Efficiency, precision and reliability

Niles-Simmons designs, develops, manufactures and sells innovative machine tools. Abigail Saltmarsh reports on the award-winning operation.

EFFICIENCY, PRECISION AND RELIABILITY

IT has been a busy time for NilesSimmons and its Germany-based, machine tools operation. The company, which manufactures equipment for the automotive and rail vehicle industry, as well as for the construction of general machines, has been preparing for a string of trade shows and exhibitions, and getting ready to present its latest innovations.

The company, which is part of the NilesSimmons-Hegenscheidt group, which has sales and service operations in China, Russia, Mexico, North American and Australia, and is based in Chemnitz, has more than 175 years of combined experience in German and American machine tool manufacturing. This knowhow is constantly being improved by new ideas generated by the company’s research and development teams and its engineers.

Across the industries

Niles-Simmons considers itself to be a supplier for the machine tool industry. But it sells into several different industries, including the aircraft, construction and railway.

Its main customer, however, is the car industry, to which it supplies turnkey centres used to design and deliver complete production lines for the manufacture of crankshafts, transmission shafts and camshafts.

The company’s global reputation comes from its high-quality products, techniques and services, as well as a wide range of patents and a list of references from reputable companies. Its flexible crankshaft production line is one of its latest developments.

Its range of products encompasses CNC turning machines. All its CNC machines have modular design to match a wide variety of customer needs.

It also produces milling centres, turning, milling and drilling machining centres

and turning and turn broaching machines. In addition to this, it manufactures special machines and focuses on the planning and building of complete production plants.

Making an exhibition

Representatives of the company have recently returned from Moscow, where they attended Metalloobrabotka. At this leading fair of international importance for the metalworking industry, Niles-Simmons presented its latest technologies, tools and equipment.

Later this year it will also attend IMTS 2012. This is the 29th staging of the premier manufacturing technology show in North America. More than 1100 exhibiting companies will occupy 1.1 million net square feet of exhibit space at the McCormick Place complex in Chicago, Illinois.

Also later in 2012, Niles-Simmons will attend AMB. The last time this event was held, in 2010, the leading industry trade fair, was a resounding success, attracting 1346 exhibitors and more than 86,000 visitors. The event has maintained its leading position among the international trade fairs for metal working, largely due to its relocation to the new trade fairgrounds, and the transport infrastructure in the region of Baden-Württemberg.

Outstanding innovation

Niles-Simmons is proud of its presentations at these trade fairs, and of the innovations it offers its customers. It also gains satisfaction from the awards it has received.

For example, it has been presented with an Axia Award. This was in the “Towards the future with the customers – from idea to innovation” category.

Chairman and CEO of the company, Prof. Dr Hans J Naumann received the prize in Dresden in the presence of Stanislav Tillich, Prime Minister of Saxony. The company won the prize for its customer oriented developments and production of high precision machine tools.

Deloitte, the company making the awards honours medium-sized businesses that have proved they are capable of outstanding innovation. Niles-Simmons was commended for its part-specific technologies and tailor-made

system solutions, which are developed in cooperation with the customer, as well as the comprehensive support provided during the use of machines and production lines.

A leading manufacturer

Another award presented to Niles-Simmons by a judging panel of experts was the intec Excellence Award. Presented in Leipzig, this award honours outstanding achievements in product development and innovation, as well as continuity in the handling of the market and other notable activities.

“This award is especially valuable because you cannot apply for it. The winner has to be nominated,” explains Prof. Neugebauer, a member of the panel and director of Fraunhofer Institute IWU.

Niles-Simmons convinced the panel with its intensive market development, its innovative product programme and its global marketing activities, after its start-up in 1992 by Prof. Dr Hans J Naumann. It was commended for being a worldwide, leading manufacturer of high-precision machine tools today, and a long-term exhibitor at the intec exhibition. Its constant cooperation with research institutions was an important consideration for the judging panel as well.

Furthermore, its recently developed crank-milling machine, N20, which combines requirements for a sustainable and efficient production process, and which was presented at intec, was also commended.

The machine has a specification which allows energy savings of 25 per cent to be achieved in comparison to a related forerunner model. Three months after market launch, sales output was triple the previous year’s. n