The fax and telephone era in the steel and metal trading business is coming to an end. The winners will be the traders who have been quick and purposeful in the digitisation of their processes. The development will lead to fully automatic steel supply via the Internet of Things – with or without steel traders.

The contract manufacturer MCC Tooling has decided to program its CNC grinding machines and its wire EDM machine with CAD/CAM software in the future. The selected software is on the one hand easy to use; on the other hand, it shortens the offer, programming and processing times.

Germany/ Japan: Okuma and 5ME, a leading pioneer in cryogenic machining, are joining forces to educate the machining world on the benefits of using internal Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) instead of coolant during the cutting process.

A version of the hybrid machine is to be displayed at Euromold 2013.

While solid carbide tools represent the traditional tool choice for small diameters, today's indexable tools present several advantages over one-piece solid tools. The manufacturer Iscar offers various indexable insert options for these applications.

Switzerland - Imagine a future in which even the most complex and demanding industries enjoy intelligent, high-performance, resource efficient and fully predictive manufacturing. That is the vision and the ultimate destination of Industry 4.0, a movement gathering force around the world today.

The latest machining technology is key to the success of B K Tooling, a small specialised tool making company based in Little Hallingbury, UK, producing high accuracy mouldings like components for the innovative Aquapacs, waterproof bags for valuables.

Italy – Massimo Carboniero has been named new president of the Italian machine tools, robots and automation systems manufacturers' association Ucimu.

Energy is constantly becoming more expensive. By analysing the energy consumption of cutting machine tools and the cutting processes, concrete leverage points for raising energy efficiency can be identified, according to Eckehard Kalhöfer and Jochen Kress.*

UK – One cornerstone of Scottish engineering is supplying the oil industry. The nature of the business means many tasks are cylindrical making high rigidity and through cooling of tools essential. Now an Aberdeen-based company has invested in a machine claimed to deliver just that.