METALWORKING NEWS 2 Editor’s Comment 4 Viewpoint 6 Industry News Fiber laser cutting without compromises; AHRLAC engineers; Nissan; Somta Tools; Red Bud Industries seminar; Casspir; BSI Steel; Opportunities for Eezi Laser; IDC; Aveng ends talks to sell Trident Steel; Automechanika Johannesburg 2017; DMG MORI five-axis milling machine; Engineering at school level; Toyota SA; Hino 500 Series truck; Big data and connected cars; South African car industry; Mercedes-AMG C43 4MATIC; Argent 40 Shopfront Focus Matthew And Son reborn; Capitalising on your opportunities; Naledi Foundry fired up 66 Better Production Cutting tool manufacturers need to adapt to the age of additive manufacturing 68 International News Mercedes-Benz Trucks; Advances in classical technologies; CIMdata; Audi’s active suspension; Altair; EU slaps import duties; 3D metal printing; Award-winning powder metal parts; Okuma; Renishaw’s focus at EMO; Hypertherm; DMG MORI; Tongtai Group; Mazak; Schweissen & Schneiden 2017 90 Product Review SigmaTEK Systems; New Flow Mach 500; AgieCharmilles Cut P Series; High-feed face mill; Kao Ming; Buffalo Machinery; Modular heads for changeable end mill system; Prima Power; Ermaksan; Fair Friend Group; Takumi; Gear skiving machines; New ChaseHepta; Whitney; Kitamura; OSG’s S-Tap series; Yaskawa; Tapmatic; Trumpf; Kennametal METALWORKING NEWS V 16. 4 September 2017 1 EDITOR’S COMMENT EMO 2017 exhibition is around the corner he world’s largest metalworking event Volume 16 Number 4 EMO 2017 with the theme “Connecting September 2017 Tsystems for intelligent production” will be staged at the Hannover fairgrounds in Germany Editor later this month (18 to 23 September 2017). Bruce Crawford The previous EMO held in Hannover in 2013 had the theme “Intelligence in Production” Online Editor Damon Crawford which was all about how to improve machinery concepts, control technology, and software, Editorial Board tools and processes. Professor Dimitri Dimitrov, Two years later EMO 2015 was held in Milan, Global Competitiveness Centre Italy and the theme that time was “Let’s build the in Engineering, Department of Industrial future”. The exhibitors certainly embraced the Engineering, University of Stellenbosch theme putting style at the forefront. After all we Dr Willie Du Preez, Senior Researcher, Faculty were in Italy and the Italians certainly love their of Engineering and Information Technology ‘style’. There’s something to be said for Italian of the Central University of Technology craftsmanship, though. Modern companies from this creative part of the world Production Manager produce products at a level of quality and elegance often unmatched. Italy is Wendy Crawford known for the craftsmanship of its stunning cars. One notable exhibition stand was that of Comau, a business unit of Fiat Reproduction Chrysler Automobiles. The company presented their new SmartDriveComau Ria Arnold prototype machining center, a gleaming white and pristine machine highlighted by slick graphics, windows, and mesmerising LED displays. The aesthetics of the Advertising Bruce Crawford / Wendy Crawford machine certainly fitted into “the factory of the future”. There was nothing green Tel: + 27 11 463 0489 in colour about these machines. The result was a stunning piece of hardware Cell: + 27 83 628 7654 that is trying to strike an even balance between style and function. E-mail: [email protected] Subsequently, a number of machine tool manufacturers have changed the Website: www.metalworkingnews.co.za livery of their machines that they offer and I have to admit that looking at a new machine today is very easy on the eye. It is said that machines today provide Printed By users with a significant added value with regards to optics due to the huge Paarlmedia - A Division of Novus Holdings viewing panels that are now incorporated in the ‘covers’. METALWORKING NEWS The anticipation for this iteration of EMO is that: “This year’s show will feature is published by: solutions that are not only integrated into a company’s IT world, but are connected BA Crawford Specialised Publications (Pty) Ltd and networked. Machine tools that are communicating, analysing using the PO Box 69299, Bryanston, South Africa, 2021 available data and extracting the relevant information from that data to generate 41 Arklow Road, Bryanston, South Africa, 2021 added value for the manufacturer and its customers. This can be data from the Tel: + 27 11 463 0489 machine tool that provides a foundation for new service offers in condition E-mail: [email protected] monitoring and predictive maintenance, and in the best case, even directions on Website: www.crawfordpublications.co.za future machine developments. The same applies to data that is generated by intelligent tools. Moreover, data from automation and part handling can ultimately Subscriptions supply information for logistics in production, and data from measurement Annual – Local: R140.00 (incl VAT) engineering and quality management for intelligent process control.” International: on application ISSN 1682-8909 Getting these points across — which effectively are future sales solutions — to the prospective visitors is going to be a challenge for those ‘sales’ people Copyright on the stands. It is all very well talking about this ‘big data’ but what if I All rights reserved. No editorial matter am purchasing a machine from X company, Y company and Z company and published in Metalworking News may be then I still decide to buy another one from C company. How do the machine reproduced in any form or language without manufacturers envisage that these four different machines will ‘talk’ to each written permission of the publishers. While every effort is made to ensure accurate other? It is going to be interesting to find out. reproduction the editor, authors, publishers I look forward to meeting up with those of you from South Africa that will be and their employees or agents shall not be visiting. There are 2 050 companies from 45 countries exhibiting in 16 halls. responsible or in any way liable for any errors, The exhibition space alone equates to about 180 000m² (60 000m² more than omissions or inaccuracies in the publication EMO Milano). So get your walking shoes on and have a plan before you arrive. whether arising from negligence or otherwise This exhibition is at least 15 times bigger — exhibitor space — or for any consequences arising therefrom. The inclusion or exclusion of any product and 18 times bigger — exhibitors — than does not mean that the publisher or editorial our local exhibition. It is also a must visit board advocates or rejects its use either at least once in your life. generally or in any particular field or fields. 2 METALWORKING NEWS V 16. 4 September 2017 VIEW POINT Using 3D printing to improve mining uptime and productivity D printing may have burst onto the scene a few years ago with much hype, but it hasn’t yet 3revolutionised industrial sectors as some analysts exuberantly predicted. However, forward-thinking mining organisations are realising that industrial-scale 3D printing in the mines could skim costs from their operations and reduce the frustrations of equipment downtime. By 3D printing the spare parts and replaceable components that complex mine machinery requires, mine operators can gain greater control over the supply chain and ensure smooth running of the mine’s equipment. The current methods of producing tooling and components are often time consuming, expensive, wasteful, and cede far too much reliance to 3rd party equipment manufacturers. Mines also have to bear the brunt of excess inventory, warehousing and storage costs, and the logistical costs of urgently transporting parts. In fact, 3D printing sits perfectly at the nexus of information technology and operational technology — and as these two realms move closer to one another, some is that unique and customised items can be produced interesting opportunities are emerging. in a cost-effective manner, even in small quantities. For mine operators looking to tailor their approach to Creating a digital twin a specific site, 3D printing offers some exciting In sites across the world, miners must dig at greater and prospects. greater depths to find seams of precious resources. So deep, Not only could 3D printing save costs and reduce the in fact, that it’s often not viable or safe to use humans. So interruptions and waiting times for maintenance, but it can by using robotics and other machines kitted with sensors, also be the catalyst for smarter operations more broadly, we can create a digital representation (e.g. via hologram or throughout a mine’s operations. on-screen display) of the equipment, to understand how it is Managers gain unprecedented vision into the future — performing and interacting with the environment — kilometres understanding when equipment is likely to need below the surface. servicing or re-tooling, building customised components Not only could 3D printing save costs and reduce the interruptions and waiting times for maintenance, but it can also be the catalyst for smarter operations more broadly, throughout a mine’s operations Leveraging big data before they’re needed, and dynamically adjusting Using these insights from sensory data we can start to operations. Mines no longer need to come to a standstill predict when equipment may fail, or need servicing, or for hours at a time, just because one piece of precision require new parts. This data can be fed into one’s 3D printing equipment is in need of replacements. systems, to ensure that the required components are Everything from labour shift scheduling to truck dispatch produced (on the surface) and sent down, ready for when timetables can be configured to best fit with the ebbs and they’re needed. flows of the mine’s operations. In the digital era, South African miners (just like their Customisation international peers) are looking to technology-led efficiency Different mining environments require different gains as the primary driver of growth over the coming approaches and tools.