CSEM awards its Digital Journey prize of CHF 100’000 to DIXI Polytool

DIXI Polytool, a creator of precision tools, is the winner of the CSEM Digital Journey 2022. The company will receive the equivalent of CHF 100,000 in technical support from the CSEM.

DIXI Polytool, a family-owned company, is based in Le Locle (canton of Neuchâtel), the heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry. Specialized in hard metal and diamond precision cutting tools, the company plans to use the knowledge of CSEM to advance the digitization of its processes and adopt a global Industry 4.0 approach. This will enable it to improve its productivity, ensure its competitiveness at the European level and maintain the manufacture of its products in Switzerland.

“With a strategy focused on niche markets and a desire to expand geographically through European sales branches, DIXI Polytool wants to keep its production in Switzerland. However, with this approach, we have to take into account that if sales in the euro zone are growing, current exchange rate fluctuations are hurting export margins. We must therefore improve our company’s productivity in order to remain profitable and competitive in the European markets,” explained Simon Bournez, technical director of DIXI Polytool. “Digitization and automation of our manufacturing processes are essential tools to meet this challenge and fit perfectly with the implementation of lean manufacturing concepts we have introduced in recent years.”

A local and international impact

By winning the CSEM Digital Journey award, DIXI Polytool aims to develop a 100% autonomous production cell encompassing all stages of the process, from material preparation to packaging and quality control.

This initiative will require various digital elements such as sensors, artificial intelligence and communication protocols, which CSEM can provide to DIXI Polytool to achieve its digital transformation. In addition, this entirely local partnership will facilitate knowledge exchange and allow the project to move forward at a steady pace.

Open to all SMEs in Switzerland that are looking to improve their business through digitization, the CSEM Digital Journey award is designed to support national and traditional SMEs to increase their impact in their industry and boost the Swiss economy.