Swiss microsystems manufacturer: precision turning, miniature ball bearings, medical technology and watch components
MPS Micro Precision Systems AG
Biel/Bienne · Bonfol · Court · Glovelier · La Chaux-de-Fonds · Somerville (Boston), USANew on Amplifa
About MPS Micro Precision Systems
MPS Micro Precision Systems AG is a Swiss company founded in 1936 as RMB – Roulements Miniatures Bienne SA, headquartered in Biel/Bienne with more than 500 employees. The group manufactures custom microsystems, miniature ball bearings, ball screw drives, orthopedic medical devices, watch components and Swiss precision turned parts with diameters from 0.1 to 51 mm. The value chain ranges from development and prototyping through industrialization and series production to heat treatment, polishing, laser engraving and welding, surface treatment, gear cutting and cleanroom assembly to ISO 7 (ISO 14644-1). Materials processed include copper alloys, mild and stainless steels, high-alloy medical-grade steels, aluminum and titanium. The four business units MPS Microsystems, MPS Watch, MPS Décolletage and MPS Precimed serve industries such as the watch industry, medical technology, orthopedics, aerospace, semiconductors, optics & photonics and automotive. Together with parent company FAULHABER Group, electric drive systems are also manufactured.
- Site
- Biel/Bienne
- Processes
- Precision turning (Décolletage, Swiss turning), Precision turning (Swiss precision parts), Taillage (gear hobbing/gearing), Roulage (rolling/roller burnishing), Rectification (grinding), Traitement thermique (heat treatment), Polissage et tribofinition (polishing and tribo-finishing), Décoration horlogère (watch decoration)
- Materials
- Copper alloys, Mild steels, Stainless steels, Aluminum, Titanium, High-alloy steels for medical technology, Precision turning (Décolletage), ISO 7 cleanroom assembly (ISO 14644-1)
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 14001
- Founded
- 1936
- Employees
- > 500
- Industries
- Watch industry, Medical technology/implants, Orthopedic surgery & traumatology, Aerospace & defense, Semiconductors/electronics, Astronomy/science
- 01
Development and prototyping
- 02
Precision turning (Décolletage)
- 03
Gear cutting/broaching
- 04
Grinding
- 05
Heat treatment
- 06
Surface treatment
- 07
Laser engraving and welding
- 08
Assembly (ISO 7 cleanroom)
- 09
Metrology/quality inspection
Materials and Processes
Copper alloys
For conductive precision parts, e.g. in connector technology.
Mild steels
Base material for turned and milled components with downstream heat treatment.
Stainless steels
Corrosion-resistant components for watches, medical technology and industry.
High-alloy steels for medical technology
Machining of high-alloy steels for medical components with in-house cleanroom production.
Aluminum
Lightweight precision parts for automation, optics and aerospace.
Titanium
Biocompatible, lightweight components mainly for medical technology.
Precision turning (Décolletage)
Swiss turning from Ø 0.1 to 51 mm on approx. 100 cam automatic lathes and more than 20 CNC automatic lathes in 24-hour operation.
ISO 7 cleanroom assembly (ISO 14644-1)
Assembly of medical systems under controlled cleanroom conditions.
High-precision stamping
Manufacture of watch cases and balance weights at Charly Veya.
Laser engraving and laser welding
Marking and joining of micro-components.
Locations
Biel/Bienne
CHHeadquarters; MPS Microsystems, MPS Watch (Sales & R&D), MPS Precimed
- Materials
- Steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, plastic
- Eco-building 14,400 m² (2008) + second building 3,000 m² (2020)
- ISO 7 class cleanroom (ISO 14644-1)
- Metrology/measuring equipment park
Bonfol
CHMPS Watch production
- Materials
- Steel, stainless steel, brass
- Production building 7,000 m² (2013)
- Solar system 220 kW (2021)
Court
CHMPS Décolletage – Swiss precision turning
- Lot size
- Small, medium and large series (24-hour operation)
- Materials
- Copper alloys, mild steels, stainless steels, high-alloy medical-grade steels, aluminum, titanium
- approx. 100 cam automatic lathes (Swiss-type lathes, Ø 0.1–42 mm)
- more than 20 CNC automatic lathes
- SPC measuring stations
- Cleanroom assembly (ISO 7)
- Eco-building 3,400 m² (2015)
Glovelier
CHCharly Veya – high-performance stamping technology (watch cases, balance weights)
- High-performance stamping presses
La Chaux-de-Fonds
CHMonnier SA – watch part finishing, surface treatment
- Surface treatment systems
Somerville (Boston), MA
USAMPS USA Inc. – North America sales (since 2022)
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precision turning (Décolletage, Swiss turning)Machining | – | Ø 0.1 mm to 42 mm | – | Small series – Large series (24h/24h production) | Copper alloys, mild steels, stainless steels, aluminum, titanium, all machinable materials, high-alloy steels for medical technology |
| Precision turning (Swiss precision parts)Machining | – | Ø 0.2 mm to 51 mm | – | – | – |
| Taillage (gear hobbing/gearing)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Roulage (rolling/roller burnishing)Forming | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rectification (grinding)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Traitement thermique (heat treatment)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| Polissage et tribofinition (polishing and tribo-finishing)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Décoration horlogère (watch decoration)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gravage et soudage laser (laser engraving and laser welding)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Assemblage de composants (component assembly)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dorage, nickelage etc. (gilding, nickel plating etc.)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Traitement thermique et de surface (heat and surface treatment for contact parts)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| High-frequency machining, polygon turning, whirl milling, high-pressure drillingMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| High-precision stamping (watch cases and balance weights)Forming | – | – | – | – | – |
| Surface treatments for watch finishes (Monnier)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Cleanroom assembly of medical systems (ISO 7 class – ISO 14644-1)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Development and prototyping through industrialization and manufacturing of microsystemsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ball bearings and linear guides/miniature ball screw drives (manufacture of electromechanicalAssembly | Positioning accuracy < 5 µm | – | – | – | – |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cam automatic lathe (Swiss-type lathe with cam discs) | – | ca. 100 | Ø 0.1–42 mm | – | Court |
| CNC automatic lathe (tour automatique CNC) | – | über 20 | Ø 0.1–42 mm | – | Court |
| Cleanroom (ISO 7 class, ISO 14644-1) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Metrology/measuring equipment park | – | ca. 11.000 | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Certifications
The company-wide quality management system is certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016 (SQS certificate no. 40115) and ISO 14001:2015. Production is monitored via SPC (Statistical Process Control); the measuring equipment includes around 11,000 measuring devices, of which 2,000–3,000 are in daily use, calibrated against national standards.
| Evidence | Biel/Bienne | Bonfol | Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |||
| ISO 13485 | |||
| ISO 14001 |
History
- 1929
Tradition of precision turning at MPS Décolletage (original company) since 1929
- 1936
Founded as RMB – Roulements Miniatures Bienne SA
- 2000
RMB becomes Myonic; FAULHABER Group acquires the microsystems division and founds MPS Micro Precision Systems AG
- 2008
Move to an ecological 14,400 m² building in Biel
- 2011
Invention of the Dara, a radial micro differential ball bearing for the power reserve
- 2013
New MPS Watch building in Bonfol (7,000 m²); founding of MPS Precimed SA after acquisition of Greatbatch Medical Switzerland
- 2014
Acquisition of the activities of Ceré SA (Reconvillier) and merger with MPS Precimed
- 2015
Acquisition of Rolla Décolletage SA and merger to form MPS Décolletage SA; new building in Court (3,400 m²); structural separation of MPS Microsystems / MPS Watch
- 2016
Three US sales representatives appointed for MPS Microsystems
- 2017
50 years of MPS Watch Bonfol
- 2018
MPS official supplier to SolarStratos
- 2019
Merger of MPS Décolletage SA into MPS Micro Precision Systems AG (01.01.2019)
- 2020
Second building at the Biel headquarters (3,000 m²)
- 2021
Solar system Bonfol (220 kW); total photovoltaic capacity 534 kW
- 2022
Merger of MPS Precimed SA into MPS Micro Precision Systems AG (01.07.2022); founding of MPS USA Inc. in Boston
- 2023
Acquisition of Charly Veya SA (Glovelier)
- 2024
Acquisition of Monnier SA and Procolor LCTI Sàrl (La Chaux-de-Fonds)
- 2025
Gilles Robert takes over the CEO role from Nicola Thibaudeau (01.01.2025)