Yamazaki Mazak has announced that it is now offering Siemens Sinumerik controls as an alternative CNC option.

Etalon reports that it and the University of Oxford have developed the technology for use in the precision measurement of lengths of up to 20m.

The increase in exhibitors and visitors at Euroblech indicates the demand for individual solutions for sheet metal processing, which is also true in punching. With resource conservation and lightweighting in mind, demand for effective installation technology is high.

Visi mould and die software has helped a 150-year-old precision stamping company overcome design issues, enabling them to ship around 150 billion individual products a year.

Germany - At the annual press conference of VDW, Dr Heinz-Jürgen Prokop, chairman of VDW, was optimistic about future trends in the German machine tool sector. Political insecurities in UK and US, however, dampen the enthusiasm at the beginning of the year.

In order to comply with market demand, Iscar recently exhibited its next generation, advanced indexable drill and further extended its comprehensive product portfolio with the launch of Sumo-3-Cham – a three flute indexable drill. According to the company it reduces machining cycle times by 50%.

The die and mould sector has progressed by leaps and bounds since the turn of the millennium. The factors behind the advances are diverse, but their effects have changed shops around the world, from the biggest OEMs to the smallest family companies.

Cornwall-based Pharmaceutical company West Pharmaceutical Services developes pharmaceutical packaging components. For their moulds, they recently acquired grinders by Jones and Shipman for the surface treatment of their high grade stainless steel moulds.

Germany – After three years, Aachen invites to its Machine Tool Colloquium again. The "Internet of Production for Agile Enterprises" is the main theme of sessions and guided tours at the 29th edition of the conference.

The Italian machine tool market has seen stark declines in recent years, but that hasn't stopped one company there from expanding. Based in Milan, FFG Europe first bought a number of Italian producers and then pushed into Germany, where it’s still on the hunt.