Making machine tool choice much easier

Hardinge has introduced its on-line interactive machine tool product selector to help precision product manufacturers identify the optimum machine tool for the job.

Hardinge has recently launched its 'Hardinge Spectrum'.

It is an on-line interactive machine tool product selector to make it easier for machine tool users to identify and select the optimum Hardinge machine tool based on machine tool capability, functionality and price.

UK sales and marketing director at Hardinge, David Andrew, said that the company's research of machine tool users showed that manufacturers frequently found themselves in an awkward situation when choosing a new machine tool.

he said: "On one hand they are worried that they are being led, by some machine tool manufacturers, into buying high-specification machines that way exceed their manufacturing requirements.

Whilst on the other hand they are equally anxious not to be directed to machines that will often struggle to meet the performance requirements they demand".

He claimed: "Our Hardinge Spectrum initiative puts the end-user back in control".

The Hardinge Spectrum solution involves the use of a newly created, interactive Web site.

When manufacturers visit the Web site they can, by selecting specific technology and commercial parameters, narrow down the choice of Hardinge machine tools that are best-suited to meet their machining needs.

As well as identifying the required machine tool technology (i e turning, milling or grinding), these parameters focus on the machine tool capabilities and functionalities as well as price, and include the following.

1 - Type of material being machined.

2 - Type of component being machined: simple through to complex.

3 - Part accuracies required.

4 - Surface finish requirements.

5 - Batch quantities/size.

Andrew added: "The search criteria entered by the customer when they're on the Hardinge Spectrum site enables the 'best-fit' Hardinge machine tools to be identified from across our Standard, Performance and High-Performance ranges.

This means that the customer is controlling the machine tool selection and decision-making process, which is how it should be".

The power of the product selector element of the Web site means that it's not just standard specification machines that are highlighted from a customer search.

Depending on the criteria selected - standard machines with optional extras will also be highlighted (where these options help to increase the machine's capabilities and therefore match the customer's requirements).

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