The Magazine for Cutting and Bending 1/17

Australian company Digga defies all the odds

Following a catastrophic fire at Digga, Suzie Wright

is leading the company from success to success
Weland, Sweden: Strong performance owing to efficient fiber laser cutting systems Ringele, Switzerland: Staying
competitive thanks to optimized production processes Mobile Bending Cell: The Xpert 40 press brake now has
a mobile automation level ByCockpit: An app makes production more transparent
6

16 24 34
 EDITORIAL

At a glance
4 News
Events from the world of Bystronic

Digga – a family business on course

6
for success
The Australian gearbox manufacturer
Digga is now even stronger following
a catastrophic fire

Weland, Sweden
16
Competitive despite its remote production
location: Initiative and investment in fiber
laser technology make it possible
24 Focus ByCockpit
An app brings process data together,
­making processes visible and production
more transparent
29 Innovation Mobile Bending Cell
A compact solution for automated and
­manual bending
Dear readers,
In March 2016, there was a raging fire in Yatala, Australia. It devas-
tated more than 12,000 square meters of a factory complex. The
machinery, including milling machines, press brakes, and laser
­cutting systems, was destroyed. The fire put Digga, an Australian
manufacturer of gearboxes, in dire straits. But Digga’s CEO Suzie
Wright did not think of giving up – rather, she took this blow as an
opportunity. Thanks to investments in new laser cutting systems
and press brakes from Bystronic – and thanks to clever manage-
ment – Digga was even able to increase its productivity and turn-
over after the disastrous fire. Learn how Digga mastered the crisis
on page 6.

Weland, a company from southern Sweden, is also able to count

34
Ringele, Switzerland
on a reliable partner. Together with Bystronic and the 10-kilowatt
Optimized processes are the prerequisite
for competitive production in a high-salary ByStar Fiber, Weland has entered a new dimension of laser cutting.
country like Switzerland – Ringele makes Read the background story about a special and long-standing
it work partnership on page 16.

The powerful 10-kilowatt ByStar Fiber considerably speeds up

IMPRINT
BystronicWorld – The Magazine for Cutting and Bending
Publisher:
Bystronic, Corporate Communications
Industriestrasse 21, CH-3362 Niederönz
Overall responsibility: Jean-Pierre Neuhaus
Editor-in-chief: Guy Hüsler
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Circulation: 14,000 (German and English)
Printed by: Köpflipartners AG, Neuenhof, Switzerland
Paper: PlanoJet FSC, M-real Biberist, 120 g/m2
the cutting of sheet metal. However, in order to further increase
the efficiency of the production processes, Bystronic has devel-
oped the ByCockpit. This app analyzes and visualizes process data.
It makes quality, times, and costs of production processes more
transparent and optimizable. Read more about this innovation
on page 24.
Bystronic also has an additional innovation in the field of bending.
With the Mobile Bending Cell, there is now an automation solution
for the Xpert 40 press brake: a compact automated bending system
for varying order situations. With the Mobile Bending Cell, users
process large series in the automated bending mode. However, they
can also manually bend small series and individual parts whenever
necessary. When not in use, the bending robotics system can
­simply be moved to one side. Find out how easy it is on page 29.

Please contact Corporate Communications for all aspects of

printing rights and all other queries:
corcom@bystronic.com
Reprints not permitted without prior agreement.

Cover: Suzie Wright, CEO Digga, Gisella Ronchi

photographed by Robert Shakespeare. Head of Global Marketing

BystronicWorld 1/2017 3
 Sponsoring
Team Starcraft
Since the end of last year, Bystronic Maschinen-
bau GmbH has been a premium partner of Team
Starcraft – a group of approximately 70 students
from the Technische Universität Ilmenau who are
designing and constructing a racing car for the
Formula Student Germany.  lil.

Members of Team Starcraft (Mario, Johannes,

Hannes, Ann-Kathrin, and Hanna) visiting
the Bystronic demo center in Gotha (standing:
Alexander Wiegand and Janko Selz; sitting
in the racing car: Karsten Trautvetter).

BySmart Fiber now with

automation
Bystronic has expanded the BySmart Fiber laser cutting system with
suitable automation solutions. Because even for entry-level users, auto-
mated laser cutting is increasingly becoming the key factor for success.
Customers have the choice between two systems: ByTrans and Byloader.
The ByTrans loading and unloading solution organizes the material
flow on the BySmart Fiber fully automatically. It loads raw metal sheets
onto the laser cutting system’s shuttle table. After the cutting process,
the ByTrans also unloads the finished parts and residual sheets. ByTrans
requires only 60 seconds for the complete loading and unloading cycle.
The Byloader automation system is a compact loading unit that is posi-
Leading through automation:
tioned on the side of the BySmart Fiber’s shuttle table. The system ­supplies
The latest generation of the
raw metal sheets to the laser cutting system without taking up unneces- BySmart Fiber is ready to con-
sary space. This is automation using the minimum amount of space. ohe. nect to automation solutions.

TIMTOS 2017:
Impressions
From March 7 to 12, Bystronic impressed exhibition
­visitors at the Taipei International Machine Tool Show
with a 6-kilowatt BySprint Fiber 3015 and an Xact Smart
160/3100. The exhibition, which took place at the World
Trade Center in Taipei, was a huge success for our team
in Taiwan, which even succeeded in selling both ma-
chines in the course of the fair. lil.

There was cause for

celebration as both machines
were sold from the stand.

4 BystronicWorld 1/2017

Simon Kohler (2nd from left), Niklas Rösch (3rd from left),
Cédric Wyler (3rd from right), and Yanic Sonderegger (2nd from right)
are back in Switzerland. During the workshop with Roland Wyler
(far left) and Yan Xiong (far right), they talked about their
­experiences in China.
Fiber Warranty
Premium
Bystronic now offers a special service
deal for all fiber laser cutting systems
with an extended warranty. On pur-
chasing a new fiber laser cutting sys-
tem the all-round service for laser sourc-
es is extended to up to five years. This
new service package offers users com-
prehensive security and protection.
Under the warranty Bystronic will re-
place parts and elements of the fiber
laser source free of charge (excluding
the service technicians’ labor costs).
There is no limit to the number of cut-
ting hours during the running time.
Certified service technicians are on the
spot quickly and only use original re-
placement parts.ohe.
BystronicWorld 1/2017
SHORT FACTS
Young Professionals
returned from Tianjin
The four Young Professionals spent the last six months in Tianjin, C ­ hina.
They returned to Switzerland at the end of December. They reported on
their experiences during a concluding workshop at the company’s head-
quarters in Niederönz, to which Bystronic had invited the four at the
beginning of February. The workshop was moderated by the external cul-
tural coach Yan Xiong. Before they traveled to China, she had helped the
Young Professionals prepare for their time there. Bystronic is continuing
the “Young Professionals” exchange program in 2017. This is already the
fifth year of the successful exchange project.  ohe.
From the left: the Assembly Technicians Patrick Werner, Silvio Stichling,
Stefan Schmidt, Dirk Schmidt, Werner Schwarz.
The Hämmerle evolution
Early this year, the very last Hämmerle press brake left Bystronic’s factory
in Gotha. Twenty years ago, with the acquisition of the Swiss machine tool
manufacturer Hämmerle, Bystronic entered the bending machine business.
Bystronic thus secured its long-term success, because a company that wants
to be a leader on the sheet metal processing market needs both technolo-
gies: cutting and bending. ghu.
Open house in Tianjin
Bystronic opened its doors to the Open House
Event in Tianjin. In April around 100 guests visited
the Chinese development and production site. They
included customers, numerous suppliers, govern-
ment representatives and local media.  ohe.
Also present were members of Bystronic
senior ­management, including COO Sven Künkels,
CFO Cornelia Gehrig, President Bystronic China
Dr. Song You and CEO Alex Waser.
5
 DIGGA AUSTRALIA

The phoenix
of the
Gold Coast
A disastrous fire could have spelled the end for Australian
gearbox manufacturer Digga. Instead, thanks to good
management and a shrewd investment in Bystronic laser
cutters and press brakes, the firm has gone from strength
to strength.

Text: Garry Barker  Photos: Robert Shakespeare

L
Suzie Wright, Managing
Director and CEO of Digga.
ike a phoenix risen from the ashes, Digga, an
Australian company renowned worldwide
for their high-precision manufacturing of
planetary gearboxes and many other engineering
components, not only survived a disastrous fire in
its factory, but, with the cooperation of Bystronic,
used the recovery from the blaze to boost produc-
tivity, production and sales.
The company is also possibly unique in its indus-
try in having a woman as its managing director and
chief executive. Suzie Wright has been in that post
since 2004, during which time Digga has grown
into an internationally significant company.
The fire on March 2, 2016, destroyed or terminally
damaged every machine in the company’s main
factory at Yatala, 40 kilometers south of Brisbane,
and gutted the entire 12,500-square-meter facili-
ty. Concrete walls survived, though covered in
toxic soot from burned tires, solvents and paint;
everything else was a ruin.
“Other owners might have grabbed the insurance
money and closed down,” says Marketing Manag-
er Lionel Smitka. “Ours supported our recovery.”
“The fire has literally breathed new life into Digga,”
Suzie Wright says. “We were being forced to look
to outsourcing some manufacturing offshore due  

6 BystronicWorld 1/2017
DIGGA AUSTRALIA
 DIGGA AUSTRALIA

New facilities and working processes have made the company more efficient and therefore more competitive too.

8 BystronicWorld 1/2017
 DIGGA AUSTRALIA

CEO Suzie Wright

knows that a motiv­
ated workforce is as
important as are
advanced technology
and rationalized
­processes.

“The fire has literally

breathed new life into Digga.”
Suzie Wright, Managing Director and CEO

to the heavy cost of new machinery investment

and rising labor costs.” But the rejuvenation of the
factory, the surge of loyalty and energy in the work-
force as every aspect of production was renewed
and reorganized, changed everything, she says.

No orders lost
Within a week of the fire, Digga was back in limit-
ed production in rented premises and cutting
steel, painting and powder-coating at five con-
tractor sites around Brisbane. “We moved some of
our export production to our facilities in the USA
and the UK,” says Production Manager Peter Moody.
“It was a really big challenge, but we never lost an
order and every order was delivered on time.”
So, supported by their insurers in the multimillion-
dollar cleanup, management decided to replace
every machine. “Gear cutters, welders, press brakes,
laser cutters – the lot,” Lionel Smitka says, “and that’s
how we came to know and appreciate Bystronic.”   

BystronicWorld 1/2017 9
 The machines may be easier to operate, but concentration is still required: a worker operating the Xact Smart 160.
Another critical factor was the response from the
workforce on the factory floor. Led by Peter
Moody they worked very long hours, recovering
production and maintaining quality at remark-
able speed. “And we are continuing to reduce set-
up and processing times, which in turn reduces
costs and allows us to stay highly competitive in
both local and export markets,” Suzie Wright says.
Competition from low-cost competitors in China,
India, Vietnam and Thailand has sent many Austra-
lian manufacturers to the wall. Ford, General Mo-
tors Holden and Toyota have closed their Austra-
lian plants, costing 50,000 jobs directly and indi-
rectly at hundreds of local component and acces-
sory makers and suppliers.
10
New, world-class machines
In this gloom, Digga is a shining light. By investing
in the world’s best equipment, in Digga’s case
Bystronic’s laser cutters and press brakes, and by
clever management it is competitive on price and
ahead on quality and productivity. Digga pays
close attention to precision, clever design, stream-
lined work practices and workforce morale.
“The way our people responded to the huge job
of recovery was terrific,” says Peter Moody. “The
immediate aftermath was logistically a nightmare:
using five different facilities and getting every-
thing back to a central point to maintain customer
service,” he says. “But now we have new, world-
class machines and a whole new way of working –
BystronicWorld 1/2017

“The immediate aftermath
[of the fire] was logistically
a nightmare: using five
different facilities.”
Peter Moody, Production Manager
more efficiency, less wasted time and a logical
workflow.”
“With the three new Bystronic machines (and oth-
er new equipment) we now have a world-class
manufacturing setup. Labor is expensive in Aus-
tralia so we run a lean shop. There’s more still to do
but our procedures and efficiencies are now really
good.” Operators were moved to take better ad-
vantage of their individual skills and, at the core,
the new, faster and more efficient Bystronic ma-
chines.
“We chose the Bystronic BySprint Fiber 6-kilowatt
fiber laser, and two press brakes, the Bystronic
Xact Smart 160 tons and the Bystronic Xpert 320
tons,” Peter Moody says. “They are the world’s best  
BystronicWorld 1/2017
DIGGA AUSTRALIA
Xtremely accurate press brakes
Digga has two press brakes in a line extending from the big BySprint Fiber
6-kilowatt fiber laser and linked with it by a BySoft 7 program that tells the
press brakes what needs to be done with components as they come from
the laser cutter. Both press brakes and the BySprint Fiber are controlled
through the user-friendly ByVision graphical user interface.
“Our benefits from having this flexible high-performance controller are the
tools for troubleshooting and maintenance information,” says Production
Manager Peter Moody. “It provides ease of use for lower-skilled operators
and adds additional skills to our staff. Hence, we can teach our staff more
easily on both technologies, bending and laser cutting, because the ByVision
controller works with nearly the same kind of graphical symbols for bend-
ing and laser cutting.”
The smaller of the two press brakes, the Xact Smart 160 tons, has the
­ability to process simple parts with complex angles, Peter Moody says. “That
allows flexibility and fast job changes, delivering accurate bends. The Xact
Smart is used for all our subcomponents on both low- and high-volume
production runs.”
The Xpert 320 tons is the most advanced machine of its type in the world
and the one at Digga is among the first to be installed in the Southern
Hemisphere, he says. “Its advanced features, such as its independent six-­
axis back gauge, dynamic hydraulic crowning, intelligent safety system,
and optical bend guiding system, were crucial in our choice of Bystronic as
our preferred supplier. The advanced control system monitors side frame
deflection and system temperatures allowing automatic compensation
during each bend,” he says. “The comprehensive database of bend allow-
ances, tooling shapes and material types allows for quick and precise bends
with extremely high repetition accuracy.”
Digga uses the Xact Smart for all subcomponents on both low- and
high-volume production runs.
11
 DIGGA AUSTRALIA
Every stage in the process is well organized right through to shipment: A pallet of drill heads awaits shipping to a customer.
“Most of our success is due to
Stewart Wright and his vision.”
Lionel Smitka, Marketing Manager
with the most up-to-date technology, easy to op-
erate, producing quality products with great accu-
racy. With the use of BySoft 7, we have integrated
our engineering department and production,” he
says. “We do a lot of machinery attachments and
loaders. Material ranges from 1.6 up to 20 milli-
meters. ­By using BySoft 7, engineering now can
profit from the advantages of easy design and
cost-effective manufacturing.”
Humble beginnings
The company’s origins are also unusual. Found­
er and principal owner Stewart Wright began in
12
1981, living in a trailer park in Brisbane, selling
wear parts for big augers for the construction in-
dustry, contacting customers on the park’s pub­
lic telephone box. “He is a very clever man, full of
ideas,” says Lionel Smitka. “Most of our success is
due to him and his vision.”
Customers began asking him to handle repairs
and provide equipment, so he began making au-
gers, then drive units to power them, then attach-
ments for loaders – today more than 70 different
types.
“We got into planetary gearboxes in 1984, buying
in gearsets,” he says. “But supply was a problem;
wait times were up to eight weeks. So we set up
to make our own and still do. Gearboxes are our
mainstay. We are renowned for them and their
quality. We have supplied thousands to a very
large US organization and many other users world-
wide. Most gearboxes of this kind carry a one-year
warranty. Ours is five years. Some have never been
serviced and are still running after ten years.”  
BystronicWorld 1/2017

In the welding bays the different processes are mainly robotic.
Australian manufacturers succeed with creativity and flexibility
The recent shutdown of Australia’s three car-making plants by Ford,
General Motors Holden and Toyota led to widespread gloom about the
country’s industrial future. About 50,000 jobs were lost from the car
plants and supplier companies.
But in Dandenong South on the outskirts of Melbourne’s suburban sprawl,
the “metal bashers” (to use the local patois) are putting their backs into
competing with and beating their Asian competitors.
Adrian Boden, Chief Executive of the South East Melbourne Manufacturing
Alliance (SEMMA), says the picture is good, but could be better, so he cam-
paigns on what he sees are the keys to success in a global market: quality,
innovation, creativity and close involvement with every customer, local and
foreign. The message has not yet penetrated every company, he says,
but that’s where success lies whether the company is making dental paste,
potato chips or components for massive military vehicles.
“It’s all about value add,” he says, and identifying markets and customers
with needs too specialized and orders too small for Asian firms to handle.
“It’s not about price, but quality and durability,” he says. Successful
BystronicWorld 1/2017
DIGGA AUSTRALIA
­manufacturers are involved in improving their customer’s product.
“There’s a lot of creativity in Australian manufacturing and a lot of flexi-
bility.” So SEMMA maintains close contact with local universities where
ideas germinate and research is done.
South East Melbourne, the principal manufacturing center for Australia,
hosts about 11,500 manufacturing companies, ranging in size from
2 employees to 2,000 and supports close to 550,000 jobs. More than
300 companies are exporters. One even makes rifle cartridges for the
Norwegian Army.
Bombardier, maker of trains and trams, is there. Nearby is Hilton
Manufacturing, maker of components for the bus, defense, truck, health
care and traffic control industries, supplying the likes of Volvo, Kenworth
and Mercedes-Benz. It runs a battery of laser cutters and press brakes,
replacing at least one of them every year. Smaller companies include
Horizon, maker of car and truck tow bars for markets all over the world.
Another makes and exports rotary turntables for big trucks and even rotat-
ing restaurants, like the one on top of London’s BT Tower.
13
 DIGGA AUSTRALIA
Digga has its headquarters in South East Melbourne, one of the main manufacturing centers in Australia, and home to 11,500 manufacturing companies.
Tough equipment for
tough conditions
Today, Digga has a worldwide reputation and a
multimillion-dollar international market. The com-
pany employs 200 people around the world, with
subsidiary manufacturing facilities in Melbourne,
Sydney and New Zealand, the USA and the UK.
“The biggest advantage we have is that Austra-
lians are so hard on their gear,” says Lionel Smitka.
“Our equipment will stand up to the demands of
Australian users and withstand Australia’s harsh
conditions, so it will stand up to conditions any-
where in the world.”
The last word comes from Peter Moody, the man
at the sharp end of Digga’s production. “Manufac-
turing in Australia is tough, but if you run your
14
operation efficiently and optimize the machinery
and the hours you have you can be competitive
worldwide. We buy good tools. That’s why we went
for Bystronic. They are the world leaders in laser
cutting and bending and that fitted the Digga
way.”  ■
Garry Barker is an Australian journalist, podcaster
and video producer who was for many years a foreign
and war correspondent in the USA, Asia and Europe
before becoming technology editor of The Age, one
of Australia’s oldest and most-respected newspapers.
BystronicWorld 1/2017
 DIGGA AUSTRALIA

“M y parents taught me the value of hard work and independence.”

Perhaps more than any other industry, engineering is seen as a male

­bastion, especially at the chief executive level. And then you meet Suzie
Wright, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Digga, an Australian
company that has grown from a telephone box in a trailer park to an inter-
national engineering enterprise with a worldwide market and an awe-
some reputation for precision, quality, service and ideas.
She has been in that chair since 2004, a period of remarkable growth for
Digga but also of many challenges, not least a disastrous fire in March
2016 that destroyed their main factory and production facilities at Yatala
on Queensland’s Gold Coast, an area 40 kilometers south of Brisbane bet-
ter known for its tourism, its beaches, bars and bikini-clad parking atten-
dants than high-precision world-class engineering.
Suzie’s history (“My dad named me after his Suzuki motorbike”) is as
remarkable as her company’s. Now in her early 40s, Suzie was born on the
Gold Coast and grew up among horses, taking part in show jumping and
eventing. “I didn’t get the best grades in school, but I had a great childhood,”
she says. “My parents taught me the value of hard work and independence.”
So, schooldays over, she went off to Sydney to work in the entertainment
Suzie Wright in discussion with Production Manager Peter Moody.
business qualifying as a lighting rigger and roadie. She toured with AC/DC,
Pink Floyd, George Michael, John Cougar Mellencamp and Mick Jagger,
but the greatest for her was Sammy Davis Jr. “I was a spotlight operator
when he sang here in 1989. He was mesmerizing,” she says.
A serious injury at work ended her roadie career so she applied for a train-
eeship with Pizza Hut. “They had one of the most comprehensive manage- “We built our US plant in Iowa
ment training courses at the time,” she says. “I still use what I learned there
in running Digga today.”
in 2012 and our goal is to see it grow its
Her father ran a racing stable and a marine piling company, which manufacturing capability.”
bought drilling equipment from Digga, owned by engineering entrepre-
neur Stewart Wright. Later, Suzie joined the company and became market-
ing manager. Suzie and Stewart married in 1998, divorced in 2009, but
remain close friends and are 50/50 owners of the business.
Suzie’s other passion is her family. She and Stewart have a son, 17, and
daughter, 22, both of whom now work at Digga, along with Suzie’s fiancé Rebuilding the factory allowed installation of best-of-breed equipment,
and daughter-in-law. With her partner’s offspring the family now has five a machine shop completely reequipped with Mazak machines and, above
children and a grandson. “My family is everything to me,” she says. “Work all, their world-class Bystronic laser cutter and press brakes.
keeps me very busy – I travel up to four months of the year – but I cherish “The new equipment we have is absolutely world-class,” Suzie says.
every moment with the family.” “BySoft software programs now link all of our steel processing systems,
Manufacturing is tough in Australia, Suzie says. “You must have the latest giving greater quality control and reduced manufacturing times. It allows
technology, from machines to the IT control systems, from production to the engineer designing the item to follow it through as the profiling,
customer,” she says. “Labor costs are heavy here, but with the right balance ­cutting and bending technology is now linked to the original drawings.”
of technology, trades, well-designed product and a high-performing well- It also allowed Production Manager Peter Moody, recruited from South
trained team, all focused on the same goal, it is possible to be successful. Africa just six months before the fire, to streamline workflow, make better
Our people are passionate about the brand and fiercely proud to be part use of available human skills and boost productivity.
of an exciting, growing, innovative company. Investing in outstanding Suzie plans to extend export markets through Asia-Pacific, is looking
people is part of our success.” at Latin America and, though production of gearboxes and complex sub-
Suzie is also deeply passionate about keeping manufacturing in Australia assemblies will remain in Australia, will grow Digga’s manufacturing capa-
and wants to see education for advanced manufacturing boosted. “It’s key bility in the USA.
to our future and the government must do more to promote it,” she says. “We built our US plant in Iowa in 2012 and our goal is to see it grow
its manufacturing capability to serve the needs of our OEM and dealer
accounts throughout North America and to support our European

“Investing in outstanding people branch,” Suzie says.

New products are planned, particularly in piling, heavy machinery and
is part of our success.” excavation. “We will also be heavily focused on developing online cus-
tomer support systems to ensure the Digga experience doesn’t just end
at the sale,” she says. “Exciting times are ahead for Digga.”

BystronicWorld 1/2017 15
WELAND SWEDEN

Björn Henriksson, Vice President and Head of Production at Weland.

 WELAND SWEDEN

Energy
boost
thanks to
laser power
A powerful new fiber laser cutter from Bystronic is making
short work of cutting metal sheets at the Weland factory
in Smålandsstenar in southern Sweden. Not only does
this give the Swedish company an important competitive
edge, it also offers an advantage to many customers,
­simplifying production.

Text: Nils Lindstrand  Photos: Anders Andersson

A
t the Weland factory in Smålandsstenar, cently they acquired the new 10-kilowatt ByStar
a  small town in the south of Sweden, a Fiber 3015. Two more ByStar Fiber 4020 cutters will
first new powerful fiber laser cutter from be delivered by the Bystronic factory in Switzer-
Bystronic, a ByStar Fiber 3015, with an incredible land later this year.  
power of 10 kilowatts will soon be one of three of
this type at Weland. This new level of laser cut-
ting not only means faster cutting but also an im-
proved quality.
“For many of our customers it means that they can
“Thanks to close cooperation with
skip a step in their own production lines,” says Bystronic, Weland had the chance
Björn Henriksson, Vice President and Head of Pro-
duction at Weland. to acquire one of the first of these
Fiber laser cutting has been around for some years.
But its industrial use has accelerated in recent
machines for its factory.”
years and it has established itself as the leading
Björn Henriksson, Vice President and Head of Production
technology. Weland have been using fiber laser
cutters from Bystronic for some years now, but re-

BystronicWorld 1/2017 17
 WELAND SWEDEN

“A lot of adjustments can be done in

cooperation with experts at Bystronic
who monitor the machines online.”
Björn Henriksson

18 BystronicWorld 1/2017
 WELAND SWEDEN

Touch screen working is intuitive. And it is often the younger workers whose ideas help
make the software even more user-friendly.

“We have been working with Bystronic for over 20

years,” says Björn Henriksson. “This close coopera-
tion gave Weland the chance to acquire one of
the  first machines of this type for its factory in
Smålandsstenar. We then bought two more at Eu-
roblech, the machine fair in Hannover, Germany.”
The special relations between Bystronic and Weland
also resulted in Weland’s maintenance manager
for laser cutters spending time at Bystronic in Swit-
zerland to get a deeper understanding of these
machines. Sometimes such an understanding and
So that the different knowledge are still useful, despite an increasing
customer demands “intelligence” built into the machines. Not least
can be met, workers machines with fiber laser technology, such as the
at all levels receive ByStar Fiber 3015.
regular training
“Modern machines get better and better at mon-
and solutions are
developed within itoring their own status,” says Björn Henriksson.
the team. “But still we need experts, at Weland and at
Bystronic, to draw the right conclusions. A lot of
adjustments can be done in cooperation with
­experts at Bystronic who monitor the machines
online from Switzerland.”

High energy for faster cutting

The high power used by these new machines
makes it possible to cut faster, a very important
competitive advantage for a company in the metal
cutting business. The high energy level also means
that you can cut through thicker metal sheets us-  

BystronicWorld 1/2017 19
 WELAND SWEDEN
“The competition is tough and the
profit margins are small. You have
to be reliable and efficient ...”
Björn Henriksson
ing nitrogen as the cutting gas instead of oxygen.
It is this advantage that makes it possible for many
customers to skip a step in production, because
the metal surfaces are free from metal oxides.
“This can be very useful and cost-efficient both for
our own production and for our customers, espe-
cially if the production includes paintwork,” says
Björn Henriksson.
Weland have a number of successful products of
their own, made both in Smålandsstenar and at a
number of other sites, most of them located in the
region of Småland in the south of Sweden. But the
production also includes much subcontracting
work.
Subcontracting work has been increasing for many
years, so a lot of metal is being cut for external in-
dustrial customers.
20
Intuitive graphic interfaces
simplify machine use and are
a great help for workers with
limited language ability.
“Fast and reliable deliveries are a very important
factor in this business, the competition is tough
and the profit margins are small. You have to be re-
liable and efficient, and if you can add some qual-
ity that makes life easier for the customer, so much
the better. The new ByStar Fiber 3015 increases
our chance to do all this.”
With production equipment getting easier to op-
erate, the major challenge in data handling today
lies in dealing with specific customer demands.
Specifications, both for products, as well as pack-
aging and logistics, generate a lot of paper work
both before and after production.
“We have a lot of very different customers,” says
Björn Henriksson. “We produce a lot of parts for ma-
jor companies like Volvo CE, but we also produce
limited product ranges for small metal shops. It is
not surprising that the demands and needs are
very different. To teach the staff all this and to train
them to be meticulous in meeting the demands of
every single customer is a challenge. Not every
person has a talent for administration.”
Machines are easier for
staff to use
Recruiting staff is often a challenge for industrial
companies today. This problem is even bigger if
the production is placed in a small town quite a
long way from major cities.  
BystronicWorld 1/2017
 WELAND SWEDEN

Weland provides good working conditions and well-equipped production facilities with equipment that is easy to use but that also allows for creative solutions.

BystronicWorld 1/2017 21
 WELAND SWEDEN

“It is difficult to get people to move here, and al-
most as hard to convince young people to work
here instead of leaving for larger cities. This makes
it even more important to make sure the work sit-
uation is good and that the production facilities
are easy to use and promote creativity. In this
sense the new types of machines that we are us-
ing today have meant a major improvement,” says
Björn Henriksson.
Today both the laser cutters and press brakes de-
livered by Bystronic to Weland have touch screens
that make it possible for the operator to work more
intuitively and to check beforehand how the next
step of operation will work. This makes the work
more creative and positive, and it also makes it
much easier to learn to use a new machine. “Young-
er workers often even come up with ideas for im-
proving the software,” says Björn Henriksson.
The ease of learning is also a positive factor when
Weland employs immigrants. They are generally
good workers, but naturally not fluent in Swedish
or English. So an intuitive and graphic interface is
a great help in getting them into production.
“The problem for new employees is rather in find-
ing them somewhere to live,” says Björn Henriks-
son. “This is a small town. People with family homes
tend to stay where they are, and house production
is not a very thriving business in Smålandsstenar.”
To ease the situation, Weland have created their
very own housing company. The company owns a
number of family homes in Smålandsstenar, some
of them very close to the factory. “This helps a bit,
but the housing situation is still something we
struggle with,” says Björn Henriksson.
As mentioned above, inventiveness is something
this part of the world is renowned for. The fact that
Weland created their own housing company in-
stead of running to the government or regional
politicians for help is no coincidence. Weland also
started their own advertising agency when they
felt they needed more publicity and good infor-
mation material for customers. And, of course, the
Weland group also has its own print shop…  ■

Nils Lindstrand is a freelance business and technology

writer based in Stockholm, Sweden.

The machine operators

can check the next steps in
the operation beforehand.
This makes training easier and
helps guarantee quality.

22 BystronicWorld 1/2017
The remote location requires a lot of personal initiative and resourcefulness. Weland and Björn Henriksson have both.

“It is difficult to get people to move here [...] This makes it

even more important to make sure the work situation is good.”
Björn Henriksson

Weland facts
Weland AB is located in the town of Smålandsstenar in the southern
Swedish region of Småland, a region strongly focused on manufacturing.
In Smålandsstenar, Weland have a total factory area of 80,000 square
meters. At this site, Weland produces press-welded grating, spiral stair­
cases, walkways and other products for industrial use and for building
projects. The number of employees in Smålandsstenar is about 310.
The Weland Group today consists of 29 companies producing compo-
nents, warehouse systems, bus shelters, open-air restaurant railings and
more. The group also includes other types of business, e.g. an advertising
agency, a printing shop, a ski center, an oil trading business and a real
estate company. The group has a total of about 900 employees.
Weland Andersson founded the company in 1947. From the very begin-
ning the company was a producer of metal components for industrial use,
the first product being butterfly nuts for the local furniture industry. This
industrial branch is very important in the Småland region and is still an
important customer group for Weland.
• In 1959 the company became Weland & Sons Inc. One of the sons was
Gösta Welandson, later Weland CEO for many years. A process began to
modernize the company and manufacture press-welded grating.
• In 1990, the cooperation with Bystronic started. Today, Weland has more
than 30 laser cutters in Smålandsstenar alone, about half of them
Bystronic, as well as other Bystronic machinery for sheet metal working.
• The capacity for cutting metal at Weland in Smålandsstenar is about
85 tons per day. The stock in metal sheets comprises 1,500 tons.
• The Weland Group also has subsidiaries in Norway, Denmark, Finland and
Germany and agents in five more countries. The main market is the south
and central area of Sweden.
• Today, Weland’s CEO is Jonas Welandson, grandson of the founder
Weland Andersson and son of Gösta Welandson.

BystronicWorld 1/2017 23
 FOCUS BYCOCKPIT

Live
monitoring
for everyone
Nowadays, every step of the sheet metal processing
chain can be measured using sensors. But how can
users utilize this flood of data? With the ByCockpit,
Bystronic has developed a new app that collects,
analyzes, and visualizes process data. This makes
quality, times, and costs of production processes
transparent and optimizable.

Text: Oliver Hergt  Photos: Manuel Stettler

M
arkus Flury and Thomas Salzmann are
standing in the demo center of Bystronic
with a tablet in their hands. The two IT
specialists are the masterminds behind the de-
velopment of a new app. Their tablet is display-
ing green, red, and blue bars that are arranged in
a circle. “We call this the sunburst view,” Markus
Flury explains.
Next to Markus Flury, a ByStar Fiber laser cutting
system is cutting parts out of a metal sheet. The
connected handling system with integrated high-
bay storage removes the cut parts and loads new
raw metal sheets. A little further back, a machine
operator is bending parts using an Xpert press
brake. And in the left corner of the demo center
a ByJet Flex waterjet cutting system is hissing. It is
cutting parts out of 25-millimeter titanium sheets.
The two developers are standing in the middle of
a sheet metal processing factory floor that one
could just as easily find at one of Bystronic’s cus-
tomers.
The new app on the IT specialists’ tablet is called
ByCockpit. It monitors all the processes of the
machines, evaluates them, and generates status
reports. All this takes place in real time. That is
immediately, while the systems are cutting and
bending. One of the ByCockpit’s several status
reports is the sunburst view. It is a circle diagram
that displays the condition of the entire produc-
tion at a glance. Markus Flury points to the screen:

24 BystronicWorld 1/2017

“Green bars mean that the machines are currently
in operation. A red bar means idle time. The blue
bar marks all the machines that are connected to
form an assembly line.”
What do users need?
During the development of the ByCockpit, the IT
specialists took a good look behind the scenes of
a  number of sheet metal processing companies.
Their most important question was: How do users
retrieve information from their machines, in order
to analyze and improve their production process-
es? The result was that for many sheet metal pro-
cessing companies, retrieving data from their ma-
chine systems and subsequently translating it into
BystronicWorld 1/2017
Real-time manufacturing informa-
tion can now be obtained as easily
as weather news on a smartphone.
The IT specialists Markus Flury (left)
and Thomas Salzmann are the
brains behind the development of
usable information is a very tedious process. “Fre- the new ByCockpit app.
quently, the information is only available to the
user with some delay. Maybe at the end of the
month or once per quarter,” Markus Flury says. By
then it is too late for optimization measures.
Nowadays, price pressure, short delivery dead-
lines, and increasing quality demands mean that
sheet metal processing companies have to re-
spond quickly and continuously improve their pro-
duction processes. An increasing number of com-
petitors on the market use technologically ad-
vanced equipment. Nowadays, successful sheet
metal processing companies process more jobs
with increasing parts variety in less time. Under
these conditions, there is no room for production  
25
 Price pressure, short delivery times and rising
quality demands are putting sheet metal pro-
ducers under pressure to constantly improve
production. Monitoring helps to identify the
weakest areas.
“The ByCockpit enables every individual step
of the production process to be measured
and visualized. The app provides key figures
about all the integrated Bystronic cutting
and bending machines.”
steps that do not run smoothly, because they cost
time and money. Here, monitoring helps reveal
deficiencies in the production processes. “How-
ever, users expect monitoring solutions to be as
simple as the weather app on their smartphone,”
Markus Flury says.
Widgets on the screen
And this is precisely what the ByCockpit is. With a
tap on the screen, Thomas Salzmann switches
from the sunburst view to the “Cutting” overview
for the ByStar Fiber. Six widgets open that each
26
provide information about the laser cutting pro-
cess step. The first “Status” widget shows the out-
put with which the fiber laser is currently cutting –
6 kilowatts, the total operating hours of the ma-
chine – 14,250 hours, and whether maintenance is
outstanding or even overdue.
The next widget shows the OEE value. This param-
eter quantifies how efficiently the ByStar Fiber’s
production potential is being utilized. Currently,
the OEE is 82 percent – a good value. If the OEE
starts decreasing, Thomas Salzmann immediately
knows that the production processes are not run-
ning smoothly. Maybe there were idle times, the
target number of parts was not produced in the
scheduled time, or the produced parts did not
meet the quality standards. In this event, the oth-
er widgets would show precisely where the prob-
lem lies.
The material performance widget shows how
many usable parts have been cut using the ByStar
Fiber so far and how much waste was produced.
The machine availability widget breaks down the
machine’s run times, idle times, and changeover
times. If the idle times are too long, another wid-
get provides precise information about the root
cause. Did the ByStar Fiber have to wait too long
for raw metal sheets? Or did parts that were not
removed fast enough block the machine’s shuttle
table?
Now Thomas Salzmann would like to know how
the press brake is doing. He taps the “Bending”
symbol. Here too, the ByCockpit has various wid-
gets that provide information about the produc-
tion processes on the Xpert press brake in the
demo center. For example, the ratio between the
produced parts and the number of tool changes is
an important parameter. If the number of tool
changes is too high, the overall production time
increases. This affects the press brake’s productiv-
ity. All this information is provided by the “Perfor-
mance” widget.
Next, Thomas Salzmann checks the stock in the
warehouse. He wants to know how many tons of
aluminum, stainless steel, mild steel, and copper
are in stock. He taps on “Warehouse” to open the re-
spective overview in the ByCockpit. The ByCockpit
also calculates a precise breakdown of the pur-
chase value of the raw materials in the warehouse.
With this information, Thomas Salzmann can plan
when the next order has to be placed.
The ByCockpit runs everywhere
On laptops, smartphones, and tablet computers:
The ByCockpit enables users to monitor their pro-
duction processes in real time on virtually all mo-
bile devices. Just like other apps, the ByCockpit is
BystronicWorld 1/2017
 FOCUS BYCOCKPIT

The ByCockpit’s most important widgets

1 Status widget (laser): Shows the output (kilowatts) with which the laser 3 Favorites mode: Here, users can configure their individually customized
is cutting, the total operating hours of the system, and whether the next ByCockpit. Using the drag-and-drop principle, they can simply choose
service should be scheduled. from the range of widgets to create the required overview of their indi-
OEE widget (laser): Calculates the overall equipment efficiency (OEE). vidual machine systems.
This parameter results from the factors machine availability, parts output,
and the quality of the cut parts. In addition, the OEE widget allows 4 Sunburst widget: The sunburst view is one of the ByCockpit’s several
a direct comparison to be drawn with previous production cycles. status reports. The circle chart displays the condition of the entire pro-
duction at a glance. Green bars mean that the machines are in operation.
2 Performance widget (bending): This widget provides information A red bar means idle time. The blue bar marks all the machines that are
about the number of bent parts produced, the time required to produce connected to form an assembly line.
them, and the number of tool changes. This overview allows the bending
setup times to be optimized.
Parts performance widget (bending): Determines the development of
the bending times for parts. The diagram provides a daily overview and
thus reveals deviations in the production processes. It also enables
a comparison to be made between manual and automated bending.

1 2

3 4

simply installed on the designated devices. Subse-
quently, all the required Bystronic machine sys-
tems can be registered. To enable the functions,
Bystronic installs a connectivity kit as a gateway to
the customer’s machines, which collects all the
available machine data, encrypts it, and sends it
to a cloud. Here all the data is analyzed and pro-
cessed so that it can subsequently be visualized
in the ByCockpit. Bystronic’s entire range of latest-­
generation machine systems are ready to be con-
nected to the ByCockpit, Thomas Salzmann ex-
plains.
After the ByCockpit is launched, approximately 30
widgets are available. The user can draw from these
to create an individually customized ByCockpit
in  the favorites mode. Using the drag-and-drop  

BystronicWorld 1/2017 27
 FOCUS BYCOCKPIT
principle, he can select widgets that provide the
best possible overview of his individual machine
systems. “The widgets can be moved around and
rescaled. And they dynamically adapt to the
screen, depending on the size of the device,”
Thomas Salzmann explains.
With the ByCockpit, Bystronic’s developers are im-
plementing the highest standards in terms of data
security. Bystronic also ensures that the users
know precisely what machine data is being trans-
mitted. The connectivity kit encrypts the data and
transmits it to a cloud. From there, no conclusions
can be drawn about the company’s data. Simulta-
neously, the connectivity kit also acts as a firewall
for the company’s machines. For the cloud server,
Bystronic uses a data center, which adheres to the
strictest data protection standards.
How is press brake production going?
Thomas Salzmann (left) and Markus
Flury assess the number of tool changes.
If there is too much retooling, ­bending
productivity falls.
28
Inspired by cars
The most important question comes last. What is
the actual benefit of the ByCockpit for the user?
Markus Flury and Thomas Salzmann describe the
added value of the live monitoring system as fol-
lows: The idea behind the ByCockpit is compara-
ble to the cockpit of a car. Drivers always keep an
eye on the dials and gauges of their car. These pro-
vide information, such as whether the car is being
driven too slow or too fast, whether the motor is
running in the optimal engine speed range and
how long the fuel will last and when the next
­service is due. This information enables the driver
to respond at any time and adapt how he or she
drives the car.
“This was the idea that inspired us,” the two
Bystronic developers explain. “Similar to the dis-
plays and gauges in the car, the goal behind the
ByCockpit is to continually provide the user with
real-time information, so that he or she knows how
his or her manufacturing processes are progress-
ing.” This is what makes quality, time, and costs of
production transparent and optimizable. ■
BystronicWorld 1/2017
 INNOVATION MOBILE BENDING CELL

“Make bending
easy”
With the Mobile Bending Cell, Bystronic takes the next evolu-
tionary step in the field of bending. There is now a mobile
automation module for the Xpert 40. The result is a compact
solution for automated and manual bending.

Text: Oliver Hergt  Photos: Stephan Dürer / Daniel Moreno

BystronicWorld 1/2017 29
 INNOVATION MOBILE BENDING CELL

Sufficient space for varying

parts: The Mobile Bending Cell’s
intake station for raw parts can
be adapted flexibly by the user.

I
n production, the variety of shapes, sizes, and
batch sizes of the parts that are to be bent are
increasing. And the main concern is always to
produce these parts as quickly and cost-effective-
ly as possible. Hence, the requirements placed on
a modern bending system are as follows: “Adapt to
this variety. Help the user to produce quickly. Au-
tomate as many processing steps as possible. But
also provide the user with the possibility to work
manually if the need arises.” In a nutshell, one could
say: “Make bending easy.”
With the Mobile Bending Cell, Bystronic now pro-
vides a solution to all these requirements. The
technology behind the new Bending Cell is com-
prised of the Xpert 40 together with bending ro-
botics. It combines a fast press brake and mobile
automation. With the Mobile Bending Cell, users
process large series with the automated bending
mode. However, they can also manually bend small be moved and set up at another location. The mo-
series and individual parts whenever necessary. bile automation system seamlessly interfaces with
When not in use, the bending robotics system can the Xpert 40. And the entire Mobile Bending Cell
simply be moved to one side. system is extremely compact. Just plug in and start
bending. Users can set up the robotics system on
Plug & Bend principle the Xpert 40 in just a few minutes. Simply place the
This automated bending system is unique. And it automation unit in front of the press brake. In just
provides users with a great deal of freedom for a few simple steps, the robotics system at the cen-
varying order situations. The Mobile Bending Cell ter of the Mobile Bending Cell automatically aligns
functions according to the Plug & Bend principle. itself with the press brake.
In practice, this means the compact Xpert 40 can As part of the Mobile Bending Cell, the fast Xpert
be set up and put into operation in virtually any 40 bends three times as many parts as a large press
environment. And, if required, it can also quickly brake. Its compact chassis and the ByMotion con-  

30 BystronicWorld 1/2017
 The six-axis robotic arm that is integrated
in the Mobile Bending Cell inserts the
parts that are to be bent into any position
with high precision.

Expert advice
“The great advantage of the Mobile Bending Cell is that it enables precisely the degree
of automation you require. Not all users have sufficient orders to always utilize the full capacity
of a permanently installed bending automation system. A flexible system, in contrast,
­enables much greater freedom.
My advice: Use the benefits of the Xpert 40 in manual bending mode during the day.
The press brake is versatile and fast. This enables you to bend small series and complex
parts simply by hand.
During the night, you can take advantage of the benefits of the fully automatic Mobile
Bending Cell. Once it has been set up, the Mobile Bending Cell autonomously processes
your production parts during the unmanned night shift.”
Gerrit Gerritsen, Bystronic product specialist for bending

BystronicWorld 1/2017 31
 INNOVATION MOBILE BENDING CELL

“Bending and auto­
mation seamlessly
converge, without
delaying the user
with tedious operat-
ing procedures.”
trol provide the press brake with a high level of dy-
namics with bending speeds of more than 25 mil-
limeters per second. Over a bending length of one
meter, the Xpert 40 generates a press capacity of
40 tons. This is as if the weight of a six-axle articu-
lated truck were balanced on the bending line of
a sheet metal part.
The necessary precision is ensured by ByMotion,
the press brake’s control software. It regulates the
interplay between speed, power, and balance.
This enables bending results with the highest de-
gree of repetition accuracy. And this is a particu-
larly important aspect when bending large series
in the automatic mode. Here the requirement is to
bend the thousandth part at the end of the series
precisely the same as the first part.
Dynamic Drive System
There is another important factor for users when
bending: “Do not waste energy. Conserve re-
sources.” This is precisely what the Mobile Bend-
ing Cell’s Dynamic Drive System makes possible. It
ensures dynamic bending sequences without
wasting ­energy. Integrated functions such as the
Energy ­Saver and an intelligent automated start-
stop system further increase the efficiency. Both
functions support manual as well as automatic
bending.
Easy touch control
And then there are those users who stand in front
of their bending system and think: “Come on. Don’t
bore me with complicated operating procedures.”
And they are right. In a modern industrial environ-
ment, bending and automation should seamlessly
converge, without delaying the user with tedious
operating procedures. Hence, Bystronic has inte-
grated the control of the mobile automation solu-
tion directly into the press brake’s user interface.
This allows users to control all the Mobile Bending
Cell’s bending and automation workflows on a sin-
gle touch screen. And this with just a few swipes of
the finger. Bystronic ensured that the design of the
ByVision Bending user interface, which is installed
on the machine, is process oriented and intuitive.
Once it has been programmed, when in the auto-
matic mode, the Mobile Bending Cell launches the
necessary bending program, and the operator can
quickly insert the right tools. Subsequently, the ro-
botics system inserts the parts that are to be bent
into the appropriate bending station with high
precision.
Upon request, Bystronic also offers various option-
al functions that allow the control of the Mobile
Bending Cell to be extended to mobile devices. For
example, users can access the ByVision Bending
user interface using a tablet computer. This en-
ables individual parameters within the bending
process to be reviewed, and, if required, changed
from anywhere within the factory.
Another optional function is the Observer moni-
toring service. The Observer provides users with an
overview of all the processes in the Mobile Bend-
ing Cell. An integrated camera system supplies a
live stream and process data to mobile devices,
such as smartphones, tablet computers, and lap-
tops.  ■

Upon request, users can also

access the ByVision Bending user
interface using a tablet computer.
This enables the easy adaptation
of individual parameters of the
bending process.

32 BystronicWorld 1/2017
 INNOVATION MOBILE BENDING CELL

Automation
in bending
The technology behind the new Bending
Cell is comprised of the Xpert 40 together
with bending robotics. It combines a fast
press brake and mobile automation.
With the Mobile Bending Cell, users process
large series with the automated bending
mode. However, they can also manually bend
small series and individual parts whenever
necessary.
Users can set up the robotics system on the
Xpert 40 in just a few minutes. Simply place
Compact bending automation the automation unit in front of the press
for varying order situations: brake. In just a few simple steps, the robot-
With the Mobile Bending Cell,
ics system automatically aligns itself with
users manually bend complex
small series and use automatic the press brake.
bending for large series.

In order to manually bend

The most modern robotics with the Xpert 40, users
take over the automated simply move the automa-
bending tasks. tion unit to one side.

BystronicWorld 1/2017 33
 RINGELE AG SWITZERLAND

Solutions offered by Bystronic

and partner firm FMG are central
to Ringele’s competitiveness.

Metal processing in a
high-income country
Ringele AG in the Swiss municipality of Pratteln near Basel is a systems
supplier for the industrial sector, medical technology, and forming
technology. By focusing on efficient workflows, Ringele is able to
­prevail against competitors from throughout Europe. Machines from
Bystronic help the Swiss company maintain its competitive edge.

Text: Oliver Klaffke  Photos: Markus Forte

L
ean production, innovation, and reliability: high-income country Switzerland and primarily
These are the three crucial pillars upon which works for customers from within a radius of 300
the success of Ringele – solutions in sheet kilometers raises the question as to how the com-
metal – rests. The fact that Ringele is based in the pany with 170 employees is successful in a market
with intense pressure on prices. Ringele generates
approximately 80 percent of its turnover in Swit-
zerland, supplying customers with a strong export
orientation.
“We have aligned all our production processes
towards achieving a high added value,” says Chris-
toph Kuoni, Head of Technology and a Member of
the Ringele Executive Board. This is the only way
to offer systems supplier services for the industri-
al, medical technology, and forming technology
sectors that are superior to those of the European
competitors.
Ringele AG generates At Ringele, a dedicated efficiency team of seven
around 80 percent of its employees constantly works on simplifying and
turnover in Switzerland, speeding up workflows and processes at the pro-
and thanks to efficient
duction islands where the individual jobs are
processes holds up well
against the European ­processed. “The task of this ‘panther team’ is to
competition. ensure that our assembly technicians can work as  

34 BystronicWorld 1/2017
 RINGELE AG SWITZERLAND
Ringele AG has made all its produc-
tion processes more efficient and
can respond more rapidly and flexi-
bly to customer requirements.
“W
 e worked
flat out.”
 artin Heinz, Head of
M
the Prefabrication Division
36
productively as possible,” Christoph Kuoni explains.
“Most processes exhibit an efficiency improve-
ment potential of 20 percent.” Ringele rigorously
exploits this potential.
Consistent insourcing
To a considerable degree, the company’s competi-
tiveness is based on machines supplied by Bystronic
and FMG Verfahrenstechnik, another Swiss com-
pany. Bystronic took over FMG in autumn 2016.
FMG’s loading and sorting solutions enable
Bystronic systems to be integrated into the cus-
tomers’ logistics processes in an even more effec-
tive manner. Bystronic’s core competencies in the
field of sheet metal processing are cutting and
bending. FMG specializes in overall solutions for
production engineering, logistics, and process
engineering. With the acquisition of FMG, Bystronic
can now offer its customers an even wider range
of automation solutions and thus even supply an
integrated production infrastructure.
For Ringele, having control over all the processes
is a crucial factor, because it allows the firm to re-
spond to customer wishes and rapidly changing
requirements as flexibly as possible. “Consistent in-
sourcing improves our process reliability and helps
us keep all the workflows under control,” Christoph
Kuoni says. For example, at its production location
in Pratteln, Ringele has its own painting line. “We
are probably the only sheet metal processing com-
pany in Switzerland that has its own fully auto-
matic electric polishing system.” The benefits: Pro-
duction is accelerated, transport paths to external
job shops are avoided, it is possible to work more
flexibly, and respond more rapidly to customer re-
quirements.
BystronicWorld 1/2017
 RINGELE AG SWITZERLAND

It is precisely the fast delivery times that Ringele’s

customers appreciate and hence everything in the
company is streamlined for maximum efficiency.
The production process must be as smooth as pos-
sible, everything must work according to defined
processes, and manual tasks must be reduced.
“The production has to flow,” Christoph Kuoni
says. Employees carrying metal sheets around is
incompatible with Ringele’s lean management
principles.
“The crucial factor when we invest in new machines
is that they can be seamlessly integrated into our
production processes,” he explains. Ringele’s deci-
sion to purchase a 6-kilowatt ByStar Fiber 3015
and a sorting system from FMG also has to do with
the fact that the new combined system can be
perfectly integrated into the company’s lean pro-
duction processes: The loading and unloading of
the ByStar Fiber by the FMG sorting system is effi-
cient and saves time.
With regard to the productivity requirements, the
sorting system from the Bystronic subsidiary FMG
was Ringele’s solution of choice: It removes the
laser-cut parts from the loading trolley and sorts
them onto pallets, for example according to sheet
thickness, which a forklift truck can transport to
the next processing island. This means that no
time is wasted: The right parts are already sorted
and stacked ready for the next step in Ringele’s
synchronized production line. The goal is to elimi-
nate disruptions and idle times.

Added value thanks

to automation
On December 12 last year, the 6-kilowatt ByStar
­Fiber 3015 arrived at Ringele’s factory. One of its Thanks to the automatic nozzle changer on the ByStar Fiber,
particular advantages is the automatic nozzle Ringele can change nozzles quickly, selecting the right one for the job.
This allows production to adapt flexibly to new requirements.
changer, because it eliminates the need for hu-
man intervention since the changing of the noz-
zles on the cutting head is carried out completely
automatically. The ByStar Fiber 3015 is completely
in line with Ringele’s credo of focus on added value
– and the changing of a nozzle by hand does not
contribute to the creation of value. It makes more
sense for the machine to handle the nozzle chang-
ing without human intervention. Ringele AG – solutions in sheet metal
Ringele chose the model with a nozzle changer
that enables up to 40 different nozzles to be used. Ringele AG is a Swiss SME that specializes in lean production, sheet metal
This wide range of nozzles ensures a high degree processing, industrial and medical technology, and systems engineering.
of flexibility of the production processes and en- It has approximately 200 employees. The company was founded 90 years
ables them to be rapidly adapted to new require- ago and was taken over by the two current owners in the course of a
ments. Because the nozzles are stored within the ­succession plan in 1995. Since then, Ringele AG has grown considerably
changer, nobody has to look for them when a dif- and has continually expanded its business fields. The company’s growth
ferent nozzle is required for a different sheet thick- required it to move to a larger production site in Pratteln near Basel.
ness. This may appear to be a small detail, but it is ringele.ch
precisely these details that cost time and impact
the creation of value. “Adding value is the number
one priority,” Christoph Kuoni emphasizes. Hence
in the evaluation matrix that Ringele uses to as-
sess investments, price does not play the most im-  

BystronicWorld 1/2017 37
 RINGELE AG SWITZERLAND
The Ringele team are always look-
ing for new ways to make work pro-
cesses more efficient. It is often the
little detail – like annoying cables
running along the floor – that
determine productivity.
38
“Consistent insourcing
portant role. In addition to the ease of integration
of new machines into the production process, the
rapid availability of spare parts and service techni-
cians are more important than the price. “If a ma-
chine breaks downs, it has to be up and running
again as quickly as possible,” Christoph Kuoni says.
Otherwise the breakdown would affect the entire
production process and productivity.
The details make
the difference
The new machine was up and running less than
three months after the decommissioning of the
previous laser cutting system – this is possibly a
improves our process
­reliability and helps us
keep all the workflows
under c­ ontrol.”
Christoph Kuoni, Head of Technology
and Member of the Executive Board
record-breaking time. “We worked flat out,” says
Martin Heinz, Head of the Prefabrication Division,
who is responsible for installing the ByStar Fiber.
“The machine operators received their training
over the New Year, to ensure that we could start
using the system productively as soon as possi-
ble.” It has been in operation since the beginning
of January – however, Ringele’s efficiency team
still sees some potential to use the ByStar Fiber
even more efficiently. They are not yet fully satis-
fied with the access points for forklift trucks, and
the cables on the floor hinder the efficient clean-
ing of the area – small details, but when added up,
they can have a considerable impact on produc-
tivity.
A rewarding
two-way relationship
Last year, in addition to being a long-standing
Bystronic customer, Ringele also became a suppli-
er. “We were on the lookout for a partner who could
supply the nozzle changer for Bystronic’s fiber la-
sers as a complete assembly,” says Stefan Folini,
Global Strategic Sourcing Manager at Bystronic,
who is responsible for this project. “We chose
Ringele because they were able to offer the best
performance in terms of TCO (total cost of owner-
ship),” he explains. The magic words are “just in se-
quence”: The components arrive at the assembly
line precisely when they are required and can be
efficiently assembled. Here too, Ringele’s enthusi-
asm for everything that adds value is evident. The
nozzle changers are delivered on specially de-
signed trolleys. All the tools and screws are placed
on a shadow board, a foam pad into which the
outlines of the tools or screws have been milled.
The assembly technicians immediately see wheth-
er the parts are complete and when the assembly
is finished, whether all the required parts were in-
stalled. “If there is a screw left over, the assembly
technician knows that he has not put it together
correctly,” Christoph Kuoni explains.  ■
Oliver Klaffke is a science and economic journalist
and has written for Nature and New Scientist. He lives
in Switzerland and France.
BystronicWorld 1/2017
 RINGELE AG SWITZERLAND

A ByStar Fiber by Bystronic and an FMG sorting solution are perfectly integrated into Ringele’s lean production processes.

BystronicWorld 1/2017 39
Make it easy
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