Metallic guide elements having a functional area are made from profiled blanks by hot forming the profiled blanks and subsequently milling in a high speed milling cutter system the profiled blanks by a position-controlled milling cutter head with milling disks of a great diameter, wherein in the step of hot forming the profiled blanks are matched with regard to a cross-sectional mass distribution of the profiled blanks, respectively, to the subsequent step of milling such that by a partial cutting removal in the areas of the profiled blanks that become the functional area of the guide element narrow dimensional tolerances are produced. The material flow of the profiled blanks within the high-speed milling cutter system is controlled autonomously by an integrated stacking device that has manipulators and turning stations.