In Spain, climbing the tech ladder with help by consortia, infrastructure.

Indicative of the level of technological back-up in the Spanish machine-tool industry, there are now four producers of ball-screws and one organization has produced the first commercially available high-speed milling spindle. Also research is very active into parallel-kinematics-motion horizontal-spindle machining centers. Indeed Fatronik showed two--both cutting metal--at the BIEMH.

There are four companies producing ball-screws in the country: Husillos Ipiranga (Lasarte, Spain), Korta S.A. (Zumaia), Shuton (Legutiano), and Zuazo.

Speaking with representatives of Korta, it was four years ago that this private company began manufacturing ball-screws--the company has been grinding lead-screws for some 30 years. Ball-screw production has been rising at 10-20% each year. The effects of the 2001 recession has been a 5-10% reduction in output, with no backlog of orders to complete. The company is still working three shifts, said commercial director R. Zubeldia, nor had there been any redundancies.

Today, 70% of its annual sales of around 8-million [euro] ($7.2million) from its Zumaia plant is from the E.U., the U.S.A., and Australia. German customers now include Huller Hille and other Thyssen Group companies, Waldrich Siegen, and Airing Kessler. In the U.S., Milacron is buying Korta ball-screws and Korta reckons to now hold 5% of the U.S. ball-screw market. The U.S. representative is Precision Screw Thread Co. (Muskegon, Wis). In Germany it claims 15-20% alongside 30% of the domestic Spanish market.

The company scored something of a coupe in Japan, where it is now supplying Toshiba with ball-screws against fierce domestic Japanese competition there. "We won the contract on the basis of price competitiveness and better service for the same quality product," said Zubeldia.

Korta is now investing in a new 5000-sq.-meter, fully air-conditioned plant, which includes oil quench and cleaning facilities. The company's new range of high-speed ball-screws is based on a low friction, twice-heat-treated, high-hardness alloy steel. Hardness is 68 Rockwell compared with the more usual 62-64 Rc for standard ball-screws, explains Zubeldia. For the future, the company plans to expand into linear roller-bearing guideways, always specializing in linear motion.

Korta subscribes to the Export Trade Association of Spanish manufacturers of Accessories, Component Parts and Tools for Machine Tools -- AMT. Set up 11 years ago, AMT is designed to help and support small companies in export markets. There are now 54 subscribing companies, of which 80% are involved in machine-tool supplies. It gives subscribers access to government money at fixed low rates to support attendance at overseas shows (minimum of five companies of the same industry in one show) and setting up overseas agencies.

Fatronik (Elgoibar, Spain) has developed that industry's first high-speed electro spindle (direct drive). Rated at 19kW, it has a maximum torque of 63Nm and speed range of 2900 - 18,000 rev/ min. A new company, Goialde, in which Fatronik is buying shares, will be manufacturing the spindles.

Fatronik is devoted to the development of machine tools, software and systems, employs 52 and is owned by a consortium of Spanish machine-tool manufacturers. Being demonstrated at the BIEMH biennial machine-tool show were the Ulyses and Hermes parallel kinematics motion horizontal machining centers. The Ulyses has basically a three-strut linkage to the spindle head and is essentially a three-axis machine. The Hermes is a five-axis machine, employing six struts linked to three linear-motor-powered linear slides.

Development of the Ulyses began two years ago with a prototype having a machining volume of 650 cubic mm.

Fatronik has acquired patents in the U.S.A and applied for Fatronik has acquired patents in the U.S.A and applied for patents in Europe. The company has being looking at projects, such as machining earthmover components. Projects are also being out on drilling/chamfering/riveting systems for aerospace structures as well as resistance spot welding applications. The Ulyses system is stiff enough, says Inaki San Sebastian, assistant general manager of Fatronik, for aerostructure riveting work, which generally requires a stiffness in the riveting axis.

Fatronik also envisages the five-axis Hermes as being applied to floor-boring and other machine tool configurations as well as being used as a horizontal machining center. In HMC mode, its first commercial application will be in machining cylinder heads in 2003. Crucial to the success of these two machines has been the choice of the bearing systems for the strut joints. Fatronik is working with INA, Germany, employing the bearing designs first shown at EMO 1997, and since updated.

Essentially Fatronik is a non-profit making foundation, similar to the U.S. concept, and is open to carrying out projects for companies outside the foundation too. The user company can pay on an hourly basis, or a deal could be drawn up concerning royalties from resulting machine tool sales.

Looking at other machine-tool producers, briefly, Fagor Arrasate, S. Coop. Ltda. (Mondragon, Spain) has delivered its largest power press yet, to an automotive plant in mainland China. The press is rated at 40Mn (4000 tonf) and has a bolster area of 10m by 2m. In the MCC (Mondragon Co-operative Association) group, Fagor Arrasate builds mechanical power presses, and Ona Press S. Coop. Ltda. (Zamudio, Spain) hydraulic presses and special machinery. Fagor commented that competition between hydraulic and mechanical presses is now quite keen and hydraulic press deliveries are growing.

Arisa S.A. (Logrono, Spain) has perfected its programmable electronic transfer system for transfer presses. It can link with the press drive or act independently. The company has a turnover of some 28-million [euro] ($25-million) and employs 140. It is basically in competition with Fagor on sidewall presses and Manzoni on transfer presses within the European market. The company is following German automotive suppliers, supplying presses into Central/Eastern Europe but has no targets in the U.S. at present.

At Nicolas Correa S.A. (Burgos), director of innovation Juan Carlos Monje Pardo comments that the European and U.S. markets for large portal milling/machining centers is down, while the domestic market for such machines is picking up. The company is trying to educate the mold and die industry on high-speed machining, but customers complain of tooling problems and lack of work experience. Monje Pardo compares the introduction of high-speed milling with the introduction of NC 40 years ago. "It is a question of strategy, tool procurement, and coping with a three- to four-year acceptance."

Transfer-line builder, Etxe-Tar, S.A. (Elgoibar) is building a new 3000-sq.-meter final assembly hall and is investing in the development of flexible machining systems. The company is also a participant in the European Hiparms project, which is researching into reconfigurable machine tools.

Normally, Etxe-Tar builds transfer lines, having supplied DaimlerChrysler and Ford in the U.S. The company is now looking to increase transfer-line flexibility, and also incorporating robot-served dial-type transfer machines. Etxe-Tar turns over 35-million [euro]/year and employs 150.

Reported by Michael Page, Cambridge, U.K.