Hornet Laser Cladding serves the whole world from Alblasserdam
English is the only working language on Hornet Laser Cladding's website. 'Because we actually deliver almost exclusively to foreign companies,' says founder and co-owner Jelmer Brugman. 'We don't do much marketing and so the website is our main source of information for potential customers. Those, of course, can't do much with the Dutch language. Hence. Our machines are also at some Dutch companies, but they know how to find us by now.'
Lasercladding: additive manufacturing
Jelmer Brugman calls himself a 'pure techie', unlike his commercially oriented business partner Frank Rijsdijk, with whom he founded Hornet Laser Cladding in 2015. He doesn't find it easy to simply explain what that is, laser cladding. 'It quickly becomes too technical, but it's a complicated technique. To put it bluntly: our machines are equipped with a laser that welds a mixture of metal powder onto a metal object. A cylinder rod, a drill head, rollers, parts for agricultural machinery, aircraft parts, engines, rollers, gears, brake discs, everything. For example, the layers make the object harder and less susceptible to rust. Drilling rigs last longer, chemical pipes rust less, and plain bearings have a longer lifespan. In addition to extending the lifespan, this technique is also increasingly being used as a hybrid production technique. With this form of additive manufacturing , blades can be printed on an axle, for example.'
PDM Vault automatically creates file names and PDF, STP and DXF files and stores them in a structured manner. It saves me many hours of tedious, repetitive work. I can use those hours to solve other issues. We really save a lot of time with this
Boudewijn de Roode
Mechanical Engineer
Precision is key
Sounds pretty simple. 'Yes, but the complexity lies in how the material reacts to the laser. This allows you to work very precisely. The advantage is that the heat does not penetrate the base material as deep and as wide as with traditional welding. So the material hardly deforms. Furthermore, the supply of the powder is critical. The nozzles must be adjusted very precisely. The powder mixture has certain properties. Everything has to be exactly coordinated. There is a lot involved, both in-house developed software and machines.'
Combining expertise
Ten years ago, Jelmer Brugman and Frank Rijsdijk ran into each other. The former with a lot of experience in mechanical engineering, the latter representing laser equipment. Together they decided to combine their areas of expertise. 'We saw a gap in the market,' Jelmer continues. 'There was a lot of need for machines that can enrich metal with an extra hard layer. Of course those machines do exist, but then traditional arc welding processes are used, for example. Slower technology that requires more energy and is less accurate. With the laser, there is much better control over the heat input and speeds are higher. It is a new and higher quality form of welding.'
Hornet Laser Cladding: customer-specific machines
In 2015, Hornet Laser Cladding delivered the first three machines, all in Asia. Eight years later, the counter stands at more than sixty pieces. The company has now moved to a modern and spacious building in Alblasserdam where a small team of ten people takes care of the entire process: sales, design, purchase of parts, assembly, testing and then installation on location. Turnkey projects. Five to eight machines leave the workshop on average per year, which doesn't seem like a lot. "They are all customer-specific machines," Jelmer explains. 'Large and small, for parts from five to 50,000 kilos, and using robots or CNC controls. Design requires a lot of consultation with the customer, in the workshop our engineers have to do a lot of test work. A process from quotation to delivery can easily take a year and a half. Don't forget that laser cladding is still a relatively young technique. We, too, are still pioneers, and are constantly looking for improvements.'
Innovative surface techniques
With apparent success, because the order portfolio is well filled. Interested companies from all corners of the world come forward, after which the sellers go out to discuss the options. In the assembly hall, work will be carried out simultaneously on three machines this September day, destined for Canada, China and England respectively. Orders are also received through scientific research institutes in the field of innovative surface techniques in England and Germany in which Hornet is involved. 'For example, our technique turns out to be very suitable for adding a wear-resistant layer to new brake discs with clading. It's a big market, because cars and trucks have to meet increasingly stringent emission standards. Brake discs produce a lot of particulate matter, just take a look at the rims of your own car. By cladding a wear-resistant layer on it, much less dust is released. We have contributed to machines with our laser technology and with the dosing systems for the powder. Machines that process the discs very quickly, for the automotive industry, are an important development.
Hornet's next step: a new engineer for new successes
The success and increasing fame also has a downside. The pressure to produce faster and more is increasing. Reason enough for Hornet to expand the team, including a full-time engineer in permanent employment. 'We worked with an external engineer for a long time. He retired, after which we started looking for an all-rounder sometime in early 2022. An all-round designer who doesn't shy away from anything, is very flexible and also fits into this team. I think we've found it in Boudewijn de Roode.'
After a year, Boudewijn himself can confirm this. "Before this, I worked at a large engineering firm," he says. 'A great start after my training, but not very challenging. A lot of standard work and quite hierarchical. Here I am involved in the design from the start. From the smallest part to the complicated welding head. Certainly not easy, no, with the engineers and mechanics in the workshop it is regularly a lot of discussion. But I feel very much at home here in this special team. We are working on special machines, and I am given a lot of room to push the boundaries.'
PDM-system
Soon after joining the company, Boudewijn de Roode also initiated a discussion with management. 'I felt we needed a PDM-system in addition to Inventor. At my previous employer, I had good experiences with Vault from Autodesk. We build our machines with many hundreds of parts. Datamanagement, storing and finding drawings, is crucial. Importantly, there is always only one current design circulating that we all use. That makes communication between engineering, project management and production easier and prevents errors.'
Small Business EDM System
Jelmer Brugman was quickly convinced and made contact with Bas Ligterink, account manager Manufacturing Industry at Cadac. Since last spring, the Vault has been running satisfactorily as an engineering data management (EDM) solution. "It's pretty special that a small company with one designer installs a really professional EDM system," says Bas. 'Entrepreneurs in SMEs often think that it is something for large companies. A misunderstanding, especially for a company like Hornet that designs and manufactures complicated machines and also sends them all over the world. Data management is key, especially in a small company where positions are often broadly filled and therefore the time an engineer has per week is limited.'
Implementing PDM Vault means change
Implementing Vault does mean a change, Bas acknowledges. 'It's a different way of working. Of course, it helps with Hornet that Boudewijn already knew it, but in practice, designers are quickly familiar with it. There is another misunderstanding about the costs. They don't pay for themselves very high and they pay for themselves quickly.' Boudewijn: 'PDM Vault automatically creates file names and PDF, STP and DXF files and stores them in a structured way. It saves me many hours of tedious, repetitive work. I can use those hours to solve other issues. We really save a lot of time with this.'
Autodesk's PDM Vault for collaboration
Something Jelmer likes to hear. "Of course," he says. "Another important benefit that we are already experiencing is fewer errors in purchasing and production because the revisions and standards are better managed. In addition, we would like to grow and that implies faster design. If we need another designer, he or she can join effortlessly. Vault is built to be collaborative. The plan is to standardise a bit more in the future, to build machines a bit more modularly. So you don't have to redesign every piece over and over again. Perhaps it is the prelude to Configure to Order. We are not there yet, but we will soon be ready. For now, we have already made a great step, we experience the benefits every day.'