THE MICROTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION PORTAL/THE SHOW
29.12.2017
A - Machines
DPRM High-tech and know-how combined
DPRM regards itself as a watch manufacturer that is mainly focused on the bar turning of micro parts. The company also performs all peripheral activities in the fields of production and quality control and even assembly. To achieve sustained success, DPRM relies on Tornos and its EvoDeco 10 and SwissNano machines for the in-house bar turning processes.
A renowned enterprise
Established in 1947 under the name ‘ASKA’, DPRM has been built upon a unique knowledge base that its employees have gained during the course of time. Using bar turning and gear cutting technologies, the company can develop and produce all kinds of components, meeting the requirements of the high-end watch market. Today, DPRM is a part of the Dubois Dépraz Corporation, a famous manufacturer of exceptional watch components.
High degree of specialization
DPRM specialises in the production of arbors, pinions and wheels for high-end watches by means of gear cutting. Due to its commitment for the luxury watch industry, the company is used to meeting even the most demanding challenges. “Imagine any component that may be possible to produce from barstock – you can rest assured that we are able to produce it, even if the production of the part does not involve turning operations,” Mr. Forster, Managing Director of DPRM, emphasizes. “Our staff is used to successfully meeting even the most complex demands. In any case where we encounter problems, we work hand in hand with the customer to jointly find a solution. Our know-how is recognized by our customers and we are pleased to offer them our support as a co-developer for the industrialised production of even the most complex components,” Mr. Forster adds.
High demands
“Tolerances in the range of 4 to 6 microns ? Meeting such tolerances is part of our daily routine for nearly all of our parts, while also considering aesthetic aspects and high levels of surface finish. For instance, we can machine holes of Ø 0.3 mm with a length of 7 mm with a length that is more than 23 times the diameter ! On our EvoDeco 10, we can produce prismatic parts without any turning processes,” Mr. Forster explains. In addition to machining operations, the company offers highly complex assembly services, for instance for cannon pinions (including friction spring adjustment), third wheels, counter wheels, reversing wheels and second wheels.”
Unrivaled response
These days, responsiveness is the key to success. DPRM has fully understood these market forces. This is why it has set-up a manufacturing cell for prototype production to respond quickly and efficiently to customer requests. “This unit was a great success and we have separated it deliberately from
“The machine is very precise and it works wonders in the production of small components where tight tolerances must be met”
the production area to have a dedicated machine inventory especially for such tasks. It was obvious from the very beginning which machines we should use for this cell. We installed two EvoDeco 10 machines. Compared to competing products in the market, these machines provide us with outstanding flexibility,” Mr. Forster adds. The EvoDeco 10 machines enable DPRM to manufacture both simple and highly complex parts. Thanks to its fully modular machining area, the machine can be converted to a milling center in no time. Furthermore, these machines can be equipped with numerous high-frequency spindles. And, what’s more, the machines allow gear cutting in main and back machining operations.
EvoDeco : A first-class partner
“The EvoDeco machine is our first-choice solution for the production of our components. It is the ideal machine to meet the ever growing demands on the complexity of the parts to be machined. If, for large batches, finish gear cutting is the more appropriate machining process, this machine enables gear cutting without the risk of positioning errors while at the same time, cutting down the tooling cost,” explains the company’s micro turning/CNC division manager. “TB-Deco facilitates machine programming even when it comes to complex operations. The machine can be set up rapidly and the presetting device allows substantial time savings during machine set-up. The next process can be prepared while the current machining process is still active. The machine quickly reaches its operating temperature and boasts optimum thermal stability during the production process. Thanks to the warm-up system, the machine is ready for production just when desired. The self-cleaning filter brings about considerable time advantages and the oil tank is large. The capacity of the chip bucket is better than on competitive machines. All in all, the EvoDeco machines offer a high ease of maintenance ; you can see that every detail has been conceived in a most intelligent manner with the operator in mind.”
SwissNano : High speed and precision
With its ergonomic features and its easy programming, the SwissNano appealed quickly to the DPRM users as well. “It’s amazing how easy it is to get familiar with this machine,” stresses the CNC division manager, and he adds : “The machine is very precise and it works wonders in the production of small components where tight tolerances must be met. With its ability to machine usually less complex workpieces than with an EvoDeco machine, it perfectly matches our requirements and enables us to quickly respond to any type of request. The SwissNano can perform front machining and polygon cutting tasks to our complete satisfaction.”
High-quality service
“The product support offered by the Tornos Service team is excellent, just as is true for its responsiveness and professionalism. We know, we will always get the best solution for our problems. Whether we have mechanical problems or problems with the software or simply with programming, we will get help from competent partners. And, what’s more, excellent availability of any spare parts is guaranteed. On the whole, we are highly satisfied with the service Tornos offers for its products,” the Managing Director concludes.
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