When the workday begins at BRAAKHUIS, the HERMLE C 32 GEN2 with adapted robot system RS 2 GEN2 has already completed many hours. The robot has tirelessly
changed pallets, loaded raw parts, removed workpieces, and kept the night production running.
Since the beginning of 2026, the company has once again relied on technology from Gosheim. 'Automation provides us with many additional production hours at night and on weekends,' says Stefan Espeldoorn, production manager at BRAAKHUIS. For a supplier with small and medium batch sizes, changing materials, and customers from very different industries, this is more than just a productivity boost. The new system must not only be fast and precise but, above all, adaptable.
Variety instead of mass production
BRAAKHUIS Metaaltechniek B.V. based in the Dutch Borne has been active in the manufacturing industry for over 40 years. The company employs around 28 people and manufactures precision mechanical parts as well as assemblies and machines according to individual specifications. Customers come from various sectors, including mechanical engineering, semiconductor and energy technology, as well as aerospace (AS9100 certified). Materials machined include aluminum, stainless steel, steel, copper, and duplex. BRAAKHUIS realizes up to 80 percent of the value creation steps around a component and combines manufacturing with assembly. 'We rely on short distances, transparent communication with our customers, and flexible solutions,' says Espeldoorn.
The range of orders for the machined parts typically ranges from five to several hundred pieces. At the same time, the business requires a high level of responsiveness: new materials, changing geometries, and different batch sizes are part of everyday life. The previous automation solution was increasingly less suitable. More and more applications required a hybrid system, where the machine is loaded with pallets and the components are handled using a gripper.
Hybrid automation has a tradition at Braakhuis.
When the company purchased its first HERMLE machine with a robot system in 2009, it developed a solution together with the manufacturer: a gripper placed the workpieces into the clamping device.
With this, BRAAKHUIS became the first company in the Netherlands with this solution. The C 32 GEN2 with the adapted robot system RS 2 GEN2 continues this tradition.
Automation for complex parts
As a consequence, BRAAKHUIS decommissioned two 3-axis machines and replaced them with the automated C 32 GEN2 with five axes. 'We wanted not only more spindle hours and degrees of freedom for machining complex geometries but also to be less dependent on manual machine operation,' explains Espeldoorn. The additional magazine ZM 216 adds 216 more slots to the 36 tools in the machine. This allows BRAAKHUIS to cover a wide range of orders and materials.
The new HERMLE system is optimally tailored to the manufacturer's requirements: the RS 2 GEN2 robot system can switch both small and light workpieces from matrices and supply the machining center with heavy parts on pallets thanks to its hybrid gripper. 'The solution fits perfectly with our large component variance. We need this combination to manufacture different components flexibly in the same system,' explains Espeldoorn. About ten matrices provide space for four to 48 blanks, and four pallets extend the capacity for large components.
More hours, not more personnel
The employees work in a single-shift operation, but the automated milling center knows no closing time. It runs around the clock and now also on weekends. The robot independently takes over many processes and enables additional production hours without a person having to stand at the machine. A key reason for the decision in favor of HERMLE was the combination
of machining center and robot system from a single source. For BRAAKHUIS, this means only one contact person when the machine or robot does not work as intended. 'We do not want to have to mediate between multiple suppliers,' says Espeldoorn. 'If something is wrong with the robot or the machine, we call HERMLE, and the application technology or service takes care of it immediately.'
The company has already experienced this in a critical situation. Just before Christmas, there was a collision on an older machine. In the worst case, the machining center could not have produced for two weeks. Despite the holiday season, HERMLE sent a technician who repaired the damaged bushings. BRAAKHUIS was able to resume production between the years and gained five additional production days, which were of great importance to the company.
'What matters in everyday life is not a single technical detail, but the knowledge that we will be helped quickly in a serious situation,' explains Espeldoorn.
Step by step scaling
To meet the increasing demand for 5-axis machining hours, BRAAKHUIS invested in a robot-controlled turning-milling combination several years ago to be able to manufacture the parts completely on this system. However, given the growing order backlog, this solution only provided short-term relief.
The new system is also a building block for the next expansion step. If the capacity is not sufficient, a second identical machining center could be added to the RS 2. Programs, pallets, and processes could then be easily transferred.
The decision for a second milling center is still open. As a family business, BRAAKHUIS consciously does not invest automatically as soon as order intake increases. The C 32 GEN2 was acquired during a weaker economic phase in which the company was still able to continue its growth. 'We want to remain competitive even when the market is not at its peak,' emphasizes Espeldoorn.
Shortly after the order, a contract followed for 180 different parts from several product families, including many workpieces for 5-axis machining. The investment proved to be more suitable for business development than expected. While the C 32 GEN2 continues to operate 24/7, the team is gaining valuable experience in parts and pallet handling and expanding its know-how.
Espeldoorn explains: 'We do not know what orders will come our way in six months or in three years. That’s why we rely on the flexible solution from HERMLE, which can quickly adapt to different requirements.'
Examples of the machined components
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