Manufacturer of sanitary ceramics, bathroom furniture, fittings and complete bathrooms at the headquarters in Laufen (Switzerland)
LAUFEN Schweiz AG
Laufen (Headquarters/Production) · Gmunden · Wilhelmsburg · Bechyně · Znojmo · Gliwice · Gryfice · KaspichanNew on Amplifa
About LAUFEN
LAUFEN is a Swiss manufacturer of bathroom products that has existed since 1892 and belongs to the Roca Group. At the headquarters in Laufen in the canton of Basel-Landschaft as well as in Austria (Gmunden, Wilhelmsburg), the Czech Republic (Bechyně, Znojmo), Poland (Gliwice, Gryfice) and Bulgaria (Kaspichan), complete bathrooms as well as fittings for kitchens and public areas are manufactured. The portfolio includes washbasins, WCs, bidets, urinals, bathtubs, shower trays, bathroom furniture, showers, fittings, accessories and installation elements. Ceramic production is carried out via slip casting and high-pressure casting, drying, glazing and firing in a tunnel kiln at around 1250 °C; fittings are produced by low-pressure die casting in brass with subsequent chrome plating or PVD coating. Materials include sanitary porcelain, sapphire ceramic, earthenware, stoneware, brass, steel/enamel (VITREON), acrylic, mineral composite as well as wood, marble and stone for furniture. Every ceramic item and fitting is inspected multiple times, including vacuum leak testing of WCs and urinals and compressed-air leak testing of every fitting. The company employs around 2500 people and supplies via sales companies in 44 countries.
- Site
- Laufen
- Processes
- Ceramic production (slip casting for sanitary ceramics), Drying (residual moisture <1%), Glazing, Firing in a tunnel kiln at around 1250°C, Vacuum leak testing of WCs and urinals, Low-pressure die casting, Machining (removing feeders, cleaning), Grinding and polishing of fitting surfaces
- Materials
- Sanitary porcelain / sanitary ceramics, Fire clay, Earthenware, Stoneware, Electrical porcelain, Sapphire ceramic, Brass, Steel (Vitreon steel)
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 50001
- Founded
- 1892
- Employees
- 2500
- Industries
- Bathroom and Sanitary, Building Services/Installation, Architecture/Project Business, Public Bathroom, Kitchen
- 01
Raw material preparation (clay, kaolin, feldspar, quartz)
- 02
Casting (slip casting/high-pressure casting for ceramics; low-pressure die
- 03
Drying
- 04
Glazing or grinding/polishing
- 05
Firing or chrome plating/PVD coating
- 06
Testing (leak tightness)
- 07
Assembly
- 08
Logistics and distribution
Materials & Processes
Sanitary porcelain / sanitary ceramics
Core material for washbasins, WCs, bidets and urinals, produced by slip casting and high-pressure casting.
Sapphire ceramic
Ceramic with a corundum admixture that enables minimal wall thicknesses and tight radii.
Stoneware / earthenware
Historically used for tiles and drainage pipes, the basis of the early product range.
Electrical porcelain
Produced since 1949 for insulators, among others as a supplier to SBB.
Brass
Base material for fittings in low-pressure die casting.
Steel / enamel (VITREON)
Steel-enamel composite for long-lasting tub and washbasin solutions.
Acrylic / mineral composite
Materials for bathtubs and washbasin solutions.
Wood, marble, stone
Materials for bathroom furniture manufacturing in Europe.
Locations
Laufen (CH)
CHHeadquarters, ceramic and fittings production, logistics centre
- Materials
- Sanitary porcelain, sapphire ceramic, brass
- Tunnel kiln (around 1250 °C)
- Casting furnace for low-pressure die casting
- Moulds for fittings casting
- High-bay warehouse
Gmunden (AT)
ATCeramic production
- Materials
- Ceramics
- Ceramic production plant
Wilhelmsburg (AT)
ATProduction and registered office of LAUFEN Austria AG
- Materials
- Ceramics
- Ceramic production plant
Bechyně (CZ)
CZCeramic production
- Materials
- Ceramics
- Ceramic production plant
Znojmo (CZ)
CZProduction
Gliwice (PL)
PLProduction
Gryfice (PL)
PLProduction
Kaspichan (BG)
BGProduction
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramic production (slip casting for sanitary ceramics)Casting | – | – | – | – | Clay, Kaolin, Feldspar, Quartz, Sanitary porcelain, Earthenware, Fire clay |
| Drying (residual moisture <1%)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Ceramics |
| GlazingSurface | – | – | – | – | Ceramics |
| Firing in a tunnel kiln at around 1250°CHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Ceramics |
| Vacuum leak testing of WCs and urinalsTesting | – | – | – | – | Ceramics |
| Low-pressure die castingCasting | – | – | – | – | Brass |
| Machining (removing feeders, cleaning)Machining | – | – | – | – | Brass |
| Grinding and polishing of fitting surfacesSurface | – | – | – | – | Brass |
| Chrome platingSurface | – | – | – | – | Brass |
| PVD coatingSurface | – | – | – | – | Brass |
| Compressed-air leak testing of every fittingTesting | – | – | – | – | Brass |
| Assembly of fittings into finished productsAssembly | – | – | – | – | Brass |
| Ceramic high-pressure castingCasting | – | – | – | – | Ceramics (slip) |
| Manufacture of wall and floor tiles from stoneware/earthenwareCasting | – | – | – | – | Earthenware, Stoneware |
| Manufacture of electrical porcelain (insulators)Casting | – | – | – | – | Electrical porcelain |
| LCC (LAUFEN Clean Coat) surface finishing for ceramicsSurface | – | – | – | – | Ceramics |
| Sapphire ceramic manufacturing (ceramic with corundum admixture for thin walls and tight radii)Casting | – | – | – | – | Sapphire ceramic |
| VITREON steel-enamel manufacturingSurface | – | – | – | – | Steel, Enamel |
| Manufacture of bathtubs from acrylic, steel and mineral compositePlastics | – | – | – | – | Acrylic, Steel, Mineral composite |
| Bathroom furniture manufacturing (production in Europe)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Wood, Marble, Stone |
8 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunnel kiln (around 1250°C, ceramic firing) | – | – | – | – | Laufen (CH) and other locations |
| Casting furnace for low-pressure die casting | – | – | – | – | Laufen (CH) |
| Mould (casting form for fittings) | – | – | – | – | Laufen (CH) |
| Electric tunnel kiln for sanitary ceramics (world's first) | – | – | – | 1933 | Laufen (CH) |
| Fittings manufacturing plant | – | – | – | 2009 | Laufen (CH) |
| Ceramic production plant | – | – | – | – | Gmunden (AT) |
| Ceramic production plant | – | – | – | – | Bechyně (CZ) |
| Logistics centre and high-bay warehouse | – | – | – | 2006 | Laufen (CH) |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
Every ceramic item and every fitting is inspected several times during production; WCs and urinals undergo a vacuum leak test, and every fitting undergoes a compressed-air leak test.
| Evidence | Laufen (CH) | Wilhelmsburg & Gmunden (AT) | Laufen CZ (Bechyně/Znojmo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |||
| ISO 14001 | |||
| ISO 50001 |