THE MICROTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION PORTAL/THE SHOW
02.02.2018
A - Machines
STEULET MICROTECHNIQUE SA a motivated team aiming at high performance
Two an a half years later, we now come back to get an idea of the development the company has undergone and to check whether the choice of this machine has paid dividends.
Real teamwork
Since its foundation, Steulet Microtechnique SA has been growing exponentially. Right from the start, the company has had a very clear position. The extremely responsive and professional company has rapidly gained recognition for the quality of its work. Based on this positive development, the company is now working with no less than ten EvoDeco 10 machines that have been installed in its workshop in Delémont. This workshop has also doubled its floor space while the staff is now up to 8 employees. According to CEO Richard Steulet, this success is primarily credited to a young and extremely dynamic and motivated staff. “This is the key to our success”. The company employs only highly qualified colleagues that are difficult to find in the market. Furthermore, the management decided to bank on vocational training. So, today, a 3rd year apprentice is being trained in the Delémont-based company. The CEO explains : “I consider myself fortunate to be able to work with such a team. It enables us to quickly respond to any customer request within deadlines that can hardly be met by any other company.”
Rock-solid technical expertise
Richard Steulet explains : “Right from the start, we have been focusing on the manufacture of complex parts. Our mission statement is quite simple. We want to finish the workpiece on the very same machine, even if we have to push the machine to its limits. One of our machines is equipped with 5 high-frequency spindles and, when looking at our machine inventory as a whole, we have 18 additional high-frequency spindles at our disposal. We are doing our best to find solutions for every challenge we are presented with by our customers.” “Sometimes, our machines are not even used for turning. In fact, the EvoDeco 10 machines can be converted into real milling centers that can be used to machine even the most complex parts, which is simply amazing. For us, gear cutting on the machine with one or several gear hobbing devices is simply a standard operation. We can also perform decoration processes such as sunray brushing, snailing, circular graining or even burnishing (surface polishing of ferrous metals) on all our machines. The real challenge is to unload the workpiece without damaging it.”
An ultra-modular machining platform
Steulet Microtechnique owns 4 EvoDeco 10 machines, each of them having 10-axes and 7 EvoDeco 10 machines having 8-axes each. According to the Delémont-based company, the machine has numerous advantages, its modularity being the most splendid of them. It is actually possible to mount various types of tool holders on the gang tool posts depending on the requirements of the part to be machined. The PC integrated in the machine, the self-cleaning filter and the huge and easily accessible machining area make the machine very ergonomic. In addition, the machine requires very little maintenance. “For us, the major advantage of the EvoDeco resides in its high flexibility. It provides us with a lot of possibilities we actually need given the large range of workpieces we produce in our workshops,” Production Manager Mr. Ruegg explains.
“We are used to working with tolerances of +/-2 microns”
Support by the manufacturer
He continues : “Tornos provides a most welcome support and we are dealing with true professionals who know their job inside out. The service offered worldwide is very good and stands out due to its high responsiveness. In case of programming problems, we get quick and helpful advice via the software hotline.”
A vast range of workpieces
Steulet Microtechnique SA manufactures all types of movement parts for watches from any material (steel, stainless steel, CuBe 380HV, brass). The hobbed, decorated or pierced gear train and oscillator components such as balance, barrel hook or balance-spring stud holder are nothing new to the young company. Mr. Steulet explains : “The tolerances demanded by our customers are extremely tight. We are used to working with tolerances of +/-2 microns or even less. Most of the parts manufactured by us are intended for luxury watches ; the visual aspect is thus essential. To guarantee perfect quality, we acquired a Quick Control system. We are now able to ensure the repeatability of our processes in line with the control standards.”
Rigorous management
Besides a first-class control system, the company installed an ERP management system that enables the fully centralised management of the business processes. So the identification of the materials and tool inventories is realised completely using bar codes. To guarantee full upstream traceability, the production is recorded as well. ERP also includes real-time management of the machine inventory : the workshops are equipped with screens and the workload is clear and easy to analyze for everyone. Each employee has his own tasks clearly assigned to him. Planning is updated in real time and, consequently, you can see at any time when it is possible to squeeze in an urgent series or you can confirm the delivery schedule upon the customer’s request. “We are able to track 100 % of our activities to each machine, to each batch, to each material. This system enables us to precisely manage our capacities and to guarantee full consistency in the performance of our tasks. We sell parts of very high added value, we simply cannot afford to make mistakes,” Mr. Steulet concludes. Do not hesitate to visit the website of Steulet Microtechnique to discover some of the parts produced by the company or to watch the company’s video and to see the Tornos EvoDeco 10 machines in live cutting action.
steulet-microtechnique.ch