TPT May 2015

Industry News

Machining centre for steel window maker

full range of hot rolled steel sections. Its five-axis operation will allow the company to machine multiple section faces without the need to manually turn components during the manufacturing cycle. Additionally, as the Mecal machine is equipped with two separate machining zones, it can be loaded and unloaded without halting the manufacturing process. The Mecal MC 305 Gianos is equipped to automatically machine, drill, mill, slot and prep both aluminium and steel extrusion bars. It is also suited to new product development, while its high levels of accuracy and repeatability ensure minimal waste. Addison Saws Ltd – UK Email: sales@addisonsaws.co.uk Website: www.addisonsaws.co.uk

challenge was to find a model capable of working with steel components of up to 5mm in thickness.” To remove any need for machined components to be turned manually during the manufacturing process, Crittall required a multi-axis machining solution. Due to the specialised nature of its products – and to both accelerate and simplify new product development – the machining centre also had to be versatile, with multi-tooling capability. “Although we spoke to a number of potential suppliers, it was Addison who seemed genuinely interested in meeting our requirements,” said Mr Gaylor. “They provided detailed machine information, arranged manufacturing trials and assisted with cutting tool development.” Crittall selected the Mecal MC 305 Gianos for its capability to machine a

CRITTALL Windows Ltd, a British manufacturer of steel windows and a major supplier to the USA, has purchased a new Mecal CNC machining centre from UK-based cutting and sawing technology specialist Addison Saws Ltd. The machining centre – a Mecal MC 305 Gianos five-axis twin table model – was installed in January 2015, and will boost Crittall’s production capabilities and efficiency. It will also provide flexibility to machining operations across the entire range of windows produced at the company’s manufacturing centre. “We had been looking into the benefits of investing in a CNC machining centre for quite some time,” commented Steve Gaylor, Crittall’s head of manufacturing. “However, as many CNC machines are designed specifically for the production of lightweight aluminium profiles, our

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Processing line furnaces for Baosteel Zhanjiang

operational expenses and minimise its environmental footprint. A 10mn tons per annum steel project in Zhanjiang port with an estimated investment of $11bn has been undergoing several stages of construction. Zhanjiang’s first phase started in 2013 with a capacity of 2.2mn tons per annum from a 2,030mm cold mill. The second phase, launched in August 2014, encompasses a 1,550mm wide cold rolling mill with a pickling line, a pickling line-tandem mill, a continuous annealing line and a continuous hot- dip galvanising line to be progressively put into operation in 2016-2017. Output capacity is 2.55mn tons per annum of coils, mainly appliance and automotive sheet.

INTERNATIONAL engineering group Fives has been selected by automotive steel producer Baosteel for the design and supply of two Stein Digiflex ® vertical annealing furnaces for its new 1,550mm cold rolling mill project in Zhanjiang, in the south-eastern Guangdong province of China. One Stein Digiflex vertical annealing furnace is to be supplied for a 700,000 tons per annum continuous annealing line (CAL); the other is for a 270,000 tons per annum continuous galvanising line (CGL). The Stein Digiflex annealing furnaces have compact design features and advanced combustion and cooling technologies, including the latest generation of AdvantTek ® WRT 2.0 combustion system. This combustion technology benefits from high recuperative energy efficiency, low NOx emissions and usage of the site- generated fuels. It will allow Baosteel Zhanjiang Steel Plant to reduce

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Fives – France Fax: +33 1 45 23 75 71

Email: contact@fivesgroup.com Website: www.fivesgroup.com

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M ay 2015