KaWe - KIRCHNER & WILHELM GmbH + Co. KG

About KaWe

KaWe - KIRCHNER & WILHELM GmbH + Co. KG is a family-owned manufacturer of medical technology based in Asperg (district of Ludwigsburg). From a manufacture for medical instruments founded in Stuttgart in 1890, known for its Record metal syringes, a company has evolved that today covers the entire spectrum of minor diagnostics: otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, dermatoscopes, laryngoscopes, stethoscopes, blood pressure monitors, reflex hammers, tuning forks, metal instruments, lights and practice equipment. Production takes place at the Asperg site, where a warehouse and logistics center was built in 2017. The materials used are primarily stainless steel and aluminum. Stethoscopes are tested and certified on the company's own acoustic measuring station in cooperation with Ulm University of Applied Sciences in accordance with EN ISO 266. The company develops products in collaboration with physicians, professors and universities and distributes more than 750 products through medical wholesalers in over 100 countries. The quality management system is certified to ISO 13485:2016.

Site

Asperg

Processes

Acoustic testing of stethoscopes (transfer function measurement in accordance with EN ISO 266 on, Assembly/manufacture of medical technology instruments (minor diagnostics: otoscopes, stethoscopes, Development of in-house products and improvement of existing instruments in cooperation with, Acoustic measurement/certification of stethoscopes (measuring station with Ulm University of, Service: complaints, repairs, returns, Manufacturer's 4-year warranty on Swisto (iontophoresis device), Inspection service and download of certificates, brochures, instructions for use

Materials

Stainless steel, Aluminum

Certificates

ISO 13485:2016, ISO 13485, Risk management DIN EN ISO 14971, EN ISO 17664, CE marking

Founded

1890

Industries

Medical technology, Minor diagnostics, Clinics/care services, Physicians/practices, Veterinary medicine

1. 01

   Development (in-house department, cooperation with physicians and universities)

2. 02

   Production/assembly of the instruments

3. 03

   Acoustic testing and certification of stethoscopes

4. 04

   Warehousing and logistics

5. 05

   Worldwide sales via medical wholesalers

6. 06

   Service: complaints, repairs, returns

Materials & Processes

Locations

Asperg

DE

Headquarters, production, sales, warehouse and logistics center

Materials

Stainless steel, aluminum

• Acoustic measuring station for stethoscope testing (EN ISO 266, with Ulm University of Applied Sciences)

Products & Components

Inside the production

Processes & technical limits

1 Anlagen & Maschinen

Quality

KaWe is certified to ISO 13485:2016 and carries out risk management in accordance with DIN EN ISO 14971 across all phases of the product life cycle. Reprocessable products comply with EN ISO 17664; stethoscopes are tested acoustically in accordance with EN ISO 266 on the company's own measuring station.

History

1. 1890

   KIRCHNER & WILHELM founded on April 1 in Stuttgart by Gustav Kirchner and Hugo Wilhelm; manufacture of medical instruments, known for Record metal syringes

2. 1916

   Hugo Wilhelm hands over the business to Gustav Kirchner

3. 1918

   Albert Kirchner joins the management (until 1952)

4. 1962

   Georg Kirchner takes over sole management

5. 1986

   Regina Kirchner-Gottschalk joins the company as a senior employee

6. 1989

   Relocation from Stuttgart to a new building in Asperg

7. 1997

   Regina Kirchner-Gottschalk takes over the management; expansion of the export business by 70 %

8. 2003

   Construction of a new hall, expansion of the floor area by about one third

9. 2006

   Georg Kirchner dies

10. 2008

    Additional floor extension

11. 2017

    Construction of a warehouse and logistics center; total floor area almost doubled