multi-axis materpiece SCM Group

MULTI-AxIS MASTERPIECE

The SCM Group is a global leader in the design and manufacture of Industrial machinery and components. Philip Yorke looks at a remarkable group and the companies that, through research and innovation, continue to create ground-breaking technologies in the many diverse facets of its business.

The SCM Group comprises six highly specialised companies with offices and sales networks across all five continents. The SCM Group was established around the success of the Rimini based CMS company, which back in 1952 invented the first CMS Woodworking Machine and later diversified its operations to enter other industrial sectors, including the processing of composites, plastics, metals, aluminium, glass and stone.

Founded in 1952, CMS SpA recorded sales of over €150 million in 2017 and includes five overseas companies and a worldwide sales and service network. CMS machining centres are used in the processing of plastics, light alloys, aluminium, marble, stone, glass and wood. Thanks to its unrivalled variety of products and high-tech solutions, the company is able to meet the requirements of the most demanding precision industries including aerospace, military and civil aviation, automotive, wind energy and construction.

Since its foundation, CMS has been the leader in the field of secondary woodworking machinery and offers the widest range of specialised technologies for both industry and craftsmen. The group has three major production centres in Italy with an annual production output of more than 17,000 machines. SCM SpA is an integral part of the SCM Group, which continues to see double digit growth throughout its broad business activities. The company invests heavily in research and development and its innovative products are all designed and manufactured in-house at its three, extensive and highly specialised production centres in Italy. Today the group employs over 3500 people worldwide and in 2017 recorded sales of almost €700 million.

Smarter systems

Keeping pace with the digital transformations currently being endorsed throughout industry, the SCM Group has launched its latest ‘smart’ technologies at a major convention held recently by the Turin Industrial Union, entitled: ‘Elements for Competing in Italy and Europe’. At the convention, Frederico Ratti, SCM’s Technical Director, illustrated how the digital revolution launched by the group has led to the development of advanced IoT systems for its machines. “This powerful transformation will produce ever smarter and more

Electro Adda S.p.A.

electro Adda - focused on AC electric motor business for more than 70 years - is the reference technological partner for highly specialized companies in different sectors – industrial, marine, navy, o&G and heavy duty sectors. The capability to design and build custom-made and high performance motors is highlighted in the long standing cooperation between SCm GRouP and electro Adda.

Since 1950, SCm and electro Adda started their relationship as the rising family companies but internationally oriented and destined to grow over time until today. At first, SCm work in the field of machines for woodworking starting from the “Invincibile”, a classic machine in short widespread all over the world and electro Adda in the field of the electric motors. The relationship of mutual thrust between the founders of these two companies brought electro Adda to develop electric motors tuned to the service required by machines for woodworking. Further SCm is not only a customer but moreover a Partner to share their experiences and conduct joint development. This relationship was, is and will be solid over time, in spite of the different ways and size of rise, the different type of products and manufacturing technologies.

electro Adda is being provided SCm Group reliable, customized and efficient electric motors to meet specific requirements, such as standard machines, working centres, plants for panel processing, systems for window and door frames, technologies for the plastic working, glass, marble and composite materials. electro Adda is proud to serve SCm since over 60 years and thanks SCm for the loyalty and the opportunity to mutually grow in terms of technology and recognized performance excellence.

social machines accompanied by a wider variety of additional services, including a faster and more efficient connection with service technicians during the after-sales phase.

“It also provides the possibility for SCM Group technicians to view, in real-time, whatever goes on with their running systems at any time and anywhere in the world. We’re heading towards a future where systems will be smarter and smarter, and equipped with sensors that will produce huge amounts of data. These will also perform sophisticated analysis, use machines much more efficiently and be able to fix any machine just prior to their breakdown – thus offering a much faster return on investment and improved organisation of production departments,” added Ratti.

Pressing ahead

Another of the SCM Group’s star performers is Sergiani, which is a significant group company based in Rimini, Italy, and was acquired in 2006. Founded in 1947, Sergiani has been producing state-of-theart presses since 1954. The first products were manually operated single-compartment hot presses designed especially for small carpentry shops and they made Sergiani the first company in Italy to produce dedicated presses for the wood industry.

In keeping with its reputation for innovation, the company patented its now famous Las 230 continuous-loop press, for the production of hollow-core doors. Thanks to this break-through, Sergiani became a world-leading supplier of presses for the world’s largest door manufacturers. Innovations that have since been introduced into the production of this automated model include up to ten compartments, ideal for large scale furniture producers, which continue to benefit from high productivity levels in the processing of large or thick wooden panels.

Focus on productivity

When CMS became a subsidiary of the SMS Group it was entrusted with the task of providing the group with customised CNC multiaxis machining centres for the processing of a very broad range of materials. Today the company offers an extensive product portfolio ranging from 3-4 interpolated axis monobloc machining centres to versatile waterjet cutting robots.

The company’s complete waterjet cutting systems are both quick and versatile and specifically designed to process all flexible materials such as plastics, rubbers, foams, composites and layered materials. Its speed, combined with its ability to use multiple cutting heads, and the automatic pallet change system, enables it to offer high levels of productivity for users at a very competitive cost compared to conventional systems.

Another specialisation is the company’s Brembana Speed model: the 3-4 interpolated axis monobloc machining centre, which is specifically designed for the machining of ultra-thick slabs and blocks of marble, granite, and natural and composite stone. It can carry out any type of rough or polished edge contouring, as well as milling, drilling, countersinking, recessing, bass relief and complex engraving operations. It is the world’s best-selling machine in its class and represents the state-of-the-art in axis machining technology. n For further details of the SCM Group’s innovative products and services visit: www.scmgroup.com