The general manager of Factor, Fernando Gastaldo, has been appointed president of the Executive Committee of VALMETAL (Business Association for the Innovation in the productive processes of Metal and Related Industries of the Valencian Community), after the vote that took place this monday in the General Electoral Assembly.

The new Executive Committee of VALMETAL will be composed of:

• Presidency: Fernando Gastaldo, Factor's General Manager.
• Vicepresidency: Vicente Rocatí, director of AIDIMME.
• Treasury: Empar Martínez Bonafé, general secretary of FEMEVAL.
• Board Members:
  • Laura Orón, CEO of DYMSA Engineering.
  • Fernando Saludes, CEO of Industrias Saludes.
  • Ander Muelas, cofounder and president of Endurance Motive.
  • Miguel Calpe, general manager of Dismuntel.

The new Executive Committee assumes the commitment to develop the strategic lines of the group, with the purpose of promoting the competitiveness and growth of the sector, promoting collaboration and boosting innovation and the future of the metal sector.

Fernando Gastaldo has indicated that “it is an honor to assume this responsibility, I am fully committed to the values and objectives of VALMETAL. Together with the new committee, we will work to foster digital transformation, promote talent and training in the sector, promote growth and cooperation throughout the value chain and open up new market opportunities at a technological and geographical level”.

It continues to focus on the most reliable, productive and flexible equipment, in order to offer the most advanced and innovative option in the market

One of Factor's main purposes is to increase the competitiveness of its customers, as well as to consolidate its position in the manufacture of products with high added value, complexity of operations, precision and greater dimensional range. And with both objectives in focus, it has acquired the Nakamura JX-250 high-end multi-tasking lathe, which will considerably expand the industrial capacity for the manufacture of parts.

The machine's top unit, which features an automatic tool changer, offers exceptional performance, and its 18,000-rpm milling head is the smallest on the market, ideal for some highly complex jobs.

The head has a magazine for 80 tools and each turret is equipped with a 12-position Y-axis. Thus, this machine has up to 104 tools, giving it the necessary flexibility for highly complex jobs. At the same time, it offers enormous productivity, as it can work with up to three tools at the same time. “We are talking about a machine that combines the features of a high-performance, high-productivity multitasking automatic lathe with the milling capacity of a machining center,” says Factor.

The JX-250 has twin spindles opposite each other, which makes it possible to finish parts in two setups or produce large-format shafts, since the maximum turning diameter is 320 millimeters and it reaches a turning length of 1,650 millimeters. The equipment also incorporates the function of gear hobbing, both internal and external.

This lathe has the “HAN-BEI Milling Machine”, equipped with a probe, and an in-process part measuring system. And, in addition, it has the second-generation 3D Smart Pro AI Software, which features Artificial Intelligence and has the great advantage of allowing 3D models to be imported directly and input into the Smart X. In fact, it is the world's most advanced and innovative software in its category.

Ultimately, the Nakamura JX-250 will offer a number of benefits to Factor's customers. First, it will expand production capacity. On the other hand, it will increase the dimensional range of the product and increase its complexity due to the number of tools available on the equipment. It will also boost competitiveness, since it combines the high productivity of an automatic twin-turret lathe with the high performance of a machining center, allowing greater complexity by number of operations on a single piece of equipment. And, in terms of quality, the device is equipped with measuring rulers on all its axes for maximum working accuracy, and a measuring probe, which allows the measurement of workpieces in process.

Thus, Factor reinforces, once again, its commitment to cutting-edge technology with this multitasking lathe model, the first in Spain capable of working with three tools simultaneously. One more example that it has the most reliable, productive and flexible equipment to offer its customers the most competitive option in the market.

IDEKO and AITEX visits are an opportunity to explore synergies and identify ways of collaboration

In Factor we have recently received in our facilities the visits of the technological centre IDEKO and the association AITEX. The aim of these meetings is to explore opportunities for collaboration in R&D&I that allow us to strengthen our capabilities and offer even more innovative solutions to our employees and customers.

IDEKO visit

On the one hand, on 18 July, Alfredo Giménez, Factor's Innovation Director, met with Juanán Arrieta, IDEKO's International Program Manager, and Rafael Lizarralde, IDEKO's R&D Director in Bilbao.

"At this meeting we explored opportunities for collaboration on future projects. A collaboration that will allow us to get to know IDEKO's cutting-edge technology in depth, to seek innovative solutions for our customers and to strengthen our position as an innovative leader in the sector", said Alfredo.

AITEX visit

On the other hand, last week, specifically on 22 July, Alfredo Giménez met with Jorge Domenech Pastor, RTD Project Manager, and Francisco Orts Bernabeu, R&D technician from the Smart Textiles and Digitalisation Department of AITEX. 

This visit, in which information was shared and opportunities for collaboration in future projects were explored, marks the beginning of a fruitful relationship with AITEX in order to boost innovation in the regional, national and European fabric in projects to improve the quality of working conditions through research in innovative technical textile solutions.

"In Factor Ingeniería y Decoletaje we offer a dynamic and challenging work environment, where the health and safety of workers is paramount, and the collaboration with innovation centres such as AITEX, allows us to develop cutting-edge projects to ensure the best working conditions", has highlighted our Innovation Director.  

For Factor, this type of visits in which we have exchanged ideas, explored synergies and identified possible ways of collaboration, are essential to promote future plans and collaboration in innovation with other related entities and the sector with common objectives. We thank IDEKO and AITEX for their interest and visit to our facilities.

The company understands that the commitment with the educational institutions and centers of its environment is fundamental and each year offers an internship exchange to Master, Degree and Dual FP students.

The collaboration between business and academia is of paramount importance for Factor, insofar as it influences the strengthening of education and the economy of the environment and drives the progress and innovation of society. 

Along these lines, the company believes that it is essential to engage with the educational institutions and centers in its environment in order to become actively involved in the local community and promote the training of future generations. "We understand that vocational schools and universities, both public and private, must always go hand in hand and create synergies. That is why our link with vocational training centers and universities is so strong," says Ana María Sánchez Escribano, Factor's People Director.

Thus, in order to enrich the educational experience, prepare young people for the world of work and help them understand its challenges, Factor offers, in a transversal way, the possibility of having the first professional experience related to the training taken and the holistic learning of what it means to be part of an organization at all levels. 

And, more specifically, it offers technical knowledge highly demanded in the sector and in a market lacking of professionals of these characteristics: CNC programming, handling of complex industrial machinery, automated and collaborative work systems, etc.

For this purpose, Factor manages an annual internship exchange for the areas of Production, Quality and Engineering and Maintenance. And in the rest of the areas it varies depending on the projects being carried out at any given time. "From the Innovation area with data analytics projects, Commercial with market research projects and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) optimization or the People department with occasional support in tasks of implementation and monitoring of regulations on occupational risk prevention," says Ana Maria.

Factor offers an internship program for junior profiles

This training is aimed at juniors completing their machining studies (intermediate and higher degrees) or engineering studies, preferably industrial and/or mechanical, with a master's degree specializing in disciplines related to the sector. "In recent years we have been expanding the pull of internships with profiles from different disciplines depending on the projects that have been undertaken," emphasizes Ana María.  

And most importantly, the students who do internships at Factor have many possibilities for continuity. "In the production area, if the students have had a favorable evolution, the possibilities of continuity are very high. As for the other areas, depending on various factors, the viability of each incorporation is analyzed," says the Director of People.

Specifically, in the 2023-2024 academic year, more than ten Master's, Bachelor's and Dual Vocational Training students have completed their internships in Factor's production, logistics, engineering, maintenance, innovation and commercial areas.

A student of the Master's Degree in Maintenance Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), who has completed his internship in the Maintenance Department, has rated the experience very positively: "Since I arrived, FACTOR has treated me very well. It is a respectful and fair company. Throughout my internship, all the company's staff has been very attentive at all times if I needed help. I wish the best of success to the company to which I am grateful for having allowed me to do my internship and my Master's Thesis".

Factor collaborates with the institutions and educational centers of the environment

Currently, Factor collaborates with the following institutions and educational centers: Universitat Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), Escuela de Empresarios, (EDEM), Campus Cámara Valencia, Université de Technologie Tarbes, CIPFP Eduardo Merelló, Escuela Thyssen Galmed, Escuelas San José-Jesuitas, CIPFP La Laboral, CIFPI San Jaume Apostol, Centro Labora Formación Aldaia.

In addition, Factor also schedules visits for teachers and students in order to show firsthand what a day's work in the company is like. Specifically, in this academic year it has received the visit of the Xabec Vocational Training Center, the IES Alto Palancia, the San José-Jesuitas School and the PRL AIDIME Master.

In short, Factor demonstrates in its day to day an exceptional commitment to training and employability. A firm commitment to the development of talent and the creation of opportunities for new generations, which benefits every year to several young people who have the opportunity to enjoy a valuable experience in the world of work.