A laser cuts into sheet metal in Trumpf’s demonstration center.
(Photo: dpa)
Stuttgart The machine builder and laser specialist Trumpf increased its sales by a fifth to 4.2 billion euros despite global supply chain problems and the pandemic. The family company announced this based on preliminary figures for the 2021/22 financial year, which ended on June 30.
The orders received are currently backing up at 5.6 billion euros. The value is 1.7 billion over the previous year. Trumpf boss Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller said: “The globally disrupted supply chains are clearly noticeable in our sales. Despite a high order backlog, we were not able to manufacture as many machines and laser systems as would have been possible.”
Trumpf only wants to comment on the profit later. In the previous fiscal year, the EBIT yield was over ten percent. Experts expect a similar magnitude. Trumpf’s growth is benefiting from the high demand for semiconductor technologies. With their lasers, the Ditzingers are an important supplier for the Dutch world market leader in lithography machines, ASML.
Only the Dutch can produce EUV exposure machines that can apply the finest structures currently available for the world’s most powerful processors using extremely ultraviolet light. Without the technology from Trumpf and ASML, chip companies such as TSMC, Intel or Samsung would not be able to produce the latest chips with structure sizes of five nanometers.
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With a market capitalization of over 200 billion euros, the monopolist ASML is one of the most valuable companies in Europe. Because of the customer ASML alone, the Netherlands has become Trumpf’s largest single market, with sales of around 840 million euros.
Trumpf predicts another three to five years of boom
According to the company, there is also high demand from customers who manufacture parts for electromobility. Whether battery production, electric motors, power electronics or lightweight construction: Special lasers from Trumpf are used in all technologies.
The CEO of the Trumpf Group complains about supply chain problems.
(Photo: dpa)
There are over 30 different laser applications when manufacturing battery cells. According to the company, 1000 lasers were delivered to the battery industry alone. In addition, welding the copper connections in the high-performance electronics of e-cars is demanding. Here, too, Trumpf sees great advantages in its lasers.
>> Read here: The USA and China are fighting over chip technologies – and thus Europe’s most valuable tech group
The management recently estimated the order intake from customers in electromobility last year at 200 million euros. The value is already higher than business with customers who work with combustion technology, and the trend is rising.
Since all manufacturers are also switching to electric cars, Trumpf estimates that the boom here will last another three to five years. A Trumpf manager recently said at a trade fair: “The fat years are far from over.”
According to the management, business in the USA and Europe is also encouraging. The second largest single market is the USA with sales of around 655 million euros, followed by Germany with around 590 million euros. The number of employees across the group rose to 16,500, 8,400 of them in Germany and 4,900 of them at the headquarters in Ditzingen.
The biggest problems for the company are delivery bottlenecks, said Trumpf boss Leibinger-Kammüller: “In the new fiscal year, which we have just started with well-filled order books, the uncertainty in the global supply chains will accompany us for some time.” The shortage is still there felt in semiconductor and electronic components.
More: Trumpf: Dependence of the laser specialist on China is increasing