There has been great deal of hype surrounding the benefits of additive manufacturing for several years now. Numerous companies have invested in machines and have been trying out the innovative manufacturing process. Such trials often represent a cost-intensive learning process, but the focus is now increasingly on achieving verifiable successes. The following practical applications show that the technology is gaining more and more ground in the machining production environment. Trade visitors can expect to encounter the entire spectrum of 3D printing processes in the Additive Manufacturing Area at METAV from 10 to 13 March 2020.

Additive manufacturing can be used in a wide variety of ways. In metal cutting, it is above all the flexibility of the coolant lubricant (CL) feed that is attracting attention. “Here, turning processes involving a coolant attachment or with narrow tools are deployed in cases where conventional internal cooling cannot be used,” reports Dr. Matthias Luik, Head of Research & Development at Paul Horn GmbH. The latest product with a 3D printing component from the Tübingen-based tool specialists is the CL distributor disc for a reaming tool. A number of special aspects must be taken into account in additive manufacturing (AM). “The subsequent machining of the functional surfaces means that appropriate structures must be created for clamping the workpieces. Internal stress, which leads to distortion of the components, must also be taken into account. In this case, the position of the components in the workspace is a decisive factor,” says Dr. Luik.

The wide range of potential AM applications will make it economically viable to produce more and more parts in this way in the future to meet demand. In many cases, hybrid construction methods in which conventionally manufactured elements are combined with additive components will prove advantageous as means of reducing the machining work to a minimum. The Tübingen tool specialists will be showcasing their products at METAV and taking part in expert discussions.

Zero point clamping technology for additive manufacturing

The entire process chain must be considered if optimum results are to be achieved with AM. The design is no longer dictated by the metal block of material, but by the function of the component. “In machining, tool cooling is currently a crucial aspect,” explains Jürgen Förster, Member of the Management at AMF Andreas Maier GmbH & Co. KG from Fellbach. 3D printing permits the incorporation of cooling channels close to the contours, even in the case of very small machining, casting or injection moulding tools. The integration of optimised cooling channels in the tools ensures faster cooling of the workpieces and thus saves enormous amounts of time.

In the field of machines and technology, it is innovations which are driving additive manufacturing forward, as are networks consisting of a wide variety of companies, users and research institutes which are pooling their knowledge. “Series production and a holistic approach to the process are playing a key role,” reports Förster. “Here, we started to communicate openly from an early stage in order to optimise and standardise the various process steps in terms of clamping technology. Our zero point clamping system offers the best uniform interface for both the printing process and the complete post-processing stage.”

He believes that metal 3D printing will see rapid growth in the future. The “trial and error” phase is now giving way to a desire for process reliability and automation. “As a solutions provider, we are already offering series-ready products that optimise the entire process and make it more economical,” says Förster. These will be on show at METAV 2020 in Düsseldorf.

Focus on digitalisation and materials in the future

In recent years, the industry has been concentrating increasingly on raising the productivity levels of additive processes. The focus has now shifted towards process stability and reproducibility. “For this reason, process observation has become a crucial factor. In particular, the consistency of data formats between the upstream and downstream process steps is becoming increasingly important,” reports Sebastian Bremen, an expert in 3D printing at the Fraunhofer ILT and Professor of Additive Manufacturing at Aachen University of Applied Sciences. “The IDEA and IDAM research projects are developing such process chains for turbomachinery engineering and the automotive industry with leading partners from industry, and should be mentioned here.”

At present, only a few steel materials can be processed additively. High-carbon steel in particular leads to cracking due to the rapid cooling and solidification rates in additive processes such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). For this reason, it is easier to process austenitic and martensitic steel types. These materials are used, for example, in the manufacture of toolholders with an intelligent cooling lubricant supply. “The research aims both to identify high-strength steels for the additive process and to make suitable cutting materials available such as tungsten carbide-cobalt (TC-CO),” explains Bremen. The AiF project AddSchneid, for example, is taking an interesting approach: near infrared emitters are used in the LPBF process to heat the component to up to 800 °C in order to avoid cracking. The aim is the direct production of contour-aligned cutting tools for machining with integrated lubricant supply structures.

“I think that continuous digitalisation of the entire process chain, the integration of sensors for process observation and for improving process stability as well as artificial intelligence for data evaluation will become increasingly important,” predicts Professor Bremen. “In addition, materials need to be developed that benefit from the rapid cooling and solidification rates in additive processes. This will help broaden the application spectrum of 3D printing processes.”

New materials opening up unlimited possibilities

Scarcely any other manufacturing technology has undergone such rapid development in the past five years as AM. Development has been seen not only in the process itself but also in the related design skills, calculation models and analysis tools. In the past, the surfaces had to be extensively reworked, but today this can be minimised or dispensed with entirely. The METAV exhibitor Iscar has been providing additively manufactured tools for its customers for many years. 3D printing techniques are used when manufacturing with traditional methods is difficult or impossible. “Our new product campaign features a number of tools that have never been available on the market before,” reports Erich Timons, CTO and Member of the Executive Board of Iscar Germany GmbH in Ettlingen. “These include tools with very small diameters. When insert-based tools with internal coolant channels have to be produced, conventional methods quickly reach the limits of what is feasible.”  He believes that 3D printing is still in its infancy. “The focus in the future will be on using new additive materials,” says Timons. “This includes the additive production of hard metals and hybrid materials. There is enormous potential right now, as it is possible to combine completely different material properties.”

From March 30th to April 3rd in Düsseldorf, Germany, Tube 2020 will be held, one of the largest and most important events on the international tube world. For five days the Düsseldorf exhibition center will become a global information and communication hotspot for the main players in the wire, cable and pipe industries.

The event, which takes place every two years, will deal with industry, machines and raw materials as usual, but above all it will be aimed at tube manufacturers, manufacturers of machines for processing and processing tubes, piping systems and accessories. and manufacturers of measuring and control instruments for pipes, as well as pipe and accessory dealers. Tube is the world’s leading trade fair for the piping industry and therefore the most important showcase for all professionals who produce, work and use tubes, technological process tools and related tools, measurement, testing and control technology, profiles and associated equipment , as well as used machines for the mentioned areas. Being Tube a trade fair for visitors to the sector, it attracts international experts, specialists, innovators and, of course, world market leaders in the sector, who present on that occasion some of the most innovative technologies in the world of the tube. Tube is therefore a show of a booming industry, and provides experts with answers to the challenges of the future.

In 2020 Tube will reunite around 2,600 exhibitors on a total net space of 115,000 square meters in 15 exhibition halls. For the first time since the fair was born, the new multi-purpose pavilion 1, which can hold up to 10,000 people with 12,027 square meters, will offer Tube exhibitors new presentation options. More space also means greater potential for growth: exhibitors will be able to book even larger, versatile booths with digital technology to present themselves and their product portfolio optimally. In 2020 the Wire and Tube duo expects over 70,000 visitors from around 130 countries.

Fasteners and springs will be exhibited in pavilions 16 and 17, the wire will instead be presented in halls 9 to 12 and from 14 to 17. Machinery and equipment for the production and processing of thread, process engineering tools and will be displayed. auxiliaries, materials, fiber optic technologies, special wires and cables, as well as innovations from the field of measurement, control and automation technology.

In addition to manufacturers of wire and cable machinery, wire and cable products and resellers in halls 9 to 12 and from 14 to 17, knitting machines will be exhibited in Hall 15. They have to face logistics with challenging challenges because these heavy machines require particularly thick cables in the supply ducts to be installed and connected to provide the power required for operation. In Hall 13, Chinese exhibitors will once again show their wire and cable solutions under the heading of China’s expertise. In addition to raw materials, machinery and equipment, finished products will be exhibited. The entire process chain of the tube industry will be presented at Tube 2020, in a targeted and consistent manner in pavilions 1,3,4, 5, 6, 7.0 and 7a. The vast ranges include machinery and equipment for the production, treatment and processing of pipes, as well as raw materials, pipes and accessories, used machinery, process engineering tools, auxiliary devices as well as measurement, control, automation and inspection technology. These ranges are complemented by the trade in pipes and tubes, OCTG technology, as well as profiles, machines and plastic pipes.

Pipe manufacturers and distributors are located in Halls 1, 3 and 4 and have ample space to expose their machines, equipment and products extensively. Following these rooms there are the tube processors in rooms 5, 6 and 7a. In Hall 7.0, for example, the competence of China will be brought under the slogan “meet the Chinese experience”. Over more than 30 years, Wire and Tube Düsseldorf have become the main trade fairs of their industries, and now there are also eleven international satellites that revolve around the themes of wires, cables and pipes. In their regions they are market leaders, the driving forces for local industries that enjoy high growth potential. The satellites in Russia, Brazil, China, Thailand, India and the United States are part of the portfolio of Metals & Flow Technologies fairs made by Messe Düsseldorf.

Among the key issues of the 2020 edition there will be a special focus on how robots and people are joining forces; in fact, during the fair the main updates and the most important news from the robotics sector will be surveyed. Data on sales in this particular sector are continuing to increase, the next step is to pay special attention to artificial intelligence, increasingly relying on robots, and not just for precision welding, bending and cutting of pipes or for the transport and storage of pipes.

Data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) show how the use of robots in industry, and therefore also for the production of tubes, has changed in purely quantitative terms. In 2008, the number of industrial robotics units worldwide was still 113,000. In 2018 this number rose to 384,000 units. China is the main customer. The Asian-Australian market relies heavily on robot support. The request was 260,000 units last year, 71,000 in Europe and 49,000 in America. China remains by far the largest customer, followed by Japan with just over 52,000 units. The United States, the third largest market for robots, made a remarkable jump of 15% to a total of 38,000 units last year. In Europe, according to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), German robotics and automation for the first time reached sales of 15 billion euros in 2018, an increase of 4%. Industrial robots are used in particular for welding, laser cutting and painting. Service robots are used for monitoring, transport and cleaning purposes. The advantages of the robot in the industry are obvious: the advantages include increased productivity, production reliability and stable processes. The challenge is to be able to use robots even for smaller production volumes. If successful, it will open new models in robotics.

Tube China and India

Tube China is an international exhibition for the tube industry, held every two years in Shanghai. It is one of the largest fairs in the world for tube and pipe technology, which has established itself on the market as a branch of that of Dusseldorf. The exhibitors show the entire range from production and editing to tube processing and present not only raw materials, pipes and fittings, but also machines for the production of tubes, technological process tools and various other instruments. Tube China is only available to professionals from very different sectors such as iron, steel, metal, automotive supplies, the electrical, construction, oil, gas and chemical industries, but also for technical trade, crafts, associations and energy and water supply. Since its founding in 2004, Tube China works as a forum for innovative technologies and offers one of the best platforms for trading and networking. With the industry conference on current issues and the challenges of the pipe industry, the fair will be perfectly rounded. In 2020 it will be held for four days, from Wednesday 23 September to Saturday 26 September 2020 in Shanghai. With 16 years of experience, Tube China has become one of the most influential events in the Asian tube and pipe industry. The fair will be held at the Shanghai International New Expo Center with an exhibition space of 112,500 square meters; about 48,000 visitors and about 1,700 leading brands from over 30 countries are expected.