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Swiss Type CNC Lathe provides the highest level of production

Story added 28 January 2010.

Until the Second World War, Czechoslovakia was one of the strongest industrialised nations in the world. Things have since changed but since achieving its independence in 1993, the Czech Republic maintains an extremely strong manufacturing industry, especially with its automotive and machine tool industry.

The strength of the manufacturing sector is highlighted by the fact that the Czech Republic produces more vehicles per capita than any other European nation. Czech subcontractors for the automotive industry have come under great cost pressure in recent years and Tornos customer Klein & Blažek GmbH is no different.

Production started at the Štíty plant in 1958 when the company produced children’s toys and Bakelite pressings. In 1970 a new plant was constructed where ŠKODA production first started. The production plant was privatised in 1994 and Klein & Blažek GmbH became the new owner of the company that supplies parts to the automotive industry. The ISO: TS16949 and ISO: 14001 certified company has since grown to a €40million turnover company employing six hundred staff.

Every year the company allocates considerable resources for investment with the most up-to-date machinery and equipment always being implemented. This has resulted in the company being nominated for a Volkswagen Group Award in 2005 and 2006 and winning the Visteon Important Partner Award – Metals Commodity for Europe in 2005.

Contributing to this success is a partnership with Tornos. The company purchased its first Tornos DECO 13a Swiss-type CNC lathe in 2000. The high production levels and reliability of the Tornos machine, together with good technical support and service has convinced Klein & Blažek of the value of investing in more machinery made by Tornos.

 Klein & Blažek are no newcomers to automated production methods. It has been using machines made by ZPS, INDEX and DMG for many years, so it is able to make comparisons. Tornos machines had already enjoyed a long tradition in the Czech Republic. Despite this reputation, the company conducted its own tests and compared individual suppliers in terms of technical excellence, price and range of services on offer. Klein & Blažek was not looking for a solution for its immediate requirements but for the requirements in the future.

 The revolutionary kinematics of the DECO machines, together with the newly developed PNC DECO control software and the TB DECO programming (supplied as the basis for all machines), fulfilled all the conditions and objectives the company had set itself for the introduction of the new Swiss-type CNC lathes. Klein & Blažek then took the step to buy a second Deco 13a. This was followed in 2001 with an increased move to automation with an automated MultiDeco 26/6 six spindle machine from the Multideco series. Two years later in 2003 the company acquired a MultiDeco 20/6 and the exceptional success ensured that another Tornos, a Deco 20a followed in 2005.

Klein & Blažek GmbH pursues the policy of permanently raising the specialist qualification level of its technical staff with employees trained by Tornos in Moutier in programming and operating the MultiDeco machines. Part of the training included a detailed, technical examination of the parts being produced. To improve production with faster more accurate processes that result in cheaper and more complex products demands support from technical suppliers like Tornos. Klein & Blažek is not just looking for someone to supply production machinery, but for someone to provide a complete technology - in Tornos it has that such partner.

The use of the TB DECO programming software allows the company to calculate the production time for turned parts very quickly and with exceptional precision, without requiring testing on the machine. This thereby achieves a very accurate calculation of the price of the new part. Reacting quickly to a customer enquiry by being able to advise a reliable price helps Klein & Blažek to win new orders. The fact that Tornos issues software like this, which contains programming for all its machine models, an interactive machine library, function definitions, program monitoring, graphic simulation and anti-collision tests, demonstrates their interest in a customer. Not only in respect of the immediate sale of the machine, but of securing a long-term partner.

All machined parts at Klein & Blažek are produced on new, modern production machines that meet all requirements in terms of quality, ergonomics and economics. For Škoda Auto, Klein & Blažek produces a total of four parts for the 1.2 litre three cylinder engine – the support plate, counterweight and two spacer washers. Visteon-Autopal GmbH is an important customer to the machine shop where aluminium parts are machined for an air conditioning system that was introduced in 2000. This collaboration is also still being successfully developed and apart from aluminium parts, stainless steel parts are also being continuously introduced into production. Every customer is looking for lower prices, a high level of quality, short lead times and a flexible solution to enquiries. Klein & Blažek is convinced that with modern machinery, equipment and technical expertise of its staff, the company can provide such a solution.

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