When machining middles or other prismatic parts, centering is a delicate and time-consuming operation. Whether the operation is carried out on a lathe or on a machining center, the problem remains the same: clamping the part with equal pressure on all its sides in order to ensure perfect centering. With a traditional collet the centering operation can become difficult if the X and Y dimensions of the part are not perfectly equal. In order to provide a solution to this recurrent problem (…)

The Jura is well-known and highly reputed for its watchmaking and microtechnology sector. And so it is only natural that more and more companies from the canton flock to the trade shows every year, exhibiting their products either on their own stands or in joint spaces rented by the canton’s Promotion Economique business service. This year, exhibitors from the Jura number 57; 37 of these will be present on joint stands organized by the canton. Attractive joint stands For a business, the (…)

In spring 2010, Matsuura, the leading Japanese manufacturer of quality machining centres is set to showcase its new 5-axis vertical machining centre, the MX-520. This 5-axis entry-level model was premiered at a company exhibition in Japan just a few days ago, on the occasion of the Matsuura’s 75th anniversary. Now, it is to make its Switzerland debut too. Top quality for small batches The MX-520 from Matsuura is specially designed for the cost-effective production of one-off jobs and (…)

When machining titanium and titanium alloys, stainless steel or nickel alloys, depending on the size and depth of the internal screw threads to be produced, cutting thread-tap technology is not the most effective, neither in terms of reliability nor in terms of machining time. The company DC Swiss in Malleray, specialized in the production of threading tools, and whose reputation for quality is well-known, is today presenting a new range of carbide milling cutters designed for carrying out (…)

The main activity of Meyrat SA is in the field of spindles for machine tools. The company offers a complete range of motorised milling spindles with a flanging diameter of 50mm (MMO-50). These spindles use the HSK cutting-tool clamping system and can reach very high levels of precision in terms of radial deviation measured on the tool tip. This technology also means the tool length can be measured outside the machine, thus providing gains in productivity as machine idle time is greatly (…)

In the modern industrial world, we tend to talk of “custom-made and time-consuming” or “standard and available as of now”. Watchmakers G&F Châtelain have discovered an ideal alternative, combining flexibility and rapidity, for all its assembly-mounting, sandblasting, polishing and colouring-off operations. We talked with Messrs Kamel Hadjadji, head of Methods, Patrick Oudot, mass production advisor at G&F Châtelain, and Vincent Dormoy, head of Sales for French-speaking Switzerland at (…)

The automotive industry is constantly raising the bar, creating a high workload for subcontractors in this field which means they really need to attack the material at speed. In some cases, this speed means the bar tends to actually move back, which obviously has a detrimental effect on machining. To solve this problem, there are numerous grooved or hatched grippers, however these can damage the material. So... Is there no solution? We met Alain Marchand, director of Swisscollet SA, who (…)

The organizations team of Siams 2010 proudly announced more than 15’500 visitors and the best ever Siams since its creation. Eurotec was there and it is true that the exhibition was full and very positive, everywhere people were smiling because of the wide number of good contacts done there. I discovered a lot of new products, from machines to devices and parts of machines… but also very impressive parts on the sub-contractors booths. Discussions with people from every side of the (…)

Italy’s ML Incision Laser, leading in laser engraving, explains the advantages of laser ablation. Extreme precision and intelligent machining strategies are qualities long associated with GF AgieCharmilles, and the Group’s new Laser products go even further, according to the experts at renowned Italian photo laser company ML Incision Laser. ML Incision Laser (www.incisionilaser.it), based in Onore, Italy, about 80 kilometers northeast of Milan, is known for its results, especially its (…)

At Siams KuKa presents a small assembly and manipulating cell. Combining a linear axis to the capacities of a scara R550 robot, this cell is ideal to manipulate small parts like needed in watch industry or microtechnology. The KR 5 scara R550 has a reach of 550 mm with a payload of 5 kg and a high positioning accuracy of under 0.02 mm. The Kuka Scaras combine fast and best-selling scara manipulators with very dependable and best-selling PC-based robot controller. And the linear axis… The (…)