What Forjas Bolívar does

Forjas Bolívar S.A.S. is a Colombian industrial metalworking manufacturer founded in 1968 and headquartered in Medellín, specializing in custom-engineered equipment for bulk material handling, flow control, and storage, plus integrated engineering and aftermarket services. Its core technology stack combines hot forging (hydraulic and mechanical presses up to 1,500 tons for parts up to 20 kg), heat treatment with gas-fired furnaces and electronic control plus induction hardening, and 3/4-axis CNC machining capable of plates up to 3×3 m and shafts up to Ø1.2 m × 5 m. The company also performs CAD/CAE engineering using multibody dynamics (MBD), finite element (FEM), and discrete element (DEM) simulation, and conducts reverse engineering via 3D scanning, planimetry, spectrometry, and hardness testing. Quality and aerospace credentials include AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, and ISO 14001:2015 certifications issued by ICONTEC and IQNET.

The product portfolio spans bucket elevators, clinker plate conveyors, drag conveyors, screw conveyors, apron feeders with Schenck/Qlar electronic weighing, reclaimers, and alternative-fuel conveyors; flow-control equipment including diverter/triverters, rotary, guillotine, needle, flap, and counterweight valves, flexible joints, and dampers; storage equipment such as silos, hoppers, and belt transition chutes; and a comprehensive spare-parts catalog (engineering chains, link chains, cast chains, kiln chains, sprockets, buckets, outboard forged rollers, shafts, refractory anchors, and wear-liner bolting). Engineering services — CAD/CAE, condition monitoring, reverse engineering, installation supervision, and technical training — are increasingly positioned as a distinct service line alongside the equipment OEM business.

The go-to-market is exclusively direct B2B enterprise field sales, with bilingual commercial executives conducting technical-commercial visits, project-based quote pricing, and multi-year contract cadence. The company serves five primary verticals — cement, mining and energy, steel, food and beverage, and aerospace — and reports activity across 28+ countries with a dedicated US sales line. Named enterprise customers include Ash Grove Cement (US), Optimus Steel, Riopaila Castilla, and Mineros Aluvial. There are no disclosed resellers, distributors, or external funding rounds, and the company is privately held with no parent company identified.

Name

Forjas Bolívar

Legal name

Forjas Bolívar S.A.S.

Website

https://forjasbolivar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Forjas Bolívar is a Colombian metalworking manufacturer founded in 1968 that designs and builds custom bulk-material handling equipment, flow-control systems, and forged components for cement, mining, steel, food and beverage, and aerospace customers across 28+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Medellín

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

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. Equipos de transporte y manejo de materiales a granel: Diseño y fabricación de equipos a medida para transporte, almacenamiento y control de flujo de materiales a granel (elevadores de cangilones, transportadores, alimentadores, válvulas, silos, tolvas, chutes). Venta directa B2B a clientes industriales. Modelo de proyecto/obra con plazos de entrega planificados y programados.
2. Repuestos, componentes y fabricaciones especiales: Suministro de repuestos especializados para equipos de transporte, almacenamiento y control de flujo. Incluye sistemas de sujeción (anclajes, pernos, tornillería), cadenas, cangilones, ruedas forjadas, ejes, piezas fundidas y forjadas. Venta como producto standalone o捆绑 con equipos.
3. Servicios de ingeniería y repotenciación: Servicios de rediseño, repotenciación, monitoreo de condición, ingeniería inversa, supervisión de montajes, CAD/CAE y capacitación. Orientados a optimizar desempeño, capacidad y vida útil de equipos existentes de clientes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Forjas Bolívar designs, manufactures, and supplies custom industrial equipment, spare parts, and engineering services for the bulk-material handling value chain — covering transport (bucket elevators, conveyors, feeders, reclaimers), storage (silos, hoppers, chutes), and flow control (diversion, rotary, guillotine, needle, flap, and counterweight valves, dampers, flexible joints). The company also produces forged, cast, and machined wear parts, fastening systems, and aerospace-qualified components, supported by CAD/CAE simulation, condition monitoring, and reverse engineering services.

Product overview

Forjas Bolívar is a metalworking company offering a comprehensive portfolio of industrial solutions for bulk material handling, storage, and flow control. The product portfolio comprises three interconnected solution areas: (1) Equipment for bulk material transport including bucket elevators, clinker plate conveyors, drag conveyors, screw conveyors, feeders/dosing systems, and conveyors for alternative fuels; (2) Flow control equipment including diverter/triverters, rotary valves, guillotine valves, needle valves, flap valves, counterweight valves, flexible joints, and dampers; (3) Storage equipment including silos, hoppers, and belt transition chutes; (4) Spare parts and components including engineering chains, link chains, cast chains, kiln chains, sprockets, buckets, forged rollers, shafts, and fastening systems; (5) Forging and special fabrications including forged parts, large-format components, crusher/mill spare parts, cast components, and screens; (6) Engineering services including CAD/CAE analysis, condition monitoring, reverse engineering, installation supervision, and technical training. The company also offers specialized aerospace manufacturing services including hot forging, heat treatment, and CNC machining. All products serve five key industries: cement, mining & energy, steel, food & beverage, and aerospace, with custom design and engineering support for each application.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bucket Elevators Vertical transport equipment for bulk materials including clinker, clays, limestone, metallic slag, pozzolans, and additives, with capacities from 10 to 800+ t/h, supplied to industrial operators in cement, mining, and related sectors.
• Clinker Plate Conveyors Horizontal and inclined conveyors for clinker transport with capacities of 380–560+ t/h, engineered to minimize material spillage via engineering chain drive, for cement industry operators.
• Feeders and Dosing Systems (Apron Feeders) Apron feeders and dosing systems for controlled extraction and dosing from hoppers or silos, with capacities of 10–200 t/h and integrated Schenck/Qlar electronic weighing and control for industrial bulk-material processes.
• Drag Conveyors Horizontal transport equipment for bulk materials with capacities of 5–300 t/h, featuring compact design and wear-resistant materials for high-temperature industrial environments.
• Screw Conveyors Horizontal or inclined screw conveyors for bulk materials including clinker, clays, and limestone, using a helical-screw drive element, for industrial plant operators.
• Reclaimers and Stackers Equipment for horizontal or inclined material handling with capacities of 100–450 t/h, featuring high wear resistance for limestone rock and similar applications in cement, mining, and bulk-material plants.
• Fines Collectors Equipment for horizontal and vertical collection and reintegration of fine materials into production processes, with capacities of 10–100 t/h, supplied to industrial bulk-material operators.
• Conveyors for Alternative Materials and Fuels Transport equipment for alternative fuels such as biomass, RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel), and TDF (Tire Derived Fuel), with explosion protection, special coatings, and spark-resistant materials for cement and energy plants.
• Diverter/Triverter Equipment for distributing bulk material toward one or multiple lines with high hermetic sealing and position sensors, available in hydraulic, manual, pneumatic, mechanical, or electric control variants, for cement, mining, energy, and food and beverage plants.
• Rotary Valves Equipment for flow dosing and hermetic sealing of bulk materials with capacities of 5–200+ t/h, featuring efficient sealing against air and dust leakage and motorized electric drive, for industrial plants.
• Guillotine Valves Valves for opening and closing material flow with high wear resistance and position sensors, available in manual, pneumatic, or motorized configurations, for use in cement, mining, and related plants.
• Needle Valves Coarse flow control valves with manual operation for maintenance shutdown support, designed for cement, mining, energy, and food and beverage plants.
• Flap Valves High-capacity, compact valves with one to three flap configurations and high hermetic sealing performance, for cement and mining applications.
• Counterweight Valves High-capacity valves with one to two flap configurations using a counterweight mechanism for hermetic sealing in bulk-material flow control.
• Flexible Joints Expansion joints designed for high temperatures and highly abrasive materials with adjustable dimensions, used to isolate vibrations between equipment and processes in industrial plants.
• Dampers Airflow control equipment for tertiary air from clinker coolers, with sensorization and motorized operation, supplied to cement and process plants.
• Silos Custom-designed storage equipment with capacities up to 500 tons, featuring wear-resistant steel liners and coatings for sticky materials in various geometries, supplied to industrial bulk-material plants.
• Hoppers Custom-designed storage hoppers with capacities up to 150 m³, featuring wear-resistant liners and integrated motor vibrators, air blasters, and level sensors, for industrial bulk-material plants.
• Belt Transition Chutes Equipment for efficient material direction between conveyor and processing equipment, with CAE-based analysis, wear analysis, and replaceable liners for special geometries including 90° chutes and rock-box chutes.
• Engineering Chains (and Link, Cast, and Kiln Chains) High-strength engineering chains (including link, cast, and kiln-chain variants) for drag systems, bucket elevators, conveyors, and rotary kilns, designed for high loads, abrasion, high temperatures, and continuous operation in demanding industrial applications.
• Sprockets and Smooth Wheels Precision-machined sprockets and smooth wheels for efficient power transmission and extended service life in bulk-material handling systems.
• Buckets and Slats Buckets and slats designed for maximum strength and precision, used in elevators and conveyors in highly demanding industrial applications.
• Outboard Forged Rollers for Conveyors Outboard forged rollers that keep conveyor equipment aligned, preventing lateral deviations, reducing wear, and ensuring safe, efficient operation in industrial handling systems.
• Shafts, Pins, and Bearing Housings Shafts, pins, and bearing housings used for transmission, support, and alignment in industrial bulk-material handling equipment.
• Refractory Anchors Fastening systems designed to secure refractory linings in furnaces, boilers, and equipment exposed to high temperatures in industrial plants.
• Anchor and Structural Bolts High-strength anchor and structural bolts for secure connection of structures, equipment, and industrial components in heavy-industry applications.
• Bolting for Wear Liners Specialized bolting for liners and wear plates exposed to wear, abrasion, and impact during continuous operation in industrial handling equipment.
• High-Temperature Bolts Bolts manufactured to maintain mechanical properties and deliver high performance in applications exposed to extreme thermal conditions, such as furnaces, kilns, and high-temperature industrial equipment.
• Stud Bolts High-strength stud bolts used in critical joints requiring safety, precision, and durability in industrial and pressure equipment.
• Forged Parts Custom-forged parts manufactured through forging processes to deliver high mechanical strength and structural reliability for industrial equipment.
• Large-Format Components Large-size forged and machined components developed for industrial applications requiring maximum load capacity.
• Crusher Spare Parts Spare parts designed to withstand wear and impact in material crushing processes at mining and aggregate operations.
• Mill Spare Parts Spare parts manufactured to maximize availability, efficiency, and performance in grinding and milling systems.
• Cast Components Parts produced through casting processes for applications requiring wear and impact resistance in industrial bulk-material systems.
• Screens High-strength screens for efficient classification of bulk materials under continuous wear conditions in mining and processing plants.
• Engineering and Revamping Services Engineering and revamping services focused on optimizing the performance, capacity, and service life of existing bulk-material transport and handling equipment through advanced analysis, condition monitoring, and reverse engineering.
• CAD/CAE Analysis Services CAD/CAE analysis services using Multibody Dynamics (MBD), Finite Element Method (FEM), and Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations to optimize performance, efficiency, and reliability of bulk-material equipment.
• Condition Monitoring Services Condition monitoring services that evaluate the operating condition and performance of bulk-material handling equipment using methodologies and technical calculations to anticipate potential failures and improve reliability.
• Reverse Engineering Services Reverse engineering services using 3D scanning, dimensional drawings (planimetría), spectrometry, and hardness testing to analyze geometries, shapes, and physical and mechanical properties of materials in operation.
• Equipment Installation Supervision Services On-site technical supervision services during assembly and commissioning of bulk-material handling equipment at client facilities.
• Technical Training Services Technical training programs designed to strengthen operational and maintenance capabilities for clients' bulk-material handling equipment.
• Aerospace Hot Forging Service AS9100D-certified aerospace hot forging service using closed-die stamping on hydraulic and mechanical presses up to 1,500 tons, producing parts up to 20 kg in carbon, alloy, stainless, and refractory steels for aerospace manufacturers.
• Aerospace Heat Treatment Service AS9100D-certified aerospace heat treatment service using stationary gas-fired furnaces with electronic control and induction hardening capabilities for a wide variety of aerospace parts and geometries.
• Aerospace CNC Machining Service AS9100D-certified aerospace CNC machining service using 3- and 4-axis centers, with the capacity to machine plates up to 3×3 m and shafts up to Ø1.2 m × 5 m for aerospace components.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reducción de derrames mediante diseño optimizado de transportadores caja láminas para clínker
• +4 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

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Riopaila CastillacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCliente estratégico en la industria de alimentos y bebidas. Forjas Bolívar fabricó un conductor de caña de más de 200 metros de largo con ruedas forjadas fuera de borda, cadena de ingeniería FB2648 y otros componentes para operar en ambientes secos, húmedos y condiciones exigentes de ingenios azucareros.
• Ash Grove CementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCliente en la industria cementera en Hunter, TX, Estados Unidos. Forjas Bolívar desarrolló un Apron Weigh Feeder gravimétrico para materiales a granel de alta temperatura, integrado con transportador de derrames y sistema de pesaje con tecnología Schenck Process. Solución con conectividad avanzada y monitoreo continuo.
• Mineros AluvialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCliente en la industria minera. Forjas Bolívar fabricó cribas diseñadas para maximizar la clasificación y separación de materiales bajo condiciones de alta abrasión y trabajo continuo, con construcción robusta para alta capacidad de procesamiento y mayor vida útil.
• Optimus SteelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCliente en la industria siderúrgica. Forjas Bolívar desarrolló un Transportador de tablillas para manejo de recortes y retales de acero con sistema de giro automático sobre su propio eje para redireccionar material hacia diferentes contenedores, eliminando tiempos muertos durante cambios de contenedor.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Magotteaux: Magotteaux is a Belgian-headquartered global supplier of wear-resistant castings, grinding media, and crusher/mill spare parts for cement, mining, and aggregates. It is a direct peer in the forged/cast wear parts and crusher/mill spares categories that Forjas Bolívar addresses under its spare parts and special fabrications lines.
• Martin Sprocket & Gear: Martin Sprocket & Gear is a US manufacturer of power transmission, conveyor, and bulk material handling components including sprockets, chains, bucket elevators, and screw conveyors. It is a direct peer to Forjas Bolívar's spare parts business (sprockets, engineering chains, buckets, conveying equipment) for industrial customers.
• Beumer Group: Beumer Group is a German family-owned manufacturer of intralogistics systems, including bucket elevators, conveyors, and palletizing equipment for cement, mining, and bulk material handling customers. It is a direct peer to Forjas Bolívar in the design and manufacture of engineered bulk handling equipment for industrial process industries.
• TAKRAF (Tenova): TAKRAF, a Tenova brand, supplies specialized equipment and systems for the mining, mineral processing, and bulk material handling sectors, including conveyors, apron feeders, and crushing technology. It directly overlaps with Forjas Bolívar's apron feeders, drag conveyors, and mining-oriented bulk handling offering.

Others

• Schenck Process: Schenck Process is a global supplier of weighing, feeding, screening, and air filtration solutions and is explicitly integrated into Forjas Bolívar's Apron Weigh Feeder projects at Ash Grove Cement. While they cooperate as technology partners, they are also an adjacent peer in flow control and weighing equipment for bulk handling customers.

Broad incumbents

• Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions: Thyssenkrupp's Industrial Solutions business supplies engineered equipment and plant construction for cement, mining, and chemical industries, including bulk material handling systems. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Forjas Bolívar on larger integrated plant scopes and represents a competitive benchmark in target markets.
• FLSmidth: FLSmidth is a Danish global supplier of equipment, services, and digital solutions to the cement and mining industries. It is a broad incumbent with a deeply overlapping product portfolio in bucket elevators, conveyors, feeders, and bulk material handling equipment, making it a direct competitive reference for Forjas Bolívar's cement-vertical work.
• Metso: Metso is a Finnish global leader in sustainable solutions for aggregate, mining, metals refining, and cement industries, with a large portfolio of conveyors, feeders, screens, and bulk handling systems. It overlaps directly with Forjas Bolívar's mining and cement bulk handling offering and is the principal global incumbent against which Forjas competes on mid-size projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/forjas.sas

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Forjas Bolívar