INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 16, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hurco celebrated its 40th Anniversary by introducing an unprecedented number of new machines at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago last month. Although IMTS was two days shorter than previous years, overall attendance was up, with 1,900 people checking in at the Hurco booth this year compared to 1,800 at IMTS 2006.
The new 5-axis machines and the large machining centers drew the most attention at the Hurco booth. The VM10U was the spotlight 5-axis machine. It caught the attention of many machinists and owners who had previously considered 5-axis to be too expensive or too complex for their shop. The demonstrations illustrated the significant productivity gains achieved with 5-sided machining and how Hurco control technology simplifies the transition from three axes to five.
In total, Hurco showcased six 5-axis machines, and four of those were new to the Hurco lineup -- the VMX60SR, BX30U, VMX30U, and the aforementioned VM10U. In addition to the demonstrations at the 31 machines, Hurco conducted one-on-one demonstrations of WinMax(r), the software that powers the integrated control on all Hurco machine tools.
"I was particularly impressed with the positive feedback from the people who had never been exposed to our control technology and participated in the WinMax(r) demonstrations. For me, it confirmed that there is a real thirst for relevant technology that provides measurable productivity benefits. All of us at Hurco take pride in continually developing technology that makes machinists more productive and shop owners more profitable. IMTS was the perfect venue to debut our 14 new machines and numerous technology benefits as we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Hurco," said Jim Fabris, President and COO of Hurco Companies, Inc.
In addition to 5-axis machines, large machines were popular with customers who visited the Hurco booth. Customers who make parts for the energy sector, such as mining equipment and oil field pumps, were especially interested in the new dual column 2-meter DCX22 machining center. The new VTXZ dual zone machining center generated a great deal of interest from job shops who want the flexibility to expand the size of parts and molds they produce. The VTXZ gives job shops the advantage of flexible manufacturing and increased productivity. As a dual zone machine, the operator can set up in one zone while parts are being cut in the other zone. When the shop gets a job for large structural parts or molds, they can remove the partition and use the full zone (X/Y/Z travels of 80x26x24).
Hurco also introduced five new VM machines, the TMX line of high performance lathes, and two new services scheduled to launch next year: Extended Shop Floor and Hurco Online Tooling. Extended Shop Floor lets shop owners manage their business 24/7 from any location because it is a web based utility. IMTS visitors who watched the demonstration saw firsthand how Hurco technology bridges the gap between the business owner, the machine, and the operator. The benefits of Extended Shop Floor include remote monitoring, remote diagnostics, and remote communication.
For more information about Hurco, go to www.hurco.com, call 1-800-634-2416, or send an email to info@hurco.com.
About Hurco Companies, Inc.
Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Hurco manufactures sophisticated, yet shop floor friendly machine tools designed for virtually any application and budget. The flagship VMX Series is a production-oriented line of mills designed for speed, while the high performance TMX Series is its counterpart in the lathe category. The popular VM Series of mills and the TM Series of lathes combine small footprints with huge work cubes and best-in-class features. The U Series and SR Series feature application machines with 5-axis technology. The TMM Series includes lathes equipped with live tooling for multi-tasking. Each machining center and turning center from Hurco includes the integrated Hurco control with WinMax(r) which has multiple programming methods and is the most efficient way for machine shops to increase productivity.
CONTACT: Hurco Companies, Inc.
Maggie Smith, Media Relations Manager
317-298-2622
smithmag@hurco.com
