WIRE JOURNAL JULY 2019
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INTERNATIONAL www.wirenet.org
Equipment AT I N T E R W I R E 2019
O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E W I R E A S S O C I AT I O N I N T E R N AT I O N A L
FEATURE
I N T E R W I R E 2019:
Machinery
Equipment
At Interwire, exhibitors offered a wide range of machinery and equipment. Below, some of the exhibitors present their technology, which includes options and software. They also provide their thoughts to a question posed by WJI.
AIM USA Interwire attendees loved the speed as well as the price for our new AFES-3DxT, which debuted at the Interwire 2019. An updated five servo-axis turret tool-changer machine with an ultra-fast servo cutter at a very attractive price from a premium manufacturer! Our strongest and proven model for twenty years, the Turret Head indexing tool changer provides even more flexibility in wire forming capability while our 200 m Sec. Servo-cut assures fast and quiet production in a robust package. Standard features include DXF, LRA and XYZ import, animated bending simulation with collision detection, Auto Pilot speed/load monitoring, touch screen monitors, Microsoft Windows®, 5 HP wire payoff, “Dial-A-Service” for remote support via the Internet, and a maintenance module which reminds you of all the work needed for zero downtime. Available options include automatic bend setup with our AccuCal, easy production statistics with AccuTrack, 24/7 online AIM Academy training, FARO, ROMER and
AIM’s AFES-3DxT, introduced at Interwire 2019. AICON CMM’s communications for automatic programmer corrections, integration with Robots and STEP and IGES files import. www.aimmachines.com.
WJI: Have customer priorities changed? Are they willing to pay extra for a proven system that will last for decades, or is there more focus on equipment that can meet defined immediate needs?
Customers in the fastener industry are following the world trend, which means that the companies are growing in size, partly by organic growth and partly by acquisitions. The effect we experience at ENKOTEC is an increasing demand for management tools with a focus on improved overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). An improved OEE has a substantial impact on the companies’ bottom line, which makes it worthwhile to invest in equipment delivering high quality, high reliability and service as well as strong management information. ENKOTEC A/S CEO Gert Kjeldsen. Kjeldsen
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Priorities have changed over the years and today there is a lot more focus on quality and safety, although prices generally do not always reflect this. In the past, most machinery was priced similarly among competitors, but now in some areas there are systems made by debatable manufacturing techniques. Further, some are often Romagnolo heavily subsidized, so one can find extremely low prices, but there is no guarantee as to quality, safety, productivity and support. Sometimes it can be acceptable, sometimes not. Quality today can vary quite a lot, which is not always understood by the end user. The older suppliers have progressed along-
American Kuhne exhibited the company’s AutoGrip™ Power Clamp for the first time in the U.S. at 2019 Interwire. Designed to meet the needs of the market for performance, automation and safety, the power clamp is designed to be paired with our ULTRA extruders. It can be interfaced with our Navigator® controls system or operated independently. Actuation is electro-mechanical versus hydraulic, and it offers superior performance. The design is simple and clean with the drive motor, gearbox and gear reducer located above the clamp, protecting them American Kuhne’s AutoGrip™ from the melt flow and Power Clamp. making them easy to access. Operation is simple and enhances operator safety with a remote, two-hand push button controller. www.americankuhne.com.
AWT Machinery USA Clifford Machine South Africa At Interwire, AWT Machinery displayed a jig welder as well as a straighten-and-cut system and a wire butt welder from South Africa’s Clifford Machine & Technology. Showcased was Clifford’s versatile jig welder, which enables a single operator to process welded parts up to .50 in. seamlessly and without production stops. As the operator prepares material for welding on his side of the table, the system is welding the product on the other side. The welder electrodes can be supplied to suit the product being welded. Electrode tips are interchangeable, so a single machine can weld a variety of different products.
AWT Machinery presented welding technology from South Africa’s Clifford Machine & Technology. The jig welders offer increased safety, consistent quality, increased flexibility, extremely fast changeover times and reduced labor costs. Clifford has been building CNC jig welders for wire products for more than 20 years, and has well over 250 machines in the field. The latest range of jig welders are even more, reliable and productive and
Now here’s a tax deal that small/medium manufacturers (and suppliers!) love First established in 1958, Section 179 of the IRS tax is far from new, but the code has expanded over the years to where it now allows businesses—such as wire and cable manufacturers—to deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment and/or software purchased or financed during the tax year. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 updated Section 179. The current annual maximum write-off is now $1 million, with a first year bonus. Several OEMs spoke to WJI about this program at Interwire, noting that this provision has been a boon. One replied, “Basically, the government is helping manufacturers pay for new machinery. How can you not be in favor of that?” WJI posed three questions about Section 179 to one of the OEMs. “Has that been a real-world help for you? Has it helped close some sales? Has it made you feel a bit more fuzzy-warm about the taxman?” The reply? “Yes, yes and yes!” It doesn’t get much more definitive than that. For more details, go to www.section179.org.
How Section 179 tax rules can work. JULY 2019 | 45
FEATURE
American Kuhne USA