Control, measurement and regulation technology: project planning, control cabinet manufacturing, PLC programming and commissioning for machines and systems.
Kirchhofer AG
Möriken (CH) · HeadquartersNew on Amplifa
Profile
Kirchhofer AG is a Swiss engineering company based in Möriken, specialized in the automation of machines and systems. Since its founding in 1971, the company has delivered control, measurement and regulation systems from a single source — from project planning through hardware configuration and PLC programming to control cabinet manufacturing, installation and commissioning. The in-house electrical workshop manufactures control cabinets to its own or external plans, with testing carried out in accordance with EN 61439 including heat calculations. Programming is PC-based (soft PLC) in LD, FBD, SCL and IL, with I/O networks such as EtherCAT, ProfiNet, PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, INTERBUS, CANopen and ASi-Bus. As a Solution Partner of Beckhoff Automation, Kirchhofer works primarily with TwinCAT-based control technology, but also masters systems from Honeywell, Siemens, B&R, Allen Bradley, Mitsubishi and Schneider. Customers come from foundries, gravel and crushed stone plants, the food industry, conveying technology and special machinery manufacturing in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, as well as their branches worldwide.
- Site
- Möriken
- Processes
- Control, measurement and regulation technology / plant automation, Control cabinet and switchgear manufacturing, Testing of switchgear systems according to EN 61439, Electrical assembly and electrical installations, PLC programming (LD, FBD, SCL, IL), Setup of I/O bus networks (EtherCAT, ProfiNet, DeviceNet, INTERBUS, PROFIBUS, CANopen, ASi-Bus), Process simulation, Installation and commissioning of plant control systems (domestic and abroad)
- Materials
- Red brass, PC-based control systems, EtherCAT / I/O bus systems, Beckhoff TwinCAT 2/3, IPC modules (Honeywell, ISSC, Klöckner-Moeller), Switchgear testing standard
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, EN 61439 (switchgear testing)
- Founded
- 1971
- Employees
- 5
- Industries
- Foundries, Gravel and crushed stone plants, Food industry, Conveying technology, Special machinery, Plant engineering
- 01
Consulting and situation analysis
- 02
Risk analysis and sensor technology consulting
- 03
Project planning and hardware design
- 04
Control cabinet manufacturing and electrical assembly
- 05
PLC programming and process simulation
- 06
Testing according to EN 61439 and pre-acceptance
- 07
Installation and commissioning
- 08
Service, system maintenance and breakdown service
Control and Bus Systems
PC-based control systems
PC-based PLC solutions in LD, FBD, SCL and IL as the core of plant control.
EtherCAT / I/O bus systems
Networking of field components with control systems, alongside ProfiNet, PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, INTERBUS, CANopen and ASi-Bus.
Beckhoff TwinCAT 2/3
Preferred automation software as a Beckhoff Solution Partner.
IPC modules (Honeywell, ISSC, Klöckner-Moeller)
Internal workstations for building, configuring and testing IPC controllers, supported by partner IAS Koopmann.
Switchgear testing standard
Standards-compliant testing of self-manufactured control cabinets including heat calculations.
Locations
Möriken
CHHeadquarters with engineering office, control cabinet manufacturing and electrical workshop
- Engineering office for planning and programming
- In-house control cabinet manufacturing
- Test systems for process simulation
- CNC engraving machine
- Modem service center
- Plotter for durable labeling
Application Solutions
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control, measurement and regulation technology / plant automationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Control cabinet and switchgear manufacturingAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Testing of switchgear systems according to EN 61439Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Electrical assembly and electrical installationsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| PLC programming (LD, FBD, SCL, IL)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Setup of I/O bus networks (EtherCAT, ProfiNet, DeviceNet, INTERBUS, PROFIBUS, CANopen, ASi-Bus)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Process simulationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Installation and commissioning of plant control systems (domestic and abroad)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Retrofit / modernization of control systems and switchgearEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Test bench for function testing of valve groups (bus system testing)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Control system modernization for casting plants (molding line, melting furnace, casting machine)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Control systems for conveying and processing plants (conveying technology)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Custom special machinery and control conceptsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Repair and spare parts procurement for control systemsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Service & plant maintenance, remote maintenanceAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Heat calculationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Risk analysis and standards-compliant safety equipmentEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC engraving machine | – | – | – | – | Möriken |
| Test system for process simulation | – | – | – | – | Möriken |
| Plotter for durable labeling | – | – | – | – | Möriken |
| Low-pressure casting machine | IMR BPL155 | 1 | – | – | Villeroy & Boch, Gustavsberg / Vårgardå foundry |
| Melting furnace | – | – | Furnace capacity 120kW | – | Villeroy & Boch, Gustavsberg / Vårgardå foundry |
| Concrete centrifugal casting system | – | – | Performance driver DC motor 190kW | – | SACAC AG |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
The quality management system is certified according to ISO 9001; switchgear systems are tested in accordance with EN 61439. Installation and commissioning are carried out in accordance with the provisions of the quality standard, supplemented by in-house pre-acceptance and process data acquisition.
| Evidence | Möriken |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| EN 61439 (switchgear testing) |
History
- 1971
Founding of Kirchhofer AG for control, measurement and regulation systems
- 1972
Deployment of PLC controls
- 1975
Expansion to include own control cabinet manufacturing
- 1977
Expansion of business divisions and relocation to the Möriken site
- 1981
Development of an in-house CAD system
- 1982
Deployment of visualization systems and PLC networks
- 1988
Spin-off of the in-house CAD system as the independent company KiDraw, followed by a change of ownership at Kirchhofer AG
- 1992
Deployment of PC-based visualization systems
- 1995
Deployment of I/O bus systems
- 1999
Deployment of PC-based controllers (soft PLC)
- 2000
Certification of the quality management system according to ISO 9001
- 2002
System partner of Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG
- 2008
Solution Partner of Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG
- 2011
Deployment of EtherCAT as I/O bus system
- 2016
Deployment of Beckhoff TwinCAT 3
- 2018
Deployment of new visualization software