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.