This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Izar inaugura su nueva fábrica

IZAR inaugurates its new plant

15/04/2008

April 15, 2008

The last 4 March fly - tools of Amorebieta opened its new manufacturing facility in Parque Empresarial Boroa, in the Basque town of Amorebieta. This is the most modern factory of Europe cutting tool. The beginning of the work took place in July 2006, and finished in October 2007. IZAR took advantage of the celebration of the biennial of machine tools (Bilbao, 3-8 March) to invite the official act of inauguration to numerous clients and personalities, including the Lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe.

IZAR factory 10,000 strawberries per day and 80,000 bits per day. To respond to this situation, it has built a factory equipped with the most modern machines, up to a total of 300, arranged in a new 'layout' designed to achieve greater flexibility and improve delivery times. A walk through the new plant allows to detect the most up-to-date technologies, as well as cells of manufacturing in which products are completed entirely, except for the surface treatment.

In 24,000 square meters of land, new facilities occupy 11,500 square meters in floor, in contrast to the 6,500 of the former factory of Amorebieta.

More data to define a fly? With a workforce of 203 workers, envisaged for this year 2008 a turnover of 23.650.000 euros.

History and future at the opening

The opening ceremony was dominated by emotions. Carlos Pujana, Managing Director of Izar, pointed out the importance of people in the history of this company and there was even a prize for the worker with more years of seniority in the company. In his speech, he also defined to fly as a "socially responsible, environmentally-friendly" company with the environment, which relies on certified in 2008 according to the ISO 14000 environmental standard and present its sustainability report.

The inauguration took place in the new facilities of hoist with the presence of some 500 people who included the Lehendakari, as well as other authorities, institutions, customers, suppliers and workers.

In his speech of welcome Carlos Pujana back to 1910, year birth Izar as a family business in Amorebieta, and referred to various situations that happened. It highlights the year 1998, when was he refounded as "Tools of Amorebieta S.A.L.", social economy project based on people. "People have been the key to our business success;" "even in the times harder, never lost the knowledge of the product, processes and quality", said Carlos Pujana, adding that customers and suppliers have contributed to the success of this project.

The montage with images which showed the course from the beginning of this company until today, was followed by the speech of Mari Feli Arrizabalaga, President of the Board of Directors of Izar, who recalled his history and references more significant.

There was also a symbolic recognition to individuals and groups who helped in the success of this company:

Eduardo Salazar, Managing Director of ASIDE, Association of industrial supplies of Spain, on behalf of the Group of customers.

To Peter Deutscher, of Böhler-Uddeholm, as representative of the supplier.

To José María Amo, worker in assets with more seniority, on behalf of the Group of workers.

Following the intervention of the Lehendakari, a spectacle of music, dance, photo and video art symbolized the history of Izar, a company that still today more modern, had not been possible without the values that made possible the creation of the old factory.

The new plant

-Factory of strawberries: with a manufacture of 10,000 strawberries a day, from high speed steel, sintered steel and hard metal, is one of the two legs on which underpins this company. There are tools for RIP cutting side, an activity which represents 25 per cent of the total turnover. In this area of the new factory hoisting account with machines of 5-axis of the Schneeberger brand, as well as others such as Rollomatic, 3 axes and the original manual machinery for a single operation.

-Factory of drill bits: is the other leg of the company. Here are the tools for drilling of vertical cut. With a production of 80,000 bits per day, this activity represents 50 per cent of its turnover.

They are composed of four areas macrocell each, where there are 4 different products

If there were before the independent activities of centreless grinding, grooved, sharp and keen, now, with the new factory and new organization of the means of production, all this is integrated into cells.

It also has a workshop to meet special needs, which includes two 10 axes ITM machines to make a complete product, as well as the necessary means for the heat treatment, the key performance and quality of the tools.

Finally, stands out the filtradora to move the vital fluid, oil cooling throughout the company, located in the basement, under the production workshop. The factory has been suspended on a basis of stilts directly on the rock.