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Worlds leading service provider
for all questions regarding alloy wheel manufacturing

GLOBAL FOUNDRY
ENGINEERING

Welcome to the world’s leading service provider for everything related to alloy wheel manufacturing, global foundry engineering, and advanced wheel development.
GFE operates as a high-performance engineering and consulting company with its own wheel development and research center, directly connected to one of the world’s top universities in metalogy and metallurgy. This scientific foundation, combined with our hands-on industrial expertise, enables us to support customers with unmatched precision and innovation.

Our global on-site technical service is delivered by long-standing specialists who bring decades of expertise in foundry consulting, foundry process development, wheel engineering, and aluminum technology. GFE customers benefit from over 60 years of practical experience and a truly international network. Our passion for excellence in aluminum production drives everything we do.

We provide turnkey consulting and practical solutions designed to significantly increase performance, solve operational bottlenecks, and improve overall process efficiency. Enhancing production stability and achieving measurable quality improvements are part of our daily mission. Through our worldwide connections to technology providers, you gain direct access to the latest materials, processes, and manufacturing innovations — enabling you to evaluate and compare state-of-the-art solutions for your own operation.

Every customer receives a tailor-made service package with full cost transparency, ensuring maximum value and sustainable results.

CHECK OUR SERVICES
WHEEL PROCESS CONSULTING
100%
WHEEL ENGINEERING AND DEVELOPMENT
100%
SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT
100%
INTERIM MANAGEMENT
100%

OUR HISTORY

In 1954, Georg Philippi founded a family enterprise and built an iron foundry in Germany’s Westerwaldkreis — the early foundation of what would later evolve into a globally recognized company for global foundry engineering, foundry consulting, and advanced aluminium technology.

In 1980, the second generation, Heinz-Georg Philippi, took over the company and transformed the original iron foundry into a producer of aluminium components for the engineering and automotive sectors. This strategic shift marked the first major step toward today’s expertise in wheel engineering, foundry process development, and high-performance industrial manufacturing.

With the start of his apprenticeship as Foundryman and Former in 1985, Jürgen Philippi — grandson of the company founder — entered the family business. After completing his training, he expanded his knowledge independently, gaining extensive hands-on experience in several international wheel and rim companies. This shaped his later role as an expert in wheel development, foundry process optimization, and aluminium production.

In 1994, a large traffic infrastructure project required the closure of the Montabaur location. The company was restructured into a service and trading business. In 2007, Jürgen Philippi expanded this business model by adding a dedicated foundry consulting division, supporting manufacturers in improving casting quality, optimizing production efficiency, and developing modern aluminium processes.

A New Chapter – Launching into the Future

The year 2012 marked a turning point. After decades of leadership, Heinz-Georg Philippi entered retirement, opening the path for a complete strategic realignment.

With his academic background and over 25 years of professional experience in the global wheel and foundry sector, Jürgen Philippi founded Global Foundry Engineering GmbH (GFE). Supported by a specialized team with deep expertise in foundry process development, wheel manufacturing technology, rim engineering, and global application technology, he established GFE as a leading international provider for foundry consulting, wheel engineering, and innovative aluminium manufacturing solutions.

Today, GFE combines three generations of experience with cutting-edge technology — delivering tailored consulting, engineering excellence, and worldwide support for OEMs, AM manufacturers, and partners across the automotive and foundry industries.

CEO JÜRGEN PHILIPPI

Education

State Certified Industry Engineer – Specialized in Foundry Technology
State Certified Master Technical Economist

Professional Experience

CEO and General Manager with extensive leadership background in globally operating industrial and engineering companies. Proven expertise in corporate governance, international management, and the development and restructuring of large-scale foundry engineering and wheel manufacturing operations.

International Experience

Long-term global assignments in countries according to ISO-3166-1, including:
BIH, DE, EU, FR, ID, IN, IR, IT, MY, AT, PL, CH, TR, AE.
These international engagements enabled deep insight into global foundry consulting, cross-cultural management, and worldwide wheel engineering and aluminium manufacturing environments.

Consulting Focus

• Interim management on C-Level and top leadership positions
• Management of corporate restructuring and turnaround projects
• Strategic development and long-term organizational planning
• Change-management processes and transformation programs
• Reorganization of international production networks
• Start-up and scale-up support in the foundry and wheel industry
• Process optimization in aluminium LPDC wheel casting, foundry process development, and wheel production

Summary & Technical Expertise

Foundry engineer with over 30 years of hands-on experience in aluminum LPDC (Low Pressure Die Casting) wheel casting. Extensive expertise across every production stage of aluminium alloy wheel manufacturing, including:

  • Wheel development & wheel engineering
  • Casting simulation and metallurgical process analysis
  • Mould design and tooling design
  • Foundry process development & global foundry engineering
  • Process values definition and casting operation optimization
  • Scrap reduction analysis, quality improvement & rim engineering
  • Aluminium production and performance optimization

With unmatched exposure to wheel foundries worldwide, he is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in automotive wheels, OEM wheels, AM wheels, and global foundry consulting.
No one worldwide has visited and analyzed as many wheel foundries as he has.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

The World is… Complex. Volatile. Unpredictable.

Across every industry, organizations face continuously rising expectations — from customers, clients, investors, policymakers, citizens, and global stakeholders. The demand for higher performance is constant. At the same time, companies must achieve these results with tighter budgets, faster responsiveness, and greater transparency. Balancing these competing priorities often requires an ongoing list of technology, process, and infrastructure initiatives.
However, the most successful organizations understand a simple truth:

Increase Capability. Build Capacity. Demonstrate Results.

Reaching your mission and vision begins with people. There are no shortcuts and no one-size-fits-all solutions. Leveraging people, expertise, and organizational knowledge to build and sustain high performance is an ongoing journey — one that requires guidance, structure, and experienced partners.

For more than 60 years, GFE has supported and advised countless foundries and wheel manufacturers worldwide — from small aftermarket operations to global OEM groups and Tier 1 suppliers. As a leader in global foundry engineering, foundry consulting, wheel engineering, and foundry process development, we help organizations at every stage of their performance journey.

Whether the challenge is to transform a struggling business, develop new process capabilities, reduce scrap, optimize LPDC wheel casting, or scale high-performance resources across multiple sites — our mission remains the same:

**Enable sustainable high performance.

Develop strong capabilities.
Create measurable results.**

GFE’s consulting, engineering expertise, and global network empower organizations to grow, innovate, and thrive in an unpredictable world — today and in the future.

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