14 March, 2018Minister of Economic Development and Competitiveness for the Basque Government Arantxa Tapia and Javier Zarraonandia, Deputy Minister for Industry visited Fagor Automation's plant in Eskoriatza last 14th March. They were received by Fagor Automation Chairman Aitor Irure, General Manager José Pérez Berdud, Vice President of the Mondragon Corporation Pello Rodríguez, and AFM General Manager Xabier Ortueta, as well as other members of the board of directors.
During the visit, the minister was able to witness first-hand the company's recent investments in singular and sophisticated technological equipment.
Fagor Automation specialises in manufacturing systems for automation and machine control with advanced manufacturing solutions to meet the needs of a complex and competitive sector like the machine tool industry. It is a global company with over 30 years of experience operating in over 50 countries: it has four production plants, 30 branch offices, and more than 40 distributors. It also has a strong culture of innovation, evident in its earmarking of more than 10% of sales for R&D; this has resulted in 41 active patents worldwide, among other advancements.
It is the largest manufacturer of machine tool parts in Spain and competes with major German and Japanese firms. It maintains its leadership thanks to a strong commitment to product innovation and singular equipment to ensure its technology stays in line with that of the largest sector companies in the world.
LAUNCH OF THE WORLD'S MOST SOPHISTICATED ENCODERS
A reflection of this commitment to the most advanced technological developments is the new range of angular encoders with the best features available on the market, something that only Fagor Automation and one other company in the world can offer.
These angular encoders are used to position rotary tables, especially in machines with 5 axis, where the coordinated movement of all the axis requires these encoders to ensure excellent quality in machining complex surfaces. These new models are at the very top of the range, with an innovative design that facilitates liquid drainage to prevent accumulation, and has more generous mounting tolerances for greater robustness and protection for working in harsh environments.
The shafts on which angular encoders are installed are generally hollow so that electrical cables, hoses, tubes or similar items can be passed through them. Therefore, the greater the internal diameter of the encoder, the more items can be run through them, and the greater ease of use and flexibility of the overall design. That is why the new model features an internal diameter of 100 mm. This mechanical feature involved the development and implementation of integrated rolling technology built into the body of the encoder, as it was the only means of getting accuracy of ±1 arc second.
In addition to accuracy, the final machining quality is strongly impacted by resolution, which is why the new encoder has a resolution of 29 bits (equivalent to 536,870,912 positions per turn), which enables fine positioning as well as smooth movement of the shafts. To achieve this resolution, it was essential to count with excellent quality optical parts and powerful signal conditioning electronics, both designed in-house.
In the words of Fagor Automation General Manager José Pérez Berdud: “With this new range of encoders we expand our offering to bring more flexibility to the machine design and provide a range of accuracy and resolution features that are leading the way in the market. With Fagor Automation solutions, our customers improve their productivity, save energy costs, and, thanks to predictive maintenance, achieve more effective and efficient production processes”.
STRONG COMMITMENT TO SINGULAR EQUIPMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Fagor Automation has made major investments in singular high-tech equipment in recent years. These developments have been carried out in partnership with leading technology centres like IK4-TEKNIKER. Some examples include the glass engraving building, an angular bench, a masters manufacturing bench, PVD equipment, and clean rooms. This equipment is what allows Fagor Automation to launch products like the new encoders.
In addition to these economic and technological commitments, it is also important to note the qualification, experience and know-how of the staff of the Basque cooperative, which employs 600 people and has become the first and only Spanish company able to fully produce this type of encoder.
"Fagor Automation is clearly focused on being an international company with strong local roots, which is why we make major investments in cutting-edge equipment worldwide and in the most qualified staff to be able launch the most innovative products", added José Pérez Berdud.
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