Swiss Automation

What Swiss Automation does

Swiss Automation, Inc. is a US precision machining manufacturer founded in 1965 and headquartered in Barrington, Illinois, specializing in precision turned components produced on multi-axis CNC Swiss-type screw machines and dual-spindle lathes. The company operates approximately 150,000 square feet of manufacturing across facilities in Barrington and Cary, Illinois, employing around 325 production, engineering, and support staff and running a fleet of approximately 200 CNC machines — including 150+ dual-spindle lathes from Citizen, Tornos-Bechler, Star, Miyano, Hardinge, and Eurotech. Capabilities include tolerances to .0002 inches (and .0001 inches for medical), part diameters from .005 to 2.75 inches, multi-axis cutting up to 12 axes, advanced inspection via Zeiss CMM systems, and 24/7 three-shift production supporting lead times of 2–4 weeks. The firm is ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 certified and ITAR registered, enabling it to serve regulated industries.

Swiss Automation serves three primary verticals — Medical Device Manufacturing (surgical instrumentation, implants), Aerospace, Defense and Electrical (night vision optics for the US military, electrical connectors, jet engine parts), and Hydraulics/Pneumatic (where it claims the position of largest US manufacturer of turned components) — with electronics, automotive, and custom parts as a secondary segment. Revenue is generated through quote-based production contracts with enterprise customers via a direct sales motion staffed by production sales engineers and a national account manager; no distributors or resellers are used, and customers submit RFQs with blueprint uploads through the company website. The firm invests approximately $4M per year in capital equipment (doubled from $2M/year prior to 2015), runs a Department of Labor-Registered Apprenticeship Program for Swiss CNC Operators in partnership with TMA and Lake County Workforce, and holds proprietary safety innovations including the "Cover Your Tools" tool cover system.

Name

Swiss Automation

Legal name

Swiss Automation, Inc.

Website

https://swissautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Swiss Automation is a US precision machining manufacturer founded in 1965 that produces complex turned components for the medical, aerospace/defense, and hydraulics/pneumatic industries using 200+ multi-axis CNC Swiss-type screw machines across 150,000 sq ft in Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Machining Services

NAICS

Precision Turned Product Manufacturing (332721), Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (3327)

SIC

Screw Machine Products (3451)

akta.pro primary industry

CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA)

Keywords

• Precision machining services
• Swiss CNC turning
• Medical device components
• Aerospace turned parts
• Hydraulic valve components

Headquarters

HQ city

Barrington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Precision Turned Component Manufacturing: Manufacture of precision turned components for medical, aerospace/defense, hydraulics/pneumatic, and electronics/automotive industries. Revenue derived from production runs of custom metal and plastic parts ranging from .005 to 2.75 inch diameters. Quote-based pricing model with payment surcharges for credit cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Swiss Automation manufactures precision turned components using multi-axis CNC Swiss-type screw machines, producing complex metal and plastic parts ranging from .005 to 2.75 inches in diameter with tolerances to .0002 inches (and .0001 inches for medical applications). The company serves the Medical, Aerospace & Defense, Hydraulics/Pneumatic, and Electronics/Automotive industries from two Illinois facilities (Barrington and Cary) totaling 150,000 square feet, with over 150 dual-spindle CNC lathes operating 24/7 across three shifts.

Product overview

Swiss Automation is a precision machining manufacturer specializing in precision turned components. The company operates as a single unified manufacturing platform producing complex metal and plastic parts ranging from .005 inches to 2.75 inches in diameter, with tolerances as tight as .0002 inches. Their core Precision Turned Components product is manufactured using over 150 dual-spindle CNC Swiss-type screw machines including Citizen, Tornos-Bechler, Star, Miyano, Hardinge, and Eurotech equipment. As a complementary sub-product line, the company offers 'Cover Your Tools' safety products for CNC machine operators. Swiss Automation also provides quote request services, repair/replacement policies, used equipment sales, and a registered apprenticeship program as part of their customer and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Precision Turned Components Precision turned components manufactured using multi-axis CNC Swiss-type screw machines and dual-spindle lathes (Citizen, Tornos-Bechler DECO, Star, Miyano, Hardinge, Eurotech), with tolerances to .0002 inches (.0001 inches for medical) and diameters from .005 to 2.75 inches. Serves medical device, aerospace/defense, hydraulic/pneumatic, electronics, and automotive manufacturers requiring complex, high-precision parts produced in one operation.
• Cover Your Tools Safety Product Proprietary safety tool covers designed by Swiss Automation machinists for Citizen, Tornos, and Star CNC machines to prevent hand injuries during tool changes. Developed as a safety innovation to reduce OSHA recordable injuries caused by machinists' hands slipping on sharp cutting tools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce DART rate - Cover Your Tools innovation eliminated tool change injuries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Elgin Community CollegeminorOthers · 23 June 2019Community education partner receiving $1.3 million equipment, software, and training donation from Swiss Automation to support technical workforce development.
• Technology and Manufacturing Association (TMA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership providing additional training for selected apprentices from Swiss Automation's Registered Apprenticeship Program. TMA delivers field-specific instruction complementing on-the-job training.
• Lake County WorkforcecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership providing grants through Lake County Workforce to cover training costs for apprentices in the Registered Apprenticeship Program, helping bridge the manufacturing skills gap in the US.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cox Manufacturing Company: Cox Manufacturing is a multi-axis precision machining job shop producing complex turned components for aerospace, medical, and industrial customers — the closest analog to Swiss Automation in size, customer mix, and Swiss-type CNC platform.
• Tegra Medical: Tegra Medical manufactures precision machined components and assemblies for medical devices, with comparable ISO 13485 quality systems and tight-tolerance turning capability serving Swiss Automation's primary medical customer profile.
• Helander Metal Products: Helander Metal Products is a precision machining and metal forming manufacturer serving aerospace, defense, and industrial customers with tight tolerances — comparable scale and end-market focus to Swiss Automation.
• Orchid Orthopedic Solutions: Orchid is a medical device contract manufacturer specializing in precision implants and surgical instruments — directly comparable to Swiss Automation's medical vertical, with similar ISO 13485-driven quality requirements and tolerance demands.
• DuAll Precision Manufacturing: DuAll is a precision machining contract manufacturer focused on complex, tight-tolerance components for aerospace, medical, and defense — directly comparable in regulatory certifications, customer verticals, and multi-axis turning capability.

Broad incumbents

• Dynacast: Dynacast manufactures precision metal components (die casting and machining) at global scale for automotive, industrial, and consumer end markets — a broader incumbent in precision metal components with overlapping customer base to Swiss Automation.
• PCC Precision Castparts (Berkshire Hathaway): PCC manufactures precision investment cast and machined components for aerospace, power, and industrial markets — a major incumbent in precision metal components serving aerospace customers similar to Swiss Automation's defense and aerospace segments.
• Protolabs: Protolabs is a digital manufacturing services provider offering CNC machining alongside injection molding and 3D printing — a broader incumbent in custom precision manufacturing that overlaps with Swiss Automation's machining capabilities.
• Howmet Aerospace: Howmet Aerospace manufactures precision-engineered aerospace components including fasteners and structural parts — a much larger incumbent serving the same aerospace & defense customers with broader product range.

Emerging players

• Proto Labs (Hubs): Hubs (formerly 3D Hubs), owned by Protolabs, is a digital manufacturing marketplace providing CNC machining and related services — an emerging platform-based competitor in the precision machined parts space where Swiss Automation competes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-automation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Swiss Automation