In times of travel restrictions online tool ordering, services and training are gaining in importance. How do suppliers react to this demand? ETMM presents some of the current developments that make tool ordering faster and easier and support training efforts.

UK — NC programming errors can prove to be costly, if they result in damage to raw and completed material, the cutting tools or workholding system. While everyone involved with CNC machining understands the importance of checking and verifying the machining process before applying a cutting tool to the raw material, you should consider what are you really checking? More importantly what are you missing?

The production of die-casting, plastic mould injection tools and sheet metal working tools used mostly in the automotive industry requires extremely high precision, up to hundredths of a millimetre. The success of a part or a whole project can depend on these strict tolerances, hence, using the appropriate technology is key. Although they are not complete solutions in themselves, proper EDM machine tools are best suited to perform these tasks. This is exactly how Naton sees it, a Hungarian company that designs and manufactures precision tools exclusively for the die casting industry.

Germany — DMG Mori Aktiengesellschaft has nothing to complain about in the first quarter of 2021. In monetary terms, orders were up by around 149.6 million euros compared to 2020.

Combining several machining steps in one tool makes manufacturing as economically as possible. For example, bores can be drilled and reamed simultaneously with the Drill-Reamer from Mapal.

UK — Now that CAM vendors are developing cycles for circle segment milling cutters, Walter has introduced the new MD838 Supreme and MD839 Supreme Series of end mills that can deliver cycle time reductions of up to 90 percent.

Germany — The RT-HLKK1000 punching machine from Karl Klink is designed with a servo drive. This drastically reduces the cycle time and improves cut quality — for instance in the production of ball cages for the automotive industry.

Germany — Cimt 2021 opened its doors in Beijing from April 12 to 17. In the largest sales market for the German industry, 150 companies are presenting machine tools, cutting tools, clamping technology, measuring technology, mould and die as well as NC controls and software.

Italy — The Italian Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems Manufacturers’ Association (Ucimu-Sistemi per Produrre), in cooperation with the Italian Trade Agency ICE, organized a press conference for the Chinese market.

Italy — During the first quarter of 2021, demand for Italian machine tools grew again. The Ucimu index processed by the Economic Studies Department & Business Culture of the Association showed a 48.6 % upturn in the first three months of the year compared with the same period of 2020. The absolute value of the index was 169 (base 100 in 2015).