ZARGES manufactures lightweight-metal access solutions, transport cases and custom designs in aluminium and plastic.
Zarges GmbH
Weilheim · Dresden · KecskemétNew on Amplifa
About ZARGES
ZARGES is a lightweight-metal construction company headquartered in Weilheim in Upper Bavaria, which was the first company in Europe to begin series production of lightweight-metal ladders. The company develops and produces more than 500 types of ladders, climbing equipment, mobile scaffold towers, work platforms, crossover steps, stairs and stair platforms as well as cases, baskets, trolleys and fasteners made of aluminium and plastic. In addition, ZARGES produces custom designs such as work and maintenance platforms, access stairs and roof work platforms for rail vehicles, as well as individual access solutions for machines, boilers, tanks and silos in accordance with EN ISO 14122 and DIN 18799. Manufacturing includes sheet metal forming, automated quality flanging introduced in 1975, and testing and certification of products, including TÜV Süd-tested cases with IP 65 protection rating and UN dangerous goods approval. ZARGES supplies industries ranging from industrial and plant construction to rail and railway transport, aviation, defence technology and medical through to logistics centres and wind energy. Around 800 employees work at three production sites in Europe; the export share is approximately 50 percent to around 60 countries.
- Site
- Weilheim
- Processes
- Lightweight-metal construction / series production of lightweight-metal ladders (including quality, Series production of aluminium folding cases, Custom designs / individual access solutions (work and maintenance platforms, stairs,, Testing and certification of products (TÜV Süd, IP65 per DIN EN 60529, UN dangerous goods approval), Service lifts (TBA 6000-3 / TBA 6000-5) for wind turbines – training, maintenance, repair, Consulting, Seminars and Training (ZARGES Academy), Spare Parts and Repair
- Materials
- Aluminium (Lightweight Metal), Plastic, Aluminium Sheet 1.5 mm (K 470 from 750 x 550 mm base dimension), Aluminium Sheet 1.5 mm, Quality Flanging, IP 65 Protection Rating per DIN EN 60529
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, DIN EN ISO 45001:2023, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001
- Founded
- 1933
- Employees
- approx. 800
- Industries
- Industry & Plant Construction, Commercial Vehicles and Buses, Trade/Construction, Aviation, Rail & Railway Transport, Medical
- 01
Engineering & Project Planning
- 02
Sheet Metal Forming (Lightweight-Metal Construction)
- 03
Quality Flanging
- 04
Assembly
- 05
Testing & Certification
- 06
Logistics & Service
Materials & Processes
Aluminium (Lightweight Metal)
Main material for ladders, cases, platforms and custom designs – stability at low weight and corrosion resistance.
Aluminium Sheet 1.5 mm
Extra-strong sheet for K 470 universal cases from a base dimension of 750 x 550 mm.
Plastic
Complements lightweight metal in climbing equipment and products for industry, commerce and trade.
Quality Flanging
Automated joining process introduced in 1975 for rung-to-stile adhesive connections on ladders.
IP 65 Protection Rating per DIN EN 60529
TÜV Süd-tested tightness of the K 470 universal case achieved by foam-injected lid gasket and pressure equalization valve.
Production Sites
Weilheim
DEHeadquarters and Production
- Materials
- Aluminium, Plastic
Dresden
DEProduction site
Kecskemét
HUProduction site
Components & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight-metal construction / series production of lightweight-metal ladders (including qualityForming | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Series production of aluminium folding casesForming | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Custom designs / individual access solutions (work and maintenance platforms, stairs,Engineering | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Testing and certification of products (TÜV Süd, IP65 per DIN EN 60529, UN dangerous goods approval)Testing | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Service lifts (TBA 6000-3 / TBA 6000-5) for wind turbines – training, maintenance, repairAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Certifications
ZARGES ensures quality through stringent inspections, independent testing by TÜV Süd and international certifications according to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and DIN EN ISO 45001:2023. Products such as the K 470 universal case are additionally tested to IP 65 per DIN EN 60529 and optionally available with UN dangerous goods approval.
| Evidence | Weilheim | Dresden | Kecskemét |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |||
| ISO 14001 | |||
| ISO 45001 |
History
- 1933
Founding of ZARGES Leichtmetallbau by Walther Zarges in Stuttgart, Hermannstraße 20 (1 September).
- 1938
Series production of lightweight-metal ladders begun as the first company in Europe; already nearly 100 employees.
- 1939
Relocation of the plant to Weilheim (Upper Bavaria).
- 1948
Maintenance of the Allied 'raisin bombers' from Erding airfield.
- 1951
100th patent – series production of the ZARGES folding case in aluminium.
- 1954
Equipment for the first German-Austrian Himalaya expedition.
- 1958
25 years of ZARGES, 700 employees, Federal Cross of Merit for Walther Zarges.
- 1961
Start of construction of cable car gondolas (up to 70 persons), among others for the Zugspitzbahn Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
- 1972
Sale of shares to the Vereinigten Aluminium-Werke; quality flanging and the 'birth' of the ZARGES box.
- 1975
Introduction of ZARGES quality flanging.