Safe Metal

What Safe Metal does

Safe Metal SA is a Swiss-headquartered (Vernier, Geneva) private industrial company founded in 1874 that manufactures high value-added cast steel components using green sand (sable à vert) molding. The group operates 9 production sites across France (Castmetal Feurs, Castmetal Colombier, Castmetal FWF, Mécanique 2L at Beine-Nauroy, Cabanes Industries at Tronville-en-Barrois), Spain (Castmetal Vitoria), Mexico (Castmetal FWF de Mexico), and China (Castmetal Xuzhou, Nantong Rising Machinery), with verified annual capacity of at least 25,000 tonnes across the two named Chinese sites alone. It supplies cast parts ranging from a few grams to several tonnes to six vertical end markets: public works and mining equipment, heavy-duty road trucks (where it holds the global #1 position in fifth wheel couplings), rail transport, handling and lifting, agricultural machinery, and defense vehicles. Tier-1 OEM customers include Caterpillar, Liebherr, Volvo, Komatsu, Yanmar, MAN, Scania, SAF Holland, Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier, Hitachi, Vossloh, SNCF, Potain, Kion, Manitou, Grégoire-Besson, Lemken, Kuhn, CNH, Arquus, Texelis, and Soframe.

The core production technology is green-sand molding of carbon and low-alloy steels, supplemented by proprietary metallurgical R&D including a cored wire micro-alloying technique developed with ECAM LaSalle and a robotic multi-step quality control and repair workflow under the European Horizon 2022 SeConRob program. Safe Metal offers a vertically integrated value chain from co-design (via in-house study bureaus at every foundry) through casting, machining (via the 2021 acquisitions of Mécanique 2L Group and Cabanes Industries), and finished-part delivery. All major facilities hold ISO 9001 and ISO 14001; specific sites hold ISO 50001 (FWF), IATF 16949 (Colombier), AS 9100D (Mécanique 2L), and Caterpillar SQEP Gold (Mexico). Certifications and homologations (SNCF, DB, AAR, defense-supply mandates) act as formal market barriers.

Revenue is generated through direct enterprise sales of custom-engineered cast steel components and machining services, priced on a per-project basis reflecting part complexity, steel grade, machining, and certification scope. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales combined with co-development against OEM engineering teams, supported by direct sales offices in France, Spain, Mexico, China and a Beijing trading office, with deliveries to over 50 countries. Pricing terms run on multi-year contracts. The group is privately held by founders/management (no disclosed external PE), and pursues an active M&A and R&D partnership strategy (most recently the 2023 Nantong Rising Machinery acquisition and the 2022 CLAS LabCOM joint laboratory with ECAM LaSalle and Arts et Métiers Cluny).

Name

Safe Metal

Legal name

Safe Metal SA

Website

https://safe-metal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1874

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Safe Metal SA is a Swiss-founded (1874) global manufacturer of green-sand cast steel components, operating 9 foundries and machining sites across France, Spain, Mexico, and China to supply safety-critical OEM parts to construction, mining, heavy-truck, rail, agricultural, handling, and defense industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Foundry & Cast Steel Components

NAICS

Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3329), All Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (33299)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490), Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Cast steel components
• Green sand casting
• Industrial foundry services
• Machined steel parts
• Heavy machinery components

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Grand-saconnex

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cast Steel Components Sales: Safe Metal generates revenue primarily through the manufacture and sale of custom cast steel components, produced to customer specifications from a few grams to several tons. The company offers a complete value chain from raw casting through machining to finished parts, serving as both a component supplier and a key-in-hand solution provider.
2. Machining and Final Part Services: Through Mécanique 2L and Cabanes Industries acquisitions, Safe Metal provides machining services for cast and forged parts in small, medium, and large series, adding value through finished-part delivery rather than just raw castings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Safe Metal is a Swiss-based industrial foundry and machining company that manufactures cast steel components and finished machined parts for heavy-duty industrial applications. The company operates as the world leader in green sand cast steel components, producing parts ranging from a few grams to several tons across carbon steels and low-alloy steel grades. It serves OEMs in construction and mining equipment, heavy-duty trucks, rail transport, handling and lifting, agricultural machinery, and defense vehicles through a co-design and serial production value chain.

Product overview

Safe Metal is a world leader in high value-added cast steel components, offering a complete value chain from green sand casting to finished machined parts. The portfolio centers on Castmetal foundries producing carbon and low-alloy steels across 9 facilities in France, Spain, China, and Mexico, supplemented by machining services through the acquired Mécanique 2L Group and Cabanes Industries, and Castmetal Advanced Services for turnkey casting and forging solutions. Products range from grams to several tons, serving construction/mining equipment, heavy-duty trucks, rail transport, agricultural machinery, handling/lifting equipment, and defense vehicles sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mécanique 2L Group: Machining specialist acquired by Safe Metal Group serving aerospace, agricultural, heavy-weight, construction, and loom industries
• Castmetal Advanced Services

Products and services

• Cast Steel Components (Acier Moulé) High value-added cast steel components manufactured using green sand casting processes, ranging from grams to several tons in weight. These components serve critical applications in construction equipment, mining extraction, rail transport, heavy-duty trucks, agricultural machinery, and defense vehicles.
• Mécanique 2L Group Machining Services Specialized machining services for cast and forged parts, offering turning and milling of small to medium series with 38 CNC machines. Serves aeronautical, agricultural, heavy-weight, construction, and loom industries from facilities in Beine-Nauroy and Tronville-en-Barrois, France. AS 9100D certified.
• Cabanes Industries Machining Services Machining of metal parts ranging from a few grams to several hundred kilos, located in Tronville-en-Barrois, France. Provides complementary machining capacity to Safe Metal's casting operations.
• Castmetal Advanced Services Turnkey solution for the supply of castings and forgings, providing a recognized entity for complete outsourcing of foundry and forging needs from design to serial production.

Quantifiable outcome

• Safe Metal is the world's leading manufacturer in the fifth wheel coupling function for heavy-duty trucks, as of the date of sources.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• ProfactorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Profactor is an Austrian applied research company specializing in industrial assistive systems and additive micro/nano manufacturing. Safe Metal joined a consortium led by Profactor under the European Horizon 2022 project SeConRob (Self-Configuring Multi-Step Robotic Workflows), contributing industrial applications expertise for robotic quality control and repair of cast parts.
• ECAM LaSalle, Arts et Métiers Sciences et Technologies – Cluny CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Joint Laboratory CLAS (Casting Laboratory Arts & Métiers Safe) — formalized in 2022 via the French National Research Agency's LabCOM device. The partnership, building on collaboration since 2014, focuses on foundry steel R&D: improving part surface quality, developing new steel grades, and analyzing heat treatments. The lab is co-directed by Philippe Jacquet (ECAM) and Jean-François Carton (Safe Metal), with operational management by Cécile Nicoli, Alexis Vaucheret, and an ENSAM Cluny representative. LabCOM runs for 4.5 years, with plans to sustain collaboration long-term.
• CIMES (Pôle Mécanique Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIMES is a mechanical competitive cluster in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It facilitated Safe Metal's introduction to Profactor and the SeConRob consortium under the European Horizon 2022 framework.
• Fraunhofer InstitutesupportingTechnology or IntegrationPart of the SeConRob consortium (European Horizon 2022 project). Fraunhofer contributes research expertise alongside Safe Metal, Profactor, Otto Fuchs, ACS, Marposs, and Ecole Centrale de Lyon.
• Ecole Centrale de Lyon (ECL)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the SeConRob consortium (European Horizon 2022 project). ECL participates alongside Safe Metal, Profactor, Fraunhofer, Otto Fuchs, ACS, and Marposs.
• Otto FuchssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the SeConRob consortium (European Horizon 2022 project). Otto Fuchs collaborates with Safe Metal, Profactor, Fraunhofer, ACS, Marposs, and Ecole Centrale de Lyon on robotic workflow automation.
• MarposssupportingTechnology or IntegrationMember of the SeConRob consortium (European Horizon 2022 project). Marposs contributes metrology and quality control technology expertise to the robotic inspection and repair workflow project.
• ACS (Advanced Control Systems)supportingTechnology or IntegrationMember of the SeConRob consortium (European Horizon 2022 project). ACS provides control systems expertise for the robotic multi-step quality control and repair workflow.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Grede Holdings: US-based iron foundry producing ductile iron castings for automotive, heavy truck, construction, and agriculture. Comparable customer base (tier-1 North American OEMs in trucks and off-highway) and similar scale of operations across multiple facilities.
• Otto Fuchs KG: German-based global non-ferrous metals specialist (aluminum, magnesium, copper) supplying forged and cast components for automotive, aerospace, and industrial customers. Member of the same SeConRob consortium as Safe Metal, with overlapping OEM customer base and similar co-development approach.
• Tupy SA: Brazilian-headquartered global iron foundry producing complex cast components for heavy trucks, construction equipment, and hydraulics. Comparable scale, similar OEM customer roster (truck and off-highway), and competing on price-quality positioning in international markets.
• Waupaca Foundry: Largest iron foundry in North America, producing ductile and gray iron castings for automotive, heavy truck, and industrial markets. Directly comparable in product (cast iron/steel components for heavy equipment) and serves overlapping North American OEM customers.
• Georg Fischer (GF Casting Solutions): Swiss-headquartered global casting solutions provider serving automotive, industrial, and aerospace customers with iron and steel foundries across Europe, Americas, and Asia. Closest geographic and product analog to Safe Metal, with similar co-design engineering model and global OEM customer base.
• Bharat Forge Limited: Indian-headquartered global leader in forged and cast components for automotive, railway, aerospace, and industrial applications. Similar global footprint strategy and serves comparable heavy-duty vehicle, rail, and construction equipment OEMs.
• Shandong Iraeta Heavy Industry: Chinese large-scale foundry producing grinding media and cast components for mining, cement, and industrial applications. Represents the Asian low-cost foundry competition that pressures Safe Metal on commodity castings while operating at substantially lower cost base.

Broad incumbents

• Voestalpine: Austrian steel and technology group with foundry operations producing high-value cast components for rail, automotive, and industrial applications. Larger and more diversified than Safe Metal but competes directly in specialty steel castings for rail and construction equipment.

Emerging players

• Impro Industries: China-headquartered precision components manufacturer producing investment castings and machined components for aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets. Competes with Safe Metal in machined cast parts and has established Western OEM relationships similar to Safe Metal's Caterpillar ties.
• Meusburger Georg GmbH & Co KG: Austrian steel foundry specializing in high-precision castings for industrial applications. Smaller scale than Safe Metal but competes in similar European customer segments with comparable low-alloy steel grades.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Safe_Metal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRLHnMaxqXvyTnUk2TTSMUw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safemetal

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries10 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 Safe Metal