A fast-growing European key player from Portugal

Located near Porto in Portugal, Art In Vogue (AIV) is a small, dynamic company consisting of two entities: AIV Metal Solutions, which focuses on metal treatments and forming, and AIV Metal Machining, which produces high-precision components.

Thirty-five specialists are actively involved in bringing customers' expectations to life. The company's claim, ‘You imagine it, we create it,’ is based on the vision that production solution limitations must not curb customers' creativity. Finding the right way to produce is the ‘added value’ of AIV.

Commenting upon the company's evolution, Bruno Correia, CEO of AIV, says: “Forty years ago, the company produced components for bags within the leather goods sector. However, in 2000, this traditional industry in Portugal faced an economic crisis, prompting us to explore new market opportunities. We expanded into shoe production, achieving significant export volumes, and later entered the precision parts machining sector. In 2018, we invested in CNC machinery, building on our existing turning machine capabilities. Currently, we have 11 CNC machines, including the first fully equipped Bumotec turn/mill centre installed in Portugal.

“The strategy regarding this new investment is to strengthen our position in the luxury goods market, particularly in the watchmaking industry where opportunities are already available to us, to reinforce jewellery activities, and to explore opportunities in Medtech and the defence markets. We export 30% of our production to France, Germany, Switzerland, and occasionally Italy.”

The first step in the turn/mill environment

As Bruno adds: “When we started machining parts, we thought that investing in a Bumotec machining centre from Starrag was out of our financial possibilities. It was a goal which seemed inaccessible. Then the business grew along with the customers' expectations for accurate and complex parts to produce. We were used to engineering solutions ourselves to adapt our production means to reach customers' goals. But we reached the limit, and we needed to invest in high-end solutions to be efficient and reassure customers.”

“Personally, I knew about Bumotec machining centres because a few customers were already equipped with their technology. I convinced our Operational Director, Daniel Fernandes, who was not accustomed to this mindset, that it was the right solution to work 24/7 without interruptions by just loading bars and producing finished parts. Today, he has changed his mind and only wants to work this way, believing that it is the most efficient and productive production solution. When the decision was made to invest, we contacted Tornos Iberica, the Bumotec agent in Spain and Portugal. We discussed our project and then visited Starrag Vuadens, the home of Bumotec in Switzerland, becoming the first Portuguese company equipped with a Bumotec s181, the most complex dual working station 9-axis machining centre from Bumotec,” Bruno continues.

“The decision to invest in the Bumotec s181 was made based on two parameters. First, the efficiency of the machine is enhanced by the counter spindle operating in hidden time, which allows us to reduce production time by 40%. Despite being one of the most complex machining centres in the Bumotec range, it offers incredible possibilities for making production as cost-effective and stable as possible. This capability is supported by the bar feeder, which operates autonomously 24/7, including on weekends.”

A profitable investment for the fast-changing European market

Adding his thoughts, Daniel Fernandes Director of Operations at AIV says: “My first contact with a Bumotec machine was at a customer facility in Switzerland. I did not know about this technology, but then after our visit to Starrag Vuadens, I discovered an amazing machine concept working with exceptional efficiency. Nowadays, the Bumotec s181 is considered a star on our shop floor. We were used to turning machines and some milling machines from other brands. This is our first turn/mill centre.”

“The concept of the machine was totally different from what we are familiar with. We had to learn the philosophy of programming. To do so, we received efficient training from the Bumotec applications team, which allowed us to feel at ease rapidly. The result is clear: the part currently being produced on the Bumotec s181 was initially made on a turning machine with multiple setups. We reduced production time by 50%, and the quality of the finish is far better now.”

“Starrag Vuadens SA provided two training sessions. The first occurred during the acceptance process when the machine was in production. The second training took place at our factory when the machine was installed. Whether we need support from Bumotec's headquarters in Switzerland for the process or from their Portuguese partner for mechanical assistance, the response is fast and efficient.”

“Our entire team is now confident working with this technology. We have specialists who can deliver parts that often exceed the quality of those submitted by customers as reference models. We sometimes declined contracts in the past because we lacked the capabilities to produce complex parts. Now, we can manage most machining projects across all market segments.”

The current part being produced on the Bumotec s181 is an attachment for the leather goods sector. “We had a contract for large quantities. We started to produce the parts before acquiring the Bumotec machine, and the estimated production time for the project was 6 months. Now, working 24/7 and reducing cycle time by 50%, we know that we can do the whole project in less than 3 months.”

“Additionally, we conducted machine tests with various raw materials, including cobalt, stainless steel, titanium, and brass. The results were impressive, and the cutting tool's lifespan has increased significantly. Since acquiring the Bumotec, we are still on a learning curve to understand the full benefits of the machine and how far we can push the limits on tool life.”

Discussing the morning routine, Daniel Fernandes continues: “The daily routine is quite simple. When we arrive in the morning, we inspect the parts produced at night, then check the tools and clean the machining area. Fortunately, we have spare tools in the tool magazine in case of breakage at night. This ensures the machine will automatically control and replace the tools, if necessary, without manual intervention. Finally, we add some bars to the bar feeder, and we launch the production again for the day. We do a check before leaving for the night, and we repeat the routine again the following morning.”

The vision of the evolution (by Bruno Correia)

Looking to the future, AIV CEO Bruno Correia concludes: “My vision for the next 5 years is to be a leading precision machining subcontractor in Portugal before reaching the same status in Europe. Our strategy is to diversify in the MedTech industry and defence segments with connectors while expanding in the luxury goods world. Simultaneously, we are enhancing the galvanic process of anodising to provide a complete solution on raw materials as well.”

“We have added a new building extension for our machining division and we have space available to welcome a new Bumotec machine in the future when the business reaches a crucial point.”