New Matrix 1000: ideal for mould&die makers

The name “Matrix 1000” is not new for Breton; originally intended for the mould&die market, it had excellent success over the years. The machine has been completely redesigned to cope with changes in the market, thus maintaining only the name and the target sector; it now includes many new features that are required in other sectors such as aeronautics, precisely for its stiffness, accuracy and working envelope. Some of the ideas that contributed to the success of the previous Matrix 1000 have withstood the test of time, while others have been reviewed and updated.

In fact, although it was designed for mould&die makers, it has been particularly successful also in the aeronautical world. Some solutions designed for modularity have an impact on costs so, the machine concept has been redesigned, keeping the good points of the previous versions, simplifying where possible and ensuring the interchangeability of the accessories such as different choice of milling heads so that the machine can be better used in the aerospace sector.

Listen to the users

Who better than the final user can say what a specific sector needs? Breton passed from a top-down approach, where it offers solutions and features to the market, to a bottom-up approach, where it is the market that guides the new model development.

Therefore  the new Matrix 1000 was born from the requests of the mould&die market. The approach is simple: the travels were based on the largest workpiece that is generally machined in the mould&die sector, such as car bumpers or dashboards.

The design then started from the simplest things, that normally are considered unimportant but are required in all workshops (ergonomic access to the working area or easily cleanable working area from chips); then, it moves on to more complex aspects (greater structural rigidity for significant removal or reduced thermal expansion). This approach could be described as a true user experience.
There is another direct request from users: “it must cost less and produce more” - difficult to achieve, but not impossible. In fact, Breton designers were able to achieve better performance at a lower price.

Designed for the mould&die industry

Among the new features that Breton has introduced into this version, there is the right angle head, particularly appreciated by mould&die makers.

In fact, compared to a fork-type head, it can machine closer to the workpiece (therefore with shorter tools) or reach points that would otherwise be inaccessible by a forked head. Breton has given this head model distinctive features such as direct drive, safety brakes and encoders, as well as a case that resists bending and twisting as much as the forked one.

Obviously, the right angle head is not an acceptable solution in the aeronautical sector, this is the reason why the forked head is still available. This is one of the features that makes Matrix 1000 suitable for such different application sectors.
By default, Matrix 1000 is offered with Heidenhain iTNC 640 numerical control, but it is also available with Siemens 840D SL.

 

Redesigned from top to bottom

An excellent job has been done in developing and engineering the machine; it costs less than the previous version, but at the same time it features better accuracy, performance and productivity.
In fact, it has smaller footprint than the previous model, even though the axis travels are longer (300 mm more in the Y direction). Workshops often have problems with space, and sometimes this can be a key factor when choosing one model over another.

Modularity is still significant: a fix size for the Z and Y axes and a choice of travels for the X axis, from 2500 mm to 4000 mm.
Breton designers have provided a stainless steel cover for the internal working area ; this solution avoids the risk of “paint removal”. This is an added value really appreciated by machine users.

Chip evacuation is another feature that users appreciate. Unlike steel machining, aluminum produces a considerable amount of chips: machining aluminium rotary moulds means starting from large blocks and removing up to 80/90% of the stock material. In this case, being able to rely on an efficient evacuation system implies keeping the working area clean and preventing accumulation that can create future problems to the machine.

For this reason, Breton has provided a front belt conveyor, which allows the doors to be opened easily, and two lateral chip evacuation belts that take the remaining chips to the front conveyor. Moreover, the rear wall is up against the table to prevent material accumulation.
The stainless steel walls also protect columns and bellows, which remain clean and easy to wash.

Details that count

Installation time is a detail that means a lot to end users. For this reason, Breton has introduced significant improvements that have reduced the commissioning time by approximately 20%.

The base version has a step to access the working area; in this way, it can be installed directly on the floor or industrial foundations, without the need for any contractor work. The machine just needs to be anchored, and it is ready for operation. This will be useful also in case the machine has to be relocated in the future.

There is no need for foundation work to allocate the conveyor; moreover, all the cables pass through the machine. For those who prefer a solution with the work table at floor level (e.g. to enter directly with a forklift), it is possible to dig a pit to recess the work table. 

The chip evacuation system is positioned behind the front doors, with its way-out on the tool-store side (either right or left), while the operator can operate the numerical control panel on the front side. The tool-store and the chip box are accessible from the machine side, so there is no need to go to the back side.

 

On one side, there is access for tool store expansion, with 30 positions in the base version, which can be doubled on request. These are values that are perfectly aligned with the needs of the mould&die making sector, where large numbers of tools are not required. Regarding usability, it is important to remember that the electrical cabinets need a safety distance from the other machines in order to be opened safely. In the new Matrix 1000 they are located at the rear, so that it can be installed 1 meter (40”) from the wall without running into operational and maintenance safety issues.

Better chip removal

An increase in removal capacity has been achieved by using a structure that has been designed and built to support higher cutting forces. Previously, the spindle could reach 100 Nm of torque, while the versions designed for this evolution can provide now a continuous torque of 160 Nm on a 18,000 rpm spindle. Alternatively, there are other spindle models with 100 Nm and 18,000 rpm or 64 Nm and 28,000 rpm.
The columns, bridge and ram are structurally have increased the  rigidity In addition to its stiffness (certified by FEM structural analysis), the new Matrix 1000 has a patented solution that makes it less sensitive to temperature variations. Together with a thermo-symmetric structure, this means an increase of its overall accuracy in all operating conditions.

Another requirement of the mould&die sector is more robust tool tapers, both to support the increased removal capacity of the machine and to improve the operating conditions of the tools (as they are subjected to less vibration). For this reason, Breton has provided both the traditional HSK63 taper and the HSK100 version.

Matrix is a gantry type with 4 motors on the master/slave X axis and backlash recovery; the Y axis is moved by a recirculating ball screw, while the Z axis has two recirculating ball screws without balancing, which increases reactivity during machining.

A ram with hydrostatic guides, a solution that dampens vibrations even more effectively, is available on request.
The rotary axes use torque motors with encoders, while for the linear axes, Breton preferred to stick to a more “traditional” solution, which still ensures high performance levels; ballscrews and racks ensure up to 5 m/s2 and 50 m/min, without the problems associated with using linear motors (consumption, complex cooling system design, etc.).


Thermal shield

Breton deals with temperature variations in a special way; within obvious limits, the machine can be hot, and must remain so. The important thing is that this temperature variation is gradual and controlled, so that the thermo-symmetric structure can adapt. To achieve this result, the structure has special insulation; if there is a sudden change in outside temperature, e.g. of around 5 °C, the machine opposes this change and takes much longer to heat up and therefore expand. This idea is already well known in the construction industry, where thermal cladding is used to make buildings more efficient by keeping the temperatures as stable as possible compared to the outside.

The temperature difference between the sheet metal panels that make up the machine is 0.2 °C, a very small values that can be managed by the passive (thermal cladding) and active (electronic) compensation systems in Matrix 1000.

In addition to the temperature sensors placed in the main structure of the machine, there are also vibration sensors on the head already in the base version:  when needed they stops machining to prevent any damage (such as is unexpected and excessive stock to be removed). As option an adaptive  package is available on request, which varies the machining parameters according to the measured machine reactions (power consumption, vibrations, etc.).

The spindle can be easily removed  by undoing a few screws and using a quick cabling system. In this way, the user can change it  quickly when needed (such as a collision or the requirement for different performance) and restart after a centering cycle. On request, Breton can also supply an automatic cartridge changing device.

For more information please write to: mail@breton.it

Thank you for your attention.
See you soon,

Sergio Prior

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breton matrix 1000, die manufacturing, mould

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

Breton FLYMILL- Vertical machining centre for milling carbon fiber, steel, titanium, resin and aluminium.

A solution to meet all your needs: from carbon fiber to titanium

High-performance and precision machining centre for milling complex three-dimensional workpieces which require accurate machining and 5 continuous axis interpolation. FLYMILL is the ideal solution for any application in the aerospace, automotive, gear and mould sectors since it can machine a variety of materials, from composite to aluminium, steel and titanium.

Wide choice of configurations for customized performances

Various solutions for the best machine configuration to satisfy any need:

- Standard version with one work area

- Two work areas for pendulum machining

- Model with pallet change system or with integrated milling table.

Easy access and clear view

Excellent accessibility and a clear view of the work area thanks to the machine gantry structure with moving bridge and wide frontal/back doors.

High precision, dynamics and flexibility with 5 continuous axis, high-speed machining

In order to always ensure high performances, FLYMILL is provided with heavy-structured shoulders manufactured using the ground-breaking Metalquartz technology that ensures a very high structural rigidity and vibration damping, which guarantees a better surface finish and a longer service life of the cutting tools.

Three high-performance Direct Drive heads

Electrospindles always offer the best machining performance thanks to the cast-iron fork designed head which offers structural rigidity and efficient vibration damping. 

FLYMILL can be equipped with the Tornado HD head capable of housing a 75 kW (in S1 duty) spindle with 14.000 rpm in order to perform roughing and finishing operations.

High-Speed, Dynamics and Precision

The carriage and beam travel on well dimensioned, double recirculating roller guides ensuring machining precision and stability. All axes are moved by systems with double preloaded pinion and rack. 
Maximum precision is achieved thanks to the position detection through optical scales. Axes are controlled by digital drives with latest generation brushless servomotors.

Wide choice of electrospindles

FLYMILL machining centre can be supplied with a wide range of electrospindles depending on the type of machining required. Machining precision is always guaranteed by the spindle thermal stabilizing system and a software designed to compensate natural thermal expansions of the Electrospindle when machining conditions change.

M 51/28
Electrospindle featuring a power of 40 kW, continuous torque of 51 Nm in S1 duty and 28.000 rpm: the ideal choice for customers requiring high-speed machining on either steel or light alloys, from rough-machining up to precision finishing.

M 100/18
Electrospindle featuring a power of 40 kW, continuous torque of 100 Nm in S1 duty and 18.000 rpm: smartly performing any machining operation on either steel or light alloys, from rough-machining up to precision finishing.

M 300/14
Electrospindle featuring a power of 48 kW, continuous torque of 300 Nm in S1 duty and 14.000 rpm: amazingly efElectrospindle featuring a power of 48 kW, continuous torque of 300 Nm in S1 duty and 14.000 rpm: amazingly efficient when machining either steel or super alloys, from rough-machining up to precision finishing.

Simple and reliable tool magazines

According to the various models, wheel-type or chain-type tool magazines with fast manipulator to reduce tool changing times are available. 
Installed outside the work area and therefore free of dirt, these tool magazines ensure the greatest reliability over the time. 
They can be equipped with an automatic coding system containing tool data and chip reading.

Top-roof bellows and dust extraction

Ideal for machining composite materials and aluminium, FLYMILL can be fitted with an efficient dust extraction system which is installed on the spindle nose and top-roof bellows that enclose the machine thus isolating the work area from the immediate surroundings. 
Different models of dust extraction and fume intake systems are available to satisfy any specific customers' needs.

The ideal tool cooling system

Depending on the need of machining, the coolant system can use external or through the spindle coolant with fixed or variable internal pressure (up to 70 bar), or incorporate a spray mist system, or simply use compressed air.

Monitoring and in-process inspections

FLYMILL can be supplied with a laser/touch tool presetter and a radio controlled probe to acquire the size and coordinates of the workpiece and position it more easily.

For INFO and request write now to mail@breton.it. 
Well, that’s all for today. 
Bye-bye
Sergio Prior

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5 continuous axis, aerospace, automotive, breton flymill, carbon fiber, gear, machining centre milling, mould, titanium

Mold machining: Promises kept with Breton Matrix

Meeting the delivery times and high precision parts are the foundations of company philosophy for Focus on molds. To keep these trump cards in our hand, the company puts its trust in qualified personnel and hi-performance machine tools such as the Breton Matrix 800 K25/2T.

Designing injection or pressure die-casting molds is an interesting challenge for the engineering department, as these components push the designers’ creative energy and come up with new solutions. The special feature of the molding process is that two similar pieces need different dies: just a small geometric variation may mean redesigning the shape and position of elements such as deburring chambers or heat exchangers. This redesigning is frequently required in the automotive industry; imagine how many parts change shape from one car to the next, or even two different versions of the same model.

So similar, so different

“Molds may seem all the same, but every customer has its own special requirements as the mold will be used in different ways on different presses to those of the competition,” says Giuseppe Ghilardi, general manager of Focus on molds, “so there's a study I might even call tailor-made that goes into every die and punch design developed by highly qualified personnel. Here at Focus on molds we dedicate a great deal of time and energy to our employees, concentrating our efforts on their training and rewarding those deserving the highest praise. We're convinced that the quality of the parts and therefore customer satisfaction is the result of their work, rather than just the performance of the machine tools. This has been our philosophy since 2002, when we launched the brand.”

Over a decade of success thanks to an important change of direction in 2002 when the new management took over a company established in 1979, completely restructuring both the staff organization and work method. 
At the end of 2012 we moved to the new works in Cologne (BS) with an area of 10,000 m2, half of which covered. “During the transfer, we took the chance to assess the conditions of our machine tools, to see whether it was worth moving them, or if it was more economically viable to purchase new models,” mentions Ghilardi. “In the case of Breton, in the old works we had a machine with seven years of service, and although it still managed to keep up with the required quality standards of production, some minor imperfections had begun to appear.”

More than words

The positive results in these seven years convinced Focus on molds to continue collaborating with the Italian company, purchasing a Matrix 800 K25/2T. “Until a few years ago I hadn't even heard of the Breton machines,” continues Ghilardi. “During our first meeting I was told their product had certain characteristics and could offer a certain type of performance. I'm happy to say that the promises made by the sales staff and technicians were kept, not just when the machine was purchased but in time too. For this reason, when it was time to renew our machines we were in no doubt whatsoever and contacted Breton immediately.”

Initially Focus on molds asked if it would be possible to retrofit the old model already installed, but the characteristics of the Matrix 800 K25/2T in the catalog convinced the company from Brescia to invest in a new machine. “The Breton technicians explained that the new machine had numerous improvements to reduce head noise, improve recovery from thermal expansion and improve accuracy on some machining types even more than before,” Ghilardi adds. “As the promises made have always been kept, I put my trust fully in the new machine and signed the contract.”

As this machine is mainly used for finishing and superfinishing molds, the improvement in precision and maintaining this performance in time were parameters of fundamental importance. As well as the difficulties associated with the dimensional variations of the molded piece in fact, there is also the problem of having to produce net shape components with very close tolerances. 
The Matrix 800 K25/2T meets these requirements with ease, thanks also to its very rigid head and the ability to work at high rotation speeds, which lets you work a wide range of materials.

Punctual precision

This machine is ideal for making the majority of molds, which otherwise would need to go through a spark erosion process, increasing production and delivery times. It's important to emphasize that timely performance is something of a motto for Focus on molds: we're proud to say that over the years we've always managed to deliver our customers' orders by the date of delivery. 

“90% of our production is for the automotive industry, and when working with the major names like Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar you must be fully aware of your potential and times, because delays will surely mean a customer lost,” states Ghilardi. “This is extremely important for us, as first and foremost it's an indication of our professional standards and lets us establish trustworthy relations with our customers: if the customer trusts you, you're sure to be one of the first suppliers they'll contact for future orders. The problem is that the person placing the order takes precision for granted, and requests tighter and tighter deadlines. 

This means we have to take great care when deciding which proposal to accept. Sometimes in fact in spite of everything we've had to turn down interesting projects because of the impossible deadlines, despite the fact that from a feasibility point of view they were well within our scope. A contract we signed recently represents a different case though, as the customer gave us an ultimatum in terms of the number of parts and the delivery date for consigning the job. We accepted, despite the fact the contract would mean a notable effort on our part, putting our trust in the potential of the Matrix 800 K25/2T.”

Precise, versatile, reliable

The Breton machine is a highly versatile milling center that can meet any work requirements, thanks also to its extensive operating range that lets you position a complete mold without having to remove it, if only minor milling is required. Furthermore, thanks to its 5 axes, the Matrix can perform complex operations and the workpiece can be positioned on the machine in one simple operation, so there is no time wasted and there can be no errors in precision as the piece doesn't have to be moved. 

“The main advantage is the way the head moves and turns,” explains Ghilardi. “The Matrix can perform complicated movements extremely easily also thanks to the numeric control installed, which may be either a Heidenhain or Siemens NC, and simply transmits the data from the Cam program to the machine, so it responds as quickly and smoothly as possible.” This makes the Breton machine very easy to use, so easy in fact that training here at Focus on molds is limited to new personnel, and is basically only on learning how to use the NC.

On paper, Matrix is a machining center that's easy to use, and in practice it's proven to be highly reliable too: until now the new machine hasn't needed any kind of repair call, even tele-assistance type. This is a very interesting service offered by Breton, and thanks to the tele-assistance support the technicians can remotely run diagnostics and, for repairs that require field service, they arrive just with the right tools and parts to solve a problem, although most of the time problems can be solved over the phone. 

This is more than just an advantage in terms of image for Breton; it means customers can respect their times, as any repair call will be timely answered and targeted.

“In general, we're very pleased with Breton  both from a machinery point of view and for the quality of the pre and post-sale service,” concludes Ghilardi. “They always met our requirements, and above all kept their promises. For us this means added value, because it's exactly the same way we've earned our customers' trust and is the mark of a serious and reliable partner.”
(Thanks to TM - Tecnologie Meccaniche for the article)
Sergio Prior

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breton matrix, cnc vertical milling machine, high speed cnc machining centre, matrix 800, mould

Matrix and Flymill Breton: the ideal machines to work the molds

 

Matrix and Flymill, are high-speed vertical machining centre designed and manufactured by Breton ideal for moulds production especially for the automotive market.

As you can see from the pictures, Matrix and Flymill, high-speed vertical machining centre Breton are ideal for working molds.

 

Click here for more INFO

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5 axis machining centers, aerospace machining, automotive machining centre, cnc vertical milling machine, die, mould, vertical machining centres