Events

Friction equals money wasted. With ever increasing energy costs it pay to keep an eye on the parts of your business that help it operate most efficiently. Paper mills use an average of 20% of total energy just to overcome friction . One third of all fuel energy used in passenger cars is used for the same purpose . Overall countries could save close to 1.5% of GDP by greater attention to the reduction of friction . For New Zealand that is over 3 billion dollars that could be invested in other activities, simply by working to reduce energy costs through low friction design and correct maintenance of existing plant. Since 1977 Auckland Bearing Distributors have been sticking to what we do best – supporting New Zealand industry by representing some of the best names in bearings and power transmission. We are proud suppliers of Nachi and NSK bearings, NAK oil seals, Tsubaki chain and many other famous brands. With over 15,000 stock lines and access to a world of specialty parts through our dedicated procurement service, Auckland Bearing Distributors are committed to being THE bearing and power transmission specialists in New Zealand for all sectors of industry. Auckland Bearing Distributors are proud to be presenting at 2014’s EMEX show. EMEX is New Zealand’s foremost industrial trade show and it is a great opportunity to put ourselves and the brands we represent in front of the people who are creating New Zealand’s manufacturing and engineering future. Come and see us at stand 2076 at this year’s show and let us show you how we can put our experience to work for you. 1 Holmberg et al. 2013. Tribology International 2 Holmberg et al. 2012. Tribology International 3 Jost. 2005. Proceedings of World Tribology Congress  

 PICTURE: The UR5 from Universal Robots with the Control Box and Teach Pendant. Design Energy, appearing on Stand 2075, says to remain competitive engineering companies are constantly looking for ways to reduce the cost of producing parts. Some are spending significant amounts money on larger capacity machines, specialised tooling and CAM software which will optimise cycle times. In many cases shaving seconds off a cycle time is celebrated as a win. But three times a day, the machine stops for 15 to 30 minutes while the operator is at smoko or lunch. Most engineering companies running CNC Machining Centres would ask themselves at some point; what is the cost/benefit in automating the loading of the machine? A bar feed on a CNC Lathe is a cheap way to automate the machine loading process, and this has proved to be a ‘no-brainer’ for those application able to apply it. But what about all those other applications a bar cannot be applied to? A 6-axis robot is a great solution for these applications. So why isn’t everyone doing it? The short answer is that the technology is still catching up. Currently most robots are difficult to program and this programming time (up to 60 minutes for a simple loading operation) means the robot can only be economically applied to large runs of 1000 or more parts. In many New Zealand machine shops the batch sizes are more like 5 – 50 parts. Spending an hour programming a robot to load 5 parts does not make sense. Universal Robots, from Denmark focused on this issue when designing their latest robots, the UR5 and UR10. With this in mind they developed affordable, flexible robots which can be programmed to load a CNC Machine in 5 – 10 minutes. The programming time has been slashed […]

Following the introduction of the Vortex high-efficiency area-clearance strategy in PowerMILL 2014 last September, Delcam’s new roughing strategy has now been added to the FeatureCAM, PartMaker and Delcam for SolidWorks CAM systems. Delcam will be appearing on Stand 3075 at EMEX 2014 with its new Vortex range. A video showing the benefits of using Vortex in FeatureCAM to program a HAAS machine can be seen atÊwww.delcam.tv/vortexhaas Vortex gives the fastest safe metal removal from solid carbide tooling, in particular designs that give deeper cuts by using the full flute length as the cutting surface. It can be used for two- and three-axis roughing, three-plus-two-axis area clearance and for rest machining. It gives benefits when machining all types of materials, including titanium, tool steel and alloys such as Inconel. Vortex produces toolpaths with a controlled engagement angle and so maintains the optimum cutting conditions for the toolpath that would normally be possible only for the straight-line moves. As a result, higher feed rates are possible so the cutting time will be shorter, while cutting will be undertaken at a more consistent volume-removal rate and at a constant feedrate, so protecting the machine. The constant feedrate achieved with Vortex is a fundamental difference from other high-speed roughing techniques. Trials at Delcam have shown that this approach is more reliable as it can often be difficult to predict exactly how machine tools will react to changing feedrates. Vortex also uses a minimum radius parameter, calculated to make sure that the machine tool can keep up the cutting feedrate in corners and, more generally, for any non-straight part of the toolpath. This makes the cutting process more predictable since the machine should run at the programmed feedrate throughout and not slow down in the way that it could on other kinds of area-clearance toolpath. […]

Nimbus Software Ltd will be showcasing its Business Management Software on Stand 2032 at Emex 2014. A genuine kiwi company, established in 1975, Nimbus Software has developed a comprehensive suite of Business Management software, providing solutions from the top of your business, right to the bottom line.Managing Director of CF Reese, Hamilton comments on how Numbus Software has worked for them:”Strong workflow tools fit in with how our business operates, and its configurability means we can customise it to our particular requirements. It is integral in logging, job costing and quoting small to significantly large contracts.” Our stand will feature rolling PowerPoint presentations of our latest version of Nimbus which includes features such as Project and Job Management, Asset management and Inventory Control, Financial Management, CRM and Mobile Manager. Come and discuss your business requirements with our experienced Business Development Managers who will be on hand to demonstrate a working version of Nimbus Software , and answer any questions you may have on the product, and its capability to be configured to match your exact needs. Mention this advertisement when you visit the Nimbus stand, and go into the draw to receive a Nimbus Business Gift Pack.  

 They all use a lot of solvents during the manufacture or preparation of their products. Many thousands of litres of solvents are in use every day in many industries and they are expensive to purchase and becoming even more expensive to get rid of after use. Solvent recyclers have in the past been regarded as an optional piece of gear for many manufacturers but now are seen increasingly as an essential part of the total process. There are two reasons for this; One is the cost benefits that can be had by recycling the dirty solvent in the manufacturing process. The actual cost savings can be far larger than many realise with pay back times of well under 12 months for some installations. The amount of solvent held on site can be reduced and this is important as licences are held for a specific quantity per site. The quality of the recycled solvent is just as good as the original and can be re used in the manufacturing process again and again. The second, and this is becoming more important every year, is the benefit that can be promoted as a responsible carer for the environment. Customers are becoming far more aware of the effect on the environment that occurs during the manufacture of the products they buy. Commitment to recycling can be used in advertising and in product information to reassure customers that every possible step is being undertaken to reduce negative effects during manufacture. Solvent recyclers are simple to operate and are extremely reliable and long lasting machines that take up minimal space and require no supervision during operation. Almax Industries Ltd, exhibiting on Stand 3062 at EMEX 2014, has a comprehensive range available and can provide calculations to show the savings that can be achieved. Call Denys […]