Bucher Automation

What Bucher Automation does

Bucher Automation AG is a German industrial and mobile automation supplier headquartered in Marbach am Neckar, with engineering operations in Tettnang, production facilities in Ludwigsburg and Hungary, and a regional subsidiary in China. The company was formed on July 1, 2023 through the rebranding of the Jetter Group (Jetter AG and futronic) into the Bucher Industries group (a Swiss industrial conglomerate that acquired the Jetter Group around 2013 and integrated it into the Bucher Specials business unit). Bucher Automation serves machine builders and end users across five vertical markets: glass container manufacturing, packaging and filling including pharmaceutical, recycling, agricultural implements, and municipal vehicles.

Name

Bucher Automation

Legal name

Bucher Automation AG

Website

https://bucherautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bucher Automation, a German subsidiary of Bucher Industries, provides proprietary industrial and mobile automation hardware and software—including PLCs, servo drives, HMIs, and IEC-61131-3 tools—targeting machine builders in glass, packaging, recycling, agriculture, and municipal vehicles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ), Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits) (IMAGABAK), Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers) (IMAGABAG)

Keywords

• Industrial automation controllers
• Motion control systems
• PLC programming software
• Servo drives amplifiers
• Machine automation solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Marbach Am Neckar

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Automation Hardware: Sale of proprietary control systems (JetControl PLCs), servo drives (JetMove series), human-machine interfaces (JetView), expansion modules (JX3, JX4, JXM), industrial PCs, telemetry units, and system components (POWERTRACK, POWERKEY PRO). Products are sold through direct enterprise field sales for customized automation projects.
2. Custom Software and Engineering Services: Customer-specific software development and control programming services. Software modules are composed from proprietary standard software blocks into customer-specific application programs. Full licensing rights to the customer-specific program are granted upon full payment.
3. Professional Services: Services including control programming, visualization systems, cabinet construction and electrical engineering, on-site commissioning, service and maintenance, technical support, repairs and spare parts, training, retrofit, industrial security, and functional safety consulting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bucher Automation delivers a vertically integrated industrial automation platform combining proprietary PLCs (JetControl series), servo drives (JetMove), human-machine interfaces (JetView), distributed I/O modules, and the IEC-61131-3 compliant JetSym development environment, connected via EtherCAT. The company supplies these automation systems to machine builders and end users in selected vertical industries including glass container manufacturing, packaging and filling, recycling, agricultural machinery, and municipal vehicles, complemented by professional engineering services spanning control programming, commissioning, training, and lifecycle support.

Product overview

Bucher Automation offers a comprehensive automation platform consisting of industrial controllers, servo drives, operator interfaces, I/O modules, and proprietary development software. The core product family includes the JetControl PLCs (JetControl 420EXT, 960EXT, 965EXT) which serve as the central hardware platform, with the Motion Control eXtended (MCX) technology enabling synchronized multi-axis motion control. The JetMove servo amplifier series spans from compact 1xx models (384W) through 2xxx (EtherCAT) and 3xxx (modular multi-axis) variants. Extension is provided through JX3/JX4 I/O modules and JetView/JetViewMobile operator interfaces. The JetSym IDE provides IEC 61131-3 compliant programming, while JetViewSoft enables visualization. For safety applications, the JetSafeControl family offers functional safety controllers. The portfolio serves industrial automation, glass manufacturing, packaging, agricultural machinery, and municipal vehicles, with recent expansion into industrial safety through the Fire Detection System (FDS).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• JetControl 965EXT Controller High-performance PLC with Intel i5 processor, integrated EtherCAT master, support for up to 128 MCX motion control axes, NVRAM for remanent variables, SSD for application files, and industrial communication protocols (OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus TCP, FTP). Targets demanding industrial and mobile automation applications.
• JetControl 420EXT Controller Compact PLC for medium to complex control tasks with up to 8 servo axes, 256 local I/O expandable to 65,000+, EtherCAT option, 32 MB SDRAM, 240,000 byte NVRAM, web server, and optional OPC UA server, MQTT, Modbus TCP, and email client. Targets applications requiring motion control at a compact price point.
• JetControl PLC Family Family of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for industrial automation, including standard and safety controllers covering the full performance range from compact to high-performance systems.
• JetSafeControl Safety Controllers Safety controllers for functional safety applications in industrial automation, configurable via the JetSafe software tool.
• Virtual Controllers (JetControl VM) Virtual controllers running JetControl software on virtual hardware, enabling flexible deployment scenarios without dedicated physical PLC hardware.
• JetMove 2000 Series Servo Amplifiers EtherCAT-connected servo drives available in single and dual-axis configurations with power ratings from 0.55 kW to 9.2 kW. Support multiple encoder types including EnDat 2.2, HIPERFACE DSL, HIPERFACE, incremental, resolver, and SinCos. Integrated STO safety function standard on dual-axis versions.
• JetMove 3000 Series Servo Amplifiers Modular servo amplifier series with rail-mounted power supply units and 1-, 2-, or 3-axis modules. Supports high nominal currents and triple peak currents for highly dynamic acceleration.
• JetMove 200 Series Servo Amplifiers Servo amplifier series covering the complete voltage range from single-phase AC 230V to three-phase AC 400V with currents up to 15A.
• JetMove 1000 Series Servo Amplifiers Servo amplifiers for motors from DC 24 to 48V up to max 384W with CANopen and EtherCAT connectivity.
• JetMove 100 Series Servo Amplifiers Compact servo amplifiers designed for voltage range DC 12 to 48V (up to 384W) supporting various motor types.
• JX3 I/O Modules Decentralized I/O extension modules for expanding controller capabilities across machine and network topologies.
• JX4 I/O Modules Decentralized I/O system supporting flexible machine and network topologies for modular machine structures.
• JetView HMI Family Operator interfaces and HMI devices for machine visualization and operator control in industrial automation.
• JetViewMobile HMI Family

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 128 synchronized motion control axes on a single JetControl JC-965EXT platform
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bausch+StröbelcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership spanning over 30 years for pharmaceutical packaging automation. Bucher Automation provides JetControl PLCs and servo drives for high-precision syringe conditioning production lines operating at up to 128 synchronized motion axes. Bausch+Ströbel develops the mechanical and electrical machine build and control programming in-house. Bucher Automation contributes software integration for custom solutions and external components.
• CERT@VDEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBucher Automation's Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) collaborates with CERT@VDE for responsible disclosure of security vulnerabilities found in its products. The CERT@VDE platform is used for transparent communication with reporters and public disclosure of resolved security issues.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Beckhoff Automation: German-based PC-based control and EtherCAT pioneer offering TwinCAT controllers, drives, I/O, and motion control. Closest direct competitor to Bucher Automation given shared EtherCAT backbone, IEC 61131-3 focus, and similar mid-market industrial/OEM positioning.
• Pilz: German safety and automation specialist offering safety PLCs (PSS 4000), I/O, drives, and functional safety services. Overlaps with Bucher Automation's JetSafeControl safety family and shared focus on functional-safety consulting for industrial machinery.
• WAGO: German manufacturer of controllers (PFC200), distributed I/O, and industrial interconnection products. Comparable mid-tier positioning with a focus on flexible automation, building automation, and OEM machine builders.
• Sigmatek: Austrian mid-market automation specialist providing PLCs, servo drives, HMI, and safety controls with a vertical focus similar in size and approach to Bucher Automation. Direct competitor in DACH packaging, plastics, and specialty machine markets.
• KEBA AG: Austrian automation specialist offering KeControl PLCs, KeDrive servo systems, and HMI for industrial automation, plastics, and packaging machinery. Closely comparable mid-market positioning and customer overlap with Bucher Automation.
• B&R Industrial Automation: Now part of ABB, B&R offers PLCs, servo drives, HMI, and integrated motion control targeting packaging, plastics, and specialty machinery. Highly comparable on product stack (controller + drive + motion) and on the mix of industrial and mobile automation applications.

Broad incumbents

• Lenze: German mid-to-large automation and drive specialist offering controllers, inverters, servo motors, and mechatronic solutions. Comparable focus on drives and motion control for packaging, intralogistics, and specialty machinery.
• Bosch Rexroth: Large incumbent offering IndraControl PLCs, IndraDrive servo systems, and a broad motion-control portfolio. Competes with Bucher Automation in packaging and factory automation but operates across far more verticals and geographies.
• Siemens (SIMATIC): Global market leader in industrial automation offering SIMATIC PLCs, SINAMICS drives, and SIMOTION motion control. Overlaps with Bucher Automation's full stack but at vastly larger scale and with deeper software/MES offerings.
• Mitsubishi Electric (MELSEC): Japanese automation incumbent with MELSEC PLCs, MELSERVO drives, and extensive motion-control offerings. Competes with Bucher Automation in packaging and specialty machinery globally, particularly where Japanese OEMs specify their preferred platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bucher_automation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bucherautomation
• Xx.com/bu_automation
• Facebookfacebook.com/bucherautomation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bucher Automation