Affolter Group

Name

Affolter Group

Legal name

Affolter Group SA

Website

https://affoltergroup.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Affolter Group is a 107-year-old Swiss family-owned precision manufacturer producing watchmaking gear trains and proprietary CNC gear hobbing machines (AF140, AF160) for the watchmaking, medical, automotive, aerospace, and micromechanics sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Malleray

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. CNC Gear Hobbing Machines: Design, manufacture, and sale of precision CNC gear hobbing machines (AF140, AF160, AF110 Plus). Revenue generated through direct sales and distributor networks globally. Machines target micro-precision applications for watchmaking, medical, automotive, and aerospace industries.
2. CNC Control Systems: Development and commercialization of proprietary CNC control systems (PEGASUS) and electronic/mechanical components for machine tools. Universal controls applicable to various machine tool configurations.
3. Watchmaking Components (Rouages Horlogers): Manufacturing of high-end watchmaking gear trains, pinions, and micrometrical components for Swiss watch industry. Complete in-house manufacturing capabilities for all operations from pivots to assembled gear trains.
4. Customer-Specific Software Development: In-house software development providing customized solutions for 8-axis CNC machines, enhancing customer productivity and flexibility.
5. Technical Services and Support: Customer services including maintenance, training, and technical support for machine tools and CNC systems.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

No supporting source material was provided in the input describing Affolter Group's core offerings; therefore, a factual description cannot be supplied.

Product overview

Affolter Group operates as a dual-business Swiss industrial company with two core product lines: (1) Watchmaking gear trains (rouages horlogers) - precision mechanical components manufactured for over 100 years; and (2) CNC Gear Hobbing Machines - a portfolio of gear cutting machines including the AF140 (new), AF160 (flagship 8-axis), and related CNC control systems branded as PEGASUS. The company also offers custom tooling and Worm Screw Power Skiving (WSPS) technology. All products serve microtechnical industries including watchmaking, medical, dental, automotive, aerospace, and robotics. The group provides training services through apprenticeship programs in mechanical trades.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PEGASUS: CNC control system developed by Affolter Technologies for gear hobbing machines
• GEAR
• Filière de formation POLYMÉCANICIEN

Quantifiable outcome

• Worm screw production 3-5x faster than traditional hobbing
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Beckhoff AutomationcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2023Technology partnership for CNC control systems. Affolter machines utilize Beckhoff TwinCAT CNC and servo drive technology for precision control. Partnership enables integration of industrial automation components with proprietary gear cutting software.
• Rotec Tools LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2018US market representative and distributor for Affolter Technologies products. Manages sales, customer relationships, and technical support for North American customers at trade shows and ongoing business.
• Affolter China Co., LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2013Wholly-owned subsidiary in Shanghai established October 2013 to serve Asia-Pacific markets. Distributes CNC gear hobbing machines and provides local customer support, targeting 20-30 machines per year market potential.
• Filière de formation POLYMÉCANICIENcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Network training initiative co-founded by Affolter Group in 2007 with six regional companies to provide comprehensive polymécanicien (precision mechanic) apprenticeship. Expanded to seven companies, training 3-6 apprentices annually.
• CECIMO (European Association of Machine Tool Industries)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association membership providing insight into European machine tool sector trends and policy. Affiliation with European precision manufacturing community.
• SwissmemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Trade Association for Machinery, Electrical and Metal Industries. Membership provides networking, industry representation, and access to Swiss precision engineering community.
• Cluster PrécisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional precision industry cluster in Bern canton. Promotes collaboration among precision engineering companies and supports technology transfer.
• Chambre d'économie publique du Jura bernois (CEP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic chamber providing networking, business support, and advocacy for Jura bernois companies including participation in Club-Entreprises.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Liebherr-Verzahntechnik: German manufacturer of gear cutting machines including hobbing, shaping, and skiving equipment under the Liebherr group. Competes head-to-head with Affolter in CNC gear hobbing for medium-module precision gears across European automotive and industrial markets.
• EMAG GmbH: German precision machine tool manufacturer producing CNC turning, gear cutting, and grinding machines for automotive and aerospace components. Provides similar precision manufacturing equipment with overlapping customer use cases in micro-gear production.
• Gleason Corporation: US-based global leader in gear technology offering CNC hobbing, skiving, and shaping machines plus tooling. Directly competes with Affolter in precision gear cutting equipment, serving the same automotive, aerospace, and industrial gear manufacturer customer base.
• Bourn & Koch: American manufacturer of gear cutting machinery, gear grinding machines, and machine tool remanufacturing services. Direct competitor to Affolter in North American precision gear manufacturing equipment market, sold through the same regional representative model.
• Samputensili: Italian gear cutting machine manufacturer (now part of FFG/Fair Friend Group) producing CNC hobbing and gear grinding machines. Competes directly with Affolter in precision gear manufacturing equipment with overlapping customer base in automotive and industrial gear production.
• Fair Friend Group (FFG): Taiwanese machine tool conglomerate that owns Samputensili and other gear-cutting brands. Competes with Affolter through multi-brand gear cutting machinery portfolio and global manufacturing footprint.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Machine Tools): Japanese industrial conglomerate whose machine tool division produces gear cutting machines including hobbing and skiving equipment. Competes with Affolter in precision CNC gear cutting, particularly in Asia-Pacific markets served via trade shows like CIMT and SIMTOS.
• Weingärtner: Austrian/German manufacturer of precision machine tools including gear hobbing, gear skiving, and milling equipment. Competes directly with Affolter in high-precision gear cutting machines for medical, automotive, and aerospace applications.

Broad incumbents

• Sandvik Coromant: Swedish-based division of Sandvik AB and global leader in metal cutting tooling and digital machining solutions. Adjacent to Affolter in precision manufacturing supply chain but operates at much larger scale across the broader metalworking industry.
• Yamazaki Mazak: Japanese CNC machine tool manufacturer offering multi-axis machining centers, lathes, and gear cutting solutions. Broader incumbent in the CNC machine tool space; not a direct competitor in micro-precision gear hobbing but competes for similar precision manufacturing customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@affoltergroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/affolter-group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 Affolter Group