Buchiglas

What Buchiglas does

Büchi AG (Buchiglas) is a privately held Swiss manufacturer founded in 1940 and headquartered in Uster, Switzerland. The company designs and builds reactor systems and pilot plants for the chemical, pharmaceutical, and research industries, with product coverage spanning laboratory scale (10 ml) through pilot to production (>250 L). Its offering is organized into two main lines: (1) glass and glass-lined-steel reactor systems and process equipment (e.g., miniPilot, midiPilot, chemReactor series, nutsche filters, peptide synthesizers, HPAPI containment systems, mixing vessels, storage tanks, gas scrubbers) and (2) pressure reactors and stirred autoclaves (e.g., uniclave, polyclave, kiloclave, pilotclave, tinyclave, PPR parallel reactor, hydrogenation systems with the bpc 2 controller). A proprietary 'buchiflex' modular glass piping system and ATEX/cGMP compliance on selected units underpin its technical positioning.

The business operates a quote-based, custom-engineered sales model combining direct sales from the Swiss headquarters, wholly-owned regional subsidiaries in the United States (Islandia, NY), China (Shanghai), and India (Thane/Mumbai), and an extensive network of channel partners (DKSH in Australia, Suurmond in Benelux, DONAU LAB Group in Eastern Europe, C3 Prozess- und Analysentechnik in Germany/Austria, among others) covering more than 45 countries. Revenue is generated from one-time hardware sales and recurring professional services (engineering, training, after-sales support). The company is family-owned under CEO Silvio Büchi, with no external equity investors, and sits within the 101–250 employee range. Recent activity (2025–2026) has focused on product launches (miniPilot, polyclave), bio-based materials collaborations, and expanded TCU partnerships with Huber, Julabo, and Lauda.

Name

Buchiglas

Legal name

Büchi AG

Website

https://buchiglas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Büchi AG (Buchiglas) is a family-owned Swiss manufacturer founded in 1940, producing glass and pressure reactor systems plus pilot plants for chemical, pharmaceutical, and research customers worldwide from laboratory to production scale.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Process Reactor Systems

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (332410)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical Processing Equipment (Reactors, Mixers, Agitators) (IMAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Reactor systems manufacturing
• Pilot plant engineering
• Pharmaceutical process equipment
• Chemical process equipment
• Pressure reactor autoclaves

Headquarters

HQ city

Uster

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Reactor Systems and Equipment Sales: One-time hardware sales of reactor systems, pilot plants, pressure reactors, and process equipment. Equipment ranges from small lab reactors (10ml) to production scale (>250 liter) systems. Custom engineering and configuration based on customer requirements.
2. Professional Services: Engineering services including advanced engineering and customized design solutions, expert training, and dependable after-sales support throughout equipment lifecycle.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Büchi AG (Buchiglas) manufactures reactor systems and pilot plants for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and research institutions. The company offers two primary product lines: (1) glass and glass-lined steel reactor systems, process equipment, nutsche filters, filter reactors, peptide synthesizers, HPAPI reactors, mixing vessels, storage tanks, and gas scrubbers; and (2) pressure reactors and stirred autoclaves ranging from 0.25 L laboratory units to 500 L pilot-scale systems, including specialized hydrogenation systems, metal-free/inert reactors, and corrosion testing autoclaves. Equipment is engineered to scale from milliliter laboratory use through pilot plant to production volumes exceeding 250 L.

Product overview

Buchiglas (Büchi AG) is a globally leading Swiss manufacturer offering two distinct product lines: (1) Reactor systems and process equipment made of glass, glass-lined steel, and other corrosion-resistant materials including the miniPilot, midiPilot, and chemReactor (CR/BR/GR) glass reactor series; nutsche filters (10-300L), filter reactors (FR 10/30/50), peptide synthesizers (5-500L), HPAPI reactors, production-scale reactors, mixing vessels, storage tanks, gas scrubbers, and the proprietary buchiflex modular glass piping system; and (2) Pressure reactors/stirred autoclaves ranging from tinyclave (10-600ml) to pilotclave (500L) including uniclave, polyclave, versoclave, kiloclave for lab/pilot applications, specialized metal-free/inert reactors, hydrogenation systems with the bpc 2 controller, magnetic couplings, and corrosion testing autoclaves. The company also distributes complementary equipment from partner suppliers including SYSTAG thermal safety calorimeters (FlexyTSC, RADEX, SEDEX), Schedio spray dryers (APT series), micronization equipment, and SCHMIZO laboratory reactors. Services include engineering, training, and after-sales support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• miniPilot Glass Reactor Compact glass pilot reactor system with 5 to 15 liter volumes, ATEX (explosion proof) rated and fully cGMP compliant, for laboratory and pilot plant applications in chemical and pharmaceutical processes.
• midiPilot Glass Reactor Versatile glass reactor system for pilot plant applications with 20-30 liter capacity.
• chemReactor CR Chemical reactor system for kilo lab and pilot plant applications.
• chemReactor BR Batch reactor system for kilo lab and pilot plant applications.
• chemReactor GR Glass reactor system for kilo lab and pilot plant applications.
• Nutsche Filters (10-300 liter) Glass nutsche filters for pilot plant and kilo lab filtration applications, available in 10-300 liter capacities including high containment filters and stirred nutsche filters.
• Filter Reactors (FR 10, FR 30, FR 50) Filter reactors for pilot plants and kilo labs with 10-50 liter capacity.
• Peptide Synthesizers (5-500 liter) Peptide synthesizer reactors for pharmaceutical applications ranging from 5 to 500 liters.
• HPAPI Reactor & Process Systems High Potency Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (HPAPI) reactor and process systems for safe handling of potent compounds.
• Production Scale Reactor Systems Large-scale reactor systems exceeding 250 liters for production applications including distillation, rectification, heat exchangers, and distillation columns.
• Mixing Vessels & Storage Tanks (10-400 liter) Glass mixing vessels and storage tanks ranging from 10 to 400 liters.
• Gas Scrubbers (10-100 liter) Gas scrubber systems for chemical processing applications with 10-100 liter capacity.
• buchiflex Unique Glass Joint Proprietary modular glass piping system for flexible reactor configuration and easy maintenance, enabling maximum process safety and reproducibility.
• uniclave Pressure Reactor Lab and pilot pressure reactor system with 0.25-500 liter capacity for various pressure reactions.
• polyclave Lab Pressure Reactor Versatile lab pressure reactor with 0.25-5.0 liter capacity featuring both metal and glass pressure vessels in the same apparatus.
• versoclave Pressure Reactor Mid-scale pressure reactor for laboratory and pilot applications.
• kiloclave Pressure Reactor Pressure reactor system for mid-scale laboratory and pilot plant applications.
• pilotclave Pressure Reactor Pilot plant pressure reactor for research and small-scale production applications.
• tinyclave steel Pressure Reactor Small scale pressure reactor with 10-600 ml capacity for safe small-scale pressure reactions.
• miniclave steel Pressure Reactor Small scale pressure reactor for laboratory applications.
• picoclave Pressure Reactor Small scale pressure reactor for laboratory applications.
• novoclave Pressure Reactor High pressure reactor for high pressure and high temperature laboratory applications.
• PPR Parallel Pressure Reactor Parallel pressure reactor system for catalysis research, hydrogenations, and accelerated R&D screening.
• midiclave Pressure Reactor Mid-scale pressure reactor for high pressure and high temperature applications from 100 ml to 5 liters.
• limbo ls Pressure Reactor High pressure reactor for laboratory applications with extended temperature capabilities.
• miniclave inert Pressure Reactor Metal-free pressure reactor for inert applications preventing contamination from 100 ml to 20 liters.
• bpc 2 Hydrogenator Turn-Key System Complete turn-key hydrogenation system with Pressflow Gas Controller bpc 2 for dependable and reproducible hydrogenation reactions.
• Magnetic Couplings Magnetic couplings and stirrer drives for pressure reactors providing leak-free operation, bmd 075-5400 Ncm and cyclone 075-300 Ncm models.
• Corrosion Testing Autoclaves Pressure reactors designed specifically for corrosion testing applications.
• Engineering Services Advanced engineering and customized design solutions for reactor systems and process equipment across the equipment lifecycle.
• Training Services Expert training services for equipment operation and maintenance.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HubercoreTechnology or IntegrationTemperature control unit (TCU) manufacturer partnership. Huber is recommended for low temperature applications (-70°C to -90°C). Case studies available showing Unistat TCUs integrated with Büchi reactors. Huber provides thermoregulation solutions from -125°C to +425°C.
• JulabocoreTechnology or IntegrationTemperature control unit manufacturer for reactor temperature management. Julabo PRESTO systems documented with Büchi reactors for heating/cooling applications. Regional coverage in Japan and Korea through Julabo subsidiaries.
• LaudacoreTechnology or IntegrationTemperature control specialist preferred for larger industrial applications. Lauda provides central units with secondary systems for individual temperature control. Partnered for industrial-scale reactor solutions.
• DKSH Australia Pty. Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Australia and Oceania region. DKSH is a market expansion services group handling sales, marketing, and distribution.
• Suurmond BVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Belgium, Luxembourg, and Netherlands (and Nordic countries). Specializes in reactor systems distribution.
• DONAU LAB Group (LPP Group)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMulti-country distribution partner covering Hungary, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Estonia through various DONAU LAB entities.
• C3 Prozess- und Analysentechnik GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Germany and Austria covering process and analysis technology.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pfaudler Group (now part of Coperion/Prism Pharma & Chem): Pfaudler is the historical global leader in glass-lined steel reactors and process equipment for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, directly overlapping Büchiglas's glass and glass-lined steel reactor offering across lab, pilot, and production scales.
• De Dietrich Process Systems: De Dietrich supplies glass-lined reactors, process equipment, and filtration/drying systems to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, directly competing with Büchiglas in glass and corrosion-resistant process equipment for API and fine chemicals.
• Asahi Glassplant (AGC): AGC's Glassplant subsidiary manufactures glass reactors and process systems for chemical and pharmaceutical laboratories and production, overlapping with Büchiglas's glass reactor and process equipment portfolio at lab and pilot scale.

Broad incumbents

• Schott AG (Pharma Systems / Industrial Glass): Schott supplies borosilicate glass components, pharma packaging, and process equipment, including glass-lining and reactor technology; it competes with Büchiglas in glass-based process equipment while serving a much broader industrial and pharmaceutical portfolio.
• IKA Works: IKA is a broad manufacturer of laboratory, process, and analytical equipment including reactors, mixing, and stirring systems, competing with Büchiglas in lab and pilot-scale reactor and process equipment.
• Heidolph Instruments: Heidolph supplies laboratory and process equipment including stirrers, shakers, and reactor systems, overlapping with Büchiglas's lab and pilot-scale reactor and mixing vessel offerings in pharma and chemical R&D.
• Mettler Toledo: Mettler Toledo is a global supplier of precision instruments and process analytics, including inline sensors and reaction monitoring systems that integrate with reactor platforms like Büchiglas's and are commonly bundled into the same customer workflow.

Emerging players

• Syrris (Blacktrace Holdings): Syrris specializes in flow chemistry reactors and lab automation, providing reactor systems for pharmaceutical R&D that overlap with Büchiglas's lab-scale miniPilot, polyclave, and PPR parallel pressure reactor offerings.

Regional players

• Amar Equipment Pvt. Ltd. Amar Equipment manufactures pressure reactors, autoclaves, and process equipment for the Indian and emerging-market chemical/pharmaceutical industry, overlapping with Büchiglas's pressure reactor/stirred autoclave product line on a regional basis.
• Chemglass Life Sciences: Chemglass supplies glass reaction systems, filters, and process equipment primarily to the North American laboratory and pilot plant market, partially overlapping with Büchiglas's glass reactor and Nutsche filter offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b-chi-ag---buchiglasuster

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Buchiglas