Op weg naar de ultieme precisiemachine

1. Contents of this talk
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Not about LAB ( I’ll try… )
the Red Star Line
Production in FLANDERS
Our approach
 Warning: blue = general , grey =
commercial 
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2. “THE RED STAR LINE”
 1820: first steamship
 From 1820-1920 steep evolution
Diesel engines start a revolution
 Fuel saving!
 Speed!
 Race in passenger transport : Race to make the
fastest ship!
 London – New-York in 3 days and 6 hours!
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3. “THE RED STAR LINE”
 The large investments in
early 20th century went to
ship transport
 Investments were made to
make ships even faster, with
a goal to transfer the ocean
in 24 hours!
 But: after WWII 
PARADIGM SHIFT
 A complete other technology
wins: air planes!
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4. Paradigm shifts
 Keep focus on the real goal
 Nice examples today: additive manufacturing!
 But what about manufacturing today? WHAT ARE WE
CHASING AT?
 Cut costs / lean manufacturing / high efficiency /
optimize material / …
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5. Product life cycle
Life cycle of a PRODUCTION PROCESS
1
2
3
1.
2.
3.
4.
Development
Early stage
Saturation
4
Decrease
OMZET
TOEGEVOEGDE WAARDE
Stretch out!
Keeping this short
in time!
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Time
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6. PRODUCTION IN FLANDERS
 WE (=european companies) typically reside at phase 1
and 2, when
 Investment in development is done (beginning
life cycle)
 When gross margin is highest
 When turnover increases further, gross margin drops,
low-cost countries come-in, high-cost countries drop out
 Remark: applicable at SME-level, but also within
multinationals
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7. Production in Flanders
 What is happening today?
 Life cycles get very short in time, so the integral under
the curve gets smaller!
 Asian countries invest in production machines, so will
get phase 1&2 also!
 We are purchasing in the same shop as Asian companies
 With a smaller budget 
 With a smaller demand
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8. What is the shift here?
 We need to be alone in phase 1 and 2 !
 Instead of shopping for machines and technologies, we
have to make our machines !
 Extending phase 2!
 Sweat spot is where the gross margin is high and
turnover ramps up!
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9. How can we do this?
 We need to be alone in phase 1 and 2 !
 Instead of shopping for machines and technologies, we have
to make our machines !
 Extending phase 2!
 In Flanders: A lot of process knowledge available, but no
machine builders tradition!
 Excellent knowledge network available
 SIRRIS
 FMTC
…
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10. How can we do this?
 No classic machine tool
builders but new cooperation
model!
 Build the machine like you
make a LEGO
 Production process owner
takes part in machine
development
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11. Challenge
CORE PROCESS
- Turning
- Milling
- Lasercutting
- EDM
- Grinding
- …
PRECISION MOTION
SYSTEMS
- Gantries
- XY-stages
- Rotary stages
- Tilt stages
- Motion control
- …
PRODUCTION CONTROL
- CNC-control
- CAD/CAM
- Production planning
- …
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12. What do we do?
we make FAST
boats
we make air
bearings
We bring you
over the
ocean!
We make
motion
systems !
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13. What do we do?
- ‘flying’ machines: thin air film of 5µm
- frictionless
- precise and stiff!
- own motor development
- A µ-company !
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14. Simulation and design
Mechatronic approach:
 Air bearing modeling
 Structural FEM-simulation
 Simulation magnetic flux
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15. Production & Assembly
 Diamond turning lathe
 Dedicated assembly tools
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16. Measurement & calibration
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Temperature controlled room
Roundness tester
Profile measurement
Laser interferometer,…
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17. 17

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19. Examples
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20. Tool example
 AMOS (Liège), builds
telescopes
 Innovative indexing
stage for producing
Fresnel lenzes
 Continuus number of
positions: 2.3 Million
stable angular
positions!
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21. Our approach
 Adaptation of existing micromilling machine
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22. Our approach
 Existing micromilling machine
 Development of a 4th + 5th Axis
 + drivers etc.
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23. Our approach
 20 weeks from order to delivery
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