German industrial inspection equipment manufacturer Viscom recorded a 42.4% increase in order intake during the first nine months of 2026, supported by two major contracts for inline computed tomography systems used in industrial inspection, particularly battery cell manufacturing.
Orders reached €90.0 million between January and September, compared with €63.2 million in the corresponding period of 2025. The company's order backlog increased to €49.6 million at 30 September, representing growth of 88.0% year on year.
Viscom secured the two major inline CT contracts during the second and third quarters. Both are expected to contribute predominantly to revenue during 2027, distinguishing the increase in orders from equipment deliveries already reflected in its 2026 results.
The order backlog was also 158.3% above the €19.2 million recorded at the end of 2025, providing additional visibility of manufacturing and delivery work entering the next financial year.
Viscom develops automated optical and X-ray inspection systems used in electronics manufacturing and other industrial applications. Its equipment examines components and assemblies for characteristics that may indicate manufacturing defects or deviations from required specifications.
Automated optical inspection uses controlled illumination, imaging equipment and processing software to examine visible product features. Depending on the application, the equipment can assess component placement, solder joints, surface characteristics and other externally accessible details.
X-ray inspection provides access to structures that cannot be examined directly through optical imaging. X-rays pass through materials to different degrees according to their composition and thickness, producing measurements that can reveal internal characteristics.
Computed tomography extends this approach by combining measurements obtained from multiple directions to reconstruct information about the internal structure of an object.
The technique can support inspection of components containing features that would otherwise require destructive examination. Its performance depends on the resolution of the imaging system, the geometry of the component and the reconstruction methods applied.
Industrial CT must be configured according to the object being inspected and the defects or characteristics that need to be detected. Equipment suitable for a small electronic assembly may not provide the same performance when examining a larger or more densely constructed component.
Inline CT introduces additional manufacturing requirements because inspection must operate within the production process rather than as a separate laboratory activity.
Components need to be transferred into the inspection system, positioned correctly, measured and directed towards subsequent operations. The time required for these activities influences how the inspection station can be integrated into the manufacturing line.
Image resolution and measurement time must also be considered together. A more detailed examination may require additional measurements or processing, while a production line imposes limits on the time available for each component.
Battery cell manufacturing presents particular inspection challenges because important structural characteristics are located within the finished or partially completed cell.
Different cell designs contain arrangements of electrodes, separators, connections and packaging materials whose condition can affect performance and reliability. The relevant inspection requirements depend on the cell format and manufacturing stage.
Suitable X-ray techniques can be used to examine selected internal features without cutting open every cell. The defects detectable depend on the equipment's measurement capability and the acceptance criteria established for the product.
Automated inspection does not remove the need for engineering interpretation. A measured deviation must be assessed against product specifications before it can be classified as an unacceptable defect.
Where inspection identifies recurring problems, production engineers may investigate the preceding manufacturing stages to establish whether machinery settings, material handling or component characteristics are contributing to the result.
The effectiveness of such investigations depends on retaining reliable inspection information and linking it with the relevant production records.
Viscom has not disclosed the customers, contract values or detailed equipment specifications associated with its two major inline CT orders. Nor has it published a confirmed installation schedule for each project.
Its financial results nevertheless demonstrate the effect of those contracts on the order book. The expected contribution to 2027 revenue will depend on the delivery and contractual arrangements applicable to the equipment.
Revenue during the first nine months increased by 5.0% to €59.6 million, compared with €56.8 million a year earlier. This was a substantially smaller increase than the rise in orders, reflecting the different timing of commercial commitments and recognised equipment sales.
Operational performance also improved during the year. Viscom recorded positive earnings before interest and tax in both the second and third quarters, recovering from a difficult beginning to 2026.
Third-quarter operating earnings reached €1.6 million, compared with a loss of €1.8 million in the corresponding quarter of 2025. The improvement was insufficient to offset the losses recorded during the first half, leaving nine-month operating earnings negative at approximately €969,000.
That result compared with a nine-month operating loss of €1.8 million in 2025. The corresponding operating margin improved from minus 3.1% to minus 1.6%.
Regional demand remained uneven. European electronics manufacturers continued to show caution over equipment investment, particularly among automotive suppliers, although Viscom reported some improvement in market conditions.
European revenue declined from €31.1 million to €30.3 million during the nine-month period. Service and equipment modernisation remained important activities as customers assessed additional capital expenditure.
Business in the Americas strengthened, with revenue increasing from €7.2 million to €9.2 million. Viscom reported growing interest in aerospace applications and AI-supported inspection technology, alongside continuing demand from electronics manufacturing services providers.
Asian revenue increased from €18.5 million to €20.1 million. China and India remained important markets, while opportunities developed in battery inspection, advanced semiconductor packaging and electronics associated with AI hardware.
The company's technology programme includes further development of three-dimensional X-ray inspection, battery cell inspection systems and applications for complex electronic assemblies.
Server boards and AI computing hardware can contain dense component arrangements and connections whose inspection requirements differ from those of simpler electronic products.
As component geometries become more complex, inspection systems must provide measurements that can distinguish manufacturing variation from defects affecting product quality or reliability.
Viscom is developing AI-supported inspection software through its vAI ProVision portfolio. Such systems can assist with the classification and assessment of inspection information, although performance depends on the measurements available and the quality of the reference data used.
The company is also developing its vConnect platform for managing inspection information and connecting equipment within manufacturing environments.
Inspection data can support the identification of repeated production defects, changes in manufacturing performance and patterns requiring further investigation. The resulting information must be interpreted alongside process conditions and production records to establish the cause of a problem.
Following stronger order intake, Viscom raised its full-year order forecast in October. It now expects incoming orders of between €100 million and €110 million during 2026.
The company retained its revenue forecast of €80 million to €90 million and an operating margin target of between 2% and 5%, equivalent to anticipated operating earnings of approximately €1.6 million to €4.5 million.
These are forecasts for the complete financial year rather than results already achieved during the first nine months. Their delivery will depend on fourth-quarter business activity and the completion of equipment sales scheduled for the period.
The €49.6 million order backlog gives Viscom additional work entering 2027, including the two major inline CT contracts. The principal manufacturing challenge will be converting those orders into completed inspection systems while maintaining the product development and service capabilities required by its international customer base.
