Flat die rolling machine from baier & michels and the ECCO TEC process – combined pressing and rolling process for chipless precision parts manufacturing

Revolution in mechanical engineering: How this new rolling process saves 80% material

The delivery and installation of a 125-ton flat die rolling mill at the Rohrbach site in Ober-Ramstadt marks far more than a logistical feat on a snowy January weekend. Behind this event lies a fundamental transformation of industrial manufacturing, exemplifying how German companies must respond to intensified global competitive pressure. The system developed by baier & michels represents a technological answer to an existential question: Can highly automated, chipless manufacturing compensate for the cost advantages of Asian competitors while simultaneously meeting ecological imperatives?

Technological disruption in precision parts manufacturing

A flat jaw rolling machine represents a fundamental paradigm shift in the production of long-shank precision parts. The process is based on the principle of cold forming using two counter-rotating, flat rolling jaws, one of which is stationary while the other is moved horizontally by a crank mechanism. The workpiece, positioned between the jaws, is progressively formed by the wedge-shaped geometry of the rolling jaws, simultaneously rotating and reducing its cross-sectional area.

Unlike rotary die-based rolling machines, which operate continuously and achieve higher cycle rates, flat die machines offer decisive advantages for medium batch sizes and complex geometries. The fundamental benefit lies in the significantly lower investment costs combined with flexibility, making the process particularly suitable for the European mid-sized manufacturing landscape. The b&m-ECCO TEC technology developed by baier & michels combines pressing and rolling processes into a chipless manufacturing process that can produce components traditionally manufactured through multiple machining steps in a single, integrated process.

The significance of this technology only becomes clear when compared to conventional machining. Piston rods, adjusting spindles, and drive shafts are typically manufactured by turning, milling, gear cutting, heat treatment, and final grinding – a multi-stage, material- and energy-intensive process. Chipless cold forming, on the other hand, utilizes the raw material almost completely, as no chips are produced. Material savings of up to 80 percent can be achieved for complex cold-formed parts. This saving translates into significant environmental benefits: CO2 emissions decrease by up to 67 percent because energy-intensive recycling processes for metal chips are eliminated, and the demand for primary resources is dramatically reduced.

The work hardening of the material during the forming process offers a further metallurgical advantage. The material fibers are not severed; instead, the dislocation density in the crystal lattices is increased, resulting in a denser, particularly resilient surface structure. This work hardening can eliminate the need for post-treatments such as hardening and simultaneously enables higher strength values ​​than those of machined components. For safety-critical applications in hydraulic cylinders, where piston rods are subjected to enormous compressive and tensile forces, this represents a significant quality improvement.

Strategic importance for German mechanical engineering

The €20 million investment by baier & michels, a member of the Würth Group with around 500 employees, must be viewed in the context of a fundamental threat to Germany's industrial base. German mechanical engineering, traditionally the backbone of this export-oriented nation with over 1.2 million employees and an export share exceeding 70 percent, is facing a systematic attack from Chinese competitors.

While Germany's market share of global machinery exports declined to 15.2 percent between 2013 and 2023, China's share rose from 14.3 to 22.1 percent during the same period. This shift is not solely due to comparative cost advantages, but also to an industrial policy offensive: In 2019, Chinese machinery manufacturers received direct and indirect subsidies averaging €15.7 million per company, enabling them to offer products at prices that are sometimes 50 percent lower than German levels. At the same time, 61 percent of VDMA members predict that they will only have an average or poor competitive position in five years.

In this environment, baier & michels' decision to invest €20 million at its Ober-Ramstadt site, bucking the trend of relocating production abroad, represents a strategic positioning move. Managing Director Jörg Pohl clearly articulated the rationale: the production technology in the new hall offers such significant advantages that further investment in the technology is a certainty. He stated that the company has developed products that are virtually unrivaled and provide such high customer benefits that, for example, labor costs are not the primary consideration.

This statement reveals both the core dilemma and the potential solution. German labor costs are structurally higher than in Asia, but highly automated, technology-intensive manufacturing processes can more than compensate for this disadvantage if they simultaneously reduce production times eight to tenfold and drastically lower material costs. The b&m-ECCO TEC technology thus creates a competitive advantage that cannot be replicated in low-wage countries simply by cutting costs.

Jana Tischler, Head of New Customer Sales at baier & michels, emphasized the high market pressure from Asia as a further strategic aspect. The machine secures the company's production site in Germany while simultaneously ensuring very short transport routes within Europe. This statement points to a structural advantage that is gaining importance due to geopolitical developments. The resilience of global supply chains has become a priority since the pandemic-related disruptions and geopolitical tensions. Local or regional value chains minimize transport risks, reduce emissions, and enable faster response times to customer requirements.

The decision to locate production in Germany rather than nearshoring to neighboring EU countries or reshoring from Asia must also be evaluated from a macroeconomic perspective. Studies show that while a cross-sector reshoring strategy reduces dependencies, it also entails significant losses in prosperity. Complete reshoring would reduce Germany's GDP by almost 10 percent, as the specialization advantages of the global division of labor would be lost. Nevertheless, strategic reshoring can be beneficial in key sectors with high added value and technological complexity, especially when combined with productivity gains through Industry 4.0 technologies.

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Economic and ecological synergies

Recognition with the German Sustainability Award 2025 underscores the technology's double benefit: economic efficiency and ecological effectiveness. The jury explicitly acknowledged its contribution to reducing primary resource consumption and the efficiency gains in a sector with high demand. By strengthening regional value chains and avoiding long-distance transport, the process also contributes to reducing emissions.

This combination is highly relevant from an industrial policy perspective. The EU taxonomy and stricter climate targets are forcing companies to decarbonize their production. At the same time, energy costs in Europe are rising structurally above Asian levels, jeopardizing the competitiveness of energy-intensive industries. Technologies that combine dramatic CO2 reductions with cost savings are therefore becoming a key competitive factor.

The material efficiency of cold forming has an impact on several levels. First, direct material consumption decreases, which, given the current volatile raw material prices, immediately reduces production costs. Second, disposal costs for metal shavings are eliminated. Third, energy consumption is significantly reduced, as no energy-intensive heat treatment is required and cold forming itself takes place at room temperature. Fourth, the higher precision of the formed parts allows for tighter tolerances without subsequent grinding processes, resulting in further energy and time savings.

The circular economy perspective reinforces these advantages. Near-complete material utilization minimizes the need for primary raw materials. At the same time, cold-formed components are more durable due to their increased strength, which extends product lifecycles and reduces resource consumption throughout their entire use phase. Studies show that CO2 reductions of up to 30 percent can be achieved by extending the lifespan of components through optimized manufacturing processes.

Application areas and industrial relevance

The significance of flat die rolling technology becomes clear from the application areas of the precision parts manufactured. Piston rods are key components in hydraulic cylinders used in construction machinery, mining equipment, offshore installations, and industrial presses. These cylinders convert hydraulic pressure into mechanical force and must withstand extreme loads. The quality of the piston rod—its surface finish, straightness, hardness, and strength—significantly determines the operational reliability and service life of the entire hydraulic system.

Actuating spindles and drive shafts are found in machine tools, positioning systems, and gearboxes. They transmit torque or convert rotation into linear motion, requiring the highest precision and load-bearing capacity. The ability to manufacture such components without machining, with complex profiles and variable diameters along the longitudinal axis, opens up new degrees of freedom for designers in lightweight construction and function-integrated design.

The market for these components is substantial. The global hydraulic cylinder market alone is estimated at several billion euros annually, with increasing demand driven by the expansion of renewable energies, infrastructure projects, and industrial automation. The ability to produce these parts significantly faster, more cost-effectively, and more sustainably not only gives manufacturers a competitive edge but also reduces costs along the entire value chain.

This is particularly relevant in the context of electromobility and lightweight construction. Cold forming allows for lighter components with the same strength or higher strength with the same weight. This is critical for electric drive systems and battery carriers, where every kilogram saved increases the range or reduces battery capacity. Cold forming also enables the use of more cost-effective base materials, which acquire the necessary mechanical properties through the forming process.

Logistical challenge and operational complexity

The transport and installation of the 125-ton machine illustrate the complexity of large-scale industrial projects. A heavy transport vehicle brought the 100-ton centerpiece from Belgium to Rohrbach over three nights, accompanied by six other trucks carrying additional components. Special cranes had to lift the machine part through the roof of the newly constructed factory building. Despite careful planning, delays in the roofers' arrival due to wintry road conditions and difficulties in removing the permanently installed roof elements resulted in a four-hour delay.

These challenges are symptomatic of the demands of modern manufacturing systems. The machine itself was built in Belgium, while the production hall was constructed in Rohrbach in parallel – an example of the international division of labor, even in European projects. Coordinating hall construction, machine manufacturing, transport, crane assembly, and final installation requires precise project management and the integration of numerous specialists.

After the machine is installed, the commissioning and production start-up phase begins. During this start-up phase, process parameters must be optimized, tools adjusted, and employees trained until series production readiness is achieved and the targeted cycle times can be reliably realized.

Digitalization and Industry 4.0 integration

Modern rolling mills are increasingly equipped with Industry 4.0 functionalities. Sensors record process parameters in real time, self-learning control systems autonomously compensate for material-specific variations, and tool data is automatically read via DMC code. This digital integration enables part traceability, predictive maintenance, and continuous process optimization.

The self-learning control system developed by baier & michels represents a proprietary competitive advantage. Such adaptive systems are crucial for profitability, as they reduce scrap, shorten setup times, and maximize plant utilization. In an industry where margins are shrinking due to price pressure, the difference between 85 and 95 percent plant utilization can mean the difference between profit and loss.

Digitalization also opens up new business models. Remote maintenance, predictive maintenance, and data-driven process consulting can be marketed as additional services. Networking the machine with the production planning system enables near-real-time adjustments to order fluctuations and optimizes supply chain management.

A medium-sized company shows how it's done: The blueprint for Germany's competitiveness

The development at Baier & Michels exemplifies a possible path for German mechanical engineering: technological leadership through process innovation, sustainability as a differentiating factor, and strategic site security through productivity leaps. The success of this strategy depends on several factors.

First, the political framework must be right. Energy costs, bureaucracy, tax burden, and infrastructure quality are key factors in determining a location's attractiveness. The VDMA (German Engineering Federation) rightly calls for fundamental reforms: improved infrastructure, international competitiveness of the tax system, reduction of regulatory obstacles, and ensuring affordable energy prices. Without these structural improvements, the technological excellence of individual companies will not be enough to stabilize the location as a whole.

Secondly, scaling is crucial. The b&m-ECCO TEC technology must establish itself in the market and be applied in significant quantities to achieve widespread impact. This requires compelling customer references, technology transfer, and potentially licensing to other manufacturers. The Würth Group, with its global network and financial strength, can act as a multiplier in this process.

Thirdly, the intensity of research and development must be maintained. The 28,000 hours of development work for the current machine demonstrate the continuous innovation that is required. Public research funding, collaborations with universities and research institutes, and the protection of intellectual property are critical success factors.

Fourth, the dependence on the Chinese market cannot be ignored. China is the second most important export market for German mechanical engineering and, at the same time, Germany's most important supplier of machinery. A one-sided decoupling would cause significant losses in prosperity. The strategy must therefore strike a balance between diversifying sales markets, increasing competitiveness in Europe, and selective cooperation with China in non-critical areas.

The installation of the world's largest flat die rolling machine in Rohrbach is therefore more than just a technical masterpiece. It is a statement on the future viability of Germany as an industrial location – proof that high-wage countries can hold their own in global competition through innovation, sustainability, and technological excellence. Whether this example sets a precedent or remains an exception will become clear in the coming years. One thing is certain: the race is not lost, but the gap to the competition shrinks with every delayed reform and every missed investment.

Konrad Wolfenstein

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