Precision mechanical CNC manufacturing, custom-made cuvettes and analytical services for the laboratory

Portmann Instruments AG

Gewerbestrasse 18, CH-4105 Biel-Benken (headquarters with application laboratory and precision mechanical workshop)New on Amplifa

Active for 50 yearsCompany on the market

Precision mechanical manufacturing and analytical services

Portmann Instruments AG (PIAG), based in Biel-Benken near Basel, has been supporting customers for 50 years with instruments, accessories and tools for the analytical laboratory. Its own precision mechanical workshop produces precise milled and turned parts from single pieces to medium series using CNC methods, including 3D-CAD design, prototype construction and OEM manufacturing of assemblies and complete instruments with final assembly and test certificates. Parts are manufactured in stainless steel, titanium, tool steel, aluminium, brass as well as plastics such as PTFE, PEEK, nylon, POM and plexiglass. Further products include cuvettes made of ES and IR quartz glass, holders and accessories for spectroscopy and microscopy as well as custom-made laboratory items. Customers come from the chemical industry (including plastics), the metal and electrical industries, the pharmaceutical and forensic sectors, as well as from research laboratories and instrument manufacturers (OEM).

Site: CH-4105 Biel-Benken
Processes: CNC milling (precise milled parts, single parts to medium series), CNC turning (precise turned parts, single parts to medium series), Prototype construction / development & design (3-D CAD), Final assembly of assemblies and complete instruments with certificates (OEM), Quality control with test certificates for single parts and assemblies, Adaptations and modifications to existing instruments and systems, Manufacture of custom-made cuvettes according to customer specification, Technical service and repairs (including Digilab, Agilent, Hitachi, Specac, Alpha M.O.S., Varian)
Materials: Stainless steel / chrome steel, Titanium, Tool steel, Aluminium (Al), Brass, Teflon / PTFE, PEEK, Nylon
Certificates: Quality control with test certificates
Industries: Chemical industry (including plastics), Metal and electrical industry, Pharmaceutical industry, Forensics, Research laboratories, Instrument manufacturers (OEM)

01
3D-CAD design and development
02
Prototype construction
03
CNC milling and CNC turning
04
Quality control with test certificates
05
Final assembly of assemblies and complete instruments

Materials and processes

Stainless steel / chrome steel

For precise milled and turned parts as well as OEM assemblies.

Titanium

For corrosion-resistant, high-strength laboratory and OEM parts.

WSt

Tool steel

For wear-resistant mechanical components.

Aluminium

For lightweight, cost-effective mechanical parts and housings.

Brass

For precisely manufactured small mechanical parts.

PTFE

PTFE / Teflon

For chemically resistant laboratory accessory parts.

PEEK

For high-quality, temperature-resistant plastic parts.

Nylon

For mechanical plastic components.

POM

For precise plastic parts in the laboratory sector.

PMMA

Plexiglass (PMMA)

For transparent components and housing parts.

ES and IR quartz glass, optical glass

Materials for custom-made cuvettes according to customer specification.

Site

Biel-Benken

Headquarters with application laboratory and precision mechanical workshop (CNC manufacturing)

Part weight / size: up to 250 kg loading weight (5-axis milling machine)
Lot size: Single parts to medium series
Materials: Stainless steel, titanium, tool steel, aluminium, brass, PTFE, PEEK, nylon, POM, PMMA

Fehlman Picomax 80 CNC-W 2/3 (3-axis, 700 x 315 x 180 mm)
DMG Mori DMU 40 eVo linear (5-axis, 24,000 min-1, since 2023)
Okuma LB15 CNC lathe with tailstock (210 x 500 mm)
Schaublin 125-CCN CNC lathe (turning length 650 mm)
3D-CAD design systems

Components

**5-axis CNC milled part**CNC milling · precision mechanics/OEM

**CNC turned part**CNC turning · precision mechanics/OEM

**Custom-made cuvette**Quartz glass · spectroscopy

**Holders and accessories for spectroscopy and microscopy**CNC manufacturing · analytical laboratory

Inside the production

5-axis milling machine DMU 40 eVo linear (since 2023)

Fehlman Picomax 80 CNC-W 2/3, 3-axis milling machine

Manufactured parts from the precision mechanical workshop

Industries

Chemical industry (including plastics)Metal and electrical industryPharmaceutical industryForensicsResearch laboratoriesInstrument manufacturers (OEM)Chemical industry (including plastics)

Processes & technical limits

Processes	Tolerance	Max. part	Weight	Lot size	Materials
CNC milling (precise milled parts, single parts to medium series)Machining	–	700 mm (working area X, Y, Z: 700 x	250 kg (loading weight 5-axis DMU 40	single parts – medium series	Stainless steel, Titanium, Tool steel, Aluminium, Brass, Teflon, PTFE, PEEK, Nylon, POM, Plexiglass
CNC turning (precise turned parts, single parts to medium series)Machining	–	500 mm (bar stock length Okuma LB15)	–	single parts – medium series	Stainless steel, Titanium, Tool steel, Aluminium, Brass, Teflon, PTFE, PEEK, Nylon, POM, Plexiglass
Prototype construction / development & design (3-D CAD)Engineering	–	–	–	1	Chrome steel, Aluminium, Brass, Titanium, Plastics
Final assembly of assemblies and complete instruments with certificates (OEM)Assembly	–	–	–	–	–
Quality control with test certificates for single parts and assembliesTesting	–	–	–	–	–
Adaptations and modifications to existing instruments and systemsAssembly	–	–	–	–	–
Manufacture of custom-made cuvettes according to customer specificationManufacturing/custom fabrication	–	–	–	–	ES quartz glass, IR quartz glass, Optical glass

4 Anlagen & Maschinen

Machine	Manufacturer / model	Quantity	Working area	Year built	Site
3-axis CNC milling machine	Fehlman Picomax 80 CNC-W 2/3	1	X,Y,Z: 700 x 315 x 180 mm	–	Biel-Benken
5-axis CNC milling machine	DMG Mori / DMU Evo DMU 40 eVo linear	1	X,Y,Z: 400 x 400 x 375 mm; motor spindle 24,000 min-1; B-axis -5/+110°; loading weight up to 250 kg	2023	Biel-Benken
CNC lathe with tailstock	Okuma LB15	1	Max. turning diameter/bar stock length: 210 x 500 mm; bore diameter 45 mm	–	Biel-Benken
CNC lathe	Schaublin 125-CCN	1	Over the bed wing 400 mm; over the carriage 160 mm; turning length between centers 650 mm	–	Biel-Benken

Additional services

Technical service and repairs (including Digilab, Agilent, Hitachi, Specac, Alpha M.O.S., Varian)Instrument qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ)Service, maintenance and qualification contractsService packages for SEM (Hitachi TM series)Training (IR spectroscopy, SEM)Analytics and application support (ATR, DRIFT, grazing angle, IR imaging, SEM-EDS)Rental of instruments (TM with EDX, FTIR)Precision mechanical manufacturing: CNC milling and turning (single parts to small series)Development and prototype construction, 3D-CAD designOEM manufacturing of single parts, assemblies and complete instrumentsFinal assembly with certificatesQuality control with test certificatesAdaptations and modifications to existing instrumentsCustom-made cuvettes

Quality

Upon request, Portmann Instruments performs quality control with test certificates for single parts and assemblies. Final assembly of assemblies and complete instruments is carried out with certificates.

Evidence	Biel-Benken
Quality control with test certificates

History

For 50 years, support of customers with instruments, accessories and tools for the analytical laboratory
1990
Peter Stark (CTO and member of the management board) with the company
2008
Yves Jaccaud (management and head of sales) with the company
2014
Nicolas Hess (workshop manager, precision mechanical manufacturing) with the company
2017
Hans-Jörg Grether (application) with the company
2020
Manuel Stark (marketing) with the company
2023
Marc Chapuis and Rebekka Suter with the company; commissioning of the new 5-axis milling machine DMU 40 eVo linear
2024
Andreas Michelfeit (senior service technician electron microscopy) with the company
2025
Theo Bühler (application) with the company