FACE TO FACE
VW Cabriolet trip as part of SafanDarley ’ s 90th anniversary celebrations in May this year .
The E-Brake 130T Ultra model at Blechexpo / Schweisstec 2023 .
year because of the huge order backlog that we had .
ISMR : What is your strategic and technical focus for the company right now ?
GD : We are investigating how to position ourselves for certain Asian markets ( not necessarily in China ). India , South Korea and Vietnam , for example , are interesting markets . Some Middle Eastern markets , such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia , also look promising .
We also have a growth plan for Germany . Initially , we are looking for extra salespeople in areas such as North America , Germany and The Netherlands . We may need a showroom in the south of Germany , for example in the future .
We are also investigating the addition of other sheet-metal processing capabilities to our portfolio , to add to our press brakes and shears . There are several possible options and routes for this . Software and maintenance issues are key .
ISMR : Which issues are of prime importance for your customers and how are you addressing these issues for them ?
GD : Software is a key enabling technology that can address many of the challenges felt by our customers . We have therefore made software development a priority . We are also investigating modular options for our Standard , Premium and Ultra models with add-ons , customised options through a portal / shop . This means that
Software presentations as part of SafanDarley ’ s 90th anniversary celebrations .
customers are not locked into packages and can choose the options that they wish .
I believe that Big Data / AI in the cloud will give customers more insight into their bending processes , increase process efficiency and give machines more autonomy . We are working on this in the background , as well as improving our service options to customers i . e . retrofit kits / services , spare parts supply etc .
ISMR : Where do you see the greatest challenges and opportunities ?
GD : Important questions are ‘ where do you put your resources ?’ and ‘ what has priority ?’ That is a big challenge . We have two factories who each have different priorities . The economy over the coming year will also be a challenge . We want to improve our market share in certain markets .
However , there are still lots of opportunities and projects . It is important to decide whether to put resource into a huge project or several smaller ones ; it ’ s a trade-off . Over the last few years , we have employed more younger people on software , IT and engineering projects as older engineers have retired . Automation and automated processes continue to offer greater software opportunities .
ISMR : Are there any products / technologies that you have released this year that you would like to discuss ?
GD : This year , we released our ASC-Control ( Automated Solution Cell ) automated solutions software for all the robot cells . This software platform enables all further developments with and around the electric E-Brakes and the hydraulic H-Brakes . Together with AutoPOL and RoboBend ( offline software ), ASC-control enables us to offer a total package for all automated solutions . We also have the EC3D on the machines ( powered by AutoPOL ) and are working on a laser safe system for the E-brake .
All Mini Cell press brakes are now fitted with a double door on the infeed side as standard . This is our response to market needs . The redesign now makes it possible to run the Mini Cell for more than eight hours without human intervention . This modification significantly increases the Mini Cell ’ s infeed capacity . The option of adding additional product tables , including sliding door , can double the infeed capacity .
It is now also possible to place area safety scanners on the input side of the Mini Cell to detect whether the changing area is free . This option is needed when you want to start changing product / reference tables automatically . By adding this option to the Mini Cell , it is possible to change tables automatically with an AGV or other pick & place system so that the Mini Cell runs without an operator entering the cell .
We are also working on improving our HMI touchscreens and their ergonomics . We aim to bring more new products out next year , particularly on the software side .
ISMR : Is there anything else that you wish to add ?
GD : I am proud to say that , with the support of our suppliers , we have brought out two new limited-edition press brakes , with extra functionality , to celebrate our 90th anniversary ; a 35-ton and a 100-ton E-Brake . Visitors can also find us at the Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition in the UK next February .
ISMR : Thank you for your time . n
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ISMR November 2023 | ismr . net | 39