Check icon

Teaming up with the right partners

Building the highest precision means working with partners who understand exactly what you need. That is why we work with New Way when porous media air bearings are the solution and with Lion Precision for outstanding capacitive and inductive sensors. Siemens is a valued partner for our machine tool products. Read more on our partnerships:

New Way

IBS Precision Engineering design and manufacture the most precise measurement systems, machines and modules. New Way offer a unique product line of outstanding air bearings. That is why we use them in our own systems and guide our customers where they can apply them in theirs.

In 2001, the first contact between New Way and IBS was initiated by the late Dr James B. Bryan, who is considered to be the founding father of modern precision engineering. As a consequence of this initial contact, IBS Precision Engineering founder Henny Spaan became excited about the added value of porous air bearings in precision engineering applications. Air bearings have proven their performance in coordinate measuring machines, precision machine tools, semiconductor wafer processing machines, and other clean room, high speed, and precision positioning environments. For roll2roll manufacture, they also offer a clean, contactless and extremely stable transport solution.

Over the years, the partnership resulted in many innovative applications:

  • Frictionless radial air bearing implemented in CT scanning systems
  • Non-contact Flat Panel Display (FPD) and solar glass handling
  • Non-contact foil/web handling in Organic and Printed Electronics (roll2roll)

Together we continue to help customers rethink the possible.

Lion Precision

In 1995, the Precision Engineering group of the TU Eindhoven brought Lion Precision and IBS together for their first successful precision engineering project. It immediately became clear that both companies shared a passion for ultra-high precision engineering in general and spindle measuring technologies in particular.

The synergy of Lions ultra-high sensors and the vast engineering capabilities of IBS have led to a range of measuring, positioning and alignment systems that make this partnership thrive. Milestones in their cooperation:

  • Development of the first tools for spindle performance measurement leading to industry standards.
  • Becoming the market leader in the Disk Drive industry for spindle run-out measurement. This measurement is critical to achieving ever smaller disk writing densities.
  • A balanced ultra precision product range to picometer accuracy.

At IBS Precision Engineering we supply Lion sensors in Europe and guide customers on their application and integration. We also design and deliver made to order solutions based on Lion sensor technology for advanced applications.

Siemens

IBS Precision Engineering is proud to be a Siemens Product Partner with regard to their 5-axis machine tool qualification tool, the IBS Rotary Inspector. The Siemens Product Partner programme identifies leading companies with recognized expertise in specific fields complementary to Siemens solutions. With the Rotary Inspector, IBS is a product partner to the SINUMERIK product portfolio – where Siemens offers a range of leading CNC controls solutions including premium machine concepts.

Check icon

A part of the world-wide precision engineering community

At IBS we believe in excellence in precision engineering. Through the membership organisations below we both teach and learn, in addition to forming lifelong collaborations and friendships.

VDMA

VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) represents more than 3,100, mostly medium-sized, companies in the capital goods industry, making it the largest industry association in Europe. Supporting the industry in shaping the future is the core of their philosophy.

As a member of the VDMA, IBS has participated in work towards a standard for Industry 4.0 type metrology sensor/system connection to production machines. This is aimed at bringing dimensional product metrology closer to the production machine. IBS Precision Engineering founder, Henny Spaan, sits on the board of the Electronics, Micro and New Energy Production Technologies sector (EMINT.)

ISO

ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 165 national standards bodies. Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.

IBS is active in multiple standards committees and proud that our colleague Dr. Ir. Guido Florussen, Senior Metrology Specialist, is the chairman of committee ISO / TC 39 / SC 2: Test conditions for metal cutting tools. This chairmanship will last until end 2022. Florussen: “We have been an expert in machine accuracy for years. Being a member of a standards committee in our field fits in perfectly with what we are: instrument builders with a scientific background.”

IBS sits on the ISO Committee TC213 (Dimensional and geometrical product specifications and verification). Here new innovations on surface metrology are being addressed, which has led to new standards for optical metrology.

ASPE

The American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE) strives to advance the arts, sciences, and technology of precision engineering. ASPE provides a mechanism to disseminate ideas and best practices through conferences, membership groups, peered-reviewed journal, and website.

IBS Precision Engineering has contributed to the development of ASPE through membership of the Board of Directors.

euspen

The European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (euspen) is an influential community linking industrialists, researchers, respected authorities, new, and established players worldwide. euspen’s defined mission is to advance the arts, sciences and technology of precision engineering, micro engineering and nanotechnology; to promote its dissemination through education and training; and to facilitate its exploitation by science and industry.

IBS Precision Engineering Directors have contributed to the development of the society as Chief Executive and President of the Society.

DSPE

The Dutch Society for Precision Engineering (DSPE) is a professional community for precision engineers: from scientists to craftsmen, employed from laboratories to workshops, from multinationals to small companies and universities. It is the only community in the field of precision engineering in the Netherlands and they have their own journal Mikroniek.

IBS participates on the Advisory Committee of the DSPE.

UPOB

The goal of the German Competence Center "Ultra-Precise Surface Processing", or UPOB for short, is to further develop possibilities to produce technical functional surfaces with the highest accuracy and to characterize them with measurement technology. Therefore, large companies, university institutes and non-university research institutes have come together in this field to bundle their scientific and technical skills. In optics and precision mechanics, machining processes for surfaces of any shape, polishing error correction processes and optical coating techniques, as well as device developments for the lithography of structures smaller than one hundred nanometers, are of great industrial importance and therefore focus areas for UPOB.

IBS Precision Engineering contributes to the work of UPOB through the development of measurement procedures for freeform surfaces.

GTMA

GTMA is a UK-based trade association representing leading companies in precision engineering, rapid product development, toolmaking, tooling technologies, metrology and other critical manufacturing related products and services. The association focuses on major market sector opportunities, from aerospace and automotive to medical and marine. Their work with OEMs and Tier 1s has seen continuous improvement initiatives, raising standards and reinforcing the membership base as a valuable resource for buyers building manufacturing supply chains.

IBS Precision Engineering is contributing unique precision engineering and measurement expertise for the OEM and Tier 1 precision manufacturing supply chain, gained through decades of delivering ground breaking industrial solutions.

CIRP

CIRP is the world leading organization in production engineering research and is at the forefront of design, optimization, control and management of processes, machines and systems. The Academy has restricted membership based on demonstrated excellence in research and has some 600 worldwide academic and industrial members. CIRP aims in general at promoting scientific research, related to manufacturing processes, production equipment and automation, manufacturing systems, product design and manufacturing.

IBS Precision Engineering has contributed a range of papers to CIRP plus provided input to their keynote papers

OE-A

OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association) is the leading international industry association for the emerging technology of organic and printed electronics. Representing the entire value chain, OE-A provides a unique platform for local and international cooperation between companies and research institutes.

IBS Precision Engineering is contributing to the latest developments in precision manufacturing equipment for electronics.

ATCC

In the development of precision systems and machines, thermal effects can play a critical role. As accuracy, productivity and optimisation demands increase, the challenge to further improve performance from the perspective of improved thermal control is of growing importance to markets, ranging from inkjet printing to automotive to lithography systems.

IBS Precision Engineering together with ASML are the founding partners of the Advanced Thermal Control Consortium supporting leading research and development for industry.
Like to know more? Contact us!

European Research Programs

Leading edge metrology is at the core of all that IBS Precision Engineering does. Further to its in-house programmes, IBS partakes in a range of international projects spearheading solutions to next generation measurement challenges for industry and academia.

IBS Precision Engineering participates in European projects from H2020 to the European Metrology Research Program (EMRP).

An investment in knowledge
always pays the best interest.
"
- Benjamin Franklin