The Fakuma 2014 went exceptionally well for Arburg. The Lossburg-based machine manufacturer was the only exhibitor to present the entire spectrum from additive manufacturing to injection moulding. The main focus was on the next step in the production efficiency strategy: the cost-effective production of plastic parts – from one-off parts, multiple-variant small and medium batches, through to mass-produced items. “The trade fair in Friedrichshafen has traditionally been an excellent (…)

Swiss company TS Décolletage SA has its headquarters in Bedano in the canton of Ticino and specialises in special turned parts (TS = Torniture Speciali). It is an SME that has carved itself out a reputation for excellence. Making the absolutely impossible possible is the motto by which the two company owners, Cifà and Pedretti, run their business. And the only way this is possible is in partnership with companies who really deliver, such as Tornos and Motorex. Once again, the kind of (…)

Hitherto, Tornos Delta and Gamma machines were fed by Tornos SBF 320 feeders. Capable of covering a diameter range from 3 to 20 mm, these feeders gave customers using these machines a quality loader offering an excellent price-performance ratio. Since the release of the new Swiss ST 26 and Swiss GT 26 machines, SBF 320 feeders could no longer cover the range of diameters required by these new products, with a bar capacity of 25.4 mm. This is what gave rise to the Robobar SBF 326e feeder, (…)

In the first half of 2014, the German machine tool industry maintained its production output at the previous year’s high level of around 6.5 bn euros. “Thanks to healthy domestic demand, the sector has put up a valiant performance”, reports Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association), speaking at the AMB in Stuttgart on 16 September 2014. At the same time, he admits that the association’s forecast for production output, with a plus of 3 (…)

Vacu-Vise is a clamping method using vacuum as an alternative to conventional vises operated pneumatically, hydraulically or mechanically. This clamping system consists of a specially designed vacuum chuck and two clamping jaws, which are mounted on a rigid, but resiliently deformable support plate. When vacuum is switched on, the support plate is drawn into a trough and deformed in such a way that the clamping jaws tip towards each other and thereby clamp the work piece securely with (…)

Haas Automation is celebrating building and supplying its 150,000th CNC machine tool: a DS-30SSY dual-spindle turning centre with Y-axis. At a special handing-over ceremony to mark the occasion, Haas Automation Europe’smanaging director Alain Reynvoet attended the Manufacturing and Automation Expo 2014, Stockholm, to meet the owners of Swedish company Claesson Engineering – a general, precision engineering business founded by three brothers – and to present them with a commemorative plate (…)

The project DESIGN-MTS – Defining Social responsibility Interventions for a Grounded Networking in Machine Tools Sector was launched in July 2013 and has brought together partners from industry, academia and the research world to develop a multi-stakeholder platform in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. The project has enabled partners to enhance communication on relevant practices in the sector, to encourage the exchange of best practices and to promote (…)

The watch industry is profiting to an increasing extent from the trend towards status symbols. Through increasing demand, the necessity for manufacturing faster is also increasing without having to compromise on the quality. These requirements for more efficient and faster machining possibilities require clamping solutions that are perfectly matched to the watch industry. With the new plate chuck of the "micro technology" series, Röhm makes it possible for the first time to machine both (…)

Micron-scale resolution – with today’s laser technology, resists for microcomponents can be produced cheaply and quickly. With a new compact laser system, individual trays are exposed directly. LPKF, in cooperation with the Slovenian company Aresis and the University of Ljubljana, is developing new low-cost, fast processes for structuring of microcomponents. Maskless UV laser direct imaging (LDI) of photosensitive polymers (photoresists) offers numerous advantages over classic mask (…)

Proto Labs, Inc., a leading online and technology-enabled quick-turn manufacturer, has announced the launch of its additive manufacturing service through the acquisition of privately held FineLine Prototyping, Inc. a leading provider of additive manufacturing services. The addition of additive manufacturing expands Proto Labs services to address a wider spectrum of need for the product developer. From concept models, to form and fit testing, to functional testing and short-run production, (…)