Feintool acquires Afag Group to become one of the biggest suppliers of automation equipment.

Feintool International Holding of Lyss (Berne, Switzerland), the world leader in fineblanking/forming technology, is acquiring Afag Group of Aarberg/Huttwil from Alu Menziken Holding, effective 1 January 2001. Afag, a successful automation technology group, is set to post sales of over 60 million Swiss francs this year with a workforce of about 270 people located at its Swiss facilities in Aarberg and Huttwil as well as in Germany and the USA. With this transaction, the Feintool Group will further strengthen its operations in the promising assembly/automation field: together with IMA Automation GmbH and mhk Vertriebs GmbH, Amberg – two companies integrated into the group on 1 January 2000 – it will be one of the biggest suppliers of automation equipment and of system modules for assembly and automation. With its international Feintool platform, it is also set to post further growth on the overseas markets. The purchase price is subject to a secrecy agreement.

The Feintool Group is a global technology partner for production solutions in the field of mass production, and operates both in the systems business and in parts & components manufacturing. In addition to its core fineblanking/forming segment (in which it is the world leader) and the plastics/metals technology field (where it is strongly positioned in Europe), Feintool attaches considerable strategic importance to assembly/automation. Afag's highly flexibly automation systems ideally complement the products of BalTec (whose riveting machines make it a leading name in fastening technology) and IMA Automation, a company focusing on telecommunications whose high-performance systems are a mainstay of the Automation operation. Moreover, both Afag and IMA/mhk do a considerable volume of business in handling and feed modules for the automation industry and, with their well matched product ranges, are set to become major players in the components market.

Strong position in growth markets
There is considerable worldwide potential for high-performance automation equipment. The major clients of the Feintool Group – the automotive, electronics and telecommunications industries – are giving high priority to shortening throughput rates in automated production. Having developed core competencies for electrical and electronic components (at IMA) and for mechanical multifunction parts and assemblies (at Feintool and Afag), Feintool Group as a whole is now taking a strong technological lead. The ideally matched product ranges of IMA and Afag will enable it to meet all customer needs for automated assembly (low or high throughput rates) and for small or larger parts and components. With sales in the Assembly/Automation division put at over CHF 150 m for the 2000-01 financial year, Feintool is headed for European market leadership and is set to become a technological leader in this area, too.

Successful exploitation of synergies on global platform
At its Huttwil facility, Afag produces patented system modules and components that are sold by its German affiliate in Leonberg and its US branch in Charlotte. In Aarberg and Berlin, it manufactures customised automation equipment, some of which operates in combination with Feintool fineblanking/forming presses. As part of Feintool's strategy of providing global services for a global clientele, the Afag, IMA and mhk product offerings, backed up by the Feintool platform, will be proactively geared to the overseas markets.


PS: You will receive additional details at the Feintool Group presentation on 28 November 2000.