Speed, power and precision are qualities coveted by Justin and Maryann Schaller, both in terms of the family-owned Schaller Group and in their other shared passion of hydroplane racing. And the speed, power and precision of Starrag’s STC 800 X five-axis machining centres are playing a key role in both their business and their sport.

The brother and sister duo are executives of the Schaller Group, a third-generation Michigan-based precision metal-forming and assembly company that manufactures parts for the aerospace, military, automotive and medical industries.

The Starrag STC 800 X was chosen not only because it is suited to machining complex aluminium workpieces, but also because its precision capabilities, axis configuration and ability to five-axis mill with the use of a rotary table and a 30,000 rpm, 120 kW tilting spindle will enable Schaller to expand into other industry sectors.

With an A-axis range of -100/+60°, no angle heads are necessary for machining complex parts. The rotary table allows economical machining by using a tombstone set-up or multiple parts and fixtures on the same table. Additionally, with two STCs integrated into a manufacturing system, Schaller has high levels of flexibility in production.

“These are the perfect machines for growth,” says business development specialist Maryann Schaller. “We started in the aerospace industry in the 1980s; it’s a great growth market, but we also know the importance of diversifying.”

Schaller selected Starrag machines because they can be utilised in any industry that requires high precision, complex parts including racing vehicles, satellites or electrical vehicles.

“Starrag’s capabilities allows Schaller to meet those diverse needs,” she says.
For further information www.starrag.com

In August, the Fives Machining teams at the company’s Capdenac workshop completed the assembly and commissioning of an additional Forest-Liné V-Star machine. The project, which included the configuration of a shuttle extension, completed the three-unit cell for Fives customer, Nexter, a specialist manufacturer serving the defence industry.

As soon as the customer confirmed acceptance, the machine was disassembled and shipped to Nexter’s plant in Roanne, France, where reassembly by Fives technicians is currently in progress. The Forest-Liné V-Star machines are intended to trim and drill the thick aluminium plates required to manufacture the sides of the armoured vehicles in the SCORPION programme (Griffon, Jaguar, Serval). With the three machines in operation, the cell will enable Nexter to produce parts for 450 vehicles per year, meeting the army’s need to renew its vehicles and machines.

In August 2021, during the inauguration of this new FMS (flexible manufacturing system) equipped with the first two Forest-Liné V-Star machines, Sylvain Rousseau, Nexter’s director of operations, underlined the unprecedented capacities achieved on an industrial and technological level thanks to the know-how provided by Fives Machining.

Forest-Liné V-Star machines offer a high dynamic accuracy, supporting the manufacture of parts with a rapid production throughput. This capacity to process extremely long and wide components, as well as the combination of milling, trimming and drilling, is adapted to the processing of many complex parts, including aircraft structures, wing panels and boat hulls. For all vanguard applications, this high-velocity solution can efficiently process different materials, composites, resins, alloys and hard metals from rough- to the finish-milling.

The installation is part of the NextFab modernisation project at Nexter’s Roanne plant, which aims to triple the annual vehicle production capacity by 2025.
For further information www.fivesgroup.com

FANUC has secured another major order from the Volkswagen Group. In 2022 and 2023, the company will supply four of the group’s plants with a total of around 1300 robots. The majority are destined for VW’s manufacturing facility in Bratislava, Slovakia, while the main VW plant in Wolfsburg, Germany will also receive a large batch of robots to assist with the body construction of the new all-electric ID.3. FANUC robots will also contribute to the expansion of e-mobility in Audi’s new battery assembly plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. The fourth plant that FANUC will supply is the Audi plant in Győr, Hungary.
For further information www.fanuc.eu

Israel-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has completed the acquisition of Pearson Engineering, located in Newcastle, UK. The purchase was executed under a stock purchase agreement (SPA), transferring 100% of the ownership. As a point of note, the acquisition includes Pearson’s subsidiary company Responsive Engineering. Rafael is a world-renowned defence contractor. The company is Israel’s third largest defence company with over 8000 employees and more than 30 worldwide subsidiaries serving the defence, security and aerospace markets.
For further information www.pearson-eng.com

To support ambitious plans for growth within overseas markets, CGTech has appointed a direct sales engineer in Sweden. Svante Eriksson joined the company on 10 October, tasked with growing the Vericut user base and supporting existing customers in the Swedish market. Based in Trollhättan, Eriksson used Vericut CNC simulation, verification and optimisation software for more than 15 years in his previous role. Gavin Powell, CGTech Ltd’s managing director, says: “This is the first time CGTech Ltd has employed a sales engineer within Sweden, which is testament to the company’s positive growth plans.”
For further information www.cgtech.co.uk