Automate 2019 - Broetje-Automation shows robots for industrial applications

The Automate 2019 Show and Conference, North America’s largest showcase devoted to automation industry trends, leading-edge technology and business innovation, has opened this week at McCormick Place in Chicago. For the first time Broetje-Automation is part of the leading trade show this year. Meet our experts for automated and robotic manufacturing solutions at booth #9253.

Building on more than 40 years of experience with the integration of production lines, Broetje-Automation has specifically positioned itself as a supplier of integrated production systems. This includes the entire portfolio of robotic solutions for manufacturing and assembly purposes. From the small and light cobots that can collaborate on the shopfloor with the worker sharing workspace and processes through virtual twins and augmented reality to the stiffest robot on the market, the in-house developed PowerRACe, Broetje-Automation is an integrator that provides the customers the most effective tailor made production systems.

“While many of today’s robotic applications only serve as a logistical support, doing handling jobs in the industrial production, Broetje-Automation focuses on manufacturing processes that add an extra value creation in the production of the customer.” says Ken Benczkowski, President of Broetje-Automation USA. With more than 40 years of experience on the highest standards of the aerospace industry, Broetje-Automation has a profound experience in various processes such as drilling, riveting, inspection, sealing and many more.

The PowerRACe, a robot specifically developed to keep highest accuracy under heavy loads, Broetje-Automation has developed it’s own robot. “It is the best of two worlds” explains Benczkowski. The PowerRACe combines the accuracy of a machine center with the flexibility of a robot, keeping highest quality standards even under heavy loads. It therefore opens up new applications in various industries. PowerRACe offers up to 50% better efficiency and performance compared to traditional robot solutions.

Another sector with highest potential for automation and industrialization is the composite sector. With increasing production rates, composite manufacturing today has to meet the requirements of a mature, series-capable industrial production. Broetje-Automation uses the extensive experience of specialized production facilities for the aviation industry as well as a deep understanding of composite production processes in order to exploit the full potential of composite automation – for prepreg, thermoplastics, and dry fibre.

STAXX flex - the latest product development - is a compact and versatile end effector for 2D and 3D fiber stacking. Due to it’s low weight it easily can be mounted on any standard robot and therefore is a very competitive industrial solutions. With the STAXX flex fiber placement head Broetje-Automation hits another milestone in automating the entire value stream of composite manufacturing. Thanks to the ability to integrate processes across various production steps, efficiency and productivity in composite manufacturing can be increased significantly.

Broetje-Automation will expand its presence in the North-American market in the coming months. In the second half of the year the company will open its brand new production facility in the Chicago area providing customers a perfect environment with fast time to market access close by.

Broetje-Automation - innovative manufacturing technology and complete system integrator know-how for your industrial production requirements.

Visit us at Automate 2019: Booth 9253

Broetje-Automation GmbH awarded as Digital Place of Lower Saxony

Broetje-Automation GmbH today has been officially awarded as a "Digital Place Lower Saxony". The state of Lower Saxony has awarded the company, which is based in Rastede in the district of Ammerland, for its applied "Digitized Process Chain in Aircraft Production".
"The "Digital Place Lower Saxony" award focuses on initiatives, projects, companies and institutions that are particularly committed to digitization and thus make an important contribution to the innovative power of our state," says State Secretary Stefan Muhle, summarizing the idea behind the award.

Building on more than 40 years of experience with the integration of production lines in the aviation industry, Broetje-Automation has developed a concept with which the entire production chain in the Smart Factory can be digitized using networked systems and tools. 
The concept of the "Smart Aerospace Factory" takes the step from today's usual individual evaluation of machine data to the improvement of the individual system, to the comprehensive digital networking of all elements at the level of the production line. 
The prerequisite for this is to make the individual machines and systems "digitizable". For this purpose, Broetje-Automation has developed the software platform "SOUL" in-house.

Broetje-Automation is the global market leader in the field of automated aircraft assembly. The company is also closely associated with the regional aviation industry in Lower Saxony/Northern Germany. With the help of the internal digitization initiative launched several years ago, the company improves productivity in aircraft construction and enables the introduction of industry 4.0 and digitization projects in the industry. 

Regional partners such as regional medium-sized partners, but also research institutions and universities work together on new solutions through and with digitization. Schools, universities, research institutions, start-ups, small and medium-sized companies as well as industrial enterprises, crafts enterprises, charitable institutions and other institutions can apply to the Digitalagentur Niedersachsen for the "Digital Places of Lower Saxony" award. It is an award that highlights the extraordinary commitment to the success of digitisation in the respective field. In return, the awardees undertake to inform other people and institutions about their path towards progressive digitisation.

At the digital congress TECHTIDE, which will take place on 3/4 December at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds, the "Digital Places of Lower Saxony", awarded in 2019, will be presented to the public.

Broetje-Automation present at Aerospace Meetings Casablanca

The aerospace industry in Morocco is growing by 15 to 20% per year and is developing into an important market for the aerospace industry. New businesses with high added value, careers and innovative technologies are emerging. Broetje-Automation is therefore presenting itself for the first time at the Aerospace Meetings Casablanca.  AEROSPACE MEETINGS Casablanca is a platform for the international aviation industry to further expand business relations in this strategic market. 

Visit us from 29 OCTOBER TO 31 OCTOBER 2019 in Casablanca!

Meet us at the Aviation Forum Munich!

Broetje-Automation invites you to join us at the 9th Aviation Forum Munich 2019. Learn more about out automated solutions for production and assembly in the aerospace industry.

Mobile - Agile -  Digital: Don't miss our technical session and learn about latest innovations for Future Aircraft Manufacturing Technologies. 

Broetje-Automation hands over Fully Automatic Drilling and Riveting System to Pilatus

In order to remain competitive on an international level, it is essential in the aviation industry to be innovative at the highest technical level in all areas of the production process. Broetje-Automation and Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG were able to celebrate a milestone for business jet production with the handover of the fully automatic drilling and riveting system for series production of the PC-24  Super Versatile Jet.

The degree of automation in modern aircraft construction has increased sharply in recent years. After many years focusing primarily on commercial passenger aircraft, innovative manufacturers from the regional and business segments are increasingly turning to partially and fully automated production processes. Pilatus is demonstrating at its Stans site in Switzerland how automation in this class of aircraft can be successful.

Thanks to modern manufacturing concepts and a consistent focus on automation right from the design phase of the aircraft, structural assembly can be operated competitively also in high-wage countries such as Switzerland. During the development of the PC-24, care was taken from the outset to ensure efficient processing of aircraft components with automated riveting machines. This results in a high degree of automation and thus the possibility of reducing the manual effort involved in building the PC-24.

The Swiss aircraft manufacturer's vision of working closely with production planning and equipment manufacturers such as Broetje-Automation right from the design phase enables the riveting system now in operation to guarantee significantly increased capacity flexibility. This allows a wide variety of structural components of the PC-24 to be flexibly assembled on the system. The fastening system, which has been jointly optimized by Broetje-Automation and Pilatus for this application, offers the necessary flexibility and productivity.

Lutz Neugebauer, CEO of the Broetje-Automation Group, congratulated Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus on the success and thanked Pilatus for the trust it had placed in the automation specialists in aircraft production. The system, which has now been handed over, is part of a major investment by Pilatus at its Stans site, which also represents a commitment to Switzerland as an aircraft manufacturing location. By 2020, a state-of-the-art production line for the aircraft structures of the PC-24 will be operational in the completely new structural hall.

The changeover to automated structural engineering will take place in several steps. By the end of 2019 all relevant PC-24 assemblies will be tested in automated production on the C-frame riveting machine. Based on these findings, the automated process will then be optimized for series production. The operation start of the automated operation with the riveting machine will take place in 2020.

Contact

Norbert Steinkemper
Phone: +49 (4402) 966-141
norbert.steinkemper@broetje-automation.de
www.broetje-automation.com

Broetje Automation, Zünd and Rebstock Consulting demonstrate innovative Cutting, Sorting and Kitting solution for composite plys

At this year's Composites Europe trade show in Stuttgart, Broetje-Automation, Zünd and Rebstock Consulting presented together for the first time an innovative solution for automatic cutting and sorting of composite plys. The live demonstration of a collaborating cutter table, robot and gripper unit was one of the eye-catchers of the event. The partners drew a positive balance of the fair appearance and could be pleased about numerous inquiries and contacts.

With increasing industrialization, the networking of individual production steps with the help of the digital process chain is playing an increasingly important role in the composite industry. Broetje-Automation therefore has developed solutions especially for the interconnection of individual production steps. At Composites Europe, an excellent example of this was presented together with partners Zünd and Rebstock Consulting.

Under the title "Process live", the trade show organizers offer machine and plant manufacturers a platform for demonstrating their technologies in interaction during operation on joint exhibition areas. The live demonstration of the fully automatic cutting, sorting and kitting process was the attraction at the fair. Numerous guests were impressed by the high process maturity and robustness of the shown process.

The Automated Sorting and Kitting System (ASK) developed by Broetje-Automation allows to eliminate this interface in the processing of composite blanks. The picking, sorting and draping of blanks is done by a fully automatic robot system. The ASK system calculates the optimum blanks on the cutting table under computer control, picks up the individual blanks and sorts them as required for the next process steps.

This integration of automatic sorting functions eliminates the need for time-consuming manual sorting of the blanks. The automatic sorting system manages with up to 25% less working space and thus saves space for other production steps in the necessary clean rooms.

The partners drew a positive balance of the fair. The solution shown aroused the interest of various customers. After an intensive development phase, automatic sorting and draping is now finding its way into everyday industrial life, thus making a contribution to better integration of the entire production chain.

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

Zünd Systemtechnik GmbH is the market leader in the development and manufacture of multifunctional digital flatbed cutters. Its customers are commercial service providers and industrial companies from the graphics industry, the packaging industry, the textile and leather industry as well as from the technical textile and composite market. www.zund.com  

Rebstock Consulting is Zünd's official sales partner. The services of Rebstock Consulting GmbH & Co. KG include consulting, service and sales of complete solutions as well as the distribution of spare parts. Rebstock offers complete CAD, CAM and CIM solutions for the technical textile and composite market. Rebstock also covers the upholstered furniture, automotive and aviation industries with suitable solutions. www.rebstockconsulting.de  

Broetje-Automation is the world's leading manufacturer of automation solutions for the aerospace industry. The range of systems extends from intelligent tools for aircraft assembly to machines and systems in both the metallic aircraft construction and composite sectors to factory and plant planning and as an integrator for production and assembly lines including the digital process chain from the individual system to digital line management. www.broetje-automation.de 

Contact

Norbert Steinkemper
Phone: +49 (4402) 966-141
norbert.steinkemper@broetje-automation.de 
www.broetje-automation.com 

A pearl of innovation in the region - Minister of Science Björn Thümler visits Broetje-Automation in Rastede

Björn Thümler, member of the CDU state parliament and Lower Saxony's minister for science and culture, was impressed by the high-tech company Broetje-Automation. Almost every civil aircraft in the world contains parts manufactured or assembled on Broetje-Automation machines and systems. The world market leader with almost 800 employees has its headquarters at the motorway junction in Rastede and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. 

Björn Thümler, member of the CDU state parliament for Rastede and Lower Saxony's minister for science and culture, notes: "Unfortunately, in my opinion, too little is known in my own country that the company is regarded as an internationally important player in the economy and a so-called hidden champion". Thümler has now visited the world's leading expert for production processes in the aerospace industry to set an example. 

He was accompanied by Manfred Wolf, the former plant manager of Airbus in Nordenham and long-time companion of the company that initiated the meeting. The aircraft supplier now operates under the name "Premium AEROTEC" and is one of its most important customers. 
"Broetje-Automation can justifiably be described as a pearl of innovation", Thümler praised CEO Lutz Neugebauer during the management of the company. "It is important for Rastede and the entire northwest that word gets around that such successful drivers of the economy are not only located in large cities or metropolises. Here in the region, they also find convincing location conditions - and when I think of the local recreation value in Rastede, for example, they might even be better". 

One of the topics of discussion during the company visit was the better equipment of the research funding programmes for regional cooperation between industry and science in Lower Saxony.  "Cooperation with research institutions and universities is indispensable for the technological performance of industry in Lower Saxony".  Lutz Neugebauer put it this way and agreed with Björn Thümler. Broetje-Automation has been working for many years with regional scientific institutions such as the Jade University in Wilhelmshaven, the German Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence and the German Aerospace Center. Following Neugebauer's presentation, the company is also striving to further expand its cooperation in the future, for example with the University of Hanover. 

Broetje-Automation emerged in 1979 from the long-established Rasteder company August Brötje for mechanical engineering and heating technology. Since 2016, the company has belonged to the Chinese Shanghai Electric Group, which is the market leader in China's mechanical engineering industry.

Automated Sorting and Kitting showcase at Composites Europe 2019

06.08.2019

Minimized Risks - Increased Quality and Throughput thanks to End-to-End Process Automation

Composite manufacturing is on the threshold of industrial mass production. However, manual individual processes still represent a barrier on the way to continuous industrial mass production of composite components. At this year's Composites Europe, Broetje Automation will be demonstrating how automated series production is possible by the intelligent use of robot technology.

With the increasing maturity of the composites industry, manufacturing processes must also meet the higher demands of industrial series production. In recent years, numerous processes have therefore been automated, for example in the area of cutting to size.

However, many processes in composite manufacturing and in particular the interfaces between the individual value-added steps are not yet sufficiently interconnected. As a result, many companies have developed a juxtaposition of highly automated production processes and manual processing steps that leads to imbalances in throughput, quality and efficiency. Production environments often reach their limits. Further production growth can often only be achieved by significantly expanding the production area.

Integrated process automation, as is common in other industries, has hardly been found in the composites industry to date. Broetje-Automation has taken care of these interfaces and developed a simple solution that allows a significant improvement in performance and a significant increase in the degree of automation with little effort.

›› Better Coordination of Process Steps - Saving Space on the Shopfloor

A key element for industrial production is a coordinated design and digital link between all stations in the value chain. Interfaces between individual stations are often the bottleneck and a source of errors in production. The Automated Sorting and Kitting System (ASK) developed by Broetje-Automation makes it possible to eliminate this interface in the processing of composite blanks. The picking, sorting and draping of blanks is done by a fully automated robotic system. The computer-controlled ASK system calculates the optimum cuts on the cutter table, picks up the individual blanks and sorts them in an optimized way for the next process steps.

This integration of automatic sorting functions eliminates the need for time-consuming manual sorting of the blanks. The automatic sorting and kitting system manages with up to 25% less working space and thus saves space on the shopfloor for other production steps in the necessary but costly clean rooms.

››  Relieve Workers of Monotonous Work and Deploy them more Efficiently and Intelligently

The digital process monitoring generated with the aid of a digital twin - a parallel computer simulation of component and system - also minimizes errors, increases process reliability and thus eliminates risks - especially those arising from monotonous, less demanding manual activities. The drastic reduction of error sources improves quality on the one hand and throughput on the other. The full potential for more productivity of the systems used is thus fully exploited.

The manual labour employed can thus concentrate on higher-value activities. Manual, mostly monotonous and ergonomically unfavourable activities are taken over by the robots. Against the background of demographic change, this supports companies in introducing the factory of the future and securing their competitiveness.

›› Leveraging Digitalisation and Eliminating Paper Documentation

The consistent digital interconnection of the system enables with the help of the digital twin, a full documentation of each activity step in the digital component file. With the help of Big Data, further optimizations can be carried out - for example predictive maintenance concepts for optimized maintenance of machines and systems. The component documentation, which is often done on paper today, is no longer necessary, and the data obtained can also be used for further optimization of the component and production process - fully documented and thus ideal for safety-critical industries such as the aerospace industry.

›› Showcase: Automated Sorting and Kitting at Composites Europe 2019

At this year's Composites Europe in Stuttgart, the partners Broetje-Automation and Rebstock Consulting / Zünd present the Automated Sorting and Kitting Solution (ASK) as one of many examples of how, with little effort at the decisive interfaces, major advances in the industrialization of composites can be achieved.

Visit us in hall 9, booth no. 9C77

The Next Era of Aerospace Manufacturing - Broetje-Automation UK shows latest technologies

Leading industry specialist from the aerospace and automotive industry discussed with researchers and regional networks how the Factory of the Future will look like and what challenges and opportunities are likely to be faced at a networking event on the 11th of June 2019.

Broetje-Automation invited its guests to a networking forum and open house at its newly established facility in Sandycroft, North Wales. Wulf Heuschen, CEO of Broetje-Automation Ltd emphasized the ambition to engage with the local aerospace and automotive communities: “Broetje-Automation is a team player and we are proud to have such experienced and well-positioned partners in the UK. We are looking forward to expand our business relationships in the region”.

In her key note Dr. Faye Smith, Materials Specialist at the Department for International Trade (DIT) introduced the audience into the world of composites. Dr. Smith’s presentation gave the audience an insight into the UK’s Support for composites and what efforts are being made by leading industry groups, government officials and researchers to ensure that the industry continues to grow in the competitive world of global composite production.

With the automotive industry being one of the biggest investors and drivers for the use of composites all eyes were on Dr. Nuno Lourenço from Jaguar Land Rover- Body Engineering. Dr. Lourenço gave a high level summary of the research project TUCANA. The project focuses on developing stiffer and lightweight vehicle technology for the automotive industry. Tucana, brings together a consortium of world-leading academic and industry partners. Led by Jaguar Land Rover, other partners in the project are WMG, University of Warwick, Expert Tooling & Automation Limited, Toray International U.K. Limited, CCP Gransden Lltd, and Magna Exteriors (Banbury) Limited. The project is funded by the government as part of a 10-year programme to make the UK a world-leader in low carbon technology through the modern Industrial Strategy.

Broetje-Automation UK Ltd brought its latest Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) technology to this project supporting the UK automotive industry. The STAXX Fiber Placement Machine Center provides the capability to industrialize the series production of carbon fiber parts for the automotive industry – one of the major goals of the TUCANA project.

Lutz Neugebauer, CEO of the Broetje-Automation Group based in Rastede Germany introduced BA’s product portfolio to the audience. “The United Kingdom has been a key part of our groups’ major markets for years. We are proud to present our newest expansion in the North of Wales; supporting our customers in their industrialization efforts and contribute to the further expansion of industrial production both in the aerospace and automotive industry” said Neugebauer. Demonstrations of the Collaborative Robotics applications as well the latest Automated Fiber placement (AFP) technology of the Broetje-Automation Group gave the audience a practical insight into how manufacturing technology is developing.

Contact:

Broetje-Automation UK Ltd.

Mr Andrew Rourke
Head of Business Development & Sales
Phone: +44 7889 551503

Andrew.Rourke@broetje-automation.com

Networking Forum and Open House at Broetje-Automation UK

SAVE THE DATE for June 11, 2019

For the last 40 years Broetje-Automation has been a recognised leading innovator, and provider of specialist automated assembly systems and equipment including CFRP ATL capabilities for the aerospace sector. With Digitalisation and the IoT - Industry 4.0 revolution now becoming ever more critical in linking automation and data intelligence exchanges shaping and optimising serial production efficiencies.

We would be delighted if you could join us for our Open House – Networking Event on the 11th June at our new Sandycroft Facility.

During the event you can meet our team, and hear key note speakers:

• Dr Faye Smith: Department of International Trade: Materials FDI Specialist | Technology, Entrepreneurship & Advanced Manufacturing.
• Raphael Reinhold: Broetje-Automation GmbH: Head of R&T Composites

Additionally, we will run demonstrations of our STAXX 2500 3D ATL machine.

On confirmation, we will provide a full agenda inclusive of timings, refreshments and a light lunch will also be provided.

Contact

Andrew Rourke
Head of Business Development & Sales
Broetje-Automation UK

E-mail:  Andrew.Rourke@broetje-automation.com 
www.broetje-automation.co.uk

New Managing Director appointed for BA Services

Heinrich Giere has been appointed as new Managing Director of BA Services GmbH. With effect from 01 March 2019, he took over the management of the service subsidiary of Broetje-Automation. He succeeds Lutz Neugebauer, who took over responsibility as Managing Director of the entire Broetje Group at the beginning of January.

Heinrich Giere has held various positions at Broetje-Automation worldwide since 1988. Most recently, he was Executive Vice President in the extended Executive Board of BA Services. An experienced manager and good connoisseur of customers and the market will thus move into the management of the company. Lutz Neugebauer, CEO of Broetje Automation: "Our customers expect production to run smoothly at all times. For Broetje-Automation, reliable, fast and effective service is therefore the top priority. Heinrich Giere knows the needs of our customers as well as the technical details of our entire product portfolio better than anyone else. I am very pleased that he is taking over this important position for Broetje Automation".

BA Services GmbH was founded in 2012 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Broetje-Automation in order to bundle the after-market business and offer all services from a single source. Broetje-Automation thus goes well beyond the usual service level on the market in order to support its customers in making the best possible use of their plant capacities.

"I am looking forward to the new challenge," emphasizes Mr. Giere. "Our objective is that our customers can expect maximum productivity from day one over the entire life cycle of a machine. First-class service is the prerequisite for this. BA Services offers this service".

The company currently employs more than 100 people and is ISO 9100, 14001 and 18001 certified. In addition to its headquarters in Rastede/Loy in Lower Saxony, BA Services has 15 service units in seven countries worldwide. The range of services includes on-site OEM support as well as upgrades and modifications for own and third-party systems and spare parts management. The in-house Academy offers customers tailor-made training measures to further increase the efficiency and availability of the machines and systems. The Quick-Response Team of BA Services provides fast and competent assistance in maintenance cases via the in-house support hotline and the self-developed service portal.

Broetje-Automation Presents Collaborative Robot Solution at HannoverMesse 2019

Broetje-Automation is the world's leading expert in production processes for the aerospace industry. Digitalisation, the use of smart and interconnected tools and the establishment of new manufacturing concepts are changing the way aircraft are built today. Broetje-Automation now presents its latest innovation on the way to the connected factory of the future.

Together with the partners Airbus Operations, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, EngRoTec and The Captury, a research demonstrator for hybrid manufacturing scenarios in aircraft construction is shown at the HannoverMesse for the first time to the general public. This new solution was developed in the project "Hybr-iT - Hybrid and intelligent human-robot collaboration" funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

At the DFKI booth (Hall 2, C59) the company will show, how two humans and six robots can work together as a hybrid team on several production tasks. The robots take over what is unergonomic, repetitive or physically stressful for humans, such as setting and sealing rivets on aircraft fuselages. The robots organize themselves "around the human being", who thus gains degrees of freedom and flexibility in the execution of his work plan.

Broetje-Automation has taken a big step forward in the industrialization of collaborating robots (so-called CoBots). While the Cobots' previous areas of application were limited to comparatively low-value-added activities, physical work on the aircraft component could now be successfully demonstrated for the first time. This significantly increases the effectiveness of the technologies used and thus the cost-effectiveness of the application.

For this purpose, Broetje-Automation has developed various end effectors which are mounted on a lightweight robot on an autonomously moving platform and thus independently perform work on the workpiece. The worker takes over the tasks that require higher cognitive or sensorimotor abilities, such as fine adjustment and quality control. He is supported by interconnected HoloLens glasses through an augmented reality application, which is integrated into the IT production environment by Broetje-Automation with the help of a digital twin that allows quality control as well as planning and implementation of additional work steps in real time.

The demonstrator will be shown until the end oft he week at the Hannover Messe in Hall 2, booth C59. The experts that have conducted the project will be there to answer any questions throughout the entire duration of the fair.

Successful JEC World 2019 for Broetje-Automation

Fiber Placement Center celebrates its first anniversary at JEC World and welcomes two new partners

Broetje-Automation looks back on a successful JEC World 2019 in Paris. In addition to the presentation of the various automation solutions with which industrialization in composite production is being further advanced, a birthday could be celebrated also. The Fiber Placement Center, which was founded in 2018 by SGL Carbon and Fraunhofer IGCV and in which Broetje Automation has been involved from the very beginning, celebrated its first birthday. At the same time, the admission of two further partners to the center was celebrated.

The FPC offers its customers the opportunity to develop new manufacturing concepts and demonstrate them in prototype production on an area of more than 500 square meters with various high-tech facilities.

›› Showcase for standardized composite series production

At the Fiber Placement Center Broetje-Automation is presenting the world's first CNC-controlled STAXX Compact 1700 machining centre, which has been specially developed for industrial series production. This allows pre-impregnated carbon or glass fiber bundles, so-called towpregs, to be automatically and reproducibly routed away from the coil very close to the desired final contour. The process significantly reduces material losses and (press) scrap and thus (unit) costs.

"In order to meet the requirements of series production, we have focused on developing the STAXX Compact 1700, a robust and process-reliable solution that can also be integrated into existing production structures. We are very pleased to be able to present this standardized concept at the Fiber Placement Center in Meitingen", says Thomas Oetken, Senior Sales Manager at BA Composites GmbH, the composite subsidiary of Broetje-Automation GmbH.

The standardized approach of the STAXX Compact 1700 integrates all necessary automation components without interface and adaptation problems to a universal, thus highly efficient and comfortable manageable overall solution. It is also easy to connect to existing systems and extensions at any time.

›› New STAXX development for complex components

At this year's JEC World, Broetje-Automation presented a further development of the STAXX Compact. With the STAXX 3D, the system concept was extended by the ability to store complex components in 3D.

The STAXX FLEX fiber delivery head was this year presented to the public for the first time. STAXX Flex is currently the lightest end effector for fiber placement on the market. It can also be used effortlessly on standard robots and has the ability to place 16 tows simultaneously even on complex shaped components.

›› Reinforcement in the Fiber Placement Center

The successful concept of the Fiber Placement Center is now being implemented by the two new partners

Cevotec and Coriolis Composites. Cevotec plans to build a SAMBA Pro prepreg plant in Meitingen by mid-2020, which will add the innovative fiber patch placement process to the FPC's range of services. Coriolis is to expand the FPC's machine park with a Coriolis Csolo system for further automated production.

Further information on the Fiber Placement Center can be found at:

www.fiberplacementcenter.com

Digitization as an Opportunity for Automated Composite Manufacturing

The digitization of production processes in the aerospace industry offers new opportunities for significant productivity gains in composite manufacturing. Building on more than 40 years of experience with the integration of production lines, Broetje-Automation has specifically positioned itself as a supplier of integrated production systems. “Industry 4.0“ applications play a key role in this.

With increasing production rates, composite manufacturing today has to meet the requirements of a mature, series-capable industrial production. Without stable "end-to-end" organized production processes, the industrial use of fiber composite components in the aerospace industry will not be competitive in the long run.

›› Turnkey capability as a prerequisite for industrialization

The Broetje-Automation Group uses the extensive experience of specialized production facilities for the aviation industry as well as a deep understanding of composite production processes in order to exploit the full potential of digitization together with its customers. The in-house experts for composite materials have brought various new production processes onto the market in recent years. The focus is on innovative fiber placement and tape laying systems, continuous preforming as well as 3D handling, cutting and draping systems for all types of composite materials through to automated sealing, which can be precisely integrated into the customer's existing production systems according to the customer's requirements.

›› Standardized machine communication as enabler for industry 4.0

The systems developed by Broetje-Automation are already equipped today for use in digitized manufacturing. The backbone of every integrated solution is standardized machine communication. The core components of almost all Broetje-Automation systems for the aerospace industry are high-end Sinumerik 840D sl CNC controls, the functionality and performance of which also enable very demanding and complex functions on the basis of a uniform platform.

›› Assembly / Line Management for effective production control

The individual components are interconnected by the Assembly / Line Management System developed by Broetje-Automation to ensure the necessary transparency in production. In addition to the creation of overall assembly controls and paperless documentation, the software also permits process-accompanying flow control with the aid of KPI indicators (QCDP) over the entire production chain. This leads to a significant increase in productivity and cost reduction due to the more effective production control of the interconnected machines. An open interface to the respective MES/ERP of the customer closes a gap in the digitization of production processes that often occurs today.

›› Digitization as a key to industrialization of composite production

This provides the customer with a uniform interface for effective control of both individual systems and the entire production line. With the consistent application of state of the art industry 4.0 principles with the help of solutions from Broetje-Automation, the way of the transition to industrialization of composite production if opened for the future.

Contact

Thomas Oetken
Senior Sales Manager
BA Composites GmbH
Thomas.Oetken@broetje-automation.de  
www.broetje-automation.com  

JEC World Paris 2019 - Broetje-Automation showcases latest products for automated composite manufacturing

Rastede, 26.02.2019

In a few days the world’s largest trade show for composite solutions will open its gates in Paris. Broetje-Automation, the world's leading expert in specialized production processes for the aerospace industry shows the latest composite trends. See our brand new head for automated fiber placement (AFP), and discuss with our experts in Hall 5 G67 new solutions such as our pioneering continuous preforming system and many more!

Building on more than 40 years of experience with the integration of production lines, Broetje-Automation has specifically positioned itself as a supplier of integrated production systems. Now we are leveraging this experience for the benefit of the composite industry. With increasing production rates, composite manufacturing today has to meet the requirements of a mature, series-capable industrial production. Some core product to deliver smart composite manufacturing will be showcased at the JEC World 2019 from June 12-14 in Paris, France.

Make sure to step by our Booth G67 in Hall 5 to see our newest product development that will be displayed through the entire show. STAXX flex, our latest product development is a compact and versatile end effector for 2D and 3D fiber stacking. With the STAXX flex fiber placement head Broetje-Automation hits another milestone in automating the entire value stream of composite manufacturing. Thanks to the ability to integrate processes across various production steps, efficiency and productivity in composite manufacturing can be increased significantly.

The fiber placement head was designed for complex parts that previously had to be manufactured by manual lay-up. With its compact design and its local material storage, the STAXX flex is the perfect solution for the further industrialization of composite manufacturing.

Combined with our Line Integration solutions, we are capable of getting the highest efficiencies out of your composite production. The Line Management System (LMS) from Broetje-Automation offers transparency over the entire manufacturing process and thus allows effective control of entire production chains. As an interface to the customer's MES/ERP systems, it is the backbone for the integration of composite production.

Our focus on serial production in an industrial environment is inherent to all of our products. Our solution for continuous composite preforming is another example showcased at JEC World. For the first time, our Continuous Composite Preforming Cell delivers high volume serial production of complex and near-net-shape preforms for composite components through the RTM process.

The fully automated robotic cell combines several of our own patent-pending solutions, including the following product developments:

• Continuous Composite Preforming System
• Composite Draping System
• Composite Handling System
• Composite Trimming System

Broetje-Automation - innovative composite manufacturing technology and complete system integrator know-how for your industrial production requirements.

Visit us at JEC World 2019: Hall 5, Booth G67

Contact

Thomas Oetken
Phone: +49 (172) 7574860
Thomas.Oetken@broetje-automation.de  
www.broetje-automation.com

22.01.2019

Our trade show dates 2019

Broetje-Automation is exhibitor at the following trade fairs. We are looking forward to welcoming you!

JEC World
Paris, France
International Composites Event
March 12 - 14, 2019
Hall 5, Booth G67

More information: https://www.jec-world.events

SAE AEROTECH Americas
Charleston, SC, USA
March 26 – 28, 2019
Booth #304

More information: https://www.sae.org/attend/aerotechamericas

Hannover Messe Industrie
Hannover, Germany
April 01 - 05, 2019
Hall 2, Booth C59

More information: https://www.hannovermesse.de

Automate 2019
Chicago, USA
April 08 - 11, 2019
Booth 9253

More information: https://www.automateshow.com

Paris Le Bourget Airshow
Paris, France
June 17 - 23, 2019
Hall 2a, Booth #C280

More information: https://www.siae.fr

MAKS 2019 - International Aviation and Space Salon
Moskau, Russia
July 23 - 28, 2019
Hall F3, Booth F3-A13b

More information: https://www.aviasalon.com

Composites Europe
Stuttgart, Germany
September 10 - 12
Hall 9 - Booth #9C77

More Information: https://www.composites-europe.com

SAE AEROTECH Europe
Bordeaux, France
September 24 - 28, 2019
Booth #39/40, 46/47

More information: https://www.sae.org/attend/aerotecheurope

China International Import Expo
Shanghai, China
November 05 - 10, 2019

More information: http://www.shanghai-expo.org

Contact

Norbert Steinkemper
Communication and Marketing
norbert.steinkemper@broetje-automation.de

02.01.2019

Changes in Broetje-Automation management

The Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Broetje-Automation herein announces a change in the leadership of the company.  Effective 1 January 2019, Mr. Lutz Neugebauer has taken over as Chief Executive Officer of the Broetje-Automation Group. He succeeds Mr. Bernd Schröder, who has managed the company for the last 12 years.

Mr. Neugebauer has been with the company since 1991 and has held various management positions. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer and as a member of the management board. With him, an experienced manager assumes responsibility for the group.

Under the management of Mr. Schröder, Broetje-Automation has developed into an international group of companies with over 850 employees at 24 locations in seven countries. He led Broetje-Automation to above-average growth in a challenging market environment. In addition to expanding the product portfolio (Operations Tooling, CFRP Technology, Assembly Lines, Sealing Automation) the international footprint (above all USA, China, Japan, Russia) was also significantly expanded.

The relocation into a new headquarters in Loy was completed in 2015. This change as well as many years of experience from various customer projects were used to reorganize internal processes, develop new products and further improve performance.

The Supervisory Board would like to thank Mr. Bernd Schröder for his work and commitment and wishes him, Mr. Neugebauer, and the entire management team every success in the future. Mr. Schröder will be available to the company with his experience as an advisory capacity.

19.12.2018

From riveting automation to Cobots - Broetje Automation celebrates 40 years of innovation for aerospace manufacturing

Rastede/Loy. 2019 will be a special year for the Broetje-Automation Group: The mechanical engineering company from the German North-West looks back on 40 successful years as a specialist in manufacturing and assembly technology for the aviation industry.

Since the foundation of the company in 1979, Broetje-Automation has established as a turnkey supplier in the aviation industry worldwide. With over 850 employees at 24 locations in seven countries, the company today offers a comprehensive portfolio of manufacturing technologies for a wide variety of materials and applications in the aviation industry.

The company began forty years ago with manufacturing systems for the automotive industry, but quickly focused on applications for the aviation industry. The equipment, often developed in collaboration with partners and customers, laid the foundation for the leading drilling and riveting technology expertise the company is known for worldwide. This success is also based on a well-established network of suppliers and technology partners as well as an intensive dialogue with customers worldwide. For more than 10 years, Broetje-Automation has also been leveraging the state initiative Niedersachsen Aviation with its good network in Northern Germany.

The group has grown as a comprehensive provider of all types of manufacturing solutions up to complete production systems for the aerospace industry. Over the years, the product portfolio has been expanded to include further applications such as operational tooling, fully automated CFRP technology, sealing automation and assembly lines / assembly systems. Since 2013, Broetje-Automation has established BA Services GmbH as an independent unit to support customers worldwide in the service of production systems.

Broetje-Automation is one of the drivers for the implementation of Industry 4.0 in the aerospace industry, with the in-house development of a comprehensive software package ranging all the way to complex assembly/line management, which for the first time offers an integrated software solution for cross-machine production optimization.

The various robot systems that are revolutionizing production technology also play a special role here. As early as 2016 Broetje-Automation has introduced "PowerRACe", the world's first robot specifically developed for the aviation industry. In contrast to standard industrial robots, it is capable of meeting the demanding precision and stability requirements of the aerospace industry.

Broetje-Automation is also a driver of innovation in another robotics trend: Collaborative robots, so-called COBOTs, are intelligent tools that close the gap between manual work on the shop floor and fully automated large-scale systems. Broetje-Automation has already successfully demonstrated various applications in aircraft production. The spectrum ranges from pure assembly support to more complex operations such as drilling, riveting or sealing.

With the constant further development of its service portfolio, the traditional company is well equipped for the next 40 years of innovation in aircraft production.

12.11.2018

Strong presence for Broetje-Automation in China

Exhibiting at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai and the Airshow China, Broetje-Automation was present at two leading international trade fairs.

SHANGHAI/ZHUHAI. The Chinese market is becoming increasingly important for the international aerospace industry. Broetje-Automation has been present in this market for many years. This year Broetje-Automation took part in two leading international trade fairs in China in order to further expand customer and supplier relationships and deepen existing partnerships.

The Airshow China in Zhuhai is the largest and most important trade show for the aerospace industry in China and is actively supported by the Chinese central government. Besides showcasing the latest products and initiating business relationships within the industry, the show also includes numerous conferences on current developments and technologies in the aviation industry as well as an extensive flight program. The exhibition takes place every two years in Zhuhai, China.

Broetje-Automation was present at the Airshow China for the third time. As part of the German Pavilion organised by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWI) in cooperation with the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) and the Federal Association of the German Aerospace Industry (BDLI), Broetje-Automation presented its extensive product range for automated production processes in the aerospace industry. With 33 exhibitors, the German Pavilion was a great success and received the "Outstanding Pavilion Award" for its good joint appearance.

Another highlight for Broetje-Automation was the participation in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, which took place for the first time. More than 3,600 exhibitors from over 172 countries took the opportunity to position themselves for future business in the booming Chinese market. The presence of German industry at CIIE was also impressive: in addition to Broetje-Automation, 170 companies from Germany were represented at the Import Expo in Shanghai.

Holger Mayländer, Chief Sales Officer, was satisfied with the trade show appearances in China: "The Chinese market is one of our strategic growth markets. We were able to make numerous new contacts and had good discussions at both trade fairs. We met with many of our customers on site. The perfectly organized German Pavilion under the umbrella of the Federal Ministry of Economics was very helpful for this".

Broetje-Automation is the world's leading expert for specialized production processes in the aerospace industry. 850 employees, located worldwide, plan and implement highly efficient solutions for the assembly of aircraft. The spectrum ranges from individual tools to a wide variety of assembly systems, from composite manufacturing to turnkey applications of entire manufacturing systems. Broetje-Automation is thus able to offer efficient turnkey production solutions for all aircraft types.

08.11.2018

Broetje-Automation among the TOP 10 Robotics Solution Providers 2018

CIO Applications Magazine recognizes Broetje-Automation for providing solutions transforming the aerospace industry.

Robotics and automation have become an integral part of today's industrial manufacturing environment. As a multidisciplinary technology that brings together mechanical and electrical engineering, software and IT, robotics integrates traditional manufacturing solutions with new cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things under the umbrella of the much-discussed Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). This trend is creating new opportunities in many production-related industries such as the aerospace and automotive industries.

Broetje-Automation has been driving robotics forward with its products together with customers, research partners and suppliers in the aviation industry for 40 years. The magazine "CIO Applications" has therefore listed Broetje-Automation in its annual "TOP 10 Robotics Solution Providers 2018" award.

Dr. Axel Peters, Chief Technology Officer at Broetje-Automation, explains the current technological developments at Broetje-Automation in a guest article. With the "PowerRACe" it Broetje has developed a robot tailored to the individual needs of the aviation industry. PowerRACe offers up to 50% better efficiency and performance compared to traditional robot solutions.

Read the full interview here

Learn more about PowerRACEe

24.10.2016

Broetje-Automation welcomes new shareholder Shanghai Electric

On October 20th., Shanghai Electric Group (SEC) has acquired a 100-percent stake in Broetje-Automation GmbH, from Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG), DÜRR AG and minor shareholders.

Shanghai Electric (www.shanghai-electric.com) is a diversified company listed in China (both in Shanghai and Hong Kong), operating in the sectors of new energy equipment, high efficiency and clean energy, industrial equipment and modern services.

The investment in Broetje-Automation is targeted at expanding the company’s activities in the area of automation technology. Broetje-Automation will act as the lead company in the new business field “Aerospace Automation".

Broetje-Automation has been operating in China for more than six years and is meanwhile providing the entire product portfolio there. Shanghai Electric is our preferred partner, since it will support the independent development of Broetje-Automation in Europe, USA, China, Russia and Japan.

Shanghai Electric will also support Broetje-Automation in reaching our growth objectives in the most attractive and fastest growing aircraft markets in the world. Together we will ensure our world market‘s leadership for drilling/riveting machines and push on the divisions Assembly and Services to global leaders.