Forst Technologie

What Forst Technologie does

Forst Technologie GmbH & Co. KG is a German specialty industrial machinery manufacturer founded in 1909 in Solingen, Germany, focused exclusively on broaching technology—a metal-removing process using multi-tooth cutting tools. The company develops and manufactures both broaching machines (RISH series for internal/helical broaching, RAWX and RASX series for turbine disc broaching, plus pot and standard external machines) and the matching broaching tools (internal, helical, hard, pot, and turbine disc tools), enabling it to deliver integrated machine-and-tool solutions to customers in three verticals: automotive transmission manufacturing (including EV drivetrains), aerospace turbine and compressor disc production, and energy-sector gas and wind turbine component manufacturing.

The business model is enterprise-direct-sales of high-value, quote-priced custom machinery and tailored tools, supplemented by recurring revenue from on-site and remote technical support, training, contract broaching, and tool sharpening/repair services. Distribution is run from the Solingen headquarters with wholly-owned sales-and-service subsidiaries in Nanjing, China (since 2019) and the USA (since 2020, including a sharpening facility in Fort Mill, SC); service capacity is further augmented by sister company Forst Räum- und Härtetechnik GmbH (on-site hardening) and a service partnership with Wolf Tool Technology in China. The company is privately held, family-owned under Michael Kölker (who acquired it in 2003), ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certified, and holds approximately 80% DACH market share in helical broaching of ring gears—a dominant but geographically concentrated position that the international subsidiaries are intended to extend.

Name

Forst Technologie

Legal name

Forst Technologie GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://forst-online.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forst Technologie is a German industrial manufacturer, founded 1909 and based in Solingen, specializing in broaching machines and broaching tools for automotive, aerospace, and energy OEMs, with wholly-owned sales and service subsidiaries in China and the USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Solingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broaching Machines: Manufacture and sale of broaching machines including RISH internal broaching machines, RAWX and RASX turbine disc broaching machines, and special/custom broaching machines. Machines are designed and assembled in-house at FORST.
2. Broaching Tools: Design and manufacture of various broaching tools including internal broaching tools, helical/drall broaching tools, hard broaching tools, pot broaching tools, and turbine disc broaching tools. Tools are tailored to customer requirements.
3. Service and Support: Technical support via phone and remote access, on-site maintenance and repair services, machine conversion services, training, contract broaching, and contract sharpening/repair services for customer tools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Forst Technologie develops and manufactures industrial broaching machines and broaching tools for internal and external gear and profile machining. The portfolio covers RISH internal and helical broaching machines, RAWX and RASX turbine disc broaching machines, pot and standard external broaching machines, plus a complete line of internal, helical, hard, pot, and turbine disc broaching tools including the patent-pending MSE-Broach modular tool. The company serves automotive transmission makers, aerospace turbine disc producers, and gas/wind turbine manufacturers.

Product overview

FORST Technologie is a German industrial manufacturing company specializing in broaching technology since 1909. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of broaching solutions consisting of two main product categories: broaching machines and broaching tools. The broaching machine portfolio includes the RISH series for internal and helical broaching, the RAWX series for horizontal turbine disc broaching, the RASX series for vertical turbine disc broaching, and pot/external broaching machines. The broaching tools portfolio includes internal broaching tools, helical broaching tools, hard broaching tools, pot broaching tools, and turbine disc broaching tools. Recent innovation includes the MSE-Broach, a world-first modular broaching tool. The company serves the automotive, aviation, and energy industries with a complete solution approach combining machines and tools from a single source. Production is conducted in-house in Germany with air-conditioned facilities ensuring consistent quality. The company also offers comprehensive services including remote support, on-site technical support, training, contract broaching, and sharpening services through its headquarters in Solingen and subsidiaries in the USA and China.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RISH Series Internal Broaching Machines Internal broaching machines configured individually for each customer for soft or hard broaching, as well as wet or dry processes, featuring a variable number of broaching stations with high stability, rigidity and durability.
• RISH Series Helical Broaching Machines Helical broaching machines with vertically moving broaching table and helical drive for controlled rotation of the tool, featuring stacked broaching capability for double output and toolless refitting.
• RAWX Series Turbine Disc Broaching Machines Horizontal external broaching machines for turbine discs with innovative compact and lightweight design, featuring integrated measurement system, automated workpiece holder change, and automatic tool cassette change.
• RASX Series Turbine Disc Broaching Machines Vertical external broaching machines for turbine discs in the energy sector with high rigidity for excellent precision despite high broaching forces, capable of processing workpieces up to 15,000 kg.
• Pot Broaching Machines External broaching machines for external gearing on ring gears at high production volumes, available in one or two station configurations with configurable broaching force and productivity.
• Standard External Broaching Machines Standard external broaching machines for gearing or contours with broaching force of 63-400 kN and stroke of 1,000-3,000 mm.
• Internal Broaching Tools Broaching tools for internal profiles such as gear wheels, sliding collars and ring gears with cutting teeth arranged in ring or spiral patterns, suitable for workpieces up to 400 mm diameter.
• Helical Broaching Tools Helical broaching tools for efficiently broaching internal helical gearing such as on ring gears for automatic transmissions, with current market share of approximately 80% in German-speaking regions.
• Hard Broaching Tools Hard broaching tools for finishing workpiece profiles after hardening, consisting of arbor, carbide shell and blind shell, used to eliminate hardening distortions on components.
• Pot Broaching Tools Pot broaching tools for broaching external profiles of workpieces like ring gears, including broach bars and calibrating rings with optional TiN coating for extended tool life.
• Turbine Disc Broaching Tools Broaching tools for precise machining of blade slots in turbine discs for aerospace and power generation applications, featuring dovetail or fir tree profiles.
• MSE-Broach Modular Broaching Tool World-first modular broaching tool using standardized, reusable and reprocessable raw parts enabling significantly shorter delivery times, easy assembly, and maximum precision through specially selected profiles at connection points. Patent filed.
• USM Universal Grinding Machine Universal grinding machine developed in-house for tool manufacturing, representing evolution of PSM profile grinding machines with greater productivity, utmost precision, and reduced footprint.
• XSWR Grinding Machine Grinding machine offered for tool sharpening applications, available for customer use.
• Training Services Training services covering machine operation, maintenance, repair, and programming for customer staff during commissioning and throughout operation.
• Contract Broaching Services Contract broaching services using FORST vertical broaching machines with up to 120 metric tons of tensile force for helical and hard broaching, including quality measurement and process improvement recommendations.
• Contract Sharpening and Repair Services CNC sharpening services using in-house developed and installed CNC sharpening machines, plus repair services for broaching tools.
• Contract Hardening Services Hardening and annealing services for high-speed steel, PM and HIP materials, cold and hot forming steels, using two vacuum furnaces for diameters up to 600 mm and lengths up to 2,800 mm, offered by sister company Forst Räum- und Härtetechnik GmbH.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% market share in Germany, Austria, Switzerland for helical broaching of ring gears
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered support, core and research.

• Wolf Tool Technology (China) Co. Ltd.supportStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Service partner for FORST in China for sharpening of FORST tools. Complements the Forst Broaching Technology (Nanjing) subsidiary by providing local tool sharpening services for Chinese customers.
• Forst Räum- und Härtetechnik GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company sharing the FORST company site in Solingen. Provides contract broaching (vertical machines up to 120 metric tons tensile force for helical and hard broaching) and contract hardening services (ISO 9001:2015 certified). Specializes in hardening, annealing, and straightening of sensitive components including broaching tools, extruder screws, rollers, and guiderails.
• RWTH Aachen University - Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL)researchStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for technology collaboration. FORST joined the transmission and technology working group of the WZL in 2015. Collaboration began in the 1980s for joint research and development in broaching technology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Colonial Tool Group: Manufacturer of custom broaches and broaching tools with North American operations and a sister company in Germany. Overlaps with FORST in broaching tools and serves similar automotive and industrial gear customers.
• Arthur Klink GmbH: German manufacturer of broaching tools and broaching machines, with a directly overlapping product portfolio in internal/external broaching tools. Most direct niche competitor to FORST in German-speaking markets.
• Lapointe (Curtiss-Wright): US-based broaching machine and tool manufacturer (Lapointe brand) within Curtiss-Wright's Industrial group. Directly comparable as a long-established broaching specialist serving automotive and aerospace gear machining.
• Gleason Corporation: Global leader in gear manufacturing machinery including gear cutting, finishing, and testing equipment. Comparable as a gear-machinery OEM serving many of the same automotive and aerospace transmission and powertrain customers as FORST.
• Walter Maschinenbau (United Grinding Group): Manufacturer of tool grinding machines (helitronic, etc.) used in tool manufacturing including broaching tool sharpening. Directly comparable to FORST's USM/XSWR grinding machine product line for tool production.
• Ohio Broach & Machine Company: North American broaching machine and tool manufacturer serving automotive, aerospace, and gear manufacturing customers. Directly comparable product offering and customer base to FORST in the North American market.
• Kapp Werkzeugmaschinen (formerly Höfler): German manufacturer of gear grinding and gear machining machinery, including cylindrical and profile grinders for internal/external gears. Comparable in serving gear-manufacturing customers across automotive and industrial segments.

Broad incumbents

• Makino Milling Machine Co. Japanese machine tool builder with horizontal machining centers, die-mold machines, and EDM systems. Broader portfolio but serves the same aerospace and automotive metal-cutting customers as FORST.
• DMG MORI: Global machine tool manufacturer offering milling, turning, and additive manufacturing systems. Larger, diversified industrial machine tool peer serving overlapping automotive and aerospace end markets where FORST sells broaching machines.
• EMAG Holding GmbH: German machine tool group producing turning, grinding, gear cutting, and machining centers for automotive and industrial customers. Larger, broader portfolio but overlapping customer base in transmission/gear machining.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forst-technologie

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Forst Technologie