🎧 STUDER forms success for TEMSA

The Spanish TEMSA Metallurgical Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of special tools for cold forming. The company also uses cylindrical grinding machines from STUDER in its production facility in Barcelona.

Alfonso Vivar walks through a large hall that radiates a sense of order, despite its multitude of machinery, workstations with monitors, and focused employees. Everything has its place, every work step is carefully planned, and at its heart is a yellow robot arm working away methodically in an 8,000sq/m plant to the west of Barcelona, Spain. Production Manager Alfonso Vivar knows every corner of the plant. His shirt bears the bright red logo of his employer, TEMSA Metallurgical Group, a leading global specialist in the production of high-precision tools for cold forming and an expert in powder metallurgy, sintering and fine cutting.

With cold forming, metal below the recrystallisation temperature is forced into a specific shape using high compressive and tensile forces. Compared to metal-cutting operations, this allows for shorter processing times per workpiece, thereby reducing costs in series production. Cold forming also allows for high strength, complex geometries, and excellent surface properties of components for high-tech industries such as aerospace and automotive. 

“Our team can manufacture special tools in a tolerance range of just a micron,” explains Vivar, proudly. TEMSA’s site in Barcelona has around one hundred employees, all working to manufacture tools to exacting customer requirements. “Our expertise also helps us to accomplish short lead times. But that’s only because we use the very best machinery.” 

Confidence in the Technology

“We acquired a new STUDER S100 earlier this year, together with a favoritCNC.” Vivar points to the CNC universal internal cylindrical grinding machine, painted white with blue accents. This colour combination is typical of STUDER’s cylindrical grinding machines and is a familiar sight at the TEMSA plant. The company operates several STUDER machines for grinding tasks, including the S131, a new generation CNC universal machine for internal cylindrical grinding. “We have confidence in the technology, and value the positive relationship we have with the manufacturer,” explains Vivar of the decision to invest. 

As an example, the S100 is a great all-rounder offering maximum precision thanks to its numerous options for internal, face, and external grinding. The machine facilitates the production of a wide range of workpieces up to 550mm in length. The favoritCNC is a CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine for individual and batch production of medium-sized workpieces with a length of up to 680mm. Both machines have an exceptional price-performance ratio, while at the same time offering premium technology, such as the machine bed of solid mineral cast Granitan® and optimal hardware-software interplay for ease of operation. The S131 for internal cylindrical grinding with a patented StuderGuide® guide system, turret wheel head with up to four grinding spindles, and an additional C-axis is ideal for high-precision manufacture of flanged parts and smaller workpieces in a wide range of applications.

In addition to the quality level of the machinery, Vivar cites another important reason for opting for STUDER: “The customer service is outstanding, and we have several contact persons who can speak Spanish,” he explains. This helps to ensure easy and direct communication. He also values what STUDER has to offer in terms of preventive maintenance. This includes regular and routine inspections of the machinery by STUDER’s technical personnel, designed to minimise the risk of production failures and improve their operational durability. 

Riccardo Delai, Sales Manager for Latin Europe at STUDER visits the plant in Barcelona at regular intervals and is often on the phone with TEMSA employees. “Personal contact is extremely important as it helps me to know what is working well and what needs attention. We are delighted with the international success of TEMSA as a fully Spanish company, and it demonstrates what can be achieved with our machinery,” emphasises Delai.

Investing in the Future Safeguards Success

TEMSA’s success story goes back more than 30 years when the fledgling company produced high-precision tools from tungsten carbide and steel. Through consistent investment, the Spanish company has quickly been able to establish an excellent reputation around the world. Today, the company is a world leader in special tools for cold-forming processes. “I am extremely proud of our team. We have many second-generation employees working with us, and at Christmas, we always have a meal together with the first generation,” explains Vivar, a TEMSA veteran of 25 years. 

This appreciation for tradition is paired with foresight for the future, and TEMSA was an early adopter of automation to make production more efficient. One such example is the yellow, 360-degree operating robot arm here in the plant, which automatically sorts numerous tools and allocates them to the machine according to requirements and processing cycles. “We want to move automation up a level in the future, which is a real challenge,” explains Vivar. This is another area in which STUDER is a valuable partner, having ample experience in customised and standardised automation solutions. As an example, the S100 can be equipped with a loader interface and automatic sliding door and thus integrated into an automated production line. The S131 also has a standardised interface for a loader and peripheral equipment.