FOCUS ON PRESS BRAKES
The shop floor at Tosec BV .
FLEXIBLE FORMING
Dutch subcontractor Tosec BV has invested in a new and customised H-Brake 320T Ultra for a wider range and variety of sheet-metal bending options .
“ Tosec can be very flexible when it comes to different angles , dimensions and options for bending sheet metal .”
Tosec BV is a Dutch subcontractor based in Zwolle that specialises entirely in sheet-metal working . The company performs all its operations at one location : cutting , machining , bending and welding . It has several press brakes , including a swivel bending machine , and recently purchased a new H-Brake 320T Ultra from Dutch bending specialist , SafanDarley .
“ We are known for being able to deliver high-quality products quickly ,” explained company manager , Ruben Nieboer . “ These are generally products in small batches or single pieces . Often , we don ’ t know today what we are going to make next month . That ’ s why SafanDarley ’ s new H-Brake 320T Ultra suits us perfectly . The custom-made press brake is widely applicable .”
Bending operations at Tosec .
Tosec has over 35 years of experience in metal edging and has a range of press brakes of different sizes and capabilities . Press-brake tool clamping at Tosec is standardised , making the tools interchangeable . Due to its wide variety of tooling , Tosec can be very flexible when it comes to different angles , dimensions and options for bending sheet metal . It has even developed its own tool-change system and likes to rely on its own expertise , rather than third parties , to overcome sheet-metal bending challenges .
A proud history
Tosec ’ s history goes back more than 100 years . Some 25 years ago , it was taken over by Tollenaar Industries , currently run by brothers
Frans and Roland Tollenaar .
“ We are a real family business with a very flat organisation and short lines of communication . That ’ s definitely not marketing talk …” laughed Ruben Nieboer .
The parent company has two more branches in Zwolle focused on engineering and automation as well as production sites in Germany and South Africa .
“ For the Netherlands , Tosec is the manufacturing company , [ with all operations at ] Zwolle with some 140 colleagues . Sister company Teqram , for example , focuses on robotisation . The machines that it makes are in production with us and now also with many other customers ,” added Ruben Nieboer .
Company ethos
Variety is important for Tosec .
“ We consciously choose to produce small and medium-sized batches and single pieces , because this ensures variation in the work . [ This means ] setting up the machine every time , looking at drawings and checking products . Parts can be big , small , thick or thin . We also work with different types of steel , such as very hard steel , Hardox , which is difficult to bend , or high-strength steel , which is very tough . This constantly requires a different approach ,” explained Ruben Nieboer .
“ That is why no day is ever the same for the people in the office , our setters and our colleagues in the dispatch department . We make a wide variety of products for machine builders , the trailer and crane industry , the agricultural sector and offshore companies , among others . In total , we have over 500 customers throughout the Netherlands ,” he continued .
Tosec ’ s relationship with SafanDarley goes back a long way .
“ Before the companies Safan and Darley