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Although overall the strongest and largest economy in the
European Union, Germany is second as compared to Italy when
it comes to production of pressure die castings. Still, with
nearly 400,000 annual tons per year of production, Germany
is an important die casting country.
There are about 190 plants in Germany, including some of
the most technologically advance die casting companies in
the world.
One of these is Honsel
Werke, Meschede. They produce cast aluminum, magnesium
and titanium castings for cars, railway and aircraft. They
company also produces rolled light metal products. Foundry
plants operate in Germany and in France. Although Honsel is
a public company, a majority interest has been purchased by
the U.S.-based Carlyle Group of Washington, DC. Carlyle also
owns the Canadian die casting company Amcan.
Another important group is George
Fischer Moessner GmbH, with headquarters in Munich. George
Fischer is a Swiss foundry company with ferrous and nonferrous
plants, including one die casting operation in Austria. Moessner
includes six die casting plants, including two each in Germany
and Austria, along with one each in Hungary and China.
A third important company is Kolbenschmidt
Pierburg AG. Their headquarters are in Duesseldorf. This
company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of motor
blocks, pistons, pumps and fuel injection components. Pressure
die castings are produced in two plants in Nettetal, Germany,
one for aluminum and one for magnesium. There is another die
casting plant in Neckarsulm that operates squeeze casting
equipment along with pressure die casting, used mainly to
make automotive cylinder blocks.
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