Development and manufacture of technical springs, stamped parts and assemblies made of flat steel, wire and plastic.
Kern Liebers GmbH & Co. KG
Schramberg · Wuppertal · Hardt · Schwabmünchen · Bocholt · Reutlingen · Ruhla · Rieden am Forggensee · Göppingen · Villingen-Schwenningen · Chemnitz · Schalksmühle · Schwabach · Toledo, OhioNew on Amplifa
Group overview
Kern Liebers GmbH & Co. KG is an international metalworking group headquartered in Schramberg in the Black Forest region of Baden. The company develops and manufactures technical springs (strip springs such as power, spiral and volute springs as well as wire springs such as compression, extension and micro springs), stamped and fine-blanked parts including micro stamped parts and stamped-bent parts, plastic-metal composite components, and assemblies made of plastic and metal. Further product areas include wire bending parts, special wires and components for textile machines such as knitting and warp knitting systems, needled components and combing products. As a supplier to system manufacturers, Kern Liebers serves the mobility/automotive, textile machinery, energy and building technology (including photovoltaics), medical technology, machinery and plant engineering, and consumer goods industries and delivers worldwide. The group manufactures at numerous locations in Germany as well as internationally; 1,400 employees work at the Schramberg headquarters. Founded in 1888 as a spring factory for the watchmaking industry, the group has operated under the name Kern Liebers GmbH & Co. KG since 2025.
- Site
- Schramberg
- Processes
- Technical springs (Smart Springs), Strip springs (power springs, spiral springs, volute springs, double-spiral strip springs, sleeve, Wire springs (compression springs, legged and extension springs, micro springs, wire bending parts,, Fine blanking, Stamping technology (stamped parts, micro stamped parts, stamped-bent parts), Plastic composite parts (plastic-metal composite components), Assembly manufacturing (assemblies made of plastic and metal with spring elements), Components for textile machines (knitting/warp knitting systems, needled components, combing
- Materials
- Flat steel, Wire, Plastic, Fine blanking, Stamping technology, Plastic-metal composite
- Founded
- 1888
- Employees
- 1400
- Industries
- Automotive / Mobility, Textile machinery, Energy & building technology, Medical technology, Machinery & plant engineering, Consumer goods
- 01
Design and development of customer-specific springs and components
- 02
Stamping technology / fine blanking
- 03
Wire bending and spring manufacturing
- 04
Plastic composite manufacturing
- 05
Assembly of plastic and metal assemblies
Materials and manufacturing processes
Flat steel
Base material for strip springs, stamped and fine-blanked parts as well as components for textile machines.
Wire
Material for wire springs, wire bending parts, micro springs and special wires.
Plastic
Material for plastic-metal composite components and assemblies with spring elements.
Fine blanking
Process for manufacturing highly precise blanked parts from flat steel.
Stamping technology
Process for stamped, micro stamped and stamped-bent parts as well as blanked strip metal.
Plastic-metal composite
Manufacture of composite components made of plastic and metal (psm protech GmbH).
Components and products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical springs (Smart Springs)Forming | – | – | – | – | Flat steel, Wire |
| Strip springs (power springs, spiral springs, volute springs, double-spiral strip springs, sleeveForming | – | – | – | – | Flat steel |
| Wire springs (compression springs, legged and extension springs, micro springs, wire bending parts,Forming | – | – | – | – | Wire |
| Fine blankingMachining | – | – | – | – | Flat steel |
| Stamping technology (stamped parts, micro stamped parts, stamped-bent parts)Forming | – | – | – | – | Flat steel |
| Plastic composite parts (plastic-metal composite components)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastic, Metal |
| Assembly manufacturing (assemblies made of plastic and metal with spring elements)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Plastic, Metal |
| Components for textile machines (knitting/warp knitting systems, needled components, combingForming | – | – | – | – | Flat steel, Wire |
| Precision machining of functional componentsMachining | – | – | – | – | Metal |
Additional services
Company history
- 1888
Hugo Kern started production of extension springs for the watchmaking industry in the Black Forest.
- 1920
Son Hugo Ernst Kern took over the company, renamed Hugo Kern KG.
- 1936
Kurt Steim joined as managing director.
- 1946
Start of blanked strip metal production (stamped parts for textile machinery and the textile industry).
- Mitte 1960er
Production of retractor springs for automatic seat belts.
- 1971
Merger of Hugo Kern KG with the blanked strip metal factory Liebers & Co. from Ingolstadt to form Hugo Kern und Liebers GmbH & Co. (Kern-Liebers).
- 1972
Relocation to Schramberg-Sulgen.
- 1973
Start of wire spring production.
- 1975
Opening of the first foreign production facility in Toledo, Ohio.
- 2002
Majority stake in Kurt Meder GmbH in Villingen-Schwenningen.
- 2004
Acquisition of Bohnert GmbH in Hardt, stake in Thüringer Präzisionsfederfabrik GmbH in Ruhla, acquisition of Gebrüder Schmidt GmbH (Wuppertal), Saxonia International BV with Saxonia Umformtechnik (Göppingen), Paul Leistner GmbH (Schwabach) as well as plants in the Czech Republic, Malaysia, China,
- 2005
Acquisition of Schweizer GmbH & Co. KG Federtechnik in Reutlingen.
- 2016
psm protech GmbH (plastic-metal composite components) becomes part of the group.
- 2025
Rebranding and renaming to Kern Liebers GmbH & Co. KG.