This comes from the trade magazine "Verkstadstydningen" (Workshop News) of 12/2005

"Pallet changers can make your machine 38% more effective".

Lars-Ake Skoog from *Konga Bruk had a very special requirement

whether the company should invest in a new VMC. Thanks to cooperation between Digital Instrument, Rexsvaren & Abene they

fulfilled this requirement and because of this production at Konga was made 38% more effective.

"No single VMC should be sold without a pallet changer. It halves the downtime, loading time and increases production It also helps Swedish Workshops to keep jobs inside Sweden" So said Berndt Fohgelberg and he says this with much enthusiasm

And he is not talking about a product he does not sell through Abene from Valdemardsvik where he is Deputy Managing Director.

No. The selling is done by Sten Vollmer from Digital Instrument in Bromma and he maintains that the pallet changer is the operator's best friend. With a simple arrangement it is mounted at the front of the VMC and the operator

does not need to lean over into the working area of the machine. The job is done while the operator stands comfortably outside the machine. The operator avoids backache and shoulder problems and has been very satisfied,

but who would have thought that shop floor workers would see this as a real economic bargain?.

The increase in effectiveness can be as much as 38% according to Sten Vollmer. He has made a calculation for standard working and the machine cost is 480Kronor per hour. In a month savings in operating costs can be 30000 Kronor

once a pallet changer has been installed. "This gives a saving in production time of 670 hours per year which is not bad

at all", says Sten Vollmer. "We also believe that old slow machines can improve their output performance by

using a pallet changer.- Suddenly, you can have a machine with a good production capacity and several

years more life", he says enthusiastically. (continued)

Newly installed by Digital Instrument and through cooperating with Rexsvaren

in Valdemarsvik, a Maylan pallet changer is now at Konga Bruk in Smaland.

This till now was the largest model with a pallet size of 1250 x 500mm but

specially lengthened by a metre to 2250 x 500 mm. It is designed to take

Konga's own fixtures and to match up to Bruk's newly purchased Leadwell

MCV 2000 VMC with a magazine for 24 tools and a double arm changer.

Pallet changers vary in size and cost from 140000 Swedish Kronor. Konga Bruk's

specially designed changer is Maylan's biggest and costs around 300000 Kronor

installed and ready.

Calculations show that most pallet changers pay for themselves within 10 months.

"However, despite this good economic result it is difficult for workshop

owners to invest in pallet changers", says Bengt Fohgelberg, "but I always

include pallet changers in my offers.

Very often workshop people are cautious concerning new technology and

have to consider carefully before investing in something new".

Maybe Maylan's design is too simple for today's high tech. world? It is

completely mechanical, has no electrics, hydraulics or air, needs no

overhauling, is not attached to the VMC and is very easy to install.

Maybe it would be more acceptable if it were linked to the Internet? Anyhow,

perhaps the acceptances will increase.

"Up till now we have sold 16 pallet changers and new prospects appear all

the time", says Sten Vollmer.