Brandauer’s CEO Rowan Crozier (left) with Bruderer UK’s managing director Adrian HallerA precision relationship that has spanned more than 60 years is celebrating a new milestone after the latest turnkey project delivered major performance wins on a male grooming component supply contract.
Brandauer, one of the world’s leading metal stamping and tooling specialists, worked with
Bruderer UK to specify and install a new BSTA510-150B2 press and associated ancillary equipment, capable of producing millions of precision razor frames every week.
The £700,000 machine line delivers 51 tonnes of power at up to 1,050 strokes/min, with a unique 1,500mm press bed facilitating the adoption of a four element fully modular progression tool that meets the demand for volume, accuracy and part-to-part reliability for its international customer. In addition, a BBV191 precision mechanical feed was specified to cater for high tensile stainless steel that is just 0.15mm thick.
Rowan Crozier, CEO of Brandauer, said “Our relationship with Bruderer goes way beyond that of a machine supplier; in essence the press specialist has become a critical partner in our pursuit of new automated process development and ultra precision parts. The latest BSTA510-150B2 press is the perfect example of how the relationship works. We won and set up a new line to supply lead frames for subscription razor assemblies and, due to increasing volumes, recognised the need for additional capacity that could take us to the next level. We sat down with Bruderer UK’s expert sales team, who are all former toolmakers, and came up with an option that gave us the power, the control, the speed and the accuracy our clients were craving.”
Repeatable accuracyThe Bruderer UK press features dynamic ram adjustment and guaranteed bottom dead centre position, ensuring process stability and part quality. Ram guidance — exclusively at strip level — ensured the £250,000 progression tool is in safe hands and is kept perfectly square regardless of whatever off-centre loading is applied. This further bolsters the repeatable accuracy of the press and contributes to the longest possible tool life. The Bruderer B2 Control delivers quicker tool changeovers by using stored data and process parameters of any given tool to automatically adjust the Bruderer press to match requirements.
Adrian Haller, managing director of Bruderer UK, said: “The latest project means we have now placed 38 different machines into Brandauer’s Birmingham factory since the early 1960s. We know each other inside out and this means we can work quickly to test-run tooling projects, seamlessly picking-up highly confidential contracts where precision is paramount. Through tooling concepts, press optimisation, protection systems and ancillary equipment, we are able to jointly deliver world-class automation solutions that go far beyond a simple machine sale. The razor contract was secured against international competition and proves that UK manufacturing can be very cost competitive.”
Bruderer UK opened its new competence centre in Telford in January 2025, and this ‘state of the art’ facility is playing a key role in how the relationship develops. The speed of securing spares and repairs has improved even further, while demonstration of machinery and ancillary equipment can be quickly arranged and completed, leading to the purchase of a Micro Servo Feeder and sensors for increased safety on the machines. Engineers from both firms have also used collaborative knowledge to explore R&D projects, with the most notable being breakthrough work with Ford.
Mr Crozier concluded: “The engineering professionalism of the Bruderer UK engineers really stands out and is something we have tapped into significantly over recent years — there is a real appetite from them to make sure UK manufacturing thrives. A relationship of more than six decades proves the importance of collaboration and the longevity of its precision high-speed presses that are among the best in the world.”