Haas

Haas Automation is the largest machine tool builder in the western world, manufacturing a complete line of CNC vertical machining centers, horizontal machining centers, CNC lathes and rotary products. The company also builds a variety of specialty machines, including 5-axis machining centers, mould making machining centers, toolroom and office machines, and drill and tap machines. Haas CNC machine tools and rotary products are built to deliver durability and consistently high accuracy and repeatability.

Haas Automation has always produced top-quality products at affordable prices. The company delivers more standard features, high-tech innovations and rock-solid engineering than perhaps any other CNC manufacturer in the world – and at better prices!

Despite their reputation for dependability, Haas machines the world over are backed by one of the most carefully conceived service and support infrastructures of any machine tool company. The Haas European distribution system is designed around a series of local Factory Outlets that are dedicated to the Haas product line. Each ‘HFO’ employs factory-trained service personnel and carries a substantial inventory of spares. All told, more than (US) $50 million in spare parts are stocked at 160 locations worldwide. Haas customers can rest-assured that on those rare occasions when a machine does need special attention, the right part is never more than a few hours away.

Strong Growth
Haas Automation’s 4th-quarter 2010 revenues were up 118% over 1st-quarter 2010. The final quarter of 2010 was, in fact, the best for sales and revenue since 2008, ending a year of steadily increasing demand, with each month better than the previous. December was the best month for 2 1/2 years, with orders up 150% and revenue up 96%, year on year. To meet the increase in demand, the Haas factory in Oxnard, California more than doubled its production output during 2010: a trend senior managers expect to continue as workshops worldwide invest in Haas equipment in response to the improvement in the global economy.

Sixty percent of the Haas machines sold in 2010 went to international markets. Haas Automation Europe (HAE) enjoyed a marked increase in sales and enquiries during the last quarter of 2010 and into the first two quarters of 2011.

For the past two years the mechanical engineering team at Haas Automation Inc. has been busy on multitudinous projects to develop new and better CNC machine tools. The end of 2010 saw the launch of the DT-1 drill tap machine and the all-new ST-20 and ST-30 turning centre range. The vertical machining centre range – from the VF-1 through to the VF-12, has also benefited from some major engineering improvements, as have Haas EC horizontal machines and the TR range of trunnion rotary tables. Following suit, the popular Haas VM mouldmaking machines now offer even more performance and greater value for money.

The latest new products are the Haas DS-30 Series Y-axis turning centres, combining dual-spindle turning with Y-axis, C axis, and live tooling to create powerful ‘done-in-one’ machining solutions.

All of these new and improved products are helping to drive growth across all regions of Europe.

Trained on a Haas
The European Haas Technical Education Centre (HTEC) program was launched to counter what Haas Automation regards as one of the greatest threats to sustainable economic development: the shortage of talented and motivated young people entering precision engineering industry with CNC machining skills. The program provides Haas Automation CNC machine tools to technical learning establishments in Europe and around the world. As part of their studies, students at HTEC establishments use Haas machines and in the process become familiar with the latest CNC machining technology. With this kind of hands-on experience, students have better employment opportunities when they finally leave full time education. The HTEC program also benefits local and national engineering companies, who have access to better-educated apprentices. During 2010 Haas added 10 new, fully equipped HTECs in Europe and, for 2011 another 14 are in the pipeline bringing the total number on the continent to 60.