The art of forging dates to at least 4000BC and probably earlier. Metals such as bronze and wrought iron were forged by early man to produce hand tools and weapons of war. For most of its history it was a purely manual craft, a triumph of human ingenuity and muscle power over a new complex science and material with limited equipment - charcoal, clay, sticks and stones. It was not until the 19th century that the first mechanized forges were invented - relieving craftsmen of much of the hard work. But even with all the latest technological advances, it remains a highly skilled and often physically demanding craft.

One of the places where the ancient skills of forging have been most successfully blended with modern technology is at the foundry of Edelstahl Rosswag in Pfinztal near Karlsruhe in Baden- Württemberg. Here, the traditions of forging which were brought to a certain perfection of handcraft in the Middle Ages have been taken even further over the course of several generations with a devotion to ever greater precision. A passion for innovation has taken Rosswag from its modest position as a merely regional producer of forged metals to its current global reputation and success as a leading multinational high-tech company.

Edelstahl Rosswag, the biggest open die forging company in southern Germany, uses state-of-the-art technology to produce top-quality forged products, in particular one-off specialist parts for the aviation and aerospace industries – made to the highest specifications. The capacity to produce such parts, on which the company’s global reputation is significantly based, derives from a combination of ultra-modern, high-performance furnaces, computer-controlled forging presses, an in-house research and development department – and the company’s own unique experience in the field. High-precision parts made by Rosswag are to be found in the new Airbus A-380, in the ‘Ariane’ space rocket and in the drive trains of the high-speed ICE express trains.

Among Rosswag’s products are some which are “of note” in a different – and very literal – sense. The company also specializes in making high-quality clappers for church bells. Expert campanologists know that the clapper has to ‘kiss’ the bell at precisely the right point – so the forging of clappers is a precision skill. Rosswag has developed a special steel for just this application – ensuring that the great bells in the Frauenkirche in Dresden, the cathedrals of Strasbourg and Erfurt and other churches continue to produce their most melodious sounds.

Contact:

Edelstahl Rosswag GmbH
76327 Pfinztal-Kleinsteinbach
Tel.: 07240/94 10-0
Fax: 07240/94 10-80
E-Mail: info@edelstahl-rosswag.de
www.edelstahl-rosswag.de