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.

With its standardisation strategy and the C 22 UP machining centre from Hermle, the tool and mould making division of the WMF Group has managed to streamline the die and tool production processes, thereby creating the scope for services for external customers.

Germany –Skantek is the main supplier for coolant nozzles for CNC machines to large tooling distribution groups and CNC machines manufacturers in Germany.

US /Europe – US-based CNC machine tool manufacturer, Haas Automation, will use the upcoming AMB 2016 exhibition in Stuttgart to present an ‘advance sight’ of a new Y-axis CNC turning centre, as well as a prototype of a newly developed compact mill for micro-machining, and two new CNC rotary tables.

At the Automatica show in Munich, the software and equipment manufacturers worked together to show the feasibility of robot machining with the production of a wooden miniature Kuka-robot model at the Fraunhofer IPA booth and a bicycle component at the Robotmaster booth.