Manufacturing and refinement of hot-work tool steels – from crude steel smelting to finished machining.
Kind & Co., Edelstahlwerk GmbH & Co. KG
Wiehl-Bielstein (NRW)New on Amplifa
About Kind & Co., Edelstahlwerk
Kind & Co., Edelstahlwerk, based in Wiehl-Bielstein (North Rhine-Westphalia), was founded in 1888 and specializes in the manufacture of tool steel, in particular hot-work steels. As a fully integrated steelworks, the company covers the entire value chain – from crude steel smelting through heat treatment to mechanical machining. In addition to standardized tool steels according to DIN EN ISO 4957, Kind & Co. develops and produces its own premium materials for highly stressed tool applications. The tool steel is smelted from carefully sorted steel scrap using an induction process; the scrap share of the metallic input material is almost 100 %, thereby closing material loops. The steels are used in die-casting moulds, forging dies, tools for extrusion and other manufacturing processes in industries such as die casting, extrusion, die forging, mechanical engineering, mobility and energy. Services include saw cuts, turning, milling and drilling, finish machining to drawing, a relining centre for extrusion containers and tailored heat treatment. Since 30 September 2024, the company has been 100 % owned by the GMH Group.
- Site
- Wiehl – Bielstein
- Processes
- Crude steel smelting (induction process, scrap share almost 100 %), Manufacture of tool steel according to DIN EN ISO 4957, Saw cuts from the finished-goods warehouse, Tailored heat treatment in chamber or vacuum furnaces, Turning, Milling and drilling, Finish machining of components and tools to drawing, Relining centre for extrusion containers
- Materials
- Tool steel according to DIN EN ISO 4957, Hot-work steels, Premium materials (own developments for hot-work applications), High-alloy steels / special alloys, Own premium materials
- Founded
- 1888
- Employees
- 400
- Industries
- Die casting, Extrusion, Die forging, Mechanical engineering, Mobility, Energy
- 01
Crude steel smelting (induction process from almost 100 % steel scrap)
- 02
Manufacture of tool steel (DIN EN ISO 4957 and own premium materials)
- 03
Saw cuts from the finished-goods warehouse
- 04
Heat treatment (chamber and vacuum furnaces)
- 05
Turning, milling and drilling
- 06
Finish machining of components and tools to drawing / direct production
- 07
Relining centre for extrusion containers
Materials & Processes
Tool steel according to DIN EN ISO 4957
Standardized tool steels for hot-work tools in die casting, extrusion and die forging.
Hot-work steels
Core product for tools exposed to high thermal and mechanical loads.
Own premium materials
In-house developed materials, individually tailored to customer requirements under particular tool loads.
High-alloy steels / special alloys
Broad portfolio of tool steels and special alloys for demanding applications.
Site
Wiehl-Bielstein
DEMain plant/headquarters, fully integrated steelworks from crude steel smelting to mechanical machining
- Materials
- Tool steels, hot-work steels, premium materials
- Induction melting plant
- Chamber furnaces
- Vacuum furnaces
- Sawing systems
- Lathes
- Milling and drilling machines
- Relining centre for extrusion containers
Components & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude steel smelting (induction process, scrap share almost 100 %)Guss | – | – | – | – | Tool steel, Hot-work steels |
| Manufacture of tool steel according to DIN EN ISO 4957Engineering | – | – | – | – | standardized tool steels according to DIN EN ISO 4957, premium materials (own developments) |
| Saw cuts from the finished-goods warehouseZerspanung | – | – | – | – | Tool steel |
| Tailored heat treatment in chamber or vacuum furnacesWärmebehandlung | – | – | – | – | Tool steel, Hot-work steels |
| TurningZerspanung | – | – | – | – | Tool steel |
| Milling and drillingZerspanung | – | – | – | – | Tool steel |
| Finish machining of components and tools to drawingZerspanung | – | – | – | – | Tool steel |
| Relining centre for extrusion containersOberfläche | – | – | – | – | Tool steel |
| Direct production of products to specificationsZerspanung | – | – | – | – | Tool steel |
| Development of own premium materials (R&D)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Tool steel, Special alloys |
7 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Induction melting plant (induction smelting) | – | – | – | – | Wiehl-Bielstein |
| Chamber furnaces (heat treatment) | – | – | – | – | Wiehl-Bielstein |
| Vacuum furnaces (heat treatment) | – | – | – | – | Wiehl-Bielstein |
| Relining centre for extrusion containers | – | – | – | – | Wiehl-Bielstein |
| Lathes (additional turning) | – | – | – | – | Wiehl-Bielstein |
| Milling and drilling machines | – | – | – | – | Wiehl-Bielstein |
| Sawing systems (saw cuts from the finished-goods warehouse) | – | – | – | – | Wiehl-Bielstein |
Additional services
History
- 1888
Foundation of Kind & Co.; the company remained family-owned until 2024, from 2000 in the fourth generation.
- 2002
Registration of the KG at the Cologne Local Court (HRA 16845, 29.07.2002).
- 2015
Change of legal form from KG to GmbH & Co. KG (08.01.2015).
- 2023
Generation of revenue of around 125 million euros.
- 2024
GMH Group acquires 100 % of the shares; purchase agreement signed on 16.08.2024, transaction closed on 30.09.2024.