“Winners of Innovation Awards at ‘Evening of Manufacturing'”

“Discover the highlights of the ‘Evening of the Manufacturing Industry,’ where four Innovation Awards were presented. Learn more about the ‘Made in the Benelux’ Award, awarded to the Style Smesh 2-step Gear (SS2-sG), and how this innovation strengthens the Dutch manufacturing industry.”

During the “Evening of the Manufacturing Industry,” organized by FPT-Vimag, Koninklijke Metaalunie and the Jaarbeurs, four Innovation Awards were presented with great enthusiasm. One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the ‘Made in the Benelux’ Award to the Style Smesh 2-step Gear (SS2-sG), developed by Style CNC Machines’ own R&D department in Bunschoten, in cooperation with Smesh in Rotterdam. Thanks to the Smesh planetary gearbox, the Style lathes can shift effortlessly under full load.

The Style Smesh 2-step Gear (SS2-sG) is a joint effort between StyleCNC and Smesh. The judges were impressed by this mechanical innovation, amidst all the software developments. It is not only a technical marvel, but also a truly Dutch product.

Bastiaan Clement, managing director of Style, explains: “During the development of SS2-sG, we explored the possibilities of planetary gears, allowing us to change gears under full load without having to completely rev up and down. The two Dutch companies, Style and Smesh, joined forces and created something unique in the CNC world. Thanks to the unique and patented Style Smesh 2-step Gear (SS2-sG), we as a Dutch manufacturing industry can compete internationally.”

The SS2-sG transmission allows Style lathes to be switched at full load. This transmission consists of a sun wheel with five planet wheels and a ring wheel, compactly assembled in a housing. What makes this new transmission so special is that it combines the best features of three different types of transmissions: the simplicity of a manual transmission, the convenience of an automatic transmission and the efficiency as if no transmission were present.

In addition to the efficiency advantage, the judges were impressed with the ease of maintenance. The complete transmission can be quickly replaced as a module, which can minimize downtime.

Clement continues: “We are very pleased to have won this TechniShow Innovation Award. Just four years ago our company was in dire straits, and now it is running better than ever before. Winning this award is well-deserved recognition for our company and our employees who have made this possible.”

The judges were impressed by the amount of innovations coming from Dutch companies. “The added value for customers often comes from the Netherlands, as evidenced by the winners. We have really innovative companies in the Netherlands that add value. We have seen many solutions that have emerged from our own challenges, and these are undoubtedly relevant to other entrepreneurs. Moreover, we can see from several products that Smart Industry is becoming increasingly marketable and accessible to SMEs. This is a wonderful development,” said the jury.