Diehl Metall is a corporate division of the Diehl Stiftung & Co. KG, a worldwide operating industrial group with its head office in Röthenbach an der Pegnitz near Nuremberg, Germany. The production units of Diehl Metall are situated at 13 locations in Europe, Asia, South America and the US. With 3,420 employees the company generated a turnover of €917 million in 2017. Diehl Metall produces semi-finished products, forgings and rolled products, high-precision stamped parts with plating technologies as well as Schempp+Decker press-fit zones and metal-plastic compound systems. The company provides material development and production, sheet metal forming and forging technology as well as plating, press-fit, overmolding and assembling technology completely in-house.
History
Foundation, 1902
In 1902 Margarete, née Schmidt (August 25, 1880, in Nuremberg), and Heinrich Diehl (born August 3, 1878, in Kölschhausen, died in Nuremberg) established an art foundry in Nuremberg. In 1914 they began producing rods and drop-forged parts which were launched at the Geuderstrasse site in Nuremberg.
In the next few years a metal producing plant and a modern extrusion press for the production of rods and tubes were constructed. In 1930 Karl Diehl, only son of Margarete and Heinrich Diehl, joined the parents’ company. He took on the metal processing company shortly before Second Worldwar. In 1938 they began building a new plant for semi-finished products at Röthenbach an der Pegnitz.
1938-1999
During World War II, major parts of the plant facilities were destroyed by air raids and almost the entire company's equipment was dismantled. On the basis of remaining presses, furnaces and machine tools, Diehl started to reconstruct its facilities. The foundry was converted from light to heavy metal.
In 1951, the setup of a 3,500-ton press took place. Diehl Metall started the production of synchronizer rings in 1956.
The company acquired Sundwiger Messingwerk KG in Hemer and became a manufacturer of rolled products. During the next years Diehl Metall built a new tube plant including a 1,600-ton press and established the first continuous dual-string casting plant for brass, with an annual capacity of 47,000 tons.
In 1973, Diehl do Brasil Metalúrgica was formed by Diehl Metall in São Paulo, Brazil.
From 1974 until 1984 the drop forge was expanded, another tube press was installed, a dust filtration system for the foundry was constructed and increased by the "Demag Continuous Casting System". In 1977 the so-called "Schumag hall" was set up. In 1981 a new strip rolling mill at Sundwiger Messingwerk was erected.
In 1985 heat recovery systems were installed in the foundry. At the same time the laboratory building at Diehl Metall Messing was extended. In 1990 Diehl Metall took part in a pilot project by the "Berlin Department of Environment" and set up a new dust filtration system.
In 1988, in Shenzhen, north of Hong Kong/China, a slitting and service center was established. Diehl Metall Schmiedetechnik was relocated to new facilities.
In 1999 Röthenbach an der Pegnitz became the headquarters of the corporate division Diehl Metall. One year later Diehl Metall took over The Miller Company (US).
2000-present
In 2002, Karl Diehl retired from the company and his first-born son Werner Diehl took over as chairman of the board.
In 2003, Diehl Synchro Tec Manufacturing (Wuxi) Co. Ltd. was established in China. In 2006, Diehl Metall took over OTB Oberflächentechnik in Berlin and formed Diehl Power Electronics S.A.S. in France. One year later, the company took over Diehl Augé Découpage in France. In 2009, Diehl Metal Applications GmbH (DMA) with locations in Germany, France and China was established, the subsidiaries of Diehl Metal Applications being Diehl Metal Applications GmbH (Location Berlin), Diehl Metal Applications GmbH (Location Teltow), Sundwiger Messingwerk (Hemer), Diehl Augé Decoupage (Besançon), Diehl Power Electronic (Siaugues), Diehl Metall (Shenzhen). One year later Diehl Metall took over Zehdenick Innovative Metall- und Kunststofftechnik GmbH (ZIMK), which is also a subsidiary of Diehl Metal Applications. The Diehl Metal Applications product development was established in 2011 and is involved in the development of the electrification of drive trains and the bonding of battery cells.
In 2012, Diehl took over the Schempp & Decker Präzisionsteile und Oberflächentechnik GmbH in Berlin. In the same year Diehl Metal India Pvt. Ltd. was established in India.