Metzeler Schaum – The Company
Informative Data and Figures
Metzeler Schaum GmbH are a German company situated in Memmingen, close to Ulm and Munich, and fully owned by The Vita Group.
We are one of the leading European foam manufacturers, employing 300 specialists and acting as one of the largest suppliers for high-quality foams for the global industry.
Our production capacity is at above 30,000 tons of foam per year and more than 5,000,000 formed parts per year.
In-house engineering enables Metzeler Schaum GmbH to develop high-technology foams for formed and punched parts corresponding to client requirements.
Since foundation, Metzeler Schaum developed and filed several hundred patents for foam techniques and solutions for many different areas of application.
Among them are some extraordinary inventions such as the fire-hard foam Metzoprotect ® NG for the aviation area, Rubex ® tubes for the bedding area or the first foams using regenerative raw materials (NaWaRo ®), as well as many other developments.
Foam means Metzeler.
In 1954, one of Germany’s first foam plants was founded in Memmingen. Today, Metzeler Schaum GmbH is one of the largest global manufacturers of polyurethane foams. The Metzeler company’s history goes back to the mid-19th century. In 1860, Memmingen-resident Robert Friedrich Metzeler requested a trading license for rubber products from the town of Munich. Three years later, he already opened a trading company in Munich. In the course of the company’s history, Metzeler was able to turn his name into a brand that not only represents trend-setting technologies, but also enabled surprising records. Within 30 years, a total of 173 motor cycle world records were set up on Metzeler tyres.
As aviation became more important, Metzeler found a new business area. While the first balloons still used linen hulls with hard-wearing paper or silk glued to the in- and outside, Metzeler developed a fabric non-permeable by air that consisted of linen, muslin and vulcanised rubber. For the World Exhibition in Paris in 1878, Metzeler manufactured the hull for the largest hot air balloon of that time, reaching a diameter of 36 meters.
This was how the Metzeler story of success started in the air. For its progress, however, the development of the automobile was decisive, since these vehicles would not have been possible without modern tyres. Therefore, Metzeler contributed greatly to the development of bicycle, motorcycle and car tyres.
Striving for innovation and never-ending curiosity for finding new requirements is and remains the Metzeler trademark.
Metzeler today
Where new foam solutions are to be developed for our clients, we are feeling right at home. Our employees’ technology competence and creativity is the basis for our clients’ success.
The Metzeler brand stands for premium quality in all market segments, from high-quality mattresses to our flame-retardant seating systems for aviation and railway traffic to special foams in the automotive area.
Our company’s logo, the elephant, was derived from this concept: in 1906, Metzeler brought an elephant to the International Automotive Exhibition in Berlin, which tried in vain to destroy a tyre by stamping on it. Even today, the elephant stands for products of the highest quality.
From the Allgaeu into the whole world.
Metzeler products are in demand around the world. The Metzeler brand and the quality claim connected to it are a great combination in the context of market globalisation. Our export rate increased by 10% within only 2 years.
Today, Metzeler sells mattresses throughout Europe, to the U.S., China and many other countries.
The international alignment of the Aviation, Railway and Automotive departments has always achieved an export rate of more than 30%.
Independently from product sales, we at Metzeler have business partners in all market segments to continue our customer service and quality philosophy.
Metzeler Schaum GmbH not only produce many different foams, they also offer long-term experience and specialised knowledge in five areas of application.
AVIATION / RAILWAY
Just as the name indicates, this area serves clients in the aviation and railway passenger seat areas. The foams for this area meet special requirements and include flame-retardant formed foam parts and cut parts. A complete service range is offered in addition to production, covering construction as well as procurement, installation and processing of logistic services.
AUTOMOTIVE
Since every car uses approximately 1m³ of foam, it is hardly surprising that Metzeler can cover a wide range of applications here. In addition to special developments, the product areas of roof liners (carrier material), seat technology (cushions), covers (foam-backed foil) and seat covers are being focused on. Interior components for busses and tractors are also part of our activities.
BEDDING
Metzeler Schaum are a leading manufacturer of high-quality mattresses. In addition to the present technologies, Metzeler also see themselves as development partner for their clients in this area. We offer: Technology – Marketing – Consulting – Concepts – Innovations – Sales Ideas – Networks – Partnerships.
INDUSTRY
Formed foam / block foam production creates products for many different applications. Clients reach from the construction and packaging industries to engineering, garment and shoe industries. With our more than 100 different foam types, we can provide a matching system for each application. The most important applications are the following: Fine-pored foams (painter rolls), foams for impregnating and foams for filter technology. Acoustics and isolation are also areas that are covered by manifold materials combinations, such as PUR-skin, self-adhesive equipment, textiles, fleece fabrics, fibre glass, aluminium foil…
For many decades, Metzeler Schaum have been successfully developing different foam types in the polyurethane (PUR) area for individual applications.
This is a selection of our developments and the foams used:
- Ether standard types
- Ether special types
- Rubex® HR-foams
- Ester standard types
- Ester special types
- METZONOR® acoustics foams
- METZOPOR® composite foam
- METZOTEX®
Ether-PUR-foams for flame lamination
- MA 4575 KD
Special ether-PUR-foam for flame lamination - METZOMED®
Visco-elastic PUR soft foam - METZOTRONIC®
Anti-static foams for the electronics area - METZOPROTECT® FRM
- METZOPROTECT® FRM-C
- METZOPROTECT® NG
- AIRFLOW SYSTEM
- INTEGRAL SKIN FOAM
- REBOND
Full Service Partner
Metzeler Schaum develop customised foam solutions according to your special requirements. To meet this challenge, we need not only highly-developed production, but rather a full service concept.
Thus, we are offering you a complete workflow from the idea to logistics as your competent full service partner.
- Consulting
- Project Management
- Engineering
- Prototyping
- Test Foaming
- Production
- Manufacture
- Quality Management
.
The production of foam is a complex and highly technical process. To give you an insight into the world of plastics and foams, we would be happy to show you the basics of plastic foaming.
If you book in advance, we will give you a tour of our factory and explain the individual steps of production.
Customers and business partners can get a personal impression of Metzeler foam on more than 150,000 m². This allows you to experience the interesting manufacturing process and our services at first hand.
Groups of 8 persons or more, please make an appointment.
If you are interested, please contact us by phone 08331 830 0 or by e-mail info.de@thevitagroup.com.
Thank you very much!
Memmingen, a future-proof site.
In the town of Memmingen, the foundations for the company headquarters of the first German foam plant were laid. To this day, the site has proved suitable for development, administration and production headquarters.
Memmingen is the gate to the Allgaeu region and thus an important site in the area both from tourism and economy points of view. Many other companies have also recognised the advantages of this site. Right between Vorarlberg/Tyrol, Lech and the Lake Constance, the region is perfect for creative and innovative work for high-quality products.
The great infrastructure connections and proximity to the Allgäu-Airport as well as the Munich airport enable quick and direct national and international travel.
The people living here are united in the traditions of a region where a unique landscape combines the closeness of the Alps to the openness and cordiality of the rest of the world. Today, Memmingen is situated at one of the oldest trade routes in the administrative district of Swabia in Bavaria, close to the Baden Wurttemberg border. With about 40,000 inhabitants and a wonderful Old Town, Memmingen has many sights to offer. Many events, such as the “Memminger Fischertag” or the “Wallenstein-Sommer” are interesting reasons for tourists to spend time and leisure in Memmingen.