Aiming high with networked manufacturing processes

Diethelm elevators are quiet, economical, and fast. And they are the only ones that are completely manufactured in Switzerland. This is worthwhile despite the higher costs: spare parts can be produced quickly and the technicians know the systems inside out. “That's why we have brought more and more components in-house over the years,” says developer Christoph Diethelm.

Over the past 25 years, the family-owned company, founded in 1990, has developed from a pure service provider to a manufacturer. Today, Diethelm Elevators employs around 100 people and the production in Lachen in the canton of Schwyz is largely automated.

Complete solution from a single source

Managing director Hansruedi Diethelm entrusted his son Christoph with the further development of production. His four siblings also work in the company and take care of sales, accounting, pre-assembly, and assembly. In 2020, the family found the right partner for the project in Bystronic. The provider of complete solutions took care of the automation of the bending processes, integrated a new laser cutting machine into the existing infrastructure, and combined all systems into a single software.

In doing so, the family-owned company did not oversleep technological developments. On the contrary: In 2014, Diethelm Elevators put Switzerland's first fiber laser into operation. Five years later, the company took a first step towards automation by installing a high-bay storage system with a capacity of 600 tons and an automatic loading solution for the cutting machine. In early 2024, Bystronic replaced the old laser from a competitor with the ByCut Smart from its own portfolio and networked the cutting machine with the existing automation and the storage system.

CO2-neutral production within reach

The new 10-kilowatt laser finally delivers consistent quality in all sheet thicknesses and materials: “We often had problems with Sendzimir galvanized steel in the past, but the ByCut Smart handles it with ease,” says Christoph Diethelm. A nitrogen generator supplies the laser with cutting gas – a system that Bystronic offers in collaboration with its partner AirCo. “I saw the generator at a trade fair and knew: that's what we need,” says the developer.

Previously, the nitrogen was delivered by truck once a week. ‘Refilling the tank was always a laborious task,’ notes Diethelm. Today, the cutting gas is produced in-house using energy from the solar panels on the roof of the production hall. In addition to production, this also supplies the company fleet. One-fifth of the company cars and the truck were recently replaced by electric vehicles. In 2025, the photovoltaic system will reach its full capacity of 1.2 megawatts. “Then our operations will be CO2 neutral,” says Christoph Diethelm, not without pride.

More bending, less welding

The biggest challenge in the further development of production was the automation of the bending processes, which was tackled as early as 2020. “We first had to gain experience. It's best to start small,” says Christoph Diethelm, pointing to the Mobile Bending Cell. The mobile bending automation with a press force of 80 tons, which can be operated manually or automatically as required, makes getting started easy. The Bending Cell with a press force of 320 tons is more challenging to operate. While the mobile robot can be programmed in an hour, it takes up to half a day for the Bending Cell. The 7-axis robot works completely autonomously and also changes the tools on the Xpert bending machine independently.

“Since we automated the bending processes, we have been bending more and more and welding less and less,” the developer notes. This is more efficient, but also makes the components more complex. Certain parts have up to 20 bends and are nested in such a way that the robot can no longer grip them properly. That's why a manual Xpert 320 is also used. The press brake has a bending aid that looks like an oversized pair of bellows and supports the sheet metal. “This makes it easier for the operator to handle heavy parts and increases precision when working with bulky sheets,” explains Diethelm.

Innovative development work

The investments in automation are paying off, because the company is driving forward the standardization of parts. Whereas in the past many individual parts were produced, today it is mainly series. Over 500 parts are used in a passenger elevator, but the number is steadily decreasing. On the one hand, intelligent design enables savings. For example, the engine mount now only consists of four parts instead of the original 50. On the other hand, the increasing demands on certification are reducing the number of control components. These are produced in neighboring Wangen with the support of the BSZ foundation. Sustainability is also important to the family business in social terms. People with disabilities assemble the cables, mill the parts and assemble the control systems.

One of the secrets of Diethelm Aufzüge's success is its innovative drive solutions. In 2006, the company patented a counterweight drive that is attached directly to the ropes, offering a major advantage: “The rubber ropes absorb the vibrations. This makes the elevators significantly quieter than when the motor is attached to the elevator shaft,” explains Christoph Diethelm. The company also stands out from its competitors in the design of its car lifts. While most providers rely on hydraulic solutions, Diethelm Elevators uses ropes here as well. This makes the lifts faster and more energy efficient.

The software brings everything together

In the past, managing the large parts inventory was a challenge for Diethelm Elevators. With the complete solution from Bystronic, they always have an overview: “Today we always know where each part is,” says Christoph Diethelm. All processes converge in the BySoft Shop Floor software . The networking of production has accelerated the processing of orders: The technicians enter the dimensions in an app, the design department confirms the order and the machines execute it. “This saves us a full four hours of design time,” emphasizes the developer. In addition, production is very flexible: “If we urgently need a spare part, we can squeeze it in between two series as an express order.”

The further development of the cutting and bending processes has enabled the family-owned company to double its output. Before the collaboration with Bystronic, Diethelm Elevators produced around 200 elevators per year. The limited capacities sometimes even necessitated sales freezes. Meanwhile, around 400 elevators leave the factory in Lachen every year. The excellent order situation should soon allow for 600 units, and a further expansion of production is already on the horizon. However, Christoph Diethelm does not want to rush anything: “We are scaling cautiously. As a family business, we want to grow slowly but steadily.”