Thread production on an industrial scale always involves high standards both in terms of quantity and quality. The situation is no different at the IBMO company: among other things, the Polish automotive supplier manufactures brackets for car trailer axle mounts. LMT Fette’s new Protec thread roller enables significantly lower tool costs and higher productivity.
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These are pictures you have never seen before: the blades of a hob push their way through metal one thousand times slower than in reality, chips of composite material fly past in slow motion and a thread roller gradually pulls a “groove” behind it millimetre by millimetre. At the LMT website you can now watch high-speed recordings of tools in action. Extremely slow and perfectly sharp videos demonstrate how they work – it is almost like looking into another world.
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LMT Tools wins the International German PR Prize for its trade fair public relations strategy involving live transmissions on the Internet. What is more, the relevant numbers confirm its great success: more than 500 viewers watched the broadcasts live on the Web and over 5,000 users accessed recordings later.
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How about a combination of extremely high cutting speeds and extremely low wear and tear? The new TeraSpeed coating for LMT indexable inserts does just that, allowing users to benefit from record cutting speeds and tool life in the machining of cast materials. This innovation offers a dramatic increase in cost-effectiveness as a result of a major breakthrough in coating technology. LMT TeraSpeed is the world’s first AlTiN coating to be deposited using a CVD process. The inserts will become available in July.
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Faurecia Angell-Demmel produces components that have a major impact on the appearance of car interiors: the international automotive supplier is a market leader for high-quality components with genuine metal surfaces – ranging from individual switches to entire consoles. The successful machining of components does not depend solely on using the “right” tool...
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Hobbing is one of the key processes in gearwheel production. Performance News spoke with Professor Bernhard Karpuschewski, Managing Director of the Institute of Manufacturing Technology and Quality Management (IFQ) at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, about the requirements for the best gear-cutting tools and the future of gearwheels in the coming age of electromobility.
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In its BluECOmpetence initiative, VDMA, the German Engineering Federation, intends to pool and network its members’ expertise in one of the most important subjects of the future. The LMT Group has now joined this sustainability campaign.
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In the field of interior design for cars, perfection and quality in every detail are increasingly the order of the day. This represents an enormous challenge for the specialist suppliers who make your products, a challenge that begins with the selection of materials. When it comes to precision tools, more and more companies are turning to the composites experts from LMT Tool Systems.
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The situation on financial markets has long also been a major instability factor for the German car industry. Nevertheless, according to the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), the sector expects “a car year with potential” in 2012 – “if the financial markets regain confidence”. The industry is even expected to slightly better the record year of 2011.
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At Stand E54 in Hall 4 of EMO 2011, the precision tool specialists from LMT are using a wide range of innovative products to demonstrate that those crucial refinements that ensure better component quality and productivity in manufacturing composite components can only be made accessible with specialist knowledge of materials and processes.
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At EMO 2011, the companies belonging to the LMT Group are demonstrating numerous ways of improving the productivity of existing production processes. A particular highlight, however, is the Speedcore hob. This new generation of tools is based on an innovative intermetallic cutting material that improves the productivity of a gear cutting machine by up to 30 per cent.
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In terms of global gross domestic product India has long since become an economic heavyweight. According to the International Monetary Fund, India’s share of the world economy amounted to 5.4% last year. LMT tool specialists are contributing to this development in many companies.
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A reorganization of indirect procurement means Bosch now appoints “preferred suppliers”. The LMT Group has been selected as a preferred supplier of the Bosch Group. Competitiveness, flexibility and active involvement in cost-reduction measures were decisive factors.
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The subject of speed is always at the top of the toolmaker’s agenda. SpeedCore, the new hob cutting material, even reflects that in its name. Its substantially higher cutting speeds dramatically increase users’ productivity. In May we took the opportunity of the launch of this innovative product to organize a prize competition and four LMT customers were able to experience an exciting manifestation of speed during a Formula One race at the Nürburgring ...
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Until now the main focus in machining production has been on high cutting performance, short machining times and process reliability. As a result of rising costs, however, increasing importance is being attached to energy efficiency, a factor that is decisively influenced by the cutting strategy used.
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According to a statement by the organizers of the world’s largest aviation fair at the end of June, this year’s Paris Air Show would be “A Show to mark the economic recovery!” This claim was more than met: record exhibitor and visitor numbers documented the general growth trend.
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Do gears still have a future? Does the industry need more new cutting materials? Are tool coatings a marketing ploy or do they offer real benefits? These and other questions were discussed by more than 80 gear and sprocket specialists at the LMT gear-cutting symposium in Schwarzenbek on 22 and 23 June.
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German industrial companies continue to be rather underrepresented on Twitter, the short messages service on the Internet. Nevertheless, the number of twittering engineering and automotive companies is slowly but steadily growing. LMT has now been using the service for roughly a year – with considerable success: more than 1,000 “followers” already receive regular information from the world of tool technology in both English and German.
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LMT Fette is presenting the world’s first coating for thread rollers. The new Protec coating enables an additional performance boost for non-cutting thread production. Tool life can be prolonged by up to 30%.
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eavy roughing of titanium is becoming increasingly common, especially in the aerospace industry. That also presents considerable challenges for manufacturers of clamping devices since their systems have to be able to transfer higher torques, because the required machining forces are very high. LMT alliance partner Bilz has now presented the ThermoGrip® ISG3400-HL, its first high-end device for the reliable shrinking of thick-walled shrink-fit holders.
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LMT offers complete service packages for tool reconditioning – worldwide. It includes a collection and delivery service, regrinding and recoating as well as tool storage and recycling. But why is it so important for a tool manufacturer to carry out the reconditioning? – An interview with Jürgen Freund, head of Service International at LMT.
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From premachining and roughing to the finishing of the crank pins and thread cutting – practically the entire spectrum of tool applications is used during the production of a crankshaft. With its new Nanosilver product, LMT alliance partner Boehlerit is putting an innovative cutting material on the market specially designed for the machining of crankshafts.
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The current economic upturn is confronting industry with unusual challenges. In fact, increased demand has already led to production bottlenecks in some sectors. There is therefore currently considerable call for ways of expanding available capacities. LMT Fette’s latest generation of one-piece hobs does just that for gear wheel production. The new hob is based on an innovative intermetallic cutting material that LMT has named SpeedCore.
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“A class of its own” is how the World Wind Energy Association describes the Chinese wind market in its latest annual report. The Asian country has indeed been recording annual growth rates that are unattainable in the rest of the world. In 2010 alone, for example, new turbines were built with a total capacity of just under 19 gigawatts of electricity. This overall development is also opening up new opportunities for the wind power specialists at LMT China.
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From fenders to supporting structural elements to interior linings, more and more automotive parts are being made of fibre-reinforced composite (FRC) materials. Precision tools are a key technology in this field – especially when it comes to high-volume serial production. How can you avoid damage to components resulting from delamination? How can you reliably machine clean edges without chipping or fibre protrusions? LMT can provide a “compressed answer”.
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LMT Kieninger is extending its range of tools for die and mould making to include the multi-flute tools of the new, modular QUATTRO-Jet series. This new development relies on tried-and-tested technologies.
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Induction shrinking ensures the highest precision machining and also guarantees maximum tool life. Users can now exploit these enormous advantages with the aid of a low-cost unit that is both compact and powerful: the ISG 1000. The entry-level model by LMT alliance partner Bilz also offers easy and quick operation.
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Composites are the materials of the future. The impetus to use composite materials is coming primarily from the aerospace industry. However, these light but rigid materials are also coming to the fore in automobile development and in “young” sectors such as the wind power industry. Following the Composite Excellence initiative launched at AMB 2010, the LMT Group is pooling its expertise in this growth sector and presenting the broadest product range on the market.
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If you want to gain an impression of the dynamic development of the Chinese economy over recent years, you only need to take a closer look at fairs and trade shows. The China International Machine Tool Show (CIMT) is a striking example. In 1989 the biennial machine tool fair registered only 446 exhibitors. This year, on the other hand, over 1,100 participating companies are expected. LMT will be presenting a large number of tool innovations in Beijing that will enable users to massively increase their productivity in cutting applications.

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Pune is one of the most important centres of the Indian automotive industry. Alongside Tata Motors, which attracted worldwide attention with its small and inexpensive Nano car, and Bajaj, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of two- and three-wheelers, numerous international vehicle producers and automotive suppliers have located in Pune. LMT is now expanding its local presence with a new finishing facility for gear hobs.

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“Internationalization continues,” proclaimed the recently published VDMA study called “Lessons from a Crisis”. Above all, the importance of the Chinese market is continuing to grow – also for LMT. The Group has established itself in the Middle Kingdom as a respected contact and partner for all questions relating to the use of precision tools.

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Last year’s DMG Roadshow was a great success. A total of more than 1,000 participants took part in this national and international series of events and found out more about solutions for the whole production process. LMT will also be contributing again this year as the roadshow’s tool partner. Altogether, there will be three DMG Roadshows using different machining centres.

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On 29 and 30 March 2011 EMAG will be welcoming guests to Salach for EMAG Technologie-Fachgespräche 2011, a technology conference being held under the motto “Shortening the Process Chain – Higher Efficiency”. LMT is one of the partners of the event, where it will be informing visitors about the latest developments in machining tools. A special highlight of the conference will be provided by German astronaut Professor Ulrich Walter from the Technological University in Munich. Under the heading “The Power of Space” he will be giving EMAG’s guests insights into the practical benefits of discoveries made in space research.
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The new Univex Premium milling range now makes exact 90° square shoulder face milling possible wherever straight edges are required. Univex Premium cutters offer outstanding milling features.

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High demands are made on precision tools for machining hardened materials: users want maximum machine running times, extended tool life and high cutting and feed rates. These parameters are crucial for increasing productivity.

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The IMTEX fair begins in Bangalore, India, on 20 January. The current market situation is almost perfect for one of the largest metalworking machine tool exhibitions in Southeast Asia. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) estimates that India will increase its gross domestic product by more than 9% in 2011. That corresponds to the growth rate before the global economic crisis. The time is also ideal for LMT India Private Limited.

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There are almost as many ways of producing gear wheels as there are uses for these ubiquitous components. In November experts from LMT Kieninger and LMT Fette demonstrated the range of different production processes at a customer seminar – from 5-axis machining with standard cutting tools on standard equipment to using gear hobs on gear cutting machines.

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They are up to three meters long, and have a maximum diameter of 200 mm: line boring bars from LMT Kieninger. This high-tech tool is indispensable for the special holes needed when making large diesel engines. In India, about 60 of these special tools are now in use at large companies in the commercial vehicle industry.

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Coatings are the key to increasing the performance of precision tools and thereby improving the effectiveness of the overall production system. LMT experts have been driving this technology forward for more than 30 years. An interview on this important subject with Philipp Immich, the engineer who is head of R&D on cutting materials and coatings at LMT Fette.

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The composites market is booming again. Last year the industry clocked up production volumes corresponding to the record levels of the period prior to crisis year 2009. This finding comes from the current European market report of the Federation of Reinforced Plastics (AVK).

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Ongoing training is particularly important when it comes to the effective and economic utilization of precision tools. That is why the LMT Group is offering technology seminars in 2011 that not only aim to communicate technical knowledge about tools, but also offer instruction on their safe and efficient handling by experts. The new seminar programme is now available.

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Some 4,500 square metres have shone like new since the end of September when the new headquarters of LMT Onsrud and LMT USA was opened in Waukegan, Illinois. More than 250 guests came to admire the new premises that are roughly 10 miles away from the old LMT Onsrud site in Libertyville.

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The new FEED-Jet multiple-tooth cutting system developed by LMT Kieninger opens up entirely new dimensions of face milling with aluminum materials. The new product complements LMT Kieninger’s existing 3-D, 2-D and 1-D inserted tooth milling cutter systems. Featuring a higher number of teeth, the FEED-Jet meets all the prerequisites for maximizing efficiency during the cutting process.

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World premiere at AMB 2010. LMT had prepared an attractive program including tool presentations, expert lectures and practical presentations from business partners and machine users from all across Germany for the metalworking exhibition, and broadcast them live on the Internet. You can now see selected recordings at LMT's e-Convention platform. All you need is a fast Internet access.

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Thread rolling is faster, more precise and more cost-effective than any kind of machining. A thread can be formed in 0.05 seconds. The new, smaller, T270K compact rolling head now makes it possible to use this technique where in the past there was not enough room. High strength materials can be shaped on machines in the smallest space.

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It all began in Lahr-Dinglingen. Fifty years ago Walter and Johanna Kieninger set up a small workshop for cutting tools. Today LMT Kieninger is an internationally respected brand of specialized tools for demanding cutting applications. Numerous guests travelled to Lahr on 24 September this year to celebrate the company jubilee with its employees and take a look into the future.

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Just how effectively two companies can work together is demonstrated time and again by the technology seminars that LMT holds jointly with industry partners. Customers benefit from the companies’ combined know-how and find out more about how to improve the efficiency of tool processes – with regard to both tools and machining centres. The latest examples were technology seminars organized by LMT in collaboration with Mazak and Hahn & Kolb.

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Numerous innovations and renewed confidence have put LMT – Leading Metalworking Technologies back on course for growth. Additionally, the business group is launching a concentrated sales and product campaign at the AMB 2010 fair. In each of its segments, LMT is presenting one product with unique selling points. In the composites growth market LMT is pooling the Group’s expertise for its Composite Excellence initiative. With the world's first modular tap drill, and the application-oriented Polaris coating that the company has just developed, LMT also aims to significantly increase its market share in the machining of cast materials.

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In May, LMT became a member of Carbon Composites e.V. (CCeV), an association that acts as a competence network covering the entire value-creation chain in the field of fibre composite technology. Its members – currently a total of 93 companies and research institutions from Germany, Austria and Switzerland – have set themselves the goal of advancing the development of composite materials and associated processing techniques.

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Modern cast materials are used in many different sectors. These materials present special challenges for machining tools. With the world's first modular tap drill, and the application-oriented Polaris coating that the company has just developed, LMT is now getting involved in this market and promise productivity rises of at least 30% compared to conventional solid carbide and HSS tools.

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A symbol of the American dream of freedom and independence. We are talking about motorcycles made by a US manufacturer. Before the proud owner can swing onto the saddle, however, a great deal of precision work has to be done.

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Why not subscribe to the latest short news reports from the world of LMT tool technology? Twitter users can now become LMT “followers” at www.twitter.com/lmt_group and receive regular information in English and German, including weblinks to new user stories, product data, fair appearances and industry profiles.

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High feed-rate cutters bring significantly better productivity. Users can save costs massively. LMT Fette has extended its comprehensive range in this field yet again, and now offers solutions for the entire spectrum of materials - starting with the machining of cast iron and steels, through aluminum and stainless steel, and on to hardened materials.

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Turkey’s medium-term demand for machine tools will be high – at least, that is the assessment of Germany Trade & Invest (GTI), the German government’s foreign trade and investment agency. The fact that a new generation of tools will often also be required was made clear by a recent LMT Kieninger workshop in Istanbul.

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If a company working in a particular tool sector needs help and support, then specialists are needed. And that is exactly what the LMT Tool System marketing company is: experts with high levels of know-how, who offer specific consultation on a tool application. But what about customers who need tool solutions for a wide spectrum of applications?

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DHC roughing and finishing end mills with uneven helix angles prevent undesirable vibrations during cutting. In fact, they make the process extremely smooth and practically vibration-free. The result: high feed rates and increased metal removal.

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Tools are exposed to extreme thermal and mechanical stresses in many fields of application. Involute gear cutting provides a good example: the macro and micro geometries of the cutting edge are critical for a tool’s performance in dry machining and when the cutting process is sharply interrupted.

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Companies are suddenly confronted by a multitude of questions when they decide to optimize their tool logistics. LMT toolmanagers can not only help them find the right answers, but will also support the process through various phases. The basis for this is 100% teamwork.

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LMT Fette takes the next step in the development of HSS end mills. Under the name of HSS-PM Evolution the tool specialists are now, with immediate effect, only offering end mills of high-speed steel made with powder-metallurgical techniques. The benefits for the user: higher performance, process reliability and lower manufacturing costs.

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There are fundamental technical and industrial changes affecting our everyday life, but that occur out of sight. One example is the use of materials in the construction of an aircraft. A glance at the status of tool development at LMT Belin in this field illustrates the technical challenges associated with this.

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Nearly 200,000 artificial hip joints – and more than 150,000 knee joints – are implanted each year in Germany, according to data from the Federal Medical Technology Association. Tools from LMT are in part responsible for the high-precision machining of the materials used, which include titanium and stainless steel.

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Anybody who thought that all the classic engine and drive train components would be superfluous in a pure electric car would be mistaken. An "electric", of course, doesn't need a turbocharger or carburetor. But is that true for the other apparently superfluous components, such as the gearbox or the cooling system?

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The HSK-T interface for turning centres also offers users the crucial advantages of the hollow shank taper on non-rotating tools. The range of turning tool holders produced by LMT alliance partner Boehlerit is specially designed to exploit these advantages.

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A high-volume, high-speed business: producing threads often takes tools to the very limit. LMT Fette’s Type V machine tap gives users a high-performance solution for machining the main steel, cast iron and non-ferrous materials.
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Exhibitors, programs, visitors – the JEC Composites 2010 exhibition in Paris recorded double-figure growth rates on every measure. LMT Belin's experts drew attention, through their participation in the exhibition, to the growing importance of the role of tools in the highly automated production of composite components.

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At the beginning of May the DMG Roadshow at the DMG France facility in Les Ulis near Paris demonstrated how modern tools, clamping devices and control systems can directly increase machine performance. For LMT, a DMG cooperation partner, the event also marked the first step towards a unified LMT sales organization in France.

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At the end of March, an LMT Kieninger technology seminar on tool and mould design at Grob-Werke clearly demonstrated how users can achieve the optimum “interplay” between machining centres and tools in the particularly demanding field of 5-axis milling.

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The boom in wind power generator construction continues, and presents particular performance challenges to tool technology. LMT Fette has assembled a range of tools particularly tailored to the special requirements of wind power.

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From selection of the right tools, through the development of a machining strategy, and on to setting up various machine tools: the entire manufacturing process is always at the heart of the seminars held at the LMT Academy. The new program is now available.

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The use of multifunctional high performance tools can sometimes extend the production time on a single machine. As costly set-up and adjustment times are elimninated, costs per piece drop and productivity increases.

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The market for electrically powered tools – known as „power tools“ in this sector – is growing throughout the world. Particularly in demand by the pros are high-quality, branded products that combine maximum performance with user-friendly handling. This combination is made possible among other things by housings of extremely robust lightweight metals, which in turn make high demands on the tools used for machining them. That‘s why during the development of a new 16 kilo percussion hammer Bosch placed its trust in the experience of the experts at LMT Kieninger.

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From stereo systems to submarine control panels to medical devices – LMT Belin’s new Cristal cutter produces impressive cases and housings of the very highest quality.

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Milling deep cavities makes special demands in die and mould making. LMT Kieninger’s new GWR 5x tool holders provide long tool life and guarantee the highest possible process reliability.

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High demands are made on precision tools for machining hardened materials: users want maximum machine running times, extended tool life and high cutting and feed rates. These parameters are crucial for increasing productivity. 

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Machining valve seats is one of the technologically most demanding steps in the finishing of cylinder heads. More and more complex materials and steadily rising quality requirements are increasing the demands made on the tools used in this area.

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There is a good reason why the "EXPERIENCE CENTERS TURN & MILL" is becoming a user-oriented experience for visitors in Bielefeld and Shanghai: users can experience here, live, how their own, complex workpiece is machined from the raw material to finished part within one day. Very different tools from LMT and from Paul Horn GmbH, appropriate for each application, are used for this.

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The importance of microsystems technology is steadily growing – and with it the demand for appropriate tools for milling these complex components. This naturally also applies to medical technology used in diverse applications. Professor Dr. Diethard Thomas, head of the LMT Academy, answers five questions on this increasingly important subject.

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Bilz’s innovative TER shrink collets guarantee extreme milling precision.

 

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"Full halls, with customers in more of a mood to invest”. This was the assessment the Association of German Machine Tool Manufacturers (VDW – Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken) gave in a current press release to METAV 2010.

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The financial crisis is bringing dynamic changes to technologies, markets and structures. The LMT Group has also reorganized this and is going on the offensive with innovations and a new sales structure.

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EMO was held in Milan in the midst of a generally difficult commercial environment. "That was exactly why the event was important. We took the chance of talking to our customers about future developments and tasks. One thing became clear: it is precisely in the present situation that the part played by tools becomes more important," says LMT Italy's General Manager Fabrizio Molfino.

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It is now a good two years since LMT's alliance partner Bohlerit presented the world's first nano-layer for cutting materials. Since then, "Nanolock" has stood for the successful combination of hardness and toughness in indexable inserts that yield significantly longer service lives and higher cutting speeds for turning. In the further "Nanolock Black" development, Boehlerit's engineers have now extended their innovation to milling steel.

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The beneficial properties of composites derive from their multilayer structure. However, that is also precisely what makes machining these materials so difficult. New LMT tools offer solutions.

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Visitors to the DMG Roadshow at LMT Fette in Schwarzenbek were all agreed: innovative production processes are particularly important at a time of crisis. If you want to maintain your market position against increasingly strong competition, you do not only need to make your production faster and more efficient, it must also produce higher quality products.

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A story of innovation and success is continued. Nanolock, the world’s first nanostructured CVD coating, is now available for milling. LMT alliance partner Boehlerit has successfully developed an enhanced coating.

 

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