MFL

What MFL does

MFL (legal name Maschinenfabrik Liezen und Gießerei Ges.m.b.H.) is an Austrian private manufacturing service provider operating two integrated divisions — Steel Foundry and Mechanical Engineering — from a single 220,000 m² site in Liezen. The Steel Foundry specialises in the shell mould casting process, producing precision steel castings up to 1,020 x 660 mm in mould size and 0.5–200 kg in part weight, with materials spanning non-alloyed, low-alloy, cryogenic, tempered, heat-resistant, and wear-resistant grades. The Mechanical Engineering division offers cutting, welding (including EN 15085-2 certified), CNC machining for components from 15 kg to 50 tons, assembly, and worldwide commissioning, supported by an in-house engineering suite and 14 quality-testing methods.

The company serves safety-critical industrial end markets through vertical-focused sub-brands: MFL Rail (rail traffic including Deutsche Bahn), MFL Defence (military vehicles including KNDS Leopard 2 turret housings), MFL Grate Bars (incineration and power generation), and MFL Solutions (steel production/HBI-DRI including the world's first zero-emission green steel facility in Sweden). Revenue is generated through project-based custom manufacturing, long-term serial production contracts (notably a freight wagon contract valued up to €250 million), and integrated engineering services. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supplemented by international trade fair participation (Innotrans, Eurosatory, IFAT, CastForge, IDET); the firm does not sell through intermediaries or e-commerce.

MFL is privately held, with 1,000 employees across the group, 70% of revenue from exports, and ownership concentrated in the Haider Group (67%), KR Mag. Heinrich Obernhuber (20%), and Krünes Consulting GmbH (13%). The group traces its history to a 1939 smelting plant, with the current entity formed through a 1994 management-led takeover that rescued it from bankruptcy. Certifications across ISO 9001/14001/45001/50001, EN 15085-2, EN 1090, DIN 2303, AD 2000, and Deutsche Bahn approval create a regulatory moat for safety-critical rail and defence supply.

Name

MFL

Legal name

Maschinenfabrik Liezen und Gießerei Ges.m.b.H.

Website

https://mfl.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

MFL is an Austrian private manufacturer of precision steel castings and heavy mechanical engineering components, serving rail (Deutsche Bahn), defence (KNDS Leopard 2), green steel, and industrial machinery clients from its integrated Liezen foundry and mechanical engineering site with 1,000 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Steel Castings and Mechanical Engineering

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324), Machinery Manufacturing (333), Primary Metal Manufacturing (331), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Steel Casting (Continuous Casting, Ingots, Semi-Finished Slabs/Billets/Blooms) (IMAKABAD)

Keywords

• Steel foundry services
• Shell mould casting
• Mechanical engineering manufacturing
• Railway steel castings
• Industrial components manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Liezen

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Manufacturing Services: MFL generates revenue through custom manufacturing of steel castings and mechanical engineering components. Services include engineering consultation, casting production, machining, welding, assembly, and worldwide commissioning. Revenue is project-based with both one-off custom orders and serial production contracts.
2. Series Production Contracts: Long-term supply agreements for serial production parts, including defence components (tank turret housings) and railway components. Contracts can reach significant scale, with major orders worth tens to hundreds of millions of euros.
3. Professional Services: Engineering and manufacturing consulting, project management, and technical feasibility studies offered as part of the integrated service package.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MFL is a manufacturing service provider for steel castings and mechanical engineering, supplying from a single source. The Steel Foundry division produces high-precision steel castings using a proprietary shell mould casting process, while the Mechanical Engineering division delivers individual and serial production of components, complex machines, and plants — including cutting, certified welding, machining, assembly, and worldwide commissioning. Sector-focused offerings serve railway, defence, steel production, and environmental/energy technology clients.

Product overview

MFL (Maschinenfabrik Liezen und Gießerei) is a manufacturing service provider offering two core business units: Steel Foundry and Mechanical Engineering. The Steel Foundry produces high-precision steel castings using shell mould casting process for materials including non-alloyed, low-alloy, cryogenic, tempered, heat-resistant, and wear-resistant steels. The Mechanical Engineering division provides comprehensive manufacturing capabilities including cutting, welding, machining, assembly, and commissioning of complex machines and plants. These divisions are complemented by sector-focused sub-brands: MFL Rail (railway industry), MFL Defence (defence sector), MFL Grate Bars (environmental/energy technology), and MFL Solutions (steel production). Engineering services, manufacturing consulting, and extensive in-house quality testing capabilities support the core product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Steel Foundry

Quantifiable outcome

• Weight reduction of 21% achieved in spring caps for high-speed train bogies (from 62 to 49 kg) while maintaining strength requirements
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025MFL secured a major defence contract for the production of turret housings for Leopard 2 tanks. KNDS is a German-French defence contractor. The partnership positions MFL as a strategic supplier in the defence industry, contributing to European defence capabilities with high-tech welded constructions for armoured vehicles.
• Ferrum TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Collaboration on two-stage smelting process for hot briquetted iron (HBI) production. Ferrum Technologies is a startup supported by international investors including Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The partnership focuses on optimising steel production from low-grade ore, making steel manufacturing more efficient and sustainable.
• ÖGI (Austrian Foundry Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Research partnership in the InnoUp project focused on resource-efficient manufacturing of castings. ÖGI collaborated with MFL and 18 other partners in Austria to research digital technologies for component optimisation using spring caps for rail bogies as test components.
• EU MORSE Project ConsortiumsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017MFL Foundry participated in EU research project MORSE (model-based optimisation for efficient use of resources and energy) from 2017-2022. Focus was on software control tools for integrated optimisation of the production process chain in steel foundries to minimise resource use while increasing quality and production rates.
• Liezen District HeatingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation for waste heat recovery project. MFL supplies surplus heat from gas-powered heat treatment furnaces to the district heating system, enabling energy efficiency improvements and CO2 reduction.
• MFL Group SubsidiariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MFL Corporate Group comprises subsidiaries and affiliates with worldwide accepted know-how in plant engineering and mechanical engineering. Companies specialise in engineering, constructing, and manufacturing machines, plants and components meeting highest demands.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Georgsmarienhütte Holding GmbH: German steel producer group with operations in quality steel, forging, and rolled products. Comparable to MFL as a European specialty steel manufacturer serving automotive, commercial vehicle, and industrial machinery customers with safety-critical components.
• Leiber Group GmbH: German steel foundry producing cast and machined components for commercial vehicles, agricultural machinery, and rail applications. Highly comparable to MFL as a European custom steel foundry serving overlapping end-markets including rail traffic and heavy industrial machinery.
• Saarstahl AG: German long-product steel manufacturer producing wire rod, bars, and special profiles for automotive, construction, and machinery customers. Comparable to MFL as a European specialty steel producer serving industrial customers, though focused on long products rather than castings.
• Buderus Edelstahl GmbH: German specialty steel manufacturer producing tool steels, engineering steels, and forged/rolled products. Directly comparable to MFL's steel foundry business in serving automotive, mechanical engineering, and industrial customers with high-grade steel components.
• DANGO & DIENENTHAL Maschinenbau GmbH: German specialty machinery manufacturer producing foundry equipment, slag handling systems, and heavy-duty industrial machinery. Comparable to MFL's mechanical engineering business in serving foundries and heavy industry with custom-engineered equipment and special-purpose machinery.
• SMS group GmbH: German metallurgical plant and machinery manufacturer providing equipment for steel and non-ferrous metal production worldwide. Comparable to MFL's mechanical engineering division in serving the global steel industry with custom-built production equipment and plant technology.
• Ovako AB: Swedish specialty steel producer focused on engineering steel for bearing, automotive, and industrial applications. Directly comparable to MFL's steel foundry business in producing high-purity steels for demanding end-use sectors, with similar geographic European footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Voestalpine AG: Austrian steel and technology group with rail, automotive, and industrial segments including steel casting and special steel products. Closely comparable to MFL as an Austrian neighbour with overlapping rail and heavy-industry customer base, but operates at much larger scale and broader portfolio scope.
• Andritz AG: Austrian industrial machinery group supplying pulp & paper, metal forming, and separation equipment globally. Comparable to MFL's mechanical engineering division as an Austrian industrial equipment manufacturer serving heavy industries, though at substantially larger scale and broader scope.
• ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG: One of Europe's largest flat steel producers, part of the broader ThyssenKrupp industrial conglomerate. Comparable to MFL as a European steel supplier serving automotive, construction, and industrial customers, though focused on flat steel rather than custom castings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mfl-liezen
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Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 MFL