01 — POSITIONING
PROVEN EXPERIENCE. DEFENCE READY.
Since 2014, capricorn has been developing and manufacturing components for the Bundeswehr. From different CFRP track rollers to a run-flat system. The Bundeswehr sets the technical impulse;
OEMs and industry commission the suppliers.
In that cycle, capricorn is already a known, vetted partner.
Entry into the defence sector, working directly with the Bundeswehr.
years of continuous Bundeswehr partnership — proven, not pitched.
02 — THE COMPANY
MANUFACTURING DEPTH THAT
HAS BECOME RARE.
Family-owned since 1933 – seven specialized sites across Germany, France,
the UK and Italy combine composite and metal expertise under one roof.
Sites across Europe
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Production floor area
>
Series parts p.a.
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Employees
>
Engineers
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Manufacturing machines
03 — TECHNOLOGICAL HERITAGE
WHAT COUNTS IN FORMULA 1
COUNTS IN THE FIELD.
18 Formula 1 World Championship titles are not a marketing claim – they are a stress test. Our composite and metal structures have proven themselves under extreme conditions for 90 years, precisely where defence requirements begin.
WEIGHT REDUCTION
without compromising structural stiffness
ENERGY ABSORPTION
proven in crash elements and ERS / battery housings
OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY
under the harshest thermal and mechanical loads
04 — VALUE CHAIN
MORE THAN COMPOSITES.
WE BUILD END TO END.
WE BUILD END TO END.
From the first structural CAD-model to the inspected sub-assembly: capricorn covers the complete process chain for composite and metal parts in-house – becoming a development partner, not just a manufacturer.
1
Structural Design
& Engineering
2
Composite Manufacturing
(Layup / Autoclave)
3
Metal Machining
(Milling / Turning / Casting / Forging)
4
Surface Finish
& Coating
5
Sub-Assembly
& Testing
6
Quality
Inspection & Management
02 — THE COMPANY
MANUFACTURING DEPTH THAT
HAS BECOME RARE.
Family-owned since 1933 – seven specialized sites across Germany, France,
the UK and Italy combine composite and metal expertise under one roof.
LARGE, COMPLEX STRUCTURES
from simple to highly complex part geometries
SINGLE PIECE TO VOLUME SERIES
flexible quantities – prototype to > 1,000 units
SUB-ASSEMBLY & TESTING
including in-house inspection and approval
SMALL SERIES & PROTOTYPES
short lead times, high flexibility
IN-HOUSE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
not just build-to-print – we design the part
TIGHT TOLERANCES
precision carried over from motorsports and medical devices
06 — ENERGY ABSORPTION
ENGINEERED TO ABSORB.
BUILT TO PROTECT.
capricorn designs and builds crash structures for the automotive industry today – chassis crash elements, energy-absorbing subframes, ERS and battery housings, engineered and validated to FIA and OEM crash standards. The discipline behind them is the same regardless of industry: crushing carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) crash structures dissipates high amounts of kinetic energy through brittle micro-fractures, delamination, and friction rather than metal-like plastic yielding in order to protect whatever is inside.
That same structural engineering – progressive, predictable energy absorption rather than sudden failure – is directly relevant to protecting vehicles and occupants from underbody blast and mine-strike events in defence and security applications.
Progressive energy absorption – engineered structural collapse, not catastrophic failure
Validated engineering – crash simulation plus physical testing and OEM homologation experience
07 — REFERENCES
TWO PROJECTS PROVEN IN SERVICE.
TRACK ROLLER
Running-gear component for the Bundeswehr.
Significant weight reduction, proven inherent damping performance – fielded for more than a decade.
WING IN GROUND VEHICLE / DRONE STRUCTURE
Lightweight structure with flow-optimized shape and structural stability at spans up to 4 m – feasibility study for autonomous platforms.
Scalable Sizes.
08 — MATERIALS
THE RIGHT MATERIAL.
capricorn's material expertise goes well beyond carbon-fiber layup.
CARBON FIBER
Extremely lightweight while offering exceptional strength and stiffness.
Corrosion-resistant, durable, and ideal for lightweight applications.
ARAMID FIBER
Lightweight with outstanding tensile strength and impact resistance.
Heat-resistant, durable, and ideal for demanding protective applications.
CORE MATERIALS
Honeycomb & PMI structural foams for sandwich structures.
METALLIC INSERTS
Metallic inserts made of aluminum, titanium, and steel for optimal load transfer and structural integration.
09 — QUALITY & CERTIFICATION
CERTIFIED TODAY.
ON THE ROAD TO NATO STANDARD.
ON THE ROAD TO NATO STANDARD.
ALREADY IN PLACE TODAY
ISO 9001 certified
First Article Inspection (FAI)
CMM, 3D scan metrology, NDT
Fully documented manufacturing processes
IN PREPARATION
AQAP certification under review (incl. AQAP 2110 / 2310)
Selected supplier portal registration being actively pursued
Targeted expansion into the Tier 2/3 network of defence OEMs
10 — DIFFERENTIATION
A PARTNER WITH DEEP KNOW-HOW
AND DEEP MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY.
FULL-SPECTRUM MANUFACTURING DEPTH
design through series production, under one roof
SINGLE PIECE TO VOLUME SERIES
beyond 1,000 units, flexibly
EXTREME-LOAD ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE
90 years of manufacturing precision
HIGHEST QUALITY STANDARDS
ISO 9001/9100 today, AQAP in preparation
7 SITES ACROSS EUROPE
> 35.000 m² of production floor area
FAMILY-OWNED SINCE 1933
a long-term, dependable partner
11 — YOUR POINT OF CONTACT
ARNDT HARTELT.
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
Arndt leads capricorn's structural engineering and manufacturing organization – the same team behind our composite and metal programs for motorsport, aerospace, and the Bundeswehr. For defence partnerships, he is your direct technical point of contact.
Kontaktieren Sie uns
© 2026 capricorn GROUP
Speditionsstraße 23
40221 Düsseldorf
Germany
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