Taiwan Turns Heads With Multifunctional Lathes
2003/04/25 | By
Sophisticated lathes with multiple processing functions are among the newest additions to the product lines of local manufacturers. For example, one company claims to be working on a computerized numerically controlled (CNC) model that can cut, mill and grind complex workpieces in a single cycle, significantly shortening production time.
Most producers here hope that these and other special-purpose models will help them expand their global customer base, especially now that Taiwan is in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and can enjoy the market-access benefits that membership brings.
Many lathe manufacturers in Taiwan are particularly hopeful regarding their prospects in mainland China, whose juggernaut economy shows little signs of slowing. An ambitious government program to develop western China could also translate into more orders for heavy- duty cutting tools, including automated lathes.
In other countries as well, recent indications of renewed demand have encouraged Taiwan's lathe producers to expect better sales performance in the year ahead. One of the fastest-growing markets is for high-precision and high-speed lathes used by high-tech industries--a segment lathe makers on the island have been targeting with increasingly sophisticated models.
Winning in Niche Markets
Although a newcomer in the lathe business, Winho Technology Industrial Co. has successfully tapped a niche market for high-speed precision lathes and variable-speed lathes.
Established in January last year in Taichung, central Taiwan, Winho turns out 50 lathes per month, up from only eight units per month in its early stage. The company is now expanding production capacity and hopes to raise its monthly volume to 70 lathes by the end of this year.
The company has also extended its product lines to include CNC lathes and lathes with PC controllers. The company adopts Fanuc 18-T computer systems on its CNC lathes.
Winho says there is no need for domestic manufacturers of lathes to set up production facilities in mainland China since Taiwan has a sound central-satellite production system, which can help them develop advanced high-quality machine tools. The central-satellite production system also allows manufacturers to quickly assemble machines to meet urgent orders.
One of the company's latest models is the WH- 460 x 1500V high-speed precision lathe, which will be showcased at the Taipei International Machine Tool Show. According to company president Chuang Deng-ping, Winho has already received orders for 80 of the high-speed lathes from the U.S. He claims that only a few producers in Taiwan, and none in mainland China, can create such models. "We decided to focus on high-speed lathes to escape the price competition from the mainland," Chuang notes.
"Our six workers can do the same job that requires 15 workers at other lathe plants," Chuang claims proudly, noting that per-worker output value at the company is currently at between NT$8 million (US$230,000 at US$1:NT$34.8) and NT$9 million (US$260,000) per month.
To get the most out of its staff, Winho has implemented a flexible work system. Every employee can arrange his/her own hours so long as they complete a certain daily work quota. To build employee trust and confidence, the company also shares 6% of net profits with them.
Chuang says that his company aims to provide high-quality lathes at reasonable prices. Up-front attention to quality, he says, pays off in less demand for after-sales services as machines run longer without problems. To back up this claim, the company offers a two-year guarantee on its products, he says.
Winho uses state-of-the-art inspection equipment from Britain to assure the quality of its products. "We also require our satellite factories to follow a strict inspection system on the parts they supply to us," Chuang says.
The company says about 80% of its products are made on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis. Approximately 70% of its output is exported, mainly to the U.S., Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
Hydraulic Lathes
Le Cheng Machinery Co., Ltd. Specializes in hydraulic and pneumatic microcomputer- controlled automated lathes, and is also a pioneer in the development of double-spindle automated lathes.
Le Cheng attributes its success in developing innovative technologies in this field to the extensive experience of its president, Huang Jung- feng, who has been working for more than 25 years in the machine-tool manufacturing sector. Since the company was established about two decades ago, Huang and his team have been unceasing in efforts to develop practical and reliable automated lathes.
Currently, the company's major product lines are CNC lathes, automated hydraulic lathes, fully automated bench-type lathes, and various kinds of metal-working machines.
The company's intelligent microcomputer- controlled lathes can be quickly reprogrammed for different processing tasks. The hydraulic models are capable of processing special metal parts, and materials can be fed from either the front or back of the spindle.
The company's double-spindle automated hydraulic model can simultaneously handle drilling and reaming processes. The machine is also suitable for processing various precision parts for electronic products, cameras, automobiles, motorcycles, general machines, sewing machines, and gas utensils. Steel, iron, copper, stainless steel, and aluminum, plus plastics and non-metal materials, can all be used on the sophisticated model.
Le Cheng also produces manual and semi- automated lathes. The former models have a two- way slide feeding system, allowing for easy operation, while the semi-automated lathes deliver one-button processing of short metal bars. The fully automated lathes can be paired with material feeding systems to further automate the production process.
Le Cheng exports its products under the "Jiuhwang" brand to Europe, the U.S., Japan, Southeast Asian nations, and mainland China, as well as to other nations.
Integrated and Sophisticated
L&W Machine Tools, Inc., a specialist producer of lathes and machining centers in Taiwan, evolved from the integration of several machinery manufacturers by its managing director Victor Wang in 1996. The company has since expanded steadily, with growing exports of high-precision CNC machine tools for the aerospace, automotive, and die and mold industries, and machine shops.
The company's CE-approved machines are exported around the world through its wholly owned marketing offices in Italy, Spain, the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Singapore. Since 1999, the company has been supplying CNC models, including vertical turning centers, vertical machining centers, and horizontal machining centers, to the world's largest aluminum wheel manufacturer, Alcoa, which uses L&W machines to make forged aluminum wheels for trucks.
"We constantly develop new machine tools to meet the needs of our customers all over the world," Wang notes. "We offer a wide range of vertical lathes with cutting diameters of between 2,000 mm and 2,500 mm, making them suitable for the production of large automobile parts."
L&W has exported more than 2,000 machines over the years for use in many different industries around the world. These units include entry-level bed-type milling machines with PC-based controls, flat-bed teach-in lathes with PC-based controls, box-way vertical-machining centers (VMCs) with either PC-based controls or advanced controls from the U.S., Japan, or Germany, and linear-way vertical-machining centers.
The company also sells higher-end high-speed machining equipment, such as CNC vertical boring & turning centers with C-axes with machine capacity ranging from 200mm to 3,000mm in diameter; CNC vertical-machining centers with rapid traverse of 100m/min and spindle speed of 12,000 rpm; CNC milling/tapping machines with rapid traverse of 100m/min, and spindle speed of 15,000 rpm; and roller linear-way VMCs with a 24,000 rpm spindle speed.
These precision machines are supplied to many well-known multinational companies, including Alcoa, GE Aircraft Engines, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls Royce.
Always keeping in mind the needs of its customers, L&W has also developed different types of CNC machine with modern control systems, making them among the most sophisticated and flexible systems on the market.