download - Haas Automation, Inc.

the VF-1, Heckmann purchased a 5-axis Haas VF- TR
trunnion machining centre with dual-axis rotary table
and custom-designed pneumatic clamping system.
Mahe needed a machine capable of clamping and
manipulating very small and complex features, such as
the jaws and teeth of surgical graspers. The VF- TR
proved to be ideal.
Shortly after the VF- TR, came a Haas Mini Mill,
a scaled down CNC milling machine with a very
unobtrusive m x m footprint and a 000-rpm
spindle as standard.
All of the Haas machines at Mahe are operated by
Duzmal alone, and all instruments are manufactured in
accordance with DIN ISO 9001/EN 001 and the EU
guideline 9 / /EWG.
“We have several projects ongoing at present,” says
Heckmann, “and if they go well, we will buy another
Mini Mill. The machine is perfect for our straightforward
-axis work.”
CNC MACHINING EUROPE 1
The Future
Like all good business leaders, Heckmann is mindful
that his company doesn’t have a divine right to success,
and is always vigilant against punishing lapses in market
awareness.
“Times are very tough,” he says. “It’s not like 10
years ago – the market moves very quickly these days.
At the moment, we have plenty of work and we are
doing well, but anything can happen. Things can change
in a short space of time.”
Keeping one step ahead of the competition is
just one challenge. The company’s strategy also has
to evolve if it is to stay lean and keep costs down.
Heckmann has a clear objective:
“We need to keep labour costs down, so I want to
manufacture products that do not require a lot of labour
and the excessive input of craftsmen. I always look to
design instruments that capitalise on the advantages
provided by good machine tools. After all, the cost of
running a machine like a Haas is essentially the same
in China as it is in Germany – we can compete on
reasonably equal terms.”