Gisbert, the Spanish manufacturers of the CNC workcentres and saws sold in the UK by D Zambelis in Essex, will not be exhibiting at Marmomacc, but the company does have some new machines to interest the British and Irish markets.
Notably, and in conjunction with its British representative, it has developed a version of the CP35MBA monoblock saw that should be better for many companies in the UK.
Called the CP25MBA, the new monoblock has much the same engineering as the CP35 but with different dimensions and simplified operation.
The bridge has been lengthened so it can cut up to 3.5m, which is the full length of the table. The table is 1.9m wide and is tilted and turned manually using just one hydraulic piston and a mechanical brake to lock it into position. The head is also rotated manually through
0-90º and the blade can be tilted manually to 45º.
With less steel in the construction, less automation and only one piston there is a weight saving of 1.5tonnes on the 5tonne CP35. The net result is a price of something approaching £7,000 less than the CP35.
Another response to what customers in the UK were asking for is the FG250 CNC workcentre, which fills a gap in the range between the FT200 and the FT3000.
Like the FT200 it can fit into a lorry fully assembled, which makes it easy to install in a workshop. Its overall dimensions are 3.7m x 2.4m x 1.93m and it weighs 3.2tonnes.
It has a working area of 2.5m x 1.2m, an X axis of 2.7m, Y axis of 1.54m and Z axis of 370mm.
It comes with a 20-tool magazine for automatic tool change, delivery, installation and five days training for less than £70,000. D Zambelis Director Stella Zambelis says she is offering a fully inclusive price with no hidden extras.
The only additional cost is the tools to use on the machine and the hire of the crane to lift it off the lorry and into position. And Zambelis are even helping with that by quoting a delivery time so the crane can be hired for the time needed rather than the whole day.
Stella says the only complaints she got with the Gisberts was the cost of repairs, so now she leaves the repairs to independent engineers who buy spares directly from Gisbert. It means Zambelis do not make money from maintenance and repair but, says Stella, “I sleep peacefully in the night”.
One of the strengths of Gisbert has been that the company is willing to tailor its machines to the specific requirements of individual customers and 90% of what Zambelis has sold has been customised. But that is only possible because the machines are not made until they are ordered. Just at the moment, when customers place an order they usually want delivery next week and Gisbert are quoting 12-15 weeks.
With the Olympics disrupting traffic in August, some customers accepted partly finished machines ahead of the games that were assembled on their premises rather than have to wait until September for them.
As well as the Gisberts, Zambelis sell the Italian Achillis and Achilli are at Marmomacc. They are showing a new saw, the MSA Monoblock with a fixed bridge and a 5.5kW motor (electronic speed adjustment is optional) that carries a blade up to 350mm and can be set to cut 45º angles. The Polizene worktable is 3m x 1m.
The head moves on linear guides with recirculating ball slides. There are 10 pneumatic pistons to lock the piece while working and options include a water tank with built-in recycling pump and a side table with rollers.