Boers & Co is a manufacturer of, precision mechanical parts, complete sheet metal enclosures and mechatronic assemblies. CEO, Ronald Koot explains: “We make high-tech parts for the medical, semiconductor and other equipment manufacturing industries, among others. We have a passion for precision and are a company driven by innovation to make beautiful products for our relations.”
Maximum benefit from two Robodrill CNC machines
The implementation of the Xcelerate X35 allows Boers & Co to make optimal use of their two Robodrill CNC machines. Years ago, the idea arose to automate these machines with tool, pallet and product handling functionalities. Ronald: “Our dream has become a reality with the Xcelerate X35.”
Michiel van Buul, sales manager at Cellro, explains: “You see the Robodrill being used a lot for large series, but the addition of the Xcelerate X35 which includes pallet change and tool change means the Robodrills can also be used for small series with high flexibility.”
Lifelong learning and innovation
The corporate culture at Boers & Co is all about learning and innovation. The company is constantly evolving from technological innovations to more efficient production. Ronald stresses, “Automation gives you new possibilities. But it also creates space to come up with new things because the machine takes over repetitive work.”
Björn den Os, CNC specialist at Boers & Co, confirms: “The Xcelerate X35 has allowed me to learn about new technologies. I also contribute to increased productivity in the hours that were previously unused with the Robodrill, nights and weekends. In addition, it is a great development for me to continue growing.”
Improved production efficiency with Xcelerate
Björn describes how the arrival of Xcelerate has changed the way of working at Boers & Co: “In terms of planning, we now have to look much further ahead so that we can effectively schedule our hours at night and on weekends.” Björn stresses, “The flexibility of the Xcelerate X35 is very high. The grippers can handle large to very small products, from 10 to 160 mm. This makes it possible to flexibly produce various products of different sizes overnight, without having to adjust the gripper each time.”
User-friendly interface ensures reliability
A unique feature of the X35 is its user-friendly interface which provides a clear overview of the production process. Ronald says: “The Xcelerate shows the changing of materials, clamps and tools of both machines in a clear interface. You simply choose the next product and see all the product completion steps. This feedback clearly indicates what you are doing. That increases reliability”.
Björn says: “At Boers & Co, we strive for a complete product with minimal manual handling. With the Xcelerate, we went the extra mile. We quickly gained confidence and insight into the production process. The Xcelerate X35 gives the team the certainty that production on the Robodrills continues through the night.”
Successful cooperation
Björn appreciates the smoothness of the cooperation: “We had direct and quick contact. Cellro’s mechanics installed the CNC automation system at Boers & Co which allowed us to spar a lot about the robot and its operation.” Björn continues: “Even when the mechanics were away, there was quick contact via e-mail. A big plus is that the Xcelerate works over the network, which means we can give Cellro remote access, if necessary, after which they can watch along.”
Future
That Boers & Co is not done innovating speaks clearly from Ronald’s vision of the future: “The Xcelerate X35 is one of the many robot cells we now have in house. We are now in the process of connecting all robot cells, including the warehouse. With automatic AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots), we move products efficiently: from the raw product to the machine to the finished product to cleaning, or even to logistics.”