Development and manufacturing of industrial gear units, turbo gear units, wind turbine gearboxes, generators and couplings for international drive applications.
Flender International GmbH
Bocholt (Headquarters) · Penig · Voerde-Friedrichsfeld · Illkirch-Graffenstaden (FR) · Production sites in USA, China, India, BrazilNew on Amplifa
About Flender
Flender International GmbH, headquartered in Bocholt, is a manufacturer of mechanical and electrical drive technology with more than 8,000 employees in 34 countries and revenue of around two billion euros. The product portfolio includes industrial gear units, wind turbine gearboxes (Winergy brand), high-precision turbo gear units, and a broad range of couplings, generators, bevel gear units, lubrication systems and lubricants. Manufacturing takes place at production sites in Germany (Bocholt, Penig, Voerde-Friedrichsfeld), France (Illkirch-Graffenstaden), the USA, China, India and Brazil; the turbo gear unit competence center in Illkirch-Graffenstaden manufactures high-precision gear modules to customer specifications. Flender offers services across the entire life cycle, including spare parts service, repairs, commissioning, maintenance, diagnostics, retrofit and remote support, as well as contractual measurement and testing services such as 3D measurement of large components, gear measurement and non-destructive testing. The company serves industries from chemicals, cement, wind power and power generation to marine, crane and conveying technology as well as mining.
- Site
- Bocholt
- Processes
- 3D measurement of large components (contract measurement), Gear measurement (gear metrology), Initial sample inspection according to VDA standards, Non-destructive testing (MT, NE, PT, UT, VT), staff certified to DIN EN ISO 9712, Manufacture of high-precision turbo gear units / gear measurements (customer requirement), Repair of gear units and drivetrains (worldwide, certified repair workshops), Installation, commissioning and alignment of gear units/drivetrains, Inspection and preventive maintenance (visual/endoscopic)
- Materials
- Cast iron, Steel
- Certificates
- Multi-ISO certified (specific certificates not specified), Certification to DIN EN ISO 9712 (NDT personnel), Multi-ISO certification, DIN EN ISO 9712 (NDT personnel), Classification societies (ABS, BV, DNV, GL, LR, RINA)
- Founded
- 1899
- Employees
- > 8,000
- Industries
- Chemicals, Environment & Recycling, Oil & Gas, Passenger Transport, Pulp & Paper, Cement
- 01
Engineering and configuration (FLENDER ONE)
- 02
Manufacturing of gear units, couplings and generators
- 03
Gear manufacturing and measurement
- 04
Assembly and testing
- 05
Sales and worldwide spare parts supply
- 06
Repair, maintenance, retrofit and diagnostics
Manufacturing, Materials and Processes
Cast iron
Since the 1910 merger, cast-iron pulleys and cast components for gear units have been manufactured; Harlass Guß GmbH was integrated in 1991.
Steel
Material for gear unit housings, gears, shafts and coupling components in industrial drive construction.
Locations
Bocholt
DEHeadquarters and administration (Flender International GmbH)
Penig
DEGear unit plant (since 1990)
Voerde-Friedrichsfeld
DEAssembly plant (opened 2001)
- Assembly and test bench facilities
Illkirch-Graffenstaden
FRCompetence and production site for turbo gear units
USA
USProduction sites (especially Winergy)
China
CNProduction site
India
INProduction site
Brazil
BRProduction site (plant establishment 1975–1985)
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3D measurement of large components (contract measurement)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gear measurement (gear metrology)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Initial sample inspection according to VDA standardsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Non-destructive testing (MT, NE, PT, UT, VT), staff certified to DIN EN ISO 9712Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of high-precision turbo gear units / gear measurements (customer requirement)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Repair of gear units and drivetrains (worldwide, certified repair workshops)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Installation, commissioning and alignment of gear units/drivetrainsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Inspection and preventive maintenance (visual/endoscopic)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mobile diagnostics / condition monitoring measurements / endoscopy / torque measurement in the fieldTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Retrofit and modernization of gear unitsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of identical original spare parts (archive drawings turbo gear units)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tailoring of gear unit data: engineering-based configuration (FLENDER ONE)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly and test bench facilities | Flender | – | – | 2001 | Voerde-Friedrichsfeld |
| Measurement systems for large components / gear measurement | Flender | – | – | – | German production sites |
Additional services
Quality and Testing
Flender is multi-ISO certified; classification societies such as ABS, BV, DNV, GL, LR and RINA accompany production on behalf of end customers. At the German production sites, 3D measurement of large components, gear measurements, initial sample inspections according to VDA standards as well as non-destructive testing methods (MT, NE, PT, UT, VT) with personnel certified to DIN EN ISO 9712 are offered.
| Evidence | Bocholt |
|---|---|
| Multi-ISO certification | |
| DIN EN ISO 9712 (NDT personnel) | |
| Classification societies (ABS, BV, DNV, GL, LR, RINA) |
Company History
- 1899
Founded by Alfred Friedrich Flender in Düsseldorf-Reisholz (production and sale of wooden pulleys).
- 1910
Merger with Dieckmann & Tangerding in Bocholt; production of cast-iron pulleys.
- 1916
Merger with the Hesselbein & Reygers machine factory and iron foundry, Bocholt.
- 1924
Design of the first own coupling.
- 1927
First own variator – beginning of gear unit construction in Bocholt.
- 1945
Resumption of production after destruction in World War II.
- 1969
Conversion into a company with a three-member management board.
- 1975–1985
Strong expansion, new plants in the USA and Brazil.
- 1982
Acquisition of Himmelwerke in Tübingen.
- 1986
Conversion into A. Friedr. Flender AG.
- 1990
Acquisition by Deutsche Babcock AG; takeover of the Penig gear unit plant.
- 1991
Stock market listing; integration of Thyssen Getriebewerke and Harlass Guß GmbH.
- 1998
Acquisition of the shipbuilding and plain bearing divisions of Lohmann & Stolterfoth.
- 1999
100th anniversary.
- 2001
Opening of the Voerde-Friedrichsfeld assembly plant (> 30,000 m²); founding of Winergy AG.
- 2005
Acquisition by Siemens (Flender Holding GmbH).
- 2010
Absorption into Siemens AG as Siemens Mechanical Drives; Winergy also integrated.
- 2017
Carve-out as independent Flender GmbH, 100% Siemens subsidiary.
- 2020/2021
Sale to the Carlyle Group for €2.025 billion, completed in the first half of 2021.