Matthias Fleischer is the new CEO of Innse Berardi GmbH with registered office in Albershausen (Baden-Württemberg). He is glad to be able to bring the high-tech machinery and experience of two companies with such a long history into the German market.
Fleischer stated: “It is very important to have a strategically-minded partner who doesn’t just focus on the next quarterly report, but is committed to a long-term strategy. That is exactly the attitude that Camozzi brings.” The Camozzi Machine Tools Division is part of the Camozzi Group and consists of two companies that have been in the market for a considerable amount of time: Their experience in machine tool building dates back to 1887 for Innse and 1926 for Berardi, while Ingersoll’s history begins in 1892.
A long-lived tradition of machining: the Camozzi Machine Tools Division
The Camozzi Machine tools division is known for its expertise in aerospace, heavy machinery, energy, shipbuilding, nuclear energy, mining, rail, mechanical engineering and defence. Innse-Berardi complements these competencies with services in metal machining for iron and carbide applications, while Ingersoll has become a global player in the sectors composite materials, additive manufacturing and machine tools for the aerospace industry (see box). Both companies are appreciated for their custom-built, turn-key solutions. Their own know-how, combined with the knowledge of their clients, create ‘team-key’ solutions, as Camozzi likes to call them.
“And to achieve that, you need to have a tight-knit relationship with your customers,” as Matthias Fleischer knows from experience. “We pool our internal resources in order to be able to satisfy our customers’ needs in an even more targeted manner, and supplement this with the entire application support spectrum. This begins in the design phase, when the best possible manufacturing solution is being developed, and stretches to the successful commissioning of the machine at the customer’s site. Our application technicians assist our clients during every step of the process.”
An enormous portfolio in the large components segment
Innse-Berardi’s product range includes the "Aries Hydro" series with heavy horizontal boring and milling stations and a spindle diameter ranging from 160 to 320 mm, all equipped with hydrostatic guideways. “They also bring extensive experience in the construction of vertical gantry machining stations,” commented Matthias Fleischer. The entire product range spans clearance widths of 2 to 10 metres in the standard design and even larger clearances for custom-built projects. The power ranges from 45 to 130 kW, with torques of up to 9000 Nm. The machined components can weigh between 10 and 500 tonnes.
In addition to heavy gantry machines with hydrostatic guideways, Innse-Berardi also produces the high-speed milling machines named "Atlas Vision" with linear rolling guideways. The core parts of all machines are identical: crossbeam, ram and attachments. The flexible, modular design offers three different configurations:
P: Planomiller type with fixed portal
G: G Gantry type with lower rails
GU: GU Gantry type with upper rails
The machines can be built either with a fixed or height-adjustable crossbeam. Matthias Fleischer added, “Machine Tools of these dimensions are always built to the specific requirements of the customers. Our modular design principle covers all machining technologies, be that milling, boring, counterboring, 5-axis milling, vertical turning or grinding.”
There is not a single trend, whether in general technological developments or born from particular customer requirements, that the experienced machine tool manufacturer can’t deliver. Fleischer continued, “I have worked in the large machine industry for over 30 years and I have always dealt with large and heavy machinery, be that during my experience as junior sales engineer or later as director. I joined Camozzi in 2019. Innse was already a cut above the rest in the 70s and 80s with technology know-how that nobody else had managed to achieve at the international level. For example, they produced vertical rotary milling machines that were only introduced into competitor’s product lines 15 years later. The technical characteristics of the current production series, in particular of the gantry machines, are in my opinion vastly superior to other manufacturers".
Must haves: from services to digitization solutions
Today, over 10,000 machines have been installed worldwide. The customer service team of the Camozzi Machine Tools Division is equipped with the right skills and staff to also support customers worldwide after the sale. From replacement parts to technological improvements, Camozzi draws on a wide range of solutions that comprises retrofitting, reconditioning to remote diagnoses and preventive maintenance.
5 3-D printing and manufacturing of CFC composite materials: Ingersoll’s MasterPrint and Mongoose machines can carry out AFD (automated fibre placement) processes in record-breaking dimensions.
As far as digitization is concerned, Innse-Berardi and Ingersoll have certainly profited from Camozzi’s extensive know-how, that leverages a proprietary cloud-based system. Webinars such as ‘Digitalization Beyond Machine Tools’ are a testament to modern communication and training concepts on hot topics in the field of machining. Matthias Fleischer commented, “The importance of this topic primarily depends on the particular customer. To a certain extent, we observe completely opposing responses, ranging from totally enthralled to tepid. But for a manufacturer of turn-key solutions, as is our case, it is an indisputable must-have.”
Product and service portfolio overview
The five core competencies of the Camozzi Group:
1. Large vertical machines: by Innse-Berardi and Ingersoll, with particular focus on the part of Innse-Berardi on heavy machining with the series Atlas Hydro and Atlas Vision. The portfolio comprises gantry and table designs.
2. Large horizontal machines: for high-speed and heavy machining with rolling guideways (PowerMill and SuperProfiler by Ingersoll) or for heavy applications requiring hydrostatics (Aries Hydro by Innse-Berardi).
3. Specialised machines: custom-built solutions for any requirements, such as machining stations for generator or turbine rotors or high and medium-output milling units for aluminum or titanium bars.
4. Additive manufacturing: The MasterPrint family from Ingersoll currently boasts the largest 3-D printer for thermoplastic parts in the world. The solution also includes a 5-axis milling head for subsequent machining.
5. Composite material manufacturing: Mongoose from Ingersoll is an automated fibre placement (AFP) machine for modern CFC components. The hybrid Mongoose system offers AFP, ATL, inspection and additional functions in a machine designed for long-fibre composite materials for the aerospace and other industries.
A comeback with leadership ambitions
The CEO wants to ride the crest of past successes, establishing the company with new references as a leader in the German market for machining large components: “In addition to my custodianship of the German market and my responsibility for the German legal entity, I am part of the new management team of the Camozzi Machine Tools Division for the brands Innse-Berardi and Ingersoll,” declared Fleischer. “As such, I coordinate all sales activities in the entire European market and the CIS. My experienced team and I undertook the task of merging these brands, with their combined 350 years of history in the construction of large machines, into a single unit, positioning them sustainability in international markets. The large-machine business obeys very long timeframes, and this project is no exception in that it will require a few years. We are at once confident and committed.”
Source : Werkstatt und Betrieb 22. Februar 2021 https://bit.ly/32acWdb