Bakker Metaalbew.
Bakker Metaalbewerkingsbedrijf BV in Son, the Netherlands, has a widespread reputation for being able to produce tricky components – “If Bakker can’t, no one can”.
Tiny and complex, most of Bakker’s individual products fit in a cupped hand. Tolerances are predominantly within a few thousandths of a millimetre and, increasingly, the components have to be delivered semi-assembled.
Rien Elling: “Thanks to increased competitiveness, automation creates more employment opportunities.”
A few years ago, telecommunications was the largest customer segment. Now, most assignments come from the medical equipment industry. For example, components for radiation equipment used in the treatment of cancer. The next most important segments are defence and the optical industries.
MD Rien Elling explains: “Precision is not created by high-class machines alone. It depends largely on professionalism and a feel for accuracy. We have experienced workers with exactly these qualities. Bakker has been successfully producing precision components for almost 40 years. The feeling for exactness is in the walls.”
Component material varies widely; mostly aluminium, but also copper, brass, stainless steel, titanium and all sorts of synthetic materials. “Ordinary” steel is rarely seen in the company’s lathes and milling machines.
Copper components for radiation equipment; 3.5 hours of machining in four set-ups. Final weight, 4.5 kg.
Bakker has long used automated turning. This was necessary to compete with low-cost countries. Indeed, large parts of Bakker’s exports go to Asia!
Automatic milling cells were the next step. Rien Elling: “We worked double shifts in our 5-axis milling machines, but this wasn’t enough. We had to get out more spindle hours. It was quite simply a question of automating or fading away. Automation clearly strengthens competitiveness. In its turn, this creates more employment opportunities.”
The five-axis milling machines are from Bridegport and Hermle. To start the automation off, one of the Hermle C800U’s was chosen. Being a portal machine, the table could only be accessed from the front. However, System 3R had the solution. Earlier in the year, System 3R had completed its first installation of a rail-bound WorkPal Compact Servo at the premises of another Dutch company.
The first automatic cell was thus a five-axis Hermle and a WorkPal with 60 positions for Macro pallets in its magazine. Rien Elling relates: “We use this for components no bigger than 50 x 50 mm. A dovetail connection secures the workpiece to the pallet. The final operation, removing the dovetail, takes place in another machine.
The automatic cell that has almost doubled the machine’s spindle hours.
“The installation has truly met our expectations. After only three weeks, and still working double shifts, we’ve increased machine spindle hours from between 12 and 13 a day to 22. Almost a twofold increase!”
The goal is that, in the near future, 80 percent of Bakker’s production should be automated. Not least to reduce mistakes attributable to the human factor. More flexible and stimulating assignments for operators, and not having to “perch” over machines for entire shifts, are also good medicines for productivity!
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Related links:
Automation in general
WorkPal Compact Servo
Macro