Taiwan's Machining Center Makers Still Wield Advantage Globally

Manufacturers look forward to better luck in second round ECFA talks

By BEN SHEN

Despite machining centers being excluded as one of the few machine-tool items from the fast-tracked gainers list in the cross-Taiwan Strait ECFA (economic cooperation framework agreement), Taiwan's manufacturers still look forward to better luck during the second-round ECFA talks, which may avail them to gradual tariff reductions.

An insider says Taiwan's manufacturers of machining centers are still competitive in China and globally for high quality and comparatively lower prices, despite China's protectionist measures to guard its nascent industries.

Uptrend to Continue

The recovering global economy since the beginning of this year has helped many domestic manufacturers of machining centers to achieve robust sales growth in the first half, with the uptrend to continue to the end of this year, driven by orders backlogged throughout this year.

Another competitive advantage wielded by Taiwan's major manufacturers of machining centers is their wealth of experience to develop advanced products that can rival the quality offered by industrialized nations as Japan, Germany, and the United States.

Taiwan-made machining center is one of the most sophisticated categories among locally made metalworking machinery. Over the past year, some manufacturers claim to have been successful to upgrade manufacturing skills by tapping know-how from other metalworking equipment as CNC (computerized numerically controlled) milling machines and CNC lathes.

The hub of machining centers in Taiwan is in the central region for the clustering of peripheral industries that supply metal sheets, key components, and surface treatment services.

Domestic manufacturers of machining centers prefer CNC controllers supplied by Fanuc, Mitsubishi, and Siemens for the high-performance capability, with only a few using PC-based CNC controllers, which, according to veteran manufacturers, are not mature enough for sophisticated machining centers.

Customs-cleared statistics compiled by the Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation (TMTF) show that Taiwan exported US$18.185 million of machining centers in the first five months of 2010, up 42.6% from US$12.75 million registered a year earlier, to which the TMTF attributes the strong recovery of the world economy.

Machining Centers

Founded in 2003 in central Taiwan, Campro Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. is a latecomer in this line with a seasoned management and R&D team. The company specializes in the development and production of CNC horizontal machining centers, CNC lathes, and other machine tools, most of which are sold under the Campro brand, with the maker also welcoming OEM orders.

Campro boasts that each of its staffers has over 20 years of experience in machinery development and production. Committed to R&D, the company claims to use self-developed manufacturing technology.

Offering four models of CNC horizontal lathes and seven models of CNC vertical machining centers, Campro president Kenny Tsai says that the maker is a one-stop-shopping supplier capable of developing machining centers at any price, adding that its major clients come from the automotive parts industry.

Largest in Its Line

The company offers C-type, double-column and horizontal machining centers, and will by mid-2011 complete the development of the four-meter double-column machining center, the largest in its line.

To speed development and enhance quality of the most advanced five-axis horizontal machining centers, Campro cooperates with the government-backed Precision Machinery Research and Development Center, whose sizable cache of precision inspection devices are used to maximize quality.

The company can roll out 15 to 20 CNC machine tools in Taiwan and another 12 in China each month, with the 900mm X-axis machining center being the most popular item.

In the first quarter, the company unveiled three new models: CQV high-performance vertical machining center), CMV (high-speed mold making vertical machining center), and CPL (slant-bed type CNC precision lathe).

The CQV-series has spindle speed of 10,000rpm, 1100x560x 560mm of X, Y, Z-axis travel, A-rib base to upgrade vibration absorption, and box-structure for excellent rigidity, whose design is achieved via Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and advanced 3D software.

Auto Lubrication

The company's long-established CPV-series vertical machining center is specially designed for heavy-duty cutting and loading, with tri-axial box ways to greatly upgrade stability and dampening. The automatic lubrication with intelligent pressure failure detection provides reliable oiling to save cost and for eco-protection.

In December 2008, the company moved production lines to a new, NT$300 million, 12,000 square meter factory in the Taichung Precision Machinery Park, Nantun, Taichung, central Taiwan, aiming to achieve sustainable operations and build more sophisticated products with a monthly capacity of 100 machine tools.

Campro set up in 2003 a plant in Jiading, Shanghai, China, where production now exceeds that in Taiwan, with the plant in China rolling out 40 machine tools per month versus 35 in Taiwan. The company aims to keep Taiwan as its R&D center but boost production in China, where ample room for expansion will help Campro to meet annual production goal of NT$2 billion within five years.

Japanese Technologies

Kamioka Corporation, founded by president K.S. Huang in 1965, is one of Taiwan's most specialized manufacturers of high-value-added machine tools known for rigid structure that is distinct from those made by rivals.

The maker adopts Japanese technologies to design and develop high-tier products, which has helped build good reputation at home and abroad. The company claims to have close ties with a Japanese firm specializing in electro-mechanical integration, coupled with an R&D center in Kobe, Japan and an office in the United States, which has helped Kamioka to build reliable, high-quality products.

Employing Japanese technologies, Kamioka says, will revolutionize domestic machine-tool manufacturing for local makers still can't achieve better price-value ratio when selling globally.

Originally Kamioka was a subcontractor offering metal-cutting services as lathing, milling and grinding, but has diversified into, since moving in 1986 from Shenkang township to Tangtze township in Taichung County, making double-column milling machines and surface grinders, driven by accumulated know-how.

Trial Run

About 10 years ago, Kamioka began designing and marketing CNC multi-tasking lathes, and vertical and horizontal machining centers, all of which are trial run before volume produced.

“Each Kamioka machine undergoes over 200 quality assurance tests, including parts processing, fully ball bar testing, trial cutting 12 hours non-stop, and at least 120 hours of trial operation before shipment,” says Chad Huang, the marketing director. “Our products are approved by many operators in precision industries like mold processing, musical instrument and linear-way.”

The company's long-term dedication to mechanical reliability has enabled Kamioka to sell 500 VMC-1000 vertical machining centers without receiving customer complaint nor repair request.

Besides selling under its own Kamioka brand, this veteran maker of machinery parts in Taiwan has, over the past several years, expanded its line to include high-value-added products as CNC vertical and horizontal machining centers, CNC lathes, surface grinding machines, CNC turning centers, machinery accessories, etc.

Recently, the company introduced an innovative model—the HMC-500 horizontal CNC machining center—featuring multisided machining and complex surface milling. This new-generation horizontal machining center has intelligent design and high-quality construction to render compactness, dependability and affordability.

With 500/600/550mm of X, Y and Z-axis travel, 500 x 500mm rotary table, 800kg heavy-duty capacity, a four-slide guideway, cast-iron frame with heavy ribbing and cross-beam reinforcement, 15hp direct-drive motor, 10,000rpm 40-taper spindle, this model can improve surface finishes and machining tolerance, as well as equipped with ATC swing-arm and 24-tool capacity.

Vertical Machining Centers

Everox Industrial Co., Ltd., founded in March 2000 in Taichung County, central Taiwan, specializes in the development and manufacture of vertical machining centers, bed-type milling machines, heavy-duty bed-type CNC (computerized numerically controlled) milling machines, powerful floor-type flatbed CNC lathes, and heavy-duty precision lathes.

“Despite being relatively young in this line, all our members have over 20 years of experience in machinery development and production,” says Steven Yeh, the president.

About 60% of Everox's output are computerized models, with conventional models making up the remainder; while its modest size is offset by accessibility to an extensive satellite-supplier network, which helps to mitigate growing pains from rising export orders.

The company ships 80% of its output under the own brand of Everox, with most of its flatbed lathes going to Europe, Southeast Asia, and the U.S., and the bed-type milling machines generally destined for Brazil, Germany, and Southeast Asia.

Reasonably Priced

Yeh attributes the strong demand for his company's machines to their combination of reasonable pricing and high performance, saying, “Our CNC milling machines are nearly as accurate as the more expensive machining centers made by competitors in industrialized countries.”

Currently developing machining centers with 1,150mm, 1,300mm, and 1,500mm in X-axis travel, Everox is also building another new CNC milling machine.

The company's VMC1150-sereis vertical machining center has exceptional stability during high-speed and heavy-duty machining because of specially designed structure: The column, base table and saddle are of Meehanite cast iron. All slideway surfaces are hardened, precision ground and coated. The saddle and table are rigidly supported without over-hang, while X, Y, Z axes run on high-precision ball screws directly driven by servo motor without transmission backlash problem.

The company claims to be able to equip its automated milling machines and lathes with any kind of industrial CNC controllers, as well as offer PC-controlled models.

Recently the company introduced the EBL 1200/1400 CNC floor-type flatbed lathe with spindle bore of 230, 255, 360 and 410mm. With four-speed hydraulic auto transmission in the spindle head, the machine is suitable for heavy cutting of larger workpieces. The Z-axis is equipped with twin ball screws to enhance machining accuracy and stability to suit heavy-duty cutting.

Everox's CNC milling machines are servomotor driven, making them suitable for either heavy cutting or mold-making, with manual operation available for simple machining.

The company frequently participates in international and regional machine tool shows, being a regular at the machine tool events in Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok.