Custom stainless steel fabrications and design objects for yacht building, art, architecture and retail – manufactured at the Borken site.
Steelworks GmbH & Co. KG
Borken (Münsterland)New on Amplifa
Manufactory for custom stainless steel fabrications
Steelworks is a manufacturing company specialized in stainless steel, based in Borken in the Münsterland region. The company produces individual components and design objects for luxury yachts, art installations, retail interiors, trade fair stands and aircraft interior fittings – including staircase systems, railing systems, wall cladding, washbasins, handrails and large-format sculptures. Across more than 6000 m² of production space, all manufacturing steps are bundled in-house: 3D design, millimetre-accurate 3D measurements via scanning technology, CNC milling on eight large-format portal milling machines, CNC grinding and polishing for distortion-free mirror surfaces, forming processes such as rolling, bending, pressing, deep drawing and hydroforming, as well as PVD coating and final assembly. In addition to stainless steel (higher-alloyed grades for outdoor applications), Steelworks processes aluminium, brass, bronze, copper, Alucore, Dibond, plastics, wood, glass and stone. Customers include Heesen Yachts, Feadship, Emirates, Lufthansa, VW Autostadt, Dior and Toyota, as well as artists such as Anselm Reyle and Jeppe Hein.
- Site
- Borken
- Processes
- CNC milling (large format), 5-axis milling, CNC grinding and polishing (distortion-free mirror surfaces), Mirror polish, PVD coating, Rolling, Bending, Pressing
- Materials
- Stainless steel, Aluminium, Alucore, Dibond, Plastics, Wood, Glass, Brass
- Certificates
- In-house incoming inspection of stainless steel (Quality Check), Millimetre-accurate 3D scan measurements, ISO 9001
- Founded
- 1994
- Employees
- 65
- Industries
- Yacht building (interior/exterior), Art/public installations, Retail interiors, Trade fair construction, Architecture/Interior design, Aircraft interiors
- 01
3D measurement using scanning technology
- 02
3D design and photorealistic visualization
- 03
CNC milling (large format, including 5-axis)
- 04
Forming (rolling, bending, pressing, deep drawing, hydroforming)
- 05
CNC grinding, mirror polish, V-Cut edges
- 06
PVD coating
- 07
Integration of LED technology, electrics, hydraulics, control technology
- 08
Final assembly and installation
Materials and processes
Stainless steel (corrosion-resistant)
Core material for yacht, art and retail projects; for outdoor installations, higher-alloyed stainless steels with increased resistance are used.
Aluminium
Lightweight material for wall- and ceiling-mounted constructions as well as yacht and design objects.
Alucore
Aluminium honeycomb composite for weight-reduced large-format components.
Dibond
Aluminium composite material for flat, large-surface components.
Brass
Material for high-quality design objects and yacht fittings, among other things machined on large-format CNC milling machines.
Bronze
Corrosion-resistant workpiece material used in yacht building and for design objects.
Copper
Machined alongside stainless steel, aluminium, brass and bronze using V-Cut technology.
Plastics and composites
Selected plastics for components in yacht interiors and design objects.
Glass (float glass, ESG, VSG, mirror glass)
Processed in combination with stainless steel into constructions such as railings and cladding.
Wood
Combined with stainless steel for interior and furniture components.
Stone / natural stone
For material combinations with stainless steel in retail and design projects.
Site
Borken
DEProduction and administration (headquarters)
- Materials
- Stainless steel, aluminium, brass, bronze, copper, Alucore, Dibond, plastics, wood, glass, stone
- 8 large-format CNC portal milling machines
- CNC grinding and polishing systems
- PVD coating system
- 3D scanning technology
- Art hall for trial assemblies
Components and projects
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC milling (large format)Machining | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel, Aluminium, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Wood, Plastics |
| 5-axis millingMachining | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| CNC grinding and polishing (distortion-free mirror surfaces)Surface | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| Mirror polishSurface | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| PVD coatingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| RollingForming | – | – | – | – | – |
| BendingForming | – | – | – | – | – |
| PressingForming | – | – | – | – | – |
| Embossing (surfaces, EU patent)Forming | – | – | – | – | – |
| Deep drawingForming | – | – | – | – | – |
| HydroformingForming | – | – | – | – | – |
| Spark erosionMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wire cutting (wire EDM)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| V-Cut technology (sharp-edged fabrication, minimal radii)Machining | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel, Aluminium, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Wood, Plastics |
| 3D design by in-house designersEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3D measurements / 3D scanning technologyInspection | millimetre-accurate | – | – | – | – |
| Photorealistic visualizationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Final assembly / installation of art and custom projectsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Integration of LED technology, electrics, motors, hydraulics and control technologyAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Processing of glass (float glass, ESG, VSG, mirror glass) in combination with stainless steelAssembly | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel, Glass |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large-format CNC milling machine (portal milling machine) | – | 8 | Large format/oversize format | – | Borken |
| CNC grinding and polishing systems | – | – | – | – | Borken |
| PVD coating system | – | – | – | – | Borken |
| 3D scanning technology (measuring systems) | – | – | – | – | Borken |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
Stainless steel is sourced exclusively from renowned rolling mills and inspected before further processing: every mirror-polished surface is checked for material defects prior to machining, and any irregularities identified are recorded digitally and taken into account in the design. The almost fully in-house production from design to surface finishing ensures precision and consistent quality.
| Evidence | Borken |
|---|---|
| In-house incoming inspection of stainless steel (Quality Check) | |
| Millimetre-accurate 3D scan measurements | |
| ISO 9001 |
History
- 1994
Thomas Reining produces his first stainless steel products as a sole trader under the addition “Steelworks by TR”.
- 1996
Merger with Uli Meerkötter; founding of Reining & Meerkötter GbR in Rhedebrügge.
- 1998
Move to Heinrich-Hertz-Straße in Borken and hiring of the first employees.
- 2002
Training of the first apprentice, Dennis Fellerhoff, today's workshop foreman.
- 2003
Production of the first Airbus A-380 handrails for Emirates and Lufthansa.
- 2005
Marc Meerkötter joins the company as a certified master metalworker.
- 2007
Renaming to Steelworks GmbH & Co. KG.
- 2008
New building and move into the main hall at Lise-Meitner-Straße 20 in Borken; fitting out of the VW Autostadt Premium Club House.
- 2009
Entry into the yachting scene with the first yacht interior projects.
- 2011
Entry into the international art scene.
- 2014
Marc Meerkötter becomes a limited partner and officially joins the management.
- 2020
Realization of the major art projects “The Hive” and “Eye of the North”.
- 2023
Uli Meerkötter withdraws as a limited partner.