„Exceptional manufacturing accuracy“

Cappeller: Manufacture smaller batch sizes more flexibly and economically

With two new GRM-NC machines, Cappeller S.p.A. SB in the North Italian town of Cartigliano is setting its sights firmly on continued success and innovation. Thanks to these servo-controlled Bihler systems, this family-owned business is now able to manufacture even smaller batch sizes particularly flexibly and economically – while also halving setup times and all but trebling throughput.

700 million parts manufactured every year, 230 metalworking machines and annual raw material throughput of 6,500 tonnes – these are the impressive key indicators boasted by Cappeller S.p.A. SB, which has its head office in Cartigliano, northeast of Vicenza in Northern Italy. The product portfolio of the company, which was founded in 1969, primarily includes springs, coils, bended wire and tubular parts as well as stamped and stamped and bended parts and complex assemblies. The company offers end-to-end, single-source solutions – from the initial customer inquiry, through prototype construction and tool design and on to production. One important area of activity is prototype construction which, on its own, occupies seven members of staff. This strategy has made the company very successful: “We have achieved continuous strong growth over the last few years,” explains CEO Alessandro Cappeller. “Our company’s history demonstrates our ability to constantly reinvent ourselves and focused, sustained investment in cutting-edge technologies and innovations is one of our core characteristics.”

With Bihler right from the start

In this context, Bihler also plays a key role for Cappeller. “The early, mechanical Bihler systems represented a completely new philosophy in the world of stamping and bending technology. These allowed us to manufacture very-high-precision components, while also achieving outstanding materials efficiency and low dimensional tolerances,” explains Alessandro Cappeller. “The first Bihler system arrived at Cappeller in the early 1970s, a transaction brokered by my father Carlo Alberto,” adds Efisio Carutti, Bihler’s current representative in Italy. Over the decades, the Bihler system pool at Cappeller grew to reach a total of 25 machines, from the MC 42, through the RM 35 and on to the GRM 80.  With its current Bihler machine pool, Cappeller has long possessed sufficient manufacturing capacity. Nevertheless, the company recently made another investment. In 2021, it acquired two B 5000 welding systems along with a B20 K welding system, taking its performance capabilities in the field of resistance welding to a new level. And its most recent acquisition takes the form of two GRM-NC machines. “The main reason driving the investment in the two systems was the growing demand for relatively small batch sizes of approximately 100,000 parts each. With our mechanical Bihler systems, we would never have been able to manufacture runs of this size economically due to the extremely long setup times,” explains Alessandro Cappeller. “By contrast, our servo-controlled Bihler systems have opened up a whole new world for us: The setup times have been cut from ten to twelve hours down to three or four hours and throughput has doubled or even trebled. The ability to define a variable feed pitch is extremely advantageous for us.”

Unproblematic tool adaptation

The initial concerns regarding the adaptations that would be necessary to the existing tools also quickly proved to be unfounded: “We discovered that the tools could be adapted to the new Bihler servo-controlled systems without the slightest difficulty, quickly and at no great expense,” reports Alessandro Cappeller. So far, the company has taken over approximately 35 tools to the GRM-NC systems and a further 70 will follow by 2024. However, some will be left for use on the existing mechanical Bihler systems, which are used for large runs that do not involve frequent setup operations.

Ready for use at the touch of a button

At present, Cappeller is using its new GRM-NC machines manufacture springs for automotive brake systems. And when the next job starts, the new tool can be mounted without difficulty. “The system can be set up almost immediately at the touch of a button and is ready to resume production in practically no time at all,” explains Alessandro Cappeller. “It ensures very high-quality manufacturing that is absolutely reproducible. Even variations in the strip material can be compensated for quickly and easily.” And, last but not least, Cappeller also benefits from the fact that no additional highly qualified personnel are needed to operate the new systems.

Sights set on innovation

And Cappeller will continue to place its trust in Bihler technology in the future. “We are very interested in the new LM 2000-NC. As a new, high-performance linear machine, it would be very suitable for our products and open up further new possibilities for us – just like our two new GRM-NC systems have done.”