GF Automotive announced a deal to acquire two high-pressure diecasting operations in Romania from the Eucasting Group, a supplier of automotive diecastings and diecasting tooling based in Italy. The buyer described this transaction as another indication of its plan to expand light-metal parts production.
The value and other details of the transaction will not be announced, according to GF.
“We are excited to become a part of GF Automotive and to plan together the next steps in our development,” stated Federica Mapelli, owner of Eucasting Ro SLR. “The strong know-how and the lightweight competences of GF Automotive will increase our options to better serve our existing and new customers.”
The Mapelli family established Eucasting in 1960. The group produces a wide variety of component parts for automotive, lighting, household, power tools, garden tools, and furniture manufacturing. GF noted that about 60% of Eucasting’s annual sales target automotive customers.
In addition to diecasting, the group also has tooling design, production, and distribution capabilities, as well as CNC finishing operations.
Eucasting set up the first Romanian plant in 2006 at Pitesti, 100 km west of Bucharest. According to published sources, this 4,000-sq.m. plant produces about 4,250 metric tons/year of light metal finished products, and has a range of diecasting work cells capable of producing parts from 200 to 1,500 metric tons/year. It has about 200 workers.
A second plant was set up at Scornicesti in 2010, covering a comparable area and shipping another 4,250 metric tons/year of finished parts. Its work cells range in capacity from 320 to 800 metric tons/year, and it has 100 workers.
In addition to part design and diecasting, Eucasting offers automated deburring and manual polishing, sand and shot blasting, rotary finishing, galvanizing and chemical treatment, and a full range of machining capabilities. Pre-assembly and packaging services are available, too.
The Romanian operations also have CNC finishing capacity for about 4 million parts/year.
“We are pleased to welcome Eucasting in the GF family,” stated Yves Serra, CEO of the Switzerland-based manufacturer. "Both its customer base and its locations complement very well GF Automotive’s (activities), and we look forward to support its fast development.”
GF Automotive operates ferrous and nonferrous metalcasting operations in Germany, Austria, China, and the U.S. Its affiliated businesses are engaged in design and manufacturing precision machine tools (GF Machining Solutions) and metal and plastic components for water and gas transport (GF Piping Systems.)
