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Berti Metal Parts Solutions (Berti MPS) is an Italian precision engineering company specialising in complex, custom‑designed turned parts for demanding industrial applications. From its headquarters in the Piemont region, Berti produces high‑volume, high‑quality rotary parts such as tubes, screws, nuts, valves and other intricate geometries, working with materials including brass, stainless steel, lead‑free and eco brass. Tight surface specifications and stringent dimensional tolerances are part of everyday production, not the exception.
The company primarily serves European B2B customers that expect premium quality, reliability and technical support. Its parts are used in sectors such as sanitary systems, heating, pneumatics, electrical engineering, automotive, communication technology, and mechanical engineering. To support the customer base beyond the Italian market, Berti has strengthened its presence in Germany, Switzerland and Northern Europe – a strategic move that reflects the ambitions of a traditionally family‑owned company evolving into a pan‑European supplier of high‑precision metal components.
Selection of precision metal components manufactured by Berti MPS for applications in heating, sanitary, automotive, electronics and mechanical engineering
Over the last decade, Berti has systematically modernised and expanded its production, replacing older single‑spindle lathes with modern multi‑spindle machines and automatic lathes. This hardware upgrade went hand in hand with a redesigned process flow between the design department and the shop floor and investment in new quality‑control and measuring technology, turning previous manufacturing limitations into new flexibility. Today, every production step is supported by modern measuring systems, automation and design tools – from the initial feasibility study and analysis of each machining step through to 100% dimensional checks on finished parts – which has significantly improved quality, speed and process control. As Production Manager Marco Berti puts it, the goal of this modernisation was to build a production environment where machines, measurement and design software all work together, so the company can react faster to customer needs and stay competitive in high‑precision markets.
Why tooling became a strategic lever
As batch sizes and part complexity increased, it became clear that cutting tools were central to both productivity and quality. Multi‑spindle machines can deliver impressive output, and even mor so when the tools are optimised for each operation and can be adjusted quickly when parts or specifications change.
For many years Berti handled simple tool regrinding in‑house on manual machines, while relying on external suppliers for new tools and more complex work. This model limited how quickly the company could react to new part designs or to drawing changes that affected tool geometry. If, for example, a customer drawing arrived with a missing chamfer or a critical radius that had not been specified, tools would be designed and ordered to the original drawing – only for the omission to be discovered later in production. Any redesign then meant additional time and cost, with only limited scope for testing alternatives.
Berti’s management wanted more control over this loop. By internalising tool regrinding, tool production and tool knowledge, they aimed to shorten response times, accelerate development of special tools and ensure that the know‑how gained from day‑to‑day production stayed within the company. At the same time, they were looking for a step change in technology: a modern 5‑axis grinding machine with advanced software, automation and measurement capability.
Choosing the ANCA FX7 Linear
At a trade show, Berti met ANCA’s Sales Manager Riccardo Marchesi and Application Engineer Loris Padovani and took a close look at the FX7 Linear platform. Several aspects stood out immediately: the ability to set up tools visually using the iView camera, the CIM3D simulation environment for testing and validating tool designs, and the flexibility offered by the FX7’s automatic wheel changer.
The decision to invest in an FX7 Linear was therefore both a technical and a strategic one. Technically, the machine combines a rigid polymer‑concrete base with direct‑drive axes and ANCA’s LinX linear motors for high precision, repeatability and surface finish. The automatic wheel changer means multiple wheel packs can be loaded and changed without operator intervention, which is crucial when grinding a wide variety of drills and cutters. Strategically, the FX7 Linear provided the foundation for Berti to bring advanced toolmaking capabilities in‑house, with a clear upgrade path as their requirements evolve.
Gabriele Brera Molinaro presenting one of the first tools ground in-house at Berti MPS
Installation, training and the learning curve
The FX7 Linear installation was handled on site by ANCA’s local technicians, who managed the entire process independently. For Berti, however, the real value lay in how quickly their team could become productive on a technology level they had not used before.
Gabriele Brera Molinaro, the mechatronics expert who would become the main operator of the machine, describes the training by ANCA’s Application Engineer Loris Padovani as intense but very positive. At the beginning, the system seemed complex: there was a new control interface to learn, unfamiliar grinding operations and a completely different way of thinking about tool geometry. Thanks to the trainer’s structured approach and clear explanations, the concepts fell into place quickly. Questions were encouraged, and support continued remotely after the initial on‑site sessions. For Gabriele, this was not just a machine handover, but a major step in his professional development.
After an expert training, Berti quickly started to produce various utters and drills, both helical and straight-cut, with single or shaped profiles on the FX7
The training covered the complete process chain. Starting from wheel selection and wheel‑pack set‑up, Gabriele learned how to qualify wheels, use probing, and understand the theory behind different tool types. The team then moved through setting up tools on the machine with iView, using ToolRoom RN35 to design tools, and applying CIM3D software to simulate and verify the grinding process. Wizards for drills, step drills, profile tools and corner‑radius endmills provided a fast entry point. From an initial corner‑radius endmill, Gabriele quickly progressed to producing drills, step drills and increasingly multi‑functional tools.
Software, automation and quality control
Loris Padovani and Gabriele Brera Molinaro working through the many capabilities of CIM3D, ANCA’s simulation software. The program is used to optimize cycle times and wheel wear, by evaluating the volume of material to be removed right from the beginning and adjusting cutting speeds accordingly
Day to day, Berti uses ANCA technology to produce various sorts of tools and keeps extending the range and complexity. This has allowed them to reduce production time for tools while maintaining and generally improving quality and precision.
CIM3D plays an equally important role during tool design. By simulating the process before any grinding takes place, Gabriele can see how much material will be removed, adjust cutting speeds and feeds accordingly, and protect wheel life. The ability to inspect and measure tool profiles on the virtual model means many potential issues are resolved before they reach the machine. When setting up the tool in the grinding machine, iView – ANCA’s integrated camera and on‑machine measurement system – allows visual checks and precise measurements directly on the FX7 Linear, closing the loop between design, grinding and inspection.
A stronger position in the market – and in the labour pool
The FX7 is equipped with ANCA’s iView, an on‑machine measurement system that uses a projector and camera to capture the tool profile directly in the grinder, then compares it to the nominal geometry. This allows operators to visually verify dimensions, check critical features and apply automatic compensation without removing the tool from the machine
For Berti, the FX7 Linear is more than a piece of equipment; it is an investment that raises the overall quality of their processes and supports a more innovative way of working. With internal tool expertise and the ability to iterate quickly on special geometries, the company can better support the demands of high‑volume, high‑precision customers in heating, sanitary fittings, automotive and electronics.
There is also a clear benefit in attracting and retaining skilled people. As General Director Michael Köhler notes, job applicants increasingly ask what machinery is installed on the shop floor; they want to work with modern, high‑tech equipment and learn digital workflows. Being able to point to an ANCA FX7 Linear with ToolRoom, CIM3D and integrated measurement as part of that environment sends a strong signal about the company’s direction.
By partnering with ANCA and investing in modern 5‑axis grinding capability, Berti has turned tooling into a strategic asset. The combination of in‑house knowledge, advanced software and flexible automation is helping them respond faster to customer requirements, improve quality and continue their growth with an increasingly innovative approach.
From left to right: Riccardo Marchesi (ANCA Sales), Marco Berti (Berti Production Manager), Loris Padovani (ANCA Application Engineer), Gabriele Brera Molinaro (Berti Technician) and Berti’s General Director Michael Köhler celebrating the successful FX7 Linear project at Berti MPS.
19 March 2026