GENERAL NEWS
Dawson Shanahan invests over £ 500k
Dawson Shanahan , a UK specialist precision engineering firm , looks set to exceed its investment targets to meet increasing demand from the power distribution , e-mobility and medical sectors . As part of an ongoing strategy of investing in manufacturing assets for maximum long-term benefit , Dawson Shanahan has committed over £ 500,000 on new machinery .
“ Despite COVID-19 and its impact on the plant – 50 % of our staff were furloughed – we have still met growing demand for precision engineered products and services . We now have a further Citizen ABX and a Schmid T200 Orbital Forge , which will be used initially for making plasma nozzle components to reduce material waste and cycle times . This advanced technology will enable us to optimise cycle times and increase capacity ,” explained
An orbital forge for making plasma nozzle components .
Dawson Shanahan .
The company has also replaced an older machine with a more modern Studer CNC cylindrical grinder . Dawson Shanahan manufactures most of its development and production tooling in-house for quicker turnaround . As part of the investment plan , a further rotary transfer machine is being completely refurbished for CNC control and will be used to meet the increased demand for parts in electric vehicles .
“ The latest technology in cobots ( collaborative robots ) is also part of this investment . To automate parts loading with short cycle times , a cobot will help to free skilled operators to work on more interesting projects . Typically , a new part is loaded every 12-15 seconds so having the agility to automate even small batch runs and frequent line changeovers means that our operators can use their time much more effectively . We also have two new precision lathes on order for delivery this year ,” added the company . n
. dawson-shanahan . co . uk
Deburring and surface finishing
The 4th Trade Fair for Deburring Technology and Precision Surface Finishing will take place from 12-14 October 2021 in Karlsruhe ( Germany ). The DeburringEXPO will focus on the increasing importance of burr-free , precise and clean surfaces .
“ The DeburringEXPO international platform enables visitors to gather information on a broad range of technologies for deburring , rounding and the production of precision surface finishes ,” said the event organiser .
With pavilions including “ Cleaning After Deburring ”, “ Automated Deburring with Industrial Robots ” and “ AM Parts Finishing ”, topical issues will also be addressed . The three-day expert forum will also offer information on the latest trends and developments , as well as practical solutions . It provides a complete overview of current developments and trends , processes and methods , as well as quality assurance and services .
“ We ’ ve been experiencing a significant increase in demand for booth floor space since the end of February . Consequently , we ’ re quite confident that we ’ ll be able to hold DeburringEXPO in October 2021 on a scale comparable to the event in 2019 – of course , in compliance with relevant protective measures and with a hygiene concept that offers exhibitors and visitors the greatest possible safety ,” reported Hartmut
Herdin , managing director of private trade fair promoter , fairXperts GmbH & Co . KG .
The pavilion covering “ Automated Deburring with Industrial Robots ”, organised with Robofunktion GmbH , will demonstrate the possibilities for robot-automated surface treatment . Automated solutions for reproducible results will be in the “ AM Parts Finishing ” pavilion , and cleaning processes will be showcased in the “ Cleaning After Deburring ” pavilion . n
. deburring-expo . com
ESAB flexes its muscles
On 4 March 2021 ESAB ’ s parent company , Colfax Corporation , announced its intention to separate its ESAB fabrication technology business and its specialty medical technology businesses into two differentiated , independent and publicly-traded companies . ESAB is expected to include Colfax ’ s Fabrication Technology operating segment , which is forecast to generate revenue of approximately US $ 2.2 billion in 2021 . The separation is intended to be structured in a taxfree manner and is targeted to be completed in the first quarter of 2022 . Shyam Kambeyanda , ESAB Chief Executive Officer , will continue to lead the fabrication technology company , which will remain headquartered in Maryland , USA .
“ As part of Colfax since 2012 , ESAB has been significantly strengthened ,” said Johan Fransson , Managing Director Europe , ESAB . “ Around US $ 1.6 billion was invested in acquisitions to create a truly global welding and cutting
ESAB ’ s Aristo ® 500ix . business , our market-leading innovation engine was created and we used the Colfax Business System to significantly improve our ability to serve customers . We are ready and excited to again become independent and focus even more resources
on solving customer challenges through welding and cutting innovations .”
ESAB is a 117-year-old fabrication technology specialist with a global footprint . Its innovations include the modern gas regulator for oxy-acetylene and the Integrated Cold Electrode ( ICE™ ) SAW process . The company told ISMR that it had successfully executed its operational improvement strategy and significantly increased margins and cash flow . Through strategic bolt-on acquisitions , ESAB has also broadened its product and technology offering , extended its geographic reach and expanded into
‘ attractive new segments ’.
It also held the virtual ESAB Europe Xpanse event from 27-29 April 2021 , featuring more than 50 recent product introductions as well as online classroom opportunities with ESAB University . n
ISMR May 2021 | sheetmetalplus . com | 9