Read on to learn about the exciting developments at Bruderer UK in the past year
Recognized all over the world as a pacesetter in high-quality precision punching technology, Bruderer is a Swiss company founded in 1943 by Egon Bruderer. In just a few years, the business evolved from humble beginnings into a global player thanks to its innovative and high-quality products as well as its customer-centric sales and services. Its UK branch, Bruderer UK, has stood as the nation’s industry leader now for 57 years, supporting UK manufacturing in high-precision stamping presses (both new and preowned) and market leader in high-quality press shop automation and ancillary equipment. The British division’s products and services encompass advanced coil handling, rewinding equipment, high precision standard press and mold tooling components, control systems and everything in between. Adrian Haller, Managing Director, goes over the milestones accomplished by Bruderer UK since our last feature a year ago.
“Using a 100 square meter stand, we showcased our latest BSTL 350 Bruderer machine at the UK Biggest Machine Tool Show (MACH 2024 ) exhibition in Birmingham. This machine caters to all types of sectors, including electronics, construction, electric vehicles, medical and food. We enjoyed the exhibition as it gave us a unique opportunity to manufacture components on the stand, allowing attendees to view firsthand the machine and an entire production line in operation. Presently, the majority of our business is within those sectors I mentioned, where we have found that more and more people require full turnkey solutions. To that end, we embrace a cradle-to-grave approach for clients who seek end-to-end services encompassing design and manufacturing on a production press line. This has driven a significant portion of the growth we have recently experienced. Although we have an equally strong presence in most of the sectors we cover, I would say that construction, food and vehicle electrification particularly stand out in our current business strategy. Today, we operate around 700 machines in the UK marketplace, which we need to manage in terms of service, sales, and any technical requirements from our customers.”
Dedicated to training
Implementing a cradle-to-grave manufacturing approach to provide full turnkey services has enabled Bruderer UK to distinguish itself from other manufacturers in similar sectors. However, Adrian points out that the company’s unique selling point extends far beyond that. “Synonymous with high quality, we serve as the market leaders in the services we provide for high-speed precision stampings. Still, customers come to us as a one point of contact for a multitude of reasons beyond high-speed stamping, including anything to do with presses, wire forming and metal forming. We are absolute experts within our field, and this expertise extends to those sectors too. Another reason why we are the preferred manufacturer is due to the lack of skills within the marketplace. Indeed, we stay ahead of the market by actively training and investing in our own people, from apprentices all the way through our core workforce,” he reveals.
Elaborating further on the subject, Adrian tells us more about Bruderer UK’s dedication to training the next generation of engineers. “Transmitting key engineering skills to the youth is absolutely paramount for success. Deeply passionate about British manufacturing, I am an engineer from the heart who started out as a tool maker before becoming an expert within my field. Nonetheless, as the rest of my team and I are getting older, it is important for us to invest in safeguarding the future of Bruderer UK in the guise of apprenticeships. Starting training apprentices while they are still young, to get them used to engineering and see if they enjoy it, is key. Moreover, it is the best way forward for them too, because they are earning to learn and learning to earn. They get rewarded for all the hard work they put in when they receive their salary at the end of the month, which gives them more motivation to carry on learning new skills. With all this in mind, supporting the infrastructure around education is very much part of our lifestyle now at Bruderer UK,” he informs.
Strategic investments
In alignment with this focus on supporting and encouraging the youth, Bruderer UK has become an official partner of the University of Wolverhampton Racing Team. “The main reason for our sponsorship is because many young people who are into engineering also enjoy cars, and the University of Wolverhampton Racing Team embodies this educational focus on youth, motorsport, and understanding how vehicle engineering works. Therefore, by getting ourselves close to these people, it enables them to see what we do and how fast cars and Bruderer presses intertwine. Not only can they observe how the cars are assembled, but they also get to understand where all the connectors, motors, cable clips, electrical lead frames, fuses panels, nuts, bolts, washers, and bearings come from. By educating them about us, we aim to spark interest in them to potentially join us at Bruderer UK, or indeed any other manufacturer of parts for the automotive industry. We strive to raise awareness about the vital importance of manufacturing, as without it, society would collapse,” Adrian expresses. 
To continue fostering manufacturing excellence and interest in engineering as a career, Bruderer UK has made strategic investments in new equipment within its new Telford facility. “We spent a considerable amount on our new Telford factory’s exhibition center – in other words, a center of excellence. This investment included the installation of a 25-ton crane to move our machines around and a fully kitted out bespoke area for preparation, painting and cleaning machinery. In reference to floor space, this factory is double the size of our original plant in Luton. It serves as a venue for in-house exhibitions, enabling us to showcase what is unique about us. While this investment has definitely boosted our internal operations, it also has a positive impact on our goal of taking on new engineers and grow our workforce further. Historically, we have retained most employees for 20-30+ years at Bruderer UK. As we move forward, we aim to pass on our collective experience to the younger generation, which is why we are currently investing across all departments from office staff to workshop floor, ensuring we pass on the mantle to talented individuals,” he adds.
Continuous improvement
As we approach the end of our conversation, Adrian outlines his vision for the future of the company. “While I cannot say for certain when it will happen, we are aiming to inaugurate our center of excellence in the near future. Furthermore, we have a couple of sizeable projects, both of which are long-term, which entails substantial investments in each of them. I believe that these endeavors are poised to propel us towards even greater growth in our sector. Beyond that, they will also contribute to expanding our technological knowledge, something that we are starting to focus more on in the UK. Additionally, we are dedicated to refining and streamlining our manufacturing processes in order to make it nothing short of excellent,” he highlights.
Bruderer UK’s constant pursuit of excellence and innovation is a testament to its dedication to advancing the manufacturing industry, thereby setting new standards for quality and efficiency. The company’s strategic investments in state-of-the-art equipment, commitment to training the next generation, and emphasis on continuous improvement position it for sustained growth and leadership in the high-precision stamping and metal forming sectors.