Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News - Displaying items by tag: China steel

China’s Premier Sparks A Resurgence In Steel And Coal

China’s steel and coal producers enjoyed a continuing resurgence on the back of Premier Li Keqiang’s assurance that the impact of job cuts will be softened in the country’s bid to trim overcapacity.

General Steel Divests Steel Manufacturing Business

On 30 December 2015, General Steel Holdings, Inc, signed a series of restructuring agreements to effect the sale of its steel manufacturing business.

Global Steel Demand Down This Year But Up Next

The World Steel Association (worldsteel) has forecast a 1.7 percent decrease in global steel demand for 2015, but projects a growth of 0.7 percent in 2016.

Quick Box - Features

Press Shop Automation: Headed For New Frontiers

Thanks to solid experience in the automotive sector and in-depth knowledge of OEM and Tier One manufacturers’ production dynamics, Comau offers robotised solutions for dedicated sheet pressing lines which fully satisfy, and often anticipate, market trends and requirements. By Marina Zussino.

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Powering The Automotive Supply Chain

As Indonesia moves towards an age of increased digitalisation and connectivity, there is an increased expectation of the automotive sector to improve on its productivity and swing around an otherwise lacklustre 2015. ‘Moving Into Industry 4.0: The Power Of PLM In Your Automotive Supply Chain’ tackled some of the concerns of the Indonesian automotive players. Syed Shah reports from Jakarta.

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Future Manufacturing – Taking The Lead

Already in the thick of future manufacturing in the machining sector, Sandvik Coromant has identified five areas where the company intends to lead development.

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Quick Box - Machine Tools

Gear Cutting: Investigating The Potential Of Process Integration

Process integration presents a number of benefits for gear manufacturing but it does not mean all should jump right into it. By Uli Kaiser, business development manager (Southeast Asia), the Emag Group

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Human-Robot Collaboration To Drive The Automotive Industry (Part II)

Teamwork between human and machine is key in enabling manufacturers to ride on the growth of the automotive industry. By Shermine Gotfredsen, general manager, APAC, Universal Robots

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Machining Exotic Materials: Machine Builder’s Take

Machine rigidity, process integration and smart decisions can help make machining exotic materials less painful. By Joson Ng

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Quick Box - Cutting Tools

Keeping Pace With Production

When perfect volume cuts are required in wet or dry cutting situations, the solution lies with a high-performance automatic circular saw.

Thanks to references from the steel market, circular saw manufacturer Behringer Eisele from Weilheim/Teck succeeded in submitting the winning bid to supply and install an HCS 160 Multifluid high-performance circular machine to an international market leader in quenched and tempered steel.

The company’s most important customers are steel trading corporations worldwide, in particular in Europe. “This international tender for a sawing system was decided in our favour because Behringer Eisele scored highest when it came to the key factors quality, technology and price”, explains Manfred Grüninger, head of sales at Behringer Eisele, Weilheim/Teck, Germany.

In the magazine of the high-performance circular saw HCS 160 Multifluid, a single bar with a diameter range of 20 – 160 mm is separated from the bundle and cut. The bar with lengths of up to 13 m is cut to customer’s order to lengths between four and 12 m.

Variability & Adjustability

Their customer was able to cut 10 tons of raw materials in bundles of 20 with a starting length of 12.5 m and a diameter of 80 mm made of 42CroMo4. It took them less than 40 minutes to create two bundles with a vending length of 6 m.

The process included both, a front and a rear cut, as well as the dividing cut in the middle. The HCS 160 Multifluid was able to keep up pace with production delivering precision, supplying perfect volume cuts. Whether for wet or dry cutting, the carbide circular saw was able to offer both variability and adjustability.

In addition, the HCS 160 Multifluid can be adapted to suite the processing task and requirements of the sawing cut: From workpiece cooling using emulsion, through to the use of different micro-spraying devices to active saw blade cooling during dry cutting.

It is also designed to handle high-alloyed heat-resistant steel qualities over 1200 N/mm2. While the standard speed range of 20 to 250 rpm allows it to cover most conceivable sawing assignments even using standard equipment.

Flexibility & Support

The machine provides additional support during both wet and dry cutting: A chip conveyor with integrated coolant pump, for instance, ensures rapid disposal of produced chips. During wet cutting, a trough integrated into the machine frame captures the cooling lubricant emulsion.

“To improve vibration damping, our engineers opted to add greater rigidity to the machine concept”, explains Manfred Grüninger. The result is an increase in service life and an improved cutting surface for precise, rapid cuts in both wet and dry conditions.

As a fully automatic high-performance circular saw, the HCS 160 MF is designed to ensure production-oriented and flexible integration into the downstream production process.

“This is why we maintain a lively dialogue with the customer to ensure that the system is performing at all times”, says Grüninger. He regularly calls in to enquire how things are going on site. After all, process reliability is crucial when it comes to volume sawing.

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Chipping In On Productivity

A seemingly small procedure of breaking chips down to more manageable sizes has a big impact on productivity and cost. By Joson Ng

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On Time, On Budget

It’s not about playing with the cost, but budgeting well in order to manufacture efficiently and maximise the margins. By Asier Ortiz, CTO of Lantek.

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Quick Box - Metrology & Design

Measuring & Measuring: The Bigger The Better

Overcoming the challenges of machining very large workpieces weighing over 10 tonnes. By Thomas Weber, head of customer relations, Heinrich Georg

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Laser Trackers: Accuracy In Aircraft Assembly

These trackers make extremely appealing metrology instruments, especially the ability to capture large volumes of 3-dimensional coordinate data quickly and in real-time. By Minta Chen, marketing specialist, Faro.

The accuracy of an aircraft assembly jig directly affects the precision of a piece that it produces, which, in turn, affects an aircraft’s flight safety and the safety of its crew and property.

Typically, laser trackers are used to inspect the aircraft assembly jigs which form part of the production line. Once component parts of the jig are manufactured, they are put together to become the tool on which aircraft assembly takes place.

Inspection of aircraft tooling jigs with the laser tracker.

These trackers are extremely appealing metrology instruments due to their size, portability, repeatability and accuracy. In addition, the ability to capture large volumes of 3-dimensional coordinate data quickly and in real-time, appeal to the technicians involved.

Through accurate measurements taken, a technician can check to ensure that various component parts are in the right position and within tolerance, as stipulated by design. Without the tracker, these measurements would not be possible with common measurement methods such as fixed coordinate measuring machines or traditional tools.

Manufacturing Applications

Not too long ago, manufacturers had to perform tests on parts and components using stationary coordinate measurement machines (CMMs). This proved vexing and difficult if you were trying to measure large parts or parts still on the production machine. With the portability of laser trackers, 3D measurements can now be completed with unprecedented speed and minimum disruption.

The aerospace industry was one of the earlier adopters in the technology. Using one or more laser trackers, metrology engineers could rapidly and accurately deliver 3D measurements and process improvements.

Tianjin TQM Feiyue Aviation (a subsidiary of Tianjin Motor Dies) based in Tianjin, China, focuses on aviation equipment technology development, transfer and consultancy, as well as the manufacturing of aviation equipment such as spare parts and aircraft sheet metal parts.

Tooling for a Bombardier C-series hatch door.

The company purchased a Faro Laser Tracker back in 2008. Tianjin TQM Feiyue’s project manager, Yan Zhichao, said: “At that time, Airbus was using the Faro Laser Tracker on their shop floor. That prompted us to purchase from Faro, because we wanted to ensure consistency between us and our customer.”

Seven years later, the company purchased a Laser Tracker Vantage, the CAM2 Measure software, as well as the Prime from Faro. Two additional laser trackers and a FaroArm in were added in 2015.

Making Full Use

At TQM Feiyue, the team’s work revolves around different assembly jigs and transportation jigs. Despite the wide-ranging measurement needs of between 8 – 16 m, and accuracy requirements of 0.05 – 0.08 mm, the laser trackers were able to meet the company’s variety of needs. Separately, the FaroArm is used to verify smaller-sized tooling at time of delivery, or used to complement the Laser Trackers in measuring difficult-to-reach areas.

Inspecting a LE700 small aircraft assembly jig with a laser tracker.

In 2015, TQM Feiyue built and commissioned a complete set of aircraft assembly line for General Aviation International (Xi’an) Aircraft Technology (Gavin) line of private jets. The laser trackers were used to perform measurements and inspections, especially in the final stages of the project, before handover.

The company found that its usage of the laser trackers increased over time, with its team clocking as much as 12 hours on the devices each day. The increase in frequency is linked to the need for accuracy on the assembly jigs. The team would bring the laser tracker on-site to take pre-delivery measurements. In addition, as a post-sales service, TQM Feiyue would deploy the laser trackers at their customers’ premises 60 percent of the time, using the device on a variety of work environments.

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Precise Measurements In Record Times

What are the benefits when coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are used simultaneously as gear measuring centres? By Sea Chiahui, regional stationary product manager at Hexagon

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Quick Box - Sheet Metalworking

Behind The Facade Of Counterfeit Consumables

Lester Lee, regional marketing manager, Hypertherm Asia Pacific, Mary Allen, IP protection manager, Hypertherm Inc, Sanjay Kumar, consumables sales manager, Hypertherm India give their thoughts on counterfeits and what manufacturers need to know when purchasing plasma torch consumables.

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Solid-State Laser: A Bright Idea

Adding versatility and the ability to produce better parts to a fibre laser cutting machine have made it competent in cutting both thick and thin sheet metal while producing a level of quality that was difficult to achieve in the past. By Joson Ng

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Safety & Ergonomics In Press Brakes

Paul Hillam, area export manager of SafanDarley takes a look at the significant safety and ergonomic developments in press brakes.

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Calendar Of Events

May 2024

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Variability & Adjustability

Flexibility & Support

Manufacturing Applications

Making Full Use