Case Study · Fire-Fighting
Forged Aluminum Storz Couplings for a German Fire-Fighting Equipment Manufacturer
A German fire-fighting equipment manufacturer
- Lighter than the previous cast coupling
- ~18%
- Batch pass rate
- ≥ 97%
- Standard lead time
- 4–6 weeks
At a Glance
- Client: a German manufacturer of complete fire-fighting equipment (name withheld at the client’s request)
- Products: Storz couplings, sizes Storz 25 (D), Storz 52 (C) and Storz 75 (B)
- Material: EN AW-6082 aluminum alloy, T6
- Process: hot die forging → T6 heat treatment → CNC finish machining → hard anodizing
- Partnership: samples from Q3 2023; volume supply since 2024, ongoing
The Challenge
A fire hose coupling has one job: hold a leak-free connection under pump pressure, after being dropped, dragged and stored outdoors for years. The client’s couplings were cast aluminum, and that caused three problems:
- Leaks under pressure. Gas porosity inside the castings made parts fail the hydrostatic pressure test.
- Cracking on impact. Castings lacked toughness and cracked when knocked in field use.
- Unreliable deliveries. The previous supplier’s lead times varied widely.
Our Solution
Aviaforge replaced the castings with forged couplings. Forging closes internal porosity and aligns the grain flow with the coupling’s shape, which is why forged couplings resist impact and pressure better than cast ones.
- Forging: hot die forging of EN AW-6082 aluminum
- Heat treatment: T6
- Machining: CNC finish machining
- Surface treatment: hard anodizing, natural matte silver
- Testing: hydrostatic pressure test at 1.6 MPa (16 bar), X-ray inspection, fluorescent penetrant testing and sample hardness checks
Results
- About 18% lighter than the cast coupling it replaced
- Batch pass rate of 97% or more
- Standard lead time of 4–6 weeks
- Trial samples in Q3 2023, volume production from 2024, and the partnership continues today
Read more: Why forged fire hose couplings matter
