13th of January 2026
Successful Home and Away Games RUF Formika briquetting system in direct use at turning and milling machines
In 2021, RUF launched its small, mobile Formika briquetting system. Since then, it has been sold many times over – and not only that. Day after day, the machine also proves its long-term performance in RUF’s own production. Connected directly to CNC machining centers, it enables unmanned, automated manufacturing of various components made from different materials.
RUF Briquetting Systems in Zaisertshofen does not have a chip problem. As the world market leader in hydraulic briquetting systems, metal chips are essentially the basis of the company’s business. Because several CNC machining centers are required for manufacturing the briquetting systems themselves, the challenges associated with chip handling are also very familiar to RUF, as Production Manager Felix Frey explains:
“For us, it is just as important as it is for our customers that chips do not interfere with our operations. The experience we gain is, of course, always fed back into our development and sales teams.”
For us, it is just as important as it is for our customers that chips do not interfere with our operations.
Advice of this kind ultimately led to the development of the compact Formika briquetting system, which was launched in 2021. One year later, the first unit was installed in RUF’s own production; in 2024, a second unit followed, directly connected to a modern CNC machining center. Both machines are designed to process the accumulating chips immediately and automatically.
Although the variety of chip types is very high – short, hard, long, tough – and load peaks occur frequently, Formika always operates reliably and produces clean, dense, homogeneous briquettes. As a result, emptying cycles are far less frequent, significantly reducing internal transport routes while allowing continuous operation of the machining centers. Additional benefits include higher sales prices for clean, sorted briquettes (compared to loose chips) and the recovery of cooling lubricants.
But that’s not all. The Formika’s “home game” has yet another positive effect, particularly appreciated by RUF Sales Director Bernd Ellenrieder:
“This setup enables us to give potential customers extremely hands-on insights, which are ultimately just as valuable as pressing trials with their own materials in our test center.”
RUF Formika pioneer büttner tests – and buys twice
Many customers have already been impressed by on-site visits in Zaisertshofen. One of them is büttner präzisionsWerk GmbH from Bad Lobenstein in Thuringia, whom Ellenrieder highlights in particular. The company is, so to speak, an “early adopter” of Formika. Even before the compact briquetting system officially entered the market, büttner tested a Formika in the field in 2020. The goal of the modern contract manufacturer: testing chip processing directly at a machining center.
Here, the Formika processes a wide range of materials, including aluminum, steel, and non-ferrous metals. Automated and efficient chip compaction optimizes internal logistics and provides maximum operational and process reliability—especially during unmanned weekend shifts. Due to the consistently positive experience, the company purchased the test unit and invested in a second RUF Formika in mid-2022, which has also been running successfully ever since.
Electronics corporation rents a RUF Formika – and ends up buying three
A leading EMS service provider headquartered in Bavaria is also fully convinced of the “small RUF.” Since 2012, the company has relied on a RUF 4 briquetting system to compact aluminum chips, processing many tons annually. Based on this positive experience, the electronics manufacturer again turned to RUF in 2024.
Background: three high-end, fully automated CNC milling centers needed to be optimized for 24/7 operation, particularly regarding chip discharge. The RUF Formika quickly emerged as the most suitable solution. A rental unit provided for testing performed so effectively and reliably that the company immediately purchased it.
