With an estimated 22 or 23 commercial heat treaters in Switzerland Haerterei Niggli AG,  based in the city of Sins would rank as one of the three largest in the country. Founded in 1949 the firm has approximately 25 employees at their main facility with a further 27 at a second location in Neuhausen, Switzerland (the Neuhausen facility which goes under the name OWT was acquired in 2023).

The owner of the company Mr. Stefan Niggli, made a very astute decision when he bought OWT in that he made a clear distinction between processes-all oil quenching is at the Neuhausen location only.

Our visit to Sins showed a very clean, well organized facility with a large 10 bar quenching vacuum furnace, cryogenic systems, a Rohde vacuum nitring furnace, an annealing furnace with hydrogen addition and some Induction hardening capabilites.

As we speak the company is preparing to recieve a large, new 10 bar quenching vacuum furnace purchased new from Schmetz of Germany which will be in production before the end of the year.

In these photos you see Joern Rohde who provided the vacuum nitriding system, Stefan Niglli on the right and part of the Niggli team. In an interesting footnote (as a Canadian) it turns out that Stefan Niggli played professional hockey in Canada in a past life which is the highest honor you can achieve in Canada.

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