Q. Please brief us about recent initiatives undertaken in machine tools space? Which are your focus areas?
As part of our continuous process of product development and to help our customers to increase the production and reduce the cost as a prime moto, we have recently launched new products with Turnmill and Automation capabilities.
Our latest product Versaturn combines flexibility and productivity by incorporating Zero point clamping system on the cross slide of the CNC lathe which is a unique concept launched by Gedee Weiler probably for the first time in the world.Our other new products that we launched in IMTEX with different options like Servo Gantry loader and Robotic Automation have been received well in the market and created lot of interest.
It is observed that the Indian manufacturing industry is gearing up to produce not only mass volume but be able to change over to new products very quickly. So the production facility should cater to variety of products and at the same time should be able to combine multiple operations or processes in the same setting.
Recognizing the need, we are focusing on expanding the range of our turn mill machines to provide Y-axis and sub spindles. Further, we are focusing on developing specific configuration of machines that cater to a particular family of parts in mass volume production to achieve maximum productivity at the least cost per piece.
Q. What are the market opportunities for your products in India? How do you plan to position these products?
As a player in the CNC lathe business focused on small, precision and large volume parts, we have abundant opportunity in the Indian market especially in automobile components, general engineering, consumable durables, etc.. As a Leader in precision lathe segment, we enjoy a dominant position in tool rooms, aerospace industry, training centres and leading premier institutions.
Our competitive turnmill machines launched about 2 years ago have found wide acceptance throughout India especially in small component segment in different industries. By offering a choice of live tool turrets,controllers, a bit of customization and strong application support, we position ourselves as a solution provider for turnmill applications.
In IMTEX, we launched a larger turnmill center which has helped us consolidate our presence in this segment. Our Versaturn with zero point clamping system that enables set up change over in near zero time is ideally suited for medium volume production for a variety of parts.
Q. What is your marketing strategy for India?
Gedee Weiler is a well-known brand in the machine tool field throughout India for several decades now. In order to improve the reach we have expanded our sales service network in the past several years by adding direct sales / service as well as dealers in different territories across the country. We set up a corporate technical center at our Coimbatore plant where customers can experience our latest products and technologies including live demos.
We also have a resource center setup in Faridabad where we have a demo machine along with fully equipped application capabilities as well as after sales service spare parts back up. We contemplate to set up such resource centers in other potential markets as well in the coming years. We have increased our participation in national and regional and international exhibitions in the last few years which has surely improved our visibility.
Q. According you what are the factors affecting to your business?
The factor that affect our business the most today is technology. Technology is changing and developing at lightning speed changing the way we live almost every day. The change in the preference of consumer in every walk of life like transportation, communication, etc.. brought in by this technology change is radically changing the demand pattern for different products.
This throws a challenge to machine tool builders to develop products that can cater to the fast changing needs of industry in terms of productivity, flexibility and ability to change very quick, all at an affordable cost. while on one hand, the consumer preference is bringing in new demands, on the other hand change in skills required and / or the lack of it is a major factor that throws challenge to the machine tool industry. As always the economic conditions, the cyclical changes and the availability of finance at the hands of the customers especially the MSME sector are other constant factors that influences machine tool business.
Q. What are the key technological trends that are driving machine tools industry?
The internet has changed greatly all our lives, has brought in change in various walks of life and the industry and the machine tool sector is no exception, to this. The latest concept of ‘Industry 4.0’ and internet of things are becoming the order of the day in manufacturing industry and the need of the hour is smart machine tools that can be part of the smart factory.
Intelligent machines that can easily adapt to the quick change in production processes with ease that can combine multiple operations in a single setting, facilitate monitoring of various parameters of machining, tooling, safety as well maximize productivity and at the same time be cost effective is the current trend in the machine tool industry
Q. What is your vision for your company?
As one of the pioneers in machine tool industry in India who has brought in many firsts to the Country, we always strive to maintain our leadership in Technology and Innovation. Our vision is to develop innovative products that help our customers produce their parts to the required quality at a competitive price thus maximizing their profits. We will continue to focus on bringing out products that combines multiple processes that are capable of adapting to automation and customization where possible to meet the specific needs of the customers.
We are the largest exporters of machine tool to Germany from India and we are confident to maintain this position and further expand our export business in Asian markets as well.We are contemplating not only expanding our product lines but also are looking at opportunities to strategic tie ups with global machine tool builders and we foresee our Company to be a name to recon with in the global machine tools arena for precision and innovative machine tool solutions, for years to come.
VERSATURN
Versaturn slant bed turning machines are based on a revolutionary new concept of integrating zero point clamping system onto the saddle of the slant bed CNC lathe for the first time in India.
Versaturn is essentially a CNC chucking machine available with two different X-strokes. The unique feature of this machine is that in the long stroke version (X-300mm) the machine can accommodate larger diameter components upto 180mm with 4 linear tools facilitating high productivity.
Optionally this is offered with a combination of Linear tooling and Turret enabling the customer to use more than 8 tools if called for which is a unique feature.
As another variant, the machine is offered with a Stark zero point clamping system with interchangeable T-slot tables mounted with different combination of linear tool blocks for different components which can be changed within few minutes.
This unique innovation of Gedee weiler is the first of its kind in India that combines high productivity of linear tools and high flexibility to accommodate different components which call for medium batch production with near zero change over time.
L.M.Roller guideways on both X & Z axis ensures rigidity and make it suitable for machining different materials like Steel, Cast iron and Aluminium. Needless to mention here that the machine is equipped with the spindle that delivers matchless precision (Spindle R/O ≤ 0.003mm) which is a hall mark of Gedee Weiler. Furthermore, these machines are offered with wide range of spindles (A2-4, A2-5, A2-5 LB, A2-6) and controllers (Fanuc, Siemens & Mitsubishi) choices. Our live demonstration of hard turning, hard burnishing, thread cutting using dies and the heavy metal removal capability test in Imtex which attracted the attention of all customers stands testimony to the capability of the machine and its versatility for different applications justifying the name VERSATURN.
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