Platteau automates its Mazak machines with two RoboJob Towers and a Turn-Assist
From large one-off parts to automated batches from 15 pieces
Platteau automates its Mazak machines with two RoboJob Towers and a Turn-Assist
Platteau Subcontracting in Poperinge, Belgium, specialises in complex one-off parts and large machining work. Since 2015, it has automated its series work with RoboJob: a Turn-Assist 250 on a Mazak QTN 350 M and two Towers on Mazak Integrex J-200S machines. Batches from 15 parts now run fully automatically.
Key facts
- Company: Platteau NV (Platteau Subcontracting)
- Location: Poperinge, West Flanders, Belgium
- Founded: 1978
- Employees: approx. 29
- Industries: Subcontracting, Machine construction
- RoboJob products: Tower (2×), Turn-Assist 250
- CNC machine brands: Mazak
- Automated machines: Mazak QTN 350 M, Mazak Integrex J-200S (2×)
- RoboJob customer since: 2015
- Key results: batches from 15 parts fully automated; five or more batches without operator intervention; workpieces from 0 to 70 kg
Complex one-off parts from West Flanders
With more than 60 years of experience, Platteau Subcontracting produces unique and complex parts in small series for the textile, transport, printing, food, handling and wood industries, and for machine builders. Its large machining centres can mill parts more than 11 metres long. Pieter Cappoen took over the company in 2014 and has invested in new machines and automation ever since.
Why automate: series work nobody wants to do
“Of course, our customers also occasionally ask us for series production: that means a few dozen or exceptionally, a few hundred pieces of the same component. You can imagine that our operators are not overly excited about this, because they see it especially as monotonous, physical work. But it’s hard to turn down assignments, and so we had to find a solution.”
— Pieter Cappoen, Managing Director, Platteau
The automation had to be quick to learn, handle both shafts and flanges in a wide range of weights and dimensions, and be very compact, because the aisles in the production hall are narrow.
Step one: a Turn-Assist 250 with axis extension
Platteau met RoboJob at a VDAB workshop in Ypres, where it saw the new axis extension on a Turn-Assist 250. The cell can handle workpieces from 0 to 70 kg, from very small to very large, and its light-screen fence was customised to save space. Installation on the Mazak Quick Turn Nexus 350 M took less than a working week, and the operators quickly got used to it.
Step two: two RoboJob Towers
In 2021, Platteau installed its first RoboJob Tower on a new Mazak Integrex J-200S, with a servo gripper and an SMW jaw change system that let the cell run five or more batches without an operator stepping in. A second Tower followed on another Integrex J-200S, this time with a Hainbuch collet change system and a bar feeder, to switch even faster between products. A third Tower went to sister company Mecopol-Kemaspray. Read more in Second and third RoboJob Tower for Mecopol-Kemaspray and Platteau Subcontracting.
- Mazak QTN 350 M with a Turn-Assist 250
- Mazak Integrex J-200S with a Tower
- Mazak Integrex J-200S with a Tower
The result: automation from ever smaller batches
“Batches from 15 pieces upwards are already being produced fully automatically. We want to bring that down even further. Customers are ordering in ever smaller quantities. Ultimately, I want to do automated machining from 2 pieces upwards.”
— Pieter Cappoen
Platteau also shares its Tower experience with other manufacturers: read how Platteau Subcontracting talks about its experience with the RoboJob Tower at Agoria and Sirris awareness sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Which machines did Platteau automate with RoboJob?
Platteau Subcontracting in Poperinge, Belgium, runs three RoboJob systems: a Turn-Assist 250 on a Mazak QTN 350 M and Towers on two Mazak Integrex J-200S machines. The company has been a RoboJob customer since 2015.
Can a Mazak Integrex J-200S be automated with a RoboJob Tower?
Yes. Platteau runs RoboJob Towers on two Mazak Integrex J-200S machines, with a servo gripper and automatic jaw or collet change. Hetschel runs a Turn-Assist on an Integrex J-200S, and Fecken-Kirfel two Towers on Integrex i-200S machines. See all Mazak automation projects.
Can a Mazak Quick Turn Nexus 350 be automated?
Yes. Platteau automated its Mazak Quick Turn Nexus 350 M with a RoboJob Turn-Assist 250 with axis extension. NEXTec+ Fertigungstechnik runs three Turn-Assists on Mazak QTN 250 lathes. See all Mazak automation projects.
Can small batches be automated profitably?
Yes. At Platteau, batches from 15 parts are produced fully automatically on Mazak Integrex J-200S machines with a RoboJob Tower. A servo gripper and automatic jaw or collet change let the cell run five or more batches without an operator stepping in, and Platteau aims to go down to batches of two.
Can a robot load heavy shafts and flanges?
Yes. Platteau’s RoboJob Turn-Assist 250 with axis extension handles shafts and flanges from 0 to 70 kg, from very small to very large, on a Mazak Quick Turn Nexus 350 M.