INTERNATIONAL NEWS

20 years’ service and still going strong

In 1997, Rosario di Gerlando and José Freire had their very first Deco sliding-head lathe delivered by Tornos.

Still in use today at Lauener’s facility in Boudry, Switzerland, a factory that specialises in products for the watchmaking and medical sectors, the meter currently displays 76,301 hours of operational use. Today, the company has almost 150 machine tools. Indeed, within the workshop dedicated to medical products, only Tornos Deco and EvoDeco machines are in place.“The Deco/EvoDeco product is really accomplished and we are fully familiar with it,” says Freire.
Both the kinematic system and the programming of the first Deco machines from 1996 are similar to those of the more recent EvoDeco series. During that time, numerous attachments and tool holders have been provided with an interchangeable design.
“We decided to purchase the machines due to their flexibility, productivity and precision, and they did not disappoint,” says Freire. “The machines fully meet current requirements and will certainly meet the future needs of the business. Tornos machines are extremely versatile and we can produce virtually any part on them. For us, the kinematic system and PELD language are the really strong points of the Deco and EvoDeco models. When producing complex parts, the machines remain the best on the market; they can produce workpieces that no other machine can realise.”
Thanks to its optimum control characteristics, a new EvoDeco machine installed at Lauener will be fully operational in less than one week.
For further information www.tornos.com

Star set to expand factory in China

Sliding-head lathe specialist Star Micronics has announced details of its decision to construct a new factory building at its machine tools manufacturing subsidiary, Star Micronics Manufacturing Dalian Co Ltd (‘Dalian Plant’), in China. Established as an overseas manufacturing base in Dalian City, China in 1989, Dalian Plant engages in the manufacture of products for sale in East Asia (mainly China), Europe and the United States.

Currently, the Star Micronics group is experiencing a period of continuous strong growth in its machine tools segment operations, both in Japan and overseas. Orders in China are maintaining a particularly high level, substantially above the levels recorded during the corresponding period of the previous year. In fact, consolidated machine tools segment sales are projected to hit a record high for the current fiscal year. As a result, there is an urgent need to bolster the group’s manufacturing structure in order to meet this robust demand.
In expanding its existing manufacturing capacity in China, Star Micronics plans to construct a new three-story building. The first floor will be used as a machine tools option installation and testing area for products that are earmarked mainly for the China market. The second and third floors will house a storage area for components, as well as an area for the assembly of NC operation panels.
In expanding existing facilities with the construction of a new factory building, steps will be taken to consolidate plant operations, which to date have been spread over two locations. Further to improving productivity, this initiative will help bolster the group’s product shipment capabilities and continue to increase sales in China.
For further information www.star-m.jp

Record sales

Press manufacturer Schuler AG says it raised sales and earnings to record levels in 2017.

The company posted consolidated sales of €1.23bn (prior year € 1.17bn) with particularly strong growth in North America and China. Compared with the previous year (€123m), the operating result (EBITDA) rose to €141m. As a ratio of sales, this corresponds to a margin of 11.5% (10.4% in 2016). There were important contributions to the successful annual financial statements from the two strategic investments in Yadon and AWEBA (included in the full-year consolidated figures for the first time).
For further information www.schulergroup.com

Achieving success in the tap market

Thai manufacturer SK Precision, which is building on its capabilities to be the country’s first domestic supplier of taps, has invested in a TapX Linear grinding machine from Anca. Tibordee Srikul, president of the 50-employee company, says: “We saw an opportunity in the tap-grinding segment, as until now, companies could only source taps from overseas, which meant longer lead times and higher costs.

“I didn’t want to be restricted to producing only one type of tap and, after extensive market research, we decided to invest in the TapX because of its flexibility,” he adds. “Our investment in capabilities, both in technology and experience, means we can now produce special and standard taps locally. But this is only the beginning, in the future I want to produce spiral taps, point taps,
hand taps and forming taps.”
For further information www.anca.com

Torque, speed and angle measurement

HBM Test and Measurement (HBM) has introduced its T21WN torque transducer. Based on strain-gauge technology, the T21WN uses contactless energy and measurement signal transmission to take measurements. The torque transducer enables the static and dynamic measurement of torque, rotational speed and angle of rotation to be performed on non-rotating as well as rotating components. HBM says that laboratory, test shop and testing applications will benefit, as well as performing production and process monitoring, and quality assurance.
Apart from the torque output signal of ±10 V at nominal (rated) torque, the transducer also provides a standard frequency output signal of 10 kHz ±5 kHz.

The T21WN torque transducer is available with nominal (rated) torques ranging between 0.1 and 200 Nm, while the maximum permissible rotational speed of the torque measuring system is up to 20,000 rpm, depending on the measurement range. An integrated rotational speed/angle of rotation measuring system with 360 pulses per revolution completes the transducer and can be used up to the specified maximum nominal (rated) rotational speed without restrictions.
HBM’s new torque transducer is supplied with a direct voltage of 24 V that is common in test benches. The T21WN is suitable for use in substantially more dynamic applications than the preceding model, the T20WN, thanks to its measurement bandwidth of 1 kHz. In addition, users benefit from a significantly broader range of functions than with
the preceding model – at the same price.
For further information www.hbm.com