Industry
Mechanical engineering and metalworking
Bredel: SILO² and gantry loader for automated tool handling on the CNC turning-milling center
- Mechanical and metallurgic
- SILO²
- Molds and dies
Just-in-time production with 24/7 automated tool handling
Bredel manufactures heavy-duty peristaltic pumps at its facility in Delden, in the Netherlands. The complexity of its machining operations, large components, complex geometries and high batch variability, made machine tool retooling times a critical bottleneck for just-in-time production, with some operations outsourced to reduce the internal production load.
With the purchase of a new WFL Millturn Technologies M65-G CNC turning-milling center, Bredel created an unmanned automated cell for 24/7 automated tool handling: an ICAM SILO² multi-column Vertical LIft Module integrated with a Promot Automation gantry loader, managing tool changeover fully automatically and without operator attendance.
Product
SILO²
Key results
· machining operations: from 2–3 days to 24 h
· unmanned 24/7 tool handling
· insourcing of previously outsourced machining operations
Key feature
3 workstations: 1 for operators + 2 in a protected area for the gantry loader
Bredel: a global leader in peristaltic pumps
Bredel, part of the Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group, is a global leader in the production of heavy-duty peristaltic pumps, with its main facility in Delden, in the Netherlands.
As production capacity could no longer keep pace with new market demand, the company invested over 3.4 million euros to optimize its manufacturing processes and bring some pump component machining operations back in-house, regaining control over quality, lead times and costs.
As production capacity could no longer keep pace with new market demand, the company invested over 3.4 million euros to optimize its manufacturing processes and bring some pump component machining operations back in-house, regaining control over quality, lead times and costs.
The logistical challenges
Peristaltic pumps require large components with complex geometries, involving machining operations distributed across multiple machine tools or partially outsourced.
In a just-in-time flow, any deviation in timing or quality affects the entire production process, generating delays and additional costs.
The main critical issues were:
- cycle times of 2 to 3 days per component, with machining operations carried out on separate machines
- high component variability, requiring frequent and costly manual retooling
- reliance on outsourced machining operations, reducing control over quality standards and delivery schedules
- manual setup of the CNC center, subject to operator availability and limited to working hours
SILO² for CNC tools and components: high-capacity trays with custom inserts
The SILO² VLM is almost 7 meters high and provides 40 m³ of capacity in just 20.44 m², with 4 storage columns.
The trays were selected for their high specific load bearing capacity, suitable for managing items that differ widely in size, weight and shape: pump hubs, arbors, jaws, collets and pump bodies. Some trays are equipped with custom-designed inserts that ensure accurate positioning within ±0.02 mm, fully meeting the tolerance limits required by CNC machining.
At full capacity, the storage system manages around 17,000 items, including tools, raw materials and finished parts.
The trays were selected for their high specific load bearing capacity, suitable for managing items that differ widely in size, weight and shape: pump hubs, arbors, jaws, collets and pump bodies. Some trays are equipped with custom-designed inserts that ensure accurate positioning within ±0.02 mm, fully meeting the tolerance limits required by CNC machining.
At full capacity, the storage system manages around 17,000 items, including tools, raw materials and finished parts.
3 workstations, 2 robots, 24/7 automatic tool changeover without human intervention
SILO² VLM is configured with 3 picking and refilling stations, each with a dedicated function: one telescopic station, accessible to operators for manual loading and unloading of jaws, collets and counterweights, and two workstations in a protected area, dedicated exclusively to the Promot Automation gantry loader, which picks and delivers tools to the CNC center without human intervention. Tool changeover is carried out fully automatically, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a positioning repeatability that no specialized CNC operator could guarantee consistently. Interfacing with the factory systems and order management system completes the digitalized production cycle.
Interfacing with the factory systems and order management system completes the digitalized production cycle.
Interfacing with the factory systems and order management system completes the digitalized production cycle.
Key results
More control, more capacity, less dependence on external suppliers
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From 2–3 days to 24 hours
Complete machining cycle in a single pass on the same machine
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±0.02 mm repeatability
Constant precision not achievable with manual intervention
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Unmanned 24/7 tool handling
the CNC center operates outside staffed hours, maximizing machine hours
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Insourcing of machining operations
components previously outsourced are now produced in-house
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Defective parts drastically reduced
less scrap, higher overall machining quality
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Accelerated ROI
lower setup costs and higher machine utilization
Automating tool handling for a CNC center does not just save time: it means producing better, increasing capacity and keeping production running without interruption.
With SILO² VLM and the Promot gantry loader, Bredel turned an investment in new technology into an autonomous production system that operates 24/7, with a level of precision that even the most experienced operator could not guarantee consistently.
Discover the product chosen by Bredel
SILO²: the Vertical Lift Module
From 2 to 7 storage columns, over 120 tray size configurations and a specific load bearing capacity of up to 1,000 kg/m²: SILO² is ICAM’s solution for high-density automated storage of small and medium-sized items, including very heavy components.
Explore SILO²
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