Step-Tec

What Step-Tec does

Step-Tec, legally United Machining Mill AG – STEP TEC, is a Swiss manufacturer of high-performance motor spindles for CNC machine tools, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Biel, Switzerland. The company designs and produces two main modular spindle families — the HVC (high-speed) series for precision milling and finishing, and the HPC (high-torque) series for heavy-duty roughing and multi-material machining — covering a performance envelope of 6,000–75,000 rpm, torques up to 500 Nm, and power up to 89 kW. Every spindle integrates proprietary thermal management (OptiCool and CoolCore), contamination protection (Twin Air Sealing), and an intelligent sensor stack (Spindle Diagnostic Module, V3D vibration sensor, AMS axial movement sensor, TMS temperature system) for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Step-Tec produces approximately 1,500 spindles per year and sells exclusively through direct enterprise sales to the world's leading machine tool builders, targeting end-verticals that include aerospace, automotive, medical technology, mold & die, precision engineering, and general machinery manufacturing. The company is a wholly-owned brand within the United Machining Solutions (UMS) Management AG group, sharing engineering, distribution, and service assets with sister brands such as STUDER, MÄGERLE, BLOHM, JUNG, AGIE CHARMILLES, MIKRON MILL, and LIECHTI, which gives it access to a global sales and service network across more than 30 countries. Step-Tec is privately held; the Managing Director is Jose Yepes, and pricing is quote-based, reflecting the customized, high-specification nature of its OEM contracts.

Name

Step-Tec

Legal name

United Machining Mill AG - STEP TEC

Website

https://step-tec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Step-Tec is a Swiss manufacturer, founded in 1995, that develops and produces high-performance HVC and HPC motor spindles for CNC machine tool builders serving aerospace, automotive, medical, and mold & die industries, and operates as a brand within United Machining Solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

CNC Motor Spindles

NAICS

Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Machine Tool Manufacturing (333517), Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (33351)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541)

akta.pro primary industry

Spindles & High-Speed Drives (Machine Tool Spindles, High-speed Motors) (IMAGACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA), Motion Control Controllers & CNC/Robot Drives (Motion Controllers, Multi-axis) (IMAGACAH)

Keywords

• Motor spindles
• CNC spindles
• High-speed spindles
• High-torque spindles
• Spindle manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Luterbach

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Motor Spindle Sales: STEP TEC generates revenue through the sale of high-performance motor spindles to machine tool builders. Products include HVC series (high-speed) and HPC series (high-torque) spindles with various power, speed, and torque configurations to meet diverse machining requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Step-Tec develops and manufactures modular high-performance motor spindles for CNC machine tools, with two main platforms: the HVC (high-speed) series for precision milling and finishing, and the HPC (high-torque) series for heavy-duty machining. Spindles are built with proprietary OptiCool and CoolCore thermal management, intelligent sensor systems (SDM, V3D, AMS), and Twin Air Sealing contamination protection, covering speeds from 6,000 to 75,000 rpm, torques up to 500 Nm, and power up to 89 kW. The company produces approximately 1,500 spindles per year for machine tool builders serving aerospace, automotive, medical, mold and die, precision engineering, and machinery manufacturing industries.

Product overview

STEP TEC develops and manufactures modular high-performance motor spindles for CNC machine tools. The product portfolio consists of two main spindle platform series: HVC (High-Speed) series for precision milling and finishing applications, and HPC (High-Performance/High-Torque) series for heavy-duty machining operations. The HVC series includes HVC 120 (ultra-compact up to 75,000 rpm), HVC 140 (versatile 10,000-42,000 rpm), and HVC/HPC 150 (dual configuration 24,000-36,000 rpm). The HPC series includes HPC 190 (6,000-28,000 rpm, up to 89 kW), HPC 240 (10,000-25,000 rpm, up to 305 Nm torque), and HPC 290 (flagship model up to 25,000 rpm, 366 Nm torque). All spindles integrate advanced thermal management (OptiCool and CoolCore technologies) and diagnostic systems (SDM, V3D, AMS sensors) for continuous condition monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HVC Series High-speed motor spindles engineered for demanding milling and finishing applications, combining thermal stability, compact design, and outstanding surface quality for machine tool builders.
• HPC Series High-torque, heavy-duty machining spindles engineered for exceptional power, rigidity, and process reliability for the most demanding roughing and multi-material machining applications.
• HVC 120 Compact high-speed motor spindle for mold making, micro-machining, and precision applications with housing diameters as small as 120 mm, speeds up to 75,000 rpm, and surface roughness down to Ra 0.02 µm.
• HVC 140 Versatile high-speed motor spindle covering speeds from 10,000 to 42,000 rpm, bridging high-speed finishing and dynamic multi-material machining with OptiCool and CoolCore thermal management.
• HVC/HPC 150 Universal motor spindle platform available in both high-speed (up to 36,000 rpm) and high-torque configurations with power up to 40 kW, designed for 5-axis machining, aluminum, aerospace components, and mold and die applications.
• HPC 190 High-torque motor spindle for universal 5-axis machining, heavy roughing, and demanding multi-material applications with speeds from 6,000 to 28,000 rpm, power up to 89 kW, and torque up to 160 Nm.
• HPC 240 High-torque motor spindle for heavy-duty cutting, large mold machining, and high material removal applications with speeds from 10,000 to 25,000 rpm, power up to 38 kW, and torque up to 305 Nm.
• HPC 290 STEP TEC's most powerful motor spindle for high-load cutting, large gantry machines, and demanding aerospace applications with speeds from 10,000 to 25,000 rpm, power up to 46 kW, and torque up to 366 Nm.

Quantifiable outcome

• Speed range: 6,000 – 75,000 rpm
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• United Machining Solutions (UMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEP TEC is a brand under United Machining Solutions (UMS) group, which also includes MÄGERLE, BLOHM, JUNG, STUDER, SCHAUDT, MIKROSA, WALTER, EWAG, IRPD, AGIE CHARMILLES, CHARMILLES, MIKRON MILL, LIECHTI, and system 3r. STEP TEC operates as part of the UMS family of precision machining brands, leveraging shared engineering expertise and distribution networks.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Fives Group: Industrial engineering group with a machine tool and high-precision machining systems portfolio (including Cryogenic and Liné Machines) that overlaps with Step-Tec's end-customer base and competes for premium spindle applications within a much broader industrial offering.
• Fanuc Corporation: Dominant CNC, servo motor, and integrated spindle motor manufacturer; competes with Step-Tec both by offering alternative spindle solutions and by being a key CNC architecture customer for spindle suppliers like Step-Tec.
• Siemens AG: Global industrial conglomerate whose Digital Industries portfolio includes spindle motors, SINUMERIK CNC controls, and motion drives that compete with Step-Tec's spindle offering as part of a much broader automation portfolio rather than a dedicated spindle business.
• Bosch Rexroth: Major supplier of motion control and drive technology including spindle motors and CNC-related automation, competing with Step-Tec at the broader systems level for machine tool OEM socket wins across a far wider industrial portfolio.

Direct peers

• Weiss Spindeltechnologie GmbH: German manufacturer of high-speed motor spindles for CNC machines, with overlapping product positioning in precision milling, mold making, and aerospace — directly comparable to Step-Tec's HVC and HPC series on speed range and customer base.
• HSD (HSD USA / HSD Italy): Italian-headquartered motor spindle specialist with comparable high-speed and high-torque product lines serving machine tool builders in aerospace, automotive, and woodworking — directly competitive with Step-Tec's modular platform strategy.
• IBAG Switzerland AG: Swiss-headquartered motor spindle manufacturer directly competing with Step-Tec in high-speed and high-precision CNC spindle segments, serving similar machine tool OEM customers in Europe with comparable HSK/HCT interfaces and power/speed ranges.
• Kessler Group (Franz Kessler): German manufacturer of motorized spindles and spindle units for machine tools, with strong aerospace and automotive customer overlap; directly comparable in modular spindle architecture and high-power machining focus.
• Fischer AG Präzisionsspindeln: Swiss precision spindle maker producing motor spindles for machine tool OEMs, with similar focus on high-speed, high-precision applications and comparable thermal-management engineering emphasis — a close country and category peer.

Others

• DMG Mori: Major machine tool OEM and customer for high-performance spindles; while not a direct spindle manufacturer, DMG Mori's in-house spindle programs and demanding supplier specifications set the competitive benchmark Step-Tec's products must meet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/step-tec-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Step-Tec