VCST, based in the Belgian province of Limburg, wanted to know if there was a faster way of manufacturing prototype gears for its customers while retaining its trademark high level of precision. To this end, it successfully teamed up with Sirris to compare four alternative production methods.

The challenge | Making more prototypes faster

VCST, a company from Sint-Truiden (Belgium) which manufactures gears and powertrain components for the automotive industry, was looking for faster ways to produce prototypes.

Gilbos devised for itself an innovative yarn-twisting process for carpet manufacturing. However, the precision of the system Gilbos produced for this purpose proved problematic for its rollout. In this light, it decided to call on the know-how and precision-manufacturing capabilities provided by Sirris.

Gilbos NV, based in Aalst (Belgium), is a manufacturer of high-quality textile machinery, specializing in particular in producing carpet yarns.

Innovation and smart automation have for years been of key importance to JTEKT Torsen Europe, Factory of the Future 2016 and 2019, from Strépy-Bracquegnies in the Walloon region. The company is a global market leader in the production of limited-slip differentials for lorries with four-wheel drive.

The differentials operate 100 percent mechanically and are made up of a series of complex steel gears with internal and external gearings. To stay competitive, further optimisation is needed.

Hardening is an essential but onerous step in the manufacture of precision components for switches. The traditional hardening process takes a long time and entails precision risks.

Testimonial

“Having been involved with IMR on the recent Tool Holder Trials as part of the Machining 4.0 voucher system, we saw first-hand the real value in having research like this done on a local level, this research was invaluable in cutting through the noise and finding answers to everyday problems being encountere

Testimonial

“We used a Machining 4.0 Voucher with IMR recently to investigate an ongoing issue we were having with material distortion on a family of parts that we manufacture, that went through a number of processes.

Dawnlough worked with Irish Manufacturing Research on CNC Tooling System Analysis as part of a Machining 4.0.

Testimonial

"Machining 4.0 voucher mechanism focused on toolpath development and senorisation for machining. We found the learnings to be extremely valuable and are currently trialing this within our own processes at Croom Precision Medical, which if successful it will lead to an overall component cost reduction”.

Shane Keaveney, R&D Manager at Croom Precision

“As a mechanical engineering company in Switzerland that develops and produces wire processing machines for the mattress and upholstered furniture industry we found our visit to IMS ZHAW Smart Factory 4.0 particularly interesting, especially in the connectivity of industrial machines and data collection, and are now looking to explore the potential for joint projects with IMS ZHAW to further develop the Machining4.0 technologies inside our company.”

Tim Büchi, Spühl GmbH

Metalworking company Malmar wanted to find out whether one of its products could be automatically post-processed. This was done to improve working conditions and increase the quality of the pieces. Tests clarified the feasibility.

Luisi & Diener AG got into contact with IMS ZHAW - a partner of the Interreg Machining4.0 project - during a visit to their Smart Factory 4.0 demonstrator. Discussion of these technologies led to the idea of an «intelligent workpiece». This shared idea served as the basis for a common project with IMS ZHAW which was funded by a national funding scheme. The main goal of the project was to increase the company’s efficiency by increasing machine utilisation as well as reducing lead times and scrap parts. 

We were very happy to receive expert assistance in the context of the NWE Interreg Project Machining4.0. We now have more accurate information to consider when we make decisions regarding important production processes involving human-robot collaboration.

Alejandro Muñoz Espiago, Director of Technology at Steripack