Switzerland-based Mikron Group (www.mikron.com), which develops, manufactures and markets highly precise, productive and adaptable automation solutions, machining systems and cutting tools, achieved a significant year-on-year increase in order intake and net sales in 2018.

It ended the year with sales growth of 26.8% and a record order intake continued to develop positively and reached a record level of CHF 362.3 million.

The group began 2019 with a record order book of CHF 195.7 million (end of 2017: CHF 157.2 million).

Both business segments (machining solutions and automation) contributed to the sales growth.

All Mikron Group operations profited from the fact that the market was generally stable in 2018.

With customers’ production systems still running at high capacity, the demand for tools and services increased.

In the 2018 financial year, the Mikron Group saw 29.9% year-on-year growth in incoming orders to CHF 362.3 million.

Mikron Automation reported incoming orders of CHF 200.9 million in 2018, an increase of 59.4% compared with 2017.

Following solid order intake in the first half, the automation business won a number of large orders in the second half, some of which will generate sales into 2020.

The group is not expecting to attract the same volume of new large orders in 2019.

The Machining Solutions business recorded an increase in order intake from CHF 152.9 million in 2017 to CHF 162.2 million in 2018.

Its sales increased by 29.6% in 2018, from CHF 124.1 million to CHF 160.8 million, while the automation business posted growth of 24.5% — from CHF 124.6 million to CHF 155.2 million.

On the basis of the provisional closing figures, the Mikron Group is looking to achieve a net result of about CHF 12 million for 2018 (2017: CHF 1.2 million).

The group will announce the detailed final figures for 2018 at the Media and Analyst Conference in Zurich on 20 March.