John Donlon of Hurco discusses five-axis machine launch and its value

John Donlon, Executive Vice President of Hurco Companies, Inc., was recently in Singapore for Hurco's open house. International Metalworking News for Asia (IMNA) spoke to him about the benefits of five-axis machining, the future of Asia-Pacific's manufacturing landscape, and trends to watch out for.

(left-right) John Donlon, Executive Vice President of Hurco and Wai Yip Lee, General Manager Hurco (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd

IMNA: What is the objective of this open house?

John Donlon: It's to help manufacturers understand the benefits of using five-axis technology. It is a relatively new technology for manufacturers. If you look in the marketplace today, less than 20% of the machines are five-axis machines yet the benefits of using five-axis machines are significant. Manufacturers will find that their operations are much more efficient and that they can reduce the cost of labour due to fewer set ups. They can also produce more complex parts, which translates into earning more revenue per hour of machine time.

IMNA: What are industries are trying to target with this technology?

Donlon: We are certainly targeting the aerospace, die and mould and medical device industries, but it does apply to other industries as well. Five-axis technology, combined with our control capabilities, can be easily applied to many operations making it a very attractive platform for all manufacturers. If you take a look at our showroom you will see many examples of very complex parts, such as cervical plates, that can only be produced with this advanced technology.

IMNA: Hurco advertised this open house over the radio. How was the response?

Donlon: We will know more at the end of the event. Our goal was to reach out to as many people as possible and we thought connecting with individuals on their way to and from the office might be effective. We were careful about the radio channels we selected and we hope it increases the turnout.

IMNA: What's the value proposition of the five-axis machine?

Donlon: First, it reduces cycle time. This means that you can create more parts in less time and in fewer set ups. Depending on the part, five-axis machining can provide you with average improvements of 30% in terms of cycle time. Secondly, it gives you the flexibility to do more complex parts, and that's really the key. Our customers are challenged with bidding for business on a daily basis and when the work is awarded they need to turn the parts around very quickly. Utilising five axis technology improves their ability to win and grow their business, and to do this more profitably. Additional control technology we provide also improves surface finish which is another significant advantage in providing greater return to manufacturers.

IMNA: Asia-Pacific is a growing market for Hurco. What's your current strategy or focus in the region?

Donlon: We will continue to build our applications capabilities and to demonstrate the benefits of this technology to our customers in technical centres throughout the region. This is especially important in emerging markets because there is not as much knowledge about five-axis machining. Our next technical centre will open in Coimbatore, India and we will continue to work with complimentary technology partners so that our customers can see a total solution to their manufacturing needs.

IMNA: Which is your strongest market within Southeast Asia?

Donlon: Singapore is our strongest market in the region, in part because we have been present here for 24 years. Our customers in Singapore are typically the first to embrace newer technology because of the mix of work that they do. This typically includes research activities involving initial product designs as compared to the high volume manufacturing that you will see in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. That said, our business is growing rapidly in all countries in the region as customers learn more regarding our value propositions and the ease of use of our machines.

IMNA: What trends do you currently see in the metalworking industry?

Donlon: I think a very important driver of most design teams is to reduce the number of parts in a finished product, such as a car or airplane, and to reduce overall weight. What this means is that components will become increasingly more complex as they will be designed to do more than one function, and they will become smaller. In addition, reducing time to market for any manufacturer is critical in maintaining competitive edge. The faster an organisation can take a concept of a part and give you a finished product, the more successful they will be. Five-axis technology is an enabler to do that. In time we will also see the integration of additive and subtractive technologies in the same platform and Hurco is currently developing these capabilities.

IMNA: In your role within Hurco, which areas to do you think that the company should put more focus on?

Donlon: Hurco has a very aggressive development plan and we continue to invest in our control capabilities to improve the overall performance of a machine, and to make them very easy to use. Our control is a differentiator in the market and provides real competitive advantage to manufacturers. In addition, we will expand our brand awareness activities so that more people can come to understand the value propositions we offer. Hurco is not the largest company in the machine tool world, however, the value we provide our customers is compelling. We want to help more people understand these benefits first hand which is why we will conduct more events such as this open house. Educating the market regarding new technology and how it can help grow their business is our focus.

IMNA: How would you sum up your presentation, "unleash the power of five", in a few words?

Donlon: Enable yourself to grow your business – the top line and the bottom line – through five-axis technology.