Crown Prince (company)
| Kronprinz GmbH | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Company with limited liability |
| founding | 1897 |
| Seat |
Solingen , Germany
|
| Number of employees | 509 |
| sales | 170.4 million euros |
| Branch | Automotive supplier |
| Website | www.kronprinz.de |
| As of December 31, 2015 | |
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The Kronprinz company , Accuride Wheels Solingen GmbH since 2018 , based in Solingen, is a manufacturer of steel wheels for cars, trucks, tractors and construction machinery.
The company was founded on July 27, 1897 by Rudolf Kronenberg and Carl Prinz under the company Kronprinz AG for bicycle parts in Ohligs , a district of Solingen since 1929 , whereby "Kronprinz" was chosen as a contraction of both family names. They made welded and seamless precision tubes and rims for bicycles and automobiles. In 1903 the company applied for a patent for a steel automobile wheel with a removable rim . Carl Prinz died in 1907. In 1930 the production of steel disc wheels for cars began. In 1934, Rudolf Kronenberg, the company's second co-founder, died. Since there were no heirs, Mannesmann took over the company.
Kronprinz AG
The founders
Rudolf Kronenberg (born March 4, 1859 in Lochbachtal in Wald ; † November 9, 1934 in Solingen) was the oldest of eleven children. His father was a small, self-employed umbrella turner . Rudolf Kronenberg learned the locksmith's trade at the Gebrüder Dältgen company and became a technical draftsman . He then went on a hike and became a master at Rump & Sons in Altena . There he met Carl Prinz (* 1857 in Altena; † 1907 on a trip to California ), a young entrepreneur who came from a well-to-do family and ran a rivet factory in Altena .
Rudolf Kronenberg returned from Altena to Solingen in 1888 and went into business for himself together with his brother-in-law Karl Süss (* 1859). He manufactured ribs for umbrella frames , slotted tubes for umbrella sticks and ramrods, as well as spokes and nipples for the rapidly growing bicycle industry . He made bicycle rims and steel tubes from steel strip . As long as the welding was still unknown, the joint of the rims had to be connected by riveted or soldered tabs . The first thin-walled tubes for bicycles, which Kronenberg manufactured, were soldered like bicycle rims.
When electric welding was still in its infancy, Kronenberg developed a process with which rims could be butt-welded electrically. The welding machine he designed was fed by accumulators that were located in the cellar below the welding machine. When it was possible to produce a weld seam without additives with the use of autogenous welding, an important step forward was taken. More and more it has now been possible to replace the soldering of the longitudinal pipe seam with welding. With the autogenous welding machines built at Kronprinz, throughput speeds of around one meter per minute were achieved.
Carl Prinz had relocated his rivet factory from the narrow Lennetal to an easily accessible property at Immigrath train station . Rudolf Kronenberg and Carl Prinz founded the Kronprinz Actien-Gesellschaft für Fahrradteile in Ohligs on July 27th, 1897 , whereby "Kronprinz" was chosen as a contraction of the two family names Kronenberg and Prinz. The share capital was 1.4 million marks. Even then, Kronprinz AG owned the Ohligs and Immigrath production facilities. Kronenberg won the man-made fiber industrialist Hans Jordan as entrepreneurial advisor and chairman of the supervisory board .
In the Ohligs plant, rims and mudguards for bicycles were made from steel strips using a patented process instead of wood. In addition to rivet production, the production of seamless tubes was started at the Immigrath plant . The tubes were needed for the manufacture of frames, front forks and handlebars for bicycles and motorcycles.
Years of construction
Daimler built the first automobile in 1886. In its outer form it was still like a carriage. As these new vehicles got faster and faster, their shape was changed too. The development of the car influenced the design of car wheels. Rudolf Kronenberg was interested in this area. He manufactured the first car wheels in Ohligs in 1898.
To secure their supply of raw materials, Kronenberg and Prinz took a 25% share in the founding of the Eisen- und Stahlwerk-GmbH in Ohligs in 1899 . The participation led to the name change from Kronprinz Actien-Gesellschaft für Fahrradteile in Kronprinz Aktiengesellschaft für Metallindustrie . The Eisen- und Stahlwerk-GmbH Ohligs plant supplied the steel blocks for the Immigrath plant until 1929.
In Immigrath, the electrical heating of the welding edges for the production of longitudinal seams in pipes was introduced.
At the turn of the century, the Crown Prince opened his own production facilities in France and Italy in order to open up new sales areas for their products.
In 1903, the company received a patent for a steel car wheel, making it one of the first to switch from the removable rim to the whole wheel. This wheel was also still a spoked wheel. The construction was similar to the flat bed rim.
Carl Prinz, restless and always striving for new goals, left the joint venture in 1907. Other tasks attracted him. He founded new companies in the Solingen area and bought a copper mine in California, which he wanted to visit in 1907. Carl Prinz died on this trip. Kronenberg ran the Kronprinz company on his own and expanded the plant with a staff of capable men.
Tube
For the production of seamless tubes, a tube rolling mill was built in Immigrath, in which blocks were punched and drawn using the Erhardt process and then finish-rolled on Swedish stands. In addition to the pellet requirements for the own pipe drawing shop, hot-rolled boiler pipes were produced on a smaller scale .
From 1906, the billets were rolled out by the Ohligs steelworks in the Immigrath strip rolling mill into strips with a width of up to around 200 mm. These strips were then partially processed further in the Immigrath cold rolling mill. Rims, mudguards and soldered tubes were made from them. Kronprinz soldered his first thin-walled tubes like bicycle rims, and later he welded them lengthways and crossways. The attempts at electric welding got stuck in their beginnings because the First World War broke out.
After the First World War, Kronenberg developed a machine for the electrical longitudinal welding of pipes for the Immigrath plant. After the war it was initially possible to replace the soldering of the band edges to form the rim tube with a resistance welding process after the transverse weld. During this time, the Immigrath plant was transferred to Crown Prince A.-G. for metal industry, Immigrath K.-G.
As early as 1910, Kronenberg was able to double the share capital of his AG to 2.8 million marks. As a result of the First World War, assets in France and Italy worth 1.8 million gold marks were confiscated. With the outcome of the First World War, the manufacturing plants in Italy and France were lost.
Through Jordan's mediation, Crown Prince became a major purchaser of Luppen at Mannesmann Röhrenwerke during the First World War , as only part of the required pre-tubes could be produced in the company's own tube rolling mill. Since Kronprinz started manufacturing precision tubes, the two companies got closer.
In 1927 he invented a machine for butt welding the longitudinal seams of slotted pipes, with which he was the first in the world to produce. From 1929 new, similar machines were used to make new attempts at resistance welding of the longitudinal seams of pipes. Within two years, the machines were developed to the point where they were able to manufacture pipes.
The Eisen- und Stahlwerk-GmbH Ohligs plant was shut down in 1929 and later sold.
When the tube association was renewed, the company joined it. The quota was transferred to Mannesmannröhren-Werke for the duration of the contract in return for annual payments.
Since around 1930, however, the tube rolling mill has been working exclusively for its own use and from that time almost exclusively for tubes made of alloyed steels. From that point on, new machines were built continuously until operations were completely converted from oxy-fuel to electric welding. From 1934, Kronprinz AG only manufactured electrically welded steel pipes.
Car rims and car wheels
Kronprinz began large-scale production of car rims and car wheels in a new building in Ohligs in 1908. In 1921, through a patent exchange, the company was the only one in Germany to receive the manufacturing rights and sales of the removable wire- spoke wheel with quick release from Rudge- Whitworth, which became indispensable in motor racing. It was made by the Crown Prince until the late 1950s.
From 1921 onwards, Kronprinz had to devote himself to the truck wheel when pneumatic tires prevailed here. In 1925, Kronprinz brought out a split rim with a solid side ring rolled on one side and with a rolled-in ring groove for the snap ring, which was patented.
Since 1927 he has been producing the ring disks for automobile wheels by taper rolling flat iron instead of punching large disks out of square metal sheets.
The manufacture of steel disc wheels for cars began in 1930. Before that, the market only knew storage wheels. That was a major step forward towards a cheaper automobile wheel. In 1930 Kronprinz brought out a drop center safety rim for trucks that offered greater security against the tire jumping out.
From 1932, further improvements aimed at reducing the weight of the bike. The possibility of tapering the disc towards the outer circumference was used without reducing the load capacity of the wheel. Initially, the conical shape of the wheel disc could only be achieved by machining, a lengthy, costly process. With the development of wheel disk rolling mills, Kronprinz AG found an economical solution for producing tapered disks.
Since the dawn of aviation industry Crown Prince delivered steel pipes precision for them seamless, wire spokes run and spurs and from 1932 the first spring legs for the Ju 52 , known as "Auntie Ju".
Kronprinz AG and Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG
In 1930 the Mannesmannröhren-Werke Düsseldorf group acquired 20% of the Kronprinz shares.
Rudolf Kronenberg was General Director of Kronprinz AG until his death on November 9, 1934. Kronenberg remained a member of the board and deputy chairman of the supervisory board of his company until his death .
He left no heirs suitable to run such an enterprise. Kronenberg's heirs were ready to part with their shareholdings and the Mannesmannröhren-Werke bought more Kronprinz shares. The "Mannesmannröhren-Werke", Düsseldorf, continued to increase their holdings in the company's shares considerably. As early as 1936, this large tube company had achieved a stake in Kronprinz AG of over 50 percent and thus owned the absolute majority of the company's share capital. Even when Kronprinz AG had become almost the sole property of the Mannesmann Group, it retained its own administrative apparatus, independent purchasing and sales. The name Kronprinz, successfully introduced at home and abroad in four decades, was retained.
Solingen-Ohligs plant
In the period between 1936 and 1939, the Kronprinz also switched to arms business. Tubes and wheels were now required in large quantities for various purposes in the arms industry. In the main plant in Ohlig, aircraft wheels were now also manufactured, followed by the construction of aircraft landing gear . The first Kronprinz (KPZ) struts were used as standard on the Ju 52. Until 1945, Kronprinz produced aircraft parts, including complete landing gear struts for manufacturers such as Junkers and Messerschmitt AG . The application of the Uerdinger ring spring on the shock absorber proved to be successful. In the course of further development to reduce weight, the transition to air and oil-sprung chassis took place.
The automobile wheel was further improved. Modern drop center rims have been developed for passenger cars and the three and four-part flat base rims for heavy trucks. At that time, the racing cars from Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union achieved their victories on Kronprinz wheels. Valuable experience with light alloy rims was gained at an early stage, which later benefited from the introduction of aluminum wheels into series production.
Sales and Acquisition
The stake in Kromag 'Aktiengesellschaft für Werkzeug- und Metallindustrie , in Hirtenberg , was sold.
In 1936, Kronprinz expanded its capacity for seamless and oxy-fuel-welded precision tubes by purchasing the Coppel tube factory in Hilden . It was in Röhrenwerk Hilden G. mb H. Hilden. (Rhineland.) Renamed.
The company acquired a further share in Metallwerke Ohligs GmbH in Solingen-Ohligs, which had been founded in 1906 by a former employee of Kronprinz. The plant also produced seamless tubes, rims and fenders for bicycles and motorcycles.
restructuring
Kronprinz's range of services included the production of welded and seamless tubes, profiles, parts for further processing, aircraft parts and automobile wheels. Jordan's former secretary, Karl Zell, continued to run the company until 1938, before it was transferred entirely to Mannesmann in 1939, which significantly increased its performance in precision tube production.
In the years that followed, the Crown Prince experienced rapid development.
Under the new management of Mannesmannröhren-Werke, the manufacturing facilities were converted and major new and replacement investments of around 0.3 million Reichsmarks were made.
The renovation meant the creation of new workshops and the demolition and sale of an unused property with factory buildings. The partially parallel production of the four plants was split up rationally. The Hilden plant stopped welding pipes. As far as necessary, it now procured the welded pipes from Ohligs. At the Ohlig metal works, the production of seamless pipes was shut down and relocated to Immigrath. The bicycle rim and mudguard production was instead concentrated at the Ohlig metal works.
World War II and post-war period
During the Second World War was Solingen Although However, Crown Prince bombed not totally destroyed. Nevertheless, there was hardly a functioning workshop after the end of the war. After the end of the war, the occupying power used the plant as a barracks. Only the joint efforts of management and staff succeeded in makeshift repairs to the halls and machines and to resume production. The things that could be produced were separate from the previous production program. The management's proposal to make camp beds was accepted by the occupying forces. The mattresses of the beds were made of braided iron, the frames of tubes that were left over from the war. Even if the normal production program had started again in all workshops before the currency reform in 1948 , the real reconstruction only began at this point in time. Not only did the war damage have to be completely removed; Also, long overdue renovations to buildings and machines were tackled. This is where Kronprinz's membership of the Mannesmann Group proved itself in a very special way.
Ohlig's work
Special machines were designed by Kronprinz themselves and largely built in their own workshop. Examples of this are the pipe welding machines, especially the large welding machine for pipes from 3½ to 6 5/8 inches. Other machines were bought in Germany and the USA.
New halls were created in the cold rolling mill, and the old pot annealing plant was replaced by modern continuous furnaces.
The pickling plant and strip preparation were renewed, the cold rolling stands were converted and supplemented. After adding the cold rolling stands, cold strip up to 560 mm wide could be produced.
The production of steel disc wheels for tubeless tires in cars began in 1955. A new multi-stage press enabled car wheel disc production from 1961. The manufacture of one-piece steel truck wheels (steep shoulder wheels) began in 1969. 1980 Start of light metal cast wheel manufacture.
Immigrath plant
Modern halls were created in which the machines were set up according to the production flow. Crane systems helped to facilitate the transport of large quantities of material.
New furnaces for scale-free heat treatment were installed in the pipe drawing shop.
The pickling plant, which used to be a pain in the ass in iron processing, received exemplary facilities, so that nothing reminded of the formerly unhealthy conditions.
The rapidly expanding production of pipes made of high-alloy steels made it necessary to build a whole new department. This production complemented the range of unalloyed precision tubes. They were manufactured in seamless and welded design.
Kronprinz owned ten electric welding machines for a diameter range from 8 to 170 mm.
The cold pilgrimage was expanded; With its nine machines, it was the largest of its kind in Europe. In addition to high-alloy tubes, these machines also produced precision ball bearing tubes.
In the strip rolling mill, the previously existing trio line was replaced by a semi-continuous line. It was able to produce tapes from 50 to 560 mm wide. The raw material for the welding pipe department, the wheel department and the profile department was rolled in the strip mill, and strip steel for direct sale was also produced.
In the tube rolling mill, special equipment rolled quality blanks, predominantly made of alloyed steels, for their own further processing.
Hilden plant
When the occupation troops marched into the Hilden plant, US soldiers confiscated part of the plant. From 1946 onwards, after lengthy efforts, the Hilden plant, which was subject to restitution legislation, was retained. It got a powerful drawing plant. At first the two-wheeler industry was supplied. It manufactured pipe parts for the bicycle industry and motorcycle telescopic forks, as well as pipes for sanitary facilities and cisterns, golf sticks and high-voltage fittings.
For the automotive industry, Hilden has been supplying bent and differently processed tubes for decades. As the two-wheeler industry declined, it expanded its program to include the manufacture of ready-to-install line pipes for irrigation, building drainage, and mining. Building on the experience gained in aircraft landing gear construction, the delivery of hydraulic pit jacks for mining began. The Hilden plant was shut down in 1972. The Terrania industrial park is on the site today.
Mannesmann Kronprinz AG
In 1970 the tube production of the old Kronprinz AG was transferred to the Mannesmannröhren-Werke and the wheel production to the new Kronprinz AG (100% owned by Mannesmann AG). Mannesmann-Werke AG became the management company of Mannesmann Kronprinz AG in 1977. The service program of Mannesmann Kronprinz AG included the production of welded and seamless tubes, profiles, parts for further processing and automobile wheels.
Fichtel & Sachs AG
After the incorporation of Fichtel & Sachs AG into the Mannesmann Group, the Schweinfurt company took over the management tasks in 1988 . As a modernization, a complete production line for aluminum wheels was built in 1995 and, from 1996, wheels with external valves for trucks (ALV wheels) were manufactured. In 1996, Mannesmann-Kronprinz AG took a 20 percent stake in the Turkish wheel manufacturer Tekersan , a subsidiary of the largest Turkish industrial group, Koç Holding .
Michelin
In 1997, Michelin bought 51 percent of the Kronprinz shares from Mannesmann and thus became the majority shareholder. In 2004, Michelin took over the company completely through another share purchase.
2001 Foundation of the cycling sport in Essen in cooperation with Fritz Berger GmbH . This external logistics platform took over the distribution of the wheels for the aftermarket to the European wholesale network. Fritz Berger GmbH was completely taken over by Crown Prince in 2003.
In 2004, Kronprinz took over 100 percent of the manufacturer Tekersan.
BORBET Solingen
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The light alloy cast wheel production became a subsidiary of the Borbet Group in 2001 . These activities were temporarily continued under the name Kronprinz AluGuss GmbH at the Solingen location. Since January 1st, 2009 the company has been operating under the name BORBET Solingen . Borbet GmbH produces cast wheels made of light metal on the Kronprinz factory premises.
mefro wheels metal goods factory
On January 1, 2005, Kronprinz was taken over by mefro wheels metal goods factory in Rohrdorf (am Inn) , which soon relocated its headquarters to Solingen.
Accuride Wheels Solingen GmbH
The parent company mefro wheels was bought by its largest US competitor Accuride in 2018. The Accuride Wheels Solingen GmbH , based in Solingen is a manufacturer of steel wheels for cars, trucks, tractors and construction equipment. Since 2017 only car and truck steel wheels have been manufactured.
Web links
- Private page on the history of the Crown Prince
- Early documents and newspaper articles on the Crown Prince in the 20th century press kit of the ZBW - Leibniz Information Center for Economics .
- Website of the company Accuride Wheels Solingen GmbH
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Data and facts Kronprinz
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y 60 years of Kronprinz AG , annual report 1957.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Seherr-Thoß, Hans Christoph Graf von: Kronenberg, Rudolph in: Neue Deutsche Biographie 13 (1982), pp. 83-84
- ↑ a b c d e Crown Prince Aktiengesellschaft Metallurgy accessed March 19, 2020
- ↑ a b c Heinrich Strangmeier: Hildener Jahrbuch 1945-46 pages 81, 133, 156
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Kronprinz GmbH manufacturer of car and steel wheels, history , accessed March 3, 2020
- ↑ Crown Prince Aluguss and Austria Aluguss with a new name
- ↑ Accuride: Takeover of Mefro Wheels GmbH completed, accessed March 20, 2020
- ↑ Stefan Prinz: Accuride takes over Crown Prince. In: Solinger Tageblatt. June 5, 2018, accessed on September 12, 2018 (German).
Coordinates: 51 ° 10 ′ 13.8 ″ N , 7 ° 0 ′ 55.2 ″ E