Extending machining into unattended hours requires more than an automated pallet change. Different workpieces, fixtures and cycle times must be prepared, stored and sequenced so the machine can move from one order to the next without waiting for an operator. For high-mix manufacturers, the challenge is keeping that flow flexible as priorities change.

HERMLE [FRA:MBH3] addresses this through handling systems integrated directly with its machining centres. Pallet and workholding storage, ergonomic setup, precise transport and production control come together within a compact cell. Instead of automating one repetitive component, the systems accommodate manufacturers whose part dimensions, machining times and order requirements vary continually.

A job occupying a machine for hundreds of hours may be followed by smaller components requiring only minutes each. HERMLE’s strength lies in keeping that varied queue moving without turning each change into a lengthy reconfiguration.

Flexible Automation for High-Mix Production

HERMLE’s handling systems are mounted at the front of the machining centre, keeping storage, setup and machine access within a closely connected area. The arrangement shortens the route between the prepared work and the machining area without requiring a dispersed automation line. The layout also preserves manual access to machines. An intermediate space allows operators to enter the working area for inspection, adjustment or individual jobs. A swing-door system separates automatic operation from setup activity and controls access safely.

Manufacturers can run unattended production overnight while retaining direct access during staffed hours. Setup takes place outside the cutting area, allowing another pallet or fixture to be prepared while the machine continues working. The station handles heavy loads, offers optional rotation and can be loaded by crane. The systems can be commissioned without floor anchorage, making the automation an integrated extension of the machining centre rather than a separate logistics installation.

HERMLE turns storage, setup and pallet movement into a coordinated production flow around the machining centre.

Conventional pallet changers suit predictable production but become restrictive when workpiece sizes, fixtures and production requirements vary. HERMLE handling systems accept different pallet sizes and formats. Storage modules can be configured around the component range, with pallet pockets arranged to use the available space efficiently. A second module can be added where more capacity is required, with configurations accommodating up to 50 pallets.

The distinction is particularly relevant to toolmaking, mould production and contract manufacturing. One order may involve a single large workpiece, while another allows several smaller components to share a pallet. Machining times may range from minutes to hundreds of hours.

Pallets can be loaded and checked while another order remains in production, creating a queue of prepared work. Storage becomes a buffer between fluctuating demand and the machining centre, giving planners greater freedom to change sequence, quantity and priority.

Automation Built for Production Flexibility

HERMLE applies the same handling concept across several weight classes and machining-centre models.

The HS flex provides compact pallet automation for six HERMLE machining centres and handles transport weights of up to 450 kilograms. It suits manufacturers seeking flexible storage and unattended loading without moving to a large robot-based cell. For heavier applications, the HS flex heavy raises transport capacity to 1,200 kilograms. It can be paired with larger machining centres, including the C 650 GEN2, enabling substantial fixtures and workpieces to move without repeated manual coordination.

The HS flex hybrid transports both pallets and vises through an interchangeable gripper, adapter pallets and dedicated storage positions. Smaller components held in vises can share the cell with larger palletised work. IH systems provide another integrated option for selected HERMLE machines.

Together, the range allows automation to be matched to component size, workholding method, machine model and available floor space rather than imposing one format across every application.

Belgian mould maker Cafmeyer paired a C 650 U with HS flex heavy automation and storage for 15 pallets. Large mould components can be handled individually, while several smaller parts can be grouped on one pallet when required. Prepared pallets do not create unattended production by themselves. The system must know which order is ready, whether the necessary tools are available and how the queue should be sequenced.

HERMLE’s Automation Control System, HACS, provides that production layer. Operators can define quantities, prioritise orders, schedule work and calculate expected running time. Planned tool use is also displayed, helping teams confirm whether the machine can complete the queue before an unattended period begins.

Plans can be revised while production is underway. An urgent order can move forward, quantities can change and the sequence can be reorganised without rebuilding the entire schedule. Barcode capture and graphical controls simplify the addition and movement of orders. Before machining begins, the software checks the pallet availability, zero-point configuration, setup completion and required tool availability. These checks reduce the chance of an unattended shift stopping because one preparation step was missed.

HACS is control-independent and compatible with Siemens and Heidenhain machines. Guided setup and maintenance instructions also make the operation less dependent on one specialist. At Wiegelmann, where machining cycles range from minutes to several hundred hours, the standardised interface allows different employees to manage the automated C 42 U.

Returning More Hours to the Spindle

At the mechanical centre of the system is a four-axis handling unit with a manipulator and a feed axis integrated into the gripper. It moves pallets and workpieces between the setup station, storage pockets and machining area while maintaining the positioning discipline required around a precision machine.

The effect is not only visible in faster loading. Operators can prepare work, review programmes and resolve production issues instead of repeatedly handling heavy fixtures. Long and short cycles can be mixed, orders staged in advance and tool availability checked before staff leave the cell. According to HERMLE, automated handling reduces time spent on ancillary activities by an average of 35 percent. Each avoided wait between orders returns another portion of the machine’s installed capacity to production.

HERMLE’s position among Europe’s leading automated handling-system providers rests on this connection between machining, storage, workholding and control. It does not treat handling as equipment placed beside a machine. Movement and sequencing become part of the machining process, allowing precision production to continue across a changing queue beyond the staffed shift.