SMC invests in local assembly

SMC Corporation ANZ has announced it will now undertake the local assembly and stockholding of a range of electric cylinders. In a bid to shorten lead times, the company said it will have a significant amount of stock at its central warehouse in New South Wales, and plans to stock up its Auckland warehouse in New Zealand later this year.

“We are currently bringing in AC electric cylinder systems and will have full a range of options on hand. This includes cylinders, motors, drivers, cables and other accessories. Soon thereafter, we will focus on bringing in DC systems,” said Jozef Ceh, Digital Transformation Manager for SMC.

“Our team is always on hand to assist with onsite and virtual assistance as well as technical queries,” he added. “Having this large stock contingent on hand is ideal for shortening lead times and offers peace of mind in terms of spare parts and accessories.”

Ceh added that customers will also stand to benefit from local upgrades. “For customers with complex and demanding applications, we can develop customised solutions quickly and efficiently,” he said.

Electric cylinders continue to grow in popularity and local demand justifies the investment, according to SMC.

In addition to SMC’s standard complete system offer, a motorless cylinder option will allow the user further flexibility of using their preferred choice of servo motor to be mounted onto the cylinder. The series is currently compatible with those of 15 companies including Beckhoff, ANCA Motion, Omron, Rockwell and Siemens.

“Electric cylinders are best known for their precision, ease of use and flexibility. They’re especially in demand as we see a rise in smart factories around the country,” Ceh said. “We offer an electric cylinder to accommodate every application. Our range includes a high-rigidity slider type (LEJ series), a rod type (LEY) and a guide rod type (LEYG).

“Where downtime is fast becoming a liability and scheduled maintenance downtime is proving taxing on production, repurposing machinery via software is fast becoming a key differentiator for machine builders. This shift has seen the demand for electric cylinder becoming a more logical choice,” he continued.

“In saying that, it is important to understand that electric cylinders are not designed to replace pneumatic cylinders (or vice versa). They have been designed to be used in their respective applications. Typically, an electric cylinder is used in areas where a higher level of complexity is required, such as positioning accuracy, intermediate stops, a more sophisticated form of speed, acceleration, or force control.”