SAVINGS PER COMPONENT
SUSTAINABILITY MADE EASY
INNOVATIVE FORGING CAN PUSH THE LIMITS.
First, forge. Then bend. This amazingly simple idea makes a key chassis component 20% lighter than a conventional part – without sacrificing strength or stiffness. This approach saves material, energy, and CO2. For every component, every kilometer driven, and with potential that extends far beyond the motorcycle and automotive industries.
Material: AluMotive®
Tensile strength: 380 MPa
Yield strength: 350 MPa
Weight: 20% lighter
Application: Heavy-duty chassis components for motorcycles and the automotive industry
THE COMPONENT
FORGE & BEND PUT TO THE TEST
The trailing arm is one of the most heavily stressed components in the suspension: It guides the wheel and transfers braking and road forces to the frame. It is a safety-critical component for which lightweight design is only possible with proven strength.
Manufactured as a forged part from AluMotive® using the FORGE & BEND process, the LEIBER designed trailing arm features a continuous fiber orientation optimized for load-bearing. This allows wall thicknesses and weight to be consistently reduced to the minimum required for static and dynamic performance without compromising strength, stability, or function.
STIFFNESS & STRENGTH
High structural rigidity for precise tracking and maximum directional stability, even on the most challenging road surfaces.
RESPONDING QUALITIES
The suspension responds precisely and directly to every road condition.
MAXIMUM SAFETY
The hot-forged microstructure provides the forged part with maximum safety margins.
BRAKING BEHAVIOR
Stable wheel guidance under braking load: Braking forces are absorbed smoothly.
THE PROOF
LESS WEIGHT. MORE PERFORMANCE.
When it comes to the suspension, every gram counts twice: toward the vehicle’s total weight—and toward the unsprung mass that the shock absorber has to move with every bump in the road. FORGE & BEND reduces both. And in doing so, it achieves higher performance figures than the stock part. So weight reduction isn’t a compromise—it’s actually a gain in performance.
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LIGHTER THAN THE STANDARD PART
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TENSILE STRENGTH
One small additional step in the process. A major leap forward for sustainable lightweight construction. This groundbreaking achievement requires no new materials or equipment—just FORGE & BEND, which adds one more bend after forging.
THE INNOVATION
FIRST FORGE. THEN BEND.
Two familiar processes. A new sequence. A true breakthrough in lightweight construction. In traditional die forging, the tool determines the possible shape. FORGE & BEND eliminates this limitation with an additional step: The component is first forged flat and only then bent into its final, load-optimized three-dimensional shape. The fiber orientation follows the bend. Strength is maintained. And this opens up entirely new possibilities in design.
BLANK
We start with a continously cast pre-material made from AluMotive®, LEIBER’s low-CO2 proprietary aluminum alloy based on the standard aluminum alloy EN AW-6082.
FORGING
Drop forging produces the component geometry—with a continuous grain orientation and high core strength.
Bending
The forged part is bent into its final shape. Since the grain orientation in the material follows the bend, the strength is fully retained.
REDUCED MACHINING
Forged to a near-net-shape form, the amount of milling required is significantly reduced: less scrap, shorter cycle times, and less tool wear.
FINISHED PART
Heat-treated, black anodized, tested, ready for installation—and 600g lighter than the stock part.
TRIPLE SUSTAINABILITY
LESS MATERIAL. LESS CO2. LESS CONSUMPTION.
FORGE & BEND delivers triple savings: In materials, thanks to the very low carbon footprint of AluMotive®, the fully recyclable base material. In manufacturing, through significantly fewer chips, shorter machine run times, and lower energy consumption. And in operation, through 600 grams less moving mass—over the entire service life of each vehicle.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL
The LEIBER AluMotive® material specification combines high strength with a very low carbon footprint, complies with the EN AW-6082 standard for aluminum alloys, and is fully recyclable.
RESOURCE-EFFICIENT MANUFACTURING
The part emerges from the process almost fully formed. This means significantly less milling, less chip waste, shorter machine run times, and lower energy and tool requirements per component.
SUSTAINABLE USE
A 20% reduction in component mass lowers fuel consumption—every kilometer, for the entire life of the vehicle. And because this also means less weight on the wheels, it reduces the load on the entire vehicle system at the same time.
NEW DESIGN FLEXIBILITY
FORM FOLLOWS FORCE. NOT THE TOOL.
In traditional die forging, the opening of the die dictates the orientation of the component. FORGE & BEND eliminates this limitation—allowing the component’s axis to more closely follow the actual force path. Shapes that previously had to be welded together from multiple parts or laboriously milled can now be produced from a single piece. In doing so, LEIBER is fundamentally redefining what will be possible with forged parts in the future.
LOAD-APPROPRIATE COMPONENT AXIS
The component follows the actual force distribution. Material is present only where it is needed.
SPATIAL INTEGRATION
New flexibility in the design of forged parts: The component wraps around the engine, shock absorber, and frame—enabling more compact designs.
FEWER JOINTS
What used to be welded or laboriously milled is now made from a single piece—without a weld seam as a potential weak point.
Just move the slider!
OUR ENTRY FOR THE 2026 ALUMINUM INNOVATION AWARD
FORGE & BEND – MANUFACTURING: A CLEVER COMBINATION AND A NEW APPROACH
FORGE & BEND is not just an innovative one-off solution. It is a transferable principle. Anywhere that forged components are currently milled—a time-consuming process that results in significant material waste—or welded together from multiple parts, adding just one additional bending step can surprisingly easily save material, energy, and CO2. This represents a major step forward for sustainable lightweight design—and for the future of the planet.
