This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Danobat, en los orígenes de la máquina-herramienta vasca

Danobat, in the origins of the Basque machine tool

Ibon Linazisoro01/04/2005

Danobat is the oldest company which is part of the "Mondragón cooperative experience" and one that over time has served to give prestige to the Group and give it strength. This says in the prologue of the book "Danobat: 50 years of history" that the company published last year on the occasion of this anniversary and the content of which we use on these pages to summarize a past that well deserves a more thorough reading of the book

Elgoibar is currently the most important center of production of machine tools of the State. Concentrated up to 15 percent of the companies in the sector and 25 per cent of the jobs. One of the factors which started this small village guipuzcoana (10,000 today) in this work of metal was the geographic, which is located next to the River Deba, in what for centuries was an important trade route and where already in the 14th century proliferated the ironworks. They supplied the iron ore from Biscay, transported by sea to the coastal town Deba and from there to the river port of Alzola. From here they were also based products produced in the region, which was an important industry for the manufacture of weapons, as well as ironworks, gunsmiths and activities such as the rejería. As the steel industry was modernized the ironworks were disappearing and already appeared the first manufacture of machine tools. José León Ciaran partnered in 1914 with Eulogio Estarta to produce drills and lathes of pedal, auxiliary material that the arms industry needed.

Was the beginning of a story full of difficulties, during the last century the world wars and the Spanish Civil War, but also of a series of circumstances favouring the development of the sector and that of a business model in Elgoibar promoted by professionals of existing workshopsas a drill or adjusters, which were making independent companies which lent their services to create new ones.

At the end of 1953, a group of workers of Arana and Uribe decided to create a workshop to build machine tools, with the name Danobat. The decision of starting is independence of their respective companies and workshops to bring forward an initiative, cooperative and in which all could participate equally. It was the beginning of a business model in Elgoibar, very different from the traditional model and which is anticipated to Mondragón cooperative experience.

The machines

From the very beginning were universal grinders, always subject to improvements. The first dates back to 1954. It was the RE-600 model for universal grinding of foreign, which gave way to a grinding machine for grinding of interiors, the RIL-600 model, developed four years later. In 1964 he chooses to develop external angular grinders, which allowed Danobat entering external grinding of production and which today is one of the main products of the brand.

At the same time, at the end of 1955, a group of workers from most of Estarta and Ecenarro decided to create buildings mechanics Eguzki to make revolver lathes manual, also in the form of cooperative. One of its most brilliant developments was the first programmable lathe automated with pneumatic components of 1964, which revolutionized the precision turned parts industry by its great capacity of production, ease of management and programming, and its low price.

On the other hand, in 1961, after the creation of a Commission to solve the problem of the lack of jobs, started talks with a group of companies that had formed SL Acme (Association of builders of machines tool in Elgoibar)which were partners Danobat and Eguzki, to create a company dedicated to the manufacture of special machines transfer and autonomous units. A year later is Acme Deva, with 18 founding members and a 50 per cent of the capital in the hands of the companies of Acme SL. The first machine was already presented in that same year. After a first phase devoted to the manufacture of machines for the machining of large productions, began to develop in Acme Deva autonomous units, electro-mechanical chart tables, rotating dishes, machining heads and units bore that served for the composition of fixed post machines, plate rotating and linear transfer for machining of cylinder heads, manifolds, crankshafts, camshafts, connecting rods etc.

Little by little Danobat, Eguzki and Acme-Deva, the three companies that bet by the cooperative model, are distancing themselves from the rest of the partners of Acme, Association in 1967, and closer between them, with the idea even mergean idea also encouraged by Caja Laboral. In 1969, the merger is finally produced in Danobat S. Coop. of the three companies specialising in grinders (Danobat), lathes (Eguzki) and special machines (Acme-Deva).

Caja Laboral encouraged the formation of regional groups, a structure based on geographical proximity as the most appropriate for collaboration among cooperatives. In the lower Deba, the regional group called Debako and cooperatives of this area were dedicated to the construction of machine tools. The Debako group, in reality a cluster, is finally created in 1983 with the participation of Danobat, Soraluce, Goiti and Txurtxil. Six years later he joined the Debako group the Izarraitz cooperative and set up D+S systems A.I.E. to manufacture special machines and lines transfer, as a result of the agreement between Danobat and Soraluce.

From here the milestones are happening, but it is worth noting the creation, promoted by the Group Debako with the collaboration of all cooperative partners, of the technological centre of research and development specializing in machine tools. It is Ideko, which was founded in 1986 on the basis of the experience of enterprises integrated Danobat and makes clear the importance given to technological innovation.

In the field of the grinders, in addition to continuing developments, agreements such as that carried out in 1975 with the Japanese Toyoda, according to which Danobat is done with the license to produce angular grinding machines of production can be highlightedwhich is located Danobat among the main suppliers of the automotive industry.

After 78 of the CNC to the grinders for foreign, also is able to highlight the 1986 agreement with Cincinnati Milacron for the launch of a new model of external grinders, developed jointly by both companies.

In the field of lathes, the first of numerical control, Danumeric-4, was introduced in 1978 and was the origin of a range Danumeric and Danocenter, two- and four-axis lathes.

Meanwhile grinders for flat surfaces were still building and the first guidelines of double column, which by its weight and size adds complexity to the machining and Assembly processes was launched in 1979. The incorporation of the CNC grinders such does not occur until 1987.

At the same time this plant due was still carrying out projects of special machines and transfer, product which also manufactured Soraluce.

The succession of new developments is continuous and no doubt represents the entrepreneurial vocation of so many people that have contributed to the creation of what is now the Danobat group, created in 1992 as a strategic cluster which aims to give continuity to the Debako group. It integrates the following companies:

Danobat: At Elgoibar plant manufactures cylindrical and flat grinders and lathes, and on the ground of Azkoitia, you mountain ranges.
Soraluce: milling machines and centers of milling, in their plants of Bergara and Osintxu.
Goiti: punching machines, folding and laser in Elgoibar.
Lealde: Lathes (on the ground of ispaster Beach).
D+S systems (now called Danobat): systems special machines and lines (Elgoibar) transfer.
Estarta grinders: grinders centreless (Elgoibar).