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Strengthening competitiveness through automation

Efficient, digitized, and automated processes are becoming increasingly important in the metalworking industry. Hoffmann, a company of the SFS Group, offers its customers automation solutions such as the GARANT Turntable to take their manufacturing processes to a new level. The example of Caporali & Bruni, headquartered in Italy, shows that these solutions are not only relevant for large companies and can increase productivity, but can also drive cultural change.

Added value


  • Increased efficiency through automation
  • Automation leads to increased competitiveness
  • Repetitive tasks are now handled by the GARANT Turntable, saving employees time and making the company a more attractive place to work
  • Cultural transformation – innovation is an opportunity, not a “threat”

Since 1979, Caporali & Bruni (C&B) has been providing precision engineering services for high-tech sectors such as the aerospace and automotive industries. The innovative company has seven locations worldwide and employs around 70 employees.

In 2024, C&B introduced the GARANT Turntable automation solution from the Hoffmann Group, which automatically loads clamping devices and pallets in 3- or 5-axis milling centers. The GARANT Turntable impresses in the automation of machine tools above all with its space-saving design and simple operation. The clamping device loading increases output from day one and significantly reduces the workload for employees.

Automation – a tool that changes the way you think
The introduction has shown that automation is not exclusively reserved for large companies. It overcomes a hurdle that Giulio Caporali, Quality Manager at C&B, describes as a “mental barrier that only large companies can automate.”

It is a change in mindset that shows employees that innovation is an opportunity, not a threat to their jobs. The company’s initial doubts about whether automation would be well received by the workforce were quickly dispelled: The GARANT Turntable was enthusiastically welcomed and seen as a way to enable employees to focus on more challenging and less repetitive tasks in the future. Giulio Caporali also emphasizes that the move toward robotics opens up new opportunities and can help even SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) remain competitive and grow in a challenging market.

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Continuity in production
Automation solutions such as our GARANT Turntable have not only strengthened the attractiveness of Caporali & Bruni as an employer. Downtime is now also used productively to respond more flexibly to market requirements and to optimize cost and production time management. Complex new and repetitive manufacturing processes have been automated during normally unproductive times such as nights and weekends. The machines now run around the clock, even when no one is operating them. In addition, the GARANT Turntable provides accurate data on production times, enabling more precise cost analysis.

GARANT Automation Turntable (1)
Giulio Caporali, Quality Manager at C&B

Giulio Caporali: “Production is linked to a dynamic market environment with variable costs and flexible contract terms. Being able to rely on the fixed costs of a system that operates autonomously and provides accurate time data increases our reliability towards our customers and also makes us more competitive in terms of price. Thanks to the GARANT Turntable, we are more flexible. We deal with different types of customers who have different characteristics, needs, and requirements. The ability to offer a wider range of services with the same system is a clear advantage.”

Ease of use, quick installation, and technical support
What convinced C&P to choose GARANT Turntable was the ergonomics and ease of use of the system. The compact layout and intuitive configuration made the transition to automation much easier. “The small dimensions and simple programming were decisive,” says Giulio Caporali, adding that installation was completed in just 3–4 days thanks to highly qualified technical support. The advice provided by Hoffmann further strengthened confidence in the investment. “I hadn’t expected such comprehensive support. I let myself be guided and the result was really positive.”

Innovation as a mindset
“It’s not just large companies that benefit from automation solutions in their production processes, but smaller companies too. Thanks to the GARANT Turntable, we have understood that you can change your approach and mindset even on a small scale. Knowing that there are automation solutions that are within our reach has encouraged us to make decisions that we might not have considered before and to take a step forward. This is certainly an incentive to continue along this path,” concludes Giulio Caporali.

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