Development and manufacturing of pliers for the trades and industry with a high level of in-house production depth, from die forging to assembly.
KNIPEX-Werk C. Gustav Putsch KG
Wuppertal-Cronenberg · Wuppertal-Ronsdorf · Viernau · Ahaus · Hilden · Osnabrück · Buffalo Grove, Illinois (US)New on Amplifa
About KNIPEX
KNIPEX-Werk C. Gustav Putsch KG, founded in 1882, is a manufacturer of pliers and related hand tools for professional users in the trades and industry. The independent fourth-generation family company develops and manufactures at its headquarters in Wuppertal-Cronenberg with a high level of in-house production depth: from die forging on hammers and presses, through machining processes such as broaching, drilling, milling, grinding and laser machines, to assembly, around 60,000 pliers are produced daily. The materials used include forging steel as well as plastics for handle components, including injection molding with polyurethane panels and vinyl dipping. The product range comprises around 1,600 products and variants, including water pump pliers, side cutters, cable shears and special tools for electrical, plumbing and electronics applications. The Knipex Group employs around 2,500 staff, of which around 1,800 are in Wuppertal, and with an export share of 60 % sells to more than 100 countries.
- Site
- Wuppertal
- Processes
- Die forging (forging on manual forging units with hammers and presses), Die forging with hydraulic forging hammers and automated forging presses, Flash pressing, Machining (setting up in machining), Broaching, Drilling, Milling, Grinding
- Materials
- Steel (plier steel/forging steel, no standard specified), Metal (materials testing metal technology), Plastic (vinyl dip handles, injection molding with polyurethane panels), Die forging, Forging steel, Plastic injection molding, Machining
- Founded
- 1882
- Employees
- approx. 1,800 in
- Industries
- Trades, Industry, Electrical (aerospace, solar technology, fiber optic installation), Plumbing installation, DIY/EDC, Electrical (including aerospace, solar technology, fiber optic installation)
- 01
Development
- 02
Die forging (hammers and presses)
- 03
Flash pressing
- 04
Machining (broaching, drilling, milling, grinding, laser machines)
- 05
Injection molding/dipping of handle components
- 06
Assembly
- 07
Quality inspection
- 08
Shipping
Materials and Processes
Die forging
Forming of the plier blanks from steel on manual forging units, hydraulic hammers and automated presses.
Forging steel
Material for plier bodies, not specified in detail.
Plastic injection molding
Injection-molded two-component handles with polyurethane panels, among others at Orbis Will.
Machining
Broaching, drilling, milling, grinding and laser machines for in-house production machining.
Locations
Wuppertal-Cronenberg
DEHeadquarters: development and manufacturing
- Lot size
- Large-scale production (60,000 pliers/day)
- Materials
- Steel, plastic
- Hydraulic forging hammers
- Automated forging presses
- Manual forging units (hammers and presses)
- Flash presses
- Drop forging hammers
- Broaching machines
- Drilling machines
- Milling machines
- Grinding machines
- Laser machines
Wuppertal-Ronsdorf
DEWarehouse, shipping, commercial offices
Viernau
DEProduction (Rennsteig Werkzeuge): pliers for electrical/plumbing installation, striking tools
- Materials
- Steel
Ahaus
DEProduction (Orbis Will GmbH & Co. KG): pliers, bolt cutters, plastic parts
- Materials
- Steel, plastic
- Injection molding machines
Hilden
DEProduction (SIB-Tooling): special machining tools
- Materials
- Steel
Osnabrück
DEIT/Software (LMIS AG)
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
USSales North America (Knipex Tools LP)
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Die forging (forging on manual forging units with hammers and presses)Forming | – | – | – | – | Steel (tool/forging steel, not specified in detail) |
| Die forging with hydraulic forging hammers and automated forging pressesForming | – | – | – | – | Steel (not specified in detail) |
| Flash pressingForming | – | – | – | – | – |
| Machining (setting up in machining)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| BroachingMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| DrillingMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| MillingMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| GrindingMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser machiningMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastic injection molding (handles, at Orbis Will)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastic (polyurethane handle panels, vinyl dipping) |
| Assembly/finishing of pliers (60,000 pliers daily)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Testing of materials/workpiece quality (materials tester metal technology, quality inspectionsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Development and series production of pliers (high production depth)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic forging hammers | – | – | – | – | Wuppertal-Cronenberg |
| Automated forging presses | – | – | – | – | Wuppertal-Cronenberg |
| Manual forging units (hammers and presses) | – | – | – | – | Wuppertal-Cronenberg |
| Flash presses | – | – | – | – | Wuppertal-Cronenberg |
| Drop forging hammers | – | – | – | – | Wuppertal-Cronenberg |
| Broaching machines, drilling machines, milling machines, grinding machines, laser machines | – | – | – | – | Wuppertal-Cronenberg |
Additional services
History
- 1882
Founded as a pliers forge by Carl Gustav Putsch in the cellar of his home
- 1927
Carl Putsch takes over management; 27 employees, approx. 7,000 pliers/week
- 1942
Trademark registration of "Knipex"
- 1954
Karl Putsch takes over leadership; automation, development into the European market leader
- 1984
Development of the Cobra water pump pliers
- 1987
Ralf Putsch joins the management as 4th generation
- 1991
Acquisition of Rennsteig Werkzeuge GmbH from the Treuhandanstalt
- 1990er
Expansion of the international sales network (among others USA, China, Dubai, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, India, UK)
- 2003
Acquisition of Orbis (Ahaus)
- 2006
Acquisition of Will (Neustadt); merger to form OrbisWill
- 2017
Majority stake in LMIS Software, Osnabrück
- 2022
Purchase of a property in Wuppertal-Ronsdorf from Brose; construction of warehouse, shipping and offices
- 2024
Acquisition of SIB Tooling, Hilden; German Sustainability Award in the Metal and Minerals Processing category