Kern Microtechnik GmbH, Eschenlohe, offers its customers in large parts of Europe the opportunity to experience the performance of its high-precision five-axis milling centers live. This is now also possible in French-speaking Switzerland – in Glovelier, where the contract manufacturer "Next Factory" is based. As a Kern partner, he opened a new technology center in 2025, centered around a Kern Micro HD.
The internationally renowned companies Swatch, Rolex and Richemont are based in French-speaking Switzerland. But other companies in the watch and luxury goods industry, from medical and mechanical engineering as well as aviation are also located there. They all require high-precision parts, which Kern Microtechnik’s machining centers are specialized in manufacturing. To be able to explain the highly complex technical processes in its own language, the Eschenlohe-based machine manufacturer has decided to establish a technology center in French-speaking Switzerland.
Since mid-2025, companies involved in the production of high-precision components have had the opportunity to experience the five-axis Kern Micro HD high-precision center live in Glovelier (canton of Jura) and to have test cuts of their own parts. This is made possible by the contract manufacturer and service provider for process development "Next Factory" with its new Kern technology center.
Since 2025, the performance of Kern Microtechnik’s high-precision five-axis milling centers has been shown in real-time in French-speaking Switzerland. More precisely – in the Kern technology center in Glovelier, which is operated by the contract manufacturer Next Factory.
"Precision machining – only with Kern"
Since 2019, the French- and English-speaking machining technician Julien Mongey has been running the contract manufacturing of high-precision metal components together with his friend and partner Julien Werle. Prior to founding Next Factory, Julien Mongey gained extensive experience in several contract manufacturing companies with a wide variety of machine tools.
So it was clear to him that "in order to be successful in precision machining, we must invest in a ’Kern’ right from the start. Because for me, these are the best milling machines if you value the highest precision, repeatability and surface quality," emphasizes Julien Mongey.
For financial reasons, only a three-axis Kern Micro was possible at the beginning. With this machine and the know-how of the two machining specialists, success soon followed. In addition to orders from the luxury watch industry, there were also inquiries for prototypes from the aerospace and medical industries. But then a problem became apparent, as Julien Mongey says: "We couldn’t produce the sometimes very complex components on our three-axis machine. However, since we did not want to disappoint our new customers under any circumstances, we asked the Kern managers in Eschenlohe whether we could machine different prototypes in Eschenlohe on a five-axis Kern Micro HD."
The positive answer came immediately. Visits in Eschenlohe to mill demanding test cuts for customers in French-speaking Switzerland became more frequent. So, it was only a logical consequence to place a Kern Micro HD in Glovelier – in close partnership with the machine manufacturer Kern. This is because the delivery in 2025 is associated with the establishment of a Kern technology center where demonstrations and test cuts take place.
With the Kern Micro HD, NextFactory is able to mill highly complex components – such as the titanium watch case back with engraved decoration.
Successful as a contract manufacturer and technology center operator
"In the second half of the year, we were able to demonstrate the performance of the Kern machine to ten potential customers," says Julien Mongey happily. "Five of them with real parts, and they were all highly satisfied with the results."
He and his partner coordinate further support and coordination with interested parties – always in close contact and excellent cooperation with the Kern headquarters in Eschenlohe. In addition, the Swiss machining specialists offer machine training. These take place either at the customer’s site or in the technology center at Next Factory. In addition to the Micro HD, various PC workstations are also available there, on which programming and machining processes can be simulated.
Kern TecCenter, Next Factory.
While Next Factory sells Kern machines exclusively for French-speaking Switzerland, the Technology Center offers trainings and test cuts for all interested parties in France and other French-speaking regions of Europe.
Julien Mongey is enthusiastic: "The cooperation with Kern is a complete success for us as a contract manufacturer and technology center operator." He is optimistic about the future: "The signs are clearly pointing to growth, so that we will significantly expand our workforce in the coming years."
