Clamping-technology specialist Bison has moved to a new 53,000m2 manufacturing plant in Poland equipped with a cast-iron foundry and a heat treatment facility. Its
machine shop houses over 25 ‘state of the art’ five-axis vertical and horizontal CNC machines that can handle workpieces up to 3,500mm in diameter. This plant represents an investment of more than 40 million euros.
Founded in Poland in 1948, Bison initially manufactured self-centring lathe chucks and machine vices for the Eastern Europe market. Since the early 1980s, it has been a recognised brand in Western Europe and the USA. The company was privatised in 1997, and it has been restructured since the installation of new management in 2007. The acquisition of a German company that specialises in the design of clamping solutions has been followed by the establishment of distribution companies in Germany, Italy and the UK.
The product range has expanded to include large-lathe and independent chucks, special-design chucks, tool-holders, CNC machine vices and spindle tooling, while the new chuck jaw programme offers jaws to suit chucks made by Schunk, Rohm, Forkhardt and Kitagawa. The www.myjawfinder.com Web site gives customers an easy-to-use tool for selecting the correct jaws.