A fast-growing European key player

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micromechanics

A fast-growing European key player from Portugal

Art In Vogue (AIV) is a small and dynamic company installed next to Porto in Portugal, composed of two entities; AIV Metal Solutions for metal treatments and forming and AIV Metal machining to produce high precision components. 35 specialists are actively involved to bring to life customers expectations. The company claim “You imagine, we create” is born on the vision that customer’s creativity must not be curbed by production solution limitations. Find the right way to produce is their value added.

An unusual business development (by Bruno Correia)

40 years ago, the company was involved in the production of components for bags in the leather good segment. In the year 2000, this typical industry from Portugal began an economic crisis which has constraint us to imagine new market opportunities. We jumped into shoe production business with a large volume of exportation, before entering the precision part machining business. In 2018, we decide to invest in CNC machines, we were already equipped with turning machines. Today we have 11 CNC machines and the first turn/mill centre fully equipped from Bumotec installed in Portugal.

The strategy concerning this new investment is to strengthen our position in the luxury goods market, especially in the watchmaking industry where doors are already opened to us, to confirm jewellery activities, and to develop Medtech and defense markets opportunities. We export 30% of our production to France, Germany, Switzerland and sometimes Italy.

“Thanks to the counter spindle, we were able to reduce the production time slightly by 40%.”

The first step in the turn/mill machine environment (by Bruno Correia)

When we started with the machining parts, we thought that investing in a Bumotec machining centre from Starrag was out of our financial possibilities. It was a goal which seemed inaccessible. Then the business grew along with the customers expectations for accurate and complex parts to produce. We were used to engineer solutions ourselves to adapt our production means to reach customers goals. But we reached the limit, and we needed to invest in high-end solution to be efficient and reassure customers. Personally, I knew about Bumotec machining centres as a few customers were already equipped with their technology, I convinced our Operational Director Daniel Fernandes, who was not accustomed to this mind set, that it was the right solution to work 24/7 without interruptions by just loading bars and Machining area of a Bumotec s181 machining centre get finished parts produced. Today he changes his mind and only wants to work this way and he thinks that it is the most efficient and productive production solution. When the decision was made to invest, we contacted Tornos Iberica which is the Bumotec agent in Spain and Portugal, we discussed our project and then we visited Strarrag Vuadens, home of Bumotec in Switzerland and we became the first Portuguese company equipped with a Bumotec s181, the most complex dual working station 9-axis machining centre from Bumotec.

The choice of the Bumotec s181 has been done considering 2 parameters, first the efficiency of the machine due to the counter spindle working in hidden time, we could easily cut production time by 40%. Then even if this machine is one of the most complex machining centres by Bumotec, it offers incredible possibilities in terms of production being cost effective as stable in production and equipped with a bar feeder, it works autonomously 24/7 even during weekends.

A profitable investment to stick to the fast-changing European market demands (by Daniel Fernandes)

My first contact with a Bumotec machine was at a customer facility in Switzerland. I did not know about this technology but then after our visit at Starrag Vuadens I discovered an amazing machine concept working with efficiency. Nowadays the Bumotec s181 is considered as a star in our shopfloor. We were used to have turning machines as well as some milling machines from other brands and this is our first turn/mill centre.

The concept of the machine was totally different from what we used to know. We had to learn the philosophy of programming. To do so, we had an efficient training from Bumotec applications team which allows us to feel at ease rapidly. The result is clear, the part which is currently being produced on the Bumotec s181 was initially done on a turning machine with multiple setups. We gain 50% of production time and the quality of the finish are far much better now.

“Nowadays the Bumotec s181 is considered as a star in our shopfloor.”

The training session by Starrag Vuadens SA was provided in 2 steps. The first one during acceptation process of the machine produced and the second one done here in our factory when the machine was installed. Whether we need support from Bumotec headquarter in Switzerland for process or from their Portuguese partner for mechanical support, the response is fast and efficient.

Our whole team is now confident to work with this technology. We have specialists who are able to deliver parts which are often of better quality that the one submitted by the customer as a reference model. In the past we sometimes were constraint to decline a contract proposal as we did not have the capabilities to produce complex parts. Now we can handle most of the machining parts projects in all market segment. The current part being produced on the Bumotec s181 is an attachment in the leather good segment. We had a contract for large quantities we started to produce before acquiring the Bumotec machine, which was estimated for 6 months of production time. Now working 24/7 and reducing cycle time by 50%, we know that we can do the whole production in around 3 months.

In addition to that we did some test to machine with different raw materials such as cobalt, stainless steel, titanium or brass, and the result was qualitative, and the tools lifetime was increased. As we acquire the Bumotec recently we still need to learn about life tool limits.

As simple as a morning routine (by Daniel Fernandes)

“We gain 50% of production time and the quality of the finish are far much better now.”

The daily routine is quite simple: when we arrive in the morning, we control the parts produced during the night, then we check the tools and clean the machining area. Fortunately, we have some spare tools in the tool magazine in case of breakage during the night so that the machine will automatically control and replace the tool, if necessary, without manual intervention. Finally, we add some bars in the bar feeder, and we launch again the production for the day. We do a check before leaving for the night and we repeat the routine in the morning again.

Bumotec s181 installed at AIV Machining Solutions

The vision of the evolution (by Bruno Correia)

My vision for the next 5 years is to become a sub-contractor reference in Portugal in precision machining before reaching the same status in Europe. My strategy is to diversify in the Medtech industry and defense segment with connectors while expending in the luxury world. On the other hand, we are expanding the galvanic process of anodisation to give a complete solution on raw material as well.

We built this new building extension for machining division; we have surface space available to welcome a new Bumotec machine in the future when the business will reach a crucial point.