Development, injection moulding production and testing of fuel tank caps, capless systems and misfuelling protection for the automotive industry
Gerdes GmbH
Siemensstraße 4-6, 50170 Kerpen · UK BranchNew on Amplifa
About Gerdes GmbH
Gerdes GmbH is a medium-sized family business founded in Cologne in 1979 and headquartered in Kerpen, specialising in safe refuelling and the sealing of fluid containers in the automotive sector. The portfolio includes capless fuel systems, filler necks, tank and radiator caps, oil caps, urea/AdBlue caps as well as misfuelling protection systems and interior components such as sun visor brackets. Production takes place in-house via injection moulding, complemented by prototype construction using 3D printing, machining and handwork; services range from development and design engineering through testing to assembly and overseas logistics including customs clearance and EDI. Production capacities cover all lot sizes, from motorsport and small series to high-volume series, nationally and internationally. Customers include automotive manufacturers such as Opel, Ford, GM, Fiat, VW/Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Maserati, Chrysler and Jaguar Land Rover. Production and assembly are consolidated at the 3,600 m² plant site in Kerpen.
- Site
- Kerpen
- Processes
- Injection moulding, Assembly of tank caps, radiator caps and capless systems, Prototypes, 3D printing, machining, handwork, Machining (prototypes), Product development and design engineering (e.g. misfuelling protection, capless systems), Testing of motor vehicle parts, Development, Design engineering
- Materials
- Injection moulding, 3D printing
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001
- Founded
- 1979
- Industries
- Automotive, Motorsport, Interior, Motor vehicle parts/accessories (injection moulding)
- 01
Development and design engineering
- 02
Prototype construction (3D printing, machining, handwork)
- 03
Injection moulding production
- 04
Testing
- 05
Assembly
- 06
Logistics and export (customs clearance, EDI)
Materials and Processes
Injection moulding
Core process for tank and radiator caps, capless systems, filler necks and plastic interior components.
3D printing
Additive manufacturing of prototypes for rapid functional and design validation.
Locations
Kerpen
DEHeadquarters with production and assembly
- Lot size
- Motorsport, small series, high-volume series
- Materials
- Plastics
- Injection moulding machines
- 3D printing
- Assembly lines
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection mouldingPlastics | – | – | – | – | Plastics |
| Assembly of tank caps, radiator caps and capless systemsAssembly | – | – | – | Small series to high-volume series | Plastics |
| Prototypes, 3D printing, machining, handworkAdditive | – | – | – | – | – |
| Machining (prototypes)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Product development and design engineering (e.g. misfuelling protection, capless systems)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Testing of motor vehicle partsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
Quality assurance is aligned with the product- and process-specific requirements of the automotive customers; the quality management system is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
| Evidence | Kerpen |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| ISO 14001 |
History
- 1979
Founded in Cologne by Theo Gerdes – injection moulding of tank and radiator caps; initially only one customer: Opel
- 1986
Relocation to Kerpen, Siemensstraße
- 1998
Product range expanded to include interior components, e.g. sun visor brackets
- 2001
New customer Ford
- 2003
New customer GM – tank caps for North America
- 2007
Tank cap range extended to capless systems
- 2008
New customer Fiat; premises expanded from 1,200 to 3,600 m²
- 2009
New customer VW / Audi
- 2010
New customer Ferrari
- 2011
New customer Lamborghini
- 2012
New customer Porsche
- 2013
New customer Maserati
- 2014
New customers Chrysler and JLR
- 2017
Development of urea caps and capless systems
- 2018
Development of truck misfuelling protection
- 2025
Marc Stadelbacher appointed as Managing Director