When the courage to take risks is rewarded

At Bravotech, they know how to produce complex geometries and perfect surfaces. Customers' reactions and the increasing number of orders confirm this and also ensure that the Belgian contractor regularly has to expand its machine park, especially with five-axis machining centers from Hermle. At this company, they appreciate the precision that makes manual finishing almost unnecessary.

Anyone who talks to Bram Vergote quickly figures it out: he is a barrel of adrenaline and has a heart full of technology. He loves motorcycle racing and often shows the courage to take risks - both in the field and in business decisions.

"I got my love for motorcycles at the age of 11, when I was allowed to disassemble and examine my mother's discarded Citroen 2CV. The interest in mopeds and karts came later," says the founder and managing director of Bravotech bvba. "In 2004 I bought my first manual milling machine to machine parts for my motorcycle. After six months I invested in a CNC machine and started producing for third parties in my spare time as well. Two years later I became fully independent."

Today, Oudenaarde-based Bravotech is a successful manufacturer, milling, deburring and polishing molds for hard cases, vanes, turbine wheels for compressors and pumps, and engine parts such as camshafts and crankshafts. 

"The order that stands out the most is one from an Arab prince, who needed seventy door handles for his palace in Oman. Because of the many details, one handle sat on the machine for 27 hours," says Vergote. "When one of our most important customers suddenly disappeared during the pandemic, we started looking for new segments. For example, we now produce camera and lens housings and carriers for satellites. I like complex jobs and do not shy away from any challenge. I always rely on my know-how and experience, and on my machines to produce geometries and surfaces with the required quality and accuracy."

Vergote also continues to invest continuously to develop his business. When he wanted to move into five-axis technology, he relied on the recommendation of a friend and bought his first machining center from Maschinenfabrik Berthold Hermle AG - a C 30 U. We are writing 2012 and since then he has been convinced of the quality of the Gosheim-based company, in terms of both product and service.    

He regularly expanded his machine park with new milling centers from the German specialist: C 400 U (2013), C12 U and C 52 U (2015), C 42 U (2017) and, since 2018, an additional C 400 U. 

In August 2021 he ordered his seventh machine, a second C 52 U. On it he processed the same orders as on the similar machine he bought in 2015, which he needed then for just one reason: one of his now most important customers, a manufacturer of suitcases, demanded more quality and shorter delivery times. It started with the production of simple, smaller components, but over time the components only became larger and more complex AND the customer increasingly demanding. 

"Before we installed the C 52 U, it took eight weeks to machine a complete mold, and that was too long for the customer. We started looking for a machining center that would allow us to produce faster and process molds of any size. In addition, that system had to be able to accurately work out the finest surface details," explains the business manager. He also shows a striking case casing. "What looks like a textile structure here is milled into the surface of the mold by the Hermle. Before, we had to machine the molds by hand - not an easy job, requiring a lot of time. Today, depending on the size of the mold, the C 52 U needs only ten days and works very precisely. We save on manual work and achieve significantly better surface quality."

Those who invest regularly need space. Bravotech relocated in 2015. Initially, the owner bought only part of the current site, but soon bought or rented the adjacent halls. Today, the entire complex is occupied by the company. 

"Because of the corona crisis, we had a lot fewer orders, but I took advantage of that to invest heavily in software, training and machinery. After all, I wanted to be able to start up more professionally, better and more efficiently after that period," Vergote continues. "I may have taken too many risks and invested too heavily during that barren time. After all, no one knew how long this would last. But look, in the end we were rewarded for daring to take these risks."

Just at the right time, more orders came back and the suitcase manufacturer moved its production to Belgium. Bravotech was awarded the contract for two new suitcase lines. 

"Things got extremely busy and I had to invest in an additional C 52 U. Indeed, on the largest Hermle machine, we now also make lens and sensor carriers for the aerospace industry, as well as high-volume prototypes for a compressor and pump manufacturer," concludes Bram Vergote. "Hermle is one of our most important partners. The reason is not only the large number of machining centers, but also the personal contact with John Verlinden, who is responsible for Hermle sales in Belgium. If I have a problem with one of the machines, or I want to exchange information about a new technology, I just give him a call." The business manager now also wants to get into production for the semiconductor industry. "That is rising steeply in the Netherlands, but still much less strongly represented in Belgium."    

HERMLE NEDERLAND Stand number 154