Develops and produces three-dimensional plastic glazing and polymer components for the automotive industry.
freeglass GmbH & Co. KG
Schwaikheim (near Stuttgart)New on Amplifa
About freeglass
freeglass GmbH & Co. KG is a supplier to the automotive industry specializing in plastic glazing and polymer-based system solutions. At its site in Schwaikheim near Stuttgart, three-dimensional plastic components have been developed and produced in series since 1998 respectively the company's founding in 2001 – including windshields, side and rear windows, roofs and roof trim, pillar covers, spoilers, rear modules and LIDAR/radar covers. Production capabilities include multi-component injection molding (3K) with machines up to 2700 t clamping force, turntable and injection embossing technology, hardcoat coating with thermally curing polysiloxane systems on two painting lines under cleanroom conditions, overmolding with adhesive elastomer as well as final assembly with laser welding, 2K bonding, hot stamping, laser marking and component integration. Materials are polymers and polycarbonate, complemented by decorative parts made of stainless steel and aluminum. Customers include OEMs such as Daimler, Porsche, VW, Skoda, Seat, Honda and Renault; deliveries go to Europe, Asia and America. The company is certified to ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949 and has been independent since 2024 following the carve-out by HF Opportunities.
- Site
- Schwaikheim
- Processes
- Plastic injection molding, Multi-component injection molding (3K), Turntable technology, Injection embossing technology, Rheological simulation, Tool maintenance, Automatic part inspection, Hardcoat coating (polysiloxane hardcoat)
- Materials
- Polycarbonate, Polymers (plastic glazing), Elastomer (sealing), Thermally curing polysiloxane hardcoat (e.g. Momentive), Stainless steel (decorative parts), Aluminum (decorative parts), Coating system AS4700 (Momentive), Elastomer
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949
- Founded
- 2001
- Industries
- Automotive industry, Automotive glazing (plastic glazing), Mobility / Autonomous driving, Mobility/Autonomous driving
- 01
Product design and tool concept development
- 02
Rheological simulation
- 03
Injection molding (3K, turntable, injection embossing)
- 04
Hardcoat coating
- 05
Overmolding with elastomer
- 06
Final assembly (laser welding, bonding, component integration)
- 07
Automatic part inspection and approval management
Materials & Processes
Polycarbonate
Material for plastic glazing, roofs and printed, thermoformed sheet material.
Polymers (plastic glazing)
Base material of automotive glazing with up to 45 % weight saving compared to glass.
Elastomer
Technically bonding elastomer for overmolding of sealing concepts in various Shore hardnesses.
Polysiloxane hardcoat (e.g. Momentive AS4700)
Thermally curing coating for scratch resistance, weathering and chemical resistance in high-gloss and deep-gloss effects.
Stainless steel
Material for integrated decorative parts in final assembly.
Aluminum
Material for decorative parts that are integrated in the assembly process.
Multi-component injection molding
Combines several plastic components in one part, machines up to 2700 t clamping force.
Turntable and injection embossing technology
Injection molding processes for high-quality surfaces and precision.
Laser welding
Joining process for coated pillar covers and assembled components.
Locations
Schwaikheim
DEProduction and administration
- Lot size
- High-volume series
- Materials
- Polycarbonate, Polymers, Elastomer
- Injection molding machines up to 2700 t clamping force
- 2 industrial painting lines under cleanroom conditions
- Laser welding systems
- Automatic part inspection
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic injection moldingPlastics | – | – | – | – | Polymers, Polycarbonate |
| Multi-component injection molding (3K)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polymers |
| Turntable technologyPlastics | – | – | – | – | – |
| Injection embossing technologyPlastics | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rheological simulationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tool maintenanceEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Automatic part inspectionTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hardcoat coating (polysiloxane hardcoat)Surface | – | – | – | – | Polycarbonate |
| Single or two-layer painting (wet-on-wet & double bake coating)Surface | – | – | – | – | Polymers |
| Overmolding with adhesive elastomer (partial, complete, flush, below-surface overmolding)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Elastomer |
| Laser weldingJoining | – | – | – | – | Plastic |
| Hot stampingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2K bondingJoining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser markingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Primer applicationSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Component integration (clips, seals, sensors, lighting)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Printing, thermoforming and further processing of polycarbonate sheet materialPlastics | – | – | – | – | Polycarbonate |
| Product design and tool concept developmentEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Integrated heating and lighting systemsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection molding machines | – | – | Machine capacities up to 2700 t clamping force | – | Schwaikheim |
| Industrial painting lines | – | 2 | under cleanroom conditions | – | Schwaikheim |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Certifications
freeglass is certified to ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949; products undergo product and process quality analyses, optical inspections, mechanical as well as physical-chemical laboratory tests and receive official approval stamps for worldwide use. All parts are marked for traceability and are traceable.
| Evidence | Schwaikheim |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 | |
| IATF 16949 |
History
- 1998
Development and production of the first plastic glazing
- 2001
Foundation of freeglass GmbH & Co. KG as a joint venture of Schefenacker AG and Sekurit
- 2003
First plastic rear window; scratch-resistant B-pillar trim with protective coating
- 2004
Weight optimization through complete glazing of a vehicle; first roof made of plastic
- 2005
Design Award of the Society of Plastic Engineers (SPE) Europe; introduction of the coating system AS4700 (Momentive)
- 2006
Functional integration for safety and technology (Daimler)
- 2007
freeglass becomes a 100% subsidiary of Sekurit
- 2011
Complex shape and design development; system integration of aerodynamic trim and side spoiler
- 2013
High-gloss pillar trim without coating; approval of plastic glazing in China and the USA
- 2014
Milestone of 1 million parts produced reached (May)
- 2015
Flush design with coating including mounting and sealing concept
- 2016
Coated pillar covers with laser welding technology
- 2017
Design through decoration technology in 3 colors
- 2018
Partition window according to DIN ISO 27956 (safety equipment for vans)
- 2019
High-gloss covers with coating for roof applications
- 2020
Pillar covers with integrated ADAS function
- 2023
Laser marking on high-gloss parts
- 2024
Carve-out by HF Opportunities as part of an MBO; independent company since September
- 2025
Milestone of 10 million parts produced reached (June)