APMEN Nov-Dec 2014

from DMG MORI

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November - December 2014

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ISCAR THAILAND57, 59, 61, 63 Soi Samanchan-BabosSukhumvit Rd. Phra Khanong, Khlong Toey Bangkok 10110Tel + 66 (2) 7136633Fax + 66 (2) [email protected]

CV MULTI TEKNIKRuko Gsa Blcok B No. 8 BN-BP, Podomoro City JL.Letjen S.parman Kav.28Jakarta Barat 11470 Indonesia Tel + 62 21 29206242/44/45/59Fax + 62 21 [email protected]

ISCAR JAPAN 1-5-3 Shinsenri-HigashimachiToyonaka-shi, Osaka 560-0082Tel + 81 6 835 5471Fax + 81 6 835 [email protected]

MESCO Reliance CornerBrixton St. Pasig CityMetro-Manila Philippines Tel + 63 2631 1775Fax + 63 2635 [email protected]

ISCAR TAIWAN395, Da Duen South Rd. Taichung 408Tel + 886 (0)4 247 31573Fax + 886 (0)4 247 [email protected]

ISCAR VIETNAM (Representative Office) Room D 2.8, Etown Building, 364 Cong Hoa, Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City, Tel + 84 8 38123 519/20 Fax + 84 8 38123 [email protected] NO 165

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www.equipment-news.comasia pacific metalworking equipment news November-December 20142

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CONTENTS November-December 2014

MAKING THE CUT22Can Your Job Shop Multitask? It is always nice to have more functions on a machine tool but knowledge is crucial to make those functions come alive. By Joson Ng

346 Points To Better CMM MaintenanceKoon Hock Seng, regional service manager of Zeiss takes a look at preventive and reactive maintenance and how they help maximise machine performance.

24Multitasking Machining: Doing It AllAway from the metal cutting aspect of the multitasking machining, what are the finer points worth considering? By Michael E Neumann

SHOP TALK26Hold On Tight For Better ResultsA modular interface for carbide metal tool heads is said to be able to produce runout accuracy of 5 µm. By Peter and Wolfgang Klingauf, k+k-PR, for Haimer

30Frontline MetrologySee how a new generation of dimensional measurement technology is taking on shop-floor challenges and winning. By Sea Chia Hui, Hexagon Metrology Asia Pacific

DESIGN & MEASUREMENT

28It Pays To Be SmartWe take a look at how an intelligent cutting tool is produced, from a manufacturer’s perspective. By Hadas Zeira and Andre Petrillin, Iscar.

FABRICATOR'S NOTE36Bandsaw Machining: Cost & EfficiencyImperative in every business is the use of machines that are cost efficient and have the lowest possible material wastage. Find out how to do this for bandsaw machining. By Tjut Rostina

44Indonesian Steel Industry OverviewThe Indonesian steel industry is expected to grow but it is not without its list of restraints and challenges. By Pradip Saha Biswas, Frost & Sullivan

INDUSTRY FOCUS38Japanese Steel Driving Into Southeast AsiaWith lower demands in Japan, Japanese steel makers are looking to focus their efforts on the Southeast Asia market. By Russ McCulloch and Yoko Manabe, Platts

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PARTING SHOT72Smart Factories: The Future Of Manufacturing Is HereIt may not be too long before you see an all-encompassing connectivity in a production plant.

EVENTS & EXHIBITION 68 Event Review: Vietnam Manufacturing Expo Event Review: Metalex Vietnam Event Review: Manufacturing Myanmar 2014

CONTENTS November-December 2014

52 60

MANAGER'S TAKE60Qualifying For The Aerospace IndustryAPMEN spoke with Charles Chong, president of the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore) or AAIS and Soh Chee Siong, CEO of JEP Precision Engineering to chart the path of a contract manufacturer aspiring to enter the aerospace market.

FEATURES48When CAD Meets CAMIt is business as usual at Delcam after the takeover by Autodesk. By Joson Ng

64Make Your Job Shop Aerospace ReadyDuring the recent open house at DMG Mori’s Singapore technology centre, Michael Kirbach, director of the aerospace excellence centre at Deckel Maho Pfronten shared his expertise in the aerospace sector with some participants from the Singapore aerospace community. By Joson Ng

66Drilling Stacks With PCD Vein DrillsCustom-designed tools may well be the way to go for stack machining. Contributed by Gan Shu Lim, Walter AG Singapore56

Instrumentation For Generation YGeneration Y’s obsession with technology can be easily seen on benchtop instrumentation designed by engineers who grew up in that era. By Chris Delvizis, product manager at National Instruments

52Bystronic: Maximising Potential Instead of the alphorn, the Swiss sheet metalworking machine tool producer has tooted the optimising horn at Euroblech. By Joson Ng

Delcam (Malaysia) Sdn.Bhd.Wisma UOA II, 20-1, No.21,

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PT. Delcam IndonesiaPerkantoran Pulomas satu Gedung-1,

Lt-3 Room 12A Jl.A Yani No2, JAKARTA, IndonesiaTel: (62)-21-4894964

Delcam S.E.A. Pte. Ltd.6001 Beach Road,

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Beijing Delcam Integrated System Co., Ltd.Rm. A411, Jinyu Jiahua Building,

No.9, 3rd Street , Shangdi, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China

Tel +8610 6298 5591

Delcam (Thailand) Co.,Ltd.11 Rama II Road Soi 54 Lane 4-3,

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They say women are better at multitasking than men. Some studies suggest that females perform slightly better at coordinating a primary task with a secondary task compared to their male counterparts, but the golden question here is: is multitasking good or bad?

While carrying out many tasks at the same time feels very much like a timesaver, there are examples that cast multitasking in a very bad light. An overworked computer with numerous programs opened is not likely to be very responsive and a driver talking on the phone is not going to be the most attentive.

The merits of multitasking in our daily lives divide opinions but multitasking in machining possibly lie in a less contentious area as its benefits are easy to quantify, and whatever limitations there might be is usually not inherent to the machine or technology. It is also worth pointing out that the definition of multitasking in machining is slightly different.

When it comes to multitasking machining, it may be tempting to

think of multiple processes being worked on a single work piece at the same time. In reality, it usually involves finishing a process before moving onto another while the work piece is still in the same machine. This is strictly not multitasking in our daily lives but in the machining world, it is as close as it gets.

A time may come when there are multiple processes working concurrently on a work piece, but for now though, the field of multitasking machining is focussing on combining functionality rather than carrying out tasks all at once.

To this end, we are seeing machines that can mill and carry out additive manufacturing in one setting. If developers continue to push the technological envelope, we can safely assume it is only a matter of time before we see more interesting combinations coming out of multitasking machine tools. In this issue of APMEN, we take a fascinating look at multitasking machining. While the technologies may wow you, you have to be single-minded in deciding if it is for you.

Joson NgSenior Editor

chairman Kenneth Tanexecutive director Lum Kum Kuen

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Renishaw Achieves Certification For Its AM Machine

Dongfeng Nissan Dalian Plant Commences ProductionDalian, China: The Dalian plant of Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company (DFL-PV) has commenced production. With a gross floor area of 1.32 million sq m, the plant is being developed in two phases. The investment for the first phase totals CNY 5 billion (US$817 million), for an initial production capacity of 150,000 units per year. Upon completion of the second phase, the total capacity will expand to 300,000 units per year.

The Dalian plant is positioned as a production hub for the company's SU Vs. T he ma nu fac tu r ing technology, quality and eco standard of the construction of the plant are aligned with the global standards of Nissan, while the factory management comes from existing Chinese plants.

Alstom To Supply India With 25 Metropolis Train SetsIndia: Alstom has been awarded a contract worth €85 million (US$107 million) from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to supply 25 metros to Kochi Metro Rail. The first train sets are expected to be delivered in early 2016.

They will operate over the fully elevated Kochi metro rail network which is 25.6 km long with 22 stations. This newly built line is expected to carry up to 15 000 passengers per hour and direction.

The company will be in charge of the design, manufacturing, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of 25 standard track gauge trains with an option to supply 25 additional metro sets. The metro cars will be manufactured in Andhra Pradesh, India.

UK: British engineering company Renishaw has obtained a compliance certificate from TÜV SÜD for its AM250 laser melting machine. The achievement is the latest in a long line of initiatives from the company's Additive Manufacturing Products division. It is intended to help 3D printing evolve from being considered an emerging technology, reserved for design and testing, into a mainstream manufacturing tool.

The certification is an electrical safety standard valid in the US and Canadian markets, often mandatory for many institutions. The certification attests the laser melting machine can be implemented in a manufacturing environment without the complications, cost and uncertainty of any additional testing or field inspections.

“There are a huge number of myths surrounding 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies,” explained Mark Kirby, business manager for additive products in Canada, who was involved in the project. “This is partly the result of mainstream media misrepresentation but also partially because of unfulfilled expectations. This kind of certification helps prove that we are able to clearly communicate the manufacturing benefits to our clients and then deliver on them.”


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MTA2015 To Focus On Specially-Crafted Feature Areas

Singapore: MTA2015 will return from April 14 to 17, 2015 at the Singapore Expo with more special focus areas. The Capabilities H u b w i l l b r i n g to g e t h e r

local parts and component manufacturers and serv ice providers to highlight their manufacturing competencies in the high-value sectors of

oil & gas, medical technology, a e r o s p a c e a n d c o m p l e x equipment. A collaborative effort with the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), this area will connect local and overseas manufacturers and enhance their ties through networking and collaboration.

Aside from the Capabilities Hub, which drew strong interest from trade visitors, this upcoming edition will unveil a brand new feature, the Optical Engineering Focus Area.

Working with the Optics and Photonics Society of Singapore (OPSS), an area dedicated to products and services in the field of laser and optical engineering will be developed for the event. The focus area will bring together optical engineering technology suppliers from China, Germany and Malaysia.

Airbus To Expand In ChinaChina: Airbus and its Chinese partners (the Tianjin Free Trade Zone (TJFTZ) and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC)), have re-confirmed their intention to set up an A330 completion and delivery centre in Tianjin, China, by signing a Letter of Intent (LoI). This follows the successful establishment of an A320 family final assembly line and delivery centre in the Chinese city and takes into account the need to support the fast growth of air traffic in China with larger aircraft.

The A330 Completion and Delivery Centre in Tianjin (C&DC Tianjin) will likely cover activities such as cabin installation, aircraft painting, engine runs and aircraft delivery. The aircraft would first be assembled in Toulouse and then fly to China for their completion in Tianjin.

“In its 30 years history the Airbus partnership with China keeps on growing and expanding. The intended establishment of an A330 completion and delivery centre will add a new exciting chapter to our longstanding track record of mutual achievements,” said Fabrice Bregier, Airbus president and CEO.

At present, the in-service fleet with Chinese operators comprises over 1,000 aircraft (around 140 from the A330 Family and over 920 from the A320 Family aircraft). In the 20-year period between 2014 to 2033, the company forecasts a demand in China for more than 5,300 new commercial aircraft over 100 seats plus freighters.

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Hypertherm Appoints Asia Pacific Regional DirectorSingapore: Hyper therm has appointed Israel Gonzalez as the regional director for the As ia Pac i f i c Reg ion, wh ich consists of Austra l ia , India , Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

He will be responsible for the continued development of the full spectrum of sales, service, logistics, financial administration and the company’s go-to-market strategy in Asia Pacific.

APPOINTMENTS

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Hyderabad, India: Pratt & Whitney has broken ground on a customer training centre in Hyderabad. The training facility, housed in United Technologies Corporation India (UTC India), is expected to be operational by mid-2015. It will train aircraft engineers and technicians of the company's customers on current and new engine models. The engine maker says the training centre will be the third such facility in the world.

"Pratt & Whitney recognises India's potential as a major aviation hub. The Hyderabad centre will make world-class aerospace training available in India," said Bruce Hall, GM — customer training of the company.

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Thailand: Posco has broken ground for its (Continuous Galvanising Line) CGL producing galvanised steel sheet for automotive applications in Amata City Industrial Complex, Rayong Province, Thailand. The factory, which is designed to be capable of producing 450,000 tons per year, is slated for completion by June 2016.

Thailand is rising as the biggest automotive production base in Southeast Asia, with an annual production capacity that has increased to 3.2 million vehicles in the wake of facility addition/expansion by automakers in the past three years.

With rivals JFE and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal (NSSMC) of Japan recently beginning their operations of their CGL in Thailand, the company has decided to build a CGL on site in Thailand in a bid to make a greater dent in the automotive steel sheet market in Southeast Asia, including Thailand.

The CGL to be built is designed to produce (Galvanised Steel) GI and (Galva-annealed Steel) GA products and supply them to local automakers and automotive suppliers, with a plan to fortify pre-marketing activities to break even within the first year following completion of construction work.

The company is expected to focus on the distribution of products bound for suppliers and interior automotive steel sheets in the first year past completion, and to increase the share of exterior steel sheets in distribution from the second year, securing cost-competitiveness earlier than anticipated.

Posco To Build An Automotive Steel Sheet Factory In Thailand

Upon completion, the company’s overseas automotive steel sheet production capacity will jump to 2.2 million tonnes per year. The company also plans to expand overseas production bases for automotive steel sheets from Mexico, China, India and Thailand in a bid to maintain its competitiveness relative to other global steel makers.


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Shanghai, China: China Eastern Airlines and GE have celebrated the 1,000th GE engines to be delivered to the airline. This includes engines produced by CFM International, the 50/50 joint company between GE and Snecma (SAFRAN Group) of France.

As strategic partners, the companies have been in close cooperation for two decades.

"We have been working with GE and CFM for more than 20 years and have established an outstanding relationship," said Liu Shaoyong, chairman of China Eastern Group. "We not only have the confidence in their engine products, but also look forward to expand our cooperation beyond just engines."

"China Eastern is one of our largest customers and a strategic partner," said Chaker Chahrour, VP of Global Sales and Marketing, GE Aviation. "We are proud to work with China Eastern hand in hand over these 20 years and will continue to provide our utmost service and support to this important customer."

GE Reaches Milestone In China

Kennametal Expands Services Portfolio

Latrobe, US: Kennametal has expanded its services portfolio by offering a cloud-based inventory management, establishing rapid response centres as well as renewing their commitment in its recycling program.

“Our continuing mission is to provide a market-driven services portfolio inspired by an intimate understanding of our customers’ needs driven by different thinking,” says Mark Fallek, the company’s director of enterprise services. For example, the company’s Novo digital cloud-based process planning advisor not only recommends the best tools and sequence of operations to produce the desired feature, it also interfaces with the company’s ToolBoss automated inventory system to assure the right tools are on hand or can be electronically ordered and shipped.

Automated inventory system users on the cloud with the latest software version can now use Novo to see if an item proposed for a process plan is already available in their ToolBoss inventory, making both plans and budgets more efficient.

For customers wishing to benefit from the company’s expertise on site, Kennametal will staff dedicated service teams within a client’s facility to manage the company’s tooling inventory, preset tooling, deliver tools to the production floor, and continually optimise production performance.

The company is also exhibiting in its new rapid response centre, which opened in Busan, South Korea in April 2014. Joining similar centres in Kingswinford in the UK; Istanbul, Turkey; and Zory, Poland, the centres are proofs of the level of commitment to providing global expertise locally and with quick turnaround.

Finally, in carbide recycling, the company accepts all hard and sintered carbide, including but not limited to metalcutting inserts, drills, end mills, punches, dies, brazed carbide parts, and more.

Sparks Fly As Chevrolet's Mini Car Sales Cross The One Millionth Mark Worldwide

Detroit , US: Chevrolet has reached a big number in mini cars, surpassing one million sales worldwide for the Spark and Beat.

The Spark first went on sale as the Beat in India in late 2009. Today, the Spark is available in 71 markets worldwide, selling the most in South Korea, followed by the US and Mexico. In the US, sales of the vehicle are up 10 percent year to date.

“Our small cars – Spark, Sonic

and Cruze — attract more new car buyers to Chevrolet than any other vehicles in the lineup, with more than 60 percent of buyers never owning a Chevy before,” said Alan Batey, executive VP of Global Chevrolet.

In 2014, the Spark was the only

vehicle in the mini car segment to earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick designation. Lightweight, high-strength steels constitute more than 62 percent of the car's under body and 42 percent of its upper body. It is also used in the roof bow and B-pillars.


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ENQUIRY NO 128

Jakarta, Indonesia: PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia ( TMMIN ) has received the Primaniyarta Award from the country's Ministry of Trade.

The award is a result of continuous growth in volume and value of exports, as well as growth in the number of export destinations. The company now exports from Indonesia to more than 70 countries around the world.

In the period from January through August this year, the company exported over 97,000 vehicles from Indonesia, a 24.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year. These exports amount to 76.3 percent of all 127,115 vehicle exports from the country over the period (from data compiled by the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries).

This year also saw three new export products added to the existing lineup. Between January and August, the company exported 27,800 completely knock-down units (CKUs), a 15.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year. TMMIN’s component exports increased 4.1 percent to 41,551 million units, while engine assembly and engine components exports reached 33,988 units and 63,216 units respectively.

"Our biggest challenge is to further increase export volume, which will enable us to participate even more in the development of Indonesia's automotive industry and the country's economy in general,” said TMMIN director I Made Dana Tangkas.

Currently, the company's production facilities export is roughly 7,400 units per month. In the near future, the company is targeting an average shipment of 10,000 vehicles per month.

Toyota Wins Indonesian Export Award

Taiwan: Lien Chieh Machinery has developed a hot stamping press technology using boron steel, which is mainly used for automotive structural and safety components. The process ensures that its product is almost twice the strength (to 1,500Mpa) of conventional steel which enables cars to withstand higher impacts over greater speeds.

For cost reasons, boron steel (22NNP5) is not applied throughout the entire car body structure — instead, it is used in A pillars, B pillars and side impact areas to increase safety. The hot stamping process involves high temperature sheet metal forming, followed by immediate cold quenching of the sheet metal inside the tool. The process ensures high mechanical strength properties of the metal as well as significant weight savings (30 percent or so) so that lighter, stronger cars can be manufactured.

According to the company, there is good potential for this technology for carmakers in Asia markets. Hot stamping technology is suitable for carmakers that produce small, compact cars (1-1.5 litre engines).

Lien Chieh Develops Stamping Technology For Automotive Components

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US: August manufacturing technology orders totalled US$356.69 million in the US according to the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This total was up 0.4 percent from July but down 6.0 percent when compared with the total of US$379.26 million reported for August 2013. With a year-to-date total of US$3.08 billion, 2014 is down 2.4 percent compared with 2013.

“US manufacturing activity remains at a brisk pace, and especially encouraging for manufacturing technology orders was a recent uptick in durable goods orders, particularly in aerospace, automotive, and several other key industries,” said Douglas K Woods, president of AMT.

“There has also been good news in factory employment as more manufacturers add workers to their payrolls.” He also believes that there will be more positive news from forecasts by

PM Database Celebrates 10 YearsThe onl ine G loba l Powder Metallurgy Property Database (GPMD), which welcomed its first registered user in October of 2004, has celebrated its 10th year in service. Originally covering only the ferrous PM industry, the website has since been refined and extended to include the nonferrous PM and MIM sectors and now contains nearly 4 ,000 l ines of high -quality data.

The onl ine data is fu l ly

US Manufacturing Technology Orders Up Slightly But Cutting Tool Consumption Was Down

US manufacturing technology orders were up slightly despite weak cutting tool consumption

top industry analysts and economists for the manufacturing technology industry over the next few years.

Staying in the US, the country’s cutting tool consumption was down 2.7 percent in August, totaling US$166 million, according to the US Cutting Tool Institute and AMT. This figure is also a 3 percent drop on the year-on-year numbers.

“August has traditionally been a period of slower sales for the cutting tool industry due to summer holidays and automotive model change-overs,” said Tom Haag, president of USCTI.

“The three-month rolling average actually shows the sales as fairly steady throughout the summer. The third quarter should close much stronger with September bringing the industry back to full speed and the IMTS exhibition driving new interest with record attendance.”

searchable and outputs can be exported to several well-known FEA packages.

The databa se, which is available free of charge to registered users, is a project funded jointly by the world’s three leading regional PM trade associations: the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF) in North America, the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA), and the Japan Powder Metallurgy Association (JPMA).

Your Intellectual

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ENQUIRY NO 179

Boeing & COMAC Open Facility To Transform 'Gutter Oil' Into Aviation Biofuel

Hangzhou, China: Boeing and Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) have opened a demonstration facility that will turn waste cooking oil, commonly

Bo

eing

Italy: The Italian machine tool order index has shown a 7.8 percent increase against the same period of the previous year in the third quarter of 2014. The Centro Studi & Cultura di Impresa (Centre for Enterprise Studies & Culture) of UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre says the rise was due to the positive trends recorded by manufacturers, both in Italy and abroad.

Foreign orders increased by 5.3 percent when compared with the July-September period of 2013 and the index for domestic orders showed an increase of 19.1 percent year-on-year. The association attributes this to the implementation of the New Sabatini Law.

Luigi Galdabini, president of UCIMU said: "The increase recorded by this last assessment is certainly a positive indication

Italian Machine Tool Orders Experienced A Gain Of 7.8% In Q3

f o r I t a l i a n m a c h i n e to o l manufacturers, also because it is the fourth consecutive month of growth as far as orders are concerned. If 2014 confirms itself as the year of the inversion in trend, one must still remember that the recovery remains weak and uncertain.

"Against a positive trend in activity abroad, the activity on

the domestic market, although better than in the past, remains rather unexciting. On the other hand, the New Sabatini Law, which in the period between April and September has financed purchases of capital goods in excess of €2 billion (US$2.52 billion), proves to be a useful tool, necessary for bringing an increase in demand from Italian end users."

referred to as ‘gutter oil’ in China, into sustainable aviation biofuel. The two companies estimate that 500 million gallons (1.8 billion litres) of biofuel could be made annually in

China from used cooking oil.The companies are sponsoring

the facility, which is called the China-US Aviation Biofuel Pilot Project. It will use a technology developed by Hangzhou Energy & Engineering Technology (HEET) to clean contaminants from waste oils and convert it into jet fuel at a rate of 170 gallons (650 litres) per day. The project's goal is to assess the technical feasibility and cost of producing higher volumes of biofuel.

Sustainably produced biofuel, which reduces carbon emissions by 50 to 80 percent compared to petroleum through its lifecycle, is expected to play a key role in supporting aviation's growth while meeting environmental goals.

Biofuel produced in this project will meet international specifications approved in 2011 for jet fuel made from plant oils and animal fats. This type of biofuel has already been used for more than 1,600 commercial flights.


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ENQUIRY NO 027


Getting a multitasking machine tool is a little bit like buying the latest smart phone. It is very exciting

as you buy it but when you bring it home, it takes a while to get it set up the way you want it, which can be frustrating. Like a smart phone, a multitasking machine tool can take a little bit of getting used to, especially if the user is coming into contact with it for the very first time.

“If the philosophy of your company is not multitasking, I think it will take some time (to get used to it),” said Michael Kirbach, director of the aerospace excellence centre at Deckel Maho Pfronten. He said in order to make that switch, some amount of additional investment is needed.

“This is a phase that could take some years (transiting between single tasking and multitasking), until everything is setup and the new philosophy is in place. It also takes time to organise the new machining methods including production flow.”

Knowledge Is KeyLike a smart phone, which is essentially a phone first and foremost, a modern multitasking machine tool is a machine tool first, with its auxiliary functions slowly expanding out of the traditional realms and pushing the technological envelope at the same time.

These additions, while helping to speed things up in the shop floor, must be taken into account, along with other factors, before opening the chequebook.

“First up is to look at the parts. Some parts, compared to others, are quite easy to establish a multitasking process, eg: to include measurement. You have to be careful about selecting the right parts for this (multitasking machining),” he said.

In addition to studying the parts, technical knowledge goes a long way in making multitasking machining a worthwhile pursuit.

“You need the knowledge and the know-how to program the machine, to handle the machine. We sometimes find customers who are very happy with the machine but still think they are not using 100 percent of the machine’s capability. You need to utilise the machines, I think it is quite important.”

Improving ProductionTo help customers and potential customers bridge that technology gap, Mr Kirbach said help is readily available.

“We develop the process for the customer for the first part. We create the method, design fixture and we select the tools best for the components. We also help in programming, including in-process measurement so that the machine can measure and correct automatically,” he said.

According to him, the company adopts an inclusive stance by inviting the customer to participate in the process so the technical level can be raised. When a stable process is achieved, it is handed over to the customer and it can be ramped up to satisfy prevailing production demand.

Once the initial adoption period is over, users can look forward to the benef its of multitasking machining.

“Depending on which kind of multitasking we are talking about, the standard milling and turning for instance can definitely save on set up times,” he said. Although there are savings in set up times, he pointed out that it is quite unlikely for the user to gain on cycle time with multitasking. There are however many ways to define gains.

“You can save time through quality as there are fewer deviations causing reworks. (For) parts not meeting tolerances, we have to go to the customers to get concession. It takes a lot of time and cost a lot of money and labour. Parts waiting at shop floor cannot be sold.”

New Ways To MultitaskMultitasking machines started off

It is always nice to have more functions on a machine tool but knowledge is crucial to make those functions come alive. By Joson Ng

Can Your Job Shop

Multitask?

We sometimes find customers who are very happy with the machine but still think they are not using 100 percent of the machine’s capability.

- Michael Kirbach

MAKINGTHE CUT

November-December 2014 asia pacific metalworking equipment news www.equipment-news.com 23

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with dual machining capabilities like milling and turning. Like most technologies in metalworking, it has evolved with time. Modern multitasking machines now have machining on one side of its repertoire, but it is anyone’s guess what the other side is capable of.

At IMTS recently, DMG Mori showcased its LaserTec 65 3D. The machine combines laser deposition and milling, making it suitable for part generation or repair of turbine, tool and mould components.

“The machine is based on five-axis milling. We added a laser nozzle that can add material. With removal and additive capabilities, the machine is a perfect example of multitasking,” he said.

That is not the only multitasking machine garnering attention. According to Mr Kirbach, there is another one that is capable of attaching itself onto a workpiece.

“We have another machine just created that we will bring to the market next year. It is a milling machine that has added ultrasonic support. For composite machining, ultrasonic helps.”

The machine in question is the mobileBlock. Suitable for repair work on large composite materials structures, the 1 m x 1 m, 80 kg five-axis milling machine can be mounted onto large aerospace or ship structures with its pneumatic suction system.

According to him, the machine has a high-speed spindle and an ultrasonic head to machine the composite materials. It is also possible to attach a laser scanner.

“Because we don’t know how it (the defect) looks like (during repair), we have to scan first with the laser scanner, then we will know the surface. It is an adaptive solution that can be used to repair the damage structures suitable for the MRO sector.”

Know What You WantMultitasking machining has come a long way. From its inception

some 15 years ago according to Mr Kirbach till now, it has taken on functions today that engineers then could only dream about. Where it will go is anyone’s guess, but one thing remains the same.

Multitasking machining can only make sense, if the user knows what he wants.

“You have to design a process around the requirements. If you

only make five units of a certain part a year, it doesn’t make sense (to use multitasking machines),” he said, driving home the point that users must have a clear idea what they want to achieve as well as a firm understanding in their capabilities and capacities.

ENQUIRY No. 8001Turn to page 80a or log on to www.equipment-news.com to enquire

Got a Question? Make An Enquiry.

19A Hillview Ave., 01-06 Hillview Park, Singapore 669554

phone +65 8112 6550mail: [email protected]: www.heimatec.de

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heimatec GmbH (Asia/Pacifi c)19 B Hillview Ave. #01-03 Hillview ParkSINGAPORE 669555

phone +65 8112 6550mail [email protected] www.heimatec.com

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heimatec GmbH (Asia/Pacifi c)19 B Hillview Ave. #01-03 Hillview ParkSINGAPORE 669555

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MAKINGTHECUT


Multitasking is a skill or a g if t that not many people possess and it is something

quite sought-after in the job market. In consumer electronics, multitasking is also an attractive proposition. Take two-in-one laptops as an example, these products function as a laptop as well as a tablet to create a user experience that was unimaginable a decade or two ago.

In metalworking, multitasking machines are also widely available. In today’s context however, these machines have moved on from having only mill/turn capability, adding grinding or even polishing and measuring functions to it.

S u c h l e v e l o f p r o c e s s integration is important in a modern machine shop because the ability to process a part on one machine has both cost and quality advantages. For instance, combining operat ions ca n eradicate the problems associated with transporting parts across various workstations.

Adding AutomationMultitasking machine tools have been on the market for a while now and it is not surprising that machine builders have added more functionality to that range of product, creating different levels a mong mult ita sk ing machine tools.

For instance, the more ‘high tech range’ type of multitasking machine tools tend to allow automation, making them suitable for high volume production lines.

Ma ss product ion is the manufacturing of large amounts of standardised products. The

nature of such production lines makes the deployment of multitasking machines all the more relevant, especially when it has automation capability.

Built for high production environments, the Hyundai Wia LF1600/18002SP Series multitasking twin-spindle turning centres are equipped with a high-speed gantry loader and stacker, creating a flexible and fully automated work cell.

Also flying the automation flag is the Okuma MacTurn250. The multifunction turning centre includes an automatic tool

Away from the metal cutting aspect of multitasking machining, what are the finer points worth considering? By Michael E Neumann

Multitasking Machining:

Doing It All

MAKINGTHECUT


changer, an automatic tow-along tailstock and lower turret. Like many multitasking machines, it is able to complete the work in one setup and with tools to spare in the ATC. The ability to do that is attributed to the two independent turrets that can machine independently or simultaneously.

Multitasking For Composite MaterialsIn a manufacturing world that includes composite materials, it is no surprise that some machine builders are making it clear that their multitasking machines are up to the task when it comes to machining composite materials.

The Ultrix five or four-axis CNC high - speed mult ita sk machining centre by Breton is one machine that is not only suitable for superalloys, steel and aluminium, it can be used for composite materials.

According to the manufacturer, the machining centres combine and incorporate in a single machine all machining operations: milling, turning, boring and when required, grinding. To achieve all these, the machine is fitted with a vertical spindle, rotary tilting table, mobile crossbeam and gantry structure.

The vertical design of the machining centre is suitable

for machining workpieces with diameters greater than the height of the piece. In addition, it can turn workpieces both horizontally and vertically in combination with the tilting motion of axis.

In a display of versatility, the machining centre can be fitted with a turning/milling spindle. It enables the tool to take up multiple positions. By doing so, it facilitates changeover from vertical to horizontal turning operations on the same workpiece, optimising both machining operations and tool consumption.

Finally, the machine is capable of conducting in-process dimensional checks. This feature enhances the multitasking potential of the machining centre as parts can be measured without transporting then to a measuring machine.

Software Programs: The EnablerI n the CA D/CA M sof t wa re sphere, productivity is high on the agenda and it is often the value proposition offered by software developer involved in multitasking machining.

Over at Delcam, the company refers PartMaker as a CAM system that has been specifically developed for multitasking turn-mill centres and swiss-type lathes. According to them, this level of specialisation allows users to



In the CAD/CAM software program sphere, productivity is high on the agenda and it is often the value proposition offered by software developer involved in multitasking machining.

reduce machine set-up time for new jobs and generate correct NC code with robust, flexible and well supported post processors.

In the recent IMTS, the company previewed the 2015 version of the product. Major highlights of the 2015 edition include improved support for today’s latest breed of multi-tasking machine tools, more powerful milling and turning functionality and a distinctive approach to post processing for multi-axis turn-mill centers and swiss-type lathes.

“ T h e i n n o v a t i o n s i n PartMaker Version 2015 further cement the software’s position as the CA M system on the market for programming of m u l t i - t a s k i n g m a c h i n i n g applications,” says PartMaker president Hanan Fishman.

The product includes specialist support for a new breed of machine tools that has been growing steadily in popularity in recent years called Vertical Mill-Turns (VMT). These machine tools are unique because they provide the turning functionality typically found on a VTL (Vertical Turret Lathe) with that of a five-axis VMC (Vertical Machining Centre).

MAKINGTHECUT


The current existing modular tool systems have their weakness in the interface. Due to this fact, the full

potential of the cutting heads can’t be used because of tool breakage,” says Oliver Sax, director (product management), Haimer. The key point here is obviously stability and in order to add solidity to the system interface, the company has teamed up with Kennametal to produce a modular interface called Duo-Lock for carbide cutting tool heads.

According to the developers, the technology provides stability, load capacity and high runout precision based on a thread design with a proprietary double cone connection and an additional third supporting area in the back of the interface.

With the companies pooling their toolholding and carbide knowledge to provide solutions for high performance milling applications with the modular system, they are confident that the system will offer a path to establishing a compatible, high-performance modular endmill system. In addition, they will introduce a portfolio of cutting heads and mono-block screw fit tool holders with Duo-Lock technology in all relevant spindle interfaces and extensions.

Stability — The Productivity Enabler This confidence is by no means unwarranted as they have the

figures to back it up. “The system guarantees 5 µm runout accuracy and a Z accuracy of 10 µm which will eliminate most of the expensive presetting processes,” says Doug Ewald, director product management system tooling at Kennametal.

The developers add that the features of the technology will provide higher metal removal rates at milling applications and a longer tool life. For the first time, a modular milling system can achieve similar high performance of a latest generation solid carbide endmill.

This can be seen in figure one where the system has proven its milling performance of 1.5 times diameter depth of cut, and widens the application of modular milling systems compared with current competitive systems.

As a result, a significant productivity advantage in terms of metal removal rate shown in figure two can be achieved. The Duo-Lock system can more than double the metal removal rate in common milling applications.



For Better ResultsHold On TightA modular interface for carbide metal tool heads is said to be able to produce runout accuracy of 5 µm. By Peter and Wolfgang Klingauf, k+k-PR, for Haimer

Figure 2

Metal Removal Rate comparison: Full slot milling of low alloy steel

Duo-Lock™ Competitor

MRR[cc/min]

0.00

150.00

250.00

100.00

200.00

50.00

Figure 1

Vc [m/min] 120 120

D [mm] 16 16

Ap [mm] 16 9

Ae [mm] 16 16

fz [mm/tooth] 0.09 0.06

n [rpm] 2387 2387

z 4 4

MRR [cc/mon] 220 83

SHOPTALK

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2014 on 3-6 DecemberENQUIRY NO 163


Dr iven by rea l world requirements, each new product begins as an idea in an engineer’s mind.

The concept is analysed by finite element analysis program to ensure an efficient structure before a prototype is produced. It is then put through an exhaustive analysis phase.

Repeated refinements, further analyses and testing continue until the required results are achieved. Only after such an extensive development and testing sequence can the new product be introduced to the market.

Significant Happenings Invisible To The Naked EyeMuch of the cut t ing tool developments take place on a micro

scale. For instance, the substrate of the carbide inserts is measured in the sub-micron scale, while progress in advanced coatings takes place at the molecular level. Another area is in the critical area of cutting tool geometries.

It is important to note that some advancement may not be immediately apparent, but vital developments have been made in the manufacturing of cutting tools. These fundamental areas of cutting tool development allow innovative products to find their way into the market.

Intelligent MillingIn the milling space, one cutting tool manufacturer has made it important to combine intelligence with technology.

According to one of them, the main aim of its cutting tools is to ensure the customer receives ma ximum performance for increasing his profitability. It can be reached, only by providing the customer with ‘smart’ products that boost metal removal rate and simultaneously feature reasonable tool life.

Intelligent application of the progressive and ‘smart’ tools allows a significant reduction of production cost due to many factors: versatility, economy with respect to cutting edge and more. Concerning milling, all the above relate to milling cutters.

Take indexable milling cutters as an example. One particular family is versatile and features the ability of mounting inserts of different shapes in the pocket of a cutter. According to the developer, this versatility can be likened to a multi-colour ballpoint pen that allows users to write in blue, black, red or green in one click.

This cutter can carry a square double-sided insert with eight cutting edges and also an octagonal double-sided insert with 16 cutting edges. Now, the latest developments allow clamping in the same pocket three additional inserts: round, polygonal-shaped for High Feed Milling (HFM) and octagonal one-sided, designed mainly for machining stainless steel.

A user can now in theory convert the cutter to a face mill for machining planes, a copy mill for machining 3D surfaces or a HFM cutter for high-efficiency roughing.

Chopping Metal?Machining various aerospace parts from titanium requires high tool overhang. Vibrations during such operations are very common and their results are obvious — poor surface finish, tool life and noise. In their attempts to solve the problem, the customers are obliged to reduce cutting data and that decreases productivity.

We take a look at how an intelligent cutting tool is produced, from a manufacturer’s perspective. By Hadas Zeira, manager MarCom department and Andre Petrillin, technical manager indexable milling, Iscar.

It Pays To Be Smart

SHOPTALK


Another solution is to use specific vibration-dampening chucks and arbors. However, this comes at a cost as the price of the tooling often makes its application impractical.

By applying a chip ‘chopping effect’, an indexable extended flute cutter (Millshred P290) can open up new prospects for productive rough milling in unfavourable conditions. The wavelike cutting edge of P290 inserts crushes the chip into small segments. It is said the variety of cutting geometries of the inserts makes the family suitable for all main engineering materials.

ConclusionThe demands of lean operations and the difficulties caused by ever increasing material and technical challenges and ‘cost- down’ pressure placed on manufacturers are very real issues today. It is

therefore imperative to produce intelligent products to release the latent power of the new generation of machining centres, enabling high feed and speed rates for productive machining operations.

For the R&D engineers, it is important for them to work hand-

in-hand with the field engineers and listen to the needs of customers as those are the ways to produce intelligent cutting solutions.



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Much of the developments in cutting tools take place on a micro scale.

SHOPTALK


Just a few years ago, quality control and production really did not mix. Harsh shop-floor conditions —

particularly in industries like metalworking — meant that by technical necessity, inspections were confined to the controlled environment of the quality room.

Chief reasons for this were concerns about the influence of external workshop factors, such as temperature fluctuations and vibrations, on the equipment and consequently the results obtained. The effect of dust, grease and other contaminants on carefully calibrated machines

could also be costly, both in terms of results and in downtime and maintenance expenses.

The problem with separating measurement operations from production is the impact on productivity. However good the metrology equipment is, the logistical effort required to move parts to a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) for inspection c o m p ro m i s e s p ro d u c t i o n efficiency.

For simple parts that require a straightforward check at the end of the process, this might cause a bottleneck. For more complex parts with multiple

process elements and sequential operations requiring more inspections, it could be a major drain on resources.

Surviving The Shop FloorIn recent years, technologies are really starting to combat the challenges that traditionally kept metrology and production apart, with a new generation of shop-floor hardened CMMs gradually changing the way manufacturers think about quality checks.

If measurement operations can be carried out on the shop floor, it not only saves time to maximise throughput and productivity, but

Frontline MetrologySee how a new generation of dimensional measurement technology is taking on shop-floor challenges and winning. By Sea Chia Hui, technical sales manager, Hexagon Metrology Asia Pacific

DESIGN &MEASUREMENT


also enables quicker responses to quality issues, minimising wastage and remedial time. This is increasingly possible due to advancements in the way CMMs are designed and constructed.

A CMM works by defining the positions of data points on a coordinate system. These data points are located by the probe, and the coordinate system is physical ly real ised by the machine’s linear scales. In theory, the scale readings would always perfectly match the position of the probe tip on the part.

In practice, there are several factors that may contribute to a slight discrepancy between the two. As with any machinery design, the first challenge is to find the best possible combination of physical properties to minimise these discrepancies. But it is also important to acknowledge where

intrinsic limitations exist in the hardware. By understanding how the machine structure behaves in relation to external factors, manufacturers can create algorithms to actively correct the results.

In terms of developing p h y s i c a l a d a p t a t i o n s f o r workshop conditions, metrology equipment manufacturers have learned several lessons from their counterparts in machine tooling.

Some shop-floor CMMs now feature inverted scales to minimise substance ingress. Instead of air bearings, many use mechanical bearing systems with completely sealed roller packs and covered ways — both protecting the machine from contaminants and eliminating the need for shop air.

E l a s t o m e r i c i s o l a t i o n techniques are often used to compensate for the impact of

workshop vibrations, while active dampening systems are also available for more extreme environments. Even the effects of temperature fluctuation can now be remedied through a combination of hardware and software solutions.

T h e k e y t o t h e r m a l compensation is material choice. While physical thermal isolation elements can be used to reduce the impact of temperature fluctuations on a CMM, most good-quality shop-floor measurement equipment uses sensors to monitor conditions when readings are being taken.

Because manufacturers can now ensure that the thermal properties of the machine’s t e m p e r a t u r e s e n s i t i v e components are predictable, their metrology software can mathematically correct for

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environmental changes. These corrections may range

from simple linear adjustments due to thermal expansion in the scales, to more complex calculations for nonlinear changes in the machine structure. As a result, accurate dimensional measurement operations can be carried out in changeable workshop conditions with much greater accuracy than in the past.

Manpower IssuesWhile technical adaptations such as these are mitigating some of the traditional challenges of shop-floor measurement operations, there is another major issue currently impacting the manufacturing industry. Perhaps the biggest challenge facing the metalworking sector, and manufacturing in general, is the shortage of skilled workers.

This is not confined to the process side — the trend is just as prevalent in quality control too. It is this growing problem that has become a key driver for the adoption of a slightly different breed of workshop CMMs. Leading

Hexagon Metrology: CMM For Shop-Floor Applications7.10.7 SF, a CMM suitable for shop-

floor deployment has been developed

by Hexagon Metrology. With

usability features like workspace

lighting and etched measurement

volume indicators, they give

users visual reference benefits.

The manufacturer says

the CMM can be operated through the

PC-DMIS Touch interface, an accessible

touchscreen version of the company’s

dimensional metrology software. This feature is

said to allow simpler training and ease of use.

Finally, the CMM also features message lighting so that

operators with several duties around the workshop can start the

program and leave the CMM to complete it, knowing that they will be

able to see the machine’s status from a distance.



manufacturers are beginning to enhance their shop-floor offerings with user-focused features to make complex tasks simpler and more accessible for inexperienced

or less skilled operatives.One example of this trend

is the 7.10.7 SF machine from Hexagon Metrology. As well as a number of hardware adaptations for its intended shop-floor applications, this CMM has several seemingly small usability features that add up to a more accessible system overall.

While the skill shortage will remain an industry concern for the foreseeable future, there are signs that technology is moving in the right direction to suppor t manufactur ing companies through it.

Certainly, it seems that with a well-chosen and effectively u t i l i s e d s h o p - f l o o r C M M , the metrological inspection process can stop being a barrier to productivity, and instead become the invaluable tool for high-quality production output.



The ability to carry out measurement operations on the shop floor not only saves time but maximises throughput and productivity.

DESIGN&MEASUREMENT

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LIONAPEX EQUIPMENT PTE LTD (HEAD OFFICE)1 Woodlands Industrial Park E1 #03-01, Singapore 757724Tel: +65 6362 0880 Fax: +65 6362 0330 www.lionapex.com.sgENQUIRY NO 082

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CNC Rotary Table


In the topic of maintenance, it is important to differentiate between preventive and reactive maintenance. Reactive

maintenance is the process of reacting to failed, ineffective or damaged equipment and repairing or replacing it in order for the intended function to be achieved.

E s s e n t i a l l y , r e a c t i v e ma i nte na nce i g nore s a ny preventative measures and simply deals with a problem or issue when it is reported whereas in preventive maintenance, the primary goal of maintenance is to avoid or mitigate the consequences of equipment failure altogether. Preventive

maintenance work includes tests, measurements, adjustments, and parts replacement for the purpose of ma inta in ing equ ipment and facilities in satisfactory operating condition.

Care For Your CMMAs with all electromechanical m a c h i n e s , a C o o r d i n a t e Measuring Machine (CMM) is subjected to environmental and usage influences which over time, can cause failure of the machine during operat ion. Many external factors influence a CMM performance. They are vibrations, temperature fluctuations, contamination,

collisions, dust, humidity, usage and wear.

Aside from maximising machine performance and lifetime, regular maintenance increases machine safety, reduces downtime and unplanned breakdowns, monitors and analyses progressive failure, aid in spare parts planning and its cost is something that can be planned for.

Parts from a CMM subjected to wear and fatigue failure are:

a. Air bearings (not for inline machine)

b. Drives

c. Friction transmissions or friction rollers

d. Motors

e. Controller electronics

f. PC failures

g. Excessive collusions affecting sensors or accuracy

h. Pneumatic clogs

Good Maintenance Helps Save CostsYo u r q u a l i t y p r o c e s s i n manufacturing is dependent on the CMM and other measuring processes. Upon owning a CMM, failure to recognise the importance of per iodic ser v ic ing a nd maintenance can lead to regular breakdowns of even the best CMM and give rise to much reactive maintenance efforts.

The breakdown of your CMM also means breakdown of your manufacturing quality chain, affecting manufacturing machines heavily and indirectly increasing your breakdown overhead costs. Rather than constant firefighting, putting stress on both the service provider and your customers, perform a root cause analysis today for a more permanent solution.

To Better CMM Maintenance6 PointsKoon Hock Seng, regional service manager of Zeiss takes a look at preventive and reactive maintenance and how they help maximise machine performance.

DESIGN&MEASUREMENT


Six Maintenance Tips For Your CMM

1. Guideway

The guideway is part of the measuring table and should be cleaned in the same way as the measuring table. Dust particles and the smallest of burrs on notches may damage the air bearings. Clean the guideway every day, or if necessary, more frequently.

2. Measuring TableAny particles lying underneath the bearing surface may lead to inaccurate measurements. The surface of the measuring table and workpiece may be damaged.

3. Stylus TipsThe styli must be handled carefully. If force is exerted, the glued bond between the stylus tip and the stylus shaft may separate and the stylus shaft may bend or even break. Do not exert any force when cleaning.

– Clean the stylus tips with a lint-free cloth.

– Use a cleaning agent if required.

– Make sure that the stylus tip is free from cleaning agent residues.

If material from the workpiece settles on the stylus tip, it can be removed with special solvents.

– An aluminium deposit can be removed with 10 percent NaOH solution (sodium hydroxide solution) or with 10 percent KOH solution (potassium hydroxide solution).

– Make sure that exposure to the solutions is not too long since they may attack the adhesive used to glue the stylus tip to the stylus shaft.

For cleaning, proceed as follows:

• Wear rubber gloves and safety goggles.

• Immerse a cloth in one of the two solvents and clean the probe element with the cloth.

• Rinse the stylus tip immediately with water and dry them.

4. Threaded HolesDust may accumulate in the threaded holes and threads. In order to ensure perfect condition of the threads, remove any dirt deposits from the threaded holes with a vacuum cleaner.

5. Reference SphereThe reference sphere must be clean and in perfect condition to ensure correct qualification.

– Clean the reference sphere with a lint-free cloth.

– Use a cleaning agent if required.

– Make sure that the reference sphere is free from cleaning agent residues.

6. Adaptor PlateThe adapter plate must be protected against soiling.

– Store the adapter plate in a dust-free and clean place, eg: in a cabinet or drawer, whenever it is not in use.

– Wipe off the adapter plate with a dry or damp cloth.

– Clean it with a mild cleaning agent.

– Dry it in order to prevent oxidation of its contacts.

– Make sure that there are no cleaning agent residues. The function of the adapter plate may be affected.

Improving Your CMM

The Vast XTR gold probe from Zeiss increases

productivity and flexibility for operators. With its

integrated rotary axis, the probe turns the stylus

system in the direction of the feature being measured

and adjusts to complex work pieces, enabling it to

reach virtually any position.

The probe has a swivel joint that enables the

stylus system to turn as far as possible in 15 degree increments and always be positioned

at the right angle to the part. The probe is designed for long, heavy styli up to 350 mm

long and 500 g.



Object Interval Type of Care

Guideway Daily or more frequently Vacuum cleaner, Cleaning agent

Measuring table Weekly or more frequently Vacuum cleaner, Cleaning agent

Stylus tips At least every week Cleaning agent, Special solvent

Threaded holes Every week Vacuum cleaner

Reference sphere Every week Cleaning agent

Adapter plate As required Fluff-free cloth, Cleaning agent

Add a flexible probe to increase your CMM’s productivity



DESIGN&MEASUREMENT


Efficiency in operations and cost are key in maximising the potential of a machine. In selecting a suitable

bandsaw machine, there are many factors to consider to reach the goal. Firstly, selecting the correct blade is an important process to begin with, together with other factors, such as, the material being cut, the type of machine, its style and condition, as well as the operator’s skill level.

There are two types of bandsaw: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal bandsaws hold the workpiece stationary while the blade swings down through the cut. The primary application of the horizontal bandsaw is to cut long materials such as pipe or bar stock to length. On the other hand there is the vertical bandsaw, which is also known as a contour saw, primarily because its main application is in the cutting of complex shapes and angles.

As mentioned, the first thing that needs to be considered is what type of blade you may need for the cutting process. However, leading up to the blade selection, it is important to consider factors that will improve the efficiency of the process, as this will increase cost reduction and reduce material wastage. Factors to consider include tooth design, band speed, feed rates, vice loading, lubrication,

the capacity and condition of the machine, and the material to be cut.

Blade SelectionI t i s possible to increa se production rates and extend blade life by changing the tooth geometries and tooth pitches. There have been a number of major advancements in terms of materials and processes used, such as M51 steel and the cryogenic treatment of blades, which have been producing results that only a few years ago would have been impossible to achieve. In addition, automation has played a key role in improving the manufacture and design of blades.

When selecting the blade, it is important to consider two factors, namely, the geometry of the materials to be cut, and the grade of the material. An important rule to remember when selecting a blade for a particular job, is that a minimum of three teeth from the blade must be in contact with the material at any point of time during cutting.

Avoid WastageWastage reduction is important in improving the overall efficiency of the process. A major component here is the shear plane angle, or the angle at which the material shears off, and is an important factor in obtaining

maximum cutting efficiency.The cutting efficiency of a blade

is reduced as the shear plane angle is lower, making the chip thicker. In contrast, a higher shear plane angle will increase the efficiency due to thinner chips. Factors that affect the shear plane angle include the materials used, band speed, feed, lubrication, and blade design.

Proper ClearanceOne other factor that affects the cutting efficiency is the space between the tooth tip and the inner surface of the blade, called the gullet. The gullet prevents a build-up of material which can increase resistance to the cutting process, reducing efficiency.

There should be proper clearance, allowing chips to curl up uniformly and fall away from the gullet, without allowing a build-up of material in this area. This build-up will decrease efficiency of the process, waste energy, and cause damage to the blade.

The Chip Thickness RatioAnother important factor to consider when increasing the efficiency of the process or reducing cost is the material being cut, and the achievable penetration depth of the tooth.

To achieve an efficient process, it will be necessary to remove as much material as possible and

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Imperative in every business is the use of machines that are cost efficient and have the lowest possible material wastage. Find out how to do this for bandsaw machining. By Tjut Rostina

Cost & Efficiency

Bandsaw Machining:

FABRICATOR'SNOTE


as quickly as possible. This will depend and be limited by the type of machine you are using, and the machinability of the material being cut, as well as the blade life expectancy.

In accomplishing this, an important factor to remember is the chip thickness ratio, which is the ratio of the measured chip thickness to the depth of tooth penetration.

T h i s ra t io w i l l c ha n ge depending on the shear plane angle mentioned previously, which is itself a function of both the properties of the material you are cutting and the tooth tip rake angle. Increasing the rake angle will also increase the shear plane angle. It should also be noted that by examining the chips and evaluating their shape and colour, it is possible to tell if the correct feed rate is being used.

Band SpeedThe shape and colour of the chips are an important indicator for many processes, and by examining them, it is possible to tell not just the feed rate as mentioned above, but also the band speed. If the optimum band speed is being achieved then the chips should be thin, tightly curled and warm. On the other hand, if the chips have changed from silver to golden brown, then too much heat is being generated by forcing a cut.

The rate at which the blade cuts across the face of the material being worked is termed the band speed. If the band speed is too high then too much heat will be generated and this could result in reducing the lifetime of the blade.

Counter ResistanceThe beam strength is the ability of the blade to counter the resistance that results from the feed rate or the changing profile of the material's cross section. A blade with a high beam strength can tolerate a higher feed rate, which results in a

smoother, more accurate cut.What determines the beam

strength is the width and the gauge of the blade, and the distance between guides, machine type, blade tension and the width of the material being cut.

There are a number of ways to increase beam strength and in turn help in reducing cost per cut. These include calculating the real machine capacity, which is typically a half of the stated machine capacity or a third of the capacity if it is a hard material.

Other ways to increase the beam strength include the use of a wider blade, reposition machine guides, reduce stack size, reposition odd-shaped material, check for blade wear, and check other limiting factors, such as the correct feed, band speed, and tooth pitch for the work you are cutting.

Correct PositioningThe vice is also an important element in reducing the cost per cut, and the position of the material in the vice can have a significant impact in this regard. As mentioned previously, the practical loading capacity is always less than the stated capacity. It will often determine the actual capacity in the material being cut, with the actual capacity varying from a half to a third.

When the material is fed in, it is important that the blade is positioned to cut through as

uniform a width as possible, particularly when confronted by odd-shaped material.

Reducing FrictionLubrication is designed to reduce friction when cutting and as such, heat and wear of the blade. The use of effective lubrication extends the life-time of a cutting blade. The use of lubrication improves the efficiency of the process and prevents the welding together of chips to the blade that results from excess heat caused by friction.

It is important not to mix too much water with the lubricant as this will have a negative effect on tooth wear. It is also important to regularly inspect the fluid to make sure it is clean and that the delivery system is located in the correct position to do its job correctly.

Moving Forward With the implementation of the steps to increase efficiency and reduce overall cost and wastage, manufacturers can reap rewards with a better turnover and also be more environmentally friendly. As such, it is imperative that the machine provider shares the same principles as the business to ensure a machine purchase that meets the needs of the business.



Bandsaw operators can be more environmentally friendly by taking the more efficient approach.

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FABRICATOR'SNOTE


A Battle Royal for market share in the highly competitive area of steel sheets for automotive

applications is looming in Southeast Asia between the Japanese integrated steel makers and their closest rival, South Korea’s Posco.

The latest shot was fired in early August when after more than 18 months of ‘detailed’ discussions, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp (NSSMC) and Indonesia’s state-owned steelmaker PT Krakatau Steel formally concluded an agreement to establish an automotive sheet joint venture in the Krakatau Industrial Estate Cilegon, adjacent to Krakatau Steel’s plant about 100 km west of Jakarta.

The two have agreed to spend the equivalent of US$300 million to build a 480,000 metric tonnes/year capacity Galvanising, Annealing and Processing Line (GAPL) that will commission around mid-2017. Construction will start mid-2015.

Automotive Industry & Steel ConsumptionOver the past five years, the Japanese steel mills — urged by their Japanese automaking customers — have quietly reinforced automotive steel supply chains in Southeast Asia, most notably in Thailand, Indonesia and India.

Autosheet is the product du jour for the Japanese mills because it is the steel type that

currently holds the most promise as car ownership surges among Asia’s growing middle class. It is also where after decades of R&D, the Japanese mills still enjoy a quality edge over the South Korean and Chinese rivals.

For example, NSSMC offers 10 different sheet brands for auto use, each with multiple sub-varieties (many developed jointly with and exclusively for Toyota Motor Corp), bearing names such as ‘Durazinklite’ (for auto inner and outer body panels) and ‘SuperDyma’ for parts. Toyota is NSSMC’s single largest domestic steel customer.

Autos are also huge consumers of steel. Last year Japan’s domestic automakers consumed 13.1 million mt of Japanese carbon and specialty steel — slightly up on 2012’s 12.9 million — out of total domestic steel orders of 36.2 million mt, according to Japan Iron & Steel Federation data. Only construction consumed more.

Producing More, ElsewhereIt was Kobe Steel president Hiroya Kawasaki who in May last year candidly identified the challenge that Japanese steelmakers face — demographics.

Announcing Kobe Steel’s intention to stop the last remaining blast furnace at its namesake Kobe works in Hyogo prefecture, western Japan, to concentrate all upstream production at Kakogawa 33 km away, Mr Kawasaki cited Japan’s shrinking birth rate and the rise in Japanese manufacturing abroad for declining steel consumption.

A thinning population means fewer cars, appliances, houses and steel-heavy infrastructure to support it, Mr Kawasaki explained.

Japanese SteelDriving Into Southeast Asia

With lower demands in Japan, Japanese steel makers are looking to focus their efforts on the Southeast Asia market. By Russ McCulloch, senior managing editor and Yoko Manabe, associate editor, Platts

Expansion plan Schedule Location

Mitsubishi Motors Corp

Adding 80,000 units/year to 160,000 units/year

2017 Bekasi

Further expansion to 240,000 units/year under consideration

Suzuki Motor Corp

Adding 110,000 units/year to 250,000 units/year

2015 Bekasi

Daihatsu Motor Co

Adding 200,000 units/year of engine capacity to 530,000 units/year

2015 Karawang

Toyota Motors Corp

Adding 50,000 units/year capacity to 120,000 units/year (from 2014)

Karawang

Adding Multi-Purpose Vehicle capacity 2016

Adding engine capacity to 216,000 units/annually

2016

Japanese auto makers' expansion plans in Indonesia

INDUSTRYFOCUS


In Kobe Steel’s case, the Kobe and Kakogawa steel works have a capacity of 8.2 million mt/year, but in recent years output has averaged 6.8 to 7 million mt.

A clue to why the company has surplus capacity lies in the Japanese auto production data. Last year, Japan produced 9.6 million cars, trucks and buses, down only three percent from 2012 but off by a huge 17 percent from the 2007 record of 11.6 million, according to numbers from the Japan Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.

It is however, not right to assume Japanese car giants are producing fewer vehicles. It is just that they are producing them elsewhere.

Moving Production AbroadData from Toyota Motor Group show that during last year, while production of Toyota cars, Daihatsu mini-cars and Hino trucks in Japan edged up by three percent to 4.3 million units, Toyota Group's output outside of Japan grew by six percent to 5.8 million

units — a new record high. The company’s sales within

Japan contracted by five percent last year while those outside rose by five percent, the company notes. This year, Toyota itself plans to produce 3.3 million units in Japan, down two percent on year, while production at the company’s car plants abroad will be 5.83 million units, up five percent from 2013.

The drive for Japanese automakers to build manufacturing plants offshore began in the 1980s when the strengthening yen pummelled Japan’s dollar-denominated exports. From that time, Thailand gradually became the country of choice for Japanese appliance and auto components manufacturers seeking lower costs. Today, Thailand hosts 214 Japanese-affil iated auto components producers, according to the Japan Auto Parts Industries Association.

From the get-go, the finicky Japanese car companies demanded that their assembly plants abroad be served the same grades of steels their Japan plants enjoy.

In acquiescing, the Japanese mills initially just upped exports of the cold rolled and hot dipped galvanised and specialty steels needed. Then later, as the carmakers were pressed by regional governments to lift local content, the steelmakers responded by taking their own plants offshore too.

The Thai VentureAuto production in Thailand in 2012 topped 2.45 million units, according to the Thai Automotive Industry Association, up 68 percent from 2011 and ranking Thailand 10th among world car producers. Well over 90 percent are Japanese-badged. Output last year was targeted at 2.55 million although the country’s political strife clipped this to 2.46 million units.

Thai auto production in January-June this year reached 952,685 units, down 29 percent y-o-y, according to data from the Federation of Thai Industries. The Thais still hope output will top three million units by 2017.

Thailand first replaced China as Japan’s second-largest steel export destination after South Korea in January 2013, and repeated the feat in May this year. Japan’s total steel exports to Thailand reached 5.5 million mt last year, up from 4.8 million in 2010. Exports to China over the same period have plunged to 6.1 million mt from 7.5 million mt.

NSSMC’s view of its future emerged in March last year when the integrated giant tabled a mid-term management plan, its first since its birth the previous October through the merger of Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Industries, then Japan’s largest and third-largest steelmakers. (JFE Steel remains Japan’s number two producer).

As expected, the merger rendered several domestic steel production lines redundant and other things the NSSMC is shutting

Product 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013Jan-Aug

2014

Hot rolled coil

967,479 1,621,758 1,478,892 1,896,444 1,622,282 1,088,247

-44.70% 67.60% -8.80% 28.20% -14.50% -5.40%

Cold rolled coil

351,758 439,204 427,382 395,361 503,019 386,586

-25.70% -24.90% -2.70% -7.50% 27.20% 14.60%

Galvanised

530,130 1,107,840 1,028,903 1,196,437 1,137,475 591,993

-45.70% 109.80% -7.10% 16.30% -4.90% -27.50%

Total (all steel)

2,298,290 4,834,610 4,617,670 5,401,413 5,526,671 3,684,107

-35.50% 210.50% -4.50% 17.70% 2.30% -4.50%

The evolution of Japanese carbon flat steel exports to Thailand

Source: Japan Iron and Steel Federation

INDUSTRYFOCUS


include cold strip mills, pickling lines, annealing lines, hot dip galvanising lines and electro-galvanising lines. Several are already stopped, the most recent being a continuous caster for steel billets at its Kimitsu works near Tokyo on September 30.

Significantly absent from NSSMC’s catalogue of closures were any lines producing hot rolled coils, the intermediate product from which the cold rolled and galvanised coils are produced. This was because the company hopes to keep its new CR and coated coil plants abroad partially fed with hot coils shipped from Japan.

Last October, NSSMC began commercial production at a new 360,000 mt/year plant producing Hot Dipped Galvanised (HDG) sheets and galvannealed sheets plant in Rayong in eastern Thailand. Most of the cold rolled coil substrates the plant requires are being sourced next door from Siam United Steel (SUS), NSSMC’s 1 million mt/year cold rolling mill built in 1995 during the last wave of Japanese steel investment in Thailand. Most of the hot coil feeds for SUS come from Japan.

But NSSMC was not the only Japanese steelmaker adding autosheet capacity in Thailand last year.

In April , r ival JFE Steel commissioned JFE Galvanizing (Thailand), its new 400,000 mt/year plant for HDG and galvannealed sheets, also in Rayong and in an industrial estate where Isuzu Motors Thailand and Ford Motor Thailand have plants. Indeed, most of the estate’s 384 tenants are auto and autoparts makers.

Japanese industry sources in Bangkok estimate present autosheet demand in Thailand at about 800,000 mt/year of which JFE’s share — including imports from Japan — is about 55 to 60 percent while NSSMC’s including imports is 35 to 40 percent.

Between them, the two Japanese giants are meeting the bulk of current Thai autosheet demand although within the next two years, they will face tough competition.

Competition From South KoreaPosco in June this year began building its own 400,000 mt/year HDG plant to start up by late 2015 or early 2016, also in Rayong, clearly targeting Japanese carmakers. Posco CEO Joon-yang Chung had earlier told Platts that, with Thailand’s auto sector expanding, “there will be enough (autosheet demand) for both sides” — namely the Japanese and South Korean mills.

Japanese sources in Bangkok quest ion this , saying that Japanese carmakers would prefer Japanese-branded steel. “We don’t think Posco can expand its sales,” one said.

The scramble for autosheet business shaping up in Thailand between and among the Japanese and South Korean steel giants will almost certainly be replicated in Indonesia.

Situation In IndonesiaUntil NSSMC’s announcement in August, JFE led the running in Indonesia, breaking ground last December on a 400,000 mt/year galvanising plant to be located in Bekasi, east of Jakarta, and to commission around March 2016.

The line will be almost identical in specifications to the JFE Steel Galvanising (Thailand) in Rayong producing HDG sheet with 0.4 to 2.3mm thickness and 800 to 1,880 mm width, and is designed to match the needs of Japanese automakers.

To support its parent business, JFE’s trading arm JFE Shoji Trade in April this year started operating a second steel coil processing centre in Bekasi providing functions such as coil slitting and cutting. Total processing capacity is now 158,000 mt/year, up from 97,000 mt/year previously.

JFE certainly had the lead on NSSMC whose announcement with Krakatau Steel in December 2012 for an autosheet expansion — till August — had produced nothing further.

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The steel mills have followed their automotive customers’ into Southeast Asia.

INDUSTRYFOCUS

ENQUIRY NO 167




That NSSMC and Krakatau planned a partnership was not really a surprise because from 1993 through 2005, the former Nippon Steel had provided the Indonesian mill with technical knowhow for producing quality cold rolled coils.

Indeed, NSSMC says that for their venture — PT Krakatau Nippon Steel Sumikin (KNSS) — and for applications where ordinary CRC is sufficient for the grade of HDG being produced, Krakatau Steel will be the supplier. However, where higher spec CR feeds are required, these will come from Japan.

Significantly, the August a n n o u n c e m e n t d i f f e r e d substantial ly from that of December 2012 when the initial equity was split in the venture of 51:49 — with NSSMC holding the whisper of control. This has now been replaced by an 80:20 division with the Japanese mill very much the leader in KNSS. NSSMC would not explain the reason for the delay between basic and final agreement but the investment

share could be one reason. In July last year, NSSMC’s

trading arm Nippon Steel Trading (also in in partnership with Krakatau Steel) inaugurated a 120,000 mt/year steel coil centre in Karawang, east of Jakarta, named PT IndoJapan Steel Center. It is supplying processed sheets to auto parts makers in Indonesia.

Central to the Japanese mill’s strategy is not just the need to satisfy their large and loyal Japanese auto-building customers and their satellite plants abroad. It is also about protecting their steel export tonnage at a time when Chinese steelmakers are being especially aggressive.

Of late, NSSMC’s exports of finished steel products to Indonesia have averaged 200,000 mt/year (mostly HDG and CRC) but after KNSS commissions, the Japanese mill expects to double its exports beginning 2017. Moreover, this will be guaranteed tonnage as other CRC suppliers — Posco, Taiwan’s China Steel Corp or the Chinese mills — are not likely to win any supply contracts from the

joint venture at Cilegon.Not that Posco would care too

much. After all, the South Korean mill expects soon to have its own Indonesian autosheet venture to supply. In March 2013, on the same day it flagged its auto sheet plans for Thailand, Posco also committed to an identical 400,000 mt/year HDG line somewhere in Indonesia, exclusively for autosheet and most likely near its existing steel mill complex. Krakatau is involved here too.

Last December, Posco and Krakatau inaugurated their new integrated steel works, PT Krakatau Posco (PTKP), near the latter’s existing west Java works. The first phase of their JV steelworks has a capacity of 3 million mt/year — evenly split between steel slabs and heavy plates. However, pundits suggest that a planned second stage expansion at PTKP will see facilities for HRC added.

Situation In VietnamOf course, the CRC substrates for Posco’s Thai and Indonesia autosheet plants could come from South Korea. Yet since August 2009, Posco has been producing CR in Phu My in southern Vietnam at Posco-Vietnam Co, host of a 1.2 million mt/year combination pickling and tandem CR mill and a 700,000 mt/year continuous annealing line. The Phu My plant would be just a few days sailing from any Thai or Indonesia autosheet venture. Interestingly, NSSMC also owns 15 percent of Posco-Vietnam Co.

South Korea’s exports of HRC to Vietnam peaked at 1.09 million mt in 2011 before dipping to 829,600 in 2012 and 761,400 mt last year. Posco officials explain the dip on the fact that Posco-Vietnam is now taking HRC feeds from NSSMC too.

The automotive industry is one of the most important industries for the steel producing community.

INDUSTRYFOCUS

ENQUIRY NO 049


The GDP growth of ASEAN countries is on a positive track. Indonesia, ASEAN’s most populous country,

is no exception. The country’s GDP growth has been consistent compared to the other ASEAN countries and holds the top position in 2011 and 2013 (Figure 1). The country’s GDP is expected to perform fairly well with growth rates (year-on-year) of over six percent owing to the strong domestic demand and government measures undertaken to accelerate growth momentum.

To accelerate economic development in Indonesia, the local government initiated the ‘Indonesia Economic Corridor’, which is the master plan for the acceleration and expansion of Indonesia’s economic development aiming to propel Indonesia into the 10 biggest economies by 2025.

Under Presidential Regulation No. 32/2011, president Yudhoyono launched a plan for ‘Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia Economic Development’ (MP3EI) in May 2011, supported by the sectorial ministries, local governments and state-owned enterprises.

The MP3EI development focuses on eight major programs for the development of Agriculture, Mining, Energy, Industry, Maritime, Tourism, Telecommunication and Development of Strategic Zones. These eight primary programs consist of 22 main economic activities which are designed based on the inherent potential and strategic value of each of the corridors (Figures 2 & 3).

Steel Industry Overview In ASEAN Region & Contribution Of IndonesiaThe ASEAN region is one of the world’s few growth frontiers, where steel demand grows every year fuelled by steady economic growth and increasing population. The apparent demand of steel in the

Shipping

Defence Equipment

Nickel

Animal Husbandry

Bauxite

Rubber

Coal

Oil and Gas

Food Agriculture

Jabodetabek Area

Sunda Straits National

Strategic Area

Copper

ICT

Textile

F&B

Palm Oil

Tourism

Timber

Steel

Transportation Equipment

Cocoa

Fishery

22 Main Economic Activities

Indonesian Steel Industry

OverviewThe Indonesian steel industry is expected to grow but it is not without its list of restraints and challenges. By Pradip Saha Biswas, metals & minerals, Frost & Sullivan

15

10.5

6

1.5

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

0

-3

Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam

Figure 1: ASEAN countries GDP growth

SUMATRA JAVA KALIMANTAN SULAWESI BALI - NTPAPUA - KEP.

MALUKU

Center forProduction

and Processingof NaturalResources

andAs

Nation’sEnergy

Reserves

Driver for

NationalIndustry

and Service

Provision


and Processingof National

Miningand EnergyReserves


and Processingof National

Agricultural,Plantation,Fishery, Oil& Gas, and

Mining

Gateway for

Tourism and

National Food

Support

Center forDevelopment

of Food,Fisheries,

Energy, andNationalMining

Indonesia as basis for global food security, center of processing products of agriculture, plantation, fishery, mineral and energy resources as well as a

center of global logistics

Figure 2: Focuses of the MP3EI development

Figure 3: Theme of economic corridors in MP3EI

Indications of Investment in 6 Economic Corridors (IDR Tn)

TotalSUMATRA

714

JAVA

1290

KALIMANTAN

945

SULAWESI

309

BALI - NT TENGGARA

133

PAPUA - KEP. MALUKU

622

18% 32% 24% 8% 3% 15%

4013

% investment per corridor

INDUSTRYFOCUS


ASEAN region for 2013 is depicted in Figure 4.

Thailand is the major steel consumer in the ASEAN region with 26 percent of total demand with 16.8 million mt in 2013. The Indonesian steel consumption in the ASEAN region accounted to 22 percent of the overall demand at 14.3 million mt out of overall ASEAN demand of 64 million mt; it is currently the fastest growing steel market in the ASEAN Region in the last 10 years.

Many countries in the region enjoyed double digit growth rates in 2013 as per apparent steel consumption is concerned. Indonesia registered the highest growth rate (14.6 percent), followed by the Philippines (12.5 percent), Singapore (12.3 percent) and Malaysia (11.8 percent).

Indonesia used to produce most of the products that it consumes. However, in the last few years, imports have increased exponentially due to lack of capacity

expansion by domestic steel producers. In the next three to five years, many new production lines are expected to be commissioned, a major one being PT Krakatau Posco JV with a capacity of 3 million mt. As a result, Indonesia will have the ASEAN region’s largest blast furnace to the tune of 4.2 million mt, which would be PT Krakatau Steel (PTKS) & Krakatau Posco.

Indonesia has the lowest per capita consumption of steel (38 kg, whereas Singapore has the highest of 508 kg) amongst the ASEAN countries; considering the increase in economic activity and population, the per capita consumption is expected to reach around 100 kg by year 2030.

Steel consumption in the ASEAN countries is following the steps of the economic development in the region/respective countries. The key challenges faced by ASEAN's

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7

ASEAN Apparent demand by Country (MTPA), 2013

18

9.0

0

13.5

4.5

16.8

Thailand

14.3

Indonesia

11.9

Vietnam

9.9

Malaysia

6.7

Philippines

4.2

Singapore

* Fig

ures

in M

illion

Met

ric T

ons.

ASEAN Steel Demand

Figure 4: ASEAN Apparent demand in percentage in 2013

64 Million MT

Vietnam 19%

Indonesia 22%

Malaysia 15%

Philippines 11%Singapore

7%

Thailand 26%

INDUSTRYFOCUS


steel industry includes:

• Fragmented industry structure — lacks economies of scale

• Increase in imports from China under ASEAN China Free Trade Agreement

• Supply-demand gap and its heavy reliance on imports for finished steel products/raw materials

• Low capacity uti l isation, averaging around 50 percent, compared to the global average of about 80 percent

Consistent economic growth would fuel the ASEAN steel demand in the medium/long term. Growth in demand for high-quality steel is expected in parallel with growth of the automobile and home appliance sectors in the region.

Steel Demand Trend In IndonesiaThe apparent steel demand of Indonesia is estimated to be 14.3 million mt in 2013 and is projected to reach 20.0 million mt by 2020 with a compound annual growth rate of 8.4 percent as depicted below in figure 5:

Steel demand in 2013 for Indonesia was calculated as follows:

Steel Supply Overview In IndonesiaThe crude and finished steel production trends in Indonesia for the last four years are tabulated below:

At present, the Indonesian steel industry is in a tight spot due to a sudden increase in production costs. Currently, many domestic steel plants use outdated technology, making them reliant on imported raw materials. PT Krakatau Steel (PTKS) is the only integrated steel producer, manufacturing primary steel products through direct reduced iron route.

Upcoming Steel Capacity Additions In IndonesiaIndonesia will have ASEAN’s first large-scale blast furnace with PT Krakatau Steel (PTKS) & Krakatau Posco. This should have a significant impact on the upstream and downstream structure of steel supply and demand in Indonesia, resulting in reduced imports dependency.

The following steel production capacities would be added in Indonesia by 2016:

ParametersVolume in Million MT

Finished Steel Production (A) 6.57

Import (B) 8.40

Export (C ) 0.64

Apparent Demand (A+B-C) 14.33

* Fig

ures

in M

illion

Met

ric T

ons.

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.02010

8.9

2011

10.9

2012

12.5

2013

14.3

2014

14.9

2015

15.645

2016

16.4273

2017

17.2486

2018

18.111

2019

19.0166

2020

20

CAGR: 8.4%

Figure 5: Indonesian Apparent Steel Demand: Trend & Forecast

Sl No. 1Company PT Krakatau Steel (PTKS)Location Cilegon - West Java

Capacity by Steel Type

Blast Furnace: 1.2 Mn MTHot Strip Mill: 3.5 Mn MT

Tentative Operational Year

20142015

Sl No. 2Company PT Krakatau PoscoLocation Cilegon - West Java


Blast Furnace: 3 Mn MT Plate Mill:1.5 Mn MT

Tentative Operational Year 2013

Sl No. 9Company PT Gunawan Dianjaya SteelLocation Surabaya – East Java

Capacity by Steel Type Plate Mil: 1 Mn MT


Sl No. 7Company PT Gunang Raja PaksiLocation Bekasi - West Java


Blast Furnace: 2 Mn MTBasic Oxygen Furnace (BOF):1.4 Mn MT


Sl No. 4Company PT IndoferroLocation Cilegon - West Java

Capacity by Steel Type Phase 2 Project: 0.25 Mn MT


Sl No. 8Company PT Essar IndonesiaLocation Bekasi - West Java

Capacity by Steel Type Cold Strip Mill: 0.7 Mn MT


Sl No. 5Company JFE Steel GalvanizingLocation Bekasi - West Java


Continuous Galvanizing Line (CGL): 0.4 Mn MT


Sl No. 6Company PT GunungLocation Bekasi - West Java


Electric Arc Furnace (EAF): 1.2 Mn MT


Sl No. 3Company PT Krakatau Osaka SteelLocation Cilegon - West Java


Rebar / Small Section Mill: 0.5 Mn MT


ProductsProduction in Miilion MT

2010 2011 2012 2013

Crude Steel 3.66 3.62 2.25 3.44

Finished Steel 5.21 5.45 5.42 6.57

Indonesian Steel Industry: Key Drivers, Restraints & ChallengesThe following are the key growth drivers of steel industry in Indonesia:

INDUSTRYFOCUS


• Growth in demand for high quality steel is expected with growth of consumption driven by segments such as automotive, oil & gas and construction.

• Surge in investment and JV interest by Japanese, South Korean, Chinese and Indian steel companies, indicating that Indonesia is a favourable destination for steel.

• Increase in number of trade measures against steel import, thereby keeping steel at fair market prices.

• Backward integration (blast furnace setup) by many steel producers.

• Increased government impetus g i v e n t o m a n u f a c t u r i n g industry — policy restructuring

programs expected after elections this year.

The major restraints for the Indonesian steel industry are:

• Decline of steel prices, and loss due to currency conversion, and weak Rupiah against US dollar.

• Heavy dependence on imported steel products (finished & semis).

• Severe competition from cheap Chinese imports.

The following key challenges are presently faced by the Indonesian steel industry:

• Increase in labour cost.

• Unstable and high electricity cost.

• Shortage of locally manufactured high end products.

• Limited raw material availability.

Industry OutlookSigni f icant and consistent economic growth, increase in population and government initiatives, are likely to boost the demand of steel in Indonesia in the long term. Furthermore, the import dependency of steel will definitely reduce due to future capacity additions and backward integration plans of many steel producers in Indonesia. However, the capacity utilisation rate in the Indonesian steel industry has to be increased to compete with major steel producing countries across the globe.



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INDUSTRYFOCUS


Mergers and acquisitions can be a time of huge uncertainty and stress. There have been some

spectacular failures as well as success stories in the past. While there are plenty of reasons for an M&A deal to go south or to take off, the only certainty here is change.

On February 6, 2014, Delcam became part of Autodesk after a takeover. While the company announced that they will continue to operate independent ly, there have been some changes according to Clive Martell, president of Delcam.

Speaking on the sidelines of the company’s Asian Technical Summit (ATS) at Gyeongju, South Korea, he said: “What they brought to us is some policies and procedures suitable for a larger organisation. We now have a more formal HR setup. We also have a legal person who has joined the management team.”

He was however quick to reiterate that at the company’s HQ in Birmingham, UK, the operation is very much the same and they are still concentrating on their core customer base and developing products for those customers.

Product SynergiesThe period after an M&A deal usually oversees growth triggered by diversification of product range and a larger market share. This is exactly what has happened and according to Mr Martell, this scene will continue to play out in the coming months.

“( T h e re w i l l b e) m o re collaborations around the world. We are making sure that we are providing better interoperability and more integrated solutions,” he said.

One example is FeatureCAM, the company’s CAM software for milling and turning. It has recently been certified by Autodesk Inventor 2015, which allows the software to open Inventor parts seamlessly with no loss of data or concerns about translation errors.

The synergies between the companies’ products do not stop there. Mr Martell said that they will be making some inroads in the automotive design space as they have “good interoperability” with Autodesk’s Alias industrial design software. This is clearly displayed in the complete clay design and manufacturing process using the design software for styling, which can then be followed by machining and inspection on a CMM programmed with Delcam software.

“We make sure we can accept feature information for our PowerInspect software, so that we can improve the inspection processes and make them more efficient. This is the direction we are looking at. But our core developments remain very much on increasing the functionality.”

The Sensible ApproachMr Martell revealed to Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News that there were other approaches made by other companies in the

past and there were plenty of CAM companies in the market for Autodesk to choose from in today’s market. While there were plenty of variables to consider, it came down to which deal made the most sense.

“We looked at Autodesk and we thought it was an excellent fit. There is very little overlap between the product ranges. They have the ambition to expand their product portfolio, from the prototyping area into manufacturing and we felt very comfortable with their approach. If we looked at other big players in the CAD/CAM industry, we might not have felt so comfortable,” he said.

Apart from the complementary product range, there were also other factors at play.

“They have lots of things (to bring on board). They are an organisation much larger than us. They have a lot of expertise in the design side. They also have a very wide range of ways of addressing the market.

“Communicating with the market is what we can learn from Autodesk. They have enormous ambition to be the leader in cloud related technology and innovator of technologies. These are all areas we can work on. In addition, the technology level, background data processing, infrastructure and software tools they have can improve our products as well,” he said.

It is business as usual at Delcam after the takeover by Autodesk. By Joson Ng

When CADMeets CAM

Clive Martell

FEATURES


The Race Is OnDelcam was ranked the world’s largest CAM-centric software company in staff numbers by CIMdata. With Autodesk now backing them, they look set to consolidate their position on top of the CAM business. However, Vero Software, the CAM focused software business with the largest sales according to CIMData, has also been recently acquired. They were bought by Hexagon, a global provider of design, measurement and visualisation technologies.

With his nearest competitor also strengthening their capabilities, Mr Martell said: “It is true that Vero has growth significantly through a series of acquisitions over recent years. The Hexagon (deal) is their opportunity. Our opportunity is working with Autodesk and their reseller channels.”

When asked if Delcam could come out top in 2015, his response is one that showed a great amount of confidence. Focused only on his own company, he said: “We shall see but we will still continue with the growth aspirations that we have.”

Product EnhancementsThe company has announced a slew of product enhancements for its 2015 lineup of CAM products. APMEN asked Mr Martell what his team’s motivation was in some of the enhancements.

“We get whole series of different requests from customers. Half of those requests are often the need for those companies to be more competitive. To be more competitive, they need to increase productivity. We can do that in different ways. Sometimes it can

be through providing more efficient ways of programming. Sometimes it is through more efficient cutting strategies. We try to balance these in different releases of the products,” he said.

Staying on products, many might be curious about the destiny of Delcam for SolidWorks, an integrated CAM for SolidWorks, Autodesk’s competitor on the CAD arena.

“The addition of tombstone machining is the final step of making sure the functionality range of FeatureCAM is matched in Delcam for SolidWorks. We will now keep the product in line with FeatureCAM. It is our plan (to keep Delcam for SolidWorks) and Autodesk is very happy with that,” he said.

In any union, mutual benefits for both parties are important for the relationship to survive. While there may be changes or uncertainties ahead, the early signs for this particular combination of CAD and CAM are certainly good and this can only be good news for the CAD/CAM industry.

In charge of the company’s b u s i n e s s d e v e l o p m e n t act iv it ie s in Indone sia , M a l a y s i a , S i n g a p o r e ,

Thailand, the Philippines and

Asia ToGrow Again

APMEN spoke with Chai Kok Hoe, ASEAN business development manager of Delcam, who feels Southeast Asia is ready to grow with an excess of 15 percent in 2015.

Vietnam, Mr Chai is the best person to ask as far as the company’s fortune in Southeast Asia is concerned. By the looks of it, he is quite happy to leave



(L-R) Chai Kok Hoe, Y Bambang Nugroho (MD Delcam Indonesia), C W Chung (MD Delcam Malaysia), Ram Morgan Ranganathan (sales manager Delcam Malaysia), Buranang Suksamitti (MD Delcam Thailand) and Sandy Moffat (Asia business development manager).

“We looked at Autodesk and we thought it was an excellent fit. There is very little overlap between the product ranges.”

-Clive Martell

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Ma rket ing is about opening doors, it is about creat ing a w a r e n e s s a n d

enabling sales. Well aware of his role at the company, Mr Dickin has been playing a big part in creating brand awareness, especially in Asia with the ATS.

Since its inception back in 2001, ATS has been described as “working well” and differs only slightly from its original format, with the main change being Delcam’s expanded software portfolio. According to him, not only is it a good marketing tool, it has financial merits too. “There was an exhibition that flew journalists in for a preview. I thought it was a good idea. Instead of chasing around for them, we could give them an event and give them plenty of materials. It is quite a cost effective way to get everyone together,” he said.

In addition to hosting their own events, Mr Dickin believes trade shows are also the way to go. “Exhibitions are a big part of our marketing strategy. IMTS (2014) was hugely successful. It was the busiest for a number of years. There were a lot of enquiries,” he said.

These enquiries or leads are what marketing is all about.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to get leads. This is what you want from all your marketing people. They are supposed to let your (sales people) through the door for you to show what you can do,” he said.

Mr Dickin said the next ATS is likely to be held in India to commemorate Delcam India’s 15th anniversary

Peter Dickin, the marketing manager at Delcam, talked with APMEN on the ATS and his company’s marketing strategies.

Marketing:

It’s All About Opening Doors

2014 behind where demand has been a little weak due to many ex terna l pressures and he looks forward to a better 2015.

“We want to achieve growth and we have placed a high target for our partners. The range is 15 percent. With this acquisition (Autodesk acquiring Delcam), we hope to get even more,” he said. In addition, he feels regional stability is important and that things are finally beginning to look up.

“ N o w t h e s i t u a t i o n i n Tha i land has cooled down and business is picking up. In other countries, the business is picking up as well,” he said. Using the Philippines as an example for this optimism, he added: “For the CAD/CAM market in the Philippines, they are st i l l using ver y simple software, but the market is receptive. We need to guide t h e m a n d t e l l t h e m t h e difference.”

While he predicts a better 2015, the obvious caveat here is stability in the region and elsewhere in the world. He singled out Europe and the Middle East as important for manufacturing.

Finally with a new alliance with Autodesk, he told APMEN that they will get involved in some joint events with a specific industry focus. He said that in Thailand, they are looking to organise something relevant to the automotive industry, where he is particularly keen to promote the area of clay mil l ing with PowerInspect. He is also keen to boost sales of the shoe design suite in Vietnam and Indonesia. Finally, for Singapore, he hopes to organise events related to the aerospace industry.

This drive for leads has also brought about a new company website. For Mr Dickin, a new website is a continual exercise to keep things fresh.

“It is the same with everything. When people see the same things they get a little bored. There are more materials and it is easier for people to find (information),” he said. “In addition, more people are using tablets or mobile devices. We need something that works well with a smaller screen.”

Judging from the numbers provided by Mr Dickin, it is a venture worth taking. The company’s website has garnered some 500,000 page visits a month and it goes up 100,000 per month year-on-year. He attributed this to more people having access to the Internet in Asia and more people using the website as a research tool.

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Prov id i n g e f f ic ie nc y, productivity and added-value services have always been at the forefront

of many sheet metalworking machine tool producers’ minds. While banging on this drum is a popular marketing endeavour, some companies have fallen by the wayside when it comes to producing machines actually capable of delivering on the attractive marketing lines. Some companies on the other hand, have not.

With the theme ‘World Class Manufacturing’ at Euroblech held late in October in Hannover,

Instead of the alphorn, the Swiss sheet metalworking machine tool producer has tooted the optimising horn at Euroblech. By Joson Ng

MaximisingPotential

Bystronic:

Germany, the company has showcased a suite of machines and solutions capable of doing what they are claiming in their theme, and they do not work a lone. In order to produce something desirable, it makes perfect sense to consult the end-users. This is a mantra held firmly by Johan Elster, head of business unit markets, Bystronic Group.

“ W he n d e v e l op i n g o u r products, we work very closely with our customers from around the world. This generates important impulses. Thanks to this cooperation, we recognise new trends at an early stage and

are able to develop products and solutions that are tailored to our customers’ specific needs,” he said.

“We satisfy the growing requirement for productivity, efficiency and added value with our ‘World Class Manufacturing’ program. This program is about offering our customers solutions that enable them to optimise all the process steps relating to cutting and bending.”

Flexible Waterjet CuttingThe two -way dia logue has culminated with some new products in the company’s portfolio. In the waterjet cutting

Johan Elster

FEATURES


space, the ByJet Flex now comes with a newly developed 3D cutting head — an additional feature that will extend the m a c h i n e ’ s s p e c t r u m o f applications.

The company claims that it will be possible to equip the machine with up to two 3D cutting heads in the future. This will allow users to cut beveled cutting edges with twice the productivity. They also say upgrading from 2D to 3D technology requires less than an hour.

The ByMotion control system plays a big part in making the integration of 3D technology possible. In the case of 3D applications, the control system allows simultaneous five-axis cutting with two cutting heads, employing continuous height sensing on both cutting heads.

Making Deeper Cuts With Fibre LaserUnlike in consumer electronics, improvements in the sheet m e t a l wo rk i n g sp he re a re generally incremental rather than revolutionary. Mr Elster however, is convinced that fibre

laser is the technology to take sheet metal cutting into the future. Calling it a “ground-breaking technology”, he said rapid developments have taken place in recent years.

These developments can be seen in the cutting speeds of new generation fibre laser

cutting machines. Armed with a 6 kW fibre laser, the BySprint Fibre cuts stainless steel with a thickness of 3 mm three times faster than its CO2 counterpart with the same power rating, said the company. They added that, depending on the material and sheet thickness, this equates to a parts output increase of 300 percent for the user.

In addition to speed, the machine now comes with a useful tool called the Detection Eye, which according to the developer, allows users to automatically measure the loaded metal sheet in seconds, before the cutting process beg ins. The ma in takeaway point is reduced set-up times and precise cutting results that extend to the outermost edges of the metal sheet.

Optimise To MonetiseProfitability arguably dominates production floors worldwide, more so than cycle time. With many in the manufacturing environment having to balance cost pressure while maintaining quality, quite a

The company engages its customers regularly to produce machines that are tailored to prevailing needs.

The ByJet Flex is said to allow users to cut beveled cutting edges with twice the productivity.

FEATURES


Watch out for our Euroblech review in our Jan/Feb issue.

APMEN: Has your business in Asia

been affected in 2014? What is your

business forecast for Asia in 2015?

Alex Waser (AW): We have positive

expectations for the future. In Asia, we

see growth. Continued growth. In view of

this, we have strengthened our team and

have set our focus clearly on success.

APMEN: Although Asia’s manufacturing space has vast potential, do you think

it has reached a saturation point especially when there are increasing talks of

reshoring activities in the UK, or do you feel there is a ‘second wind’ coming?

AW: We believe in Asia’s potential. For us, it represents a very important market. This will

remain true in the future.

APMEN: How important is the region of Southeast Asia to Bystronic’s activities

in Asia? With China being the de-facto HQ in Asia, do you feel a need to diversify

your production and R&D operations in Asia to hedge against any potential

downturn in China?

AW: Southeast Asia is also a very important market for Bystronic. Here, we have a strong

regional representation with our sales and service offerings. This enables us to be close

to our customers and bring our know-how to bear locally. We produce the products for

these markets in China and in Europe.

APMEN: BySun Fiber has been very successful in China. Would you be following

up with similar products/projects for your Asian markets?

AW: Bystronic will continue to offer products that are specially tailored to the Asian market.

We will demonstrate the direction we will be taking in this respect at EuroBlech in Hannover.

Business In AsiaAPMEN checks in with Alex Waser, CEO of Bystronic Group on the company’s endeavours in Asia.

lot of expectations are now placed on machine builders to create mini miracles.

Mr Elster feels that optimisation is a crucial ingredient in today’s cut-throat manufacturing climate. He insists that only companies that get the maximum out of every process step are able to produce profitably. This is something he practises in his own production. He cites lean manufacturing is one philosophy that they adopt to optimise individual production steps.

With ‘optimisation’ being such a buzz word, there is no surprise the company has made a huge play for it at Euroblech. Claiming that their new online service revolutionises laser cutting, the company introduced the ByOptimizer at the show.

According to them, it creates maximally optimised cutting plans for laser cutting. Touting the service as ‘one-of-a-kind’ on the market, the company boldly promised that users can ‘cut parts as accurate and cost-effective as never before’.

Time will tell if the company’s claim holds any water but one thing is for sure, this service is very much the marquee offering for the company and they are adamant that they are on the right track.

“With ByOptimizer, users save raw materials and cutting time. This enables them to make full use of the profit potential of their laser cutting systems,” he said.

Tapping on these so-called potential is important as it would be a travesty not to as modern cutting machines get more powerful. However, power and speed are not necessarily the deciding factor in guaranteeing profitable cutting jobs.

Bystronic says the actual profit margin for cutting sheet metal parts is determined before cutting, interestingly enough. Optimal parts grouping or nesting

can save on raw materials and obtain faster cutting times. Up until now, this required a great deal of time and know-how. With the online service, cutting plans can be created quickly.

They claim that in a comparison with traditional cutting plans, ByOptimizer achieves a 15 percent advantage on a standard 2 x 1 m sheet. For example, 60 parts that traditionally require two sheets can be obtained on one, saving materials as well as set-up time, since placing a second sheet is no longer necessary.





In addition, tighter parts grouping enables more efficient cutting paths across the sheet. Shorter laser paths result in faster cutting job processing overall. In comparison to traditional cutting plans, the time savings for one standard sheet of 60 parts is approximately 19 percent, depending on the complexity and material thickness.

Alex Waser

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ENQUIRY NO 170


Each generation of engineer has seen new generations of instrumentation. Baby Boomers (born in the

1940’s to 1960’s) used cathode-ray oscilloscopes and multimeters with needle displays, now commonly referred to as analog instruments.

Generation X (born in the 1960’s to 1980’s) ushered in a new generation of digital instruments that used analog- to - digita l converters and graphical displays. Generation Y (born in the 1980’s to 2000’s) is now entering the workforce with a new mindset that will drive the next generation of instrumentation.

Generation Y has grown up in a world surrounded by technology. From computers, to the internet, and now mobile devices, this technology has evolved at a faster rate than ever before. A recent report from Cisco delved into the nature of Generation Y and their relationship with technology:

• Smartphones rated twice as popular as desktop PCs

• 1/3 of respondents check their smartphones at least once every 30 minutes

• 80 percent use at least one app regularly

• Two out of three spend equal or more time online with friends than in person

This group of people is obsessed with technology. They embrace change and quickly adopt new technologies because they understand the benefits that they provide.

The innovation in consumer electronics, which Generation Y engineers use in their daily lives, has outpaced the instruments they use in the professional setting. In fact, the form factor of benchtop instruments has remained mostly unchanged over the years. All components — display, processor, memory, measurement system, and knobs/buttons — are integrated into a single, stand-alone device.

With the current era of instrumentation reaching maturity, Generation Y engineers will demand that modern technologies

be incorporated with instruments. Instrumentation in the era of Generation Y will incorporate touchscreens, mobile devices, cloud connectivity, and predictive intelligence to provide significant adva ntages over prev ious generations.

The Sense Of TouchAccording to Frost & Sullivan, engineers will increasingly associate the concept of a user interface with the one they use on their consumer electronics devices. As such, physical knobs and buttons on today’s instruments will be unsatisfactory for Generation Y. In addition, this approach is not scalable as it is not feasible to keep adding new knobs and buttons when new features are added to an instrument.

The bottom line is at some point, the number of knobs and buttons becomes inefficient and

Generation Y’s obsession with technology can be easily seen on benchtop instrumentation designed by engineers who grew up in that era. By Chris Delvizis, product manager at National Instruments

Instrumentation For

Generation Y

FEATURES


overwhelming. Some instruments have resorted to multi-layered menu systems and ‘soft buttons’ that correspond to variable actions, but the complexity of these systems have created other usability issues. Most Generation Y engineers would describe today’s instruments as cumbersome.

An instrument that completely ditches physical knobs and buttons, and instead uses a touchscreen as the user interface, could solve these challenges. Rather than presenting all of the controls at once, the touchscreen could simplify the interface by dynamically delivering only the content and controls that are relevant to the current task.

Users could also interact directly with the data on the screen rather than with a disjointed knob or button. They could use gesture-based interactions such as performing a pinch directly on the oscilloscope graph to change the time/div or volts/div. Touchscreen-based interfaces provide a more efficient and intuitive replacement for physical knobs and buttons.

Mobile-PoweredBy leveraging the hardware resources provided by mobile devices, instruments can take advantage of better components and newer technology.

This approach would look very different from today’s instruments. The processing and user interface would be handled by an app that runs on the mobile device. Since

no physical knobs, buttons, or a display would be required, the instrument hardware would be reduced to only the measurement and timing systems, resulting in a smaller size and lower cost.

Users would not be limited by the tiny built-in displays, small onboard storage, and slow operation. They could instead take advantage of large, crisp displays, gigabytes of data storage, and multi-core processors. Built-in cameras, microphones, and accelerometers could also facilitate new possibilities such as capturing a picture of a test setup or recording audio annotations for inclusion with data. Users could even develop custom apps to meet specialised needs.

While it is entirely possible for traditional instruments to integrate better components, the pace at which this can happen will lag mobile devices. Consumer electronics have faster innovation cycles and economies of scale, and instruments that leverage them will always have better technology and lower costs.

Cloud-ConnectedEngineers commonly transfer data between their instruments and computers with USB thumb drives or with software for downloading data over an Ethernet or USB cable. While this process is fairly trivial, Generation Y has come to expect instantaneous access to data with cloud technologies.

Services like Dropbox and

iCloud store documents in the cloud and automatically synchronise them across devices. Combined with WiFi and cellular networks that keep users continuously connected, they can access and edit their documents from anywhere at any time. In addition to just storing files in the cloud, some services host full applications in the cloud. With services like Google Docs, users can remotely collaborate and simultaneously edit documents from anywhere.

I n s t r u m e n t a t i o n t h a t incorporates network and cloud connectivity could provide these same benefits to engineers. Both the data and user interface could be accessed by multiple engineers from anywhere in the world.

When debugging an issue with a colleague who is off site, rather than only sharing a static screenshot, engineers could interact with the instrument in real time to better understand the issue. Cloud technologies could greatly improve an engineering team’s efficiency and productivity.

Get SmartContext-aware computing is beginning to emerge and could fundamentally change how we interact with devices. This technology uses situational and environmental information to anticipate users’ needs and deliver situation-aware content, features, and experiences. A popular example of this is Siri, a

The idea of replacing physical instrumentation with a virtual set up would come as a welcome addition in today’s manufacturing world.

FEATURES


NIDays 2014:



National Instruments held its NIDays event at the Parkroyal Hotel, Singapore on October

2, 2014. Over 350 people were in attendance, comprising engineers, educators, and

scientists. Key sessions included content on the company’s graphical system design

platform as well as its latest software-defined systems in design, test, measurement, and

control. A major theme of the conference was the Internet of Things (IoT) with discussions

on wearables and the changing industrial landscape. “In this conference we are really

focusing on things like IoT, and what that means is sensors everywhere.” said Chandran

Nair, MD, NI (Southeast Asia)

Other key topics of discussion were smart factories and large scale machine condition

monitoring. “Large scale machine condition monitoring is designed to make your life easier

in maintaining large systems, for example, large turbines in many different remote locations,

how do you monitor them, how do you decide when to send somebody there. We are

addressing those kind of things.”

Mr Nair and Mike Santori, VP, product marketing, NI, led a panel of speakers with

a keynote presentation about Big Analog Data and the industrial side of IoT. The main

message was that by using a platform-based approach, engineers and scientists can push

the boundaries of the IoT in areas that include automated testing of consumer devices;

designing, prototyping, deploying and monitoring industrial systems; and the development

of next-generation wireless communications.

What IoT Means To NI

The analyst firm International Data Corporation (IDC) released a report, Worldwide and

Regional Internet of Things 2014-2020, in which it predicted that the global IoT market will

hit US$7.1 trillion by 2020. The firm also estimates the global IoT market at around US$1.9

trillion in 2013, with some 90 percent of all IoT devices installed in developed regions.

On the company’s role in the IoT market, Mr Nair remarked: “We describe IoT in two

major areas, one being industrial IoT and the other consumer IoT. Consumer IoT we consider

to be wearables, phones and all that other fun stuff we use on a day to day basis. Our job

here is to test those wearables, as we have a strong test and measurement capability. In

the IoT for industrial use, we provide the electronics, the software applications that really

power the industrial IoT.”

The company also released its first end-to-end software solution that is designed to gain

insight into the health of capital equipment for machine maintenance and operations, called

InsightCM Enterprise. It is developed primarily to address Big Analogue Data challenges

and build on the industrial Internet of Things.

Parkroyal Hotel, SingaporeOctober 2, 2014

Singapore Edition

feature in recent Apple iOS devices. Users speak commands or direct questions to Siri, and it responds by performing actions or giving recommendations.

Google Now provides similar functionality to Siri, but also passively delivers information that it thinks the user will want based on geolocation and search data.

Similar intelligence when combined with instrumentation could be game-changing. A common challenge engineers face is attempting to make configuration changes to an instrument at the same time that their hands are tied up with probes. Voice-control could not only provide hands-free interaction, but also easier interaction with features.

I n add it ion , pre d ic t ive intelligence could be used to highlight relevant or interesting data. An oscilloscope could automatically zoom and configure based on an interesting part of a signal or it could add relevant measurements based on signal shape. An instrument that leverages mobile devices could integrate and take advantage of context-aware computing as the technology is developed.

The Generation Y EdgeTe c h n o l o g y i n co n s u m e r electronic devices is evolving rapidly and influencing the expectations of Generation Y.

As more and more Generation Y engineers enter the workforce, it is only a matter of time before their expectations are applied to the instrumentation they use for their jobs. Not only will this evolving technology provide significant benefits to instrumentation, the technically savvy Generation Y engineer will leverage it to solve engineering challenges faster than previous generations ever thought possible.



By Mark Johnston

FEATURES

ENQUIRY NO 171


APMEN: What are the main issues to consider for a contract manufacturer who is thinking of becoming a tier 2/3 supplier for the aerospace industry? Charles Chong (CC): OEMs and tier 1 primes rely heavily on

APMEN spoke with Charles Chong, president of the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore) or AAIS and Soh Chee Siong, CEO of JEP Precision Engineering to chart the path of a contract manufacturer aspiring to enter the aerospace market.

For The Aerospace IndustryQualifying

suppliers to provide materials, products and services, which deliver quality and value at the most competitive rates. Quality and safety are key cornerstones of the aerospace and aviation industry. Contract manufacturers who are thinking of becoming a

tier 2/3 supplier needs to come equipped with robust and effective quality management systems.

Besides ISO, AS9100 (BS EN 9100) is the single common industry-recognised standard of quality and risk management for the aerospace industry. It is used and supported by the world’s leading aerospace organisations and throughout their supply chains. Depending on the diversity or focus of the businesses involved within, varying standards are required.

For distribution, the set-up shall need to have a quality system that conforms to AS9120. If the organisation is involved in providing special processes, they will then need to have a quality system that conforms to AS/EN9100 or is accredited to AC7004 (by PRI-Nadcap). For

MANAGER'STAKE


calibration suppliers, they will on the other hand need to have a quality system that conforms to A2LA, ISO 17025 (Guide 25) or other national certifying bodies. Having the right qualification standards will undeniably provide the catalyst needed to achieve a trade license for an organisation, but that alone will not guarantee business success.

In business and manufacturing operations, the organisation will need to have the financial resources, production capacity and other business resources needed to fulfill the tier 1/2 production needs and continuity of supply. In relation to technology assessment, the organisation also needs to be endowed with the much needed technical resources, including engineering resources, inspection and production equipment, facilities, computer-aided design capability and e-commerce capabilities.

C o n c e r n i n g d o w n - t i e r supplier control, the organisation needs the finesse to ensure that their down-tier management processes are effective and efficient, and also to ensure that the products or services procured from these sources are of utmost quality and standard.

With the need for hefty financial investments in both hardware and software to build

capacity and develop capability, the road to supplier qualification is long and may take years to reach the promised land.

APMEN: What are the challenges faced by contract manufacturers thinking of becoming a tier 2/3 supplier for the local (Singapore) aerospace industry?CC: At the onset, it is evident that the local tier 2 and 3 organisations are facing an unprecedented challenge with a downsizing supplier market. The result of the competitive pressures at the OEM and tier 1 level greatly affects the fortunes of the down-tier aerospace organisations, as the trend is towards fewer direct relationships.

To remain competitive amidst growing global competition, OEM airframe manufacturers are compelled to move from a business model of various direct supplier relationships to one where they partner with fewer tier 1 systems integrators.

The tier 1 systems integrators in turn are following suit in order to reduce their investment risk and supply chain complexity, and are choosing fewer tier 2 and 3 organisations to do business with. As business is concentrated with these integrators, competition is fierce for available contracts.

The second key issue is the lack of development of tier 1 suppliers that are required to manage and integrate the efforts of tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers. This weakness at the tier 1 level is directly linked to the lack of investment in technology demonstrators, which provide the key mechanism for the development of system integration capabilities.

APMEN: What are the assistances that AAIS and/or the Singapore government provide them with? CC: AAIS works closely with government agencies to facilitate financial assistance programmes aimed at helping SMEs in the aerospace industry upgrade their capability building initiatives. These inc lude ass i s tance for nascent recipients of the AS9100 certification, funding and sponsorships for participants o f bus iness miss ions and exhibitions in trade shows both local and overseas, as part of the Singapore delegation.

Administered by SPRING S ingapore , the Capabi l i ty Development Grant (CDG) is a financial assistance programme which assists SMEs to defray up to 70 percent of the qualifying project costs, in relation to consultancy, manpower, training, certification, upgrading productivity and

Charles Chong

Contract manufacturers who are thinking of becoming a tier 2 or 3 supplier needs to come equipped with robust and effective quality management systems.

- Charles Chong

MANAGER'STAKE


methodology root cause analysis and whether it has a good business continuity plan. These are some of the factors that an MNC will likely consider before they further explore business opportunities with an organisation.

APMEN: What is the qualifying process like in terms of time, effort and cost?SCS: An organisation requires a lot of resources such as manpower, time and money. The qualifying process can be quite lengthy, varying from a few months to two years. Once an organisation is selected as a potential supplier, it will be given a small lot to prove its mettle known as the First Article.

At this stage, it needs resources to prepare the processes, programmes, inspection plan and all the tools & gauges to support the FA lot. For flight safety components, the organisation will have to go through stringent tests and qualifications before it



is given the green light to proceed with production, even if the components manufactured have met all dimensions. Patience and stamina are required.

APMEN: Do you have any cautionary stories to share with our readers?SCS: Concerning the foreign exchange rate, it is wise for an organisation in a long term agreement to negotiate for a clause to mitigate the risk of currency fluctuation.

For example, US$1 amounted to S$1.60 10 years ago, while it only amounts to S$1.25 today. In relation to material costs, particularly if costs are high, an organisation should consider a clause that would protect their interests should the vendor increase their costs midway through the contract.

developing business capabilities for process improvement, product development and market access.

The grant supports a wide range of capability upgrading initiatives that enable SMEs to successfully compete and grow their businesses both locally and globally. There are 10 supportable areas designed to meet an SME’s current needs and stages of development. They range from raising service standards, adopting technology innovation, and grooming business leaders to growing a global brand.

Concerning the area of enhancing quality and standards, it aims to adopt international or industry standards to improve processes, enhance quality of products and services, increase competitiveness and access new markets. The AS 9100 Certification o n Q u a l i t y M a n a g e m e n t System (Aerospace Industry) is an example of a certification supported by SPRING Singapore under the grant.

APMEN: What is the first practical step to take (eg: certifications, Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) compliance, lean manufacturing, etc.) for a contract manufacturer who is thinking of becoming a tier 2/3 supplier for the aerospace industry?Soh Chee Siong (SCS): The first practical step is to obtain AS9100 certification and to prepare for Nadcap courses if an organisation intends to get into the special process area, such as heat treatment and plating. These are the passports to the aerospace industry.

O n t o p o f t h e s e b a s i c certifications, an organisation will have to start building on other key factors such as Health, Safety and Environment issues, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Six Sigma

Airplane parts like the landing gear requires comprehensive MRO service support.

MANAGER'STAKE

Federation of Indonesian Metalworks & Machinery Industries Association

Indonesian Foundry Industries Association

ENQUIRY NO 173


There are four main factors to consider when i t comes to the machining of aerospace materials,

according to Mr Kirbach. They are geometry, material, specifications and philosophy.

Geometry refers to structure, whether a part has thin walls or if it is hollow. The important points in the material space are its identity, ie: metal or non-metal and its unique mechanical properties.

Finally, the area of philosophy touched on shop floor organisation, machine tool complexity, operator’s knowledge and how an organisation is ‘open’ to new technologies.

In his aerospace excellence centre, they also carry out development steps for specific

solutions, apart from regular services like time studies and test cuts. He advised to start from the machine tool before going into the manufacturing process development. The final step is to consider process automation. Things like in-process measurement should be included to make the whole procedure a green button process.

In terms of material trends in aerospace, he believes there will be increasing usage of titanium and less of aluminium. Giving the three main materials presently dominating the airframe manufacturing segment an interesting analogy before describing them in detail, he said aluminium can be seen as the ‘butter’ as it is soft and easy to cut.

Titanium on the other hand, should be seen as ‘hard cheese’, which can be a handful to cut. Finally, carbon fibre is like a biscuit, brittle and is likely to break into many smaller pieces when cut.

Having The Right HardwareFor those actively working with aluminium, Mr Kirbach believes a machine with high dynamic kinematics is needed in order to machine the part as fast as possible. The users have to be mindful of chip volume and the spindle. Fast spindles are needed if tools are small and strong spindles are needed if tools are big.

For hard to machine Nickel alloys or titanium, a very rigid machine tool and concept is required. Active damping is vital as well as having a strong and precise spindle. Finally, coolant pressure and volume need to be considered.

Elaborat ing on t itanium machining, he said operators have to be mindful of the operating temperatures as the material conducts less heat than other materials. Titanium chips do not necessarily conduct the heat away, resulting in cutting temperatures for titanium alloys reaching 300 to 500 deg C if not properly controlled.

Excessive heat becomes a problem as they are likely to be localised to the cutting area, resulting in surface deformation and residual stress to the finished product. To keep excessive heat from being a serious problem, he recommends high-pressure cooling (equal or more than 80 bar) to be directly applied onto the cutting edge in order to improve cutting speeds and tool life.

Bring Your Machine Tool To WorkIn terms of hardware, he told APMEN that there is a new machine from DMG Mori that is suitable for machining or repairing large

During the recent open house at DMG Mori’s Singapore technology centre, Michael Kirbach, director of the aerospace excellence centre at Deckel Maho Pfronten shared his expertise with some participants from the Singapore aerospace community. By Joson Ng

Make Your Job Shop

Aerospace Ready

MANAGER'STAKE


objects commonly found in the aerospace industry.

The mobileBlock is a mobile machining centre that measures 1m x 1m and comes with a fully integrated CAM system. According to him, the machine weighs about 80 kg and can be mounted on structures using the suction pads to carry out repair works.

In the software segment, he talked about the additional requirements for aerospace manufacturing. He mentioned that documentation and visualisation of methods are particularly important in the aerospace industry. Things like tool parameter sheets, specifications, SOPs, and change management must be logged clearly for traceability, a big issue in the aerospace industry.

Unlike the mathematical world, subtracting

and adding are not polar opposites. In fact,

they complement each other rather well in a

new technology in the art of metalworking.

In his presentation, Friedemann Lell of Sauer

talked about the LaserTec 65 3D, a product

that is garnering quite a bit of attention due to

its additive capability. The selling point here is

AM combined with traditional milling. The laser

deposition welding provides the AM bit while a five-axis milling machine provides the

subtraction function.

He said the laser deposition welding with powder nozzle is some 20 times faster

compared to powder-bed-process. The metal powder is welded to the basic material

in layers (non-porous and crack-free melting) and high strength is possible with this

connection. A coaxial shielding-gas protects against oxidation during the build-process.

After cooling, the metal layers can be machined.

He added that with the technology, wall thickness from 0.1 to 5 mm is possible. It is also

possible to machine 3D-contours without a support structure. Finally, he said the change

between laser and milling is a flexible one, allowing the direct milling of sections that are

not reachable once the part is finished.





When Subtraction Meets Addition

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MANAGER'STAKE


In the aerospace industry, the use of CFRP is gaining ground due to its ability to reduce the weight of aircraft. Apart from

its low weight, the material is also characterised by a high level of rigidity and tensile strength in the direction of the fibres.

However, when a tensile load is not applied in the direction of the fibres, tensile strength is considerably reduced. This is a reason why stacks made of CFRP/metal composites are often present in the structure of aircraft that contain a high proportion of CFRP.

Titanium, in particular, is a suitable metal in the manufacturing of stacks. The main advantage of titanium is that its high tensile strength is direction-independent — a feature which reinforces construction. Due to this composite construction, the structure of an aircraft consists of around 20 percent titanium, which is used in door frames, some formers and connecting elements. This type of

construction is found in the Airbus A350 and A400M as well as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Layer compositions, known as stacks, made from CFRP and titanium are typically used in high-tech sectors such as the aerospace industry. Titanium combines well with CFRP because the two materials have similar coefficients of expansion.

Temperature change differences on the outside of an aircraft can therefore be better absorbed than with aluminium, for example. Because of aluminium’s low electrochemical compatibility, it can only be connected to CFRP by using an insulating layer.

Drilling On CFRP StacksThe primary joining technology in aircraft construction is riveting. Before the rivet can be fitted, two or more materials have to be fully drilled through, using a step drill/countersink drill or a Maximiza. Because the drilled holes are part

of the connecting elements, they have an influence on symptoms of structural fatigue. The creation of geometrically round drilled holes and perfect countersinks is therefore essential in terms of safety and long service life.

CFRP is highly abrasive to cutting tools, which means that cutting edges wear very quickly when this material is machined. In response to this phenomenon, Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) offers maximum performance and repeatability when drilling through abrasive materials and stacks. PCD technology uses a combination of diamond particles and a metallic binder. PCD drill points also offer the longest tool life and are, in the majority of cases, the more cost-effective solution.

PCD Vein DrillsA development known as PCD vein technology has been around for four years. ‘Vein’ denotes specially designed slots in the carbide head, into which the polycrystalline diamond is incorporated. To do this, PCD powder is poured into the carbide head and sintered in a press at a pressure of 60,000 bar and a temperature of 1,500 deg C.

Solid polycrystalline diamond is formed in the process. This carbide head with the PCD drill point is brazed onto the tool shank. The shank diameter and base diameter, chip clearance, drill back and face geometry of the tool are then ground and eroded, which gives the tool its final geometry.

This CNC-controlled process offers maximum reliability and repeatability, which also guarantees perfect reconditioning. Today, drills with a carbide body and PCD drill point are regarded as the best choice for CNC processes in the aerospace industry.

“With PCD vein technology, we can create geometries for fibre composite materials, plastics and non-ferrous metals for a variety of different machining environments,

Drilling StacksWith PCD Vein DrillsCustom-designed tools may well be the way to go for stack machining. Contributed by Gan Shu Lim, marketing, Walter AG Singapore

MANAGER'STAKE


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which would have been impossible with conventional PCD drills,” expla ins Stefa n Benkóczy, innovation manager at Walter.

“A further advantage is that solder failure, which may arise in the case of directly brazed PCD drill points, does not occur with PCD vein technology.”

The process is also an option for reducing costs per drilled hole. “Tool life can now be increased by up to 40 times in comparison to standard carbide tools. PCD vein drills can subsequently be reground up to five times, which fully restores the drills to their original quality,” he says.

While it is true that solid carbide tools with a diamond coating have a long tool life, they are disposable and cannot be reconditioned. Uncoated solid carbide tools can be reground but they have a short tool life. The higher cutting speed with

PCD vein tools in comparison to solid carbide tools also contributes to increased cost efficiency.

Determine The Feed RatesA distinction must be made with CFRP between unidirectional and multidirectional fibre arrangement. Because individual fibres cannot hold each other in position, fibre structures which are built up unidirectionally have a greater tendency to delaminate than multidirectional fibres.

Whereas it is possible to achieve feed rates of 0.08 to 0.35 mm with multidirectional CFRP depending on the matrix, a maximum feed rate of only 0.2 mm can be reached with unidirectional CFRP.

The matrix mainly consists of epoxy resin or a thermoplastic, and the interlaminar shear strength determines how well the fibres are

bound into the matrix, and how easily they can become detached. Depending on the drill, the cutting speed for the two structures ranges between 80 and 300 m/min.

“Short machining t imes while still maintaining all quality characteristics and a consistently long tool life when machining CFRP are the result of many years of development,” says Mr Benkóczy.

“The cutting edge that we achieve with PCD vein technology can withstand even the most abrasive of materials very well, and is characterised by slow wear, which is very uniform. The cutting edges on these tools become rounded over time significantly, less than with solid carbide and the tool remains sharp for longer.”



MANAGER'STAKE


Upon the conclusion of the Vietnam Manufacturing Expo show, Duangdej Yuaikwarmdee, deputy

MD and GM (Vietnam) of Reed Tradex, the show organiser, said that the event was attended by some 8,950 trade buyers from Vietnam and overseas.

The visitors hailed from 25 countries, namely Australia, Brunei, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Reunion Island, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Ta iwa n, T ha i la nd, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the UK,

the US, Venezuela, Vietnam and Western Samoa.

To g e t he r, t he y v ie we d technologies put up by six national pavilions and 200 brands from 20 countries. According to the organiser, the show will be held again during August 26 – 28, 2015, in Hanoi to promote the growth of metalworking, electronics and supporting industries.

ICEHanoi, VietnamAugust 27 – 29, 2014



Event Review:

Do Thang Hai, vice minister of the

Ministry of Industry and Trade:

The show represents an opportunity

to help Hanoi’s supporting industries

in general and Vietnam in particular, to

have more opportunities to approach

importers from Japan, South Korea,

ASEAN and countries around the world.

It also gives Vietnam’s enterprises’

access to machinery technology,

advanced equipment , modern

management level and to improve

production management and trading.

Atsusuke Kawada, chief

representative — Hanoi

Representative Office of Japan

External Trade Organization:

With the exhibitions organised by Reed

Tradex, Japanese companies can

know more about their Vietnamese

partners as well as the Vietnamese

industry. From there, the businesses are

promoted and they can be contacted to

establish partnerships. In 5 to 10 years,

big manufacturers such as Toyota,

Honda, etc. will be able to increase

the procurement ratio and switch the

supporting supplies to local companies.

Dao Thu Vinh, deputy director

of Hanoi Industry and Trade

Department:

This exhibition is very different from the

others because of its two-dimensional

characteristic, meaning that an exhibitor

could be both a supplier and a buyer. It

gives a big opportunity to Vietnamese

companies to learn more and improve

themselves. It also helps us achieve

the goal of developing the supporting

industries in Hanoi.

VietnamManufacturing Expo



Opinions

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS

ENQUIRY NO 174


Combining four shows into one location, ‘Business Alliance for Supporting I ndu st r y ’, ‘Meta le x

Vietnam’, ‘NEPCON Vietnam’ and ‘Industrial Components and Subcontracting Vietnam’ have come to a close after three days, providing business opportunities to 14,879 delegates from 29 countries.

With countries like Australia, China, France, Germany, India,

I ta ly, Japa n, South Korea , Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, the US and Vietnam represented in visitor numbers, the show has displayed internationality and visitors also had a fruitful time, according to the organiser Reed Tradex.

Duangdej Yuaikwarmdee, deputy MD and GM (Vietnam) of Reed Tradex , sa id that visitors got to discover the right

technologies they were looking for and networked with potential business partners while exhibitors were able to generate new sales leads and gained new ground to establish their brand awareness.

In addit ion, there were activities held concurrently during the course of the show. One of them was the ‘Engineer Master Class #3’. Participants were able to brush up on their DFMA skill with help from associate professor Pham Ngoc Tuan, VP of HAME. In addition to receiving certificates for their attendance, the engineers will now be able to apply the knowledge to their working environments.

T h e r e w e r e a l s o t w o compet it ions at the show. First was the ‘Hand Soldering Competition’. The winner won himself a sponsored trip to contest in the World’s Hand Soldering Competition in California in 2015. The second competition was the ‘Koma Taisen World Championship Preliminary in HCMC’. The winner of this tournament looked set to represent the country in the ‘World Championship Sekai Koma Taisen 2015’ held in Yokohama city, Japan on February 2015.

Away from the excitement, serious knowledge exchange took place at the seminar organised by JETRO. Industrialists at the event managed to broaden their knowledge on namely the current status of Vietnam’s supporting industries and heat treatment technologies.

The organiser says the next edition of the show will be held from October 8 – 10, 2015, at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC).

SECCHo Chi Minh City, VietnamOctober 9 – 11, 2014



Event Review:

Metalex Vietnam

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS


Th e i n a u g u r a l Manufacturing Myanmar 2014 has been staged in Myanmar, bringing

technologies from international brands as well as notable small and medium sized enterprises. The trade event, which was held at the Myanmar Convention Centre (MCC) from October 2 – 4, 2014, was attended by over 2,200 visitors, comprising special guests, trade visitors and members of the press.

According to organiser SES, the show provided a launch platform for companies to promote ma nufactur ing technolog y that enables the local sector to automate operations. Exhibitors also met with potential local agents and distributors. Through their interactions with local buyers, they gained acute insights into the local manufacturing landscape and current needs.

On their participation at the show, Dr Hans-Peter Laubscher, MD (Asia Pacific) of Trumpf, said: “Trumpf joins Manufacturing Myanmar 2014 to create brand awareness and promote our technological capabilities in this new and upcoming market. We are also here to look for a business partner to work with in reaching out to the local manufacturing community. We have received strong interest in our marking laser system TruMark 2130 as well as our laser cutting and punching technology.”

For Myanmar, it is very important to cultivate a productive workforce to drive the economy forward. With skills development and the adoption of technologies in mind, local manufacturers were able to acquire knowledge on global best practices in operations and technology applications, and tap expertise readily shared by their international counterparts.

“Making an investment to automate operations with the use of machines and various

supporting equipment is certainly a stride forward in unlocking Mya nma r’s ma nu factu r ing potential. Creating a platform for the sharing of knowledge and best practices, presenting business opportunities for the local industry, and providing internat iona l compa nies a gateway into t he cou nt r y make up the essence of what Manufacturing Myanmar is all about,” said Lindy Wee, deputy chief executive of the organiser.

“We are heartened by the local community’s positive response

toward the event, and very honoured to play a part in the progression and prosperity of the country’s budding manufacturing industries,” she added.

The next edition of the show will be held from October 14 – 16, 2015 at the Myanmar Event Park, Yangon.

Myanmar Convention CentreYangon, MyanmarOctober 2 – 4, 2014



Event Review:

Manufacturing Myanmar 2014

EVENTS&EXHIBITIONS


In the future, Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS) w i l l a l low fac tor ie s to manufacture more efficiently.

While the term ‘CPPS’ may induce a head-scratching moment for the uninitiated, others in the know will point to the flexibility the system brings to manufacturing.

In a nutshell, CPPS is the soul of a manufacturing plant. It synerg ises conventiona l production technology and IT. As a result, machines and products can now ‘talk’ to one another. Looking at the scale of the research devoted to the system, this ‘talk’ between machines will not be some idle chatter.

Departure From Traditional Production SystemsCPPS represent a significant shift from present-day production systems. Currently, systems are organised hierarchically. In line with the classic automation

py ra mid, e ach proce ss is assigned to a level. The fact that each level has its own function and sometimes even its own communications technology can lead to data discontinuity.

As a result, changes in the production process — especially at interfaces — are cumbersome, time-consuming, and consequently expensive. In contrast, CPPS can promptly respond to a changed need. Because all technical production processes are closely linked to the business processes, they can be easily and flexibly controlled or modified to allow optimum use of resources.

CPPS rely on cooperative network architectures, not hierarchical ones; this means the entire system is connected, inc luding a l l sensors a nd actuators. Moreover, it is designed to connect to several CPPS and also integrate isolated solutions. This allows companies to control

the entire production process uniformly and across locations, from management to logistics.

Connectivity Is KeyWhile the ability to monitor plants from a remote location is unimaginable in the past, the future promises to be a lot more flexible.

“ I n t h e m a nu f a c t u r i n g environment, CPPS comprise smart machines, end-to-end ICT based integration and production facilities capable of autonomously exchanging information, triggering actions and controlling each other independently,” said Thomas Jakob, MD (Asia Pacific), Bosch Software Innovations.

“Processes that have only controlled production workflow are now being extended to objects (or devices). These objects become a part of a process, and processors are embedded into objects.

“For instance, in the area of predictive maintenance, uniquely identifiable smart sensors are installed inside critical/specialised equipment which will monitor if any parts have exceeded their designed thresholds, and will automatically send reports to owners and manufacturers if that occurs.

“Early predictions on equipment malfunctions can be made and maintenance can be automatically scheduled ahead of an actual part failure. This will reduce downtimes. CPPS goes beyond present-day production systems which typically are comprised of many disparate systems operating on their own databases and communication buses.

“For exa mple , i t would a l low product ion volumes to be configured more flexibly (batch size of one). Solutions like predictive maintenance can make an important contribution to cost reduction by reducing downtimes, and therefore be even more important in the future.”

Not too long ago, Bosch announced that it will spearhead

Is Here

The Future Of Manufacturing

Smart Factories:

It may not be too long before you see an all-encompassing connectivity in a production plant.

PARTINGSHOT




an Industry 4.0 research project that aims to optimise and connect production facilities. This project wil l address an important foundation still missing for CPPS, ie: an integrated information and communication infrastructure that connects the entire system and other CPPS to each other, even between companies.

The CoCoS (Context-Aware Con ne ct iv i t y a nd S er v ice Infrastructure for Cyber-Physical Production Systems) project kicked off at the beginning of this year to help fill that particular gap.

CoCoS Project Working in what is known as a multi-layer approach. CoCoS project researchers want to use standardised software to integrate the individual production components into the overall system — merging what were previously separate levels to create a flexible structure.

The CPPS landscape is based on two platforms. First, the networking platform, which is scalable and easily expanded, determines the way in which the manufacturing components as well as the embedded sensors and actuators communicate with each other.

Building on this networking platform, the services platform comprises software for controlling the entire modular system and includes smart applications such as software agents, knowledge databases, and business apps. This structure supports the development of new electronic services and makes modern manufacturing facilities more autonomous.

Cloud computing can be used to integrate and couple together different CPPS. In order to gain a better understanding, Bosch is building a demonstrator for better evaluation in the CoCos project, as well as in other projects (eg: at Bosch Software Innovations, the software and systems house of the Bosch-Group).

Demonstrating CPPS“The key motivation in building a demonstrator is to show how the implementation of Industry 4.0 could be effected as a first step. The implementation requires interfacing with machines crucial to production, and seamlessly allowing relevant information to f low between numerous systems and the central backend platform (ie: the communication infrastructure),” said Mr Jakob.

He gave one example on how new technologies can enable new services in manufacturing.

“On a services (or application) level, the Software Suite by Bosch Software Innovations can serve as the central platform on which a remote service portal is based. This portal could support plant engineers with a single point of access to perform daily tasks like quality control and checks, tracking of machine health and maintenance status, as well as to address operational issues centrally.

“ T h i s i n c l u d e s s m a r t monitoring functionalities based on configurable thresholds, which both help to manage machine health as well as production quality. By tying such infrastructure and services together across extended production systems, companies will eventually be able to manage plants spread out across the globe much more efficiently,” he said.

The Future BeckonsThe future of manufacturing is k nock ing on our doors. Whichever way you look, the wind of change are slowly altering how we produce things.

“While Germany has taken a lead in the development of next-generation manufacturing systems, there are a number of similar initiatives around t h e wo r l d . T h i s i n c lu d e s South Korea’s ‘3.0 Strategy for Manufacturing Innovation’ that was recently announced as well as China’s draft 10-year plan for the manufacturing sector titled ‘China Manufacturing 2025’. It includes initiatives for high end machine tools, new energ y vehicles, industr ia l robot and intelligent equipment and others.

“In Japan, the ‘Monozukuri’ approach is being fur ther developed to include smart manufacturing principles similar to Industry 4.0. We are foreseeing a future where the things being produced communicate interactively and where the shop floor can react dynamically to changes in the supply chain as well as to issues arising in the machinery park,” he said.

CoCos research project diagram

PARTINGSHOT


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Dassault Systèmes: SolidWorks 2015 Ingersoll Rand: Contact-Cooled Air Compressor

Dassault Systèmes has enhanced its 3D design software applications with the release of SolidWorks 2015. According to the software developer, the 2015 version of the design software program allows users to gain access to cloud-based capabilities as well as a wider range of choices for improving productivity, work processes and operating costs.

The product is also said to help improve everyday productivity as users are now able to focus on design and share information faster. It is also easier to optimise work process with a collaborative sharing feature that makes it possible for users to access online data management tools on the 3DExperience platform.

Ingersoll Rand’s R-Series 30 - 37 kW / 40 - 50 hp contact-cooled rotary screw air compressors offer technology integrating features. They are the Progressive Adaptive Control Protection, V-Shield Technology, Independent Cooling System, and the Xe-Series controller that ensure the highest levels of reliability, efficiency and productivity available today.

Variable speed (VSD) model and Total Air System (TAS) model are also provided with the R-Series 30 - 37 kW.

Dormer: Expanded Carbide Milling Programme Mazak: Automation Enabled

Dormer has strengthened its solid carbide milling programme. The company has included additions to existing cutter families as well as completely new ranges, such as, corner radius and super finishing cutters.

The most significant impact concerns the company’s multi-application carbide milling range. Numerous unequal helix, corner radius and ripper variants expand the options available to customers looking for multi-material versatility and consistent performance.

Designed primarily to improve production efficiency, the cutters are recommended for use in a wide range of machines, applications and material types with the subsequent benefits of reduced inventory and time saved on tool changeover.

Mazak has added automatic loading capabilities to its Quick Turn Primos, a CNC lathe produced in their Singapore facility. With the Quick Loader system, the manufacturer says continuous machining with automatic loading and unloading is possible, without increasing the floor space when compared to the standard version.

The Gantry Loader allows unmanned operation for a wide range of applications, according to the manufacturer. They add that a production check feature allows a finished part to be called out via a gravity chute for inspection check with a push of a button.

Quick Loader System

Gantry Loader System


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NUM: CNC System To Lower The Costs

N U M h a s d e v e l o p e d a t w o - c h a n n e l CNC kernel. The Flexium+ 8 CNC kernel offers two CNC channels and accommodate s up to five axes, four of which can be interpolated. At any one time, e i t h e r C N C channel can be used to control a spindle motor and four axes, instead of the full complement of five axes.

This control flexibility helps designers to lower the cost of machines with complex synchronisation requirements. For example, on a grinding machine, one channel could control two X/Z axes and a spindle to perform the grinding functions while the other channel controls two rear mounted U/W dressing axes.

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Vero Software: 180 Enhancements In Latest Version

According to Vero, there are 180 enhancements in Radan 2015, covering all aspects of the software — CAD/CAM, Radbend, Radm-ax, Radtube and the logistics products.

For nesting near-rectangular parts, the user can select the true-shape option and the nester will automatically apply rectangular nesting where appropriate, ensuring the best result.

In addition, a number of important machine automation functions are built into the software to improve the area of material handling, including enhancements to part removal.

Vicivision: Optical Shaft Measuring Machine

Vicivision has developed a n o p t i c a l s h a f t measuring machine, the MTL1, for turned and cylindrical parts. This system can replace the tradition-measuring m e t h o d s , ( u s i n g micrometer, Vernier caliper, projector and height gauges) which takes 30 to 60 minutes to

collect data on turned parts as the machine collects hundreds of measurement in 15 to 40 s, increasing production and reducing cost.

According to the manufacturer, the machine is designed for shop-floor applications. Finally, the machine has a measurement range for parts up to 300 mm x 60 mm, and captures the real images of the measured-parts, which can be retrieved for further measurement analysis.

Vargus: Heavy Duty Solutions For Extra Large Pitches

Vargus, a manufacturer of thread cutting, grooving and deburring tools for the metals and plastics industries, has developed the Mega Line, a range of solutions for heavy duty applications with extra-large pitches. Encompassing a pitch range of 10 to 24 mm (2-1 tpi), the tools feature an insert design with a geometry.

The line of tools provides increased levels of stability and support during machining owing to the tailored support of the toolholder to each insert profile. In addition, it has a clamping system with an indented insert edge that is designed to withstand increased cutting forces during machining and prevent insert rotation.

Schunk: Powerful Hydraulic Expansion Toolholder

Schunk has developed a hydraul ic expa nsion toolholder, the Tendo E compact Ø 16. According to the manufacturer, it is the first hydraulic expansion toolholder to achieve clamping torques of up to 700 Nm at a diameter of 16 mm under dry clamping conditions.

When compared with d i r e c t c l a mp i n g w i t h d ia m e te r 2 0 m m , t he toolholder enables higher

machining parameters, and therefore shorter machining times. In addition, the tool is said to reduce acquisition costs for tools by up to 35 percent.

Finally, the manufacturer says the product is the answer to increasing demands in volume cutting. These demands can no longer be met economically using ER collets, heat-shrinking toolholders, Weldon mountings, and low-priced hydraulic expansion toolholders.


PRODUCTFINDER


EXHIBITIONPROGRAMMES

EXHIBITIONPROGRAMMES2014-2015

2015

11 – 13IndometalJI Expo Kemayoran JakartaJakarta, IndonesiaMesse Dusseldorf [email protected]

NOVEMBER19 – 22MetalexBITEXBangkok, ThailandReed [email protected]

DECEMBER2 - 5OGmTech2014Marina Bay [email protected]

JANUARY14 – 16NEPCON JapanTokyo Big SightTokyo, JapanReed Exhibitions [email protected]

MARCH3 – 8TIMTOSTWTC Nangang Exhibition HallTaipei, [email protected]

The Editor (APMEN)Eastern Trade Media1100 Lower Delta Road, EPL Building#02-05 Singapore 169206Email: [email protected]: +65 63792888

To be considered for inclusion in the calendar of events, send details of event to:

APRIL14 - 17MTA 2015Singapore [email protected]

3 – 6Manufacturing IndonesiaJakarta International Expo KemayoranJakarta, IndonesiaPT Pamerindowww.pamerindo.com

18 - 21INAPAJIExpo KemayoranJakarta, [email protected]

MAY13 - 16IntermachBITECBangkok, ThailandUBM [email protected]

13 - 16Subcon ThailandBITECBangkok, ThailandUBM [email protected]

20 - 23MetaltechPWTCKuala Lumpur, [email protected]/metaltech/


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Tungaloy Singapore Pte. Ltd.62 Ubi Road 1#06-11 Oxley BizHub 2Singapore 408734Tel: (65) 6391 1833Fax: (65) 6299 4557www.tungaloy.co.jp/tspl/

is Better Thinking™.

www.kennametal.com

7792VX™ High feed milling cutter designed to yield

the highest levels of productivity by increasing metal

removal rates — as much as 90% — in titanium and

other mission-critical metallics.

X-Grade™ Carbide inserts with up to 3 times the

normal tool life for high-temperature heat resistant

alloys. Designed for use on nickel-, cobalt-, and

titanium-based alloys.

The Stellram® Platform

INTRODUCING

©2014 Kennametal Inc. l All rights reserved. l A-14-03805

Different Thinking is the leadership to transcend what customers need — and deliver

solutions they can’t live without. Kennametal’s unique perspective, forged from more than

75 years of experience, allows us to see beyond the expected and engineer perfect solutions.

Different Thinking is Better Thinking — and this powers our continued commitment to

delivering productivity in the most demanding environments.

KMT_BetterThinking_Stellram_Ad_APMEN_205x275_FINAL_EN.indd 1 6/11/14 3:13 PM

ENQUIRY NO 102

APMEN Nov-Dec 2014

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