Intermac factory tour reveals extent of machinery range seeing cnc in the making

Readers on the glass processing side will be aware that it’s Vitrum time again this month. For the uninitiated, a stroll around the Milan exhibition quickly shows that machinery demonstrations are a big draw for visitors, also functioning as hefty tools to help start those sales talks. While robotic handling machinery serve up a futuristic vision, CNC machining centres will be busily carving beautiful shapes in glass. These are the craftsmen of today.

The name Intermac is synonymous with CNC (computer numerically controlled) machinery for glass. As the largest subsidiary of the Italian Biesse Group, the company was created in 1989 to develop the glass market. as a commercial initiative by CEO Roberto Selci that the Group expand into other markets from its origins in the furniture market.

Biesse is one of the world leaders in CNC machinery for woodworking. But while Biesse’s new edge banding machinery for wrapping veneers around table tops is an important development for the furniture market, Intermac and the glass side was the main purpose of our visit to Pesaro on Italy’s Adriatic coast.

Processes

The advantages of CNC machinery are two-fold: they replace manual tasks and perform several operations in one go. Common processes for glass are straight and shape cutting, edge grinding and polishing, bevelling, brilliant cutting, drilling and routing.

To achieve this, machines are equipped with tooling and operate over various axes: X, Y and Z relate to movement from front to back, left to right, and up and down respectively.

A fourth ‘C’ axis allows the head to rotate in the vertical plane for applications such as processing circular cut outs, and a fifth ‘A’ axis allows the head to be angled between 0 and 90 degrees from vertical, often for bevelling.

Intermac’s 33 is a three axis machine, with optional C axis. The Master 34 four axis work centre can be used for a variety of engravings, including concave and wave shapes, and for writing on glass. The Master 35 model offers processing on five axes. The bed size of these models is around 3 metres. Models 43, 44, etc. have a 4m bed size.

Guided by lasers

As a manufacturer of CNC machinery for various industries, the Biesse Group is well placed to introduce new developments quickly. A recent development is the facility to change tools from outside of the machine, even while it is working.

In common with the high end car market, machinery tends to be sold before it is built. This bespoke-modular approach is quite common today.

Lasers are used by Intermac in three ways:

1). To pre-set the reading height of the tool;

2). A laser head tool can be used to scan templates;

3). The latest is a laser pre-setting device which shines circles on the machine’s bed, showing where to place suction cups for holding the glass – very handy for jobs involving internal cut-outs.

Similarities

There are many similarities between machining centres for glass and wood. One main difference is that glass machinery operates in a wet environment – water cools the working area, sometimes from inside the tool itself.

Stone is an application catered for by the Intermac range. The main difference here is that stone working requires higher-powered electrospindles.

Electrospindles

Electrospindles typically make up 10 per cent of a machine’s cost. Group company HSD manufactures this vital component for Intermac and other companies. The electrospindles are loaded with such features as sealed spindle bearings, cooling by independent fans and sometimes by liquid, and are built to operate for 24 hours.

Some intricate glass engraving jobs can require seven hours of machining, but most glass processes are much shorter and involve resting the machine. There is a part exchange scheme for used spindles and reconditioned ones are available with a guarantee.

Intermac offers tooling from Diamut, which the Group acquired in 2001, although customers are free to buy their own tooling.

Local customer

Based near the Intermac factory, Glass International supplies processed glass for kitchens, shower screens, shopfitting. The company manufactures on four sites, and operates seven CNC machines and many others from Intermac and its sister companies.

In future, the key to survival will be to beat the Chinese on service and special designs which involve tempering, bending and printing on the glass, says Glass International owner Federici Sauro.

Intermac at Vitrum

Intermac will be launching the Master 23 CNC machine model at Vitrum: ‘The machine can be built as a basic model without the tool change facility up to five axis five axis machine with tool change’, says Gary Nicholls, Intermac UK Sales Manager.

Other exhibits will also include a cutting table with automatic loading and breakout, and double edging machines for pencil and flat edging. The full range of CNC machinery can of course be seen.