Changing line-up of industrial machine sources. (Keeping up with Thermoforming).

Buyers of heavy-gauge industrial forming machinery have some new options as a result of recent corporate realignments among equipment firms:

* Brown Machine LLC in Beaverton, Mich., has bought Vector Machinery of Asheboro, N.C. Vector's Titan-brand low- to mid-volume shuttle and rotary machines are aimed primarily at the custom user. Renamed Titan Brown, the acquired business will continue to be led by Richard Brashier, Vector's former owner. "Our company can now deliver the fall range of cut-sheet machines, both shuttle and rotary, covering entry-level to highly automated, high-output types," says Dick Lacana, Brown Machine's president. Tel: [phone], www.brownmachine.com

* Brown also recently formed an alliance with The Foxmor Group of Wheaton, Ill. Foxmor works with a variety of machinery OEMs to supply tooling, extrusion systems, cutting equipment, robotics, process controls, and other equipment to cut-sheet thermoformers. Roger Fox, Foxmor's president, says his company now will also market Brown's full line of heavy-gauge formers, making Foxmor a full-service vendor. The move also increases Brown's ability to provide turnkey capability. Tel: [phone], www.foxmor.com

* Meanwhile, Geiss Maschinen-fabrik in Sesslach, Germany, a supplier of single-station industrial vacuum forming equipment, has created Geiss Thermoforming USA, LLC in Chicago. It offers turnkey systems for automotive and other applications. A parts and service department will be located in Chicago, and a regional sales-service network has been established. Offerings include twin-sheet systems, servo-driven models, and five-axis CNC trimmers that can be integrated with the forming system. Tel: [phone], www.geiss-ttt.com

* A new entry in heavy-gauge formers is Genesis Machines in Beaverton, Mich. Kevin Wright, the start-up firm's president, aims to supply new and rebuilt machines with sophisticated controls and advanced processing features. The company adapts and installs Allen-Bradley, Siemens, and Omron controls. Recent projects have included installing an infrared thermography sensor on a forming machine for Aircraft Technologies of San Antonio, Texas, and repair and upgrading of machines for Vantage Plastics in Standish, Mich. Tel: [phone], www.genesismachines.com

* CMS North America in Caledonia, Mich., a supplier of CNC routers, has added thermoforming equipment to its product line. The company is now selling vacuum formers built by Villa CMS, part of CMS SpA of Italy. Villa's line includes single-station machines with automatic feed systems typically used in Europe in place of rotary formers. CMS "zero-gravity" machines use special techniques to minimize sheet sag, suiting them for PP and PC forming. They feature clamp frames with parallel movement and plug assist with motorized adjustment. Tel: [phone], www.villacms.it