EuroBLECH 2012: Only one week to go – buy or activate your ticket now!

In one week, from 23 – 27 October 2012, the 22nd International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition will open its doors. Currently, at the Hanover Exhibition Centre, it’s all hands on deck: enormous machines and high-tech equipment are being assembled to make sure that everything is ready for EuroBLECH 2012.

Sheet metal working specialists will, once again, be able to discover a wide range of innovations and industry trends at this year’s leading international trade exhibition for sheet metal working. On a total of 84,000 m2 net exhibition space, 1,534 exhibitors from 39 countries put their machines, tools, systems and services on display and invite trade visitors to see and discuss the latest trends in sheet metal working.

Visitors who buy their tickets in advance from the online ticket shop at www.euroblech.com will save money and time on-site. The day ticket entry price on-site is €32; visitors who buy online pay €26. The season ticket price on-site is €52, online it is €46.

Visitors, who have received an invitation from an exhibitor or a complimentary admission ticket, can now activate their tickets via the show website.

http://globis.euroblech.de/ticketregistration

Exhibitor Search by Products & Services and iPhone App now live

By simply accessing the EuroBLECH 2012 Product Search, visitors can search for exhibitors by their products and services and compile tailored exhibitor lists. It is also possible to save the results of the searches using the free Fair Planner. Registered visitors can organise and process the data and lists they have compiled in order to plan their visit.

Smartphone users can now use the Smartphone Show Guide at www.eb2go.de. A free iPhone App is also available.

http://globis.euroblech.de/exhibitorsproducts
http://www.eb2go.de

Career day at EuroBLECH 2012

For students, young engineers or individuals looking for employment, EuroBLECH 2012 will host a Job Board for the sheet metal working industry on-site. More than 200 vacancies from exhibiting companies will be displayed in hall 14, stand Q42. On Saturday, 27th October 2012, students will receive free entry to EuroBLECH when showing their students’ card.

EuroBLECH 2012 Show Preview available

The new online EuroBLECH 2012 Show Preview with detailed information on many exhibitors and their products is now available. With this user-friendly online version visitors will be able to create and print their personalised Show Preview, with company and product descriptions sorted by hall or category.

With this year’s theme “For a sustainable future”, EuroBLECH will showcase ideas and expertise with a special focus on energy efficient technology, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and intelligent use of material. The new official EuroBLECH 2012 Online Show Preview gives visitors an idea of the wide variety of products and services on display from 23 – 27 October 2012 in Hanover. Hundreds of exhibiting companies provide detailed information about their exhibits, their new technologies and sophisticated solutions.

We hope you enjoy browsing the Show Preview and look forward to welcoming you to EuroBLECH 2012.

http://www.euroblech.com/preview/english/

New QINEO® Tronic Pulse represents advanced inverter technology

The new QINEO® Tronic Pulse represents advanced inverter technology as developed by Cloos. The new welding systems can be freely configured and they are available in 350A, 450A and 600A ratings for standard MIG/MAG welding as well as MIG/MAG welding with pulsed arc, featuring a small footprint combined with high efficiency. MAG welding in particular is highly versatile in its applications, being suited for non-alloyed as well as low and highly alloyed materials, making it perfectly suitable for welding in manufacture and repair operations. MIG welding, on the other hand, is used for welding aluminium and copper.

QINEO® Tronic Pulse welding systems are fully digitised with microprocessor control, offering short, spray and pulsed arc welding with great precision and infinitely repeatable results. The modular components and equipment options of the QINEO® ranges TRONIC, PULSE and CHAMP are also available for the Tronic Pulse units.

Image: The new QINEO® range. Photo: Cloos

http://www.cloos.de

'Hybrid' cut-to-length line combines the processing of stainless steel and aluminum

Sauter Edelstahl is one of the leading service companies in Switzerland in the field of aluminum and stainless steel (sheets, tubes, steel bars, fittings and food valves). The investment in the new line provides them with an extended, more flexible in-house production of flat products. The Georg cut-to-length line is designed for a strip width up to 2,000mm and a thickness up to 5.00mm. Coils with a weight of 25 tons can be processed at a speed of 60m/min. Continuously operating eccentric shears efficiently cut the strip to the desired length.

An economic bonus is that no additional loop pit is needed. To meet the requirements for a combined line to cut aluminum and stainless steel the Georg cut-to-length line features special technical characteristics. A paper unwinder positioned at the decoiler and a paper rewinder located in front of the cut-to-length shears are installed. Moreover a levelling unit in cassette change design is used on this line. The levelling unit consists of three levelling cassettes which are stored on a change car for automatic exchange. With this equipment the special material properties and the huge thickness range can be covered and an optimum straightening result provided. Here too there is a further benefit in terms of efficiency: the change procedure for the automatic levelling cassettes takes only about 15 minutes without using the hall crane. For stacking the sensitive plates a vacuum stacker with two combinable stacking positions is installed, offering very quiet operation and careful stacking of the sheets. At the outfeed of the line the corresponding packaging section, with an automatic strapping machine for crosswise strapping and a separate scrap car, is integrated.

Image: The Georg eccentric shears allow combined production of aluminium and stainless steel. Photo: Georg

http://www.georg.com

First DSTV viewer to show contour marking

HGG Group, a global provider of 3D profiling, recently released a unique free software tool enabling users to view and check ready-to-cut DSTV files (.nc files). DSTV files are one of the most commonly used methods of communicating between CAD systems and CNC cutting machines. Being able to view and check the design in 3D gives the user a clear view of the cut position and possible errors before actual cutting.

Besides the outer contours of the profile, properties such as holes, slots and cutting angles can be checked. Not only is HGG DSTV a free programme, the viewer also offers a unique new facility referred to as 'scribing' which allows users to view the contour marking of positions. The main benefit of contour marking is that the fitter knows exactly where and how two or more profiles should be welded together. Allowing the user to see the contour marking, the viewer generates a complete overview of the ready-to-cut file, which can be checked and, if necessary, sent back to the design department. That way error costs will be dramatically reduced. Although the HGG DSTV viewer was released only three months ago, the community already consists of over 500 active users.

Caption: The HGG DSTV viewer. Picture: HGG

http://www.hgg-group.com
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4635552&trk=hb_side_g

Lantek software solution provides sustainable process improvements

Lantek software solution provides sustainable process improvements at Ferroflex (Rothrist, Switzerland) by integrating CAD/CAM and ERP installations into the existing system, and one year after installation, the company is very upbeat about this. Ferroflex is a major steel stockholder with annual sales of tens of thousands of tons of steel, including RSJs, rods, tubes, rebars and matting.

The software used by Ferroflex includes Lantek Integra, which has been optimised as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) application for the sheet metal and steel processing sector. Together with eNVenta this Lantek solution now covers the entire process from drawing up sales offers and controlling gas and plasma cutters right up to analysis of accounting figures. Materials availability check and using up of residual stocks from previous orders are of particular importance for Ferroflex. Already whilst compiling an offer the availability of the required materials can be determined and a scan of the order history means the quantities needed in future can be assessed.

In addition to the Integra ERP solution Lantek also offers Lantek Steelworks software which is customised for steel processing plants. Steelworks provides the same range of features as Integra, but has additional modules, such as the one for importing data from the BIM (Building Information Model) software.

Image: Lantek software solutions have resulted in a sustainable improvement in business processes at Ferroflex. Picture: Lantek

http://www.lanteksms.com

LVD’s patented process control system maximises laser cutting productivity and quality

The patented Adaptive Laser Cutting system (ALC) uses dynamic feedback to monitor and regulate laser power and speed as well as assisting with gas pressure in real time during the cutting process. That way, cutting parameters are automatically optimised to ensure a consistently accurate cut, high productivity and reduced scrap. Unlike other process controls systems, ALC does not rely on pre-defined parameters, but measures and adapts in process to achieve the best cutting results.

This patented innovative system is particularly useful when processing thicker materials in an unmanned environment. In such applications, machine speed is often restricted to ensure reliability and account for potential variations in material properties, limiting productivity and increasing the cost per part. ALC automatically adjusts to changing conditions, processing at the highest speed with the most efficiency and so alleviates the need to restrict or control the laser cutting system, providing up to a 10 per cent increase in productivity. Consistently accurate processing also eliminates scrap or rework of expensive thicker materials.

Image: ALC is now available for selected models of LVD laser cutting systems. Photo: LVD

http://www.lvdgroup.com

Double sheet detection using L20 laser sensors

One of the latest developments by Roland Electronic is a double sheet detection system based on conventional laser sensors which work on the triangulation principle. This way for the first time there is a 100% control of the measuring system which involves a setup permitting both permanent control of the laser beam as well as its alignment.

Key to this system is an integrated photographic sensor which picks up the laser light without interfering with the beam. The benefit: double sheets can be identified with maximum process reliability and without any maintenance requirements. The system is suitable for any opaque material with a single sheet thickness of between 0.3 and 15mm and measurement is possible irrespective of whether the material is moving or stationary. One example is the LAAS40+ sensor system which includes two laser distance sensors LAS40 und LAS40+ - these can be installed easily and without laborious laser alignment. The photo sensor is integrated in the LAS40+ unit and takes over control of the laser function.

Image: Laser sensor measure sheet thickness and function as a double sheet detection unit. Picture: Roland Electronic

http://www.roland-electronic.com

transfluid develops efficiency solution for automotive supplier

For a renowned automotive supplier transfluid developed an automated cell for the production of tubes for fuel lines. Established transfluid technologies are the technical platform for the customised production cell. Altogether the manufacturing cell consists of a 20t-transfer endforming system and three bending machines that can achieve a bending time of about 2 seconds per bend, including longitudinal positioning and rotation.

The customer's complex requirements were: welded stainless steel tubes with 6 or 12mm diameter and different lengths to be processed within extremely short cycle times. For the tubes with lengths from 80 to 1,300mm different forming operations on both ends have to be possible. Geometries with up to seven bends are manufactured. The welding seam has to be controlled and oriented, a swivel nut has to be assembled, and a marking of the tubes is carried out directly as part of the process. For short tubes, the cycle time was set at 3.4 seconds, whilst processing longer tubes was to take no longer than 8 seconds. A long operating time and quick set-up times were another requirement.

To provide the necessary endforming capacity in a fully electric system, a newly developed concept of servo motor and transmission device was used. This concept allows for highly energy efficient and fast tube processing. In terms of handling, transfluid opted for a modular system that manages both the loading of the straight tubes in the forming and bending machines as well as the controlled unloading of the bent parts in a reliable process.

Image: Newly developed transfluid manufacturing system ensures fast tube processing for the automotive sector. Photo: transfluid

http://www.transfluid.de

New, space-saving automation concept for the TruPunch 3000 with SheetMaster Compact

Short on space and time? If this problem sounds familiar, then a new punch automation concept by Trumpf can help. The automation components are located next to the machine proper and some of them are placed below the machine’s worktable. Thus the footprint of the entire system is enlarged only slightly. The SheetMaster Compact loads medium-sized sheets and blanks quickly and cleanly.
Once machining is completed, it reliably discharges microjoint panels or scrap skeletons on to a removal carriage. Since with the TruPunch 3000 the completed parts are discharged direct, either through a parts chute or joined by microjoints, with the SheetMaster Compact operations can run entirely unattended.

Image: SheetMaster Compact - this space-saving automation component, used to load and remove sheet metal, is the perfect match for the TruPunch 3000. Photo: Trumpf

http://www.trumpf.com

Cutting stainless steel at record thickness

Trumpf machines from the TruLaser Series 5000 can cut stainless steel up to 50 millimetres thick. What is more, the 2D laser cutting units, when fitted with the BrightLine option, considerably improve the quality of the edge on stainless steel sheet at gauges of between 20 and 25 millimetres. These new qualities are possible thanks to the TruFlow 8000, a CO2 laser that develops 8 kilowatts of power, and a mirror cutting head. The machine with its newly increased laser output is especially suitable for companies that work a large amount of thick-gauge stainless steel. Potential applications include making blanks for later machining. It can also be used for parts that in the past were cut using plasma or water jet equipment.

Image: With 8 kilowatts of laser power, the machines in the TruLaser Series 5000 cut through stainless steel up to 50 millimetres thick. Blanks for subsequent machining operations can be efficiently nested on a plate of sheet metal. Photo: Trumpf

http://www.trumpf.com

Laser welding made easy – with the TruLaser Robot 5020 welding cell

The modular clamping system for quick and flexible set-up and a new automation concept for long production runs simplify laser welding. The unit features numerous innovations that will not only make it considerably easier to get into laser welding, they will also increase productivity significantly for customers who manufacture in large quantities.

Almost anyone making the conversion from conventional welding to laser welding will find the chucking and clamping unit a challenge. In the past it had to be made up separately for each part. This involves considerable effort with short production runs or when fabricating prototypes. The solution is a modular chucking system as a flexible solution for clamping components of differing sizes and shapes - from simple sheet metal parts to bent profiles - with a single jig for laser welding. The clamp is quickly matched to the workpiece and the laser welding process can start right away. Here it makes no difference whether you are doing conduction welding or deep penetration welding, long seams or corner connections.

Image: The TruLaser Robot 5020 from the inside. The automatic rotation changer with turning axes - an inside view with the robot. Photo: Trumpf

http://www.trumpf.com

Stronger steel guarantees benefit environment

SSAB is improving its guarantees for wear plate and structural steel. Higher toughness is promised, opening new opportunities to reduce material consumption and produce lighter structures without risking cracking or breaking. The new guarantees also offer clear environmental benefits.

SSAB has subjected some of its best-selling steel products to tough tests, including strong impact, heavy wear and high loads. The tests focused on the material properties hardness, toughness and elasticity; three properties that are critical to any structure. Two of the properties - hardness and toughness - can be influenced, while elasticity is the same for all steel materials. Hardness pertains to the stresses the steel tolerates, such as the weight of stones that can be dropped into a truck without causing permanent damage, as well as how well the material can withstand wear and tear. Toughness pertains to the ability of the steel to withstand tensile forces and loads without cracking and eventually breaking. Both hardness and toughness are properties that can be affected during the steel production process. Tests have shown that both Hardox wear plate and Weldox structural steel meet far higher standards than were previously guaranteed. SSAB is therefore expanding its guarantees, promising stronger steel.

SSAB markets its high strength abrasion-resistant steel under the Hardox brand. Hardox is currently used for truck bodies, containers, buckets, construction machines and similar structures subjected to excessive wear. The new, improved guarantees enable design engineers to safely reduce weight in existing structures, since less steel is required to achieve the same properties. Manufacturing companies will find lower material costs and new construction opportunities, while buyers of machinery and equipment made of Hardox will appreciate having more room for paid payload and lower energy consumption, which will boost profitability and benefit the environment. In addition, structures made of high strength steel will be stronger and more robust, requiring less maintenance and with longer service intervals.

New opportunities also arise for structures subjected to demanding heavy loads. Weldox structural steel is used for purposes such as cranes, bridges, buildings and other structures that must withstand heavy loads and high fatigue requirements. Weldox, which will also be covered by the new guarantees, is known for its good weldability thanks to its high purity. The new guarantees for Weldox promise much tougher steel - for some products up to three times higher toughness, which means the steel can withstand cracking much better than indicated in previous guarantee limits.
Both Hardox and Weldox are available in a number of versions. The new guarantees will begin in autumn 2012 and cover the Hardox and Weldox brands.

http://www.ssab.com

A glut of Chinese tool steel coming?

According to the industry portal metalformingmagazine.com, the domestic Chinese tool steel market, which was expected to grow, is showing the opposite trend. However, with China's growth rate declining and little optimism that double-digit growth will return any time soon, China's tool steel manufacturers could be looking at an excess volume of more than 400,000 tons by 2015, the portal estimates. With this amounting to four times the total US tool steel market, the impact on price development might be considerable.

http://www.metalformingmagazine.com

New Cloos subsidiary in Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil

The new subsidiary provides Cloos with swift and immediate access to the markets of Latin America. The facilities of Cloos do Brasil have a showroom, a service and training room and a spare parts store. Managing Director Alexandre Gomes, service engineers Robson Lopes and Luiz Medeiros, and their office assistant are available to support the customers in this region.

Image: Cloos subsidiary in Brazil Photo: Cloos

http://www.cloos.de

Helmerding Maschinen invests in the extension of its German production base

The family-owned company in Westphalia has specialised in the production of high quality press systems for sheet metal forming, including coil handling equipment, automated punching and forming machines, transfer units and C-frame eccentric presses. At the end of 2012 the company will commission its new 1,100m2 production hall which substantially increases its capacity. Additional specialist staff will also be employed.

http://www.helmerding.de

Pressure of inflation in Russia

According to the British foreign trade authority ukti, interest rates in Russia have risen by 0.25% to 8.25% - the first change since December 2011. In coming to a decision, the Central Bank of Russia faced a dilemma: growth is starting to slow, whilst inflation is accelerating. The pressure of inflation, which has reached 6.3% and is pushing upwards, won out, but it was a tight call which came as a surprise for the financial markets - the majority of analysts had predicted no change.

http://www.ukti.gov.uk