In the industrial world, Bettinelli is a renowned brand synonymous with quality, operational efficiency and productivity in motion control and automation. The brand has a reputation for versatility, precision and reliability spannin51g over seven decades. Bettinelli is a conglomerate headquartered in Italy. Its Indian arm,   Pvt. Ltd. has been serving the Indian industry for the past decade, providing world-class products and matching technical and service support. The company has built up an eminent team to speed up its response time and stay closer to the customers at large. Engineering Review speaks to the top management of Bettinelli to understand this technology driven, customer-centric global company from close quarters. Excerpts:

Q. Seven decades down the line, Bettinelli is a formidable name in Automation. Could you take us through the beginnings of the company?

Our story starts in Crema, Italy in 1953 when founder Constantino Bettinelli started the company Bettinelli Officine Meccaniche (Bettinelli Mechanical Office), which specialized in production of metallic components.

In 1996 a separate division named CDS (Cam Driven Systems) was created so as to better support our customers’ needs for engineering solutions in automation and motion technology. CDS specializes in the study, development and manufacture of high precision mechanical components. It represents a resource for customers that are seeking motion control solutions and ideas for industrial automation, packaging and assembly. We are committed to the development and expansion of our high-quality product range to provide our customers with a competitive advantage.

CDS produces the widest range of mechanical Cam Driven Units, commonly known as rotary / indexing tables for precision motion control applications, requiring rotary or linear transfer, positioning and handling. Today our product line includes: cam indexing and servo-driven tables, ring positioning drives, intermittent and oscillating drives with parallel or right angle configuration, rotary & linear part handlers, precision link transfer systems, and epicycloidal servo reducers.

Q. Over the years how did you expand your product lines?

Over the years, we expanded our product range to meet the varying needs of the customers. Today our broad product spectrum covers IP parallel shaft indexers, IT roller dial indexing tables, TR roller dial indexing tables, HP roller dial indexing tables, IG/IGA roller gear indexer, TL precision link conveyors, MHP/LHP part handlers, FT-HT open center ring tables and packages of rotary indexing tables. Bettinelli has a wide range of standard products. These are delivered in 3 weeks. When it comes to customized products, these are designed, manufactured and shipped in 6-8 weeks.

Q. Could you give more insights into your manufacturing excellence?

The manufacturing takes place centrally in Italy. The regimen starts with design & engineering, CNC induction hardening, CNC milling, grinding, quality check and then assembly, painting and shipment. In order to ensure quality, all components are machined internally on 5-xis CNC machining centers. The cams are hardened by a proprietary CNC controlled induction hardening equipment. For better finish, the products are also subjected to chemical nickel plating, blasting and painting. All the processes are done in-house, thus reducing the handling and shortening the lead time. All products are inspected utilizing our Zeiss CMM equipment to ensure the highest accuracy and the most consistent quality. The manufacturing process is constantly controlled to conform to international standards. The company’s quality systems are ISO-9001-2008 certified.

Q. Please tell us something about your engineering acumen and resourceful people.

Our engineers are involved throughout the design and manufacturing process to ensure that all our customer requirements are fulfilled throughout the different phases of production. Our experienced engineering team collaborates with our customers’ engineering departments to design and customize a solution to meet their unique specifications.

Q. Where are your offices located?

Currently, CDS – Cam Driven Systems – has corporate offices in Europe (Italy and Germany), North America (NJ, USA) and India. We also have international sales representatives and distributors around the world.

Q. When did you start your operations in India?

We started our Indian operations in 2010 with headquarters in Pune. Bettinelli India recently celebrated 10 years of its successful operations and service to Indian industry. We serve our customers here by doing installation and commissioning and providing technical consultation and help the customer go in for the right equipment and systems to complement their manufacturing and step up their productivity.

Q. What are your strategic advantages in India?

Over the years, Bettinelli Group and CDS Indexers have become synonymous with high quality automation products and technologies. Our design and manufacturing systems have furnished competitive and strategic advantages to numerous industries in pharmaceutical, automobile, manufacturing, packaging and a plethora of other sectors. And for automation functions, our solutions are invariably preferred by companies. The Indian subsidiary, headquartered in Pune, serves its customers in India by providing installation, commissioning, and after-sales support. It also offers technical consultation. In the pharmaceutical industry, cam driven systems are used in filling, blister pack, tablet making and packaging machines.
In automobile industry, they are used in pallet transfer tables, assembly machines, painting applications and test rigs, just to mention a few. In machining industry, they are used with advantage in de-burring, lapping and pressing machines and in transfer lines. In SPM & robotics, they find applications in transfer lines, station loading, sequential operations and so on. In welding, these indexers are inevitable in positioners, synchronous welding, robotic welding and component transfer.
Packaging too is a major application area. Cam systems are used in box filling machines, wrapping machines, carton packing and capping machines. Indexers are also used in switchgear, casting, printing and cosmetics industries.

Q. How do you delight your customer?

We are highly customer-centric. Our presence in India means quite something in fostering a symbiotic relationship with our customers in this part of the world. It helps us to match our world-class products with our eminent customer support. Bettinelli India has built up a team to improve our response time. CDS are high-tech products which lend themselves to enhance the operational efficiency and productivity at the customers’ end.

We stay close to the customers to understand their needs and offer customized solutions within the shortest possible time to ensure peak uptime of the equipment & operations.

Q. What are the strong reasons why one should go in for Bettinelli products unhesitatingly?

Easy to install, High speed, Zero maintenance, High accuracy, Lubed for life, Customizable, Wide range of products, Extended warranty, Fast delivery and Zero backlash are the 10 strong reasons why CDS is the best choice for customers. CDS is backed by seven decades of engineering and manufacturing leadership offering the most diverse range of products in the industry. Our continued investments in new technologies ensure that we will continue to deliver the precision and reliability needed to drive today’s most advanced manufacturing systems.

Q. What’s your mission and vision for the company?

Our mission is to remain committed to developing and providing equipment for automation, assembly and packaging systems that meet and exceed our customers’ standards for quality and excellence. And our vision is to be a leading supplier of Industrial Automation components and solutions for our wide range of worldwide manufacturing customers.

Bettinelli’s Major Milestones

1953        : Bettinelli was founded by Constantino Bettinelli in Crema, Italy specialising in making metallic components.

1960-70   :  Bettinelli grows by diversifying production of gas burners for industrial ovens and motor stators.

1970         :  Begins making SPMs for components assembly, and production of cam positioners and indexers.

1979         :  Company is re-organised after the founder passed away.  Sons Ferdinando and Vincenzo take control of the company.

1986         : Company relocated to Bagnolo Cremasco, the current headquarters, moving into a new production plant with an area of 2,36,000 sq. ft.

1993         :  TL Series Precision Conveyor serving as machine platform demanding accurate, fast and reliable linear transfer systems.

1998         : Obtains ISO-9001 certification.

2000         :  CDS brand was created to provide stronger support to international markets.

2007         : CDS establishes the MEDICAM brand for clean room assembly and testing applications.

2000-12   :  CDS opens branches in strategic countries

2014         :  ECAM was born via continuous technical improvements of CDS for simplified management of indexers &  positioners

2015         :  Production facility expansion with new FMS and robot tended machinery

2016-17   : The constant dedication and re-investments to continue with the evolution of digital age was acknowledged. Received two awards – one for ‘strategy based on innovation’ and the other for ‘investments in digital infrastructures’ at the hands of the Minister for Economic Development, and the Minister for Labor respectively.

2018:   Received Prestigious Awards from the Institute of Economic Studies of India for Excellence n Quality, Innovation & Management.   Bettinelli India has received several other Awards as well for Quality and Managerial Excellence.

2020:   Bettinelli completes 10 years of successful operations in India.