Innovation is not just about size at the Lead Center Diaphragms in Reichelsheim – it’s about versatility, teamwork, and strategic growth. From massive industrial components to precision micro-parts, the site’s latest achievements highlight both technical expertise and collaborative spirit, securing its place as a key supplier across diverse industries.
At the Lead Center Diaphragms in Reichelsheim, a diverse range of diaphragms is manufactured for a variety of industries and applications. Recently, the site welcomed a brand-new tool that’s anything but ordinary – it weighs in at five tons, about as much as five compact cars. Installing it in one of the facility’s two 1,000-ton presses is no small feat; it takes a crane to get the job done.
So, what’s this massive tool for? It’s designed to produce diaphragms used in mining, specifically, for 150-liter pulsation dampers in slurry pumps. These robust pumps are essential wherever gold, silver, coal, ore, lead, or salt is mined, moving material mixed with water under tough conditions. The harsh environments and abrasive materials make these operations especially challenging.
“We’ve been supplying classic pump diaphragms to a major slurry pump manufacturer in the Netherlands for years,” says Daniel Uhl, Head of Product Management at the Lead Center Diaphragms. These diaphragms can be up to a meter in diameter for large strokes. Now, the product line includes diaphragms for the pulsation dampers of the same pumps. Like oversized accumulators, these dampers help stabilize the pump’s output.
A True Team Effort
“The tool for the new damper diaphragm, with its complex geometry, was designed right here in Reichelsheim. It was ultimately built by an external partner specializing in large-scale projects,” says Matthias Meerwein, the product developer in charge. Product Manager Anna Bäcker adds, “This project was a textbook example of interdisciplinary teamwork, with tool design, process engineering, product development, and product management all contributing their expertise.”
Previously, a competitor in the U.S. supplied the damper membrane. But the Lead Center Diaphragms won over the customer with technical know-how, experience, and a reputation for reliable delivery. This was a major win, achieved with a massive transfer molding tool and a press capable of 1,000 tons of force.
The sales team also played a crucial role. “Through intensive negotiations and creative problem-solving, we managed to align the customer’s requirements with our production capabilities,” says Frank Weiß, Key Account Manager. The sales department acted as a bridge between the customer and production, using smart compromises and transparent communication to build trust and secure the order. This is a great example of partnership and strategic strength in action.
Everyone involved is proud to have delivered on this major project—not just in terms of size and weight, but also in strategic value. With this achievement, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is now almost the exclusive supplier for this customer’s membrane needs, promising long-term utilization for the 1,000-ton presses in Reichelsheim.
Diversity in Every Dimension
But “macro” is only half the story – “micro” is just as important. Diversity is the key to success at the Lead Center Diaphragms. The team produces a wide variety of parts, from XXXS to XXXL, in quantities ranging from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands each year, serving industries and markets worldwide.
Just a few meters from where the 150-liter pulsation damper diaphragms are made, you’ll find presses producing nine-millimeter diaphragms for precision needle metering valves. These valves inject AdBlue urea solution into the exhaust systems of diesel trucks and buses, helping reduce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions through selective catalytic reduction (SCR). “We’ve been producing membranes for AdBlue needle metering valves in Reichelsheim for a long time, hundreds of thousands every year,” Uhl says. In short: large volumes of small, high-precision components with tight tolerances.
Miniature diaphragms from Reichelsheim, just a few millimeters in size, are also used in medical devices and laboratories, where they precisely dose liquids or anesthetic gases down to the milliliter.
Despite all this diversity, each diaphragm made in Reichelsheim shares a few key traits: custom design for each customer, reliable performance, and top-notch production quality.
