The new range of high performance machining centres for developing markets offers very productive solutions for machining ferrous parts for trucks, tractors, earthmovers and construction equipment, compressors, machine tools, gearboxes, valves, hydraulics, and general engineering.

Starrag India, a whole-time subsidiary of Starrag Group Holding AG, recently announced the launch of new range of high performance WMW IWK Horizontal Machining Centre s(HMC) at the International Machine tool Show, Imtex 2013 at Bengaluru. Starrag India also announced the inauguration of their new factory to produce machining centres at Bengaluru in January 2013.

Dr Frank Brinken, President & Chief Executive Officer, Starrag Group, said ?WMW is one of our ten heritage brands globally renowned for long-term accuracy, long-term performance and long-term reliability. The other well known brands are SIP, Dorries, Heckert, Starrag, Drop + Rein, Bumotec, Bertheiz and Scharmann. India has several installations of SIP jigboring of many generation technologies and their durability and longterm accuracy is the hallmark of our ten brands. The new range of high performance machining centre s for developing markets offer very productive solutions for machining ferrous parts for trucks, tractors, earthmovers and construction equipment, windmills, compressors, machine tools, gearboxes, valves, hydraulics, turbine blade root and general engineering.

These 4-axis machining centres have many unique features for high performance milling of ferrous and hard metal using time tested Heckert high torque gear box spindle technology, using heavy- duty tooling for a high productivity.?

The company also announced inauguration of a greenfield factory at Bengaluru in January 2013, by its Chairman, Walter Fust, to build these WMW machining centres in India.

AN Chandramouli, Managing Director, Starrag India, said, ?The greenfield manufacturing facility with a 12 million Swiss Francs or Rs 60 crore investment has come up in Bengaluru at KIADB Aerospace Park; Devanahalli. It was approved by Karnataka Udyog Mitra during the Global Investor Meet in June 2010. Indeed, Starrag India is the first factory to launch in this new industrial park. The factory will rollout four popular size models of WMW horizontal machining centre s from July 2013 to December 2014. A cost reduction programme through local supply chain is in advanced stage and there will be a national road show of the localised product by July 2013. The two-phased manufacturing programme (60~120 units per year) will mainly be absorbed by Indian market which is now on its economic revival after a slow down in 2012. Employment of 300 highly skilled technicians will be generated over time directly by this investment. In the new factory, an apprentice training centre has been commissioned using Swiss Vocational Education and Training (VET) programmes already tailor-made in collaboration with SWISS-MEM.?

Gunther Eller, Global VP of Customer Service, added, ?The new plant in Devanahalli will also house the customer service centre for the region, supporting all brands of the group. Spare parts stocks and high level training programmes for our local service engineers will ensure that our global leading standards for customer service are maintained in India.?