Maschinenfabrik FRÖMAG GmbH & Co. KG

What Maschinenfabrik FRÖMAG GmbH & Co. KG does

Maschinenfabrik FRÖMAG GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned German mechanical engineering company that has developed, produced, and distributed CNC-controlled machine tools for keyseating, slotting, and broaching at its Fröndenberg an der Ruhr location for more than 70 years. The company's product portfolio centers on four machine families: the Rapida E and Rapida CNCE electromechanical keyseating and profiling machines, the FSR vertical internal broaching machines, the FTR pull-table broaching machines, and the patented Kurzhubräum (short-stroke broaching) machine, supplemented by special machines such as the Motorblockmaschine for cylinder crankcases in automotive transfer lines. All machines use high-dynamic electromechanical servo drives in place of hydraulic systems, are operated via the proprietary APC2/APC3 touch-screen control, and offer options including OPC-UA data transmission, RFID operator management, and automatic non-contact workpiece recognition.

FRÖMAG sells custom-configured capital equipment directly to manufacturing companies worldwide, serving automotive, wind energy, hydraulic motor, food processing equipment, and conveyor system producers, alongside a subcontracting (Lohnfertigung) service that machines keyways, internal splines, and profiles on a contract basis. The North American market is served through the wholly-owned US subsidiary Mitts & Merrill in Tavares, Florida, which also supports the legacy installed base of US-made keyseaters. Additional recurring revenue streams include a Retrofit modernization service (delivering up to 30% faster setup and up to 10% energy savings), Original FRÖMAG tooling per DIN ISO standards, and a refurbished used-machines offering. The company is privately held as a GmbH & Co. KG limited partnership, led by Managing Director Michael Schultheis, holds ISO 9001:2015 certification, and explicitly operates with medium- and long-term-oriented family ownership goals rather than short-term scale-up.

Name

Maschinenfabrik FRÖMAG GmbH & Co. KG

Legal name

Maschinenfabrik FRÖMAG GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://froemag.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maschinenfabrik FRÖMAG is a family-owned German manufacturer of CNC-controlled keyseating, slotting, and broaching machines, including the patented short-stroke Kurzhubräum system, selling custom capital equipment and retrofit services to automotive, wind energy, hydraulics, and industrial machinery manufacturers worldwide via direct sales and its US subsidiary Mitts & Merrill.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Machine Tools

NAICS

Machine Tool Manufacturing (333517), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH), Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers) (IMAGABAG), Motion Control Controllers & CNC/Robot Drives (Motion Controllers, Multi-axis) (IMAGACAH)

Keywords

• CNC machine tools
• Keyseating machines
• Broaching machines
• Keyway profiling machines
• Internal spline machining

Headquarters

HQ city

Fröndenberg/Ruhr, Nordrhein-Westfalen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Machine Tool Sales: Sale of CNC-controlled keyseating, slotting, and broaching machines including Rapida E, Rapida CNCE, FSR, FTR models, and special custom machines
2. Aftermarket Services: Retrofit services, spare parts, tooling, accessories, and subcontracting/manufacturing services
3. Subcontracting (Lohnfertigung): Contract manufacturing services using FRÖMAG machines for keyways, profiles, internal splines from 1-300mm width and up to 2500mm length

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

FRÖMAG develops, manufactures, and distributes CNC-controlled electromechanical machine tools for keyseating, profiling, slotting, and broaching of precision components. Its portfolio includes keyseating and profiling machines (Rapida E and Rapida CNCE series), vertical internal broaching machines (FSR), pull-table broaching machines (FTR), and a patented short-stroke broaching machine, supported by retrofit services, original tooling, subcontract machining (Lohnfertigung), and refurbished used machines.

Product overview

Maschinenfabrik FRÖMAG GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned mechanical engineering company with over 70 years of experience, developing, manufacturing, and distributing CNC-controlled machine tools. The core product portfolio centers on four main machine types: (1) Nutenzieh- und Profiliermaschinen (keyseating and profiling machines) comprising the Rapida E and Rapida CNCE lines with APC2/APC3 controls; (2) vertical internal broaching machines (FSR series) with pulling forces from 60-280 kN; (3) pull-table broaching machines (FTR series) for ergonomic ground-level operation; and (4) the patented Kurzhubräummaschine (short stroke broaching) for space-efficient machining. Additional offerings include special/custom machines like the Motorblockmaschine for cylinder crank case machining, plus supporting services such as subcontracting (Lohnfertigung), machine retrofit, and original tooling. The company also owns Mitts & Merrill in Florida, USA, for the North American market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rapida E Electromechanical keyseating and profiling machine with high-dynamic servo drives, featuring compact design without hydraulic unit, intuitive APC2 control with 15-inch display, automatic workpiece recognition, and keyway widths from 2-70 mm with lengths up to 600 mm. Designed for industrial manufacturers requiring precision keyway machining.
• Rapida CNCE CNC-controlled keyseating and profiling machine with freely programmable contoured keyways, helical keyways, and tool retraction, supporting keyway widths up to 200 mm and keyway lengths up to 2,000 mm. Built for manufacturers needing complex keyway geometries in large components.
• FSR Vertical Internal Broaching Machines Electromechanical vertical internal broaching machines with pull bridge design accepting broach holders according to various standards, featuring ball screws and hardened guide columns for smooth operation. Pulling forces range from 60-280 kN. Suited for high-precision internal broaching of splines and profiles.
• FTR Pull-Table Broaching Machines Ergonomic pull-table broaching machines installable at ground level without foundation pit, designed for stand-alone operation or integration into machining cells with robotics. Targeted at manufacturers needing flexible broaching cells with simplified installation.
• Kurzhubräum Machine (Short Broaching Machine) Patented short-stroke broaching machine using short broaches in multiple passes, achieving significant space reduction with broaching tools 4-5 times shorter than standard tools, featuring fully automatic operation. Designed for manufacturers seeking compact broaching solutions with reduced tooling costs.
• Motorblockmaschine (Cylinder Crankcase Machine) Electromechanical horizontal slotting machine for machining cylinder crank cases in transfer lines, featuring twelve simultaneous slotting tools for six-cylinder configurations and eight for four-cylinder configurations. Targeted at high-volume automotive engine manufacturers.
• Lohnfertigung (Subcontract Machining Service) Contract machining service for single and multiple keyways, internal splines, tangential keyways, helical keyways, and profiles from 1-300 mm width with lengths up to 2,500 mm. Targeted at manufacturers needing flexible contract production without capital investment in dedicated machinery.
• Retrofit Service Machine modernization service bringing existing FRÖMAG and other manufacturer machines up to current technical standards with the latest APC2 control. Delivers up to 30% faster setup time and up to 10% energy savings. Targeted at existing FRÖMAG customers seeking to extend machine life and improve performance.
• Original FRÖMAG Tools Original quality keyseating tools including standard tools type A and P, inch tools type AA and AP, and spline tools per DIN ISO 14, 5471, and 5472. Targeted at FRÖMAG machine owners needing genuine replacement tooling.
• Gebrauchtmaschinen (Used Machines) Refurbished and well-maintained used FRÖMAG machines available in perfect condition directly from the manufacturer. Targeted at cost-sensitive buyers seeking proven FRÖMAG quality at reduced pricing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 30% faster setup time after retrofit
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mitts & MerrillcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMitts & Merrill, based in Tavares/Florida, is the leading US manufacturer and distributor of keyseating machines for FRÖMAG. The company is part of the FRÖMAG group and also maintains a product line of tooling and equipment for previous generations of USA-made Mitts & Merrill keyseaters. Mitts & Merrill serves as the exclusive US distribution channel for FRÖMAG keyseating machines.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KASTO Maschinenbau: German manufacturer of metal sawing, storage, and broaching machines. Directly comparable as a family-owned German Mittelstand peer operating in the broaching segment with similar B2B industrial customer base and direct-sales model.
• Mitts & Merrill: FRÖMAG's wholly-owned US subsidiary and historically the leading US manufacturer of keyseating machines. Directly comparable because it sells the same keyseating technology to North American customers and retains a legacy product line of Mitts & Merrill keyseaters, making it the closest peer in product and customer base.
• ASS Maschinenbau (ASS Broaching): German special machine builder focused on broaching and keyseating machinery. Closely comparable because it competes head-to-head with FRÖMAG in CNC-controlled keyseating and broaching machines for similar industrial end-markets.
• Forsthoff / Otto Forsthoff: German manufacturer of broaching tools and related tooling. Comparable as a niche specialty supplier in the broaching value chain, serving similar industrial customers with adjacent products to FRÖMAG's machine portfolio.
• Lapointe Broaches (Big Daishowa): Broaching tool and machine specialist (US/UK legacy brands now under Big Daishowa). Directly comparable because it serves the same internal broaching market for splines and keyways and competes with FRÖMAG on broaching tooling and equipment.
• Daetwyler Industries: Swiss-based precision machining and broaching specialist. Comparable as a high-precision supplier in the broaching segment with overlapping industrial customers in automotive, hydraulics, and mechanical power transmission.

Broad incumbents

• INDEX-Werke (INDEX TRAUB): German family-owned CNC lathe and turning machine manufacturer. Comparable as a fellow German Mittelstand machine tool builder serving automotive and industrial customers, though INDEX's product focus is broader turning centers rather than keyseating/broaching.
• Grob-Werke: German family-owned machine tool manufacturer focused on machining systems and automation for automotive and aerospace. Comparable as a fellow German Mittelstand machine tool player serving similar end-markets (automotive, drivetrain) though at a much larger scale and broader product scope.
• DMG Mori: Global leader in CNC machine tools (turning, milling, additive). Comparable as a broad incumbent in metal-cutting machine tools, though FRÖMAG's niche in keyseating/broaching is a focused specialization within DMG Mori's much wider portfolio.
• EMAG Holding: German machine tool group covering turning, grinding, gear cutting, and special-purpose machines. Comparable as a broad German incumbent with overlapping customers in automotive drivetrain components, where FRÖMAG's keyway and spline work intersects with EMAG's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/froemag

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Maschinenfabrik FRÖMAG GmbH & Co. KG