Manufacturer of custom-made surgical precision instruments for spinal, orthopedic and neurosurgery
Friedrich Daniels GmbH
Solingen · AldingenNew on Amplifa
About Friedrich Daniels
Friedrich Daniels GmbH, headquartered in Solingen, develops and manufactures custom surgical precision instruments for OEM customers in medical technology, with a focus on spinal surgery, orthopedics, neurosurgery and robotic surgery. Founded in 1948, the fourth-generation family business produces from one-off prototypes to full series production, including zero series and complete solutions. The value chain includes CNC milling (3–5 axes), Swiss turning, EDM, forging, laser and TIG welding, assembly, surface finishing by grinding and sandblasting, coatings (DLC, chrome, TiN, AlTiN) and UDI-compliant laser marking. Production is primarily from stainless steel alloys such as 1.4021 and 17-4 as well as biocompatible silicone for custom-made softgrip handles. With over 50 employees at two production sites in Solingen and Aldingen, the company has been part of the Swiss Acrotec Group (Acrotec Medtech) since September 2023. The Solingen site was expanded by 1,600 m² in 2025.
- Site
- Solingen
- Processes
- CNC milling 3–5 axes, Swiss turning (Swiss Turning), Die sinking EDM (Sink EDM), Wire EDM, Laser welding, TIG welding, Assembly, Forging
- Materials
- 1.4021, 17-4, Silicone (biocompatible), Radel, 1.4021 (stainless steel), 17-4 PH (1.4542), Radel (PEEK/PSU), CNC milling 3–5 axes
- Certificates
- ISO 13485:2016 (EN ISO 13485:2016 + AC:2018 + A11:2021), FDA registration, ISO 13485:2016
- Founded
- 1948
- Employees
- 50+
- Industries
- Medical technology (OEM), Spinal surgery, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Robotic surgery
- 01
Engineering & Design (material, tip, shaft, handle)
- 02
CNC milling 3–5 axes
- 03
Swiss turning
- 04
EDM (die sinking/wire EDM)
- 05
Forging
- 06
Laser/TIG welding
- 07
Assembly
- 08
Surface finishing (grinding, sandblasting)
- 09
Coating (DLC, chrome, TiN, AlTiN)
- 10
Laser marking (UDI/data matrix)
Materials & Processes
1.4021 (stainless steel)
Rust-free martensitic steel for surgical instruments with high hardness and corrosion resistance.
17-4 PH (1.4542)
Heat-treatable stainless steel for highly stressed instrument components.
Silicone (biocompatible)
Biocompatible silicone for custom softgrip handles in up to three colors with customer logo.
Radel (PEEK/PSU)
High-performance plastic for medical technology instrument components.
CNC milling 3–5 axes
17 machines for precise multi-axis milling of complex instrument geometries.
Swiss turning
10 machines for highly precise turning of small, long components.
Die sinking & wire EDM
12 machines for machining hard-to-cut details and contours.
Laser & TIG welding
Precise, clean joints during assembly and further processing.
Coating (DLC, chrome, TiN, AlTiN)
Wear-reducing low-friction coatings to extend instrument service life.
Laser marking (Trumpf Micro Mark 1020)
Ultra-short-pulse laser (900 femtoseconds) for UDI-compliant, surface-gentle data matrix marking.
Sites
Solingen
DEProduction site / headquarters (Dönhoffstr. 6)
- Lot size
- Prototype to full series
- Materials
- Stainless steel 1.4021, 17-4, silicone
- 17 CNC milling machines (3–5 axes)
- 10 Swiss-turning machines
- 12 die sinking/wire EDM machines
- Mazak CV5-500 (5 axes, automation center, 2024)
- Hermle C22
- Hermle C12
- Mazak Integrex i300
- Trumpf Micro Mark 1020 + Mark Station 7000
- Laser welding and marking systems
- Drill grinding and straightening machines
Aldingen
DEProduction site (Friedrich Daniels Medical)
- Lot size
- Prototype to full series
- Materials
- Stainless steel, silicone
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC milling 3–5 axesMachining | – | – | – | – | 1.4021, 17-4 |
| Swiss turning (Swiss Turning)Machining | – | – | – | – | 1.4021, 17-4 |
| Die sinking EDM (Sink EDM)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wire EDMMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser weldingJoining | – | – | – | – | – |
| TIG weldingJoining | – | – | – | – | – |
| AssemblyAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| ForgingForming | – | – | – | – | – |
| GrindingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| SandblastingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Coating (DLC, Chrome, TiN, AlTiN)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser marking (UDI-compliant, data matrix capable)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of biocompatible silicone softgrip handlesPlastics | – | – | – | – | Silicone |
| Drill and tap production (drill grinding and straightening machines)Machining | – | – | – | – | 1.4021, 17-4 |
| Design & engineering of custom surgical instruments (prototype to series)Engineering | – | – | – | Single prototype – Full series | 1.4021, 17-4, Silicone |
12 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-axis milling machine | Mazak CV5-500 | 1 | – | 2024 | Solingen |
| 5-axis machining center with automation | Hermle C22 | – | – | – | Solingen |
| Machining center | Hermle C12 | – | – | – | Solingen |
| Multi-tasking turning center | Mazak Integrex i300 | – | – | – | Solingen |
| CNC milling machines (3–5 axes) | – | 17 | – | – | Solingen |
| Swiss-turning machines | – | 10 | – | – | Solingen |
| Die sinking and wire EDM machines | – | 12 | – | – | Solingen |
| Laser marking machine (ultra-short pulse, 900 femtoseconds) | Trumpf Micro Mark 1020 with Mark Station 7000 | 1 | – | 2024 | Solingen |
| Laser welding and marking systems | – | – | – | – | Solingen |
| Drill grinding and straightening machines | – | – | – | 2023 | Solingen |
| Specialized machines (total) | – | 12 | – | – | Solingen |
| Lathes (relocated to new hall) | – | – | – | – | Solingen |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Certification
Friedrich Daniels is certified to ISO 13485:2016 and FDA-registered; validated data matrix marking (UDI/MDR) guarantees traceability of every instrument.
| Evidence | Solingen |
|---|---|
| ISO 13485:2016 | |
| FDA registration |
History
- 1948
Foundation of the family business
- 1960
Entry into the US market, first American customer
- 1966
Gerhard Daniels, a trained surgical instrument maker, takes over management
- 1985
Bernd Daniels joins the company
- 1987
Focus on spinal surgery, switch from standard to custom instruments
- 1989
First CNC milling machine put into operation
- 2000
New company building at Dönhoffstraße 6, Solingen
- 2003
Armin Daniels joins as Business Development Manager
- 2005
First expansion of the Solingen site
- 2010
Introduction of silicone handles to the product range
- 2018
Foundation of Friedrich Daniels Medical in Aldingen
- 2019
Entry into automated CNC production
- 2022
Max Daniels (4th generation, mechanical engineer) joins the company
- 2023
New Drill & Tap product line, laser marking for UDI/MDR, 75th anniversary, joining the Acrotec Group
- 2024
Trumpf Micro Mark 1020 in operation, automation center with Mazak CV5-500, start of construction of the second Solingen expansion
- 2025
Second expansion completed (1,600 m², October 2025)