International METAV Technology Forum showcases sustainable cutting processes

Keynote topics are drilling, high-precision machining and hard fine machining

"Manufacturing products at affordable prices while nonetheless assuring high quality and optimum functionality, this is what distinguishes successful companies from their less successful counterparts", is the firm conviction of Professor Frank Barthelm?, Executive Director of the GFE - The Society for Production Technology and Development in Schmalkalden. The major preconditions for achieving this, he adds, include ultra-productive machine tools and dies. The necessity to render machining processes energy-efficient and resource-economical, plus numerous newly developed and design-enhanced materials, constitutes further tough challenges for innovative cutting processes.

Reason enough to turn a rigorous spotlight on this topic. On 29 February and 1 March 2012, the GFE Schmalkalden will accordingly be hosting the METAV Technology Forum on "Sustainable Cutting Processes". Front-ranking manufacturers of machines and tools will be reporting on their latest innovations in terms of the products, technologies and services they are offering their customers in order to meet the above-mentioned requirements. The partners cooperating in the Technology Forum are the METAV's organiser VDW (the German Machine Tool Builders' Association) and the Specialized Section Precision Tools within the VDMA, conceptual sponsor of the METAV 2012.

From the numerous questions that will have to be answered on the road to "Sustainable cutting processes," the organisers have selected as the keynote issue for the first day of the conference the subject of drilling, and for the second day precision machining and hard fine machining. "Both of these are topics that deserve to be discussed by both machine tool and die manufacturers, particularly in terms of a holistic approach to the cutting process," to quote Barthelm?. To solve the problems involved in machining new materials, he adds, it is vital to focus development work involving machines and tools rigorously on shortened process chains, so as to guarantee quality-compliant yet affordable production operations at the user's facility. Representative examples will be adduced in the lectures.

The METAV's Technology Forum will include contributions by top-ranking experts from the machine tool industry, such as Chiron Werke in Tuttlingen, von MAG Europe, G?ppingen, R?ders in Soltau, A. Monforts Werkzeugmaschinen in M?nchengladbach, TBT Tiefbohrtechnik in Dettingen and Ewag AG in Etziken. From the high-precision tool industry, speakers include representatives of the following firms: Mapal from Aalen, G?hring, Albstadt, Paul Horn, T?bingen, MMC Hartmetall, Meerbusch, Iscar Germany, Ettlingen. Cutting technology expertise will be represented by the R?mheld company from Laubach.

For detailed conference programme, participation modalities and registration form: www.metav.de. and www.gfe-net.de.