Breton Kappa G

The base frame is a decisive element in relation to honing or polishing quality. The fundamental characteristics are flatness and stiffness. Breton base frames are constructed with a continuous steel plate bed supported by intermediate box section structures sized by means of FEM analysis. This system prevents the bed from bending and creates a support base on which the slab can be laid perfectly and safely. The belt return side covers are made of stainless steel to impart water and debris resistance properties.

One of the most stressed elements and hence most prone to wear is the guide between the spindles beam and the cross bridges. Breton adopts a solution whereby the load is supported by a cage with case hardened and ground rollers, which is synchronised by means of an idle pinion meshed with a rack. With this system, the load is distributed constantly and equally. The entire system runs in an oil bath, protected by a newly designed system of deep labyrinth seals with compressed air pressurisation.

The availability of high power at the spindles is a definite advantage for certain work processes. The power must however be transmitted entirely to the operating head and not merely output by the motor. Breton spindles are equipped with Poly-V multi-ribbed belts that prevent even the minimum slippage, thus transmitting all the necessary power.

Depending on how it is configured with spindles and heads, Kappa G can perform a range of very different functions: honing machine, polishing machine, levelling machine, levelling/honing machine. There are various head models available: the well-known SG-6, SG-8 and SG-10 brushing heads of the latest generation, the Mirage satellite heads (Breton patent) and many others.

Water is supplied to the heads by means of a large diameter PVC common pipe rigidly mounted to the rear of the spindles and connected to them by means of flexible rubber hoses. This allows rapid intervention for cleaning and maintenance requirements. An ingenious system diverts the water to the exterior of the spindle body in case of overflows or duct clogging in order to protect the internal components from contact with the excess water.

Kappa G can be equipped with a vast range of slab readers in order to inform the machine control unit of all the necessary data in relation to the type of treatment required. Scanners are available for precise detection of the outer shape, touch sensors on multiple points to detect slab thickness, or a sophisticated system for laser mapping of the entire slab surface that produces a “bathymetric” chart that is then processed.

At the outfeed position the machine can be equipped with the Oculus system which – by means of special optical device that measures a series of parameters in detail – can supply a detailed image of the surface roughness of the slab in all areas, creating a critical mathematical model for objective evaluation of polishing results.

Breton Kappa G is a new project developed on the basis of more than half a century of experience. Breton invented an industrial process for polishing stone materials and has done more work on this type of machine than anyone else in the industry. Apart from performance, the expert design team focused its attention on reliability of the product and the ease of performing routine maintenance tasks rapidly using easily sourced components; this approach made it possible to achieve the industry's lowest maintenance costs.

A genuinely modern polishing machine requires top level electronics, high power, and exceptional reliability. All maintenance points are equipped with remote diagnostic systems so that the related operations can be performed immediately and with zero impact.