Forged Stainless Steel
Forged stainless steel is used for safety critical components that must withstand high mechanical loads, corrosion and demanding operating conditions.
It is used across power generation, mechanical and plant engineering, oil and gas, and railway systems, where reliability and long service life are essential.
As a stainless steel forging manufacturer, Schmiedewerke Gröditz, part of GMH Gruppe, produces forged stainless steel through controlled ingot casting, precise open die forging and application specific heat treatment.
Production is based on the electric arc furnace (EAF) route using a high proportion of recycled scrap. Compared with the conventional blast furnace route, melting one tonne of scrap saves approximately 1.6 tonnes of CO₂, allowing customers to combine technical performance, supply reliability and a measurable contribution to decarbonisation.
Schmiedewerke Gröditz supplies forged stainless steel in a broad range of product forms, from round bar, flat bar and square bar to contoured forgings, disks, rings and hollow bodies.
As required, semi-finished material is also available as steel ingots and electroslag-remelted (ESR) steel from our own on-site steel works.
Specifications as PDF: SWG_Forge
Product Forms and Dimensions
| Product form | Max. piece weight | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Round steel bar | 56 t | Ø 300–1,400 mm, length 2,000–12,000 mm |
| Flat steel bar | 52 t | width 500–2,000 mm, height 100–1,000 mm, length 2,000–10,000 mm |
| Square steel bar | 52 t | edge length 300–1,300 mm, length 2,000–10,000 mm |
| Contoured forgings | 42 t | Ø 300–2,000 mm, length up to 14,500 mm |
| Disks | 38 t | Ø 1,000–3,900 mm, height from 100 mm |
| Rings | 38 t | outer Ø 1,000–4,000 mm, width 400–2,000 mm, wall thickness from 100 mm |
| Hollow bodies (bushes) | 35 t | inner Ø 300–900 mm, length 1,500–6,000 mm, wall thickness from 100 mm |
Forged stainless steel
In-House Processing
Open-Die Forging and Heat Treatment
With over 240 years of forging expertise and its own on-site steel works and ESR plant, Schmiedewerke Gröditz produces around 300 steel grades in more than 2,000 analysis modifications. All key processing steps for stainless steel forgings, from melting and forging to heat treatment and machining, are carried out in-house, ensuring full control over material properties, quality and delivery reliability.
The combination of open-die forging and precisely controlled heat treatment enables the production of high-performance components with defined mechanical properties, even for large and complex geometries.
Your contact for forged stainless steel
We manufacture all our products to customer specifications. So what are your specifications?
Please feel free to contact us. Together we will find your perfectly customized solution.
Marc Schmitz
Interims Sales Director Tool Steel
Heat Treatment Capabilities
Heat treatment processes are tailored to the specific material and application requirements. Available procedures include:
- Soft annealing
- Normalizing
- Austenitizing and tempering
- Stress-relieving
These processes ensure the required strength, toughness, and dimensional stability for demanding industrial applications.
Technical Capacities
The available furnace and quenching capacities allow the treatment of large-scale forged components:
Furnace Capabilities
- Horizontal furnaces: up to 14,000 × 2,500 × 2,200 mm
- Vertical furnaces: up to Ø 1,600 × 8,300 mm
Quenching Capabilities
Oil quenching
- Horizontal: up to 14,500 × 1,800 × 2,400 mm
- Vertical: up to Ø 1,600 × 8,300 mm
Water quenching
- Horizontal: up to 9,500 × 3,300 × 1,900 mm
- Vertical up to Ø 1,600 × 8,300 mm
Your contact for forged stainless steel
We manufacture all our products to customer specifications. So what are your specifications?
Please feel free to contact us. Together we will find your perfectly customized solution.
Marc Schmitz
Interims Sales Director Tool Steel
Mechanical Machining
Mechanical machining at Schmiedewerke Gröditz enables the precise processing of large forged components, ensuring dimensional accuracy and readiness for further manufacturing steps.
Turning
- Centre lathe: turning length up to 18,000 mm, turning diameter up to 2,500 mm
- Vertical (carousel) lathe: turning diameter up to 4,000 mm, turning height up to 2,500 m
Milling & Boring
- Horizontal boring machines: transverse movement up to 4,850 mm, working height up to 4,450 mm, spindle diameter 175 / 200 / 250 mm
- Portal milling machine (for square ingots): 9,500 mm, 2,100 mm, 900 mm (L x W x H)
- Gun drilling: drilling length up to 10,000 mm, drilling diameter up to 380 mm
- Honing: honing diameter up to 450 mm, honing length up to 10,000 mm
Sawing
- Forgings up to 1,200 × 1,080 mm
Crane Capacity
- Lifting capacity up to 75 tonnes
Your contact for forged stainless steel
We manufacture all our products to customer specifications. So what are your specifications?
Please feel free to contact us. Together we will find your perfectly customized solution.
Marc Schmitz
Interims Sales Director Tool Steel
Testing & Analysis
Comprehensive testing and analysis at Schmiedewerke Gröditz ensure that forged components meet the defined quality and safety requirements, even in demanding applications.
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
- Ultrasonic (manual/automatic)
- Magnetic crack testing
- Dye penetrant inspection
- Visual testing
- Heat stability testing
- Material mix-up test
Destructive Testing
- Tensile test up to 900 °C
- Impact test −196 °C to +200 °C
- Hardness testing HB/HV/HRC
- Testing for intercrystalline corrosion and pitting corrosion
Metallographic Inspection
- Micro-section assessment
- Ferrite content and permeability
Chemical Analysis
- Spectrographical analysis
- Hydrogen determination
This integrated testing approach supports consistent material assessment and compliance with applicable international standards and customer specifications.
For more detailed information, download the inspections overview: SWG Inspections PDF
Your contact for forged stainless steel
We manufacture all our products to customer specifications. So what are your specifications?
Please feel free to contact us. Together we will find your perfectly customized solution.
Marc Schmitz
Interims Sales Director Tool Steel
Applications
Forged stainless steel is used in demanding applications where mechanical performance, material integrity, and corrosion resistance are essential.
- Lifting equipment (e.g., heavy-duty double crane hooks): High toughness and purity ensure safe load handling under extreme stress conditions
- Mechanical engineering and plant construction: Shafts, spindles, housings, and structural components designed for reliable operation in corrosive and high-load environments
- Power generation: Large cross-section components, quenched and tempered to withstand thermal cycling and ensure long-term process stability
- Railway systems / Transport: Corrosion-resistant, near-net-shape forgings used as precise blanks for efficient downstream machining
These applications require materials that minimize failure risk while supporting efficient and reliable operation over long service lifetimes.
Your contact for forged stainless steel
We manufacture all our products to customer specifications. So what are your specifications?
Please feel free to contact us. Together we will find your perfectly customized solution.
Marc Schmitz
Interims Sales Director Tool Steel
Quality & Sustainability
Stainless Steel from the Recycling Route
Stainless steel from Schmiedewerke Gröditz combines high material quality with a reduced carbon footprint, supporting both technical performance and sustainability goals.
- Electric arc furnace (EAF) with scrap cycle: Production is based on steel melted in electric arc furnaces using a high proportion of recycled scrap. Compared with the conventional blast-furnace route, melting one tonne of scrap saves approximately 1.6 tonnes of CO₂.
- ESR refining (electroslag remelting): In-house melting, ESR refining, forging, heat treatment and machining ensure consistent quality and full traceability from raw material to finished component.
- Future-ready heat treatment: Ongoing investments in hydrogen-ready furnace technology support the transition to low-emission industrial processes.
Your contact for forged stainless steel
We manufacture all our products to customer specifications. So what are your specifications?
Please feel free to contact us. Together we will find your perfectly customized solution.
Marc Schmitz
Interims Sales Director Tool Steel
Frequently Asked Questions
What is forged stainless steel from Schmiedewerke Gröditz?
Forged stainless steel from Schmiedewerke Gröditz consists of open-die forgings produced from stainless steel grades, manufactured through controlled ingot casting, precise forging, and application-specific heat treatment. The result is a material designed for high mechanical strength, corrosion resistance and reliability in demanding industrial applications.
Which stainless steel grades can be forged?
Schmiedewerke Gröditz processes stainless steel grades for open die forged components, including:
- Austenitic
- Ferritic
- Martensitic
- Duplex stainless steels
Materials can be produced according to national and international standards or customer specific chemical compositions, depending on the required application and specification.
What dimensions are possible for forged stainless steel?
Open die forged stainless steel can be manufactured in the following dimensions and product forms:
- Piece weights: up to 56 tonnes
- Round bar: diameters from 300 mm to 1,400 mm
- Contoured forgings: up to Ø 2,000 mm
- Disks and rings: up to approximately Ø 4,000 mm
- Maximum length: up to 14,500 mm
Typical product forms include round bar, flat bar, square bar, shafts, rings, disks and hollow bodies.
For which applications is forged stainless steel used?
Forged stainless steel is used in applications where material performance and reliability are critical, including:
- Mechanical engineering and plant construction
- Power generation
- Lifting equipment
- Railway and transport systems
Can stainless steel be forged?
Yes. Stainless steel can be open die forged. Schmiedewerke Gröditz processes austenitic, ferritic, martensitic and duplex stainless grades using this method.
Open die forging shapes the material into the required product form and supports the production of stainless steel forgings for safety critical, high load and corrosive operating environments.
Which certifications apply to production at Schmiedewerke Gröditz?
Production at Schmiedewerke Gröditz is covered by certified management systems and application specific approvals. Depending on product form, material grade and intended use, relevant certificates include:
- ISO 9001, Quality management
- ISO 14001, Environmental management
- ISO 50001, Energy management
- Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU, AD 2000-Merkblatt W 0 and EN 764-5, for crude steel, steel ingots, rings, flanges and open die forgings
- KTA 1401, Quality assurance suitability for nuclear applications
- DNV, Approved Manufacturer of Steel Forgings, including austenitic, martensitic and duplex stainless grades
- Lloyd’s Register, Approved Manufacturer of Steel Forgings
- RINA, Approved Manufacturer of Materials for steel forgings
For railway components, Schmiedewerke Gröditz also holds a Deutsche Bahn Q1 supplier rating and manufacturer related product qualification, HPQ.
Your contact for forged stainless steel
We manufacture all our products to customer specifications. So what are your specifications?
Please feel free to contact us. Together we will find your perfectly customized solution.
Marc Schmitz
Interims Sales Director Tool Steel
Further processing possibilities
Heat treatment
Annealing
Tempering
Mechanical processing options
Sawing
Milling
What you can expect
Raw material recycling
We use almost 100% scrap in steel production, enabling closed loops
Low emissions
We use low-CO2-emission steel from the electric arc furnace route
Broad spectrum
Our experts are available worldwide and can offer a wide variety of material grades