Manufacturing Technology

Nedschroef Machinery will be exhibiting at wire^® Düsseldorf and has a number of new products and innovations that it will be demonstrating to visitors throughout the five days of the show.

Based in Herentals, Belgium, Nedschroef Machinery – part of Nedschroef Group – provides metal parts manufacturers with premium forming machines and tooling solutions. “We can design or configure industrial machinery for the production of a wide variety of metal parts, including fasteners,” explains Dries Paulussen, operations manager at Nedschroef Machinery. “Across the globe our cold and warm metal forming machines are renowned for their durability, efficiency, and versatility, as well as flexibility due to their modular design.”

Nedschroef Machinery’s portfolio includes conventional mechanical cam-operated machines, as well as servo-driven machines. This includes multi-station cold and warm forming machines, straightening machines, as well as cutting machines.

“Our multi-station machines come with a range of standard features and have a modular set up,” points out Dries. “This enables our customers to equip their machine with exactly the features they need to meet their own specific requirements. For the latest multi-die and multi-station machine models we have also incorporated direct drive servo motors, which can be used for a variety of purposes. These high performance, programmable motors offer unparalleled advantages in terms of accuracy, productivity, reproducibility, as well as flexibility in forming abilities and production volumes.”

Tooling design

As part of its Herentals site, Nedschroef Machinery has a testing department, which includes three demonstration machines – along with two cold formers and a straightening machine – so that it can test solutions for customers in-house and see if they are feasible via cold forming technology, as well as helping to understand what tooling concepts may need to be used. 

“A big part of the business is our ability to design and deliver tailored precision tools for use in cold and warm forming machinery. With our comprehensive tooling resources, including five in-house tooling engineers, we can make the tools needed to produce both basic and complex metal parts,” underlines Dries. “A lot of the projects we work on start from the tooling and whether it is possible to make a particular part. It is once this has been clarified that we are then able to work on what machines are the most suitable to produce the parts. We do this by working closely with customers to find out exactly what they need within their projects – so that we can ensure the machines are able to meet these requirements.”

Milling capabilities

Nedschroef Machinery also has its own milling department in Belgium, where it can produce critical parts for its machines, as well as support customers when there is a requirement for quick turnaround for specific products. “After what has happened in the market over recent years, with the number of external challenges, it is vital that as a business you have control over your critical parts,” states Dries. “Of course, we work with partners for certain parts, but these are predominately products that are easier to source when required. Our milling department is focused on those parts that are not as easy to source and have significant delivery times but are still very important for the functioning of the machines – which is why we need to have the option of in-house production.”

Dries adds: “Thanks to the investments within the milling department, we also have extra capacity for service, which means that when customers need a part quickly we are able to produce it, which is another value added service.”

Global service reach

To go alongside its machinery and tooling capabilities, Nedschroef Machinery is also able to provide a global service to its customers – with operations in the three key markets. “In Belgium we produce and design the machines, as well as service them for the whole of Europe. We also have a service centre in Detroit, USA, and another one in Kunshan, China,” mentions Dries. “The challenges of recent years has led to the policy of ‘local to local’ becoming more of a factor, so it is very important to have people locally and to provide the correct service to customers. That is why we have recently started a joint venture in China to produce machines ‘local to local’ and why, in the coming years, we will expand our service centre in Detroit – both of which will enable us to further support our customers.”

Participating at wire^® Düsseldorf

Nedschroef Machinery has established itself within the market through its innovation and for supplying good, reliable machines – some of which that have been running for over 40 years and still producing high-quality products. “We are known for our innovation and that is why it is one of our key business strategies and something we are always focusing on,” explains Dries. “Currently, the innovative topics we are concentrating on include how we produce efficient machines that do not require skilled operators; as well as how we enable customers to produce smaller batch sizes cost effectively. By introducing these innovations, we will be able to further support customers and help make their production more efficient.”

Nedschroef Machinery will once again be exhibiting at wire^® Düsseldorf and will be showcasing a selection of these innovations including new Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) and data logging capabilities; additional machine features that will make them easier to operate; as well as a new website to help customers find the solutions they need.

“The new HMI and data logging platform are focused on helping the operator with easier set-up – thanks to visual tools for setting up the machines – as well as helping with faster problem solving, by providing extra information on how to quickly solve any issues,” reports Dries. “We also have hybrid technologies that we will promote during the wire^® exhibition. This is where we take the classical mechanical machines and we add servo-driven technology. This helps make existing machines more efficient, as well as gives customers the possibility of producing even more complex parts on their machines. It also provides extra insight, reduces set-up time and means less maintenance is required.”

An example of this is the NC feeding unit from Nedschroef Machinery, which can be retrofitted onto machines. “This really gives the customer extra functionality – the feeding length is much more stable and setting up is easier,” adds Dries. “At our booth we will display an old style wire feed with feed rolls, a mechanical linear wire feed and a state of the art NC linear wire feed, so visitors can compare what they can change from their old machines and the benefits of the new technology.”

Dries continues: “We are also showcasing the NC transfer, which can be used for making complex parts, as it enables forming inside the punch. Normally you can only form inside the die, but with NC transfer you can also form inside the punch, which will be a big advantage for customers.”

Another new development that will be displayed at the show is a new design for Nedschroef Machinery’s website, which will include extra features to make it easier for customers to select machines and services they would like to use. “The website has been modernised with the aim of letting customers know our technologies and what we can offer as a company,” highlights Dries. “The new site will also make it easier and faster for them to get in contact with our service department.” 

Dries adds: “We are very excited to be at the wire® Düsseldorf show. There is certainly room nowadays for digital meetings, especially since everything with Covid-19, but there will always be a need for physical meetings, as they are so productive and help in creating longer lasting partnerships. We always have valuable discussions at the wire® show, as it is talking directly to customers about their markets and needs. We try to be as close to the customer as possible, so that we can help solve their problems, because if our customers are successful then that will help us to be successful.”

“Nedschroef is globally renowned for crafting durable, innovative machines,” concludes Dries. “We continually push the boundaries of cold forming, striving for manufacturing excellence. Pioneering servo technology in cold forming machines, we’re also dedicated to Industry 4.0, enhancing production efficiency and digitisation. Nedschroef, we build machines that perform!”