LBI

What LBI does

LBI (Les Bronzes d'Industrie) is a French industrial foundry founded in 1919, headquartered in Amnéville (Moselle), specializing in centrifugal casting (Schleuderguss) of hollow cylindrical metal components — tubes, rings, bushings, flanged sleeves and crowns — produced by spinning molten metal in metal molds under high centrifugal acceleration. The foundry works across four alloy families: copper-based alloys (bronze, aluminum bronze, tin bronze, nickel-copper), stainless steels (austenitic, martensitic, duplex, super duplex, heat-resistant grades), aluminum alloys (AlSi, AlMg, AlCu), and two proprietary in-house compositions — ALUSIC® (an Al-SiC metal matrix composite with 30-60% SiC by volume) and EXIUM® AM (a Cu-Mn damping alloy with damping properties 10× better than grey iron between -15°C and +50°C, selected by NASA for the InSight Mars mission SEIS seismometer). Production capacity runs to 6,000 tonnes per year, with maximum casting dimensions of 6 m outer diameter, 4.5 m length and 20 t per piece, supported by a tooling inventory of 1,500+ dies, 24 melting furnaces (300 kg to 14 t), 12 centrifuges and a machining workshop of more than 100 machines providing in-house finish machining, heat treatment, welding (TIG/MIG/MAG) and QA/NDT.

LBI operates as a project-based, custom manufacturer on a sales-led go-to-market model: parts are produced to customer specification in runs from one-off prototypes to short series of roughly 5-200 pieces, priced per project on alloy, geometry, complexity and machining content rather than via a published list. About 85% of LBI's revenue is exported, served through a multilingual (FR/EN/DE) commercial team, wholly-owned sales offices LBI Guss (Hattingen, DE) and LBI Castings Ltd (London, UK), and a global agent/distributor network covering 35 countries across valves/fluid control, pumps, turbines, aerospace/aeronautics, shipbuilding & maritime, chemical, steel, mining, electrical and machine-tool end-markets. The legal entity is a Société Anonyme (Les Bronzes d'Industrie) with €1.2M capital, wholly owned within the LBI Foundries Group, a French foundry consortium that also encompasses Tecnacem (Homécourt, centrifugal), Saint-Rémy Industrie (Commentry, sand), Inoxyda (Le Petit-Quevilly, sand) and Fonderie Atlantique Industrie (Nantes, non-ferrous) — together employing roughly 350 people across three foundries and generating around €50M group turnover with 60% exports. The group holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EN/AS/JISQ 9100 aerospace, AD 2000 Merkblatt pressure-equipment, SAFRAN Messier-Bugatti-Dowty aerospace, and six major maritime classifications (DNV GL, Lloyd's Register stainless and copper, Bureau Veritas, ABS, RMRS).

Name

LBI

Legal name

Les Bronzes d'Industrie

Website

https://lbi.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

LBI (Les Bronzes d'Industrie), founded 1919 in Amnéville, France, is a centrifugal casting foundry producing hollow cylindrical components — including proprietary ALUSIC® and EXIUM® AM specialty alloys — for valves, pumps, turbines, aerospace, marine, chemical and industrial OEM customers in 35 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Centrifugal Castings

NAICS

Iron and Steel Pipe and Tube Manufacturing from Purchased Steel (33121)

SIC

Nonferrous Foundries (Castings) (3360), Steel Pipe & Tubes (3317)

akta.pro primary industry

Aluminum Casting & Ingot/Billet/Slab Production (IMAKACAE)

Keywords

• Centrifugal casting foundry
• Non-ferrous metal castings
• Stainless steel castings
• Metal matrix composites
• Industrial cast components

Headquarters

HQ city

Amnéville

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom centrifugal casting sales: LBI manufactures custom centrifugal castings to customer specifications, selling finished, semi-finished (rough), or fully machined parts. Production ranges from unique pieces to small series (5-10 pieces up to approximately 200 pieces). The company produces parts in various alloys including copper-based, stainless steel, aluminum, and special proprietary alloys.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

LBI manufactures and machines hollow cylindrical metal parts (tubes, rings, crowns, bushings, flanged sleeves) using centrifugal casting of non-ferrous alloys, stainless steels, and aluminum. Production ranges from single unique pieces to small series, with integrated machining, welding, heat treatment, and quality control services delivered to industrial buyers worldwide.

Product overview

LBI (Les Bronzes d'Industrie) is a foundry specializing in centrifugal casting of non-ferrous alloys and stainless steels, offering components for demanding industrial applications. The core offering centers on centrifugal casting services producing hollow cylindrical parts (tubes, rings, bushings, flanged sleeves) in five principal alloy families: Copper-Based Alloys, Stainless Steel Alloys, Aluminium-Based Alloys, ALUSIC® (proprietary metal matrix composite with SiC reinforcement), and EXIUM® AM (proprietary high-damping alloy used in NASA's InSight Mars mission). These are complemented by integrated value-added services including machining and welding (over 100 machines, TIG/MIG/MAG welding), heat treatment (quenching, annealing), quality control (spectrometry, non-destructive testing), and shipping logistics. The company operates as part of the LBI Foundries Group and holds certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EN 9100 (aerospace), AD 2000 Merkblatt, and multiple marine classifications (DNV GL, Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas, ABS, RMRS).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALUSIC®: A metal matrix composite material with silicon-aluminum alloy matrix and SiC reinforcement elements. Used for applications including luxury watch cases, brake discs, and satellite parts.
• EXIUM® AM

Products and services

• Centrifugal Casting Services LBI's primary manufacturing process using centrifugal force to produce hollow cylindrical metal parts (tubes, rings, bushings, flanges) with superior metallurgical properties and purity. Outputs finished, semi-finished, or fully machined parts in production runs from unique pieces to small series (5-10 up to ~200 pieces).
• Stainless Steel Alloys Wide range of stainless steel centrifugal castings including austenitic, martensitic, duplex, super duplex, and heat-resistant grades, supplied to international standards for industrial buyers.
• Copper-Based Alloys Various bronze and copper alloy centrifugal castings including aluminum bronze, tin bronze, and nickel copper alloys with corrosion resistance and wear properties for industrial applications.
• Aluminium-Based Alloys Aluminum alloy centrifugal castings including AlSi, AlMg, and AlCu grades for various industrial applications requiring lightweight, corrosion-resistant components.
• ALUSIC® Proprietary metal matrix composite material with silicon-aluminum alloy matrix and SiC reinforcement particles (30-60% by volume). Properties: low density (≤2.95), very low expansion coefficient (alpha < 8x10⁻⁶ with 60% SiC), high thermal conductivity (>150 W/m/°K), high proof stress, exceptional wear resistance, and good mechanical properties up to 300°C. Used for luxury watch cases (Richard Mille), brake discs, and satellite parts.
• EXIUM® AM Proprietary Cu and Mn based alloy (with Al, Fe, Ni) with exceptional damping properties (tg φ ~ 1.80×10⁻²). Density 7.2; E > 240 MPa, R > 520 MPa, A > 30%; Young modulus 80 GPa. 10x better damping than lamellar graphite grey iron between -15°C and +50°C. Used in NASA's InSight Mars mission for SEIS seismometer high-frequency vibration dampers (12mm diameter, 20mm long pieces).
• Machining & Welding Services Integrated machining workshop with over 100 machines for finish machining of centrifugal castings, including conventional and CNC lathes, milling, drilling, grinding, and welding (TIG, MIG, MAG).
• Heat Treatment Services Thermal treatment capabilities including air, water, and oil quenching, annealing, and stress relief with precisely controlled structure transformations; includes 2x33m³ quench tanks.
• Quality Control Services Comprehensive quality control at each manufacturing stage including spectrometry analysis, non-destructive and destructive testing, dimensional inspection, and documentation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 20 tonnes maximum casting weight, 6,000mm maximum diameter, 4,500mm maximum length
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LBI GusscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales office in Hattingen, Germany serving the German-speaking European market. Contact: Gerald Schlagl at +49 (0)177 675 48 59.
• LBI Castings LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales office in London, UK serving the UK market. Contact: Simon Margison at +44 (0)7340 833 440.
• Saint-Rémy Industrie (SRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSand casting subsidiary located in Commentry, France. Specializes in copper alloy sand casting. 70 employees, 10 M€ turnover.
• InoxydacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSand casting company located in Le Petit Quevilly, France. Specializes in copper alloy sand casting. 50 employees, 8 M€ turnover.
• Fonderie Atlantique IndustrieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSand foundry of non-ferrous alloys located in Nantes, France. Maximum casting weight of 50 tonnes.
• TecnacemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentrifugal casting company located in Homécourt, France. Produces centrifugal castings in copper alloys, aluminum alloys, and special steels. Diameters from 800 to 6,000mm. Maximum weight of 22 tonnes.
• LBI Foundries GroupcoreOthersParent group comprising LBI, Tecnacem, Saint-Rémy Industrie, Inoxyda, and Fonderie Atlantique Industrie. 3 foundries, 350 persons, 50 M€ turnover with 60% export.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Howmet Aerospace: Global leader in investment castings and engineered components for aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Competes with LBI for aerospace casting share at much larger scale and broader process portfolio (investment, sand, and forged).
• Doncasters Group: Global precision castings group (investment and sand casting) serving aerospace, industrial gas turbines, and industrial markets with nickel, cobalt, and stainless alloys. Overlaps with LBI's aerospace and turbine customer base but uses different casting processes and operates at substantially larger scale.
• Voestalpine Foundry Group: European steel and casting group with iron, steel, and specialty casting operations serving automotive, industrial, and energy customers. Adjacent in alloy know-how and customer base, but operates as a broad integrated metals incumbent rather than a specialist centrifugal foundry.
• Aubert & Duval (Eramet): French high-performance alloys and forged/cast parts producer (part of Eramet) serving aerospace, defense, energy, and industrial markets. Comparable in alloy development capability and aerospace/energy customer overlap, though primarily a forger rather than centrifugal caster.

Others

• Bodycote: Global heat-treatment and metal joining services provider to aerospace, automotive, and industrial customers. Complementary to LBI's in-house heat-treatment capability and relevant to the same customer base, though a service supplier rather than a casting competitor.

Direct peers

• Deritend Group (BCI / Deritend Industries): UK-based group with centrifugal casting operations producing copper-alloy and stainless steel industrial components. Geographic and process overlap with LBI's UK sales coverage and core centrifugal cast product family.
• Kubota Metal Corporation: Canadian/Japanese specialist in centrifugal casting of stainless steel and high-alloy tubes and cylinders for industrial, marine, and oil & gas applications. Closest direct competitor to LBI in terms of process (centrifugal casting), alloy range (stainless steel and non-ferrous), and large-dimension envelope.
• Scott Metals (Castings): UK centrifugal casting specialist serving marine, pump, and valve markets with copper-alloy and stainless castings. Comparable in process, end-market mix, and size class to LBI's centrifugal operations.
• Sandusky International (WahlcoMetro): North American centrifugal caster focused on cylinder liners and sleeves in cast iron and bronze alloys for marine, power generation, and industrial markets. Directly comparable process and similar heavy-industrial customer base, though narrower alloy scope than LBI.
• Tec-Cast Inc. US-based centrifugal casting foundry producing alloy and stainless steel components for pumps, valves, and industrial machinery. Closely aligned to LBI in process technology (centrifugal casting), alloy range, and core industrial customer segments, and a relevant transatlantic peer for shared customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 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 LBI