Chainsaws and power tools for forestry, construction and garden; magnesium die-cast components for industrial customers
ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG
Waiblingen · Tengen · Weinsheim · Ludwigsburg · Fellbach · Kernen im Remstal · Langkampfen (AT) · Wil/Bronschhofen (CH) · Virginia Beach (US) · São Leopoldo (BR) · Oradea (RO) · Huizhou (CN) · SantoNew on Amplifa
About STIHL
STIHL is a family-owned mechatronics company founded by Andreas Stihl in 1926, headquartered in Waiblingen near Stuttgart. The company develops, manufactures and distributes engine-powered equipment for forestry and agriculture, landscape maintenance, construction and private users – including chainsaws, garden tools, robotic mowers and battery-powered tools with in-house developed EC motors and lithium-ion batteries. Within an international manufacturing network, STIHL produces at nine locations in Germany and at plants in Austria, Switzerland, the USA, Brazil, China, Romania and the Philippines; the in-house manufacturing depth reaches up to 50 percent in some areas. Core components such as engines, crank mechanisms, guide bars and saw chains are manufactured in-house. At its own magnesium die-casting plant in Weinsheim (9,000-tonne annual capacity, up to 40 million precision parts per year), lightweight components are also produced for external customers from the automotive, motorcycle and e-bike industries, mechanical engineering and medical technology. Group revenue in 2025 was 5.48 billion euros.
- Site
- Waiblingen
- Processes
- Magnesium die casting (hot- and cold-chamber casting cells), Magnesium machining (milling, spindles, thread cutting), Tool design and toolmaking (die-casting molds from hot-work steel), Mold filling and solidification simulation, Surface coating / individual paint coating of magnesium die-cast parts, Magnesium recycling / melting operation (controlled process at around 700 °C, ingot form), Saw chain production, Manufacture of hedge trimmer blades
- Materials
- Magnesium, Aluminium, Magnesium alloys (all commercially common alloys), Hot-work steel, Plastic (granulate), Lithium-ion (batteries), Magnesium AZ91D, Aluminium A380
- Certificates
- Certified management systems (quality/environment/occupational safety)
- Founded
- 1926
- Employees
- ca. 20,000
- Industries
- Forestry, Agriculture, Landscape maintenance/horticulture, Construction, Automotive, Motorcycles
- 01
Design and simultaneous engineering (CAD, mold filling and
- 02
Tool design and toolmaking (die-casting molds from hot-work steel)
- 03
Melting operation and magnesium recycling (approx. 4,500 t melting capacity per
- 04
Magnesium die casting in hot- and cold-chamber casting cells
- 05
Machining (milling, spindles, thread cutting)
- 06
Surface and paint coating
- 07
Production-accompanying inspection
- 08
Component and equipment manufacturing (among others saw chains, guide bars,
- 09
Assembly and production logistics
- 10
Distribution via specialized dealers with maintenance and repair service
Materials and Processes
Magnesium AZ91D
Lightest structural metal (approx. 1.8 g/cm³) for lightweight, vibration-damping and thermally conductive die-cast components.
Magnesium alloys (all commercially common alloys)
For complex, thin-walled precision parts with high dimensional accuracy and surface quality; 100% recyclable.
Aluminium A380
Reference and alternative material in die-casting comparisons for components with higher weight requirements.
Hot-work steel
Material for high-quality die-casting molds in the in-house toolmaking operation, with excellent tool life.
Plastic (granulate)
Processed into housings and equipment components; at the US site around 16 million kg of granulate per year.
Lithium-ion (batteries)
Basis of the in-house developed and manufactured battery packs for the STIHL battery-powered tool portfolio.
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnesium die casting (hot- and cold-chamber casting cells)Casting | highest dimensional accuracy (details not specified) · first-class surface quality | – | – | up to 40 million produced | Magnesium (all commercially common alloys, e.g. AZ91D) |
| Magnesium machining (milling, spindles, thread cutting)Machining | – | – | – | – | Magnesium |
| Tool design and toolmaking (die-casting molds from hot-work steel)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Hot-work steel |
| Mold filling and solidification simulationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Surface coating / individual paint coating of magnesium die-cast partsSurface | – | – | – | – | Magnesium |
| Magnesium recycling / melting operation (controlled process at around 700 °C, ingot form)Casting | – | – | – | Melting plant with annual capacity of | Magnesium alloys |
| Saw chain productionAssembly | – | – | – | more than 70 different saw chain types | – |
| Manufacture of hedge trimmer bladesAssembly | – | – | – | around 30 different hedge trimmer blades | – |
| Assembly of equipment (final assembly of chainsaws, electric saws, garden tools, battery-poweredAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics manufacturing (injection molding/plastics processing from granulate)Plastics | – | – | – | 16 million kg of granulate annually | Plastic (granulate) |
| Crank mechanism productionAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Piston manufacturing and piston machiningMachining | – | – | – | – | Magnesium (magnesium pistons) |
| Guide bar productionAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of handle tubes and brush cutter bladesForming | – | – | – | – | – |
| Carburetor productionAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Production of battery packs and battery-powered toolsAssembly | – | – | – | – | Lithium-ion |
| Manufacture of plastic parts and battery packs (Plant 2 Waiblingen)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastic |
| Electric motor production (EC motors) and electronics/embedded software developmentAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
8 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot- and cold-chamber casting cells (fully automated) | – | more than | up to 1,000 tonnes clamping force | – | Weinsheim (Plant 4) |
| Melting plant (magnesium) | – | 1 | Annual capacity of around 4,500 tonnes | – | Weinsheim |
| Total foundry capacity magnesium die casting | – | – | 9,000-tonne annual capacity, up to 40 million precision parts per year | – | Weinsheim |
| Automation cell for fuel tank manufacturing (forming, welding, assembly, leak testing in 32 | STIHL 4180 | – | – | – | Virginia Beach, USA |
| Automated, space-saving storage system | – | 1 | over 67,000 containers | – | Langkampfen, Austria |
| Special machines for saw chain production (in-house developed) | STIHL | – | – | – | Wil and Bronschhofen, Switzerland |
| Electronics laboratory (one of the most powerful for hand-held forestry and garden equipment) | STIHL | 1 | – | – | Waiblingen |
| Production floor area of the magnesium die-casting plant | – | 1 | around 35,500 square meters | – | Weinsheim |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Certification
Quality is safeguarded by certified management systems for quality, environment and occupational safety, which are confirmed annually by independent institutions. In magnesium die casting, production-accompanying inspection with seamless process control is carried out; at the Swiss chain plant, automated and digitalized quality controls are used along the entire value chain.
| Evidence | Waiblingen | Weinsheim | Wil/Bronschhofen | Langkampfen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified management systems (quality/environment/occupational safety) |