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Laurent Ruiz, manager of the Microturning Division, and Didier Muriset, industrial manmager, Pibor ISO, in front of a SwissNano.
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Image 2: Laurent Ruiz, manager of the Microturning Division, and Didier Muriset, industrial manmager, Pibor ISO, receiving the 1,000th TISIS license from Patrick Neuenschwander, software R&D manager, Tornos.
Pibor ISO is a Swiss manufacturer of high-precision watch components headquartered in the Jura Mountains. The company produces crowns and push-pieces as well as other components for some of the most renowned luxury watch and jewellery manufacturers.
Pibor ISO endeavours to provide its customers with parts of exceptional quality and to help it achieve this has turned to Tornos for its bar turning processes. Just recently, the company invested in a Swiss DT 13 machine and became the 1000th Tornos customer to acquire the TISIS license.
Headquartered in the Swiss Jura Mountains, Pibor ISO produces crowns and push-pieces as well as other watch components for some of the most renowned luxury watch and jewellery manufacturers.
A case of proximity and Swiss technology
Several years ago, Pibor ISO opted for Tornos machine tools, first on account of proximity and second because of its confidence in Swiss machines and technology. These two factors made Tornos a logical choice. In total, Pibor ISO is currently operating more than 70 automatic lathes for production, all of them designed for diameters measuring between 1 and 16 mm.
Didier Muriset, industrial manager at Pibor ISO, explained: “Close proximity to the Tornos headquarters offers numerous advantages; service works are carried out promptly, we have very good contacts within the company and we benefit from excellent support. That’s why we collaborate with Tornos. What’s more, we are deeply satisfied with their machines.”
All machines at Pibor ISO are relatively new, the average age being under five years. The company has purchased every type of Tornos machine, namely the Deco 10, Deco 13, EvoDeco 10, EvoDeco 16, Micro 7, Micro 8, Delta 12 and Delta 20, SwissNano and, most recently, the Swiss DT 13.
Global recognition
According to Muriset, a key element of Pibor ISO’s philosophy is regarding its customers’ requirements as opportunities for technical advancement. Production is focused at a single site in Switzerland that relies on full vertical integration and has 120 employees.
The company undertakes more than 40 activities dedicated to the design and manufacture of crowns, push-pieces, complex-shape parts and other application processes. It is establishing itself as a globally recognised name for the development and production of decorative watch case parts in an extensive range of materials, having the ability to process any type of metal and precious metal as well as titanium carbide.
Furthermore, Pibor ISO is a member of the RJC initiative (Responsible Jewellery Council) and holds RJC and CoC (Chain of Custody) certifications. The company is obliged to obtain RJC certification within two years of its admission and undertakes to implement and promote responsible business practices as regards ethics, environment and working conditions.
CoC certification is based on the CoC standard and thus complements RJC certification. The CoC standard guarantees responsible and conflict-free sourcing throughout the supply chain on the basis of an established surveillance of the certified entities. The purpose of this certification is to confirm good business practices among companies involved in the supply chain of gold and diamonds, from the mine through to distribution.
Excellent know-how and customer service
More than sixty years’ research, studies and development enable Pibor ISO to equip its engineers with the know-how required to support watch manufacturers in the realisation of projects that set fashions and trends. The company’s expertise is not limited to bar turning; it possesses milling, polishing, stamping and reworking skills. It also produces its own tools, evidencing its full vertical integration.
Pibor ISO’s technical office and R&D department are open to customers, thus facilitating the joint tackling of challenges posed by certain workpieces. The company’s flexibility and responsiveness enable the delivery of prototypes in less than three weeks.
Deco and EvoDeco for flexibility
Pibor ISO’s machine inventory mainly consists of Deco and EvoDeco machines because they are exceptionally flexible and especially suitable for machining complex workpieces. The machines are said to offer high ease of set-up, a freely accessible machining area and convenient ergonomic features.
Furthermore, there is a long list of auxiliary equipment and it is therefore easy to customise the machines to meet specific requirements. Most of Pibor ISO’s machines are equipped with several high-frequency spindles. “It should be noted that machining crowns is a complex task,” said Muriset. “Some crowns comprise more than 25 components and the Deco and EvoDeco machines are really flexible machining solutions that enable us to meet even the most complex demands of our customers.”
SwissNano for small components
Pibor ISO recently purchased seven SwissNano machines to complement its Deco and EvoDeco machines. The SwissNano machine affords high levels of precision and thermal stability. Furthermore, it is easy to set up and operate.
The machines at Pibor ISO are being used for the production of smaller and less complex components than those produced on the Deco and EvoDeco machines.
Laurent Ruiz, manager of the Microturning Division at Pibor ISO, elaborated: “The SwissNano certainly has its merits. It can be equipped with a polygon cutting attachment for specific machining requirements. Also, almost no training is required as the Tornos machine interface (TMI) ensures intuitive operation while the TISIS software offers optimum accessibility. Operators of Swiss-type machines who are used to working with ISO control features will get along quickly with this machine.”
Swiss DT 13 for simple workpieces
Pibor ISO required a simple yet efficient machine for lower value-added parts to replace its Delta 12 machines. The Swiss DT 13 is described by Muriset as "a worthy successor." The Swiss DT 13 can be programmed using TISIS software and this proved advantageous since the company already had a fleet of SwissNano machines that uses this software.
The Swiss DT 13 appealed to Pibor ISO because of its simple yet effective kinematics, allowing for very short chip-to-chip times.
1,000th TISIS license
Pibor ISO’s purchase of the Swiss DT 13 makes it the 1,000th customer to activate a TISIS license.
Ruiz summarised: “This software is extremely easy to use and is a precious help for machine programming and set-up. It is highly advantageous for the operator and much appreciated in the company, especially by those looking for optimum programming assistance. The editor boasts high performance, and the correction in real time, 2D simulation, cycle time calculation and Gantt chart functions are really useful. The production monitoring functions of the software demonstrate that Tornos closely monitors the trends. We can thus feel reassured that Tornos [will be] able to support our future requirements. We are delighted to be named the 1000th TISIS licensee.”
Pibor ISO
Tornos