Manufacturer of precision tweezers for the watch industry, electronics, medicine, laboratory and cosmetics – Made in Switzerland
Outils Rubis SA
Stabio (Ticino)New on Amplifa
Precision manufacturing for over 60 years
Outils Rubis SA is a Swiss manufacturing company in Stabio, Ticino, that has been producing precision tweezers for over 60 years. Originally, the instruments were made for the Swiss watch industry to set rubies into mechanical watch movements; from this evolved a craft tradition that extends beyond the watch industry. Today, the product range includes technical tweezers (RubisTech) for electronics, SMD and semiconductor assembly, wafer handling, medicine, laboratory and microscopy, as well as cosmetic instruments, scissors, nail clippers and manicure sets. Production uses acid-resistant surgical steel, DURAX martensitic stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium, the cobalt-chromium superalloy AXAL, aluminium and plastic with polymer tips; finishes include electroplating with 24-ct gold and rhodium, anodizing, epoxy and ION™/NANO™/TERAMIC coatings, as well as heat treatment up to 54–62 HRC. Every tweezer is manufactured and tested individually, and the fine grinding of the tip is partly done by hand. Customers include Patek Philippe, Cartier, Rolex, Motorola, General Electric, Siemens, Toshiba, Hewlett Packard as well as research institutions such as the Fraunhofer Institutes.
- Site
- CH-6855 Stabio
- Processes
- Precision tweezer manufacturing (individual production and inspection of every tweezer, partly by, Electrolytic gold plating / rhodium plating (electroplating), Laser engraving (Swiss Cross Laser), Heat treatment / hardening up to 54 HRC Rockwell (DURAX martensitic stainless steel), Hardening up to 62 HRC Rockwell for cutting tweezers (carbon steel), Epoxy coating, Coatings ION™, NANO™, TERAMIC Coated / silver-ion equipment, Anodizing of aluminium (Sweezer 2.0, corrosion-resistant when anodized)
- Materials
- Acid-resistant surgical steel (stainless, antimagnetic), Stainless steel (rust- and corrosion-resistant), DURAX martensitic stainless steel (nickel-free, hardened 54 HRC), Carbon steel (62 HRC), AXAL cobalt-chromium superalloy, Titanium (100% antimagnetic, acid-resistant), Aluminium (recyclable, anodizable), 24 ct gold (electroplating, approx. 0.5 µm)
- Certificates
- REACH declaration of conformity, RoHS / RoHS 3 declaration of conformity (2011/65/EU), PIP / TSCA 40CFR 751.407 declaration of conformity, Individual inspection of every tweezer, REACH compliance, RoHS/RoHS 3 compliance (2011/65/EU), PIP/TSCA compliance, ISO 9001
- Industries
- Cosmetics, Medicine, Laboratory/biotech/microscopy, Electronics/semiconductor/SMD, Watch industry/jewellery, Aerospace
- 01
In-house engineering
- 02
Raw materials (steel/aluminium/plastic)
- 03
Tool and die making
- 04
Hand manufacturing incl. fine grinding of the tip
- 05
Heat treatment/hardening
- 06
Surface technology (electroplating, anodizing, coating)
- 07
Individual inspection and testing
- 08
Packaging and shipping
Materials and processes
Surgical steel (acid-resistant, antimagnetic)
Rust- and corrosion-resistant standard material for precision tweezers in electronics, medicine and laboratory use; autoclavable and sterilizable in acids.
DURAX martensitic stainless steel (nickel-free, hardened up to 54 HRC)
Nickel-free, heat-treated stainless steel for particularly fine tips and high finger pressure, e.g. for micro-engineering and watchmaking.
Carbon steel (hardened 62 HRC)
High carbon content ensures cutting-edge durability of cutting tweezers; protected against oxidation with epoxy coating.
AXAL cobalt-chromium superalloy
100% antimagnetic, temperature-resistant superalloy for cleanroom and ultra-precision applications.
Titanium
100% antimagnetic and acid-resistant, ultra-light, for medical technology and demanding environments.
Aluminium (anodizable, recyclable)
Feather-light, corrosion-resistant tweezers and Sweezer 2.0 with energy-efficient recyclability.
High-tech polymer / plastic
Tweezer tips made of polymer (Techno, Full Plastic) for gentle gripping on sensitive skin.
Electroplating: 24-ct gold and rhodium (approx. 0.5 µm)
Electrolytic gold plating or rhodium plating of the Prestige line.
ESD equipment (epoxy, ION™/NANO™/TERAMIC Coated, silver ions)
Coatings for ESD-protected electronics and semiconductor applications as well as antimicrobial cosmetic instruments.
Locations
Stabio
CHHeadquarters, manufacturing, administration
- Lot size
- Individual production to series
- Materials
- Stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium, superalloy, aluminium, plastic
Components and instruments
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precision tweezer manufacturing (individual production and inspection of every tweezer, partly byManufacturing/craftsmanship | – | – | – | – | Surgical steel (acid-resistant), Aluminium |
| Electrolytic gold plating / rhodium plating (electroplating)Surface | – | – | – | – | 24 ct gold, Rhodium |
| Laser engraving (Swiss Cross Laser)Surface | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| Heat treatment / hardening up to 54 HRC Rockwell (DURAX martensitic stainless steel)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | DURAX martensitic stainless steel (nickel-free) |
| Hardening up to 62 HRC Rockwell for cutting tweezers (carbon steel)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Carbon steel |
| Epoxy coatingSurface | – | – | – | – | Carbon steel |
| Coatings ION™, NANO™, TERAMIC Coated / silver-ion equipmentSurface | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| Anodizing of aluminium (Sweezer 2.0, corrosion-resistant when anodized)Surface | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Sandblasting (sandblasted steel products)Surface | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Fine grinding of the tweezer tip by handManufacturing/craftsmanship | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Custom-made productions, complete in-house engineering, own tool and die makingEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Painting of products (painted steel products)Surface | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Coating/tweezer tips made of high-tech polymer (injection moulding/tool making derivable)Plastics | – | – | – | – | High-tech polymer, Plastic |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
Every tweezer is manufactured and tested individually; throughout the entire production process, inspections and checks are carried out so that no products with insufficient quality leave the manufactory. Certificates of authenticity are issued for coatings and gemstones.
| Evidence | Stabio |
|---|---|
| Individual inspection of every tweezer | |
| REACH compliance | |
| RoHS/RoHS 3 compliance (2011/65/EU) | |
| PIP/TSCA compliance | |
| ISO 9001 |
History
- vor über 60
Foundation/start of production in Stabio; first precision tweezers for the Swiss watch industry (setting ruby stones into watch movements).
- 1984
Fides Baldesberger comes to Stabio and, after the death of her father, takes over the management of the tweezer company Rubis.
- 1996
Rubis is the first company to recognize that a simple instrument can become a design icon (cosmetic tweezers).
- 2001
Fides Baldesberger is named Entrepreneur of the Year (Ernst & Young); previously already Veuve Clicquot in 1988.