The world’s window on mouldmaking and tooling, design, and application development – EuroMold – is expected to attract 60,000 visitors to the Exhibition Centre in Frankfurt from December 5-8, 2007. Here AMS previews some of the products that will be on show
EuroMold’s enduring success can be attributed in part to its tradition of expressing the concept “From Design to Prototyping to Series Production.” This concept strives to bring together an entire range of professionals in this sector—industrial designers, product developers, processors, suppliers, and users—at a global communication platform.
BASF Specialty Polymers
Hall 6.1, Stand F97
www.basf.com
BASF will be showing its latest polymer and materials technologies including Basotect TG, a melamine resin foam used in the engine hood cover of Toyota’s Lexus LS.
This is the first Basotect TG application in Japan for the Japanese automotive industry. This is the thermo-formable version of Basotect, which provides outstanding lightweight sound absorption and high thermal resistance. These qualities have been claimed to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions as well as to maximise comfort.
For automakers, improving safety performance in cases of car collisions is a crucial issue. Because of their higher flexibility, covers made of Basotect TG allow the production of engine hoods that offer optimised protection to pedestrians. In this way, carmakers can meet the more stringent requirements to pedestrian protection.
Basotect TG can also be used in partition walls between the engine and the passenger compartments, transmission tunnels as well as in engine proximity shells.
Bayer MaterialScience
Hall 6.1, Stand C61
www.bayermaterialscience.com
Bayer will be displaying Makrolon, its new polycarbonate sheet material for automotive glazing. It has recently been used in the largest-ever roof module made of polycarbonate in the smart fortwo car. It has excellent surface quality and significant weight savings providing low fuel consumption and low CO2 emission levels. Because the roof element is made of plastic, the weight saving is considerable – in fact, it weighs 40 per cent less than a comparable glass module.
The plastic module is manufactured by Webasto. Webasto makes the roof module by the two-component injection compression moulding process on a swivel-platen injection moulding machine, followed by a coating step. In the first shot, the transparent outer skin is produced from Makrolon AG2677, and in the second, the large-area frame is made of Bayblend DP T95 MF.
Böhler Uddeholm Deutschland
Hall 8.0, Stand J30
www.bohler-uddeholm.com
Uddeholm Tooling will be demonstrating its specialist tool steel whose properties make it well suited for any mould tool application, and for applications in severe-duty cold-work and hot-work tooling.
Unimax universal tool steel features an unusual combination of high ductility and high hardness making it ideal for moulding plastic details and constructions that wear hard on the mould.
Owing to its durability and wear resistance, Unimax is a suitable choice for moulding details in reinforced plastic, for long-run production, and for compression moulding.
Its very good heat diffusion is the key to shorter moulding cycles; tests have shown that Unimax tool steel has better dynamic heat conductivity than H13 type steels.
CogniTens Hexagon Metrology, DEA Hexagon Metrology
Hall 8.0, Stand F98
www.hexagonmetrology.net www.cognitens.com
CogniTens Hexagon’s stand will feature: – Optigo 200 RE, a new measurement system, which incorporates new technology and software introduced to Optigo as an optional operation mode. This product is optimised for reverse engineering oriented applications and 3D modelling.
This new development allows generating high quality STL / point cloud outputs with emphasis on surface smoothness, tight geometry tracking, crisp closed features, etc. These outputs can be exported to various reverse engineering, dimensional analysis and other software products such as: Geomagic, Polyworks, Metrologic, Tebis, Rapidform, among others.
CoreView Gateway, a new software product for transforming raw dimensional information collected by third-party measurement systems into meaningful CoreView format results. This will allow customers wishing to standardise on CogniTens software products (CoreView Pro, OptiPlan and the Dimensional Domain Server) to integrate their other measurement results into a single managed process.
Dassault Systèmes
Hall 6.0, Stand D66
www.3ds.com
Dassault Systèmes will be demonstrating its rapid, cost effective creation of mould tooling through the use of its dedicated software tools which address the plastic injection process. These advanced tools also provide a fast splitting tool that takes a surface or solid part and separates it into core and cavity with sliders and loose cores. These applications greatly enhance design productivity through advanced features by simulating the mould, production of assembly drawings and machining of the mould assembly.
These tools include: CATIA V5 tool design applications, ENOVIA SmarTeam product data management, PDQ (Product Data Quality) and Q-PLM/Q-Monitor/Q-Checker
EDAG Engineering + Design
Hall 6.0, Stand D96
www.edag.de
Recently EDAG Engineering + Design, Fulda, acquired an 80 per cent stake in the Automobil- und Kunststofftechnik (AKTec) company, effective retroactively as per 1 January 2007.
AKTec specialises in the development and production of high-quality components and modules made of polyurethane. The product scope of the company, certified in accordance with ISO TS 16949:2002, ranges from interior components such as centre consoles, lateral panels for doors, and dashboard instrument mountings to exterior components such as front and rear skirts, roof and rear end spoilers, and door sills.
The use of state-of-the-art production technologies such as long fibre injection (LFI) or reaction injection molding (RIM) technology means that AKTec has at its disposal production processes which make the company an in-demand partner for the European automotive industry.
EOS (Electro Optical Systems)
Hall 8.0, Stand F70
www.eos.info
A world leader in laser-sintering technology, EOS is displaying its current laser-sintering systems at EuroMold 2007. The company will showcase two different approaches for manufacturing series products in plastics: EOSint P systems create plastic components layer by layer directly from CAD data, fully automatically and without tools, in a matter of hours, while systems using direct metal laser-sintering (DMLS) technology produce series tooling in a variety of metal materials.
A Formiga P 100 plastic laser-sintering system in operation at the EOS stand uses CAD data to produce components measuring up to 200 x 250 x 330 mm in various polyamides and polystyrenes. For larger components, EOS offers the EOSint P 390 with a build envelope of 340 x 340 x 620 mm and the EOSint P 730 with a 700 x 380 x 580-mm envelope.
Henkel Modellbau
Hall 8.0, Stand J70
www.henkelna.com
Henkel will display its innovative automotive solutions at EuroMold 2007. Henkel’s display will include many of its automotive solutions and advanced technologies, including:
- Structural adhesives – cold-applied and impact-resistant adhesives, designed to absorb energy during impact and channel energy to the body structure to reduce or eliminate failure of the bond seam.
- Structured solutions – Henkel’s Terocore, Terophon and Teroson technologies provide complete solutions to address water leakage, structural reinforcement, and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) challenges.
- Integrated Equipment Solutions – streamlined production achieved by combining custom and standard processes with an innovative dispensing technique to ensure efficient use of a company’s chemical portfolio.
- Liquid gasketing – a broad range of formed- and cured-in place liquid gaskets available to improve assembly, efficiency, quality and reliability while reducing costs.
Huntsman Advanced Materials (Switzerland)
Hall 8.0, Stand J164
www.huntsman.com/advanced materials
Huntsman will be demonstrating how full-sized appearance models hand carved from RenShape boards are helping many companies to finalise new designs and reduce time-tomarket for a broad ranger of automotive aftermarket parts, specifically roof-top and front spoilers, front grilles and custom body kits for automobiles built by Toyota, Mazda, Chevrolet, Suzuki, Hyundai and Kia.
RenShape boards are easy to carve, even on large parts, and exhibit a smooth surface that requires minimal secondary finishing. The models can be readily painted to yield the high-quality finish needed for display at trade shows and as part of marketing research and promotion.
ISCAR Germany
Hall 8.0, Stand K70
www.iscar.com
Iscar will be demonstrating SUMO TEC tooling. The SUMO TEC grades feature a special post-coating treatment, which provides substantially improved tool life and better reliability.
The new process also improves toughness and chipping resistance, reducing friction and built-up edge, which in turn prolongs tool life at elevated machining speeds and feeds for all types of workpiece material. The golden-coloured flank facilitates wear detection.
Iscar has introduced a major new programme of metalworking tools and inserts called 3P SUMO LINE, the prefix indicating that productivity, profitability and performance have been improved with this latest generation of products. The core of 3P is SUMO TEC, which features new, premium tungsten carbide grades for drilling, milling, turning and grooving.
Objet Geometries
Hall 8.0, Stand H144, Hall 5.1, Stand B145
www.2objet.com
Objet Geometries will be displaying its range of ultra-thin layer, high-resolution rapid prototyping systems, 3D printers and materials that use PolyJet polymer jetting technology. PolyJet technology and Objet’s high-speed product platform offer accurate, clean, smooth and highly detailed 3D models suitable for use in an office-type facility.
The company will also be showing it new rubber-like flexible material, TangoPlus. This is the newest addition to its FullCure line of photopolymer materials. The new resin – TangoPlus, FullCure930 – expands the Tango family of rubber-like materials, offering exceptional elongation at break, excellent toughness and durability and high resistance to tearing.
Rofin-Sinar Laser
Hall 9.0, Stand A39
www.rofin.com
The Rofin Group presents innovative laser sources and laser system solutions for cutting, welding and marking applications at EuroMold. From the mature DC Series, Rofin demonstrates the ROFIN DC 050, the highest power model for cutting applications. This laser provides new possibilities for all cutting applications – especially for thick plate applications where the high-performance laser proves its quality. With the excellent beam quality of the laser and its increased output power, high pressure cutting with long focal lengths is available in the 5,000 Watts power range.
Additionally, the high energy density provides improved process stability at high cutting speeds, a precondition for reliable cutting data and quality.
Schunk
Hall 9.0, Stand B35
www.schunk.com
Schunk, the clamping and gripping technology specialist, will be demonstrating new additions to its SLH assembly elements for the GEMOTEC modular system, which now offers elements for pipe columns with a diameter of 35 millimetres. The new assembly system includes components such as single or double mounting bases and plinths, for example, which are used for supporting the hollow columns and are connected to one another by means of cross connectors and assembly plates.
The ground and chrome-plated single or double columns allow simple, precise clamping and fastening of the bases and cross connectors. In this way, a variety of assembly versions can be configured using just a few standard elements. Machined locating surfaces and integrated assembly and locating bores guarantee elements will be fitted with perfect angular precision.
Siemens PLM Software/Siemens
Hall 6.0, Stand D16/D26/D122, Hall 8.0, Stand H36
www.ugsplm.de
Siemens PLM software and its partners at EuroMold 2007 will be presenting the ‘Rapid-Mold’ initiative for automated tool design and manufacturing.
Tool and die manufacturers are facing similar challenges to their customers: innovative, efficient and cost-effective products must be produced more quickly to a higher quality.This means that leadtime reductions for tools to 10% or 20% are no longer good enough; the market is demanding of 50% and more.
The Rapid Mold initiative combines specific applications, information management and process management technology into a single end-to-end solution for the design, production planning and automation of injection and composite tools. It is aimed at manufacturing companies, where the time between product development to the finished component has been shortened dramatically.
Stratasys
Hall 8.0, Stand B70
www.stratasys.com
Stratasys will be demonstrating its new direct digital manufacturing and prototyping system — the FDM 400mc. The system has improvements in five key areas and is sought after for direct digital manufacturing applications.
Three improvements centre on part quality – these are accuracy, repeatability and material properties. The remaining two improvements are speed and flexibility.
Innovation in both hardware and software contribute to the improvements by increasing precision in the deposition of plastic. Results include smooth head movement, precise head positioning, and consistent material-bead width.
Improvements in both the design and manufacturing of the extrusion head gantry make it straighter and stiffer. This holds the extrusion head to a tighter positional accuracy that can produce parts with a higher tolerance, resulting in performance that is repeatable.
Trumpf Laser
Hall 8.0, Stand F93
www.trumpf-laser.com
Trumpf will present new laser technologies for tool and mould making, and add to the proven method of manual build-up laser welding with direct laser forming (DLF) from the powder bed as well as direct metal deposition (DMD) with powder nozzle. In both processes, metal components or component sections are created directly from 3D CAD models. A laser melts pure metal powder without any binding agent layer by layer.
DLF is used to create complete shapes from the powder bed on a base plate. In a protective gas atmosphere, the laser beam melts the metal powder, which is deposited layer by layer according to the calculated cross section area of the CAD model. This method enables manufacturing of metal parts with complex geometries, which would be difficult, if not impossible, using traditional methods.
Another product on display at the expo is the TrumaForm LF, which embodies the concept of Direct Laser Forming cost effectively for the most varied applications. Some examples of what can be produced include injection moulding tools with conformal cooling channels or metal functional parts with complex structures.
Werth Messtechnik
Hall 9.0, Stand B17
www.werthmesstechnik.de
Multisensor CMM maker Werth Messtechnik will introduce a larger version of its award-winning Tomoscope 3D measurement solution. Called TomoScope HV it can measure parts up to 40kg and has an extra large 2,000 x 2,000 pixel x-ray sensor. With a tube voltage of 225 KV, TomoScope HV can measure high-density components including aluminium, steel, titanium, elastomers, hybrid plastics, 2K, ceramics and fiberglass-reinforced plastics.
Werth is the only manufacturer of CMM’s with tomography that insures the traceability of the measuring results to national standards (for instance to PTB).
The Tomoscope HV is supported by Werth’s WinWerth measurement software and measures significant points on the workpiece in comparison with the tomography data to perform auto correction and ensure tomography data with CMM accuracy.
Carl Zeiss Industrielle Meßtechnik
Hall 8.0, Stand M86
www.zeiss.com
Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology will be showing Metrotom 1500, a powerful computer tomograph for industrial quality assurance. It provides access to the interior of work pieces that are inaccessible for contact and optical sensors.
Metrotom is used to check the structure of materials and measures exterior features as well.
As with all 3D co-ordinate measuring machines, the operator can also take advantage of the numerous benefits of CAD-based Zeiss Calypso measuring software which was adapted to meet the specific requirements of Metrotomography from Carl Zeiss. The measuring results from Calypso enable continuous monitoring of development up to initial sampling. Metronom 1500 also permits the generation of CAD models.
