Diehl Metal Forgings

WE INSPIRE WITH SUCCESSFUL SOLUTIONS

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Diehl Metal Forgings –  PRECISION THAT MOVES

Diehl Metal Forgings (DMF) is the specialist for high-quality formed parts, synchronizer rings, and stamped parts made from sophisticated metals and special brass alloys. With decades of experience in hot and cold forming and state-of-the-art production facilities, we offer efficient, precise, and sustainable solutions for international markets – especially for the automotive industry.

As part of the Diehl Metall subgroup within the Diehl Group, we combine comprehensive material expertise, in-house alloy development, and a global production presence to form a strong, strategic business area. Through high process reliability, precise manufacturing quality, and continuous innovation, we have always ensured the long-term performance of our customers.

Our three product segments at a glance:

  • Formed parts - Our precise hot-formed and turned parts made from special brass alloys and lead-free materials are used in hydraulic systems, metre housings, automotive applications and industrial systems. At the Röthenbach site, the focus is on maximum material expertise, vertical integration and sustainable recycling management.
  • Synchroniser rings - key function for efficient transmission systems: Our synchroniser rings combine material technology, tribological expertise and perfect dimensional accuracy for long-lasting performance in the drivetrain.
  • Stamped Parts & Busbars - Precision stamped parts and electrical connection systems for modern applications, produced with economical, highly automated processes and flexible production capacities. With technological excellence, global proximity to our customers and a clear focus on sustainable value creation, Diehl Metal Forgings is your reliable partner for sophisticated metal components - yesterday, today and in the future.
     

With technological excellence, global proximity to our customers and a clear focus on sustainable value creation, Diehl Metal Forgings is your reliable partner for sophisticated metal components - yesterday, today and in the future.

  • 768

    Employees

  • € 135 million

    Sales per year (in 2024)

  • 50 million

    Synchronizer rings per year as world market leader

  • 6 million

    Formed parts produced per year with a special brass content of 70%

Core competencies

  • TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP IN FORMING TECHNOLOGY AND MACHINING: PRECISE COLD AND HOT FORMING AS WELL AS CNC MACHINING OF VARIOUS METAL ALLOYS – WORLDWIDE ACCORDING TO AUTOMOTIVE STANDARDS.
  • GLOBAL CUSTOMER PROXIMITY & INDUSTRY FOCUS: SYNCHRONIZER RINGS, STAMPED PARTS AND FORMED PARTS FOR INTERNATIONAL OEMS AND INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS - ECONOMICAL, SUSTAINABLE AND RELIABLY AVAILABLE.
  • DEVELOPMENT EXPERTISE ALONG THE ENTIRE VALUE CHAIN: FROM ALLOY DEVELOPMENT TO SIMULATION AND TOOLMAKING TO SERIES PRODUCTION: MAXIMUM PROCESS RELIABILITY AND (NEAR)NETSHAPE SOLUTIONS FROM A SINGLE SOURCE.

 

Segment Formed parts

Lead-free brass housings for water meters

Innovative. Safe. Future-proof

Lead-free brass housings for water meters – precisely manufactured in Germany. In times of strict drinking water regulations, 100% lead-free housings are no longer an option, but mandatory. Our high-quality meter housings meet the highest requirements in terms of material quality, durability and sustainability.

  • Drinking water compliant & certified: globally recognised in accordance with the current Drinking Water Ordinance.
  • Highest precision: CNC machined, tight tolerances, perfect surfaces and durable threads.
  • Durable & corrosion resistant: for over 15 years of reliable use under changing conditions.
  • Sustainable: recyclable lead-free brass, CO₂-optimized production in Germany.
  • Flexible: suitable for ultrasonic, jet and piston meters from DN 15 to DN 50, with all common connections and special variants.
     

We don't just supply housings – we accompany you as a reliable development partner.

More information about Lead-free brass housings

Sliding Elements & Bearing Solutions

Precision under pressure

We supply wear-critical precision components made of lead-free brass, bronze and aluminium-bronze for axial and radial piston pumps, gear pumps and hydraulic motors of the latest generation – including high-precision bushings. Our core components: sliding shoe/piston shoe, retaining and distribution plates, bushings & bearing rings as well as complex forming and turning parts – all from a single source, tribologically optimised and suitable for all media.

Why leading hydraulic manufacturers rely on us:

  • 100% lead-free & RoHS/REACH compliant, without compromising on mechanical precision.
  • Highest accuracy: fits and surfaces directly from the machine, even with thin-walled bushings.
  • Completely in-house: from toolmaking and hot forming to CNC turning/milling and cleanroom packaging.
  • Fast from idea to series production: prototypes and series tools in weeks thanks to in-house design and simulation. 
     

Whether mobile machines, industrial drives or sustainable fluid technology – our sliding elements make hydraulic power units more efficient, quieter and more durable.

More information about Sliding Elements & Bearing Solutions

Thrust Bearing

Precision at 200,000 rpm⁻¹

Our high-precision thrust bearings made of lead-free brass or special bronze alloys ensure maximum performance and dynamics in passenger car and commercial vehicle turbochargers as well as industrial applications. Optimized ramp and oil distribution geometries minimize friction and ensure maximum load-bearing capacity – proven millions of times over.

  • 100% lead-free & compliant: ELV, RoHS and REACH – ready for series production and environmentally friendly.
  • Maximum load capacity: For downsizing engines, hybrid drives and sophisticated turbochargers.
  • Precise bushings & bearing rings: Thin-walled, extremely pressure-resistant, perfect fit for shaft and housing.
  • Fast development partners: From the first geometry to PPAP in just a few months, including fully automated production and 100% control.
     

Unleaded is not a topic of the future for us – but a reality for millions of kilometres.

More information about Thrust Bearing

Large forgings

Heavy-duty, precise, lead-free

We manufacture large forgings made of brass, lead-free brass, bronze, copper and special alloys up to 35 kg – Made in Germany. State-of-the-art forging presses with up to 1,000 tons of pressing force are used to produce high-strength, tribologically optimized components for valves, fittings, shipbuilding, offshore, energy generation, special gearboxes, and railway applications.

  • Lead-free & compliant: Drinking Water Regulation, ELV, RoHS and REACH without compromising on strength and machinability.
  • Optimal material utilization: Drop forging produces perfect fiber alignment, higher strength than casting and minimal post-processing.
  • Complete process chain under one roof: toolmaking, hot forming, heat treatment, mechanical processing and 100% crack testing.
  • Flexible & economical: From small to large series, fast tool availability and prototype validation through simulation.
     

Large, lead-free and resilient – this is our daily reality.

More information about Large forgings

Copper Forgings

Precise. Conductive. Reliable.

As a German specialist, we manufacture highly conductive forgings made of pure copper, OF-Cu, Cu-ETP and other copper alloys for lightning protection, earthing technology, occupational safety and industrial electronics. Our forgings offer the highest electrical conductivity, optimized mechanical strength, and lead-free environmental compliance.

  • Maximum conductivity: up to 101% IACS for pure copper, even after hot forming and heattreatment.
  • Mechanically highly resilient: perfect grain flow, higher fatigue strength than with casting or extrusion.
  • Complete production chain: toolmaking, hot forming up to 1,000 t, CNC machining, conductivityand hardness testing.
  • Economical & flexible: Prototype to large-scale production >100,000 pieces/year, fast tool availability, lower material costs and rejects.


Forging instead of casting – for copper parts that transport electricity reliably and efficiently.

More information about Copper Forgings

Segment Synchronizer Rings

Synchronizer Rings 

One Gear Ahead

As the first partner of the international automotive industry, we develop and manufacture high-performance synchronizer rings made of brass and steel for all transmission applications. Our products impress with their exact geometry, high wear resistance and maximum strength – for reliable shifting performance under all conditions.

  • Brass synchronizer rings: made of special brass alloys, also lead-free, optionally with threaded design or carbon friction lining for the highest requirements.
  • Steel synchronizer rings: formed, with carbon friction lining, proven millions of times.
  • Multiple synchronizations: single and multi-cone synchronizations, tailored to your application.
  • Tailor-made solutions: technically convincing, economically attractive, available worldwide, with in-house development and test bench expertise.
     

With Diehl Metal Forgings, you stay one gear ahead – for durable, precise and high-performance transmission components.

More information about Synchronizer Rings

Segment Stamping Parts & Busbars

Stamping Parts & Busbars

Precise. Efficient. Reliable.

We manufacture high-precision stamped parts for transmissions and busbars for batteries – for automotive applications as well as for industrial systems. With over 40 automatic stamping machines, progressive and transfer tools as well as high-performance stamping and forming presses up to 800 tons, we produce complex components in small and large series, including prototypes. Our customers particularly appreciate our tailor-made solutions, which are technically convincing and economically attractive. 

Our competencies for your project:

  • Wide range of materials: steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper, bronze, brass, special alloys and bi-metals
  • Precise manufacturing: complex geometries, tightest tolerances, maximum technical cleanliness
  • Flexible processes: machining or chipless, highly complex assembly technology, in-house toolmaking
     

With a global presence, we supply and support directly on site and offer economically efficient stamped parts that significantly reduce material, time and costs compared to purely machining processes.

More information about Stamping Parts

Services & Technologies

Manufacturing

Forming Technology & Machining

Precision in form and dimension – forming technology and machining from a single source

At Diehl Metal Forgings, we rely on state-of-the-art cold and hot forming processes to produce high-quality formed parts with the highest form, position and dimensional accuracy as well as optimal surface quality. Our versatile machinery and equipment enables (near) Netshape products, reduces material consumption and minimizes downstream processing steps.

  • In hot forming, we produce parts from a few grams to 35 kg on fully automated forging systems from 100 t to 1,100 t, including heat and surface treatment. Complex hollow pressed parts, such as those required for water meter housings, are also part of our production spectrum.
  • In cold forming, we implement sophisticated multi-stage processes such as punching, bending, upsetting and extrusion – both on progressive and transfer tools. Press forces of up to 8,000 kN enable the production of precise components from strip material or piece material.
  • Thanks to state-of-the-art CNC machining with integrated measuring technology, we also offer the machining of our formed parts – even for special alloys such as lead-free or low-lead materials. Our globally uniform manufacturing standard guarantees the highest quality at all locations.
     

With forming technology and machining from a single source, we offer our customers economical, sustainable and technically excellent solutions – uniform and reliable worldwide.
 

About forming technology

 

Development & Engineering

Design & Toolmaking

Thanks to the close cooperation between design and toolmaking, we are able to carry out all steps from CAD design to the finished tool in-house in an integrated tool development process. This allows us to implement new productions as well as changes to tools at short notice. This results in clear advantages for the customer:

  • Short-term adaptation of tools
  • Tool-falling components already in the prototype phase
  • Increased flexibility
  • Optimization of tool life

 

About toolmaking at Diehl Metall

Integrated Value Chain

For special applications as well as individually manufactured components, we work with customers and partners to develop specific solutions in order to select the appropriate materials and to define tailor-made material combinations and manufacturing processes. As a system supplier, we offer extensive knowledge, experience and know-how in all areas of the production process.
 

About integrated value chain at Diehl Metall

Quality Management

We have a certified quality management system in accordance with international quality standards. Quality management is an integral part of the process chain to ensure all aspects of quality assurance in the interests of the customer. The focus is also on the continuous optimization of our business and production processes.

  • Quality: IATF 16949 and ISO 9001
  • Environment: ISO 14001
  • Energy: ISO 50001

 

About Quality at Diehl Metall

Product and Process Development 

Laboratory & Materials Testing

The function and service life of the formed parts depends on the material, the geometric design and the optimal interaction of the individual component components. To obtain the best possible solution for the respective requirements, we offer a versatile range of test methods:

  • Hardness testing
  • Metallography
  • Microhardness testing
  • Quantitative structural analysis
  • Tensile test
  • Chemical analysis
  • Scanning electron microscope
  • EDX-Microanalysis
     

In addition, we also carry out special investigations as part of development projects and advise our customers on all material issues.

INDUSTRIES & APPLICATIONS

Locations

Diehl Metal Forgings represented worldwide

Diehl Metal Forgings, headquartered in Röthenbach, is an association of the companies Diehl Metall Schmiedetechnik (Röthenbach), Diehl SynchroTec (Wuxi), Diehl Do Brasil (Sao Paulo), and Diehl Metal India (Pune).

  • Röthenbach

    Diehl Metall Schmiedetechnik

    Core competencies: Formed parts, Brass Synchronizer Rings, Steel Synchronizer Rings

  • Wuxi

    Diehl SynchroTec

    Core competencies: Steel Synchronizer Rings, Brass Synchronizer Rings, Sliding Surfaces

  • Sao Paulo

    Diehl Do Brasil

    Core competencies: Brass Synchronizer Rings, Sliding Surfaces

  • Pune

    Diehl Metal India

    Core competency: Brass Synchronizer Rings

Locations

HISTORY

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