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For 10 years, the Queretaro manufacturer of components for automotive subassemblies has invested in CNC turning equipment that allowed to attract larger and more complex projects, generating a virtuous circle of growth in every sense.

Established in the city of Querétaro since 1992, the company MAQUILAS Y REPROCESOS INDUSTRIALES, manufactures components for the automotive industry made with metalworking processes. Thanks to the recurring investment for more than 10 years in high-end CNC lathes of the OKUMA brand, they have managed to grow their production offer for more complex and higher precision companies, expanding their business spectrum, as well as the confidence of their clients of transnational firms that stand out such as Danfoss Automotive, Eaton, Gabriel Ride Control and Norgren Automotive.

In 2008, Gerardo Ledesma, CEO of MAQUILAS Y REPROCESOS INDUSTRIALES, took the company’s operation founded by his father and acquired the first CNC lathe in 2010, confident that it was with technology that they should face the challenges to come. And he was not wrong.

Until then, the jobshop was operated with automatic screw machines with operators that satisfied the demand of auto parts manufacturers located in the surrounding industrial parks in Queretaro. Mr. Ledesma, of a little bit more than 20 years old at the time, considered that, to obtain better paid projects and staying competitive in the market, it was necessary to bet on high level tech and innovation. This way, and thinking in a specific project, he started to evaluate CNC machinery, looking into information gathered by his father a few years back. It was like that, he approached HEMAQ to ask for proposal.

“I contacted Alfredo Cruz, HEMAQ Regional sales manager, who after reviewing the project accompanied me in assessing the needs of the new project. I showed him the plans, the parts and based on that we decided to acquire an OKUMA GENOS L250 lathe. What I was looking for, was to buy quality with a competitive brand”.

To get it, a financing program was required and offered by HEMAQ. Ledesma and his team put money from their own pockets for the down payment and to finalize the transfer and installation of the turning center.

With the machine in position, MAQUILAS Y REPROCESOS INDUSTRIALES team, including Mr. Ledesma, initiated the training process in front of the machine, focus on the needs that the project demanded. “Without a doubt is a plus that HEMAQ gave us”.

Although the businessman had prior knowledge on CNC programming when he studied industrial engineering in Tec Milenio university, the approach not only to the reality of a state-of-the-art team, but also with the start-up of an own project, without many range of fallibility, represented exponential learning.

“We took the training courses with the HEMAQ technical team directly in the machine and with the instructive and manuals of operation in front. The employees, until then operators of automatic lathes, wanted to be part of that and took the courses as it turned out to be a valuable opportunity to become prepared operators of CNC machinery”, Ledesma explained. The operators team is now capable to program directly on the machine as with Software tools.

This process was very meaningful to Gerardo Ledesma, who has been in a workshop since childhood, when he used to visit. Since then, the smell of the oil in the machines and the noise from the machining process stayed on this mind and are key components of his passion for the work he does. “From a very young age, my dad taught me to measure parts, sharpen them, even to sweep and to always leave the workplace clean. I think that my love for the metal industry started then”.

The purchase of the Genos L250 turned out to be the best decision. The machine, with a financing plan of three years, paid in half of the time, allowing them to acquire a new machine to do other jobs. Besides, Ledesma noticed that they could take more projects with more complex features and with wider utility. Since then, they practically have bought a machine per year, which has been derived from a greater number of companies that every day have more confidence in MAQUILAS Y REPROCESOS INDUSTRIALES.

“I took the right project and from there the machine and the subsequent investments were justified”, Ledesma guaranteed. As the years have gone by, they also incorporated efficient peripherals tools for the new turning centers, like contour measurement and CMM machines, employed to ensure the quality of the components they are now producing.

Among the turning centers that we’ve acquire, a Genos L400 stands out, which fabricates bigger products, providing continuity in the circle of bigger and complex projects that justify the purchase of more CNC equipment, all from the OKUMA GENOS series.

In 2020, with the arrival of the pandemic, they were forced to reduce production and the capacity of their plant. However, backed by the constant search of new projects, 2021 presented a better picture due to the installed base of high-end machinery that brought a recuperation process that allowed them to move forward.

“I am interested in always being at the forefront and following technological and market trends”. This vision not only includes machines but also the accessories and peripherals intended for quality control processes. Ledesma knows that the geographic location of MAQUILAS Y REPROCESOS INDSUTRIALES is strategic for Mexican manufacture. Therefore, maintaining it’s investment projects will be key to satisfying the demand of the auto parts sector.

He considers strategic to maintain his relationship with his representatives in HEMAQ, not just for the purchase of more machines, but also for the technical support that represents them at the time of articulating new projects and to keep their installed plant running at 100%. “I recognize Alfredo Cruz’s team and HEMAQ’s team level of approach. He has been with me since the very first machine and has stayed close this last decade. I always touch base with him for guidance when needed. We do the test cuts and study times together to select the most convenient machines”.

“As a small and medium company, it’s fundamental to invest in technology. I can say that, with the infrastructure that we have, we’re very competitive for any required project by transnational companies because we have the tools, the technology, the knowledge, and the human capital needed. But, above all, we have the desire to keep growing”.