FACE TO FACE
The new VaskiPUNCH Legacy all-electric punching machine will be displayed at EuroBLECH 2024 .
ISMR : Which areas of growth / opportunities for coil processing can you highlight ?
Copper flat bar .
We will also be presenting case examples of automated storage systems and production lines . The VaskiBEND is quite unique ( with automatic tool change and an HD camera for measuring the angle ). It enables more flexibility , speed and robotisation . This aligns with Vaski ’ s vision of fully automated factory production .
We have three fully automated lines now ( storage , punching , milling , marking , grinding and bending ). I believe that we are the only ones doing this type of fully automated line , integrating every process , for bar . It is particularly important for customers using very heavy pieces of bar ( the high-voltage segment ).
Vaski was at FABTECH for the first time last year , and it drove a lot of our growth in the U . S . last year . We picked up over 20 orders , based on leads , at the show .
MM : The percentage cost difference ( or margin taken by the service centres ) between coil steel and blank steel is almost the same percentage everywhere in the world ( 7-9 %). Nesting also produces material savings . That tells me that coil and sheet is everywhere in the world . The market is quite commoditised for blanking so the access to coil is the same as that to blank sheet everywhere in the world . Our solutions are suitable for coil-fed presses .
Coil also offers better material usage for manufacturers : it is the future for both environmental and cost reasons ( with 20-30 % material savings ). From the reduced price of working directly with the material supplier and the benefits of nesting ( less scrap and a more efficient process ), I believe that we need to move coil processing further downstream .
There are also sustainability benefits . Vaski has been calculating CO₂ emissions ( and the number of trees needed to suck up the CO₂ ) for a while now on its products . We also do this on the flat bar side . We calculate this too for our heavy-duty , servo-electric punching machines . The savings alone on electricity and oil changes over five years ( on two shifts ), in countries with high energy prices , pay for a machine .
ISMR : Are there any products / technologies / services that you have released or are releasing this year ( including for EuroBLECH or FABTECH ) that you would like to discuss ?
MM : At EuroBLECH , we will have two stands : a joint Vaski / Pivatic sheet metal stand and a joint Vaski / Pivatic copper / flat bar processing stand . Vaski will showcase an entry-level solution based on a coil-fed servo press for copper punching .
At our sheet metal stand , we will be introducing the new Vaski-PivaPunch line solution . The PivaPunch machines at the core of this solution utilise direct material flow to
maximize productivity . Designed specifically for product families and symmetrical parts , PivaPunch machines ensure that each step in the production process is streamlined for speed and precision .
The integration of the VaskiMULTICOIL system adds a new layer of flexibility to kit production . Capable of handling two-eight coils , each weighing up to six tons and with a width of up to 1600mm , this system allows for seamless transitions between different material types and changeover time of just 25 seconds .
Our first VaskiMULTICOIL-fed PivaPunch at EuroBLECH will feature a two-coil MULTICOIL line so the coil will be changing from one material to another ( producing one blank from one material and then one blank from another ). Visitors will be able to see fully automated continuous production from coil at our stand . The Vaski-PivaPunch line is engineered to deliver efficiency , flexibility and minimal downtime , allowing for a continuous , fluid punching and shearing process .
At our flat bar stand , we will present the VaskiPUNCH Legacy , an all-electric punching machine designed for aluminium , copper and steel flat bars . This represents the next generation of flat bar processing , combining precision with environmental sustainability .
EuroBLECH 2024 also marks the world premiere of our new VaskiBEND . This advanced bending machine is engineered to offer precision and efficiency in flat bar bending .
ISMR : How are you leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence ; augmented reality ; Big Data ; VR etc . for your business ?
MM : We are working on various solutions and running some ongoing projects ( on AI , for example ). Our bending cameras incorporated AI . AI is still a lot simpler than many people realise ; it is very good at single functions ( i . e . learning ) so I believe there are very practical applications ( i . e . decision-making ) in our software for it . Today , AI is a single-function activity . It needs to move on so that it makes financial sense in low-volume segments like machine building , and not just volume components .
I am very interested in augmented reality and have used it in the past . Augmented reality will come quicker to market , in my view . We are running various R & D projects as it ’ s a matter of when , not if , with these interesting technologies .
ISMR : Thank you for your time . n
https :// vaski . com /
https :// pivatic . com / en /
FABTECH and EuroBLECH presence
Vaski will be on stand S36014 at FABTECH in Orlando ( FL , USA ) from 15-18 October 2024 .
Vaski and Pivatic will be coparticipating at EuroBLECH ( 22-25 October 2024 in Hanover , Germany ) on two stands : 11-E136 for sheet metal solutions and 11-G15 for flat bar innovations .
50 | ismr . net | ISMR October 2024