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A well-known Yoga instructor helped
express his artistic talent at a commercial level by turning a new
exercise machine concept into a profitable business with the help of
a Techno CNC router. The new concept involves wooden, multipurpose
exercise machines that are designed to simulate the movements used
in ballet, swimming, gymnastics and yoga. When Juliu Horvath began
designing these machines about 10 years ago, he built them with a
jig saw and templates. Each machine took so long to build by this
approach that it seemed impossible to build a profitable business
from his concept. Several years ago, however, he switched to a
Techno computerized router that has allowed him to cut the time
required to build the machines by 80% and turn what was previously
merely a labor of love into a growing business.
Horvath began his career as a ballet
dancer in Romania and defected to the United States in the late
1960's. Not long after his arrival, he gave up dance to pursue the
study of Yoga. He developed a Yoga system based on the underlying
principle of translating breathing patterns to movement patterns.
Teachers and students from all over the world continue to flock to
his studio in New York City to learn his original Yoga system.
Horvath's system includes a unique series of floor exercises
designed to enhance flexibility while increasing strength. Finding
that many students had difficulty learning these exercises, he began
building wooden machines to make it easier to perform them. "I saw
that existing exercise machines were too rough and too linear,"
Horvath says. "Length and breadth were missing. They made it hard to
build coordination and flexibility."
Horvath's machines incorporate the kind
of sweeping organic curves one expects to find in Art Nouveau
furniture. The platforms are curved in the Santa Cruz style of wavy
red and blond woodwork and patterned after the swirling shapes of
bonsai trees. They are created to command a "melodic movement" that
increases the individual's effective range of motion. According to
Horvath, "My machines are designed for athletes, dancers and health
conscious people, not body builders." While the concept was
developed in the mid-1980s, it took until 1994 to develop the design
to absolute fullness, including determining the exact proportions to
fit any body type.
Horvath set up the first machines in his
Yoga studio in New York City called White Cloud Studio. The
machines, which he calls the Gyrotonics Expansion System,
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developed an almost cult-like following
from the very start among the New York dance community and since
then the system has won followers worldwide at affiliated studios in
Los Angeles, London, Paris, Seattle, Munich, Mexico City and
Florence. While the system was originally conceived for dancers, it
has proven equally successful with children, the elderly, and those
recovering from injuries and illness.
The Gyrotonics Expansion System is a
patented design that uses hand- and foot-operated wheel bases and
pulley suspensions to precisely hone the body through some 130
variations on 50 different sets of exercises. Workouts typically
last between one and two hours and consist of slow turns
synchronized with rhythmically- released deep breaths. Weights used
are much lower than typical exercise machines – generally on the
order of 30 pounds.
Horvath builds each machine himself, and
this is a key selling feature of the equipment. The base and support
elements are made of wood while other components are machined
aluminum. In the beginning, Horvath built wooden components with a
jig saw, using intricate templates to guide his hands, and heavily
sanded each piece after cutting. There were two problems with this
approach. It took so long to build each machine that, considering
his other time commitments, Horvath was precluded from turning the
exercise machines into a serious business. Second, the lack of
precision provided by jig saw cutting meant that the components of
each machine had to be individually fitted.
Then, about five years ago, Horvath
heard about the Techno computer- controlled router that can produce
wooden components in far less time than a jig saw. The 3-axis gantry
router from Techno follows a pattern that is programmed with a
drawing program. Rather than tediously trace the contours of the
template, Horvath can now simply put a piece of wood on the Techno
router and flip the switch. It produces parts in about 1/5 the time
required on a jig saw. A key advantage is that the router can
generate a 3-axis motion. This means that operations such as
rounding the edges of a part, which would normally be done in a
second operation after jigsawing, can now be accomplished in a
single setup.
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The accuracy of the computer- controlled
router is also far greater, which provides additional time savings.
The Techno system has an accuracy of ±0.1 mm (±.004") in 300 mm and
a repeatability of ±0.01 mm (.0004"). This precision eliminates the
need for most manual finishing operations and for individually
fitting components. It makes it possible to build more accurate and
better looking parts that are interchangeable with each other.
The Techno router was relatively
inexpensive. Horvath estimates that he paid for its cost last year
in one single order for five machines. Horvath himself is
computer-illiterate, but he has a friend who converts his sketches
into AutoCAD drawings then uses a CNC programming package called
Mastercam to produce a file that the router understands. Once the
program is finished, Horvath operates the machine in his workshop.
When he wants to produce a part, he simply loads a piece of wood and
pushes a few buttons to start the machine. He does nearly all the
manufacturing work himself, although he does use part-time employees
from time to time.
Techno routers have anti backlash ball
screws for play-free motion that make it possible to produce circles
that are accurate to the .0005 inch machine resolution. These ball
screws also make it possible to produce wooden parts as accurate as
the machine resolution. The ball screws have excellent power
transmission due to the rolling-ball contact between the nut and
screws. This type of contact also ensures low friction, low wear and
long life.
In five years of operation, Horvath has
never had any problems with the machine. This is partly due to the
strength and rigidity of the table. The Techno machine is
constructed from extruded aluminum profiles that can support all the
materials that Horvath uses and provides easy clamping capability.
The machine also has four ground and hardened steel shafts and eight
recirculating bearings in each axis. This shaft and bearing system
produces very smooth play-free motion and an extremely rigid system
that produces high-quality cuts.
All in all, since purchasing the new
router, Horvath has been able to turn his exercise machine concept
into a profitable business venture. The precision and repeatability
of the router makes it possible for him to perform all production
work himself and will make it easy to delegate manufacturing to
others, if required by future growth, without sacrificing quality.
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