How Feintool became a top automotive supplier
Feintool's three core skills—fine blanking, metal forming and electro lamination stamping—are used in a wide range of automotive assemblies, but are also in demand by customers from industry, medical technology and the luxury goods segment.
Feintool has become a first-class system supplier to the global automotive industry. How has the company managed this? Through having a keen eye for detecting new markets, gradually developing specialist expertise and consistently driving innovation.
If you were to select a car at random, you can almost be certain that Feintool was involved in its production — either with a finished light-gauge sheet metal part or a fine blanking press for making one. The company, which was founded in 1959, supplies the global automotive industry from various sites, with components ranging from seat mechanisms, brake lining supports and automatic transmissions. What makes the company unique is that the system and process technology required to do this are developed at the same time in Lyss.
In its founding year of 1959, Feintool developed a mechanical fine blanking press that was technologically different from a punching machine. Sheet metal parts are cut out and formed in precision fine blanking presses. The process makes it possible to produce highly precise and durable parts in a wide range of batch sizes, ranging from several thousand to several million. Even better, the smooth cut and high dimensional accuracy mean that additional machining steps are not generally required.
Fine blanking, metal forming and electro lamination stamping
Feintool is a global technology company in the fine blanking sector and has proven expertise in metal forming and electro lamination stamping. Feintool is an innovation driver, constantly expanding its technical horizons and developing smart solutions for its customers. These include fine blanking systems with innovative tools and complete processes for precise fine blanking, metal forming and stamped electro lamination components in high quantities for challenging industrial applications.
Feintool was founded in Switzerland in 1959 and remains close to its customers with 16 sites on three continents and around 2600 employees.
Headquarters of the Feintool Group in Lyss.
Comprehensive range of process solutions
With a systematic approach to perfection, Feintool is constantly pushing the boundaries of fine blanking and actively shaping trends in the automotive industry. The innovation drivers from Switzerland's Seeland region are able to satisfy a wide range of customer requirements. They even go one step further and help customers set up their own series production environment, including technology support.
Furthermore, over the last 10 years, Feintool has expanded its technology range to include additional automotive production processes. As a result, carmakers and industrial customers today no longer benefit solely from custom fine blanking solutions, but also from sophisticated complete systems for precision metal forming and electro lamination stamping.
FB one: The latest generation of presses from Feintool.
Fine blanking press.
Key technologies for alternative powertrains
Where the focus was previously on components for automatic transmissions, today it is firmly on the engineering and production of components for battery-powered or hydrogen-electric powertrains. These require new fine blanking concepts with high-precision dies. Significantly smaller machining tools are required for this purpose, for example for milling finely ribbed structures.
Feintool develops and produces rotor and stator packages for battery-powered electric motors, as well as bipolar plates for fuel cells. In the production of bipolar plates, specialist expertise for reshaping, cutting, welding and layering the light-gauge sheet metal in a reliable process is essential. The specially developed "FEINforming" process comprises the high-precision processing of very thin material thicknesses into bipolar plates with a low design volume and weight, resulting in a significantly higher power density in the cell stack.
Fuel cell stack: Depending on the capacity, a cell stack may consist of several hundred bipolar plates.
Collaboration with Brütsch/Rüegger Tools
At Feintool's headquarters in Lyss, approximately 130 employees produce fine blanking parts and presses for both the company's own sites and customers all over the world. In addition to the stamping shop, the company has a tool-making shop for producing fine blanking presses with very high vertical integration. From machining to hardening and hard machining, the company manufactures tools that are tested and optimised on its own presses. For over three decades, this department has been purchasing a wide range of tools, standard parts, operating equipment, measuring instruments, consumables, PPE and shop equipment from Brütsch/Rüegger Tools.
Owing to its global approach, Feintool relies not only on flawless quality, but also on strict adherence to deadlines and reliable deliveries. Christoph Zweifel, Group Manager of Soft Machining at Feintool System Parts Lyss AG, explains: "The ordering process using ToolShop is convenient. We appreciate the visible availability of all items and the summary of all orders processed. The fact that we can also save cost centres simplifies not only the receipt of goods but also our accounts."
"We appreciate the visible availability of all items and the summary of all orders processed." Christoph Zweifel, Group Manager of Soft Machining at Feintool System Parts Lyss AG