#Industry News
Manufacturing partnership targets growth in Mexico
A global supplier of robotics is set to triple the size of its operations in Mexico with the backing of a leading cutting tool manufacturer.
To support the rapid expansion at its Mexico facility, the team at KUKA Robotics has appointed Dormer Pramet as its primary cutting tools supplier over the next three years. Working with local distributor CC Tools, Dormer Pramet will provide more than 150 standard round tools, special end mills and reamers, as well as indexable inserts and cutters.
KUKA Robotics is an international producer of intelligent automation solutions, with total sales of around three billion Euros and whose primary customers are from the automotive and general engineering industries.
KUKA Mexico is located in Toluca de Lerdo, just outside of Mexico City, and offers a broad range of highly modular robots, covering all common payload categories from 3kg to 1000kg. Currently, the KUKA Toluca de Lerdo facility has nine CNC machines, with eight conventional milling machines, one CNC lathe and two conventional lathes.
Another four machines will be arriving in early 2018. KUKA has work order contracts signed until 2022 and expects to double production in 2018 with a full floor of CNC machines by the end of 2019.
The partnership includes several new and existing ranges from each of Dormer Pramet’s product brands. This includes the recently launched Dormer Force X drills and Dormer Shark Line material-specific taps.
Its product offer is enhanced with Dormer HSS A002 drills and Pramet ADMX, LNGX and HNGX milling cutters and inserts. To further support the on-site demand, a full-service vending machine was placed into KUKA´s facility to optimize management of cutting tool inventory.
Going above and beyond in this partnership meant deeply engaging all parties to ensure optimal machining performance. KUKA and Dormer Pramet tested all tools in production environment conditions to guarantee the required service levels.
The Dormer Shark Line taps reduced more than two thirds of the tapping process, running from a previous 90 rpm up to a new optimal level of 620 rpm. The Pramet LNGX inserts performed 25 percent better than the incumbent tools, as well as providing a superior surface finish.
Also, the Pramet ZDCW inserts for high feed milling tremendously improved performance versus the current tooling, increasing performance by up to 200 percent.
Ing. Eduardo Medina, Director of Mexico Operations at KUKA Systems Mexico, said: “Although Dormer Pramet is a global cutting tool manufacturer with a wide product portfolio, the team were flexible to our needs and offered the personal touch to understand our processes and align the appropriate tools for optimal support.”
Both teams are excited to continually develop this relationship and grow together in future expansions.
“We are delighted to create this new partnership with KUKA,” stated Dormer Pramet’s Rosalbe Iturbe, Territory Sales Manager in Mexico, who along with Fernando Perez, Application Specialist, established the partnership.
Rosalbe goes on to say: “From the initial discussions to successful field tests, we showed our strength as a simply reliable cutting tool partner capable of supporting KUKA now and into the future, as they continue to expand and grow.”
