Lausannetec refocusing on watchmaking

The Lausannetec trade fair is closing its doors today. And MCH Beaulieu Lausanne is already drawing its initial conclusions from this first edition: as of 2013, the fair will be responding to the wishes expressed by the players on the market and refocusing on suppliers to the watch and jewellery industry.

Following its inauguration on 22 May 2012, the Lausannetec trade fair will be closing its doors this evening, after a “highly promising” first edition, in the words of Béat Kunz, CEO of MCH Beaulieu Lausanne: “A few hours before the fair closes, we reckon that between 2500 and 3000 buyers have attended Lausannetec – a figure slightly below our expectations”.

Focused on the customer’s needs
The management of MCH Beaulieu Lausanne has already taken a strategic decision for Lausannetec: as of 2013, the trade fair will be renouncing its interdisciplinary orientation in order to refocus on suppliers working primarily in the watch and jewellery sector. This decision marks the outcome of the organisers having listened carefully to the market’s requirements.

More targeted exhibitions?
The trade fair will still be open to players from the medical technology and electrotechnical sectors who offer microtechnology or high-precision solutions which are also aimed at the watch and jewellery sector. In addition, the MCH Group is currently analysing the possibility of a new product in each of these fields and will be announcing its intentions in the second half of 2012.

www.lausannetec.com

The GP 16 spindle drive – Feed forces of up to 400 N

Maxon’s spindle drive program will be extended with the new size 16 mm. This is also an easily configurable complete system with integrated axial bearing for high loads. Version with metric M6 spindle or Ø 5 mm ball screw.

In mechanical engineering, it is often necessary to find a solution for converting rotary motion into powerful linear motion. Precision spindles combined with DC motors make it possible to transform rotary motion into axial motion. Gearheads, motors, encoders and controllers from maxon’s standard program are used to drive the spindles. The individual components of the spindle drives are perfectly matched to each other, resulting in high-efficiency drive solutions.

Wide spectrum of use
Important characteristics for the ball screw are high efficiency, high load capacity and no self-locking. Noteworthy features of the metric spindle are the self-locking function and the lower price.
The spindle drive program in the sizes 22 mm and 32 mm has now been extended to include the smaller GP 16 S version with a diameter of 16 mm. For the planetary gearhead, 14 different reduction ratios are available, from 4.4 up to 850:1. Depending on the reduction ratio and the type of spindle, this makes it possible to achieve feed forces between 35 and 370 N and even up to 400 N for short durations.

Precise positioning
DC or brushless EC motors can be used to drive the system; in total, nine different motor types are available. These motors can also be equipped with compatible sensors (encoders), which are essential for precise positioning. EPOS positioning controllers are recommended for controlling the motor-sensor combination. These controllers feature a wide range of functions as well as CANopen or EtherCat. The controller can directly evaluate limit switches and other sensors. The programmable EPOS P version makes it possible to set up independent, standalone systems.

maxon motor ag
Brünigstrasse 220
P.O. Box 263
CH-6072 Sachseln
Tel: +41 (41) 666 15 00
Fax: +41 (41) 666 16 50
info@maxonmotor.com
www.maxonmotor.com

A promising start…

Lausannetec closed its second day and I had a great discussion with Pierre-Yves Schmid, director of Lausannetec and René Zürcher member of the general management of MCH Beaulieu Lausanne about the first two days …and the future.

The first feeling about the shows are very positive among its management, both exhibitors and visitors emphasizes the very high quality of the environment and services. It’s a good start.

What about visitors ?
Let’s call a spade a spade, the first day was a very calm one and the second one was better, even if the alleyways were not that crowded. The organisers didn’t boast about visitors and so I went to discuss with exhibitors to “feel it”. Even if they were waiting for more people, they were satisfied with the high level of the people coming to their booths and the possibility to discuss real business. A machine-tool company told me that they had very good contacts that should allow them to sell machines and that without Lausannetec and the very good quality of its welcome; that would simply not have been possible with these customers. Another exhibitor producing components and devices told me that after two days, his show was better than this year’s Siams…

Is the bet won for Lausannetec?
It’s indeed too early to say such a thing… moreover what is the bet?  Without entering into details about their strategy and aims for the few years to come, M. Zürcher told me that a trade show cannot build its success on one issue only and that the first issue is promising but that they would carry on their effort to offer a trade show dedicated to their exhibitor’s needs…. they seems very confident.

One or two shows around the Geneva Lake?
Here too we must not put the head into the sand and refuse to see… most of the exhibitors are clearly disapproving the venue of two “identical” shows around the lake (moreover within two weeks). What will happen? Nobody knows, all the people I discussed with today and yesterday told me they would wait for the end of both shows and then carefully plan and decide what to do for the future. No doubt that the organisers will also listen to them and tailor their offer… a lot of alternatives are possible… but truly the situation cannot remain the same for 10 years.

You can still go discover Lausannetec till the end of the week, will you miss it?

www.lausannetec.com

PS: I’ll come on some new solutions discovered there tomorrow… Cheers!

Let light clean it for you …at Lausannetec

The first day of Lausannetec has just finished and it was a good one. The show is of very high quality and we will publish tomorrow the interview after one day of Pierre-Yves Schmid, director of the show. As usual on shows, I let you know what I discovered and today it is just an incredible surface treatment offered by Surface Synergie Groupe.

One of the main concerns in medical is cleanliness and sterilization and the company specialised in coatings just presents a true breakthrough in that domain: A photocatalyst coating that destroy organic pollutants and bacteria just with the action of light and UV’s. The process has already found place in Medical industry where its photokiller smart effect is highly valuated…. but there is more!

A short story
Let’s imagine you wear a watch treated with this coatings, all along the day the light slowly kills all germs and bacteria… and if that’s not enough (let’s say it is a gloomy winter day with a very rare and poor light), arrived home you remove your watch, put it into the specific box equipped with small UV lights, close it and  …bob is your uncle!  The day after you can take it out of the box perfectly clean of any organic pollutant or bacteria. Sounds like SF, doesn’t it?  In fact there is a whole world to discover with this new technology and Surfaces Synergie Groupe is about to tackle it.

How does it work?
Let’s start with a metallic part as support, and then using PVD coating technology, we deposit the layer of photosensitive coating. Under the action of light or UV (it is faster with UV) the material transforms the air surrounding the part into Hydroxyle Radicals that simply kills all these germs and organic pollution. And here is the answer to the quetsion: this antibacterial coating is natural and perfectly safe and healthy (compliant RoHS).

To be discovered till the end of the week
At Lausannetec, there are some sample parts on the Surface Synergie Groupe booth and specialists there are willing to demonstrate the benefits of their new product to the world… do not hesitate to visit them on hall 36, booth 3628C.

Surface Synergie Groupe
Ionotec
8 rue de la Batheuse
F – 25120 Maîche
Phone +33 03 81 64 30 22
www.surfaces-synergie.com
ionotec@surfaces-synergie.com

Jura SMEs present at the Lausannetec show

Ten companies of the Jura region participate at the Lausannetec show this week. The economic promotion of the Jura canton supports these companies by organising a joint stand.

For its first edition, Lausannetec will bring together under the same roof three sectors of the subcontracting industry of products both in high precision and microtechnology.

Numerous visitors awaited
The main national and international decision-makers of watchmaking and jewellery, medical technology as well as electrical engineering will probably go to Lausanne to discover this new meeting place. 170 registered exhibitors occupy an entire floor of the new South halls of the site of Beaulieu on approximately 5’500 square meters. During the show, nine high-level conferences on topics as varied as technical development, marketing and industrial standards will be held.

Jura skills valued
Jura skills will be highlighted at this first edition. Indeed, ten companies exhibit, individually or on the common booth set up by the canton of Jura:

• Biwi SA, Glovelier
• Fraporlux Swiss SA, Porrentruy
• GTR precision Sàrl, Vicques
• Injector, Porrentruy
• Métafil-Lagirolle SA, Lajoux
• Microdec SA, Porrentruy
• Precicomp Sàrl, Saignelégier
• ProPlatine SA, Delémont
• Soprod SA, Saignelégier
• WiTech SA, Bassecourt.

Entrance cards for the Lausannetec show can be obtained free of charge from the Economic Promotion of Jura. Tel +41 32 420 52 20 or bde@jura.ch

For further information, please contact Mr. Jean-Claude Lachat, delegate to Economic Promotion, Tel. + 41 79 215 49 29
www.lausannetec.com

Eurotec will be there too indeed and we are happy to welcome you on our booth 3627D, hall 36.

We will give you some insights of this new show later. Stay tuned.

Aubert inside…

All computer users are familiar with the famous “Intel inside” label found on many computers. For more than 50 years, Marcel Aubert the company located in Bienne installs embedded optical measurements systems on many types of machine tools, to the point that if an “Aubert inside” distinction would exist, we would see it in the workshops all around the world. Meeting with Mr. Fleury, technical manager and Terzini, responsible for marketing and commercial.

The company provides different types of output for the image outside the machining area on more than 1,000 optical systems embedded each year. The projector system today is the least used to the benefit of the versions equipped with microscopes and video systems. Operating without contact, Aubert systems allow taking information in places where a probe (for example) could not enter. The principle avoiding contact ensures the user that the measure will be without influence on the part.

Why embarking an optical system
Mr. Terzini explains: “Our systems have many utilities, for example to reposition a part, to center it, to measure it or simply visually monitor the finish” Mr. Fleury adds: “We can quickly find a zero point of reference”. Questioned about the fragility of optical systems, Mr. Fleury reassures us: “Our optical solutions are designed for use in demanding environments; there is no problem of reliability. We always look at the working area and conditions to define the layout, magnification, protection, lighting and integration”.

Without light, no optics
Marcel Aubert offers turnkey solutions. As Mr Fleury says: “Without good lighting, a good optics simply does not workt”.Usually the company provides its solutions directly through suppliers of machines (OEM) but also very often directly with users that are confronted with problems of positioning and measurement. Whatever the alternatives proposed, Marcel Aubert provides the dedicated lighting to the concerned optical measurement system.

Democratization of high-end solutions
“In ten years, the cost of acquisition systems has been cut by half” says Mr. Terzini. This combined with its very flexibility explain the reason for the growth of this type of control system.

To be discovered at Lausannetec from tomorrow at booth 3622A on Hall 36 and at EPHJ Geneva, booth K18 from June 5 to 8, 2012.

Marcel Aubert SA
Street Gurnigel 48 (Nidau)
CH-2501 Biel
Tel + 41 32 365 51 31
Fax + 41 32 365 76 20
www.Marcel Aubert-sa.ch
Info@Marcel-Aubert-SA.ch

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PS: We will go into deeper details of these solutions in a further issue of Eurotec.

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Eurotec 382 soon online

The newest issue of Eurotec will soon be offered to download. Its content is again focused on microtechnology (indeed) and I hope you will find it interesting.

Machining

• Newemag and Lai mécanique -  Hyundai-Kai machine
• Schläfli Engineering – Super-finishing
• Schaublin Machines – New 137
• Tornos – New Micro8/4 with guide bush

Tooling and components

• Agathon – For various types of movements
• Dünner – 4-position rotating unit
• Zecha – Micromachining
• Wibemo SA – To the service of high precision turning

Control and CAM

• Alicona Imaging – 3D measures
• Jinfo – MAsterCAM Swiss Expert

High precision turning

• Cortat SA, Courrendlin    37

Lubrication

• Motorex – Swiss precision made in USA

Cleaning and treatment

• NGL Cleaning Technology – High precision cleaning
• Surfaces Synergie Holding – Black PVD coating

Trade shows

• Motek 2012, BondExpo 2012, Microsys 2012, Stuttgart
• 50 years Schall Messen

The printed issue will be released in a few days. Enjoy your reading!
Cheers

Pierre-Yves