HUBER+SUHNER is focusing its injection molding activities at the Mühle production site in Herisau, while the current Tiefe site is being sold off. The company is also investing in the renewal of its machine pool.
Injection molding is a core technology for the production of large volumes of plastic parts. However, there are still advances to be made in its potential areas of use and the level of precision that can be achieved in manufacturing. To remain at the leading edge in the future, the company has invested an amount in the mid-single-digit million range at its existing Mühle site to bolster its expertise in injection molding and has also renewed part of its machine pool.
The infrastructure is designed to enable the mass production of complex parts that meet extremely strict tolerances. Through this, HUBER+SUHNER is focusing on the key markets of Communication, Industrial and Transportation, with particular emphasis on the automotive industry. The company holds automotive certification to ISO/TS 16949, which places extremely high demands on system and process quality, and regularly receives ‘best supplier’ awards from big-name customers.
“We were faced with the decision to invest in the future of this area, or stop injection molding production entirely,” said Urs Ryffel, who took over as CEO on 1 April 2017. “With this solution, the industry-leading expertise that HUBER+SUHNER has built up over the decades is retained at the company. This has benefits for us both when developing product innovations and as a supplier to the automotive industry.”
The move to the new location significantly reduces the distances involved and brings further advantages. For example, raw materials are now supplied centrally for the cable and injection molding areas in Herisau. Internal processes have been further optimized and the change provides employees with more direct access to central services and a stronger connection to existing offerings such as the staff canteen.
A local industrial company has agreed to buy the current Tiefe site, which will provide an opportunity to expand its own activities within the region.