MTD Audiobook

Britain is the birthplace of the industrial revolution. The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanise production. The Second used electrical power to create mass production and assembly lines. The Third industrial revolution used computers and robot automation to create more efficient production lines.Britain is the birthplace of the industrial revolution. The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanise production. The Second used electrical power to create mass production and assembly lines. The Third industrial revolution used computers and robot automation to create more efficient production lines.Today, we stand on the edge of a new technological revolution that has the potential to fundamentally change the way we manufacture products, it will also have a profound impact on the way we live, work and communicate. It is known as the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’, or for short ‘Industry 4.0’. It is merging the lines between digital and physical entities to create Cyber Physical Systems.For any manufacturer, under and over estimating demand leads to lost revenues. The largest inefficiency in any manufacturing supply chain is its inability to react to changes.Despite investment manufacturers are still seeing widespread issues which include:• Outdated or unreachable technology• Supply chain transparency and trust• Unproductive centralised supply chains• Non-conformance management• Manufacturing closed loop process control• Constrained capacity planning• Lack of machine health monitoring• Energy efficient use of assetsIndustry 4.0 encompasses several technologies which include the Internet of Things (IoT), Big data and Artificial intelligence (AI). It is seen as a key enabler to combat these issues but only a small number of manufacturers are actually seeing the benefits. In short, Industry 4.0 is not delivering on its promises.One reason for this is that businesses are only focussing on individual aspects of the Industry 4.0 suite of technologies. As most of us are aware, there is rarely a one size fits all solution to any problem in the real world and this is no different. A combined technology approach is required, but with the addition of a couple new technologies called Blockchain (Distributed Ledger Technology) and Smart Contracts.What is Blockchain Technology?The mention of Blockchain for most of you will bring to mind Bitcoin, Cryptocurrencies and possibly even scams. It is important to distinguish between Blockchain and cryptocurrencies as they are not the same. Blockchain is the technology that sits behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and is what makes them decentralised, secure and unchangeable.It is true that the original objective of Blockchain technology was to facilitate trusted fiscal transactions between two parties without the necessity for a third party such as a bank to be involved. This enables faster and less expensive transactions. Due to the security and immutable nature of a Blockchain system it also has complete integrity as the transactions are verified by the system itself.Transactions on the Blockchain are stored and distributed across multiple nodes within the network. These transactions or records are very secure due to how the Blockchain works which makes this technology an ideal method of transparently and securely recording transactions and documents. As the data is held across shared nodes, the technology can be used to create and maintain a common and constantly updated “trusted” database. This presents a multitude of potential applications for Blockchain outside of the financial sector , and in particular for the manufacturing industry.What is a Smart Contract?Smart contracts have the ability to use rule-based intelligence to perform functions. Blockchains support the construction of smart and trusted code that is embedded securely into the Blockchain. Participants can use this to specify terms, conditions and any other logic into their transactions, thus creating a smart contract.As an illustration of how a smart contract would work, take the example of an aerospace manufacturer issuing a smart contract onto a Blockchain marketplace that includes precise terms and conditions for a wing spar that is to be manufactured from a particular grade of Aluminium. Along with this they have included the exact component specifications with delivery and payment requirements.Any supplier on the Blockchain can bid for the contract as long as they have the correct quality credentials and machinery that is capable of manufacturing the component. If the delivery timescale is not satisfactory then the contract can automatically distribute the requirement across multiple qualified suppliers to achieve the required delivery date. Therefore, allowing buyers to dynamically scale the manufacturing system to meet their requirements.Once the Blockchain data has confirmed that the specifications of the smart contract have been fulfilled i.e. the parts have been delivered to the required quality standard and are on time, then the smart contract will execute the payment automatically. This will eliminate trust or compliance issues that may exist within the supply chain.How is this relevant to Manufacturing?With the advent of Industry 4.0 and Blockchain systems a transparent, decentralised platform is required that combines these technologies. This platform will enable interconnected supply chains and digital passport capabilities which will in turn eliminate barriers to entry for any size of manufacturer.Such a platform would disrupt the traditional manufacturing supply chain structure by engaging a transparent smart contract eco-system. This will enable a system to act autonomously, ordering tooling materials and making production decisions. This will eliminate the need for human interaction which is a bottleneck on today’s infrastructure. Smart contracts can also be used to create an integrity mechanism between suppliers and buyers, eliminating the trust and compliance issues that exist today.Allowing machines to connect and interact with a Blockchain system creates multiple nodes which will be used to validate transactions and provide the required trust and integrity mechanism. The device will also allow machines to communicate with each other via the distributed ledger giving them the ability to make decisions and react to changes in load and capacity. The building of such a platform has the potential to resolve the complex problems of manufacturing systems with the following key supply chain revolutions.Dynamic Supply Chains with Full VisibilityThe entire supply chain should have information readily available in order for manufacturers, procurement and supply chain designers to enhance their processes and mitigate the risk of a supply chain failure.A Blockchain system will promote a transparent, visible supply chain which increases trust, effectiveness and productivity.Smart contracts have the ability to use rule-based intelligence to perform supply chain functions. Blockchains support the construction of smart and trusted code that is embedded securely into the system. Participants can use this to specify terms, conditions and any other logic into their transactions, thus creating a smart contract. Blockchain smart contracts can have the same level of detail as a traditional purchase order and quality accreditation do with the current methods but will have the added functionality of being able to perform tasks automatically, such as monitor capacity levels or negotiate prices.Commercial partners can monitor delivery times, quality status and costs in real-time and create, negotiate and complete transactions automatically.Combining this with Industry 4.0 smart devices will reduce costs and maximise efficiency by empowering machines to communicate with each other directly, (Machine to Machine, M2M), without a centralised control mechanism to slow them down. Production decisions will be made autonomously allowing factories to make quantum leaps in efficiency and flexibility.Facilities will also be able to easily scale their asset availability to meet changing demands. If the delivery timescale is not satisfactory then a smart contract can automatically distribute the requirement across multiple qualified suppliers to achieve the required delivery date. Therefore, allowing buyers to dynamically scale the manufacturing system to meet their requirements.How Much Capacity Does Your Factory Have?Capacity planning is essential to the success of any manufacturer. It is the process of determining the production capacity needed by a factory to meet the changing demands of its customers.The difference between the capacity of an organisation and the demands of its customers results in inefficiencies which manifest themselves in under-utilised resources or poor delivery performance. This is caused by unfulfilled deliveries leading to unhappy customers. The purpose of capacity planning is to minimise this disparity.Increasing the utilisation of the manufacturing systems capacity is accomplished by measuring the Overall Equipment Effectiveness, more commonly known as OEE. Currently in the majority of companies, OEE is collected manually which usually results in poor quality data, which in turn creates poor quality decisions. With the advent of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), monitoring machine performance and environmental changes will become easier to analyse and identify opportunities for OEE improvements. Imagine being able to see (and project) capacity in real time. This will allow customers to scale their production requirements either up or down in seconds and see the effect on delivery dates immediately.Additionally, this means that an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system can use the data to plan the manufacture and routing of components based on manufacturers machining capability and capacity. This may result in one order being spread over several facilities or suppliers if delivery is required urgently for instance.Creating an innovative platform that combines AI, IoT, Blockchain systems and smart contracts will remove all resistance to a manufacturing system that can instantaneously scale to meet any production demands that are required.Manufacturing Data and System HealthBy monitoring the environmental and machine maintenance event data, machine learning algorithms can be applied to predict any maintenance issues that may arise. Combining this with an energy management system will allow the machinery to be utilised in the most efficient way possible. Feature inspection outcomes can also be combined to ensure that machine capability and quality is constantly improved and is not impacted by environmental factors.Blockchain Based Quality Systems - Digital PassportsBy digitising Manufacturing Quality systems using the Blockchain, it would be possible to create a registry and catalogue system for recording, tracking and monitoring any component across all supply chain members, effectively a digital passport. The advantages of a Blockchain digital passport are:• Immutable Blockchain based component digital passport• The consensus mechanism of distributed ledger system keeps it secure.• A tamper proof audit trail• Complete provenance of any componentConclusionManufacturing plants and factories around the world must rely on Blockchain, smart contracts and IoT to meet the rising global demand and transform the way we order, control quality, manufacture and deliver components.Blockchain and smart contract technology has the potential to radically disrupt the current manufacturing business model by enabling trust within the supply chains, streamlining processes and improving transactional security. But most of all it will digitise manufacturing data which can be utilised to increase the effectiveness of any manufacturing system. Better monitoring of machines, energy usage and adaptive control will allow suppliers to increase the productivity and flexibility of a single machine. Likewise, improved overall system performance and planning will result in producing more products on the same number of assets, therefore improving flexibility and productivity.Imagine being able to scale your manufacturing operation in the same way that cloud services such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure scale their capacity to meet or reduce demand on websites or eCommerce solutions in milliseconds.Although Blockchain and smart contract adoption is at an early stage, it will redefine the current manufacturing business model. The manufacturers that innovate will be the ones that emerge from the pack and reap the rewards.Intelligent, decentralised, adaptive engineering solutions are therefore essential for the future of manufacturing systems.About ManufactoryManufactory designs and creates advanced manufacturing solutions. The company was founded in 2018 to revolutionise manufacturing and supply chain technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling manufacturers to become more efficient through innovation and technology. For more information on Manufactory or to find out how your facility might benefit from a blockchain based solution, please visit https://manufactory.ai

In 1936, Pittsburgh’s Great Flood crippled Western Pennsylvania leaving thousands without electricity. In an effort to help restore the city’s electricity, Donald Ross started the Allegheny Electric Company. The journey to bring safety to the manufacturing industry noted the wiring method in existing overhead cranes was very dangerous. After decades of innovation, the company invented the Track Busway and the growth of the company broadened product lines beyond trolley conductor systems with the company changing its name to Universal Electric Corporation (UEC). This marked the creation of two separated divisions when UEC introduced STARLINE Plug-In Raceway.
First introduced in 1987, STARLINE Track Busway is now the industry-leading electrical power distribution system for the data center/mission critical, retail, industrial, and higher education markets – a company that has built a globally recognised brand that relies on measurement equipment from Mitutoyo to guarantee product quality.
As the Quality Director at the UK facility in Reading, Mr Clive Larke, says: “I joined STARLINE about three years ago to help set-up the global quality programme and a key part of that was a global metrology programme. It became apparent that we needed to upgrade our metrology ability, particularly on the back of our aggressive growth both in Europe and Asia. We needed to assist our supply chain to set up our products, manufacturing and support with them.”

Referring to the relationship with Mitutoyo, Mr Larke says: “I have worked in Quality Assurance for around 25 years and in that time I have worked with a number of different providers. The one thing that sets Mitutoyo apart from its competitors is its global reach and the after sales support. It really is unparalleled.”

Tasked with implementing a standardised measurement facility on three different continents with the facility for seamless global integration and conformity, Mr Larke approached Mitutoyo. As Mitutoyo’s Southern Area Technical Sales Engineer, Mr Trevor Stubbs recalls: “I had previously supplied Clive with Mitutoyo products when he was at a different company, so when he joined STARLINE, he got in touch to see how we could best undertake his metrology project. Initially, Clive brought a number of parts to our Andover headquarters where we conducted extensive testing, trials and conformance reporting. From this, we recommended a number of suitable products. This included the Crysta Apex 574 3-axis CMM machine, the Quick Vision Active QVL-404 2-axis, the Quick Image QI A2010 image recognition and measuring system, the LH600E height gauge and a selection of hand tools, a granite table and a number of other ancillary products.”

“Much to our surprise, Clive didn’t only order the equipment for the Reading facility; he also placed an order for the Singapore and US sites. By mirroring the Mitutoyo equipment specified for the Reading site, the company can ensure complete uniformity across all its manufacturing sites,” says Mr Stubbs.

“The Crysta Apex CMM is used for measuring critical dimensions as well as the dimensions on mating parts that require an optimal fit. STARLINE manufactures thousands of components and assemblies, so the Crysta Apex will also be used to measure the dimensions of a section of extruded aluminium prior it being entered into production and assembly. Additionally, the QVL-404 is applied to measure extrusions with exceptional speed and efficiency.”

Steve Roddy, who oversees the metrology departments in the UK and at the overseas sites, says: “We have a Crysta Apex 574 3-axis CMM machine and a Quick Vision Active 2-axis machine. We also have a Quick Image (QI) that is all used for measuring the products that come into our business. We measure each individual sub-component that comes into the business. This is to ensure that we have repeatability and it is a guarantee to our customers, it’s also to ensure we meet all the drawing tolerances specified.”

“The relationship we have with Mitutoyo is really good, whether it’s here, in the US or in Singapore. I can go to Singapore and contact the Mitutoyo guys in the UK and within an hour I’ll get a response, whether it’s an email or a phone call – and this is the same in the UK. The training has been absolutely fantastic and all the machines have designated training programmes and there are also advanced courses available to go on.”

In my last article in the July issue of MTD magazine, I hopefully gave a useful explanation of what industry 4.0 will mean with respect to manufacturing production processes of which Metrology and its subsequent applied measurement is going to be an important ingredient. I indicated that the start date, pace of change and ultimate impact of i4.0 will differ for each company.
We can confidently predict that though the direction of travel is common, the journey may be intermittent and completion may vary by a few decades. Whatever your process, whether it’s complex, relatively simple or complex when looking simple, there is one mantra that you need to live by before you start.
“I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science, whatever the matter may be.” Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)

In this article, I will follow on the focus on Metrology and its current state and its readiness to move to an industry 4 future. To do this I will focus on three key areas.

To keep my feet firmly in my own area of expertise, we will focus on Industrial dimensional measurement, not including surface texture. Dimensional measurement is by far the most widely applied form of industrial measurement with hundreds of dimensions on millions of drawings, all sample and first article checked, as a minimum, across every manufacturing process.

Dimensional measurement results in the UK are standardised to the metre and termed length measurement. Length has always been impacted by temperature and now, newer measurement technologies also utilise time and luminous intensity (light) as a factor of their measurement accuracy. So now, as Metrologists, we need to have a basic understanding of several of the S.I. Units and their underpinning science.

But back to the main thrust of this article. What is the current state and what can we expect in the future? By the way, I have no crystal ball, this is a personal assessment.

Technology Application
Current state: I said in my last article that metrology is still completing the third industrial revolution. A majority of companies when trying to keep on top of process control and quality, still commonly rely on manual measurements in the form of fixtures and first principle measurement tools and techniques. They will then in most cases have a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) for first article or validation checks. This is still the most common scenario even in larger enterprises. Automation as will be required within the process; is still only applied by a small percentage.

The workhorses of coordinate measurement, the CMM are well established and common across small and large companies alike - now being mainstream for several decades. Their recent development has continued to eke out accuracy improvements. They are in the main highly developed with the sensor and the software developed and blend to tackle complex applications of geometry and tolerances. Well advanced in its technology development curve, the laws of physics are hindering any further radical development.

There has been an explosion of new technologies starting around the turn of the last century. In this last decade, they started to make inroads into the measuring equipment market share, particularly within the larger volume component arena. Specifically, this development has been in the field of Electro Magnetic Spectrum sensors. Utilising the use of visible light, lasers, X-Rays and photogrammetry techniques and often termed non-contact or optical sensors. The type of technology varies greatly, generally speaking they are not yet as accurate as a typical bridge CMM, but they are making significant and rapid progress in attaining better accuracies. Their ability to capture large amounts of point data in spilt seconds makes for fast measurement, but that does come at a cost, most of these systems are more susceptible to sensor noise (bad data returns). This is commonly offset in the systems by applying statistical analysis to the mass data to remove anomalous outlying data, smoothing and filtering. Averaging, turning point clouds into facetted surfaces, and applying dynamic geometry and pattern based algorithms. This is good for larger surfaces with their size and profile requirements, but generally less useful on smaller more accurate features where form is a critical function to be toleranced. Maybe this should be a future article in itself?

Future state: Though CMM’s can with some management and allowances be added into a cell, fed by robots and eventually connected as part of a Cyber Physical System (CPS), they do suffer from a big Achilles heel. They are relatively slow, they will generally not be able to keep pace with the manufacturing process and may have to be built in parallel to a production line and have a serious impact on the ‘Takt’ time.

The new kids on the block, predominantly the optical sensors, do meet the speed required and as flexible sensors, they can often be mounted directly within the production line or at least on robot arms, as they may need to move around the object being measured. You can also consider mounting several of the same sensors to collaborate and make one overall coordinate system output. They can measure complex shapes very quickly. But, remember the accuracy and issues around accurate form; sometimes a CMM is still the best option and slower throughput is the price.

There is one other possible future solution. That is, as a company you do not buy a complete system, but only buy sensors. Maybe a hundred sensors or more, each one measuring temperature, a feature or selection of features and collaborating with other sensors to build up a complete coordinate and geometry output within the cell cyber system. Of course this may only be valid for more simplistic parts, but it does potentially meet the CPS model better than an independent software system. With off the shelf low cost sensors providing localised data that is coordinated via a cyber-system, maintenance and equipment failures could be easier to manage. But the challenges in designing and validating bespoke systems will be huge, especially the software application.

There is also a bigger question to ask, to which only market forces and an entrepreneurial approach by supply companies will answer. CPS requires connectivity and as I said in my last article, it needs a wealth of data, not only of the measured part, but of the line/cell/processes health and environmental changes; sensing all the parameters that can cause variation and issues to the resultant part and the process performance.

Complex coordinate measuring system suppliers are very good at supplying and supporting turnkey systems with their own dedicated software. The connectivity of the complex coordinate measuring systems into the cyber system and the collation of their data output with all the other sensors within that line or cell, have still yet to be tackled in the true sense of CPS. Single, simple sensors can already be incorporated, but complex coordinate measuring sensors with bespoke software is another matter. We are currently sat with no single solution, and so the market will decide. A Betamax/VHS type free market forces battle but on a much bigger scale, with huge risks and rewards for early adopters - unless someone sets/agrees a standard that drives this?

Finally, as the machine tool companies found out in the 80’s, fixturing will need to be rethought. Most current fixturing is manually fed, again this will create issues as a typical robot arm does not have the senses that humans have to ‘best’ place a part in a fixture, so the fixture design has to be better thought through than currently it is. Is there a cheaper option than making a robot able to fully replicate human senses? Look up Industry 5 on the internet. Again, maybe a future article?

Skill and Competence
In the current state, we have a real problem here. Industry 4 is going to require much more planning. It will need engineers with broader and deeper skills as they will need to be proficient at planning for right first time. This is because there will be more at risk if it goes wrong. This has come at a time where the impact of 30 years of recessions and its sometimes misdirected cost cutting has eroded the less fashionable skills, particularly the underpinning of cross functional skills from both companies and the offer from education and training. Some of those skills are a shadow of what they will need to be. We have in far too many instances become expert fire fighters and forgotten how to plan for fire prevention, always the lower cost option.

Metrology has suffered more than most, as it has been lost or paid lip service to when considering most apprenticeships and degrees. Technology has made it almost impossible for colleges to keep in touch with modern equipment and both techniques and Universities, even with their relatively bigger budgets, cannot specialise in every area of manufacturing. Private training providers have easier, more fashionable and profitable streams to teach in; and equipment manufacturers ultimately want to sell their own product even when they are well intentioned and ethical. The educators also struggle to employ experienced experts as they are a rare beast.

Except for a very few examples, today’s design and manufacturing engineers are taught very little about modern measurement and metrology techniques. This is something that must change if the UK wants to be a leader in smart manufacturing where Metrology will be a core engineering skill.

Data Management
Current state: We already have systems capable of collecting ¼ of a million points in a few seconds. The issue is what we can do with such rich Data, remember a small part of which is false data. Well ideally we would like to keep all the data, even the false data. When mined it could reveal patterns that improve our overall system knowledge. Hardware and storage limitations make keeping all that data problematic and expensive. So currently the equipment manufacturers apply statistics and summarise the data. This is based upon the manufacturers idea of how much of a summary is best to build a software system that will perform in its typical target market. At this time, we can collect 3 million points on a surface, check it against CAD and output some key but simple visual analysis. That core of summarised data which is still very large in file size could be stored; but if we measure 40 parts a day, after a year we would have a significant amount of data in storage and other than repeat a slightly different key visual analysis data set, it will not be used again. So, a lot of companies once they have the green tick of acceptance, delete that data as it is of no further use.

Future state: Data management is an area that is clear in terms of what is needed for the future but less clear on how it will be facilitated with regards to mass data from coordinate metrology systems. Every bit of measured data, in the raw and not already summarised, is useful for a cyber-system to use in process improvement and digital twin simulations. That means collecting and keeping huge amounts of data in a way that it can be cross referenced in a search and analysed for opportunity. This is required to make the most of the cyber system.

There are already some very good companies, some new and some that are reinventing themselves. These companies are offering production line management and controls systems that are on the march towards i4.0. These companies are working hard on the connectivity and data management side of i4.0 and linking that to the wider business management systems. The integration of single sensors as described, is not an issue as they are a plug-in tool to the cell or line designers. But the integration of complex measurement systems into CPS is not so easy without being dumbed down. Coordinate measurement systems are often not fully understood by those cell or line designers (a broader skill issue) and they have limited connectivity potential to the CPS cyber control system; and so true CPS connectivity is not readily available at this time.

The connectivity issues will be resolved as companies attempt to build CPS into their production and utilise current technology and thinking into those lines, but it may take many iterations. Simplistic measurement will go first but eventually over a decade (or two?) it will all become off the shelf for the mainstream manufacturers.

I read back my own words and feel I can never do this justice in an article of this size, there are many threads and connections of which metrology is a big part but not the only part. I have probably left you with a lot of questions. But this second part of my article was intended to stimulate thinking and get you to look at your business metrology fitness, not provide an A to B map. More talking needs to be done and if my article starts that I would be happy to hear from you with your own thoughts and comments. You can find me on LinkedIn or via the Coventry University website just type in my name.

In the searing heat of Las Vegas, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence (HMI) recently hosted its HxGN LIVE 2019 event that was attended by more than 3000 customers, partners, journalists and industry experts. MTD magazine takes a look at the event that will be coming to the UK on the 1st and 2nd of October.

OK, so the HxGN LOCAL Smart Manufacturing UK two-day event won’t be taking place in Sin City at the Venetian hotel, but the Belfry Hotel and Resort will offer equal prestige with keynote speaker Sir Ranulph Fiennes sharing inspirational stories from his international expeditions whilst ‘The Stig’ will form part of the evening entertainment. Hexagon’s keynote speaker, Manufacturing Intelligence President Mr Norbert Hanke, will pick up the reins with ‘Smart is Hiding in Plain Sight’ – an insightful nudge of encouragement for manufacturers to discover the untapped smart potential in their processes.

The event will also include a variety of speakers addressing topics such as automation, autonomous mobility, smart factories and what will be required to navigate future technologies and the economy. Let’s not forget the event will also be an opportunity to absorb the latest software innovations that will include the recent launch of WORKNC JAVELIN, VISI, NCSIMUL, RADAN and EDGECAM 2020.0 Versions whilst the metrology division will be promoting the latest innovations such as the Leica Absolute Tracker ATS600 and AT960, the Tigo and Optiv, the RA8 Arms and the Tesa products to name a few.

The Belfry Hotel won’t have the size or scale of the world’s third-largest hotel and its 7000 rooms and numerous conference theatres; so we’ll take a look at what took place at the ninth consecutive HxGN LIVE 2019 event in Nevada to give you a flavour of what direction Hexagon is headed in and what you can expect to see in October. Where better to begin than with the opening keynote speech from Ola Rollen, the President and CEO of Hexagon.

As the opening presentation of the event, Ola instantly struck a chord with the ‘Can Data Save the World’ speech. Entering the stage to ‘The Final Countdown’ tune from Europe, Ola started by saying: “This is an extremely ambitious subject, but let’s ‘try to save the world’. The first question is does the world need saving? As the third rock from the sun, the world will do fine without us, but what is under threat is mankind. What we will focus on is how to save mankind, and not the earth.”

Ola continued by looking at statistics on the extinction of species such as the extinction of 80% of marine mammals, 50% of all plant life and 83% of all land mammals. Further startling statistics on de-forestation, micro-plastic consumption and over-population really hit home with delegates; and Ola cleverly linked the exponential global GDP growth to the industrial revolution, economic development and our goals for growth and a better lifestyle. “We have scaled up, but not sustainably and this is our problem. Scientists predict the point of no sustainable return is 2050, so we have 30 years to fix this, and it could be the best business opportunity you have ever encountered. We have to transform ‘bad into good’ and monetise the opportunities.”

Ola provided video testimonials and statistics and alluded to how F1 cars are 30% more efficient than road vehicles, highlighting how metrology data from Hexagon has been used in F1, solely to improve efficiency. “We have the technology and the data available, we need to scale it better and F1 is proof that we can do it. By transferring this data to road vehicles we could save 3billion metric tonnes of CO2 a year from the global annual consumption rate of 36 billion tonnes. We can transfer this data to the aerospace and agriculture industries also, to create greater environmental savings.”

For those less familiar with the breadth and scope of the Hexagon brand, the company extends way beyond metrology and CAD/CAM software. The Las Vegas event hosted more than 150 seminars and presentations that ran concurrently on the first day of proceedings with an equal number of educational opportunities on each of the three full days of the event. Yes, that’s well over 400 presentations. The subject matter and scope of Hexagon is mind-blowing with products, solutions and innovations as far reaching as building construction and design, geospatial and data mapping, mobile MapWorks and GPS, utilities detection, mapping and operational software; digital twins, visualisation and automation platforms, geo-scientific imagery, public safety and much much more.

The company has products and solutions that can, and are being integrated into almost all aspects of our daily life without our realisation. The hundreds of presentations covered examples from industries and applications as diverse as air traffic control, smart cities, the monitoring of natural disasters and debris flow, utilities management and efficiency, policing and safer communities, mining, public transport, space travel and environmental management. Of course, the underlying theme was the promotion of Hexagon products and solutions that was ingeniously packaged as an environmentally, cost and time efficient spectrum of innovation that rightly appealed to everyone. This message was underlined throughout the event with real-life examples aplenty.

All this tied neatly back to the introductory keynote speech from OIa Rollen. Beyond the manufacturing sector, Ola gave note to how the Georeferencing of seed plantation, pesticides, fertilisation and watering in the agriculture industry can reduce agriculture CO2 levels by 50% whilst increasing food output by 30% and thereby shaving an additional 4billion tonnes of CO2 from global output - just by using data we can already access. In the manufacturing industry, Ola stated the global industry has 40% efficiency and by using scientific data we could reach 95% efficiency, shaving an additional 5billion tonnes of CO2 from world consumption. “Business, as usual, is not the best business decision going forward. You may say what has this got to do with me? But never before in your career has the cost of doing nothing been so high, and it keeps on rising. If you don’t react to opportunities, you will be run out of business. You will lose market share and costs will sky-rocket. For businesses that look for scalable sustainability by using data in their processes to reduce CO2 and global footprint, those businesses will be the winners.”

“Our vision at Hexagon is where data is fully leveraged, so we can really take advantage of it for humanity and create a sustainable situation for us all as a species. I think you should all use the opportunity to ask Hexagon experts to explain opportunities. We are what we have been waiting for! We have to fix this global problem and we don’t have time to wait for somebody else to fix this for us. So, it is your data that can save the world – but only if we put it to work,” concluded Rollen.

Following the engaging opening address, the event kicked off with the ‘Manufacturing Intelligence Track’ that got underway with a packed training programme from the manufacturing software portfolio. CAE solutions training ran in parallel with the PC-DMIS Users’ Group masterclasses, while users of the SURFCAM, EDGECAM and CABINET VISION production software solutions also engaged in dedicated sessions throughout the week.

Attendees also had the opportunity to visit ‘The Zone’ for their first look at the technology showcase where manufacturers were invited to see Hexagon’s vision of the smarter manufacturing ecosystem through an augmented reality experience before getting hands-on with the design and engineering, production and metrology solutions. This gave attendees the platform to discuss ways to make factories, processes and products smarter with application experts.

One of the centrepiece presentations was delivered by Norbert Hanke who took to the stage for his track keynote ‘Smart Is Hiding in Plain Sight’, inviting the audience to join him on a search for ‘smart’. This presentation that will be delivered at the Belfry in October, focused around finding data in factories and learning how to put it to work – enforcing the thread that was delivered by Ola Rollen during his opening speech.

The event also welcomed dozens of guest speakers that all delivered a broad scope of insights and perspectives from the global manufacturing industry. One such presentation was provided by Mr Doug Woods, the President of The Association For Manufacturing Technology. He shared insights from his work with manufacturers around the world; reflecting on the state of the industry, its readiness and willingness to pursue a smart manufacturing strategy and some of the new enabling technologies helping to make it happen.

Continuing this ‘enabling technology’ theme, Erik Josefsson, Vice President, Head of Advanced Industries at Ericsson, explained the six superpowers of 5G and what it will mean for factory connectivity. As well as presentations, seminars and the latest technological advancements the HxGN LIVE event also hosted the third annual ‘Manufacturing Leadership Summit’. The goal of the summit was to offer a think-tank style experience for industry leaders to tackle some of the big issues in manufacturing and for customers to learn from each other.

At the forthcoming Belfry event, acclaimed futurist, author and global speaker Stefan Hyttfors will deliver a seminar on ‘Five things you must know about the future.’ Focussing on disruptive technologies, behavioural change and next-generation leadership with a background in journalism and economics, his mission is to make manufacturers ready for change. “Change is what makes life fun, what makes each generation more well off than the one before and what makes this a great time to be alive. It’s a relentless tide that we can either fight against or ride. I prefer riding it, and I want to help you do the same.” Be sure to book your place at the Smart Manufacturing UK event and attend with a mindset to embrace change and succeed.

The CoroDrill® DS20 from cutting tool and tooling system specialist Sandvik Coromant is the first indexable drill concept capable of producing hole depths up to 7xD. The drill, which includes completely new designs for both the body and inserts, provides users with reliable, predicatable chip control and outstanding penetration rates in all 4-7xD applications.

Replacing the existing CoroDrill 880 and CoroDrill 881 tools, 4-5xD CoroDrill DS20 indexable drills provide tool life improvements of up to 25% and productivity gains up to 10%, depending on workpiece material. The 6-7xD variants represent an entirely new capability range of indexable drills from Sandvik Coromant. To complement the introduction, the company is releasing a new Modular Drilling Interface (MDI) that acts as a coupling between the drill and adaptor. Available in Coromant Capto® and HSK shank types, the MDI provides high precision, excellent centring capabilities and reduced tool inventory.

CoroDrill® DS20 indexable drills are both versatile and cost-efficient, increasing tool life and productivity in nearly all workpiece materials compared with current best-in-class concepts. No pilot drilling is needed.

“Among the most important factors when drilling to depths of more than 5xD is controlled cutting forces, secure chip evacuation and high centring capabilities,” explains Håkan Carlberg, Senior R&D engineer, Indexable drilling at Sandvik Coromant. “Going from a 5xD to a 7xD drill, the theoretical difficulty increases approximately three-fold due to an increased inclination to bend. Designing a CoroDrill DS20 7xD drill requires careful consideration for around 50 parameters that all depend on each other. The outcome is improved process security through lower forces and lighter cutting, particularly at entry. In turn, users achieve lower cost per hole, the ability to drill deeper and reduced sound levels.”

The drill body is strong and fatigue-resistant with higher levels of stiffness than ever achieved before, while chip flute shapes are individually designed for each drill size and insert. This combination of factors leads to less vibration, predictable wear patterns and increased tool life. In addition, next-generation ‘double-step’ technology reduces entry cutting forces by up to 75% compared with CoroDrill 880 tools to improve centring capabilities. Strong insert design and bulk strength provide extra toughness, with four true cutting edges provided on both centre and peripheral inserts.

Regarding the new MDI, double centring with high fitting accuracy enables good run-out precision and optimal repeatability. Here, flange and surface contact between the drill body and nut provides increased stability and promotes hole quality. One size can be used for several drill diameters.

CoroDrill DS20 indexable drills are available from 15 to 65 mm in diameter with a selection of shank types, insert sizes, grades and geometries to suit all material types and applications, including those found across the general engineering, automotive, oil and gas, pump and valve, and aerospace sectors.

At the Technology Days event hosted by Paul Horn GmbH at its world headquarters in Tubingen, MTDCNC had an exclusive interview with Markus Horn who was appointed as the new Managing Director of the global cutting tool business in 2018. Here, MTDCNC’s Lindsey puts the questions to the new MD..

Lindsey asked Marcus what the company wanted to achieve from the event that was held as a celebration of the company’s 50 years in business? Markus told MTD: “During this event we are showing our customers how great our production facility is, so, we can see here the open hours of Horn and its production steps in all its transparency. It gives customers a chance to see what is necessary to make such perfect tools and what we are doing.”

Looking at the challenges of holding the reins at Horn and its position as a global player, Markus continues: “The challenge is always the same. We need to satisfy our customers. However, I would say the game has changed a little bit, and today we have the topics of Brexit, regulations and ensuring we satisfy customers with all the latest technology and everything that encompasses.”

Alluding to the significant investment levels the company has undertaken, Markus says: “Investment in buildings, people, machines and technology is always ongoing. For example, we always try and keep our trainees up to the most recent level of training and qualification and for the machines; we have bought around 55 machines for our grinding department. We have invested a lot more in other types of machines also. The technology investment also includes the coating department where we have a new coating machine. We are also trying to invest in new locations like the US, where we planning to expand massively in the next four years. In March, we invested in a facility in the Czech Republic where we are also growing. Our aim is always focus on growth.”

“Also, we are investing a lot in Tubingen. We have just completed some more buildings and we have the largest building in Tubingen, which is used purely for production. This is plant number 2. We have already started plans for the next expansion.”

When asked how technology is at the heart of the company’s plans? Markus says: “The heart of the company and its technology all started back with my grandfather who was very technical, and my father Lothar Horn also. So, the technology is something t hat drives and we are looking for people that support the same values and the same feeling for the customer. Our staff love the technology and they always want to help the customer through the application of technology. We are often asked to help our customers. For example, we have the carbide milling and you can mow machine carbide, which is far more cost effective than grinding. This is the technology we are bringing forward, so our customers can benefit.”

When asked what the next 5-10 years will bring? Markus said: “So, much can happen and right now we are in such an uncertain political and technical situation. We have the questions of the combustion engine versus the electric engine. We also have the alternative energy sector that is growing as well as the political situation with Brexit. So, there are lots of tension in the market and you cannot exactly say how it will go. But, our key values of having the best products for our customers with the best processes and being able to deliver this around the world are extremely important for us.”

Looking more toward the shorter term future, Markus was asked what will be new for the EMO show. He concluded: “Right before our technology days event, we introduced some new products to the press – I cannot tell everything, but we have a lot of new products. We have a list of around 40 products that we have to chose from, with regards to which are the best ones for our customers and I can only say – come and visit us at the EMO Show, it will be great!”

Leading Scottish subcontract manufacturer, Euro Precision Ltd has now specified cutting tools from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC) to improve productivity on a range of automotive components. The Glenrothes subcontract engineering company has build its reputation upon manufacturing critical precision components & assemblies to exacting quality standards for the aerospace, automotive, medical, telecommunications petrochemical and electronics sectors.

The diverse customer base has been established over a 25 year history, and from its 30,000sq/ft factory, the company boasts clients such as Siemens Healthcare, Glenair, Leonardo, Zeiss and AMG Petronas as a small selection. With a customer base that any subcontract business would be proud of, Euro Precision has established a reputation for the production of high quality workmanship, inspired innovation, cost effective solutions and customer service.

The Fife Company recently undertook a project for Mercedes HPP (high performance powertrain) that required programming and tooling efficiencies and improvements for the machining of a series of engine components. The complex outlet manifolds and valve waste assembly are manufactured from inconel 625 on Euro Precision’s high-spec Matsuura MAM-72 5-axis multi pallet machining centre. Manufactured for the next generation of supercar, the Mercedes HPP project requires over 2700 manifold outlets and 2000 valve waste assemblies. With such production volumes, it was critical for Euro Precision Ltd to get the process running efficiently as possible and this is where ITC entered the fray.

Commenting upon the situation, Euro Precision Engineering Manager, Mr Grant Steele says: “We required a stable process that could achieve the shortest possible cycle time while returning good size control and cost effective tooling solutions. I already tooled the part up with another manufacturer and because material was inconel 625, I was expecting to take a hit on slower machining times and poor tool life. However, based on production requirements and the project time frame, I couldn’t live with current method.”

“I discussed the situation with Gary Heaney from ITC. Gary has been a regular supplier of high-quality aluminium cutting tools to Euro Precision for many years. Down the years, Gary has successfully supported us on many machining projects to reduce cycle times, tooling costs and improve our machining performance and consistency. With his experience of supplying tooling to the aerospace engine sector that is primarily cutting high-temperature alloys, Gary seemed the obvious go-to person,” says Mr Steele.

“Gary immediately doubled the surface speed by introducing ITC’s Cyber Series of multi-flute variable helix end mills and a trochoidal machining strategy at a 3XD axial depth of cut with a 4% radial step over and a high feed per tooth. The outcome was outstanding,” says Mr Steele.

“With some subtle programme changes, we instigated a trochoidal machining strategy that increased the step over and radial engagement with the application of ITC’s 12mm diameter solid carbide Cyber Series. This reduced the cycle time by 50% and increased tool life by 3 times.”

By implementing a machining strategy that incorporated a 3XD axial depth of cut instead of the previous 1.5XD strategy, Euro Precision was able to conduct most of the rough machining in a single pass. The machining parameters far exceeded the realms of possibility for the previous tools supplied by a prominent international tooling vendor. The performance of the ITC Cyber Series and its ability to prolong machining on such a challenging material led to further ITC solid carbide end mill introductions to the prestigious project.

As Mr Steele recalls: “Following the success of the roughing tools, I asked Gary to look at the entire part. He subsequently supplied a range of radii corner tools and micro ball end mills that have performed first time, every time. We are now machining another high-performance engine component and ITC’s Cyber tooling is again producing the goods.”

“ITC’s Gary Heaney certainly hasn't rested on his laurels. He is always looking at continuous improvement and we are already testing new indexable tooling solutions from ITC business partner Widia,” says Mr Steele.

The Scottish manufacturing success story at Euro Precision is built upon the foundation of high-specification machine tools like the two Matsuura MAM72 5-axis machining centres. The Matsuura machines incorporate the BIG KAISER face and taper dual contact spindle interface, which is the only genuine face and taper contact system on the market. To benefit from the performance, rigidity and precision of the BIG KAISER face and taper system that guarantees run-out of 1 micron at the nose and 3 microns at 4xD, Euro Precision has installed a complete range of BIG KAISER precision collet and chuck systems that are available from ITC.

The stability of the Matsuura spindle configuration and the BIG KAISER face and taper interface has enabled ITC to introduce a variety of high-performance tooling solutions. This has included a complete suite of 5 and 6 flute VariMill end mills as well as indexable face and shoulder milling tools from Widia with both rough and finish machining insert designations. The solid and robust machining platform has enabled ITC’s Gary Heaney to utilise both the ITC and Widia tools to full effect. The results have been a revelation to the Fife manufacturer, which has also implemented Widia indexable drilling and turning as well as solid carbide drilling to great success following the results on the Mercedes inconel project.

As an essential aspect of the turning process, parting and grooving is one facet of the machining process that faces a constant challenge to integrate ever improved efficiency and downtime reduction methods. To generate productivity and efficiency gains in this arena, ISCAR has now introduced a new system for parting and grooving operations.
Appreciating the importance of parting and grooving operations in the turning process, ISCAR has responded to the complex industry needs by developing a comprehensive range of highly effective parting and grooving solutions. The new line-up includes an extensive choice of insert geometries, chip breakers and carbide grades with a range that is continually expanding.
The development of Industry 4.0 has seen ISCAR introduce new parting and grooving technologies capable of integrating seamlessly with the new wave of machine tools that work at high feeds. The TANG-F-GRIP has been designed to meet these needs and lower costs whilst achieving higher productivity levels. The TANG-F-GRIP comprises a robust tool block carrying square blades that feature four pockets. The new parting concept is capable of parting-off up to 120mm bar diameter. The TANG-F-GRIP is easy to mount and operate on all machine types, including multi-task machines on the X-AXIS without any need for special adjustment. It enables the mounting of both TANG-F-GRIP and DO-GRIP blades on the same blocks.
The square blade design possesses a support system that ensures vibration-free grooving and parting. TANG-F-GRIP also saves on setup times in cases of pocket damage as the block’s configuration allows a blade to be rotated to a new pocket without setup. The TANG-F-GRIP is intended for high feed parting and it extends insert life, improves surface finish and part-off straightness, especially when parting large diameters.
The new patented blades reduce cutting time and enable significant material savings. For example, a 120mm bar can be cut with a HF (high feed) 3mm blade at a feed rate of up to 0.4 mm/rev. The HF‎ tangential single-ended insert was developed to enable highly efficient parting at very high feed rates by use of new chipformer technology. The insert features a new insert chipformer to allow unobstructed chip flow, which increases insert and blade tool life and leads to very high productivity gains.
All TANG-GRIP inserts can be integrated into the TANG-F-GRIP system that is also compatible with DO-GRIP DGN double-sided twisted geometry parting inserts. This provides an extensive choice of parting widths for all application ranges. Incorporating a revolutionary secure clamping method that uses a tangentially orientated pocket, this facilitates pocket life that is three times longer than other conventional self-grip systems. The robust clamping method enables machining at high feed rates and provides excellent straightness and surface finish characteristics while the flat top configuration prevents chip obstructions under numerous machining conditions.
The JETCUT incorporates through coolant channels to deliver coolant close to the cutting edge, which improves chip formation and reduces flank and crater rates. When machining materials such as stainless steel or high-temperature alloys, the temperature near the cutting edge area becomes extremely high. In addition, these material types tend to generate built-up edges. These problems can be moderated by targeting high-pressure coolant directly to the cutting zone. ISCAR maintains its unrelenting progress and this desire to provide customers with the very latest, most efficient metal cutting technology is reflected in the introduction of TANG-F-GRIP solutions.

As internationally acclaimed aluminium die-cast business located in Mid Wales, Castalum was founded in 2000 and is currently one of the largest die casting companies in the UK. The company has two processes, high pressure die casting up to 2300 tonnes and squeeze casting, claiming to be one of the few substantial squeeze cast manufacturers in Europe. Cost per part and tool management is a critical factor for the company – that is why it relies on MAPAL.

Peter Radcliffe, Chairman of the Board at Castalum says: “We predominantly work in the automotive industry, as we are set-up for high volume production and we operate six days a week and 24 hours a day. We need to make a lot of castings to make the tooling cost viable and economic for the customer. We buy all of our metal filtered from UK suppliers and we make no changes to the materials with exception of a few small die casting additives.”

Based in a primarily farming area in Welshpool, the company prides itself on its apprenticeship program. As Mr Radcliffe says: “When we came to the area, we came with 27 people that were a group we had largely retained from the expanding and skilful world of die casting. We constantly take on apprentices and employ up to four apprentices every year. With the local area being mainly farmers, these people have a great set of base skills and are great people to work with.”

Referring to the relationship with MAPAL, Mr Radcliffe says: “We went into machining absolutely from scratch. We had no background and we thought we had decent latent skills in machining and we knew that MAPAL were a good option in terms of the quality and what they can supply in terms of both their advice and their tooling. So, we immediately chose them as a partner and it’s something we’ve never regretted. We have developed the partnership on an ongoing basis. Right now, MAPAL don’t only supply us the tooling, prompt us on supply, maintenance and stocking matters; they also provide concurrent engineering advice for practically every RFQ that passes through the company.”

“The MAPAL relationship is firmly embedded in our business and our customers quite rightly expect us to have a full understanding of what we are going to be doing further down the line with regards to the work they are offering us. To have a company like MAPAL on-board that can give us objective and clear advice on what is possible is a real bonus,” continues Mr Radcliffe.

Discussing the partnership from a MAPAL perspective, MAPAL’s Ted Coyle says: “When I first became involved with Castalum many years ago, they were only involved in castings for the automotive industry. They then diversified into machining as many customers were asking them to do the machining as well as the castings. They got involved with Heller Machine Tools and their first involvement was a turnkey project. Heller work exclusively on tooling for casting projects like those undertaken at Castalum with MAPAL on the PCD tooling. We did the tooling on those initial projects and Castalum were then interested in approaching projects on a ‘cost-per-piece’ basis. MAPAL are a market leader on custom tooling on a ‘cost-per-piece’ basis. So, we came up with an offer to do components on this basis. The first work was the Trag 6 piece clutch housing. That worked very well and from there on in, we then started doing every project that Castalum brought in.”

“The next project was the BMW steering housing and then did the MT82 gearbox rear case, the Georgio clutch/rear housing and the B6 Plus which is a larger derivative of the original B6.” Alluding to the ‘cost-per-piece’ relationship, Ted continues: “In real terms, we have a tooling package that can cost ‘X’ amount. Within that cost, we work out the tool life projection and how long it will last. With the cost of the tool and the number of re-grinds or repairs in the case of PCD, we can then work out a ‘cost-per-piece’ on each particular tool. You can take all of the tools for a project, say 30 tools for example and we will calculate a ‘cost-per-piece’ and supply that information to Castalum, as they know what cost they are selling their parts to their end users. So, in ‘cost-per-piece’ and tool management, we are looking after all the tooling. This means Castalum don’t have to order any tooling or they don’t have to repair any tooling. We are doing the re-grinding of tools and we’re also helping with the tool-setting.”

Castalum supplies parts to the UK, Germany, Poland, Canada and Mexico and recently won its first order from a truck manufacturer in the Far-East. Now, 80% of all production is for export, with components going into vehicles produced by Jaguar, Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Fiat, Renault, Porsche and Mercedes. Today, one in ten vehicles produced in Europe has a steering gear housing manufactured by Castalum in Welshpool.

Alluding to how volume manufacturers can work without a complete tool management service like that offered by MAPAL, Ted continues: “Manufacturers can work without such a service, but this service genuinely makes them more competitive. This is because we also offer the service at the beginning of new projects and we get very heavily involved. This means we are offering engineering solutions. We help customers with situations such as how the parts should be clamped and fixtured, we look at the entire process and we look at the most efficient optimisation route for the tooling package.”

“We like to think of ourselves as solution providers and Castalum has been a fantastic experience where we have proved that we can work with customers in a way that can provide the most economic production results,” concludes Ted.

Discussing how the ISO: 14001, TS: 16949 and company has evolved the design and manufacture of its castings over the last two decades, Castalum’s Mr Radcliffe concludes: “Things have changed substantially down the years and we are probably at the forefront of using additive material formes in dies. Once again, this is something that MAPAL have helped us with. Whilst the castings we produce using additive formes are much cleaner, better looking and give great durability; we also had to interface with MAPAL to make sure their machining processes and products matched-up to the change of material properties that we aim to achieve in our castings.”

The University of Wolverhampton has built an enviable reputation in academia for its University of Wolverhampton Racing (UWR) team. The UWR stable now consists of a team in the F3 Cup, the AR Morgan Challenge and the IMechE Formula Student Championship, not to mention the close ties to industry that are giving students an excellent step-up the ladder into a career in Motorsport. MTD magazine visited UWR to take a look at how UWR has built relationships with industry and the positive impact..

MTD spoke with Mr Syed Hasan, Head of the School of Engineering and Chairman of University of Wolverhampton Racing (UWR) and he told us: “This is an initiative within the university where we have created a racing team that is a completely student crew with a professional driver. The student led team is supported by a racing engineer and driver and we race in the F3 Cup, and this is moving us a step forward.”

When asked about the funding, Mr Hasan continues: “We started out on our own as an initiative supported by the university and as we progressed, we were very fortunate that we had industry partners to come and join us. Initially, this was relevant industry partners, but this is now more widespread and their support is very important for us. It not only contributes financially, but also technically. One of the major sponsors are Quickgrind cutting tools, not only for the race team but also the School of Engineering. Currently they are supporting the F3 Team as well as the Formula Student team, which is an IMechE competition. So, more or less, Quickgrind are part of our workshop furniture and they have given us donations in kind as well as financial support.”

Commenting on proudly supporting UWR, Quickgrind’s Graeme Hogg says: “We are now into our second year of sponsorship and the UWR has joined our Quest program, so we have sponsored them, we supply cutting tools, give technical support and financial support and the relationship has been fantastic.”

When educational facilities engage with Quickgrind, they receive the full support of the Quest Programme. Quest’s Technical Support Engineers educate academia staff and students alike in how to achieve optimal performance of cutting tools. Quickgrind engineers visit the university establishment, review the machine shop facility and processes and then report and implement best practice with regard to improving applications and machining strategies – giving academia access to the cutting edge technology applied in industry.

Engineering at universities has certainly evolved down the years and UWR has employed additive manufacturing with 3D printed inconel manifold and titanium printed wheel hubs as just a few of the additive parts in the race car. Talking through the support around such projects, Graeme says: “There are four 3D printed hubs on the car and we developed a multi-flute cutter specifically for additive machining. We machined the hubs to a 2 micron tolerance for the bearing to fit straight into the hubs. This was new for us, as we hadn’t previously done much with 3D printed titanium. It behaves somewhat differently from mainstream titanium. The results were fantastic, the flashes were cut off the parts and the hubs went straight into the car at Silverstone for race day.”

“The motorsport industry is all about quick turnaround and that is what Quickgrind is all about. We are currently working on more special tools that will be turned around for the UWR team in a week or so. Additionally, when a car is smashed on the track, the team can come to us and we can supply the cutting tools but also supply the programming and the technical support, which is something we’ve done to make sure the car is back on track for the next meeting.”

“The relationship is getting stronger and it pulls-in a lot of different aspects as well; as people get to know about us on social media through the university and UWR, we get involved in more diverse projects. The connection with UWR is working really well and we’re really pleased with the partnership. Our ethos of ‘Infinite Possibilities’ demonstrates that we don’t work as ‘catalogue people’ with standard products. We customise our products to suit the customer – why compromise when you can customise!”

“There are manufacturers out there that will use a standard tool flute length because it’s out of a catalogue, why not make the flute length longer or shorter, it’s not going to cost any more, as we are manufacturing on high-tech CNC machines. We will advise people to use a different flute length or radius and this stops people from using 2 or 3 tools for a job when one will suffice. Our manufacturing and support is stretching beyond industry and into academia and this bodes well for the future of Quickgrind,” concludes Graeme.