Development and manufacturing of power supplies, charging technology, battery packs and EMS contract manufacturing from Ostbevern
FRIWO Gerätebau GmbH
Ostbevern, DE · Dong Nai, VN · Shenzhen, CN · Bengaluru, IN · Houston, TX, USNew on Amplifa
About FRIWO Gerätebau
FRIWO Gerätebau GmbH is an international manufacturer of power supplies, charging technology, battery packs and battery management systems headquartered in Ostbevern (Münsterland). The company, which emerged in 1971 with the invention of the first plug-in power adapter, manufactures custom power supplies, chargers and complete electronic assemblies as an OEM and EMS service provider. Manufacturing includes SMD and THT assembly (smallest form factor 0402, 0201 under certain conditions), final assembly, enclosure printing, electronics potting as well as battery pack assembly based on Li-Ion, LiFePO4, NiMH, NiCd and lead-acid; as a system provider, FRIWO also offers complete electric drivetrains including charging technology. The majority of production takes place in two own plants (18.327 sqm) in Dong Nai, Vietnam, to European standards under German management with nitrogen soldering systems and automatic test systems. Customer industries include power tools, Industrial Applications (including ATEX, gate drives, pumps), medical technology, E-Mobility and consumer electronics. Since 2024, manufacturing in Europe has been carried out by a contract-manufacturing successor company of the divested Ostbevern site.
- Site
- Ostbevern
- Processes
- SMD assembly (smallest form factor 0402, 0201 under certain conditions), THT assembly (through-hole), Complete contract manufacturing of electronic assemblies and devices including packaging and, Final assembly of devices (conveyor line production and production cells), Enclosure printing (pad printing), Laser marking, Electronics potting (dust- and moisture-resistant), 3D prototyping
- Materials
- Li-Ion cells, LiFePO4, NiMH, NiCd, Lead batteries (Lead Acid), GaN technology (semiconductor), GaN technology, SMD/THT assembly
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485
- Founded
- 1971
- Employees
- approx. 1,000
- Industries
- Specialized Tools & Equipment (power/garden tools), Industrial Applications (ATEX, gate drives, pumps, safety technology), Medical & Healthcare Solutions, E-Mobility, Transportation & Logistics, Consumer electronics / Lifestyle Solutions, Industrial Applications (among others ATEX, gate drives, pumps, safety
- 01
Engineering & 3D prototyping
- 02
Component procurement (Shenzhen purchasing office)
- 03
SMD & THT assembly
- 04
Final assembly (conveyor line/production cells)
- 05
Enclosure printing, labeling, potting
- 06
Testing & approval
- 07
Packaging & delivery
Materials & Processes
Li-Ion cells
Core material for battery packs and battery management systems in power tools and E-Mobility.
LiFePO4
Cell chemistry for safe, long-lasting battery applications.
NiMH
Cell chemistry for battery packs in classic applications.
NiCd
Cell chemistry for legacy-oriented battery applications.
Lead batteries (Lead Acid)
Material for lead-based battery solutions in the portfolio.
GaN technology
Semiconductor technology for high power density in compact USB-C power supplies.
SMD/THT assembly
Assembly of electronic boards from form factor 0402, 0201 under certain conditions.
Electronics potting
Dust- and moisture-resistant potting for industrial applications including ATEX.
Locations
Ostbevern
DEHeadquarters: Administration & Sales, Tech Center R&D
- Materials
- Copper, plastic
- EMC test site
- Gauge and test fixture construction
- Machine shop
Dong Nai
VNManufacturing Plant I (conveyor line) & Plant II (production cells)
- Lot size
- High-volume series
- Materials
- Copper, plastic
- SMD assembly lines
- Nitrogen soldering system
- THT assembly
- Pad printing machine
- Laser marking system
- Automatic test and inspection systems
Shenzhen
CNSales, development, purchasing, procurement-side QA
Bengaluru
INSales office (Friemann & Wolf India Pvt. Ltd.)
Houston, TX
USSales North America (FRIWO North America Inc.)
Components & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMD assembly (smallest form factor 0402, 0201 under certain conditions)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Electronic components, PCBs |
| THT assembly (through-hole)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Electronic components |
| Complete contract manufacturing of electronic assemblies and devices including packaging andAssembly | – | – | – | 1 | Electronic components |
| Final assembly of devices (conveyor line production and production cells)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Electronic components |
| Enclosure printing (pad printing)Surface | – | – | – | – | Plastic |
| Laser markingSurface | – | – | – | – | Plastic, Metal |
| Electronics potting (dust- and moisture-resistant)Surface | – | – | – | – | Plastic |
| 3D prototypingEngineering | – | – | – | – | Plastic |
| Gauge and test fixture construction (tools and test adapters)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Metal |
| Machine shop (tool manufacturing)Machining | – | – | – | – | Metal |
| Manufacturing of battery packsAssembly | – | – | – | – | Li-Ion cells, LiFePO4, NiMH, NiCd, Lead batteries |
| Converter and choke productionAssembly | – | – | – | – | Copper, Electronic components |
| Solder Paste Inspection (SPI)Testing | – | – | – | – | Electronic components |
| Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI)Testing | – | – | – | – | Electronic components |
| In-circuit testTesting | – | – | – | – | Electronic components |
| Functional testing and safety testsTesting | – | – | – | – | Electronic components |
| X-ray inspection / X-ray testingTesting | – | – | – | – | Electronic components |
| EMC testing on own test site including long-term reliability testsTesting | – | – | – | – | Electronic components |
| Climate testing, drip water testing, drop testing, tensile testing, vibration testingTesting | – | – | – | – | Electronic components |
| DFMEA / product development (software and hardware, MATLAB, Simulink, GitLab, Keil)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
12 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen soldering system | – | – | – | – | Dong Nai, Vietnam |
| SMD assembly lines | – | – | – | – | Dong Nai, Vietnam |
| Automatic test and inspection systems | – | – | – | – | Dong Nai, Vietnam |
| Solder Paste Inspection (SPI) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI) | – | – | – | – | – |
| In-circuit test system | – | – | – | – | – |
| X-ray inspection system | – | – | – | – | – |
| EMC test site | – | – | – | – | Ostbevern, Germany |
| Pad printing machine | – | – | – | – | Dong Nai, Vietnam (Plant II) |
| Laser marking system | – | – | – | – | Dong Nai, Vietnam (Plant II) |
| Manufacturing site Plant I (conveyor line production, 10.827 sqm total, 3,000 sqm production) | – | 1 | – | 2015 | Dong Nai, Vietnam |
| Manufacturing site Plant II (production cells, 7.500 sqm total, 500 sqm production) | – | 1 | – | – | Dong Nai, Vietnam |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Certification
FRIWO tests with SPI, AOI, in-circuit test, functional and safety testing, X-ray inspection as well as climate testing, drip water testing, drop testing, tensile and vibration testing on its own EMC test site including long-term reliability tests. Germany and Vietnam are certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 13485; India and China to ISO 9001.
| Evidence | Ostbevern | Dong Nai | Shenzhen | Bengaluru |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | ||||
| ISO 14001 | ||||
| ISO 13485 |
History
- 1881
Origin: founding of Friemann & Wolf by Carl Wolf in Zwickau (mining lamps)
- 1971
Spin-off of Friwo Gerätebau GmbH in Duisburg, acquisition of the production facility in Ostbevern, invention of the world's first plug-in power adapter
- 1982
Europe's largest manufacturer of small power supplies and chargers (25,000 units per day)
- 1983
Acquisition by CEAG AG (revenue 73 million DM, 640 employees)
- 1992
Certification to DIN ISO 9001 as the first company in the industry
- 2002
Split into FRIWO Mobile Power (FMP) and FRIWO Power Solutions (FPS)
- 2005
Manufacturing of the 1-billionth power supply
- 2008
Sale of the FMP division to Flextronics; acquisition of CEAG AG by VTC
- 2009
Renaming of CEAG AG to FRIWO AG
- 2013
Revenue exceeding 100 million euros for the first time
- 2014
Start of battery pack manufacturing
- 2016
Opening of the company's own manufacturing site in Dong Nai, Vietnam; takeover of a converter/choke production facility near Ho Chi Minh City
- 2018
Acquisition of Emerge-Engineering GmbH; certification to DIN ISO 13485
- 2020
Founding of Friemann & Wolf India Pvt. Ltd. in Bengaluru
- 2021
50 years of FRIWO; joint venture agreement with UNO MINDA Group
- 2023
Founding of FRIWO North America Inc. (first Ohio, later Houston)
- 2024
Sale of the Ostbevern production site; focus on manufacturing in Vietnam
- 2025
Sale of the 49.9% joint venture stake in UNO MINDA EV Systems; new claim "Powering Innovation – Empowering Solutions"