EuroMold 2009

VOLUME XI NUMBER 9 AN ACCESS COMMUNICATIONS INC. PUBLICATION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Space-Saving CollapsibleMould Core Cuts Cycle TimesProgressive Components introduces its newDT-series collapsible core, which can beserviced while the mould is still in in the press. 72

Sandvik Coromantinnovates in itsmilling cutter lineto enable even higher-performance machining.

Hardinge offers its latestprecision 5-axis VMC indifferent configurationsto suit differentmanufacturingrequirements.

53

48

Will Electric Cars Put Machine ToolsOut of Work?

The TIPSS Survey:Tooling Goes Global

IN THIS ISSUE

For more product information visit www.tool-moldmaking.com

EuroMold 2009 Preview

http://www.tool-moldmaking.com

Haas Automation Europe | www.HaasCNC.com | +32 2 552 99 05 / Free +800 5005 5005 | Brussels | Made in the USATo find your local distributor call +32 2 522 99 05 / free +800-5005-5005 or go online to www.HaasCNC.com

AVAILABILITYFOR SOME SUPPLIERS MEANS 12 WEEKS.

TO US, IT MEANS OUT THE DOOR THE DAY ITS ORDERED.

At Haas, we know that the only way you make money is by making chips, and that meanskeeping your Haas equipment running in top condition. Through our system of European Haas Factory Outlets,

weve built a network of local parts inventories that contain practically any part you may

need. In those rare instances when the part is not local, our 5580 sq-metre Brussels facility will pull it

and ship it the same day its ordered, and have it to your HFO the next day not next month.

Simple. Innovation.

www.etmm.info/2009/11/001

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This issue marks the 10th anniversary ofEuropean Tool & Mould Making magazine(ETMM). On behalf of our team, I wouldlike to thank the readers and the adver-tisers that have helped make the maga-zine successful. It is with pride that welook back on the past decade of publica-tion, and with pleasure to see how both

the industry and the magazine have developed.When we were planning to launch ETMM, we saw some

compelling reasons why the tool and mould sector neededits own communications platform. Editorial coverage of theindustry was relatively weak across Europe at that time. Ger-many was served well by several tool and mould makingpublications, but information for the rest of Europe wasalmost nonexistent.

The European Union was starting to find its legs,though. Globalization had ramped up, Eastern Europeseconomy was expanding, and the euro was on its way. Withthese factors in place, the market grew hungry for relevantinformation that would help companies navigate an in-creasingly challenging international business environment.

Our idea with ETMM was to give the industry what itwas looking for, at just the time that the market needednew sources of information about international issues, aswell as about technology and resources. It proved to be theright magazine at the right time.

Europe is one of the worlds most important tool, mouldand die manufacturing areas. It had been experiencing sig-nificant sustained growth until the economic crisis hit lastyear. But the global manufacturing industry is more chal-lenging today than it was when ETMM began. Therefore,we resolve to make sure that the magazine continues tocontribute to the expansion of Europes tool and mouldmaking industry.

We look forward to continually improving ETMM andserving the industry to the best of our ability. Meanwhile,thank you for your support over these first ten years.

For the ETMM team,

Douglas SellersMANAGING DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Thank You, Readers,for Ten Yearsand Counting

Editors MessageEditors Message

November/December 2009 European Tool & Mould Making 3


http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/002http://www.delcam.commailto:[email protected]

November/December 2009

15 Asiamold 2009 Declared a Success;Exhibitor and Visitor Numbers Increaseover 2008 despite Economic Conditions

16 German Tokai Carbon Subsidiary HasBeen Renamed; Company Continuesto Develop Its Products and Markets

16 Environmental Vision 2021 Is NewEnvironmental ManagementUndertaking at Mitsubishi Electric

18 Industry News in Brief

METAV 201022 Will Electric Cars Put Machine Tools

Out of Work? An Information Stand atMETAV 2010 Plans to Investigate

Featured Supplier24 Millutensil, Die and Mould Spotting/

Tryout Press Specialist, Proves Out Ideaof Women in Management As Well

Technology26 Hot Runner Systems for Plastics Filled

with Metal or Ceramic Powder RequireCertain Adaptations

28 Innovative Coating Methods forMoulds and Dies Produce OptimizedSurfaces Cost-Effectively

30 Versatile Multifunctional AutomotiveMeasuring and Matching Fixture UsesStandards to Enable Retooling

Special Reports32 Report on a Global Study of Service

Provision in the Tooling Industry:Results of the TIPSS Survey

38 New Traceability Concept for MouldedPlastic Parts Features Hands-FreeAutomated Control, Wireless Option

Case Studies40 Software for

Programming 5-AxisTrimming BoostsContractManufacturersProductivity in Vacuum-Forming

41 Productivity in Millingof Aluminium AircraftComponents Optimizedthrough Spindle/ConverterSystem

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

Industry News7 After Decline, German Machine Tool

Manufacturers Are Expecting Demandto Recover at a Lower Level

8 Hardinge GmbH, Expanding inGermany despite Difficult Economy,Plans to Operate under New Name

10 Asiamold 2009 Appearance of BuchemChemie + Technik Rated Successful;Company Says It Will Exhibit There Again

10 Plans for Fanuc CNC Europe, SuccessorCompany to the Joint Venture FanucGE CNC, Are Announced

11 Mazak Names Marcus Burton as NewGroup Managing Director for Europe

11 Beautiful and Rare: Abrams PremiumStahls Third Steels-and-Nudes Calendar

12 Tool and Die Making for the Future:9th Colloquium Takes Place December 1

12 Despite Sales Decline in Most Sectors,Trumpf Closes Out Fiscal Year withProfit

14 Profitable Delcam Strategy MaintainsInvestment in Development duringDownturn

14 Alliance of Rhm and Mapal Focuseson Development of Future ToolClamping Systems

24

22

EuroMold 2009EuroMold 2009 in Frankfurt

attracts an international tooland mould industry readying

itelf for the turnaround.

METAV 2010Will electronic cars put machinetools out of work? Aninformation stand at METAV2010 plans to investigate.

Millutensil S.r.l.This die and mould spotting

and tryout press specialistproves out the idea of women

in management.

56

DMG Vertriebs- undService GmbHA new moving-column machining centreoffered with longer y- and z-axis travels isvariously configurable.58

4 European Tool & Mould Making November/December 2009

Volume XI Number 9

42 CNC with Innovative High-SpeedCutting Functions Ensures HighSurface Quality, Improves MachiningEconomy

44 Prototypes of Electronic Products inScandinavian Design Are CreatedQuickly, Economically with 3D Printing

45 CAD-Powered Configurator LetsMachine Customers PreviewOrders On-Site

Products &Services46 Recently introduced

equipment andservices from all over

EuroMold 2009

56 EuroMold 2009 in Frankfurt Attracts anInternational Tool and Mould IndustryReadying Itself for the Turnaround

86 Quick Sourcing Grid: ComputerSoftware

96 EuroMold 2009 Map/Advertisers List

ISTMA News92 For Attendees at Next Junes ISTMA

World Conference in Windsor, Canada,There Will Be Plenty to See and Do

Company Index98

45

30

SolidWorks Deutschland GmbHA CAD-powered configurator lets machinecustomers preview their orders on-site.

Horst Witte GertebauBarskamp KG

Versatile multifunctional automotivemeasuring and matching fixture uses

standards to enable retooling.

Trk+Hillinger GmbH78532 Tuttlingen Germany

Tel. +49 74 61 70 14 0 Fax +49 74 61 70 14 110

[email protected]

www.tuerk-hillinger.de

since 1963

we are your best choice forheating elements

wide product range

large repertory of stock types

customer-specific executions

modern, rational manufacturing methods

over 30.000 heating elements daily

certified according to DIN ISO 9001:2000

high life span

500 qualified employees

over 270 patent applications

made in Germany

Visit us from

02.12. 05.12.09

at the Euromold in Frankfurt

Hall 9, Stand A47

Jan/Feb 2010:The METAV Issue Preview of the years first

major automation fair Industry Outlook 2010 Our annual Internet Directory Focus on machining equipment Quick Sourcing Grid:

Cutting Tools

NEXT ISSUENEXT ISSUE

Matec Maschinenbau GmbHA series of universal machining centres isdeveloped for machining long workpieces onfour or five sides.60


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Our multi-talent foryour production!

The original for the best results:

Buchem Chemie + Technik GmbH & Co. KGAlbert-Einstein-Str. 842929 WermelskirchenT +49(0)2196-7277-0F +49(0)2196-5843E-Mail: [email protected]

Hall 9 Stand A 135

+ in the injectionmoulding,

+ in the EDM + and toolmaking

fields.

Antikor RS, thespray for machinemaintenance,workpiece and tool protection meeting processdemands prior to, during and after machining.

A conservation,corrosion protectionand lubrication product

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Our entire range comprises chemical auxiliaries,

EDM wires, machine filters, technical nonrepaira-

ble and expendable parts for all the aforemen-

tioned product sectors, including service, consul-

tancy and on-site service.

V O L U M E X I N U M B E R 9 N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9

EUROPEAN TOOL & MOULD MAKINGAn Access Communications Inc. publication

Contract-published 9 times per year by SellersMedia

PUBL ISHER

Clay [email protected]

EUROPEAN AGENCY

SELLERSMEDIA*Otto-von-Guericke-Ring 3A, 65205 Wiesbaden, Germany

Tel: +49 6122 95590 Fax: +49 6122 [email protected]

MANAGING DIRECTOR/EDITOR- IN-CHIEF

Douglas Sellers*[email protected]

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Robert Bonds*[email protected]

PRODUCTION, C IRCULATION & INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER

Sylvia Zwick*[email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Jason Sellers*[email protected]

Law Wai [email protected]

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL IST

Markus Mller*[email protected]

SALES MANAGER EUROPE

Britta Solloway*[email protected]

ADVERTIS ING SALES FRANCE

Evelyne Gisselbrecht33 Rue du Puy-de-Dme, 63370 Lempdes, France


REPRESENTATIVE AGENT FOR TAIWAN, CHINA & HONG KONG

Robert Yu, Worldwide Services Co. Ltd.11F-B, No. 540 Wen Hsin Road, Section 1, Taichung 408, Taiwan


NORTH AMERICA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS30765 Pacific Coast Highway, PMB 351

Malibu, CA 90265-3643 USATel: +1 310 589-0066 Fax: +1 310 457-7658

[email protected]

BUSINESS MANAGER

MiSook [email protected]

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Product/service information bulletins and press releases should besubmitted in English and should be accompanied by a colour photograph or transparency. Thepublishers assume no responsibility for return of artwork, photographs, or manuscripts. NOTICE:Every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of contents; however, the publishers cannot acceptresponsibility for the correctness of the information supplied or advertised or for any opinionexpressed herein.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: European Tool & Mould Making is published 9 times per year, plus the supplementalEDM Europe Buyers Guide, and is distributed free of charge to qualified readers in Europe.

Nonqualified readers in Europe: US$100 (1 year), US$175 (2 years)Readers outside Europe: US$150 (1 year), US$275 (2 years)Single copies: US$25. Payments to be made in US dollars.

Subscription inquiries, back issues, address changes: send your request to EUROPEAN TOOL & MOULD MAKINGby e-mail to [email protected] or by fax to +49 6122 51090.

Circulation Audit: Member of the Informationsgemeinschaft zur Feststellung der Verbreitung von Werbetrgern e.V. (IVW), Berlin

Printed at: Kssinger AG, www.koessinger.de

Copyright 2009 ACCESS COMMUNICATIONS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDwww.etmm.info/2009/11/004


mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.tool-moldmaking.commailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.buchem.dehttp://www.etmm.info/2009/11/004

The German machine tool industryhas been severely hit by the generalfinancial and economic crisis, accord-ing to the VDW (the German MachineTool Builders Association). In the firsthalf of 2009, following the boom ofrecent years, all the key statistics plum-meted, reported VDW chairman CarlMartin Welcker at an EMO press con-ference in Milan in October.

Order bookings fell by 67%. Produc-tion output fell by one-fifth, as didexports. (The only bright spot wasexports to China; that nation is cur-rently the biggest market for Germanmachine tools.) As of June, the orderbacklog came to 5.9 months, with ca-pacity utilization in July at a historiclow of 65.9%. The number of employ-ees in the industry fell about 3,000from its peak in October 2008, to70,500 at the halfway point of 2009.

It continues to be the companiesdeclared goal to rescue their core work-force as far as possible through the cri-sis, well knowing that the abilities oftheir consummately trained staff willbe urgently needed during the next up-

turn, emphasized Welcker. The VDWexpects machine tool production out-put to fall as much as 40% this year.

Nonetheless, the VDW sees multi-plying signs of improvement. Drivingthe foreseen modest recovery are Asiaand South America, according to pre-dictions. In China and India particu-larly, investment has been affected lessseverely. Economic pundits foresee

After Decline, German Machine Tool Manufacturers Are Expecting Demand to Recover at a Lower Level


Industry NewsIndustry News

capital purchases rising more vigorous-ly in those nations next year, with in-creased machine tool order bookingsand sales eventually following.

This environment permits us tohope that, in the machine tool indus-try too, the worst is now over, anddemand will be reinvigorated at itspresent low level, said Welcker.


VDW chairman Carl Martin Welcker: Thisenvironment permits us to hope that, in the machinetool industry, the worst is now over.

VDW Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken

FRANKFURT/MAIN, GERMANY


http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/005http://www.mcforsw.comhttp://www.etmm.info/2009/11/006




Hardinge GmbH inGermany is expandingits business activities inspite of the difficult mar-ket conditions, and it ischanging its name. Thecompany will move intoa new building in Kre-feld (photo) officially onJanuary 1, when it willalso become HardingeSuper Precision EuropeGmbH. The new facilityoffers more space fordemonstration, admin-istration, warehousingand technical support.The changes are intended to helpincrease Hardinges market share onthe European continent.

Hardinge Super Precision Europewill serve as a strategic bridgehead in

Europe for the global Hardinge Group,which manufactures CNC turning,milling and grinding machinery underthe Hardinge and Bridgeport brands.This business will pursue growth targets

in international marketdevelopment and in theexpansion of its domesticdirect sales, dealership andservice network. In addi-tion, it aims to strengthenits market position as aprovider of high-end pro-duction solutions based onadvanced technology.

Hardinge Super Preci-sion Europe is pursuingambitious goals. The newfacility in Krefeld offers anideal platform for support-ing customers and dealer-ships throughout Europe

and for coordinating with other mem-bers of the Hardinge Group.

Hardinge GmbH, Expanding in Germany despite Difficult Economy, Plans to Operate under New Name

Hardinge GmbHKREFELD, GERMANY


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Plans for Fanuc CNC Europe, Successor Company to the Joint Venture Fanuc GE CNC,Are Announced

Buchem Chemie + Tech-nik GmbH & Co. KG, aGerman trading house,service provider and man-ufacturer of resources,commodities and con-sumable parts for the in-jection moulding, EDMand tooling sectors, madea successful premiere ap-pearance at the Asiamoldinternational trade fair formould making and tool-ing this year. Since the1990s, Buchem has beenactive in China and else-where in Asia, establish-ing numerous business contacts thathave become growing customer andsupplier networks.

This September, the company ex-hibited at Asiamold 2009 held inGuangzhou, China, in cooperationwith Supply-e, its Chinese trading

The new companies Fanuc CNCEurope and Fanuc CNC America areexpected to commence operation onJanuary 1, 2010, following the dissolu-tion of Fanuc GE CNC, the 23-yearjoint venture with GE. Fanuc CNCEurope will be headquartered in Lux-embourg and will manage all Fanuc-branded CNC sales and support servic-es, which will be provided locally byone subsidiary company in each coun-try or region of the continent. FanucRobotics Europe will continue to oper-ate as before.

Dr. Yoshiharu Inaba, president andCEO of Fanuc Ltd., emphasized at anEMO 2009 press conference in Milan(photo) that, under the new organiza-tion, Fanuc Ltd. in Japan would sup-port Fanuc CNC Europe and be evenbetter able to respond to its Europeancustomers.

Pascal Boillat, president and CEO ofFanuc CNC Europe, says that the com-pany plans to focus heavily on sales

into Germany. Under theleadership of Christian Jungas president, Fanuc CNCGermany is determined toexpand its market share.

In continuing to developrelationships with Europeanmachine tool constructors,Fanuc CNC Europe aims tobe their preferred CNC part-ner. Boillat stresses that thedevelopment of the large-machines segment of theFanuc CNC business will bea key aim. He explains thatthe new European organiza-tion should make the com-pany more successful inworking with machine toolbuilders and with machine end users.

Incidentally, Boillat noted that thecompanys customary CNC count atEMO again justified its claim to be theworlds top CNC provider. Of the 842CNC machines on display or in use at

the fair, Fanucs share of the controlsemployed was 36.3%, far ahead of theshowing of other suppliers.

partner, and was pleasantly surprisedby the experience: the exhibitors andvisitors on hand tallied well with itsown spectrum of customers, and theBuchem product range attracted greatinterest. Buchem intends to participatein Asiamold again.

Guangzhou, which hasbeen called the factory of theworld, is the site of morethan 50,000 moulding enter-prises. Buchem knew that itwas important to talk to thosecompanies, whose high stan-dards of manufacturing quali-ty, the supplier believes, canbe supported and enhanced byits products. In Guangzhou,company representatives alsomet industry professionalsfrom Korea, Taiwan, Singa-pore, Vietnam, Thailand, In-dia, Iran and Israel.

To better serve its globalmarket, Buchem has made its websitemore user-friendly. The site now offersmuch more content and an extendedproduct range.


Buchem Chemie + Technik GmbH & Co. KGWERMELSKIRCHEN, GERMANY


Fanuc GE CNC Europe S.A.ECHTERNACH, LUXEMBOURG


Asiamold 2009 Appearance of Buchem Chemie + Technik Rated Successful; Company Says It Will Exhibit There Again

http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/010http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/011

Yamazaki Mazak U.K. Ltd.WORCESTER, UK



Beautiful and Rare: Abrams PremiumStahls Third Steels-and-Nudes Calendar

Abrams Engineering Services GmbH &Co. KG

OSNABRCK, GERMANY


Marcus Burton (photo),who is currently themanaging director ofYamazaki Mazak U.K.Ltd., has been tappedby the parent companyto serve as group manag-ing director for Europestarting January 1. Aholder of masters de-grees in machine tooltechnology and busi-ness from the Universi-ty of Birmingham in theUK, Burton joined Ya-mazaki Mazak in 2005 as businessdevelopment director for Europe. Hesucceeds the retiring Dr. David Jack,who has been responsible for Mazaks

Mazak Names Marcus Burton as NewGroup Managing Director for Europe

European businesssince 2004.

Mr. Burton hasa sound knowledgeand understandingof the machine toolbusiness and the Ma-zak organization,observed YamazakiMazak Corp. presi-dent Tomohisa Ya-mazaki after theannouncement. Hewill build on thefirm foundations of

our European operations.

For the past threeyears, the Germanmould and tool steelsupplier Abrams hasproduced a high-quality calendar ofart photography fea-turing beautiful fe-male models. Thecurrent third edi-tion, released thispast summer, recon-firms the aestheticand complimentaryeffect of juxtaposinggraciously presentedfeminine silhouetteswith metal semi-finished raw materi-als refined and pro-cessed to an attrac-tive lustre. To produce the distinctiveimages, the renowned Dutch photog-raphers Toonen and Wientjens haveemployed a process that uses white asthe basic tint in order to achieve aneffect called Puristic perfect.

The design agency Wiethe was thesupporting project partner. It has pro-duced a limited-edition work of artbased on 13 black-and-white motifs.

What sets the Abramscalendar apart fromordinary calendars isthat it begins withJuly 2009 and runsthrough June 2011.

For us, art is partof the holistic philos-ophy of our companydivision Abrams Pre-mium Stahl, sayscompany head Dr.Abrams. As a steel-refining company, weaim to enthuse andinspire our customersand partners.

The idea behindthese fine-art calen-dars has been to jointhe factual rational-

ity of the technical world of steel withthe emotional and artistic allure ofhigh-quality nude photography. Thecalendars have won critical attention,with extracts featured in the Jahrbuchder Werbung (Yearbook of Advertising).


http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/012http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/013http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/014http://www.rosmould.com

Tool and Die Making for the Future: 9th Colloquium Takes Place December 1

Meet the best! is the motto beingused by the Aachener Werkzeug- undFormenbau to promote the 9th inter-national colloquium Tool and DieMaking for the Future, to be held onDecember 1 at the Wiesbaden Kurhaus(photo) in Wiesbaden, Germany. Theorganizer is a joint business unit of theLaboratory for Machine Tools and Pro-duction Engineering (WZL) of RWTHAachen and the Fraunhofer IPT (Insti-tute for Production Technology).

The annual event presents techno-logical and organizational develop-ments that are relevant to tool and diemakers, their suppliers, and their cus-

tomers. As part of the series of lectures,finalists in the well-known Excellencein Production competition will offerinsights into their strategies for suc-cess. Also, one company will be desig-nated Toolmaker of the Year 2009 atthe colloquium, and will be presentedwith its prize at an award ceremony inthe evening.

This event is scheduled for the daybefore the opening of the EuroMoldtrade fair in nearby Frankfurt, for theconvenience of industry professionals.


The Trumpf Group man-aged to close out its 2008-2009 fiscal year with aprofit, announced com-pany president Dr. NicolaLeibinger-Kammller(photo) at a recent pressconference. The firm post-ed income before taxes of52.2 million, despite asales decline of 22% to 1.66 billion.This demonstrates the performancecapacity of our company, and that weimplemented the right measures veryquickly, said Leibinger-Kammller.

Nevertheless, the global financialcrisis caused sales declines in almost allof Trumpfs business fields. Thus, thecompany is now operating with cau-tion. It has built up sufficient financialreserves to guarantee its liquidity forthis fiscal year, which it has deemed atransition year. It has built up its equi-

Despite Sales Decline in Most Sectors,Trumpf Closes Out Fiscal Year with Profit

ty capitalization as well.The situation in the

global manufacturing in-dustry and even in ourcompany remains tense,observed the president.Though we have identi-fied an economic upswingin individual markets, andthere are signs that order

declines may be slowing, we still do notsee the situation improving greatly.

Still, Trumpf intends to continue in-vesting, budgeting 80 million for newmachines, plants and buildings. Ex-penditures for R&D are also expectedto remain high. In weathering the pastyear, the company was able to main-tain a steady level of employmentboth at home and abroad.

Trumpf Laser- und SystemtechnikDITZINGEN, GERMANY


Fraunhofer IPTAACHEN, GERMANY


www.etmm.info/2009/11/015 www.etmm.info/2009/11/018

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The CAD/CAM softwaredeveloper Delcam plchas maintained its highlevels of R&D expendi-ture during the firsthalf of 2009 despitefeeling the effects ofthe global economicdownturn. The compa-ny invested more than4.7 million in R&Dduring the period, upfrom 4.5 million inthe first half of 2008.Delcams strategy hasbeen to resist cuttinginvestment in develop-ment as sales have fall-

en. In addition, other areas of its business have receivedattention. This year, Delcam opened a new Asian office forits Professional Services Group in Singapore, and it added alarge 5-axis machine tool in its Tooling Services Division.

Sales during the opening six months of 2009 were 16.1million, a decrease of less than 5% from the sales revenuesfor the equivalent period last year. This was achieveddespite prevailing market conditions in which manufactur-ers generally are deferring expenditures on software. Rev-enues from software maintenance and support contractsactually increased by 13% during the first half of 2009.

Despite the fall in sales and continuing high levels ofR&D expenditure, Delcam remains profitable. Reflectingthe global financial and economic crisis, the trading envi-ronment in 2009 has been challenging, said Delcam chair-man Peter Miles when the financial statement was pub-lished. However, noted Miles, Delcam is financially strongand has a high level of recurring income. We believe thatthe business is well placed to see out the near-term chal-lenges. In particular, we are continuing to invest significant-ly in product development and marketing.

Profitable Delcam StrategyMaintains Investment inDevelopment during Downturn

Office: Corso Buenos Aires, 92 - 20124 Milano - Italia - Tel. +39 02.29404390 Fax +39 02.2043268 - e-mail: [email protected] www.millutensil.com

Work: Via delle Industrie, 1026010 Izano (CR) - Italia

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In a strategic alliance that leverages the core expertise ofeach company, Rhm GmbH and Mapal Dr. Kress KG arejointly developing a next-generation tool clamping con-cept. The technology innovation is based on Rhms recent-ly introduced Super-Lock locking unit and Mapals Clamp-by-Wire electrical control system. It allows the rapid, safeexchange of tools with precise real-time analysis of clamp-ing conditions and processes. The joint project is aimed atsetting new standards in automatic tool clamping and lead-ing a transition from standard hydraulic technology towardthe sort of environmentally friendly, energy-efficient sys-tems the future will demand.

When clamping, the new Clamp-by-Wire system detectsand identifies impurities or shavings measurable inmicrons, along with toolholder tolerance deviations, andthus enables machine operators to avoid inaccurate process-ing. Its speed is nearly unrivalled: tools can be clamped orreleased within 50 milliseconds. The system is now wellinto development, with a trial spindle constructed by Mapalin Aalen, Germany, being shown to industry visitors at therecent EMO exhibition in Milan. The components for thesystems electrical drive were developed by Rhm andMapal in cooperation with Aradex, another German firm.

Alliance of Rhm and MapalFocuses on Development ofFuture Tool Clamping Systems

Rhm GmbHSONTHEIM, GERMANY


Delcam chairman Peter Miles.

http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/019http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/020http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/021http://www.millutensil.com



Fast Forward. By exeron.Two technologies providedby one supplier!

exeron GmbHBeffendorfer Strae 6D-78727 Oberndorf

Tel.: +49 74 23/8674-0Fax: +49 74 23/8674-112e-mail: [email protected]

www.exeron.de

Frankfurt 2.12.- 5.12.2009hall 8 booth B154

Asiamold 2009 Declared a Success; Exhibitor and Visitor Numbers Increase over 2008 despite Economic Conditions

Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt,which organized Asiamold 2009 incooperation with DEMAT GmbH andthe Hong Kong Mould & Die Council,declared Septembers internationaltrade fair for mould making and tool-ing, design, and application develop-ment a success.

More than 10,400 visitors attendedthe three-day event, which was held atthe Poly World Trade Centre Expo(Pazhou) in Guangzhou, Chinathesouthern province adjacent to HongKongwith upward of 1,200 comingfrom outside the country. The organiz-ers recorded an attendance that was up8.4% over the previous years Asia-mold, a fact that they could only re-gard as remarkable under the currenteconomic circumstances.

The third edition of Asiamold re-inforced the events standing as theleading trade exhibition in southernChina for mould making and tooling.This status was achieved, according tothe organizers, by emulating its long-successful German sister event, Euro-Mold, in adopting the fair conceptFrom Design to Prototyping to SeriesProduction.

Not only were trade visitors morenumerous, but the numbers of foreignand domestic exhibitors rose in 2009by 10% and 6%, respectively. The 298exhibiting companies from a dozendifferent countries occupied a displayarea of 20,000 m2. The exhibition in-cluded special pavilions representingHong Kong, Singapore and the metalmanufacturing sector, as well as apavilion promoting DEMATs ownEuroMold trade fair.

Exhibitors told the events organiz-ers that they were impressed by thequality and internationality of showvisitors, while fair attendees wereequally pleased by the exhibits and bythe exhibition experience generally.

The next edition of Asiamold willtake place September 1517, 2010,once again at the Poly World TradeCentre Expo in Guangzhou.

Asiamold 2009GUANGZHOU, CHINA


http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/022http://www.exeron.demailto:[email protected]://www.etmm.info/2009/11/023


Industry NewsIndustry NewsGerman Tokai Carbon Subsidiary Has Been Renamed; Company Continues to Develop Its Products and MarketsThe Tokai Carbon Group of Japan hasreorganized its German subsidiary. Theformer Carbon Industrie-ProdukteGmbH is now Tokai Carbon Deutsch-land GmbH, the name change beingintended to show this subsidiarysmembership in the Tokai Carbon fami-ly of companies throughout the world.The company remains in its originallocation in Buchholz-Mendt. It isresponsible for supplying specialtygraphite products to OEMs, toolmak-ers and development engineers in theGerman market principally.

Electrical discharge machining(EDM) applications are still a key focusof the companys business, as reflectedin its ongoing development of themarket-leading HK grades of EDMmaterials that have been in wide usethroughout Europe, Asia and the Unit-ed States since 1991. The latest materi-al developments introduced in thisseries, the innovative HK-6 and HK-20

Making Positive Contributions to theEarth and Its People throughTechnology and Action is theprinciple that underlies Envi-ronmental Vision 2021, a long-range strategy for environmental man-agement that Mitsubishi Electric isimplementing at all of its group compa-nies. The vision defines a set of initia-tives for realizing a sustainable, recy-cling-oriented global society throughapplication of the companys broadrange of high-level technologiesand of the talents of its globalworkforce. The companysaim is to achieve cer-tain specific, andmeaningful, resultsby 2021, which willbe the centennial ofits founding.

Initiatives to prevent global warmingthat make up the Mitsubishi Electricvision include focusing on technologi-cal innovations aimed at promulgating

in CO2 emissions from manufacturing(520,000 tons) across the group;and supplying products and sys-tems to non-CO2-producing

power-generating operations.Initiatives to support the creation of

a resource-recycling society includeaiming for the emission of zero wasteduring the production process and pro-moting the three Rs of the environ-ment: reduce waste production, reuse

materials, and recycle used materials.In addition, to foster envi-

ronmental awareness amongits employees and to help

maintain human har-mony with nature,Mitsubishi ElectricGroup offers outdoor

classroom and leader-ship training in nature apprecia-

tion and conservation.

graphite grades, have rapidly becomemarket leaders in their own applica-tion categories.

Tokai Carbon pays attention to themarket, responding to expressed needs

for better and more-cost-effective materi-als through a strategyof continual materialdevelopment. Build-ing on its history ofdeveloping isotropicmaterials, the compa-ny plans to continueto devote its technicalexpertise to advanc-ing this field furtherand helping its cus-tomers to be leadersas well.

At EuroMold 2009in Frankfurt, TokaiCarbon Deutschlandwill have an exhibit-

ors stand where visitors can learn thedetails about its product range.

Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V.RATINGEN, GERMANY


Tokai Carbon Deutschland GmbHBUCHHOLZ-MENDT, GERMANY


Environmental Vision 2021 Is New Environmental Management Undertaking at Mitsubishi Electric

new energy-saving products that canreduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissionsfrom product use by 30% relative to2000 levels; achieving a 30% reduction


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Image courtesy of Prensa Jundia, Brazil

Autodesk, AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All otherbrand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is notresponsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

Autodesk Inventor software creates a singledigital model that enables you to design, visualize, and simulate your products. Inventor helps you toreduce product costs and get innovative designs tomarket faster.

Find out more about Autodesk Inventor and howit can take you beyond 3D to Digital Prototyping.

www.autodesk.com/beyond3d

AUTODESK INVENTORTAKES YOU BEYOND 3D TODIGITAL PROTOTYPING

http://www.autodesk.com/beyond3d


Industry News in BriefIndustry News in Brief

Renewing its commitment to continu-al enhancement of its product range,Planit Software Ltd. is expanding itssoftware development team. The an-nouncement comes as Planit preparesto launch new versions of its softwaresolutions Alphacam (CAD/CAM forengineering, woodworking and stone),Edgecam (CAM for NC part program-ming) and Radan (sheet metal CAD/CAM). We are committed to ensuringthat our software products continue to

The Canadian-based hot runner spe-cialist Mold-Masters has acquired PMSSystems Ltd., headquartered in Here-ford, UK, which is Britains largestmanufacturer of hot runner control-lers. Combining the two businesseswill create one of the worlds largesthot runner controller manufacturingfirms and a global leader in hot runnercontrol technology. Mold-Masters willretain the PMS distributor network,

Planit Recommits to R&D Growth

Canadian Hot Runner Firm Acquires British Controller Manufacturer

After five years working for Sumitomoin Europe, Takahiro Takadaya hasmoved to the companys headquartersin Japan to take responsibility fordeveloping new markets. He is beingsucceeded by Alex Murayama, whoreturns to Sumitomo Electric Hart-metall GmbH to assume the positionof managing director of the Europe-wide network of Sumitomo ElectricHardmetal companies. Sumitomo man-ufactures high-productivity CBN and

New MD for Sumitomo in Europe

The supervisory boards of Mann+Hummel GmbH and Mann+HummelHolding GmbH have appointed AlfredWeber, 52, as the new president andCEO of both the industrial filtrationcompany and the parent group. Hewill succeed Dr. Dieter Seipler effectiveJanuary 1.

Weber was previously vice presidentof BorgWarner Inc., and president andgeneral manager of BorgWarner MorseTEC and BorgWarner Thermal Systems.Before that, he held several manage-ment posts in Germany and the USA.

Mann+Hummel to Get New CEO deliver greater productivity, improvedefficiency and reduced costs for our

customers, says Planit chief executiveBryan Pryce.

Russell Franks, Planits chief techni-cal officer, believes that Planits soft-ware development will help preservethe competitive advantage of the com-panys customers.

thus gaining the benefit of their knowl-edge and existing relationships.

We see tremendous synergies be-tween Mold-Masters and PMS, saysIain Nunn, director of PMS and one ofits founders. We are excited about theopportunities that will emerge as a re-sult of this transaction.

PCD cutting tools designed to ensurecost-effective machining in turning,milling and drilling applications. Thetechnology innovator develops cut-ting materials, coatings and chip-breaking technologies that are suitablefor a wide range of workpiece materi-als, including hardened steels and dif-ficult-to-cut materials.


Mann+Hummel GmbHSPEYER, GERMANY


Walter AG will expand its brand port-folio by integrating the US cutting-toolmanufacturer Valenite into the WalterGroup. Walter Valenite will be part ofWalter North America, improving Wal-ters presence on that continent. Themove should also enhance its positionin the global automotive sector. Theacquisition takes effect January 1.

Valenites range of indexable-inserttools for turning, drilling and milling,and its special-purpose tooling, will beincorporated into the Walter family ofcarbide and PCD insert tooling forturning, drilling and milling, the Wal-ter Titex line of drilling products, andthe Walter Prototyp threading andmilling tool offering.

Walter AG TakesOver Valenite

Walter AGTBINGEN, GERMANY


Sumitomo Electric Hartmetall GmbHWILLICH, GERMANY


Mold-Masters Europa GmbHBADEN-BADEN, GERMANY


Planit Software Ltd.ASHFORD, KENT, UK


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Visit us at the

EUROMOLDDecember 0205, 2009

Hall 8, Booth H36

Answers for industry.

Looking for a better way to machine the perfect mold?

When you make high-quality miniature plastic toy vehicles like BRUDER Spielwaren in Fuerth, Germany,your CNC system has already enabled you to master one decisive task: producing the perfect mold.And SINUMERIK MDynamics does just that with its new Advanced Surface functionality the new intelligentpath control for perfect workpiece surfaces and significantly reduced machining times.www.siemens.com/sinumerik

SINUMERIK MDynamics: The expert milling package for perfect surfaces

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METAV 2010METAV 2010

An information stand at METAV 2010will focus on automobile drives of thefuture, an area of potentially large sig-nificance for production technology incoming years. At the technology andautomation show, which takes place

February 2327 in Dsseldorf and isorganized by the German machinetool manufacturers association VDW,the North RhineWestphalia state clus-ters ProduktionNRW, Automotive,Energy Research, Energy Management

Will Electric Cars Put Machine Tools Out of Work? An Information Stand at METAV 2010 Plans to Investigate

All the companies in our programmes were carefully selected, visited by external experts and extensively prepared for doing business in Europe.

CBI assists companies in improving their quality systems,organisation and documentation. Our matchmaking servicehas been at the heart of our mission for almost forty years.

pavilions, making use of our Company Database or just by asking us to advise and assist you.

CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries)contributes to the equitable economic development of selected developingcountries by providing export marketing and management support totheir SME exporters and Business Support Organisations with the purposeof increasing exports to Europe.


and Nano-Micro+Materials will beinvestigating the effects of electricmobility (e-mobility)the advent ofelectric carson machine tool manu-facture and use. They will map out thechallenges and opportunities, and sug-gest how product technology compa-nies can take advantage of them.

Everyone is going to have toadapt, warns Prof. Hans-Jrg Bullin-ger, president of the Fraunhofer Soci-ety. Vehicle manufacturers will soonno longer be producing certain vehiclecomponents. But these will be re-placed by others. An electric carneeds no mechanical drive trainatpresent a broad field of application formachine tools. This will inevitably,though hardly immediately, changethe requirements profile for produc-tion technology of the future.

Audi AG, for example, is investingin the future-friendly technology ofe-mobility. Electric cars are a majorproject for our corporate future, saysFrank Dreves, the Audi board memberresponsible for the Production Divi-sion. The production supremo is pre-pared for having to adapt the automo-tive production process, but says thatthe transition from conventionalautomobiles to electric cars will be agradual one. The traditional machinetool will accordingly remain an impor-tant constituent of the productionprocess for quite a few years yet.However, Dreves notes, the machinetool of the future will have to be tech-nologically design-enhanced.

In the long term, electrification ofthe drive train can be expected to haveserious consequences for machine toolmanufacturers. The board of Grob-Werke in Mindelheim believes thatincreased diversification of drive sys-tems is a trend. It cites studies forecast-ing as many as 20% of vehicles on theroad in 2020 being electric, whichmeans a reduction in the volume ofproduction vehicles fitted with tradi-tional drives. Entire categories of appli-cation for machine tools will not soonvanish, but the demand for certain

A team at one of the North RhineWestphalia stateclusters experiments with designing a digital factory.

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Headline: RotisSansSerif bold, weissCopy: RotisSansSerif 9,5pt / 13pt

Adressfeld:

Zeile 1: RotisSansSerif, bold 7pt

Zeile 2: RotisSansSerif, regular 7pt / 8pt

Zeile 3: RotisSansSerif, extra bold 11pt / 14pt

METAV 2010DSSELDORF, GERMANY


Calendar of EventsFIRST QUARTER 2010 HIGHLIGHTS

Jan. 2730: Nortec 2010, Hamburg, Germany12th International Trade Fair for Manufacturing Technologywww.hamburg-messe.de/nortec

Feb. 24: EPLA 2010, Poznan, PolandInternational Fair for Plastics and Rubber Processing www.epla.pl

Feb. 2327: METAV 2010, Dsseldorf, GermanyInternational Fair for Manufacturing Technology and Automationwww.metav.com

Mar. 34: IKV Plastics Technology Colloquium 2010, Aachen, Germanywww.ikv.rwth-aachen.de

Mar. 1720: GrindTec 2010, Augsburg, GermanyInternational Trade Fair for Grinding Technology www.grindtec.de

Mar. 2226: Industrie Paris 2010, Paris-Villepinte, FranceProfessional Manufacturing Technologies Exhibitionwww.industrie-expo.com

Mar. 2527: Mec-Spe 2010, Parma, ItalyInternational Fair of Skilled Mechanics www.mecspe.com

types of parts will fall.That the coming of electric cars will lead to changes in

the production of drive train components is clear to themachinery manufacturer Emag Gruppen-Vertriebs- und Ser-vice of Salach. The only certainty, however, according toDieter Kollmar, Emags managing director, is that there willbe higher demand for low-consumption drive concepts.While major parts of the traditional drive train have noplace in an electric car, Kollmar says that this offers compa-nies like his new opportunities in the area of producingrotary components and housings.

Fraunhofer president Prof. Hans-Jrg Bullinger: Electric mobility will transform thetraditional structures in the automotive industry and its component suppliers.

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Featured SupplierFeatured Supplier

There are many events and circum-stances which characterize and, inmany ways, influence a companyslife, observed Luigia Assi Just, presi-dent of Millutensil S.r.l., on the occa-sion of her companys 50th anniver-sary in 2005. At that time, the exec-utive itemized some of Millutensilsenthusiastic successesthat is, thedie and mould tryout presses andrelated press equipment that found,and have retained, worldwide marketacceptance throughout the firms his-torybut she also gave first impor-tance to the management and staff ofMillutensil. People are the real wealthof our company, Assi Just explained.Its only thanks to the enthusiasmand competence of every member ofour staff that we can always ensure ahigh quality standard.

Some people contend that compa-nies run by women are more stable,and even profitable, than those withmostly, or exclusively, male executives.Millutensil could certainly be onearrow in the quiver of their argument.Luigia Assi Just and her two daughtersare fully in charge of the company, inkeeping with a longstanding traditionof female management. Another tradi-tion of the Italian company is toaddress customers needs with profes-sionalism and enthusiasm. Says AssiJust, Our main objective is to be notjust suppliers, but real partners, alwaysable to provide valid advice and reli-able assistance.

Blue Line die spotting and tryoutpresses were Millutensils first line ofproducts and continue to be the basisof its international reputation. TheMillutensil trademark is synonymouswith tryout presseshighly precisemachines that facilitate the testing,adjustment and repair of plastics-pro-cessing moulds and industrial dies thatare continually increasing in complex-ity. Millutensil has developed a consid-erable expertise in the requirements ofthe automotive sector, which havedriven the steady technical improve-ment of its machines.

The Blue Line series of equipmentwas augmented a few years ago withthe addition of a die splitter, devel-

oped to help customerswho needed to be able toeasily handle big moulds.This innovative and versa-tile solution, whose intro-duction was in line withthe increasing automationof manufacturing processesand the growing strictnessof safety standards, servesusers managing dies in the

sheet metalworking sector, too.Millutensils R&D effort has addi-

tionally paid off in its latest-generationmachinery for sheet metal working,the Green Line. A development thatgrew out of in-depth market studiesand constant attention to customerrequirements, this product range canbe supplied as single pieces of equip-ment or as fully supported completehigh-technology lines for sheet metalprocessing.

Millutensil has always had an inter-national outlook and a strong inclina-tion toward new markets. Its globalexperience has been a stimulus towardits own improvement. Its length ofexperience has also been a significantfactor: expertise developed in the pasthas been the breeding ground of suc-cess for every new company project.

Fifty-plus years in business signalsreliability, of course. At Millutensil, itis also the result of looking ahead andlooking back, of putting together tradi-tion and innovation.

Millutensil, Die and Mould Spotting/Tryout Press Specialist,Proves Out Idea of Women in Management As Well

Left to right: Millutensil vice president Veronica Just, president Luigia Assi Just, and Beatrice Just.

Millutensil S.r.l.MILAN, ITALY




Who knocks PET bottles into shape?

CorroPlast the ultimate steel forall-stainless mould sets.

DEUTSCHE EDELSTAHLWERKE, Obere Kaiserstr., D-57078 Siegen / Auestr. 4, D-58452 Witten

Metal- and ceramic-injection mould-ing (MIM and CIM) technologies allowcomplex metal and ceramic compo-nents to be produced by means ofmoulding rather than laborious ma-chining. But well-adapted hot runnersare indispensable for manufacturing-process safety in these applications. Atthis time, it seems, in excess of 80% ofparts produced via MIM or CIM aremanufactured by means of a cold run-ner with a sprue rod. Recycling of thesprue rod can be avoided if hot runnersystems are used instead.

Both MIM and CIM require homoge-neous melt temperature in the hotrunner, however; these materials havea small processing window. Tempera-ture variations cause the binder andpowder to segregate, which results incomponent imperfections after sinter-ing. To meet the stringent require-ments of these applications, GntherHeisskanaltechnik GmbH offers itsSHT-series hot runner nozzles.

Gnthers patented two-stage noz-zle shaft ensures strong isolation at theforward section so that very little heatis lost between the hot runner nozzleand mould cavity and heat is distrib-uted homogeneously within the noz-zle. In addition, the frozen plasticmaterial around the nozzle forms a capthat thermally separates the nozzleand cavity. But this feature producesquite the opposite effect with metal-filled plastic materials because of themetals conductivity.

In the MIM application, therefore,the mixture of plastic material andmetal powder would draw the heat offthe nozzle. Thats why the supplierequips its SHT nozzles used for MIM

with special insulating caps made of ahighly heat-resistant plastic such asPEEK or polyimide to provide the ther-mal separation. A tubular titaniumshaft around the hot runner nozzleadds to the insulating effect.

This is a feature unique to productsmade by Gnther Heisskanaltechnik.Most commercial hot runner nozzlesdo not have a two-stage shaft, andthey achieve a seal by direct metalliccontact with the material tube in themould insert, which leads to very highheat loss that has to be compensatedby a higher temperaturein the hot runner noz-zle. Because thiscauses the tem-perature to risetoo much, andto vary as well,it is not possi-ble for materi-

als to be processed reliably.Although MIM parts are often gated

directly rather than via a subrunner, arelatively large gating point is neces-sary in order to achieve the necessarythroughput and transfer sufficientheat into the gate point. Otherwise,the metal-filled material transfers heatinto the cavity and the melt freezesquickly. A subrunner is frequently em-ployed in CIM applications, but there,too, a large gate point is important inorder to minimize shear stress andtransfer the melt into the cavity asquickly as possible.

Wear resistance is a significant issuefor hot runner technology used inMIM and CIM. Gnthers nozzle tipsmade of hard alloy provide unsur-passed wear protection. The compa-nys nozzles operate for long periodswithout nozzle components having tobe replaced.

Heating Gnther hot runner noz-zles and manifolds with a fluid ratherthan using an electric heater is anotherfactor in maximizing the quality ofMIM and CIM mouldings. Particularlyin the latter case, temperature must beconstant in order to avoid segregationand inhomogeneity of the ceramicmelt. Fluid inertia provides that steadynozzle heating.

Hot Runner Systems for Plastics Filled with Metal or Ceramic Powder Require Certain Adaptations

TechnologyTechnology

The two-stage shaft of the SHT-type nozzle and the frozen plastic material that forms a cap around the nozzleprovide optimum isolation toward the cavity, thus producing a homogeneous temperature profile in the nozzle.

Hot runner nozzles heated by a fluid provide far more homogeneous heatingthan electric heaters and keep the temperature level much more constant.


Gnther Heisskanaltechnik GmbHFRANKENBERG/EDER, GERMANY




http://www.matec.de



Coatings applied to moulds and diesby means of physical-vapour-deposi-tion (PVD) techniques provide thesetools with many performance advan-tages. Mainly, they add extra hardnessand smoothness to a forming tool,which extends its life span as well asenhancing its performance. As anexpert in PVD technology and equip-ment, the Dutch company HauzerTechno Coating B.V. supplies severalinnovative mould-coating systemtechnologies.

HIPIMS+ is a sputter technology forproducing dense and defect-free coat-ings, PVD-deposited aluminium oxidecoatings create mould surfaces withoutstanding nonsticking performance,and the Nitrocoat Duplex Treatmentprovides plasma-nitriding and physicalvapour deposition in just a singleprocess step.

HIPIMS+ TechnologyNot only is optimum hardness re-quired in forming tools, but a smoothtool surface is equally important. Theclassic deposition methods in PVDcoating technology arc evaporationand sputtering, both of which havetheir disadvantages. The arc technolo-gy that is employed in the evaporationmethod necessitates extra processsteps for polishing, while, with sput-tering, the deposition rate is low andthe coating may be less dense than isideal, risking adhesion problems.

High-power impulse magnetronsputtering (HIPIMS+) technology isattracting ever greater interest fromthe market because it enables an atom-ically smooth, dense coating to be de-posited. This techniques depositionrate is much faster than that possiblewith a traditional sputtering process.Hauzer has conducted tests with HIP-IMS+ for AlTiN and Cr2N coatings and

achieved excellent results.

PVD-Deposited Al2O3Aluminium oxide coatings depositedvia PVD technology have been aroundfor a few years, with new process de-velopments continually improving thecoatings in this class. Aluminiumoxide is well known for its antistickfeatures, which make it suitable for ap-plications involving injection mould-ing of aluminium or magnesium.

Normally, aluminium oxide is depos-ited as a coating via high-temperaturechemical vapour deposition (CVD).But the improved PVD coating processworks at much lower temperatures andproduces a surface exhibiting hightoughness. Coating layer thickness hasbeen improved as well; layers as thickas 5 m are easily achievable.

Nitrocoat Duplex TreatmentPlasma-nitriding is a well-establishedprocess for hardening the surface ofdies and moulds. Hauzer Techno Coat-ing has developed this process in tan-

dem with PVD coating to create aone-step dual process called theNitrocoat Duplex Treatment. Inthis process, the nitride forms alayer graded toward the hardPVD top layer. A prominent jobcoater has used Nitrocoat Du-plex Treatment for some timenow, particularly on cold-form-ing tools, and has found theresults in terms of process sta-bility, surface hardness andcompound layer to significantlyexceed those attainable via con-ventional plasma-nitriding.

The distinctive feature of thenitriding process, formation ofa white layer, is absent in theNitrocoat Duplex Treatment.This leads to much better adhe-

sion of the PVD coating. Further-more, the time necessary to achievean effective case depth of 0.1 mm isconsiderably less than with conven-tional plasma-nitriding.

Hauzer Techno Coating B.V.VENLO, NETHERLANDS


Innovative Coating Methods for Moulds and Dies Produce Optimized Surfaces Cost-Effectively



Taking standards to a new level

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Setting standards is important in the tooling industry.

Uddeholm is known for delivering first-class tooling

materials and our followers are many. The new steel

grade, Uddeholm Ramax LH, is no exception. With

excellent machinability and a complete dimension

programme, this steel will be used by producers of

mould bases and toolmakers throughout the world.

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Take standards to a new level go for a better steel.

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body groups; finally, the entirebody is joined and measured.

For the side panels, basicframes are assembled usingWittes Alufix Classic fixturingsystem. The frames are fixedon aluminium base platesequipped with steel guides.The same principle is used tojoin the side panels, roof andrear wall after adding individ-ual parts or mounting sub-groups directly.

Conventionally, this fixtur-ing process involves solidwelded-steel structures, the de-sign and manufacturing ofwhich can take up to 30 weeks.Their great weight makes han-dling them difficult, and they

cannot be changed easily or be reusedfor future models.

The Witte matching fixture assem-bly consists mainly (80%) of standardcomponents from the Alufix range,however, so high reusability of indi-vidual components is ensured. The fix-tures standard elements can be usedagain later as retooling material forother fixtures.

In conjunction with this fixturingsystem, Witte has established a specialretooling programme. Many of thecompanys customers appreciate theeconomic and ecological benefits ofthis retooling possibilityalong withthe high precision and multiple appli-cation capabilities of Alufix.


Versatile Multifunctional Automotive Measuring and Matching Fixture Uses Standards to Enable Retooling


A multitude of design modifi-cations go into making a newpassenger car model ready forseries production. When thefinal design is ready, the fit-ting accuracy and joinabilityof body parts and assembliesmust be examined in detail.One common approach tothis task is to use matchingfixtures, which can varygreatly from one task, carmodel or manufacturer to thenext. Horst Witte GertebauBarskamp KG has developeda multifunctional measur-ing and matching fixturenoteworthy for its versatilityand reusability.

Using matching fixtures,automakers submit both externallyand internally produced body parts tointensive checking. Individual partsand assemblies can be examined on acommon fixture. Witte, which manu-factures a variety of fixturing systems,goes further; for this application, itdeveloped a single matching fixturethat can be used for three differentpassenger car models. The one fixtureis sufficient for checking the outercontours of six side panels of a hatch-back, caravan and sedan.

Other fixture elements are mountedto support such parts as the roof andrear walls. The rear-wall subassembliesof the three models are exchanged andmoved toward the side-panel/roofstructure, where a matching fixtureallows a visual and surface-feel analysisof gaps and flushness and of mounting

points for real parts, helping consider-ably to eliminate error sources beforeseries production starts. Another goalis to minimize the quantity and vol-ume of measuring fixtures.

After all individual parts have beenchecked, assembled parts are meas-ured. Whether the parts fit togetheraccurately is determined here for thefirst time. Even if every part was man-ufactured within specified tolerances,if several parts in the assembly ex-hausted the tolerance limits there canbe complications. Data collected dur-ing this measuring process is appliedto correcting the press tools. To avoidthat need from the start, individualparts are mounted first, then under-

Horst Witte Gertebau Barskamp KGBLECKEDE, GERMANY


Says company founder Horst Witte, This matchingfixture has high retooling potential.



http://www.hermle.de

To develop IPSSs that truly deliveradded value, the toolmaker has toacquire a profound knowledge of hiscustomers needs as the basis for defin-ing a portfolio of relevant services anddeveloping appropriate technologicalsolutions.

Product-Service SystemsLinking innovative services to a coreproduct in creating an IPSS is perhapsone of the most promising ways togenerate more value for the customerand thus gain competitive advantage.The tool and die industry particularlyhas not yet benefited from this form ofnew manufacturing that enablesproducers to enjoy higher service prof-it margins, grow business in maturemarkets, and institute longer-lastingcustomer relationships.

In the TIPSS project, the IPSS con-cept involves making the toolmakeran integral part of the customers pro-duction process, one on which thecustomer can depend fully. This inte-gration of the toolmaker into the cus-tomers processes increases as the port-folio of offered services expands (Figure1). To the core product, the tool, eachservice adds another layer of reliance.As the degree of connection to thecore product diminishes toward theouter layers of the diagram, the tool-

This report is edited from a text preparedby Gnther Schuh, Wolfgang Boos,Fabian Gaus, and Bastian Schittny of the Laboratory for Machine Tools andProduction Engineering at RWTH Aachen University.

The European R&D project TIPSS (forTools for Innovative Product-ServiceSystems for Global Tool and Die Net-works; see www.tipss-fp7.eu) has theobjective of addressing challenges fac-ing toolmakers in todays turbulentmarkets by developing suitable meth-ods, techniques and technologies toenable toolmaking companies to of-fer industrial product-service systems(IPSSs) on a global scale. IPSSs are hy-brid products consisting of the prod-uct itself and a comprehensive set ofservices provided in relation to it. Thebasis of the project is a large-scale sur-vey of toolmakers and parts producersthat was focused on service provision.TIPSS is cofunded by the EuropeanCommission within the SeventhFramework Programme (FP7).

The survey identified the globalfootprint of toolmakers with respect tothe provision of tool-related services.Key survey findings bearing on thedesign of IPSSs are presented here,including the capacities and compe-tencies of todays toolmakers for offer-ing IPSSs worldwide.

Cost competition and the high de-mands of globalized value chains placesmall and medium-sized toolmakersunder pressure. A focus solely on pricedoes not bring sustainable competitiveadvantage, so toolmakers in high-wageeconomies are obliged to find newmeans for differentiating themselvesfrom competitors.

One approach is forward integra-tion into the customers value-addingchain. That is, by offering enhancedproduct-related services via industrialproduct-service systems, the toolmakercan provide certain elements of addedvalue to that chain. Besides generatingadditional cash flows throughout thetools life cycle, IPSSs increase cus-tomers dependence on their toolmak-ers, strengthening the latters competi-tive position.


Report on a Global Study of Service Provision in the Tooling Industry: Results of the TIPPSS Survey

Special ReportSpecial Report

makers vertical integration into thecustomers processes increases.

The challenge in achieving maxi-mum added value for both sides is toconfigure the service portfolio in theIPSS as well as the core technology onwhich the service provision is based.Further, making money with an IPSS isnot an objective that can be fulfilledon the operational level alone. As thesuccess of a company is grounded inits business model, the model shouldbe redesigned to align strategic objec-tives with the operational ones. TheIPSS offer requires a business modelthat addresses customer needs by add-ing value to production processes so asto generate sources of income alongthe tools entire life cycle.

Survey FindingsThe TIPSS survey of toolmakers andtheir customers was carried out in twoparts, starting with the customers andthen addressing the toolmakers. Intotal, 278 companies from around theworld participated. The outcome ofthe survey was a collective evaluationof tool-related services by toolmakersand the parts producers who use theirtools, along with a global footprintof toolmakers with respect to provi-sion of such services.

The global footprint represents the

Emotional Profile and Customer ExperenceProduct Design/ Development

Product OptimsationPrototypes

Tool System

Model Making Tooling Manufacturing Tool Assembly

Planning Design and Contruction Working Scheduling NC Programming

Primary Benefits

Process OptimisationPilot SeriesTool Productivity and AvailabilityParts Production

Integration into customersvalue-adding chain

Increasing reponsibilityof the toolmaker

Emotional Profile and Customer Experience

Figure 1: The TIPSS business model of extended product-related services.


http://www.tokaicarbon.euhttp://www.tokaicarbon.demailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.etmm.info/2009/11/046

North America

NorthAmerica

SouthAmerica

NorthAfrica

MiddleEast

WesternEurope

EasternEurope

India China SouthEast Asia

Australia

NorthAmerica

SouthAmerica

NorthAfrica

MiddleEast

WesternEurope

EasternEurope


Australia

NorthAmerica

SouthAmerica

NorthAfrica

MiddleEast

WesternEurope

EasternEurope


Australia

NorthAmerica

SouthAmerica

NorthAfrica

MiddleEast

WesternEurope

EasternEurope

India

39%56%78%44%22%28%83% 61% 33% 39%

0%60%60%20%0%0%0% 20% 0% 0%

14%51%94%22%11%36%44% 24% 12% 6%

13%13%13%0%0%13%100% 13% 13% 0%

China SouthEast Asia

Australia

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

China/ South East Asia

Percentage of toolmakers that deliverwithin own region

Percentage of toolmakers that delivertools to other regions

Figure 2: Regions to which toolmakers in each major toolmaking region deliver their products.




tooling industrys current structure asregards four aspects of service provi-sion on a global level:

Global customersAre toolmakerstaking real advantage of globalizedmarkets?

Local on-site presenceHow do tool-makers provide services locallyaround the world?

Global partnershipsDo toolmakerscooperate to tackle challenges inteams?

Global sourcingAre toolmakerstaking advantage of globalized sup-ply markets?

Global Customers. The degree towhich toolmakers from four majortoolmaking regions currently take ad-vantage of globalization by enteringnew markets to sell their tools is re-vealed by the survey results (Figure 2).Clearly, North American and WesternEuropean toolmakers still focus strong-ly on their own region. The China/

South East Asia region and, to a lesserextent, Eastern Europe export a higherpercentage of their output to otherregions. This shows both that NorthAmerica and Western Europe remaintarget markets for parts production

WesternEurope

17%

83%

China/ SouthEast Asia

34%

66%

NorthAmerica

45%

55%

EasternEurope

65%

35%

Percentage of top 4 ranked tool supplyingcountries located within own region

Percentage of top 4 ranked tool supplyingcountries located in other regions

Figure 3: Ratio of global to local purchasing of toolsby parts producers by region.

http://www.etmm.info/2009/11/047http://www.tekiskalip.com.tr


and that toolmakers in China/South East Asia and EasternEurope depend more on exploiting the globalization ofmarkets to sell their tools.

Parts-producing companies were asked by the survey torank the top four countries from which they purchase tools(Figure 3). Their responses revealed that companies in West-ern Europe and China/South East Asia purchase tools fromtoolmakers within their own region preponderantly.

Those parts producers provided reasons for being hesi-tant to buy tools from suppliers outside their own region,ranking them in importance by the strength of the per-ceived disadvantage (Figure 4). In their collective evaluation,a lack of services ranked just behind quality issues and deliv-ery time as a source of disadvantage in buying tools fromcompanies in other regions. This shows the importance of atoolmaker having the capability to deliver services globally.

Local On-Site Presence. To acquire a picture of toolmak-ers local on-site presence today, the TIPSS survey asked partsproducers to estimate how much maintenance work theirtoolmaker performed at the parts-production facility, in per-centage terms. Results suggest that a customers toolmakerperforms tool-related services on-site only in rare cases (Fig-ure 5). That means that, generally, either tools are shippedback to the toolmaker for maintenance or the customer usesinternal resources to perform its own tool maintenance.

In fact, a large part of the required maintenance work isperformed by the customers themselves (Figure 6). Three-quarters of the customers said they used their own capacityto take care of more than 50% of tool maintenance needs.

Global Partnerships. The third aspect of toolmakerscurrent global footprint that is delineated by the surveyresults involves partnerships and other relationships amongtoolmakers (vertical or horizontal integration into eachothers processes). Asked about such service-provision part-nerships, large minorities of toolmakers in each region,especially China/South East Asia, indicated that they werenot currently cooperating with other toolmakers to improveservice provision, for various reasons (Figure 7). Noteworthyis that, while North American and Western European tool-makers are chiefly worried about protecting their know-how, Chinese and Southeast Asian toolmakers mainly havetrouble finding appropriate partners.

Global Sourcing. The last element of the global foot-print is the ability of toolmakers to use globalized marketsfor sourcing. Survey results pertaining to which part of thevalue chain toolmakers in each region externalize to globalmarkets reveal that standard tool parts constitute the greaterpart of global sourcing (Figure 8). Not only do Eastern Euro-pean and Chinese and Southeast Asian toolmakers focusmore on selling their tools in other regions than their NorthAmerican and Western European counterparts; they also gofurther in opening up their value chain to suppliers from

Price

Tool quality

Cycle time

Warrantyconditions

Delivery

Distance

Lack ofservices

Reputation

Language

4.8

4.6

4.0

3.8

4.8

4.6

5.3

4.3

5.0

Perceived disadvantageLack of service

76-100%

43%

51-75%

32%

26-50%

11%

0-25%

14%



Fraunhofer IPTAACHEN, GERMANYwww.etmm.info/2009/11/049

other regions. And while standard toolparts are often sourced globally, servic-es still tend to be procured locally.

Toolmakers were surveyed on ad-vantages and disadvantages they per-ceive when sourcing globally. Here,North American and European tool-makers see advantage residing in price,while Chinese and Southeast Asiantoolmakers source globally becausethey find benefits in quality, reliability,reputation, warranty conditions and,surprisingly, delivery time (Figure 9).

Conclusion and OutlookAnalysis of the survey results revealedthat toolmakers generally are ade-quately addressing only certain aspectsof the challenge to provide servicesglobally. It is clear that emerging mar-kets in China/South East Asia and East-ern Europe especially are open to tak-ing advantage of opportunities such asglobal purchasing and tool exporta-tion. However, toolmakers local on-site presence and the establishment oftoolmaker partnerships for service sup-ply both still are not much empha-sized in any region of the world. Ingeneral, the results show that coopera-tion among toolmakers is still notcommon, and their ability to delivertool-related services on a global level isinsufficient to meet the current de-mand for such services.

In order to be able to offer IPSSs,toolmakers have to adopt new busi-ness models that focus on service pro-vision, cooperation with partners, cus-tomer integration, and strategies foridentifying customer needs. Toolmak-ers on the whole are not addressingthese areas adequately now. Particular-ly, smaller toolmakers who do nothave the resources to offer tool-relatedservices on a global level will have toadjust their business models. Only byclose cooperation with other toolmak-ers, and their own customers, will theybe able to strengthen their competitiveposition in the globalized marketplace.

The FP7 project TIPSS is working ondeveloping an appropriate businessmodel for forward-looking toolmakers.Further information on the project canbe found at the project website.

Not thoughtabout it yet

No appropriatepartner found

Know-howprotection

The cost istoo high

No standardprocedure toco-operate

50% 44% 100%75%67% 50% 22% 29% 3% 33% 29%29%

Percentage oftoolmakers without partners

for service provision

25% 35% 30% 44% 16% 57%

China/ South East AsiaEastern EuropeWestern EuropeNorth America

Price

North America

Quality

Reliability

Warranty conditions

Delivery time

Distance

Lack of services

Reputation

Communication

Customs procedures

0.3

-1.1

-0.8

-1.4

-1.1

-0.9

-0.2

-0.5

0.9

-0.6

Price

Western Europe

Quality

Reliability

Warranty conditions

Delivery time

Distance

Lack of services

Reputation

Communication

Customs procedures

-0.6

-1.5

-1.2

-1.1

-1.1

-1.2

-0.8

-0.6

1.5

-0.6

Price

Eastern Europe

Quality

Reliability

Warranty conditions

Delivery time

Distance

Lack of services

Reputation

Communication

Customs procedures

0.0

-2.0

-2.3

-0.7

-2.3

-0.3

-1.3

1.7

2.7

0.7

Price

China/ South East Asia

Quality

Reliability

Warranty conditions

Delivery time

Distance

Lack of services

Reputation

Communication

Customs procedures

1.6

-0.9

0.4

0.8

-0.4

1.3

1.5

2.4

0.5

1.1

Perceived advantage (scale 0 to 3) Perceived disadvantage (scale -3 to 0)

Standard tool parts Tailor made tool parts

65% 56% 86% 89%

Services

25% 13% 29% 39%

Complete tools

25% 25% 14% 17%27% 43% 11%

China/ South East AsiaEastern EuropeWestern EuropeNorth America

Figure 7: Toolmakers without service partners, by region, and reasons given for not having them.

Figure 9: Areas of advantage and disadvantage in global sourcing, as perceived by toolmakers.

Figure 8: Percentage of toolmakers purchasing parts, complete tools and services from foreign countries, by region.


but all too often lifetime tooling costs become an ongoing expense.

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Special ReportSpecial ReportNew Traceability Concept for Moulded Plastic Parts Features Hands-Free Automated Control,Wireless Option

significantly higher than the cost of i-MET automatic data markers, but theongoing costs would eat away at prof-itability. Labour costs and the moneyspent on consumables such as ink andlabels cannot be recouped. The i-MET

products from EledaCumsa runconcurrently with the mould-ing operation, and they re-quire no consumables.

EledaCumsa is developinga complete in-mould traceabil-

ity system. Current i-MET prod-ucts pave the way for the next stage

of product development. Advancedscanning techniques now make it pos-sible for moulders to use the datamoulded into parts to identify whenand how each part was moulded andthus further production goals.

Through its communication port,the i-MET system can be connected toany external peripheral. The mouldercan mark each part with a unique seri-al number and send the number to adata acquisition system for full controlof the injection moulding process anda complete record of production pa-rameters for every part moulded.

Automated electronic data datersare the most reliable known way toachieve true part traceability. Commit-ment to this goal and to developinginnovative means of reaching it is thedefining mission of EledaCumsa S.A.With available CAD files, incorporatingthe control unit and the data datersinto the tool design is a simple matter.Installation in the mould is easy. Andso is operating and controlling the sys-tem via the control units touch pad orby activating the systems Bluetoothcapabilities.

True part traceability can now berealized with the use of EledaCumsasi-MET products.

number directly intothe plastic part; it also updates

that information automatically. Withthis information changing automati-cally and accurately, moulders candevote their time to more-pressingissues. Also, by being able to mouldthe data directly into the part, theyeliminate the need for such secondaryoperations as printing and etching.

These dating and serialization datersare available in several different sizesand configurations. Facilitating moulddesign and offering easy installation,they make it possible for the moulderto achieve data-marking precision, ac-curacy and accountability.

Once their easy-to-use control unitis set, the i-MET daters inserts advancethemselves to the correct position.Human intervention is unnecessary,eliminating a cause of error. Also, noproduction time is lost to data datermaintenance. Significant savings intime and money can be realized.

Performing secondary operations,such as laser etching or ink-jet print-ing, on moulded plastic parts is expen-sive. Not only is the initial investment

Over the past several years, Eleda-Cumsa S.A. has been working hard todevelop a way for custom moulders toachieve true part traceability. The elec-tronic traceability specialist now offersthe i-MET series of in-mould datadaters to meet its customers chal-lenges and exceed their demands. Thei-MET system combines innovative en-gineering standards, high-quality com-ponents, and Bluetooth wireless tech-nology to provide a solution to the alltoo common problem of inaccurate orincomplete marking of plastic mould-ed parts.

The i-MET system line of data datersnot only moulds the date or serial

EledaCumsa S.A.SANT JUST DESVERN/BARCELONA, SPAINwww.etmm.info/2009/11/051



http://www.easymetal.comhttp://www.etmm.info/2009/11/052


Case StudiesCase Studies

Vacuum-forming is an efficient way tomanufacture simple parts lacking com-plex features that require trimming.When trimming of features located indifferent planes does have to be per-formed, however, bottlenecks ensue,even if the trimming process is auto-mated. Eck Plastic Arts, an Americancontract manufacturer, ran into thisproblem. It solved it by implementinga system of 5-axis trimming with aCNC router. Fortunately, the Master-cam CAD/CAM software from CNCSoftware the company was alreadyusing to programme its 3-axis mill androuters facilitated the transition.

CNC programmer Paul Goodwinrecounts that, in 2006, Eck was awardeda project involving vacuum-formingmultifaceted equipment covers thathad many slots, bosses and clearanceholes on the sides and also edges thathad to be trimmed. It could take days

to trim a few parts like this on a 3-axismill, with most of the time being con-sumed by setup. We would have toorient the part in one direction, runwhat we could, then tear that setupdown, set it up again, reorient it, andrun the next side, till all the trimmingwas completed, explains Goodwin.

The manufacturing team decidedthat this work could be performedfaster and with less manual labour ona 5-axis router, so they purchased aVMS 5-axis router with a Fagor con-troller. Familiarity with Mastercammade it easy for Paul Goodwin toswitch over to 5-axis programming onthe new router.

Using the 5-axis router and per-forming 5-axis programming withMastercam dramatically shortened thetrimming cycle. Working from a solidmodel of the part, Goodwin uses hisMastercam library of tools and opera-

tions to generate efficient trimmingtool paths automatically. He relies onthe softwares computer simulationcapabilities to verify that all the mate-rial needing to be removed has been,while ensuring that the equipmentwill make the appropriate efficientclearance moves to avoid crashing thehead or cutting tools.

Goodwin thus is confident that themachine operator can set the part upand just let it go, trimming all the fea-tures in multiple axes, typically with-out having to flip the part. Operationsthat used to take days and as many asfive setups can now be completed inabout one hour with a single setup.And, as a result of the fast turnaroundit provides, Eck has gotten other proj-ects like the one described here.

Software for Programming 5-Axis Trimming Boosts Contract Manufacturers Productivity in Vacuum-Forming

CNC Software Inc.TOLLAND, CT, USA



The SmartVision cockpit overview allowsthe machine operator to see the effectsof machining in prog

EuroMold 2009

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