Machine tool manufacturer Mazak Corporation (www.mazakusa.com) is investing $2 million to expand its Southwest Regional Technology Center in Houston, Texas in order to provide solutions and equipment to the rapidly growing and changing energy industry.
The center opened in 1982 and continues to bring focused manufacturing technologies to the oil and gas energy industries. Mazak is supporting the needs of this market with new advanced machine tools, networking and manufacturing technologies as well as engineering and application assistance.
The $2 million investment will create floor space of 40,000 square feet, and the entire center has been reconfigured for ease of customer use. The first floor will include capabilities for product and process applications development including the potential of more than a dozen multi-tasking and 5-axis machines such as Integrex e-Series vertical and horizontal machines, Variaxis Mark II Series, Cybertech Turn Series and others. This floor will include customer classrooms, conference rooms, seminar and presentation areas and a dining room.
“Since the Southwest is a leading market in the world for Mazak’s Integrex and other multi-tasking models, we are committed to providing advanced manufacturing training close to the customers in this valuable market,” Brian Papke, Mazak Corporation president said.
Expanded sales and support offices will be on the second floor. The parking area has been expanded to accommodate more than 130 customer vehicles for anticipated special events in Houston.
Mazak will be networking the developments that come out of the Southwest Regional Technology Center and making them available to all companies involved in the production of energy-related components. It will do so employing Internet, intranet, and video-conferencing technologies.