Turnkey CNC solutions driven by productivity analysis.

Established in 1995 by Paul Savides, PBS Machine Tools has positioned itself as a supplier of productivity-focused solutions to the South African metalworking and manufacturing sectors. The company’s approach is based on analysing customer-specific requirements and operational challenges, with the goal of offering machine tool solutions that align with both productivity and cost-efficiency objectives.

Spend some time with Paul and his son Alroy, who joined the business in 2004, and is now PBS’s Commercial Manager, and you will immediately realise that they are not trying to sell you anything, but rather they want to understand your business and its needs, and how they can improve the overall operations of it for you. Alroy has spent a year living in Taiwan working at the Tongtai, Honor and Supertec factories sweeping factory floors and even building machines, so having a deep understanding of the industry is something that comes naturally to him. Of course, he has also spent more than 20 years working with father Paul – someone who can call the Chairman of the Tongtai board a friend.

Father and son combination Paul and Alroy Savides of PBS Machine Tools

Over nearly three decades, PBS has built a reputation as a turnkey systems provider, installing full production lines at both OEMs and Tier 1 automotive suppliers. However, beyond high-volume automotive projects that include some of the most well-known brands in the world, the company has delivered application-specific solutions to operations in aerospace, mining, mass production, and the general engineering industries.

The company has a philosophy that entails selecting CNC machine tools based on performance, value, and suitability to South African production conditions. These include machines for turning, milling, deep-hole drilling and hybrid applications, sourced from their range of international partners and suppliers. PBS maintains that selecting the right equipment is only part of the equation – ongoing support and maintenance, retrofitting, and system optimisation are integrated into every installation.

“It all began for us with Dad coming up with the idea about productive based solutions, which is where the PBS in our name comes from,” explains Alroy. “When a customer comes to you, how do you assess that component that he is manufacturing or wants to manufacture and how do you optimise the process of manufacturing it for him. Dad would conduct time sheet studies and evaluate how a customer was manufacturing a component and look to see if there was a better way of manufacturing that component. And that was the niche approach that PBS decided to take. Of course, you can approach any supplier and purchase a lathe or whatever equipment you’re after, but that has never been our way of doing things. Yes, we can sell you something just like anyone else can, but is it optimised for what you need to solve your problem?”

At one client PBS Machine Tools added eight new Tongtai CNC machines to the machine shop including a Tongtai TMV-720A vertical machining center

“I’ll always remember the example of a comparative quote years ago, a customer was quoted for an installation of 11 CNC machines, and once we had done our time sheet studies, we quoted on just two machines to perform the same operations,” continues Alroy. “The real benefit from these studies is that we are able to give a cost-per-piece manufactured. I can say to a customer, ‘Ok, so if I put this on a lathe with driven tools, this is the cost-per-piece,’ ‘If I split it between a lathe and a mill, this is the cost-per-piece,’ and so on. We still do these time studies today and this approach is what we believe has helped us achieve success not just for PBS Machine Tools, but for our customers too.”

“So, to put it simply: ‘How long does it take to manufacture that component, what is the cost-per-piece and what is the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)? What are you really looking for out of a machine – do you run 24 hours a day or do you only run 8 hours a day?’ That’s what we look at and that’s how you plan a manufacturing business and that’s where we can start making decisions on the type of machine or machines you need for your business.”

“Sure, your competitor may be around the corner, but you also need to realise that today, your competitor is the rest of the world. Even for the big OEMs, if they are not running operations optimally, they may lose that work to another sister OEM manufacturer in the group somewhere else in the world.”

“I actually wrote that programme on Lotus 1-2-3 – this was before modern spreadsheet software had even been become popular,” says Paul Savides. “We would and still do use the ‘what if’ scenario, so if the software tells me that I need 1.3 machines, how many days or hours do I need to work to produce the number of components that I need to produce. We will also use the Pareto analysis and work out what your problems are and break those down into categories to find solutions.”

“Today you also have modern software solutions to help you make decisions and streamline your production like one of our main suppliers Tongtai developed and supplies,” explains Paul.

PBS Machine Tools installed a state-of-the-art CMS Antares 5-axis CNC machining center. The 5-axis machine has been supplied with a higher spec rpm than what is normally fitted to the machine. The CMS 15kW, 24 000rpm, HSK-F63 electro-spindle allows the company to have enough power for aluminium operation while keeping the ability to drill smaller holes with smaller tools. The machine is also equipped with Zero Point Clamping – the part location software and touch probe are used to accurately identify the physical location of the component once it has been placed in the machine fixture

Tongtai’s TLM (Tongtai Line Management) and TIMS (Tongtai Intelligent Manufacturing System) are designed to provide manufacturers with a structured approach to monitoring and managing CNC machine operations in real time. TLM functions as a centralised line management platform, collecting data from machines on the shop floor – whether single installations or entire production lines – and delivering insights into machine status, downtime, utilisation, and alarm history.

TIMS, installed locally on each machine, acts as the data collector and process monitor. It interfaces directly with the CNC controller and sensors to gather information on spindle performance, tool life, cutting conditions and cycle times. The two systems are integrated, with TLM pulling data from TIMS units across the plant to enable live monitoring and historical analysis.

Together, they allow for the tracking of OEE, the identification of underperforming machines or operators, and support for maintenance planning through tool wear and spindle load data. The system is brand agnostic, with compatibility across major CNC platforms, making it suitable for multi-vendor environments.

Tongtai has implemented the software across its own manufacturing sites and with end-users globally, putting the TLM/TIMS combination as a production management tool that supports efficiency improvements and cost control in precision machining environments.

“The nice thing about this kind of software is that we can sit here and analyse data from our customers, and if there are problems with the machine, the tool changer, the chuck, the tooling itself or whatever the case might be, we can start solving those problems immediately and find solutions, eliminating as much down time as possible,” adds Alroy.

“Our first major customer back in 1997 was Toyota where we commissioned a fully automated brake disk line that included robot handling,” explains Paul. “The chairman of Tongtai actually came to South Africa from Taiwan and with me we went to Toyota and analysed Toyota’s situation. He went back to his hotel and the next morning he said to me: ‘I don’t think I really slept last night.’ He had gone and sketched out the entire production line.”

“We decommissioned that line in 2023 but have since gone on to refurbish those machines and they have been reinstalled elsewhere.”

From left to right are Paul Savides, Deon Van Der Merwe and Deena Naidoo. Explains Savides: “This machine was installed in 1998 with parts supplied by an automatic saw, then manipulated by the robot to load the turret and offload the chuck. Then directed to an automatic measuring station for Go / No-go and dimension measurement which fed back any offset determined to the Numeric Control to adjust the tool offset. After which the robot turned-over the part for the second operation, loaded to the turret. If completed, the part was placed in a pallet for distribution to assembly production. The machine was 100% able to work in a lights-out scenario

Another major achievement for PBS, also with Toyota, was the commissioning of a production line for the Toyota Hilux’s rear axle. That line was installed in 2004 and is due to be replaced entirely by PBS this year. This exact line was replicated by Toyota for one of their plants in Argentina.

“What’s important here, is that when we represent a supplier here in South Africa, is that we don’t see ourselves as PBS Machine Tools, we see ourselves as whichever supplier that is. It doesn’t matter if that’s a Swiss-type lathe manufacturer, a manufacturer of large boring machines or one that supplies 5-axis machines,” continues Paul.

Problem solving
PBS Machine Tools’ focus remains on helping customers achieve measurable return on investment and overall equipment effectiveness. This includes support for standalone machines and the development of complete, automated turnkey solutions. The company’s service offering extends nationally and is backed by its “Intelligent Machine Thinking” and “Total Product Support” programmes, which are designed to ensure machines are correctly specified, fully utilised, and consistently productive.

Whether the requirement involves a single machining center or a fully integrated production line, PBS Machine Tools’ approach is embedded in ensuring the equipment delivers high cost-performance and contributes to long-term competitiveness.

Advanced training
PBS Machine Tools is in the process of designing a comprehensive training programme for its customers and their CNC machine operators that will help foster a genuine interest in understanding more about manufacturing in general, the processes involved, as well as how all these new smart technologies come to fit together and interact seamlessly within a machine shop. “There’s no point in having all this software if you don’t know how to use it,” notes Paul.

“It’s also about the reindustrialisation of South Africa and the African continent. There is fundamental knowledge that needs to be shared before it’s lost. It’s about people understanding manufacturing and the role it plays. It’s not going to be a situation where we have a classroom full of people, but rather a small number of people at a time,” explains Paul.

Initially the programme will be aimed at PBS customers, but it may be extended to others interested in it in time.

“We want our customers to be able to run their machines effectively and efficiently. What I want to hear from my customers is, ‘Hey, did you know this machine can do this?’ We don’t only want to hear from them when something has gone wrong,” says Alroy.

PBS Machine Tools represent and are suppliers of notable machine tool manufacturers like Tongtai, Honor Seiki, Barload, CMS, ANGER Machining, Po Ly Gim and more.

For further details contact PBS Machine Tools on TEL: +2711 914 3360 or visit https://pbsmt.co.za