Minimal Downtime After Factory Fire: BELFOR Restores Machines and Keeps Production Running
Case study from the archive · First published in 2011
After a fire at Bystronic AG in Switzerland, soot contamination threatened high-value glass-cutting machines and ongoing operations worth over CHF 13.5 million. BELFOR Switzerland rapidly mobilized, restoring machines, electronics, and production areas within eight weeks while keeping the plant operational. As a result, the finished machines were delivered with only minimal delay, fully functional and meeting customer expectations.
How the fire started
A few guys, some matches and a pile of wooden pallets – it is not hard to guess what happened at Bystronic AG, Bützberg, Switzerland. A fire wreaked havoc in a production hall for high-quality cutting and bending machines.
The pile of pallets was stored directly against the façade. When the fire was started, the flames at first only damaged the façade. However, as the heat increased it quickly burst the windows. The flames then suddenly became almost the lesser of two evils. The greater damage was caused by the soot which then permeated two production halls and warehouses measuring 2,500 square metres each.
Deadline pressure
BELFOR Switerzland was on site the very next day, because Bystronic AG was under massive time pressure. Four glass-cutting machines that had already been finished were scheduled for delivery, but were now contaminated with soot. A lot of work was also needed on the built-in electronic control units, semi-finished products and electronic storage racks. This much was already clear on the first day. The value as new of the machines and equipment components amounted to roughly CHF 13.5 million, or around Euro 11 million.
For BELFOR project manager Luigi di Giacopo, therefore, the highest priority was clear. The finished machines had to be restored to their new state as quickly as possible to keep the delivery delay to a minimum. The next steps were planned in consultation with Erich Geissmann’s team of technical experts and the loss adjuster of the insurance company Mobiliar, Kurt Zahnd.
No interruption to production
BELFOR installed scaffolding throughout the halls so that everything could be restored. The burst windows were replaced, and the soot removed from the ceilings and walls which were restored to their former good condition. This work was all carried out while the plant continued to operate, which was the only way to ensure that the losses incurred by the fire were not further compounded by massive loss of production.
In the end, the restoration work took 8 weeks and cost almost CHF 2 million. However, this money was an excellent investment, because it allowed the four machines completed before the fire to be delivered to the customers with only a short delay. And not only that, they were immediately tested by the customers and functioned to their total satisfaction.
