Advanced Engineering 2017: Exhibitor focus

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In this article PES takes a look at some of the exhibitors expected at this year’s Advanced Engineering 2017 show, held on November 1-2 at the NEC in Birmingham. 

In this article PES takes a look at some of the exhibitors expected at this year’s Advanced Engineering 2017 show, held on November 1-2 at the NEC in Birmingham.

 

Solutions for the surface

Engis UK, a specialist in superabrasive finishing systems, will be showing a wide range of surface engineering solutions at Advanced Engineering 2017.

Top of the list of innovations will be Engis’ revolutionary bore finishing tooling, which can be used on standard machining centres, bringing the previous ‘black art’ of bore finishing well within the capability of many engineering facilities.

On the consumables side, Engis will be promoting its new SC diamond compound, which enables faster and improved polishing of moulds and dies, particularly in repair situations, when moulds are still warm.

Focusing on its honing solutions, Engis will be showing examples of its helical lapping tooling, developed specifically for low-volume honing of bores to provide mirror surface finishes with excellent geometric characteristics.

Additionally, the company’s technical application specialists will be on the stand to discuss visitors’ specific needs and showcase Engis’ entire range of superabrasive machines and consumables.

ENGIS www.engis.com
Stand 086

 

Networking lounge with technology focus

The Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC) in association with Silverstone Park will have a major presence at this year’s Advanced Engineering Show as hosts of the event’s VIP Lounge.

Each of the STC’s founding members as well as its CEO Pim van Baarsen will be present at the Lounge on both days. The Lounge will act as an ideal location for figures from all corners of the advanced engineering spectrum to network.

STC is the not for profit company launched in December 2016 to promote the region within an hour’s radius of Silverstone – identified in a high profile SQW report as being home to around 4,000 companies with exceptional capabilities in high-tech engineering and recognised by the UK government as having ‘latent potential’.

In the past nine months, the STC has held a number of introductory meetings for the high-tech community to explain and outline its plans which include attracting investment for companies with high growth ambitions. It has also set up three special interest groups (SIGs): Computer Aided Engineering; Digital/Advanced Manufacturing (DAM) and Autonomous, Connected, Electrified & Shared (ACES) vehicles technologies.

CEO Pim van Baarsen said: “The Advanced Engineering Show is the perfect location to promote the STC; it is multi-sectorial in focus and embraces advanced and future technologies which is what the STC is all about.

“We very much look forward to welcoming the advanced engineering community to our VIP Lounge at the Show.”

Silverstone Park is the high-tech business estate that developer MEPC has grown rapidly since taking over management of the site in September 2013. This has included opening the UK’s only dedicated subcontract inspection metrology facility in partnership with Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence.

SILVERSTONE TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER http://silverstone-park.com
Stand X1

 

 

Going west

The West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) is a membership organisation that is passionate about all aspects of advanced aerospace engineering, with a member and partner base representing a very wide spectrum – from SMEs to global corporations.

At its stand at Advanced Engineering, it will showcase the best and most innovative capabilities of top-class companies from the South West which form the backbone of the UK aerospace supply chain.

With the region being home to many of the largest aerospace companies in the UK, the WEAF member companies provide the key components for the full fleet of Airbus aircraft, the turbine blades and blisks for Rolls-Royce and the majority of aerostructures, control systems, bearings and avionics systems for Leonardo Helicopters. The trade body’s members share a common theme of high quality products and services, and precision engineering for safety critical systems.

As one of the largest aerospace and defence associations in Europe, WEAF is able to provide a strong voice for members, as well as representation and access to prominent regional, national and international decision makers in industry and government. WEAF strives to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the supply chain, and bring stakeholders together to create one cohesive community.

WEAF www.weaf.co.uk
Stand L4

 

 

Testing technology

R-Tech Materials, one of the UK’s leading testing, analysis and consultancy businesses, is showcasing its capabilities at the NEC.

Its UKAS accredited, state-of the-art laboratories run tests on all types of engineering materials from composites and polymers to metals and ceramics.

R-Tech’s experienced team of engineers, metallurgists, materials scientists and chemists help manufacturers with material approval and characterisation; identify quality issues; solve processing problems or identify why a product has failed.

The testing company has recently invested in a range of equipment including a chemical analyser for carbon sulphur and nitrogen; a laboratory bend machine for rebar; a deflectometer for flexural testing; and automatic polishing equipment for preparing micro sections and macro sections of welds. It’s also on track to secure aerospace approval from Nadcap later in 2017 and has teamed up with Zwick Roell to run training courses on the mechanical testing of composites.

The company can test complex orientations to loads up to 1,500kN. Standard tests include lap shear, in-plane shear, climbing drum peel, shore hardness, compression of core materials and shear properties of sandwich panels, as well as fatigue testing (in tension or in bending) at loads of up to 100kN. R-Tech can also offer its customers bespoke testing thanks to its biaxial extensometry with strain gauging capabilities.

R-Tech is accredited to perform testing in tension, compression, flexure, shear and hardness to ISO and ASTM standards under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. The company can also prepare laminates where required.

R-TECH www.rtech-materials.co.uk
Stand M122

 

Heat treatment and hard coatings

The Wallwork Group will be showcasing its R&D capabilities in the halls this year.

“On the one hand, metal heat treatment and hard coatings are relatively mature processes, but on the other, the metal performance properties demanded by aerospace, automotive and medical device engineers mean the technical boundaries are being pushed all the time,” explains sales manager, Howard Maher.

With extensively equipped laboratory facilities centred in Cambridge, the company is often engaged in the innovation of heat treatment and hard coatings processes that solve real world problems. Highly skilled and qualified staff lead cross-industry research directly with product manufacturers to improve performance, reduce production cycle times and achieve savings.

“An important aspect of this work is that we see it scale-up from the lab to a full production environment, helping our customers through the entire process. Quite rightly, non-disclosure agreements are an important aspect of this work to ensure our partners’ return on investment is protected,” Mr Maher adds.

From sites in Manchester, Birmingham and Cambridge, the company provides a range of metal improvement services. Heat treatments include solution, age or precipitation, hardening and tempering, nitriding by gas or plasma and more.

Coatings include TiN, CrN, CrALN, TiALN, Diamond Like Carbon, Duplex Nitron and multi-layer variants. The company is also a centre of excellence for vacuum brazing, producing complex component assemblies by joining same-metal or dissimilar metals.

In addition to AS9100 revision D, the company has many process specific approvals from aerospace primes such as Airbus, BAe Systems, Rolls-Royce and Moog.

WALLWORK www.wallworkht.co.uk
Stand P52

 

 

Having a blast

Visitors to this year’s Advanced Engineering exhibition will experience Vapormatt’s extensive range of high performance wet blasting systems first-hand. Developed to meet the needs of the aerospace sector, these popular systems enable high quality surface preparation and finishing of engine components and composite materials.

Vapormatt’s dedicated aerospace specialists will be demonstrating the wet blasting process on its manually operated wet blasting system, the Puma. Visitors to the show will see how to effortlessly achieve controlled, reproducible and superior results, using advanced solutions that are easy to use and maintain.

Vapormatt’s Leopard and Sabre wet blasting systems are widely used across the aerospace sector already. These fully automated machines ensure the efficient surface preparation and finishing of large components such as wing spars and turbine blades. The Leopard is available in three variants: a horizontal version; vertical version; and a compact, yet high capacity version known as the Cub.

Show visitors can discuss their process requirements with one of Vapormatt’s wet blasting experts, while also learning how Vapormatt’s versatile systems can meet their needs, whether that’s for cleaning or peening.

“The Vapormatt team can’t wait to get set up and start helping visitors find the perfect solution for their wet blasting needs,” comments Alex Martin, business development executive at Vapormatt. “Wet blasting is being increasingly used in aerospace and visitors to our stand will quickly learn why.”

VAPORMATT www.vapormatt.com
Stand N43

 


One button scanning

Laser Design, a subsidiary of CyberOptics and premier provider of ultra-precise 3D scanning systems and services, will demonstrate the fast, metrology-grade CyberGage360 3D scanning and inspection system at the show in Birmingham.

The CyberGage360 greatly facilitates Quality Assurance by allowing anyone to be an inspector of in-process and incoming/outgoing parts on the manufacturing floor or in the metrology lab. This helps lower customers’ cost of quality and supports faster go-to-market times. With little training, anyone can check parts for any deviation from CAD or check critical features.

Martin Schuster, president and CEO of Laser Design, explains: “3D scanning of complex parts now simply involves opening a door, putting your part in, and pressing a button. The result is a highly-precise 3D scan with a full 3D inspection report in less than three minutes. Our customers appreciate the significant value of a streamlined process that takes seconds rather than hours or days.”

Incorporating CyberOptics’ proprietary 3D Multi-Reflection Suppression (MRS) technology, the automated CyberGage360 brings significantly greater accuracy and scanning speeds to the industrial parts inspection and reverse engineering markets. Designed for use in general purpose metrology, the 360 has a range of potential applications for consumer electronics, medical, automotive, aerospace and other verticals, where high accuracy and high-speed throughput are vital.

LASER DESIGN www.laserdesign.com
Stand L43

 

 

Getting geared up

Precision subcontract engineering company, the Mini Gears Group is a UK-based specialist with over 50 years’ machining experience.

The business has now achieved AS9100 certification for the manufacture and supply of all types of machined components, precision gears and gear racks. This quality management standard was an important step for Mini Gears as its business has significantly increased in the aircraft seating market and continues to grow.

On its stand, the company will be showcasing the range of machined parts for both business class seating and pilot seats including privacy screen components, racks, gears, pinions, table latches, table plates, carriage plate support hinges, seat supports and slide mounts.

With an in-depth knowledge of materials and rack and pinion design, Mini Gears has enabled its customers to offer a smoother ride on their aircraft seats, together with reducing manufacturing costs by up to 50% giving them a competitive edge.

Mini Gears offers design solutions to new and ongoing projects. Great care is also taken with delivery. The Technical Sales team designed specific packaging to prevent damage in transit and storage and every customer is presented with straight to line kits.

Mini Gears Group has over 100 machines at its extensive 35,000ft² manufacturing facility in Stockport and operates a year on year apprenticeship scheme to maintain its skill base.

MINI GEARS www.minigears.co.uk
Stand N21

 

 

Additive simulation software

Software developer CGTech will demonstrate the new version of its Vericut CNC machine simulation and optimisation software at Advanced Engineering 2017.

Vericut 8.1 sees enhanced support for Force optimisation, a new Additive Manufacturing (AM) module being employed, along with, Workpiece Sectioning, X-Caliper measurement tool, Report template, and Grinding and Dressing operations.

Vericut’s new additive module simulates both additive and traditional machining capabilities used in any order on hybrid CNC machines. Simulating both operations can identify potential problems that can occur when integrating additive methods. The user can access detailed ‘history’ stored with the software’s exclusive droplet technology, which saves programmers time by quickly identifying the source of errors, in most cases using a single mouse-click.

It checks accurate laser cladding and material deposition, detects collisions between the machine and additive part, and finds errors, voids, and misplaced material. Users can virtually experiment with combining additive and metal removal processes to determine optimal safe hybrid manufacturing methods.

CGTech will also demonstrate its Composites Applications software for programming and simulation of Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) and Automated Tape Laying (ATL).

“Due to the extensive time, energy, and labour invested in composite workpieces prior to machining, they can often be more expensive than even some exotic metal alloy parts,” says Tony Shrewsbury, CGTech, managing director.

“Repairing composite workpieces after a machining error is problematic and many times not advisable. Thus, validating the part program prior to trimming is becoming exceedingly more critical.”

Visitors to CGTech’s stand will have the opportunity to receive a thorough overview of the steps needed to get from a CAD designed composite part to CNC programs that drive an AFP or ATL machine. There will be information on new projects that highlight the implementation and use of machine independent off-line NC programming software for these machines.

CG TECH www.cgtech.co.uk
Stand O62

 

 

Linear motion options

Linear motion expert HepcoMotion will be making its debut appearance at the Advanced Engineering Show.

With over 42 major product lines with thousands of individual components in various sizes, Hepco has a wide range of products to meet practically any requirement.

Key products on the stand include Hepco’s core V guide linear system: GV3. GV3 is designed to serve a diverse range of automation and linear applications and is widely used in the packing industry for applications such as a telescopic pick and place gantries, transport systems or multi-lane row dividers. Highly accurate, GV3 is particularly suitable for high precision applications, or any application where accuracy is paramount. One of the quietest linear systems on the market, it offers high speeds of up to 8m/second.

Hepco will also be showcasing the DTS2 driven track system – an ideal choice for any application that requires high positional accuracy and a demanding duty cycle. Widely used to facilitate high-speed automation of assembly processes, the DTS2 is popular in a number of industries including packaging, automotive and electronics.

Further products include the SBD Sealed Belt Driven actuator which is reported to provide a high level of performance in terms of load capacity and life than other comparable sized linear actuators. A stainless steel band covers the linear guide and belt, which prevents dirt ingress, making the SBD ideally suited to harsh environments or industries where there are high levels of debris.

Hepco is well known for its V guide technology – an innovative wiping action that expels debris from the rail, keeping machines running and reliable.

HepcoMotion www.hepcomotion.com
Stand J54

 

 

Making its mark

Part marking expert Pryor will be showcasing its leading marking, identification and traceability solutions at this year’s new Connected Manufacturing zone at the show.

Pryor’s team of specialists will be available to discuss visitor requirements and explain how to achieve superior mark quality and full traceability of parts with advanced software that can be easily incorporated in the manufacturing process.

Visitors to the exhibition can get up close and personal with InDot, Pryor’s range of dot-peen marking machines. Designed for integration into existing production lines, InDot provides a sequence of impact dot marks that create human- or machine-readable inscriptions such as identification codes, logos and 2D data matrix barcodes.

For those interested in laser marking systems, Pryor’s new laser marking machine will be on show. This incorporates high-speed, on-the-fly laser marking and vision control, while producing a clean, smooth finish.

In addition, Pryor will also present its new embedded control system – the 4000 controller. This latest generation control system, which features a 10.4 inch industrial grade touchscreen, is one of the most robust, reliable and user friendly models on the market and is ideal for error-free marking in a wide range of sectors, such as automotive and aerospace.

Alastair Morris, sales director at Pryor, comments: “Advanced Engineering is the perfect exhibition for engineers from across industry to see, feel and experience the full capability of our solutions. Our team can provide expert advice on marking best practice and explain how to ensure ultimate traceability throughout the production process, as well as demonstrate a variety of our solutions.”

PRYOR MARKING www.pryormarking.com
Stand CM27

 

 

Dealing with steel

Cutting tool manufacturer Mapal will demonstrate the extension of its hole-making line with the new CPR500/510 replaceable head reamer at this year’s show.

Incorporating optimised cooling that offers an economic advantage in cast machining, this new range can extend tool life as its solid carbide replaceable heads are designed with an innovative CVD coating. Developed by Mapal for cast machining, the coating will be of interest to automotive and aerospace engineers aiming to improve machining performance on challenging materials.

Offered in diameters from 8 to 40mm, the new development of the CPR500/510 is its optimised cooling using a sleeve. The issue of cooling is very important for cast machining due to the abrasiveness of the material, which is now solved by the internal coolant supply and the outlets that direct fluid at the cutting edges.

Complementing the new line will be a complete programme of ISO indexable inserts for boring steel, stainless steel and heat-resistant cast-steel. The inserts will be available as standard or as special designs. For this new product line, the Mapal inserts incorporate new coating developments and an optimised carbide substrate. Depending on the prevailing general conditions such as material, machine stability, coolant and clamping condition, customers can choose between PVD and CVD coated cutting materials.

Mapal will also feature its Tritan-Drill range with an extended line of products specially adapted for machining steel. With the new Tritan-Drill-Steel, the material can be machined significantly more cost-effectively compared with drills using two cutting edges. The robustness of the range is due to the completely new cutting-edge design that is different to the Tritan-Drill-Uni for universal use. The resulting stable cutting edges reduce the mechanical loads whilst the coating is also specially adapted for steel machining.

MAPAL www.mapal.com
Stand M1

Advanced Engineering 2017 www.easyfairs.com/advanced-engineering-2017/advanced-engineering-2017/

 

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