Aerospace Manufacturing previews some of the exhibitors parading the aisles at this year’s Advanced Engineering 2021, being held from November 3-4 at the NEC, Birmingham.

Advanced Engineering is the UK’s leading annual advanced manufacturing and supply chain event. Bringing together the latest technologies and supply chain partners, the event reaches into the key sectors of aerospace among others.

We begin our round-up of exhibitors with OB2B Industrial Marketing & PR (stand U80). The OB2B team provides cost effective technically-based, B2B industrial marketing and press release support which helps companies to secure new business and grow sales faster.     

The company specialises in promoting metals, polymers, composites, engineering plastics, structural adhesives and manufacturers of a wide range of extruded, moulded and machined finished products.

With 28 years of blue chip multinational business experience in senior commercial roles, founder, Nigel O’Dea says he can quickly understand the technical and commercial aspects of a client’s products and then produce engaging marketing content, PR and promotional tools.

The range of marketing services provided to clients is flexible and tailored to suit specific needs from strategic marketing planning to delivering key marketing communications projects.

Elsewhere, CGTech (stand H104) will unveil its VERICUT 9.2 CNC machine simulation to detect incorrect tool path motions, collisions, bugs and other areas for improvement.

The latest version, VERICUT 9.2, increases productivity and sustainability with improvements to collision checking and overall performance, as well as enhanced support for ‘intelligent’ cutting tools with cutting performance information and detailed tool reporting. Also added is a 3DLive interface to import GDML files, enabling users to quickly and easily create realistic digital machines and add other moving components (rotary tables, articulating heads, fixtures with moving clamps, etc.) for more realistic simulation.

VERICUT 9.2 also provides important advancements in optimisation and monitoring machining processes. VERICUT Force is a physics-based NC program optimisation module that can be used with optimised cutting operations. Force makes changes to the program based on the specific stock material, cutting tool properties and machining conditions encountered during simulation. Force optimised program feed rates maintain an ideal constant chip thickness as much as possible, while simultaneously limiting excessive cutting forces or spindle power requirements.

Force can set a target Chip Thickness and any combination of Force limits such as maximum force, maximum power, and maximum tool deflection. Users can also choose to ‘Learn From Graphs’ to send optimisation settings to cutting tools, or change optimisation settings for corresponding cutters.

Moving on, Ru-bix (stand M80), a specialist manufacturer of polyurethane tooling boards, will be launching a new range of sustainable, bio-based and hybrid tooling boards at the event.

The advanced thermoset polymer specialists will be launching new tooling board product ranges to complement its existing high-performance solutions. They include a sustainable solution using a mix of bio-material and recycled board swarf; and a hybrid board with a high glass transition temperature and low CTE for prepreg and high-temperature applications, which is ultimately a modern alternative to conventional epoxy.

The forefront of specialism

At forefront of specialised 5-axis CNC machining centres, Maka (stand E112) offers enhanced modular packages, for greater flexibility and productivity when machining composites.

The company has enhanced its new MK7, MM7, BC and DC7 models with improved modularity to expand the 5-axis machining capabilities, increase the users’ ability to produce the highest quality machined composites and improve patternmaking efficiency.

The latest MK7 and MM7t are specified with an array of application-oriented equipment. 5-axis machining and faster trimming is just half the story. The Maka machine’s inherent precision enables users to clamp and machine almost any component on five or even six sides, making the Maka ideal for the most demanding and experienced professionals, producing high-volume, and high-value, or one-off bespoke work.

The advantages include more accessibility, faster tool changes, improved clamping flexibility, improved safety, cleaner and easier to use, faster setting and processing and higher productivity. The Maka machines are suitable for those manufacturers demanding the highest quality and highest productivity without compromise.

Finally, Dustcontrol UK (stand L92) will be exhibiting its updated range of high-performance extraction equipment and its range of fixed and mobile cyclone-based dust extractors and air cleaners.

The latest addition to the DC Tromb mobile extraction unit family, the Hepa 13 filtered DC Tromb Turbo offers optimum quality, containment and performance. One of the major updates is the three-phase turbo motor to enable running for long periods without the need to switch off. The new model has also been developed with a thermal protector that activates at high temperatures, while a simpler filter change has also been included for easier and quicker removal.

The EX version is certified to IP65 standard, meaning it can operate in explosive environments; ATEX Zone 22. It also has a tall cyclone, large Hepa filters and powerful motor package, allowing it to handle large amounts of debris.

Another piece of equipment on show will be the DCF Immersion, a mobile pre-separator made for handling metals like titanium and magnesium and other reactive materials in a safe way.

The team will also be exhibiting its Smart control panels, a compact and efficient control system suitable for central vacuum systems and the majority of more complex installations. Attendees will also be able to get up close to the DC 11-Module, an optimised standalone centralised vacuum unit for source extraction and industrial cleaning. The DC 11-Module can be fitted with Hepa 13 filters, meaning exhaust air can be safely returned to the work environment.

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