Somebody Has to Do It
Simodec, which ran March 2-6 in La Roche-Sur-Foron, France, is where many European builders come to unveil new machines for the precision machined parts market.
In this photo you can see Mount Blanc (the highest Alp in Europe) from the parking lot of the show hall. Simodec 2010 ran March 2-6 in La Roche-Sur-Foron, France.
A new turn-mill machine from Willemin was on display. Often equipped with a bar feeder, this new machine uses a gantry robot to unload and inspect finished parts. It also gives the flexibility of running forgings or other chucker parts as needed.
This was my first sighting of Tornos’ Almac micromachining center. The two companies got together just a year or so ago. The machine uses a manipulator to position a bar or blank for multi-axis machining of small, complex workpieces.
German builder Index showed its A200 single-spindle precision turning machine. Interestingly, the A200 is built on the same platform as the company’s MS 22 CNC multi-spindle.
Automation was a theme for this year’s Simodec. Fanuc and several other robot makers had strong traffic as shops look to reduce manufacturing costs and increase productivity.
