After a four year wait, the MTD team is excited to be returning to the MACH exhibition to be the promotional vehicle of choice for the latest technology the industry has to offer. With the pandemic preventing the MTA from fulfilling its bi-annual slot in 2020, the show in April promises to be an absolute cracker. At previous MACH exhibitions, the MTD team has dedicated each day of the event to one specific ‘MACH Live’ participant. This year we are doing it differently! By Rhys Williams
What are we doing and why?
This year, we have made the ‘MACH Live’ platform different, to better reflect the exhibition and its participants. With no MACH exhibition over the last four years, just consider the gargantuan number of new technologies and machine tools that have been developed that nobody has been able to see. Just focusing upon one company each day throughout the event wouldn’t be serving our viewers, the industry or the exhibition justice. So, at MACH 2022, MTD will have our full team of reporters, cameramen and the behind the scenes magicians that make it all work. Like our MTD magazine team, the digital crew will be reporting on all the activity that is taking place throughout the week.
However, for businesses fortunate enough to pre-book their slots with MTD, we will be undertaking ‘MACH Live’ broadcasts direct from manufacturers’ exhibition stands at the show. The live streams will be broadcast across MTD’s YouTube and LinkedIn channels as well as on the MTD website and App with the footage emailed to more than 20,000 engineers after the event. With more than 1.2 million social media impressions every month, this will be a huge opportunity for our ‘MACH Live’ participants to reach engineers that couldn’t make it to MACH or manufacturers that simply didn’t get a chance to get around every stand at the show. Filling these prestigious slots will be recognised brands such as Hexagon, Star, Ceratizit, Hainbuch, NCMT, Matsuura, Sodi-Tech EDM, the Hoffmann Group, Intoco, Dugard, Schunk, Haimer and Chester Machine Tools.
With allocated timeslots, our schedule for Monday the 4th of April will include Hexagon, Star, Ceratizit and Hainbuch. Kicking off the first live slot will be Hexagon where MTD will be filming the complete software portfolio that demonstrates how its solutions help engineering, production and quality teams adapt more quickly to changing requirements and improve productivity from design to production and inspection. Every manufacturer knows that even the best-looking design can fall flat when the rubber meets that often-bumpy road of production. Making the transition from design to manufacturing without computer-aided design (CAD) software that helps meet design requirements specific to manufacturing can lead to costly delays. Now available to all of Hexagon’s CAM software subscribers, DESIGNER provides CAD and model preparation tools that speed up adjustments that ensure the manufacturability of parts. The software includes a variety of productivity-boosting features that can be easily utilised by new and experienced personnel.
Making their debut is Hexagon’s computer-aided engineering (CAE) team. It will demonstrate how virtual manufacturing and costing solutions, such as the Simufact portfolio, predict defects and process challenges for cold rolling, sheet metal forming, welding, riveting and additive manufacturing operations. It’s difficult and time consuming to achieve accurate measurements, especially when several tools and expert users are required to create usable, high-quality point clouds. Making these workflows easier by reducing the required steps can save significant time and resources.
MTD will also look first hand at how quickly and easily a part can be scanned for reverse engineering using Hexagon’s AS1 3D laser scanner. The AS1 is used to scan a part directly into reverse-engineering or CAD software as a high-resolution point cloud, where the part can be prepared for machining or other processes.
The company will also be showing an Absolute Tracker, which provides absolute positioning to the AS1, so it can be detached from a measuring arm to scan anything using walk-around inspection. This handheld scanning flexibility makes it possible to scan large parts in-situ with high accuracy and surface coverage. 
The MTD ‘live’ broadcast schedule for MACH week
Making the most of your machine tools can be tough without CAM software capable of safely and efficiently programming machinery. So, Hexagon will demonstrate the latest developments from EDGECAM, WORKNC, NCSIMUL and also ESPRIT – which is now integral to the Hexagon portfolio.
At the heart of the stand, a Hexagon GLOBAL S CMM will demonstrate a range of inspection activities that offer manufacturers the flexibility to adapt to many new requirements with a single machine. The CMM enables automatic switching between a growing number of different tactile and non-contact sensors.
Following the Hexagon slot, we’ll be on the Star Micronics GB stand filming the latest model on display, the new SL-10 sliding head lathe that follows the UK premiere of the smaller SL-7 at Star GB’s event held in November. Capable of machining bar as small as 0.8mm diameter, the SL Series has been designed for manufacturing miniature components. Both models offer 6 turning tools on the main side and up to 5 cross-working tool positions, of which 4 tool positions are available for cartridge attachments such as thread whirling, slotting, gear hobbing, angled drilling and polygon units.
Another model that we’ll be looking at is the SX-38. The company’s 38mm diameter machine will take centre stage to show its three-channel machine, offering a total of 12 axes that is developed to suit complex mill-turn applications with its versatility, accuracy and performance.
The most popular model in the Star machine range has also been revamped with the third-generation SR-32JIII succeeding the SR-32JII. On Star GB’s stand will be the versatile SR-32JIII Type B variant that offers a range of benefits including improved rigidity, enhanced swarf clearance, upgraded ergonomics and the inclusion of a sub-spindle flush pump as standard. In addition, Star GB will be demonstrating a range of models up to 42mm diameter capacity across its SW, SR and SB model ranges. We’ll also return to the Star stand on Wednesday to make sure our viewers don’t miss a thing.
From 1 to 3pm, the team will be on the Ceratizit stand to film the live prize draw for a Hope HB130 mountain bike, valued at over £6000. As well as showing its latest cutting tool innovations at MACH, Ceratizit UK & Ireland will also be using MACH to raise valuable funds for its two chosen charities, the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK. To be in with a chance of winning the bike, which will be custom-fit to the winner, simply make a minimum donation of £10.00 at https://www.justgiving.com/teams/WNTEVENTS where you can select which of the two charities you want to support. The winning entry will be chosen on the first day of MACH on the Ceratizit stand 18-210 at 2:00pm by World, Olympic, European and Commonwealth cycling champion Katie Archibald MBE. In addition to making the draw, Katie will be on the Ceratizit Stand from 10:00am through to 3:00pm, where she will be happy to chat, sign autographs and, be available for photos.
Katie’s presence on the Ceratizit stand marks her return to competing with the UCI Women’s Continental team CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling on a three-year contract. As part of the team, Katie will compete in the Tour of Britain, but her focus will be track cycling to win more gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, the World Championships in 2023 and the Paris Olympics in 2024. For many of her races in the velodrome, Katie will be riding the Hope Technology/Lotus/British Cycling track bike that has been manufactured at Hope Technology’s Barnoldswick factory using tooling supplied by Ceratizit.
The MTD crew will also be filming technology from the four competence brands of Ceratizit, WNT, Komet and Klenk and the latest innovations in cutting tool and workholding advances. From the turning stable, MTD will be looking at the new CTCP115 CTCP125-P and CTCP115-P grades developed for the machining of ISO-P grade steel. At the end of its life,
Ceratizit has integrated a new indicator layer into the special multi-layer Dragonskin tool coating that highlights when the tool life is close to its limit.
With regard to milling, MTD will be taking a closer look at the Silverline range of solid carbide end mills that is available in a variety of styles including Torus-style cutters, end mills with corner radius and standard end mill forms. The range comes with the latest Dragonskin coating and advanced cutting geometries that help deliver performance in terms of metal removal, enhanced cutting data and tool life.
The new threading line will be demonstrated with the SGF solid carbide thread milling cutters from WNT that are now a standard item from the Ceratizit catalogue with next day guaranteed delivery. The SGF thread mills are available in a range of sizes with most conventional thread forms.
Our team will also be taking a closer look at the drilling line that will include the latest Komet KUB Pentron CS (Cartridge System) indexable insert drill. This latest addition to the KUB Pentron range adds to the existing range that covers diameters from 14 to 46mm, with the new CS variant offering cutting lengths of 3XD. The KUB Pentron CS is suitable for universal applications and is now part of the standard Ceratizit Group portfolio.
Workpiece clamping is often overlooked, especially when looking at straightforward workpieces, so the MTD team will be taking a closer look at the new SBF-3 stationary 3-jaw chuck from the WNT Performance range will make a difference.
The SBF-3 3-jaw chuck is compatible with both the MNG (mechanical) and PNG (pneumatic) zero-point clamping systems, a feature that reduces set-up and non-productive time to a minimum.
From 3 to 5pm, we’ll be finishing the day on the Hainbuch stand. Hainbuch will show the new Hainbuch System, a complete gamechanger for manufacturers looking for efficient and flexible workholding. Stand H20-447 will be crammed with exciting new technology and MTD will be there to film it all.
The Hainbuch System is a quick-change innovation that adapts to your needs, allowing manufacturers to clamp 1000 different workpieces without the need for a multitude of solutions. With the Hainbuch System engineers now only need one basic clamping device, a chuck or a stationary chuck that remains on the machine tool. Whether it is OD, ID, prismatic components, jaw, magnetic or clamping between centres – the Hainbuch System provides a solution without any compromises.
The workpiece determines the adaptation required and converts your basic clamping device for the particular application. This incredible solution reduces set-up times substantially while increasing flexibility and making it possible to easily squeeze in fast turnaround jobs – making sure you are optimally prepared for every clamping situation, whether it is turning, milling or grinding. The system includes the exciting Toplus Premium Chuck. The Hainbuch portfolio of chucks has always been very precise and once the chucks are aligned, the runout is near to zero for repeat clamping.
With the Toplus Premium Chuck, Hainbuch guarantees a runout of ≤5μm without alignment, regardless of which clamping head is used. By utilising the new Toplus Premium Chuck with the associated premium clamping heads and by clamping against the workpiece stop, this level of accuracy is always achieved.
Tuesday will also be a jam-packed day as we head to the NCMT stand. With such an impressive array of products, we’ll also be returning to NCMT on Wednesday morning too. NCMT has two stands in Hall 19 on which it is promoting its sole agency machine tools. Stand 120 is devoted to demonstrating Okuma turning and machining centres as well as its Industry
