With beats, theatrical fog and applause from the professional audience the CHIRON Group at OPEN HOUSE 2025 celebrated the world premiere of the new Micro5 XL and the consistent further development of the revolutionary Micro5 machine concept. The new micro machining center combines maximum dynamics, ultimate precision and an extended range of parts in a minimum of space.
On the stage in the CHIRON Group machine hall, CTO Dr.-Ing. Claus Eppler and Senior Product Manager Michael Wurster provided exciting insights into the development project. In an interview with Matthias Rapp, Vice President Global Marketing, they also talked about challenges, technological priorities and the benefits offered by the new micro machine.
The markets are changing, and all players know how dynamic things are at the moment. With the Micro5 XL, we are responding to the increasing demand for high-precision solutions for smaller workpieces – for example for medical or precision technology – in a targeted manner and, in my opinion, at exactly the right time. We now have the right product for this.
We introduced the Micro5 a few years ago. It has proven itself in many applications, but reaches its natural limits on larger workpieces and higher spindle power. Our development goal was to resolve precisely these limitations, with more working area and more spindle power. In short, with more power on the workpiece – with the same precision and dynamics. High-speed cutting has of course also been considered and integrated. So everything is XL, yet clearly based on the successful Micro5 concept.
Well, how often do you actually have the opportunity to define a new class of machine and launch it on the market? Of course, there are many machining centers that also process workpieces up to 120 mm. The emphasis is on »also«, as these systems usually have a significantly larger footprint. Conversely, there are very compact machines that can only process smaller parts. With the Micro5 XL, we have closed this very gap – very compact design, but at the same time a significantly larger working area.
The biggest challenge was actually to fit everything into a minimum of space – in the working area and above all in the overall installation space of the Micro5 XL. On the one hand, it was necessary to integrate all the units and, on the other, to realize the high dynamics which is a typical distinguishing feature not only of our now two micro machines. We succeeded. HSC machining, as already mentioned, is integrated and the variety of components has been greatly expanded. So all the development goals have been achieved.
Yes, the maximum dynamics. We achieve jerk values of up to 900 m/s³, which is huge. This enables outstanding web and processing speeds with maximum precision. And all of this in a very compact, resource-efficient design – overall, and in this combination, that is something really special.
Michael Wurster: Customers were part of the process right from the start. At a very early stage, we talked to target users about their requirements and also about specific problems in day-to-day production. We have taken these requirements, structured them and integrated them into our concept. What we presented at OPEN HOUSE 2025 is the result of this exchange – and the feedback from the premiere audience confirms that we have chosen the right approach.
Of course the Micro5 XL itself, but I'm most proud of the team. The development team, product management, many internal departments and our partners have achieved great things together in a short space of time. The close cooperation with our customers has also ensured that we have not only realized a technically impressive product, but also a market-driven product with which our customers will really be able to realize a new dimension in micromachining in the future.
Without giving too much away: At EMO Hannover 2025, we will be presenting the Micro5 XL in combination with customized automation, which still has a very compact footprint. And, a central aspect for daily practice, consistent and intuitive operating logic.
| Machining cube up to | 120 x 120 x 120 mm |
| Travel X – Y – Z | 170 – 140 – 120 mm |
| Rapid feed X – Y – Z | 30 – 30 – 30 m/min |
| Axis acceleration X – Y – Z | 15 – 15 – 20 m/s² |
| Jerks up to | 900 m/s³ |
| Chip-to-chip time | 3.5 s |
| Milling spindle speed | 40,000 | 50,000 rpm |
| Tool capacity max. | 100 tools |
| B axis swivel range | -90° to +120° |
| Footprint incl. periphery | only 1.7 m² |
| Weight approx. | 2,300 kg |
Find out what else the CHIRON Group has in store for EMO Hannover 2025 here.
Machining centers from two categories are suitable for processing small, delicate workpieces: Micro machines or compact machines. But as similar as the names sound, the machines are anything but. As founder of MECATIS and CEO of CHIRON Swiss, Samuel Vuadens played a decisive role in the development and global scaling of the Micro5, the most successful micro machine to date. For him there are six criteria that make the difference between the two categories.
Compact machines – the name says it all – are characterized by their compact footprint and can fit into any production environment. From a mechanical engineering perspective, their design is conventional and geared towards the machining of standard parts using established processes. In contrast, micro machines set new standards in the machining of sophisticated components with their exceptional ratio of 5:1 between the structural dimensions of the machine and the maximum workpiece size. With the Micro5 this means: A milling center of 250 mm for a workpiece cubature of up to 50 mm; with the Micro5 XL it is 600 mm for the center of the machine with a maximum edge length of 120 mm.
This ratio is unique, combining extreme compactness with outstanding performance. By reducing the moving masses, micro machines achieve exceptional dynamics without sacrificing rigidity – a key criterion for fast and high-precision machining cycles. This achieves excellent repeatability and precision even in very challenging applications.
ompact machines are essentially smaller versions of conventional systems. Their design is geared towards flexibility and variability, based on conventional mechanical construction and dynamic principles. Micro machines, on the other hand, take a completely different, revolutionary approach. The resulting advantages: Accelerations of up to 2.5 g and jerks of up to 900 m/s³.
This impressive dynamic performance, combined with optimized rigidity, pushes the limits of precision and shortens cycle times. Thanks to these innovative properties, micro machines are particularly suitable for high-performance machining in future-oriented industries.
Their compact design and low power consumption means that their thermal stability is also excellent.
The differences between the two machine types Micro and Compact go beyond size and design principle. Compact machines are designed for conventional machining; stability and versatility are the main focus. Micro machines, on the other hand, make full use of the possibilities of high-speed cutting (HSC). This technology is characterized by high spindle speeds and web speeds, shortens cycle times and at the same time ensures the best surface quality. Therefore, micro machines use high-speed spindles with up to 60,000 rpm.
When every micrometer counts, HSC is always the first choice: For example in the jewelry and watchmaking industry, microelectronics and medical technology.
Sustainability is of crucial importance today and in the future. Compact machines are also designed for energy efficiency, but do not reach the same level as micro machines. For example, the Micro5 consumes up to 50 times less energy than a conventional machining center and has a typical power consumption of just 500 W for machining a cube with an edge length of 50 mm.
This optimized energy consumption and exceptional dynamics make micro machining centers an economical and environmentally friendly solution that meets the current and future requirements of industry.
Compact machines are suitable for demanding production tasks in various industries. However, they often reach their limits where ultra-precision is required. Micro machines, on the other hand, are designed for fast cycles and tolerances in the µm range and are therefore predestined for the machining of precision parts in the watchmaking industry, for the production of implants and miniature components in medical technology or components for microelectronics.
Compact machines are an efficient solution for production facilities where space and versatility are a priority. With their exceptional dynamic rigidity, reduced energy consumption and HSC capabilities, micro machines offer the highest level of precision with a significantly reduced footprint.
Compact machines and micro machines both have their place in current production scenarios. The former are ideal for traditional and versatile production, while the latter, with advanced technologies such as HSC, outstanding dynamics and resource efficiency, redefine the standards in demanding application areas. Choosing a micro machine means choosing the future of machining, where precision, efficiency and sustainability are at the heart of every machining cycle.
In his LinkedIn profile, Samuel Vuadens describes himself as an »entrepreneur and micromachinery expert, I am shaping the future of micromechanical component machining.« And that is exactly what he has done with great passion in recent years. As the founder of MECATIS SA, he brought the Micro5 to industrial maturity and played a decisive role in the global success of the innovative micromachine. He has been CEO of CHIRON Swiss SA, based in Isérables, since its integration into the CHIRON Group.
Samuel Vuadens handed over the reins at the end of May 2025 in order to dedicate himself »to a new professional chapter that is yet to be written, with a mixture of gratitude and nostalgia, energy and curiosity.« The management of CHIRON Swiss will be taken over by the Board of Directors with CFO Markus Unterstein and CTO Dr.-Ing. Claus Eppler. The management team is being supported by new directors Dylan Maret, Elie Haddjeri, and Pierre Fournier. The strategic contact for Micro5 customers in Switzerland is Marcel Rombey, while the development of the growing »Micro family« continues under the leadership of Dr. Claus Eppler.
The term automation is derived from the Greek »automatos«, which means »self-moving«. In ancient Greece, people worshipped Automatia, the goddess of events that occur without human intervention – but also the goddess of coincidence. CHIRON Group solutions for more autonomy in production are anything but that. They are the result of structured teamwork and an expression of the innovative power and expertise that was further strengthened by the integration of Greidenweis in 2022.
Thomas Marquardt, Head of Automation at the CHIRON Group, described the goals of this integration in 2022 in an interview with speedfactor: »Together, we want to strengthen our automation expertise, provide even better support for larger projects with more manpower and gradually expand our ›modular system‹ with the design expertise of Greidenweis.« What are the results to date of this combined expertise? Examples include a highly flexible profile bar loader and optimized stacking and pallet storage for the Variocell UNO and Variocell SYSTEM automation units. And – brand new – three automation variants for the Micro5 XL, one of which will be presented in live operation at EMO 2025.
The first project that the teams led by Daniel Deyer and Frank Ritter – Head of Design Automation in Tuttlingen and Team Leader Design at Greidenweis – brought to series maturity was a profile bar loader for storing and feeding profiles to the machining centers of the 08 and 15 Series. More precisely: To the FZ 08 S multi profile and the FZ 15 S multi profile. The storage and loading system can hold up to 12 profiles with cross-sections of 30 x 30 to 150 x 150 mm and an individual weight of up to 75 kg and can be flexibly adapted to the respective production scenario.
There are two sizes: One for bar lengths of 3000 mm and 500 kg total load, one for 6000 mm length and a maximum of 750 kg. Loading can be carried out either from the front or rear, and changeover to a different format is completed in just a few minutes thanks to a few component-specific stops. As an option, changeover can be fully automated for high product diversity.
A wide range of options are available for even more precise alignment to production requirements: A Z-pressure roller prevents the tilting of profiles with a rolling angle and ensures precise insertion into the chuck. To cover an even wider range of products, the »slider with vertical compensation« option is available. This makes it possible to feed profiles with smaller cross-sections from 20 x 10 mm.
Another plus point in terms of quick commissioning of the profile bar loader is that the platform is prepared »ready to plug in« in Tuttlingen, dismantled only in parts for transportation and is ready for use at the customer’s premises after just a few days.
Modular series solution for feeding profile bars
Maximum flexibility for processing different profile types
Minimal set-up effort when changing profiles
High production autonomy thanks to more storage capacity
Easy and safe to operate
Good accessibility for loading and unloading the raw material
Wide range of options for individual configuration and added flexibility
Optimized storage systems for Variocell UNO and Variocell SYSTEM
Whether stack or pallet storage, teamwork was also required for the technical optimization of these systems. The storage systems were further developed in close cooperation between the Greidenweis development team and the automation department of the CHIRON Group. As with the profile bar loader, flexibility was also an important criterion here. The systems can be seamlessly integrated into both the compact Variocell UNO and the highly flexible Variocell SYSTEM. Both automation solutions are designed for use on 08 to 22 Series machining centers.
Two independent loading bays ensure uninterrupted autonomy for both storage systems. In the stack storage system for trays, boxes and baskets, a horizontal gripper transports the respective workpiece carrier with the blanks into the robot’s staging area. The pallet storage system is supplied by the integrated robot. Optionally, stacks or individual pallets can be clearly identified and tracked via RFID for greater process reliability. For a higher degree of automation, an AGV can take over the loading of the store. The autonomous transport system can be integrated into the production environment directly or at a later date.
The latest example of successful teamwork in ever new combinations are the automation variants for the new Micro5 XL. The development of the automation platform is a joint project led by Sebastian Huber, in collaboration between the design departments of Daniel Deyer and Frank Ritter and the Micro5 XL development team led by system engineer Tobias Widinger.
The Micro5 XL represents a new dimension in micromachining – and the CHIRON Group also offers more when it comes to automation: With fixture automation, workpiece automation using linear handling or robots, three variants are available for combination with the new micro machine.
With the fixture variant, the workpiece is set up in the clamping device manually outside the unit, while the workpiece carriers are loaded and unloaded into the Micro5 XL automatically. In workpiece automation with linear handling, the blank is removed from the store, loaded into the machine’s clamping device and the finished part is returned to the store after the machining process. The robot version offers maximum flexibility. In addition to the handling of blank and finished parts, it enables the integration of additional tasks. Turning, labeling and measuring are just a few examples of an application-oriented configuration.
Like the Micro5 XL, the 800 x 1050 mm automation versions also have a very compact footprint of approx. 0.8 m², but still have a high storage capacity: The fixture automation accommodates 16 workpiece carriers, each with a maximum clamping volume of 115 x 130 x 110 mm. The pallet trolley for workpiece automation has an identical design in both versions and can hold 12 pallets measuring 400 x 300 mm and up to 50 mm high, for example.
Further advantages of any combination of micro machine and automation: All variants are fully integrated into the machine design of the Micro5 XL, are supplied as a unit and can be put into operation immediately. Alternatively, a Micro5 XL can also be retrofitted for autonomous production at a later date. Operation is always from the front, offering a clear view of the process. This means that several production units can be positioned close together and operated ergonomically by one person. Fixture and workpiece automation with linear handling have the same operating logic as the Micro5 XL; programming and operation of the variant with robot is also simple and user-guided.
Would you like to be part of the premiere of the Micro5 XL with automation at EMO 2025? Click here to register.
