The team from Acra Machinery were recently invited to the Durma 50 Year Anniversary Celebrations in Istanbul, Turkey. An amazing trip was in store as we were treated to an incredible weekend.

In 1956, Ali Durmaz began making machines for the textile industry. Through careful decisions and unquestionable quality, he grew his company to be the biggest manufacturer in Turkey, the biggest manufacturer of press brakes and guillotines in the world, and the largest exporter in Turkey. With 150,000 square meters of factory space (and much more land yet to build on) in Bursa, Turkey, this is one of the most sophisticated manufacturing facilities in Europe. Many people have copied the Durma concept, but none have been the pioneer in Turkey like Ali Durmaz.

Ali began in metal working with his original manual hand shear and has since grown to engineer and produce Press Brakes, Guillotines, Turret Punches, Notchers and now Laser Cutters. Displayed with the Durma family of machines was the the range of Birlik machines, including curving rolls, plate rolls, section rolls (including full CNC) and more recently bandsaws.

Unfortunately Ali Durmaz passed away after a 4 year battle with cancer, but left behind a legacy of his life including schools which he funded and a strong manufacturing base in Turkey.

The Durma motto "Your Partner; Today, Tomorrow and Forever" which illustrates their commitment to quality both now and in the future. Ali Durmaz was always proud that the first machines he ever made are still operating today.

Every machine is built to the highest possible quality with no expense spared. A factory full of various Okuma CNC machines including large bridge and bed mills shows extensive investment in the latest technology and practises. All structural plates of every machine are stress relieved after fabrication and rough machining for total stability of critical dimensions. When the fabricated frames are machined they are simply bolted down to the bed mill and milled in their fully fabricated state. There is no better way to build a machine.

All components are prepared to exacting standards and once assembled all machines are put through a rigorous testing procedure. Nothing leaves until it’s perfect.

When you have been manufacturing machinery for 50 years, it’s time for a celebration to commemorate it. 10 people from Acra Machinery including their customers flew to Turkey and landed on a Thursday morning. Thursday was spent walking around Istanbul and soaking up the magnificent "organised chaos" that the city runs on. Everywhere you look, something is for sale and with plenty to see we simply ambled around and took it all in. Hours went by like minutes and soon enough we found ourselves completely lost and grabbing a taxi back to the Intercontinental Hotel for some rest and dinner.

Saturday saw 8 bus loads of people heading to Bursa, the manufacturing centre of Turkey. It is here where we were shown the factory and the hospitality of the Durmaz family. We were especially honoured when we viewed the office of the late Ali Durmaz, which has been turned into a museum of his life, and saw a picture of Jeff Beable and Ali in Jeff’s living room on one of the large displays of Ali’s times.

A tour of the factory, all 150,000 square meters of it was inspiring. Not a single thing out of place and a floor you could eat off. In full production during the tour, we watched as Turret punches, Guillotines and Press Brakes were assembled. The sheer size of some of the machinery and parts was incredible, an 8 meter 1000 tonne press brake being a good example. A separate factory is used for the production of the Iron Workers, Corner Notchers and smaller hand shears.

At the end of the tour, we were shown to the new factory which had on display every size and style of machines that Durma produces, including a pair of 6 meter x 600 Tonne Press Brakes working in Tandem. A robotised cell producing boxes without the aide of humans, and turret punches like machines guns in the background.

Also on display were the Birlik range of Plate Rolls and Bandsaws.

At the celebrations Durma unveiled their new Laser Cutting machine, called the Linear Series. In typical Durma style the machine is highly efficient, built to high standards and built to last. A new building has been erected to focus on the Laser Cutters and Turret Punches, which will also mean higher production factory wide. With a target of 100 machines per year within two years, the Linear Series will be a well-known name in laser cutting very soon.

The final night in Turkey saw us boarding a 300ft cruise ship for a cruise along the Bosphorus. In full ball gowns and dinner suits, 350 people viewed the shore line in opulence. When we arrived at the Palace, fireworks awaited us we went onto a night of amazing food and dance, including a 30 minute percussion solo mixed with modern dance beats by Turkey’s internationally renowned musician, Burhan Öçal.

Amongst 7 awards for longest and newest and top 5 distributors world wide, our very own Jeff Beable was given an Honour Award for his support and kindness during the difficult period when Ali Durmaz passed away. Jeff has had a close bond with the Durmaz Family for over thirteen years, and this was honoured in front of 600 international guests.

So, after 50 hours of travel and 75 hours on the ground our trip came to an end on a Monday night. A whirlwind tour and an amazing experience for everyone. The hospitality of the Turkish people, the random beauty of Istanbul and the imposing size of Durma left an indelible impression on us all.