BW TEC

What BW TEC does

BW-TEC AG, headquartered in Höri, Switzerland, designs and manufactures specialized production equipment for medical device manufacturers, with a focus on balloon catheter manufacturing for PTCA, PTA, and structural-heart applications. The portfolio spans more than 30 machine SKUs organized across seven process categories — balloon forming (e.g., 2774 Auto, 2550, 2530 4up, 2940 large-balloon, 3240 split-mold), welding (1410/1530 laser, 23 hot-jaw, 185/210 hot-box), necking (2711 Autonecker, 2920, 1600, 2105), testing (1942 leak, 2577 8UP pressure, 2451 track, 2349, 1200 polarization), cutting (2524 laser cutter, 1401/429/1405 manual, 2537 auto), coating (2269 hydrophilic, 3200 laminator) — together with custom balloon molds and accessories such as the October 2023-launched Rapid Heating Block. Underlying platforms include motion laser welding (rotating beam around stationary product), PID-controlled stretch blow forming, Windows-based BW-TEC HMI with recipe management and ERP/MES/OPC integrations, and remote-support tooling (TeamViewer, JetSym), all manufactured on a 1,700 m² Swiss production footprint.

The business model is anchored on capital-equipment sales (hardware, with optional upgrades and custom molds) sold through direct enterprise sales from Höri, a wholly-owned Shanghai subsidiary (since 2020), and channel partners in Japan. A Process Development Lab near Zurich Airport functions as both a fee-based service and a proof-of-concept funnel into machine orders. Revenue is supplemented by aftermarket spare parts, upgrade kits, and technical support. Customers — unnamed in source material — are global medical device manufacturers across six continents, reached via both direct enterprise consultation and major trade-show presence (MD&M West, Medtec Europe, COMPAMED, Arab Health, Medical Fair Asia).

Following its 2020 acquisition by Machine Solutions, Inc. (Flagstaff, AZ), BW-TEC operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary with retained local management led by Geschäftsführer Matthias Schulthess and Josia Pantli; the company has expanded its workforce past 50, grown Swiss production capacity by ~40% in 2022, and benefits from parent-led ecosystem acquisitions (Intec Automation, Vela Technologies in October 2023) that broaden the catheter-manufacturing solution set available to its customers.

Name

BW TEC

Legal name

BW-TEC AG

Website

https://bwtec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BW-TEC AG is a Swiss manufacturer of specialized equipment for balloon catheter and medical-device production, serving global medtech OEMs across six continents with a portfolio of forming, welding, necking, testing, cutting, and coating machines plus custom balloon molds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device Manufacturing Equipment

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro primary industry

Blow Molding & Thermoforming Packaging Equipment (Bottle/Tray Making) (IMALAOAK)

Keywords

• Balloon catheter equipment
• Medical device manufacturing
• Catheter production machines
• Balloon forming machinery
• Interventional device assembly

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Device Manufacturing Equipment Sales: Sale of specialized machines for balloon catheter manufacturing, including balloon forming machines, welding equipment, necking machines, testing systems, cutting machines, and coating equipment. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales with optional upgrades and customization.
2. Process Development Lab Services: Rental of lab facilities and equipment for catheter-based device development, process optimization, and scale-up. Collaborative lab days where BW-TEC engineers work alongside customers. Reduced rates for collaborative development work.
3. Balloon Molds and Custom Tooling: Custom balloon mold manufacturing for various medical applications. Customers can use the online configurator or contact directly for special designs. Molds are produced with modern CNC machines to meet highest quality standards.
4. Aftermarket Services and Upgrades: Upgrade kits, spare parts, and technical support services for installed equipment base.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BW-TEC AG manufactures specialized machinery for balloon catheter production and medical device manufacturing, covering the full production workflow from balloon forming (stretch blow molding), laser welding, tube necking, cutting, and coating through to leak, pressure, and track testing. All machines are developed and produced in Switzerland, accompanied by custom balloon molds, a Windows-based BW-TEC HMI control interface, and a Process Development Lab rental service for customer process optimization and scale-up.

Product overview

BW-TEC AG is a Swiss company specializing in manufacturing equipment for balloon catheter production and medical device manufacturing. The product portfolio consists of specialized production machines organized into seven core categories: Balloon Forming (8 machines including automated, vertical, multi-up, and water bath systems), Welding (laser welding machines, hot jaw bonders, and hot boxes), Necking (manual and automated tube necking machines), Testing (leak testers, pressure testers, track testers, and inspection devices), Cutting (manual and automatic tube cutting devices), and Coating (hydrophilic coating machines and laminators). The offering also includes balloon molds, the Rapid Heating Block accessory for accelerating balloon forming, and the BW-TEC HMI control system. Supporting services include a Process Development Lab for customer trials and process optimization. The equipment is designed for the medical device industry, specifically cardiovascular (PTCA/PTA) applications, and is manufactured in Switzerland with a focus on precision, reproducibility, and quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2774 Auto Balloon Forming Machine Fully automated balloon production machine with high-capacity tube magazine holding up to 200+ necked tubes, automatic mold loading, and finished-balloon collection system for scalable, high-quality balloon production in medical manufacturing environments.
• 2550 1up Balloon Forming Machine Electrically heated stretch blow molding machine for producing plastic balloons for angioplasty and other medical applications, featuring servo motors, modular options, process temperatures up to 315°C, and process pressure up to 70 bar.
• 1555 1-4up Vertical Balloon Forming Machine Vertical balloon forming machine supporting 1-4 balloon production per cycle, featuring a primary-secondary concept that allows connection of up to three additional machines and a compact footprint for optimal use of production floor space.
• 2530 4up Balloon Forming Machine Height-adjustable 4-up balloon forming machine producing up to four balloons per cycle with minimal process time, capable of up to 600 balloons per shift for angioplasty and other medical applications.
• 2940 Balloon Machine Large Balloon Specialized machine for producing large balloons including structural heart, large diameter, thick wall, and high pressure balloons, featuring parallel gripper fingers, high clamping force, and Rapid Heating Block compatibility.
• 2430 Balloon Forming Machine Machine for producing low-pressure soft balloons using electrically heated stretch pump and blow process, featuring split mold technology for complex balloon geometries.
• 3240 Split Mold Balloon Forming Machine Machine for manufacturing soft balloons using electrically heated stretch, pulse, and blow process, featuring innovative split mold technology enabling complex balloon geometries with up to three individually controllable heating zones.
• 81 4up Water Bath Balloon Forming Machine Balloon forming machine using water bath process for angioplasty balloons, featuring simultaneous production of up to four balloons with PID-controlled process temperatures (96°C forming, 10°C cooling).
• 1410 Laser Welding Machine Laser welding machine for joining smallest plastic tubes in balloon catheters, featuring high-resolution camera with zoom, adjustable focus during process, and precise motion axes for quality tube bonding.
• 1530 Motion Laser Welding Machine Motion laser welding machine for joining smallest plastic tubes in balloon catheter production, featuring rotating laser beam around stationary product on mandrel to enable short, soft, and flexible weld connections.
• 23 Hot Jaw Bonder Hot jaw welding device for welding plastic tubes using heated clamp jaws, with temperature transmission through interchangeable heating jaws and process parameters including temperature, time, and jaw geometry.
• 185 A Hot Box Cost-effective heated air delivery system with high set-point stability for tubing bonds, shaft necking and recovery, and multi-lumen junctions, featuring self-tuning temperature controller and SCR power control.
• 210 A Hot Box Cost-effective heated air delivery system with integrated air pressure and vacuum features for tubing expansion, including cooling line, foot pedal actuation, and CE certification.
• 2524 BW-TEC Laser Cutting Machine Laser cutting machine for precisely cutting stent graft material along end crown pattern, featuring vision system for stent identification, adaptive control system, and quick loading system with safety-focused design.
• 2711 Autonecker Fully automated tube necking machine that automatically separates tubes from container and feeds them to the necking process, reducing both sides of the tube to same diameter using heated die with precise reproducibility; capable of loading up to 3,000 tubes at once.
• 2920 1UP Necking Machine, Split Die Tube necking machine for reducing plastic tubes to defined diameter using heated die with linear movement, featuring split die design for easy loading and servo motor with 700N maximum pulling force.
• 1600 1UP Necking Machine Tube necking machine for plastic tube reduction using heated die, featuring fast processing times and precise reproducible blank lengths suitable for larger tube dimensions.
• 2105 5UP Vertical Necking Machine Vertical tube necking machine for tapering plastic tubes with up to 800 tubes per shift, featuring dual independent linear guides for forming conical catheter shafts.
• 1942 4-12UP Leak Tester Simultaneous end inspection testing machine for up to 12 balloon catheters, featuring pressure or vacuum application with LED indicators for leak detection and configurable test sequences.
• 2744 High Pressure Inspection Device Compact end inspection device for balloon catheters with specific pressure or vacuum application and hold testing, featuring process parameter management and graphical test protocol output.
• 2766 1UP Pressure Tester Pressure tester with leak detection for balloon catheter manufacturing, supporting burst test, compliance test, and multiple inflation test with pressure cycles stored as datasets.
• 2577 8UP Multiple Pressure Tester Multi-position pressure tester for simultaneous pressurization of eight balloon catheters, featuring individual pressure sensors per test port for leak detection and supporting RBP, compliance, fatigue, and inflation/deflation tests.
• 2349 1UP Inspection Tester Balloon catheter inspection tester for burst test, compliance/fatigue test, and inflation/deflation measurement, featuring tempered water bath, precise pressure control, and optical micrometer for dimensional testing per DIN EN ISO 10555.
• 2451 Track Tester Testing device for examining guide wires and catheters in water bath at body temperature, supporting pushability, torque, flexibility, trackability, and braid strength tests with joystick operation and dual camera recording.
• 801 Inprocess Balloon Tester In-process balloon testing device for visual inspection and measurement after balloon forming, featuring tube coupling with clamp rings and adjustable pressure regulation.
• 1200 Polarization Optic Inspection device for balloon quality assessment during production and development, using polarized light to evaluate wall thickness uniformity and balloon cone quality for defect detection.
• 1401 Cutting Device Manual cutting device for thin-walled plastic tubes and small-diameter rods, featuring precision guide, adjustable stop, and interchangeable cutting dies for angular, burr-free cuts.
• 429 Cutting Device Manual cutting device for thin-walled plastic tubes and larger diameter tubes, featuring height-adjustable cutting head, V-groove product guide, and interchangeable cutting dies.
• 1405 Balloon Sleeve Cutter Manual balloon cutting device for proximal and distal balloon end trimming, featuring two different diameters per cutting die, precision guide, and industrial blade for clean cuts.
• 2537 Tube Cutting Machine Automatic tube cutting machine for plastic tubes with thin walls, designed for high-volume serial production with friction drive, variable cutting pressure, and PLC control with touch screen HMI.
• 2269 Hydrophilic Coating Machine Hydrophilic coating machine for catheter assembly coating using dip process with subsequent UV irradiation, coating up to 21 products simultaneously with pneumatic switching between base coat and top coat tubes.
• 3200 BW-TEC 5UP Laminator 5-up laminator for precise, repeatable multi-layer lamination of catheters without compressed air in core process, featuring integrated low-pressure blower fan and Micro Swirl 360° thermal nozzle for uniform heat distribution.
• Balloon Molds Custom balloon molds for various medical applications including PTCA and PTA, produced with modern CNC machines to meet highest quality standards, supporting both cylindrical forms and complex geometries.
• Rapid Heating Block Standalone hardware accessory product for balloon forming machines that accelerates heating, improves temperature uniformity, and increases throughput with backwards compatibility across the BW-TEC BFM machine installed base.
• Process Development Lab Rental laboratory service providing access to the complete BW-TEC machine park with experienced machine experts for catheter-based device development, process optimization, and scale-up, located 10 minutes from Zurich Airport for ease of international customer access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Heat-up time reduced by up to 50% with Rapid Heating Block technology
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Machine Solutions, Inc.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020BW-TEC was acquired by Machine Solutions, Inc. in 2020. The management team including location leader Josia Pantli remained in place. The Swiss location was strengthened and expanded. The product combination, capabilities, and locations of both companies provide customers with a comprehensive and complete range for catheter manufacturing. New innovations have emerged from the partnership and service/sales structure has been significantly expanded in regions. Machine Solutions is headquartered in Flagstaff, AZ, USA.
• BW Machinery Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd (瑞必达机械技术（上海）有限公司)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Subsidiary established in Shanghai, China in 2020 due to rapid growth in the Chinese market. Strengthens service, sales, and customer contact in the region.
• Machine Solutions (Baldwin), JapancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales office in Tokyo, Japan representing BW-TEC products. Located at Shibaura Square Bldg. Contact: Masahiro Kondo.
• MDS Co., Ltd., JapanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentation office in Osaka, Japan for BW-TEC products. Located at SENRI-BASE 02, Toyonaka, Osaka.
• Intec AutomationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMachine Solutions acquired Intec Automation, a premier systems integrator. This partnership launched a new automation division enabling the design and build of completely modular solutions for complex applications in medical and life science industries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PlasticWeldSystems: Sister company under Machine Solutions focused on plastic welding and joining equipment for medical devices. Directly comparable as it competes for adjacent welding/tooling budgets at the same catheter OEMs that BW-TEC serves with its laser welding and hot box product lines.
• Dukane Intelligent Assembly Solutions: Manufacturer of ultrasonic welding and heat-staking equipment used in medical device and catheter assembly. Directly comparable as it competes for adjacent welding/joining equipment budgets at the same balloon catheter OEMs that BW-TEC serves, particularly for tube bonding applications.
• Sebra: Sister company under Machine Solutions providing hot melt tubing processing and related medical device manufacturing equipment. Directly comparable as it serves identical catheter/tubing OEMs with adjacent process machinery often required alongside BW-TEC balloon forming and welding systems.
• Steeger USA: Sister company under Machine Solutions specializing in braiding equipment for catheters, stents, and similar medical devices. Directly comparable because it serves the same catheter-manufacturing OEMs with complementary process equipment, often sold alongside BW-TEC machines.
• Machine Solutions, Inc. Parent company of BW-TEC and operator of a portfolio of catheter and medical device manufacturing equipment brands (Steeger USA, Sebra, Beahm Designs, PlasticWeldSystems, Vante). Directly comparable as it sells overlapping catheter production equipment to the same medical device OEMs, with sister-brand products that bundle with BW-TEC systems.
• Beahm Designs: Sister company under Machine Solutions with overlapping medical device manufacturing equipment offerings for catheter producers. Directly comparable because it shares BW-TEC's customer base and benefits from cross-selling within the Machine Solutions platform.
• Sonics & Materials: Manufacturer of ultrasonic welding, cutting, and sealing equipment widely used in medical device and catheter manufacturing. Directly comparable as it competes for welding and joining budgets at the same medical device OEMs that BW-TEC serves with its laser welding and hot jaw product lines.
• Vante (Machine Solutions): Sister company under Machine Solutions providing medical device manufacturing equipment for tubing processing and catheter production. Directly comparable as it shares BW-TEC's customer base and is positioned for cross-sell within the same Machine Solutions sales motion.

Broad incumbents

• Nordson Corporation: Large diversified industrial precision equipment manufacturer with medical device manufacturing equipment offerings (precision dispensing, test and inspection, and catheter-related tooling via acquired businesses). Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for medical device OEM capital budgets across multiple catheter production processes, though Nordson is not a specialist in balloon forming.
• Trelleborg (Healthcare & Medical): Global polymer solutions provider that supplies medical device OEMs with engineered components, silicone tubing, and some manufacturing/process solutions for catheter production. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same medical device OEMs, though its portfolio is materials-focused rather than dedicated balloon catheter equipment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bw-tec

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 BW TEC