Evolving the machine is no longer enough: manufacturers must be able to fully harness the potential of laser technology. With this in mind, CHARMILLES, the laser solutions brand of UNITED MACHINING SOLUTIONS, continues to grow by offering a comprehensive range of machines, software and user support.
Rooted in Switzerland’s machine tool expertise, the laser business also has a special connection with France, home to the pioneers of the first five-axis laser machines. This heritage is more than just a story to tell: it reflects a commitment to exploring new possibilities and turning them into practical industrial solutions.
This ambition is driven by Romain Dubreuil, Head of CHARMILLES, and Manuel Gomez Marzoa, Head of CHARMILLES Sales Support. Having previously led the company's laser R&D and applications activities, respectively, they are taking on their new responsibilities with a shared objective: bringing solutions even closer to users' needs. Their priority is not to change direction, but to build on the momentum already established by strengthening the connection between innovation, applications and customer support. What might once have been seen as unconventional thinking by a handful of enthusiasts has now become one of the group's key pillars, with more than 1,000 laser machines installed in the field.
For CHARMILLES, thinking beyond the machine means combining its capabilities with closely integrated software to simplify operation preparation, application expertise to master processes, and ongoing support to assist users over the long term. The goal is to build a coherent ecosystem that supports each customer from the initial idea or first trial through to fully controlled production, while enabling them to develop their applications as their needs evolve.
This approach is fuelled by exchanges within the laser community. Familiar faces within the Club Laser et Procédés (CLP), Romain and Manuel have regularly contributed to the PLI Conferences and MICRONORA. These events provide opportunities to compare approaches, share experiences and identify new industrial challenges. They demonstrate CHARMILLES' strong commitment to the French laser industry and its determination to move forward alongside its experts, partners and users.
The next chapter builds on this ambitious continuity: capitalising on existing achievements, further developing laser technology and strengthening its ability to compete with conventional machining technologies while complementing them. We approach the future with a pioneering spirit, in a machine tool industry where Asia, particularly China, now plays a major role. European expertise is not destined to become a museum piece: it is up to us to keep it evolving, with passion and high standards. In the spirit of Andy Grove's famous words, “Only the paranoid survive”, we strive to cultivate this vigilance every day: listening carefully, looking ahead and contributing, in our own way, to the future of laser technology.
CHARMILLES approaches this new chapter with confidence and determination, ready to explore new horizons and shape them together with its customers and partners.
