Strategy
Innovative technologies for sheet metal processing
Bystronic is an industry leader
As a leading global technology company in sheet metal processing, Bystronic offers innovative laser cutting systems and press brakes, as well as automation, software and service solutions. Over our 40-year history, we have evolved from a provider of single machines to a full solutions provider. Today, we increasingly support our customers in the automation and digitalization of their processes.
Headquartered in Niederönz (Switzerland), Bystronic has production and development locations in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, China and the USA. Our distribution network includes sales and service subsidiaries in more than 30 countries, as well as representative agents in additional countries.
Bystronicʼs product portfolio is built in modules. These allow our customers to choose the configuration most appropriate to their individual needs. In addition to our wide range of products for bending and cutting flat sheet metal, we see great growth potential for our tube technologies. With systems for the processing of pipes and profiles, we are opening up new applications and markets.
Included in Bystronicʼs product portfolio are sheet metal processing machines from the DNE brand. DNE was created to provide solutions to the entry level market segment in China directly and through independent marketing agents globally.
Sheet metal as material of the future for customers in diverse end markets
From agriculture and construction to transport and food production, almost every industry relies on sheet metal. The material is tried and tested, versatile in its applications, stable, easy to handle, durable and recyclable. Sheet metal will remain an important building block in many industries in the future. New manufacturing processes that require less fossil fuel are helping make steel production more sustainable, which improve the materialʼs carbon footprint.
Our customers produce sheet metal parts as contract manufacturers or for their own portfolios. Customers with their own portfolios are original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or they sell the manufactured parts for further processing. Since sheet metal is a material with very diverse applications, Bystronicʼs customers are active in a variety of end markets. Parts produced with our systems are used, for example, in kitchen appliances, construction machinery, engines, solar installations and wind turbines. The broad diversification of end markets helps reduce our dependence on economic trends and makes our business model more resilient.
Automation, Service and Software increase customer productivity
Bystronicʼs strategy is to grow in systems, service and software, always with a focus on customer-centricity. In all three areas, we are well positioned to expand our business and regain market share. Our innovative product portfolio is a decisive driver of our growth in systems. We want to strengthen our position as a full solutions provider over the long term.
To help our customers minimize costly downtime, we have developed modular service offerings. Our globally standardized service program allows our customers to select annual contracts with different service levels and aims to provide proactive and regular machine maintenance to avoid operational disruption. Regular machine maintenance is crucial for our customersʼ productivity. Today, more than 90% of Bystronic systems sold include a service contract.
Our software solutions enable sheet metal processing companies to digitalize their production processes. The holistic solution BySoft Suite supports our customers in the preparation of quotes, monitoring of machine performance, analysis of production processes and coordination of the shipping of finished goods. Offering individual modules allows the customer to gradually build up their degree of digitalization, thereby achieving significant productivity improvements. We accompany our customers step by step through their digital transformation.
Building a customer-centric organization
In September 2024, we decided to strengthen the customer centricity of our organization by creating two divisions: Systems and Service. In the Systems Division, we are bundling machines, automation and software, as well as R&D, product management and sales. By integrating all activities associated with our machinery business, we serve our customers better from a single source.
Bystronic remains committed to the production site in Niederönz (Switzerland), which produces very efficiently thanks to its optimized production depth. The headquarters also remains in Niederönz.
Innovation and Technology
Bystronic wins Swiss Technology Award
For the first time, Bystronic won the Swiss Technology Award in the Industry Innovation category for its new autonomy kit Intelligent Cutting Process (ICP). Twenty-four projects were submitted for consideration for this top Swiss award in innovation and technology. The award is a testament to Bystronicʼs innovation strength.
With the ICP, we can optimize and automate the cutting process, thereby addressing key challenges in the sheet metal processing market:
- Production costs: The laser cutting machine minimizes raw material use, waste and post-processing steps, which leads to considerable cost savings.
- Personnel costs: Automating the programming, set-up and monitoring of the laser cutting machine significantly reduces personnel costs because have to be reworked.
- Shortage of skilled workers: Automation of the cutting process reduces the need for highly qualified specialists.
With this solution, we help our customers produce more sustainably, efficiently and cost-effectively. They benefit ecologically and economically thanks to a short amortization period for the investment.
ByCell Bend Star M
At EuroBLECH, we launched the compact, modular ByCell Bend Star M bending cell. The new cell automates the bending process for parts up to 30 kg and 1200 mm wide and is the optimal mid-range solution between the small mobile bending robot and the large bending center:
- Modular design: The modularity and flexible layout of the system allow our customers to adapt the bending cell to best suit their production.
- Productivity: Bending power with a press force of 120 tons and a bending speed of up to 25 mm/second increases productivity.
- Automation for a high load capacity: The integration of the latest generation of robots with a load capacity of 30 kg moves larger bending parts fully automatically.
- Software for easy operation: The bending cell uses the BySoft CAM bending robot for programming and handling the machine. The software enables less experienced operators to program quickly and easily in just a few minutes.
For our customers, automatically changing tools and grippers is an important added value of the modular bending cell. To ensure the high quality of bent parts, we offer the integrated laser angle measurement system (LAMS).
The ByCell Bend Star M achieved second place in the “Automation and Handling” category at the EuroBLECH Awards 2024.
Digitalization
First Smart Factory installed in Australia
The Australian lighting specialist Novon Lighting brought its vision of a Smart Factory to life. To install its environmentally friendly LED lighting solutions in public schools in the state of New South Wales, Novon needed a solution that automatically controlled all the processes for the production of 400,000 lights. They chose to collaborate with Bystronic because our BySoft Suite allowed the comprehensive automation and digitalization of the processes, while also ensuring on-site local service in Sydney. This showcase project went into operation in April 2024.
Novonʼs Smart Factory consists of:
- ByStar 3015 with 4 kilowatt
- BySort system
- ByTrans Modular with Flex 1. 5 towers and storage system
- Xpert Pro 150/3100 with Bending Cell, connected to the storage system
- Mobile Bending Cell with Xpert 80
The Novon Smart Factory is a flagship project for Bystronic Australia. Its opening was celebrated at an Open House event with Novon and around 30 Australian companies.
Our Markets
EuroBLECH – Europeʼs most important exhibition
Our Solution Forum and special consulting corners were the highlights of our exhibit design at EuroBLECH in Hanover (Germany) in October 2024. Numerous new products, podium discussions about sheet metal processing and a cozy lounge attracted many visitors to our stand. With 39,000 visitors attending the trade fair over four days, we experienced a great deal of interest in Bystronic.
In the Solution Forum – our hub for inspiration and knowledge – Bystronic customers, employees and external experts discussed solutions, products and trends for the first time. We talked about solutions with our customers. Lista–known for its functional and high-quality furniture for production halls – showed its journey to the Smart Factory and to the introduction of automated guided vehicles (AGV). Wiegand explained how our mobile bending cell has taken the production of slides and toboggan runs to the next level. The advantages of tube laser technology were presented by Edelstahl Weimar, a leading supplier in platform and stage production.
We also talked about global trends, including the industrial metaverse and its concrete applications at Bystronic. In addition, we explored how Bystronic uses artificial intelligence to help our customers.
FABTECH–Meeting point in North America
FABTECH, the leading exhibition for the sheet metal industry in North America, took place for the first time in October 2024 in Orlando, Florida (USA). The fair was an important opportunity for us to present our solutions, tend to the relationships with existing customers, and make new contacts. The event attracted almost 30,000 visitors, and we welcomed about 2,000 people to our stand.
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Open House at Headquarters
“Long term partnerships in challenging times” – with this motto, we greeted our customers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the summer. At the Open House at our headquarters in Niederönz (Switzerland), we offered a tour of our production facilities with insights into our machine landscape and processes. Seeing the machines in action and interacting directly with our employees provide an important foundation for building trust in Bystronic. A special highlight was the tour of our clean room and the demonstration of the production of cutting heads–the heart of our laser systems.
The feedback from our customers was very positive. In the event video, they talked about the excellent partnership with Bystronic, being able to obtain everything from a single source, the good service provided and Bystronicʼs customer focus, a customer said: “We made a conscious decision to choose Bystronic because we value the companyʼs quality and philosophy. And also, of course, because Bystronic is a Swiss manufacturer.”
Bystronic Shanghai under one roof
Since 2001, Bystronic has been present in China with its own sales office. With the move to the Innovation Area of Shanghai, we achieved another important milestone. In the Yangtze River Delta region, we are much closer to our customers and can present our systems and solutions firsthand in our new Experience Center. We also moved our China Competence Center Automation there. Now we can offer our customers a comprehensive experience – from automated cutting and bending all the way to a complete Smart Factory solution.
Following the opening celebration of the new building, we invited our customers to our Competence Days. In product presentations, we showed them the latest manufacturing systems, software applications and services for sheet metal processing. Visitors and customers expressed great interest in the presentation of our products in the new 5,000 m2 Experience Center.
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