With the new technology center, which Swiss Forplan AG and Ecoclean GmbH/UCM AG opened at the end of March 2025 in Biel, the companies are jointly expanding their capacities for process development and optimization as well as contract processing in the areas of mass finishing and fine cleaning of precision parts. The combined processing capacities for the complementary manufacturing steps enable customers and interested parties based in Switzerland from the watch industry, medical technology, precision mechanics, and general precision parts manufacturing to conduct relevant tests in a focused and local manner.
Increasing demands for surface quality and cleanliness of precision parts require customer- or part-specific, economical, and sustainable solutions in both mass finishing and component cleaning. It makes sense to offer customers and interested parties testing and processing capacities for the complementary manufacturing steps under one roof. This idea has been realized by Forplan AG and Ecoclean GmbH/UCM AG, based in Biel, with a joint testing center. It was established at Forplan's headquarters in Biel and covers the entire production chain of precision parts manufacturing, particularly in the watch industry, medical technology, precision mechanics, and general parts production.
State of the Art technology for mass finishing and cleaning
The new center is equipped with state-of-the-art machine and plant technology. For mass finishing, various machines and process techniques are available, as well as a variety of processing media (grinding and polishing bodies, powders, compounds, pastes, and granulates). This variety allows for processes to be designed and optimized precisely according to the respective requirements.
For component cleaning, the UCMWatchLine, a multi-bath ultrasonic cleaning system tailored to the requirements of the watch industry and its suppliers, is integrated. The equipment of this cleaning system includes all processes and technologies used in this industry for efficient, process-safe, and environmentally friendly cleaning. This allows for the technically and economically optimal cleaning solution to be designed for the specific task, such as the removal of grinding and polishing pastes.
Additionally, trials are offered with systems that, due to their equipment and flexibility in process design, meet the high demands for cleaning components from medical technology and other industries with strict cleanliness specifications. This includes, for example, the pressure change process Pulsated Pressure Cleaning (PPC). It ensures that contaminants are reliably removed from very complex geometries, narrow lumens, and fine structures.
Surface processing and component cleaning as a service
In addition to trials for the design and optimization of plant technology and processes, the companies in the technology center also offer contract processing in the areas of mass finishing and cleaning. This is particularly interesting for companies when the investment in corresponding equipment for a new series part is not yet justified due to the number of pieces. Also, when new processes need to be developed due to increased cleanliness requirements or for parts that have higher cleanliness specifications than the rest of the product range. In both cases, customers benefit from the fact that, unlike traditional contract processing, the developed mass finishing or cleaning processes can be delivered together with a later investment in plant technology.
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