IBL-Löttechnik GmbH officially opened its new headquarters in the Breitweidig industrial estate in Forchheim with a festive ceremony. The new building is far more than just an expansion of space: it is the centrepiece of a well thought-out production strategy with which IBL is further expanding its high level of vertical integration, modernizing CNC production and specifically dividing the production of various system series between two locations, for shorter throughput times, greater flexibility and even more reliable delivery capability.
From garage to modern production site
IBL-Löttechnik was founded in 1985 by Helmut Leicht in Augsburg, initially as a modest engineering office in a garage. Just two years later, in 1987, the company began manufacturing its first own vapour phase soldering systems. In 1992, the company moved to Königsbrunn near Augsburg, where the production area grew from around 500 to 2,000 square meters over the years. With the new location in Forchheim, a further 2,800 square meters have now been added. This brings the company's total area to around 4,800 square meters.
Armin Leicht has been running the company in the second generation since 2017. With the opening in Forchheim, he is turning his father's vision into reality. The new building was planned together, but Helmut Leicht unfortunately did not live to see its completion.
„I'm sure he'll be with us today.“
With the location in Forchheim, IBL-Löttechnik is able to continue the construction of your new Inline system series CCS100/Smartphase and expand into new markets.
Forchheim as a strategic location
Forchheim was deliberately chosen. The excellent connection to the highway network, the proximity to Nuremberg Airport and the access to skilled workers from the metropolitan region were decisive factors. However, the opportunity to establish a fully-fledged, independent manufacturing operation here was strategically decisive. With modern CNC milling machines, in-house machining and assembly capacities for defined system series, Forchheim becomes the company's second fully equipped production site. IBL currently employs seven people at the new site; the aim is to increase this to between 20 and 30 in the areas of machining mechanics, mechanics, electrics, development and sales.
The opening was attended by numerous business partners and local politicians. Wolfram Brehm, Managing Director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Upper Franconia Bayreuth, acknowledged the importance of the project for the economic region. This was rounded off with a greeting from the Bavarian State Chancellery from the Head of the State Chancellery, Dr. Florian Herrmann, who emphasized the importance of medium-sized companies for the Bavarian economy and congratulated IBL-Löttechnik as a technology leader on its new location in Upper Franconia.
Technology leader with global reach
IBL is regarded as a pioneer and technology leader in the field of vapour phase soldering electronic assemblies. The process impresses with its gentle and uniform heating, high reproducibility, process reliability and significantly faster heat transfer compared to conventional convection ovens. The systems are used wherever particularly reliable solder joints are required, in the aerospace, defense technology, automotive, medical technology and semiconductor industries, as well as in the green energy and e-mobility sectors.
Today, IBL supplies customers in over 70 countries worldwide, supported by a network of more than 80 sales partners. More than 30 national and international patents underline the company's continuous innovative strength. In addition to the headquarters in Königsbrunn and the new headquarters in Forchheim, IBL operates a subsidiary in St. Cloud, FL USA.
Award for long-standing partnership
As part of the opening ceremony, IBL honored particularly long-standing sales partners with special awards. As an outstanding example: The company Bienert Labor- und Fertigungseinrichtungen, a partner of IBL since 1995, was honored for its more than three decades of cooperation. A rare sign of reliability and mutual trust in a fast-moving industry.
Specialist presentations and training sessions rounded off the program and underlined IBL's claim not only to open up, but also to share knowledge and strengthen networks.
International network visits Forchheim
A special sign of IBL's global appeal was the composition of the guest list. Sales partners and business associates from all over the world traveled to the opening ceremony, from numerous European countries as well as Turkey, South Korea, Japan, China and the USA. The fact that some company partners traveled long distances to be present in Forchheim on this day underlines the depth and quality of the relationships that IBL has built up over decades on all continents.
The presence of international guests made the event more than just a regional opening ceremony. It became the meeting place for a global professional community, living proof that Forchheim will not only be a production location in the future, but also a meeting place for the global vapour phase soldering industry.
Production strategy: specialization instead of centralization
The new building in Forchheim is the result of a consistent strategic decision. IBL remains true to its philosophy of high vertical integration and implements it at a new level. While many competitors outsource or simplify production, IBL takes the opposite approach and invests in its own expertise, its own machines and its own processes.
In concrete terms, this means that different series of systems will be manufactured specifically at the respective specialized locations in future. Batch systems and existing series lines will remain in Königsbrunn, while Forchheim will take over production of the new inline system series. CCS100/Smartphase takes over. This clear division of tasks makes it possible to reduce construction times, optimize processes and noticeably shorten delivery times without compromising on quality. With local supply chains, state-of-the-art CNC technology and a clear focus on sustainability and efficiency, IBL remains true to its claim of „Made in Germany“ in every respect.
