The LVD Omega flexible manufacturing system (FMS) for sheet metal components is able to provide fully integrated component production involving a turret punch press, laser profiling and right angle shearing, combined with fully automatic loading and unloading, component sorting and stacking and sheet storage and retrieval. And, such is its modular development criteria that individual elements can be added, removed and updated as needs change. Central to the flexibility of the system is the large table configuration which provides the capability to handle sheet sizes up to 1,575 mm by 4,025 mm through the punch, laser or shear, without the material having to be repositioned, regauged or reclamped.

The first fully integrated system has been installed in Europe at electrical equipment maker Grenier Group in Kerzenhein, Germany to provide some 2,500 different blanks ready for forming.

Because the system incorporates warehousing, an intermediate buffer zone and the ability to remove scrap material, without interrupting the operational cycles, fully automated multiple shifts are now run at the plant.

The company is now capable of almost triple production by processing some 3,500 tonnes of material in a year with higher added value.

Previously, it was limited to 1,200 tonnes.

It now operates with shorter cycle times and the high number of individual components are more easily handled.

The Omega based FMS can be provided with a wide range of material handling options from simple auto-load to full warehousing.

A storage tower system can also be configured to suit customer requirements.

Central to the system is the high productivity Omega 1500 turret punch press with up to 10 Auto-Index stations of 88.9 mm diameter and an indexable multi-tool with three or eight stations and 0.01o incremental orientation positions.

The Omega is a 300 kN hydraulic powered machine able to process material up to 8 mm thick at 325 hits/min, nibble at 750 hits/min and has a maximum rate of 1,000 hits/min.

The specification of the integrated laser adds options of 1,500, 2,000 or 3,000 watt fast flow, CO2 laser power with quick change lens and NC focus.

The right angle shear gives the option to shear nested blanks rather than punch or laser cut.

The large 1,500 mm by 1,000 mm blade has a progressive shear action which allows shearing across the entire length of the sheet.

Capacity can be specified at 4 mm or 6 mm with programmable clearance and scrap separation.

The single GE Fanuc 32-bit control is able to operate the entire FMS system including punch, laser, shear, storage and automation which simplifies the operators task, monitoring and programming.

Full digital technology, with a user terminal linked to the CNC via optical interface, incorporates a Windows(r) environment.

Full graphic verification is included with program transfer via DNC.

oughton plc, a world leading supplier of industrial production lubricants and fluid management services, has recently installed a briquetting press at Continental Teves in Ebbw Vale, Wales, UK. Continental Teves is an international company specialising in the development of innovative technologies for vehicle safety applications and powertrain systems. Houghton's support on site, including Fluidcare fluid management, Scandmist Air Filters and Tramp Oil management systems, helps Continental Teves to reduce waste and to maximise productivity by concentrating on core activities.

This latest addition to Houghton's service offering, swarf management, includes a process by which the swarf generated during machining operations is dried and compacted to produce virtually fluid-free solid pucks of compressed metal.

Several cost benefits arise from this process, listed as follows.

* metalworking fluids can be economically recycled, saving on fluid and waste disposal costs.

* Scrap metal is accounted for more accurately.

* Scrap value is higher because deductions for coolant contamination are eliminated.

Wayne Madden, maintenance manager at Continental Teves commented, 'This project has been a real success story for the plant, especially from an environmental stand point.

It has also improved the resale value of our loose and solid scrap.' Lee Bowditch, regional business manager, Houghton, added, 'The aim of Fluidcare is to bring cost benefits to our customers and we are delighted with the success of this project.

It is an excellent template for other customers facing continually greater environmental and waste cost pressures.' * About Houghton - Houghton offers a complete package of products, service, equipment and expertise and is one of the world's leading suppliers of industrial production lubricants and fluid management services.

The signing of an agreement betwen AddisonMcKee and a Japanese metal spinning and flow-forming machine specialist will bring advanced catalytic converter spinning equipment to Europe.

Lancashire, UK-based Addison-McKee, the acknowledged world leaders in the manufacture of tube forming machinery for the automotive and truck exhaust industries, have recently signed a major agreement with Japanese metal spinning and flow-forming machine specialists, Nihon Spindle, that could help revolutionise catalytic converter production across Europe and the USA. World-renowned When looking to appoint a distributor for their technologically advanced catalytic converter spinning equipment outside of the Japanese and Northwest Pacific marketplace, Nihon Spindle saw Addison-McKee as the obvious choice. Renowned for the manufacture of high quality tube bending machines, and with the highest quality end-forming technology available from McKee-Addison, its USA division, Addison-McKee's credentials offered just the right level of expertise in sales and service - combined with the in-depth knowledge of customer support in the European and North American markets - that Nihon Spindle required.

* Highly efficient - with no cutting, waste or need for welding, as the metal shape is formed during the spinning cycle, flow-forming is already successfully used in the manufacture of all manner of vehicle components, ranging from headlamp casings to gears and shock absorbers.

Where catalytic converter (cat) production has traditionally been achieved by the welding together of separate half-shell sections, Nihon Spindle's flow-forming technology enables the cat outer to be manufactured from a single metal tube.

* Spun to size - with the exhaust component held static on the Nihon spinning machine, twin or four-axis spinning rollers first spin one end of the intended catalytic converter down to size.

A monolith ceramic brick - dressed in a flexible and protective cotton matt - is then inserted via a stuffing machine and the other end of the converter is also spun down to size.

Exhaust inlets and outlets can be spun at virtually any angle via CNC programming and, with less welds and joints, significantly better waste gas flow rate is achieved than with traditionally made catalytic converters.

Direct metal laser-sintering (DMLS), a layer manufacturing process, has advanced into 'e-manufacturing' of customized series of dental products out of metal.
The Clean Alternative Dental technology -forerunner of e-Manufacturing for metal products Direct Metal Laser-Sintering (DMLS), a layer manufacturing process, first originated as a method of rapid tooling and rapid prototyping. It has advanced via a multitude of innovations to be the key technology for e-Manufacturing, the fast and cost-effective direct production from electronic data. Sirona Dental Systems uses laser-sintering to manufacture customized series products out of metal.

The firm has been producing dental prostheses in a special cobalt-chrome alloy, which has increased the efficiency of dental laboratories.

When Dr Guenter Saliger goes to the dentist, his thoughts revolve around the issues of process optimization and materials development.

And for a good reason; the physicist works in the CAD/CAM division at Sirona Dental Systems, one of the leading manufacturers in the field of dental technology.

He is responsible for the production service infiniDent.

The name represents a unique range of services offered in which Saliger and his team of eight assume the role of extended workbench for dental laboratories throughout Europe.

Since 2004, with modern technology and special production facilities, they have been making crown copings and bridges out of ceramic materials such as zirconium oxide and aluminium oxide on behalf of dental laboratory technicians.

The fact that, since summer of this year, infiniDent's fabrication center can now manufacture dental prostheses out of metal is tantamount to a mini revolution.

This breakthrough has been made possible by a close collaboration with the German systems manufacturer EOS (Electro Optical Systems).

The company, whose headquarters are located in Krailling in Bavaria, is the leading representative of laser-sintering technology.

It delivers complete systems solutions to key industries such as the medical technology, aerospace and automotive.

Originally, the EOS machines were implemented for rapid prototyping and rapid tooling in the context of development processes.

Today the trend is moving towards batch-sized optimized series production: e-Manufacturing.

In the area of plastics, laser-sintering based e-Manufacturing is very much an established term.

In the manufacture of metal parts it is just beginning to gain a foothold as a replacement process - for example as a clean, efficient alternative to casting.

Gulmay Medical took advantage of the experience of Norse Precision Castings to achieve optimum functional, stylistic and economical design with a combination of metal and plastic components.
In the Xstrahl 100, Gulmay Medical, leading manufacturer of low energy X-ray therapy equipment, took advantage of the experience of Norse Precision Castings to achieve optimum functional, stylistic and economical design with a combination of metal and plastic components. Norse Precision Castings offers an almost unique service to design and production teams being able to offer plastic or metal components without favour to either. Gulmay Medical commenced operations in 1995 to design, manufacture and market X-ray therapy equipment and now has equipment installed in over 100 hospitals worldwide.

Its complete turnkey approach of room design, installation, acceptance testing, operator training, plus service and maintenance options has been pivotal in establishing an enviable reputation in the radio therapy equipment market.

Techniques at Norse Precision Castings allow wall thickness on rigid polyurethane from 1 to 30mm with general tolerances as low as +/-0.3mm, and on aluminium on 3+/-0.4mm, producing parts requiring little or no secondary operations.

As illustrated with these parts however, where one piece was required to comfortably slide over two other joined parts, much closer tolerances were achieved.

Further the benefits of polyurethane come without the loss of the commercial advantage of plastic, and both benefit from low cost 'tooling' made in relatively short production times.

Both materials are highly fluid at casting, giving exceptional ability to form complex three dimensional patterns to near net shape.

This excellent fluidity also allows thin walls and irregular shaped surface indentations for instrumentation, controls and logos to be incorporated into the part.

The versatility of both materials enabled designers to pay particular consideration to style and ergonomics resulting in maximum manoeuvrability and unrestricted applicator positioning for Gulmay's equipment so that the patient can adopt any position for maximum comfort throughout the treatment and operator time is kept to a minimum.

Xstrahl units can be either wall or ceiling mounted, retaining this versatility of movement even when installed into mobile transport to satellite clinics and day care centres.

ECU housings are produced at Clamason in a range of steels and non-ferrous metals either using progression tooling on a 200t Weingarten or 250t Chin Fong Stamtec Worcester press.

Clamason Industries' broad spread of pressed metal enclosure solutions for European, Japanese and American automobiles range from airbag inflator housings to casings for in-car entertainment (ICE) systems and engine control units (ECUs). From factories at Kingswinford (West Midlands) and Nitra (Slovakia), one-third of Clamason's present production goes to the automotive manufacturing sector, including World-class customers such as Autoliv, Delphi, Hitachi, Intier, Magna Kansai, Motorola, TRW and Zodiac. Today's cars rely to a great extent upon ECU's, consisting of a CPU and associated logic to convey input/output signals that control functions of the vehicle as disparate as engine monitoring, fuel supply, airbag deployment, anti-lock braking and HVAC, not to mention more future-orientated technologies such as telematics, active suspension control and drive-by-wire systems.

ECU's are engine-specific but not vehicle-specific and may be positioned under the bonnet (as a sealed unit) or behind the dashboard (as a non-sealed unit).

ECU housings are produced at Clamason in a range of steels and non-ferrous metals either using progression tooling on a 200t Weingarten or 250t Chin Fong Stamtec Worcester press or, alternatively, on one of the company's innovative Chin Fong Worcester transfer press lines of six presses located together, with rapid transfer of each pressing between stations by pick-and-place robots.

The transfer press allows the manufacture of highly complex parts with no carry strip and has the facility to reverse the burr side automatically within the process.

Meanwhile the 200t and 250t hydraulic presses have beds up to 2.5m long to enable the manufacture of pressings requiring thicker materials, multiple stages, deep draw or a combination of all three.

There are less than half-a-dozen ECU manufacturers in the World, and Clamason provides EMI-shielded enclosure solutions for three of them - Delphi, Hitachi and Motorola - each of whom has a different design approach.

In fact Clamason has been recognised by Delphi Automotive Systems as a 'Worldwide Supplier of Choice'.

Delphi, headquartered in Troy, Michigan, USA, is the World's largest automotive supplier and Clamason's largest automotive customer.

For their solution, Delphi opt for a deep aluminium casting with an aluminium cover, whereas Hitachi go for a shallow casting with a deep drawn steel cover and Motorola prefer a flat pressed base with a folded steel cover.

In all cases, built-in features such as bends, grooves and slots are intricate, highly toleranced and customer-specific.

The Clamason pressing is often required to be more tightly toleranced than the casting it covers.

Examples of Clamason's complex, EMI-shielded, automotive ECU housings include the Motorola base for Volvo's Penta engine and its mating top, both made from galvanised mild steel, a zinc-plated mild steel top cover for Clamason customer Hitachi destined for Nissan and Renault models and an aluminium grade 5005 top cover for Clamason customer Delphi going into Renault and Ford cars.

A rugged keypad which combines strength, versatility and beauty is available from EAO. EAO's S.series keypad is the ultimate product for any application that requires a key-entry control, including access control systems, industrial machinery, banking terminals, public telephones, kiosks and vending machines. It is highly tactile and therefore reassuring to use, yet extremely reliable and hard-wearing enough for the harshest of environments, such as outdoor and unsupervised locations.

The S.series keypad offers great design flexibility from a standard product and can be customised to suit the environment of the application.

The keys on the S.series keypad can be engraved with a range of standard symbols or ones specified by the customer.

The keypad and individual keys can be illuminated in white, blue, red, yellow and green, or a combination of these colours; halo illumination around the keys is also a possibility.

It can be supplied with either a 12- or 16-key layout, and there is a choice of standard, telephone, or hexadecimal II configurations.

It is available in a natural finish or black; other colours area available based on minimum order quantities.

The metal-bodied S.series keypad features a front plate and anti-pull-off keys constructed from an ultra-tough material, Zamak, which guarantees a high level of impact-resistance.

It is sealed to IP67 against water and dust, and it will resist heat, shock and vibration to a very high level.

It is tested for quality to 4 million operations and is certified according to the latest international standards.