A to Z Welding Technology from France

A to Z Welding Technology from France

In the tranquil, agricultural district town of Laval - about 280 km west of Paris on the way to Brittany - the only remaining French arc welding power source manufacturer GYS built an internationally renowned competence center for welding technology. More than 90 product developers and welding experts work on process optimization and innovative new products at the main production site.

60 years ago, Monsieur Guy Yves Stefanie founded a transformer factory in Laval as part of the national switch to 220V mains voltage. In 1997, the entrepreneur Nicolas Bouygues acquired the company, which at the time had 75 employees, and built particularly small, lightweight MMA welding inverters and battery chargers using a special process. In 2002 he brought, the current CEO of the GYS Group and MIT Boston graduate, his son Bruno into the expanding company.

During this development phase, the company resembled a large construction site with many container offices and often improvised production in a small space. The lack of industrial infrastructure in the surrounding area inevitably led to a special depth of production. That still applies today. However, now GYS develops and manufactures almost everything in-house on 55,000 square meters in two neighboring modern factories, from semiconductor technology to sheet metal processing, from semi-finished products to the end product. The French machine and equipment manufacturer focused early on series production with a high proportion of automation. Currently, over 2,000 units of equipment are produced daily on 12 production lines in the main factory

For GYS, as for every electronics manufacturer, China is an indispensable procurement market for microchips and small electronic components. GYS combines the advantages of proximity to Chinese suppliers with its own production in the greater Shanghai area. For 20 years, battery chargers have been manufactured primarily for the global B2C market using GYS own strict standards. Extensive equipment for the repair of vehicle bodies in mixed construction is a focus of the range. GYS sees itself as the European market leader for transformer gun spot welding systems and mobile dent removal stations.

In arc welding technology, the manufacturer offers the complete product range for the 3 most important processes, from entry-level or craftsman models to high-performance industrial welding machines. In view of skilled worker shortages and the economic advantages, the current development focus is on automated solutions in combination with industrial robotics and cobots.

The group has also been active in Germany since 2006. 80 of the total 900 employees control sales, logistics and customer service in Aachen. Additional branches in England, Italy and, most recently, Spain ensure a customer-oriented presence in neighboring countries. Courageous, but above all, well-prepared expansion into new markets and the continouus expansion of the welding range is what company boss Bruno Bouygues has set as his goal for the coming years.

(Source: GYS Press Release)