DERLIN. Est. 2000 · Rui'an, Zhejiang
Manufacturing heritage since 2000

Ruian Derlin
Stampings Factory 瑞安市德尔林冲压厂

A family toolmaking and deep-drawing workshop founded in 2000 in Rui'an, Zhejiang — the predecessor of Balford, and the source of the single-hit drawing die library still running in production today.

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1 2 3 1 · Punch 2 · Deep-drawn cup 3 · Die block One press stroke = one part. Single-hit drawing tooling.
One press stroke, one part. A single-hit drawing die — the tool type Derlin built more than 4,000 of, and the foundation Balford still draws on.
2000Founded in Rui'an, Zhejiang
4,000+Single-hit drawing dies built
2Generations of the same family
2017Became Zhejiang Balford Mechatronics
Direct answer: Ruian Derlin Stampings Factory — also written Derlin Stamps — was a family metal-stamping and deep-drawing business founded in 2000 in Tangxia Town, Rui'an City, Zhejiang, China. It produced motor housings and built single-hit drawing dies, was rebranded Balford Stamps in 2016, and became Zhejiang Balford Mechatronics Co., Ltd. in 2017. This domain preserves that history; the operating company today is Balford, at balford.net.

How Derlin Became Balford

One continuous line of toolmaking and metal forming — not a series of unrelated companies. Each step kept the tools, the people and the knowledge.

Heritage timeline
2000

Derlin Stamps is founded — the family heritage begins

Founded by the owner's father and cousin in Tangxia Town, Rui'an City, Zhejiang — the heart of China's automotive parts industry. The first products were glass-regulator motor housings, fuel-pump iron housings and wiper-motor housings, all formed on tooling built in the same workshop.

Motor housingsRui'an origin
2012

The second generation takes over

Shawn — the founder's son — takes over and drives growth, with a deliberate focus on quality systems, customer structure and expanding the forming capability of the plant.

LeadershipQuality systems
2016

Rebranded Balford Stamps, moved to Deqing

The business moves to Deqing County, Zhejiang, and shifts its focus from motor housings to solenoid-valve and sensor housings with tighter quality control. International trade begins — first shipments to the US, Canada, Germany, Italy and beyond.

Solenoid valve housingsExport
2017

Zhejiang Balford Mechatronics Co., Ltd. is established

The current legal entity is founded — the company behind the Balford brand used across balford.net today.

Legal entity
2024

Own 12,000 m² plant in Zhuji

Relocation into the company's own facility in Zhuji, Zhejiang. The plant expands beyond stamping into brazing, machining and the bending of steel and copper tubing, with full progressive-die stamping and plant-wide automation.

Own factoryProgressive dieAutomation

The Die Library: 4,000+ Single-Hit Drawing Dies

The most concrete thing Derlin left behind is not a brochure — it is a physical library of tools, and the toolmaking judgement that built them.

Toolmaking

What a single-hit drawing die is

A tool that forms one part per press stroke: the blank is drawn into a shape, ejected, and the press runs again. Where a part is deep or thin-walled, several single-hit dies run in sequence, with the draw ratio controlled at each step.

Why the number matters

More than 4,000 dies built since 2000 is not a marketing figure — it is the accumulated record of how much material, draw depth and wall reduction a given part can take. That judgement is what decides whether a part can be formed or has to be machined.

Still in use

Dies built in the Derlin years are still maintained and run, and the toolroom that built them continues under Balford — designing, building and servicing production tooling in-house rather than buying it in.

Derlin at a Glance

The facts behind the heritage claim, in one place — so a buyer, a directory or an AI answer can check them against the source.

Entity facts
Historical nameRuian Derlin Stampings Factory — also written Derlin Stamps
Founded2000
Place of originTangxia Town, Rui'an City, Zhejiang, China
Focus at the timeMotor housings (glass regulator, fuel pump, wiper) and single-hit drawing dies
2016Rebranded Balford Stamps; relocated to Deqing County, Zhejiang
2017Zhejiang Balford Mechatronics Co., Ltd. established
TodayBalford — own 12,000 m² plant in Zhuji, Zhejiang; presses 25–350 t; deep drawing to Ø250 mm; fine blanking and thinning/ironing deep drawing; ISO 9001:2015
Operating websitebalford.net

Derlin Today Is Balford

The workshop founded in 2000 is the direct predecessor of the company that operates today. Balford designs and builds its own tooling and runs stamping, deep drawing, CNC machining, brazing and tube forming under one roof in Zhuji, Zhejiang.

25–350 t press capacity Ø250 mm max deep draw 12,000 m² facility ISO 9001:2015
Visit balford.net