Industrial Automation

In the production center that Tezmaksan opened in Sivas, preparations are being made for the production of CubeBox automation systems as well as precise CNC machine tools critical for the defense and space industry.

Sivas. In the Nuri Demirağ Organized Industrial Zone, 32 kilometers south of the city, the opening ceremony of the Tezmaksan Hacı Mustafa Aydoğdu Production Center, which was founded two years ago... Robot arms arranged in two rows over a large area are waving Turkish flags in their "hands" and dancing in perfect harmony. Despite it being an opening, CNC milling machines and production units formed by CubeBox, "a combination of software, robotic arm, and auxiliary sections," are working hard in specific areas. Upon closer inspection of the machined parts, it can be seen that these are parts forming the CubeBox (priced at an average of 60,000 Euros, with an annual production capacity of 300 units). Meanwhile, a few large Mazak CNC lathe bodies, waiting for their equipment to be installed, lie silently next to the lines.

Considering the machines are spread luxuriously throughout the factory area, it seems more production lines are expected here...

Starting its operations 40 years ago with the trade and production of machine tools, Tezmaksan was once an active CNC machine tool manufacturer along with promising Turkish companies like Tezsan, Taksan, and Makine Takım Endüstrisi. However, due to the inclusion of China in the multilateral trading system after the 1949 Chinese Revolution and its return to the World Trade Organization in 2001, Turkey could no longer compete in CNC machine tool production. While low-cost Chinese machines filled industrial sites, the production of these capital-intensive machines in Turkey ceased to be profitable. Tezmaksan Group CEO Hakan Aydoğdu explains the turning point, "Actually, Turkey was a major CNC manufacturer, but the companies producing the machines disappeared. We can't achieve anything by producing CNCs again because that train has left; it's very difficult to catch up with economies of scale in countries like Turkey..."

Faced with China's cost-advantageous machines, the company's response involved a series of tactical and strategic moves. Noteworthy tactical moves include the shift to software, with the Kapasitematik program (which remotely monitors, instantly reports, and analyzes CNCs and robots) and the CubeBox systems. It is also worth mentioning Parkurda, a B2B CNC platform.

The value-added aspect of the robotic automation system CubeBox is not the prominently visible Fanuc robotic arm but rather the Tezmaksan ROBOCAM software that drives it. Essentially, ROBOCAM ensures that when a company uses a CubeBox system for its existing or newly acquired CNC machines, it achieves uninterrupted, safe, and error-free production 24/7, with a 50% efficiency increase. Moreover, programming CubeBox does not require being a programmer. Once the drawing of the part to be made is uploaded, CubeBox starts working immediately. The operator's job is merely to place the parts to be processed on pallets for CubeBox. A CubeBox can operate three CNC machines simultaneously.

Tezmaksan's strategic steps primarily consist of Tezmaksan Academy and the Hacı Mustafa Aydoğdu Production Center in Sivas (including Kapasitematik in these steps due to the knowledge layer it provides).

Established as a social responsibility project in 2015, Tezmaksan Academy has institutionalized as a structure that provides resources for industry professionals, hundreds of students, and educators, contributing to their professional development.

Exporting to 44 countries, Tezmaksan expects a revenue of 12 million Euros in 2024, with 8 million Euros coming from exports. The previous year's export revenue was 4 million Euros. Regarding the factory, which has achieved an investment of 6 million Euros out of the planned 15 million Euros and employs 16 people... Sivas was chosen due to its advantages in administrative incentives, OSM benefits, and logistical access to Samsun and Mersin ports via railway lines. Considering a railway line suitable for 25-ton axle loads extending into the factories and the planned production of nine-axis CNC machining centers, this decision is significant for reducing logistics costs. Additionally, moving away from the congestion in the Marmara region, alongside a potential disaster management approach, this decision will benefit not only Sivas but the entire region. The factory also aims to produce for the space industry in addition to parts for Kaan. It is also necessary to mention that Tezmaksan's production in Sivas ensures its trained workforce needs are met through the Academy.

Aydoğdu speaks of a CNC machine tool production project with the Chinese and Koreans under a different name. One of these two projects will be chosen: "Sivas can suddenly become a CNC center. Turkey needs 5,000 machines per year. Our production target is 80% export. The average price of a machine is 80-90 thousand Euros. Price ranges from 40 thousand Euros to 4 million."

Starting with the assembly of Mazak CNC lathe machines and moving towards producing Tezmaksan's own nine-axis machines may seem contradictory for a company focused on software-oriented systems for commercial efficiency. After all, the company earns about 6 Euros per kilogram from machine tools and 46 Euros per kilogram from automation systems... A few years ago, beginning with the pandemic, while prices in China increased, production in India and Europe halted, and many manufacturing and supply activities shifted to Turkey, increasing the order volume due to rising freight costs. This development reshaped the market but also has a more critical dimension. Tezmaksan aims to produce precise CNC machine tools used in both automotive and defense industries (including space), defined as dual-purpose. The sale of such machines is subject to international restrictions by the manufacturing states. Aydoğdu points out this direction, stating, "We will produce machine tools that are not produced in Turkey." This goal aligns with Turkey's aim to reduce dependency on high-tech machine tools.