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BLM 13 ING_BLM intero ITA imp 27/09/10 11.49 Pagina 1
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Number 13 October 2010
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Opinion
2
OCTOBER 2010 NUMBER 13
A
It is, however, useful to remember what factors have been decisive over
these past fifty years for the growth of BLM and make good use of them
for the future.
Human resources, have always been considered the real capital of the
company. Attention has been paid to creating favourable conditions for
individual growth with continuous training and education in the company (individual growth is the engine to collective growth), but also through
simple everyday actions such as tidiness and cleanliness.
The numbers
Turnover (ml/€)
% Turnover of new products
% Export
% R&D / turnover
N° employees
Industrial area (m2)
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
n anniversary always offers a double opportunity: to look back and
reflect on what has been done and to look ahead to find new goals,
which is what BLM has always aimed for. A goal must not be considered simply an achievement, but rather a starting block which triggers
the next target.
Opinion
Born to grow
The "culture of us"
A principle in which each person recognises
that individual wealth derives from the company’s wealth; the company has always been
interpreted by me as a source of emotional energy and potential with the aim of creating social wealth.
From here, the value of a team is greater than
the value of an individual with the intention of
encouraging a broader and more horizontal than vertical vision.
1999
53
11%
45%
6%
283
107,000
2009
100
70%
71%
7.2%
467
130,000
The ability to make tough choices.
The acquisition of Adige. The acquisition of Montorfano. These were
choices made almost entirely by entrepreneurial intuition and the ability to create business synergies.
Internationalisation. A must for a company’s survival and growth. Sales
and service close to the customer, speaking the same language, acquiring the same culture.
Research & Development, at all times and whatever the case, regardless
of whether the economic conditions allow / encourage R&D or not, because added value is created only by bringing continuous benefits to customers. We all live in what we can define as the efficiency war.
All these factors have certainly contributed to the achievement of results
that are now obvious to all, but are also the basis for looking towards
the Group’s development with confidence, because as mentioned in the
title, we were born to grow!
Pietro Colombo
President & CEO
3
Contents
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
5
JOB SHOP
8
INTERVIEW
Evolving to keep abreast of the times
We are a big country, let’s not forget it
12
MOTORCYCLE
16
RAILWAY
18
BLM GROUP
19
AUTOMATION
24
HEATING
26
BORN TO GROW FILO
28
AUTOMOTIVE
100% required precision
Italo-Chinese high-speed
Speaking the same language
Laser and value added
Tier 1 of the parent company
Metal wire in all its shapes and uses
What we need, when we need it
pdf version and other news can be found in:
www.blmgroup.com
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Inspired for tube By
Area Comunicazione
BLM GROUP
Giovanni Zacco
Emanuela Colombo
Cristina Guzzetti
e-mail: pr@blm.it
tel. +39 031 7070 200
Produced by
BLM GROUP
Via Selvaregina 30
22063 Cantù (CO) Italy
www.blmgroup.it
Number
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Nr. 13 - 10/2010
Design and Graphics by
Studio Grafico Page
Vincenzo De Rosa
Fabrizio Santini
Printed by
Intergrafica Verona S.r.l.
Verona
Photo
Fabrizio Santini
Vincenzo De Rosa
Reproduction, even only in part, of
the articles and illustrations published
in this newsletter is strictly prohibited unless otherwise authorised.
BCF, Italy, is specialised in processing
copper tubes with traditional and all-electric
bending machines and has recently
introduced the fibre laser technology
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Evolving to
keep abreast
of the times
Job Shop
CF, a Friulian job processing company is specialised in processing copper tubes for the production of coils, headers, assembled units and, more generally, components for the conditioning, refrigerating, heating, heat exchanger and air treatment
industries.
B
Sergio Burato and Emilio Sangoi, owners, founded the company
back in 1995 with another partner.“We started business here in Rivignano in rented property - explains Burato – then in 1997, we built
the first of our own buildings, in 2001 the second and in 2005 we
added a third, which is now being fitted out and will be used to
process aluminium”.
Relations with BLM started immediately already back in 1995 with
the purchase of the first tube bending machines for small diameter tubes used for domestic conditioning. Core bending was not
required and the BLM PLAUNO and PLANET systems guaranteed
a suitable quality for the application. Since then, the relationship
with BLM has become very sound to the point that the BCF workshop could easily be used as a showroom given the number of BLM
machines installed.
Innovating and differentiating
Since 2000 there are only 2 partners, Burato, who is responsible for
production and sales and Emilio Sangoi who is responsible for the
administration. The company has a head count of 110 employees
and Mr. Burato talks with satisfaction about the pleasant internal
relationship between the employees and management.“I’m always
in the company” he explains “and if anyone needs to speak to me
for any reason, they can always stop me even in the corridor” and
continues “even if this type of relationship is increasingly more challenging as the company grows”.
When speaking about BCF he describes it as a service company, then
goes on to explain,“a service company that aims at quality, which is
understood as satisfying the customer’s expectations, of course, within the limits of the resources that we have. We operate throughout
5
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Job Shop
Europe and even, to a small extent, outside Europe. To find outlets abroad has been one of the
goals of the sales network since the beginning.
It is important to differentiate both in terms of
customers and territories. Moreover, it is important to invest in innovation and technology; the
margins on these products are limited, therefore we try to focus our efforts on the products
we have.
With BLM we have found a
partner who pays attention to
innovation and who invests in
research, keeping abreast of
technology. The technological
evolution is more than clear
and is very important for a
company who wants to stay
on the market.
Over the years, the company has experienced
various moments of rapid and dramatic changes.
As already mentioned, initially the company followed the domestic conditioning market, but
that type of production literally disappeared
overnight in Europe and moved towards the
emerging countries such as China most of all.
The company therefore reacted by investing
6
TECHNOLOGY
LT Fiber
Application of fibre laser sources
to the metal laser cutting system
has brought about various new
elements. The higher performances mostly relate to speed on
smaller thicknesses,reductions in
the consumption of electricity,
lower maintenance costs, wider
field of laser cutting applications
to include high-reflecting material.The latter in particular is particularly important thanks to the extended outlets possible on the
laser cutting market in the copper
tube industry.In fact,as to the tube
processing field, the copper tube
sector has taken a considerable
market share, which until a little
while ago had been practically excluded from the possibility of applying the laser technology.
between the stations and a higher possibility of errors in the multiple operations to process the
tube. The reduction in the overall
production cost of the pieces in
most cases is surprising.
To take the step from traditional
tube processing to the application
of the laser technology means that
various processes are eliminated
from the various machines that
had downtimes and transfer times
Material
Stainless steel
Steel
Aluminium
Brass
Copper
and purchasing different machines to penetrate
other spin-off sectors such as industrial conditioning, aiming at larger diameter tubes with
high-tech reliable products.“It was necessary to
adapt to the new market requirements, explains
Burato – for larger diameter tubes and bigger
machines that bend with core. BLM was ready
with systems like E_turn and RH/LH all-electric
tube bending machines with automatic loading system”.
“The step taken from the hydraulic machine to
the all-electric system was important both from
the performance viewpoint, that is higher ac-
LT Fibre: examples
of workable materials
Thickness
5 mm
8 mm
6 mm
5 mm
3 mm
curacy and reliability in the bend and from a
practical elimination of the hydraulic oil with all
the problems that came along with it”.
Flexibility at all levels
2009 was a difficult year worldwide, but BCF
came through without exploiting payoff supplement funds, which meant that the employees were kept on and ready to resume production immediately as of January this year.
Now BCF is looking at recruiting new staff even
if the market has once again radically changed.
“We are now talking about reducing the batch
1960
Founding of BLM
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
r. Pietro Colombo sets up a company, taking over a
small business that manufactures tube bending machines. The new company continues with name of the original company, BLM (an acronym of the founders).
Born to grow
M
1961
volumes that are required even quicker” says
Burato.“The solution is to continue investing
in technologically avant-garde machinery that
is able to provide automation and mostly flexibility in meeting the customers delivery requirements”.
The new fibre laser system has recently been introduced in this renewal towards a greater flexibility.The Lasertube LT Fiber with 2 kW fibre laser
source has made it possible to apply the laser
technology in copper tube processing with a
considerable advantage as regards decisively
shorter processing times.
“Before – says Burato – with traditional machinery holes were
made that then needed to be
burred; now programs are created in the technical office and
they are sent directly to the LT
Fibre.
The automation is also important; to avoid possible operator errors, the LT Fibre system is
equipped with a camera that checks that the
material section actually corresponds to what
is indicated in the work program, thereby preventing damage and waste.
I° Automatic bending
B
LM implements the first electro-hydraulic tube bending system to perform core tube bending in an automatic cycle. The machine has a manual angle programmer.
The B40, B25 and B90 systems are produced in the decade
from 1961 to 1971.
1964
Move
B
LM builds a facility in via Selvaregina (which at the
time was nothing but a thick forest with a small road
the size of a trail running through it) and moves there at the
end of ’64.
1964
Automatic saw
A
dige builds the ADIGE CICLOMAC that operates in
a completely automatic mode, loading bars with a diameter of up to 70 mm
1965
The market expands
B
LM starts to exhibit at national fairs in Messina, Palermo, Triest and Bari, and then also abroad. From 1966
to 1969 BLMs export turnover soars from 50,000,000 to
120,000,000 of the old Italian currency (Lire). Export countries are mainly Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Iran and Saudi
Arabia while Germany, France and the UK are among the
leading markets for BLMs continental exports.
1966
1967
The Trento floods
T
he flood in Trento destroys the Adige facilities, but luckily drawings and accounting documents were recovered. In the year to follow, with a headcount of 100 employees, Adige moves to an 11,000 m2 area in Levico to meet
the growing needs.
7
Raccorderie Metalliche S.p.A. is national and international
leader in the production of fittings distributed mostly in the
thermohydraulic field but with the recent development of the
press-in systems, the so-called pressfittings, application can
Interview
also be found in other sectors such as oenology, gas,
compressed air and industry in general. With its 5,000 articles,
Raccorderie Metalliche S.p.A. is one of the European
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
producers that offer the most complete range.
We are a big country,
let’s not forget it
8
he choice of suppliers made by Raccorderie Metalliche is based on an
unequivocal standard: absolute excellence. Only in this way can it guarantee continuous commercial success, year after year. The BLM Group is one of
these suppliers and it is thanks to the close relationship that we had the honour to meet and
interview Pier Luigi Ceccardi, President of Raccorderie Metalliche S.p.A. and President of Federmeccanica (the Italian metal and mechanical
workers trade union Federation); a fine entrepreneurial figure in our Country as confirmed
by the numerous positions covered and honours received.
P
of fields, from Pavesini, Fidenza Vetraria, Silva in
Villa D’Ossola to then end up in Fargas, which
produced and distributed boilers, ascots, kitchens
and heaters. I worked in Fargas until 1965 first
as an employee and then as an agent until 1969.
I then opened up this business because a wholesaler in Brescia encouraged me to do so and financed me to get started; a commitment that
I honoured in just a couple of years and from
then on, slowly, year after year the company grew
to become what Raccorderie Metalliche is today and that is a great business in our sector with
a head count of 250 people, a turnover of 70 million Euros and an export rate of 63% in well over
54 countries throughout the world.
Perhaps it’s a trivial question, but we like stories. What is the entrepreneurial course that
leads to these achievements?
The Pier Luigi Ceccardi entrepreneur came about
quite by chance. I studied at Rovereto and graduated with excellent marks that ensured a call
from the Edison Group. I didn’t have any help; I
came from a very poor family that I am proud
of. It goes without saying that at the age of 19
I was recruited by Edison and was lucky to have
worked for the various companies of the Group
located all over Italy. Therefore, I gained considerable and varied experience in a wide range
Next year your business officially celebrates
its fortieth anniversary?
Raccorderie Metalliche effectively dates back to
1971, but 1996 is an important date as it is the
year in which the current facilities in Campitello di Marcaria, 15 km from Mantua was inaugurated. In fact, most of the design and production activities of the whole product range are
carried out: radiator caps, radiator reducers, pipe
clamps, pipe fastening systems, pressfit systems,
stainless steel and carbon steel fittings, radiator
brackets and many other hydrothermosanitary
articles.
I’ve never been attracted by
these sirens because personally I believe that if you are wellequipped and automated, with
a raw material cost that is the
same all over the world, it’s not
only the cost of labour that
makes the difference. Mine has
been a choice against the tide,
which may seem wrong, but I
am still convinced that to keep
production in Italy is rewarding.
Up to now I’ve been right.
Pier Luigi Ceccardi was President of the Association of Industrialists in the province of
Mantua in the four-year period from 2002 to 2006, Vice President of Federmeccanica in
2004 and from October 2005 up to the date of his appointment as President of
Federmeccanica, he was President of the COMETA Fund. In December 2002 he was he
was bestowed the honour of Grand Officer of the Italian Republic, after that of
Commander in 1991, Officer in 1989 and Knight in 1978.
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
You are a patently clear example of made
in Italy?
We are an Italian company and proud of it. For
this reason we are launching a very strong
campaign to identify our product as “made in
Italy” by placing this mark on each piece produced by us. It is a very big challenge and a
sound response to distributors who import
from the East and Far East. Having a production that is 100% Italian, we want to stand out
from those who create confusion on the market. We want to let people know that we can
still produce in this country if certain principles and parameters are respected without
necessarily having to delocalise production in
countries like Romania rather than Slovakia or
Poland. It is already complex enough to manage a company on one’s own doorstep let
alone thousands of km away, particularly for
the typically SMEs like the Italian ones.
Interview
The fact that an Italian product is often a synonym of quality, is it therefore an important
added value?
A fitting is something that connects two pipes
together and therefore, quite sincerely, producing is not something so extraordinary. Nevertheless, since 1994, the year of certification Raccorderie Metalliche has applied the procedures
to eliminate waste, to be more competitive and
to create customer value.This philosophy forces
us to keep pace with continuous improvements
and quality controls on each product and
process. Our quality level is recognised and approved by the leading European certification
bodies with about forty homologations obtained
throughout the world.
Last year, for example, we starter the certification procedures for two new product ranges:
pressfit systems in copper and cupronickel.The
first will be used mainly for sanitary and gas ap-
9
1968
The hydraulic era
A
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Born to grow
dige: the electro-pneumatic
world is taken over by the hydraulic era with the first CM400 hydraulic sawing machine, immediately
followed by the CM2500, which is
presented at the BIMU trade fair in
1970.
1969
Double-head tube
bending system
B
LM introduces the “mythical”
A25 that automatically bends several tubes at a time without core by using two bending heads. The production output of this model is amazing
and for the garden/camping furnishing sectors and household articles it is
a real “blessing”.
1970
The first automatic
end-forming system
T
he end-forming system is added
to the tube-bending system (AST
(Allarga-Sagoma-Tubi) and makes its
debut in the BLM product range.
1971
Il Mercurio d’oro
B
LM wins the prestigious “Mercurio d’oro” award given to companies who have particularly stood out
thanks to their ability to grow and export. This award is met with great satisfaction by all the staff at BLM, some
of whom visit Rome to receive the acknowledgement.
10
plications, whereas the second will be used in
the naval sector for firefighting applications and
special plants. The homologations necessary for
applications on board a ship are numerous and
all with very stringent requirements relating to
product performance.
We believe that this is the right path to have a
different approach on the market and stand out
above our national and international competitors. In this way, they too are forced to reach quality levels of excellence to keep up with us. To
date, this has paid off, seeing that Europe has
practically become a domestic market for Raccorderie Metalliche when in reality it is the third
biggest market in the world after China and India. One thing is, though, that every morning
you need to do some soul-searching and accept
the challenge.
Last year, we also suffered from the overall recession, but we never laid anyone off temporarily
on state funds, nor have we ever done so in all
forty years of business. There is only one other
metalworking business in the province of Mantua besides us, who can boast about the same
result: the great Marcegaglia and this makes
us proud.
Raccorderie Metalliche is, in fact, characterised
by a constant growth, even in difficult and
complex times. Is there a secret to this?
The“secret”is a deep-rooted culture of work and
always having believed in the company’s potential. We have put work at the centre of our
interest, but without ever letting us get distracted
by parallel and secondary activities. Finance is a
banker’s job. I’m just an “honest metalworker
from the Province of Mantua”; so we have to produce fittings and we’ve always tried to do it to
our best. Our constant growth is undoubtedly
due to this. We have simply pursued our goal,
also because we believe in what we are doing.
Concepts like automation and innovation,
how important have they been for Raccorderie Metalliche?
Enormously.Think that only in the past year we
have installed eleven new robots. In total, we
have about forty robots among pick and place
and anthropomorphic systems, dedicated to
more or less strategic roles. This gives an idea of
the automation level we have in the company.
In general, technology has always played a fundamental role in Raccorderie Metalliche’s growth.
The number of laser systems that we have are
further confirmation of this. The laser is probably the most important technology in which I
believed right from the beginning, but the merit goes to those who were truly and practically
able to show me what I could have achieved
with such a marvellous tool; and I’m referring
here to Adige. I knew how to listen and you knew
how to sell me an idea. Which one of the two
is the most prevailing aspect I can’t say, but what
I know for sure is that it is the result of a cooperation, and this is not a circumstantial phrase,
it’s the truth.
To give you an idea of how important the laser
has been and will still be for our production, we
are particularly interested in making a further
quality leap. For example, with the laser we could
perform several processes that are traditionally
carried out to remove burrs and shavings.We’re
talking about“simple”CO2 lasers and if what we
have been told is true when applied, it means
that we are making a revolutionary change.
Think that normally all the bends in fittings are
faced and rounded. But if it were possible to cut
the tube using the laser,what reason would there
be not to cut the bend; it would immediately be
trimmed to say the least.This bend is already being handled by a robot, therefore, by using a fiveaxis laser it could also be finished with a bevel angle of 45°,giving us evident advantages mainly in
terms of cleanliness of the pieces without any shavings and burrs to dispose of and there would be
no downtime to change the tool. We would have
a more linear production process with fewer downtimes and significant savings of time and money
without having to machine the components again.
If we could turn all of this into real
facts, it would really be a quantum shift even if rather binding
and exacting considering that a
change of this extent would not
only involve one laser but a
whole series of systems,because
we produce 8 million fittings in
carbon steel and 1,200,000 fittings in stainless steel per year. If
all goes as planned,we would install about ten laser systems over
a couple of years.
In view of what you have just told us, was
the choice to install the fibre laser a bet or
was it the response to a clear production
requirement?
Both one and the other. We produce fittings in
four different materials, that is, carbon steel, stainless steel, copper and cupronickel. We were not
able to cut the last two material with CO2 system due to their reflectivity. Therefore we took
the challenge on a technology with endless po-
tential and which, according to many, is absolutely beneficial and efficient, but on the whole
is not yet widespread, particularly for tube cutting. Nowadays, the machine produces and we
are satisfied also because thanks to BLMs assistance we have gone into full production well
ahead of time. I could define it as a win and have
no problems in saying that the future lies in the
fibre laser technology, even if in our production
field the CO2 systems still have much to say for
themselves.
How would you define the relationship between Raccorderie Metalliche and BLM
Group?
It is definitely a cooperation. The fibre laser
system confirms it, apart from the Lasertube
system. However, over the years we have installed many other BLM systems including the
end-forming and tube bending systems that
we have transformed to be able to bend pieces
of tube as we do particular work. The last traditional machine purchased from BLM is, for
example, a cutting system for copper tube from
coil. We could almost define ourselves as a permanent BLM production show room, given
that BLM use as a reference and often bring us
their potential customers to see the machines
in production and we are more than pleased
to welcome them. As I was saying, it is an extremely cooperative relationship.
In conclusion would like to address Mr. Pier
Luigi Ceccardi President of Federmeccanica
and ask if the crisis has really been overcome.
I feel that the crisis is largely behind us. If we managed to consolidate the weak signs of recovery
of a market that is starting to open up and, most
of all if we managed to do it with more concrete
industrial relations and a more co-operative trade
union, I am strongly convinced that we could
start again.
I will say one thing that may seem a little difficult
for the younger generation to realise but in which
I believe profoundly; many businessmen of my
age were the authors of the rebirth of this country that was a pile of debris after the war had been
lost. Nevertheless, Italy has succeeded in becoming the fifth largest industrial power in the
world.This is our vocation and our mission.
Therefore, I make this appeal: let us rediscover
the price of being an entrepreneur. We have
to invest in our companies and bring them to
the centre of our attention and interest. We need
to restart and resume our position on the market, returning to be the great businessmen we
have shown to be. We are a great country and
we must never forget it.
11
New machines
1974
CM500
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Born to grow
1972
1975
100% requ
T
he period from 1972 to 1975 is
still remembered with fondness
in BLM due to the considerable
number of new machines in the assembly shop and the numerous prototypes produced. In 1973 the first
end-forming system, the AST40
emerges. The first loading systems
also belong to the early ‘70s: in 1972
the AL40 is implemented, which
then becomes the AL38 in 1974.
A
t Adige, the CM500 is introduced, which is an evolution of
the old CM400 and constitutes the
father of a series of machines that are
still part of today’s product range.
Alongside the cutting system are the
perforating, threading and milling
units with a vast possibility of customisation.
1976
The first NC
tube-bending system
B
LM produces the first numerically-controlled tube-bending
system in Europe, the B63CN. Now
the whole cycle to process a tube with
several bends is managed by a fully
automatic 3-axis numerical control
system with program storage.
12
on Keeling and Phil Atkinson admit they
are obsessed with motorbikes, engineering and exotic materials, which explains
why in 2004 they set up Racefit Ltd to manufacture titanium exhausts for the motorcycle
after-market. However, these were never going to be me-too exhaust systems, with the
emphasis from the beginning on innovative
design and quality of manufacture.
It is the consistency and reliability provided by
J
a new BLM CNC tube bender that explains why
Phil Atkinson says “it was not so much a case
of whether we could afford to buy this machine, as a case of it being exactly what we
need to guarantee 100 per cent good parts
that will fit precisely into our assembly jigs.”
“BLM is a class act and the ELECT is an awesome machine that has the capability to do
exactly what we want and more,” adds Jon
Keeling.“In fact, we are now equipped to offer
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Motorcycle
quired precision
At Racefit Ltd, UK, the BLM ELECT63 tube
bending machine meets the quality criteria required
to produce motorcycle exhaust pipes.
quality tube bending on a subcontract basis…and because we work with tube all the
time we know we can bend titanium, steel and
aluminium tube to a very high standard.”
Prestigious results
“We had to be different to be successful,” says
Phil Atkinson.“Other manufacturers faced with
rising material prices were outsourcing production to China to cut their costs and there
was no way we wanted to do that.” To which
Jon Keeling adds:
“Having worked for pretty much all the major
exhaust manufacturers in this country, Phil
knew enough about manufacturing exhaust
systems to be able to look at it from a completely different perspective. I didn’t know anything about manufacturing exhaust systems,
so I was looking at it from a different perspective anyway!”
The result is that five years later the Matlock,
Derbyshire-based business has emerged as
a leading supplier of titanium exhaust systems
bearing such evocative names as Growler, Slash
and Mega. In fact, this year’s FIM Sidecar World
Championship-winning LCR Suzuki outfit
sports a Racefit exhaust. Despite finishing second in the final race of the season at Le Mans
on 6th September 2009, Ben and Tom Birchall
made it into the record books, with Ben’s
13
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Motorcycle
TECHNOLOGY
”ALL ELECTRIC” is the new product philosophy
of BLM GROUP: the perfect combination of environment-friendliness
and production efficiency.
Environment-friendliness
• Up to 80% reduced power
consumption
• Noise level equal to
a normal conversation
• Clean working environment and no oil disposal
Qualità prodotto finito
Maggiore efficienza
Maggiore produttività
• Quicker and automatic
changeover
• More independent from
the operator's skills in the
bending process
younger brother making history by becoming
the youngest-ever passenger to win a World
Sidecar Championship.
Accurate and reliable bends,
without any waste
“We are passionate about what we do, and that
is designing and manufacturing products that
appeal to like-minded people who simply want
the best,” says Jon Keeling.“This is why we use
titanium tube. It’s light, strong and super-corro-
14
• Right pieces at first
production, no scraps
• Perfect, endlessly
repeatable bending
• Double productivity
compared to
electro-hydraulic machines
sion resistant but it is also ten times the price of
stainless steel. That’s why we have invested in
a BLM CNC tube bending machine…because
we can’t afford to waste material.”
Apart from carbon fibre sleeves and laser cutting of support brackets, everything is processed
in-house.“We were subcontracting our tube
bending but we use big diameter – up to 63 mm
– thin wall titanium tube, and that can be difficult to bend,”says Phil Atkinson.“Virtually every
bit of our product involves tube that we have to
buy in 200 metres at a time and, at around £50
per metre, rejecting subcontracted components
because of ‘wrinkles’ on the bends was expensive and time-consuming.We were also experiencing delivery problems as our work was not
always seen as a priority.”
Right from the first piece, the bend
was already to measure
The latest-generation all-electric BLM ELECT63 CNC tube bender was installed in June 2009,
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Motorcycle
with the inherent precision and control of all
the axes positioning guaranteeing consistent,
highly accurate, bends. However, the benefits for an end-user such as Racefit do not stop
there. The machine’s multi-stack tool mounting facility allows multi radius and variable radius bending of the same tube to take place
in a single set-up. Bends with very little straight
between them, even compound bends, can
also be accommodated, along with tight bends
that can have a radius less than the tube di-
ameter. “Because the ELECT’s control holds all
the relevant programs, it allows us to make to
order,” says Jon Keeling.“Given that most orders come in via the internet, this ensures the
shortest possible time between receipt of order and dispatch of the completed exhaust
system.”
All critical machine setting parameters are
managed by the Siemens 840D SL CNC ‘Solution-Line’ control system, which interfaces
with BLM’s VGP3D graphical programming and
simulation software to provide fully automatic and truly interpolated simultaneous movement of all nine machine axes. This eliminates
‘dead time’ within the tube bending cycle and
effectively de-skills the tube bending process
previously so reliant on individual operator expertise. The new machine’s precise calibration
cycle means that it is set right-first-time and
guarantees that a first-off part, and all subsequent parts, will be to specification.
15
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Railway
Italo-Chinese highThe Italo-Chinese joint venture, Sessa Klein Shenfei Ltd, supplies two of the three high-speed
train manufacturers in China with windows and other furnishings. The BLM machines
are at the centre of the production system, which is working at full capacity with the use
of the plants over three shifts to meet the agreed delivery times.
he development of the rail industry has
undergone a hyperbolic acceleration in
China over the past few years. Statistics
show that more wagons for high-speed trains
are produced in China than anywhere else in
the world and that China has the highest number of kilometres of high-speed railroads. This,
of course, is good news for operators in the field,
provided that one is organised to take these opportunities. This is not an operation that is taken for granted because the railway industry is
run either directly or indirectly by the Chinese
State and not all suppliers are admitted.
T
16
Sessa Klein Spa based in Castronno in the
province of Varese designs and produces furnishing systems in light alloys for the railway industry and has decided to take on this challenge
and try to enter the difficult and competitive
Chinese market considering its high technological and quality level. These are characteristics that are not easy to find and that could be
appreciated by the customers in China.
“So after a laborious search, Sessa Klein Italia concluded negotiations in September 2008 to set
up a joint venture called Sessa Klein Shenfei Ltd,
of which it holds 51%, with the Chinese partner,
Shenfei Vehicle Windows Manufacturer Co.,
ltd.(SCE). The Chinese partner is not a competitor and, moreover, has contributed with its
knowledge of the Chinese market from a commercial viewpoint.
The results to date appear to be very positive.
Sessa Klein Shenfei supplies two of the three
high-speed train manufacturers in China with
windows and other furnishings” says Alfredo
Novelli, President of Sessa Klein Spa and Guido
Cardullo, Operations Manager of Sessa Klein
Shenfei Ltd.
-speed
To give an idea of the quantity one of the manufactures out of the three mentioned, manages
to make eight complete trains with eight wagons per month. That is 64 wagons. The production plans are based on a 4-5 year forecast and
in the meantime, important railroads are being
completed, such as the Beijing-Shanghai line
which will come into operation in 2012.The conditional form in China for these projects does
not exist.
“The choice of a local partner was imperative as
without there is no chance of getting into these
companies. In our case, we are delighted with the
level of cooperation that has been achieved considering that we are complementary and necessary to one another”.Explains Alfredo Novelli to
highlight how the JV was necessary and useful.
“The current output of the Chinese unit exceeds
the Italian production of windows” continues
Guido Cardullo.“To guarantee the same quality
level of the products, the Chinese JV has focused
on production and quality standards.”
All the main processes are carried out internally, such as welding and bending of the aluminium profiles for train windows, likewise the final bonding. The quality controls are carried out
both during the manufacturing process as well
as at final testing (resistance and fatigue tests).
The company is ISO9000-2000, EN15085 certified for aluminium welding in the rail industry
and, moreover, has adopted the International
Railways Industry Standard (IRIS) quality system
that is specific for the railway industry.
“The aluminium profiles are procured locally
and we bend them on a BLM 863VGP machine
that was supplied with all the equipment. This
was a key production strategy that lead us to
chose such a machine to guarantee the results
that we needed. Moreover, having to bend extruded profile is not as easy as bending pipes
and it was necessary to adapt and customise
the machine to meet our requirements” explains Guido Cardullo.
“The technical and commercial
support is supplied directly from
the BLM GROUP in Shanghai
with Chinese staff, which is less
than two hours away. It is very
useful for us to be able to train
our operators directly in China
so a to avoid any misunderstanding as much as possible”.
Production has now reached full capacity with
the use of plants over three shifts to guarantee the agreed delivery times and prospects
are good. A very encouraging start for a choice
that was not easy and predictable at the beginning. This is an excellent example of how
by choosing the right partner; success can be
achieved even in markets that are apparently
very difficult.
17
BLM GROUP Shanghai Co. Ltd was set up at the end of 2003, but
the Group has been present in China long before. In fact the
initial contact and first sale dates back to the ‘80s and then since
’80s
… and other
developments
1992 commercial activities have been constant.
T
Speakingthe same language
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Born to grow
he ‘80s witnesses a considerable growth for BLM. The B63
is followed by the B32 and the B42,
which represent the basis of the
CNC machines that are still produced today.
Even the end-forming line introduces the new AST102.
ver the past two decades, China has considerably changed. We have all witnessed this change, which still intimidates us in terms of intensity, depth and duration.
The BLM Group has adapted to these radical
changes by taking a different sales approach
compared to the first decade, which made use
of agents and advisors, and that is to set-up its
own subsidiary. Even the clientele has changed
and the spectrum has slowly completed and
grown from a technological point of view from
the automotive, conditioning and rail industry
to aerospace. The BLM Group Shanghai structure has preserved the continuity of technicalcommercial personnel over the years to guarantee a suitable and full cover.
O
Structure and services follow the
trends
’80s
Turnover increases
F
rom 1984 to 1991 BLMs
turnover doubles to reach a soaring figure of 23,182,000,000 Lire.
This rise in sales consequently means
an increase in the sales force which
goes from 93 active employees in
1984 to 113 in 1991.
1981
The TS70
A
dige produces the famous
TS70; a competitive system
thanks to the extremely high production output, easy fine-tuning and
possibility of cutting two different
lengths.
1987
The beginning
of the laser era
T
he first experiences with the
laser source brings Adige to
present the first CO2 lasertube cutting system in Europe, at the next
BIMU in 1988 (on a stand with
BLM) the S90.
18
BLM GROUP Shanghai, which moved to its new
offices in May, offers all the sales services required
to operate in China, including invoicing in local
currency and import-export of the goods. The after-sales technical service is complete both in terms
of customer assistance and spare parts supplies.
The technicians live in the main areas of the territory (centre, north and south) and report to the
Shanghai offices for spare parts and coordination.
Among the services offered are also machine installation and training in Chinese, the supply of
manuals and documentation in Chinese and continuous support throughout the year. Moreover,
technical support is also available for the implementation in loco of equipment and accessories
complete with design, production and testing.
Commercially, the sales area has been divided
into three territorial areas with a resident manager operating locally and reporting to the
Shanghai offices. The extent of the territory and
the different local cultures have lead us to localise
these services so that we can be close to our customers and guarantee them a greater and more
efficient service.Furthermore,BLM GROUP Shanghai has a permanent show room where various
machines produced by the Italian companies of
the BLM Group are on show and can be demonstrated, such as: bending, cutting and end-forming machines. A training room is also available
and all customer support services.
This is sufficient enough reason to motivate the
BLM Group to find more suitable ways to participate in the future growth and guarantee continuity both to the Group and to its clientele.
BLM GROUP ( SHANGHAI ) CO. LTD.
Unit A1, No. 155 Dongshe Road, Dongjing
District, Songjiang, 201619, Shanghai
Tel. 021-57686430-108
Fax 021-57686432
E-mail: sales@blmgroupshanghai.com
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Automation
Lasertube technology at Gruppo System, Italy,
guarantees very fast processing times.
Laser and value added
19
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Automation
n an area of 120,000 m2 half of which is
taken up by buildings located near Fiorano in the lowlands of Modena is the main
facility of Gruppo System, which also has production facilities in Spain, China and USA. The
Group is divided into three divisions: Ceramics, which deals with decorating and automation of ceramic products; Logistics, dedicated to automatic handling systems in
various industrial environments and Electronics, which creates control and integration
systems for industrial production. The three
divisions are characterised by one common
denominator and that is the spirit of innovation that transpires from the products of each
individual unit.
I
“Conquering the world”
To welcome us is Mr. Stefani, President of Gruppo System, a person with much enthusiasm
who has followed his passions and turned
them into a company of surprising dimensions.
The passion for applied technology that Stefani has shown since he was a young boy
20
above and over any other interest, including
school came about from his profound curiosity for anything that had to do with automation. In fact, he tells us that he started out as
an employee in a company, but then, with his
innovative ideas and just a small loan, he started to “conquer the world” and created a business with a total turnover of almost 280 M€
and a headcount of 800 employees, half of
which are based in Italy.
The current company was set up back in 1970
and the first system to be purchased was not
a machine tool but an automatic storage system and this was already a sample of the ideas
that would have later given life to the “business”; a business that started off by outsourcing in an industrious and dynamic environment in the plains of Modena where there was
far from a shortage of craftsmen to outsource
the initial ideas and what others could not do
was done in-house.
A laser “training ground”
Mr. Stefani is an enthusiast and this spirit lead
him to take on the challenge in the laser tube
field, but only after being fully convinced of
the advantages. “Relations with BLM have
been on-going for 15 years – explains Stefani
– during which time I have listened carefully
to the description of the machines that were
being offered to me and mostly of the opportunities and the vast range of innovations
that laser technology could have brought to
my company”.
The determining factor in the
choice made was the improvement in the quality of tube available on the market.
“At first, tubes were used for structural steel
works and were generally of poor precision
and quality, but today even following the increasing demand encouraged by laser systems, quality tube is requested, perhaps specifying that the end use is for laser cutting, high
quality material can be obtained and the sys-
B
etween 1988 and 1992, BLM
records important new machines in the product range. The
PLAUNO system, which bends
from coil and is fitted with orbital
cutting belongs to this period.
1989
Expansion abroad
B
LM feels the need to cover some
markets with more perseverance. To this end, BLM Deutschland,
BLM France and Tecmatub (Mexico), fully-owned branches of the parent company, are set up to provide
sales, after-sales service and technical assistance to their customers.
tems allow precise structures to be implemented without the need for expensive and
complicated mechanical processes to be carried out on machine tools”.
Quality without laps
Mr. Stefani is the first to promote innovation
in his company and is very careful not just to
sit back when a target has been achieved; he
is always on the go to reach new horizons.
“Others can copy – he says referring to hypothetical competitors – but our ideas by that
time are already well ahead”.
“When the first laser system (an LT JUMBO 20
for large tubes with diameters of up to 508
mm) was installed we started our training” he
says, using the term that perfectly describes
the efforts made at the beginning. You go to
a gym to train and, in effect, the initial samples
helped in our training, giving us a deep understanding and helping us to seize the potential of the new tool that was available. “Today we manage to produce complex structures
using fitted tubes with unique reference keys
Born to grow
Bending from coil
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
1988
that make fast and accurate assembly possible without errors and with a final accuracy of
3 tenths on the diagonal sections of a frame”.
Initially, the choice of the ADIGE LT JUMBO 20
was made assuming the possibility of reducing the weight of the structures produced using tube by 40%. The savings alone from this
effectively reduced weight were such to justify the purchase of the system, but today,
when looking back, this perhaps was not the
most interesting aspect that lead to introducing the laser.
1990
T
he first public appearance of the
TT650 by Adige; the first system
of the lasertube family destined to revolutionise the tube processing scenario with an innovative construction
concept that has paved its way up to
today's date.
1993
Installation of the second lasertube, an LT8 system with double bundle and single tube
loader, complete the machine shop adding
speed and performance with the same tube
processing concepts and advantages for the
production of smaller tubes. Logistics costs;
replacement of boxes with tubes has reduced
transport costs. Today, with precise tubes
processed by accurate machines, quality can
be achieved without the need for machining.
Tube laser
The BLM Group is
created
A
t the end of 1993 the long-suffered acquisition of Adige by
BLM takes place. This is the start of
a mutually successful story.
In the meantime BLM obtains the
UNI EN ISO 9001 certification, the
first UCIMA company certified by
ICIM (Industrial Certification Institute for mechanics).
21
Automation
“Customers not always manage to grasp the
essential elements of innovation that characterise our inventions, but the benefits
brought to the production process at System
fully justify their use, regardless of the customers’ appreciation” explains Mr. Stefani.“Very
fast processing times, thanks to the fact that
there are no real transfers from one machine
to another for the different machining that are
now all carried out on the laser system. What
the customer sees is the final result, that is, aesthetically appreciable systems that are essential in their form, but sturdy and accurate in
terms of operation.”
Designing for tube
The introduction of new systems has lead to
a revolution in the design concept. “It hasn’t
been easy. All the previous principles had to
be reviewed to adapt to the new situation”
says Stefani. “Designing for tube means doing
a job very similar to that of a carpenter who
works with precise interlock fitting and the
same has to be done with tubes to take advantage of their full potential”.
The innovative company must
push the market,not follow it.Recently, Systems has focused on
the new solar panel business,but
in its own way,with an innovative
product based on covered
tramping tiles with a solar panel inside. “The traditional markets
are getting smaller to the advantage of emerging countries
– concludes Stefani – therefore,
the idea is to produce less volume, but with added value and
penetrate growing markets”.
22
1995
A
pproaching the customer and
speaking in the same language
is an ever-increasing necessity therefore, with the addition of BLM UK
and BLM South Africa the BLM foreign branches become five.
Born to grow
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
… and further expansion
1996
Square tube cutting
T
he first TT650 to cut round
tubes only. With the TT651
TQR laser system Adige is now able
to offer a machine that cuts square
and rectangular tubes as well. This
is a determinant evolution in the development of the lasertube product
that, at this point, expands its range
of action to other new sectors like
the furnishing sector that turn out to
be a success.
1997
I sistemi combinati
A
t EMO Adige presents ADILAS, the combined system for
tube and steel sheet, the first of a series that will proceed in time with alternate events, but unchanged
prospects of growth.
1998
Variable radium
bending.
W
ith the advent of the multi-radius tube bending systems
BLM introduces the variable radius
(or programmed) bending system.
This no longer has a fixed radius, but
it is now possible to program any radius and the machine carries it out.
This is a revolution in the furnishing
field where design has no limits (or
almost) to fantasy.
24
Tier 1 of the
parent company
he only production facility on Polish territory of the Viessmann Group, world
leader in the production of heating systems, is located in the splendid city of Wroclaw, with its numerous cathedrals.
Mr. Waldemar Cwiklinski, engineer and developing manager explains how this facility produces 85% of the copper tube components and electrical cables for boilers that
are assembled in the German facility of Allendorf, where the Group’s headquarters
are based.
T
Quality first and foremost
To supply the parent company means having to strictly observe production times, costs
and quality. To keep these aspects under
control requires an efficient production or-
ganisation that is able to take action at various levels, from programming, material procurement, selection of production machinery that is suitable to guarantee quality and
reliability.
An efficiently organised production cycle
is essential to meet the delivery dates. Production efficiency can be increased with
just a simple change in the shop floor layout, but to be able to plan production efficiently you have to be able to count on reliable and fast production systems. “Here
we are always looking to improve efficiency” says Cwiklinski.
Quality is, however, an aspect that is always
mentioned without hesitation by Cwiklinski
as being the most important. The company
is certified from material selection to the pur-
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Heating
In the Polish facility of Viessmann, having to replenish the parent
company means strictly observing production times, costs and quality.
Since 2007 the BLM tube bending and end forming systems have
considerably contributed to achieving these goals.
chase of adequate systems, which is all done
according to strict procedures aimed at
reaching the highest quality possible. Even
the choice of machines to be used on the
shop floor is influenced by these requirements and in view of this the purchase of
quality machinery allows using a less expensive copper, although more difficult to
process, with a saving compared to the competitor’s quality.
Being number 1
The relationship with BLM started back in 2006
and in January 2007 the first PLANET machine
was installed for the production of an end product that met the quality and repeatability requirements. A determining factor for an efficient use of the system was the technical
assistance and Cwiklinski expressed his appreciation of the fact that BLM provided assistance in Poland with technicians who were
able to speak Polish and were thus able to perfectly communicate with the system operators.
They did not have previous experience on systems of this type, but were fully satisfied as regards delivery and installation. The initial startup problems of the machine were solved by
technical assistance and a sound relationship
of cooperation has been established.
The installation of a second machine, a
TUBEFORM end-forming system, confirms
what has just been stated. The machine was
purchased to carry out a second end-forming process after the PLANET system. Last,
but not least is the E_TURN, which was purchased for larger, more complex core tubes.
With this machine, the company has been
able to benefit from the advantages of the
all-electric technology to produce even complex bends with precision and ease. The automatic adjustments allow constant levels of
performance to be reached and operating
at the same set-up conditions, independently
from the experience of the operator.
Being number 1 is not easy, but the versatility
of the BLM machines has contributed to achieving this result. Cwiklinski sees a bright future
inasmuch as ecological requirements encourage innovation that heavily involves this
sector, pushing towards the replacement of
old products with new types of boilers with a
lower impact on the environment. This makes
us optimistic about the future.
25
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Born to grow filo
BONPEZ, Italy, is satisfied with the development of the Montorfano wire bending
machines by BLM from a mechanical point of view as well as the electromechanical
components and VGP software.
Metal wire in all its shap
he history of BONPEZ from Corte Franca has distant origins. It was initially set
up in 1974 by Luca’s father together with
a partner only to break away later, in 1988 to
set-up a company as it is known today with his
wife, hence the name that is taken from their
surnames BONtempi and PEZzotti. Luca Bontempi officially joined the company with his
sister, Cinzia after getting his diploma in 1991.
T
“I already knew all about the company as I used
to work here during the summer holidays as
normal around these parts of the country” says
26
Luca with pride. His sister deals with the administrations side, whereas he directly follows
production and sales.
To process metal wire in the
most varied shapes and uses is
the company’s specialisation
and thanks to the company’s
avant-garde structure any type
of demand and requirement
can be met.
“The experience gained over the years and our
technical preparation make it possible to offer an
accurate feasibility study for the component that
needs to be produced in order to optimise costs
and solve any difficulty” continues Luca.“We are
always at the customer’s disposal for quotations
and the possibility of making samples according to the drawings, thereby guaranteeing assistance throughout the entire preparation process
of the piece. Our production does not require large
quantities, but we can agree adequate batches
with the customer to reduce costs without the obligation of having useless stocks”.
In – out-door furniture
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Shops accessories
Construction
Hospital fixtures
Toys and childcare
Hooks, baskets, partitions, supports
Grates, brackets, racks and accessories for refrigerators, ovens,
gas stoves.
Bathroom accessories, components for chairs, kitchen fixtures and
accessories
Trolleys, baskets and stands
Structures, uplift hooks
Beds and furniture accessories, medical appliances
Pushchairs frame and brackets, baby carriages, handlebars.
Born to grow filo
Application industries
Supermarket furnishing
Household appliances
apes and uses
Buy sight unseen
“The quality leap was done in 1995 – continues
Luca – when we moved from Marone on Lake
Iseo, the initial location of the company, to Corte
Franca, where we still have three buildings that
cover a total of 3,000 m2. Of the three buildings,
the first is the bending and spot-welding facility for the wire products, the second is the cutting facility and the third is the welding and storage facility. In total there is a head count of 22 in
the company, approx. 15 employees plus 4/5
people that belong to a cooperative”.
The first wire bending system purchased was
Montorfano, one of the first vertical machines
that was in operation from 1976 up to 2005.
“Those were manually loaded machines; I still
remember the pneumatic noise during the
bending operations” recalls Bontempi.
“In 1993/94 we purchased a machine with an
electronic panel, automatic sliding blocks and
loader that was in operation up to 5 years ago,
while in ‘96/97 we got a used machine from an
affiliate company of Chicco”continues Bontempi.
“To reach today’s date, in 2006 we purchased
the first 2010 wire bender from Montorfano and
then last year we got a used Montorfano ma-
chine dated 2003”. The pride and joy of our machine shop however is the DH2010 VGP, which
was purchased in 2010 from BLM without even
ever seeing it.“Only hearing about the all-electric technology combined with the VGP was
enough for me to understand the evolution of
the product with the acquisition of Montorfano
by the BLM Group” points out Luca.
The customer is pleased that BLM is handling
the product, which in this way has been further
developed both mechanically and electro-mechanically with Siemens components and VGP
software.
27
At Nitator, in Sweden, the laser has revolutionised production
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Automotive
of truck chassis systems
What we need,
when we need it
e are in the south of Sweden to visit
Nitator, whose name derives from Latin, meaning progressive development,
which is the company’s characteristic feature.
Ian-Eric Petersson, owner and managing director explains how the company, as it is today, was
started in 1983 by his father and with only seven employees dedicated to the sub-supply in
the heavy automobile industry. Nowadays, the
group consists of two companies in Sweden
with approximately 150 employees and another company in Lithuania with a further 90 employees and an on-going partnership with a Chinese company.
W
Skilled consultants
28
tinues Petersson.“Today we have 25 welding robots on multiple stations. Then there was the
need for a painting booth, which at the end of
the ‘80s required an investment equal to the entire turnover of the previous year”.
of the batches was worrying – says Petersson
– now we are able to produce what we need,
when we need it, therefore benefiting the production process”.
From raw material to finished
product with just one station
“We started working with tube right from the
beginning in 1983 to make truck structures.
The tubes were outsourced and then assembled in house,” continues Mr. Petersson.“When
the first lasertube machines came out on the
market, the advantages were quite clear, but
our production volumes could not justify such
an expense. Recently, the more consistent orders received have allowed us to purchase a
lasertube system.
The advantage was noticed not only in the increased production and precision, but also
in the possibility of making different shapes
that were previously unthinkable. The easy
prototyping makes it possible to experiment
different solutions and thereby to quickly find
the most advantageous solution that can be
sent directly into production without the need
for costly equipment”.
The laser machines arrived at the beginning of
the ‘90s. Introduction of the laser technology,
first with the sheet processing machines and
then the LT Combo by the BLM Group was an
extremely important step and brought about
numerous advantages.
The main and most renowned customers for
which Nitator produces chassis systems are
Volvo and Scania. The job is delicate and requires a high level of specific competence.
While Petersson shows us a valuable model of
the first chassis prototype for trucks made by
Nitator, he in fact explains how their skill in the
field allows them to be something more than
just simple sub-suppliers and how they are
real specialised consultants in the production
of chassis systems.
“Our customers include very large companies
who we have managed to continue working
with thanks to an efficient service that involves
not only the product with its extremely high
quality but also, more generally an all-round service, which includes top quality technical and logistics support. In fact, what we sell is the knowhow. We know what’s behind a product, which
is something that not everyone knows”.
Automation of the cutting
process eliminated the errors
arising with manual work; moreover, the greater precision of
laser cutting guaranteed greater
reliability in the downstream
process, during the robotized
welding stage and, last but not
least, an increase in the production output thanks to laser
cutting and optimisation of material handling which is now
processed by a single station
from the raw material to the finished product, which is ready
for welding.
“Moreover, our philosophy has always been to
maintain a high added value of our products by
investing in technology, which is why we made
heavy investments in the welding robot” con-
Even the material flow on the shop floor has
had a positive evolution thanks to the laser.
“When we had to depend on suppliers, the size
Prototyping is easy and flexible
For companies like Nitator, who are more than
just a plain supplier, this versatility to offer tailored solutions to its customers is very important.“Nowadays, we are able to give our customers suggestions on how to produce more
efficiently. Customers are not always prepared
to modify their drawings, but when you are
able to give them suggestions, this is a great
advantage.
Our competitors are very aggressive, particularly in the East, but our strong point is the
use of technology. Low technology can sometimes mean low costs, but with an increase
in production the overall cost is offset and quality makes the difference”.
29
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Automotive
Assistance and unattended shift
“We look for reliability, precision and, of course,
production output in the machinery that we
buy,” explains Petersson.
“The systems are thoroughly analysed, calculating the production output of the overall
process. When we started thinking about the
production of tube in house, we had a good
look round, visiting suppliers and exhibitions
and we immediately thought that BLM was
the right company for tube handling.
Another aspect that could not
be left aside was the availability of a valid and effective technical assistance service for
spare parts and fast on-site
service needs. We knew Mr Edstroemm, BLM’s agent in Sweden, for years even though we
had not yet had the opportunity to do business with him,
with his technical assistance
structure, and the result was
successful.
30
Nitator purchased an LT Combo system complete with automatic steel sheet feeding system,
spider speed (Ragno speed), that was able to
guarantee unattended shift work. To do so, Petersson confesses to have had to fight his natural inclination that forces him not to trust any
combined systems.“What convinced me – he
says – was the possibility of an unattended night
shift with the steel sheet system fitted with spider speed (Ragno speed) and although the machine was a combined system, there was no
compromise in processing the tube”.
“For the future, I feel that the time has come to
increase in size, that is, in terms of production
area, also to improve the material flow within
the facilities. As regards the machinery, I think
that the next investment could well be in a specific lasertube system.This will be the next step”.
“I’ve found BLM to be a competent company
who knows all about tube processing and not
only; I was well impressed with the technological level that was perceived when I visited the
headquarters in Italy”. This was the reason behind Petersson’s choice, who added with a smile
“of course even inflation of the Euro in this period also helped us to choose”.As far as we’re concerned, we have absolutely no doubt!
Bimu - Milano (Italy)
September 5 – 9, 2010
BLM Group: Hall 18 – Stand D08-F03-D06-F01
1999
raphic programming software for systems takes on an
increasingly important role both in Adige and BLM. The
VGP3D for bending and TubeWork for laser cutting make it
possible to implement complex programs in total safety without necessarily being specialised in computer language.
2001
Overseas landing
T
he American market appreciates the BLM and Adige with
increasing interest and the group takes advantage of this
tendency to cross the ocean by creating the BLM GROUP
USA Corp.
2002
Electric bending
N
o more oil, no more noise, no more adjusting, the BLM
bending systems become more versatile, modern and
Green Tech.
2004
Born to grow
G
EuroBlech - Hannover (Germany)
October 26 – 30, 2010
BLM Group: Hall 12 – Stand B14-B15-B19
FabTech - Atlanta (USA)
November 2 – 4, 2010
BLM Group: Hall B – Stand 2647
Visual graphic programming
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
EVENTS 2010
The Far East
C
hina starts to show potential and BLM isn’t going to miss
out; it sets up the BLM GROUP Shanghai
2005
LT Combo
A
crucial turning point in the evolution of the combined
laser cutting system that leads it towards an ever-increasing success.
2006
… and South America
T
he long commercial presence (since 1970) in Brazil, a country that is growing strong, consolidates with opening of
the BLM GROUP do Brazil office.
2008
Not only tube!
I
n the end of 2008 the takeover of Officina Meccanica Montorfano, specialized in the manufacturing of patented multihead machines for tube and wire bending, allowed BLM to increase its range of products.
2009
Fibre laser
A
dige and Adige-Sys experiment the new fibre laser sources
with unanimously appreciated results in terms of quality.
The first products are the LT Fibre and LT Combo Fibre systems.
2010
More novelties …
P
resentation of several new systems: the new lasertube LT8
(the best performing system in circulation for lasertube processing), SMART (the new small bending machine of the AllElectric family) the ELECT (also part of the All-electric world),
the DH2000 VGP (wire bending machine), the MULTFLEX,
(new cutting line) …
2011
….. OTHER MILESTONES LIE AHEAD!
31
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Also available in pdf format on:
www.blmgroup.com

October 2010Download pdf

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