Knorr-Bremse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Knorr-Bremse | |
|---|---|
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| Type | |
| Founded | 1905 in Berlin |
| Headquarters | Munich, Germany |
| Key people | Chairman of the Executive Board: Dr.Ing. Raimund Klinker |
| Products | braking systems (rail and road) |
| Revenue | Sales of 3.1 EUR billion |
| Employees | Over 13.000 |
| Website | www.knorr-bremse.com |
Knorr-Bremse is a manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles that has operated in the field for over 100 years. The company also produces door systems for rail vehicles and torsional dampers. In 2006, the Group's workforce of over 13,000 achieved worldwide sales of EUR 3.1 billion.
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[edit] History
Inventor Georg Knorr founded knorr-Bremse in 1905 in Berlin. The initial basis for the company’s commercial success was provided by an agreement with the Prussian State Railways to supply single-chamber express braking systems offering considerably enhanced safety performance compared with traditional systems. In the early twentieth century, train guards still had to operate the brakes by hand, from so-called "brake vans.” The first pneumatic brakes were of a basic design, but before long, indirect automatic systems using a control valve were developed.
See History of rail transport in Germany.
The second main area of activity for Knorr-Bremse emerged in 1922, when they moved into pneumatic braking systems for commercial road vehicles. Knorr-Bremse was the first European company to develop a new pneumatic system that applied the brakes simultaneously to all four wheels of a truck as well as its trailer. The resultant reduction in braking distances made a significant contribution to improving road safety.
A less talked about part of the company's history was the manufacture of the MG35/36 machine-gun, known as the "Knorr-Bremse,” for the Waffen SS and the Wehrmacht.
| 1905 | Georg Knorr founds Knorr-Bremse GmbH[1] in Berlin. |
| 1910 - 1924 | Knorr-Bremse developes air brakes for freight trains and becomes a major European manufacturer of rail vehicle brakes. |
| 1922 | Development of air brakes for commercial vehicles commences. |
| 1931 - 1939 | The Hildebrand-Knorr (HiK) braking system used for express trains in 17 countries. 90% of all German trucks in the 7-16 t range are fitted with Knorr braking systems. |
| 1945 - 1953 | Development and manufacture of braking systems begins again in the western part of Germany, with the main emphasis on the HiK system. Company headquarters are relocated to Munich. |
| 1985 - 1993 | During a difficult phase in the company's development, Heinz Hermann Thiele acquires a majority share in Knorr-Bremse and launches a radical restructuring program and becomes a global player. The AAR DB60 control valve gains Knorr-Bremse access to the North American market. |
| 1996 | Series production of pneumatic disc brakes for commercial vehicles begins. |
| 1999 | Robert Bosch GmbH merges its activities in the electronic brake control sector with Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems. Knorr-Bremse takes a 60% share, giving it overall managerial control of the joint venture; Bosch retains a 20% share. |
| 2002 | Knorr-Bremse takes over from Honeywell International Inc., USA its share of joint ventures in Europe, Brazil and the USA. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems becomes a subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse AG. The Knorr-Bremse Group achieves sales of EUR 2.1 billion for the first time. |
| 2005 | Centenary of operation. |
[edit] Products
[edit] Rail vehicles
Knorr-Bremse not only produce complete braking systems for all types of rail vehicles but also door systems, toilets, air-conditioning, couplings and windscreen wipers. In 2000, it purchased British manufacturer, Westinghouse Brakes, from Invensys, and subsequently moved its operations from Chippenham to the nearby English town of Melksham. [2]
[edit] Commercial vehicles
Knorr-Bremse has been developing and manufacturing braking systems for commercial vehicles since 1920. For trucks and semi-trailer tractor units over 6 tonnes, buses, trailers or special vehicles.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The acronym "GmbH" (for German "Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung") means a business with limited liability.
- ^ Invensys investor relations news release, April 25, 2000 Invensys Sells Westinghouse Brakes to Knorr-Bremse. Retrieved from the Internet Archive on March 30, 2008.
