BUMAX has recently invested several million SEK on three new state-of-the-art machines to further enhance its operations. Two bolt pointing machines, and one flat die thread rolling machine were installed in October 2020 following approximately a year of planning and preparation.
“The machines replace five older semi-manual pointing and thread rolling machines and enable us to produce fasteners even more efficiently and safely,” explains Anders Sjölund, Manager Service & Maintenance, Project Manager at BUMAX AB.
Productivity boost
“Our new machines are highly automated, which means that one operator can manage several machines at the same time,” continues Sjölund. “They also use direct drives to provide better control of the production process and are capable of producing more fasteners per shift as they are faster.”
In addition, the next-generation machines have fewer mechanical parts, which will ensure they require less maintenance and further reduce production downtime at the factory.
Customer quality assurance
BUMAX always delivers the highest quality to customers. The new machines are an investment in securing quality for the future, and the company’s ability to continue to deliver fasteners of extremely high quality for customers around the world.
“A new capability the machines can offer is the ability to produce hollow fasteners, although this will require further development,” says Sjölund.
Enhancing employee safety
BUMAX has very high levels of safety at its factory in Åshammar, with safety and incident rates consistently below the industry average. The new machines further enhance safety by reducing risks through greater automation.
“The old machines we had were semi-automatic and operators needed to manually feed the machines,” explains Sjölund. “Our new machines use automated feeding processes, which removes those safety-related risks altogether. Automated feeding also requires less lifting and bending to improve ergonomics for our machine operators.”
Supplier cooperation and future plans
“We enjoyed very good cooperation with our Italian machine supplier to deliver machines that fully meet our needs – both now and in the future,” says Sjölund.
BUMAX will continue to invest in its production with a new thread rolling machine, which will replace two older machines, and be able to produce threaded rods and stud bolts. A pre-study has begun, and the project will commence in 2021.
