“The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.”
This popular quote is often brought up when speaking about today’s fast-paced technological development. Industry 4.0 is paving the way for manufacturing transformation with ground-breaking innovations, which in turn bring opportunities to develop workshops and aim for higher revenues. However, investing in new technology is not the only way to optimise a machine tool setup. In the first of a new article series from Sandvik Coromant, Blasius Reschreiter, global manager of machine tool solutions at the metal cutting organisation, explains how tool shop owners can make the most out of their machines through improved equipment utilisation, quick change tooling, and modular solutions.

In light of recent technological advances, investing in forefront technologies can at first hand appear like a given strategy to conduct a successful business. However, markets are fluctuating. To continually strive for the latest, most high-tech solutions might not be the natural way to go forward in uncertain times. The ability to adapt production to current and future demands in a flexible way is crucial for surviving in today’s economy. Here, we take a closer look at flexible approaches to workshop machinery.

Make the most out of your machine tool set-up Machine tool and cutting tool development is rapidly progressing. However, this can involve considerable investments, requiring time, capital and somewhat secure predictions for future demands. If the market situation and business forecasts are unsure, major investments might not be an option.

When your primary goal is to stay in cost reduction mode and to handle a temporary market downturn, a key consideration should be to investigate your current workshop, to make use of existing machines and existing capacity and, preferably, without dramatically increasing overhead costs.

Another consideration is productivity. Often, we put our focus on achieving maximum metal cutting efficiency. Metal removal rate is one way of measuring efficiency when producing parts. However, what can be an even more important aspect to consider is machine utilization. In an average machine shop, only 50% of a machine’s in-use time is used for machining. Breakdowns, changeovers and maintenance consume the remaining 50%.

Machine utilisation in focus
Increasing machine utilisation is a cost-effective way to boost productivity and make use of the capacity already available. This should be measured as a percentage of the time that the machine is actually producing components. Pushing up active machining time by only a few percentage points makes a big difference.

Increased machine utilisation can be attained by working actively with typical time killers often appearing in a common workshop related to these areas: batch set-up, measuring the component in the machine, tool setting, coolant pipe setting, changing worn tools, chip removal around tools and workpieces or blocked conveyors and component change-over.

Two key approaches to overcome this type of challenge are to work with quick-change tooling and modular systems. By applying quick change and modular solutions, machine utilisation can be greatly increased

Quick change tooling solutions

A quick-change solution can reduce time spent on measuring, set-up and tool change, allowing for drastically improved machine utilization. Through coolant delivery helps to further maximize productivity. There are several benefits with quick change that support keeping the green light on, including reducing batch change-over time. Changing time from one style of tool to another is dramatically reduced using quick change. Up to ten minutes can be saved in one typical turning operation.

Increase the number of tool positions with double tool holders can also help. Turning centres with driven tool holders often have limited space. Using double clamping units allows either sister tooling or an increased variety of tools, thereby reducing the tool change requirement for a wider range of components. Double clamping units can be used when the machine has Y-axis, half turret or sub-spindle.

There’s also potential to reduce downtime when changing worn-out tools. Every time a solid carbide tool with a driven tool holder is changed the tool offset needs to be re-calibrated. With indexable mills and drills, multiple inserts need to be changed. Using sister tool and changing the cutter outside the machine is much quicker. For static tool holders, being able to remove the tool ensures improved maintenance of the tool, correct mounting and no unexpected stops due to needs for spare part purchases.

Eliminating coolant pipe setting can also prove to be a time-saving exercise. When operators are setting the coolant pipe direction, it normally takes two to three attempts to get it right. Poor chip control often then knocks the pipe which means that setting is quite a regular occurrence.

Lastly is improving the speed of production start-up. By eliminating the “first-test component” or “measuring cuts”, scrap is reduced and the production rate increases. Over the course of a year, the use of quick change will result in significantly higher component production and reduced scrap.

Besides from a significant increase in machine utilization, quick change also brings many benefits for the operator, such as user-friendliness and a more ergonomic working environment. For example, changing tools outside the machine reduces accidents, errors and searching for dropped parts.

Turn flexible, go modular
Another strategy for keeping your machines running is modular solutions. A modular system offers a large variety of tool assemblies with different characteristics, decreasing the need for costly, customised tools with long delivery times. Modular tooling helps to avoid spending on separate tools for each machine,
component and feature.

The benefits that modular tooling systems bring are flexibility, reduced tool inventory and multiple tooling combinations, all contributing to increased machine utilization. The ability to maintain continuous production for a long period provides the flexibility needed to make your workshop better equipped to handle changing market conditions.

Four applications where modularity has proven to be extra valuable include reaching difficult to access features, stability in vibration prone operations, small or varying production and extra clearance when machining large components.

While it is certainly true that the “pace of change has never been this fast”, various strategic approaches emerge to ensure adaptability and bolster financial gains in a continuously evolving market landscape. Enhancing machine utilisation, reducing changeover time and investigation into modular systems all contribute significantly to increasing the flexibility of machine shops. In our upcoming article, we will thoroughly explore the effects of investing in new technologies. This will help shed light on how these investments can improve efficiency and open up new opportunities for workshops. Stay tuned!

“Multitasking, throughput, efficiency — these are excellent machine concepts,” said the American computer programmer and author Ellen Ullman. “But are they principles that nurture human thought and imagination?” The answer is yes for machine shops, which are diversifying into new product areas to grow more resilient but, in doing so, must deal with a wider range of tough materials. Here, Gaetano Massimo Pittalà, PhD, Principal R&D Engineer at the Solid Round Tools Business Unit, Sandvik Coromant, explains how its CoroMill® Dura solid carbide end mills can help manufacturers diversify with optimal throughput and efficiency.

According to McKinsey and Company, “The COVID-19 crisis, post pandemic economic effects, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine have exposed the vulnerabilities of today’s global supply chains.” To gain resilience in this era of uncertainty, manufacturers are diversifying in order to survive. For example, one Sandvik Coromant customer in the US has diversified from general engineering into other sectors like aerospace, defence and medical, to a point where no one customer or industry is more than 25% of its total business.

In cases like this, diversification entails producing new and previously-unfamiliar components to tight tolerances. But the challenges don’t end there. According to another McKinsey and Company report, “Delivering products at the right time, the right quality, and the lowest cost is no longer enough.” The report continues that, “Organizations now need networks with the resilience to tolerate shocks and the agility to respond to demanding customers and fast-changing markets,” and must achieve this with, “environmental and social sustainability.”

However, diversification also means machining a wider range of difficult-to-machine materials like aluminium, titanium and Inconel. How can machine shops overcome these challenges while also realising the objective’s outlined in McKinsey and Company’s report? The answer lies in better tools together with machine tools.

Eliminating vibrations
First, let’s look more closely at the machining challenges. As written in an analysis of system parameters for machining tough materials by The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, “Vibration is more prone to occur in milling titanium due to self-excited vibrations (i.e. chatter) between the workpiece and cutting tool,” which also applies to other difficult-to-machine materials like aluminium and Inconel.

Vibrations during the machining process have several negative consequences. They include degraded surface finishes on the component; and extra wear on the cutting edges and unpredictable wear patterns of the cutting tool. Vibrations negatively impact overall machining security and can lead to increased energy usage, costs and component quality.

Naturally, these problems are exacerbated in machine shops handling different materials as part of a diversification strategy. So, what can be done? This was the challenge Sandvik Coromant’s R&D team faced: to produce a complete range of solid carbide end mills that can eliminate vibrations while being very versatile in terms of application and materials. The range must be easy to use, while outperforming competitors’ tools in terms of productivity and tool life.

To this end, Sandvik Coromant developed CoroMill® Dura. The range comprises several solid carbide end mills, including sold carbide end mills of different lengths, diameters and designs with two, three, four, five and seven flutes. In addition, the range relies on a new patented technology from Sandvik Coromant called WhisperKutTM, which has been developed to significantly break up harmonics, while also reducing chatter and vibrations.

The WhisperKutTM technology is notable for its asymmetrical variable Helix design. It’s long been known that optimized flute spacing, along with other aspects of an end mill’s design, can greatly reduce vibrations and chatter in machining. But, with WhisperKutTM technology, each cutting flute is oriented at a different helix angle, relative to all the remaining flutes, which allows good stability and effectiveness in eliminating harmful harmonics. Because each flute is unequally spaced from the others, this reduces the constant harmonics typically produced with conventional end mills.

Because of this, CoroMill® Dura solid carbide end mills, equipped with the WhisperKutTM technology, are designed to be a one for all tooling solution. The end mills can be used in all processes needed to produce a component ― including roughing, finishing, semi-finishing and ramping. However, it was also necessary to assess whether CoroMill® Dura could outperform competitors’ mills in terms of productivity and tool life.

Versatile performance
The performance of CoroMill® Dura was then assessed in a side milling operation versus a competitor’s carbide end mill. First, for machining a DIN 42CrMo4 chromium-molybdenum steel ISO P workpiece and, second, for machining an AISI 304 stainless steel ISO M workpiece.

The DIN 42CrMo4 workpiece had an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 95 kg/mm2 and a Rockwell hardness (HRC) of 39. The tools’ diameter (D) measured 12.7 millimeters (mm) with a stickout, which means the distance from the tip of the tool to where the tool shank goes into the tool holder, of 33 to 40 mm.

Each tool’s performance was assessed on the total volume of material (cm3) removed from the workpiece. For a maximum material removal rate (MRR), the tools were run at a cutting speed (vc) of 150/60 m/min, a feed per tooth (fz) of 0.04 to 0.1 mm/tooth; with an axial depth of cut (ap) of 1 x D and radial depth of cut (ae) of 0.5 x D. The tools ran for a maximum of 60 minutes and coolant was applied.

Different cutting data was used for the AISI 304 workpiece, which included a vc of 80/40 m/min, an fz of 0.05 mm/tooth, an ap of 1 x D and ae of 0.5 x D. Again, the tools were run for a maximum of 60 minutes and coolant was applied.
In the end, when side milling the DIN 42CrMo4 workpiece, CoroMill® Dura gave a more than 25% improved performance over the competing solid carbide end mill, and a more than 20% improved performance when side milling AISI 304. Sandvik Coromant also tested CoroMill® Dura against a previous-generation tool from its own range, and found the newer tool be overall stronger on competitiveness, price and performance.

Based on these tests, CoroMill® Dura is proven to be a high performance tool for versatile applications. It’s well suited to the needs of machine shops that are seeking to branch out into new industry segments, or increase their focus on small batch production. With these more advanced tools, machine shops can, to paraphrase Ellen Ullman, help machine shops gain resilience with the utmost throughput and efficiency ― while also nurturing human thought and imagination.

A Space Odyssey to The Terminator’s Skynet, artificial intelligence (AI) hasn’t always had the best representation in popular culture. In industry, however, AI and machine learning technologies have become widely adopted as a way to optimise processes. Here, Nevzat Ertan, Global Manager for Digital Machining Architecture at Sandvik Coromant examines the future of AI and distributed artificial intelligence (DAI) in metalworking.

What is distributed AI?
DAI, or distributed artificial intelligence, describes an approach to deploying AI across multiple nodes in a facility, all of which are independent of each other. A node describes the place in which computation happens, loosely based on the neuron in the human brain. Much like AI in the traditional sense, distributed nodes and DAI use machine learning algorithms and other technologies to make automated decisions.

However, unlike typical AI — referred to as centralized AI — the distributed nature of DAI can allow for nodes, sometimes referred to as agents, to work collaboratively, coordinating the knowledge and skills of multiple intelligent nodes towards a single goal. Or, should they need to, working independently towards individual objectives. The move to this model is often referred to as the AI fusion.

Why the AI fusion is essential
AI is still widely regarded as a new technology in industry. Yet, our current uses of AI are already becoming outdated. Centralized AI which feeds data back to a central source, is the most common type of AI deployed in industrial settings but is largely limited.

The biggest barrier of centralized AI is the massive reliance on data centers and central architectures. To process data effectively, centralized AI must collect data at node level and pass it elsewhere to be processed and analysed. For industrial settings with dozens of pieces of complex machinery, the scope of data generated can be colossal.

Transforming to a distributed model flips this challenge on its head, bringing algorithms to data, instead of vice versa. Using a decentralized method instead, algorithms will ultimately travel to the data — regardless of whether this data is collected at the edge or on-platform. The advantages of this include a significant need for high-bandwidth connectivity, as the data does not need to travel from machine, to data center and back again.

DAI in practice
In industrial settings, DAI provides a method for automatically collecting large volumes of intelligence on each process — but its most crucial advantage is its ability to take automated actions. Depending on the node in which the DAI sits, these actions are either based on the individual goals of the process. For instance, reducing waste or energy consumption, or to assist towards the wider facility mission.

DAI works in collaboration with the much-hyped technology, edge computing. Edge computing describes data capture, processing and analysis that take place on a device — on the edge of the process — in real-time.

Much like DAI, edge computing works in a decentralized manner, enabling optimisation at the machine level, rather than requiring it to be sent back to a centralised store. While edge computing processes the data, DAI takes actions on it.

Learning agents
As part of a DAI set up, numerous nodes will be operating independently, often distributed in multiple places in a facility. In a metalworking environment, these nodes could be distributed at the cutting tool or in a turning application, for example.

Because this data is generated and collected at the edge of a process, it can provide intricate detail that centralized computing could not. Using our cutting tool node as an example, edge computing and analysis would allow for data capture at the process itself, as cutting is happening. Data could include equipment temperature, cutting accuracy, tool deflection and much more.

By assuming this processing at the edge of the process, it provides faster insight than what would be available if the data was sent to a centralized store. Plus, it can reduce bandwidth costs, as only the most important data will be sent to the cloud.

When working with metal, edge analytics data could evidence that the next immediate cut will be inaccurate. Paired with AI, the system can automatically execute a stop. In software agent-speak, this type of node would be referred to as a reactive agent — one that reacts to the data around it. Due to the parallel processing of all nodes in a DAI set up, this information can be shared with all other nodes in a facility.

Whether these nodes are reactive, deliberative or hybrid agents will determine their ability to use this information. Deliberative agents possess the ability to collect data from the outer world and produce actions to achieve its goals, and hybrid agents possess both capabilities. In an ideal world, most nodes would be hybrid.

Why distributed?
For industrial settings, the argument for DAI is obvious. The objective of DAI is to solve the reasoning, planning and perception problems of traditional AI, particularly when dealing with very large datasets.

Industrial environments often have a large number of processes, all of which have an impact on the overall productivity, quality and output of the facility. Using edge computing to analyze these processes, and AI to optimize them automatically, is a no brainer.

Despite its poor representation in pop culture, industrial AI is far from the malicious robots often depicted on the silver screen. In fact, DAI is quite the opposite. Providing the opportunity to work as a harmonious team, albeit with much faster processing power than its human predecessors.

According to PwC’s Industrial Manufacturing report, “The only constant in today’s industrial manufacturing environment is disruption.” Disruptions to supply chains and productivity, caused by the pandemic, have driven manufacturers to diversify to new markets to survive. This creates an increased need for error-free precision machining. Here, Sangram Dash, Product Application Manager for Indexable Milling at Sandvik Coromant, explains how the new CoroMill® MH20 high feed milling cutter can support error-free machining.

“To stay competitive,” continues PwC’s report, “organisations must be able to integrate new business models and technologies to accelerate and adapt.” For machine shops, adapting includes diversifying product offerings and being ready to satisfy customer demand in new markets.

They are also under pressure to diagnose and eliminate product defects through error-proofing. This is a growing challenge, because diversifying into new sectors means handling workpieces made from wider a range of materials like aluminium and heat resistant super alloys (HRSAs). The hardness values of these materials differ enormously from one end of the spectrum to the other. Processes and machining conditions will also vary widely from part-to-part. They include everything from roughing to finishing on out-of-round or near-net-shape cast or forged parts.

Certain types of machining also present unique challenges. For instance, when a tool with a long overhang is used to mill deep narrow pockets, the whole setup becomes unstable. This can lead to unpredictable machining and a higher risk of vibrations that, as we’ll explore, can cause tool failures and downtime.

Manufacturers instead need tooling solutions that provide secure and predictable machining, with increased metal removal rates, reduced cycle times and quick changes between production batches. Fortunately, a solution does exist. As PwC’s Industrial Manufacturing puts it, “with disruption comes the opportunity to innovate.”

Bad vibrations
Why are these innovations necessary? One factor that needs to be overcome is machining vibrations, which negatively affect performance in a variety of ways, including displacement of the tool and imperfections in workpieces. They can even cause tool breakage and unplanned downtime. Another problem with vibrations is the effect on chip formation and chip removal, which are the fundamental occurrences inseparably involved with machining that damage the effectiveness of cutting tools.

Another factor in milling tool underperformance is that most inserts have four edges. The reason for having four edges is that, when one edge becomes dulled or chipped, it’s an easy process to rotate or replace the tip. However, the insert’s corners, between the flat edges, are its weakest parts. These radial edges are designed differently to the insert’s flat edges. They are often placed in the cutting zone and, as a consequence, frequently break first.

These are the issues Sandvik Coromant’s specialists kept in mind while designing a next generation tool that would meet the stringent requirements of a variety of sectors. Crucially, the invention needed to reduce the number of tools, changeovers and tool handling required during manufacturing, for reduced cycle times and improved manufacturing economics.

The result was CoroMill® MH20, a new high-feed milling cutter designed for milling cavities, or pockets, in ISO S, M and P materials.

Opportunity to innovate
The design of CoroMill® MH20 has several innovations. They include a new cutter body material, used for the cylindrical shank bodies, that gives levels of stiffness not seen before in this type of tool. The material minimizes wear and tear during machining and also reduces chip rubbing and coining ― when high stress caused by high cutting forces causes plastic deformation on the insert seat. With this feature, the tip seat remains secure and undeformed which provides better tool life.

Next, we have an alternative to the aforementioned four-edge concept: CoroMill® MH20 is designed with a two-edge insert. With the two-edge concept, machining against a corner or wall will not impact the next edge or leading corner, giving an equal performance per edge. The advantages are greater reliability and protection against wear. The edge line of the insert’s main cutting edge and corner radius are also optimized for further process security.

Another area of innovation is CoroMill® MH20’s insert cutting edge geometry. For the first time in high feed concepts, Sandvik Coromant is introducing dedicated insert geometries for different ISO areas to deliver greater optimized process security and productivity. With CoroMill® MH20, a sloped edge design delivers a gradual and light-cutting action, requiring less power consumption suited to the use of smaller machines.

Sandvik Coromant’s CoroMill® MH20 has exhibited substantially-improved tool life over previous-generation tools for its customers — up to 30% in some cases, although this performance will always differ depending on the material.

Precision machining
One Sandvik Coromant customer, a large machine shop in Canada that specialises in mold and die manufacturing, wished to upgrade its existing tooling setup. The customer had been using a competitor’s tool, which had been suffering from vibrations that made machining processes unpredictable and insecure.

To resolve these issues, the machine shop turned to Sandvik Coromant to test the performance of CoroMill® MH20 against its existing tool. Both tools were used to perform rough pocketing on a workpiece made from H13, a popular chromium hot-work steel known for its high toughness and fatigue resistance, to produce a mold.

Each milling tool measured 25.4 mm (1 inch) and was run at a cutting speed (vc) of 168 m/min (550 surface ft/min). CoroMill® MH20 was run at a slightly higher feed rate with two inserts, because this allowed the depth of cut to be increased by 35%. The parameters were: a feed per tooth (fz) of 1 mm/tooth (0.04 inch/tooth), feed speed (vf) of 5,080 mm/min (200 inch/min) and axial depth of cut (ap) of 0.8 mm (0.031 inch).

The competing tool was run at an fz of 0.63 mm/tooth (0.025 inch/tooth), vf of 4572 mm/min (180 inch/mm) and ap of 0.5 mm (0.020 inch). Both tools were run until they showed signs of flank wear.

Despite the higher cutting parameters, CoroMill® MH20 finished a complete component with no indexing, and a superior surface finish. It exhibited at 50% tool life increase by running for 300 mins, with a 50% cycle time reduction. The competing tool, meanwhile, ran for half the amount of time at 150 min. It required additional indexing because of poor tool life, which further increased the cycle times. The competitor’s insert again suffered from vibrations that caused screws to back out during machining.

By upgrading to CoroMill® MH20, the customer has achieved a significantly improved tool life and more secure, vibration-free machining processes. Even if, as PwC observes, disruption is the only constant in today’s industrial manufacturing environment, new tooling innovations like CoroMill® MH20 support improved tool life and process security. This greatly benefits manufacturers’ competitiveness.

Sandvik has signed an agreement to acquire US-based CNC Software Inc., a leading provider of CAD/CAM software solutions for manufacturing industries and the company behind Mastercam, the most widely used Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) brand in the industry. CNC Software will be reported in the Design & Planning Automation division within Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions.

By acquiring CNC Software, Sandvik gains a world-class CAM brand in the Mastercam software suite with an installed base of around 270,000 licenses/users, the largest in the industry, as well as a strong market reseller network and well-established partnerships with leading machine makers and tooling companies.

“This is in line with our strategic focus to grow in the digital manufacturing space, with special attention on industrial software close to component manufacturing. The acquisition of CNC Software and the Mastercam portfolio, in combination with our existing offerings and extensive manufacturing capabilities, will make Sandvik a leader in the overall CAM market measured in installed base. CAM plays a vital role in the digital manufacturing process, enabling new and innovative solutions in automated design for manufacturing,” says Stefan Widing, President and CEO of Sandvik.

CNC Software has a strong market position in CAM, and particularly for small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SME’s), something that will support Sandvik’s strategic ambitions to develop solutions to automate the manufacturing value chain for SME’s – and deliver competitive point solutions for large original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s). Combining the strengths of Mastercam with Sandvik’s offering and know-how within machining is expected to be an important enabler in automating the customers’ end-to-end manufacturing processes.

“Mastercam will be the cornerstone in Sandvik’s CAM portfolio, further improving machining productivity by combining our machining know-how with their CAM expertise to improve quality and reduce waste for our customers. Specifically, we will leverage data capture and use to secure efficient tool selection and tool path optimisation for our customers. I look forward to welcoming the CNC Software team to Sandvik,” says Mathias Johansson, President of the Design & Planning Automation Division in Sandvik Manufacturing Solutions.

CNC Software is an independent, family-owned company founded in 1983, headquartered in Tolland, Connecticut, USA, with 220 employees. The revenue for 2020 totaled USD 60 million with an EBIT margin of 25-30 percent, and of which the share of recurring revenue was approximately 60 percent. CNC Software has had a historical annual growth rate of approximately 10 percent and is expected to outperform the estimated market growth of 7 percent.

The underlying EBITA margin is accretive to Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions. However, the first year after closing date, revenues will be impacted by deferred revenue accounting adjustments, and the EBITA margin will be slightly dilutive to Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions. Impact on earnings per share will initially be slightly negative.

Transaction costs are to be accounted for in the third quarter 2021 and estimated to SEK 25 million.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The deal is expected to close during Q4 2021, subject to customary regulatory approvals. In conjunction with the closing, Sandvik will make a write-down of overlapping assets representing SEK 30 million.

Machining solutions leader Sandvik Coromant has announced its partnership with global technology company HCL Technologies, to integrate its PrimeTurning technology into HCL CAMWorks software. The new partnership allows users of HCL CAMWorks to efficiently and securely plan PrimeTurning operations and maximise machining productivity.

The PrimeTurning methodology and supporting tools provide manufacturers with the industry’s first true ‘all-directional turning’ solution. Unlike conventional turning operations, which have remained largely unchanged for decades, PrimeTurning allows machine shops to complete longitudinal (forward and back), facing and profiling operations with a single tool.

Using two innovative and multipurpose tools, CoroTurn® Prime A-type and B-type, PrimeTurning is proven to deliver greater efficiency and productivity results compared to conventional turning. HCL provides information technology services to various sectors of industry and offers a range of product solutions, such as its computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software, HCL CAMWorks. The platform is a feature-based CAM software that helps to increase productivity with adaptable automation tools, to optimize CNC code for easy implementation and to help users set up proper parameters and variables to secure maximum output.

HCL CAMWorks facilitates associative machining, which ensures changes to designs are always reflected in the toolpath. It also eliminates common time constraints with file transfers and gives users the ability to work with multiple platforms.

As part of the new partnership, HCL CAMWorks has integrated PrimeTurning technology into its software products. “Partnering with HCL CAMWorks is vital to ensuring customer satisfaction and helping them to improve efficiency” said Marko Stugbäck, Product Manager for Digital Machining Business at Sandvik Coromant.

“This new partnership means that our mutual customers can enjoy the benefits of our technology through an integrated channel, which makes the programming of machining operations more efficient and easier to manage. For instance, PrimeTurning can deliver a 50 per cent productivity increase, turning flexibility in all directions and greater machine utilization, reducing time set up and tool changes,” continued Stugbäck.

“HCL CAMWorks software is not only vital to machining operations like that of turning methods, but it also plays a major role in helping the wider manufacturing sector adapt to Industry 4.0. With this partnership, we aim to bring more value to end users and equip them with the tools needed for manufacturing in a digitalised world.”​

Sandvik has signed an agreement with Battery Ventures to acquire US-based Cambrio, a leading company with an end-to-end portfolio in CAD/CAM software for manufacturing industries like automotive, transportation, energy, medical and aerospace. Cambrio will be reported in the Design & Planning Automation division within Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions.
“This is in line with our strategic focus to grow organically and through acquisitions in the advanced manufacturing space, with special focus on industrial software close to component manufacturing, industrial metrology- and additive manufacturing solutions. Cambrio will enable a broadened customer offering, covering more of the total manufacturing value chain,” says Stefan Widing, President and CEO of Sandvik.

Sandvik’s strategic ambition is to provide customers with software solutions enabling automation of the full component manufacturing value chain – from design and planning to preparation, production and verification. Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) plays a vital role in the digital manufacturing process, creating an offer of automated solutions from design to machining.

By acquiring Cambrio, Sandvik will establish an important position in the CAM market that includes both toolmaking and general-purpose machining. This will complement the existing customer offering in Sandvik Manufacturing Solutions.

Cambrio’s product portfolio includes GibbsCAM for production milling, turning, and mill turn operations, Cimatron for mold and die, as well as SigmaNEST for sheet metal fabrication.

“With the addition of Cambrio’s product offering, we will be able to help our customers to further increase productivity in the broader value chain. We share the same desire to automate workflows and make our customers more efficient and sustainable. I look forward to welcoming the Cambrio team to Sandvik,” says Mathias Johansson, President of the Design & Planning Automation division in Sandvik Manufacturing Solutions.

Cambrio is headquartered in Ohio, USA, and has 375 employees. In 2020, the company had revenues of about SEK 628 million (68 million USD) with an EBIT margin slightly dilutive to Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions. Impact on Sandvik’s earnings per share will initially be neutral. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2021 and is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

CoroMill® Plura Heavy Duty (HD) from Sandvik Coromant is a completely new solid end milling concept, developed for removing large amounts of metal in a short amount of time and to provide the reliability needed for heavy roughing.

CoroMill Plura HD is the first choice solid roughing end mill for shoulder milling, full slot milling, ramping and helical interpolation in steel and stainless steel. It can also be used with cast iron and heat-resistant materials. The tools offer secure and reliable machining in a wide range of cutting parameters.
​High process security and a long predictable tool life are essential in heavy roughing operations. The optimized flute shape was especially designed as a result of a Finite Element Analysis, and it assures effective chip evacuation when machining with a large depth of cut. This flute design also prevents re-cutting of chips and sudden tool breakage. By efficiently removing chips, full slot milling up to two times diameter with five-teeth end mills is possible without compromising process security. Stainless steel end mills also benefit from internal coolant for maximum chip evacuation and temperature control.

The geometrical features and grades allow for exceptional metal removal rates and tool life. Two new grades have been developed; one for all-round conditions, preferably in dry machining, and one to deal with tough conditions and large engagements in wet machining. The tough face geometry is developed to cope with demanding ramping operations. Other features include differential pitch and cylindrical land to help minimize vibration and to provide predictable performance for reliable roughing.

Sandvik in Chomutov, Czech Republic has been announced as the winner of the prestigious award Best Innovator of the year in the Czech Republic – a recognition of the company’s way of working with innovation.

Sandvik has received the prize in the category of large companies. The award acknowledges companies’ innovation process, where the jury looks into the way of working and driving innovation, how innovative the organization is and the engagement for driving innovations among the employees.

“We are pleased that the jury recognized our company’s attitude and mindset towards innovations. We would not be able to defend our position on the market without a strong innovation culture”, says Jiri Polman, Managing Director of the Chomutov product unit.

At the site in Chomutov, Czech Republic, stainless steel umbilical tubes for the oil and gas industry are manufactured. The tradition of metallurgy goes back to 1887 when the Mannesman brothers founded the first tube mill.

Having supplied more than 300 million feet (100 million meters) of umbilical tubing to the offshore oil and gas industry, Sandvik is well known among all major fabricators and oil companies today for its reliable, lightweight and corrosion-resistant tubes.

Sandvik Coromant takes another step in the gear milling technology development by introducing the groundbreaking InvoMilling solution for flexible manufacturing of gears and splines on universal five-axes machining centers. The software InvoMilling 1.0 will be displayed at IMTS in Chicago on September 8, 2014.

The innovative InvoMilling solution is released as software supported by dedicated milling cutters as well as expertise from the Sandvik Coromant gear application team. With the CAM software InvoMilling 1.0, the CNC program is generated to produce different gear profiles with a limited range ofstandard-stocked precision tools. The solution has proven to be effective for manufacturing of gears and splines with great flexibility and high quality.

The InvoMilling software is very user friendly with excellent graphics, milling path generationand simulation functionality. It is developed by Sandvik Coromant and Euklid, a company with expert competence in gears and advanced CAD/CAM solutions.

Combined with the dedicated InvoMilling cutters CoroMill® 161 and CoroMill® 162, the new software guarantees exceptionally short lead-times for production of a very wide variety of gears and splines. InvoMilling is the ideal method when machining small and medium sizedbatches and when short lead times are a priority.