Metal stamped components

Brandauer’s metal stamping capabilities span back to the company’s inception in the 1800s. Beginning with pen nib manufacturing, C. Brandauer & Co Ltd founded itself by riding the wave of Birmingham’s “Pen shop of the world” status. With more steel pen manufacturers concentrated within just a few square miles than in the rest of the world. Brandauer began differentiating themselves early, and by 1890, they had 424 individual pen designs, many of these in multiple sizes, finishes, and colours, placing themselves as one of the world’s leading pen nib manufacturers in terms of range. By the end of the Victorian era, Brandauer’s pen nibs were in everyday use across the country: in schools, government offices, banks, alongside society’s most important job roles at the time, such as lawyers, mapmakers and even the royal family.

With Brandauer’s pen nib manufacturing at the forefront of their revenue, the competitive nature of the manufacturing and engineering hub in the Midlands saw continued growth, and eventually, Brandauer saw opportunities for growth outside their extensive pen nib range. During the 1930s, Brandauer appointed Edward Augustus Gorton. He has a prolific background in automotive manufacturing, electroplating, polishing and metal finishing, and during this time, it is documented that Mr Gorton produced some “pioneering work” which was described as light presswork. Although it is not known what components were being manufactured, the processes did include blanking, marking and piercing of thin, small metal components.

When World War 2 broke out in 1939, Brandauer had begun to expand their light pressing department, with capabilities surrounding electrically powered roll-feed presses and tooling capability way surpassing pen-nib manufacture. But with the emergence of the war, this early expansion positioned Brandauer to provide crucial manufacturing aid during the war. They were formally approved by the Air Ministry to manufacture aircraft components early on during the war. This appointment was further confirmation to the business that precision capabilities spanned beyond pen-nibs.

The biggest shift for Brandauer was during the early 1940s. The government declared the manufacturing of steel pen-nibs to be non-essential, and labour was directed away from pens and towards war production. This saw Brandauer gaining valuable experience in progressive stamping for complex geometries, forming and manipulating high-strength materials, consistent dimensional control, documentation and inspection standards (required by governmental bodies) and coordination with the country’s defence and aerospace Tier 1’s (Lockheed Martin were a prime example).

Brandauer’s post-WW2 pen-nib manufacturing resumed, but not to the scale it once was. Profit margins were low, and in 1961, Brandauer made the decision to move away from a century-long trade. This was a huge turning point for the business, and during the 1960s, Adrien Petit brought new, more modern methods of manufacturing into the business, such as Schuler power presses, EDM machining and modern tooling strategies. This set the precedent for Brandauer over the next 65 years of development.

Since the 1960s, Brandauer has invested heavily in the toolmaking and stamping industry, processes such as WEDM machining, advanced toolroom capabilities, repeatability at micron scales and burr-free edges & controlled finishes allowed Brandauer to stay at the forefront of the world’s most progressive of industries. This investment and commitment continue with plans cemented way into the future of the business.

Many engineering developments, world renowned companies, complex components and market sectors have all come through the Brandauer factory and innovation remains a huge part of Brandauer’s core values. It’s what set the company apart from its competitors in the early 1900s, and it is continuing to do the very same thing over 100 years later.