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Power 'outages' may mean more heavy machine tools

Edited by the Manufacturingtalk editorial team Dec 9, 2003

Following the 'power outages' in Europe and the US, a Czech machine tool builder is readying itself for the next round of new power station building and seeks new US and UK agents.

The European builders of 'heavy' and 'super-heavy' machine tools have been contracting during the last ten years or so.

While this Oretrenching1 is proceeding, the Skoda Machine Tool s.r.o., in Plsen, Czech Republic, is quietly continuing the development and building of its large-sized products.

At the recent EMO machine tool show staged in Milan, Italy, Skoda Machine Tool's marketing director, Vladimir Cadek, said that the company will have turned over EUR 30-40m during 2003 and is projecting EUR40m for 2004.

He agreed that the demand for heavy/super-heavy machine tools is still 'flat', but the company is very interested in what may well be a coming new round of power station construction in Europe and the USA, in light of recent "power outages".

For these reasons, Cadek wants to revise the company's representation in North America and is seeking new agents in the USA and the UK Skoda has a state-of-the-art assembly hall commissioned in 1994.

The company holds a number of recent patents for cantilever cross-rail 'anti-droop' systems and workpiece clamping systems.

It recently developed a special indexing headstock for carrying out slotting operations, using 1200mm diameter cutters, in generator rotors.

Three of these systems have been sold to South Korea and one to ABB Sweden's Vesteras plant.

The company has also developed its mill-turning (using a milling cutter to turn a component) technology in the CNC machining of marine crankshaft pins and journals.

A machine recently delivered takes 120 ton crankshafts up to 15m between centres for removal of maybe 60-70tons of material.

From a historical point of view, after the dissolution of the Soviet block and the disappearance of Skoda Machine Tools' traditional European competitors, Schiess and Wotan, Skoda entered into a joint venture with Doerries Scharmann in March, 1993.

Doerries Scharmann had, meanwhile, acquired Schiess assets and closed the Duesseldorf plant in Germany.

During the period 1993-1996, Skoda built the Scharmann 'Heavycut' heavy-duty CNC horizontal miller/borers in Plsen.

All went well until Doerries Scharmann went bankrupt in 1996, after which, Skoda Machine Tools became an independent operation again.

Today, the Skoda Machine Tool employs 430 and has to face intense competition from the Waldrich Siegen and Waldrich Coburg in Germany, Innse and Pama in Italy (both in the Comazzi Group) and the Japanese producers Toshiba and Mitsubishi.

Since 1996, Skoda has produced its HCW CNC horizontal miller/borer design and FCW rotary table version, following its experience gained, during the three years or so of JV when it built some 15 Scharmann 'Heavycuts' and 35 Doerries rotary table designs.