The BMO Platinum Robot Cell has been developed for machinists who produce small series and single pieces. The Platinum series addresses the daily pain points of these companies, such as limited flexibility, error sensitivity in small series and the shortage of skilled craftsmen, by offering solutions that ensure that skilled craftsmen devote their time and attention to work that actually adds value.
“We regularly see machinists getting stuck because automation is too strictly linked to a single CNC machine brand or because systems are technically complex without offering any practical benefits,” says Frank Biemans, Founder and CEO of BMO Automation. “With the Platinum series, we demonstrate that automation is not only technically possible, but above all provides peace of mind, clarity and greater utilisation of existing capacity.”
The BMO Platinum series automates two CNC machines in multi-batch production, halving the investment required per machine.
The Platinum series is not a new concept, but the result of years of continuous development. Since the first Platinum was launched in 2013, the platform has been continuously developed based on practical customer experiences. This ongoing evolution has resulted in a proven and stable automation solution that grows with changing production requirements. The development of the Platinum series is still ongoing today and will continue in the coming years.
Peace of mind and clarity with genuine multi-batch production
A major pain point for machinists is the constant switching between small series and manually setting up fixtures and materials. The Platinum series takes this pressure away with BMO’s Multi-Batch Automation approach: during the day, the craftsman ensures that only the first workpiece of each series comes off the machine perfectly. At night, the robot produces the rest of the series unmanned, one after the other. This allows multiple series to be completed without scarce skilled workers having to continuously guide the robot to the next series. This results in fewer errors, shorter lead times and more spindle hours with the same number of skilled workers.
“Machining companies are increasingly confronted with automation that is based entirely on a single brand of CNC machine.” What initially seems straightforward due to a single point of contact often leads to significant dependency in practice. The Platinum series is therefore brand and type independent. This prevents lock-in with CNC machine suppliers and gives companies the freedom to change CNC machine type or brand over time without having to repurchase or relearn automation. This independence is also maintained when connecting a second CNC machine, which is in line with the reality of machining companies with a diverse machine park.
Brand-independent automation in practice: one BMO Platinum robot cell operates a DMG Mori with Siemens control on the left and a Hedelius with Heidenhain on the right.
With 3D-printed inlays, the BMO Platinum series also makes the automation of complex cast and forged parts practical and reliable.
Practical solutions for everyday obstacles
A common obstacle among skilled workers is that robots have difficulty handling complex shapes such as cast or forged parts. BMO tackles this issue in a practical way with 3D-printed inlays. These are dimensionally stable moulds custom-made for a product. This allows the robot to easily pick up the product and place it in the CNC machine with consistent accuracy. In this way, even seemingly difficult series can be reliably automated.
Human errors when setting up fixtures are addressed with the jaw exchange module. The robot automatically changes the correct milling or turning jaws for each series. This prevents accidental modification of a previous fixture when setting up the next series. “Every machinist recognises this,’ says Biemans. ‘You set up clamping for series A and B, and then for series C you accidentally adjust something that was actually intended for series A.” With automatic jaw exchange, this human error is structurally eliminated from the process.
The BMO jaw exchange module automatically exchanges the correct milling or turning jaws per series, with the jaws being stored neatly in the drawer.
Pallet and product loading in a single robot cell
The Platinum series also stands out thanks to its combination of product trays and pallets for fixtures. The robot cell contains product drawers for individual products, combined with pallet spaces for various fixtures. This allows operators to configure and prepare complete series during the day shift. The robot automatically changes the correct fixture before a new series starts, while products are simply placed in the drawers. This reduces manual operations, lowers the risk of errors and makes multi-batch production manageable even for small series and varying product mixes.
In addition to product loading, the BMO Platinum series offers space for up to 16 pallets with pre-installed fixtures, making it easy to prepare multiple series in advance.
One way of working
Within the BMO portfolio, a conscious decision was made to use a single common software platform for all robot cells, from small to large. For operators, this means that they only need to learn one way of working, regardless of the type of robot cell they are working with. Buttons, logic and workflows are identical everywhere. This reduces the training burden, prevents operating errors and makes it easier to deploy staff flexibly. New software features are always developed for the entire BMO portfolio and made available via updates, allowing existing installations to grow functionally over time. According to Biemans, this continuous development is a conscious choice. “The Platinum series is very complete, but in my view it is never ‘finished’. Every day, I still come up with ideas to make things smarter, simpler and more reliable. As long as practice continues to change, we will continue to develop.” BMO thus emphasises that the Platinum series is designed as a future-proof platform, not as a one-off solution.
At Nijdra Group in the Netherlands, BMO’s Tool Life Management is part of everyday practice.
Predictable production
An additional source of uncertainty in unmanned production is tool wear or a shortage of available tools. The BMO software takes this worry away from the craftsman with Tool Life Management. This keeps production running and creates peace of mind and predictability in night and weekend production.
Practical added value for machinists
For operations managers, team leaders and entrepreneurs, this approach means that automation is no longer a technical experiment, but a strategic tool. The financial threshold also remains manageable. The ability to connect two CNC machines to a single Platinum robot cell halves the investment per machine. As a result, the investment for high-mix automation remains demonstrably lower than for comparable solutions on the market, without compromising on flexibility or brand dependency.
“Many machining companies are still unsure about their next step in automation,” concludes Biemans. “With the Platinum series, BMO shows that it’s all about creating overview and removing pain points, so that work becomes predictable and professionals can focus on their craft.”
