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Success story
Bvlgari
Precision in motion
At Bvlgari Horlogerie, innovation is as much about the precision of our tools as it is about the expertise of those who make them work.
By integrating a solution combining an ESPI Scanflash machine and Metrolog X4, the Swiss watchmaker is reinforcing its mastery of production quality control. This success is largely due to the dedication of Mathias Kaufmann, quality technician.
When fine watchmaking relies on people and technology to achieve excellence
Based in Switzerland, the watchmaking division of Italian watchmaker Bvlgari combines the brand’s bold aesthetic with Swiss watchmaking expertise. Renowned for its ultra-thin models, including the iconic Octo Finissimo, the manufacture masters the entire process, from in-house movement to final assembly.
At the heart of this requirement, the quality department plays a key role.
He has to guarantee the conformity of parts with often complex shapes, at high production rates, and with tolerances sometimes measured in thousandths of a millimeter. This is the background to the work of Mathias Kaufmann, quality technician in charge of automated control. His mission: to make controls more reliable, while helping operators to become more autonomous.
Limits quickly reached
Before the current solution was implemented, the majority of checks were carried out manually. Operators used Excel sheets and conventional measuring tools, such as calipers.eMeasurement differences between operators were significant, instrument calibration was not always assured, and traceability was virtually non-existent,” recalls Mathias Kaufmann.
This lack of standardization led to misunderstandings in production and difficulties in analyzing certain non-conformities. “On certain parts, such as the Serpenti carrure, with its 5-axis machining, we simply had no reliable means of control”, he illustrates.
In view of these findings, the need to structure quality control around an automated, reproducible tool became obvious.
Focus on hardware first
The first step was to invest in an ESPI Scanflash TC workshop coordinate measuring machine (CMM). Designed to operate in a production environment, this CMM stands out for its speed and precision, essential criteria for Bvlgari.
The machine makes it possible to carry out in-process checks several times a day, and to meet in-house requirements for responsiveness and rigor. But very quickly, a limitation became apparent: “Programming time was colossal, collision risks high, and programming complex shapes virtually impossible”, explains Mathias. As a result, the machine remained largely under-utilized.
Samuel Jabès, co-Director of ESPI, points out that the Ease-of-Programming brick was missing for the machine solution to be fully effective and therefore adopted by the Bvlgari teams.
The turning point: integrating Metrolog X4
Several years of co-development between ESPI and Metrologic Group, combining the power of Metrolog X4 with the speed of the Scanflash machine, have resulted in a high-performance tool for complex programming needs.
In 2022, Bvlgari was offered an update of the Scanflash, with Metrolog X4 as the control software.
“From the very first demonstrations, we saw just how much flexibility and speed this software would give us,” testifies Mathias. “Integration was quick and easy:within a week, the machine was up and running with Metrolog X4.”
For Alexandre Goupy, Sales Manager at Metrologic Group, this project is a perfect illustration of the complementary nature of hardware and software. “The machine alone was powerful, but without a suitable interface, it remained under-used. Metrolog X4 provided the ease of programming that was lacking. Today, they can’t do without it.”
Not only does the machine offer unrivalled control efficiency in terms of dynamic performance, but thanks to Metrolog X4, it can be easily programmed. The software's advanced features enabled the Bvlgari teams to enjoy programming and to start trying new things, pushing the machine's limits.
In addition, offline programming via Silma X4 now enables the quality team to create new programs while the machine remains available for production. The time saved is considerable, and operators are never interrupted.
Concrete results, widespread use
The benefits are clear. Inspection time has been divided by six. The number of dimensional problems detected downstream has fallen considerably. Use of the machine has been extended to internal analysis and other departments.
“Today, we control 95% of our can production with this machine,” says Mathias. “Our analyses are more reliable, better understood, and I even get more internal requests to carry them out.”
This new organization also fosters a more collaborative quality culture. Production is more stable, and upstream adjustments are easier.
An embodied project
Behind this success is a key player: Mathias Kaufmann.
It was he who saw the machine’s potential, despite its initial limitations, and convinced management to give the project a second life.
“Without Mathias, the machine might have remained in a corner,” explains Alexandre Goupy. “He’s the one who believed in the solution, learned how to use Metrolog X4 and showed that it could work.”
In addition to training in the use of the software, Mathias contributed to the development of drawings, the creation of complex layouts, and the continuous improvement of the quality process.
A commitment that perfectly reflects Bvlgari’s values.
Expertise at the heart of the process
The successful integration of ESPI’s Scanflash and Metrolog X4 software has enabled Bvlgari Horlogerie to take quality control to a new level. Faster, more reliable and more reproducible, the solution fits in perfectly with the requirements of the watchmaking sector.
Samuel Jabès adds, “Today, this comprehensive machine + 3D metrology software solution not only meets the needs of production, but has also been extended to incoming inspection and certain prototypes or rapid tests. Bvlgari continues to expand the range of controls that pass through our machine, and has now also entered the field of production control. With such rapid measurement results, production control becomes reactive and makes perfect sense. The company’s machine-tool fleet will soon be able to be automatically piloted by measurement results from ESPI’s Scanflash and Metrolog X4 software.”
Finally, this project demonstrates that the value of a tool is fully revealed when it is supported by committed experts. At Bvlgari, Mathias embodies this dynamic: that of know-how that evolves without ever losing its high standards.
This project demonstrates our determination to be at the cutting edge in terms of quality, innovation and performance. It allows me to be creative, and to make a concrete contribution to the excellence of our production.
BVLGARI
Bvlgari was founded in the heart of Rome in 1884. Over the decades, the Brand has established a worldwide reputation as magnificent Roman High Jeweler and icon of Italian art of living.
Bvlgari deeply believes in innovating the present for a sustainable future through its commitment to Social & Environmental Responsibility and giving back – to nature and to the community.