Automation: wide range of solutions for Breton machines

No one seems to remember that the machine tool itself it’s an automation! 

Not too many years ago, the NC was the operator brain and robots were still to be invented.
Now the situation is completely changed and in the industrialized area, in order to be competitive, we need to remove the constraint of a ration 1:1 between operator and machine.
The automotive industry started with the massive production of few products, the high technology companies need to do the same with many small batches of complex and different products.

Breton production is dedicated to these customers, providing them solutions capable to run alone 24 hours/day with remote monitoring and control. The electronic and software improvements are a big help to reach this challenging target but they cannot work without a strong and reliable machine automation.
The best way to describe automation solutions that Breton can provide is to show some real applications developed to answer real customer claims:

PALLET CHANGER WITH 5 STATIONS

Customer claim: remove any time spent for machine setup, avoid mistakes due to wrong fixture setuo, disconnect operator setup time from machine operating time.

Solution: Breton designed and supplied to Piaggio Aerospace 6 tailor made Ultrix 800 machining centres featuring special ergonomic solutions for the best workpiece accessibility, each one is equipped with a total of 5 pallets (4 loading stations and 1 high precision setup station) and a manipulator. The result is a multi-pallet solution characterised by a very compact layout. The extreme accuracy of Breton Machine Tools is possible also thanks to the special pallet changer solution, based on a hirth serration that provides higher performances respect to the standard competitors system. Pneumatic, hydraulic and electronic connections can be supplied to the tooling.

HEADS CHANGER

Customer claim: strong reduction of cycle time while performing roughing and finishing operations on large size aerospace components.

Solution: Breton supplied to an important Aerospace company a Maxima 1600, fitted with a heads changer system. The head storage hosts a high torque milling spindle (up to 480 Nm and 14,000 rpm) suitable for roughing, and a finishing spindle (up to 94 Nm and 28,000 rpm). The machine is equipped with two bridges and is 16 meters in length, so can be configured to run two pieces together (for example one roughing operation and one finishing operation) or a single long piece removing material with the two heads. Breton Flymill 1600 HD K160 fully achieved the customer requirements providing a strong cycle time reduction together with a perfect flexibility.

PENDULUM MODE WORKTABLE CHANGER

Customer claim: avoid long machine stop during the setup operation of a typical aircraft structure big component.   

Solution: this problem can be solved providing a long machine with two separated areas (one for machining and one for piece setup) or by using a table change system. For TAI (Turkish Aerospace Industries) Breton chose the second solution, providing a total of 3  Breton Flymill 1300 2T K30 equipped with a table change system that allow the operator to spend all the time he needs to perform a perfect piece setup while the machine is milling another component on the second table.

MULTI POSITION TOOL STORAGE

Customer claim: the use of multitasking machines has increased the number of requested tools (milling, turning, grinding) but not the available space. Customers want smart solutions.

Solution: one Breton well know key feature is the development of tailor made solutions. We are capable to take the best-in-class tool storage solutions from the market and adapt to the different customer requirements.
One example is the 200 positions tower type tool storage integrated on our Breton Maxima 1600 (mixing HSK-A100 for milling and Capto C8 for turning) with up to 3500 mm turning capability.
Another solution is the 200 positions tool storage fitted on our Breton Maxima 2000 K80.
Breton designer used the 8 meter machine length to hide the system in the machine footprint. A robot picks up the tool and transfers it to a tool changer avoiding any waiting time.

MEASURING FEATURES

Customer claim: reduce the features cost and complexity, be sure to remove from the machine a conforming piece.

Solution: the machine probing systems are provided as standard solution by many different competitors. The difference of Breton solution is the strong integration with the machining process and the measuring performances thanks to high machine accuracy. Breton can provide a turn-key solution to check the machine condition before starting operation, perform a perfect piece setup, even on deformed components, machine, measure and automatically correct the part saving all the measurements for statistical analysis. The only thing that the operator has to do is press the start green button. The final result for an important Aerospace customer is a measuring difference between Breton Ultrix and CMM of less than 0,01 mm.

HUMANOID ROBOT

Customer claim: create an automatic machining line to produce tire moulds with a minimum operator surveillance. 

Solution: Breton supplied to an important automotive company three machines, 2 Xceeder 900 and 1 Ultrix 800, with pallet change system served by a robot on rails collecting pieces and fixture from a big storage. Breton was responsible for the complete FMS solution and the final acceptance criteria were very severe but they have been achieved. The robot gives the system an higher flexibility respect to a classical FMS solution, in this way it will be possible to change easily the production in the future.

For further information, please write to mail@breton.it

Thanks for your attention!

Sergio Prior

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5 axis machining centers, aerospace, automotive machining centre, breton cnc 5 axis, change pallet, milling machine, mould

Renishaw technology helps Breton calibrate its in-house machinery

Switching from processing stone materials to metals demands a significant increase in precision. Now Breton uses laser interferometers, rotary axis calibrators, ballbar systems and touch-trigger probes thanks to Renishaw technology. As a result, today, Breton’s range of high-speed, five-axis CNC machining centres are among the world’s most advanced.
 

Calibrate accuracy

Based in Castello di Godego, Italy, Breton has come a long way since its foundation in 1963. Focussing initially on designing and building machinery to process natural stone, the company soon transitioned into also producing complete systems for the manufacture of composite stone (7% polyester content). This innovative material had, in fact, been invented by Breton and proved the backbone of its growing business for many years.

A moment in the rotary axis calibration process

The 1980s saw Breton begin building CNC machinery for processing marble, granite and composite stone slabs aimed at the kitchen worktop and bathroom sector; this particular era also included the arrival of the company’s first five-axis systems. A decade down the line and Breton began to diversify its expertise into the production of high-speed CNC machining centres for the metal-cutting industry. Renishaw technology helped Breton ensure the quality and precision of its in-house production machinery, and its fully assembled machine tools.

Talking about accuracy
Samuele Salvalaggio, Sales Engineering Office, explains how Breton’s own production machines, as well as those the company builds, follow practically the same control and calibration procedures.

“You cannot produce precision machinery if the components are not produced using precision machinery,” he stated. “Our quality control methodology essentially encompasses three phases: linearity control, the checking of axes, and overall control of kinematics, which are all carried out using Renishaw products.”

Ballbar system calibration technology

Once a machine is assembled, a XL-80 laser calibration system is used to test the positioning, linearity and the angular errors of the machine tool. These controls are carried out on all the machine tools produced by Breton. This process is also performed annually on all in-house production machinery and repeated on the rare occasion that deviations are recorded. The company opted for the XL-80 after experiencing difficulties using other systems on axes over 4 metres, a problem which is non-existent with the XL-80.



XL-80 laser calibration system



Machine axes are also the subject of strict quality control routines facilitated by using a Renishaw QC20-W ballbar system. The QC20-W is used to quantify the squareness between each linear axis and to check a machine tool’s fundamental performance via a quick check.

Once staff in the maintenance division, who already used a ballbar system for their periodic checks, showed others how easy to use and accurate the system was, it became a standard tool in every part of the company needing calibration controls.

Among other things, this check is also the first one conducted when customers request technical support for machines installed in the field. At Breton’s 40,000 m2 premises, checking the three linear axes of in-house production machining centres is also a straightforward operational routine. In just 20 minutes the operator can check the condition of the machine and prevent possible manufacturing errors. The ballbar system is now used internally to calibrate the production machines and externally for technical support, particularly when a customer suffers a machine collision.

At Breton, which today employs around 700 people, core business remains the stone processing sector, and here too, despite the fact that precision levels are lower, the benefits of calibration are now fully appreciated. All of Breton’s machines for natural/compound stone processing undergo calibration routines which guarantee their optimum operation.

For more information about Breton's 5-axis machining centers, please write to mail@breton.it.

Many thanks to Renishaw for the provided case study document. 

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5 axis machining centers, laser calibration, renishaw

“We've shifted gear”

The arrival of a Breton Eagle in SCA's workshop in Gessate (Milan) not only solved a host of operational problems, it also allowed the company to approach sectors and materials that were hitherto excluded.
(From: Meccanica&Automazione)

SCA

Founded almost fifty years ago as specialised manufacturer of foundry moulds, SCA is currently headed by the third generation of the proprietor family and, in a sense, it's experiencing the third “revolution” or – more accurately – conscious evolution of its operating activities.
The company was incorporated in 1970 by Domenico Scalzo and is currently headed by his grandson assisted by the second generation of the family.

The Breton Eagle of SCA 

Like many companies set up in the 1970s, the business started in cramped premises and worked with all kinds of industrial sectors: from moulds for motorcycle cylinder heads and interior light fixtures, to the initial production of parts for the Italian bottling industry.

In fact, it was a customer in the bottling sector that provided the basis for SCA's first turning point. With the customer in question, which remains a point of reference for SCA, the company began a journey into the world of industrial automation that enabled it to build its technological expertise until becoming a qualified supplier of parts for bottling plants (glass and plastic).

Rather than resting on its laurels and running the risk of supplying a single customer, over the years SCA maintained or developed a series of opportunities in several sectors that differed widely from the automatic machinery field, until it gradually left its origins in foundry mould-making in the past.

Competing in multiple sectors

This direction change led SCA to work with numerous industrial sectors, especially those calling for the ability to work with different materials with high levels of precision and the maximum operational flexibility.

From food and chemicals to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, the marine and aeronautical industry, and also construction of large size components for theatrical stage sets. These various different areas of activity called for the ability to work with a large range of different materials, which is why SCA's machining shop today is equipped with machines for plastics, metals, and even, marginally, woodworking machines. The diverse range of applications calls for specific machines for each material type, each capable of producing optimal results.

Alessio Restelli explains “Several years ago we decided to focus our investments on machine tools for metals and alloys. That's why we decided to purchase a large size machining centre for specific work processes on workpieces in aluminium and lightweight alloys. Unfortunately however, we soon discovered that the machine we had identified was unable to cope with the work in our production programme. We were looking for a machining centre with large working dimensions, capable of processing different materials and providing absolute reliability. Above all, we were seeking a definitive solution to the problems we had encountered. And the need was all the more pressing because we were very keen to enter new business sectors and consolidate our capital equipment”.

SCA found the answer by embarking on a series of analyses and checks, trawling through the information available on the various companies and products on the market.

“We soon realised that our requirements in terms of equipment and solutions were a very good fit with the machine tools produced by Breton which, thanks to its long experience in building machines for a range of materials from stone to metal, was the ideal candidate to provide the tranquillity we were looking for. This saw the start of a period of negotiation that went extremely smoothly, especially when we went to visit Breton at the company's headquarters, near Treviso".

Breton Eagle

A paradigm of rationality and organisational efficiency.”
The final choice fell on the Eagle, a gantry-type machining centre offering exceptionally generous working dimensions: 4200 mm (X) x 3000 mm (Y) axis x 1500 mm (Z). We then requested that these characteristics be integrated with a separate lath so we could turn workpieces of up to two metres in length, using the Eagle head (shown in the attached photos) as a turning-milling device.

Restelli explains – “Our Eagle is not merely an extremely efficient machine able to produce work of the utmost quality and with exceptional dimensional precision, it also allowed us to benefit from the positive experience of working with the Breton team that were looking after our interests. Apart from absolute respect of precision and times, we were also impressed by the creation of a valuable collaborative relationship that was built on our combined efforts to find the best possible solution to our needs".

"For sure, the machine tool in question is extremely valuable, but the whole process was also accompanied by a truly exceptional the level of customer care and assistance. We quickly realised that the people at Breton were far more than expert engineers. In some cases the relationships we developed morphed beyond the professional realm and became more akin to actual friendship.

We started to perceive Breton's people as an integral part of our own team - a development that brought substantial value to the whole process. For companies working in our sector it's extremely important to be able to rely on a partner that allows us to focus on our core business, without having to lose sleep about possible breakdowns, problems, or the inability to achieve the quality levels we need. Setting aside the problems and focusing on the job means that we can relax and get on with what we do best. And that's just as important to us as the very air we breathe”.

Breton Eagle, range for resins, composites and alloys

Eagle is fully articulated range of travelling bridge gantry machining centres dedicated to the world of composite materials, resins and aluminium. These machining centres are perfect for fast, high precision 5-axis machining of 5 faces of the workpiece with a single set-up operation.


The various configurations of EAGLE machining centres for composite materials make it possible to perform even the most complex tasks with the maximum flexibility and operating efficiency, with working dimensions from 2,000x2,500x1,000 mm up to 10,500x5,000x2,500 mm and beyond.

The machine offers the maximum production flexibility thanks to the possibility of configuring the work area, which can be optimized for machining single parts or pendulum machining operations. Our job is further facilitated by the optimal visibility of the work area and the double front and rear access doors, allowing easy loading and unloading procedures, tooling set-up and monitoring of machining operations.

Would you like to find out more about the Breton Eagle? For INFO and inquiries write to mail@breton.it.

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5 axis CNC machine tool, 5 axis machining centers, aeronautical industry, breton, breton eagle, breton machine tools, composites, metals, parts, plastics, sca

The 5-axis machining centre of the month: Breton Eagle

High-speed and developed to meet the needs of workshops that deal with materials such as resins, composites, aluminium and carbon, while guaranteeing dimensional accuracy. (From: Tecnologie Meccaniche)

Breton Eagle

In its history as a manufacturer of machine tools, Breton has always stood out for its care and quality in designing and manufacturing solutions for removing metal chips.

High accuracy combined with powers and torques capable of processing new materials have always been the strong points of the company from Castello di Godego (TV), to meet the needs of sectors such as aerospace, automotive and pattern making.

Breton Matrix 1000 Dynamic

For the best results, it has designed models like the Matrix machining centres, also used to process the lighter materials (aluminium, resins and composites), which still require fairly high accuracy and a good degree of chip removal.

However, Matrix is a model that, in some cases, could be overspecified for the real needs of these sectors in terms of power and accuracy and, as we know, users tend to prefer solutions that match their needs perfectly.
Often the market offers lower-performance solutions with inadequate volumetric accuracies. Eagle is Breton’s solution to meet these expectations.

A new application sector

Breton Eagle, the 5-axis machining centre of the month

Breton decided to create a product that is not in direct competition with other manufacturers, nor of course with any of the machines that it was already manufacturing, but to enter a niche that requires good accuracy without the need for large investments.

Not all customers can afford (or need) a high-power machine nor an extremely accurate one. This requirement is typical of those making aluminium moulds or carbon, composite or resin patterns and it became increasingly evident that there was a need to offer a product that could meet this demand. None of these applications requires very high accuracy, but they do need a higher accuracy than can be obtained with low-end machines.

Therefore, Eagle is a high-speed, 5-axis machining centre for milling, drilling and trimming medium and large components made of composites, sandwich structures, light alloys, resins and plastics, all with good dimensional accuracy.

This machine is conceptually simpler and more economical than a Matrix, but at the same time, it is able to guarantee an accuracy that is higher than anything available in the lightweight material machining sector.

Eagle is based on the manufacturing philosophy that has always distinguished Breton’s machines: vertical spindle, high-quality recirculating ball screws, axes drives with backlash recovery to ensure the desired accuracy, thermo-symmetric elements, symmetrical fork head and high-performance cooled motor spindles.

From an economic point of view, Eagle requires a much lower investment than buying a Matrix (about 30% less, depending on the configuration). This is a significant amount for a single machine, but often users need several machining centres dedicated to these tasks, so the economic benefit is even more apparent.

Modular construction

Eagle brings the construction philosophy of other Breton models: in fact, it is a gantry machine with high columns, balanced vertical axis and heads with a symmetrical structure so that thermal dilatation is always limited.

Not all workshops are equipped with air conditioning systems, and thermo-symmetric design reduces structural deformation and makes it easy to correct via software. Naturally, the points where heat is generated (like the head, A-axis and motor spindle) are cooled by a dedicated chiller to reduce heat transfer to other parts of the structure.

Like most of the machines manufactured by Breton, Eagle is also a highly modular design.
It is made entirely of electrowelded steel and is dimensioned using finite element analysis to reduce vibration and limit twisting. This choice allows it to meet the machine users’ need for modular dimensions, allowing Breton to customise the standard product easily to satisfy market demands.

The machine is driven by brushless motors. The bridge on which the gantry moves has racks with two motors and pinions with backlash recovery, which offers a stroke of 2 m and higher thanks to the modularity of the rack solution. Depending on the choice of model, in the Y-axis, the stroke starts from 2.5 m and can reach up to 5 m. Finally, the Z-axis stroke is 1 m for the most compact model and reaches 2.5 m for the largest one.



The streamlined structure can also reach considerable speeds and accelerations: 70 m/min on the X- and Y-axes, 50 m/min on the Z-axis (all the linear axes are equipped with encoders) with accelerations of up to 4 m/s2, 12 rpm on the A-axis and 19 on the C-axis.

The motor spindles are partly inherited from the Matrix, while others have been specially developed to meet the specific needs of users of this type of machine. Breton’s entry-level model offers a torque of 52 Nm, 16,000 rpm, 25 kW of power and is lubricated with grease. This choice was dictated by the typical field of application, namely aerospace, where lubricant leaks onto the composite or carbon parts are strictly forbidden.

Alternatively, there are other spindles developed in co-design with Breton's partners, which offer up to 40 kW and air/oil lubrication.
The machining head was developed to ensure the accuracy and performance required by this type of application sector: a solution that is compact, mechanically driven to achieve the desired performance without using the more expensive direct drive. It also has smaller pivots for improved penetration inside the workpiece, allowing it to perform all the required operations.

It is made from a cast iron block, a solution that effectively damps vibrations directly at the source. Equipped with brakes to work in 3+2 mode with locked axes, it ensures maximum rigidity even with challenging material removal.

The machine received a positive reaction from the pattern makers who make rotational moulds, which typically require heavy aluminium removal. The same goes for pattern makers who make scale Ureol parts, resin products and other prototype components.

Power and control

A requirement related to machining composite materials is that sometimes the structure contains threaded inserts to be drilled or small titanium strips.
Other solutions on the market are not able to cope with this kind of machining, which must therefore be carried out manually by an operator, with the problems of accuracy and productivity that this entails.

On the other hand, Eagle can even handle those workpieces that contain composites, aluminium and various inserts, completing the task directly in the machine.In the civil aerospace sector, Eagle is ideal for all the structural aluminium machining, interior structures, honeycomb panels, aramid fibres, aluminium and composites that required drilling and countersinking.

Obviously, Eagle is also able to machine harder materials, taking into account that its performance will be lower than that of, for example, a Matrix. The choice, therefore, will be dictated by the predominant type of machining to be performed and the materials to be used.

The accessories

Ultrasonic cutting head

In addition to the more traditional optionals, such as video cameras to monitor the machining area and tool magazines of various sizes, Breton has come up with a series of accessories dedicated to the specific application fields for which Eagle is intended.

An ultrasonic cutting head has been developed to prevent tearing or chipping the workpiece when machining composites. It can be managed like a common tool (in fact, it is housed in the magazine).

Also for composites and carbon parts, there is a countersinking control head. This is controlled automatically through simple templates in the numerical control and allows the effective hole position to be verified before countersinking. This procedure is essential, for example, with carbon aircraft doors because the carbon mould geometry is rarely exactly the same as the CAD model.
So, the system carries out a check to establish the effective hole position on the workpiece (using mechanical or laser sensing) at three points to determine its exact coordinates before counterboring. With respect to a sensing cycle, the times, and therefore the costs, are reduced significantly.

The numerical controls that can be installed on the Eagle are the Siemens 840D sl and Heidenhain 640 iTNC, both with full software options. Moreover, at the customer’s request, it is possible to develop applications, cycles and specific interfaces that run on the numerical control to improve machine utilisation.

Finally, there is an accessory with a 6th horizontal positioning axis, to perform turning that requires special workpiece positioning and complete accessibility in any situation.

Safe and productive

Depending on the specific use, the user can choose whether to machine dry or using cooling lubricants, as the machine can do both. Breton has provided for the use of evacuator belts, extraction systems or both. Where there are laminated materials, for which it is necessary to mill the carbon and then thread the aluminium inserts, the carbon dust can be handled by the extraction system and the aluminium chips by the evacuator belts.

Breton puts considerable effort into satisfying the Atex standard. When it comes to safety, especially in industrial systems, nobody wants to run into problems or “surprises”.
The machine is therefore fully closed, with top bellows to avoid dust dispersion within the workplace. There are also extraction systems on the table and spindle nose.

When machining graphite, whose dust is extremely aggressive to both mechanical and electrical parts, Breton offers IP65 cabinets for the electrical panels or, alternatively, located at an appropriate distance from the point where the dust is created.

Would you like to find out more about the Breton Eagle? 
For INFO and inquiries about this 5-axis machining centre write to mail@breton.it.

Well, that’s all for today. 
Bye-bye

Sergio Prior

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5 axis machining centers, 5 axis milling, breton, breton eagle, carbon fiber, Composite materials, honeycomb, large components, trimming

Breton, the highlights of Farnborough Air Show 2016

The visit of the italian minister for defense, Roberta Pinotti

We want to use this video to thank everyone who visited our stand in July at Farnborough International Air Show 2016.

All visitors, all customers, all dealers and agents.

Keep in touch with Breton, in the next months we'll have a lot of news regarding our 5-axis machining centers which can be flexibly adapted to your manufacturing requirements.

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5 axis machining centers, 5-axis machining, Breton 5-axis, Farnborough, Farnborough Air Show, flexibly manufacturing