This month 25 years ago - June 1988

We kick off the month worrying whether the Single European Market, which will come into force in 1992, will bring feast or famine to the UK's mould tool makers. Less efficient companies will not be able to compete, it is acknowledged, with the EU warning that the transition to the SEM will cause "harsh dislocations and short-term job losses". While UK mould tool makers invest more per unit of turnover, the representative GTMA trade body says they neglect marketing and are not heavy exporters. No, the UK runs a trade deficit in mould tools already, we note, but the sector is busy, we are told, and cannot get skilled individuals to expand, should it wish to push overseas. We say companies should make use of the EuroInfoCentres and consider working with other companies to win work. But, if not, be prepared for others to come prowling on our home turf. Lead feature in our second issue this month looks at CNC alternatives to cam-driven fixed-head autos. CNC has already taken off in the sliding-head auto area. We visit a subcontractor that has 30 autos, four of them CNC: two Star sliding-head machines and two fixed-head Brown & Sharpe CNC Ultramatics (CNC cam-driven autos). The first sliding-head was installed in 1981; the first CNC Ultramatic in 1987. The latter avoids the need to invest in cams set for new jobs and also avoids inefficiency when using a 'nearly-right' existing cam set. But they cannot cycle in under 20 seconds, versus cam machines' 6 seconds. Flexible, yes, but not fast enough. There will be more developments in this technology area over coming years, but direct equivalents for cam-driven fixed-head autos will never get much traction, quite unlike CNC sliding-head autos. We publish a MACH 88 review, and Spanish firm Danobat unveils one of those CNC fixed-head cam-driven autos, the Winchester. As does the UK's H W Ward, whose machine also has Spanish blood. Elsewhere, sub-spindles have started to catch on for CNC lathes, but are normally not independently served by a separate turret. At MACH, Japan's Wasino and Yamazaki offer up machines with opposed spindles, each served by its own turret. In other developments, there's a CNC unit that sports a PC front end already – Automation Intelligence's Flexmate, on a UK-made Rhodes Pierce-All turret punch press. For grinding, the development of special control software is key to CNC adoption. Jones & Shipman had worked with Osai-Allen Bradley in this area, for example. But manual and electronic grinders were still much in evidence. Automation is a theme running through many machine areas at MACH, involving robots tending machines and FMS-connected machining centres, for example. Sheet metal was also such an area, with punch presses connected to sheet storage systems by auto-load/unload systems. Amada showed such a system, while Trumpf unveiled its Lasercell, a 500 to 5,000 W CO2 laser, able to cut, weld, engrave and heat treat. Laser is still novel. Underlining the automation and computerisation theme, the news pages highlight that Cranfield has demonstrated an MSc project – a working flexible manufacturing system, with machining, inspection and handling, integrated with production control and a CIM environment (CIM=computer integrated manufacturing), with elements connected by the GE-driven MAP communications standard (MAP= manufacturing automation protocol). In the same vein, Scotland's CIM institute has won £4.8 million funding from GE Calma, Apollo Computer, Honeywell-Bull and Honeywell. Based in Strathclyde, it will be a centre of excellence for the education and implementation of CIM solutions. Robot installations were 620 in 1987, we report, a rebound on 1986 and 1985's figures of 475 and 585 respectively, but below 1984's peak of 681. Events this month: []Heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson KOs Michael Spink in 91 seconds (pictured) []Sugar's Amstrad makes receiver equipment for Murdoch's Sky TV launch []GM's SunRaycer sets new sun-powered land speed record – 48.712 mph []Broadcaster Russell Harty dies, aged 53 []Happy 70th Birthday to Nelson Mandela – Wembley concert, with Stevie Wonder First published in Machinery, June 2013