METALWORKING NEWS 2 Editor’s Comment 4 Viewpoint 6 Industry News Toyota Motorsport; Edgecam; Machine Tools Africa 2017; New forged train wheel manufacturer; The Dished End Company; WD Hearn; Chinese car plant in South Africa; Automotive policy; Yaskawa celebrates 100th anniversary; Denel; Alstom; SA Festival of Motoring; Spectra Carbide Tooling; Aerotropolis plan; Steel tariffs; Imports of steel from China; GE; The right moves will draw investors; Paramount; Booyco Engineering; 38 Shopfront Focus Technipunch’s growth; 6-axis BLM tube laser machine; Success at Fabrinox 60 Better Production Why manufacturers should get ISO-certified 62 International News Trumpf; Hexagon Metrology; Kennametal; Luigi Galdabini; Airbus; Ponsse; Intelligent machine tool prototype; Open tool library software; Autodesk; EU machine tool sector; Doosan Infracore; UCIMU; Global machine tool group; Gleason; Lyft; METAV 2016; Wire and Tube 2016; Heinz-Jürgen Prokop 82 Product Review Vericut; Solid Edge; Iscar; Sandvik CoroMill; Hypertherm; Taegutec; BySmart Fiber 3015; Salvagnini; High-performance Widia; 44-ton electric press brake; Beyond Evolution; DMG MORI; MicroStep; Okuma; Haas Automation; Trumpf’s 2D laser cutting; Mitsubishi; Amada; Kitamura; Tungaloy METALWORKING NEWS V 14. 6 January 2016 1 EDITOR’S COMMENT A challenging year ahead e all like to start off a new year with a Volume 14 Number 6 positive disposition, full of fresh ideas January 2016 and high energy levels. Time off over W Editor the holiday period was certainly welcome, and now that we are experiencing some respite in Bruce Crawford certain parts of the country from the hot weather Online Editor and drought conditions that we have experienced Damon Crawford over the last few months, albeit a small amount of rain, we should all be smiling. Editorial Board Professor Dimitri Dimitrov, However, for the majority that only returned th Global Competitiveness Centre to work on the 11 January 2016 you would in Engineering, Department of Industrial have been greeted with the news that overnight Engineering, University of Stellenbosch the South African rand had plunged as much Dr Willie Du Preez, Senior Researcher, Faculty as 9%, the most since October 2008, to of Engineering and Information Technology R17.9169 per US dollar. It did recover later of the Central University of Technology but this was still the biggest decline among 31 emerging-market and major currencies. The South African currency, which dropped 25% last year, Production Manager Wendy Crawford had losses accelerated in December 2015 after President Jacob Zuma unexpectedly fired his finance minister only to alter the decision days later. Reproduction One wonders why he has not been recalled especially on the back of his Jericho Graphic Design remarks that the reaction to his decision to sack Nhlanhla Nene as finance Advertising minister in December had been an exaggeration. Bruce Crawford / Wendy Crawford When one also considers that when he took office in 2009 the Tel: + 27 11 463 0489 exchange rate was more or less between R8.20 and R8.40 to the US Dollar Cell: + 27 83 628 7654 (R3.55 in 1994) it is not surprising that you could easily slip into depression. E-mail: [email protected] The President himself is not the sole reason for this decline, but during his Website: www.metalworkingnews.co.za watch the Rand has seen the biggest devaluation ever. One does not want to Printed By get into a political debate because there are many different viewpoints, but this Paarl Media is a sad legacy to leave behind and we assume that President Zuma will hand over the reigns after his second term. Although South Africa’s Constitution METALWORKING NEWS is published by: limits the president to a maximum of two terms, the ANC’s constitution has no BA Crawford Specialised Publications (Pty) Ltd term limits for its president. PO Box 69299, Bryanston, South Africa, 2021 Nevertheless there are still several positive stories in this issue. The Cover Story shows how we, as South Africans, can be players when it 41 Arklow Road, Bryanston, South Africa, 2021 Tel: + 27 11 463 0489 comes to major sporting events inspired by creative engineering in the E-mail: [email protected] automotive field. Website: www.crawfordpublications.co.za This is followed by the proposed R1,8 billion investment in the ‘greenfield’ forged train wheel manufacturing plant. The project will also create Subscriptions Annual – Local: R140.00 (incl VAT) the opportunity to export forged wheels out of South Africa, and with the International: on application current exchange rate this should make the manufacturer’s product very ISSN 1682-8909 competitive, as it will do for most exporters. There is also the story on ‘New contracts to boost Denel’s armoured vehicle Copyright business’, which is very encouraging considering where the SOE was five or so All rights reserved. No editorial matter published in Metalworking News may be years ago. The not so encouraging story is about the Paramount Group reproduced in any form or language without entering into a R1 billion deal with the Kazakhstan government for the written permission of the publishers. While manufacture of armoured vehicles in that country. As the Group’s executive every effort is made to ensure accurate chairman Ivor Ichikowitz said “it was very difficult to raise capital in reproduction the editor, authors, publishers and their employees or agents shall not be South Africa for these kind of investments. Paramount was therefore raising responsible or in any way liable for any errors, finance internationally because South Africa had no structures that allowed the omissions or inaccuracies in the publication sector to raise capital for the industry in the domestic market.” whether arising from negligence or otherwise The year ahead could be both very interesting and challenging, especially or for any consequences arising therefrom. The inclusion or exclusion of any product if you believe the analysts who are predicting does not mean that the publisher or editorial that the Rand could be 19 and maybe even board advocates or rejects its use either 20 to the US dollar by the end of 2016. generally or in any particular field or fields. 2 METALWORKING NEWS V 14. 6 January 2016 VIEW POINT Publishing payoff This month’s viewpoint is written by Russ Willcutt, Associate Editor of Modern Machine Shop Magazine, a Gardner Business Media publication. hat benefits can a company derive from collaborating company’s reputation; with editors in developing informative and engaging Depicting an environment featuring the latest technologies Weditorial content? The rewards are many, both supports recruitment; tangible and intangible. Machine shops specializing in contract work can include I recently met with a group of application/sales engineers media coverage in periodic reviews performed by their customers. from a major cutting tool manufacturer. Although this company’s tools are marketed worldwide, these were U.S. To this list of tangible benefits I would add a number of regional representatives who’ve “intangibles.” One is how spent years building deep, valuable our subjects generally abiding relationships with find the interview experience, customers in their territories. The in terms of actually taking the company approached me at Gear time to explain the thought Expo about attending one of their process behind certain meetings to explain how editorial decisions. A critical examination content is developed for our of an automated cell, or a chip various magazines. I’d like to disposal system, or how share some of the highlights of measurements are performed our conversation with you. — in the lab, on the floor, both… The editors at Gardner why? - can lead to great ideas Business Media — publisher of for further improvements, and Modern Machine Shop, Modern at a moment when you least Machine Shop Mexico, Production expect it. I have seen this Machining and the newly happen time and again. I’ve launched Additive Manufacturing, also been able to provide among many other titles — rely on helpful suggestions to current a network of industry contacts to conundrums based on things identify companies at the I’ve learned working on past leading edge of advanced assignments. manufacturing. We want to learn More than anything, I about the challenges they’ve wanted to convey what an faced, and the solutions they organic process publishing developed to overcome them, can be. Consider the common often with the assistance of their press release. From that brief machine and cutting tool document, a creative Gardner suppliers. That’s what makes editor might derive a blog post, these field representatives such a column, a case study, a new a great resource in scouting out technology review, a Facebook solid content. entry or even the seed for an upcoming multi-page feature. During our conversation, we In addition, articles are posted sought to answer a reasonable to our online archives as a searchable resource, enhancing a question: What does a machine shop stand to gain by company’s reputation for years to come. cooperating with us on a feature? Here are a few observations: The key, of course, is communication. Some companies Showcasing a company’s machining expertise can help have valid reasons for keeping their operations behind curtains, attract new customers and deepen relationships with existing but others realize that informing readers of new capabilities — customers; “owning” it, in other words - actually supports a healthy return Exhibiting creativity in overcoming challenges adds to a on capital investments. Eds comment: Editors and journalists at business to business publications, such as those at Gardner Business Media, take great care in constructing stories that will interest their readers. We virtually put ourselves in the mind and eyes of the reader so as not to send out a boring message. Editorial styles of each individual are different and are built on years of experience.