Press
Neunkirchen/Hagen-Hohenlimburg, 24th September 2025 – EMW Stahl Service GmbH and the BILSTEIN GROUP are intensifying their cooperation in the field of BILCUT High Speed Laser Blanking technology. The aim of the partnership is to enable customers to manufacture shaped blanks more precisely, flexibly and economically while securing material and supply chains in the long term.
The closer integration of sales and purchasing enables both companies to optimise their market and procurement processes. For EMW customers, this means an extended range of services: In addition to slit strip and rectangular blanks, trapezoidal and complex shaped blanks will also be available in future. Production on modern strip laser systems offers clear advantages, especially for small and medium series. Tool changes are no longer necessary, geometries can be adapted digitally and can be implemented quickly, e.g. for new model variants. The high cutting precision, burr-free edges and software-supported nesting strategies ensure efficient material utilisation. As no investment in cutting tools is necessary, investment, maintenance costsand lead times are significantly reduced.
BILCUT GmbH, a member of the BILSTEIN GROUP, also benefits from the collaboration: EMW’s many years of experience in the procurement and processing of speciality grades for the automotive industry and extensive storage capacities ensure fast material availability – especially for prototypes and small series. EMW’s wide customer and supplier base also supports optimum utilisation of the new BILCUT system and expands the BILSTEIN GROUP’s service portfolio.
“BILCUT combines flexibility with high production performance. Together with the BILSTEIN GROUP, we are creating an end-to-end process chain – from the primary material through logistics to the finished shaped blank,” explains Michael Mockenhaupt, Managing Director of EMW. “The cooperation gives us secure access to the right materials and stable supply chains. For our customers, this primarily means reliable availability, consistently high quality and economical processes,” adds Jörg von Prondzinski, Managing Director of BILCUT GmbH.
BILCUT stands for “BILSTEIN High Speed Laser Blanking” and describes an innovative manufacturing process in which sheet material is continuously cut from a coil into customised shapes, so-called shaped blanks, using laser technology. Compared to conventional punching processes, the BILCUT technology enables tool-free, flexible and efficient production of shaped blanks – and much faster than laser processes already established on the market. BILCUT was developed by the BILSTEIN GROUP in co-operation with Automatic-Systeme Dreher and the Fraunhofer ILT. The project received funding from the Environmental Innovation Programme of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). Series production is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2027; prototype and validation quantities can already be produced to customer specifications.
BILCUT technology can be used for a wide range of applications. In the automotive industry, it ensures maximum precision in structural components, for example, while increasing efficiency at the same time. However, BILCUT also impresses with its flexibility and precision in other sectors, such as agricultural machinery construction, switch cabinet and housing production and the food industry.
The cooperation between EMW and the BILSTEIN GROUP makes the High Speed Laser Blanking technology accessible to a wide range of customers and creates new opportunities for efficient, flexible and future-proof production.
EMW Steel Service Centre and BILSTEIN GROUP cooperate.zip