When it comes to safety, flexibility and process monitoring, old systems are often no longer able to meet today’s requirements. A Swiss manufacturer of lubrication and dosing technology has therefore opted for a new assembly press and made several advances in its production.
Abnox AG has been based in Cham, Switzerland, since 1946. When the company was founded, company bosses August Kaltenbacher and Heinrich Sandmeier planted a cherry tree as a symbol of Zug’s cherry culture and as a symbol of growth and stability. Since then, many people have nurtured the tree and the company. To mark its 75th anniversary, the company therefore planted a new cherry tree to symbolize both its beginnings and its steady growth.
Abnox offers its customers coordinated systems for handling lubricants and oils. They accompany the media through the entire process, from removal from the original container to pressure control and material application via dosing valves. The technology is designed to master even the most difficult challenges in industrial environments. Whether highly viscous greases, sensitive silicone oils or large-volume drum emptying, Abnox guarantees air-free conveying and maximum container emptying.
© Tox Pressotechnik
Machinery needed modernization
In the course of modernizing its machinery, Abnox identified a need for optimization, particularly in the production of grease nipples. The existing systems were outdated and could no longer meet the requirements for flexibility and safety.
As assembly manager and production planner Christian Iten explains, the increasing number of variants in particular led to greater complexity in the processes. At the same time, there was a lack of options for end-to-end process monitoring and the evaluation of production data.
With this in mind, Abnox opted for the Tox Flexpress Compact assembly press. The decisive factor was the ability to map different applications on one machine while maintaining high process stability. The system has been in use since August 2025 and was implemented in just a few months – from the order in December 2024 to delivery in April 2025 and commissioning.
Instead of three systems, one is now sufficient
In production, the Flexpress Compact covers a press force range from 1.5 to 60 kN. This means that various applications can be realized economically on one system; previously, three systems were required. Processes can be adapted to the components.
One advantage lies in the individual parameterization options, as Tox reports: Press force, speed and other parameters can be set, while all process data is recorded and evaluated at the same time. This transparency was not available with the previous systems. Thanks to integration into the company network, the data is also available for analysis and optimization and forms the basis for data-based production.
In addition to the technology, the cooperation of all project participants was a decisive success factor, as they say. Abnox defined the practical requirements, Tox supplied the press technology and ACD Engineering AG, as the sales partner in Switzerland, developed the tool holders. During the course of the project, it became clear that the coordination between the partners contributed to the rapid and targeted implementation. Abnox describes the collaboration as constructive and solution-oriented, forming the basis for further joint projects and serving as a reference.
© Tox Pressotechnik
Process data creates transparency
A key added value of the new assembly press lies in the recording and evaluation of process data. Every pressing process is documented and can be analyzed in detail. For Abnox, this means better control of the production processes. Deviations can be detected and corrected at an early stage, which increases process reliability. “The evaluation of the pressing data allows us to analyze our processes much more precisely. We recognize deviations at an early stage and can take countermeasures,” explains Iten.
In addition to transparency, the benefits of the new system can be seen in the increase in efficiency. Thanks to improved tool holders and a simpler program setup, Abnox was able to reduce changeover times by around 75%. As the Flexpress Compact replaces several old machines, different applications can be bundled together. This simplifies internal processes and shortens throughput times.
Relief for employees and higher process quality
Data acquisition reduces the effort required for manual inspections and relieves the strain on employees. At the same time, the repeat accuracy of the press ensures consistent component quality. From a production perspective, this leads to more stable processes and better traceability, a decisive factor for quality assurance.
With the Tox Flexpress Compact, Abnox has implemented a system that improves both efficiency and process quality. The combination of flexibility, process control and data acquisition enables economical production despite a wide range of variants. The parameterizable press system pays off, especially with changing requirements and different pressing forces.
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