Machining Composites As Fine As Paul Horn
Using this new cutting material, immediately improved the previous tool life of between 750 and 1,000 parts to a reliable 3,000 parts.
The Atmosphere’s Electric
Formula Student allows ambitious students to gain intensive practical experience in the design, production and commercial aspects of automotive engineering—from every angle and well away from the confines of a lecture theatre. Article by Paul Horn GmbH.
Zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in less than four seconds, an engine power of 160 kW and real team spirit—that sums up life for the Raceyard Formula Student Team from Kiel University of Applied Sciences. They are entering the “E” category of the competition with an electric racing car that they have developed and built themselves.
To assist with the production of the car’s parts, Paul Horn GmbH is giving the Kiel students advice on tools for turning and milling.
“We really appreciate the company’s machining expertise. Thomas Wassersleben is our contact person at HORN and thanks to him we always receive good advice and rapid support,” explains Lukas Schlott. Lukas is the member of the Raceyard Team with responsibility for marketing and event management.
The collaboration with the Institute for Computer Integrated Manufacturing – Technology Transfer (CIMTT) has actually been running for several years. Wassersleben advises the Institute’s mechanical workshops on machining solutions and tools. He was also the HORN sales representative that received the initial enquiry from the 2017/2018 Raceyard Team and passed it on. HORN responded to this enquiry by offering a set of tools that included the Supermini 105, the S100 grooving and parting-off system, and some Boehlerit ISO inserts and DS aluminium milling cutters.
“This set of tools enabled our mechanics department to solve tricky machining tasks by overcoming the access difficulties created by the long throat depths and narrow bores,” recalls Schlott.
A new race car is created for each season of the Formula Student competition. Just like the car itself, the make-up of the team also changes, as some members inevitably come to the end of their studies. This means that each new team has to develop, produce, assemble and test its own race car. However, the experience accumulated over previous seasons is also fed into the latest development work. The 2017/2018 Raceyard Team has 50 members assigned to four main areas: Sponsorship and Finance, Mechanics, Electrics, and Marketing & Event Management.
Self-developed and Self-produced
The students developed and produced the entire race car themselves, apart from a few components. For the brake callipers, the Kiel students opted for SLM (selective laser melting) technology. Using this additive manufacturing process, they were able to print the brake callipers from an aluminium alloy powder made to their very own design specifications. And when it came to finish boring the brake piston cylinder surface, the responsible mechanics decided on the HORN Supermini 105 system.
“Due to the calliper’s three-dimensional shape and the very tight cylinder tolerances, the production process was a real challenge for our mechanics,” says Schlott.
The aluminium axle leg was machined using a triple-flute solid carbide end mill from the DS system with polished chip spaces. The difficulty with this component was the long throat depth required for the tool. In addition, the component geometry meant that the engineers went for the extra-long milling tool.
“Thanks to the polished chip spaces and the geometry of the milling cutter, we don’t experience any problems during machining in terms of chips adhering and chatter marks,” says Wassersleben.
CFRP Monocoque Design
The racing car has a CFRP monocoque chassis. The students decided on the same carbon fibre material for the aerodynamic components and other parts such as the steering linkage. For the purpose of producing the moulds and laminating the parts, the team had access to the machinery and expertise of another sponsor.
“It was certainly a challenge to laminate the individual CFRP layers because the fibres in each layer had to be arranged in particular directions to ensure the subsequent rigidity of the chassis and other assemblies,” clarifies Schlott. In order to calculate the aerodynamics as well as the rigidity of the chassis and other components, the students made use of the powerful computers available at the Kiel CIMTT institute.
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Outlook 2021
Experts in the metalworking industry provided their outlook for the coming year and their insights on how manufacturers should navigate whatever challenges the industry might still have along the way to recovery.
The year 2020 had been an extraordinary one, with the COVID-19 pandemic basically putting the global manufacturing industry on a standstill—at least except those essential industries that have scrambled to create medical equipment such as ventilators, and testing kits, as well as personal protective equipment including face masks and face shields.
The pandemic put into spotlight the agility and resiliency needed in every manufacturing industry, as supply chains get stuck and manufacturers are at a loss as to how to obtain their raw materials and parts.
Nevertheless, the show must go on. And as vaccines are now being developed, it won’t be long until we see light at the end of this tunnel. In this special feature, experts in the metalworking industry provided their outlook for the coming year and their insights on how manufacturers should navigate whatever challenges the industry might still have along our way to recovery.
Creaform
Simon Côté, Product Manager
The metalworking industry will continue to undergo major transformations in 2021. As customers continue to require more complex and sophisticated parts, it is becoming even more crucial for metalworking firms to implement new strategies and technologies to monitor the quality and compliance of final products—all while accelerating throughput due to demanding timelines.
Click here to read Simon’s outlook!
Faccin Group
Rino Boldrini, Metal Forming Machine Specialist
There is no doubt 2020 will be remembered by most as a year to forget due to the pandemic and the global uncertainty, but it will also be considered as a starting point by those that were able to adapt to the market challenges by implementing or accelerating innovation-focused plans.
Click here to read what Rino expects this year!
TRUMPF Asia Pacific
Chong Chee Ter, Managing Director
The outlook for the global economy in 2020 deteriorated significantly primarily due to the massive economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, we nevertheless are expecting global GDP growth to return back to the level of 2019.
Click here to read Chee Ter’s insights for 2021!
igus
Carsten Haecker, Head of Asia Pacific
Metalworking companies across all industries have been facing increasing demands for years now—albeit some levelling was and is still visible in the current pandemic. To hold their own fortress against international competition, companies need versatile and efficient solutions for a wide variety of production tasks. One solution is the digitalization and networking of production and logistics processes—the basic technologies surrounding Industry 4.0.
Click here to read Carsten’s outlook!
ISCAR
Eran Salmon, Executive Head of Research and Development
“Business as Usual” is constantly being redefined at ISCAR to meet the varying needs of global metalworking industries. In such a reality, innovative technologies and business opportunities emerge to meet all the challenges ahead.
Click here to read Eran’s insights for 2021!
Marposs KK Japan and SEA
Marco Zoli
President
2020 has seen the COVID-19 pandemic act on top of the existing geopolitical factors and on the shift to e-mobility, with the result of accelerating the evolution of the manufacturing environment. The trend of focusing on production resilience is set to continue, resulting in a more localized supply chain and a higher concentration on global players.
Click here to read what Marco expects for the year!
Paul Horn GmbH
Lothar Horn, CEO
Despite the restrictions predicted for 2021, most businesses have not stood still. In industries where exhibitions play a major role, it was more a question of how to bring innovations to market—especially with regard to communication. Many of the people I spoke to were initially very excited about the digital possibilities, and certainly rightly so.
Click here to read Lothar’s outlook for 2021!
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
Boon Choon Lim, President, Korea, ASEAN, Pacific, India
The year 2020 was characterized by virtual work and learning, as individuals and businesses reinvented themselves to maintain productivity. Optimising the digital landscape will continue in 2021, as companies embrace innovation to meet their needs.
Click here to read what Boon Choon expects in 2021!
Sandvik Coromant
Rolf Olofsson, Global Product Manager
To stay competitive, manufacturers need to rely more on digitized processes and less manual interaction. To meet the new requirements, we need to continue to drive the development and digitalization of the manufacturing industry. Sandvik Coromant have a unique venture with Microsoft, combining Sandvik Coromant’s expertise in machining with Microsoft’s technical solutions.
Click here to read Rolf’s insights for 2021!
Siemens Digital Industries Software
Alex Teo, Managing Director and Vice President for South East Asia
2020 underscored two important pillars of manufacturing: adaptability and resiliency. With COVID-19 disrupting global supply chains, manufacturers need to inject their production chain with the agility to pivot and adapt to constantly changing market conditions.
Click here to read what Alex expects in 2021!
SLM Solutions Singapore
Gary Tang, Sales Director, Southeast Asia
“Change is the only constant in life” and this is characteristically so for 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Though businesses were disrupted, but in the same fast pace, opportunities arose for additive manufacturing (AM) in the medical frontline, responding quickly to severe restrictions in supply chains and traditional manufacturing bases.
Click here to read Gary’s outlook for 2021!
Renishaw ASEAN
Steve Bell, General Manager
Unusual times in 2020 have brough significant difficulties in all walks of life, and manufacturing is no exception. The downturn in industrial activity has been evident during these COVID-19 times—mandatory closures, disruptions to the supply chain, and the stringent social distancing regulations imposed a devastating impact worldwide including the ASEAN region.
Click here to read what Steve expects this year!
VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association)
Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Managing Director
The coronavirus pandemic is leaving deep scars in the German and international machine tool industry. For 2020, the VDW expects a decline in production of 30 percent. After economic data and economic indicators showed an upward trend in the third quarter, uncertainty in the economy is currently increasing in view of the second wave of the pandemic.
Click here to read Dr. Wilfried’s outlook for this year!
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Screws for Endoprosthetics
Machining high-tech materials such as high-strength aluminium and titanium alloys, implant steels and superalloys like cobalt-chromium require high-performance tools. Here’s how Hymec Fertigungstechnik GmbH are dealing with all that for its medical products.
“When machining cobalt-chromium alloys, we demand very high performance from the tool due to the high material costs,” explains Tibor Veres, managing director of Hymec Fertigungstechnik GmbH. Which is why the company relies on tools from Paul Horn GmbH to machine superalloys. The precision tools from the company are also used for shaping the hexagon socket of an implant screw made of cobalt-chromium. Together with HORN Technical Consultant Thomas Wassersleben, they transformed this demanding machining task into a reliable process.
“We see ourselves as a manufacturer that is able to accomplish high-precision machining to the highest quality,” says Veres.
The company specialises in medical products, custom-made solutions and demanding low-volume production. Machining high-tech materials such as high-strength aluminium and titanium alloys, implant steels and superalloys like cobalt-chromium (CoCr) are part of Hymec’s day-to-day tasks. The range of activities includes the production of precision-engineered components and complete assemblies as well as providing technical advice from concept and design to quality audits.
Close Collaboration
Hymec has been working closely with HORN for 30 years. “The cooperation has been outstanding because they are always able to provide a cost-effective solution for our applications,” explains Veres. He attaches great importance to the selection of tools on offer and is always looking for the best tool solution for his machining tasks. He approached Wassersleben for technical support in the production of a hexagon socket in a screw made of CoCr.
The screw is an implant and forms part of an artificial knee joint. Hymec manufactures the screws in various widths across the hex flats of 2.5 mm (0.0984″), 3.5 mm (0.118″) and 5 mm (0.197″). The hexagon socket is machined to a tight tolerance so that the screw sits firmly on the hexagon key during insertion. The surface finish also needs to be of high quality as even small grooves and ridges can be a breeding ground for germs. The company produces around 5,000 screws like this every year.
Broaching is Virtually Impossible in Series Production
“Machining a hexagon in titanium is relatively easy by profile broaching. Broaching in series production in cobalt-chromium is virtually impossible, however, due to its high strength, and the tool wear is significant,” says Veres.
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Horn Expands Gear Cutting Portfolio
Paul Horn GmbH is expanding its range of gear cutting products. Horn’s new tool system for milling bevel gear teeth allows the complete machining of bevel gears on universal turn-mill centres. The system was created in cooperation with machine manufacturer INDEX and means that users no longer need any special machines to manufacture gears of this kind. It also allows all functional surfaces to be produced together with the gear teeth in one clamping. This enables high component precision, short lead-times, a very cost-efficient process and short machining times as a result of controlled machining cycles.
With a universal turn-mill centre from INDEX, components with bevel gear teeth can be efficiently and flexibly manufactured, including in small quantities. This also makes the process attractive to small and medium-sized companies that would previously have bought in gears or had them manufactured externally.
For the process, Horn relies on its S276 and S279 double-edged indexable inserts, which are screwed on tangentially. This makes it possible to achieve a stable insert seat, which is particularly important during form milling. The tool does not have to be remeasured after the inserts have been turned around or changed because the inserts are precision-ground on the circumference.
The milling body can be equipped to allow for different numbers of teeth and outer diameters when cutting gears. The process of developing the complete system (cycle, tool and clamping) called for a great deal of expertise on the part of both the machine manufacturer and the tool manufacturer. To implement the process, various types of INDEX machine with a “bevel gear hobbing” cycle are required. Horn offers the milling cutter bodies with the HSK-T40 and HSK-T63 interfaces. The profiles of the inserts are module-dependent and precision-ground.
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Where 3D Printing Makes Sense
Here’s a look at how Paul Horn GmbH got its start in additive manufacturing.
Even complicated shapes can be produced relatively easily with 3D printing.
Paul Horn GmbH launched its additive manufacturing project in spring of 2018, which led to the creation of a dedicated “selective laser melting” production area. Now, the tool manufacturer uses additive manufacturing to produce its own tools—particularly prototypes, special tools and tool holders—and to optimise coolant attachments. Having recognised the advanced possibilities offered by additive manufacturing, Horn is making these available to its customers and partners as well.
“We were captivated by additive manufacturing right from the start, and so we kept a very close eye on advances in the area of 3D metal printing. As soon as the technology had matured to the point where we could use it to manufacture precision tools, we bought our very first system,” Matthias Rommel, Managing Director of Horn, explains. “Originally, we purchased the machine for the R&D area so that we could make special tools and prototypes. During the initial period, we found that we were constantly having discussions with our customers about 3D printing. To begin with, these were purely technical; but as time went by, they led to more and more concrete enquiries for 3D-printed components. Due to the strong interest from customers, we eventually came up with the idea of setting up an additional contract manufacturing business unit for additively manufactured components. In terms of technology, we opted for a DMG Mori LASERTEC 30 (2nd generation).”
It makes sense to use additive manufacturing if it generates a technological advantage. However, in many cases, there is no economic benefit to using additive manufacturing for a component that used to be produced by conventional methods. One example would be a turned part that can be produced relatively quickly on a Swiss-type lathe. Not only that, but additive manufacturing would also be too expensive in terms of post-processing. Other disadvantages compared to conventional production include relatively poor surface quality (Rz 30 µm), accuracies down to only ±0.1 mm, and the high cost of powder compared to bar.
Greater Design Freedom
As the complexity of a component begins to rise, additive manufacturing becomes more relevant. This may be driven by the need for lightweight design, special cooling channel layouts and small batches of components with highly complex geometry. Consequently, the disadvantages have to be weighed against the benefits of greater design freedom, lightweight construction, quick adaptability and speedier production for more complex parts. In the future, it therefore makes sense for this option to be included in the preliminary considerations as part of each design process.
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