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    Werkzeugbau Berger ensures flexibility and future viability with ProLeiS

    Company

    Werkzeugbau Berger GmbH

    Location

    Salzkotten-Scharmede, Germany

    Focus

    Injection molds for automotive lighting technology and much more
     
    Molds and dies for technical parts with high dimensional accuracy requirements (automotive, household appliances, electrical and plumbing sectors)

    Benefits:
    • Setup of digital, flexibly expandable die manufacturing
    • Real-time data driving sound decisions
    • Precise target/actual comparison
    • Overall and detailed planning of the entire manufacturing process for all molds and dies
    • Clean, clear, and practical structures
    • Creating the basis for the streamlined use of AI in a future Industry 5.0 environment
    • Safety
    • Transparency and easy cross-corporate access to manufacturing knowledge
    Sector

    Die manufacturing

    Published

    2025

    Interviewee: Marius Haacke (L), Michael Neubert (R), both Managing Directors at the die manufacturer Werkzeugbau Berger

    Moving forward, the knowledge and experience that we digitally store in ProLeiS can also empower the use of AI.

    Marius Haacke, Managing Director
    Werkzeugbau Berger GmbH

    Thanks to the ProLeiS Manufacturing Execution System (MES) from Tebis, Werkzeugbau Berger in Salzkotten, Germany ensures transparent and readily available manufacturing data.
     
    Besides solidifying the foundation for fast, reliable, and consistent planning, the company is also laying the foundations for the streamlined deployment of AI in a future Industry 5.0 environment.

    Werkzeugbau Berger in Salzkotten near Paderborn has built a strong reputation for injection molds, not only in the automotive lighting technology sector. These experienced tooling experts develop, design, and manufacture high-quality and ultra-complex injection molds for products that feature technical lighting and premium decorative features. The portfolio also includes molds and dies for technical parts that satisfy high dimensional accuracy requirements. Components manufactured with the injection molds are used today in the automotive, household appliances, electrical, and plumbing sectors.


    This family-owned company with around 50 employees offers products ranging from molds for the series production of light guides, lenses, reflectors, covers, carrier frames, bezels, edge lights, and housings among many other applications. Depending on the part requirements, the mold manufacturers can use either 1-component, 2-component, or also 3-component technology to design and manufacture their molds. Generating an annual turnover of between five and six million euros, the company is firmly established in the industry as an on-time supplier of quality products and is continuously expanding its capabilities.

    For a long time, active sales were not necessary

    Berger's products include molds for the series production of light guides, lenses, reflectors, covers, carrier frames, bezels, edge lights, housings, and many more. Berger can design and manufacture those products using 1-component, 2-component, and also 3-component technology. – Photo: Pergler Media


    Werkzeugbau Berger’s Managing Director Marius Haacke recounted:

    For a long time, orders were generated by organic growth: Our customers knew us and knew what we could do.

    We didn't have a sales department, and due to our order volume as well as our specialization, it was difficult at that time to integrate new customers and new orders into our processes. And that actually wasn't a problem – like in many businesses, things were moving along pretty well with our existing customers. That is until the automotive industry collapsed for a variety of reasons and other crises began to emerge. These had been brewing for some time.“


    So, in order to mitigate the company’s heavy reliance on the automotive industry by attracting new customers from other sectors, the company took another Managing Director on board to join Marius Haacke: Michael Neubert, who was put in charge of the commercial side of the business, including sales and marketing. Haacke emphasizes: “We wanted to actively drive further development on the technical side as well. In the past, we had already been optimizing our processes along with more standardization and digitalization. In most aspects, we believed we were well positioned for the competition and the next step into new markets.”

    The knowledge was only in our heads

    Werkzeugbau Berger in Salzkotten near Paderborn has built a strong reputation for injection molds, including not only in the automotive lighting technology sector. – Photo: Pergler Media

    As long as everything stayed manageable, Haacke recalls, he planned projects “mostly in his head”: Haacke adds in retrospect: “Previously, die makers knew their products down to the last detail – and because they had made everything themselves, they also roughly knew how far along each individual part was.”

    Nowadays, we organize things in die manufacturing very differently. We have a process chain based on the division of labor that is strongly oriented around the individual part.


    Planning used to be project-related, and the plans were filed in a project folder by design type. Haacke remembers: “That caused a lot of unrest. For example, everyone had their own idea about the order in which the components should be processed – it was unclear who was ultimately ‘calling the shots’ on a project. So we needed clear, cleanly delineated structures."

    Important steps towards digital die making

    The process planning data flowed into comprehensive Excel files, making the comprehensive tables a big challenge – too many details to take into account and, above all, constantly keep up to date. Per year, Berger produces an average of 50 to 60 injection molds ranging from 40 kg to 10 tons. And it does so with a correspondingly large number of components. Haacke adds: “And we're only talking about purely single-part manufacturing – most of the parts are unique, while some are paired.”

    The step towards automation would not have been that much of a problem in itself. But embedding the individual processes into the overall processes in terms of digital die making – that’s the real challenge.


    For managers at Werkzeugbau Berger, it’s important to always know exactly how far the individual projects have progressed to know where machine capacity is free, how many hours actually have to be booked for a specific mold or die and how changes in the prioritization of individual processes affect the other projects – say like when quick repair orders are needed. Therefore, it quickly became crystal clear to everyone that the next important step was to introduce a specialized software system for process planning and control. 

    Real-time data driving sound decisions

    To achieve maximum precision and first-class surface qualities for lighting technology components, mold manufacturers must have skill and experience. Meanwhile, the experts at Werkzeugbau Berger are increasingly using their knowledge to benefit customers outside the automotive industry as well. – Photo: Pergler Media

    Technical Managing Director Haacke notes: “Industry 4.0 with Excel spreadsheets – that’s a contradiction in terms. We may be a single-part manufacturer, but the individual work steps repeat themselves. But: No matter how well die manufacturers plan – experience shows that there are always changes to be made. It’s a near-impossible challenge to keep up when static planning like in Excel is used. We need up-to-date data reported in real time to be able to react quickly to changes and make well-founded decisions, to know whether we have enough capacity and people for an additional order, or to determine whether we can still deliver on time if something is postponed by two weeks. We also need this data to make valid statements to our customers – about costs and deadlines, for example.” 


    Another important aspect is to have an overview of the actual data on completed projects. How many spindle hours did a part actually take? What does a mold or die actually cost? This data is essential for making valid calculations in future projects. Haacke notes: “Incident management is also an important aspect.”

    It is often underestimated how costly it can be when things don’t go as smoothly as planned. This is where precise data from such incidents can help us avoid expensive errors in the future.

    Planning did not become a significant factor until a few years ago

    Managers at Berger were already looking into the use of ERP systems as early as over ten years ago. Haacke recalls. “Back then, we didn't really have planning on our radar in this context. Yet, complexity increased, deadline pressure grew, and the competitive situation in increasingly globalized markets intensified. It became clear that knowledge that is only ‘stored’ in the heads of a few employees is not always available when needed.”


    For example, what happens when people who control the entire manufacturing process become unavailable? What if the person in question, say, is on vacation or sick? And what if that person leaves the company completely at the end of their working life and embarks on a well-earned retirement – is that knowledge then gone as well? Haacke explains: “We clearly saw our limits and the vulnerability of our structures.”.

    And it was clear to us that we needed to take action. We have to position ourselves for the future and tackle digitalization. Otherwise, we will be left behind by the competition.

    ProLeiS is a parts list-based solution that enables both overall and highly detailed planning of the entire manufacturing process for all molds and dies, while also providing a precise target/actual comparison.

    A consistent, safe, and practical solution

    Intensive quality control at Werkzeugbau Berger ensures that the parts produced with the molds and dies meet all of the customer’s specifications. This also includes injection mold die spotting. – Photo: Pergler Media

    Before the team led by Haacke set out to find a consistent, reliable, and practical solution that would enable managers at Berger to achieve complete and consistent process coverage, the mold manufacturer first put its entire process chain, including the individual sequences, to the test. 


    Intensive discussions with the experts at Tebis Consulting and others ensured that external knowledge systematically expanded the company's own horizons and proprietary experience, creating a future-proof solution right from the outset. Haacke recalls: “The consultants from Tebis Consulting were very open-minded about possible solutions.”

    This gave us a valuable opportunity to evaluate our most relevant systems in a very neutral and unbiased manner.

    Extremely thorough decision-making processes

    The managers subjected potential solutions to very thorough reviews and tests. Visits to companies already deploying successful solutions in this area provided additional input. In the end, the decision was made to start with the ProLeiS Manufacturing Execution System (MES) from Tebis.


    ProLeiS is a parts list-based solution that enables both overall and highly detailed planning of the entire manufacturing process for all molds and dies while at the same time providing a precise target/actual comparison. The basic philosophy is that the information required for planning and control is surfaced with as little manual input as possible. 

    Support for step-by-step entry

    The tooling experts develop, design, and manufacture high-quality and ultra-complex injection molds for products that feature technical lighting and premium decorative features. – Photo: Pergler Media

    In its fully extended version, ProLeiS offers far-reaching options for precisely aligning die manufacturing to current requirements,

    the Managing Director explains: “For us, that’s still a pipe dream – we first dealt with the fundamental principles and then started transitioning to ProLeiS.” A lot of data is currently still recorded manually using chips and QR codes to identify molds and dies or products in the system. This is where the preliminary work to systematize processes and structures truly paid off – in many areas, the software system could be integrated seamlessly. 


    In February 2024, Berger started using ProLeiS right out of the starting gates with a trained team of key users. Haacke explains: “Within six months, we were up and running with ProLeiS, and made the first booking on July 1.”

    During a two-month-long transitional period, we entered everything twice. However, since September 1, we have been working with ProLeiS exclusively.

    Employees are involved early and comprehensively

    Managers got all of the relevant employees involved at a very early stage. Haacke recounts: “There were initial concerns, including the fear that ProLeiS would also be used to monitor and control the performance of individual employees. We were able to allay that concern very quickly and transparently. It didn't take our people long to see the benefits – and they helped push things forward, partly because they were able recognize their own processes within the system. We wanted to move from the evaluation phase to productive work with the MES as quickly as possible and on a broad basis. And thanks to the support we received from Tebis, we managed this quite successfully.”


    Berger Werkzeugbau works with a very broad range of items. As Haacke concludes, “That means that we have to deal with huge amounts of data. Step by step, we are learning the ropes of the system – at the same time that we are conducting our day-to-day business. We are currently in the process of integrating the procurement area into ProLeiS.” For Haacke, ProLeiS is key to optimizing and reducing throughput times.

    As he explains,

    ProLeiS provides quick, clean, and transparent information about what options we have.

    “That way, we can provide our customers immediately with accurate information about deadlines, for example – an area about which nobody can afford to make mistakes these days.”

    Firmly focused on the future

    Marius Haacke (left, pictured with Michael Neubert, both Managing Directors at Werkzeugbau Berger): “In ten years, we will still have milling machines. But the landscape will be entirely transformed, as will the way we work with such equipment. We will continue to progress – step by step, app by app. And thanks to ProLeiS, we feel well positioned for our future and for future trends.” – Photo: Werkzeugbau Berger

    When they launched ProLeiS, Haacke and his team had their minds focused firmly on the future. Haacke describes the endless possibilities:

    The knowledge and experience we digitally store in ProLeiS are also capable of empowering our use of AI moving forward.

    “In a few years, it may be a matter of course to ask your AI: ‘How much does a mold or die with the following features cost ...’. And the quality of the answer will depend on how well the information that the system is drawing on is prepared and stored.“ 


    One distinct feature that ProLeiS can reliably provide thanks to its data consistency within a system geared towards the requirements of the industry. The Managing Director notes confidently: “In ten years’ time, there will still be milling machines at Werkzeugbau Berger. But the landscape will be entirely transformed, as will the way we work with such equipment. We will continue to progress – step by step, app by app. And thanks to ProLeiS, we feel well positioned for our future and for future trends.”    

    Profile


    Werkzeugbau Berger GmbH
    The innovative and high-quality products from Werkzeugbau Berger are used throughout the world and meet the demands of their customers for very advanced lighting technology and premium decorative elements. With more than 50 years’ experience in mold manufacturing, the family business is now able to develop new markets and customers outside the automotive industry. The company maintains its competitive edge by continually reviewing and improving its workflows and processes. Additionally, company managers ensure a highly qualified and motivated workforce – now numbering 50 employees – by providing opportunities for further development and greater responsibility. The high level of in-house vertical integration allows the company to implement customer requirements quickly, flexibly, and independently. Reliability and on-time deliveries are integral to achieving the company philosophy. Werkzeugbau Berger is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015.

    Focus


    Powerful interfaces
    As a central information platform, the ProLeiS Manufacturing Execution System (MES) integrates the user’s existing IT infrastructure via powerful interfaces. The integration includes all systems, machines, and departments involved in manufacturing a die. On the software side, ProLeiS can integrate the existing ERP system as well as CAD/CAM/CAQ and PLM/PDM alongside machine and manufacturing cell control. ProLeiS ensures consistency and the continual, smooth and reliable exchange of data. This means that relevant information is made seamlessly available in all systems across the network, meaning the user no longer has to switch between different software systems. ProLeiS lets users flexibly and effectively plan and control their manufacturing projects in die and mold manufacturing. Additionally, ProLeiS enables a broad range of analyses.

    Perspective


    Necessary investment in safety
    In many die manufacturing companies, a system based on Excel spreadsheets is still the tool of choice for manufacturing planning. However, this approach poses real challenges given its rigid structure and the fact that the data recorded are often not up-to-date. When cost efficiency, quality assurance, and, last but not least, on-time deliveries are paramount, planners need a tool that provides them with all the necessary data that is always up-to-date and in a way that is transparent and fast. In the face of increasingly complex mold and die projects and dwindling leeway in terms of costs and deadlines, ProLeiS provides effective support to and eases the burden on planning managers. Thanks to the transparent preparation and presentation of all relevant data, sound decisions and viable, fact-based statements can be presented to the customer with just a few mouse clicks. 

    Richard Pergler