A Kind of longevity
that’s BEEN built to last
JWB Group will be celebrating
NZEN editor, Greg Robertson, sees the first Haas ever sold into New Zealand and the latest JWB install, too
50 years in business in 2019.
It’s a celebration that three
generations of ‘Bowring’
can be very proud of, since the
engineering doors were opened in
1969.
When Grant Bowring took the helm
he continued in the best traditions
of the formation company, and
father Warwick, and made it a
priority to do business with people
and to treat them how he wants to
be treated.
The result has been some very
long-lasting business relationships.
Aotea, and Haas, is exactly that
sort of relationship.
“We bought our first Haas in
1996,” says Grant. It was actually
the first Haas machine sold by
Haas Factory Outlet New Zealand,
a division of Aotea Machinery.
“It’s still going strong. Sure, like
all machines that age it’s done
endless miles and has had little
maintenance along the way, but it
started a bit of a Haas trend in the
JWB workshop.”
The Haas VF-3 vertical machining
centre may have been the
first Haas machine to hit the
engineering workshop floor, but
it was by no means the last. The
next year, JWB doubled its Haas
numbers, and today there are five
Haas machines on site including
a lathe and bar feeder that was
installed in 2011, a VF-2SS in
2016 - and in October this year a
new VF-3SS.
It’s a relationship that has been
appreciated by Haas and Aotea
Machinery, too.
“It’s absolutely one of those
long-standing relationships you set
out to achieve in the engineering
and manufacturing industries,”
says Karl Medley, Haas national
account manager. “It’s not just
about the machines and the follow
up service support – that’s there
always from our end – but to be
able to see and be part of such
a great engineering icon that will
soon reach 50 years in business…
that’s just a great pleasure.
“We’ve been there to see and play
a role in their growth and how the
business has transitioned from
Grant’s father Warwick, to Grant
and then who knows, perhaps
one day on to the third generation,
Blair.
“I get to be part of their
development as they explore new
possibilities with the VF-3SS.
That’s what I love about my job.”
The VF-3SS is chock-full of
features. The super speed vertical
machining centre (1016 x 508 x
635 mm), features 40 taper, 30
hp (22.4 kW) vector drive, 12,000
rpm, inline direct-drive, 30+1
side-mount tool changer, 35.6 m/
min rapids, power-failure detection
module, 1 GB program memory,
15-inch colour LCD monitor, USB
port, memory lock keyswitch, rigid
tapping and 208 litre flood coolant
system. Optional equipment is also
available.
“We’ve been through the early
days of Japanese machines, then
a Taiwanese machine that was
more trouble than it was worth.
To cut a long story short, since
Haas we’ve not looked elsewhere
beyond Aotea,” says Grant.
Grant with the first Haas sold into New Zealand - a Haas VF-3.
Engineering the future: JWB has the experience as well as youth coming through. Blair
(left to right), Louis McNair and Nick Baldwin talk about the latest job to come off a Haas.
The VF-3SS is chock-full
of features. The super
speed vertical machining
centre (1016 x 508 x 635
mm), features 40 taper, 30
hp (22.4 kW) vector drive,
12,000 rpm, inline directdrive,
30+1 side-mount tool
changer, 35.6 m/min rapids,
power-failure detection
module and more.
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