Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik

Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik, commonly known as Bihler, is a German industrial machinery manufacturer headquartered in Halblech in Bavaria. The company develops and supplies integrated systems for stamping, forming, wire processing, welding, and automated assembly. Its equipment is used to manufacture components from wire and strip material, including stamped and formed parts as well as finished assemblies. Applications extend across electrical engineering, automotive manufacturing, electronics, and other industrial sectors that require repeatable high-volume production of small and medium-sized metal components. The company's origins date to 1953, when Otto Bihler began developing mechanical equipment for processing springs and wire. A major early milestone came in 1956 with the RM 25 punching and bending machine. The machine arranged several forming units around a vertically oriented working surface, allowing multiple operations on wire or strip material to be combined within one production system. This approach became associated with the Bihler system and helped establish the company's identity in metal forming technology. After the machine was presented at the Hannover Messe in 1957, Bihler expanded production and established a manufacturing facility in Halblech near Füssen. Bihler continued to develop modular and increasingly automated machinery. In 1966, the company introduced a modular concept based in part on the RM 35, enabling punching and bending systems to be configured for different applications. A second factory was opened in Füssen during the 1970s, followed by the creation of Bihler of America, Inc. in North Branch, New Jersey, in 1980. By the middle of the 1980s, Bihler equipment was being used for industrial products such as hooks, clips, electrical components, and other parts formed from wire and strip. The company's technology also included wire-feeding equipment used in the manufacture of hairpins for electric motors, including motors used in vehicles. Following Otto Bihler's death in 1995, management passed to his son, Mathias Bihler. The company subsequently expanded its control and automation capabilities. In 2000, it introduced its first cam-controlled Bimeric CNC system, marking a further move toward digitally controlled production platforms. Bihler has also worked with industrial partners on combined process technologies. In 2011, it collaborated with Freudenberg Sealing Technologies and Trumpf on a laser-based process for metal sealing rings that integrated laser cutting, bending, and welding; the project received the German Innovation Award. Bihler's technology has influenced industry terminology. In German manufacturing usage, the expression “Bihler parts” is sometimes used generically for stamped-and-bent components, even when those parts are produced by other manufacturers. The expression reflects the company's historical role in popularizing combined stamping and bending production methods rather than an exclusive claim over every component described that way. The company has maintained an international presence while adjusting its manufacturing and organizational footprint. Operations at the Austrian subsidiary Bihler Werkzeugtechnik in Weißenbach, Tyrol, associated with the toolmaking division, were discontinued in 2010. In 2025, the company announced planned layoffs affecting 75 employees at its Phillipsburg, New Jersey, plant, with the reductions scheduled to begin in April. Bihler remains an active specialist supplier of machinery, tools, process technology, and production systems for automated metal-component manufacturing.

Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik traces its origins to 1953, when Otto Bihler began developing mechanical systems for spring and wire processing. The company's early work addressed the need to combine multiple metal-forming operations in a single production process. In 1956, Bihler introduced the RM 25 punching and bending machine. Its distinctive arrangement of several forming units around a vertically oriented working surface allowed parts made from wire or strip to pass through successive operations within one machine. This architecture became the basis of what later came to be called the Bihler system. The RM 25 was presented at the Hannover Messe in 1957. Following the trade-fair presentation, Otto Bihler expanded manufacturing and established a small production facility in Halblech near Füssen, Bavaria. The company’s integrated approach helped it build a position in the production of stamped and formed components. Components made using comparable technology became known in German industrial usage as “Bihler parts,” a term that later acquired a broader generic meaning even when the components were not made on Bihler equipment. In 1966, the company introduced a modular concept based partly on the RM 35. The modular design enabled manufacturers to adapt punching and bending machinery to different production requirements and applications. During the 1970s, Bihler opened a second factory in Füssen. The business expanded internationally in 1980 with the start of operations by Bihler of America, Inc. in North Branch, New Jersey. By the mid-1980s, Bihler supplied systems for a range of industrial uses, including production of hooks, clips, electrical components, and other wire- and strip-formed products. Its portfolio also included wire-feeding units used in the production of motor hairpins, including hairpins used in vehicle-related electric motors. Technical assessments of Bihler hairpin-feeding equipment highlighted its accuracy and compact design while also noting the high investment costs and the possibility that such equipment could be oversized for experimental robotic-forming applications. Otto Bihler died in 1995, after which management passed to his son, Mathias Bihler. The company continued to develop automation and control technologies. In 2000, it introduced its first cam-controlled Bimeric CNC system, extending the company's production machinery into computer-controlled forming and assembly processes. Bihler also pursued collaborative process development. In 2011, it worked with Freudenberg Sealing Technologies and Trumpf on a laser-based process for producing metal sealing rings. The process combined laser cutting, bending, and welding in an integrated manufacturing sequence and received the German Innovation Award. The company later adjusted parts of its operational structure. In 2010, operations at Bihler Werkzeugtechnik in Weißenbach, Tyrol, Austria, which belonged to the toolmaking division, were discontinued. In 2025, Bihler announced planned layoffs involving 75 employees at its Phillipsburg, New Jersey, plant, with the measures scheduled to begin in April. The company remains an active German supplier of stamping, forming, welding, assembly, tooling, and automation systems for industrial manufacturers.

1. 2025Planned Phillipsburg workforce reduction

   Bihler announced planned layoffs affecting 75 employees at its Phillipsburg, New Jersey, plant from April 2025.

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2. 2011Laser-based sealing-ring process recognized

   A collaborative laser cutting, bending, and welding process developed with Freudenberg Sealing Technologies and Trumpf received the German Innovation Award.

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3. 2010Austrian toolmaking operation discontinued

   Operations at Bihler Werkzeugtechnik in Weißenbach, Tyrol, were discontinued.

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4. 2000First Bimeric CNC system

   The company introduced its first cam-controlled Bimeric CNC system.

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5. 1995Management succession

   After Otto Bihler's death, management passed to his son, Mathias Bihler.

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6. 1980Bihler of America begins operations

   Bihler of America, Inc. began operating in North Branch, New Jersey, extending the company's international presence.

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7. 1966Modular machine concept

   A modular punching and bending concept based partly on the RM 35 was introduced to support variable production applications.

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8. 1957Hannover Messe presentation

   The RM 25 was presented at the Hannover Messe, supporting the expansion of Bihler's production activities in Halblech.

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9. 1956RM 25 introduced

   Bihler introduced the RM 25 punching and bending machine, which combined several forming units around a vertically oriented working surface.

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10. 1953Company origins

    Otto Bihler began developing mechanical systems for spring and wire processing, establishing the foundation of the later machinery business.

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A specialist German engineering brand focused on integrated, automated, and configurable production systems for high-volume manufacture of stamped, formed, welded, and assembled metal components.

• RM 25Punching and bending machine1956

  Introduced in 1956, the RM 25 was an early Bihler punching and bending machine. It arranged multiple forming units around a vertically oriented working surface, enabling successive operations on wire or strip material within one machine. Its design became closely associated with the Bihler system and helped establish the company's role in integrated metal-forming production.

• RM 35Modular punching and bending platform1966

  The RM 35 served as the basis, at least in part, for a modular machine concept introduced in 1966. The concept allowed forming equipment to be configured for different applications, supporting Bihler's strategy of adapting stamping and bending systems to varied industrial component requirements.

• Bimeric CNC systemsCNC-controlled forming and assembly systems2000

  Bimeric systems represent Bihler's move toward digitally controlled production equipment. The first cam-controlled Bimeric CNC system was introduced in 2000. These systems are associated with automated control of forming and related manufacturing operations, although the available reference material does not specify the full current product range.

• Wire-feeding unitsWire-processing equipment

  Bihler wire-feeding equipment is used to supply and process wire for formed components. One documented application is the manufacture of hairpins for electric motors, including motors used in vehicles. Technical discussions have noted the equipment's accuracy and compact design, alongside relatively high investment requirements.

• Integrated stamping, forming, welding, and assembly systemsIndustrial production systems

  Bihler's broader offering consists of integrated production systems that combine metal stamping, forming, wire processing, welding, and assembly. The systems are designed for efficient production of individual components and complete assemblies from wire or strip material, serving electrical, automotive, electronics, and other industrial applications.

• 2025Planned Phillipsburg workforce reductionStrategy

  The company announced a workforce reduction at its Phillipsburg, New Jersey, plant.

  What changed. Bihler announced planned layoffs affecting 75 employees beginning in April 2025.

  Aftermath. The available reference does not state whether the planned reduction was completed or describe its broader business impact.

  Source
• 2010Discontinuation of Austrian toolmaking operationStrategy

  Bihler's toolmaking division included the Austrian subsidiary Bihler Werkzeugtechnik in Weißenbach, Tyrol.

  What changed. Operations at the Austrian subsidiary were discontinued.

  Aftermath. The available reference does not specify the financial or operational consequences beyond the closure of those activities.

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• 2025Bihler announces planned layoffs at Phillipsburg plant

  The company announced that 75 employees at its Phillipsburg, New Jersey, plant were scheduled to be laid off beginning in April 2025.

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• 2011Bihler, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, and Trumpf receive German Innovation Award for laser-based sealing-ring process

  A joint project combining laser cutting, bending, and welding for metal sealing rings received the German Innovation Award.

  Other
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1. Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik