Development and manufacturing of planetary axles, transmissions, wheel drives and electric drive systems for heavy mobile machinery
Kessler & Co GmbH & Co. KG
Abtsgmünd (DE) · Indian Trail, NC (US)New on Amplifa
Drive as a Mission – About Kessler + Co
Kessler + Co is a manufacturer of drive components and control software for heavy mobile machinery. Founded in 1950, the family-owned company headquartered in Abtsgmünd develops, manufactures and distributes planetary axles, transmissions, wheel drives and electric drive systems for applications such as construction machinery, mobile cranes, handling equipment, underground vehicles, airport technology and agriculture. According to the company, around 45,000 axles and transmissions are produced annually on a production area of 130,000 m². The manufacturing process includes, among other things, an in-house gear-cutting department for spiral bevel gears as well as the machining and assembly of axles and transmissions with load capacities of 8 to 200 t. Custom solutions with housings made of welded steel construction are realized via a flexible component modular system. In addition to the headquarters, the company, which employs around 1,200 people, operates a subsidiary in North Carolina (USA) for sales and service in North America.
- Site
- Abtsgmünd
- Processes
- Design and manufacturing of planetary axles, transmissions, wheel drives and electric, Manufacturing of steering drive axles (planetary steering drive axles) with load capacities 8 to 80, Manufacturing of planetary drive axles with load capacities 8 to 200 t, Manufacturing of tandem and tridem axles with tandem loads 40 to 80 t, Manufacturing of axles with welded steel construction housings (custom solutions), Manufacturing of distribution and offset transmissions up to 600 kW total power, Manufacturing of CVT and powershift transmissions (LS610, LS2000, LV3000), Gear manufacturing (in-house gear-cutting department for spiral bevel gears)
- Materials
- Steel
- Certificates
- DIN EN ISO 50001:2018, DIN EN ISO 14001:2015, ISO 14001, ISO 50001
- Founded
- 1950
- Employees
- 1,200
- Industries
- Construction machinery, Mobile cranes, Handling equipment/port technology, Port technology and forklifts, Underground and surface mining, Airport technology
- 01
Design and engineering
- 02
Gear manufacturing (spiral bevel gears)
- 03
CNC machining (machining centers)
- 04
Welded steel construction of housings
- 05
Assembly of axles, transmissions and wheel drives
- 06
Testing and quality assurance
- 07
Sales and worldwide service/spare parts
Materials and Manufacturing Processes
Steel
Used for axles, transmissions and housings in welded steel construction.
Locations
Abtsgmünd
DEHeadquarters, production, sales, service, spare parts
- Part weight / size
- Axles with load capacities 8–200 t
- Lot size
- approx. 45,000 axles and transmissions/year
- Materials
- Steel
- 7 machining centers Hüller Hille NBH630/6
- Machining center Hüller Hille NBH290/3 (Plant 2)
- Apprentice workshop
- Logistics hall
Indian Trail, NC
USSubsidiary Kessler Inc. – Sales and service North America
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design and manufacturing of planetary axles, transmissions, wheel drives and electricAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturing of steering drive axles (planetary steering drive axles) with load capacities 8 to 80Assembly | – | – | 8 t – 80 t | – | Steel |
| Manufacturing of planetary drive axles with load capacities 8 to 200 tAssembly | – | – | 8 t – 200 t | – | Steel |
| Manufacturing of tandem and tridem axles with tandem loads 40 to 80 tAssembly | – | – | 40 t – 80 t | – | Steel |
| Manufacturing of axles with welded steel construction housings (custom solutions)Joining | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Manufacturing of distribution and offset transmissions up to 600 kW total powerAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturing of CVT and powershift transmissions (LS610, LS2000, LV3000)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gear manufacturing (in-house gear-cutting department for spiral bevel gears)Machining | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Manufacturing of wheel drives from 5 t dynamic wheel loadAssembly | – | – | 5 t | – | – |
| Manufacturing of e-wheel drives, e-axle drives and e-central drives (permanent magnet motors up toAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machining center / machining machine | Hüller Hille NBH290/3 | – | – | – | Plant 2 (Abtsgmünd) |
| Machining center / machining machine | Hüller Hille NBH630/6 | 7 | – | – | Plant (Abtsgmünd) |
Additional services
Quality and Certification
The company is certified to DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 and DIN EN ISO 14001:2015; the standards are regularly reviewed.
| Evidence | Abtsgmünd |
|---|---|
| ISO 14001 | |
| ISO 50001 |
Chronicle
- 1950
Founded in Aalen/Wasseralfingen by Auguste Kessler, owner of the Alfing Kessler Werke
- 1952
Start of design and manufacturing of drive axles for agricultural trailers with approx. 30 employees
- 1955
Dr. Albert Grimminger becomes Managing Director
- 1963
Dr. Albert Grimminger takes over the shares (at that time 50 employees)
- 1964
Establishment of an in-house gear-cutting department for spiral bevel gears
- 1967
Relocation of the company headquarters to Abtsgmünd
- 1968
First projects for mobile crane manufacturing
- 1970
Presentation of the newly developed planetary axle for a 35t aircraft tow tractor
- 1982
Design of a powershift transmission that is still produced in large quantities today
- 1990
Development of a complete axle series with multi-disc brakes for heavy-duty forklifts
- 2002
New construction of Plant II, expanded to 30,000 m² of production area
- 2007
Logistics hall completed, plant site 45,000 m²
- 2012
E-mobility: first developments in the field of electric drives
- 2017
Plant 3, production area expanded to 90,000 m²
- 2021
Plant 4 expands production and logistics by 40,000 m²