A clear vision

At the EuroBLECH sheet metal exhibition in Germany in October 2024, Stefan Basler (CEO, HAUESLER AG) highlighted trends in metal bending markets, as well as his strategic and technical vision for the company, to ISMR.

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Swiss manufacturer, HAEUSLER AG, specialises in plate-bending machines and roll-bending pipe mills. With bases in Switzerland and Germany, the family business prides itself on cultivating highly qualified engineers and works closely with the University of Applied Sciences in Lörrach to find its next generation of skilled staff. It also cooperates with a range of other European universities on research and development projects.

Its new autonomous bending process, introduced to the market two years ago, has been designed for precision, increasing productivity and reducing scrap. The manufacturer sells its roll-bending machines into a range of markets including steel construction; wind power; pipe production; aerospace; power and shipbuilding sectors. Its machines are used to produce tanks; pressure vessels; boilers; excavator shovels; silos; wind turbines; containers and a range of other products in different industry sectors.

At the October 2024 EuroBLECH sheet metal exhibition in Hanover, Germany, HAEUSLER presented its latest new four-roll plate bending machine, the VRM NEO. At the heart of the machine is smart BENDtronic® software, a user-friendly and intuitive control system that optimises the movements of the machine and the bending result itself.

Stefan Basler, HAEUSLER’s CEO, highlighted trends in metal bending markets as well as his strategic and technical vision for the company to ISMR during the exhibition.

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ISMR: What are you showcasing on your booth here at EuroBLECH in Hanover?

SB: We came to this exhibition with one new machine and one new application for an existing machine. The new machine is the VRM NEO, our four-roll plate bending machine. This medium-sized machine (680-1800 tons of bottom-roll pressure) has been re-engineered to make it more economical for customers. There are three particular features that I would like to highlight:

1.    BENDtronic. This is the machine’s control system. The software is graphically supported and enables bending in one or more             passes. It can also be used for any type of product shape such as cylinders and tubes, ovals, tanks or other more complex                 geometries.

2.    Electric drives (we have these on our large, medium and small machines now).

3.    Energy-saving features with hydraulic drives.

In the end, it is all about total cost of ownership (TCO); investment plus running costs. We have managed to bring the cost of the machines down substantially. But, most importantly, we now have a control system that only switches on the hydraulic pumps when they are really needed, so customers can save a lot of energy. With the electric drive, the machine offers a huge amount of energy savings as well as no noise. There is also less maintenance. We have calculated that customers can save up to 40% of their operational costs with this machine.

With the Bendtronic control, we brought an add-on to our EVO plate bending machine here on the stand. It is increasingly difficult in Europe and North America to find experienced bending machine operators. We introduced autonomous bending to the market two years ago at EuroBLECH and have continuously invested more time in improving and refining this process.

With the first sheet loaded, operators get 100% accurate results (no scrap, no corrections etc.). Side support and top support are fully integrated into the autonomous bending program so that even thin material (which would not stay in position) is now supported. Operators just need to load the sheet, and the machine does everything else. It gives competitive advantage back to users, compared to manual bending.

ISMR: What are your thoughts on the EuroBLECH sheet metal exhibition in 2024?

SB: This exhibition has been particularly good for us. I am very pleased with the outcome. We held many high-quality discussions with potential customers. This included high-level discussions about very concrete topics in bending that these potential customers wish to solve. This means that they are closer to an investment with us.

EuroBLECH has been a good show for us; we sold a significant number of machines here.

ISMR: Are there any successes or achievement this year (2024) that you would like to highlight?

SB: 2024 will be a good year for us (similar to last year). We will have to make more effort towards the end of this year to keep our forward order book filled for next year, but I believe we will manage it. We landed a major order yesterday at the EuroBLECH exhibition.

The wind energy sector is a very important sector for us. We managed to sell ten four-roll bending machines and deliver four into the wind energy sector over the last 12 months (to four customers). This market is fiercely competitive, and reliable bending equipment is needed. I am delighted with this achievement. It is a very promising and growing sector for us.

ISMR: Please explain your strategic and technical focus/vision over the next few years?

SB: Our technical strategy really centres around the total cost of ownership (TCO) translated into technology (bending, for example). We believe that, with high-quality machines, repeatability is key (with the intelligent control system that we developed). Energy savings mean lower costs. So, we will move more into intelligent control development and continue to design machines that reduce overall costs for our customers. Quality must be maintained and the machines must be easy to use.

In terms of strategic actions. I believe that partnerships are important to provide concrete solutions to problems. It is the key to success. We want to focus on the entire solution, and the entire workflow i.e. what comes before and after the bending process. The machine cannot stand alone.

For markets, we are present globally. I want to win market share and additional business by offering good service, in good time, to customers. Service is a crucial area and we are investing heavily into this.

ISMR: What are your views on the current global business climate for sheet metal professionals?

SB: I would say, at the moment, that markets are ‘being careful’ and decisions are being taken slowly right now. It’s not easy at the moment, but we all know that things will get better. We have several high-quality leads and projects that will come to fruition, and I am confident that we will close at least one of these in the next few months.

Globalisation is less intense than it was, and manufacturers must get used to this now.

ISMR: Which trends do you see developing in sheet metal markets?

To read the rest of this interview in ISMR’s December 2024/January 2025 issue, please see https://joom.ag/Vg7d/p34