PM News August 2009

Swiss Bar Feeder Announces Ambitious Growth and Expansion Plans

Swiss company LNS announces considerable plans for growth and expansion into new markets. "The goal is to double the size of our company within five years," explains Thomas H. Boehmer, CEO of the LNS Group. The company will participate in the machine tool world exhibition EMO in Milan from Oct. 5–10, 2009.The launch of a new subsidiary in Ankara, Turkey, earlier this year is a further step in the expansion plans.

The international enterprise, headquartered in Switzerland, offers bar feeding, chip disposal and coolant management systems (CCM) and other peripherals to the machine tool industry. With reported earnings of 170 million Swiss Francs (113 million EUR) in 2007, LNS employs 700 people in Asia, Europe and North America.

"A crisis is always also an opportunity," states Boehmer. "We want to expand into new markets, offer new services and products and strongly increase the R&D investments."

New euspen President Announced

Henny Spaan, founder and managing director of Netherlands-based IBS Precision Engineering (IBS PE), has been elected President of euspen, the European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology. Spaan will continue the work of his predecessor Hendrik van Brussel in expanding the euspen network, particularly in the new EU member states, and encouraging high-tech companies to intensify their participation in its activities.

Spaan believes the current economic crisis emphasizes the importance of such networks.

"For high-tech companies operating in our field, it is important not only to keep up to date but also to actively participate in and respond quickly to the latest technological advancements," he explains. "My mission is to foster the industry’s growth and the society’s role within it."

New President at Sandvik Coromant Announced

Tom Erixon has been appointed to the position of president of Sandvik’s global operations in Sandviken, Sweden. Effective Sept. 1, 2009, Mr. Erixon will replace Kenneth Sundh, current president of Sandvik Coromant.

Mr. Erixon currently serves as executive vice president of Sandvik Tooling and president of Sandvik Hard Materials, a product area within Sandvik Tooling. Prior to those responsibilities, his career consisted of various leadership positions within the Sandvik Group and the Boston Consulting Group.

Upon leaving his current position, Mr. Sundh will be stepping into the role of executive vice president of Sandvik Tooling. His responsibilities will also include management of global strategic projects.

Falling under the Sandvik Tooling division of the Sandvik Group, Sandvik Coromant employs approximately 8,000 workers in 130 countries. Sandvik Tooling employs over 16,000 people worldwide and averages annual sales revenues in excess of $3 billion.

New President of DENSO Announced

Yoshiki "Steve" Sekiguchi will be president and CEO of DENSO International America (DIAM), DENSO’s North American headquarters, effective immediately. Sekiguchi is a managing officer of DENSO Corp. and has been with Denso since 1978. As president and CEO of DIAM, Sekiguchi also will serve as chair of the board of directors for the North American DENSO Group.

Makino Hits Milestone of 100 Webinars

Makino’s online seminar series reached a milestone with the broadcast of its 100th seminar. The seminars cover a variety of machining solutions, including production machining, micromachining, EDM, die mold, aerospace, and automation.

Bill Howard, Makino product manager and webinar presenter, explains, "I can’t tell you the number of times machinists and shop owners have come up to me at an industry event, thanking me for giving them the tid-bit they needed to solve a problem. A few have even told me the technologies we discuss have transformed their business."

"One of the most enjoyable parts of these seminars has been our question and answer segments," Howard continues. "Addressing manufacturers’ questions and concerns through this live forum has allowed us to better identify with our customers and their machining needs."

The online seminar series is a free service available to all North American manufacturers. All 100 seminars are available online at www.makino.com/library, and new seminars are broadcast each month. For upcoming seminar topics and dates, check out www.makino.com/events.