Balluff announced the opening of its new production facility in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The new smart factory will enable the sensor and automation company to achieve its planned growth while creating resilient supply chains.
With the 7,000 m² greenfield facility and the option to expand, Balluff is regionalizing its supply chain with a $53 million investment. Mexico is not new territory for Balluff – the sales location in Querétaro has been in operation for 21 years. Balluff also has Americas subsidiaries in Canada, the U.S., Argentina and Brazil.
Balluff organized the site construction in Aguascalientes as a fast-track project, from the business case to site selection to building construction.
"The design phase of the new factory, the commissioning of the local construction company and the contract negotiations, for example, ran in parallel," said Andreas Schönle, manager of strategic projects at Balluff, who is responsible for the construction and ramp-up of the new facility.
In the process, Balluff benefited from the cooperation with the contractor and the local authorities. The project was approved internally a year ago, the official groundbreaking ceremony took place in January – and production is able to start after eight months.
Currently, Balluff has 70 employees in Aguascalientes and expects to have 100 people on the team by the end of the year - and 700 by 2027 at the latest. Balluff offers modern working environments, the latest production technology and an energy-efficient technical infrastructure.
The installation of a 500 kWp photovoltaic system on the roof of the production and logistics hall is underway. This will enable the site to cover about a third of its needs with its own electricity in the future. Balluff expects to save around 350 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Following the start of production, Balluff will gradually expand manufacturing in Aguascalientes. Additional assembly lines for sensor and network technology for the American market will follow. Teams of experts from Hungary, China, and Germany trained the employees in Mexico before the start of production.
In addition to the Aguascalientes project, the company has expanded its production sites in Veszprém, Hungary, and Chengdu, China.
