Manufacturer of conveyor chains, chain wheels and wear parts for bulk material handling technology with in-house heat treatment.
HEKO Ketten GmbH
Wickede (Ruhr) · Fröndenberg · Wuppertal · Neuler · Beijing · MumbaiNew on Amplifa
About HEKO Ketten GmbH
HEKO Ketten GmbH is a manufacturer of chains and wear parts for bulk material handling technology, founded in 1917. At its headquarters in Wickede (Ruhr) as well as in Fröndenberg and Wuppertal, the company manufactures round steel chains, central chains, twin-strand bucket elevator chains, bushed conveyor chains, gable link chains, furnace chains, chain wheels, fastening elements and complete assemblies for conveying systems on around 45,000 m² of production floor space. Core competencies are chain forging and an in-house heat treatment department offering case hardening, induction hardening, hardening and tempering, nitriding processes and vacuum heat treatment including low-pressure carburizing with high-pressure gas quenching (Modultherm system). Materials are primarily steel and case-hardening steels such as 15 CrNi 6. Customers include the power plant industry, waste incineration plants, and the cement and bulk material handling industries; HEKO is the market leader in heat-resistant rotary kiln chains. In addition, the company offers contract heat treatment, product development with FE simulation, as well as inspection, installation and maintenance of conveying systems.
- Site
- Wickede (Ruhr)
- Processes
- Forging (chain forge, round steel chain production at the forging fire, hand forging), Case hardening, Induction hardening / induction surface hardening, Hardening and tempering, Nitriding, Nitrocarburizing, Pre-oxidation, Post-oxidation
- Materials
- Case-hardening steels, 15 CrNi 6, Round steel, Case hardening, Low-pressure carburizing / vacuum heat treatment, Induction hardening, Nitriding processes (nitriding, nitrocarburizing, pre-oxidation /, Hardening and tempering
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001:2011, Certification by German customs, ISO 50001
- Founded
- 1917
- Industries
- Bulk material handling industry, Power plant industry (coal-fired power plants), Waste incineration plants, Cement industry, Shipping / marine (historical)
- 01
Forging / chain manufacturing
- 02
Machining (chain wheels, drive and tensioning units)
- 03
Heat treatment (case hardening, induction hardening, hardening and tempering,
- 04
Assembly of assemblies and drive units
- 05
Inspection, installation and maintenance of conveying systems
Materials and heat treatment processes
Round steel
Base material of the hand-forged round steel chains since the company's founding.
Case-hardening steels
Material basis for case hardening and wear-resistant surface layers on conveyor chains.
15 CrNi 6
Case-hardening steel for low-pressure carburizing with high-pressure gas quenching in the vacuum chamber furnace.
Case hardening
Increases the wear resistance of chains; surface hardness of at least 800 HV on conveyor chains.
Low-pressure carburizing / vacuum heat treatment
Low-distortion, dimensionally stable hardening technology; batch size 1,000 x 600 x 750 mm, max. 800 kg, max. 1,250 °C.
Induction hardening
Partial surface hardening of components up to 1,000 mm diameter and 700 mm height.
Nitriding processes (nitriding, nitrocarburizing, pre-oxidation /
Wear and corrosion protection up to 750 °C working temperature; batches up to 1,100 x 1,500 x 900 mm and 2,500 kg.
Hardening and tempering
Heat treatment process for adjusting strength and toughness.
Locations
Wickede (Ruhr)
DEHeadquarters and production
- Materials
- Steel, case-hardening steels
- Vacuum chamber furnace Modultherm (low-pressure carburizing, helium quenching, up to 800 kg, 1,250 °C)
- Induction hardening system (up to 1,000 mm diameter, 700 mm height)
- Furnace system for nitriding processes (up to 2,500 kg)
Fröndenberg
DEProduction
- Materials
- Steel
Wuppertal
DEProduction
- Materials
- Steel
Neuler
DESouthern sales office
Beijing
CNSales office (Representation Office)
Mumbai
INSales (HEKO Chains India Pvt. Ltd.)
Components and parts
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forging (chain forge, round steel chain production at the forging fire, hand forging)Forming | – | – | – | – | Round steel |
| Case hardeningHeat treatment | – | – | 800 kg (single-piece weight vacuum | – | Case-hardening steels, 15 CrNi 6 |
| Induction hardening / induction surface hardeningHeat treatment | – | 1,000 mm (diameter) × 700 mm | – | – | Steel |
| Hardening and temperingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| NitridingHeat treatment | – | 1,100 mm × 1,500 mm × 900 mm | 2,500 kg | – | Steel |
| NitrocarburizingHeat treatment | – | 1,100 mm × 1,500 mm × 900 mm | 2,500 kg | – | Steel |
| Pre-oxidationHeat treatment | – | 1,100 mm × 1,500 mm × 900 mm | 2,500 kg | – | Steel |
| Post-oxidationHeat treatment | – | 1,100 mm × 1,500 mm × 900 mm | 2,500 kg | – | Steel |
| Vacuum heat treatment (low-pressure carburizing with high-pressure gas quenching)Heat treatment | – | 1,000 mm × 600 mm × 750 mm | 800 kg | – | Case-hardening steels, 15 CrNi 6 |
| Vacuum case hardeningHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | 15 CrNi 6 |
| Vacuum hardeningHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| TemperingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| AnnealingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| Low-pressure carburizing as contract heat treatment for other manufacturers of wear-resistantHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of round steel chains (DIN and ENDLOS)Forming | – | – | – | – | Round steel |
| Manufacture of chain wheels, toothed and non-toothed (DIN and ENDLOS)Machining | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Manufacture of chain brackets, plug-in carriers, chain locks, scrapers/carriers, deflection andAssembly | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Assembly and installation of conveying systems including inspection and maintenanceAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Product development and optimization (FE simulation, vibration analysis)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Quality inspection (wear measurement, in-house testing facilities)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pit-type furnace annealing system (historical) | – | – | – | 1939 | Wickede |
| Vacuum chamber furnace with helium quenching (Modultherm system, low-pressure carburizing / | Modultherm | – | 1,000 x 600 x 750 mm batch size, max. 800 kg, max. 1,250 °C | – | – |
| Induction hardening system | – | – | Usable dimensions up to 1,000 mm diameter and 700 mm height | – | – |
| Furnace system for nitriding processes (nitriding up to 750 °C) | – | – | 1,100 x 1,500 x 900 mm batch size, max. 2,500 kg | – | – |
| Hardening shop with several furnaces (historical) | – | – | – | 1943 | Wickede |
Additional services
Quality
HEKO operates with an integrated management system: quality management is certified according to ISO 9001, with additional certifications according to ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001:2011 as well as certification by German customs. Quality has been assured since 1929 through in-house testing facilities, historically also through external inspection by classification societies.
| Evidence | Wickede (Ruhr) | Fröndenberg | Wuppertal |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |||
| ISO 14001 | |||
| ISO 45001 | |||
| ISO 50001 |
History
- 1917
Founding of a forge by Hermann Koch in Wickede with 8 employees; production of round steel chains at the forging fire.
- 1922
Expansion with a second facility on Eisenbahnstraße in Wickede.
- 1929
The Eisenbahnstraße site becomes the headquarters; start of anchor stirrup chain production with external quality inspection and the first in-house testing facilities.
- 1936
Capacity expansion of the hand forging operation; anchor stirrup chains up to 70 mm diameter.
- 1939
First experiments in case hardening in a pit-type furnace annealing system to improve wear resistance.
- 1943
Construction of a hardening shop with several furnaces for the case hardening of chains.
- 1945
Resumption of production after approval by the Allied military authorities.
- 1955
Death of founder Hermann Koch; son Franz-Josef Koch takes over the company.
- 1959
Establishment of a company pension scheme for employee retirement provision.