The value of multinational machine tooling company Chevalier’s Taiwan-based factory has increased to $45-million, owing to the company’s investment in research and development (R&D), which forms the biggest part of the business.

“The strive towards precision and accuracy in the production of our grinders, machining centres and turning machines by our R&D department has triggered the capital growth of our business,” says Chevalier marketing vice chairperson Michael Chang.

He adds that 60 of the 285 staff members form part of the R&D department, which has been developed over the years to include the latest technologies for better precision in the manufacturing of Chevalier’s products.

Chang highlights that, in the past five years, the department has been improved to include design pattern assembly facilities and electrical development departments that add value the quality of manufacturing.

With the turning-machines department comprising about 40% of the company’s business, the machining centre department 35% and the grinding-machines department 25%, Chevalier’s R&D provides technical support for its marketing staff to allow for better marketing of all of the business areas of the company.

Chevalier – through its R&D department – has been able to offer more flexible processing capacity in the turning-machines department, which allows for more complex shapes of the workpiece to be used on the same machine. As they are set up in a horizontal beam position, the turning machines allow for the spindle being used to be accessible to the surface of the workpiece.

The R&D department has improved the noncircular vertical lathe machine in the machine centre department. The machine comprises a one-piece cast iron column structure that uses alloy steel to ensure that the machine has rigidity and stability. It can be used in the piston industry for cutting cylindrical piston ring grooves.

Having manufactured grinding machines for the past 30 years, the R&D department has developed this offering to provide optional tools such as different dressing tools, chucks and rotary tables, as well as automatic loading and unloading equipment. Chang notes that the tools are available based on customer requests.

“With the growing demand for our products, the R&D department continues to develop more efficient solutions for customers. Using computer-aided design to achieve better accuracy and flexibility, this will allow for growth into more regions and markets in the next five years,” he says.