M4 Sciences Enters Japanese Machine Tool Market

M4 Sciences LLC, a developer of process control technology for machining, has entered into a product distribution agreement in Japan with Fukuda Corp. M4 Sciences has similar distribution agreements in place with firms in Western Europe and the United States.

Fukuda is involved in manufacturing, sale and lease of construction materials, machinery, and equipment. It supplies parts and precision equipment to Japanese OEMs of machine tools and machine tool end-users, and it will market M4 Sciences' TriboMAM^TM precision drilling system in Japan.

"Fukuda is an excellent distributor for M4 Sciences' TriboMAM product and MAM technology," stated CEO James Mann. "They have a passion for mechanical technology, they have solid relationships with the machine tool manufacturers in Japan, and Fukuda is a respected business partner in precision accessories and high-performance machine tool related products."

MAM is an acronym for “modulation assisted machining”: it superimposes a controlled low-frequency modulation on the metal cutting process. The frequency typically ranges up to 1,000Hz with amplitudes up to 500 micrometers. The controlled modulation may be applied to the cutting tool or the workpiece in the direction of tool-feed, cutting velocity, or any combination. Benefits include easy chip breakage and disposal; reduced friction and energy consumption; enhanced in lubrication of tool-chip contact with potential reduction in tool wear; reduced effluent streams due to more efficient use of fluids; and an ability to reduce burrs and improve surface texture.

The M4 Sciences MAM technology is said to be a machining industry “first,” and has been integrated into a transferrable accessory, called TriboMAM.

TriboMAM holds drill tools and superimposes a low-frequency oscillation onto the drilling process. The developer says this product is compatible with computer-controlled lathes used in automotive, hydraulics, and orthopedics industries to manufacture precision components with drilled holes ranging from 0.2 mm to 5 mm in diameter.

"With the U.S. and international distribution agreements in place, M4 Sciences will have access to more than 80 percent of the world market for MAM technology," Mann said. Japan represents nearly one-fifth of the world market for TriboMAM, and is the home to several major manufacturers of computer-controlled machine tools.