There are high demands for optimisation in cutting manufacturing. Productivity needs to increase and the quality needs to improve or at least stay at the same level with reduced costs. But where in the process chain is the best place to start?

Enemac's power clamping screw, type ESS, with its innovative force-intensified system enables manual and easy handling of low-tightening torques with resulting high-clamping forces, the company says. Subject to the tightening torques, changing clamping forces can be achieved and the sturdy design allows for high reliability.

Production has to be more flexible and efficient. Efforts strive for simplicity, standardisation and process optimisation. Regardless of clamping system and machine type, the focus is the CNC system, says Joachim Zoll, head of machine tool systems at Siemens.

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Horn introduces two new cutters for the machining of aluminium.

Germany/Austria - Trying out new tools on a testing press is always useful, but just not the same as using them in day-to-day production. Hoffmann thought so too and consequently thoroughly tested new Meusburger guiding systems during a three-month trial phase.

Portugal - With a centuries-old glass-making tradition that crossed naturally over into creating moulds for plastics parts in the 1940s, Portugal is today a hotbed of mould making and exporting, and moulds from Portugal can be found in almost every major end market for plastics.

Spain – Now available from the exclusive UK and Eire agent, Warwick Machine Tools, the new range of ONA AV wire EDM machines is part of the Spanish company’s strategic plan to improve current product competitiveness with the introduction of high performance ‘Premium’ machines that was initially established with the recent launch of the highly capable QX die sink CNC EDM range.

Germany - Small batches and mass production are somewhat incompatible, because the lower the product price, the more important are high production numbers. While additive processes are not ready for mass production yet, they may be able to mitigate these conflicting interests.

UK - Machining tool steel die nests is a complex operation at the best of times. A particularly intricate job used to be a loss-making operation for a UK-based toolmaking firm. But now the purchase of a 5-axis machine is said to save enough time to make the process profitable.