Manufacturer of hydraulic rotary actuators, swing motors and TiltRotators, plus CNC contract manufacturing of individual parts and series
HKS Dreh-Antriebe GmbH
Wächtersbach-Aufenau (Aufenau I) · Wächtersbach-Aufenau (Aufenau II) · Neukirch/LausitzNew on Amplifa
About HKS Dreh-Antriebe
Since 1970, HKS Dreh-Antriebe GmbH has developed and manufactured hydraulic and pneumatic rotary actuators, swing motors, actuating drives and TiltRotators as well as gear rack and pinion drives and rotary-lifting combinations. The products generate torques up to 250,000 Nm at swing angles up to 1500° and are used, among other things, in construction machinery, mining, shipbuilding, on-/offshore valves, power plants, automation and the food industry. In addition, HKS offers contract and component manufacturing: CNC turning, CNC milling, gear cutting, grinding, honing, grooving, slotting, broaching and surface treatment for materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminium and brass, from one-off pieces and prototypes to series production. A ten-person design department develops customer-specific solutions including assembly manufacturing. Production takes place entirely in Germany at three sites: the parent plant Aufenau I (approx. 3,000 m²), the new building Aufenau II (approx. 1,700 m²) with assembly, design and sales, and the production site Neukirch/Lausitz (approx. 2,500 m²). HKS became known, among other things, for the use of 224 rotary actuators in the recovery of the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk.
- Site
- Wächtersbach-Aufenau
- Processes
- CNC turning, CNC milling, Gear cutting, Grinding, Honing, Grooving, Slotting, Broaching
- Materials
- Aluminium, Stainless steel, Brass, Steel, High-strength aluminium (housings)
- Founded
- 1970
- Industries
- Industry/mechanical and plant engineering, On-/offshore and valves, Shipbuilding, marine & yacht building, Attachments for construction machinery, Vehicle construction/mobile hydraulics, Mining/heavy duty
- 01
Design and consulting
- 02
CNC turning
- 03
CNC milling
- 04
Gear cutting
- 05
Grinding
- 06
Honing
- 07
Grooving, slotting, broaching
- 08
Surface treatment
- 09
Assembly manufacturing
- 10
Service and spare parts
Materials and Manufacturing Processes
Steel
Base material for rotary actuators, gears, shafts and drive elements with high load capacity.
Stainless steel
For rotary actuators in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries as a complete version or stainless steel shaft.
Aluminium
High-strength aluminium for housings with weight reduction compared to steel.
Brass
Material for CNC-turned and milled parts in contract manufacturing.
Sites
Wächtersbach-Aufenau I
DEManufacturing (parent plant since 1970)
- Materials
- Steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass
- CNC lathes
- CNC milling machines
Wächtersbach-Aufenau II
DERotary actuator assembly, design, sales, order processing, goods in/out
Neukirch/Lausitz
DEProduction
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC turningMachining | – | – | – | Single piece – Series production | Aluminium, Stainless steel, Brass, Steel |
| CNC millingMachining | – | – | – | Single piece – Series production | Aluminium, Stainless steel, Brass, Steel |
| Gear cuttingMachining | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| GrindingMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| HoningMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| GroovingMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| SlottingMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| BroachingMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Surface treatmentSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Assembly manufacturingAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sample production / prototype manufacturingEngineering | – | – | – | – | Aluminium, Stainless steel, Brass, Steel |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC milling machine | – | – | – | – | Wächtersbach-Aufenau |
| CNC lathe | – | – | – | – | Wächtersbach-Aufenau |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 1970
Foundation of Walter Höhn GmbH at the Aufenau I site with production of components
- 1996
Start of production at the Neukirch/Lausitz site
- 2006
Expansion of Neukirch with production halls and office space to approx. 2,500 m²
- 2012
New building at the Aufenau II site (approx. 1,700 m², assembly, design, sales)
- 2025
Trade fair presence at Bauma 2025; planting of 300 trees in the Büdinger Wald