West Manufacturing News • November 2015 • New Facility Expands U.S. Customer Service And Support

ROHM Products of America, a provider of machine workholding clamping and gripping technologies, recently celebrated the grand opening of its new 32,000 sq. ft. Manufacturing facility and North American headquarters in Suwanee, GA.

The event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours of the new facility, new product demonstrations and educational opportunities. Guests also had the opportunity to visit nearby ZF Wind Power to learn how ROHM products are being used in wind turbine gearbox production.

The new Suwanee facility, which is three times larger than its former location in Lawrenceville, GA, allows the company to manufacture in the United States for the first time, as well as expand its customer service and support.

"Today represents a milestone. It all started as an idea nearly 40 years ago when leaders at ROHM envisioned establishing a world-class facility in North America," said Dr. Joachim Hummler, ROHM GmbH CEO. "In 1978, the company founded the first subsidiary in Miami. Then, in 1990, the company moved to the Atlanta area, a location that has served us well for many years. Now, this new state-of-the-art facility in Suwanee clearly demonstrates our commitment to this community and to being a global business partner for clamping and gripping technology.

"This facility enables us to continue our innovation, maintain the quality associated with ROHM products and improve the product manufacturing process, which in turn, will help us offer improved price points. It also will allow us to support our customers through 24 hours a day, seven days a week service."

With the new facility, ROHM is equipped to handle chucks up to 5 meters in diameter, and the larger warehouse allows it to keep more stock on hand for faster deliveries to customers. The larger facility also has room to provide expanded in-house service on larger products.

"We are able to perform all service and maintenance right here, which means we will no longer have to send any product overseas," said Matthew Mayer, CEO, ROHM Products of America. "This allows us to expand our service offerings and have more control over turnaround times, which helps keep our customers up and running."

ROHM had its latest workholding technology on display. Featured products included:

• DURA-TA XT Key Bar Chuck: Extended and easily detached guideways provide double the clamping range of the previous design. The chuck makes it easy to change between large and small workpieces.

• e-QUIPMENT Clamp Release Units: The clamp release units have been added to the electrically powered e- QUIPMENT line that includes steady rests, clamping heads, grippers, cylinder systems and tool locking systems. E-QUIPMENT clamps only require energy during actuation, eliminating the need for on-demand hydraulic power. The machine control electrically manages clamping forces and strokes, optimally adjusting them to save time and facilitate the processing of delicate workpieces.

• RRMG Synthetic Gripper 3: This customizable gripper provides 30% more clamping force than its predecessor. It features jaws with free-form surfaces that adapt to different workpiece geometries. Installable sensors are available for optional position monitoring.

• RSP-MV Swivel Unit: The compact unit features mid-position locking and a bumper concept designed to enable smooth, fast swiveling from the middle and end positions without the need to first vent the piston chamber. End and middle positions can be adjusted by ± 3° for tolerance compensation. Fine adjustment of dampers at end and middle positions provide compensation for varied workpiece geometries.

• CAPTIS Modular Workpiece Clamping System: The CAPTIS system provides a wide range of workholding options for turning, milling and drilling applications through different combinations of modular components. A quick-change method permits conversion from external to internal clamping in less than a minute, and collet changes can be made in 15 seconds.

• ABSIS Power-Operated Segment Mandrel: Designed for internal clamping, the ABSIS mandrel is designed for high-precision part production in turning, milling, grinding or tooth-cutting operations. It offers a radial run-out accuracy of 0.01 mm.

• Power-Grip Zero-Point Clamping System: Power-Grip reduces the number of set-ups required per part and allows set-up to take place outside of the machine. It provides the added benefit of allowing a workpiece to proceed through multiple machining processes without losing its zero point.

• F-Senso Chuck Clamping Force Gauge: The device quickly measures the clamping force and rotational speed of 2- and 3-jaw chucks, simplifying regular maintenance checks and ensuring continuous machining accuracy. Through Bluetooth technology, the gauge wirelessly transmits the measured values in real time to its accompanying tablet PC that comes preinstalled with measuring and analysis software.