Manufacturer of custom precision grinding wheels: conventional, CBN and diamond, including dressing tools and fine grinding solutions.
KREBS & RIEDEL Schleifscheibenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
Bad KarlshafenNew on Amplifa
About Krebs & Riedel
KREBS & RIEDEL is a family business founded in 1895 and headquartered in Bad Karlshafen, manufacturing vitrified grinding tools and precision grinding wheels. The product range includes conventional grinding wheels, cut-off wheels, grinding cups and grinding segments in vitrified and resinoid bonds (up to 900 mm outside diameter) as well as CBN and diamond grinding wheels in vitrified, resinoid, metal, hybrid and electroplated bonds, complemented by rotating and stationary diamond dressing tools and fine grinding and polishing tools in PU bond with surface finishes ≤ Ra 0.1 µm. Machinable materials include steels, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminium, titanium, carbide, nickel-based alloys, ceramics, glass, silicon and composites. The products are used, among other applications, in gear grinding, tool grinding, double-disc grinding and in medical technology (implants, medical rasps). With more than 250 employees, annual revenue of €31 million (2020) and an export share of around 48 %, the company supplies customers worldwide, supported by subsidiaries in China and India and approximately 30 international distributors.
- Site
- Bad Karlshafen
- Processes
- Conventional grinding wheels (aluminium oxide/silicon carbide, vitrified and resinoid bond), Cut-off wheels (resinoid bond, with/without fibre reinforcement), Grinding segments, Grinding cups, CBN and diamond grinding wheels in vitrified bond (cylindrical, surface, internal cylindrical, tool,, CBN and diamond grinding wheels in resinoid bond, Diamond and CBN grinding wheels in metal bond, Electroplated diamond and CBN grinding wheels
- Materials
- White fused alumina, Silicon carbide (green and black), CBN (cubic boron nitride), Diamond (incl. CVD diamond), Steels (soft to hardened), Stainless steel, HS steel, Cast iron
- Certificates
- DIN ISO 9001, EMAS (incl. DIN EN ISO 14001), oSa (Organisation for the Safety of Abrasives)
- Founded
- 1895
- Employees
- 250
- Industries
- Automotive, Aerospace, Mechanical engineering, Medical technology, Wind power, Gear/drive technology
- 01
Application engineering consulting and specification
- 02
Research & Development
- 03
Manufacture of the grinding tools
- 04
Quality inspection
- 05
Warehouse stock / safety stock
- 06
Worldwide application support
- 07
Re-coating of CBN wheels
Materials & Bond Systems
White fused alumina and silicon carbide
Conventional abrasive grains for cylindrical, surface, tool, centreless, gear and rough grinding up to 500 mesh (PU-bonded up to 1500 mesh).
CBN (cubic boron nitride)
Superabrasive for hardened steels, HS steel and powder-metallurgical steels, among others up to 200 m/s working speed in vitrified bond.
Diamond (incl. CVD diamond)
For carbide, ceramics, glass, semiconductors and composites as well as dressing tools.
Vitrified bond
For conventional wheels and CBN/diamond tools, working speeds up to 200 m/s.
Resinoid bond
For cut-off wheels, rough grinding wheels and diamond/CBN wheels up to ⌀ 609 mm.
Metal bond
Diamond and CBN wheels up to ⌀ 355 mm for wet and dry grinding with long service life.
Electroplated bond
Single-layer coated diamond and CBN wheels up to ⌀ 1200 mm, reusable and requiring no dressing.
Hybrid bond
Self-sharpening bond for grinding of indexable inserts and cutting tools.
PU bond (polyurethane)
Fine grinding and polishing tools with surface finishes ≤ Ra 0.1 µm, wheel diameters up to 800 mm.
Sites
Bad Karlshafen
DEHeadquarters / Production
- Part weight / size
- Wheels up to ⌀ 1200 mm (electroplated bond)
- Lot size
- Prototypes to series production, custom single and repeat orders
- Materials
- White fused alumina, silicon carbide, CBN, diamond; bonds vitrified, resinoid, metal, electroplated, hybrid, PU
- Production facilities for vitrified and resinoid bond
- Electroplating line for coating of diamond/CBN wheels
- KREBSDRESS mobile dressing spindle system (in-house development)
Components & Applications
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional grinding wheels (aluminium oxide/silicon carbide, vitrified and resinoid bond)Surface | – | up to 900 mm outside diameter | – | – | high-alloy steels, cast iron, aluminium, brass, copper, bronze, ceramics, granite, carbide, high-hardness wear-resistant coatings |
| Cut-off wheels (resinoid bond, with/without fibre reinforcement)Surface | – | up to 800 mm outside diameter | – | – | – |
| Grinding segmentsSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Grinding cupsSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| CBN and diamond grinding wheels in vitrified bond (cylindrical, surface, internal cylindrical, tool,Surface | – | – | – | – | stainless steel, HS steel, tungsten carbide, titanium, ceramics and glass, nickel-based alloys, Inconel, powder-metallurgical steels |
| CBN and diamond grinding wheels in resinoid bondSurface | – | ⌀ up to 609 mm (24") | – | – | tungsten carbide, ceramics and glass, stainless steel, HS steel, titanium nitride, zirconium dioxide/aluminium oxide, ferrites, powder-metallurgical steels, sintered silicon carbide |
| Diamond and CBN grinding wheels in metal bondSurface | – | ⌀ up to 355 mm (14") | – | – | tungsten carbide, titanium, graphite, composites, powder-metallurgical steels, ceramics and glass, refractory materials, silicon, semiconductors, quartz, ferrites |
| Electroplated diamond and CBN grinding wheelsSurface | – | ⌀ up to 1200 mm (48") | – | – | carbides, cast iron, ceramics and glass, composites and glass fibre, concrete & stone, high-strength alloy steels, Inconel, nickel-based alloys |
| CBN and diamond grinding wheels in hybrid bondSurface | – | – | – | – | carbide, indexable insert materials |
| Diamond form rolls and profile rolls (rotating diamond dressing tools)Surface | Radius 0.100 mm; profile 0.002 mm | – | – | – | – |
| Stationary diamond dressing toolsSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Fine grinding and polishing tools in PU bond (polyurethane)Surface | ≤ Ra 0.1 μm | wheel diameter up to 800 mm | – | – | soft to hardened steels, ceramics, composite systems, glass, wafers/silicon |
| Silicon carbide (SiC) grinding wheels, vitrified (SiC green and black)Surface | – | up to 500 mesh (grit size) | – | – | high-alloy steels, cast iron, aluminium, brass, copper, bronze, ceramics, granite, carbide, high-hardness wear-resistant coatings |
| PU-bonded SiC polishing wheelsSurface | ≤ Ra 0.1 μm | up to 1500 mesh (grit size) | – | – | – |
| Mobile dressing spindle KREBSDRESSSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Grinding wheels for gear grinding (continuous generating grinding, single-profile grinding,Surface | – | – | – | – | gear steels |
| Grinding wheels for double-disc grinding and sharpening rings (DIA & CBN)Surface | nanometre range | ⌀ up to 1500 mm | – | – | – |
| Grinding wheels for medical technology (knee implants, hip implants, medical rasps)Surface | – | D 175–300 mm | – | – | titanium implant materials, CBN-machinable medical technology materials |
| Honing stonesSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Grinding wheels for linear guides, ball and rolling bearings and tools (PROTEUS ABRASIVES jointSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile dressing spindle system | Krebs & Riedel KREBSDRESS | – | – | – | Bad Karlshafen |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Certification
Krebs & Riedel is certified to DIN ISO 9001 and a founding member of oSa (Organisation for the Safety of Abrasives). Since 2022, an EMAS environmental management system has been implemented that covers all requirements of DIN EN ISO 14001 and is audited by a state-approved environmental auditor.
| Evidence | Bad Karlshafen |
|---|---|
| DIN ISO 9001 | |
| EMAS (incl. DIN EN ISO 14001) | |
| oSa (Organisation for the Safety of Abrasives) |
History
- 1895
Founding of the grinding wheel factory in Bad Karlshafen
- 1965
Heinrich flood in Bad Karlshafen; new building and staff expansion
- 2008
Weathering the global financial crisis; hiring of technicians and engineers
- 2020
125th anniversary; annual revenue €31 million, more than 250 employees, export share approx. 48 %
- 2022
Introduction of EMAS environmental management system
- 2025
130th anniversary; joint venture PROTEUS ABRASIVES