BÖHLER

What BÖHLER does

voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl GmbH & Co KG is a specialty steel manufacturer headquartered in Kapfenberg, Austria, producing approximately 200 grades of high-performance steels and alloys. The portfolio spans high-speed steels, cold work and hot work tool steels, plastic mould steels, bearing steels, engineering steels, Ni- and Co-base alloys, corrosion-resistant steels, heat- and creep-resistant steels, and additive manufacturing powders marketed as BÖHLER AMPO. Production is fully integrated and runs in-house vacuum metallurgy (VIM, VAR, ESR), an AOD converter, powder metallurgy, large-scale forging (P44 quick forge, RF100 long forging up to 15m/8t, a 5,200t open-die press), rolling, pickling, and heat treatment. The opening of a new special steel plant in Kapfenberg in October 2023, described by the company as the world's most modern, is the anchor of its next product generation.

The company sells to enterprise industrial customers in aerospace, automotive, oil & gas / CPI, power generation, cutting tools, hot work, cold work, plastic mould, and engineering applications including medical technology and luxury watches. Sales is executed through a direct enterprise field motion with key account managers and wholly-owned subsidiaries across approximately 50+ countries, supplemented by regional distributors in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time sales of materials in bar, rod, billet, forging, and powder form, with monthly alloy surcharges and quote-based B2B pricing. Stated FY sales are €919.9 million against 2,140 employees plus approximately 130 apprentices.

BÖHLER runs ISO 17025 and NADCAP-MTL accredited laboratories handling approximately 500,000 test orders per year under 180 accredited methods, supported by the LISA-LIMS central database. The company holds 439 patents in 33 patent families and a portfolio of certifications including AS9100, IATF 16949, ISO 9001/14001/45001/50001, NORSOK M-650, KTA 3201.1, ISO 13485, and JOSCAR. The BÖHLER Steel Academy provides technical training to approximately 500 customers and employees annually. The legal entity is a wholly-owned subsidiary of voestalpine AG (Vienna Stock Exchange: VOE), operating within voestalpine's High Performance Metals Division.

Name

BÖHLER

Legal name

voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl GmbH & Co KG

Website

https://bohler-edelstahl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl is an Austrian specialty steel manufacturer producing around 200 grades — tool steels, Ni/Co-base alloys, and additive manufacturing powders — for enterprise customers in aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, power generation, tooling, and medical and luxury industries; FY sales €919.9 million.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Steel and High-Performance Alloys

NAICS

Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing (3311), Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (331410)

SIC

Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330), Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Alloy Steel (Stainless, Tool Steel, Electrical Steel, High-Strength/HSLA) (IMAKABAJ)

Keywords

• Specialty steel manufacturing
• High-performance alloys
• Tool steel production
• Powder metallurgy steels
• Additive manufacturing powders

Headquarters

HQ city

Kapfenberg

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Specialty Steel and Alloy Sales: Manufacture and sale of specialty steels including high-speed steels, tool steels, plastic mould steels, corrosion-resistant steels, engineering steels, Ni-base alloys, Co-base alloys, and powders for additive manufacturing. Revenue generated through direct sales of materials in various forms (bars, rods, forgings) to industrial customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl manufactures and sells approximately 200 grades of specialty steels and high-performance alloys—including high-speed steels, cold work and hot work tool steels, plastic mould steels, Ni-base and Co-base alloys, corrosion-resistant steels, bearing steels, creep-resistant steels, and additive manufacturing powders (AMPO)—in bar, rod, forging, and powder forms. The company serves aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, power generation, tooling, and engineering customers worldwide, with production based on vacuum metallurgy (VIM, VAR, ESR), powder metallurgy, and advanced forging processes at its Kapfenberg and Deuchendorf plants.

Product overview

voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl is a leading manufacturer of special steels with a portfolio of approximately 200 steel grades. The company operates as a unified steel production platform offering high-speed steels, cold work tool steels, hot work tool steels, plastic mould steels, Ni-Base and Co-Base alloys, corrosion resistant steels, engineering steels, bearing steels, heat-resisting steels, creep resistant steels, alloys with specific physical properties, and additive manufacturing powders (AMPO). Production includes melting (VIM, VAR), powder metallurgy, rolling, forging (including P44 quick forging and RF100 long forging), and machining operations. The company also provides complementary services including the BÖHLER Steel Academy for technical training, ISO 17025 accredited testing and certification laboratories, and comprehensive technical documentation. BÖHLER serves key industries including aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, power generation, tooling, and engineering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BÖHLER AMPO: Powder brand for additive manufacturing processes, offering Fe-based, Ni-based, and Co-based alloys for toolmaking, aerospace, and automotive industries.

Products and services

• High Speed Steels High-speed steels achieving high hot hardness, wear resistance, and fracture resistance at over 60–67 HRC, alloyed with carbon, tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, and cobalt. Used for cutting tools for drilling, milling, threading, and broaching.
• Cold Work Tool Steels Cold work steels for stamping, cutting, and massive forming tools, achieving hardness 50 to over 64 HRC through alloying with carbon, chromium, tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, and manganese. Deliver hardness, wear resistance, toughness, compressive strength, and fatigue strength for cold forming tools.
• Hot Work Tool Steels Hot work steels for hot forming processes (forging, die casting), tempered 3% and 5% CrMoV steels with hardness approximately 35–55 HRC, plus maraging steels (Fe-18% Ni-Co-Mo-Ti) for highly stressed tool inserts. Deliver fracture resistance, hot wear resistance, and thermal fatigue resistance.
• Plastic Mould Steels Mould steels for plastic injection molding and extrusion tools, meeting requirements for wear resistance (especially on fiber-reinforced plastics), corrosion resistance, machinability, polishability, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties. Available in hardenable, heat-treatable, and precipitation-hardening variants.
• Ni-Base Alloys Nickel-based alloys used as high-temperature and chemically resistant materials. Chemical resistance is determined by chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten; maximum thermal resistance is achieved through precipitation hardening with aluminum, niobium, and titanium. Used in aerospace, oil & gas, and chemical process industries.
• Co-Base Alloys Cobalt-based alloys containing chromium, with high hardness and resistance to wear and high-temperature corrosion. Applications primarily in the chemical industry, energy technology, aerospace, and medical technology.
• Additive Manufacturing Powder (BÖHLER AMPO) BÖHLER AMPO powders for additive manufacturing processes, offering design freedom, short lead times, and minimized tooling costs. Available in Co-based, Fe-based, and Ni-based alloys for toolmaking, aerospace, and automotive industries.
• Heat-Resisting Steels Steels with special resistance to gases and combustion products at temperatures over 550°C, alloyed primarily with chromium plus silicon and aluminum for scale resistance. Main applications in furnace construction, cement, and ceramic industries.
• Bearing Steels Steels for rolling bearings across all sectors of mechanical engineering, hardened and tempered to over 60 HRC with high steel purity, delivering hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue strength.
• Engineering Steels Steels for a wide range of mechanical engineering applications, including structural steels, nitriding steels, case-hardening steels, and high-strength maraging steels for lightweight construction.
• Corrosion Resistant Steels Steels with chromium content over 10.5% achieving corrosion resistance, including austenitic, ferritic, semi-martensitic, martensitic, and ferritic-austenitic (DUPLEX) microstructure variants with different property profiles.
• Alloys with Specific Physical Properties Specialty alloys including soft magnetic iron-cobalt alloys for magnetic control valves, iron-nickel-(cobalt) alloys with temperature-dependent low thermal expansion for measurement and control technology, and shape memory alloys.
• Creep Resistant Steels Steels used at temperatures up to 650°C, primarily alloyed with chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten, and niobium, with high resistance to high-temperature corrosion and stable precipitates providing high creep resistance.
• BÖHLER Steel Academy Technical training courses for customers and employees on stainless steel production, the advantages and properties of specific steel groups, and processing and treatment instructions for economical use of tools or steel. Approximately 500 customers and employees participate annually.
• Testing and Certification Services ISO 17025 accredited and NADCAP-MTL certified test laboratories performing approximately 500,000 test orders annually across 180 different accredited test methods, producing around 50,000 acceptance test certificates per year, covering chemical, mechanical, and non-destructive testing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000 test orders per year with 180 different accredited test methods
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves20 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ATI (Allegheny Technologies Incorporated): ATI is a US specialty materials producer focused on nickel-based alloys, titanium, and stainless steel for aerospace, defense, and oil & gas. Direct competitor in high-performance alloys with overlapping aerospace and oil & gas customer qualifications.
• Daido Steel Co., Ltd. Japanese specialty steelmaker producing high-speed steel, tool steel, stainless steel, and magnetic materials. Competes with BÖHLER in high-speed and tool steels globally, with strong position in Asia-Pacific markets where BÖHLER competes via its Shanghai subsidiary.
• Carpenter Technology Corporation: Carpenter Technology is a leading US producer of specialty alloys, including tool steels, high-speed steels, and nickel/cobalt alloys for aerospace, defense, medical, and energy. Most direct competitor to BÖHLER in premium tool steel and aerospace-grade alloys with overlapping product portfolios and IP depth.
• Aubert & Duval: French producer of specialty steels, superalloys, and forged components for aerospace, energy, and nuclear markets. Direct competitor in high-performance alloys and large open-die forgings with overlapping aerospace and oil & gas customer base.
• Swiss Steel Group (Schmolz + Bickenbach): Swiss Steel Group is a leading European specialty steel producer focused on tool steel, stainless steel long products, and engineering steels. Directly competes with BÖHLER in cold-work, hot-work, and plastic mould steels across European industrial markets.

Broad incumbents

• Aperam SA: European stainless and specialty alloys producer headquartered in Luxembourg. Overlaps with BÖHLER's corrosion-resistant steel and engineered steel products serving automotive, construction, and industrial segments.
• Proterial, Ltd. (formerly Hitachi Metals): Japanese-based specialty metals producer offering tool steel, automotive materials, and electronic materials. Broad incumbent in specialty steels with strong aerospace and automotive presence, comparable customer base to BÖHLER.
• voestalpine AG: Parent company of BÖHLER Edelstahl and one of Europe's largest steel-based technology groups operating in railway systems, automotive, and high-performance metals. As parent, voestalpine provides capital, R&D and shared services to BÖHLER's High Performance Metals Division.
• Outokumpu Oyj: Leading stainless steel producer based in Finland. Less direct than tool steel peers, but competes with BÖHLER's corrosion-resistant steel business across European industrial markets and downstream finishing applications.

Emerging players

• Sandvik AB: Sandvik's Materials Technology division (now part of Alleima) offers metal powders and tool materials with growing focus on additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing powder business directly competes with BÖHLER AMPO in aerospace and toolmaking applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BÖHLER