industry asia pacific 07

Mécanat Précision acquires a Huron MX 12 M 5-axis milling centre

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High-resolution light grid BLA

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AdduXi achieves utmost quality with Keyence’s IV Series.

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Interpower International Power Source

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Asia PacificThe industry magazine for Asia.

07 | J U LY 2014

Industry Asia-Pacific | JULY 2014

Industry

HURON

15

HMS

10

BALLUFF

06

OLDHAM

13

BAUMER

7

ARC INFORMATIQUE

04

KEYENCE

23

PROSOFT

20

SECO TOOLS

30

NORD

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07 | Industry Asia-Pacific | JULY 2014

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NEW VERSION OF PCVUE SUPERVISION SOFTWARE

ARC Informatique introduces PcVue 11, its latest SCADA solution. The company is an independent global SCADA provider with 30 years of experience. Its core product, PcVue®, is a leader in automation.

For years, users have been appreciating its flexibility and open-endedness for designing modern supervision systems. It supports an extensive range of industrial protocols and offers a variety of architectures. A simpler way for development and maintenance PcVue® 11’s new libraries, templating and configuration environments will significantly reduce application development time. Application developers now have access to several thousand new images and animated objects (motors, valves, pipes, conveyor belts, displays, etc.) as well as many predefined, instantiable, templates that natively integrate the behaviour of the objects they represent (variables, alarm pop-ups, symbols, processing operations, thresholds, etc.). PcVue® 11 also features sets of libraries for specific fields such as BMS (heat exchangers, air handling systems,

heating systems, lighting, etc.) and electrical distribution systems (circuit breakers, fault detectors, dynamic coloring, etc.). PcVue® 11 integrates three configuration tools to reduce application configuration times – Application Architect (templating), Application Explorer (configuration and diagnostics) and Smart Generator (automatic application generation). In version 11, Application Explorer enhances diagnostics operations by displaying data flows within PcVue® as well as between PcVue® and external components. Smart Generator imports data from external sources (PLC programs, CAD software, etc.) so that applications can be generated automatically. Configuration data are synchronized and configuration errors are reduced in a single step. Enhanced viewing and processing of data PcVue ® 11 provides operators with tools that facilitate the monitoring and controlling of their processes. Its Web-based schedule manager features a more intuitive and user-friendly interface. The new, fully integrated, DataExport module statistically

Released in late 2013, PcVue® 11 integrates new tools that simplify application development, maintenance and enhance data viewing and processing.

07| Industry Asia-Pacific | JULY 2014

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analyses data (min./max., average, duration and recurrence of faults, energy metering) and presents this data in an Excel spreadsheet. Lastly, the TouchVue® solution enables programming-free access, through a smartphone or a tablet computer, to the process information in any PcVue® application and notifies users when alarms are triggered. Along with WebVue®, a Web client that allows programming-free Web-based control of PcVue® applications, this module rounds out the PcVue Solutions® mobility offering. PcVue® 11 – open and interoperable PcVue® 11 supports more than 150 protocols. In the case of energy-management applications, PcVue® 11 conforms to the IEC 61850 standard, and its driver is DNV KEMA certified. IEC 60870-5-104 and DNP3 are also available. PcVue® supports the BACnet® and LON® communications protocols for building automation and control networks. It also supports all standard IT technologies such as OPC Client/Server, SNMP, SQL Server, Windows Server and virtualization (VmWare® and Hyper-V®). PcVue® 11 is an ideal solution for a host of applications, including building

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management systems, energy management systems, electricity production and distribution, renewable energies, industry, infrastructure, transport, and water treatment and distribution.

http://industry-asia-pacific.com/mag/jul14/registration.php


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HIGH-RESOLUTION LIGHT GRID BLA

Balluff has developed a new, high-resolution light grid for optical object detection with a width of 50 mm and a range of up to 2 meters. Consisting of a transmitter with a high

performance redlight laser and a receiver, the device works completely self-sufficiently, without additional accessories such as PC or special software. All settings can be made via a display in the receiver. The high resolution of 0.01 mm opens up many application possibilities. Evaluated are not only the light quantity of the especially homogeneous red laser light, but also the location and position within the light grid. In addition, the emitter and receiver are encased in a rugged industrial housing and can be easily and quickly aligned using the live graphic display on the integrated multi-function display. The user can teach-in up to six different objects using the buttons and can hide obstructions in the measuring field (blanking). This way different objects can be reliably detected,

compared and sorted based on minimal differences in size. Other applications include presence and height checks. The result of the inspection is then available at two analog and three digital outputs. Starting in May 2014, there will also be a variant with an IO-Link interface.

Identify parts and determine positions



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COMBILYz: CONDUCTIVITY AND TEMPERATURE AT A GLANCE

Baumer is expanding its CombiSeries to include a new conductivity sensor. CombiLyz is the name of the newest sensor, which was developed primarily for precise analysis and differentiation of media in the food and pharmaceutical industries

and in water treatment technology. The CombiLyz sensor features the compact CombiSeries housing. With its IP 69 K protection class and entirely stainless steel design, the hygienic version can withstand even the toughest conditions. In practice, the CombiLyz is ideally suited for use in CIP and SIP processes, for monitoring concentrations in liquids, or for phase separation of different media. A selection of 14 measuring ranges from 500 µS/cm to 1000 mS/cm is available. The sensor’s measurement results are highly accurate, with a maximum deviation of <1 %. It also boasts an impressively fast response time of less than 0.3 seconds for conductivity measurements and less than 15 seconds for temperature measurements. The standard version includes the proven CombiView display, which can display multiple process variables at the

same time. This includes the concentration, temperature, current output, switching states and device status in addition to conductivity. The large display also means that users can read the measured values even from greater distances. Furthermore, the background color of the display works like a traffic light system (red/green), depending on whether the measurement results have reached a critical value that requires user intervention. Settings can be changed easily using the touchscreen display even while the process is running.

More information: www.baumer.com/combilyz

CombiLyz by Baumer was developed for precise analysis and differentiation of media in the food and pharmaceutical industries and in water treatment technology.



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BALANCING KEY FACTORS IN STAINLESS STEEL MACHINING

Stainless steel is a versatile workpiece material that sees wide use where strength and resistance to heat and corrosion are essential. However, the same properties that make stainless steel alloys exceptional structural materials also complicate

the processes employed to machine them into functional parts. A carefully considered combination of – or balance between – cutting tool properties and geometries and the application of aggressive cutting parameters can significantly boost productivity in stainless steel machining operations. Basic stainless steel alloys are categorised as ferritic or martensitic. Ferritic alloys have 10-12 percent chromium and are not hardenable. Martensitic alloys have higher chromium and carbon content than ferritic stainless steels, as well as additions of manganese and silicon, producing an alloy that can be hardened via thermal treatment. Today, ferritic and martensitic stainless alloys are not generally used a lot in industrial environments but rather in household items such as kitchen or garden tools. As the utilisation of stainless steel evolved, the alloys were frequently applied in situations that required mechanical strength as well as corrosion resistance. To improve the alloys’ strength, metallurgists added nickel to the alloys.

Iron/chromium alloys became iron/chromium/nickel alloys. These materials are referred to as austenitic stainless steels, and they are common in industrial applications today where strength and resistance to corrosion and heat are needed. The alloys typically are used in petrochemical processing, in the food industry where hygiene standards require corrosion resistance and in general machinery intended for use in harsh environments. Inevitably, increasing the performance capabilities of an alloy, such as stainless steel, also multiplies the challenges of machining it. The corrosion-resisting characteristics of ferritic and martensitic stainless steel alloys are basically chemical properties, and as a result these alloys are not significantly more difficult to machine than plain steels. However, the additions of nickel and other elements in austenitic stainless steels produce increased hardness, toughness, deformation resistance and thermal properties that decrease machinability. Until recently, machining of austenitic stainless steel was not well understood. Machinists assumed that because the alloys were stronger, mechanical cutting forces would be higher and that it would be necessary to apply stronger, negative-geometry tools at reduced cutting parameters. However, that approach produced short tool life, long

The operators control the PcVue supervision software via a 42» touch screen installed at the entrance to the fermentation cellars.

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chips, frequent burrs, unsatisfactory surface roughness and unwanted vibrations. In reality, the mechanical cutting forces involved in cutting austenitic stainless steel aren’t much higher than those typical when machining traditional steels. Most of the extra energy consumption required to machine austenitic stainless steels is the result of their thermal properties. Metal cutting is a deformation process, and when deformation-resistant austenitic stainless steel is machined, the operation generates excessive heat. Evacuating that heat from the cutting zone is of primary importance. Unfortunately, in addition to being resistant to deformation, austenitic stainless steel also has low thermal conductivity. Chips created when machining plain steels absorb and carry away heat, but austenitic stainless steel chips absorb heat to only a limited extent. And because the workpiece itself has poor thermal conductivity, the excess heat goes into the cutting tool, leading to short tool life. Toolmakers engineer carbide substrates to provide hot hardness sufficient to withstand the elevated temperatures generated when machining stainless steel. At the same time, at least equal in importance to the composition of the substrate is the sharpness of the tool’s cutting edge. A sharper tool cuts the stainless steel more than deforming it, and thereby reduces the generation of heat.

In the interest of evacuating heat from the cutting zone, the most effective way to machine stainless steel is to employ the largest depths of cut and feed rates possible. The goal is to maximise the amount of heat carried away in the chip. Because the poor thermal conductivity of stainless steel limits the amount of heat that can be absorbed by each cubic millimeter of chip material, creating larger chips with more cubic millimeters of volume will carry away more heat. Employing larger depths of cut will also reduce the number of cutting passes required to complete a part, an important consideration because austenitic stainless steel exhibits tendencies to strain- or work harden when machined. There are practical limitations to these aggressive machining tactics. Surface finish requirements, for example, will limit the maximum feed rate. The power available from the machine tool, as well as the strength of the cutting tool and the workpiece, also impose limitations on the aggressiveness of the parameters that can be employed. The problematic thermal properties of austenitic stainless steel alloys suggest that application of coolant is nearly always crucial for success when machining them. The coolant must be of high quality, with at least eight or nine percent oil content in an oil/water emulsion, compared to the three or four percent oil content typical for many machining operations. The manner in which the coolant is applied is important as well. The higher the pressure at which coolant is delivered to the cutting zone, the better it will do its job. Specialised delivery systems such as Seco Jetstream Tooling® that delivers a high-pressure stream of coolant directly to the cutting zone are even more effective. Many cutting tools provide very acceptable performance in a variety of materials under a wide range of cutting conditions and machining parameters. For one-time jobs with moderate productivity and quality requirements, these tools can be a cost-effective choice. To achieve maximum performance, however, toolmakers continually manipulate and balance a wide variety of tool elements to create cutting tools that provide top productivity and process reliability in specific workpiece materials. Although versatile, the M3 and M5 geometries are strong, but not fully sharp, and generate a good deal of heat via deformation when machining austenitic stainless steel. In comparison, tool designs that can be more effective in stainless steel machining include the Seco MF4 and MF5 geometries that feature sharp, positive geometries with more narrow, positive T-lands that help maintain sharpness while providing support behind the sharp edge. The geometries are engineered to be open and free-cutting to facilitate for medium to finishing operations on steels and stainless steels. The MF5 geometry is especially effective in high-feed applications.

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«CAN FD» CHALLENGES FIELDBUSES AND INDUSTRIAL ETHERNET IN SPECIAL PURPOSE MACHINERY

CAN FD offers an opportunity to use existing CAN systems and CAN knowledge even when demands are high for number of nodes, transfer rates, and cycle times. Thomas Waggershauser from HMS explains how.

CAN-based systems are frequently used in special purpose machinery – both in standardized protocols such as CANopen and in proprietary solutions. The advantages of CAN-based machine networking are the simple data structure in the network, inexpensive and highly flexible implementation, easy extensibility of existing networks and convenient analysis of the system in the event of a failure. Possible applications for CAN FD The growing demands in the number of nodes, transfer rates, and cycle times, lead to bottlenecks that the limitations of classic CAN (8 data bytes and 1 Mbit/s data rate) cannot fulfil: The data rate that depends on the network expansion and the short data length for service and analogue data play a particular role here. In daily use, these limitations are often circumvented by means of compromises: The division of the system into different network segments in various applications – or even into parallel networks – means that the existing

technology is constantly being exhausted, which has often led to solutions that are complex and expensive in terms of configuration, setup and maintenance. In principle, a switch to high-performance industrial Ethernet technologies would be possible. The increased level of investment usually necessary and the change in the data structures and mode of thinking for the configuration, in particular for time-controlled systems, often represent a considerable challenge in extensive networks. In addition, a switch in tools for development, commissioning and service is necessary, which often deters many users from a complete conversion. At the same time, there is a desire to continue to use existing know-how in a useful manner. This is where CAN FD plays a role: CAN FD (CAN with f lexible data rate) is an extended version of the well-known «classic» CAN introduced by Bosch in 2012 and that significantly extends the usable data rate and usable data length. On the other hand, tried-and-tested CAN concepts have been retained: arbitration based on message IDs, event driven dispatch of messages and acknowledgement of messages received by means of the acknowledgement bit.


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Improved data rate Message acknowledgement by receivers, which is used in classic CAN, offers a wide range of advantages by means of confirming the success of the transmission within the transmitted message – potential transmission errors are quickly detected and the data can be retransmitted extremely quickly. Arbitration of the messages based on the CAN identifier also offers advantages for control applications by avoiding collisions during data transmission and providing short latency times for high-priority messages even at higher bus loads. The disadvantage of the methods used is that at sampling time, the same bus level must exist at all nodes to avoid faults. Accordingly, a bit interval must make sufficient signal propagation time available between the two most remote nodes in a network, including their bus activation. The bit interval and consequently also the data rate are thus directly dependent on the network extension; at an expansion of 40 m up to 1 Mbit/s is possible, but at 250 m extension this drops to as low as 250 kBit/s. To significantly increase the data rate without changing the existing communications technology, CAN FD works with two different bit rates. The «arbitration rate» for the

control commands (including arbitration, message type, end detection and acknowledgement) is dependent on the propagation speed and thereby on the network extension. By contrast, a second «data bit rate» is optionally also used – for the data content and data security. At this point in time, only the message transmitter occupies the bus, which means that direct feedback within the bit time is unnecessary. The maximum achievable data rate is therefore only dependent on the transmission characteristic of the transmission medium, and not the signal propagation. CAN FD networks currently enable productive use with 8 MBit/s, whereby the CAN FD standard permits up to 15 Mbit/s. This bit rate has also been successfully used in various test systems. The two data rates are set independently of one another in the CAN FD controller using two bit timing registers. Switching between the two data rates is performed using two control bits in the protocol. The first bit reserved up till now is used as the «Extended Data Length» bit (EDL), and defines a CAN FD message due to its recessive level. The actual bit rate switch is performed by a newly added bit, the «Bit Rate Switch» bit (BRS), in which a switch to the higher bit rate is made at sampling time. Switching back is performed at the time that the CRC restriction bit is sampled.


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Extended user data The control data is still transmitted using the well-known lower bit rates, thereby limiting the achievable data rates. By increasing the user data area to up to 64 bytes, more data can be sent in fast transfer mode, thereby effectively increasing the data rate. Classic CAN provides only 8 data bytes, which is no longer sufficient for many data applications, e.g. for transmitting high-precision analogue values or for controlling a multi-axle robot with its diverse encoding values and drive commands. To this, service data must also be added, which up to now has significantly reduced the effectiveness due to the transport protocols required for transmission of more than 8 bytes. CAN FD now provides the option to use up to 64 data bytes. In so doing, larger data blocks can be transmitted in a single message – particularly in the case of process data, more complex devices can now be completely controlled using only a single process message. For service data, the necessity for transport protocols is reduced, as a single CAN FD message is often only required for configuration data and similar. To prevent extending the control data unnecessarily, CAN FD also uses only 4 bits for the data length code – the values 0 to 8 are taken directly from classic CAN. The values that were up to now undefined (9 to 15, i.e. 1001 to 1111) are used for the new, extended data lengths: besides 0 to 8 bytes, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32, 48 and 64 bytes are now also available for the user data. Data lengths that differ form these are not possible, that is, unused areas must be padded with «filler values». Besides the fast transmission of the data area, the effectively usable data rate can be significantly increased using CAN FD, and the cycle time can be considerably reduced. In this manner, a CAN FD network with 500 kBit arbitration, 4 MBit data transmission and 64 data bytes can achieve an effective data rate of over 5 MBit/s. Real-time capability The combining of multiple independent data packets into a single message means that data administration is made considerably simpler, as the individual messages no longer need to be synchronised with one another at great cost. The fast transmission of larger data packets by comparison to classic CAN enables transfer of 8 times the data volume (64 bytes) in roughly the same time that would be required for a classic 8-byte CAN message. In this way, high-priority messages can be transmitted much more quickly and the real-time capability improved. Data security Data security is an important topic: Despite the increased data packet size in comparison to classic CAN, CAN FD fulfils the same requirements in respect of data security. This is achieved by using longer CRC check keys with adapted algorithms, for example. Depending on the number of data bytes transmitted, one of three different CRC algorithms is used: the previous CRC formula for messages with up to 8 data bytes, as well as two enhanced algorithms with up to 16 data bytes or more than 16 data bytes for messages. The algorithm to be used by the CAN controller is determined by the data length code. One disadvantage of switching from CAN to faster

communications systems is the frequent requirement for a complete conversion: All CAN participants must be adapted to the new system, e.g. EtherCAT. Alternatively the machine controller can be extended to use multiple heterogeneous networks. Both procedures offer advantages and disadvantages. Using CAN FD, an additional «gentler» option is now also available: As CAN FD controllers can be used as classic CAN nodes as well, all network nodes can be gradually replaced by CAN FD-capable devices. As soon as the entire network is CAN FD-capable, the advantages of CAN FD can be used to the fullest extent. This is of particular interest for special purpose machinery, as network participants that cannot be replaced by freely available nodes are often also used here – in particular customer-specific devices or internally developed devices. Tools available for CAN FD A number of solutions are available for the development of CAN FD-based devices and networks – in particular PC-CAN FD interface cards for a wide range of PC interfaces, for example the IXXAT CAN-IB 500/600 PCIe cards from HMS Networks. These CAN cards contain a comprehensive range of driver packages for Windows, Linux and other operating systems, and allow easy connection into existing systems and quick addition of existing software packages to CAN FD networks as they support CAN and CAN FD. Besides the hardware interfaces with the relevant driver software, test and analysis tools are required for the effective implementation of CAN FD. In this regard, HMS will shortly be offering a high-performance complete solution at a convincing price by way of a CAN FD-capable version of the well-known IXXAT canAnalyser. Open topics for CAN FD in the industrial sector Besides the tools mentioned above, there are further important aspects for using CAN FD in a production environment. It is advisable to apply standardised higher protocols for use in industrial applications: in CiA (CAN in Automation) work is being done on converting CANopen to CAN FD – the CANopen V5 specification, which also contains extensions for CAN FD, is expected to be available towards the middle of this year. An additional, important aspect for using CAN FD lies in inexpensive microcontrollers that are available in quantities, with integrated CAN/CAN FD controllers. Devices available up till now mostly use FPGAs with CAN FD IP cores. Microcontrollers with integrated CAN FD logic are often high-performance components with multiple CPU cores for complex controller devices in vehicles. Until simple, cost-effective microcontrollers with integrated CAN FD support become available, FPGA-based systems represent the most flexible solution. Prospects CAN FD extends the application area for CAN-based solutions by means of significantly improved data rates, a simple configuration and the retention of analysis options known from classic fieldbuses. The impending availability of CANopen for CAN FD means that the new network system can be implemented in the industrial sector, and offers an effective solution for networks with a data rate of 100 kbit/sec to 5 Mbit/sec. With the option to use the higher data rates or the extended data framework individually or in combination, the flexible design of CAN FD makes it extremely suitable as an adaptable fieldbus system for special purpose machinery.

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OLDHAM’S BM 25 TO REMAIN IN ITS PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

Oldham is pleased to confirm that the popular multi-gas area monitor, the BM 25, remains in its product range after the sale of Oldham to Industrial Safety Technologies (IST) on October 31, 2013.

The BM 25, originally designed by Oldham, has always been manufactured Oldham since its original launch, and will continue in the Oldham business under IST ownership. Powered by a NiMH battery pack, the BM 25 offers up to 170 hours of continuous run time. Other standard features include STEL and TWA values, as well as a datalogging capacity of more than four months. Multiple units can be grouped using optional alarm transfer kits. This protects larger areas by transferring alarms from one BM 25 to the next. An intrinsically safe trickle charger is also available for long-term area monitoring in classified zones. The BM 25 is a rugged, durable mobile monitoring system with global certifications, long run times, flexible signal options, and a wide array of applications.

The device detects one to five gases for mobile or temporary work applications, team protection, area surveillance or places where fixed detection systems are not suitable. The BM 25 has been sold in more than 60 countries and with ATEX and CSA certifications, will continue to be available globally from Oldham. Contact your local Oldham sales representative, or visit our website at www.oldhamgas.com for more information on the BM 25.

Transportable, Multi-Gas Area Monitor with Five Simultaneous “Plug & Play” Sensors

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INTERPOWER INTERNATIONAL POWER SOURCE

Interpower® announces a low-cost, convenient source of AC power that lets you test your product before exporting globally. Common operating voltages and frequencies for global electrical products are typically 110-240VAC/50-60Hz.

The Interpower International Power Source provides fast, convenient testing of AC electrical equipment at those common operating voltages and frequencies. Furthermore, it provides seven of the most common country specific AC receptacles ensuring that equipment under test utilizes the proper AC plug. Testing electrical products with the International Power Source during product design stages or in production test prior to export gives you assurance that your global product will perform when the customer receives it. The unit can also be used to simulate brownouts, or drops in voltage in an electrical system. The 85521711 and the 85521701 offer output power at 1725VA maximum, low range variable at 10-138VAC at 12.5Ams maximum and a high range variable 10-276VAC at 6.25Ams maximum, 47-450Hz. The 85522211 and 85522201 offer output power at 2200VA maximum.

The Interpower International Power Source is also available to rent at approximately 10% of the purchase price for a one month minimum, with no maximum in rental term. Interpower houses over 4 million components in their warehouse so their customers don’t have to! Interpower Corporation offers a 1-week U.S. manufacturing lead-time on any manufactured product; any quantity…1-week. No minimum order requirements, and specification sheets and pricing are available online. For ordering and technical information, please contact our Customer Service Department at 800/662-2290 or order online at www.interpower.com



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RELAUNCH OF WWW.NORD.COM WITH OPTIMIzED USABILITY – ON MOBILE DEVICES TOO

The complete world of drive technology at the tip of a finger: the NORD DRIVESYSTEMS website has been relaunched with a fresh look and enhanced usability on mobile devices.

At www.nord.com, users from all industry sectors will find the right drive solution for any task. Product details, reference projects, and the download section are neatly arranged for PCs, tablets, and smartphones alike. Navigation is equally simple and comfortable via mouse and touchscreen. For major national markets, there are local language websites from NORD subsidiaries, for instance in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Portuguese (BR). The well-organized product section provides comprehensive information on all available gearboxes, motors, and drive electronics units as well as a special focus on energy-efficient motors. The individual product feature pages contain detailed characteristic data and include all the relevant links to documentation and software. Users can generate CAD files and 3D models in virtually no time.

The re-designed NORD website adapts to mobile devices, providing easy instant access to information on drive systems

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MéCANAT PRéCISION ACQUIRES A HURON MX 12 M 5-AXIS MILLING CENTRE

Mécanat Précision, a company of the Euclide Industrie Group, has just commissioned a Huron MX 12 M 5-axis milling centre. This versatile machine allows complex

machining operations on parts intended for use in aerospace and energy applications. Huron differentiated itself from its competitors by proposing a special configuration of its milling centre. This move paid off, for Mécanat Précision made a sizeable investment in an industrial capital good that is expected to be in operation over the next 20 years! Prompted by a need to increase and maximise its productivity, Mécanat Précision decided in 2013 to acquire a latest-generation machining centre able to machine parts measuring up to 1500 × 1500 × 1000 mm. Of the more than 10 manufacturers that were contacted, Huron and two others were asked by Mécanat Précision to submit a proposal in line with its specifications. Huron’s MX 12 M milling centre was chosen for its technical capabilities. However, although the feasibility of the workpieces was theoretically confirmed, there remained the key issue of geometric accessibility for some complex machining operations.

«Huron is a French SME on a human scale. Although we work with a distribution network, we also interact directly with our customers. We use our technical and engineering skills to tailor our products to their needs. At Huron, we attach great importance on meeting our customers’ demands. This philosophy enables us to provide technical support at each stage of the decision process and fully understand which changes need to be made to our products,» says sales engineer Yvano Créma. For example, Huron’s design engineers developed a special part that was then custom cast. Huron’s Applications department provided Mécanat Précision with a video of CAD simulations showing how its proposed solution could machine the most complex parts. Flexible and modular, Huron’s MX multifunction milling centres perform 5-axis and 5-face machining operations, from roughing to finishing, in a single clamping. The MX series combines power, speed and accuracy. It performs 5-axis machining of parts weighing up to 4000 kg, cuts difficult materials in a minimum amount of time and achieves contours and profiles with a very high degree of precision.

Huron’s MX 12 M milling centre at work in Mécanat Précision’s facilities


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Mécanat Précision uses the MX 12 M machining centre to create parts used in aerospace applications, such as parts used on engine cowlings and structural parts, and parts of industrial gas turbines, such as guide-vane rows and even impellers and guide vanes on centrifugal compressors. «We chose Huron because its solution is closely tailored to the needs of our customers, whereas the competing solutions were standard catalogue offerings. Everything has been going well since we put the machine into operation at the start of the year. Huron provided its technical assistance in fine-tuning as well as integrating the tool magazine with the control software. This investment has also enabled us improve the quality of our work on workpieces of these dimensions and thus enhance our brand image. As a subcontract machining company, our technical capabilities must be on a par with those of our customers for whom we are either an alternate source or the only source of production. We now create parts measuring 2.2 m3 with accuracy to the nearest hundredth. For example, our clients particularly appreciate the automatic scanning function used to create aerospace and other types of part from rough castings. The machine scans a few defined points, identifies the balancing and performs the machining. This allows us to expand our

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customer base and safeguard processes performed on the machine from human error. A part can easily cost anywhere between €50 and €100,000 and may even be one of a kind. We can’t afford any errors! We now have a complete manufacturing line that handles everything from simulation to production of prototypes and low-volume runs,» says Jean-Marie Jacquet, CEO of Mécanat Précision. Founded in 1998, Mécanat Précision is a simplified stock company (SAS) with a registered capital of €300,000. It generates a turnover of €6.5 million and has 49 employees. Mécanat Précision is partner to 40 regular customers, 90% of which are major names, in France and abroad. The company specialises in prototypes and short-run parts made of hard metals (titanium, Inconel, stainless steel, etc.). It rolls out five parts a week and has an installed base of 20 machines in its facilities, which are operated by 48 employees. Mécanat Précision completed a €1.8 million investment project that included two other machines and buildings. The project was co-funded by France’s Limousin region to assist the company’s expansion.



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METAL CUTTING TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCTION ECONOMICS = MAXIMUM OUTPUT

New developments in metal cutting technology can provide maximum economic benefits if the machining process is described as one consistent model. It is of vital importance to compare different possible technological

scenarios in light of overall or global production economics. A pragmatic definition of global production economics is: “Assuring maximum security in, and predictability of, the machining process, while maintaining highest productivity and lowest production costs.” Before performing detailed 1:1 optimisation of individual operations, the productivity and cost efficiency picture of the process overall has to be balanced and optimised on a macro basis. Once this step is taken, further improvements can be achieved by careful investigation into situations where a 1:1 optimisation can be beneficial. The traditional approach to achieving maximum metal cutting results involves a narrow-perspective micro model based on 1:1 optimisation of one tool in one operation. Macro models, on the other hand, consider manufacturing from a broader perspective. With these macro or global models, the total time required to produce a given workpiece plays a more decided role. A simplified example of global optimisation involves two machines employed in series to produce a component.

There is no use in optimising cutting times and boosting output on machine tool “A” if similar improvements are not possible on machine tool “B.” The increased output would only produce extra costs in semi-finished workpiece inventory waiting to be processed on the second machine. Much better in this example would be to optimise cutting costs on machine tool A. Doing so might limit productivity on machine tool A, but it would reduce overall costs while maintaining output. On the other hand, in a situation where machine tool B stands idle waiting to process parts produced by machine tool A, increasing the output of machine A will boost total output. Much depends on how the shop organises its production operations: whether it is a line, batch or parallel organisation. There is no single truth, but these examples indicate the need for a broader view and illustrate that micro model optimisation needs to be carried out very carefully. The requirement to take a broader view can apply to machine tools themselves. A typical situation could involve a shop running a milling machine fully loaded 40 hours a week and deciding to replace it with a high-speed machine. When the new machine is up and running, however, it spends half the time standing idle. Then the shop faces the challenge and expense of finding more work to keep the new machine busy and justify the

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investment in it. The better path would have been to first examine the bigger picture and anticipate what would result from the new machine’s greater output. In the quest for productivity, shops have to be careful not to give too much attention to details and not enough consideration to the total picture, namely the total floor-to-floor time to produce the workpiece. Quality and productivity: Sufficient but not excessive The levels of part quality required today are seriously higher than in the past. However, achieving top levels of quality sometimes is overdone. High quality is good but excessively high quality wastes money. A simple, theoretical question that sums up the situation is: “How can we produce the worst workpiece possible that is still acceptable from a functional point of view?” Cost can be reduced drastically and productivity can be increased dramatically by just fulfilling the minimal requirements. Many individual technical factors affect production efficiency. For metal cutting processes, it is not at all unusual for one or more of 50 - 70 individual factors to have an appreciable effect on efficiency. Typical factors include tools/tooling systems, workpiece configuration and materials, equipment process capabilities and data, human factors, peripheral equipment and maintenance issues.

Subcontractors are confronted with smaller batch sizes that need to be produced regularly but not continuously. In the past, automatic toolchangers helped reduce toolchanging downtime, and the use of pallet changers reduced downtime resulting from workpiece manipulations. Universal tools can reduce downtime by minimising the time to switch in a new tool when the workpiece changes, as well as eliminating the need to set up and test run a new tool. Minimising the number of different tools in the workshop reduces tool-handling time and increases the time available for machining operations. Taking the broad view to process optimisation need not be complex; it can involve very basic, simple actions and analysis. Examination of used tools is a key example. Correct interpretation of what the tools show can provide a broad view of what is going on in the workshop. For example, if a shop generally uses inserts with 12 mm-long cutting edges and wear patterns on the tools only reach 2 mm or 2.5 mm, that shop is probably using inserts that are much too big for what they do. Tools with 6 mm cutting edges would be more than sufficient, and a tool with 6 mm-long cutting edges is significantly cheaper than a tool with a 10 mm cutting edge. Such a simple observation can reduce tool costs by 50 percent without losing productivity. One example of such tooling is the Seco Turbo milling cutter range. These tools offer versatility and flexibility in a broad range of applications to provide a combination of cost effectiveness and high performance. The cutters are engineered to provide trouble-free production and high quality workpiece finishes. The cutters’ positive cutting geometry reduces power consumption, leading to longer tool life and the possibility for increased depths of cut and feed rates. Their capabilities represent the first steps towards a totally optimised process. Another approach to universal tooling involves assembling a set of tools that suits a variety of applications. Seco Selection tools are engineered to provide flexibility. The selected group includes a limited number of tools that may not necessarily provide absolute maximum productivity or cost efficiency but will be the best and most economical choice when maximum flexibility is desired to machine a rapidly changing variety of workpiece materials and components. By nature, this approach does not fit every need. It contrasts, for example, with development of highly specialised products such as PCBN tools, which are aimed at applications requiring extremely high quality and/or productive machining of specialised workpiece materials. A PCBN tool is by no means inexpensive, but it is the best choice for some specialised applications. Just as manufacturing shops must choose metal cutting technology based on a broad view of the entire production process, toolmakers must develop their product offerings to serve a broad range of customer needs.

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SECO 335.25 DISC MILLING CUTTER NOW AVAILABLE IN ADJUSTABLE WIDTHS

Seco has expanded its highly successful line of 335.25 disc milling cutters to be even more comprehensive and flexible. Previously available in a fixed pocket design, these

cutters now come in adjustable cutting widths that range from 21 to 32 mm and diameters from 125 to 315 mm. Well suited for milling a wide variety of applications, the 335.25 adjustable pocket disc mill cutter features a unique insert geometry and cutter design that reduces cutting forces and optimises chip flow for an overall quieter, more productive and more reliable machining operation. In addition to providing strong performance in slotting operations, the 335.25 also offers highly productive back facing, circular and helical interpolation and plunging. The cutter employs replaceable cassettes, making it quick and easy for users to precisely adjust the width of cut. These cassettes feature a special coating for extended durability as well as come in two different sizes that provide optimised chip space and number of teeth according to the cutter diameter. The cutter’s cost-effective inserts feature four cutting edges with corner radii ranging from 0.8 to 6 mm, as well an

integrated wiper flat to achieve fine surface finish. A complete range of geometries and grades (MP2500, F40M, MK2050 and H25) makes the tool suitable for a broad range of materials. For more information on 335.25 disc milling cutters, please contact a local Seco representative or visit www.secotools.com/335_25.

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NEW INDUSTRIAL CELLULAR GATEWAY OFFERS SECURE CONNECTIONS TO REMOTE DEVICES

The ICX30-HWC allows remote site access and communication to PLCs, RTUs, and other Ethernet and serial devices. ProSoft Technology® has good news for you!

No WiFi? We’ve got you covered. With our ICX30-HWC Industrial Cellular Gateway you can now have remote monitoring of devices where WiFi is not possible. No WiFi? We’ve got you covered. With our ICX30-HWC Industrial Cellular Gateway you can now have remote monitoring of devices where WiFi is not possible. The industrial cellular gateway provides secure wireless Ethernet and serial connectivity to remote devices and equipment over 3G cellular service. These include PLCs, RTUs, DCS systems, instruments, electronic billboards and communication towers. The industrial cellular gateway is ideal for programming and maintenance, remote data collection, location-based monitoring and SCADA applications. Remote devices are accessed using secure VPN tunnels over Internet connections. In addition, the EtherNet/IP™ Class 3 Server

allows diagnostic data to be sent to a Rockwell Automation ControlLogix® or CompactLogix system. The ICX30-HWC supports cellular networks worldwide, including 3G GSM, WCDMA and HSPA+ Networks, among others. Features and More: Visit http://psft.com/icx30hwcappr for complete list of features, video and other information.

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SK180E: INTELLIGENT IP69K DRIVES FOR PUMPS AND CONVEYORS IN THE CHEMICAL, PHARMACEUTICAL, AND FOOD INDUSTRIES

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS supplies efficient drive units for dynamic speed control and automatic process control in applications that need to be regularly cleaned with high-pressure steam jets. Developed for strict hygiene requirements

and featuring IP66/IP69K ingress protection, smooth-surface motors with an integrated frequency inverter are available for the 0.37..1.1 kW performance range. Common applications include conveyors, pumps, mixers, and agitators. Sensor data such as pressure or flow rate values can be directly communicated to the drives, enabling them to automatically adapt to current demand. If partial load operation is frequent, an automatic energy-saving function decreases the running costs by a significant share. In conveyor applications, light barriers can be used for contact-free or gapless accumulation. A soft start function reduces the starting current and results in less stress on the mechanical system and the transported goods. The drives tolerate high temperature fluctuations and are suitable for ambient temperatures from -25 to +50 °C. The type SK 180E inverter comes in a rugged die-cast aluminum

housing that absorbs impacts up to 7 J. The cooling fins are especially flat and easy to clean. Due to class C1 radio interference suppression and a discharge current decidedly below market average, SK 180E drives can even be operated on standard domestic power sockets. NORD also manufactures a range of gearboxes with specially smooth surfaces and high power density. Full compatibility of all components enables fine-tuning of output speed and torque according to actual plant requirements. The optional nsd tupH surface conversion treatment endows the aluminum smooth-surface motors and gearboxes with corrosion resistance similar to stainless steel drives without the scratch or chipping risks of a paint finish. At the same time, the drives are much lighter and have a better thermal performance than stainless steel units. The NORD-developed treatment is compliant with FDA Title 21 CFR 175.300 requirements. With these integrated drives, commissioning and operation is very user-friendly, including applications with a large number of drives and spacious facilities. NORD delivers complete systems parameterized for the customer’s needs and including the required communication interfaces.

Integrated drive technology from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS allows for intense cleaning in the process industry: SK 180E variable speed drives carry out soft start and precise speed control at protection ratings up to IP66/IP69K

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NEW ANYBUS X-GATEWAY CONNECTS CC-LINK IE FIELD TO ANY OTHER INDUSTRIAL NETWORK

Anybus X-gateways are used in thousands of industrial applications all over the world to enable communication between two industrial networks (fieldbus or industrial Ethernet). These popular “network translators” are now

modernized as HMS Industrial Networks introduces a new version of Anybus X-gateways, designed to meet the future of the automation industry. One of the new features is the ability to connect CC-Link IE Field to other networks such as PROFINET, PROFIBUS, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, Powerlink etc. USB interface and new configuration software The new X-gateway comes with a USB interface, enabling the users to easily connect the gateway to a PC and configure the network communication via the Windows-based tool “Anybus Configuration Manager.” No programming is necessary. The new housing with upright design requires less rack space and enables easier installation in the switching cabinet. The flexible design also allows mounting on the side (flat) similar to the previous version of the X-gateway. Additionally, X-gateway now offers even lower power consumption. As part of the new release, HMS introduces connectivity to CC-Link IE Field in the X-gateway family. Furthermore, several of the industrial Ethernet versions now include integrated dual-port Ethernet interfaces with an integrated switch, removing the need for external switches.

“This new version of the Anybus X-gateway will provide machine builders, system integrators, OEMs and end users with a modern communication gateway that is very easy to use when it comes to configuration and integration,” comments Markus Bladh, Product Manager at HMS. “We see a growing demand for connectivity to CC-Link IE Field networks and we are therefore happy to be able to offer this in the new version. The X-gateway product family is a proven and trusted solution already in place in thousands of industrial automation plants. For these existing users, HMS ensures backwards compatibility within their industrial automation systems – keeping the same high performance, reliability and low latency.“ Anybus X-gateways help system integrators to easily interconnect any two networks, enabling consistent information flow throughout the entire plant. In today’s industrial installations, one common problem is that there is often more than one control system and industrial network. Most new factory upgrades need to integrate Fieldbus with Industrial Ethernet. Connecting these similar or dissimilar control systems and networks can be a problem. With over hundreds of individual Master/Slave and Slave/Slave versions, Anybus X-gateways allows users to connect almost any possible combination of industrial networks.

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ADDUXI ACHIEVES UTMOST QUALITY WITH KEYENCE’S IV SERIES.

AdduXi is a tier-2 automotive supplier focused on zero defects and automating its production lines. In a highly competitive market, the company has more than doubled its turnover in the last five years and boasts a customer

portfolio that includes names such as Bosch, BWT, Brose, Continental, Delphi and WABCO. It employs a workforce of 210 and operates two production sites in France and Switzerland, two engineering and design departments for mould sets and special machines, also in France and Switzerland, and two commercial subsidiaries in Germany and Spain. AdduXi’s core business is plastic injection moulding, but overmoulding and assembly now account for half of its turnover. «We advocate using vision systems for in-process inspection, but some highly advanced systems are not suited to all applications. In other words, not only were we looking for affordable vision systems, we also needed a solution that was highly stable and utterly simple to use. You see, our facilities operate 24/7 but our vision specialists go home at the end of the day,» says Christophe Paviot, Manufacturing Engineering Manager at AdduXi’s site in Bellignat, France.

«We looked at a number of vision sensors of similar type. However, either their detection capabilities weren’t optimal or they were too complicated to operate. Keyence’s solution proved to be the best one. It was very easy to set up and we had it up and running on our production lines in no time. Best of all, no extra lighting was necessary; all we added was a filter. There are now eight vision sensors operating at our facilities round the clock and without any stability issues,» adds Mr Paviot. The IV sensor offers excellent detection stability thanks to a range of innovations. Its HP-Quad lens contains 4 layers of glass to achieve low aberration and gather a maximum of light. The HS-HDR function broadens the light-receiving sensitivity range when dispersion occurs in reflections and a polarised filter eliminates glare from shiny targets. «Although the IV sensor is quite recent, we’ve already installed it on four production lines. We use it on three assembly lines to detect the presence or absence and correct positioning of inserts as well as on a coil overmoulding line to check for the presence of material across the entire surface to be covered,» explains Mr Paviot. This new cost-effective sensor by Keyence places vision

This cost-effective vision sensor allows AdduXi to carry out more inspections on its production lines with the greatest ease.

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systems within reach of anyone. It takes about a minute to set up, even by a novice. It meets 80% of vision needs with a very high level of accuracy and is an advantageous alternative to using one or more sensors to detect targets of varying position. The outline recognition technology allows automatic position compensation. The IV Series performs all normally needed adjustments in real time. The Intelligent Brightness Adjust function (IBA) automatically adjusts the brightness of the built-in lighting. The autofocus function ensures sharp images and is driven by a motor engineered specifically for the IV Series. Last but not least, the IV Series is the first-ever vision sensor in its price range to offer both colour detection and autofocus capabilities. The IV Series is thus a flexible solution that in most cases can meet a large portion of the needs of production facilities. In comparison, three or four sensors of different makes are often needed to achieve the same level of functionality. There are eight different sensor heads to meet the specifications of each application – detection distance (up

to 2000 m), field of view and exposure time (up to 1/25000 for high rates). «Not only do Keyence make quality products, they are also always on hand to help us find the best detection solution for our needs. They come out at a moment’s notice to conduct tests with their equipment so that we can choose the best sensor or vision system solution for our needs,» concludes Mr Paviot.

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SECO ADDS NEW M06 INSERT GEOMETRY TO TURBO 10 SERIES

Seco launched the new M06 geometry within its XOEX10T3 insert range to bring longer tool life and lower production costs to stainless steel and titanium alloys machining applications involving the company’s Turbo 10 square shoulder milling

cutters. Available in several options, the M06 comes in grades F40M, T350M, MP2500, MP1020, MM4500, MS2500 and MS2050 and corner radii from 0.4 mm to 3.1 mm. Seco continuously expands upon its Turbo 10 series to provide manufacturers with increased machining flexibility in tough materials. In addition to the new M06, the series includes a wide variety of direct pressed and ground insert alternatives. All Turbo 10 cutters include precision milled pocket seats that improve run-out, stability and tool life by providing optimal contact between the tool body and insert. Integrated through-coolant channels support high productivity and promote excellent chip evacuation. Because of their high levels of flexibility, Turbo 10 cutters work in slotting, shouldering, ramping, facing, pocketing, plunging and turn milling applications. For more information on the M06 insert geometry and

Turbo 10 square shoulder milling cutters, please contact a local Seco representative or visit www.secotools.com/en/Global/Products/Milling/Square-sholder-milling/Geometria-M06/ and www.secotools.com/turbo10, respectively.

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CANANALYSER 3 – NOW EVEN MORE POWERFUL

The IXXAT canAnalyser now supports up to 64 CAN channels simultaneously with the new «Multi-Board Support», and displays information by means of a uniform time base.For modules using simultaneous access to multiple CAN

channels, Multi-Board Support brings additional benefits – with the trace module for example, the canAnalyser becomes an extremely powerful datalogger solution. A particularly impressive feature is the new signal transmit module with which network devices can be stimulated very quickly and easily – on process level without underlying CAN communication having to be known in detail. Also new in Version 3 is the extended level of portability, with which measurement configurations can be copied to different measurement computers with no loss of function. Also, database support provided by the canAnalyser has been extended considerably, now allowing the import of different databases into the configuration. For data interpretation, the databases are merged into one overall network database by the canAnalyser. The newly added statistics scripts, for analysis of frequency distributions, repeat times, response/run-times for example, are in the source code (C#) and can be adapted to user-specific requirements very quickly.

Moreover, new examples for the integrated programming interface and canAnalyser Scripting Host means it is now even easier to adapt the canAnalyser to different applications. The completely revised signal interpretation enables statistical information to be analysed at a glance together with process parameters – such as in the new graphics/signal module. This is particularly helpful when errors occur or service is required because the grouping of specific process parameters and network quality indicators (such as fault telegrams per time unit or bus load) means problems can be identified quickly. Other news include the new, advanced user interface with an array of different functions for laying out analysis windows perfectly on the screen, and switchover between different user configurations using a hotkey. Intuitive window synchronisation, in which all information windows jump to the same message with a double click, provides the user a quick overview of the events at a defined point in time. Further information on the canAnalyser is available on the IXXAT website underhttp://www.ixxat.com/cananalyser

The IXXAT canAnalyser is a powerful analysis tool for development, test and maintenance of CAN networks, suitable for both, industrial and automotive systems. HMS Industrial Networks now releases canAnalyser Version 3 with improved functionality and user interface.

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NORD STRENGTHENS PARTNERSHIP WITH INDIAN STEEL INDUSTRY

About one out of every two geared motors newly commissioned by the Indian steel industry in the last year has come from the Indian operation of German drive technology leader NORD DRIVESYSTEMS. NORD has

become the major mover in the steel & metals sector, peaking at a record 46% of the total drive sales volume in this segment in 2013. In less than ten years of activity in the Indian steel industry, the NORD brand has managed to rise to its commanding No. 1 position on the strength of product quality, reliability and advanced technical know-how. NORD has now supplied several thousand geared motor units to dozens of OEMs as well as all major plant builders and operators in the business across India. Some notable projects include e.g. over 2,000 geared motors for the universal rail mill in the Bhilai Steel Plant; over 1,000 geared motors for steel production, for the heavy plate rolling mill, and for the medium and light structural mill at Jindal Steel & Power; over 500 drive units for the section mill at Jayeswal NECO Raipur, and over 200 units for EOT cranes, transfer cars, and casters in TATA KPO. As geared motors are exposed to heavy mechanical and thermal stress, they must nonetheless provide for trouble-

free operation in continuous processes, preferably with zero maintenance, all the while achieving an advanced level of efficiency. Offering a versatile range of geared motor types to choose from, NORD can draw on five decades of experience in the steel & metals sector. Industry specialists can provide advice regarding parameters like power/torque requirements, bearing life, and oil temperature in order to enable users to select the most suitable product for a specific steel mill application – from a single system to several thousand units. NORD India has committed a highly qualified and efficient team of experts to a special sector management cell that focuses exclusively on the iron and steel segment. Comprehensive NORD drive solutions are available for various different areas of the metals processing industry, including applications in coke and iron making, continuous casting, rolling mills, shearing lines (lengthwise and crosswise), cooling beds, ladle transportation, furnace charging and discharging, roller tables in section mills, plate mills, hot and cold rolling mills etc.; and various other conveying applications all across production processes. An extensive range of industrial gears, parallel shaft gears, helical inline gears, helical bevel gears, and helical worm gears with solid or hollow shafts can be combined with highly robust cast iron motors, e.g. ring fin types, as well

German Drive Manufacturer established No.1 leadership position in 2013

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as with smart decentralized drives that are suitable for applications throughout the industry. Roller table drives are a case in point for highly available, heavy-duty systems featuring superior resilience – they must withstand a harsh environment with high ambient temperatures, heavy shocks and vibrations and heavy loads, and have to provide stalling capability. Gears in these applications require an especially robust housing material that accomplishes vibration absorption, typically, EN-GJL-200 (GG20) or EN-GJS-400-15 (GGG40). Configuration options include reinforced shafts e.g. made from 42CrMo4, special coatings, synthetic lubricants, and special Labyrinth seal designs. Roller table motors must deliver high starting and breaking torques, run at variable speeds, and be capable of instantly reversing direction. Frequent acceleration and deceleration is the rule; operating modes in these applications vary greatly, with S1, S5, and S9 duty most frequently required. Every roller table motor’s load torque must be high enough to reliably handle overload, i.e. cover for a neighboring drive system in case that unit should fail. These motors will usually be either ring-fin or straight-fin totally enclosed non-ventilated (TENV) types, which NORD manufactures from high-strength cast iron that ensures maximum shock

resistance. Featuring a larger amount of material as well as larger bearings and shafts, these systems withstand greater loads and have a longer service life than conventional industrial motors in the same performance range. However, NORD also provides alternative motor solutions featuring various modes of ventilation. Ancillary components such as brakes or incremental or absolute encoders can be supplied as well. While most areas in steel plants are hot and dry, with temperatures reaching 60 °C or more, there are also some like descalers, rolling stands, and sections such as cooling lines where conveyor drives must additionally provide IP66 ingress protection against spray water. Steam can pose a considerable corrosion threat as well. ISO F insulation will suffice for drives in many cases, but class H motors must also be available on request to address particularly demanding conditions. NORD’s extensive range of dedicated drive products and proven metals sector know-how ensure that steel industry OEMs, EPC contractors and end users always have the full range of options at their disposal.

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MILLING TOOLING DEVELOPMENTS INCREASE QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY IN THE MACHINING OF ORTHOPEDIC REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS

The manufacturing of medical components must meet standards of accuracy, reliability, quality, and traceability that equal and sometimes exceed those required for aerospace and nuclear parts. In addition, global competition and efforts

to restrain health care expense create great pressure to maximise productivity and reduce manufacturing costs. Tooling manufacturers are helping medical partmakers meet these challenges with a selection of milling tools custom-engineered for the machining of complex orthopedic replacement components. Demand for replacement and reconstructive parts for the human body is growing rapidly. When considering components for knee and hip replacements, trauma reconstruction and orthobiologics, sales of the parts exceed $25.2 billion worldwide. More than 50 percent of the total consists of knee and hip components, with five major medical OEMs taking almost 90 percent of the business. Two main factors spur continuing growth. First, the world’s population is staying alive longer, resulting in a gradual increase in the average age. The most rapid growth, about 3.5 percent a year, is in those 65 years and above. Coincidentally, the average age for knee surgery is 65. The other major trend contributing to a surge in orthopedic implants is the growing number of persons

who are overweight or obese. Approximately 1.57 billion of the world’s 7.2 billion people are overweight, and 0.53 billion are classed as clinically obese (BMI > 30%). Excess weight increases the likelihood of the development of osteoarthritis, a major reason for joint replacement. Typically, a total knee replacement consists of three subcomponents: the femoral component, which replaces the rounded bottom end of the femur bone; the tibial tray, which replaces the top end of the tibia bone; and the tibial or bearing insert, which fits between and cushions the other two parts. The bearing insert usually is produced from UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, an engineering polymer), whereas the femoral component and tibial tray are in most cases produced from cobalt chrome (Co-Cr) alloy or in some cases a titanium alloy. These alloys are strong and hard, biocompatible materials with high stiffness (Youngs modulus) and abrasiveness when being machined. Machining techniques for femoral components include both grinding and milling. The challenges are to achieve a burr-free profile with superior surface finish that minimises the need for manual polishing, and at the same time maximise productivity and tool life. For these tough milling operations, Seco has developed specially designed

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tapered ball nose cutters and modified Jabro® JHP770 high-performance cutters that feature differential flute spacing to minimise vibration during operation. Among the machining methods employed are corner plunging, periphery machining, box roughing and finishing, cam finishing and box blend machining. The femoral component has rounded contours that mimic the condyle bone formation at the end of the femur. The shape has traditionally been produced via grinding, but that operation can generate high temperatures that may distort the part. Seco has developed tools and performed tests to replace the grinding process with milling. A large medical OEM performed trials with the tools, finishing a cast Co-Cr femoral component with a copy milling strategy that employed a special solid carbide Jabro® ball end mill. The result was cycle time reductions of up to 11 minutes per part, representing 50 percent less time compared to the grinding method used previously. Tool life exceeded 12 hours, enabling one cutter to machine more than 80 parts. Excellent control of radial depth of cut on a 5-axis milling machine contributed to the extended tool life. In 4-axis applications without such control, tool life reached 6-8 hours. The change from grinding to milling also eliminated the possibility of scrap parts due to distortion. The details on the application can be found in the table 1 below.

The latest developments in the machining of the tibial tray are in operations 3 and 6. To achieve a superior finish on the base where the tibial insert is seated, a new Seco multi-flute cutter with special wiper geometry was applied in operation 3. The tool has produced Ra values of below 0.1 µm. In operation 6, Seco implemented a combined wall finish/chamfer cutter. The combination of finish and chamfer tools provides a controlled way of mechanical edge profiling (MEP) and prevents secondary burrs while eliminating manual rework and reducing tool costs. Bearing inserts for replacement knees typically are made of an engineered polymer (plastic) commonly known as UHMWPE. This material is relatively soft and therefore generates low cutting forces, but surface roughness requirements of 0.10 µm Ra demand that it be machined with sharp, top quality finishing tools. Under its Jabro® brand, Seco developed the ‘Premier Finish’ solid end mill designed to meet the specific requirements of a leading global medical OEM. The six steps to machine this part are described in table 3, and steps 4 and 5 are discussed in more detail below. The condyle shape of both the femoral component and the bearing insert can be difficult to machine. Operations 4 and 5 of the above table describe the machining of the condyle


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contours of the bearing insert. Previous to the development of the Premier Finish endmills, condyle surfaces were machined using polished HSS form cutters or conventional solid carbide tools. Both methods have several disadvantages. • Form tools often create visible cusps on the part surface, especially when the machine tool control is not quick enough to generate a smooth cutting path. • The zero rake angle and low helix angle of the HSS cutters make it harder to achieve appropriate surface results. • Use of conventional carbide tools allows only product forms with a radius. In addition, not all radii can be generated due to design limits of the cutter body. When the shortcomings of the tooling made the required surface roughness unachievable, additional less-reliable operations such as manual polishing or soda blasting were necessary. Those operations were unpredictable in terms of time, costs and quality. To overcome these problems, the Jabro® Premier Finisher design is based on concave and convex sections either tangent or connected with a straight line. Compared to mold and die tools the profile tolerances of the tools are quite generous. However, the manufacturing of these cutters requires special care regarding the cutting edge geometry and the overlap between the concave and convex shapes, areas where the contour starts or ends with a small contour radii, and considerations regarding the tools’ largest diameter. Manufacturing must be controlled to avoid sudden changes in the pressure of the tool grinding wheel or generation of excessive heat, which may produce areas on the cutting edge that are not sharp enough for the required operation, resulting in a shearing instead of a cutting action. Clean cutting is essential in producing fine finishes in the UHMWPE workpiece. Seco has refined the manufacturing grinding operations for Premier Finish tool and eliminated any problem areas to produce a constant rake over the whole cutting length with a cutting edge radius of around 5 µm. The Premier Finish tools can be applied between 100 and 200 m/min, dependent on the quality of the CNC control. Generally, with better control systems, higher feed rates are possible. The feed per flute per revolution is normally between 0.004-0.006 * the cutter diameter: for example, between 0,02 and 0.10 mm/flute for a 20 mm-dia. cutter. Cutter care Normal tool life for a Premier Finish form cutter is between 1,000 and 2,000 parts. It is common practice to leave the cutter in the machine until it is worn: taking it out and storing it causes too much risk of damage.

Other care and maintenance procedures for these tools are recommended as well and discussed in more detail below: Handling: The tools should be handled with extreme care as the cutting edge is easily damaged. Metal to metal contact should also be avoided, taking into account that even fingernail contact could result in light wear on the cutting edge. Logistics: Protection during shipment and transit is indispensable. Tools are covered with a protective wax and sealed inside the packaging tubes. Stickers are applied with special written instruction saying: “Handle with Care” and “Do not repack”. Measurements and detection: Within the medical industry, traceability is a very important requirement to ensure quality in sealed (validated) processes. Therefore all tools are provided with unique laser marking. Reliability and quality standards are set by contactless measurement techniques and sealed grinding procedures. Results are reported and included in the packaging tubes to prove quality assurance to the customer. Tool-setting: Operators should be instructed on how to remove the protective wax from the cutters and find correct diameters on the reports supplied. The tools can be reconditioned up to five times; when significant wear is present, safe packaging is necessary to prevent uncontrolled wear or damage while in transit during the reconditioning process. Cleanliness: When the tools are applied on a milling machine that is also used for cutting metals common for orthopedic implants (titanium/cobalt chrome alloys & stainless steels) attention should be paid to clean the machine thoroughly. Metal chips will harm the cutting edge of the tool when making direct contact. Therefore it is necessary to have machines equipped with coolant filtering systems sufficient to ensure clean coolant that is free from chips. The implant supplier should also take into account the quality of the UHMWPE material. Imperfections in the material could result in tool wear due to inclusions (figure 6). Premature wear of the cutter could be a sign that the machined polyethylene is not clean. In this case, quality in procurement procedures should be point of attention. To productively and profitably fulfill the increasing demand for high-precision orthopedic components and other medical parts, manufacturers of the parts must take advantage of every opportunity to enhance their production technology. A key contributor is tooling technology, such as that provided by Seco for medical component milling operations. Sophisticated tools, of course, command a higher price than the basic tools of the past. For example, Premier Finish tools are eight times as expensive as the ball nose cutters formerly used in to machine UHMWPE. However, given the features of the cutters and their outstanding capabilities in regard to quality, productivity and consistency, as well as the fact that they can reduce cost per part by up to five times, investment in these cutters is a truly worthwhile strategy.

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IMAGE DIMENSION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM, PLACE, PRESS, PROCESS– TOTALLY NEW DIMENSION ANALYSIS SYSTEM

The IM-6500 Series from Keyence is a new type of measurement device. It is a completely new concept to rival established measuring equipment such as profile projectors, measuring microscopes or automatic CNC measuring

machines. The dimensional measurement concept of the IM-6500 series utilizes state of the art imaging technology, thus enabling any user to perform reliable measurements in a minimum of time and with an increased accuracy. You simply place a part on a measurement stage, push the button and up to 99 dimensions are measured in a few seconds with accuracies down to 0.7 micron. No tiresome positioning, nor risks of measurement variance or deviation between individual operators. The simplicity of use results in the IM-6500 series emerging as a massive cost saving alternative to traditional time consuming measurement processes. The IM-6500 measurement concept combines the flexibility of a vision system with the accurate execution of a double telecentric lens. The all new double telecentric lens, with a large diameter of 100mm, captures the complete image of the target element, thus allowing the measurement of all the control points at once. With this technology it becomes possible to capture pixels without image distortion of the

component that is placed around the lens circumference. Hence measurement is neither affected by distortion, nor by the distance. The lens size dictates that parts up to 100mm in diameter can be measured. Measurement data can be stored digitally as Inspection Reports, Data Lists or Trend Graphs along with screen shot images. These files can be exported to other sources as the IM series utilies a convenient PC based data management system.With the IM-6500 dimensional measurement concept, you simply place the part to be measured in the measurement area. The iPASS method (Intelligent Pattern Analysis Search System) performs a shape scanning (from the already recorded targets) to determine its position and its shape. Many features can be measured, from internal diameters, circular threads and angles. Previous difficult to measure features with traditional methods can now be performed automatically with reduced risk of operator error.The IM-6500 series utilizes the latest technology to eliminate individual differences. The original sub-pixel concept by Keyence makes it possible to automatically detect the position of the component edges more accurately than with traditional vision systems thanks to the sub-pixel processing with a margin of 0.01 pixels. The IM series has overcome the age old issue of measurement variations from one user to the other. The same applies for errors due to differences in operator competence.

The built in temperature sensor allows the IM-6500 series to be installed almost anywhere in a production facility. Temperature compensation ensures accurate measurement once the system is in use. The IM-6500 series is of a compact space saving design with a footprint the size of an A3 sheet of paper. It can be easily mounted near the production lines or in a laboratory.

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