SHBD & Bossard Strengthen Strategic Partnership in 2026
Partnership Overview
About Bossard Group
Bossard Group is a Swiss-based global leader in fastening and assembly technology solutions, publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (BOSN). Founded in 1831 in Zug, Switzerland, the company has grown into a multinational organization with over 3,000 employees and operations in more than 80 countries.
Bossard offers more than one million types of standard and custom fasteners, supported by three core pillars: Product Availability through a world-class logistics network, Assembly Technology Expert consulting services that optimize joining processes, and Smart Factory Logistics powered by AI-driven inventory management systems.
Their customer base spans automotive, aerospace, medical devices, industrial machinery, renewable energy, and railway sectors — serving leading brands such as BMW, Siemens, ABB, and many others. Bossard's reputation for supply chain reliability and engineering depth makes them a trusted partner to original equipment manufacturers worldwide.
What the Bossard Team Needed
Bossard approached SHBD with a straightforward but demanding brief: become a reliable long-term partner for custom non-standard metal parts — components outside of Bossard's standard fastener catalog that require specialized manufacturing processes. With thousands of unique part numbers sourced through SHBD every year, the requirements went beyond simple production. The Bossard team needed:
- Consistent quality at scale — thousands of unique custom part numbers, each with its own tolerance and finish requirements, delivered with repeatable precision batch after batch
- Multi-process manufacturing capability — stamping, sheet metal fabrication, welding, and CNC machining under one roof, eliminating the need to manage multiple suppliers for a single component family
- Reliable on-time delivery — synchronized production planning with Bossard's global just-in-time logistics network to minimize inventory carrying costs while avoiding stockouts
- Technical support & engineering collaboration — SHBD engineers working directly with Bossard's technical teams to optimize part designs for manufacturability without compromising function
- Capacity scalability — the ability to ramp up production volumes to match Bossard's growing global demand, particularly in the automotive and industrial machinery segments
Beyond these technical requirements, Bossard needed a partner with a shared commitment to continuous improvement — a manufacturer who would invest in equipment, training, and process optimization alongside their growth.
Building a Strategic Partnership
The SHBD-Bossard partnership was built methodically over several years, evolving from transactional supplier relationship to strategic manufacturing alliance. Here is how the collaboration deepened:
Supplier Qualification & Initial Pilot Runs
The journey began with a comprehensive supplier qualification audit by Bossard's sourcing and quality teams. SHBD's facilities, equipment, quality management system, and workforce capabilities were rigorously evaluated. Following qualification, SHBD completed pilot production runs for a carefully selected set of custom part numbers, demonstrating the ability to meet dimensional specifications, surface finish requirements, and delivery commitments. The initial pilots passed with a first-pass yield exceeding 98%.
Production Scaling & Process Validation
With pilot success established, Bossard gradually scaled the volume and complexity of parts sourced from SHBD. New part families were introduced across stamping, sheet metal, welding, and CNC workstreams. Each new introduction followed a formal PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) to validate process capability and measurement systems. SHBD invested in dedicated tooling, in-process inspection stations, and operator training programs specifically for Bossard's quality standards.
Engineering Collaboration & DFM Support
As trust grew, SHBD's engineering team began working directly with Bossard's technical sales and application engineering groups to provide Design for Manufacturability (DFM) feedback on customer drawings. This upstream collaboration helped identify cost reduction opportunities, material substitutions, and process optimizations before parts entered production. Bossard's customers benefited from faster lead times and reduced part costs, while SHBD gained earlier visibility into upcoming production requirements.
2026 Partnership Expansion
In 2026, SHBD and Bossard formally strengthened their strategic partnership with expanded capacity commitments and improved supply chain integration. SHBD dedicated additional production lines and warehousing capacity to support Bossard's growing demand, while Bossard integrated SHBD's production data into their global logistics platform for real-time visibility. This next phase positions both companies to capture growth in electric vehicle, renewable energy, and industrial automation markets worldwide.