Horizons Customer Magazine 2025
Feintool Increases Global Production, Close to the Customer
Feintool is building on its strong European heritage and broad manufacturing capability through a strategic approach of global expansion close to its customers. This initiative, across three continents, enables us to respond quickly with the right technology and deliver locally in a more sustainable way. While demand for various technologies is shifting—and will continue to shift—our robust tooling and production capability means that Feintool can meet traditional powertrain, e-mobility, and hydrogen powered requirements. The result? Our customers gain the ultimate competitive advantage.
“We are working to meet the needs of both long-standing and new customers through strategic global investment as well as contribute to shorter, more sustainable supply chains.”
Torsten Greiner
CEO Feintool
Delivering Next-Generation Hybrid Powertrains Through Expansion of Nashville, TN USA Facility
Nashville
- Additional Square Feet/Meters: 47,000 sq. ft./4366 m2
- New Investment: $ 35 million
- Expanded Capability: forming and fineblanking to produce hybrid transmissions parts
- Operational Date: Q1 2025
Feintool continues to expand and invest in next-generation, hybrid-capable transmissions for its customers. “Our $ 35 million, 47,000 sq ft. expansion represents a 25 percent increase at our Nashville facility and is part of Feintool’s transformation towards an electrified future,” said Christoph Trachshler, CEO, Feintool U.S. Operations.
Feintool is making room for a new 1600-ton direct servo transfer press that is planned to go into service in Q1 2025. “The expansion will create up to 50 new jobs to help meet demand for automotive transmissions, hubs, clutch baskets, and gear spiders,” said Dan Swiger, Vice President and General Manager, Feintool Tennessee.
This significant investment allows Feintool to expand its capabilities in metal forming and combine large-tonnage, extended-table direct-drive servo technology on the new forming presses with state-of-the-art in-tool roller tool technology. The investment also gives Feintool the ability to form high-quality components in a single-tool run and at lower costs compared to other machining processes.
Additional presses and capabilities include a new 880-ton fineblanking press, CNC lathes, laser welding, parts washers, and tumblers. Feintool opened its first North American plant over 40 years ago and today produces over one million automotive parts per day between its Nashville, TN and Cincinnati, OH facilities.
“We are working to meet the needs of both long-standing and new customers through strategic global investment as well as contribute to shorter, more sustainable supply chains.”
Christoph Trachsler
CEO, Feintool U.S. Opertations
Feintool China: Meeting the Growing Demand for Batter and Hydrogen-Powered Applications
China
- Additional Square Feet/Meters: 6000 m2
- New Investment for new E mobility factory: CHF 15 to 20 Mio.
- Expanded Capability: fineblanking, bipoloar plates, glulock® adhesive joining technology for rotors and stators. Parts for seat adjusters, drive systems, safety components, wind turbines, sensors
- Planed products:
- Bipolar plates (together with Sitec) two press lines with annual capacity of 10 Mio. BPP. SOP: July 2024
- Glue bonded motor cores: there press lines will be put in. With annual capacity of 300,000 sets of stators and rotors. SOP: Q2 2025
The Feintool plant in Taicang, near Shanghai, historically known for fineblanking, is becoming an important manufacturing hub for rotors and stators for electric motors and bipolar plates for fuel cells. Construction and expansion are once again in full swing to strengthen Feintool’s position in the Chinese electric mobility market.
The demand for battery- and hydrogen-powered applications in China is growing rapidly. This is why the Stamping Europe business unit’s electrolamination stamping expertise was brought to Taicang and continuously expanded. Automotive and industrial components are already running on the production line.
According to Xiangjun Bao, General Manager, China, customers are showing particularly strong interest in the glulock® adhesive joining technology for rotors and stators. Also, Feintool is setting up a production line for metallic bipolar plates—the heart of a fuel cell—together with laser specialist SITEC. To offer customers ready-to-install bipolar plates, the collaboration between Feintool and SITEC in Taicang is based on what is known as a “shop-in-shop” concept. Feintool provides a production line for the FEINforming process with an FB one fineblanking press and SITEC supplements with the equipment and expertise for joining, laser welding, and tightness testing.
“Feintool China is the only company that offers fineblanking, stamping, and FEINforming in Taicang and the only provider of forming at the Tianjin plant. This is a huge advantage that plays a key role in expanding our market-leading position.”
Xiangjun Bao
General Manager, Feintool System Parts China
Feintool Announces New Production Facility in Pune, India and Grows its Strategic Position as a High-Precision Asian Automotive Parts Supplier
India
- Square Feet/Meters: Total land approx. 21’000sqm
- Phase 1: 6250sqm buildup area
- Phase 2: Additional 6250sqm buildup area
- New Investment: $/€/CHF 15 million
- Number of Machines: 3-4 at startup – with planned expansion
- Expanded Capability: New construction
- Operational Date: Summer 2025
With the founding of “Feintool System Parts India Pvt Ltd” and a new production site in the metropolitan region of Pune (southeast of Mumbai), Feintool is growing its strategic position as an important supplier of high-precision automotive parts in Asia.
With an initial investment of CHF 15 million, Feintool is moving closer to long-standing customers who already produce in the region. “Feintool System Parts India Pvt Ltd” is establishing our presence in a promising market and reducing our CO2 footprint, significantly lowering delivery- related emissions. Feintool production in Pune is expected to start in summer 2025.
The new facility in Pune complements Feintool’s presence in Asia, with two production sites each in Japan (Atsugi and Tokoname) and China (Taicang and Tianjin). In the initial phase, starting in 2025, seat adjusters for various major automotive manufacturers will be produced in India. The site will also facilitate future implementation of new applications in battery- and hydrogen-powered mobility, industry, and renewable energy.
“We are pleased that we can now meet customer demand in India with the new Feintool plant in Pune, delivering our technological expertise in the production of high- precision automotive parts locally.”
Marcel Pernici
Feintool System Parts Asia