Jan./Feb.2019EUROPEAN

TOOL&MOULD

MAKIN

GVolum

eXXI

issue1

COVER STORY

Work in progressPage 16

EXTRA

Makerbot'snew Method

Interview withCEO Nadav Goshen

Page 46

THE MAGAZINE

www.etmm-online.comVolume XXI | Jan/Feb 2019

ISSN 2194-7589€ 12.50

1

Product FocusAdditive manufacturinginnovations

Page 24

Case StudyPolyhitech's use of VeroSoftware

Page 36

Moulding Expo 2019Interview with MEXorganiser Florian Schmitz

Page 48

EUROPE A N TO OL & MOULD M A KING

document6227571645470395862.indd 1 22.01.2019 12:52:13

Progressive’s CVe Monitors are installed on moulds worldwide.

Combined with CVe Live, this mould monitoring platform continues

to advance to enable real-time visibility of critical tool productivity:

• Text alerts when a mould stops performing as expected

• Reject and downtime tracking for calculating OEE

• Work order and press optimisation tracking

• Status viewable from any mobile device or PC

CVe Live displays data in an easy to understand format that

allows users to identify mould issues today, that could impact

the supply chain tomorrow. Contact us at (44)-0-203-399-0999

to discuss real visibility of your moulds.

monitor moulds in real-time

it’s timeto get real.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THECVe MONITORING SYSTEM AT

PROCOMPS.COM/CVe

ETMM-JANFEB-2019-2.indd 1 1/23/2019 11:59:06 AM

1-2019

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

3

2019 –A fresh start

This first issue ofETMM 2019 notonly marks the

beginning of a newyear, it is also myfirst issue to be pub-lished. My predecessorRosemarie Stahl hassadly left ETMM inDecember as sheannounced in her lastnewsletter. My name isSteffen Donath and I am thenew editor at ETMM. I aim tocontinue the trend of informa-tive and innovative contentRosemarie had reinforced.

This first issue you are holding right now is special to me,as it is my first printed publication. It is a great feeling tofinally physically hold all the time and work poured into aproject. I hope you enjoy reading it. The topics in this issueoffer a good overview to get you started for the new year. Asection is devoted to Formnext 2018 which includesnumerous innovations presented there. And both Fakumaand Euroblech 2018 are featured as well. All of which areexpos I have not been to yet, but look forward to visitingin the future.

Our main cover story is about additive manufacturing(AM), an area I personally find extremely enthralling – thearticle (p. 16) deals with the problems and obstacles ofintegrating this new form of manufacturing into an existingproduction line. Even though AM seems to be a trend andtalked about a lot in the industry, it is surprisingly absentfrom many production halls. The reasons for this and thesolutions certain companies have come up with is the keyfocus of the article. The synergy between entirely differentareas is fascinating and I hope it makes for an interestingread.

With the start of the new year, I look forward to workingwith all the different members of the industry, to visitingall the industry-related expos and, of course, to providingyou with informative articles. Now I will leave you toreading our first issue of 2019 and hope you will stay withETMM and with me. I am already working on the nextissue to bring you more insight, news and stories from theindustry.

Steffen DonathEditorsteffen.donath@vogel.de

1104

2

is a brand of

www.etmm-onl ine .com

The ETMM newsletter –weekly and with the latestnews for tool and mouldmanufacturers

www.etmm-onl ine .com

Subscribe now for your freeETMM newsletter:

www.etmm-online.com/newsletter

1104

2

Inside your Industry

document8799621530868776914.indd 3 22.01.2019 12:53:33

4 1-2019

NEWS

BY THE NUMBERS

6 Industry trends, facts and figures

INDUSTRY

8 Record-breaking year for Italy9 Shortage of workers in the U.K.

10 First Fastener Fair in France11 Self-driving mobility attraction

MARKETS

12 Packaging largest driver in Frenchand Italien injection mouldingsectors

14 India: Further opportunities forgrowth in mechanical engineering

15 Companies complain despitegood prospects in Korea

INTERVIEWS

46 Q&A with Makerbot CEO NadavGoshen

48 Florian Schmitz talks to ETMMabout Moulding Expo 2019

SHOW REVIEWS

FAKUMA 2018

20 Plastics processing in digitalisa-tion mode

EUROBLECH

21 The 25th exhibition was anotherhuge success

FORMNEXT 2018

22 Show report: Trade show withstrong international appeal

24 Latest innovations presented

TECH FOCUS

R&D

32 AutoAdd: Additive manufacturingfor the automotive industry

CAD/CAM

34 Simulation secures and expandssheet metal forming

CASE STUDIES

CAD/CAM

36 Support from different angles:Polyhitech’s use of Vero Software

The effects of the right CAD software mustnever be underestimated.

COVER STORYWork in progress P. 16

As 3D printers become larger,faster, and more accurate,their manufacturers facethe next challenge: How dowe bring additive manufac-turing into an industrialmanufacturing chain?

TIP

AM is potentially oneof the biggest opportunitiesfor the industry. Stayingup to date on all thedevelopments is crucial.Steffen DonathEditor

Sou

rce:

Veroso

ft

document6606156654611808853.indd 4 25.01.2019 08:49:34

51-2019

CUTTING TOOLS

38 Increase in productivity44 Roughing record in terms

of cutting volume

MACHINING EQUIPMENT

40 Up to 99% good parts, thanks toautomated production

42 Maximum precision: Unmannedand 24/7 – Kern Micro machines

REGULARS

3 Editor’s Message

49 Zoomed in

51 Company Index / Masthead

TOP ONLINE

RankingJanuary's most-clicked articles on etmm-online.com

1. Markets: Transatlantic association forself-driving mobility attraction

2. CAD/CAM: CAD, CAM and the virtualtwin

3. News: Working as a single entity tostrengthen product offering

4. CAD/CAM: Basketball basket milledwith 5-axis technology

5. AM: Three components and hard/softcombinations

Subscribe to our newsletterW etmm-online.com/newsletter

FacebookW facebook.com/ETMMMagazine

EventsW etmm-online.com/events

Suppliers databaseW etmm-online.com/suppliers

Photo galleriesW etmm-online.com/galleries

Industry newsW etmm-online.com

ETMM MediaW media.vogel.de/etmm

Trumpf has installed a scan field monitoringand levelling system for its Truprint 5000.They have thus created the prerequisitesfor comprehensive reproducibility.

Sou

rce:

Martin

Stollberg/Trum

pf

since 1963

Türk+Hillinger GmbH78532 Tuttlingen, Germany

Tel. +49 74 61 70 14 0Fax +49 74 61 70 14 110

info@tuerk-hillinger.de

www.tuerk-hillinger.de

FLEX - Flexible tubular heaters

HLP - Cartridge heaters

RHK - Tubular heaters

RP - Tubular cartridge heaters

HP/HPQ - Nozzle heaters

TE - Temperature sensors

ALW - Power resistors

Technical support and otherproducts on request

NEW!

MADE INGERMANY

document6606156654611808853.indd 5 25.01.2019 08:49:38

NEWS BY THE NUMBERS

6 1-2019

TICKER

Unesco has launched the 2019 International YEAR OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES, themed “Indigenous languages matter for

sustainable development, peace building and reconciliation”. Its aim is to provide a global forum for a constructive debate to address

new paradigms for safeguarding, promoting and providing access to knowledge and information of their users. +++ The number of

POLICE OFFICERS (PO) in the EU has a DOWN TREND. It had 1.6 million PO in 2016, minus 3.4% since 2009. EU's average in

2016 were 318 PO per 100,000 people. Hungary (90), Finland (137), Denmark (186) and Sweden (203) as lowest, and Cyprus (573),

Malta (505), Greece (492) and Croatia (490) the highest. (Eurostat) +++ A SUPERMOON is a full new moon when it is closest to Earth

in its orbit. It appears enlarged and looks 15-30% brighter. Supermoons will occur in 2019 on 21 January, 19 February and 21 March.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

TRENDS

Machine tool global production

Machine tool manufacturers

NUMBER GAMES NUMBER OF THE MONTH

But what remains isthe fact that we are beingheard beyond the bordersof Germany and Europe[...].Florian SchmitzOrganiser of MEX 2019

–0.1%The euro area (EA19)seasonally-adjustedunemployment rate was7.9% in November 2018,down from 8.0% inOctober 2018 and from8.7% in November 2017.This is the lowest raterecorded since October2008. (Source: Eurostat)

+0.3%Economic activity in theeuro area is slowingdown. For both Q4 of2018 and the first twoquarters of 2019, theeconomy is expected togrow 0.3%. Domesticdemand is expected tobe the main driver in theslowdown. (Source: Ifo)

235%Middle and low econo-mies borrowing wasUSD 607 billion in 2017,up from USD 181 billionin 2016. Total debtowed to external officialand private creditors bythese economies rose10% in 2017 to $7.1trillion. (Source: WorldBank)

Largest number of international tourist arrivals in 2017 in Europe (in millions):

France...........................................................................................................86.92Spain..............................................................................................................81.79Italy ...............................................................................................................58.25UK..................................................................................................................37.65Germany ........................................................................................................37.45Austria...........................................................................................................29.46Greece ...........................................................................................................27.19Russian Federation ......................................................................................24.39

(Source: UNTWO, Statista)

2019 marks the 20th anniversary of the €. On1.1.1999, 11 EU countries fixed their exchangerates, adopted a shared monetary policy underthe ECB and launched the common currency,the €. Initially an electronic currency used byfinancial markets, € banknotes and coins en-tered circulation in 2002. Today, the € is thecurrency of 19 EU countries. (Source: ECB)

millionEuropeans340

Graph shows the global production value of machinetools from 2011 to 2017. In 2017, world production ofmachine tools amounted to some USD 81 billion.

(Source: VDW/ Statista)

World's largest manufacturers of machine tools in2014 (or latest available): Includes Germany’s Trumpf;China’s Shenyang and DMTG (Dalian Machine-ToolGroup); Japan's Amada, Komatsu and Mori Seiki.

(Source: Metalworking Insiders Report/ Statista)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

100

80

60

40

20

0

Sou

rce:Mak

erbo

t

Productionvalueinbillion

U.S.dollars

Trumpf (Germany)

Shenyang Group (China)

Amada (Japan)

DMTG (China)

Komatsu (Japan)

DMG Mori Seiki Co. Ltd. (Japan)

DMG Mori Seiki AG (Germany)

Schuler (Germany)

2 930.3

2 782.7

2 552.4

2 380.6

2 224.6

1 606.7

1 604.1

1 555.5

RevenueinmillionU.S.dollars

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

document7309518089907471618.indd 6 24.01.2019 10:13:31

Start your subscription todayThe Magazine for Europe’s tool & mould making industry

www.etmm-online/magazine

www.etmm-onl ine .com

is a brand of

0000

0

EXTRA

Xxxxxx xxxxxx Xxxxxxx

Xxxxxx xxxx Xxxxxxx xxxx

Xxxxxx xxxx

Seite 00

THE MAGAZINE

MarketsWhy component specialist

Knarr

opened a warehouse in Portugal

Page 12

Case StudyControlling the melt flow

for demanding car parts

Page 40

EURO PE A N TO OL & MOULD M A KIN G

PRODUCT FOCUS

Components forprecise mouldsPage 26

Xxxxxx xxxx Xxxxxxx xxxx xx

EXTRA

EDM EuropeSupplementSee what's new in EDM

technology

Page 45

www.etmm-online.com

Volume XX | June 2018

ISSN 2194-7589€ 12.00

6

IN GOOD SHAPE

How injection moulding

tools stay in good shape:

Tool maintenance and care

Page 16

THE MAGAZINEZINEEURO PE A N TO OL & MOULD M A KIN G

EXTRA

EDM EuropeSupplementSee what's new in EDM

technology

Page 45

ope

www.etmm-online.com

Volume XX | June 2018

ISSN 2194-7589

EDM EuropeSupplementSee what's new in EDM

www.etmm-online.com

Volume XX | June 2018

ISSN 2194-7589

Inside your Industry

pan-european up-to-date market

insidertechnologyinsights

NEWS

8 1-2019

Record-breaking year for ItalyItaly – 2018 was a record-breaking yearfor the Italian industry manufacturingmachine tools, robots and automationsystems, registered double-digit increasesfor all economic indicators.Production in 2018 grew to €6,900mil-

lion, noting a 13.4% upturn comparedwiththe year before. This marks the fifth con-secutive year of growth,which is a new record forthe sector in the Italianindustry, Ucimu reports.This record is based onboth the good perfor-mance of deliveries byItalian manufacturers inthe domestic market,which increased by 21.1%to €3,270million, and thepositive trend of exports,which increased by 7.2%to €3,630 million.Massimo Carboniero,

President of Ucimu-Sis-temi per Produrre, theItalian Machine Tools,Robots and AutomationManufacturers' Associa-tion, said: “We are satisfied with the out-come of 2018. For 2019, we are confidentabout maintaining the results of 2018.”Based on the Istat data processing by

Ucimu, in the first eight months of 2018(latest available survey), the main desti-nation countries for Made in Italy productsof the sector were the following: Germany,€ 246million (+11.6%); China, € 237million(+7.1%); United States, € 223 million

(+9.5%); Poland, € 143million (+49.8%) andFrance, € 135 million (-4.6%).Thanks to these increases, Italy has

strengthened its role internationally. Itstood out for its competence in the indus-tries of these sectors – based on produc-tion and export data – and also for thedynamism of its demand, supported and

stimulated by the incen-tive provisions for com-petitiveness, such as su-per and hyper-deprecia-tion, which are includedin the Industry/Enter-prise 4.0 programmes.In particular, machine

tool, robot and automa-tion consumption in Ita-ly grew by 25.9% to €5,620million in 2018. Ital-ian users’ propensity toinvest in new technologyand also in digital prod-ucts pushed Italianman-ufacturers to focus on thedomesticmarket, shownby the reduction of theexport/production ratio

– from 55.6% in 2017 to 52.6% in 2018.Experiencing a favourable general at-

mosphere in 2019, the Italian industry ofthe sector is expected to confirm its 2018performances with a positive trend fordeliveries in foreign markets, which isexpected to increase. A slowdownwill beseen in the domestic market, whosegrowth trend has lost its momentum.ucimu.it

Sou

rce:

©na

tana

elginting-stoc

k.ad

obe.co

m

Machine tool, robot and automationconsumption in Italy grew by 25.9%to € 5,620 million in 2018.

“We are satis-fied with 2018and are confi-dent aboutmaintainingthese results in2019.”Massimo Carboniero, PresidentUcimu-Sistemi per Produrre

NEWS IN BRIEF

Portuguese atInterplastica 2019

The Portuguese cluster of Engineer-ing and Tooling attended the Inter-plástica 2019, (29 January - 1 Febru-ary) in Moscow under the umbrella ofthe Portuguese collective brand,“Engineering & Tooling from Portu-gal”. The purpose of the participationis to meet business partners, seeknew customers and promote thePortuguese industry of moulds, spe-cial tools and plastics.toolingportugal.com

Commercial directorKerstin Seilerwas appointedcommercialdirector atBekumMaschinenfab-riken andGroup Control-ler for the Bekum Group in November2018. Seiler will be responsible forthe areas of finance, human resourc-es, administration and IT.bekum.de

New team at Paul HornMatthias Rom-mel took up hisnew post atPaul Horn asTechnical Man-aging Directoron 1 November2018. Togeth-er with Lothar and Markus Horn,Rommel forms the new managementof the precision tool manufacturerfrom Tübingen. In his new function,he will be responsible for productionand technology. Rommel was previ-ously responsible for several busi-ness areas of well-known companies,including those in the precision toolindustry, in the role of managingdirector.phorn.de

Sou

rce:

Poo

lnet

Sou

rce:

Horn

Sou

rce:

Bek

um

document4614541899249785951.indd 8 25.01.2019 08:50:23

1-2019 9

NEWS

• Polishing/Filing Machines - Mark II• Ultrasonic Polishing Equipment• Rotary Handpieces• Diamond & CBN Tools• Diamond Compounds• Polishing Stones• Lapping & Honing Tools• Jewellery Tools

DIAMANTPRODUKTER ABSince 1950

www.diprofil.com

MACHIN

ES & TOOLS FOR

MOULD MAK

ERS& TOO

L MAKERS

New vice president to keep Creaform agile

Canada – Creaform has appointed DanielRivard as Vice President of Operations.Based at the Quebec HQ, he will overseethemanaging and coordinating of all man-ufacturing operations for the Innovation& Technology Division.With 20 years in themedical and phar-

maceutical solutions industry, the newVPbrings managerial and operational expe-rience to his new role, having filled previ-ous roles as general manager, Steris, VP,Operations and Development, TSO3 andOrthofab, and technical servicesmanagerat Glaxo Smith Kline Biologicals. He wasalso active in the construction and recre-ational vehicle industries. Here, he willfocus on shortening delivery times andkeeping the company agile in response to

evolving client needs, while maintainingquality and reliability standards. Rivardholds a BA inmechanical engineering andan MA in business administration.creaform3d.com

Sou

rce:

Creaform

Rivard is excited to work in a firm that drivesthe development of advanced technology.

Cumsa's helm with new leaders

Spain – Cumsa, a Barcelona-based com-pany dedicated to the design, manufac-turing and distribution of standard solu-tions for themould-making andmouldingindustries has appointed a new general

manager, Francesc de Haro, effective No-vember 2018. De Haro, who joined theCumsa team to lead the company, has alot of experience in the automotive indus-try and several other industrial business-es.With his portfolio, Cumsa says the newgeneral manager will put together thecompany’s business development andstrategy with quality, marketing, opera-tions, production and its supply chain.In addition to this appointment, Laura

Navarraa, who vacated her seat to makeway for de Haro, will take over as CEO ofthe Cumsa Group. After a predictablysmooth transition, Navarra will be incharge of the growth of the group and themanagement of all Cumsa branches.cumsa.com

Sou

rce:

Cum

sa

The new CEO Laura Navarra (L) and GeneralManager Francesc de Haro.

Epicor comments on UK worker shortage

UK – Following the recent news that Brit-ain’s manufacturers are facing the biggestshortage of skilled workers since 1989amid record levels of UK employment andfalling numbers of EU27 nationals comingto the country to work since the Brexitvote, Mark Hughes, Regional Vice Presi-dent UK and Ireland at Epicor, commentson the situation: “Today’s news that UKmanufacturing is facing its biggest work-er shortage in 30 years serves as a starkreminder of the challengesmanufacturersare facing as a result of Brexit. The currentskills shortage simply cannot be ignored– tougher immigration rules and a dropin the pound has meant that working inthe UK will become less attractive andaccessible to foreign nationals.” Hughes

added thatmanufacturers are now recruit-ing from a reduced talent pool and needto concentrate on attracting new genera-tions of talent.epicor.com

Sou

rce:

Epico

r

Mark Hughes: “UK manufacturing is facing itsbiggest worker shortage in 30 years.”

is a brand of

Connect now!

facebook.com/ETMMmagazine

www.etmm-onl ine .com

1120

5

Like us onfacebook!

document3764824491622464895.indd 9 23.01.2019 15:36:15

NEWS

10 1-2019

Arburg to showcase multi-component injection moulding

Russia – Arburg will be pre-senting a complex applicationformulti-component injectionmoulding at Interplastica 2019in Moscow (Russia) from 29January to 1 February. A hy-draulic two-component All-rounder 570 Swill produce icescrapers from ABS and TPE.“After the Russianmarket con-tinually recovered last year,2018will be a good year for us.There is high demand for ap-plications in the packagingand medical sectors,” saidStephan Doehler, Arburg's Eu-ropean Sales Director. “At In-terplastica 2019, wewill show-case the economical high-vol-ume production ofhigh-quality, multi-compo-nent components using icescrapers as an example.”An Allrounder 570 S with a

clamping force of 2,200 kN andtwo size-400 and size-170 in-

jection units will produce the80-gram parts. First, the ma-chine produces the pre-mould-ed part from ABS using thehorizontally arranged size-400injection unit. The 1+1-cavitymould supplied by Polarformis then rotated by 180 degreesvia a servo-electric indexingunit and, in this position, theTPE component ismoulded onvia the vertical size-170 injec-tion unit. In this manner, aready-to-use finished partwith a flexible lip is producedin a cycle time of around 40seconds.In addition to hydraulic, hy-

brid and electric injectionmouldingmachines, the port-folio also includes robotic sys-tems, complete turnkey sys-tems and the Freeformer forindustrial additive manufac-turing.arburg.com

Sou

rce:

Arburg

The hydraulictwo-componentAllrounder 570 Swill be show-cased at Inter-plastica 2019.

Working as a single entitystrengthens product offering

Sweden/UK – Hexagon’sManufacturing Intelligencedivision announced in earlyJanuary 2019 the formation ofits Production Software busi-ness, comprising Vero Soft-ware, Fasys and Spring Tech-nologies. The metrology andmanufacturing solution spe-cialist belonging to Hexagon,a global leader in digital solu-tions, says this move of thethree acquisitions will adoptHexagon’s corporate identityto reflect the company'sbroadening expertise in pro-duction technology.Hexagon acquired CAD CAM

software company, Vero Soft-ware, in 2014, while continu-ing to expand and diversifythe company's offering. Its2017 acquisition of Fasysbrought tooling and resourcemanagement software andshop-floor automation andintegration expertise into thecompany's portfolio.With theacquisition of Spring Technol-ogies last year, Hexagon in-cludes CNC simulation tech-nology for G-code verificationandworkflow optimisation toits offer range.The components of this rich

portfolio of technology bringstogether the expertise to de-velop solutions for reverseengineering and on-machinemeasurement, Hexagon says.CEO of the Production Soft-

ware business, Steve Sivitter,explained: “Over the last five

years, our available technologyand solutions have evolvedconsiderably from the CADCAMheritage of Vero.” Sivitteradded that the company in-creasingly focused on devel-oping product synergies thatwould help customers im-prove quality and productivi-ty.He noted that the technolo-

gy experts from Vero, Fasysand Springwere alreadywork-ing very closely together forsome time, so operating to-gether as a single entity was anatural step for the company.As such, all are excited at theprospect of creating innova-tive the creation of innovativemanufacturing intelligencesolutions in the productionsoftware space.Norbert Hanke, President of

Hexagon’s Manufacturing In-telligence division, added:“The formation of the Produc-tion Software business com-plements our design and en-gineering andmetrology busi-nesses, enabling us to buildunique solutions for our cus-tomers in manufacturing.”Hanke also said that as the

company develops this ap-proach further, its experienceof leveraging data from allphases of the manufacturingprocess will help create theAutonomous Connected Eco-systems (ACE), which helpsmart factories.Hexagonmi.com

Steve Sivitter said: “We’re increasingly focused on developing productsynergies that will help customers improve quality and productivity.”

Sou

rce:

Hexag

onMan

ufac

turin

gIntellig

ence

_201

8

French show a success

France – The first edition ofFastener Fair France, the exhi-bition for fastener and fixingtechnologies held in Novem-ber 2018, attracted some 1,500visitors. Organisers MackBrooks said these comprisedmanagers, department heads,buyers and engineers, largelyfrom the automotive, distribu-tion, aerospace, mechanicalengineering, hardware, agri-cultural machinery, mainte-nance and repair sectors.Among the attendees wererepresentatives from Airbus,Renault, Restagraf, LigierGroup, Dassault, Ariane Group,

Würth, Fischer, Bufab, Agrati,Arconic, Fontana, RobertBosch, Sika France, BritishSteel, RATP, Henkel France,VoestAlpine and Voith Turbo.In all, 46 countries were rep-

resented, with 36% of visitorsfrom outside France. The 161exhibitors came from 15 coun-tries, 53% of them from outsideFrance, highlighting the inter-national nature of this event,including Italy, Germany,Spain, Turkey, Belgium, theNetherlands, the UK and Por-tugal. A second edition is duein 2020.fastenerfairfrance.com

document1674031883260976431.indd 10 25.01.2019 08:50:46

1-2019 11

NEWS

New ideas.New opportunities.New markets.There are people who need you.So that ideas don‘t remain ideas but becomeproducts. With your expertise. Present yourself atFormnext – the international exhibition and con-ference on additive manufacturing and the nextgeneration of intelligent production solutions.

Where ideas take shape.

International exhibition and conferenceon the next generation ofmanufacturing technologiesFrankfurt, Germany,19 – 22 November 2019formnext.com

Official event hashtag#formnext

President’s note to ParliamentUK – At the Annual General Meeting oftheManufacturing Technologies Associa-tion in December 2018, members inaugu-rated their new president, Marcus Burton,and had a meeting in Parliament withBusinessMinister Richard HarringtonMPand his Shadow Chi Onwurah MP.Burton, who is a director at Yamazaki

Mazak, brings a wealth of experience inthemanufacturing technologies sector. Healso recently served on theMade SmarterReview. Burtonwill serve a two-year termasMTApresident and thanked the outgo-ing President Geoff Bryant. Burton alsosaid he was looking forward to use hispresidency to make a difference to theindustry in which he has enjoyed a re-warding career. “Issues such as Brexit andIndustrial Digitalisationwill have amajoreffect on our industry and I want tomakesure that our voice is heard,” Burton add-ed at the AGM.After the AGM, leading academics in

their fields gave talks. Professor SamTurn-er, CTO of the High Value ManufacturingCatapult, talked about the Made Smarterprogramme, which aims to turn the NorthWest of England on to industrial digitali-sation. Then Professor Anand Menon, di-rector of the centre for the UK in a Chang-

ing Europe at Kings College London,shared his thoughts on the latest devel-opments in Brexit.MTA members went later in the after-

noon to Parliament tomeetMPs andMin-isters while the Brexit debate got under-way in the House of Commons. Speakingat the meeting, Burton made it clear thatthemanufacturing industry regards a ‘NoDeal’ outcome to Brexit as damaging andthat the government should do everythingpossible to avoid it. The MTA is the voiceof the UK's manufacturing technologiessector.mta.org.uk

Sou

rce:

©KarlaGow

lett

MTA President Marcus Burton will serve atwo-year term.

Self-driving mobility attractionUK/US – Coventry technology specialistAurrigo and automated mobility expertComet Mobility in the U.S. have teamedup with two global giants to showcasehow self-driving pods can be used to de-liver smart, on-demand, automated andzero-carbon “last-milemobility” solutions.Aurrigo has been working with Comet

Mobility andVia to equip three “Pod Zeros”with the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI)technology from a leading multinationaltechnology specialist.The Comet Mobility Experience, which

is being part-funded by the UK’s Depart-ment for International Trade, Meridian

and theAdvanced Propulsion Centre, wasrecently unveiled at the International Con-sumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Ve-gas. It allowed delegates to experience asix to eight-minute ride in an autonomouspod.Riders were asked to select a location(from three) they wanted to go to first,allowing Pod Zero to make a real-time,voice-activated decision on where to go,leveraging on-demand, ride-sharing tech-nology developed by Via.During the journey, riders could ask

questions aboutweather, destinations, thepartners behind the project and discussgeneral knowledge or even ask the pod totell a joke, all using a specially crafted AIplatform.“This is the first time our autonomous

pods have been equipped with the latestAI technology, which has been designedto learn more with less data,” explainedMiles Garner, Sales andMarketing Directorfor Aurrigo, the autonomous vehicle divi-sion of the RDM Group. He went to saythat this technology is ideal for tourists,corporate users, shopping centres promot-ing the latest offers and even universitycampuses that are notoriously difficult tonavigate.aurrigo.com

Sou

rce:

Aurrig

o

Delegates at CES 2019 asked the self-drivingpods about the weather and to tell jokes.

document2197867168069033268.indd 11 25.01.2019 08:51:04

MARKETS

12 1-2019

Packaging largest driver in the Frenchand Italian injection moulding sectors

While the image of packaging is currently divided, the fact remains that itis still a large part of the injection moulding industry. As a matter of fact,it makes up the largest portion in both the French and Italian industry.

Packaging comes in a wide variety of shapes. It’s importanceto the injection moulding sector is therefore no surprise.

Sou

rce:

©pe

shko

va-stoc

k.ad

obe.co

m

AMI conducted extensive research in Italy andFrance to determinewhich areas are strongestin the moulding sector. Surprisingly, the two

countries show a very similar spread of endmarketsfor the industry, except for one area. The high focuson packaging is not truly surprising.AMI’s database research on 2,000 injection

moulding sites in these countries has shown thatpackaging is the largest end use market suppliedby injection moulders, accounting for 47% of pol-ymer usage in Italy and 51% in France in 2017. Thefindings show that 304 Italian and 239 French com-panies are involved in packaging production withFrench and Italian PET preform manufacturers,which supply the large mineral water industry.This includes companiesmanufacturing in house,

such as S.A. Des EauxMinérales D'évian in France,and trade suppliers of preforms such as PlastipakPackaging, which operates in both France and Ita-ly.Italy’s second largest end use sector is the man-

ufacture of injection-moulded furniture, withmoulders IPAE Progarden and Scab being among

some of those listed in the database. In France, theautomotive sector is the second largest end usemarket, accounting for 15% of all injection-mould-ed end use products compared to only 6% in Italy.This trend in the two countries is almost surprising,with the automotive sector in France accountingfor twice as much as opposed to Italy.Furniture, which is the second largest sector in

Italy, is almost non-existent in France. It is rough-ly akin to the size of moulding use in connectionwith buildings and slightly smaller than its use indomestic appliances.As awhole, the different areas represented in this

study are individually stronger in Italy, with nonefalling below 4%, whereas almost a quarter of theentire sector is made up of these minor areas (e.g.,furniture, building, electrical etc.) in France. Theuses of injection moulding appear far more variedin Italy as opposed to France.Polypropylene and PET account for 55% of all

polymer usage in Italy thanks to their use in pack-aging. Polypropylene is also themainmaterial pro-cessed by automotive and furnituremoulders, with

document6599066824448657974.indd 12 23.01.2019 13:32:17

MARKETS

131-2019

some of the larger consumers being Accuma S.p.A.and Sigit Sud S.p.A.

Automotive and packaging amongthe strongest

Similarly, in France, 62% of all polymer usage ispolypropylene and PET, which again are mainlyused in automotive and packaging sectors. NestléWaters and Schoeller Allibert S.A.S.U. account forsome of the largest volumes used in the injectionmoulding industry in France. AMI’s databases ofInjectionMoulders in France and Italy provide sup-pliers, distributors and buyers with detailed, qual-ified data on injectionmoulders, with a vast amountof information on the activities of these companies.The injectionmoulding databases contain extensivedetails on over 2,000 injectionmoulding operations,providing information on the polymers bought andproductsmanufactured for 884 sites in France and1,128 in Italy. The information was gathered by di-rect contact with each company to ensure the high-est possible level of accuracy. In addition to beinga useful resource on the key players in this complexand fragmented thermoplastic conversion sector,AMI’s databases reveal a wealth of facts about theindustry in each country. sdami.international

The largest end use market for injection moulding is the packaging industry whichaccounted for 47% of polymer usage in 2017

The largest end use market for injection moulding is the packaging industry, whichaccounted for 51% of polymer usage in 2017.

Sou

rce:

AMI

Sou

rce:

AMI

End use markets supplied by injection mouldersin France

End use markets supplied by injection mouldersin Italy

Household 6%

Electrical 5%

DomesticAppliances 3%

Building 2%Furniture 2%

Automotive15%

Packaging51%

Other 16%

Household 8%

Electrical 5%

DomesticAppliances 4%

Building 5%

Furniture 9%

Automotive 6%

Packaging47%

Other 16%

239 of the listed companies areinvolved in injection moulding ofpackaging products

304 of the listed companies areinvolved in injection moulding ofpackaging products

www.etmm-onl ine .com

1096

2

is a brand of

Connect now!

www.etmm-online.com/linkedin

Join us onLinkedin!

due to the bankruptcy of

5 ALU INJECTION MOULDING MACHINES “Bühler”and “Idra” OL 900 PRP, cap. 920 kN, GDS-H-630B DC, cap. 650 kNGDS-H-630B, cap. 650 kN, SC D/42, cap. 490 kN, GMD-H-400 Bcap. 420 kN incl. 6-axis pick-n-place robots “ABB”, trimming presses3/4 columns “Reis”, cooling units and heat exchangers “IECI”“Thermobiehl”, “Tool-Temp”, mould spray robots “Acheson”;

HEATED DOSING OVENS “Westofen”; ALU MELTING ANDHEATING OVEN “Striko” WMHR-T-1500/750;

CNC LATHE “Tornos-Schaublin”, CNC vert. machining center“Mikron” VCP 710, surface grinder “Okomato”, die sinking EDM“Agie”, CNC machining centers “Chiron”, 3D coördinate measuringmachines “Mitutoyo” Crysta-Apex C544 (2008), Euro C-A9166 andEuro C-7106, X-ray inspection system “Yxlon” Mu 1200 (2008),(multi) testing machines “Tinius Olsen” and “MecMessin”;

COMPLETE WORKSHOP INVENTORY incl. chamber furnaces“Nabertherm”, 3 melting pots, 2 deburring lines “Walther Trowal” withvibrating unit AV 1000 and “Rösler” R260 EURO, autom. spring partmounting machine “TFT” (2011), 6-axis table top robots “Yaskawa /Motoman” MH-5 (2011-2010), machine tooling, workshop trolleys,shrinking machine “Haimer”;

Viewing: Thursday 7 and Monday 11 March from 10.00 till 16.00 hrsand by appointment – 6598 DK Heijen (The Netherlands)

www.TroostwijkAuctions.com

BRABANT ALUCASTTHE NETHERLANDS

SITE HEIJEN B.V.

CLOSING: Tuesday 12 MARCH

EXCEPTIONAL INTERNATIONAL SALE

document6599066824448657974.indd 13 23.01.2019 13:32:19

MARKETS

14 1-2019

India offers further opportunities forgrowth in mechanical engineering

Growth and no end in sight: Machine exports from Germany to Indiahave risen steadily since 2015 and are approaching the record level of 2011.The VDMA even sees some room for improvement.

India’s industry is astrong buyer ofGerman machines.

Sou

rce:

JSW

SteelLtd.

Stéphane Itasse

According to a statement issued by the VDMA,this positive trendwill continue in 2018. "Thedevelopment is pleasing and we continue to

focus on growth in the Indianmarket," saysVDMAPresident Carl Martin Welcker. The machine andplantmanufacturers in Germany remain convincedof the importance of the Indian market, he adds."In relation to the size of the country, India has byfar not yet reached the position inworld trade thatwould be appropriate for the country.We thereforesupport the efforts of the Indian government tofurther increase the share of industry in the econ-omy and to further improve the framework condi-tions formedium-sized investors," explainsWelck-er. The VDMA proposed several key steps whichneed to be taken.

In order to give business with the subcontinentadditional momentum, however, the VDMA is ofthe opinion that several adjusting screws must beturned. The first point is to reduce the tax burden,facilitate customs procedures and push aheadwitha free trade agreementwith the EU. In recent years,India has reduced import duties and facilitatedprocessingwith the tax reform (Goods and ServiceTax - GST). Nevertheless, overall import duties toIndia remain comparatively high.

India's government must improveconditions for the economy

According to the VDMA, a free trade agreementwould improve the competitiveness of the Germanmechanical engineering industry, especially vis-à-vis Asian competitors, andwould further open theEU markets for Indian industry.TheVDMA's second concern is to improve invest-

ment opportunities in India. Many companieswishing tomake new investments or looking for anew location near their old production facilitiesregularly report difficulties in finding suitable sites.The obstacles lie, for example, in unclear owner-

ship, excessive prices or the lack of availability ofland. Even regulations that only allow a certainpercentage of the acquired land to be used for in-dustrial purposes drive up investment costs.

Improve infrastructure

The VDMA's third proposal is to press ahead with"Make in India". The government wants to expandandmodernise industrial production and improvethe infrastructure. The Indian customers' need formodernisation is high.India cannot meet this demand from local pro-

duction. In this respect, theVDMA is relying on themeasures to take effect and for Indian customerindustries to be in a position to invest.The fourth point is the training situation. Accord-

ing to information from the association, only 5% ofIndian school-leavers currently have access to qual-ified training. As a result, the industry will contin-ue to have to make its own contribution in orderto retain qualified employees. Irrespective of this,the VDMA expects the government to step up itsefforts to improve educational opportunities for all.Numerousmechanical engineers fromGermany

have pushed ahead with their activities in Indiaover the past ten years, as the association reports.Around 550 VDMA member companies alreadyhave branches and plants on the subcontinent.vdma.org

document2250651255107449243.indd 14 25.01.2019 08:51:21

MARKETS

151-2019

Companies complain despite goodprospects in Korea

South Korea's economy is growing at rates of around 3% per year,and European companies consider the country an interesting market.Nevertheless, there are a number of criticisms, as a recent survey bytwelve European Chambers of Commerce has shown.

Despite South Korea’seconomic growth, Euro-pean companies remaindispleased.

Sou

rce:

gemeinfrei

Stéphane Itasse

Economic growth of around 3 % is expected for2018, as estimated by the Korean-GermanChamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK

Korea) in Seoul. However, this year will be the acidtest of whether the country can achieve healthyand sustainable growth, said Alexander Hirschle,Director of Germany Trade & Invest in the EastAsian country, at an event of the Chamber. In recentyears, individual sectors have given the economystrong impulses, including the construction indus-try in 2016 and the semiconductor industry in 2017.In the current year, however, South Korea's econ-

omy does not need such a driving force. Accordingto Hirschle, Korea will enter a phase of normalisa-tion of growth. Nevertheless, he assumes that thesemi-conductor boom will continue, albeit at aslower pace. Reasons for this are the high demandfrom the Internet of Things, autonomous drivingand smart factories.However, the good economic situation in South

Korea is not yet creating a good mood among Eu-ropean companies in the country. According to asurvey conducted by twelve European Chambersof Commerce, the companies - about a third ofwhich are German - have forecast optimistic busi-ness prospects for the Korean market, but at thesame time have called for reforms that create a clearand fair business environment, according to theAHK Korea.According to the survey, the country remains one

of the three largest salesmarkets in Asia. Some 77%of German companies taking part in the surveyhave been on the Koreanmarket for over ten years.

Plans for the future

The investment plans for 2018 also remain positive.For example, 46% of German companies surveyedstated that they wanted to expand their businessin Korea. The annual turnover generated in thecountry (the results for 2016 were asked for)amounted to more than 50 million euros for 54%of German companies surveyed. A share of 3% ofthe companies surveyed had in fact generated salesin excess of 1 billion euros.With a view to the next two years, German com-

panies are predominantly optimistic about thegrowth prospects for their sectors amount to 69%,with very different assessments of the developmentof profitability. The development of labour costs,on the other hand, was perceived as a clear chal-lenge for the next two years with pessimistic as-sessments of 57 %. Companies also do not expect

any significant improvement in labour productiv-ity to compensate for this, as the report says."The survey confirms that Korea is a very impor-

tant and strong economic partner for German com-panies. This is also reflected in the investmentfigures: Germanywas the largest European investorin 2017," comments Barbara Zollmann, ManagingDirector of AHK Korea, on the results. "Unfortunate-ly, as the survey confirms, the business environ-ment for German companies in Korea has deterio-rated in recent years despite these positive figures.We therefore appeal to the newKorean governmentto address the fields of action specified by Germaninvestors in order to create a good business envi-ronment".korea.ahk.de

document4935366222494654888.indd 15 22.01.2019 12:55:12

More and more companies rely on 3D printingIs your company using 3D printing?

Sou

rce:

©po

pov4

8-stoc

k.ad

obe.co

m

INFO

AM: integrationinto productionP. 17-18 The first two stepsDifferent companies withdifferent approaches areworking on this objective.P. 19 Communication is keyThe right software toensure smooth communi-cation and data exchange.

Work in progressAs 3D printers become larger, faster, and more accurate, their manufacturers facethe next challenge: How do we bring additive manufacturing into an industrialmanufacturing chain?

Simone Käfer

According to a Bitkom study conducted in the first half of 2018, one in four Germanindustrial companies uses additive manufacturing. 553 manufacturing companieswith 100 employees or more were surveyed.

Sou

rce:

Bitkom

28%25%

35%

2% 2%

1%

71%74%

63%

YesNoUnsure

Total

100 to499 EMPL

500+EMPL

document2022115920708093412.indd 16 25.01.2019 09:08:03

COVER STORY

171-2019

For several years, machines, processes, manu-facturers and materials for additive manufac-turing (AM) have been shooting out of the

ground. The benefits of this technology arefar-reaching and have become central to severalindustries. The intersection of design, productionand construction is where AM is located. The buildscan be light but also immensely robust, all thanksto ingenious design.But despite the extensive media presence and

coverage, the additive processes are rarely seen andutilised in production halls. Only 28% of Germanindustrial companies own at least one 3D printer,according to one of Bitcom's studies. But this oneprinter produces prototypes at almost every com-pany, at best, spare parts.The reason why so few 3D printers are actually

used in fixed production lines is manifold: Theyare not suitable for use in a production line or forseries production because they are not fast enough,not precise enough, their work cannot be repro-duced and post-processing is too cumbersomebecause they are not automated and therefore notusable in production. In addition, there is a lack ofskilled personnel.Automation should be the least of the problems.

After all, they are not the first machines to be in-stalled in a production line, nor are they the firstwith the need for automation. Nevertheless, theintegration of additivemanufacturing into produc-tion causes difficulties for bothmanufacturers andusers.Consequently, efforts have been made to finally

move the 3D printer from the design office to theproduction hall. In the following, the steps towardsthis and the obstacles along the way will be pre-sented. Several different companies have played arole in this and solved different kinds of problems.

First step: Separation of processesand automation

With the integration of additive manufacturinginto an existing production line, a first step wastaken by separating two processes: Back in 2015,Concept Laser presented the first machines for its“AM Factory of Tomorrow” at Formnext. The inno-vation at that timewas that the company separat-ed preparation and post-processing from the actu-al construction job and thus paved the way forproductionwithout dead times. Thematerial flowwas to be automated and the laser-melting plantintegrated into a classic CNC machine technologyvia the interfaces. This would clear the way forflexiblemachine feeding and spatial separation ofthe set-up and dismantling processes.This not only paved the way towards full in-

tegration, but also towards a smooth productioncycle that would not have a lot of downtime dueto different processes taking up the time of thefollowing stages.Many have followed this example. Most large

machine builders in the AM industry offer modularconcepts to separate preparation and post-process-ing from the actual printing process. Within justthree years, additivemanufacturing hadmoved tothe next level. A first cautious step had been takentowards full integration. But since the integrationof Concept Laser into GE Additives, the AM Facto-

Heralded as “the next bigthing”, 3D printing is yetto make to the productionhalls in a large fashion.

Sou

rce:

©NicoE

lNino-stoc

k.ad

obe.co

m

ry of Tomorrow has been quiet. The Upper Franco-nians had already seen the potential of Industry4.0 for additive production. The idea of GEAdditivesdoesn't seem to be completely buried, a recentlypublished Youtube video sketching the currentideas serves as a hint. But in the meantime, theyhave been overtaken by EOS.

Second step: Automation

After a period of silence, a new idea came to thefore: One and a half years ago, Southern Bavariajoined forces with Daimler and the aviation sup-plier Premium Aerotech to set up fully automatedadditive production with the “Next Gen AM” pro-ject. The pilot plant has been in operation in Varelin northern Germany since September. It consistsof anM 400-4 from EOS, amachinewith four lasersfor 3D metal printing in the SLM process.The M 400-4 is equipped with a powder station

and connected to a stand-alone set-up and unpack-ing station. As Concept Laser had already believed,a new print job can be prepared while the currentone is still running and the previous one is inpost-processing. So while one autonomous trans-port vehicle equips the printer with a fresh build-ing board, another transports the previously ad-ditive components from one station to the nextin a container while shrouded in protective gas.There, a robot takes the building platform and plac-es it in a furnace for post-heat treatment. The samerobot arm then removes the building platformagain and takes it to a 3Dmeasuring station forquality assurance.Finally, the building platform reaches a sawthat separates the parts from the platform.There is only one printer in the pilot plant,but the companies are working towards acentral powdermanagement system thatcan load several printers.This process demonstrates the trend

and effort towards full automation in re-gard to the printing process. The seamless

connection of the different stages was a val-uable step in this development, reducing down-time and ensuring a swift production process.

UPSHOTCommunicationis an often underestimatedfactor in integration.Steffen DonathEditor

document2022115920708093412.indd 17 25.01.2019 09:08:11

18 1-2019

Mirco Schöpf, ProductManager Software atEOS, spoke of the newEOS software, which is toplay a key role in thefuture as a data interfaceto the AM process cell.

Trumpf has installed a scan field monitoring and levelling systemfor its Truprint 5000. They have thus created the prerequisites forcomprehensive reproducibility.

The logistics of the raw materials may sometimes pose unforseenproblems.

Sou

rce:

Tobias

HaseEOS

Sou

rce:

Martin

Stollberg/Trum

pf

Sou

rce:

©indu

strie

blick-stoc

k.ad

obe.co

m

Another joint project is the DMP Factory 500, amodular and scaleable concept from 3D Systemsand GF Georg Fischer. The components consist ofa printer, a replaceable printermodule, and a pow-der management element that removes excesspowder from parts and building platforms andrecycles it. It also includes a transport system andan element for intermediate storage if the next workstep is still occupied. The entire process is fullyautomated. Through automation, employees nolonger come into contact with the protective gasrequired for the metallic powder bed process.3D Systems and GF have one one step further

than the Next-GenAM team. They are also thinkingabout continuing the component to machiningprocesses, whether for post-processing or as a fur-ther station in a largermanufacturing process. TheDMP Factory 500 can communicate with all im-portant ERP systems.Trumpf describes how to solve the problemwith

the inert gas. At Formnext 2018, the company pre-sented its automated handling of the lids for thebuilding and storage cylinders. The process wasexplained as follows: “The coater or squeegee,which spreads the powder in the installation spaceduring printing, exchanges its applicationmediumfor a carriage developed byTrumpf. Here, an insert

is installed onwhich the covers remain in place assoon as the coater passes over them. The develop-ers have provided a storage position at the edge ofthe installation space for the lids. The storage cyl-inders move up automatically and hang their cov-ers on the ceiling of the process chamber. Sincethey are located outside the scanning field of thelaser, they can remain here until the end of theprocess.”In addition, the laser technology company, with

its scan field monitoring and levelling system, ispaving the way for reproducibility and thus forgenuine series production. Scan field monitoringensures that the laser beams are correctly aligned.For this purpose, a calibration target was previous-ly attached to the coater. Levelling ensures the po-sition of the construction panel. Using a cameraand laser measuring system, it checks the heightand alignment of the panel before the constructionjob. However, correction still has to be carried outby a machine operator. Trumpf is not the only oneworking on automating the laser settings. 3D Sys-tems and EOS are also aware of the need.

Additive manufacturing as a buildingblock in the production line

Integration in 3D plastic printing could be simpler.That's because there's no need to create a protectivegas atmosphere. This also applies to somemetallicprocesses, such as Xjet's Nanoparticle Jetting (NPJ).It is probably even easier with filament printersandmetallic processes that workwithwires. Theseare often designed as gantrymachines orworkwitha robot arm and can be placed on an assembly line.This way, they can easily find their place in a

production line. But most projects revolve aroundproduction chains for pure additivemanufacturing.What about 3D printing as a station in a productionline? At Arburg, that's almost an old hat. With itsFreeformer, the plastics technology company al-ready demonstrated at Fakuma 2015 how additivemanufacturing can be integrated into an automat-ed process chain.There, an LBR iiwa took an office shear with

workpiece carrier from the conveyor belt of an in-jection moulding cell and, after scanning the DMcode, placed it on the component carrier of the 3Dprinter, where an individual 3D lettering made of

COVER STORY

document2022115920708093412.indd 18 25.01.2019 09:08:23

COVER STORY

191-2019

This was the look of theArburg production line atFakuma 2015.

Sou

rce:

ArburgPPwas printed. After an inline quality check of the

finished product, the robot handed over its person-alised scissors to the trade show visitor.While this sounds rather simple, this is not the

entire picture. Here, too, a cross-departmental teamworked on automating the process – and is stillperfecting it. The engineers are still faced with ob-stacles. For example, they are working with re-search institutes on a reliable quality inspection forbatch size 1 and the suitability of the process forseries production.Comparatively lengthy cleaning cycles play an

even greater role with metallic powder bed pro-cesses than with freeformers, but Arburg's granu-late-based plastic printing also has to take intoaccount cleanliness and the correct treatment ofthe material. This leads to the logistics of the ma-terials.The easiest way is for users to work with fila-

ments or metal wires. Arburg's free-moulding ofplastics process is a kind o flappy medium. It isimportant that no dust particles get between thegranules, as these could clog the nozzle and thuschange the droplet size. The metallic powder bedprocesses are more complex. They also pose a riskto the health of employees. The following appliesto all of them: Batch fluctuations can influencecomponent quality.But Arburg sees the biggest problem in data ex-

change. Up to now, the Freeformer has had an in-terface based on Euromap 67 that communicatesvia the real-time Ethernet variant of theVaran bus.Themachines OPC UA and the host computer sys-tem ALS speak superiorly.With a lot of problems and obstacles overcome,

communication is the next hindrance. A continuousdata chain and barrier-free communication in realtime between the machines, the control room andthe higher-level system are the greatest challenges,according to all companies in additive manufac-turing. Unfortunately, the solution is not servedready to go, and personal initiative is still required.However, companies from both the AF industryand the software sector are working to make con-sistency possible.

Third step: A continuous data chain

With everything (theoretically) taken care of in theproduction hall, it is the data exchange betweendifferentmachines that poses a final challenge. Butof course, another company is already working ona solution to this problem as well. The PLM/ERPprovider Computer Komplett announced that it willpresent an end-to-end digital data usage for 3Dprinting right through to production at the PTCForum at the end of November. The CAD data forthe 3D model comes from Windchill, PTC's PLMsystem. In addition, the manufacturing process isvisualised and monitored in real time via the IoTThingworx platform.This also takes into account changes to themod-

el or to the production order. This would create aseamless process from product developmentthrough production planning to production mon-itoring, explains Computer Komplett. In addition,the data can also be accessed via a cloud. Theoret-ically, this would be the final missing piece to en-sure a smooth transition from start to finish.

EOS will soon also be offering software for com-munication and data exchange with MES or ERP.EOS Connect Core provides standard interfaces thatallow the exchange of live data and statusmessag-es via OPC UA as well as historical data via aWebAPI. “With the software, users can display the uti-lisation of their EOS systems on a dashboard,” ex-plains Mirco Schöpf, Product Manager Software atEOS, “This is just one of the advantages. In thefuture, the program will also make it possible tocontrol similar machines from a control console.The peripheral devices are not yet integrated. Weare thinking of steps such as component transportand powder recycling,” adds Schöpf. “We are alsostill working on the integration of further process-es.We are focusing on the AM process part, but ourvision is a continuous traceability of all processsteps relevant for additivemanufacturing, from anidea in the form of a CAD drawing to the finishedcomponent,” enthuses Schöpf.EOS Connect Core should play a central role as a

data interface to the AM process cell, but shouldalways be seen as part of different software solu-tions from different vendorswhen it comes to com-plete tracking. “The goal of EOS is to make the da-ta from the 3D printing production step accessible,”explains Schöpf.The Belgian software provider Materialise is spe-

cialised in additive manufacturing. The companyhas been working on an integrated program forsome time now and offers Streamics, a PLM soft-ware solution that extends from production toshipping. Since Materialise itself also works as acontract manufacturer, they subject their softwareto constant tests for practical suitability.As should be evident by now, AM faces a lot of

different challenges when it comes to its integra-tion, be it in the form of transition from one stageto the other, the handling of the raw materials, orthe general connectivity ofmachineswithin a pro-duction line.With all of these innovations and thosestill to come, AM can finally move from the proto-typing office into fully automated production lines.concept-laser.de; trumpf.com; arburg.com;computerkomplett.de; eos.info

document2022115920708093412.indd 19 25.01.2019 09:08:27

SHOW REPORT FAKUMA 2018

20 1-2019

Plastic processing in digitalisationmode at Fakuma 2018

P. E. Schall, organiser of Fakuma, was pleased once more last year withthe great demand for the trade show in the field of plastics technology:1,933 market and technology leaders from 40 countries presented theircompanies to 47,650 expert visitors from all over the world.

P.E. Schall hasannounced that the nextFakuma, to be held in2020, will focus on grow-ing interconnectivity.

Sou

rce:

P.E.S

chall

The proactive technology transformation ap-pears to be succeeding in the field of plasticsprocessing: Newmaterials, more efficientman-

ufacturing processes, 3D printing alternatives, dig-italised and automated production solutions, re-duced energy consumption for machines and sys-tems – these are just a few of the regulating screwsthat need to be tweaked by today’s plastics proces-sors.The issue of sustainability, including aspects such

as plastics recycling, material savings and bioma-terials, was the subject of more discussion thanever before at this year’s Fakuma, because the de-mands of plastics users such as the automotiveindustry and consumer goods and packagingman-ufacturers are becoming more and more complex.The production of affordable and at the same

time rugged lightweight design structureswas pre-

sented at the event to just as great an extent as abroad-based portfolio of new materials. New ma-chines, adapted tooling, integrated quality assur-ance, controllable hydraulic and— to an ever great-er extent — electric drives, and last but not leastnetworkable and thus communicative controllerscomplete with software – the plastics industry isbecomingmore andmore digital, which is not leastof all made apparent by the great demand for In-dustry 4.0-capable equipment and systems.

Fakuma as popular as ever

The compact Friedrichshafen Exhibition Centre onLake Constance was once again fully booked out.Manufacturers and distributors from outside ofGermany now account for more than 42 percent ofthe total number. Internationalism has been grow-ing for years. The publicity surrounding 3D printingtechnology and additivemanufacturing is causingmore andmore new and established suppliers fromall over the world to appear on the scene, who inturn supplement the portfolio with highly inter-esting solutions, making Fakuma a globally leadingtrade fair for plastics processing.With 47,650 professional visitors from 126 coun-

tries, Fakuma plays an important role amongst theexperts. According to the organiser, the exhibitorsagree: The visitors demonstrate high levels of ex-pertise and the technical discussions are of“high-quality”. Consequently, the exhibiting com-panies were satisfied and their comments wereentirely positive. Clear-cut positioning as a tradefair for plastics processing – and not as amulti-tech-nology event for plastics issues – makes an essen-tial contribution to Fakuma’s excellent reputationas a technical industrymeet. Its strictly practice-ori-ented alignment to the process sequence for plas-tics processing is a further important success factorfor the industry event.The economic growth of the plastics processing

industry is only being impeded by a lack of quali-fied personnel. As a result, expert meeting placeslike Fakuma are being used to an even greater ex-tent for recruiting purposes. The objectively orient-ed supplementary programme is an ideal opportu-nity for advanced technical training, and at thesame time for meeting interesting people. Thisyear’s series of events with 69 technical presenta-tions was the ideal setting for expert visitors andexhibiting companies to gather comprehensiveinformation about a great variety of issues. rsfakuma-messe.de

document2188979396541617593.indd 20 22.01.2019 12:56:59

EUROBLECH SHOW REPORT

211-2019

Euroblech’s 25th exhibition wasanother huge successPositive results for Euroblech 2018: Digitalisation sets the tone at the world’sleading exhibition for the sheet metal working industry.

Euroblech’s floors wereagain filled with countlessvisitors and exhibitors.

Sou

rce:Fo

tostud

ioM4MirjaMac

kThe 25th International Sheet Metal Working

Technology Exhibition, Euroblech 2018, endedon 26 October after four successful show days.

A total of 56,301 visitors from around the worldcame to Hanover to get an overview of the latestinnovations and digital technologies for sheetmet-al working and to invest in new manufacturingmachinery. A total of 1,507 companies from 40 coun-tries exhibited at this year’s show.“Therewas a great atmosphere at the show,with

an excellent mood on the exhibitor side as well asthe visitor side. Many exhibitors presented them-selves this year with evenmore impressive stands.They showcased an enormous variety of newma-chinery and innovative solutions, and many ofthese were, once again, demonstrated live at theexhibition stands,” says EvelynWarwick, EuroblechExhibition Director, on behalf of the organisers,Mack Brooks Exhibitions. “There has been a notice-able technological advancement in the last twoyears. Many exhibitors demonstrated howwell theindustry is prepared for digitalisation and howthese new technologies can be usedwithin aman-ufacturing environment,” continues Evelyn War-wick.“We are very pleasedwith the positive results of

Euroblech 2018, which, compared to the previousexhibition, attracted a consistently high visitornumber across the four show days from Tuesdayto Friday. Therefore, Euroblech 2018 ends with arecord floor space of 89,875 net square metres anda sustainable visitor figure, which of course is alsodue to the booming industry. Many exhibitors re-ported positive sales figures,” concludes EvelynWarwick.A total of 58% of exhibitors came from outside

Germany at this year’s show. This represents a fur-ther increase in international attendance of 4%. Thepreliminary results of the exhibition survey showthat 37% of visitors came to Euroblech from outsideGermany, resulting once again in good internation-al visitor attendance. Major visitor countries, asidefrom Germany, included Italy, Switzerland, theNetherlands, Spain, Turkey, India, Great Britain,Poland, Austria and Belgium.A great majority of the visitors came from the

industry (73%), followed by visitors from work-shops, trade and services. Themost important sec-tors visitors belonged to included engineering, sheetmetal and products, steel and aluminium construc-tion, the automotive industry and its suppliers,electrical engineering, iron and steel production aswell as rolling mills and heating, ventilation andair-conditioning technology.With 97%, the percentage of trade visitors was

again very high. Besides the high rate of interna-

tional visitors, the exhibition once again registereda high percentage of visitors from the topmanage-ment with decision-making and buying capacity.The percentage of visitors involved in decision-mak-ing was almost consistent at 79%.The exhibitors praised the qualified and interna-

tional audience with its high percentage of deci-sion-makers. More than 70% of all exhibitors statedon-site that they intended to exhibit again at thenext Euroblech in 2020, which will take place atthe Hanover Exhibition Grounds in Germany from27 to 30 October 2020.euroblech.com

document6425425227309305040.indd 21 22.01.2019 12:57:38

22 1-2019

Formnext 2018: Another successfulshow with international appeal

Formnext 2018 continues to establish itself as a strong internationalexhibition and aims to continue this trend. The exhibition boasted increasedvisitor and exhibitor numbers.

The halls werepacked onceagain duringFormnext 2018.

Sou

rce:

Mesag

o/Mathias

Kutt

The Formnext 2018 exhibition set new recordsat several levels and contributed to the dynam-ics of the entire industrywith numerousworld

premieres. The international exhibition for additivemanufacturing and cutting-edge industrial produc-tion set an impressive new record in terms of vis-itor numbers. Some 26,919 specialists and manag-ers attended Formnext from 13 to 16 November 2018in Frankfurt amMain, surpassing the already strongfigures for the previous year – this time by 25 per-cent.For four days, Formnext 2018 served as a guiding

light for modern production technology and addi-tive manufacturing around the world. The Form-next 2018 exhibition set another record in terms ofexhibitor numbers, with a total of 632 exhibitorsfrom 32 countries. Visitors were able to discoversolutions and inspirational ideas along the entireprocess chain that they could use to make theirown production more efficient. Besides a widerange of forward-looking innovations, Formnext

2018 also showed how additivemanufacturing andIndustry 4.0 are increasingly merging to generateintelligent, automated production processes.Companies such as 3D Systems, Arburg, BigRep,

EOS, HP, Multec, OR Laser, Stratasys, Trumpf andVoxeljet presented numerous world premieresalong the complete process chain. Through this,visitors could gain a lot of insight into the future ofthe industry.“Formnext has undergone exceptional develop-

ment,” states Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President forFormnext at event organiser MesagoMesse Frank-furt.“With its unparalleled level of innovation, the

event provided a vibrant trade fair experience foreveryone involved. In the context of an extremelydynamic sector, Formnext provides a roadmap forthe evolution of cutting-edgemanufacturing indus-tries.”“The show continues to be the benchmark for

AM events. With regard to networks and technol-

document4867380489071325556.indd 22 24.01.2019 14:35:54

FORMNEXT SHOW REPORT

231-2019

Sou

rce:

Mesag

o/Mathias

Kutt

Formnext is both theplace for innovation andbusiness talks.

A variety ofdisplayed worksattracted theattention of thevisitors.

Sou

rce:Mesag

o/Mathias

Kutt

Sou

rce:Mesag

o/Mathias

Kuttogy it is globally leading,” commented SimonMar-

riott, Company Director at imcrc in Australia.Aswell as being packedwith innovations, Form-

next is also an important business platform. Thecountless business deals and machine sales con-cluded at the exhibition drive the evolution of theentire industry. The event also provides up-and-coming companies with an opportunity to meetimportant investment and business partners. Andwith its extensive programme of supporting events,Formnext is also the place to be for newcomers.Individual companies from all sectors of theman-

ufacturing industry learned how to harness thepotential offered by additivemanufacturing. At thetransatlantic “AM Standards Forum,” organised forthe first time in conjunctionwith the U.S. Commer-cial Service, experts from Europe and the UnitedStates discussed international developments inproduction standards.During the international “TCT conference @

Formnext”, around 850 experts from the world ofAM exchanged their current experiences andknowledge.

An international presence

Drawing 49 percent of its audience from outsideGermany, Formnext 2018 solidified its status as theleading international trade fair for additive manu-facturing and modern industrial production. Thevariety on offer at Formnext attracted specialistsand managers from numerous world-renownedcompanies. These included representatives fromleading OEMs and suppliers in the sectors of aero-space, automotive, oil and gas, medicine technol-ogy, dental industry, mechanical engineering andthe building and architectural sector.As Ilaria Guiccardini, Marketing Director Roboze

(IT), noted: “Formnext and the industry have de-veloped. This year, we had both more and betterqualified visitors. People already know our productsand ask for concrete solutions. At Formnext, wetouch the future of industrial manufacturing.”“Every year, Formnext is getting better than the

year before. It is the place to be,” enthused RickFulop, CEO and Co-Founder of DesktopMetal (USA).

2019 already in the works

Next year’s Formnext from 19 to 22 November 2019will for the first time be held in Halls 11 and 12 atthe Frankfurt exhibition grounds. In another first,a guest country – the United States –will be show-cased at Formnext 2019. The USA has a long tradi-tion in the area of additive manufacturing and isone of the most important exhibitor nations. Theextremely active start-up scene there has produced

a series of new global companies that have enjoyedinternational success in recent years. “The USA isone of the world’s leading suppliers and users ofadditivemanufacturing technology – a fact that wetook into consideration when choosing our guestcountry,” states Sascha F. Wenzler. An extensivepromotional programme and various country spe-cials, among other things, are in the pipeline.formnext.mesago.com

is a brand of

Subscribe now for your free ETMM newsletter:www.etmm-online.com/newsletter

1104

2

document4867380489071325556.indd 23 24.01.2019 14:36:12

PRODUCT FOCUS FORMNEXT

24 1-2019

Additive manufacturing innovations key focus at Stratasys booth

Sou

rce:

Stratasys

Using carbon fibre-filledNylon 12, the Fortus380CF provides advancedcarbon fibre 3D printing atan affordable price.

Additive Manufacturing –At Formnext, Stratasys

showcased additivemanufac-turing solutions that addressrequirements of customersacross a broad range of indus-tries. Highlighting its newestmaterial and application ad-vancements, the Stratasysbooth incorporated four focusareas – concept modelling,prototyping, tooling and finalpart production. Each area fea-tured awide range of parts andcustomer-use cases, demon-strating the company's prop-osition in additive manufac-turing to drive efficienciesthroughout the product devel-opment cycle.Visitors to the Manufactur-

ing Corner saw how StratasysFDM additive manufacturingproduces one-off, customisedtools for the production flooron-demand, as well as3D-printing spare parts for di-rect use in vehicle interiors.This improves lead times perpart by up to 95%, the compa-

ny notes. FDM additive man-ufacturing eliminates storageneeds of excess parts to allowfor the most digitalised railmaintenance depot.Durable yet lightweight

FDM materials used by auto-motive and aerospace compa-nies were also showcased.Stratasys’s industry-provenFortus range of 3D printers

was on display – the Fortus380mc Carbon Fiber Edition.Containing 35% of choppedcarbon fibre, Nylon 12CF isstrong enough to replacemet-al, allowing designers to devel-op more practical and func-tional designs. The companydemonstrated how mechani-cal properties of FDM Nylon12CF enable engineers to ex-

plore the transition from tra-ditional metal parts to3D-printed plastic composites.Reflecting the continued

importance of 3D printing forrapid prototyping, solutionsaimed tomeet the needs of thefull prototypingworkflow – beit concept modelling, designverification or fully-functionalprototyping – were also dis-played.Stratasys outlined latest de-

velopments of the company'smetal 3D printing technologywith new application parts inthe Innovation Area. On dis-play were an array of partsproduced on the Robotic Com-posite 3D Demonstrator, thecompany's visionary produc-tion system developed in closecollaboration with Siemens.This system, according toStratasys, prints compositeparts faster than ever beforeusing an 8-axis motion sys-tem, uniquely, without theneed for support material.stratasys.com

Automated laser technology and customised solutions

Sou

rce:

Zimmer&Kreim

Stunning pieces can be produced with alser technology.

Laser Technology – Zimmer& Kreim (ZK) says that the fo-cus of the Genius 900 Nova ison laser technology. The erod-ing machine is said to be sta-ble and precise thanks to itsmodular design and ther-mo-symmetrically, mineralcast construction.The Genius 900 Nova is a

new prototype construction

receiving the technologicalsupport of Indel AG andArgesfor control engineering andlaser technology, respectively.It will have a laser application,which removes the supportinggeometry of generativelyman-ufactured components in theSLM technique.ZK notes that the eroding

machine is built specifically to

customer requirements orsuited to the component to beproduced. ZK has been inte-grating software-based lasertechnology in its systems forquite some time. And now,with this new approach, it canalso offer the hardware, thecompany adds.When machining compo-

nents, time losses of up to 50%are still occurring during thesimultaneous processing of Gcodes. ZK has managed toovercome this problem withlaser machining that takesplace in real time. The laser isthe tool that increases thema-chine-running time to 100%.Accordingly, the ROI for plantoperators significantly in-creases as well.Themachining (3D ablation)

of ceramic-coated Inconelcomponents – a complex com-ponent to machine – is a pro-cedure that has alreadyachieved series production, ZKnotes. Here, in addition to po-sitioning the X, Y and Z axes

of themachine responsible forthe laser scan head, an addi-tional A-B axis is used to si-multaneously track the laserbeam in real time.At Formnext, ZK demon-

strated digital workflows inthe post-processing of gener-ativelymanufactured compo-nents using an SLM-compo-nent, which currently requiresabout 70% of the productiontime of thewhole component.As post-processing is dividedinto several steps and technol-ogies, conditionsmust first bemet to create all work stepsdigitally. Thesework steps arethen saved and processed ona database with standardisedsoftware tools, which isknown as the Alphamodulisoftware solution.The company adds that it

provides solutions that caneliminate bottlenecks originat-ing from the post-processingof generativelymanufacturedcomponents.zk-system.com

document8563837250617912760.indd 24 22.01.2019 12:58:22

FORMNEXT PRODUCT FOCUS

251-2019

High productivity with AM, allowing no compromise on quality

Sou

rce:

Ren

isha

w

The Ren AM 500Q boasts melt-pool and laser power monitoringcapabilities to provide evidence of melting behaviour in real-time.

Laser systems – UK-basedglobal engineering companyRenishaw showcased thecompany's Ren AM 500Q atFormnext, a pioneeringfour-laser system that raisesproductivitywhile decreasingcost-per-part without compro-mising on quality.Ren AM 500Q is a system

with precision dynamic focus-sing and a full-field view of thepowder bed. Launched in 2017,it raises productivity whiledecreasing cost-per-part incommonly used platform siz-es, the company says. Testsand analyses have shown thatmultiple lasers can operateindependently on separateparts or co-operate on a single,large component without di-minishing the quality of thematerial produced. As such,multi-laser additivemanufac-turing has opened up newproduct design opportunitiesfor a range of industries as thetechnology becomesmore ac-cessible. The benefits of mul-

tiple lasers require file prepa-ration and simulation tools.The company also demon-

strated the latest version of itsQuant AM build-preparationsoftware, which has laser as-signment tools that enableusers to develop processingstrategies in line with thequality and productivity de-mands of their applications.

Renishaw explained thatwhen multiple lasers are inclose proximity, there is thepotential that emissions fromone laser could affect anotherdepending on their relativepositionwithin themachine’sinert gas flow. “The first gen-eration of multi-laser ma-chines used zoning to avoidthis issue, combined with ei-

ther linear or divergent gasflow,” Marc Saunders, Directorof Global Solutions Centres atRenishaw, noted. He explainedfurther that thismethod, how-ever, has several drawbacksincluding reduced productiv-ity for non-symmetricalbuilds, discontinuities as aresult of thermal drift in theoptical systems and varyingmelting conditions as a resultof divergent gas flow. Saundersadded: “The design of Ren-ishaw’s RenAM 500Q over-comes these drawbacks andenables efficient use of all fourlasers.”The machine boasts melt-

pool and laser powermonitor-ing capabilities to provideevidence ofmelting behaviourin real-time. Themachine per-formance is said to be consist-ent and Renishaw offersguidelines to enable custom-ers to produce high-integritycomponents in a productiveand flexible way.renishaw.com

Vero Software: VISI to boost reverse engineering

Sou

rce:

Vero

With the latest VISIS software Vero also improves upon existingfunctions.

Software – The release of VISIsoftware includes a boost forreverse engineering, alongwith a range of new and en-hanced CAD/CAM functionsfor themould and die market.As part of a synergy project

for reverse engineering andcasting, VISI 2019 R1 introduc-es an extended direct interfaceto multiple Romer and Leicascanning devices from Hexa-gon. This, together with theenhanced dedicated module,provides a reverse engineeringsolution as well as the abilityto generate casting and stockmodels from VISI’s existingmodelling andmachining en-vironment.VISI Product Manager Marco

Cafasso says it means that apoints cloud can be loaded ei-ther directly or indirectly, andthe relative mesh can be cre-ated by setting different op-tions for refining and smooth-ing. “Also, surfaces can becreated automatically orsemi-automatically by ex-

tracting different key geomet-rical references from the re-fined mesh. Moreover, scandata, stock or reference castingand mesh models can easilybe aligned to the original ge-ometrical CAD model usingdedicated commands to allowcomparisons, gap analysisand optimised toolpath pro-cesses.”The new ejector pin label-

ling functionality enables allthe ejector pins in a moulddesign project to be identifiedin a table by a user-definedlabel. “This feature simplifiesthe maintenance process ofthemould itself whenever oneor more ejector pins need tobe replaced. It easily identifiesany ejector pin for mainte-nance purposes, and updatesit if it needs replacing.”A new function allows the

use of wireframe circuits, pre-viously created in CAD, aswellas the selection of predefinedor user sections, and automat-ically creates the conformal

channels to form the desiredcooling circuit. “It’s also possi-ble to edit those channels,even after subtraction fromthe mould insert,” says MarcoCafasso. “All the informationdefined on the conformal cool-ing during the design phase ismanaged by VISI Flow’s ther-mal analysis.” The result is asimplified process as well as

faster mould design and flowanalysis.The blanking process has

been enhanced, setting thefaces on themodel affected bythe pressure pad by definingthe relative force to apply. Thisallows the material to flow,based on the applied force onthe pressure pad.verosoftware.com

document3326779937086638363.indd 25 22.01.2019 12:59:12

PRODUCT FOCUS FORMNEXT

26 1-2019

3D modelling software for largepoint cloud data

Software – At Formnext, Ma-chineworks' Polygonica solidmodelling software toolkit forprocessing polygon meshestook centre stage. The teamfrom Machineworks was onhand to provide polygonalmesh solutions for 3D softwaredevelopers who required solu-tions to complex geometricproblems.Machineworks APIs have

been used by OEMs to gainquick access to market and tohelp them produce world-class applications, the compa-ny says.The Polygonica software

toolkit delivers a significantbreakthrough for processinglarge point cloud data. Its al-gorithms handle points, auto-matic registration, fast align-ment, effective noise reduc-tion, smooth surface creation,automatic segmentation and

mesh generation aswell as themanipulation of point cloudsrather efficiently.The hole-filling capabilities

of Polygonica have been en-hanced with new algorithmsthat respect the surface curva-ture and can automaticallydetect islands and connectthem to the correct holes.Multiple holes can be auto-matically filled through a sin-gle API call, significantly im-proving the performancewhen handling large meshes.Polygonica component tech-

nology has established itselfin the additive market as thego-to technology for meshhealing, offsetting and Booleanoperations, serving leadinghardware and software man-ufacturers including Ren-ishaw, 3D Systems, DesktopMetal and Stratasys.machineworks.com

Sou

rce:

Mac

hine

Works

Point sets from multiple scans after automatic fine registration.

Sigma Labs launches newhardware and software

QA Software – Sigma Labslaunched the newest configu-ration of its Printrite 3D qual-ity control solution and exhib-ited its technology at Form-next.A trusted provider of quality

assurance software, SigmaLabs launched the latest ver-sion of its Printrite 3D qualitycontrol solution, which incor-porates the Printrite3D Sensor-pak 4.0 hardware and Printrite3D Inspect 4.0, at the Frankfurtconference and exhibition inNovember. The company ex-hibited its technology andprovided information on thefeatures and capabilities ofPrintrite 3D.According to Sigma Labs,

the new suite of products inPrintrite 3D is designed to in-crease the production yield of3Dmetal-manufactured partsand shorten time to marketand, as such, presents a signif-icant value proposition toOEMs and manufacturers.Sigma Labs CEO John Rice

said: “We believe our IPQAtechnology is transformation-al and our team enjoyeddemonstrating at Formnexthow Sigma Labs brings theindustry from prototype toindustrialisedmanufacturing.”Among the features of the

Printrite 3D Sensorpak 4.0hardware are:

W A build chamber with nosensors, eliminating anyconcerns over gas flowdisruptions or space limi-tations inside the buildchamber.

W A new client-server archi-tecture enables multiplemachines to be connectedto the system as clients –one server can run multi-ple machines.

W An upgraded data acquisi-tion and data processinghardware provides fasterprocessing of data – resultsare now displayed in re-al-time during the build.

sigmalabsinc.com

Sou

rce:

SigmaLa

bs

This image illustrates the synergybetween the different parts of theproduct suite.

Extending entry-level scan head to allow a multi-million entry list

Laser Scanning – High-pre-cision laser scan systems ex-pert, Scanlabs, presented anadditional variant of the com-pany's entry-level Basicubescan head at Formnext.Scanlab has introduced an

additional variant of its en-try-level Basicube scan head.According to the company, theSL2-100 interface of the newBasicube now enables directcontrol by RTC5 boards. Exe-cution of highly elaborate laserjobs andmore complex graph-ics are thus possible for lasermarking, subsurface glass en-graving or similar applications.

The popular Basicube scanhead is said to be very popular,offering compact, economicalsystems with high-writespeeds. The favourable price/performance ratio often leadsto their selection as “entry-lev-el heads” for laser marking or3D plastics printing, Scanlabsexplains.Laserdesk serves as a control

centre for the scan head andas a graphical user interfacefor the easy creation, manage-ment and automated execu-tion of complex laser process-ing jobs.scanlab.de

Sou

rce:

Sca

nlab

Scanlabs solutions are deployed in industrial materials processing andelectronics as well as food and beverage industries, among others.

document6075215853310990036.indd 26 22.01.2019 12:59:36

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS & SERVICES

271-2019

Three components and hard/soft combinations

Formnext/ Arburg – The Free-former 300-3X celebrated itspremiere at Formnext 2018.The machine is built for theadditivemanufacture of com-plex, resilient functional partsin hard/soft combinations.“The Freeformer 300-3X

marks anothermajor step for-ward, enabling our customersto develop completely newapplications,” saysMartin Neff,Head of Plastic Freeforming.“This open system can pro-duce complex and durablefunctional parts in hard/softcombinations from qualifiedstandard plastics and a sup-port material, offers morespace and higher temperaturesin the build chamber and canbe automatically integratedinto networked productionlines.”The designation “300”

stands for the available surfacearea of the platform in squarecentimetres. This is just under50 percent larger than on theFreeformer 200-3X. The buildchamber offers space for larg-er small-volume batches andparts with dimensions of upto 234 x 134 x 230millimetres.“3X” stands for the movingaxes of the part carrier in thex, y and z directions.According to Arburg, the

company uses high-quality,durable components forman-ufacturing the Freeformer 300-3X. The plasticising unit isequipped with servo-motors.

The modern operating panelcomprises an industrial PCwith multi-touch screen. Thestable machine base accom-modates the control cabinetsand cooling system. The closedcooling system is also availa-ble with an optional industri-al-grade coolingwater connec-tion. This allows the process-ing of high-temperaturematerials at build chambertemperatures of up to 200 de-grees Celsius.A two-part buildchamber door is a new featureon the Freeformer 300-3X. Thismeans that the material con-tainers can be refilled duringongoing operation by openingthe top half of the door. Theheated build chamber onlyneeds to be opened for insert-ing the part platform and re-moving the finished parts.Automatic opening and clos-ing of the build chamber dooraswell as optional robot inter-faces also enable automationof the additivemanufacturingprocess and integration of theFreeformer in complete pro-duction lines. With the addi-tive manufacture of one-offparts and small-volume batch-es, high-volume parts can beenhanced and customerwish-es incorporated directly in theadded value chain in batchesas small as a single unit bycombining additivemanufac-turing, injectionmoulding andIndustry 4.0 technologies.arburg.com

The Arburg Freeformer 300-3X was a world premiere at Formnext 2018.

Sou

rce:

Arburg

Layered Powder Metallurgy

Additive Manufacturing –Stratasys is releasing furtherdetails of its new platform,currently being developed anddesigned for short-run metalapplications. Unveiled earlierthis year, the additive platformis based on Stratasys’s innova-tive “Layered Powder Metal-lurgy” (LPM™) technology,designed to make productionof metal parts quicker, easierand more cost-effective.Intended to disrupt conven-

tional manufacturing ap-proaches, the advanced plat-form is being developed tocombine the value of additivemanufacturingwith short-runmetal parts production. Thetechnology is built to driveimproved efficiency and costsavings using standard Pow-der Metallurgy (PM) alloys,mechanical properties withhigh accuracy and controlledshrinkage, as well as fastthroughput.“We note that current ap-

proaches to 3D-printingmetalparts leave a lot to be desired– including slow post-process-ing, painstakingly intricatesupport removal, and hours ofmatching and grinding. Com-binedwith the high cost of AMpowders, thismeans each partis expensive, with a total costof ownership that is too hardto justify,” said Rafie Grinvald,Director of Product Marketingand Management, Stratasys.“Our new platform is being

designed to transform the cur-rentmetals additivemanufac-

turing landscape, presenting aviable alternative to typicalproductionmethods and help-ing customers dramaticallyreduce the costs of creatingreliable, consistent, produc-tion-grade metal parts forshort-run applications.”Developed internally over

the past several years, Strata-sys’s platform incorporates thecompany’s proprietary jettingtechnology and commonlyused powdermetallurgy, start-ing with offering aluminiumpowders.The LPM™ solution includes

a three-step, additive manu-facturing process combiningtraditional powdermetallurgywith Stratasys’s robust Poly-Jet™ ink-jet technology. Theprocess includes printing ofboundaries with proprietarythermal ink, powder dispens-ing and spreading, and thencompaction of the powderlayer to achieve high-densityand controllable shrinkage.The end result is intended

to be economically competi-tive vis-à-vis cost-per-part andthroughput with easy-to-im-plement post-processing andhigh part quality. The systemaims to address the needs ofcustomers who require pro-duction of pilot-series parts,small-batch manufacturingduring product ramp-up andend-of-life, as well as custom-ised, lightweight, complexparts, perfectly suited for in-dustry 4.0.stratasys.com

Stratasys’s advanced metals platform combines the power of additivemanufacturing with short-run metals parts production.

Sou

rce:

Stratsys

document4821216000299124916.indd 27 22.01.2019 13:00:14

SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY

28 1-2019

Quick Sourcing Grid:Additive Manufacturing

PrototypingService

s

Hyb

ridMac

hine

s

Company | Contact

3D Systems Corporation, Burlington, MA, USA | www.3dsystems.com

Alphaform AG, Feldkirchen , Kr München, DE | www.alphaform.de

Alzmetall Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik u. Gießerei Friedrich GmbH & Co. KG, Altenmarkt a.d.Alz, DE | www.alzmetall.de

Arcam AB, Mölndal, SE | www.arcam.com

Arrk Europe Ltd. – Gloucester Technical Centre, Gloucester, UK | www.arrkeurope.com

Concept Laser GmbH, Lichtenfels, DE | www.concept-laser.de

DMG Mori Deutschland GmbH, Wernau (Neckar), DE | www.dmgmori.co.jp/en

EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems, Krailling, DE | www.eos.info

ExOne GmbH, Gersthofen, DE | www.exone.com

Fives Landis Ltd., Keighley, West Yorkshire, UK | www.fivesgroup.com

German RepRap GmbH, Feldkirchen, DE | www.grrf.de

GF Machining Solutions Management SA, Nidau, CH | www.gfms.com

GOM GmbH, Braunschweig, DE | www.gom.com

Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies, Ltd, Moia, Leicestershire, UK | www.hybridmanutech.com

Ibarmia Innovatek, Azcoitia, ES | www.ibarmia.com

Imes-icore GmbH, Eiterfeld, DE | www.imes-icore.de

Keyence Deutschland GmbH, Neu-Isenburg, DE | www.keyence.de

MachineWorks Ltd., Sheffield, UK | www.machineworks.com

Maschinenfabrik Berthold Hermle AG, Gosheim, DE | www.hermle.de

Materialise N.V., Leuven, BE | www.materialise.com

Matsuura Europe GmbH, Wiesbaden-Delkenheim, DE | www.matsuura.de

Mazak Machine Tools, Worcester, UK | www.mazak.com

Midas Pattern Co. Ltd., Bedford, UK | www.midas-pattern.co.uk

Prodways Group, Paris, FR | www.prodways.com

Proto Labs Ltd, Telford, UK | www.protomold.co.uk

ReaLizer GmbH, Brochen, DE | www.realizer.com

Renishaw plc, Wotton-under-Edge, Glos, UK | www.renishaw.com

SLM Solutions GmbH, Lübeck, DE | www.slm-solutions.com

Solidscape Inc., Merrimack, NH, USA | www.solid-scape.com

Stratasys GmbH, Rheinmünster, DE | www.stratasys.com

Trumpf Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH, Ditzingen, DE | www.trumpf-laser.com

Voxeljet AG, Friedberg, DE | www.voxeljet.com

WFL Millturn Technologies GmbH & Co. KG, Linz, AT | www.wfl.at

Sou

rce:

©pop

ov48

-stoc

k.ad

obe.co

m

document8508127246935835263.indd 28 25.01.2019 08:51:57

SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY

291-2019

Rap

idTo

olin

gSys

tems

Rev

erse

Eng

inee

ring

Service

s

AM

Mac

hine

s,Metal

(SLM

,DMLS

,EBM)

AM

Mac

hine

s,Fus

edDep

ositio

nModeling(FDM)

AM

Mac

hine

s,Polyjet

matrixtech

nology

AM

Mac

hine

s,Selec

tive

Lase

rSintering

(SLM

)

AM

Mac

hine

s,Stereolitho

graphy

(SLA

)

Materials,M

etallic

,Nonm

etallic

/Plastic

Software

Sca

nningEquipmen

t

document8508127246935835263.indd 29 25.01.2019 08:51:57

PRODUCTS & SERVICES ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

30 1-2019

Unique AM technology forceramics and metals parts

Xjet/Formnext – Additivemanufacturing company Xjethas placed greater attention onthe metal side of its businessand recently presented newdevelopments at Formnext.Users of Xjet's Carmel sys-

temmay now be found in theU.S., Germany, Switzerland,Russia, Israel and very soon inthe UK and Italy as well – allof this having happened overthe last 12 months, Xjet says.It added that it also has plansto establish a globally leadingchannel network and islaunching its new, state-of-the-art Additive Manufactur-ing Center.

At Formnext, Xjet presentedits unique, powderless addi-tivemanufacturing process forboth ceramics and metals onthe Carmel 1400 AM System,which demonstrated the pro-duction of fine-quality metalparts.The company's Nano-Parti-

cle Jetting (NPJ) technologyrepresents a step-change inthe quality of additivelyman-ufactured metal and ceramicparts, Xjet notes. The technol-ogy delivers substantial im-provements in density, detailand design freedom. The NPJtechnology is a unique inkjetapproach, which enables themanufacture of highly-com-plex parts with superfine de-tails, smooth surfaces andpinpoint accuracy. Very thinlayers of just a few micronscan be achieved in pow-der-based ceramic and metalAM technologies. Cavities andfine details can be createdwithout being harmed in thesupport-removal process,thanks to a separate materialbeing used for support struc-tures, Xjet explains.Experts were at the show to

discuss how the NPJ technol-ogy can solve manufacturingproblems and deliver exclu-sive benefits unmatched byother technologies.xjet3d.com

Sou

rce:

Xjet

Xjet is putting new emphasis onmetal and ceramics.

Hasco's new and easy connection

Sou

rce:

Hasco

Tool vending station for fullydigitised tool management

Tool Management – WalterAG has announced the C lineautomated carousel tool vend-ing station as the ideal entryroute for companies looking tointroduce fully digitised toolmanagement. The new ma-chine has tool compartmentsizes and spacings that can beeasily and quickly adjusted,enabling a user to make aquick start in tool manage-ment and then to subsequent-lymake any adjustments nec-essary.Walter says that the C line

station will also enable usersto quickly identify areas thathave the potential for optimi-sation – indeed, it suggests

that around half of thecost-driving factors in toollogistics will be identified.Savings in such areas will

soon prompt users’ next stepsin digitally supported toolmanagement, continues Wal-ter.Instead of a central dispens-

ing point that logs tool outputand input while also takingcare of reconditioning, auto-mated tool stations can bepositioned throughout a shop-floor and feedback can be sentautomatically to the purchas-ing division, with re-ordersbeing placed according to de-mand (via the purchasingteam or tool supplier).Walter has installed this ac-

cessible form of data-basedtool management for numer-ous customers, and the auto-mated tool stations can holdany tools required – not justthose supplied byWalter.With itsWalter Multiply ser-

vice programme, the companyoffers a range of solutions,from tool dispensing throughto digital analysis and controlof the tool management sys-tem, including installing andequipping individual dispens-ing cabinets, complete solu-tions embracing procurement,storage and provision throughto reconditioning.walter-tools.com

Sou

rce:

Walter

Walter aims to provide the righttool for the job.

Hasco – With the new cen-tring sleeve Z21/ Hasco nowoffers a flexible and easy solu-tion for connecting plates ininjection moulds in precisepositions.Thanks to the space-saving

positioning via the screw con-nection, the new Hasco Z21/Centring sleeve provides sim-ple centring of plates to oneanother and thus offers evenmore flexibility in tool design.Assembling and disassem-bling is made easy thanks toproactive design choices : Theassembly in the surfacemounting requires little space,

whereby the installation isfurther simplified by a 15°lead-in chamfer. For easy dis-assembly, the centring sleeveis equippedwith an integratedpull-out thread. The new cen-tring sleeve Z21/ can be usedfor a range of applications andis suitable for maximum op-erating temperatures of up to200°C. With the new centringsleeve, Hasco provides a flex-ible connection that is botheasy to integrate andspace-saving in its design andallows for application in diffi-cult positions.hasco.com

Hasco’s new flexible solution.

document220310832398881772.indd 30 25.01.2019 09:30:01

MACHINING EQUIPMENT PRODUCTS & SERVICES

311-2019

Compact precision gating intight spaces

Nozzles –Very slim, compact,and able to be screwed closetogether into the manifold –these are the key points fromthe product profile of the newSlim DF 8 nozzles, which hotrunner manufacturer Incoepresented in 2018. The Slim DF8 nozzles are based on the de-velopment of the Slim DF 5nozzles, which have proven tobe very successful in practicaluse, Incoe states. The companydecided it was time to slimdown the next nozzle size – DF8 – in the Direct-Flo hot runnerrange.These are the results: The

outer diameter has been re-duced by approximately 24percent to 19.8 mm and theminimum possible nozzlespacing has shrunk by approx-imately 15 percent to 27.5 mm.The new Slim DF8 nozzles areavailable in nozzle lengths of

up to 240 mm or 232 mm inthe case of single nozzles. Thenew nozzles make precise in-jection possible with narrowcavity distances, Incoe said.In accordancewith the usu-

al Seal-Fit concept on Incoeproducts, the Slim-Flo nozzlesare screwed into themanifold,producing a leak-proof con-nection inwhich the injectionrunners of nozzle and mani-fold are always aligned. Thisenables productionwithmul-ti-cavity moulds by utilisingthe benefits of the screwed-innozzles while at the same timeimplementingminimum cav-ity distances with higher cav-ity numbers. Like the Slim DF5, the Slim DF 8 is also basedon the SBH heater. This wasdevelopedwith reduced outerdimensions, especially for nar-row cavity distances.incoe.com

Sou

rce:

Inco

e

Very slim and compact,the new Slim DF 8 nozzlesmake precise injectionpossible in tight spaces.

New Horn milling system

Milling – The BoehleritETAtec45P milling system isavailable from Horn under ajoint sales co-operation be-tween the two tooling manu-facturers. The range of cuttersis intended for machininglong-chipping materials suchas stainless steels, titaniumalloys and nickel-based alloys.Seven cutting edges per insertand a 45-degree approach an-gle boost productivity duringface milling. The positive cut-ting geometry ensures highmetal removal rates and lowcutting forces. The resultingreduced power consumption

makes it possible to use themilling cutters on less rigidmachines and those equippedwith lower power spindles.The design opens up the

possibility of clamping roundinserts for profile milling. Itmeans that the user can per-form twomachiningmethodsusing one body.They are available in the

form of arbour milling cutterswith diameters of 50 mm to200mm, endmills with diam-eters of 25 mm to 40mm, andscrew-in milling cutters withdiameters of 25mm to 40mm.phorn.co.uk

Sou

rce:

Horn

The Boehlerit ETAtec45P systemfrom Horn offers efficient millingat low power.

Ultrasonic welding platformfrom Emerson

Welders – Emerson haslaunched a new generation ofultrasonic welders that sup-port the growing demand forthe assembly of smaller andmore intricate plastic compo-nents. The Branson GSXUltra-sonic Welding Platform is aflexible joining solutionwhilehelping manufacturers meetproject timelines.The modular GSX Platform

forms the basis for a widerange ofmodels to be launchedover the next two years, eachdesigned to suit the needs ofspecific customer applica-tions. The platform can beconfigured for all customerenvironments, ranging fromstandalone benchtop systemsto semi- and fully-automatedmanufacturing lines. By offer-ing easy integration into a dig-ital environment and stand-ardised transfer of relevant

data, the GSX Platform is In-dustry 4.0/IIoT-enabled, pro-viding access to actionableperformance and diagnosticdata, supporting productionefficiency, traceability andmaintenance improvements.Increasingly challenging

production timelines, whichmust be met to ensure a pro-ject’s expected return on in-vestment, are inhibited by aloss of operator experienceand expertise. Helping tobridge any potential skillsgaps, the GSX features soft-ware supported by 4” and 12”touchscreen HMIs, enablingoperators to perform faster,correct set-ups and reduce ap-plication testing time. Thisleads to faster start-up, withan assurance of weld qualityand increased production ef-ficiency.emerson.com

Sou

rce:

Emerso

n

IIoT-enabled BransonGSX Platform providesprecise control forfaster, repeatable,high-quality welding.

document8577868575880863023.indd 31 22.01.2019 13:01:19

TECH FOCUS R&D

32 1-2019

Autoadd: Additive manufacturing forthe automotive industry

Five companies and two research institutes focused on the metallic,additive manufacturing process developed at the Fraunhofer Institutefor Laser Technology ILT: Together they, examined the “Integration ofAdditive Manufacturing Processes in Automobile Series Production –Autoadd”.

Test piece, with supportsremoved with awet-chemical process.

Sou

rce:

Frau

nhofer

ILT

The German Federal Ministry of Education andResearch (BMBF) aims to bring light (quite lit-erally) into production with the motto “Pho-

tonic Process Chains”. Research projects are to in-tegrate photon-based manufacturing processessuch as metal 3D printing into product planningprocesses.The project aims to develop flexible, hybridman-

ufacturing concepts, which the industry can useto produce individualised and complex productsmore efficiently than before.The project partners focused on integrating the

LPBF process chain in the automotive mass pro-duction environment to create a hybrid processchain and, thus, to reduce unit costs. The BMWGroup and Daimler defined the requirements forthe additive process chain, which the high-techcompany TRUMPF and research institute Fraun-hofer ILT used to develop various LPBF plant andfinishing concepts.The result was potentially production-ready op-

tical designs aswell as amodular system architec-ture, which, for example, enables the use of multi-

ple beam sources and a so-called interchangeablecylinder principle. In addition, the project teamdeveloped promising automatable post-processingconcepts, including removal of support structures,and analysed novel scalablematerials produced byGKN.Finally, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

(KIT) evaluated the new factory designs. Withmethods such as cost or benchmark analyses, theywere able to compare the new approaches from atechnical and economic point of view with previ-ous ones.The results of the three-year joint project are

quite impressive: Since modular cylinders and theuse of wet-chemical immersion baths can now beused to (batchwise) remove components in thepost-processing step, the entire process chain canbe automated and non-productive time saved.The Autoadd project team has also developed

commonmetrics for evaluating LPBFmanufactur-ing equipment and identified them for the mostpopular equipment manufacturers as part of alarge-scale benchmarking exercise.

Petra Nolis

document2533318164348959368.indd 32 22.01.2019 13:02:01

R&D TECH FOCUS

331-2019

INFOIntegration of Additive Manufacturing Processesin Automobile Production - AutoaddProject period: June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2018Project volume: € 3.37 million, (with about a 57percent share of funding from the Federal Min-istry of Education and Research BMBF).W Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Munich,GermanyW Daimler AG, Ulm, GermanyW Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT,Aachen, GermanyW GKN Sinter Metals Engineering GmbH,Radevormwald, GermanyW Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karl-sruhe, GermanyW netfabb GmbH, Lupburg, GermanyW TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH,Ditzingen, Germany

R&D IN BRIEF

A sensor system learns to“hear”

Researchers of the Fraunhofer Institute forNondestructive Testing IZFP in Saarbrückenhave developed a sensor system that candetect failures or imperfections in systems andmachines quickly and reliably by means of anacoustic noise assessment similar to humanhearing.izfp.fraunhofer.de

Green laser to print copperand gold

The TruPrint 5000 is preheated to 500 degreesCelsius to print high-strength tool steel withoutcracks. A green laser in the 3D printer process-es copper and precious metals and allows fornew applications in tool and mould making,medical devices and the jewelry industry.trumpf.com

Harder 3D-printed tools

Additive manufacturing enables complex ge-ometries, but has been limited in terms ofhardness and component size. Researchers atthe Fraunhofer IKTS in Dresden have nowadapted the 3D printing process “Fused Fila-ment Fabrication” for hard metals. The devel-opment meets all requirements for the firsttime.ikts.fraunhofer.de

By using standardised benchmark jobswith dif-ferent test specimens, industrial users can nowcalculate transferable key figures withwhich theywill be able to find the most economical systemfor their purposes.

Additive mass manufacturing madepossible

In addition, a large stepwas taken towardsmakingadditivemanufacturing technology ready for seriesproduction. The reproducibility of the mechanicalproperties was demonstrated and evaluated in sev-eral state-of-the-art facilities. Integrating an eco-nomic additive process chain in automotive massproduction can now be considered possible afterthe end of the project.From an academic point of view, the research

project also brought about positive effects: Contentemerged from Autoadd for four dissertations, andthe knowledge thus gained can also be used forlectures.Moreover, in 2019, there will be another project,

partly based on the present results, dealing withthe line-integration of additivemanufacturing pro-cesses to implement the designed additive processchain. This is also the focus of this issue's coverstory.ilt.fraunhofer.de

AM factory design ofthe future.

Sou

rce:Trum

pf

Sou

rce:

Frau

nhofer

IZFP

/UweBellhäu

ser

Sou

rce:

IKTS

Frau

nhofer

Sou

rce:

Trum

pf

document2533318164348959368.indd 33 22.01.2019 13:02:04

TECH FOCUS CAD/CAM

34 1-2019

Simulation secures andexpands sheet metal formingSimulation provides a detailed view of manufacturing processes. Thesoftware takes into account the relevant physical aspects and providesapplication-focused functions.

Forming and joining simulation of a ZFB fork(left: strain hardening calculated by formingsimulation; right: calculated welding distortions).

INFODr. Hendrik Schaf-stall is ManagingDirector & CEO ofSimufact Engineer-ing GmbH in Ham-burg, Dr. IngoNeubauer is Direc-tor of Research &Innovation at thesame company,

At Simufact, feasibility is assessed by way of arealistic prediction of dimensional accuracy,cracking behaviour, possible crack formation

and exhausted deformation capability. Based onthe simulation results, product properties such aswall thickness distribution, edge curvature andhardness distribution resulting from strain hard-ening can be output.This information helps to put decisions regarding

method planning and tool design on a sound basis.Since the simulation software can be used directlyby the tool designer thanks to application-orienteduser guidance, the simulation can be carried outdirectly with the functional surface geometries ofthe tools. The geometric mapping of drawing barsis also possible in order to reproduce their effect onthe forming process with the greatest possible ac-curacy. Compared to the use of replacement mod-els, this procedure offers the advantage that, inaddition to the required forming forces, the condi-

tion of thematerial after passing through the draw-ing bead is also mapped in detail.On the product development side, there is a trend

towards more complex components with higherstrength requirements, which entails correspond-ingly high development costs for production. Thelightweight construction potential of sheet metalcomponents also leads to themanufacture of com-ponents that were previously designed as solidformed parts by sheet metal forming processes. Inaddition, forming processes are increasingly beingcombined, for example, to integrate functional el-ements such as gear teeth or threaded sleeves intosheet metal components by integrating stampingand cross-flow processes.A good example of this is the sheetmetal forging

process, which enables the integration and expan-sion of sheet metal components as an overridingobjective, but results in a significant increase incomponent complexity.

Hendrik Schafstall andIngo Neubauer

Sourc

e:Sim

ufact

document5935614976782388190.indd 34 22.01.2019 13:02:38

CAD/CAM TECH FOCUS

351-2019

As an essential feature of this forming process,solid forming processes such as upsetting or extru-sion are applied to deep-drawn or stretched inter-mediate form geometries or realised in a combinedprocess within a tool system. It is indispensableespecially for complex tools to secure a constructivedesign via simulation to improve economic effi-ciency. A process simulation requires the applica-tion and combination of simulation-specific tech-nologies developed for the modelling of the indi-vidual processes.The modelling tools of the Simufact products

enable the user to map all possibilities of the realprocess design in his calculation model. This way,process combinations such as sheetmetal formingcan be represented in detail on the simulationmod-el. Mapping algorithms enable precise data transferin order to switch from shell models to solid mod-els, if necessary. Thus, all functions typically re-quired for the simulation of cold forming process-es can be used. These include fully automaticre-networking in the event of major deformationand the use of ductile damage criteria to predictareas at risk of cracking. The software thus supportsall users who require a complete application formapping their forming processes.Products are created by assembling individual

parts using a joining technology adapted to thecomponent requirements, materials and quantities.Thismust be regarded as part of themanufacturingprocess chain, as it influences the dimensional ac-curacy and technical properties of the entire as-sembly. For this reason, it makes sense to mapassembly and joining processes in the virtual pro-cess chain with the same level of detail accuracyas is used for modelling the shape of the individu-al components.

Combination of forming and joiningprocesses

Industrial joining processes such as spot or pathwelding as well as forming joining processes suchas clinching or punch riveting can be simulated indetail with Simufact software. All Simufact prod-ucts use a compatible solver so that process chainsfrom forming and joining processes can also bemapped across programs. The central strut fork(ZFB) is used as an example. The component isformed from semi-finished sheet metal in a mul-ti-stage forming process and completed by arcwelding with web plates on the fork head. Themethod plan for the forming processwas validatedby simulation calculations. A volume model wasused for this procedure in order to map the effectsof the narrow bending radii with comparativelylarge material thicknesses. From the calculationsit was possible to deduce that the forming resultsin an increase in the yield strength from approx.460 to approx. 795 MPa.To determine the component distortion to be

expected from the joining process and its compen-sation, it can bemapped in detail in aweld structuresimulation. This was done for the ZSB fork bothwith andwithout consideration of strain hardeningfrom the previous forming process. It has beenshown that work hardening in the material leadsto different deformations of the component geom-etry with an unchanged clamping concept. The

Forming simulation withgeometrically modelleddrawing beads. Top:Section through the simu-lation model. Below:Degree of comparativeforming on the formedcomponent.

Tool system for the production of lamellar beams by means of solid sheet metal forming.

Sou

rce:

Sim

ufac

tSou

rce:

Sim

ufac

t

investigations carried out in co-operationwith theVollmann Group revealed the following: The dis-tortions at thewelding group calculated by neglect-ing this strain hardeningwere outside the requiredtolerances andwould have required compensationmeasures at the fixing device. On the other hand,the results of the calculations with considerationof strain hardening from the forming processshowed compliancewith the required dimension-al tolerances and also a better agreement with thereal distortions from the later experimental imple-mentation.It can be concluded that a reliable prediction of

distortion from a joining simulation also requiresconsideration of the forming history of the compo-nents to be joined. Therefore, it is possible to pre-vent making wrong decisions in the produc-tion-technical implementation of a process.simufact.de

document5935614976782388190.indd 35 22.01.2019 13:02:41

CASE STUDY CAD/CAM

36 1-2019

Support from different angles:Polyhitech’s use of Vero Software

QDM company Polyhitech uses several Vero Software brands in itsproduction cycle. While switiching software is always a risky undertaking,Polyhitech elaborates on the changes and benefits that came with the switchto Vero brands and their integration into existing systems.

The effects of the rightCAD software must neverbe underestimated.

Sou

rce:

Veroso

ft

INFOVero Software designs, develops and suppliesCAD/CAM/CAE software intended to improveefficiency in the design and manufacturingprocess.

AQuick Delivery Mould (QDM) specialist saysDraft Analysis is an important time-saver fortheir business, and has made a major contri-

bution towards meeting customers’ increasinglyfaster turnaround demands.In amarket that is rapidly changing and evolving,

the software cannot stay behind.Based at Incheon in South Korea, Polyhitech Co.

Ltd. use VISI as their CAD system for designing avariety of plastic injectionmould tools formedical,automotive and IT products. They also say it hasslashed surface editing time by up to 50%.But they are not standardmould tools. Polyhitech

focuses on QDM,which is amanufacturing systemfor injection parts using 3D CAD data that shortensdelivery time by assembling machined cores andcavities into a standardmould base. The system isused primarily for trial moulds for new productdevelopment.It costs 40% less than normal production, while

reducing delivery time to somewhere between threeand eight days. It is used largely for prototyping,verifying the mould at the pre-production stage,and small-quantity batch production.

Since Polyhitech establishment in 2007, the com-pany has always looked to develop leading tech-nology, and has invested in 19 machine tools cov-ering the entire manufacturing process – mills forcutting themoulds, high-speedmills for machiningelectrodes and cores, EDMs and injectionmouldingmachines Polyhitech’s Mould DesignManager, Jis-ung Li, says that, besides fast deliver times, cus-tomers also demand high precision, which is whereVISI from Vero Software comes in:“The main reason we invested in VISI was be-

cause our previous CAD system couldn’t fully de-liver our customers’ needs for shorter deliverytimes.Whenwe received data from themwe usedto edit the surface before starting themould designprocess.

document3222469866325738293.indd 36 22.01.2019 13:03:51

CAD/CAM CASE STUDY

371-2019

“But we found it difficult to meet deadlines, be-causewewere spending a lot of time editingwheresurfaces were corrupt or missing, and working oncomplex geometry where a high graphic perfor-mancewas required.We decided that the softwarewas no longer viable for us to meet the standardsof mould design and production that we required,so we invested in VISI to provide us with the solu-tion.” The step towardsVero Softwarewas thereforepartially a time-saving one.

Draft analysis and design

Amongst themany benefits they immediately saw,Jisung Li was particularly pleased with efficiencyimprovements in the form of reduced work time.“Thanks to VISI we were able to reduce the timespent on editing surfaces by somewhere between30 and 50 percent.”Jisung Li elaborates that the Draft Analysis func-

tion inVISI Analysis is perhaps themost importanttool for their mould design and production process.“I often use Draft Analysis after finishing the design.It’s so easy to check whether there are any under-cut areas. Our previous CAD system didn’t fullysupport this function, so I had to enlarge each partand check them one by one.“Now, usingVISI, I can quickly find any undercut

areas through the colour display by draft angle, andit’s possible to split the parting line according tothat.”At first understandably hesitant at the prospect

of changing software, which always bears risks ofits own, the initial suspicion gave way to pleasantsurprise as the software proved easy to learn.“It was so easy to learn. And given the continuing

trend towards small-batch quantity production, ifdemand for products using non-standard mouldbases continues to rise, we’re likely to invest inanother VISI Advanced Mould Tool module.”Vero is, however, not entirely uncharted territory

as Polyhitech also works with two other Vero

A synergy between all parts of the production process is a necessity for efficiency.However, introducing new software into an existing process can swing both ways.

This synergy also includes communication between thedifferent departments. Efficiency is never restricted toone department.

Sou

rce:

Veroso

ft

Sou

rce:

Veroso

ft

brands in their overall production process.WorkNCcreates reliable and efficient tool paths to cutmoulds on their CNC mills, while theWorkXplorehigh-sped collaborative communication viewer isused for inter-departmental communication andproducing accurate financial quotes for the cus-tomers’ mould tools.Before starting the design,WorkXplore thorough-

ly reviews the existing CAD data for the product,using annotation and the analysis function for cur-vature radii, draft angles, section and thickness. It’salso used for detailed communication between thedesign team and customer.

Synergy

Sales Director Yong Duk Kim is Polyhitech’s prin-cipal WorkXplore user. He says: “The biggest syn-ergy came from the software’s powerful data com-patibility. It’s so easy to import third-party CADdata of the product design and also to open themould design data fromVISI. It’s an essential partof the communication process betweenmy designteam and the customer.”With this compatibility both within the compa-

ny and with third-party design data, Polyhitech isable to respond to a changingmarket with shiftingdemands.In conclusion, Yong Duk Kim says: “The QDM

market has been changing rapidly – the rise of smartphones in particular means means demand fortraditional mobile phone components is decreasing.In accordance with these changes, we’ve investedaggressively in our facilities and improved tech-nology through VISI, WorkNC andWorkXplore.“As a result, we have the best technical solution

in the QDM industry, enabling us to producemouldsof up to 450 mm, giving us a clear competitiveadvantage. We’re now looking for the software tobe an integral part of promoting QDM to new busi-ness sectors.”verosoftware.com

document3222469866325738293.indd 37 22.01.2019 13:03:53

38 1-2019

Increase in productivity

Sou

rce:

Certizit

The philosophy of WVG alu-tec is simple:"Everything from a single source." Beginningwith the conception up to the finished product

as well as packaging and logistics, the company isa competent partner for its customers, providingconsultation, construction and development, pro-duction and surface refinement of aluminium cast-ings. "We don't just offer our customers one castpart and leave it to everyone," stresses Armin Gru-hs. "We also coat, polish, chrome or anodize thesurfaces.The cast aluminium components are manufac-

tured for a wide variety of industries. "We are veryactive in the high-price furniture sector. We deliv-er worldwide". The 53-year-old cites the "sky light"as the best example. "For sky, we are the only sup-plier in Germany that produces the componentsfor their luminaires.” In general, more than 85% ofthe lighting systems that hang in restaurants orbeer gardens are covered by the aluminium castingspecialist. Here, WVG alu-tec is also active as a

system supplier for assemblies and, if required, isable to build a finished component from variouscomponents. "With us, customers get a genuine,all-round carefree package," says the managingdirector.ForWVG alu-tec to be able to offer these complete

solutions, CNCmachining was introduced in 2010and has been continuously expanded ever since,until the company finally reached its spatial limitsin 2016 and had to relocate to Bad Arolsen. "Al-though this was a very high investment, it was thebest decision of recent years," recalls Armin Gruhs,who used this opportunity not only to modernisethe foundry to fully electronically heated meltingfurnaces, but also to expand the CNC departmentby two additional machines. For example, invest-mentwasmade in a 5-axis Hedelius T7, whichmadeit possible tomachine up to 2,600mm in the X-ax-is. "With this machine, we can also manufacturedeep-drawing tools that can be used to produceoversized components. Almost all illuminated signs

INFOWVG alu-tecspecialises in thedevelopment andproduction ofaluminium gravitydie castingelements andwas founded in2001 by ArminGruhs in Breuna.

The aluminium casting specialist WVG alu-tec now mills seven times faster.The company is supported by the machining specialists of Ceratizit, who notonly supply the high-quality tools for the CNC machines, but also optimisethe productivity of WVG alu-tec by way of their competent advice.

Drilling, centring, milling – the WNTimmersion milling cutter MonsterMillPCR UNI from Ceratizit combinesthree tools in one.

document8293121804658021003.indd 38 22.01.2019 13:04:18

MILLING CASE STUDY

391-2019

with plastic housings, e.g., from DEVK, HDI, Doug-las, Gazprom, Lego, Playmobil or McFit, were builtwith our tools," reveals Gruhs.Precision in the µ-range is crucial for the compa-

ny. High quantity and quality are already takeninto account in aluminium casting, so that precisioncan also be effective in post-processing. A highconcentricity of the CNCmachines is therefore justas important as the choice of the right tool. AndWVG alu-tec obtains this fromCeratizit DeutschlandGmbH right from the start. "We naturally also test-ed other suppliers, but nobody could really convinceus.

State-of-the-art tool solutions

With Ceratizit we not only get optimum millingand drilling tools for our applications, but also ex-cellent technical service," says Gruhs. This is deci-sive for him. "We have somany other constructionsites that we have to take care of, there is often notime to deal with the optimal use of milling anddrilling tools. That's what the Ceratizit specialistsare for," he sums up. "With Thomas Sicke, we havea highly competent Ceratizit application engineerwho also keeps us up to date on new tool solutions.Thismeans that our production is constantly beingimproved.Elmar Schemm, head of the CNC department at

WVG alu-tec, gives a concrete example: "We had tomill grooves in steel rails and needed approx. 10minutes per rail with a cutter head. Then ThomasSicke came and brought us the Monstermill PCRUni.With this immersionmilling cutter, the groovewas ready in 1½ minutes," Schemm recalls andlaughs: "I was so quick with this new tool that Icould have taken the afternoon off directly." Thisreduction in throughput times is due to the enor-mous cutting parameters that are possible with theplungemilling cutter from Ceratizit'sWNTproductline. Thismeans that tooth feeds of up to 0.137mm/rev for ramping, groove milling and trimming canbe easily achieved. The four-edged milling cutternot only impresses with its high chip removal rateduring roughing, but also with its extremely quiet

Armin Gruhs, managingpartner of WVG alu-tec,is still on the road tosuccess with hiscompany.

With the Hedelius T7,Elmar Schemm canmachine up to 2,600mm in the X-axis. Thisalso enables thecompany to manufac-ture deep-drawing tools.

Sou

rce:

Ceratizit

Sou

rce:

Ceratizit

running. According to Elmar Schemm, this featurewas also extremely important for the productionof the rails, as it ensured a stable and, above all,precise machining process.With its solution for tool procurement, Ceratizit

succeeded in increasing the efficiency of the com-pany. "As a structured company, I wanted a systemwith which every employee who operates a CNCmachine could understand which tools are usedwith which chucks," explains Armin Gruhs. "Be-cause," the entrepreneur is sure, "the search for theright tool is the biggest time-waster". Furthermore,it should be ensured that the required tool is avail-able at all times, so that tool supply is available atall times, even in shift operation.With the latest generation of theWNT automat-

ic tool dispenser, Thomas Sicke was also able tooffer a solution here. The Tool-O-Mat not only storesall the relevant data that the machine operatorneeds for his work, it is also automatically filledwith the required tools - without any action on thepart of the customer. The software in the systemreports when tools run out and informs the Ceratizitservice technician, who immediately initiates thefilling process. If critical filling levels occur due tounplanned increasedwithdrawals, Ceratizit sendsan express delivery to the customer, which arriveson the following working day.Armin Gruhs has many ideas for his company.

In the future, he intends to position himself morestrongly as a contractmanufacturer in themachin-ing sector and expand his portfolio. He continuesto rely on the support of Ceratizit and its applicationengineer Thomas Sicke, who can offer both optimaltool solutions and technical assistance. The headof WVG alu-tec is convinced that this will enablethe company to continue manufacturing produc-tively and to a high standard in the future and tofurther improve its market position.alu-tecwvg.deceratizit.com

document8293121804658021003.indd 39 22.01.2019 13:04:23

CASE STUDY MACHINING EQUIPMENT

40 1-2019

Up to 99% good parts thanksto automated productionWith interlinkages consisting of three turning/milling centres each, a moderncustomer foundry was able to transform itself into a future-orientedfull-range supplier. Components for engines are manufactured on theinterlinked turning/milling centres.

Three NLX 2500|700s are linked to each other via a portal loader.

Sou

rce:

DMG

Mori

INFOSascha Dietze isan editor at Press-gate GmbH inCologne. Furtherinformation:DMG Mori globalmarketing GmbH,Tel. (0 89) 2 48 8359 60

Customers have increasing demands for com-plete solutions. Different parts from differentsuppliers are getting rare. Therefore, suppliers

mustmeet these expectations by investing in com-plete solution models, allowing every part of theproduction process to take place on site. Withhigh-quality and ready-to-install cast products forthe automotive industry, Eisenwerk Erla offers itscustomers integrated complete solutions. Theseinclude, for example, turbine housings, exhaustpipes and manifolds as well as various fasteningelements for engines. In addition, Erla has a largenetwork of co-operation partners for the post-pro-

cessing of cast parts. They set out to provide a com-plete package for every order.“However, wewould not have received themajor

customer order from the end of 2015 with this ap-proach,” recalls Dietmar Hahn, Managing Directorof Eisenwerk Erla. At the turn of the year, the ideahad matured to set up a proprietary productionfacility for the product family. The components aredifferent variants for three, four and six-cylinderengines.The idea quickly turned into a concrete project.

With an investment volume of around seven mil-lion euros, the ironworks rebuilt an old boiler house

Sascha Dietze

document1968463594577681251.indd 40 22.01.2019 13:04:51

MACHINING EQUIPMENT CASE STUDY

411-2019

and prepared it for the installation of the CNCma-chines. “First, we wanted to load the machinesmanually,” says Dietmar Hahn about the originalplan.However, DMG Mori then suggested completely

automated production. “The concept of interlinkedturning/mill centres – all NLX 2500|700 –was con-vincing from both a qualitative and an economicpoint of view.” Manual reclamping between themachining steps is more prone to errors and morepersonnel would have been needed without theinterlinking, personnel that would first have to behired and trained.

Up to 99% error-free componentsthanks to automated production

The newly created division employs 18 skilledworkers, making Eisenwerk Erla an attractive re-gional employer. A foreman, a material flow coor-dinator and threemachine operators are responsi-ble for each shift. There are 17 shifts per week. RicoKlotz has been involved in the development ofmechanical processing from the outset and nowmanages it: “Our aim was to make production assimple as possible for all employees in order tominimise the risk of errors.” Every finished com-ponent is tested for accuracy of fit in special fix-tures. “We use similar fixtures for the interval in-spection in the measuring room and the transportboxes are also standardised in such a way that thecomponents can be removed by robot during as-sembly and installed immediately.” The entire pro-duction process has therefore been completelyautomated. This does not only have a positive eco-nomic effect, but a qualitative one as well.Five of the six linkages are absolutely identical,

one is also designed for longer components. Thisconstellation allows the employees to react flexiblyto the respective requirements. On the machineside, Eisenwerk Erla has decided to link three NLX2500|700s together. Rico Klotz sees the advantageof a turning/milling centre over a milling machinein the shorter chip-to-chip time:“By milling with a turret we achieve noticeably

shorter cycle times. This would be about 100 sec-onds per workpiece. The highlight here is the BMTturret from DMG Mori; the maximum speed is10,000 min-1 and the torque is up to 40 Nm.”For the team, automated production begins by

stocking sufficient blanks and loading the ma-chines. The conveyor belt detects the placement bylaser and stops for this moment. Another laser de-tects which components are involved. Before therobot picks them up, the component is broughtinto the exact position so that it is clamped cor-rectly in the machine.

Trend towards complete solutions

“The first machine drilled holes and milled thereference surfaces. On the second, the contact sur-faces of the contours are milled. Further recessesare milled on the third machine,” explains RicoKlotz. Between the machining steps, two turningand reversing stations ensure that the workpiecesare clamped with the correct side.For DMG Mori, the installation of the 18 inter-

linked machines was a turnkey project that also

Before the robot picks up the component, it is brought into the exact position sothat correct clamping takes place in the machine.

Automatic workpiece transport by the gantry loader.Sou

rce:

DMG

Mori

Sou

rce:

DMG

Mori

included the creation of the associated NC pro-grams. “After commissioning, there were only mi-nor adjustments. Since then, the system has beenrunning almost error-free,” says Rico Klotz after justover a year. A rejection rate of less than 1% is im-pressive proof of this. “This, of course, ensures thatonly fault-free components go to the customer. Thisasured quality, combinedwith the offer of completesolutions, is making thismore andmore attractivefor customers and companies alike.”Dietmar Hahn is positive about the entry into

mechanical processing and is prepared to continuealong this path. “The trend is towards being ableto offer complete solutions. This is what more andmore customers are demanding”. The foundationstone was laid with the conversion of the old boil-er house. “Suitable surfaces for further investmentsare at our disposal.”eisenwerk-erla.dedmgmori.com

document1968463594577681251.indd 41 22.01.2019 13:04:53

CASE STUDY MACHINING EQUIPMENT

42 1-2019

Maximum precision: Unmanned and24/7 – Kern Micro machines at Buschor

Precision, reliability and economic efficiency have the highest priority forBuschor Präzisionsmechanik AG. With 10 Kern Micro five-axis machiningcentres, the Swiss company has improved its performance in all three areas.

Saving time andspace: Kern Microhad to achieve both inSwitzerland.

Sou

rce:

Kern

Werner Buschor leaves nothing to chance. Inorder to manufacture the high-precisionparts that he primarily supplies to the op-

tical industry as well as to the aerospace industry,the Swiss medium-sized company has aligned theentire machining process chain throughout withminimum tolerances. The entire production area isair-conditioned, raw material is always annealed20 times at his company beforemachining and themanufactured components are checked byWernerBuschor and his team on a high-precision Leitzmeasuring machine.Finally, the finished parts are always delivered

to the customers directly to ensure that they arenot damaged during transport. All this reflects the“joy of precision” that Buschor has also writteninto his company logo.

Werner Buschor has continuously built up thisprocess chain since he founded his company, Bus-chor Präzisionsmechanik AG, in Au in eastern Swit-zerland in 1989. About three years ago, the trainedpolymechanic wanted and had to increase theprocess reliability of production once again. Partswith tolerances in the micrometre range were tobe produced automatically and unmanned even atnight and on weekends. In his search for the rightmachine, he came acrossMicro fromKern. After anintensive exchange with Kern sales technicianStephan Zeller and several visits to Eschenlohe inUpper Bavaria, he invested in the first machine.Buschor explains: "The Kern Micro is the first

milling centre that can stand up to our measuringmachine, which we had purchased two years ear-lier. The measuring machine has a measurement

document3169554958922054121.indd 42 22.01.2019 13:05:45

MACHINING EQUIPMENT CASE STUDY

431-2019

uncertainty of half a thousandth of a millimetreand the Kern Micro offers a positioning accuracyof half a thousandth of a millimetre.The first KernMicrowas immediately connected

to a 3R automation system, with the possibility ofadapting a secondmachine. The large tool magazinewith 186 tools and the reproducibility of the KernMicro are made for autonomous production. “Atlast, we can produce 50 workpieces requiring thehighest precision unmanned,” emphasises the com-pany owner and adds: “Only this way canwe secureour marketability at our high-wage location. Theempty job market is also forcing us to produceautonomously.“Since we no longer have to stand permanently

at themachine to produce good parts, we have timeto take care of the other important things at thecompany. The other 5-axis milling centres alreadyin place are all automated but do not achieve thenecessary process stability in unmanned operation,”says Buschor.“It is a real pleasure to be able to produce

high-precision parts with such a machine. Whenwe measure, it's always amazing to see how pre-cisely the machine works.”The thermal stability of themachine is a decisive

factor for this high process reliability. Kern salesengineer Stephan Zeller explains: “Thanks to a so-phisticated coolingmanagement system,we ensurethat the cooling circuits of all heat-inducing actu-ators are kept down to 0.2°C constantly.”In addition, the developers at themachineman-

ufacturer in Eschenlohe attach great importance toinstalling many elements vibration-decoupled orvibration-damped. Patented light-metal axle beamsand Kern software for permanent space compen-sation round off the performance spectrum of thishigh-tech machine.

Compact design

Another advantage for Buschor is the compact de-sign of the Kern milling centre. According to thecompany boss, there was not much space left asearly as 2015when the first KernMicrowas added:“The ratio of installation area to part size is gigantic;the Kern Micro allows part sizes of up to 350 mmin diameter with a total weight of 80 to 50 kg andthat on approx. 4 m².”

Buschor is planning to further increase the number of Kern machines.

The key to a smoothproduction process isquick support.

Sou

rce:

Kern

Sou

rce:

Kern

INFOBuschor Präzi-sions-mechanikAG specialises inthe machining ofhigh-quality preci-sion parts in smalland medium-sizedseries as well asprototypes.

ForWerner Buschor, the space-saving design hasalready paid off.When the flood of new orders didnot stop, hewas able to install a second KernMicroat the end of 2017. The purchase of a third Micro isalready in the pipeline.The high process reliability is not only important

in unmanned operation. As Buschor alsomanufac-tures prototypes in addition to the series businesswith batch sizes of 20 to 20,000 units, the two Kernmachines are frequently used for these orders. “Es-pecially with complex parts, it used to be a greateffort," emphasises Buschor. They produced a testpart, measured it, made corrections, produced an-other part, measured it and often corrected it again.“With the Kern Micro, the first parts already fit,which makes me fast and flexible.”

Support is key

The entrepreneur's satisfaction also stems from thegood co-operationwith KernMicrotechnik GmbH.If there are problems, Kern offers support – thisapplies equally to the machine as well as to themanufacturing process.One of Kern's decisive advantages is that, in ad-

dition to mechanical engineering, it also has itsown parts production, emphasises Buschor. Thanksto the contract manufacturer in Murnau, UpperBavaria, who are equipped with their own ma-chines, the technicians are always up to date withthe latest application technology and are availableto assist customers with specific milling tasks.With its motto, “The joy of precision”, Buschor

meets like-minded people at Kern. Stephan Zeller,a trained master precision mechanic himself, em-phasises: “It makesme very proud that we are ableto support the famous 'Swiss precision' to such anextent". In order to provide these services to cus-tomers in Switzerland, Kern has a service locationnear Zurich. From there, service technicians withknow-how and spare parts provide assistance.kern-microtechnik.comwbuschor.ch

document3169554958922054121.indd 43 22.01.2019 13:05:49

44 1-2019

Roughing record in termsof cutting volumeIn roughing milling, machining performance is what matters when it comesto productivity. Much depends on the performance of the machine tool,which plays a major role. A newly developed shell end mill even cutstitanium alloys with what is known as an unprecedented cutting volume.

The cone flange mount and theKM4X connection provide the HarviUltra 8X with a particularly highlevel of stability – unmatched so far.

INFOCarsten Gromoll isMarketing Managerat Kennametal Inc.in Latrobe, PA(USA). (0 60 03) 8277-0, Rosbach.sales@kennametal.com, www.kenna-metal.com/harvi-ultra-8x

Imagine you could remove more than 1,000 cm³of material from a Ti6Al4V titanium block witha roughing tool in just one minute! If you had

recently seen Kennametal's new Harvi Ultra 8Xdrum end mill being tested, you would have wit-nessed this amazing performance. With an axialcutting depth of 95 mm, a radial cutting depth of20 mm and a feed rate of 423 mm/min, a HarviUltra 8Xwith a diameter of 80mmworked its wayeffortlessly through the hard-to-machine aerospacegrade superalloy in just three minutes.

Performance level confirmed

TimMarshall, responsible for insert milling at Ken-nametal, has tested the Harvi Ultra 8Xwith a num-ber of customers and has continued to expand thecapabilities of the new cutter. The Harvi Ultra 8Xcan now be used to machine a wide range of ma-terials, from 15-5 PH stainless steel and cast iron toAermet 100 special alloys (high-strength steel).A strong performance is, however, not a univer-

sal concept. Different companies focus on differentaspects of a given tool andmight put emphasis on

very specific details. "Kennametal has developedthe Harvi Ultra 8X to meet the different require-ments of the market," explains Marshall. In theaerospace industry, for example, tools with maxi-mum cutting performance and a long service lifeare needed tomeet the increasing demand. In con-trast, according to Marshall, machine tool manu-facturers and some other users need tools that canwithstand high cutting speeds and generate onlylow machining forces in order to minimise wearonmachine components even under extreme cut-ting conditions. The Harvi Ultra 8Xmeets all theserequirements, and can do much more.

Effective vibration damping

Even if many chips are produced duringmachining,a tool should be able to remain in mesh for longerthan three minutes, if possible. According to Mar-shall, this is easily possible with the system.Withthis tool, 328 cm³ of Ti6Al4V can be machined perminute while a tool life of 60 minutes per cuttingedge is still achieved. These values are based on thespecial design of the tool:

Carsten Gromoll

CASE STUDY

Sourc

e:Kennam

etal

document7906768871453886271.indd 44 22.01.2019 13:06:21

CUTTING TOOLS CASE STUDY

451-2019

W Due to the double-sided indexable insert with apositive rake angle, the costs per cutting edge arevery low. At the same time, energy consumptionis reduced by up to 50%.

W The special AlTiN+TiN-PVD coating is thermallyvery resistant. And unlike other grades on themarket, the Kennametal high-performance car-bide grade KCSM40 leads to a significantly longerservice life.

W Themilling body ismade of a higher quality steelthan that of themarket leaders, which increasesrigidity at high cutting forces.

W The special tapered screw-on flange mountingensuresmuch better bending stiffness comparedto the systems that can usually be plugged on.

W The variable helix design reduces vibration andresonance problems. This extends tool life, im-proves part quality and increases throughput.

The last point is particularly important: Because ofthe variable helix geometry, a vibration build-upthat can damage the carbide is minimised. It isalso beneficial that indexable inserts of 12 and 10mmare used, because due to the reduced size, moreindexable inserts can be accommodated in themill-ing body, whichmeans thatmore indexable insertsare engaged during machining and that each indi-vidual insert is therefore subjected to less stressduring heavy machining.

Speed and feed at a new level

Thanks to the precise feed, the coolant also flowsexactly to the right places. The shape of the chipgrooves and coolant channels guarantees very goodchip removal. And largeM4Torx Plus screwsmakeeverything very stable. If a particularly high stabil-ity of the tool holder is required, a typewith KM4Xconnection is available.The cutting edge preparation specially designed

for the KCSM40 grade increases tool life. Thanks tothe corner radii of 0.8 to 6.4 mm that can be

Kennametal’s flexible Harvi Ultra 8X tooling system portfolio makes it suitablefor almost any task.

The Harvi Ultra 8X fromKennametal can machineup to 328 cm³ of titaniumper minute for both slotand profile milling. Thetool life is at least onehour.

Sou

rce:

Ken

nametal

achieved, the tool is suitable for almost all machin-ing operations.The indexable insert concept not only reduces

costs per cutting edge, cutting speeds and feed ratescan also be increased to an unprecedented level.And because the Harvi Ultra 8X is available withvarious spindle connections, themilling cutter canbe used in almost any machine tool without im-pairing its rigidity. "If we compare the results withthose achieved with competitor tools or with oth-er tools from our range, we can clearly see howpowerful the system is," emphasises Marshall. TheHarvi Ultra 8X is the right tool system for anyonewho wants to achieve maximum productivity atthe lowest possible cost per cutting edge.kennametal.com

Sou

rce:

Ken

nametal

document7906768871453886271.indd 45 22.01.2019 13:06:26

INTERVIEW

46 1-2019

Makerbot's new Method:The first performance 3D printerAfter covering 3D printing and its way into the production hall in this issue’scover story, I took the opportunity to ask Makerbot CEO Nadav Goshen a fewquestions after the launch of their new product – Method, a 3D printer goingthe opposite way by bringing industrial technology to the desktop.

Method from Makerbot aims to bring industrial-leveltechnology to designer’s desks.

Sou

rce:Mak

erbo

t

Intrigued by the unique positioning of Methodafter covering its launch, I seized the opportuni-ty to ask Nadav Goshen a few questions regard-

ing the idea behind Method, the challenges of itsdesign and his opinion on the future of the indus-try. In the following, you will come to understandwhy Method is not a typical 3D printer and whatsets it apart from others.Nadav Goshen noticed the absence of advanced

3D printing from the desktops of professionals.

Often, the printers present were insufficient atmeeting the ever increasing demands. The answerto this dilemmawasMethod: “We built Method forprofessionals who need immediate access to a 3Dprinter that can deliver industrial performance andat a significantly lower cost. Method brings featuresthat were previously only available on industrial3D printers to professionals in amuchmore acces-sible form.” The Makerbot CEO understood thattime is not the only crucial factor in prototyping,

Steffen Donath

document5184894509228506631.indd 46 25.01.2019 09:11:38

INTERVIEW

471-2019

but that reliable quality was just as important forany prototype. Usually, the process of developingsuch a detailed prototype could take weeks.With Method, this is reduced to hours and can

be done in-house. “Method brings a much-neededtool downstream, making industrial technologiesavailable to individual designers and engineers toenable them to accelerate their development pro-cesses.“When designing Method, it was important to

deliver all the functions needed in a small package.What needed to be adopted from industrial print-ers was a trial and error process for Makerbot. Thecustomers’ needs were always most important.“Without features such as a circulating heated

chamber, performance dual extruders, sealed ma-terial bays or a rigid frame, wewould not have beenable to deliver industrial-level precision and relia-bility.We incorporated industrial technologies intoa much more accessible form and at a disruptiveprice point. We also conducted extensive testingalong each step of the development process, fromcomponent-level testing to large-scale demonstra-tion testing, to ensurewe are delivering a high-per-formance 3D printing experience to users,” Goshenexplains. And everything that had previously oc-cupied large industrial halls now had to fit on adesk.

First performance 3D printer

Nadav Goshen is rightfully specific about separat-ing his product from other desktop 3D printers:“Method was built with industrial DNA at its core.It is the first performance 3D printer, and makesindustrial 3D printing features accessible to design-ers and engineers.” The "common" hobbyist desktop3D printer lacks the industrial capabilities of Meth-od. They are not able to fulfill the ever-increasingdemands of professionals.Next, I wanted to know about Nadav Goshen's

insight into the market. I asked where he thoughtthe AM sector is headed in 2019. He recognised theincreasing need for MA and, thus, for 3D printersthat can match these demands at the prototypingstage.“We are seeing additive budgets grow and shift

toward manufacturing with new metal and othertechnologies. As companies continue to implementadvanced forms of additive manufacturing, it iscritical for companies to adopt 3D printing on alarger scale and to have prototyping 3D printersthat can match the complex geometries requiredfor the end-produced parts.”While this is exciting, it also puts increased pres-

sure on companies that might still be lacking theadequate tools to deal with the increased demands,Goshen explains. The problem is the gap betweendesign/prototyping tools and themachines in pro-duction halls. Too much time is lost here.“Method is [the] solution. With Method, design-

ers and engineers have direct access to an indus-trial-grade 3D printer at a significantly lower cost.”This is important for companies as the tools ofdesigners need tomatch the technological standardof the industry. With AM becoming increasinglyimportant in various fields, an investment in theright tools appears just as important as the produc-tion methods.

Nadav Goshen is the CEOof Makerbot.

Method went through a rigorous design process to ensure customers’ needs were met.

Sou

rce:Mak

erbo

t

Sou

rce:Mak

erbo

t

“We need to grow an additivemanufacturing mindset”Lastly, I asked about the challenges Nadav Goshensees for the industry in the future. “We need to growan additive manufacturing mindset within organ-isations. Although still in its infancy, advancedindustrial additive technologies are radicalisingtraditional manufacturing processeswith the abil-ity to create custom, short-run parts.”Many companies are struggling to stay compet-

itive. The constant pressure to innovate and designin less time is one of the great challenges a lot ofcompanies face. But with the increased importanceof AM come the the new design possibilities thatsimplywere not possible in the past. Utilising theseto stay on top is the key to a successful future.“However, this requires engineers and designers

to “think” and design in advanced manufacturing.We are making 3D printing more accessible to thefull workforce. By having Method next to any en-gineer or designer, we are helping to spread theadditive manufacturing mindset so that they candesign better products in the future.”The increased importance of AM and the constant

need for innovations in less time brings opportu-nities and problems alike, as the cover story (forinstance) has shown. To deal with them and at thesame time make the most of this new technologyis a great challenge. As I learned in my interviewwith Nadav Goshen, Method was designed to facethis challenge by not only cutting down the timefor prototyping, but improving the quality at thesame time.I want to thank Nadav Goshen for taking the time

to answer my questions.makerbot.com

document5184894509228506631.indd 47 25.01.2019 09:11:51

INTERVIEW

48 1-2019

An interview about Moulding Expo2019 with Florian Schmitz

With Moulding Expo 2019 already on the horizon, I took the opportunity toask Florian Schmitz a few questions. He is one of the organisers of the eventand was happy to participate in this little interview.

Florian Schmitz is oneof the organisers ofMoulding Expo 2019.He was kind enough toanswer a few of myquestions regardingthis year’s event.

Sou

rce:

Messe

Stuttga

rt

Steffen Donath

As anyone who has worked on large projectswill tell you, planning is absolute key. This iswhere a lot of problems concerning time can

be mitigated. As expected, everything is on coursefor this year's expo, according to Florian Schmitz:This year, they were able to secure a far better

timeframe for the expo and along with it a goodhall constellation for all the participants. “All fourMEX halls are lined up like a string of pearls,”Schmitz explains.“In addition, we have attractive parallel events

at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre with the UKIAutomotive Shows, the GKV/TecPart "Forum ofPlastic Products", the Forum of the German Asso-ciation for Materials Management, Purchasing and

Logistics (BME) and the Fraunhofer IPAUser Forum"Additive Production Technologies."Organising such an event always involves per-

sonal investment. One generally notices if an or-ganiser does or does not care about the actual eventhe or she is setting up. Therefore, I was interestedin the personal side of the matter and wanted toknowwhat the organiser himself is looking forwardto regarding this expo.“The highlight for me personally is the atmos-

phere in the halls. I'm already looking forward towelcoming so many people to Stuttgart who arepassionate about tool, model and mould-making.”Schmitz enthuses. Just as he notices that MouldingExpo is slowly popping up in the minds of thoseparticipating and with it the anticipation of theevent, so too does Schmitz's anticipation rise.Accompanying events will take place parallel to

Moulding Expo. The planning and organising ofthese events is something to be done in the comingweeks.When asked about what he is looking forward

to the most, the highlight of the expo appears toalready be set: “It will certainly again be the ISTMALounge of the International Association of Tool-makers or the live production of our MEX give-aways.”Finally, I was interested in the evolution of the

event. Moulding Expo first opened its doors in 2015and since then, the event has undergone changes.Back then the event was initiallymetwith cautiouscuriosity, explains Schmitz, as the industry waseager to present themselves in their first event.“Since then, we, the MEX team, have been keen

to play an active role in the industry, even outsideof the hot trade fair phase. We use the two yearsbetween the events to actively participate in in-dustry events, visit companies and conclude newco-operations with associations at home andabroad.”As should be apparent by now, even outside the

event, Moulding Expo is a strong supporter of theindustry. Regarding the show, while some thingsdo change over the years, some will also stay thesame: “Moulding Expo 2019 will also change thecontent of forums, supporting programme itemsand hall occupancy. But what remains is the factthat we are being heard beyond the borders of Ger-many and Europe and have developed into a strongeconomic platform for tool, model andmould-mak-ing in the middle of Europe's strongest industrialregion.”I want to thank Florian Schmitz for taking the time

to answer my questions.messe-stuttgart.de/moulding-expo/

document9006490053643578465.indd 48 25.01.2019 08:52:41

ZOOMED IN

491-2019

A company’s own start-upAstart-upwithin your own company? Just trust

the employees and give them room to exper-iment? At Igus, it's everyday life. Tom Krause

and Gerhard Baus used the example of additivemanufacturing to show us what it looks like.From the injection moulding machines on the

left, past the energy chain assembly, between thetest stands (better known as the torture chamber),suddenly, one comes across a freeformer, a 3D print-er. The final destination is now within reach. Pastseveral 3D printers, then to the right and at the endof the corridor there's a cabin in the lively produc-tion hall. This cabin is our objective.This is where the current centre of the Growth

Business Unit (BU) Additive Manufacturing is lo-cated: an SLS printer from EOS. Although custom-er orders are printed on this Formiga, almost halfof the working time is devoted to the further de-velopment of materials and the improvement ofproduction properties.Since the young department cannot achieve its

RoI (Return on Investment) in this way, two furtherSLS systems have been added in the meantime, aswell as an SLA machine. "We are building a 3Dprinting factory on the site," explains Tom Krauseproudly. He is the head of the Additive Manufac-turing department.Krausewas involved in development and carried

out tests with plain bearings for customers andfurther developed them. At that time, Igus wasalready producing prototypes with additives. Butwouldn't it make sense to also produce specialwear-parts using additive processes?Willing to tackle the idea, Krause received the

necessary components from his employer and builta filament printer at home. "This activity was sup-ported by the company", assures Gerhard Baus,authorised for signatory New Business Develop-ment. Of course, we don't want employees secret-ly takingmaterials with them and then selling themoff." But Baus explains that Igus is open to tinkering,experimenting and thinking ahead."And so, Krause took his first stepswithin his own

four walls with his printer assembled from Iguscomponents and a piece of filament from the pol-ymer Iglidur A180, which he had cut off duringcompounding. According to Krause, these partswere of little use because the shrinkage was toogreat. He also explained this to the management."But theywere already enthusiastic andwanted

me to continue," recalls Krause. That was in Sum-mer 2013. The task nowwas to develop a filamentfor FFF printing for the Hannover Messe 2014 andbring it to the market. Since the development ofthe material involved many test runs in order toachieve the rightmixture betweenwear resistanceand suppleness, Krause was entrusted with thisfull-time job.The take-away message from Krause's endeav-

ours was that ideas must be given a chance andemployees must be trusted.What if nobody cares? "We have already intro-

duced a few products for which there was no in-

terest," admits Baus. "We then put these projectsin a drawer and retrieved them three or four yearslater. Some of them then met with interest".From the very beginning Igus has lived according

to this philosophy. Since its foundation in 1964 andthe years following, when Günter andMargret Blasesold only a few of their technical plastic parts, theCologne-based company has faced new challengesand hurdles time and time again, from the difficul-ty of convincing users that plastic can also replacemetal in plain bearings, to the major project of theonline consulting tool with all its financial invest-ments and IT pitfalls.Particularly in the case of growth business units

such as Krause's, the trust that Frank Blase and hismanagement have in their employees is evident."What is very important here is transparency," ex-plains Baus. As the person responsible for the BUs,he is also the contact person for both the manage-ment and the employees and is involved in regularmeetings.

Give an idea a chance

"In the event of setbacks, themanagement usuallyencourages people," he adds, "because at the verybeginning you have to give an idea a chance. Inaddition, there is no fixed time bywhen a BUmustmake a profit. A development that suggests a futureprofit must, however, be recognisable. "We havedevelopedmany products in thismanner and knowthat we are going through a dry spell for the timebeing," says Baus, explaining the apparent calmnessof the management.The guiding principle is that the team decides,

not the management.Although the sample bags with the self-devel-

oped Iglidur I170 and I180 filaments distributed atthe 2014 Hanover Fair werewell received, the print-ing service initiated a year later ran only moder-ately. It was probably due to the process. "Whenwe started laser sintering, success came very quick-ly," says Krause. Since then, BU Additive Manufac-turing has enjoyed high high growth rates and al-ready has six employees, each of whom is entrust-ed with a different task, such as materialdevelopment or process automation.The company follows a philosophy of a flat hi-

erarchy in which employees manage themselves.In Krause's department, the team talks aboutwhichtasks it can complete in the next two weeks andhow it can do this. "We don't have to clarify smalldecisionswith themanagement," adds Krause. Thissimplifies the division of work. Igus currently hassix of these growth BUs. "Others are currently beingset up," adds Baus. The BUs do not have to be cre-ated in the company's own home, as is the casewith Krause. It is common for them to be set up onthe basis of customer requirements. But the proce-dure is the same. Igus allows ideas to flourish, evenif it means creating a start-upwithin the company.

Simone Käferigus.de

Tom Krause in front of thenew 3D printers.

Sou

rce:

Igus

TIMELINE

2013Krause startsexperimenting withhis self-built 3Dprinter. The partsand materials wereprovided by Igus.

2014Igus presents itsfirst two filamentsfor additive pro-duction at theHanover Fair.

2015Igus brings the 3Dprinting service tolife. It is only with anew process thatthis service meetswith customerinterest.

2018Six people work inthe department;the purchase ofseveral machinesis planned.

document940776653271888016.indd 49 22.01.2019 13:07:24

EUROPE

50 1-2019

ISTMA World AGMThe next ISTMA Meeting andGeneral Assembly will take placein Chicago, USA, on 23-25 April23 2019. The event will be organ-ized in close co-operation withNTMA – National Tooling andMachining Association, USA.Apart from the General Assem-

bly, members will be able meetand visit several tooling companies, share experiences or bestpractices with their counterparts. ISTMA is expecting a large at-tendance of delegations coming from different member countries.istma.org

GTMA's largest ever toolmakers eventThe annual event organised by the Gauge and Toolmakers Associa-tion (GTMA) and the British Plastics Federation (BPF) had UK plas-tics moulders and tool-making specialists end of 2018 to help theseco-dependent businesses connect. It attracted over 200 guests.Talks included topics on unex-

ploited opportunities by 3D print-ing, the automotive industry's useof composites and developingUK's tooling capacity, and bank-ing with the manufacturing com-munity, including a form of loanspecifically for toolmakers.istma.org

AMMMT introduces AppThe Mexican Association of Manufacture of Molds and Dies(AMMMT), ISTMA's most recent member, has released the "MolthMex" App. This platform will show a capacity inventory of registeredcompanies, identifying moulds, dies and tooling manufacturers inMexico, their plant capacity, machinery, products and services, andinformation on the origin of raw materials offered by suppliers ofquoted projects.AMMMT President Eduardo Medrano

refers to Mold Mex as an advanced digitallinking system, integrating a unique techno-logical platform specialised in moulds anddies, providing information to find the rightsupplier via smart phones or laptops. Mexi-co's National Coordinator for the SupplyChain Industry is a partner in this project.ammmt.com.mx

ISTMA World News & EventsThe International Special Tooling & Machining Association (ISTMA) is an interna-tional association representing 19 special tooling and machining associationsthroughout the world. Collectively, ISTMAmember associations represent over8,000 companies and over $40bn in annual sales. ISTMAWorld is in charge of thecentral coordination and organisation of all international activities

For information, contact:Mr. Manuel OliveiraSecretariat, Istma Europec/o CefamolAv. D. Dinis 17Aptdo. 2572430-263 Marinha GrandePortugalTel. +351 244 575150Fax +351 244 575159istma-europe@istma-europe.comwww.istma-europe.com

MEMBERSTool Factories Associationwww.svaz-nastrojaren.eu

Estonian Special ToolingAssociationwww.estatools.ee

The Federation of FinnishTechnology Industrieswww.techind.fi

Association Française desIndustries du Moule, Modèleet Maquette (AFIM)www.afim-france.com

VDMAwww.vdma.org

The Gauge & Tool Maker’sAssociation (GTMA)www.gtma.co.uk

Szerszámgyártók MagyarorsazágiSzövetsége (SZMSZ)www.szmsz.hu

Unione Costruttori Italiani Stampi eAttrezzature di Precisione (UCISAP)www.ucisap.it

Stowarzyszenie Techniczne –Tworzywa Sztucznewww.stts.com.pl

Associação Nacional daIndústria de Moldes (CEFAMOL)www.cefamol.pt

Slovenian Tool and DieDevelopment Centerwww.tecos.si

Toolmaking Associationof South Africa (TASA)www.tasaweb.co.za

Swedish Moulding and Press ToolsAssociationwww.sinf.se

Swissmemwww.swissmem.ch

International Mould ManufacturersUnionwww.ukub.org.tr

Sou

rce:

ITSMA

Sou

rce:

ISTM

A

Sou

rce:

AMMMT

EVENTS

Interplastica

W Leading international trade fair for plastics and rubber in Russiaand Eastern Europe taking place in Moscow, Russia, from 29 Januaryto 1 February 2019.

Intec

W Held at the Leipziger Messe in Germany, the international tradefair for machine tools, manufacturing and automation will take placefrom 5-8 February 2019.

Asiamold

W The premier platform for mould, additive manufacturing andforming technologies. The international mould and die exhibition willbe in Guangzhou, China, from 10-12 March 2019.

NEWS

document692021204919040286.indd 50 22.01.2019 13:07:45

MASTHEAD/COMPANY INDEX

511-2019

Company Index

AAmetek GmbH Division CreaformDeutschland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9AMI Applied Market Information Ltd . . . . 12Arburg GmbH & Co . KG . . . . . . . 10, 16, 27Associacao Pool-Net – PortugueseTooling & Plastics Network . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Aurrigo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

BBekum Maschinenfabriken GmbH . . . . . . 8

CCeratizit Deutschland GmbH . . . . . . . . . 38Computer Komplett Holding GmbH . . . . 16Concept Laser GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Cumsa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 9

DDiprofil Diamantprodukter AB . . . . . . . . 9DMG Mori Deutschland GmbH . . . . . . . . 40

EEisenwerk Erla GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Emerson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems . . . . 16Epicor Software Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . 9

FFraunhofer-Institut für Lasertechnik . . . . . 32

HHasco Hasenclever GmbH + Co . KG . . . 30Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence . . . . 10Horn Cutting Tools Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

IIgus GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Incoe International Europe . . . . . . . . . . . 31

KKennametal Shared Services GmbH . . . 44Kern Microtechnik GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

MMachineWorks Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd . . . . . . . 10, 21Makerbot Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46MesagoMesse Frankfurt GmbH . . . . . . 11, 22, 48

PP . E . Schall GmbH & Co . KG . . . . . . . . . . 20Paul Horn Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrik GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Progressive Components . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

RRenishaw plc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

SScanlab GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Sigma Labs Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Simufact Engineering GmbH . . . . . . . . . . 34Stratasys GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 27

TThe Manufacturing TechnologiesAssociation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Trumpf GmbH + Co . KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Türk+Hillinger GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

UUcimu-Sistemi per Produrre . . . . . . . . . . . 8

VVDMA Verband Deutscher Maschinen-und Anlagenbau e .V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Vero Software Limited . . . . . . . . . 10, 25, 36

WWalter AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30W . Buschor Präzisionsmechanik AG . . . . 42WVG Alu-tec GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

XXJet Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

ZZimmer & Kreim GmbH & Co KG . . . . . . 24

Advertisers shown in bold

EDITORIAL STAFFEditorial Service:Ph .: -3208info@etmm-online .com

Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co . KGMax-Planck-Straße 7/997082 Würzburg, GermanyPh .: +49 931 418-0 ∙ Fax: +49 931 4182770info@etmm-online .comwww .etmm-online .com

Editors in Chief:Udo Schnell, Benedikt Hofmann

Editors:Peter Königsreuther, Ph .: -2585Steffen Donath, Ph .: -2322

Editorial Member, Circulation &Information Services:Briggette Jaya, Ph .: -3208

Product Marketing Manager:Karolina Endrich, Ph .: -2099

Layout:Cond . Daniel Grimm, Ph .: -2247

Subscriptions: European Tool & Mould Makingis published 9 times per year .Annual subscription fee: €103, plus €24 postageSubscription inquiries, back issues, address changes:send your request to DataM-Services GmbHby email to mgrimm@datam-services .de or by faxto +49 931 4170-494

Circulation Audit: Member of the Informa-tionsgemeinschaft zur Feststellung der Ver-breitung von Werbeträgern e .V . (IVW), Berlin

Editorial Contributions: Product/service informationbulletins and press releases should be submitted inEnglish and should be accompanied by a colourphotograph or transparency . Please send to theaddress in Würzburg or email to:etmm .editorial@vogel .deThe publisher assumes no responsibility for returnof artwork, photographs or manuscripts . NOTICE:Every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy ofcontents; however, the publishers cannot acceptresponsibility for the correctness of the informationsupplied or advertised or for any opinion expressedherein .

SALES AND PRODUCTIONDirector of SalesWinfried Burkard, Ph .: -2686Key Account Manager:Britta Solloway, Ph .: +44 115 8545527Advertising Sales France:Evelyne Gisselbrecht33 Rue du Puy-de-Dôme, 63370 Lempdes, FrancePh .: +33 473 619557, Fax: +33 473 619661Production Coordinator:Christina Rüttinger, Ph .: -2219

ISSN 2194-7589

PUBLISHEROliver Barthel, Ph .: -2279

MASTHEAD Contact Information:E-Mail-Code: <first name> .<family name>@vogel .de (please note: ä=ae, etc .)Phone: +49-931-418-(4-digit extension)

Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co . KGMax-Planck-Straße 7/997082 Würzburg, GermanyPh .: +49 931 418-0www .vogel .de

Ownership:Personally liable associates:Vogel Communications Group Verwaltungs GmbH,Max-Planck-Straße 7/9 in 97082 Würzburg,Kommanditistin:Vogel Medien Holding GmbH & Co . KG,Max-Planck-Straße 7/9 in 97082 Würzburg

Management Board:Matthias Bauer (Chairman)Günter Schürger

Printed at:Vogel Druck und Medienservice GmbH,97204 Höchberg

Copyright:Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co . KG

Reprint and electronic use:For reprints, publication on your website or anyelectronic use of the articles in this magazine,the rights for use are only available atwww .contentfactory .de or Manuela Maurer,Ph .: +49-931-418-2786 .Official

Media Partner ofISTMA World

document7301709004392766961.indd 51 22.01.2019 13:08:27