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Tornos AG

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Tornos AG
FormerlyTornos Holding AG
Company typeAktiengesellschaft
SIX: TOHN
ISINCH0011607683
IndustryMachine industry
Founded1880[1]
Headquarters
Moutier
,
Switzerland[2]
Key people
Michael Hauser[3][4]
RevenueCHF 181.44M[5] (2023)
Number of employees
681[6] (2022)
ParentStarrag Tornos Group AG
Websitewww.tornos.com

Tornos AG, based in Moutier, is a Swiss machine tool manufacturer[2] listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.[7]

History

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Prehistory

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The history of Tornos goes back to 1880, when the first machines for the production of small parts for the watchmaking industry were manufactured in Moutier.[1][8]

One of the entrepreneurs at the time was Nicolas Junker, a mechanic from Thurgau born in 1851. In 1883, Junker and his business partner Anselme Marchal founded the company Junker et Cie. In the same year, Junker began producing automatic machines and was the first entrepreneur to bring mass-produced lathes onto the market. The lathes were mainly used to produce screws, due to the increasing demand from the watchmaking industry. Junker also further developed the so-called Schweizer Drehbank (Swiss lathe), an invention of Jakob Schweizer from 1880. Following Anselme Marchal's departure, the company was entered in the commercial register in 1886 under the name N. Junker.[9][10][11] In 1891, Junker bought the company building from Basel industrialist Emile Abt, whose possession it had been in since 1886.[12]

1895 Junker built the Villa Junker, which has since become a museum for automatic lathes, where visitors can learn about the history of the municipality of Moutier. The company was realigned under Junker's direction in 1896. From this point onwards, the company manufactured clocks and watches as well as their components.[10][11]

In his watch factory, Junker built a production facility employing a water wheel that he personally designed and constructed. In 1904, Junker sold the business, which had run into financial difficulties, to his son Emile. A year later, the company launched the Mettetal/Junker Fils automatic sliding headstock lathe, equipped with three tools. In the same year, Emile Junker had to file for bankruptcy.[9][13][14] As Junker was unable to cope with the company's demise, he committed suicide in 1907.[11][15]

Foundation and beginnings

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In 1914, from the bankruptcy of Junker et Cie. emerged the new company called Tornos, which manufactured automatic lathes in competition with Joseph Pétermann and André Bechler's company, the latter a former apprentice of Junker. In the same year, Bechler founded his own company, which also produced automatic lathes from 1924.[9][16][17]

In the following years, Tornos developed the Lambert (1925) and Walker (1930) automatic sliding head lathes equipped with three tools and a counter drill, as well as the Tornos B1 (1930) automatic lathe, which had five tools and a movable headstock. With the Pétermann n°0 (1935), Tornos launched a pedestal-mounted automatic lathe with three tools and a threading device; the Tornos R7 automatic lathe (1959) with six sliding toolholders was sold by Tornos as a limited product series.[14]

In 1971, Tornos took over Pétermann's factory.[10] The company's first numerically controlled automatic lathe with sliding headstock, the Elector 16, was presented in 1978.[18] The three companies Tornos, Pétermann and Bechler became Tornos-Bechler SA in 1981.[19]

Acquisitions and reorganisation

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In 1989, Tornos-Bechler SA acquired a majority shareholding in the French company Wirth & Gruffat in Annecy. In addition to its own production programme, Wirth & Gruffat also took over part of Tornos-Bechler's production.[20] In 1996, Tornos-Bechler launched the Deco turning machine line on the market.[21] When Tornos-Bechler SA was renamed to Tornos SA in 2001, the three former competitors Tornos, Pétermann and Bechler were united under a single company name. In the same year, the company was listed on the stock exchange.[18][22][23] In 2008, Tornos took over the machine manufacturer Almac in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.[24][25] Tornos launched the Multiswiss multispindle machine in 2012.[26]

In 2014, Tornos focussed its product strategy on a more affordable price segment, moving away from its previous focus on selling high-priced machines. As a result, the company opened production facilities in Xi'an, China, and Taichung, Taiwan.[27]

Recent developments

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In 2016, Tornos added three new models to its Multiswiss multispindle turning machine programme.[28] In 2021, the production site in La Chaux-de-Fonds closed,[29] while the following year saw the opening of s production facility in Poland.[2]

On 7 December 2023, Tornos Holding AG merged with Starrag Group Holding AG to form Starrag Tornos Group AG.[3][4] Tornos Holding AG, a subsidiary of Starrag Tornos Group AG, was renamed Tornos AG.

Company structure

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Michael Hauser is the director of Tornos AG.[4] In the 2022 financial year, the company employed 681 people and generated consolidated sales of CHF 181.44 million.[5][6]

The Group has three production sites: Moutier in Switzerland, Xi'an in China and Taichung in Taiwan.[30] Tornos is represented by subsidiaries in Europe, the US, Asia and Australia.[31]

Products

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The company manufactures automatic single-spindle lathes, multispindle lathes,[32] peripheral systems, bar mills for microtechnology applications[33] and bar feeders.[34] The machines are controlled by the company's communication and programming software Tisis and are used in the automotive, medical, electronics, watchmaking and subcontracting industries.[35][36]

The production facilities in Taiwan and China manufacture machines in the entry-level and mid-price segments,[37] while single-spindle sliding headstock automatic lathes[38] and multispindle lathes such as the Multiswiss, Evodeco and Swissnano are produced in Moutier, Switzerland.[28][33]

References

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  1. ^ a b Schilliger, Pirmin (25 October 2012). "Protokoll einer ewigen Restrukturierung". Handelszeitung.
  2. ^ a b c Feldges, Dominik (10 August 2022). "Taiwan, China, Ukraine-Konflikt: Der Maschinenbauer Tornos ist von Moutier in die weite Welt aufgebrochen – nun spürt er die heftigen geopolitischen Verwerfungen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Moutiers grösste Fabrik – Industrieunternehmen Tornos fusioniert mit Starrag". Berner Zeitung. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Feldges, Dominik (2 November 2023). "Branchentreue und Firmenloyalität sind nicht passé – Michael Hauser schafft es mit 62 an die Spitze von Starrag-Tornos". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Quand la société prévôtoise industrialisait l'horlogerie suisse". Le Temps. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Tornos Annual Report". Tornos. 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Der "richtige" Discount bei Kapitalerhöhungen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 11 July 2012.
  8. ^ Destefani, Jim (1 August 2005): "MINI-Mulitaskers". Manufacturing Engineering.
  9. ^ a b c Cortat, Alain (25 July 2007). "Nicolas Junker". Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (in German). Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Steiner, Dan (2 August 2018). "Mécanicien génial, mais mystérieux" (PDF). Le Journal du Jura (in French). Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  11. ^ a b c "De Junker à Tornos 1880–1980: Un Siècle d'innovation et d'histoire industrielle de Moutier". Musée du tour automatique et d’histoire de Moutier (in French). 2023.
  12. ^ "Junker et Cie, Moutier (1883–1905)". Dictionnaire du Jura (in French). 19 December 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  13. ^ "L'eau de la Birse permet à Nicolas Junker de révolutionner le tour automatique". Le Quotidien Jurassien (in French). 2 September 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Machines & documents". Musée du tour automatique et d’histoire de Moutier (in French). 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  15. ^ Membrez, Antoine (28 September 2023). "Nicolas Junker, ce mécanicien de génie qui forma à Moutier deux des fondateurs de Tornos". Le Quotidien Jurassien (in French). Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Wachstum noch nicht eingepreist". Handelszeitung (in German). 25 January 2018.
  17. ^ Richter, Anne (28 December 2021). "Verfahren in der Zerspanung – Die Geschichte des Langdrehens". Maschinen Markt (in German). Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  18. ^ a b Huguelet, Edouard (2022). "L'histoire épique des tours automatiques à poupée mobile". Le Micro Mécanicien. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  19. ^ Richter, Anne (25 May 2020). "Langdrehen – eine Historie: Drehen mit beweglichem Spindelstock". SMM Schweizer Maschinenmarkt (in German). Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Firmennotizen". Handelsblatt (in German). 12 December 1989.
  21. ^ "Deco 2000 et Multideco sont les produits phares de Tornos". L’Agefi (in French). 4 March 2001.
  22. ^ "Maschinenbau: Aktie von Tornos dreht am Ausbruch nach oben". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 2 February 2005. ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  23. ^ Cortat, Alain (18 October 2011). "Tornos-Bechler". Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  24. ^ "Schweiz". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Tornos setzt auf Flexibilität". Der Bund. 17 March 2009.
  26. ^ Böhm, Matthias (1 October 2012). "Tornos S.A.: Sechs Richtige". SMM Schweizer Maschinenmarkt (in German). Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Tornos weiter unter Druck". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  28. ^ a b ""Höchstmass an Unterstützung"". Technik und Wissen: Das Fachmagazin für die Industrie (in German). 25 January 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  29. ^ "Tornos SA, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Schweiz". North Data (in German). Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  30. ^ "Machine-outils – Tornos a renoué avec les bénéfices en 2014". 24 heures (in French). 16 March 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  31. ^ Schilliger, Pirmin (16 August 2006): "Wir sind gesund und fit genug". Handelszeitung.
  32. ^ "Spots". Handelszeitung. 9 August 2006.
  33. ^ a b Richter, Anne (25 May 2016). "Das Tornos-Erbe: Alles dreht sich um Sie". Schweizer Maschinenmarkt (in German). Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  34. ^ "Drehautomat Tornos Deco 8sp: Präzise und effizient in neue Märkte". Industrieanzeiger. 9 January 2006.
  35. ^ "Stangen-Bearbeitung langer und kurzer Werkstücke". MAV Maschinen, Anlagen, Verfahren (in German). 11 September 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  36. ^ Enz, Kaspar (30 May 2023). "Starrag und Tornos prüfen Fusion". St. Galler Tagblatt (in German). Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  37. ^ Peca, Servan (17 March 2014). "Tornos attend encore les bénéfices de sa réorientation stratégique". Le Temps (in French). ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  38. ^ "Tornos steigert Gewinn". Berner Zeitung (in German). 11 March 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
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