FACE TO FACE
The 10 series Manual Grinder for manual deburring ; edge rounding ; removal of laser oxide and heavy slag ; and finishing of sheet metal .
unable to travel in Europe over the last couple of years , due to the COVID-19 pandemic , we ran a lot of webinars which have been very good for us . Ironically , we registered our best years in 2020 and 2021 , despite the fact that we were not able to physically visit our customers at the time .
It is very hard to forecast what will happen next year . All our dealers have projected similar budget ranges to this year in their 2023 projections , which is good . However , I believe that the oncoming recession will be worldwide but will probably hit Europe harder , because of the impact of higher energy prices . Because we are globally oriented , we should be able to ride this out . It is one of our strengths as a worldwide company and gives us a lot of flexibility over our competitors . Besides this geographical diversity and global customer base , we also
serve multiple markets . This provides not just cross-functional experience and innovation strength , but also protects us against these economic “ ups and downs ”.
ISMR : Can you highlight any potential growth areas for your business ?
PH : Two years ago , we introduced our newly designed machines to the U . S . market and now have a new and developed market in the U . S . for our technologies . Our usage of frequency controls , HMIs in every machine etc . are attractive features for the U . S . market and their dealers like our 42 and 32 series machines .
Below : Deburring , edge rounding and finishing gear wheel sample ( before and after ) in aluminium .
Our mother company , Timesavers in Minneapolis , will be at the FABTECH exhibition in Chicago displaying our machines with robot technology ( which we have not showcased in Europe for the last few years ). The technology was still in its infancy when we first exhibited this six years ago but has matured a lot now .
We have different products for different markets . Most customers know us for our edge-rounding and deburring technologies , but we also make precision grinding machines for a smaller and more niche market . We see huge potential for these machines because this market requires the knowledge and expertise that we have built up over the last ten years and which we have only , to date , been using in niche markets like titanium / exotic materials and very high-precision applications . We have not yet addressed traditional markets where the competitive products in that space are milling machines and stone grinders .
ISMR : Which trends have you identified in global surface-finishing markets ?
PH : The introduction of the fibre laser several years ago was a real turning point for a lot of customers . The shift from deburring to edge rounding on sheet-metal parts has now been made by machine builders and customers , with metal burrs getting sharper and smaller …..
Our customers have indicated that they want more ‘ human-independent ’ machinery , with no operators in the mix . So , we see a push towards more handling equipment around the machine as well as ramps , conveyors , robots and vision equipment . One of the things we want to improve in the future is training and service , which is so important to help customers get the right results from our machines . There is still a way to go but I would not be surprised if , in the next few years , we see a generation of machines that are completely automated . We are now investigating , at the request of our customers , ideas to develop a ‘ human-independent ’ machine that can determine how to process a part . We are looking for European partners to help us develop the appropriate vision systems and robots and favour long-term partnerships .
ISMR : Thank you for your time . n
Automation of the deburring process .
A demonstration on the Timesavers ’ stand at EuroBLECH .