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New initiatives help Canadian auto parts suppliers adapt to new realities In business as in life, the ability to adapt to changing circumstances often means the difference between success and failure.
Just
ask Canadian auto parts suppliers who have been beset by a host of
problems ranging from the high dollar, increasing global competition,
the need to innovate to remain productive and competitive, recent U.S.
labour agreements that have further increased labour costs in Canada,
and other issues.
However,
two initiatives introduced at the recent Automotive Parts
Manufacturers’ Association’s (APMA) 2008 conference and exhibition are
designed to help Canadian auto parts suppliers maintain their
competitive position and better respond to rapidly changing market
circumstances.
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Quebec aerospace activity sends MMTS to new heights
by Jerry Cook
Driven
by the continuing strength of the Quebec aerospace sector, this year’s
Montreal Manufacturing Technology Show (MMTS) proved to be a highly
successful event.
The
show, which was held at Place Bonaventure in Montreal, QC, was busy and
upbeat reflecting the current high level of activity in Quebec’s
aerospace sector. “This year has been excellent for us,” says Daniel
Poirier, manager, Quebec region, marketing and technical support, with
Seco Tools Canada Inc., Milton, ON. “The aerospace market is really our
bread and butter. The rest of the markets are up and down and feeling
the heat of such things as the high value of the dollar but aerospace
is strong.”
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| A highlight at Spark & Co.'s booth was the OMAX 5555 JetMachning Center, a precision abrasive waterjet system. |
However,
at the same time, Poirier notes that the market is changing.
“Previously, it was more of a centralized market. Now, companies have
to look at the market globally. You can’t just look at your market as
just being Quebec you have to look at it worldwide.”
Les
Barsony, president of Single Source Technologies Canada (SST Canada),
also feels that the aerospace sector will be an important driver for
sales this year. “This year looks very good. With the aerospace sector
in the Quebec market, our business looks very good.” SST Canada, which
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Makino, provides sales, service, and
applications engineering support for Makino in the Canadian market.
Barsony
points out that the aerospace sector in Quebec will be particularly
important to SST and Makino. “I would say that between 40% to 50% of
our sales this year will be from Quebec.”
One
area of focus at SST Canada’s booth was on showcasing the Muratec line
of equipment which SST recently began distributing. “We needed a
turning line and after meeting with Muratec’s management they are very
much like Makino’s management. Their mindset and the way they work is
very much like Makino.”
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| SST
Canada displayed the Muratec MW 120 twin spindle turning machine. SST
recently began distributing the Muratec line of machines. |
SST
Canada displayed the Muratec MW 120 twin spindle turning machine which
features a footprint of 2850 mm x 1865 mm. The MW 120’s three-axis
gantry loader offers versatile automation and flexible machine
utilization for two identical processes or turnaround applications. The
high speed gantry loader and turret axes reduce cycle time
significantly.
Not
surprisingly, given the importance of the aerospace sector within the
Quebec market, many of the products on display at the show were geared
to the aerospace industry.
For
instance, at Sandvik Coromant’s booth, the company had dedicated an
entire corner of its exhibit to aerospace-related products including a
display of a landing gear component.
“One
area of focus of our booth is the aerospace corner including a landing
gear component. The aerospace sector is important in Quebec and we are
using the landing gear component display as a draw here at the show,”
says Randy Bossie, marketing manager with Sandvik.
A
highlight at Sandvik’s booth was the CoroMill 490, a new generation of
shoulder mills that have been designed to reflect current trends in
machining such as near net shape precision forgings and castings. The
CoroMill 490 can produce a finished product in one pass.
At
Haco Canada Inc.’s booth, the firm was highlighting the new ATS 580
entry level angle bending control. “Customers are requesting more often
for a CNC entry level control on their machines,” says Boudewijn Six,
the recently appointed general manager of Haco Canada.
“Previously,
many customers would look at a machine without CNC (because an entry
level control wasn’t available). However if they have an entry-level
control option available they will take it,” says Six.
Exhibitors
at this year’s MMTS used the venue to highlight various new
developments in their activities. For example, at Hurco Canada Ltd.’s
booth, Robert Renaud, president of H.T. Technologies Inc., Brossard,
QC, says that his company recently began distributing the Hurco line of
machine tools in Quebec and the Maritimes.
According
to Renaud, in addition to Hurco, other product lines that H.T.
distributes include Sandvik and Duramill. “We are going into this field
because the customers that we are seeing now are small- to medium-sized
firms that need technical support. If we can supply these customers
with the machine and the tooling on a turnkey basis and support them,
they will rely on us in the future.” MMTS 2008 was sponsored by the
Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
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