Metalworking World 3-2013

PROFILE Terminator saves climate TECH Deep pocket milling
BRAZIL No more breakdowns TECH Pushing productivity INSPIRATION Toy story

GEAR MILLING Shifting up TECH Aerospace precision
How Manoir Industries was able to offer end-to-end
solutions instead of rough parts.
Power of
passion
3/13
A BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE FROM SANDVIK COROMANT
ENERGY:
Facing fusion
2 METALWORKI NG WORLD
KLAS FORSSTRM PRESIDENT SANDVIK COROMANT
EDITORIAL
WHEN IT COMES TO know-how, our pursuit of
excellence has placed Sandvik Coromant at the
forefront of the metalworking industry. We have
a particular focus on three areas: innovation,
education and competence.
We serve companies from around the globe,
and the knowledge we gain from analyzing
customers processes means that we can re -
com mend new ways of operating to increase
effciency and proftability. This often takes
place through a collaborative relationship. See,
for example, the article on Cummins in Brazil
(on page 12). The engine maker describes the
partnership as two hands working together.
We call it our Productivity Improvement
Program (PIP). No matter what it is called, the
bottom line is that Cummins was able to realize
large cost savings. And we added to our com pe-
tence in the process.
PIP is part of our service offering. The services
represent the competence we have beyond the
actual tooling solutions. Our offering covers
areas from engineering, where we support the
machine investment process, and education,
where 30,000 people attend our various lear-
ning programmes annually, to sustainability,
where we offer solutions for reconditioning
and recycling carbide inserts. The services
also include smart logistic solutions for stock
analysis and reduction programmes, freeing
net working capital.
On page 31 we explain how Manoir
Industries in France beneftted from such a
support programme. The companys industrial
methods manager, Gilles Beaujour, describes his
experience: Sandvik Coromant wasnt just there
to sell me a product, but also to help me develop
the most effcient process. This way of working
is what makes us the competence leader.
Finally, let me thank you for sharing your
challenges with us. The knowledge and expe-
rience we gain is what leads us to create the
best services and make the best tools.

Pleasant reading!
KLAS FORSSTRM
PRESIDENT SANDVIK COROMANT
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should not be treated as advice or be
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conse quential or indirect damage arising
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available in Metalworking World.
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is a business and technology magazine
from AB Sandvik Coromant,
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worldwide. Published by Spoon
Publishing in Stockholm, Sweden.
ISSN 1652-5825.
Publisher responsible under Swedish
publishing law: Jessica Alm.
Editor-in-chief: Mats Sderstrm.
Account executive: Christina Hoffmann.
Editor: Henrik Emilson. Art director:
Emily Ranneby. Art director assistant:
Anna Boman. Technical editors:
Brje Ahnln, Martin Brunnander. Sub
editor: Valerie Mindel. Coordinator:
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editions: Louise Holpp. Prepress:
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registered trademarks of Sandvik
Coromant.
Taking the lead
with competence
France
From rough parts to
nished solutions.
METALWORKI NG WORLD 3
10
A patented new
technique puts Voith
Turbo on the map.
CONTENT
The promise of a new
super insert grade.
Untouchable
edge
12
Brazil
Process
improvements
and big cost
savings.
The new P25 grade provides
a new, higher potential in
cutting speeds and a longer,
more predictable tool life
with high reliability.
The end of
the line
Long-reach
clearance
Powerhouse
of engineering
The best way to improve
the parting off process
with increased material
use and process security.
Optimizing
parting off
10
Operational flexibility,
security and standard-
ization possibilities with
modular tools.
How the aerospace industry
meets the holemaking
re quirements of a complex
manufacturing environment.
6
Profle
Deus
ne-tuned
recycled
motorbikes.
Quicktime:
News from around the world
Profle:
Deus smart recycling
Profle:
Dame Ellen MacArthur
4
6
7
Energy:
Intelligent wind turbines
Brick by brick
How Lego got a grip on innovation
Shifting Gears
Sandvik Coromant vice president on
the shift in gear milling technology
8
18
24
31
France
From rough parts to
nished solutions.
26 38
28
Innovation
Facing the challenges
of fusion energy.
22
TECHNOLOGY
9
QUICKTIME
TEXT: HENRIK EMILSON PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Get the LED out
CLIMATE CONTROL. Arnold
Schwarzenegger has been success-
ful in many fields, from bodybuilding
to film acting and politics. Now the
former Mr Universe/Terminator/
Governor of California is taking on
a challenge that might be his big-
gest to date the climate. In 2010,
together with other global leaders,
he founded the non-profit organiza-
tion R20 Regions of Climate Action
in cooperation with the United
Nations. R20 is led by regional
governments that work to promote
and implement projects designed
to produce local economic and
environmental benefits in the form
of reduced energy consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions. R20s
latest action is a joint venture with
Philips to promote regional and
municipal LED lightning as a tech-
nology that can to help slash the
substantial carbon footprint of
less-efficient conventional light
sources.
Cities, states and provinces
are where the real action is when
it comes to energy-efficient proj-
ects, Schwarzenegger says. We
look forward to having Philips join
our building and street-lighting
effici en cy campaign and help to
make everyone an action hero in
building sustainable communities
and fighting climate change. n
THE BAY LIGHTS
PROJECT.
The worlds largest LED
light sculpture, 1.8 miles
wide and 500 feet high,
creates a dazzling
display across the San
Francisco Bay Bridge in
California with 25,000
twinkling white LED lights.
QUICKTIME
THE NUMBER:
NOODLE FORK
The cumulative global capacity
growth of wind power
in 2012, led by China and
the United States.
19
PERCENT
NEW MATERIALS. Imagine that your recycled
cardboard turns up in the street the following
week as a bike, a wheelchair or a baby stroller.
Through the work of Israeli company Cardboard
Technologies, this may well be possible. The
company manufactures vehicles made of recycled
cardboard strengthened with old car-tyre rubber
and organic raw materials but no metal. The
material is both waterproof and fireproof and is
lighter and stronger than metal alloys and carbon
fibre. An added bonus: Raw material costs are
extremely low. n
Pedal to the
cardboard
In Western cui-
sine, noodles are
generally short
and eaten with a
fork; in Eastern
cuisine, noodles
are usually long
and eaten with
chopsticks. The
noodle fork is an
innovation that
allows any type of
noodle to be eaten
with ease and
style. In 2012 it
won a red dot
from the Red Dot
Design Award, an
international prod-
uct design prize,
presented in
Singapore.
AEROSPACE
Bright design
minds are work-
ing on the prob-
lems of space and
other issues in
aeroplane cabin
seats in economy
class. Design
student Alireza
Yaghoubi entered
the James Dyson
Foundation design
competition with
his concept Air-
Go, which uses
thinner chairs and
trays to create
more space as
well as video
screens that
drop from the
ceiling for each
individual seat
independent
of movements
of the row
in front.
Researchers at Ohio State University in
the United States have been exploring
germanium, a material that ordinarily
takes the form of multi-layered crystals.
As with graphene, germanium has been
created in single-atom-thick sheets,
called germanane, that conduct elec-
trons 10 times faster than silicon and
five times faster than conventional
germanium.
THE WORD:
GERMANANE
In 2012, wind turbines with a total
potential of 45 gigawatts were
constructed worldwide, bringing
global capacity to 282 GW
3 percent of global electricity de-
mand, reports the World Wind Energy
Association (WWEA) in Bonn,
Germany.
DID YOU KNOW?
ENERGY BOOM
Dubbed the Alfa,
the 28-pound
prototype is a
single-speed bicycle
with spokes, rims
and frame all made
from cardboard that
can safely support a
rider nearly 20 times
its weight.
METALWORKS. Can metal be comfortable? It
can if you do what designer Peter Novague did
and folded a single sheet of aluminium origami-style
into a chair. Edge chairs are not only aesthetically
pleasing, with their coatings of bright colours, but
they are also easy to stack, and because theyre
made of aluminium they can be used both indoors
and out. Cushions for the chairs are available for
added comfort. n
Soft
metal
PRESS IMAGES
Heavy Metal
Thunder
Clever recycling and
branding
ENTREPRENEURS. This is exactly
how we want it to be a hangout for
the new biker generation, says Stefan
Wigan, Deus Ex Machina brand and
special projects manager, gesturing to
the hipster bikers crowding the trendy
outlet on Venice Boulevard in the
Los Angeles suburb of Venice Beach.
Deus Ex Machina is an Australian-
based company that wildly mixes
surfboards, clothes, coffee and hotly
sought-after custom-built motorbikes.
The company originated in Sydney
and has grown into a company with
hangouts in Bali, Italy (Milan) and the
United States. Behind the Venice
Beach location is a garage where
Deus mechanic Michael Woolaway
orders in cast-off motorbike parts
and sometimes entire motorbikes so
he can disassemble them into their
component parts and then rebuild
them into Deus motorbikes.
Its a Deus concept through and
through, taking inspiration from the
shapes of the past and building them
into tools with a modern-day, practical
purpose, says Woolaway.
It takes up to two months for Deus to
build a motorbike. The bikes typically
have their roots in the 1950 British
caf racer culture, but everything from
engine to steering uses the latest
technology pared down and scaled
back to make the small monsters of
horsepower. n
QUICKTIME
TEXT: MARCUS JOONS PHOTO: DANIEL MNSSON
Founded in Australia in 2006,
Deus Ex Machina has based its
success on hand-built custom
motorcycles that combine
stripped-away simplicity with
modern components and
performance.
Going round
in circles
Dame Ellen MacArthur
SUSTAINABILITY. After a record-
breaking stint as a professional sailor,
including solo trips around the world,
Englands Dame Ellen MacArthur in
2010 launched the Ellen MacArthur
Foundation, a charity that works with
business for a transition into a circu-
lar economy (the generic term for an
industrial system that is restorative in
nature). The charitys latest endeav-
our is to bring together a worldwide
network of 100 leading companies to
facilitate development and commit-
ment to a circular economy.
The circular economy represents
a clear and proven opportunity for
businesses around the world, says
MacArthur. Our new initiative brings
cohesion and focus to this opportunity
and allows businesses to share expe-
riences, learn from best practice and
work together to achieve real business
benefits. In total we anticipate that this
has a value of more than 10 billion
[US] dollars, encouraging innovation,
investment and job creation.
The aim of a circular economy is
to rebuild capital, whether financial,
manufactured, human, social or
natural, to ensure enhanced flows
of goods and services. n
TEXT: HENRIK EMILSON PHOTO: PHILIPPE CARON/CORBIS IMAGES
Record-breaking sailor Dame
Ellen MacArthur sets the sails for
an improved industrial system.
QUICKTIME
QUICKTIME QUICKTIME
TEXT: HENRIK EMILSON ILLUSTRATION: KHUAN + KTRON
110-
or 139-metre
steel tower
120-
metre rotor
diameter
15
percent increase in
energy production
106
dB(A) standard
sound power level
A new wind turbine from General Electric is not only huge
(its rotor is as big as the London Eye Ferris wheel) but its also
the first intelligent wind turbine that uses a Web-based net-
work to help manage the intermittency of wind, thus providing
smooth, predictable power to the grid regardless of how windy
it is. As with anti-lock brakes in a car, the turbines in the wind
park work together in unison instead of as separate entities.
If one turbine stops, the others pitch in so the total output re-
mains constant. A new type of sodium battery stores excess
power and releases it when the wind slows down. n
Wind it up!
TECHNOLOGY
TEXT: CHRISTER RICHT PHOTO: ADRIAN BURT
In steel turning, a P25 grade is seen as a frst
choice for much of the machining. Its an all-
round safe insert that can also be an optimizer
even a problem solver. The existing P25
grade, GC4225, introduced a few years ago,
is a leader in this area, so why a new grade
now? What can it contribute?

Our target for a new grade for the ISO P25
turning area has been even higher levels of
process security and cutting data recommen-
dations. The variation in material, components,
operations, conditions and limitations in this
area is unequalled throughout machining. As
such, the ISO P25 turning area is the most
diffcult to solve with one insert.
With GC4325 now being introduced, we
are moving on to our seventh generation in
coated P25 grades to cover this large and
diversifed area with even better optimization
potentials. It is light years from the frst gene
ration and has produced the best grade-test
results we have experienced in more than
10 years. Just think of the implications for
the machine shops involved in this type of
machining.
As the market leader in cutting tools, we
are committed to providing our customers
with continuous improvement in their manu-
facturing. We know that the growing P25
steel-turning area makes more and different
demands on the cutting edge. In regard to the
grade development, the all-important coating
adhesion has been improved to combat any
openings for tool wear. The insert substrate
has to stand up to high temperatures,
with no structuralchanges taking
place. The coating and substrate
have been developed together on
a scale that was previously not
possible. We have cutting data
recommendations higher than ever
before for this area, but we have
kept process security, with
predictable tool life, in
focus as the main advan-
tage of the new grade.
Reaching this level of
capability represents
more than advances in
coating and substrate
How did a new super insert grade GC4325 come about, and what does this new-
generation grade promise for the large steel-turning area? Metalworking World
contributor Christer Richt asked Mia Plsson, a senior product manager at
Sandvik Coromant, what has been going on and what has been achieved.
structure. We are talking about a step in
proportion to the very frst coated grade.
What other innovations lie behind the
development of GC4325?
There is a lot behind the achievement. Weve
had to take a hard look at all the factors.
Practically all the manufacturing and pro-
cesses to make the grade have been the result
of innovations.
If I had to mention just one, it would be
the new crystal structure of the coating,
which is responsible for the incredible
new level of resistance to wear. n
A new, untouchable
cutting edge
Want to know more?
www.sandvik.coromant.com/
gc4325.
TECHNOLOGY
TEXT: CHRISTER RICHT IMAGE: BORGS
AN INSERT CUTTING edge that cuts metal effectively,
leaving a satisfactory fnish, does so for as long as it
has an intact edge line. When the line is broken, sometimes
prematurely, it is mostly through the development of the
wrong type of wear. This results in a rapid breakdown,
producing unacceptable parts and compromising security.
It is the end of the line for the cutting edge.
Predictability has become increasingly important in
modern machining, especially with limited supervision,
and there are a number of threats to the edge line remain-
ing intact long enough in steel turning. One challenge is
the large ISO P25 application area, which includes several
very different materials, from ductile low-carbon steels to
hard high-alloy steels, bar material to forgings, castings to
pre-machined parts.
For this reason, when it comes to cutting speed levels in
steel turning, the manufacturing industry average is about
70 percent of recommended values. Factors such as
machine capability, workpiece diameters, operator
com petence and risk aversion come into the picture. The
advances with a new P25 grade, GC4325, will actually
help users resist holding back on cuttingdata levels. The
grade provides extremely high process security
through its ability to retain an intact edge line.
Representative of advances brought about by
this new grade is the turning of a particularly
demanding type of alloyed steel used mainly
for bearings and associated applications.
Improvements here have been far above
expectations of what the grade might
provide. These steels challenge the
cutting edge, with abrasive hard
carbides as inclusions in the steel,
and tend to generate rapid crater
wear and, sometimes, risky wear
development.
THE INSERT SUBSTRATE and
coating of GC4325 have been
developed to better stand up to
high temperatures, thereby
reducing the effect that causes
excessive wear. As a bonus, the
grade is highly capable of
The end of
CHALLENGE: How to further
increase output and add security in
steel turning with one indexable-
insert grade in an area where the
material, conditions and operations
vary widely.
SOLUTION: The new-generation coated
cemented-carbide grade developed for the
large and varied ISO P25 application area.
This innovation in tool material provides a
new, higher potential in cutting speeds and
a longer, more predictable tool life with very
high reliability over an extended area.
the line
SUMMARY
An average productivity increase of 30 percent from todays
existing levels is now available with a new P25 steel-turning grade,
GC4325. The increase is due to the grade's capacity for higher
cutting data, longer tool life and higher security. It represents
a new generation of performance with coated cemented-carbide
indexable inserts and provides a new potential to be tapped
throughout a large and diversified application area.
maintaining the insert edge line at temperatures
more suited for an ideal fuid fow zone when
generating chips.
This translates to capability for
higher cutting speeds with the edge
security for more predictable,
longer tool life as increasingly
needed for unmanned
machining throughout the
P25 area. n
Controlling continuous, natural
wear and eliminating discontinuous,
often uncontrollable wear is a key to
success for steel turning in the ISO
P25 application area. The image
above shows a cutting edge typical
of the best existing insert grades.
Premature wear has terminated the
tools life.
The image below shows a GC4325
cutting edge at the same stage of
the same operation. The edge line
is good, and the tool is still viable.
Pushing productivity
Productivity throughout the large and varied ISO P25 steel-turning area is
to some extent an individual measure, depending on type of production.
But generally it is a combination of machining efciency, often measured
in metal removal rate, and machine-tool utilization, in pieces machined
per hour. For the cutting edge, this comes down to levels of cutting data
and tool life. Cutting speeds of 400 m/min are normal for GC4325,
depending on the application.
Pieces
machined
per hour
Metal
removal
rate
Cutting speed
So Paulo, Brazil. In So Paulo, a partnership or working with
two hands, as the Brazilians say has meant process improvements
and big cost savings for engine block manufacturer Cummins.
TEXT: VINCENT BEVINS PHOTO: LALO DE ALMEIDA
Working with
two hands
Cummins engine factory, Guarulhos,
Brazil. The combined Sandvik
Coromant and Cummins team
worked together to develop an
optimized process.
[1]
[2]
nnn At Cummins plant in So Paulo, Brazil, a problem
with the Operation 120 boring process on the Block C line
was getting worse. Breakdowns in an old machine that
bored into the blocks of truck diesel engines were costing
as much as 80,000 reais (more than EUR 30,000) a year in
downtime, and repairs in 2011 were projected to cost some
BRL 30,000 (EUR 12,000).
The Cummins operation in So Paulo maintains a team of
specialists and suppliers embedded at the plant. Still, the
plant management didnt think it had the technical means to
fully deal with the problem. It turned to Sandvik Coromant
with a stopgap solution: to buy an extra replacement part
for the old machine that kept breaking down.
But Sandvik Coromant came back with a different idea,
one that would completely eliminate Operation 120, taking
advantage of new tools and some logistical reorganizations
to move the other operations on the old machine to newer,
more fexible machines. Perhaps most crucially, the new
layout would provide operators with a much safer working
environment.
Cummins offcials were convinced when they saw a
presentation by Antonio Granzoto, a technical salesman at
Sandvik Coromant. Wed seen people try to come up with
solutions to that before and it hadnt worked, says Emerson
Carlos dos Santos, a manufacturing engineer at Cummins.
But when we saw his presentation we thought, Man, we
have to try that. It could really work.
WHAT RESULTED WAS typical of the partnership between
Cummins and Sandvik Coromant, which has maintained a
presence within the plant since 2005. Together the companies
formed an 11-person implementation team, with eight from
Cummins and three from Sandvik, to work on recoordinating
the entire machining line.
It started off as a smaller team and then was extended
to include programming issues, says Thiago Vasques, a
Cummins manufacturing engineer. It was a big project,
with lots of different people involved. The idea was to
bring together as many people as possible. We were
working with eight fexible machines, and we needed
leading operators involved.
Rejigging the line involved two major challenges.
Firstly, a new technology, Silent Tools, was needed to
replace Operation 120. Secondly, all other operations on
the old machine had to be moved around on the line
without increasing the total time required. A line can only
go as fast as the slowest machine.
The original plan developed by Granzoto specifed that
no single machine step would take more than 12 minutes.
Thus implementation required an entire physical reorgani-
zation of the line. But if it succeeded, it could create
savings of BRL 700,000 (EUR 270,000) per year, much
more than the projects cost.
It worked. Even in its early days, the new system is
saving BRL 180,000 (almost EUR 70,000) a year just in
operating expenses.
IN THE CUMMINS-SANDVIK Coromant partnership, such two
hands solutions are developed all the time.
Without a doubt, the Block C project had a huge
impact, not only on costs but in terms of ergonomics, says
Geraldo Sumitomo, head manufacturing supervisor at
Cummins. Were very happy with the partnership with
Sandvik Coromant. We get top-notch technology in terms
of tools and processes. We have eight new tools in the
testing phase just this year alone.
These kinds of projects are very common, Sumitomo
says. They may come from one side or the other, but all
the improvements and development work are done with
two hands.
Emerson Carlos dos Santos says the best ideas come
together around the coffee machine. We are always
needing to reduce costs, he says. Thiago [Vasques]
thinks about the tools, and we talk with the Cummins team
every day.
They also meet every Friday to come up with ways to

Metalwork for the
automotive sector has
a place of honour in
Brazil, one of the
worlds fastest-
growing automotive
markets. But in a
challenging economic
climate, cutting costs
is critical.
The Cummins factory
precision-drills raw
blocks and heads to
create diesel truck
engines for customers
such as Ford and MAN.
The factory has an
annual turnover of
about 12 million euros.
Cummins exports 15
to 20 percent of its
production, mostly to
the United States. The
company is planning to
build another major
plant in Brazil.
[1] Marcos Morine, round
tools specialist from
Sandvik Coromant, at
Cummins' machining line.
[2] Luiz Adam Vavallo,
tools pre-setter from
Sandvik Coromant.
The Quality Inspection
Department analyzes
the nal details of the
machined engine block
before sending it for
mounting.
TECHNICAL INSIGHT
CUMMINS: SO PAULO, BRAZIL
OPERATION 120 was an engine block
boring process performed on 1,200
units per month at the Cummins plant.
Repeated stoppages were a problem,
and there were safety issues. Instead of
simply providing an extra boring for the
fixed-function machine, Sandvik Coro-
mant created a new solution through its
Productivity Improvement Program,
spreading its function across other
machines.
The key was a new tool, Silent Tools,
which is strong enough to precisely
per form the 120 mm bore on a flexible
machine rather than a supported single-
function machine. The antivibration Silent
Tools bar allows long-length machining
and makes it possible for the tool to work
in a CNC machine with automatic tool
changes, rather than in a dedicated
machine as before.
Crucially, the time required for the
bearing camshaft rough operation was
cut from six minutes to two minutes.
The entire production line was reas-
sembled, and seven other processes
were migrated to the Heller and GROB
machines. The new process and tool
reduced costs while increasing efficiency
and saving production time.
[2]
improve the relationship, with the aim of having a major
new project every six months.
Theres always an opportunity to improve something,
says Granzoto.
IN RECENT YEARS, the overwhelming focus has been on
reducing costs rather than expanding or reorganizing
production, refecting trends in Brazilian metal manufac-
turing. The country has a huge internal market as well as
markets in neighbouring countries such as Argentina, but
the success of Brazils economy has led to a relative loss of
competitiveness in much of the manufacturing industry,
due to the rising value of Brazils currency since the
fnancial crisis hit the United States and Europe. Produc-
tion on Block C has dropped 20 percent in 2013 from the
year before.
Cutting costs is essential, as is having people who
intimately know the specifcs of the metalworking
processes.
Sandvik Coromant will be there if we need a new tool
or new strategy, says dos Santos. They know us, and
they know our factory. n
[1] Via Dutra, a major
highway connecting the
city of So Paulo to Rio de
Janeiro, can be seen from
the Cummins plant.
[2] Leidson Nunes, tools
pre-setter from Sandvik
Coromant, prepares the
Silent Tools bar.
[3] Round tools that
have been reground
and prepared.
[1]
[3]
METALWORKI NG WORLD 19 METALWORKI NG WORLD 19
nnn I think creativity is overrated, says David Robertson,
a professor at the University of Pennsylvanias prestigous
Wharton School, where he teaches innovation and product
development. Robertson is pointing to LEGOs recent
success after a period of corporate turmoil.
For a company that was founded in 1932 and makes
interlocking plastic building blocks, or bricks, LEGO is still
a big part of the present digital day. LEGO memes are an
everyday occurrence on the Internet, and every day kids of
all ages build their own LEGO worlds on all kinds of foors,
ignoring the danger of the bricks being sucked into a vacuum
cleaner.
And yet in 2003 LEGO was on the brink of a bankruptcy,
says Robertson, author of Brick by Brick: How LEGO
Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global
Toy Industry.
IN 2003, the company registered a 150-million-euro loss,
and Jrgen Vig Knudstorp, the companys business
development manager, painted a bleak picture of LEGOs
future. LEGO brought in Jesper Ovesen, an experienced
CFO, who said that, if anything, the picture might even be
more bleak. The company laid off a thousand people, sold
off its headquarters building, took out an emergency loan
and, later, sold a major share of its theme parks.
Basically, they had to try to generate cash just to keep
themselves alive, says Robertson.
And yet the company had done exactly what it was sup-
posed to do. Back in the late 1990s it had realized that children
were abandoning LEGO at a younger age and moving instead
to video games. Distribution channels were changing, and
new players were more aggressive in pushing down LEGOs
margins. Competitors toys were being manufactured in low-
cost countries, while the Danish krone had gotten stronger.
Also, LEGOs patents had expired.
The company created a number of new innovations, in
cluding movies, electronic toys, video games and education
centres. They hired creative people all over the world, and they
signed deals with the Star Wars and Harry Potter franchises.
The Star Wars and Harry Potter LEGOs were hugely
successful but only in years when there was a new movie
out, Robertson explains. When there were no movies in 2003
BRICK
by BRICK
Inspiration. There can be too much of a good thing. Ask toy company
LEGO, whose boost in creativity became too much to handle and almost
led to bankruptcy in 2003. But the company found a way to manage
innovation and rebuild itself brick by brick.
TEXT: RISTO PAKARINEN STYLING: ANTON THORSSON PHOTO: MAGNUS CRAMER
There are more than
915 million ways to
combine six LEGO
bricks.
Each year, more than
400 million people
spend 5 billion hours
playing with LEGO.
LEGO is sold in more
than 130 countries.
Seven LEGO sets are
sold every second on
average.
There are 62 LEGO
bricks for every person
on earth.
Machine tolerance in
the manufacture of
LEGO bricks is as small
as 0.002 millimetre.
The new innovation guidance system keeps innovation
focused. In the past, LEGO managers were pulling levers
that werent connected to anything.
What you need is control, says Robertson. That does
constrain the designers more, but some designers are happier
with the new way of doing things because instead of
creating something that will never see the light of day, their
products now make it to the market nine times out of 10.
Innovation is not the same thing as creativity, he adds.
There are a lot of different roles inside a company that
all matter for innovation, he says. OK, maybe youre not
the creative type, but maybe youre really good at fnding
companies that do cool things and bringing their ideas into
your company, or managing a creative team, or working
with outside partners. Bringing lots of ideas together and
connecting them systematically is really valuable, and
thats the secret to proftable innovation.
Creativity is a part of that, but not an especially big part,
Robertson says. I think creativity is overrated, he says.
I think creative ideas are a natural by-product of a good
process, and they happen frequently if you do the right
thing.
LEGOs new system has been in place for almost a
decade, and it seems to work.
Five years of 24 percent annual sales growth and
40 percent annual proft growth is impressive, says
Robertson. Everyone uses Apple as an example of a great
innovation-driven company, but LEGO belongs in that
conversation too. Their recent results are even better than
Apples. n
David Robertson,
professor at the Wharton
School, University of
Pennsylvania.
What can manufacturers learn from the LEGO story?:
[1] Innovation is not always profitable. Understand how to balance creativity and efficiency. [2] Review your approach and offering on a regular basis,
and change anything that is not working. [3] Adaptability is key to long-term success. Be alert to new possibilities for diversification. [4] Keep playing
and have fun!
and the frst half of 2004, they were in trouble. Almost all
their innovations between 1999 and 2002 were unproftable.
Also, Roberstson adds, LEGO is a fxedcost business.
When they sell above a certain level, profts accumulate
quickly. If they sell below that level, the losses accumulate.
But a main reason that LEGO almost went out of
business was that it succeeded in its attempts to boost
creativity, says Robertson. A lot of things were happening
everywhere in the company, and LEGO encouraged people
to come up with new ideas, he says. It wasnt proftable,
and they lost control. Now they have a new system in place,
and while they can be just as creative now, if youre a LEGO
designer, your job is not just to create a cool toy your job
is to come up with a cool Ninjago toy or a police station.
They are much more focused now, he says, and
therefore proftable.
ON ITS WAY back to proftability, LEGO has also gone back
to its core: the brick. LEGO is good at telling stories
through the bricks and fnding interesting drama in the
constructions you build, says Robertson.
The crisis taught LEGO some humility. In the past, the
company would have big internal shows of new ideas, and
then management would decide yea or nay. Now they create
sketches of a scene in a story, like ninjas battling, and they
listen to the children talk about them, says Robertson. If
the kids come up with a lot of stories, LEGO knows the toy
has potential. As they like to say inside the company, There
are only two groups of honest people: kids and drunks.
The managers job is to ask what the kids say. What do the
German kids say? What did we learn? The process is much
different.
The Metalworking World app is free and can be downloaded to your iPad at the iTunes app store.
Have you seen
the APP?
If you like Metalworking World
magazine, you are going to love
the digital version!
CASE STORIES:
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from around
the world
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TECHNOLOGY
TEXT: ELAINE MCCLARENCE IMAGE: BORGS
FOR VOLUME BAR fed parts manufacturing, producers are
continually seeking solutions that offer more effcient
material usage to control overall costs and support increased
bar feed capacity. Ensuring process security through a pre-
dictable and consistent tool life is also important to ensure
reproducible parts quality, particularly for parting off.
Sandvik Coromant has introduced a range of solutions
covering parting and SL blades, adaptors, shank and Swiss
tools and a new generation of inserts for parting off that
meets these aspirations. CoroCut QD builds on the well-
proven Q-Cut and CoroCut ranges, and in doing so expands
the options for these processes with a fexible, simpletouse
and easy-to-select tooling range.
The focus has been on improvement in key aspects such as
new tool material and a tooling design calculated by FEM
for greater process stability. Tool attachment is achieved via
a smart yet simple userfriendly clamping mechanism. The
tool tip seat is tilted 20 degrees and incorporates a back stop to
withstand high cutting forces. For insert widths 2 millimetres
and wider, the insert interface has a rail to increase stability.
In developing CoroCut QD, attention has been paid to
the development of new and upgraded parting geometries.
When parting off a component, minimized cutting forces
and effcient material removal are important.
An insert should be as narrow as possible and
have a geometry that makes the chip narrower
than the groove to provide a parting off opera-
tion with good chip control and surface fnish.
Within CoroCut QD are inserts with fve
parting geometries and one turning geometry
as well as options for do-it-yourself grinding
and tailor-made options for a broad range of
material types. The PVD insert coating offers
better adhesion, improved edge-line qualities and
better ER tolerance.
As high-pressure coolant, HPC, is commonly
available on most modern lathes, CoroCut QD has been
designed with a through coolant option available on all
tools with insert widths of 2 millimetres and more. This
feature has been designed to be as easy to use as possible
through plug-and-play connections, and inserts are designed
to meet the requirements of HPC.
CoroCut QD addresses the issue of higher material costs
by offering tools with reduced parting widths; it addresses
the trend towards the greater use of high-alloy materials and
increased bar feed capacity with the use of HPC. n
Optimized
concepts for
parting off
CHALLENGE: How to improve
parting of processes?
SOLUTION: Adopt optimized
solutions that increase material
use and process security.
SUMMARY
The manufacture of volume products
from bar requires parting off pro ces ses
that contribute to lowering costs and
maximizing material use. CoroCut QD
is the latest solution from Sandvik
Coromant that builds on the companys
long experience with secure and pro-
ductive bar fed machining. The result is
a simple-to-use and easy-to-select range.
ENDRESS & HAUSER, a leading manu-
facturer of industrial measurement
and automation equipment, produces
components from bars of up to 60 milli-
metres in diameter. De pen ding on the
component, processing time takes two
to 10 minutes, with parting off being
one of the last operations. Because of
the high cost of each component, the
company turned to Sandvik Coromant
for help in developing a more secure
process. With component materials
ranging in Hastelloy or stainless steel,
the aim was to use only one insert grade
and geometry for all parting off operations.
Endress & Hauser tested Corocut
QD, which resulted not only in higher
security in the process with improved
surface nish but greater tool life.
Typical results were six times greater
tool life for stainless steel and three to
ve times greater for Hastelloy. Another
benet of adopting the new tooling
solution was the cost savings. The
material savings through the use of
smaller insert widths meant reduced
costs, and the selection of one grade
and geometry resulted in reduced
inventory, which also contributed to
cost savings.
CASE STUDY:
When parting off a component, minimized cutting forces and
efcient material removal are important.
We are doing things
that were considered
impossible just a
short while ago, says
Lars Bursche, vice
president Sandvik
Coromant.
nnn Quality is the paramount issue in gear
milling. For this reason, the industry has been
slow to adopt new technologies, preferring to
wait until they are fully proven. But innovations
such as indexable insert technology, hobs
and new disc cutter concepts are enabling
productivity gains that should be too great to
ignore.
The technology shift is about revolution
rather than evolution, says Lars Bursche, vice
president Sandvik Coromant. He believes that
the industry is at an important crossroads and
that how manufacturers respond to the new
technology will shape the future competitive
landscape.
Q: Is this really a revolution?
A: Certainly! When you offer tools and
methods that reduce cycle times by 50 to 90
percent compared with existing solutions, it
cant really be called anything else. A shift
like this is scary for some manufacturers.
But they have to ask themselves a question:
Can we afford not to take this technology
on board?
New cutting technologies are about to transform the world
of gear milling, enabling higher accuracy and reductions
in production time. Time savings of up to 90 percent take
competitiveness to a whole new level.
TEXT: PAUL REDSTONE
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Q: What are the risks?
A: Very few. The tools of the
technology shift are an in vest ment
that will last for three to fve years.
Normally we are talking about a payback time
of less than three months. Gear manufacturers
today do not just buy one HSS [highspeed steel]
hob. Typically they buy 10 of the samesize
hob to cope with the logistics of de-coating,
regrinding and re-coating so as to keep the
fow of production on track.
Q: What breakthroughs has Sandvik
Coromant made in gear milling and
hobbing?
A: Within gear milling we are pushing the
limits of what is possible in cutting tool
technology. We are doing things that were
considered impossible just a short while ago,
which makes our full profle hob, CoroMill176,
unique. Our new disc cutter concepts have
paved the way for greatly improved produc-
tivity and tool life.
We have also taken great strides when it
comes to fnishing cutters, thanks to our
development work with advanced design and
An upward shift
in gear milling
metrology software. Now we can predict the
quality of the cutter even before producing it.
For hobbing, we can tailor-make inserts
according to the process demands and the
desired result with or without protuberance.
Our new concepts often result in more suit-
able surfaces and allowances for grinding
compared with HSS hobs. When it comes to
pre-hardened gear wheels, our concepts
greatly outperform HSS. Gear wheels with
52 HRC can be machined, which is only
possible with cemented carbide solutions.
Q: Does modern tooling demand
modern machines?
A: No. We see good results in gear hobbing
with our new concepts on 50-year-old
machinery with time reductions of more
than 50 percent. But if you put the new tools
on a new hobbing machine for example,
with integrated Coromant Capto tool-holding
you will experience magic!
Q: Can small as well as large
manufacturers beneft?
A: Yes! Large-volume producers should
always go for the new hobbing concepts, such
as CoroMill 176 and 177. The mediumvolume
producer can also gain advantages using the
hob concepts if volumes of gearwheels are in
the region of 1,000 to 1,500 per year. For
small-volume producers, the new disc cutter
concept for example, CoroMill 172 is the
optimum choice. Small-volume producers can
also beneft from our revolutionary new methods
for milling gears: InvoMilling and uP gear
milling.
Q: What are the applications for
InvoMilling and uP gear milling?
A: InvoMilling is ideal for high component
fexibility for example, as needed for small
batches and prototype making. It is also
intended for the growing number of machine
shops that do not have a dedicated gear-milling
machine. InvoMilling combines slot- and
turn-milling, enabling machining of involute
gears and splines of any module and helix
angle in one setup on one machine. There is
also a new multi-axis machining method for
spur and helical gears, where variations in
gear shape are generated according to the path
of the tool rather than its shape.
The uPGear technology boosts productivity
and fexibility in machining bevel gears. It is also
used on multi-axis machines, with de di cated
user-friendly software and a set of gear-milling
cutters selected for the application involved.
Q: How does indexable insert tooling
compare with HSS when it comes to
precision?
A: When you regrind an HSS hob, you inevi-
tably lose quality. But with modern, cemented-
carbide, indexable insert hobs, you get a new
hob when you change inserts with the same
quality as the original. And with a 50 to 90
percent reduction in production time, the
fnished gear wheel should be considerably
less expensive.
Q: What gains can be made regarding tool
life in combination with lower cutting data?
A: We promise at least two or three times
longer tool life, but in practice we often see
fve times. When it comes to cutting data, we
can go as low as 80 m/min in cutting speed.
To boost production, the technology offers a
potential of 250 m/min, with no oil required.
The CoroMill 176 indexable insert hob is also
available as a Coromant Capto integrated tool
for 4-5 axis machines.
Q: What range of gear components can be
manufactured with the new technology?
A: Modules from M1.5 (invomilling) up to
M50 can be machined today, but the only limit
is the imagination. Our fullprofle insert
solutions are currently limited to M10, but we
are looking to take this further. Development
never sleeps! n
TECHNOLOGY
TEXT: TURKKA KULMALA IMAGE: BORGS
THE PHILOSOPHY OF modularity in tooling is essentially
that of consciously narrowing down choices to achieve
operational fexibility. A standardized coupling streamlines
tool inventories and enables multifunctionality without
sacrifcing rigidity (as reported in MWW 2/2010, p. 7).
The Sandvik Coromant Capto and exchangeable
cutting head (EH) represent two layers of modularity
based on the same principle of a pre-loaded taper and
fange contact to achieve extreme rigidity and strength.
The EH system specifcally offers a range of solid and
indexable end milling cutters and boring tools for the
same shank in the intermediate diameter range of 1032
millimetres, between the typical ranges of traditional
solid carbide and indexable-insert tools.
Two distinctly different applications beneft from the
compact structure of EH tools: operations requiring long
reach, as in large machining centres (MC) in the diameter
range of 1032 millimetres, and those with critical gauge
length requirements, such as in small and medium-sized
MCs and driven tool holders (DTH) in turning centres.
Typical tool interfaces in turning centre turrets include
the Coromant Capto sizes C3 to C5, while small MCs
typically have couplings such as BT30 and HSK40/50,
where productivity is the key requirement.
Long reach essentially necessitates a slim yet rigid
tool. The EH system provides this by allowing an under
sized shank compared with the cutter head, which gives
the clearance around the shank required in deep pockets.
MILLING OF DEEP pockets for the aerospace industry is a
good example of the machining operations where
modular EH cutters, combined with solid carbide or
heavy metal shanks, offer the required reach without
limiting process security. As an alternative for the EH
system, one can of course use specialized engineered
tooling, but this involves additional costs and longer
lead times and also makes tool breakages a very costly
scenario.
Flexible
compactness
CHALLENGE: How to successfully
end mill a 125-millimetre deep pocket
in a demanding aerospace component
with 15-millimetre corner radii?
SOLUTION: Try an EH indexable
cutter with an undersized cylindrical
shank manufactured from heavy
metal material.
SUMMARY
Modularity offers operational flexibility, security and
standardization possibilities. Modular tools with exchange-
able cutter heads provide long reach for deep pockets as
well as short gauge length for cramped turrets. Good
rigidity offers productivity benefits in both cases.
Another key feature in the EH system is its compactness:
The entire tool from the spindle to the cutting edge consists
of only two parts, the shank and the cutter head, which
eliminates the need for a separate holder. This is capital-
ized on in applications requiring short gauge length, such
as DTHs in turning centres, where the length of tools is
limited by the swing diameter, i.e., the required clearance
around the rotating turret.
The productivity impact of the short and rigid EH tools
can be quite signifcant in these applications: The cutting
depth may be increased by up to 10 times. n
A short gauge length is critical
in small machining centres to
come under the 'critical gauge
line', which has a huge impact
on productivity.
It started with
EINSTEIN
Innovation. ITER, a new research reactor for fusion
energy, is now under construction. The goal: a tenfold
increase on the energy put in. Expectations are high,
but the challenges are numerous.
TEXT: JOHAN RAPP ILLUSTRATION: KHUAN + KTRON
nnn In Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, northeast of Marseille in southern
France, construction is under way for the worlds biggest research
reactor designed for fusion energy, ITER. Researchers say it may hold
the key to solving humanitys energy problems for future generations.
The goal of fusion is to make the energy of the stars available on
earth, says Francesco Romanelli, head of the European Fusion
Development Agreement (EFDA).
Fission energy currently used in commercial nuclear reactors is based
on energy that is released as atoms are split. Fusion energy gives off
energy as atoms fuse together.
It is virtually unlimited because it draws on abundant raw materials
(deuterium, from water, and lithium, from the earth). Fusion does not
produce greenhouse gases or radioactive waste and is considered much
safer than fssion since it cannot trigger chain reactions. An accident
would have very limited, local consequences, according to ITER offcials.
THE ENORMOUS AMOUNTS of energy needed to run the fusion process
present a huge challenge. Matter is turned into plasma at extreme
temperatures.
In 1991, for the frst time, a European test facility (JET) produced a
signifcant amount of power (1.7 megawatts) from controlled nuclear
fusion. Subsequent tests provided more power, but so far much more
energy is put in than is produced. ITER is expected to change this. It
will be built to reach temperatures up to 150 million degrees Celsius
under high pressure and have the capacity to produce 500 megawatts
of output power from 50 megawatts of input power.
Construction of ITER began in 2007. A hundred bulldozers spent
more than a year fattening the platform on which the technical
buildings will be constructed. Earlier this year, ITERs futuristic offce
building was inaugurated.
ITER is not ready yet. It is being built step by step. Researchers have
to solve major problems along the way. One issue is heat exhaust. The
plasma will be held by magnetism in a huge doughnut structure known
as a tokamak. A diverter made of stainless steel and tungsten at the
bottom will come in contact with exhaust at very high temperatures.
This works in a research environment where a reactor is operated for
only a few minutes, but not in a facility that continuously generates
gigawatts of power.
Another unknown is which material to use inside the tokamak and
other plasma-facing components. Fusion produces high-energy
neutrons that bombard and weaken solid materials. Research needs to
fnd materials that can withstand this process.
Some 80,000
kilometres of
nio bium-tin
superconducting
strands will be
necessary for
ITER's toroidal
eld magnets.
ITER is funded
and run by the
European Union,
India, Japan, China,
Russia, South
Korea and the
United States.
The tokamak
building will rise
60 metres above
ground and extend
13 metres below.
The ITER
tokamak will
weigh 23,000
tonnes three
times as heavy
as the Eiffel
Tower.
Temperatures in
the ITER tokamak
will reach 150
million degrees
Celsius 10 times
hotter than the
core of the sun.
ITER TOKAMAK
There are many more questions to answer. Some critics say commercial
use of fusion energy is an unattainable dream.
Challenges abound, but the potential benefts are too great to go
unexplored, says Michel Claessens, ITERs head of communication.
We are working hard to prove the critics wrong.
The year 2020 is the target for the frst plasma tests. Fusion experiments
aimed at the tenfold amplifcation of the power injected will begin seven
years later, according to the ITER timeline.
Plans are for ITER to be succeeded by a prototype commercial reactor,
DEMO, in the 2030s. It would be the frst to deliver fusion electricity to
the grid. According to the EFDA roadmap, the hope is that fusion will
be a viable commercial energy source by 2050.
This is almost 150 years after Albert Einstein provided the frst clues
on how stars get their energy with his famous E=mc equation, which
predicts that a small amount of mass (m) can yield a very large amount
of energy (E). After that, researchers began unlocking the secrets of
fusion.
If you are curious about how a fusion reactor works, check out the
the sun. It generates energy by nuclear fusion of hydrogen nuclei into
helium. At its core, the sun fuses 620 million tonnes of hydrogen each
second. n
Sandvik Coromant invests heavily
in R&D to help power generation
companies with new solutions.
We asked Per Forssell, business
segment manager, energy, about
current and future needs.
Q: The construction of ITER places
high demands on materials and
technology. How does Sandvik
Coromant participate?
We are on the edge of advanced
metal cutting technology in the power
generation industry. We offer solutions
and applications to customers that
provide components to ITER.
Q: What characterizes your
current work with power generation
customers?
We are a prominent player in this sector
and work with the metalcutting of
components used in coal, gas, water,
wind and nuclear power. The needs
vary, depending on the power genera-
tion system. When the systems are
complex and shutdowns are costly,
high-end components are essential in
order to avoid problems. We can
provide them.
Q: What is your view on the
future of power generation?
The climate issue is crucial. It will take
time before we can rely on solutions
such as ITER. At least for the next 20
years, we will depend on coal power
generation. Because coal pollutes, the
focus is on reducing emissions and
improving efficiency in modern systems.
This involves new material in turbines
that can handle higher pressures and
higher temperatures a development
that places high demands on metal-
cutting technologies. Thanks to our
focus on R&D we are able to meet
different needs.
PER FORSSELL
business segment
manager, energy,
Sandvik Coromant
INNOVATION
IS THE ANSWER
Fusion of deuterium
with tritium,
creating helium-4,
freeing a neutron
and releasing 17.59
MeV of energy.
Deuterium
Tritium
Helium
Neutron
Ptres, France. Manoir Industries manufactures huge-scale
components such as elbows and pipes for the nuclear power
industry. Thanks to a partnership with Sandvik Coromant, the
company can now supply finished solutions rather than just
rough parts.
More power
to your elbow
TEXT: ANNA MCQUEEN PHOTO: AUDREY BARDOU
nnn The image of Normandy as a place of
rolling hills, apple orchards and cows grazing
on lush green grass to produce creamy Cam-
embert cheese is swiftly forgotten when you
enter the Manoir Industries plant in Ptres,
near Rouen in northern France. Flames, melt-
ing steel, heavy industry and the high-tech
machining of critical components for the
nuclear industry bring you crashing back to a
different kind of reality.
Manoir Industries is the world leader in
moulded primary loops for nuclear power
stations and a specialist in intricate parts made
from complex metals that require special
qualities to ft their applications in the petro-
chemical and nuclear industries. With these
components, there is no room for error.
In 2011, the company decided to invest in a
new horizontal machining centre, equipping
itself with a TOS Varnsdorf WRD130 machine
at a value of 2.3 million euros, to machine
valve bodies and pump components of up to
16 tonnes in weight. The investment illustrates
Manoir Industries determination to become a
key partner in worldwide power plant con-
struction, and to fulfl its partnership with
French energy conglomerate Areva, signed in
2012, to replace the primary circuits of the
countrys frstgeneration nuclear power
plants.
Now we can machine the
interiors of primary loops for
nuclear applications, says
Gilles Beaujour, industrial
methods manager for Manoir Industries.
These large elbows and tubes are already
manufactured by us at the foundry in Ptres,
but until now we have only been able to supply
our customers with rough parts. Now we can
provide an end-to-end solution for existing
customers and can open the door to new ones
seeking a fnal machining solution for their
parts. These could include customers in the
piping, energy, valve and pump, and defence
industries.
The machine was ordered in October 2011
via French distributer REPMO from Czech
manufacturer TOS Varnsdorf and
delivered in May 2012. Installing
the machine was a complex
technical challenge requiring
Elbows like this one may
weigh eight tonnes or more
and are critical components
for the nuclear industry.
Rough nishing of
small components
in progress. With
the new machine,
Manoir Industries
can now nish
components up to
16 tonnes in weight.
34 trucks of concrete, 1,400 cinder blocks,
11 tonnes of steel reinforcements and 900
tonnes of hardcore material just to make the
base for the site.
Once the machine was ordered, Manoir
Industries needed to establish what tooling
equipment it was going to use and, more
importantly, who was going to supply it.
BEAUJOURS FIRST MOVE was to call three of
Manoir Industries regular suppliers for their
input and at the same time launch a study with the
R&D centre of the cole Nationale Suprieure
dArts et Mtiers (ENSAM) in Cluny. I
commissioned a project to establish the best
cut and cutting material, says Beaujour,
himself an alumnus of ENSAM. We had to
optimize this new means of production and
validate the cutting tools and positions needed
to establish the best compromise between
speed, chips and wear.
With the Sandvik Coromant Capto system as
the favourite, Beaujour began working with
Damien Benoist, a tooling system specialist at
Sandvik Coromant, based in Orlans, to refne
the details. A primary circuit 90-degree elbow
part has a diameter of 787.4 millimetres and a
weight of eight tonnes, says Benoist. Machining
these parts involves the removal of some 2.5
tonnes of metal chips, but the biggest technical
challenge was designing a system that would
have the necessary manoeuvrability inside these
huge parts to remove between four and 20
millimetres all over for the fnished piece.
The WRD130 machine
uses Coromant Capto clamping
units, sizes C10, C8 and C6.
It offers a quick-change
solution that is solid,
reliable and easy to use.
Tool holders include several
tailor-made Coromant
Capto C10 cutting units:
both long and short, with
right-hand, left-hand and
neutral combinations.
The machine also uses
indexable carbide inserts,
which are recycled for
Manoir Industries by
Sandvik Coromant.
No room for error. Gilles
Beaujour and his colleagues
at Manoir Industries are
world leaders in moulded
primary loops for nuclear
power stations.
36 METALWORKI NG WORLD 36 METALWORKI NG WORLD
The TOS machine in
action. The rst elbow
to be machined was
delivered in October
2012.
The solution uses the C10size Coromant
Capto clamping and cutting unit, designed
especially for this application. Damien was
able to take my specifcations and transform
them into an industrial projection, Beaujour
continues. Sandvik Coromant wasnt just
there to sell me a product, but also to help me
develop the most effcient process.
Benoist came up with the idea to use double-
headed tools to reduce tool-changing times.
Double-headed or turbo tools are mainly used
in automotive applications, but this seemed
like an ideal situation for that technology, he
says. At ACES (Advanced Center for Engi-
neered Solutions), our task is to respond to the
technical challenges of a project where standard
solutions are not enough, and to come up with
optimized processes that are both at the cutting
edge of technology and economically viable.
MANOIR INDUSTRIES WAS also very keen that
the clamping and cutting solution should be as
standard as possible. Quick changes, modu-
larity and cross-compatibility are very important
to our long-term money-saving strategy, and we
need to be able to add a range of standardized
tools to the system when our machining business
expands into other parts, says Beaujour.
The newly installed machine was fred up
for the frst time in September 2012.
However, Manoir Industries quickly real-
ized it had failed to consider how the parts
being machined would vibrate. Beaujour
recalls: We just assumed that the weight
nine tonnes for an elbow would hold it frm,
but such is the stress of the cut that it
began to vibrate with the force. I
immediately launched a study with
ENSAM to develop a dedicated
mount to secure the parts, but we had
to shackle down the frst piece we
machined with lengths of heavy-duty
chain.
The team was also slightly appre-
hensive about how the two cuts
would meet in the middle. Given the
size of the parts, they are cut from
one end before being rotated 180
degrees and then cut from the other. In the
end, we were pretty impressed when we
discovered that there was less than 0.1 milli-
metre difference between the cuts, says
Beaujour.
The frst elbow to be machined was delivered
at the end of October. Each part requires around
250 hours of machining and uses about two kilo-
grams of carbide inserts, which are collected
and recycled by Sandvik Coromant.
Those involved agree that one of the reasons
for the success of the partnership was a shared
passion. We had a common aim, and we
worked together to fnd the optimal solution,
says Beaujour. I believe its when things
really click on a human level that partnerships
truly work.
THESE ARE exciting times for Manoir Industries.
A new investor has come on board with a solid
fveyear plan to grow the business, and the
company is undertaking a new strategy to
replace and upgrade its equipment. The future
looks very promising, says Beaujour. Pro-
ducing fnished parts with high added value
on the TOS machine is another step towards
creating the industry of the future. n
n Sophie Maire (left) and Damien Benoist
(middle) from Sandvik Coromant, with
Manoir Industries Thierry Grille (mid-right)
and Gilles Beaujour (right). "We worked
together to nd an optimal solution," says
Beaujour.
Founded in Normandy in 1917,
Manoir Industries now
has a worldwide presence.
The group has three key
markets: petrochemical and
nuclear; energy and industry;
and rail and construction.
It employs 1,600 people and
has annual sales of about
220 million euros.
In 2013, Manoir Industries
was acquired by the groups
historic partner, Chinese
metal working giant Yantai
Taihai.
The company focuses on
one-off pieces conceived and
designed in partnership with
clients, so quality and
customer service are key.
Manoir Industries prides itself
on expertise in raw materials
and works with clients starting
at the earliest stage possible
in order to develop tailored
solutions that lead to long-term
partnerships.
Manoir Industries Gilles
Beaujour sees a bright future
ahead for his company.
TECHNOLOGY
TEXT: ELAINE MCCLARENCE ILLUSTRATION: KJELL THORSSON
Powerhouse
of engineering
IN THE AEROSPACE industry, the
engine section represents the
pinnacle of engineering in terms
of complexity and manufactur-
ing precision. The industry is
fore cast to double its production
over the next 15 years, at the
same time increasing the use of
sophisticated high-strength and
-hardness materials. Machining
to the precise tolerances that are
required puts additional pres-
sures on an already extremely
deman d ing production environ-
ment. Sandvik Coromant has
new and proven solutions for
holemaking in heat-resistant
super alloys (HRSAs) that
support the un compromising
requirements of these key
operations in aerospace as well as
in industries such as oil and gas.
HRSAs are diffcult to ma-
chine because they generate high
cutting forces during machining,
leading to high pressure and
heat, which in turn can result in
work hardening. In addition, due to
poor thermal dissipation, drills are
able to withstand high te m pera-
tures, which means that heat ge n -
erated during the drilling pro cess
is retained within the work piece,
and theres a risk that the heat will
be transferred to the drill, causing
premature drill failure. n
MAXIMUM PRECISION
CoroDrill 846
Thin-walled components
require precision-drilled holes.
The updated CoroDrill 846
offers a safe and secure
process through controlled
edge wear with reduced axial
cutting forces.
DEDICATED GEOMETRIES
CoroReamer 835
Complex and sophisticated
components under extreme stress
place high demands on hole quality.
High-performance solid carbide
reamers from the CoroReamer family
are the solution, with dedicated
geometries for various applications
and materials.
SECURE THREADING
CoroTap S
The tapping of ISO-S and
heat-resistant materials is a
highly abrasive operation that
requires cutting forces to be
kept to a minimum. CoroTap
tools feature an enhanced
edge design and material
grade to ensure reduced axial
forces and torques.
SECURE TOOLING PERFORMANCE
CoroChuck 970 and 930
These precision hydraulic chucks offer
secure tooling performance in tapping and
drilling operations. They can be quickly
tightened or released with a dedicated
torque wrench, improving efciency through
quick and easy set-ups and changes.
EXCELLENT SURFACE FINISH
CoroBore 824XS
Designed for small diameter holes in
casings and shafts where tight tolerances
and excellent surface nish are required,
these tools have an adjustment scale,
making it possible to adjust the diameter
to micron tolerances.
Inveio
An innovation at the atomic level has changed the face

of metal cutting. The fnely controlled structure of its
coating guarantees that GC4325 shows longer tool
life and more reliable wear in the widest range of steel
turning applications.

It redefnes the performance possibilities of ISO P25
and is everything you ever needed in one single insert.
Redefning ISO P25
The widest steel turning
application
Superior endurance
Keeps your machine
running at the maximum
See the whole story at:
www.sandvik.coromant.com/gc4325
Outstanding predictability
We even use x-ray to ensure
optimum quality standards
Uni-directional crystal orientation
Performance beyond
what the eye can see
New GC4325 for steel turning
The frst insert grade featuring Inveio
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PROFILE Terminator saves climate TECH Deep pocket milling

BRAZIL No more breakdowns TECH Pushing productivity INSPIRATION Toy story

An innovation at the atomic level has changed the face

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