Manufacturer of stainless steel chains and lifting gear for lifting, conveying technology and marine applications.
Ketten Wälder GmbH
Bad EndorfNew on Amplifa
Ketten Wälder GmbH – Chain Technology
Ketten Wälder GmbH, based in Bad Endorf (Bavaria), is a family-run chain manufacturer founded in 1948 and a supplier of components and system solutions made of stainless steel under the cromox® brand. The product portfolio includes round steel chains, chain slings and chain sling assemblies, hoist and conveyor chains, pump chains, suspension links, load hooks, shackles, lifting points as well as anchor chains, stainless steel anchors and pocket wheels, chain nuts and deflector wheels for custom applications. Production takes place on automated production lines and modern 5-axis machining centres; the materials used are high-alloy stainless steels (e.g. 1.4404, 1.4301, 1.4307) as well as duplex and super duplex grades (1.4462, 1.4507). In addition, the company offers electropolishing, laser marking, 3D printing of prototypes as well as development and design in its own research and development department. Typical industries include lifting technology, the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, cleanroom/semiconductor technology, offshore and the marine sector as well as playground construction. All products are tested in the company's own testing laboratory certified by Lloyd's Register; the company supplies more than 1,500 customers in over 50 countries.
- Site
- Bad Endorf
- Processes
- Chain manufacturing / round steel chain production (chain braiding), Electric resistance welding (chains, welded chain slings), Manufacture of pocket wheels, chain nuts and deflector wheels on 5-axis production centres, Electropolishing / grinding / blasting (surface treatment), Testing in the in-house Lloyd's Register-certified testing laboratory (test forces up to 160 t), 3D printing of prototypes, Engineering / product and design development (CAD, prototypes), Laser marking
- Materials
- Stainless steel 1.4404 / AISI 316L, Duplex 1.4462 / AISI 318LN, Super duplex 1.4507 / AISI F255, 1.4301, 1.4307, Stainless steel 1.4301, Stainless steel 1.4307
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, Lloyd's Register certification (testing facility/laboratory), ISO 9001, Lloyd's Register (testing laboratory up to 160 t), H33 certificate (employers' liability insurance association)
- Founded
- 1948
- Industries
- Lifting technology/lifting gear, Marine/boatbuilding/yachting, Offshore, Food/food processing, Semiconductor/cleanroom industry, ATEX/explosive atmospheres
- 01
Product and design development (CAD, 3D prototyping)
- 02
Chain manufacturing (round steel chains, automated production lines)
- 03
Electric resistance welding (chain slings, chain sling assemblies)
- 04
CNC machining (pocket wheels, chain nuts, deflector wheels on 5-axis centres)
- 05
Surface treatment (electropolishing, grinding, blasting, laser marking)
- 06
Testing in the in-house Lloyd's Register-certified testing laboratory
Materials and Processes
Stainless steel 1.4404 / AISI 316L
Corrosion-resistant material for round steel chains and lifting components in cleanrooms, the food and chemical industries.
Duplex 1.4462 / AISI 318LN
Duplex stainless steel for suspension links and load hooks with high strength in grade 6.
Super duplex 1.4507 / AISI F255
Super duplex grade for highly stressed applications such as offshore and marine chains.
Stainless steel 1.4301
Material for shackles, ring nuts and eye bolts in the playground sector.
Stainless steel 1.4307
Used for playground chains and rings with a burr-free, clean surface.
Locations
Bad Endorf
DEHeadquarters, production and administration
- Materials
- 1.4404, 1.4462, 1.4507, 1.4301, 1.4307
- 5-axis machining centres
- Automated production lines (chain production)
- In-house testing laboratory (testing machine up to 160 t, Lloyd's Register certified)
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chain manufacturing / round steel chain production (chain braiding)Forming | – | – | – | – | 1.4404 (AISI 316L), 1.4462 Duplex (AISI 318LN), 1.4507 Super duplex (AISI F255), 1.4301, 1.4307 |
| Electric resistance welding (chains, welded chain slings)Joining | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| Manufacture of pocket wheels, chain nuts and deflector wheels on 5-axis production centresMachining | – | – | – | – | Stainless steels, Duplex grades |
| Electropolishing / grinding / blasting (surface treatment)Surface | – | – | – | – | Stainless steels |
| Testing in the in-house Lloyd's Register-certified testing laboratory (test forces up to 160 t)Testing | – | – | – | – | Stainless steels |
| 3D printing of prototypesAdditive | – | – | – | – | – |
| Engineering / product and design development (CAD, prototypes)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser markingSurface | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-axis machining centre / 5-axis production centre | – | – | – | 2016 | Bad Endorf |
| Automated production line (chain production) | – | – | – | – | Bad Endorf |
| In-house testing laboratory (testing machine, Lloyd's Register certified, up to 160 t) | – | – | – | – | Bad Endorf |
Additional services
Quality and Testing
All products are tested in the company's own testing laboratory certified by Lloyd's Register in accordance with international standards with test forces of up to 160 tonnes. Ketten Wälder is certified to ISO 9001:2015 (DNV), a member of the LEEA trade association and holds the H33 certificate of the employers' liability insurance association.
| Evidence | Bad Endorf |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| Lloyd's Register (testing laboratory up to 160 t) | |
| H33 certificate (employers' liability insurance association) |
Company History
- 1948
Founding of Ketten Wälder GmbH: manufacture of agricultural chains and construction of the first production hall
- 1950
Build-up of the machinery fleet, start of mechanised chain production; the first automated production line replaced manual chain forging
- 1977
H33 certification by the employers' liability insurance association
- 1980
Relocation to the new, spacious company building
- 1995
Introduction of the first stainless steel product line
- 2001
Introduction of numerous new products, including the development of the NiRo product range
- 2008
Expansion of production and warehouse space to over 5,000 m² and registration of the cromox® trademark
- 2016
Acquisition of state-of-the-art 5-axis machining centres as part of automation efforts
- 2018
Founding of the subsidiary cromox® US, Inc.
- 2021
Process automation: redevelopment and expansion of the ERP system landscape
- 2026
ULTRA Products by Boyut – exclusive European distribution by cromox®