HI-TECH CZECH MACHINE TOOLS

Constant hi-tech innovation keeps the leading Czech company Skoda Machine Tool, a producer
of heavy-duty machine tools based in Plzen, ahead of the competition. Janusz Mondry reports.

koda Machine Tool sro is a leading

maker of horizontal milling and boring
machines, lathes and various single
purpose machines. In its long history in the
machine tool business Skoda Machine Tool
has produced many unique high precision
machine tools selling all over the world.
Currently the companys core business is
focused on production and sales of heavyduty horizontal miller / borers. The company has a strong R&D tradition using the
latest computer-aided techniques for both
machine design and production methods.
The company is ISO 9001 certified with
many international awards to its credit; it is
owned by Telonia which comes within the
Russian Stankoimpex group.
Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in
1989, the Czech Republic, formerly part
of Czechoslovakia, was able to adapt rapidly to its new economic situation. As the
main supplier to former Soviet bloc countries the Czech machine tool industry
showed great ability to face up to the new

36 Industry Europe

challenges of market economy. Within just

a few years the Czech makers were successfully competing in world markets
offering quality machines and competent
after-sales services.
By 1994 the Czech machine tool
industry ranked number 14 globally and
seven in Europe with a total annual output
approaching $285 million in value terms.
The bulk of the output was exported to
Germany, Italy, the USA and other markets,
partnering and supplying such giants as
Boeing, Rolls Royce, VW and others. From
the start, the Czech machine tool makers
understood the importance of being present
in European and global production and
sale, structures. Most Czech producers
concentrated on lathes and turning
machines while Skoda Machine Tool
focused on heavy-duty horizontal milling and
boring machines and heavy-duty horizontal
lathes equipped with numerical control.
The company has also gained recognition
for building two series of milling and boring

machines. Like other Skoda machines the

SMT heavy-duty milling units can be customised with comprehensive supplies of
accessories. Today the company has
become a world-leading maker and supplier of heavy-duty machine tools, building
on strong tradition and long history
of experience.
Constant technical innovation and skilful
marketing have jointly contributed to the
companys successful development. While
European and US heavy-duty makers had
been contracting from the mid 1990s, Skoda
Machine Tool continued developing and
building its heavy-duty products, reaching
a turnover of about 35 million in 2005.
The demand for super-heavy machine
tools may have been small but the company rightly anticipated an upsurge in
demand stemming from renewed power
station construction worldwide.
Since 1996 Skoda Machine Tool has
been producing its HCW CNC horizontal
miller / borer designs and FCW rotary
Industry Europe 37

table versions based on experience of previous years. In recent years the company
has carried out a thorough innovation of its
entire production programme with core
business moving towards the HCW heavyduty horizontal machines, says the companys managing director Mr Milan Blaha.
Its main focus is on modular design concepts introduced in 2001, covering the
spindle diameters of 150300mm with
hydrostatic conducting surfaces.

New production concepts

Horizontal boring and milling machines are
the core of the companys manufacturing
programme and are continuously devel-

oped to new levels of perfection. The modular series HCW is the most sophisticated
and technically advanced system from
Skoda Machine Tool, with effective NC systems. The spindle diameter and the main
drive motor power are selected and made
to customer requirements. The same applies
to the selection of accessories so that complete workstations can be designed and
delivered at low cost investments.
The HCW series is supplemented by
lighter machine tools FCW with a spindle
diameter of 140150mm and linear rolling
guides in all axis. Light machine tools with
a sliding spindle represent the newest concept in their class. The slide deflection is

automatically compensated. The FCW

model is a boring and milling machine with
extendable boring spindle and non-extendable milling spindle. The customised NC
system is provided for various additional
functions such as work-piece and tool
measurements as well as the tool loading,
fracture and lifetime control. The modular
concept of the machines enables a very flexible configuration of complex workstations.
Both HCW and FCW types have automatic ram deflection compensation system
and are highly automated and equipped
with high levels of technological accessories including automated tool replacement systems, milling and boring heads
and rotary tables of TDV type for a workpiece weight of 25 to 250 tons.
Heavy-duty general purpose centre lathes
are the next important product in the Skoda
Machine Tool modular series. The modular
design concept of the Skoda SR lathes
makes it possible to select the optimum
configuration to meet the required specifications. The wide scope of accessories supplied on request facilitates other machining

Foundry in Blansko is a corporation having a rich tradition and good

experience in metallurgical production of grey cast iron up to 25 tons of
gross mass (max. dimensions of casting 8000x4000x2500mm), carbon
and alloyed steel up to 8 tons of gross mass (max.dimension of casting
5000x3500x2000mm) and nodular cast iron up to 4 tons of gross mass
(max. dimensions of casting 5000x3500x2000mm), which is dated since
theestablishment in 1698.

Robot for flame cutting of risers on

steel castings ANDROMAT

38 Industry Europe

Moulding line / Implus/

supplied by GF Switzerland

Industry Europe 39

functions and complete machining of the

work-piece. Skoda SR lathes have been
found to be highly effective in machining
crankshafts or turbine rotors.
Among the latest SR types are hydrostatic four-track lathe beds with a swing
over carriage of 1.0 to 5.2m and a maximum work-piece weight of 16 to 250 tons.
The technological capabilities of Skoda SR
lathes can be enhanced by such accessories as automated revolving turrets,
boring rods and milling accessories, hydrostatic stays, chip conveyors and tool and
work-piece control equipment.
Horizontal machine tools and lathes for the
core of the companys machining centres are
intended as complete workstations for special technological purposes. The conceptual
solution of the Skoda machine tools makes it
possible to design complete workstations
according to specific tasks. The customer
requirements are fully met and incorporated
into most effective machining centres.
Examples of Skoda-designed workstations throughout the world include workstations for the machining of steam turbine
motors, workstations for slot milling of
turbo-generator rotors, workstations
including equipment for machining of
rolled-sheet coiling machines and workstations for machining of crankshaft forgings of
maximum length 15m and work-piece
weight up to 150 tons, and workstations
for machining of build-up crankshaft of
maximum weight 250 tons with skiving
technology.

Excellent R&D
The company runs a forward-looking
research, development and design programme using the latest techniques for
both machine part design and model verification of the part strength and deformation parameters prior to production.
Special CAD systems are applied in all
hi-tech sectors responsible for machine
design and manufacturing technology.
Particular requirements of customers with

40 Industry Europe

regard to machine modification can be

easily accommodated. The state-of-the-art
simulation methods used ensure correct
part dimensioning and overall perfection of
machine designs. The advanced plant
technology helps keep the production
costs low so as to keep product pricing
most competitive. The Skoda machines
comply with EU standards and other international norms and specifications.

Top horizontal supplier

Skoda-made machine tools are exported and
in operation in many countries in Europe, Asia
and America. The company uses a worldwide
network of trade agents but direct contact
with customers and end-users is of paramount importance. The company provides
high quality sales services including spare
parts and hi-tech accessory supplies, software programmes and machine upgrading,
remote diagnosis equipment and others.
China and Germany alone cover 40 per
cent of exported output followed by South
Korea, the Netherlands and the Ukraine.
Significant export potential still remains in
Skodas traditional markets of Russia and
India, says the companys Mr Blaha. The
long list of its significant partners and
customers includes Siemens, Alstom,
Sandvik, Wartsilla, Mitsubishi, JSW,
Doosan and Daewoo.
In recent years Skoda Machine Tool has
been securing orders to the tune of 50 million per year. Recent export contracts include
heavy rotor slot milling equipment to customers in Sweden and South Korea, crankshaft machining equipment with rotary milling
and work-piece weight of 150 tons to Czech
Skoda Steel and so forth.

Most recently, Skoda Machine Tool

secured orders for four heavy lathes to China
and nuclear waste land burial equipment to
Germany. All these orders are realised
through our special machining centres providing the newest conceptual solutions to its
core modular series, explains Mr Blaha.
About 20 per cent of current production is
constantly modernised and upgraded.
According to current estimates about
60 pieces of heavy-duty horizontal
machines and 15 pieces of heavy lathes
are sold every year. According to Mr
Blaha Skoda Machine Tool, in the last
two years, has emerged as the world
number one maker and supplier in the
category of heavy horizontal machines
accounting for nearly 40 per cent of
global markets.
In the heavy lathes category the company ranks five but is aiming to move up
to third place in two years, time. The key
factor behind the companys success
here is constant innovation and the
improvement of its products technological parameters. It is owing to this factor
that Skoda Machine Tool is at all times
one step ahead of competition, mainly
from German and Italian producers of
heavy horizontal machines and lathes.
Regarding the companys future plans,
the first important step towards maintaining
its leading position has been the substantial
increase of capitalisation by Skoda Machine
Tools new owner to the current 15 million.
Using the new and improved capital foundation the management plans to invest in
further expansion and improvement of production facilities to further improve productivity and competitiveness.