster” for upgrading existing machines to high speed performers . The SPINJET spindles are recommended for tools up to 7 mm (.275 in) in diameter, however the optimal diameter range is 0.5-4 mm (.020-.157 in). The “booster” demonstrates a highly impressive output: depending on pressure and coolant flow rate, the spindles maintain a rotational speed of up to 55,000 rpm. The versatile SPINJET products have been successfully integrated in tooling solutions for milling, drilling, thread milling, engraving, chamfering, deburring and even fine radial grinding.

Reaming

In reaming, floating chucks are used in high-precision hole making to correct any misalignment between the central axes of a reamer and a hole. Precise alignment is essential for optimal performance and hole accuracy. To this end, ISCAR added a new design of GFIS floating chucks for high speed reamers to the ER COLLET chuck family. The new chuck is unlike any other floating system in the market, due to the integration of a unique technology that ensures the system remains completely rigid until it reaches a steady state of reaming.

Matrix

The Industry 4.0 concept of data-driven smart manufacturing has had a direct impact on the entire chain of production, including the seemingly conservative field of tool holding. In a smart factory, production systems perform under the conditions of real-time mutual information exchange. ISCAR’s modern tool holders incorporate holes for RFID (radio-frequency identification) chips, which can be mounted according to customer request.  ISCAR’s MATRIX intelligent computerized tool storage unit reads the RFID chips and receives all necessary identification data from the tool holder.

These selected examples characterize the development of tool holding products. Despite a “conservative reputation”, the latest tool holding product innovations both reflect and reinforce the trends of metalworking today and beyond.

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