The UK company is already the distributor for Toyoda, Mitsui Seiki, Wele, Pal-Tec Automation, Reiden and Fermat brands, taking in horizontal and vertical machining centres (including 5-axis and gantry-style units), jig borers, boring machines, grinding machines and automation. The tie-up with Halbronn Group adds OKK machining centres and related automation to that list.
The Halbronn Group, based in Paris, is the leading distributor of machine tools in France, employing 61 people and boasting sales in excess of €35 million. In addition to Paris, four showrooms are strategically located around the country, and as part of its European strategy a branch was set up in Poland in 2013, employing six people, with a Belgian operation opened in 2014, employing seven.
Like 2D CNC, Halbronn has established strong partnerships with customers on major industrial projects, especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical and capital goods sectors. Over its 30 years in business, more than 5,000 installations have been made throughout Europe. In addition to representing Japan’s OKK, Halbronn also represents German firm Alzmetall machining centres.
At MACH 2016 (Stand 5650, Birmingham NEC, 11-15 April), 2D CNC Machinery will launch an OKK 5-axis VC-X350 vertical machining cell featuring Halbronn’s own design and developed pallet system and robot. In addition, an OKK HM-X6000, 5-axis horizontal machining centre will be shown for the first time in the UK.
2D CNC Machinery directors David Holden and David Johnson confirm that the company will continue to operate from its 7,500 ft² technical centre in Hinckley, but the company will see added investment and increased levels of technical support, service and application engineering.
The Hinckley site boasts a large showroom and areas for service and spares, a customer training school and an engineering centre for the development of turnkey packages, in-depth machining demonstrations and customer acceptance trials.
Commenting on the merger, 2D CNC Machinery's Holden says: “By joining with Halbronn Group, 2D CNC Machinery’s future looks very exciting. It has given our customers - and prospective clients – an enviable one-stop source for the latest machining and automation systems from class-leading suppliers, as well as superlative technical engineering development skills.”
Halbronn group director Bernard Bettan adds: “Our merger with 2D CNC Machinery is seen as the perfect fit with our existing product ranges and applications engineering development skills sets.This will create for users across all industry sectors an unmatched product and service offering.”
