From craftsmanship to digital manufacturing

TCN Group was founded in the early 1990s by entrepreneurs Giuseppe Bernocco and Sebastiano Astegiano. Starting as a small precision machining business, the company has grown into a diversified industrial group operating across automotive, precision engineering, industrial automation, food processing and electric mobility.

Within this industrial ecosystem, TCN Vehicles Division, based in Alba, Italy, specializes in the precision machining of complex aluminium components manufactured from forgings and solid billets for premium automotive and motorcycle applications.

Today, the division generates approximately €30 million in annual revenue, employs more than 140 people and operates a modern production facility equipped with 30 horizontal machining centres and 12 state-of-the-art 5-axis machining centres.

Certified to IATF 16949 for the automotive industry and ISO 14001 for environmental management, TCN primarily serves as a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier to leading European automotive and motorcycle manufacturers. Its expertise includes structural components for chassis, suspension systems and other safety-critical applications, where precision, process reliability and consistent quality are essential.

The hyperMILL® journey: an increasingly strategic choice

For TCN Vehicles Division, hyperMILL® has progressively become an integral part of its manufacturing strategy.

Its 5-axis capabilities and advanced machining strategies have supported TCN in addressing the challenges of aluminium machining, improving manufacturing performance and significantly reducing production ramp-up times.

As the TCN machine park expanded and component complexity increased, the use of hyperMILL® also evolved. CAD/CAM programming became increasingly integrated with digital technologies and advanced manufacturing strategies, supporting the company's transition from traditional precision machining towards a more comprehensive digital manufacturing approach.

The introduction of hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining represented a further step in this evolution.

hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining: anticipating issues to reduce lead times

The most significant development took place in 2025, when TCN introduced advanced simulation and hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining following an extensive evaluation and testing phase under real production conditions.

Once the CAM program has been defined for the fixture and workpiece and all machining strategies have been completed, the system provides a virtual environment in which the complete process can be validated before production.

The objective is to post-process and automatically generate machine-ready code compatible with Fanuc and Siemens controls while proactively identifying potential errors, collisions and process inefficiencies.

After post-processing, TCN can verify potential collisions, toolpath accuracy, kinematic behaviour and other process issues within the simulation environment. Adjustments can therefore be made before the program reaches the machine, reducing risks and setup times.

VIRTUAL Machining also provides advanced optimization functions operating directly on the post-processor. Retraction and repositioning movements, as well as other non-cutting operations, can be optimized automatically.

Reducing these non-productive movements has a direct impact on machining cycle times and overall process efficiency.

Simulation therefore becomes more than a verification tool: it becomes a strategic lever for improving competitiveness, reliability and manufacturing performance.

Simulation integrated into APQP

The benefits of early simulation are particularly relevant in the automotive industry, where product development follows APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning), a structured methodology designed to ensure quality throughout new product launches.

By integrating simulation with hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining, TCN can anticipate collision checks, toolpath optimization and process validation already during the design phase.

Activities that were previously performed mainly during final machine try-out can therefore be moved forward within the development process.

This approach helps TCN to:

• significantly reduce start-up risks;

• improve adherence to project timelines;

• compress lead times for critical process analysis;

• improve process reliability;

• increase competitiveness towards customers.

The ability to validate the manufacturing process earlier also supports a smoother machine start-up, with the process already checked and optimized before reaching the shop floor.

Advanced prototyping and “step zero” intervention

TCN's increasingly early involvement in customer development processes also extends to the design definition phase, even before the formal project launch.

Through advanced copy strategies and high-quality 5-axis machining, TCN can produce functional and aesthetic prototypes with surface finishes comparable to those of the final forged component.

This capability is particularly relevant in the motorcycle industry, where components may be required for early showcases or real-world testing during the initial stages of development.

The ability to control vibration behaviour, workholding strategies and surface finishing quality provides an additional differentiating factor and is supported by the continuous evolution of hyperMILL® CAM functionalities.

A partnership culture driven by people

For TCN, technology is essential, but technology alone is not sufficient.

The partnership with OPEN MIND is also based on the expertise of people, hands-on training using real production cases and continuous exchange of new approaches and methodologies.

Over the years, ongoing training sessions with OPEN MIND experts have involved multiple internal programmers, strengthening TCN's in-house capabilities and building a high level of operational autonomy.

Today, approximately six TCN specialists are fully skilled in CAM programming, with differentiated levels of expertise.

The relationship is therefore not simply that of supplier and customer, but a partnership based on a shared technological vision and an industrial mindset focused on continuous improvement.

New markets, new materials, new challenges

Following a challenging 2023 for the automotive industry, TCN is looking ahead with renewed momentum and a strategy focused on further diversification.

The company is expanding its target markets towards sectors such as biomedical, defence and marine.

These industries share many of the manufacturing requirements already addressed by TCN in automotive, including high-precision machining from solid billets, advanced materials and stringent quality standards.

In this context, the continuous evolution of CAM strategies, the machining of new alloys and the adoption of innovative manufacturing approaches will play an important role in supporting TCN's future growth and competitiveness.

An industrial vision integrating process, technology and strategy

TCN Vehicles Division is more than a precision machining company. It integrates engineering, industrialization, simulation and manufacturing within a structured and certified production environment.

The progressive adoption of hyperMILL® and hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining has transformed CAM from a programming tool into a strategic asset.

By combining advanced technology with manufacturing expertise, TCN can support customers with greater technical capabilities, anticipate manufacturing risks, shorten development lead times, improve process reliability and support expansion into new markets.

In an industrial environment where development speed and certified quality are critical success factors, the ability to simulate today what will be manufactured tomorrow represents a tangible competitive advantage.

For TCN Vehicles Division, continuous innovation is not an option. It is an integral part of its industrial identity.