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

No win without a winning team

For multinational corporations or SMEs, the key is always teamwork, strategic vision and persistence.
Like in the case of Merletti Aerospace and Breton's Matrix 1000. 

(by Paolo Beducci - M&A Meccanica e Automazioni)

Among the classic profiles of Italian family-run businesses we believe some events are more Italian than others, because certain affairs are a more accurate reflection of typical Italian business practice, the will to succeed and the resilience, meaning the ability to adapt to different situations and make positive changes in the organisation when facing challenges.

Incorporated in 1972 by Gianluigi Merletti and his wife Narcisa, Merletti Aerospace was founded under the name of Meccanica Merletti, a general mechanical engineering contractor dedicated to the production of limited series with high value in terms of the exceptional quality of the machining work. 
It's worth noting that Merletti operates in a high-tech industrial district: the Varese industrial area, specifically Arsago Seprio, where the majority of Italian aeronautical companies have their headquarters. It should come as no surprise to learn that Varese is known locally as the " the province with wings” (provincia con le ali). 

AgustaWestland and AleniaAermacchi, for example, are just two names in a long list of companies whose presence has led to the emergence of a high value added industrial settlement. 
From its beginnings, Merletti achieved recognition for its exceptional operational competences and its ability to interact, directly or indirectly, with large industrial concerns, including several companies active in the aeronautical and aerospace industry.

Arrival of the second generation

In the mid-1990s the Merletti husband and wife team realised they needed to address two types of problems. The first concerned the technological strength of the company, while the second was related to the ability to prepare the family business for a future that would no longer be constrained by the need for the active participation of the two founding partners. 
The solution adopted by Gianluigi and Narcisa was to bring their two children (Ruggero and Sabrina) into the business and simultaneously launch an investment plan aimed at modernising the company's capital equipment. 
At that time NC machine tools were making their presence felt (also in smaller companies), resulting in a technological paradigm shift of revolutionary proportions. 

The era of highly skilled lathe and milling machine operators was drawing to a close, giving way to the era of machining tolerances of tenths or hundredths of a millimetre and ultimately, microns. 

Despite being born and raised in a family focused in high precision mechanical engineering operations, Ruggero and Sabrina had followed different career paths that were far removed from the vocation of their parents. The Merletti husband and wife had now started to plan the introduction of a significant new aspect that was proving extremely successful in terms of the times and results. 
Having always focused on Quality in all its operations, Merletti was among the very first small companies to secure EN ISO 9001 certification in 1995, going on to obtain certification in compliance with EN 9100 in 2006.
In the words of Ruggero Merletti – whose role in the family business is to run the Engineering Department and handle technical management – "One of the most significant aspects of our strategy was that at that time many of our customers lacked our qualifications and certifications, either in-house or in their supply chains, so we were perfectly placed to provide the support they needed. In certain cases our company was more highly qualified than the customers we were serving".

Aerospace becomes the core business

The gradual but increasingly massive shift towards the industry that would lead to the company name being changed to Merletti Aerospace, slowly led the Arsago Seprio-based company to focus its operations on increasingly specialised production activities and high-end materials. At this time, the company started working increasingly with special materials such as aluminium alloys, Inconel, high-tensile steels and titanium: all of which, for different and even opposite reasons, call for advanced levels of production expertise. 

Apart from the materials, following a trend that was gaining ascendancy also in the aeronautical industry, over the years Merletti Aerospace specialised in high level machining operations and also in the production of mechanical parts with a range of processes from the procurement of raw materials to heat treatments, construction and dimensional checks, galvanic treatments, surface coatings and assembly of mechanical units and sub-assemblies. 
The entire process also involves the design and construction of machinery for the production of aircraft parts and equipment, completing the offering with full verticalisation of sub-assemblies, including assembly and testing procedures. The result is a fully-developed industrial system that boasts exceptional levels of know-how and skills.

In this panorama, the company clearly needed a design department and machining operations of a level that is greatly superior to the norm. The company's resources comprised a dozen 4- and 5-axis machining centres plus CNC lathes and multitasking machines capable of working with very large size parts for the aerospace industry.

Ruggero Merletti explains, “I believe a company needs to evolve constantly, changing and growing wherever possible. 
As soon you relax and start to enjoy the results already achieved, hard-won market positions start to recede. And in a market like ours, which is among the most competitive in existence today, this requirement becomes an absolute must. That's why we decided to make new investments aimed at growing the business, and in our case it was literally a question of growing, having decided to acquire a machining centre capable of working with larger size parts. This decision was aimed at gaining a foothold in a new market area in terms of dimensional characteristics”

A new push towards the future

Essentially this meant identifying and purchasing a gantry machining centre capable of working on very large parts. 

It was no chance that we decided to opt for a Matrix 1000 by Breton, with axis strokes of 3000x6000x1000mm. 
In practical terms, this decision allows us to tap into new possibilities, especially in the production of structural components, working with high precision on five continuous interpolated axes in order to perform 3D machining operations: basic requirements that are not easily fulfilled by manufacturers of high-end machine tools.

“The best path to follow was to draft a set of specifications – explains Merletti – and then perform a field evaluation of the compatible machines available for purchase. I have to admit that our specifications were highly demanding and difficult for any machine tools manufacturer to meet. After performing an internal selection to narrow the field of potential suppliers, we were left with just four companies, to which we submitted our requests. 
And it didn't end there... the specifications also called for field trials and specific guarantees in terms of presence and assistance – both for the choice and installation of the machine and also during routine machining operations. We awarded a score to each machine and each company, together with assessments ranging from the characteristics of the machines to their presence on the market, the number installed machines and numerous additional factors." 

The solution is Matrix

"We performed a workpiece test. 

The results obtained were all fairly satisfactory, but in relation to certain points Breton was a step ahead of the rest with respect to our requirements. From the  vacuum system to the chip removal equipment – critically important when working with high material removal rates per unit time – up to the electrospindle which, in the case of Breton, offers a power rating of 70kW and maximum rotation speed of 28,000 rpm.” 
Merletti continues "Over the years Breton has developed a preferential path, with collaboration with one of the top electrospindle manufacturers right from the design stage, thus providing our company with a further guarantee that we would be getting a machine tool that is entirely representative of the state of the art.”

One of the first aspects visible when analysing the Matrix 1000/2TK60 Dynamic is the extremely comprehensive enclosure system, an important requirement when working with materials that are difficult not merely in terms of machining work but also in relation to the management of processing residues. The vacuum system is an integral part of the machine, which is also equipped with a 180-position tool magazine. Given the solution adopted, it's clear that Merletti covered all the bases when selecting their new machining centre!
However, that's what it takes if a company plans to keep one... or even two steps ahead of increasingly fierce competition – competition that is starting to feel the effects of the arrival of newcomers from low-cost countries operating in the lower and less remunerative end of the market.

Ruggero Merletti concludes “While we were impressed by the performance of the machine, we realised we'd chosen well once we started the procedure to install the Matrix. Apart from the fact that rather than a simple machine tool we were dealing with an authentic plant presenting a series of complexities also in the installation stage, I was impressed by the fact that Breton's technicians followed the process step by step, displaying a level of dedication that was invaluable for our company. 
The attention we received went well beyond our expectations, including the constant presence of Breton personnel during construction of the foundations, painstaking attention devoted to details, and the maximum availability throughout the process. 

And the assistance was provided by a youthful and dynamic team who displayed great dedication and passion for their work, as clearly reflected in every activity and in the way they went about each task.
It seems to me that apart from offering truly exceptional products, Breton understand that it takes a perfectly coordinated team to win the race”.

For INFO and request about 5-axis machining centre Matrix 1000 Dynamic write now to mail@breton.it. 

Well, that’s all for today. 
Bye-bye
Sergio Prior

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5-axis machining centres, breton cnc 5 axis, Breton Matrix 1.000 Dynamic, Merletti aerospace

Breton vertical machining centre MATRIX 800 and MATRIX 1000 - ideal solution for moulds

hello,
today I'll show you how our high speed vertical machining centres Breton MATRIX 800 and MATRIX 1000 are used excellently in the machining of the molds.
1 - Vertical machining centre MATRIX 800

2 - Vertical machining centre MATRIX 1000

For more INFO and price write to mail@breton.it.
We’ll get back to you promptly.
Well, that’s all for today, thanks for your attention.
Bye-bye
Sergio Prior

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breton cnc 5 axis, breton matrix 1000, cnc milling machines, high speed cnc, matrix 800, vertical machining centre

Breton ULTRIX - various work pieces

I collected a series of photos illustrating various working pieces on high-speed machining centres ULTRIX that I hope may be useful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here for more INFO.

Happy Easter to all

Sergio

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5 axis machining centers, aerospace machining, breton cnc 5 axis, CNC turning and milling center, high speed cnc, high-speed machining center, Ultrix breton, vertical turning centre

Breton MAXIMA - Multitasking vertical machining centre (part 1)

Specifically designed and developed for demanding markets, Maxima performs to its best in terms of precision and productivity combining 5axis milling with turning. Thanks to a design that offers interesting possibilities to users, first of all pendulum machining while carrying out turning and milling operations.

Maxima is a machine developed from the experience gained by Breton with other models, from which it has taken the best that they could offer. Breton engineers have started from a heavy structure gantry machine, then adding a turning table and a head change system able to manage both the milling and the turning process at best.

It is really a machine with double possibilities because, besides relying on a modern milling machine, thanks to the head change it is possible to carry out also turning operations (even heavy) without stressing the components exclusively designed for milling.

Solid and stable

Starting from the structure, electrowelded steel,  coupling the steel with an optimized geometry it is possible to obtain the correct sizing of each component of Maxima.

But not only: the inside of each module is filled by an engineered granite patented by Breton, MetalQuartz, which offers interesting properties. First of all, it contributes in the vibration dampening, consequently increasing the stability and the quality of machined surfaces. Besides, this composite silicon-quartz material owns the same thermal expansion coefficient as the structure steel.

Milling and turning

Maxima is sold in different versions and configurations. The most evident element is the Y axis travel that, as above mentioned, can vary depending on the purchaser’s requirements simply adding other modules during its manufacturing.

Another value that characterizes each machine consists in the turning table diameter: we start from the smallest, with 1,200 mm diameter, up to 3,000 mm of Maxima 2500, passing through the 1,600 mm version.

The smallest tables are operated by direct drive, while with bigger diameters traditional motors in dual drive configuration are used. In this way it is possible to reach different speeds, torque and powers, suitable for specific uses.

The version with 3,000 mm diameter guarantees the maximum power of 100 kW, 116 kW in S6 at 40%, and a torque of 20,000 Nm (24,600 Nm in S6). With such characteristics, the 230 rpm that the motor/transmission group can offer is more than eough to machine with high peripheral speeds and heavy stock removals, like a real vertical lathe.

Besides, when it performs a turning operation the Gantry axis and the Z axis are kept in position by a set of hydraulic brakes, ideal for assuring the best statics of the structure without putting engines under strain.

 

Read more >>

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5 axis machining centers, aerospace machining, breton cnc 5 axis, CNC turning and milling center, high speed vertical machining centre, Maxima

Breton MAXIMA - multitasking vertical machining (part 2)

Heads and tools

The machine uses different tools for multitasking operations.

While the head used in turning is relatively simple, a model with Capto C8 taper, the milling one is certainly more complex.

The coupling with the ram is guaranteed  by a Hirth crown assuring the correct and constant positioning of heads and removing the risk that the efforts – especially in turning – are concentrated on the components dedicated to milling. Machines of this type are expected to machine for several years without needing extraordinary overhauls determined, for instance, by excessive stresses on parts not designed to bear them.

 

Maxima 2500 HD is characterized by the innovative head Tornado HD. This name hides a head with torque motor on the C axis that eliminates backlashes, permitting to achieve precisions in the volume of few hundreds on the five axes and enabling to reach 100 rpm. The flexibility is guaranteed by the fork-shaped configuration with non-coaxial spindle and big roughing power. Besides, the high-frequency electrospindle permits to operate effectively in milling (roughing and finishing) on steel, light alloys and alloys resistant to heat (used in some of the outlet application sectors of this machine, such as aerospace and military).

The change system provides for apposite niches in the structure where replacement heads are housed.

A further option offers the possibility of replacing the spindle cartridge only: in this way a single head can house, for instance, a motor suitable for roughing and a high-speed electrospindle for finishing.

Tornado HD 300/14 is the standard head proposed on Maxima: with a maximum power of 75 kW and a spindle torque of 300 Nm, it is proposed as solution able to meet successfully most requirements expressed by customers. It can reach in fact 14,000 rpm and house tools with HSK-100A taper.

 

Tools are housed in a wheel-type magazine that, in the change phase, is introduced into the machining field through an apposite panel. A variable number of tools, ranging from 20 to 30, can be housed, depending on their size. As an alternative, a rack with 60, 100 or 150 pockets can be installed, with a shuttle for the tool recovery and an arm that physically carries out the exchange. In both cases, the machining area is perfectly free and completely available for the piece positioning, allowing the movement of the head in the space without constraining it with the presence of tools or tool/head change equipment.

 

The secret of precision

Maxima has been conceived to satisfy very exacting demands in terms of productivity and precision. We have mentioned the capability of reaching a volumetric precision within 5 hundredths but it was not easy to attain these results.

 

The stable and stiff structure certainly contributes in essential way but it was necessary to do more: besides the air pressured optical scales, equipping both sides of the machine and the Z axis, and the encoders on rotary axes, the machine is provided with a balancing system for the compensation of the head and ram weight.

In this way, the only forces that affect the structures are the machining ones, widely within design parameters.

The “universal” mission of Maxima guarantees the possibility of machining a big number of materials, such as steel, aluminium, resins, titanium and carbon fibre. For the latter, in particular, they have studied suitable solutions for assuring the constant operation of the machine. First of all the upper part can be closed with bellows that do not limit the possibility of loading pieces with the crane but that, in presence of carbon fibre dust, isolate the machining area and do not allow the removed particles to go out. Moreover, all sliding and supporting surfaces are protected by a standard pressurization system.

Thanks to TM - Tecnologie Meccaniche

(Mr. Andrea Pagani)

Here you can read first part >> 
Click here for more INFO

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5 axis machining centers, aerospace machining, breton cnc 5 axis, CNC turning and milling center, high speed vertical machining centre, Maxima