GKN Sinter Metals celebrates eighty years in Bonn
December 3, 2014
GKN Sinter Metals reached a milestone this month as its plant in Bonn celebrated its 80th anniversary. Business partners, customers and politicians all attended the anniversary celebrations, which included a presentation of the site’s history and a tour of the modern production facility.
The historical roots of today’s production facility can be traced back to 1934, when ‘Ringsdorff-Werke’ opened a new plant for sintered bearings. Moulded coal plates were previously produced there from copper and graphite powder, the starting point for the subsequent sintering production.
Matthias Voss, Managing Director of GKN Sinter Metals Components GmbH, stated, “The choice of location was right and the Bonn plant has developed and grown steadily in the recent years. In 2015 we are planning to expand our production area by 2,500m² – so we will not only create the foundation for the production of new components but also for new jobs in Bonn.”
The Mayor of Bonn, Jürgen Nimptsch, added, “Today’s 80th anniversary celebrations emphasise how important it is for the region to have innovative and responsible businesses like GKN, who promote talented young people.”
Former Plant Manager Antonio Casellas retold the history of the plant, describing the strong loyalty of the employees towards GKN and outlining the economic highs and lows that the business has witnessed. One of these highlights was achieved earlier this year when the plant supplied leading customer Johnson Controls (formerly Keiper) with its one billionth ‘Keiper wedge’ part – all produced with zero defects. Dr Heinz Voss, Johnson Controls’ Vice President Global Engineering – Product Group Metals & Mechanisms Automotive Seating, was one of the customers who attended the event.
“I am impressed by the presentations,” stated Voss, “I’ve learned many interesting facts about the past and even more impressive future plans for Powder Metallurgy, which has huge potential!”
GKN Sinter Metals Bonn employs around 550 people and produces around 320 million sintered components annually for clients worldwide.
GKN Sinter Metals in Bonn celebrates its 80th anniversary
