P. J. Prause Durotec GmbH

The Schichtstofftechnik company, founded in 1974 by Paul Joachim Prause, has developed into the European market leader for leaf springs made of fiber composite materials over the last 25 years.

The main area of application for the springs is plant construction, especially vibration conveyor systems. The leaf springs are also used in the sports and furniture industries as well as in medical technology. Leaf springs made of glass or carbon fiber reinforced plastics are more corrosion-resistant and electrically insulating than those made of steel and at the same time have a higher elastic energy storage capacity, which leads to better mechanical strength. Because of these properties, composite leaf springs are particularly used where steel ones reach their limits.

The family business has now built up a global customer base, with exports accounting for 67% of total sales in 2022.

The 1300 customers in 55 countries include well-known corporations. In addition to product quality, the company’s special services are considered a recipe for success. This includes production for batch sizes starting from 1 piece, short delivery times, individual engineering advice and the differentiated application-related production of over 10,000 leaf spring variants. In the future, the family-owned company intends to focus on expanding its product range and opening up new markets at home and abroad.

During his work at 3M Germany, company founder Paul Joachim Prause was significantly involved in shaping the technical application of composite leaf springs in Germany and Europe. After production stopped there, he specialized in this segment with his own company.

Today, Prause Durotec continues to be a medium-sized family business – with 23 employees and satisfied customers all over the world. In the meantime, the family’s second generation is already in charge of operations: Tim Prause, a mechanical engineer, has been managing the business since 2005. The company can now rely on 49 years of experience in the production of fiber-reinforced composite leaf springs.