Brütsch/Rüegger Tools: Forging talent and partnering for optimisation
Thomas Mohr (left) and Tobias Büchel trained at Brütsch/Rüegger Tools for their participation in the WorldSkills competition.
Images: BRT
It is early August when we meet Thomas Mohr and Tobias Büchel in the Brütsch/Rüegger Tools SmartFactory. We find the two polymechanics bent over their laptops, deeply immersed in their programming activities. This focus is essential: As of now, their participation in the WorldSkills competition, the professional world championships, is only a few weeks away. This is a top-level event: 1400 participants from more than 70 countries and regions around the world will come together in Lyon, France to compete across 59 professions — from floristry to welding to autonomous mobile robotics. The best of the best in CNC milling are also competing, among them Tobias Büchel from Liechtenstein and Thomas Mohr from the Zurich Oberland.
Using the computer, each part is first created virtually...
...before it is produced in the Smart Factory.
Over July and August, the duo are using their skills to add the final touches to state-of-the-art CNC machines under real-world conditions at Brütsch/Rüegger Tools. They are training in three-axis milling. Thomas, who is completing his training at the Winterthur training centre, was already made aware of SwissSkills during his third year of training, by way of his management. After a successful qualifying round and victory in the SwissSkills competition, he is now eligible to compete in the WorldSkills. Tobias Büchel, on the other hand, was inspired by his teacher, Yannick Schädler (who also trained at Brütsch/Rüegger Tools for the professional championships in 2022). Büchel has already taken part in the qualifiers of EuroSkills 2023 and has valuable experience in the competition.
Another league
Both participants stress that WorldSkills is a special challenge. "We have a lot of experience, but the WorldSkills competition is a completely different ball game", explains Thomas. "The enormous time pressure and high precision are decisive factors", adds Tobias. Their goal is therefore to get regular experience in operating the CNC machine.
A few weeks after the meeting in the SmartFactory, the pair's professional world championship placement has been determined. You'll be delighted to know that Thomas Mohr achieved 6th place with a ‘Medallion for Excellence’, Tobias Büchel also won a ‘Medallion for Excellence’ and was the best of his Liechtenstein team. And Brütsch/Rüegger Tools is already looking forward to making future talents fit for professional championships to come. "I always enjoy helping young people get prepared", says Stiven Andrijanic, application engineer at Brütsch/Rüegger Tools, who supervised Tobias and Thomas during their time at the SmartFactory.
If you want to reduce costs, optimise production
Stiven Andrijanic is not only active in training young professionals in the field of production technology — his main focus is supporting our customers with demanding production tasks. A targeted analysis of the processes used in these tasks can highlight potential cost savings. For years, he has been supporting customers on site and helping them to optimise their production processes and save on expensive machine parts — all for free! If you would also like a custom optimisation, please contact us at verkauf.fertigungstechnik@brw.ch.
Andrijanic at the milling machine controls - action in the SmartFactory.
Current challenges in the manufacturing industry
SMEs are currently struggling with rising raw material prices, high personnel costs and supply bottlenecks. In other words: Every Swiss franc counts. The good news, however, is that targeted optimisation can lead to enormous savings — often in the range of several tens of thousands of francs per year.
Three key steps to successful optimisation
- On-site analysis of the actual situation: Optimisation always starts with a detailed assessment: Which processes are running well, and where are the weaknesses?
- Process analysis with special software: Programs such as "Hypermill" or "Mastercam" help to screen processes and uncover potential savings — whether that's through the optimal use of tools or the improvement of program structures.
- Testing and implementation: After the analysis, the solution is tested in practice — either by milling a sample part or by means of on-site simulation. The new processes are then implemented directly at the customer's machines.
Results with an impact
In the end, the customer receives a detailed report on the savings and productivity gains achieved. This tailor-made approach helps companies to sustainably increase their competitiveness.
Be ready for the future
In the future, it will be crucial for manufacturing companies to successfully master digitalisation. Technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning are currently bringing forth a new era: the era of Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 is not revolutionary in itself; rather, it is the next logical step into the future. It is a matter of properly using a base material that is often already available. Industry 4.0 allows complete transparency, significant savings and the agile control of production processes. Brütsch/Rüegger Tools develops ground-breaking solutions in this field that optimise production using tool, process and status data. If you would like to find out more about this topic now, you can get inspired with a virtual tour of our SmartFactory.
The most important takeaways at a glance
- Free expert support:
Brütsch/Rüegger Tools offers practical help without additional costs. - Custom optimisation:
Every business receives a tailored solution to make its processes more efficient. - Significant savings:
Process improvements allow SMEs to achieve significant cost reductions. - Future-proof:
It is worth seizing the opportunities of digitalisation today. Brütsch/Rüegger Tools offers you a jumping-off point.