Develops and manufactures high-performance precision wires and alloys for EDM, welding, electronics and special applications.
Berkenhoff GmbH
Heuchelheim (headquarters, Kinzenbach plant) · Herborn (Merkenbach plant) · Ningbo (bedra China) · Bắc Ninh (bedra Vietnam) · Hanahan, SC (bedra Inc.) · Hong Kong (bedra Hong Kong Ltd.)New on Amplifa
About bedra – precision wires since 1889
Berkenhoff GmbH, with its brand bedra, is a manufacturer of high-performance precision wires and alloys for electrical discharge machining (EDM), welding and brazing technology, electronic components, resistance and heating applications as well as special solutions; rods and bars are also supplied. Founded in 1889 and headquartered in Heuchelheim (Hesse), the company covers the entire value chain in-house: casting, rolling, wire drawing, annealing and electroplating through to final packaging. The product portfolio comprises more than 100 alloys based on copper, brass, bronze, aluminium and nickel silver (CuNiZn), including EDM wires, copper and aluminium welding wires, electronic, anchor stamping, resistance and special wires in customer-specific alloys, surfaces and dimensions. The two German plants in Heuchelheim-Kinzenbach and Herborn-Merkenbach produce around 11.000 tonnes respectively about 30 million kilometres of wire annually; further production sites are located in China and Vietnam, supplemented by sales companies in the USA and Hong Kong. Customers come from tool and mould making, automotive and automotive electronics, aerospace, electronics and IT, mechanical engineering, medical technology, plant engineering and transport. In-house research and development at the Berkenhoff Competence Center, including an EDM application laboratory, complements manufacturing.
- Site
- Heuchelheim
- Processes
- EDM wire (electrical discharge machining / EDM wire, coated and bare wire electrodes), Copper brazing and welding wires (MIG/MAG brazing and welding, TIG welding, laser and, Aluminium welding wires, Electronic wires, Anchor wires (anchor stamping wire), Resistance wires (resistance wire, heating resistance applications), Special wires (including optical wires, square, rectangular and octagonal profiles, flat and round, Rods and bars
- Materials
- Copper, Copper, low-alloyed, Copper-aluminium (aluminium bronze), Copper-manganese, Copper-nickel, Copper-nickel-silicon, Copper-nickel-tin, Copper-tin (tin bronze)
- Certificates
- DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, DIN EN ISO 14001:2015, DIN EN ISO 50001:2018, Bewertung Schweißzusätze nach Druckgeräterichtlinie 2014/68/EU (VdTÜV-Merkblatt, Werkseigene Produktionskontrolle gem. Verordnung (EU) 305/2011 (CPR), System 2+, Zulassung Hersteller von Schweißzusätzen (VdTÜV-Merkblatt 1153:2017), Kupferschrott (End of Waste) gem. Verordnung (EU) Nr. 715, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, EN 1090
- Founded
- 1889
- Employees
- 330 (bedra Germany
- Industries
- Electrical discharge machining (EDM) / tool and mould making, Welding and brazing technology, Electronic components, Automotive industry, Aerospace, Consumer electronics
- 01
Casting (own foundry, melting of copper and aluminium alloys)
- 02
Rolling
- 03
Wire drawing (fine and multi-stage wire drawing)
- 04
Annealing (heat treatment)
- 05
Galvanizing / electroplating (coatings)
- 06
Product testing and quality control after every process step
- 07
Final packaging and logistics (including just-in-time deliveries)
Materials and processes
Copper
Base material for EDM, electronic, anchor and welding wires with tight alloy tolerances.
Copper, low-alloyed
Low-alloyed copper alloys for welding and brazing wires as well as wire electrodes.
Copper-aluminium (aluminium bronze)
Aluminium bronzes for brazing wires and corrosion- and wear-resistant applications.
Copper-manganese
Copper-manganese alloys for special wire applications.
Copper-nickel
Copper-nickel alloys for resistance wires and EDM wires.
Copper-nickel-silicon
Precipitation-hardenable alloy for high-strength electronic and special wires.
Copper-nickel-tin
Copper-nickel-tin alloys for high-strength, stress-relieved wire applications.
Copper-tin (tin bronze)
Tin bronzes for welding and brazing wires as well as special wires.
Copper-zinc (brass)
Brass as the standard material for EDM wires and brazing wires.
Nickel silver CuNiZn
Nickel silver for anchor, resistance and special wires with high strength.
Aluminium / aluminium alloys
Aluminium alloys for welding wires (berAlweld®), rods and bars.
Nickel alloys
Nickel alloys for special applications in the wire sector.
Locations
Heuchelheim (Kinzenbach plant)
DEHeadquarters; welding and pre-drawing wires, optical and special wires
- Part weight / size
- Fine and special wires down to the smallest diameters
- Materials
- Copper, copper alloys, aluminium, nickel silver CuNiZn
- Wire drawing center for special wires (2008)
- Wire drawing, annealing and electroplating halls
Herborn (Merkenbach plant)
DEEDM, electronic, anchor stamping, resistance and special wires
- Part weight / size
- Fine wires down to 0,1 mm diameter
- Materials
- Copper, copper alloys, brass, zinc-copper alloys
- Multi-stage wire drawing machines (in-house development, patented 1893)
- Modern production facilities (new construction from 1952)
Ningbo
CNProduction site bedra China Co., Ltd
Bắc Ninh (Hoa Phu Industrial Park)
VNProduction site bedra Vietnam Alloy Material Co., Ltd
- Materials
- Aluminium alloys (welding wires)
Hanahan, SC
USSales and logistics hub bedra, Inc.
Hong Kong (Tsim Sha Tsui East)
CNSales bedra Hong Kong Ltd.
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDM wire (electrical discharge machining / EDM wire, coated and bare wire electrodes)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Copper alloys, Brass, Zinc-copper alloys, Copper-nickel |
| Copper brazing and welding wires (MIG/MAG brazing and welding, TIG welding, laser andJoining | – | – | – | – | Copper, low-alloyed copper alloys, tin bronzes, aluminium bronzes, copper-nickel alloys |
| Aluminium welding wiresJoining | – | – | – | – | Aluminium alloys |
| Electronic wiresEngineering | – | – | – | – | Copper, copper alloys |
| Anchor wires (anchor stamping wire)Forming | – | – | – | – | Copper alloys, nickel silver CuNiZn |
| Resistance wires (resistance wire, heating resistance applications)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Copper-nickel, nickel silver CuNiZn |
| Special wires (including optical wires, square, rectangular and octagonal profiles, flat and roundEngineering | – | – | – | – | Copper, brass, bronze, aluminium, nickel silver CuNiZn |
| Rods and barsForming | – | – | – | – | Copper, copper alloys, aluminium |
| Casting (own foundry, melting of copper alloys)Casting | – | – | – | – | Copper, copper alloys, brass, bronze, aluminium, nickel silver CuNiZn |
| Rolling (rolling, including historical sheet rolling, service center for rolled products)Forming | – | – | – | – | Copper, copper alloys |
| Wire drawing (drawing, fine wire drawing, multi-stage wire drawing)Forming | – | – | – | – | Copper, copper alloys, aluminium, nickel silver CuNiZn |
| Annealing (annealing, microstructure transformation)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Copper, copper alloys |
| Galvanizing / electroplating (coatings, functional coatings for wire electrodes)Surface | – | – | – | – | Copper alloys |
| Product testing and quality control after every process step (BCC, EDM application laboratory)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| In-house research & development of own alloys (Berkenhoff Competence Center)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Copper, copper alloys, aluminium |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-stage wire drawing machine (4 consecutive drawing processes, historical in-house development, | Berkenhoff | – | – | 1893 | Herborn-Merkenbach |
| Wire drawing center for special wires | – | – | – | 2008 | Heuchelheim (Kinzenbach plant) |
| Wire drawing, annealing and electroplating halls | – | – | – | 1990 | Heuchelheim / Herborn |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and certifications
Product testing is carried out after every process step within a comprehensive quality management system; in-house research and an EDM application laboratory at the Berkenhoff Competence Center complement quality assurance. Certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, DIN EN ISO 14001:2015 and DIN EN ISO 50001:2018, plus TÜV approvals as a manufacturer of welding consumables.
| Evidence | Heuchelheim | Herborn | Ningbo | Bắc Ninh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | ||||
| ISO 14001 | ||||
| ISO 50001 | ||||
| EN 1090 |
Company history
- 1889
Carl Berkenhoff founds the fine wire drawing mill at the Rehmühle near Herborn-Merkenbach.
- 1893
Patenting of the first multi-stage wire drawing machine with four consecutive drawing processes; AEG orders 54 machines.
- 1895
Paul Drebes joins the company; the firm is named Berkenhoff & Drebes GmbH.
- 1897
Acquisition of the Asslar foundry for the production of iron and steel wires.
- 1908
Foundation of a wire drawing tool factory in Herborn.
- 1920
Establishment of a metal works in Kinzenbach for melting, casting and rolling copper alloys.
- 1923
Conversion into Berkenhoff & Drebes Aktiengesellschaft; foundation of the Maschinenfabrik Herborn.
- 1939
1.350 employees in the group on the occasion of the 50th anniversary.
- 1952
Construction of modern production facilities in Merkenbach in several building phases.
- 1964
End of the Berkenhoff family era with Eduard Berkenhoff, the last director of the third generation.
- 1981
Merger of the Merkenbach and Heuchelheim-Kinzenbach plants into Berkenhoff GmbH.
- 1990
Expansion of production capacities with wire drawing, annealing and electroplating halls.
- 2008
Construction of a new wire drawing center for special wires in Kinzenbach.
- 2015
Acquisition by the Chinese Powerway Group Co. Ltd.
- 2021
Expansion to include aluminium welding wires (berAlweld®) and a new production site in Vietnam.