EuroBLECH Bulletin • Issue 4

Issue 4

September 2008

September 2008

Useful tips for visiting EuroBLECH 2008 special sticker, which can be obtained either at www.tuev-nord.de/39477.asp or at the exhibition itself. Cars with foreign registration are currently exempt from this requirement.

Need a hotel?

Exhibition Preview – order now! At the beginning of September a comprehensive EuroBLECH 2008 Exhibition Preview, with detailed information about the products and services on display, will be available. The preview also contains a complete list of exhibitors, a floor plan and useful travel and on-site information. A free copy of the Exhibition Preview can be ordered at www.euroblech.com or by emailing [email protected]

NEW Visitors can now gain access to the EuroBLECH show ground at five entrances: at the new Nord 17 entrance as well as at the West 1, West 2, Ost 3 and Süd 1 entrances. Tips for arriving by public transport: There are regular shuttle buses to the EuroBLECH entrances from the tram stop “Messe/ Nord” of tram lines 8 and 18.

Save time Order your entrance ticket online at www.euroblech.com. Day tickets are available for 25 €, Season tickets (5 days) for 45 € and Student tickets for 12 €. On presentation of their student ID, there will be free entrance for students on Saturday.

Important information for those arriving by car: At the beginning of the year, the city of Hannover introduced a low emissions zone. Cars entering this zone require a

21-25 October 2008 • HANOVER, GERMANY 20 th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition

www.euroblech.com

Travel2Fairs, Hannover can arrange all types of accommodation. See www.travel2fairs.com for further information. Travel packages to EuroBLECH are also available from many countries worldwide. For addresses of travel agents offering this service, please see www.euroblech.com/ english/travel/packages/

Exhibition opening times Tue 21/10/2008 to Fri 24/10/2008: 09:00 to 18:00 Saturday 25/10/2008: 09:00 to 16:00

EuroBLECH Bulletin • Issue 4

September 2008

The gateway to the world of sheet metal working EuroBLECH has always been at the forefront of important developments in the field of sheet metal working, and the upcoming event in October is no exception. These developments are, however, not always technological – like hydroforming, modern hot forming processes or remote laser cutting systems; they can also reflect the economic developments of the continent we live on.

n EuroBLECH constantly provides access to new markets. Twenty years ago, these were the new EU member states in western Europe, whilst today they are the latest countries to join the European Union – from the Baltic to the Black Sea. In particular the extension of the Schengen region means that getting to Hanover is now very easy for the many visitors from Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. As a result, numerous new contacts can be made with potential customers, suppliers and business partners from this rapidly expanding economic area. There is great demand from the new factories for cars and household appliances in central Europe – and also from their suppliers – for know-

Prefabrication-Storage and Trade Centre in Moscow 

how, materials and technology. This development also benefits the construction industry, because steel is required for the new factory buildings and the modern shopping centres being built for increasingly discerning citizens. EuroBLECH covers not only the construction industry, but also the heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) sector. The know-how needed in the factories belonging to the major manufacturers is normally provided by the global parent companies. But the many thousands of 2nd, 3rd and lower tier suppliers who settle around these industrial clusters also require this information. These small and medium-sized enterprises need to know which logistics solutions are right for them, which machines and equipment will bring swift returns, and where high-grade semifinished goods and tools can be reliably procured.

Photo: ThyssenKrupp

Acknowledged as the world’s leading exhibition for sheet metal working, EuroBLECH reaches far beyond the borders of the European Union. In recent years an almost entirely

21-25 October 2008 • HANOVER, GERMANY 20 th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition

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new automotive and white goods industry has grown up in Russia, with numerous sites stretching from the Baltic to the Urals. The plate sector is enjoying enormous growth, particularly in Russia, because transporting energy resources to the consumer requires pipelines and ships, and these – from the initial plate to the finished product – are supposed to have a high local content. However, in terms of machine tools and manufacturing technology, Russia is predominantly an import market and industry experts use EuroBLECH to check out what is available internationally. Increasing globalisation in important industrial sectors means that EuroBLECH also continues to develop, and overseas markets have long been target groups for the show. In South America, for example, EuroBLECH has for many years been a well-known industry event. Asia is also rapidly increasing in importance, but whilst in the past Far Eastern manufacturers of toolmaking machinery used the show to exhibit their equipment and systems, now it is also the users of these technologies who visit EuroBLECH. For these automotive suppliers, subcontractors and machine/plant builders from emerging nations like Brazil, Mexico and India, EuroBLECH constitutes an indispensable source of information. This means that yet again EuroBLECH lives up to its reputation as the only truly global technology exhibition - here not only is the hardware for sheet metal working on display, but the knowledge required to use the machines and systems as productively as possible is also accessible. www.euroblech.com

EuroBLECH Bulletin • Issue 4

September 2008

Global stainless steel production recovers n In the first quarter of 2008 global stainless steel production was 7.4 million metric tons (mmt). The figures, published by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF), show that stainless steel production increased by 6.5% compared with the last quarter of 2007. However, compared with the first quarter of 2007 production decreased

by 3% across the world. It should be noted that 7.589 mmt of stainless steel was produced in that quarter of 2007, the highest figure ISSF has recorded for a single three-month period. All areas of the world increased production compared with the last quarter of 2007. The Asia region showed the lowest growth rate (3.6%) while the

Did you know …? n that Italy has overtaken Germany in the manufacture of forming machinery. According to the current statistics issued by Gardner Publications, in 2007 Italy had notched up € 2.65 bill. of sales, putting it just ahead of Germany - with € 2.23 bill. - for the first time. China was in third place with € 2.15 bill.

n that German robotics manufacturers have increased their sales by 20%. The German robotics industry managed to up its sales by 20% compared with the previous year, achieving a total of € 2.1 bill. There are however strong variations in the market – automotive suppliers in Europe and the USA bought less, whilst US manufacturers in particular purchased substantially more robots (+52%) than in 2006. The main customers here were Asian manufacturers in North America, who were expanding their capacity there. In Asia, the robotics market remains stagnant. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), overall this meant that worldwide stocks had increased to just under a million units in 2007.

Americas lead the way with growth of 13.4%. Western Europe/Africa (9.8%) and Eastern Europe (9.7%) are both contributing to the recovery. Asia is still the largest stainless steel producing region with production of 4.2 mmt in the first quarter of this year. www.worldstainless.org www.issf.com

NEW: Dedicated sheet metal working events in growth markets BLECH Russia 10-13 March 2009 St Petersburg, Russia BLECH Polska 27-29 October 2009 Kielce, Poland BLECH India 18-20 November 2009 Mumbai, India

n that the European Steel Register in the German Steel Centre has published a list of all the types of steel registered and contained in European standards, together with their material numbers (EN-10027-2). Registration of the steel types covered in European standards is valid for all member states of the European Union. The steel-iron list currently contains a total of 2335 types of steel, i.e. 496 unalloyed high-grade steels, 153 alloyed high-grade steels, 291 rustproof steels, 192 unalloyed stainless steels and 1203 other alloyed stainless steels. www.stahldat.de

There's no better way to approach these emerging markets. By the organisers of EuroBLECH email: [email protected]

21-25 October 2008 • HANOVER, GERMANY 20 th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition

www.euroblech.com

www.blechevents.com

EuroBLECH Bulletin • Issue 4

September 2008

News from the industry … What‘s that ...?

Photo: Finn-Power

Finn-Power and Prima Industrie together with new solutions n At the beginning of February 2008, the Italian based Prima Industrie S.p.A. purchased the entire stock of the Finland-based Finn-Power Oy and thus of the whole Finn-Power Group. This created one of the world’s largest companies specialising in sheet metal working technology. Prima Industrie has specialised in the design and manufacture of laser systems for cutting, welding and drilling for thirty years. Finn-Power was established in 1969 and has

concentrated on flexible sheet metal working technology ever since. This year’s EuroBLECH is the first joint exhibition of the two companies, with both Prima and Finn-Power exhibiting a wide range of new technologies. New Finn-Power products to be introduced include solutions for integrated punching and right angle shearing, turret punch press automation, bending, as well as software. Hall 14, E14/E18 www.finn-power.com www.primaindustrie.com

Patented levelling monitor works without mechanical contact in one pass n FlatTrak is the name of the strip evaluation system recently launched by The Bradbury Group in Kansas, USA. The device can be fitted to any standard strip leveller and gives a real-time graphic representation of each strip’s profile. The system works without any mechanical contact across the moving

strip and determines the flatness level on the basis of comparing the continual measurements automatically. The strip measurements and flatness readings for each strip can be stored and output via a printer. www.bradburygroup.com

21-25 October 2008 • HANOVER, GERMANY 20 th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition

www.euroblech.com

Photo: Fraunhofer

Remote laser welding n Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute IWS Dresden, this process for thin metallic materials enables cutting operations to be dramatically accelerated. The robot-based unit can, for example, cut 100 circles measuring 6.5 mm dia. in 100μ thick stainless steel sheet in under two seconds. The system uses highly focused fibre or disc lasers which are guided along the cutting contour using fast-moving mirrors. The speed involved in the process is several m/sec and the edges have only minimal burr and low surface roughness. www.iws.fraunhofer.de

EuroBLECH Bulletin • Issue 4

September 2008

New sorter robot n Remmert’s new ‘Laser-Sort’ sorter robot, part of a fully automatic sheet metal production cell, carries out the automated dynamic sorting of lasercut parts at Hörmann Automotive

Components. Used in combination with a well-stocked sheet storage unit, PRO FMS manufacturing software and two Bystronic laser machines, the system ensures fully automatic sheet metal processing operations at the automotive supplier’s production site. Hörmann Automotive Components (formerly MAN Commercial Vehicles, business unit pressed parts) specialises in the production of high-grade chassis and car body components used in truck and car manufacture. The company is currently integrating a new sheet metal processing cell that allows fully automated manufacturing processes - from the provisioning of blanks via trimming through to sorting of items. The last stage is where the Laser-Sort robot comes in. This is the first productive system in Remmert’s newly-developed dynamic robot application. The 6-axis articulated arm robot picks up the sheet metal blanks on the delivery table, sorts them into pre-defined load carriers and then disposes of the used grid.

Photo: Remmert

www.remmert.de

Press hardening increasingly important n The potential of lightweight design is being evaluated throughout the automotive industry, and highstrength and ultra high-strength steels are being developed which offer the same or greater strength than conventional car body steel, but at lower sheet thicknesses and considerably lower weight. However, these new high-performance materials require an entirely new technology, as they can usually be formed only when hot (from approx. 800oC) and they acquire their characteristics solely during

the forming process, followed by rapid cooling in the closed tool. A further aspect is that the sheet metal has to be coated (Al-Si), as this avoids oxidation of the steel surface. However, before tailored blanks are produced, this coating has to be partially removed again using Q-switched lasers, as it would otherwise interfere with the welding operation. Several exhibitors at EuroBLECH are showing products and systems involving this state-ofthe-art process.

21-25 October 2008 • HANOVER, GERMANY 20 th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition

www.euroblech.com

Photo: Schwer + Kopka

Highly precise parts counting up to over 2000 1/min Manufacturing Execution Systems n  (MES) and industrial data capture are increasingly important; ensuring accurate parts counting is also an important aspect of highperformance blanking, ensuring efficient manufacture and maximum production transparency, combined with quality assurance and cost control. The new MES/industrial data capture system SK-go! from Schwer+Kopka provides a continuous monthly comparison of key values and real time MES control with alarm function. Even the service life of a blanking tool can be completely captured and evaluated. Additional modules support production finetuning, calculation of bonuses and machine utilisation. www.schwer-kopka.de

EuroBLECH Bulletin • Issue 4

Good solution...

September 2008

New heat-resistant stainless steel without nickel or molybdenum n As part of a comprehensive innovation

Foto: Koenig Verbindungstechnik / Metaklett

n Metal velcro fasteners (Metaklett), developed by the Karlsruhe Research Institute in conjunction with Koenig Verbindungstechnik, are the solution the world has long been awaiting: tough, flexible, easy to open, re-usable. On the first version, the ‘soft’ side consists of plastic fleece; work on an all-metal version, which should then be heatresistant, is currently in progress. www.kvt-koenig.de www.metaklett.de

strategy to save on raw materials, the experts at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta have developed the new ferritic material NIROSTA 4607, which is as corrosionresistant as the standard material NIROSTA 4301 containing nickel. Thanks to its particular composition, the new material is substantially cheaper and is unaffected by global nickel prices.

a ferritic stainless steel also offers sufficient formability” explained Gert Weiß, head of the technical product service at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta. www.nirosta.de

Photo: Nirosta

NIROSTA 4607 is moreover Europe’s first ferritic stainless steel to achieve the same corrosion-resistance as NIROSTA 4301 without the need for either nickel and molybdenum, and still have the same good high temperature stability as NIROSTA 4509. “We are thus contributing substantially towards reducing costs for the end user. The new material can be used whenever

Hydroforming: Low investment and high availability n The Compact Hydroformer SCH 1600-1.5x1.5 Schuler is a cost-optimised system for the manufacture of hydroformed parts. With a closing force of up to 16,000 kN the unit is ideally suited for the production of small and mediumsized parts such as exhaust and suspension components, plumbing fixtures, sheet metal parts and heat exchangers for the automotive and non-automotive sectors. The system features a water hydraulic system that is installed with the press on a common frame, as well as a control specially designed for the hydroforming process. The press requires no pit or special foundation and is thus extremely costeffective and flexible in terms of placement in the plant setting. www.schulergroup.com Photo: Schuler

21-25 October 2008 • HANOVER, GERMANY 20 th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition

www.euroblech.com

EuroBLECH Bulletin • Issue 4

September 2008

Mobile laser welding with versatile rental systems n Mobile systems are already available for a wide range of problems in the fields of mould making, vehicle construction, mechanical engineering and dismantling of obsolete industrial equipment. These include:

Ë freely hand-operated systems consisting of a laser optic with additional accessories to ensure constant focal distances, guaranteed high levels of industrial safety and ease of guidance along component geometries. Generating advance movement is not supported, as this task falls to the operator (e.g. for repair welding of moulds and dies, welding of thin sheet metal and repair of flaws in joints).

Ë hand-operated, driven heads that are particularly suitable for more complex geometries. Laser power from 2kW upwards is suitable for the production of high quality welds in lap joints. By changing the processing

module, these systems can also be easily used for cutting. These operations are often timelimited and permanently installed systems would not be economically viable. Nevertheless, to be adequately equipped to handle the respective applications requires a wide range of laser systems - and here the most economical solution is to rent them. In addition to mobile or time-limited operations, rental systems are also well-suited for short-term replacement of systems that have broken down, for occasions when production bottlenecks are encountered or for practical testing of new processes. The laser know-how available in conjunction with the respective rentbased systems is a new concept offered by Laser on Demand GmbH, for example, which runs a centrallyadministered laser pool. Photo: laser on demand

www.laser-on-demand.de

Steel laminate reduces cost and noise n Quiet Steel® is a joint development of Arcelor Auto and the Material Sciences Corporation and consists of multi-layer composites with “tunable” engineered viscoelastic cores sandwiched between two layers of steel. This viscoelastic core is a formulation, allowing vehicle designers to attenuate specific frequencies depending on where in the vehicle they use Quiet Steel®. The

EuroBLECH Bulletin is published by the EuroBLECH Press Office © 2008 Mack Brooks Exhibition Ltd

steel laminate may be further enhanced with corrosion resistance or other specific characteristics. When this initial processing is complete, customers may form, stamp, and weld Quiet Steel® as they would any standard steel. When Quiet Steel® is designed into an engineered system, preliminary studies suggest a typical total system weight and cost reduction of up to 20%

Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd Romeland House, Romeland Hill, St Albans, Herts AL3 4ET, United Kingdom

Tel. +44 (0)1727 814400 Fax +44 (0)1727 814401 Email: [email protected] Website: www.euroblech.com

while achieving noise reduction levels of up to 50%. The result? Enhanced fuel efficiency, reduced assembly time, recyclability and improved quality. www.auto.arcelor.com www.matsci.com www.quietsteel-europe.com