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History

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1819 - 1870 1870 - 1910 1910 - 1936 1936 - 1948 1948 - 1970 1970 - 2000 2000 - 2019

1819
 
Friedrich Harkort (picture) founds Mechanische Werkstätte Harkort & Co in
Wetter an der Ruhr, Germany, together with Heinrich Kamp. The two men
plan to bring progressive English technology to Germany and thus set the
wheels of industrialisation in motion. The Prussian King supports the
enterprise and sells them Wetter Castle at a reduced price.

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1819
 
In June, Friedrich Harkort travels to Great Britain accompanied by an English
engineer to gain the necessary expertise. On his journey through the "motherland of
engineering”, he visits factories, buys tools and machines and recruits specialists
for Mechanische Werkstätte Harkort & Co. in Wetter.

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1820
 
Mechanische Werkstätte delivers the rst steam engines (picture). They are
the company’s own designs based on the English model, which use the
progressive principle developed by James Watt. With the construction of
steam engines, Mechanische Werkstätte provides important momentum for
industrial development and wins customers beyond the Ruhr area.

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1821
 
The Prussian Trade Minister Count von Bülow visits Mechanische Werkstätte
Harkort & Co in Wetter. Other politicians follow and the press becomes interested in
the newly established company. The Allgemeine Preußische Staatszeitung
newspaper describes the factory in Wetter as one of the “most remarkable and
most admirable institutions”.

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1826
 
Friedrich Harkort expands the factory and enters steel production. With the
help of specialists from England, he builds the rst puddling plant in
Westphalia at Wetter Castle. The doors are open to interested parties.
Harkort encourages others to take up and improve his ideas. The new
steelmaking process spreads rapidly from Wetter.

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1830
 
Ludwig Stuckenholz, a talented journeyman at Mechanische Werkstätte, sets up on
his own in 1830. With the support of Friedrich Harkort, he establishes a steam
boiler forge bearing his name at Wetter Castle. The small company is destined to
develop into one of the world's leading crane manufacturers. Ludwig Stuckenholz
is the second company to precede Demag.

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1834
 
Friedrich Harkort retires from Mechanische Werkstätte. He sells his shares to
his partner Heinrich Kamp (picture), who continues to run the company as
"Mechanische Werkstätte Kamp & Co”. Harkort turns to politics and also
provides important momentum for railway construction in Germany.

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1845
 
Kamp's nephew Alfred Trappen starts at Mechanische Werkstätte. Over the
following decades, the company under his leadership develops into a specialist in
equipping steel and rolling mills. Trappen's good reputation and business acumen
ensure that Mechanische Werkstätte supply machines and installations even as far
as Russia.

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1862
 
The two friends August Bechem and Theodor Keetman found Demag's third
predecessor company in Duisburg: Maschinenfabrik Bechem & Keetman,
which a few years later changes its name to Duisburger Maschinenbau AG.
The rst successful products of the start-up are ship and crane chains for
ports. Rolling mills in Austria are soon also among the customers.

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1863
 
Mechanische Werkstätte Kamp & Co supplies a 300 hundredweight steam hammer
(picture) to the Witten cast steel factory. The machine designed by Alfred Trappen
is one of the rst of its kind in Germany and will remain in operation for more than
40 years. In the years before the foundation of the Reich, equipment for the iron
and steel industry becomes the main focus of the factory in Wetter.

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1867
 
Rudolph Bredt (picture) joins Stuckenholz in Wetter after his training as a
chief engineer in England. He becomes the successor to Ludwig Stuckenholz
and within a very short time makes the company at Wetter Castle a
specialist in the manufacture of cranes and hoists. Bredt is also making a
name for himself internationally as a master crane builder. 

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1872
 
One year after the foundation of the German Empire, the two companies move
from Wetter Castle down into the Ruhr Valley. The new site, directly on the river and
next to the railway station, offers Stuckenholz (picture) and Mechanische
Werkstätte excellent transport connections and room for growth. Demag Cranes &
Components is still located here today.

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1873
 
At the World Exhibition in Vienna, Demag's three predecessor companies
impress with their products: Duisburger Maschinenbau AG presents hoists,
chains and cranes. Mechanische Werkstätte, now called Märkische
Maschinenbauanstalt AG, exhibits a steam hammer and Ludwig
Stuckenholz an overhead travelling crane with steam drive and rope hoist
(picture).
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1880
 
Duisburger Maschinenbau AG's rock drilling machines are used in the construction
of the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland (picture: opening). In the solid granite of the
Alps, these machines achieve daily progress of four to ve metres. During these
years, the Duisburg factory develops into a specialist for tunnelling and mining.

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1887
 
At Stuckenholz, Rudolph Bredt develops the world's rst crane with electric
drive for the shipyard Blohm & Voss in Hamburg. With a load capacity of
150 t and a reach of 19.5 m from the pivot axis to the load hook, it is
considered the world's largest crane in 1887. The combination of iron
construction, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering is a ground-
breaking approach to the construction of harbour cranes.
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(Image: Stadtarchiv Wetter)

1893
 
Ludwig Stuckenholz publishes the rst ever crane catalogue. On more than 80
pages, the company shows a wide range of "Crane types" with many details. The
catalogue is intended not only as a service for customers but also to protect the
copyright of Stuckenholz.
(Image: Stadtarchiv Wetter)

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1896
 
Wilhelm de Fries (picture) founds Demag's fourth predecessor, Benrather
Maschinenfabrik, in Benrath near Düsseldorf. The young company initially
develops an overhead travelling crane with several separate electric drives
and builds robust electric harbour cranes. Benrather Maschinenfabrik
becomes a serious competitor for Stuckenholz.

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1899
 
Wolfgang Reuter (picture from 1938) succeeds Rudolph Bredt at the head of
Ludwig Stuckenholz in Wetter. The engineer has worked for the crane manufacturer
since 1888, having previously studied in Helsinki, Finland. Wolfgang Reuter is the
key gure in the later founding of Deutsche Maschinenfabrik Demag.

1906
 
Märkische Maschinenbauanstalt and Ludwig Stuckenholz merge to form
Märkische Maschinenbauanstalt Ludwig Stuckenholz AG. A tunnel under the
road creates a direct connection. The new company under the management
of Wolfgang Reuter has many different products in its range: cranes and
hoists, steel and rolling mills, steam and gas engines, hammers and presses
(picture).

1906
 
Märkische Maschinenbauanstalt Stuckenholz AG starts building its own company
apartments on a hill above the town. The "Stuckenholzhöhe" housing estate
(picture) consists of exemplary multiple dwellings with large community gardens.
The company provides comprehensive protection for its several hundred workers
by means of health and support funds.

1908
 
Benrather Maschinenfabrik delivers a oating crane more than forty metres
high to the Northern Irish shipyard Harland & Wolff. The gigantic crane can
carry up to 150 t and is used to build the luxury ships of the White Star line:
the "Olympic" (picture), the "Gigantic" - and the famous doomed ship, the
"Titanic".
(Image: Deutscher Titanic-Verein von 1997)

1910
 
The major competitors in the crane & lifting equipment and metallurgical plant
construction sectors merge to form Deutsche Maschinenfabrik AG. The driving
force is Märkische Maschinenbauanstalt Stuckenholz AG, managed by Wolfgang
Reuter; the other two partners are Duisburger Maschinenbau and Benrather
Maschinenfabrik. The telegram abbreviation “Demag” soon becomes the brand.
 

1911
 
Managing Director Wolfgang Reuter and his administrative staff move from
Wetter to Duisburg. The administrative headquarters of Deutsche
Maschinenfabrik are built there (picture). An electric hoist factory is set up at
the empty premises in Wetter. Deutsche Maschinenfabrik also maintains the
central foundry here and manufactures load magnets, gear wheels and
overhead travelling cranes.

1912
 
The rst electrically driven rope hoist from Deutsche Maschinenfabrik comes onto
the market. The design is based on older models of the predecessor companies in
Benrath and Duisburg but uses a rope instead of a chain as well as a planetary
gear. The Group promotes electric hoists with a load capacity of up to 5,000
kilograms as a "new type of smaller hoist".

1913
 
Deutsche Maschinenfabrik supplies the world's largest crane to the shipping
company Blohm & Voss in Hamburg. The colossus can lift up to 250 t and is
built as a hammerhead lu ng crane with a folding load jib. This allows its
height to be increased by another 22 metres to 66 metres.

1914-1918
 
During the First World War, many employees of Deutsche Maschinenfabrik are
called to military service. Women and apprentices work in their place in production.
The Group is integrated into the war economy of the German Reich. It not only
supplies armaments companies but also manufactures its own weapons, such as
daggers, mortars and grenades.
(Image: Deutsches Historisches Museum)

1921
 
Deutsche Maschinenfabrik sets up an apprentice workshop in Wetter. The
Group also trains its own junior staff at the other two locations. In a complex
procedure, the most capable candidates are rst selected and then
comprehensively trained over several years. Excellent training is one of the
cornerstones of the success of the Demag brand to this day.   

1923
 
The occupation of the Ruhr and in ation weigh heavily on the plants in Wetter,
Duisburg and Benrath. As the currency continues to devalue, Deutsche
Maschinenfabrik issues its own emergency money (picture). Employees receive
their wages and salaries in the form of vouchers, which they can exchange at
banks. The introduction of the Rentenmark in late autumn 1923 ends in ation.
(Image: Stadtarchiv Wetter)

1924
 
In the stable years of the Weimar Republic, Deutsche Maschinenfabrik grows
through takeovers and investments. Among the companies with which it is
linked are the Berlin engine manufacturer Carl Flohr, Maschinenfabrik Rybnik
in Upper Silesia, Schiess AG and Defries Werke, both in Düsseldorf, as well
as Maschinenbau AG Tigler in Duisburg. The group is therefore also referred
to as "Reuter's collected works".

1925
 
Deutsche Maschinenfabrik introduces the electric rope hoist N. The second-
generation model is simpler, smaller and safer than its predecessor and uses a
sliding rotor motor to drive it. The success is huge: By the early 1930s, more than
40,000 electric high-speed hoists have been sold in all industrialised countries of
the world. A new production hall is built in Wetter for series production.

1926
 
Deutsche Maschinenfabrik and Vereinigte Stahlwerke agree on a division of
areas of interest. The new Demag AG is founded jointly and combines the
entire mechanical engineering activities of both partners. This means that
the Thyssen engineering works in Mülheim an der Ruhr also comes to
Demag. In return, Deutsche Maschinenfabrik transfers its entire steel
production to Vereinigte Stahlwerke.

1929
 
Demag launches the Model K electric rope hoist on the market. The conical hoist is
smaller and more powerful than the older N hoist and becomes a classic for
decades. Following the closure of the foundry at the Wetter site, Demag
concentrates on the production of wire rope hoists, cranes and load magnets.

1930
 
During the global economic crisis, Demag develops a new small hoist. The
rst double winches are launched on the market in three sizes with a load
capacity of up to 500 kilograms and are initially intended for use in
agriculture. The double winches, which are manufactured in Wetter, will soon
be used in industry, for example to transport sacks, crates or meat.
(Image: Deutsches Historisches Museum)

1930
 
Demag supplies the steel scaffolding for Europe's tallest building: the
"Boerentoren” tower, which is erected by a banking association on the occasion of
the World Exhibition in Antwerp. Thanks to major orders from abroad, the Group
holds its own better than other manufacturers in the years of the global economic
crisis. At times, exports account for more then 80 percent of Demag sales.

1934
 
Demag acquires Aktiengesellschaft für Eisenindustrie und Brückenbau
formerly Caspar Harkort in Duisburg and integrates it into the Group as the
"Harkort department”. In 1934 Demag builds a large bridge over the Rhine
connecting the Duisburg districts of Rheinhausen and Hochfeld (picture).
Following the end of the global economic crisis, the construction of large
bridges becomes a successful pillar of Demag business.

1936
 
Demag terminates the relationship with Vereinigte Stahlwerke and thus becomes
the largest independent mechanical engineering group in Germany (picture: crane
construction hall in Wetter). The company is successful at home and abroad and
grows thanks to the acquisition of other companies, such as the Lauchhammer
department of Mitteldeutsche Stahlwerke and Norddeutsche Maschinenfabrik
Nomag.

1937
 
Demag is represented with its own pavilion at the Reich’s Exhibition
“Productive People" in Düsseldorf (picture). Like other large companies, the
group is closely integrated into the National Socialist economic system and
into armaments. The Wetter plant builds the D7 “half-track motorised vehicle
10" by order of the Wehrmacht. 
(Image: Stadtarchiv Düsseldorf)

1937
 
In Düsseldorf-Benrath, Demag sets up a new production facility alongside the
existing crane plant. The Demag excavator factory bene ts from the boom in the
construction industry. In Duisburg-Hamborn, the recently acquired Norddeutsche
Maschinenfabrik Nomag becomes the Demag grab factory.

1938
 
Demag Zug GmbH is founded with headquarters in Wetter. As an
independent subsidiary of Demag AG, it is responsible for the design and
sale of small hoists. However, the actual construction of the electric hoists
and double winches remains under the umbrella of Demag AG, This means
that there are two different employers at the Wetter site for decades.

1940
 
Hans Reuter succeeds his father Wolfgang and becomes General Director of
Demag. Reuter has been working in Duisburg since the 1920s, where he was rst
responsible for exports, then for metallurgical engineering and nance. During the
war, Hans Reuter is closely involved in the war economy of the Nazi state as
"armaments chief”.

1940
 
At the Wetter plant, Demag produces diesel locomotives in series for the
Wehrmacht. The beginnings of production probably date back to 1936, and
even after the war locomotives remain part of the production programme
(picture). Demag in Wetter also produces military vehicles and engines for
the Wehrmacht.

1940-1945
 
In order to maintain production during the Second World War, Demag increasingly
resorts to using forced labourers. They include prisoners of war and labourers from
the occupied territories. At the main plants in Wetter, Duisburg and Benrath alone,
the number of forced labourers grows to more than 3,600 by 1944. In Oberwengern
on the other side of the Ruhr, the Wetter plant sets up its own large forced labour
camp.
(Picture: construction plan - Stadtarchiv Wetter)

1943
 
The war is also felt in Germany. Bombing raids affect operations at all sites.
The Demag Duisburg headquarters are hit hard several times. In Wetter, a
ood caused by the destruction of the Möhnetal dam (picture) stops the
production of electric hoists for weeks.

1945
 
After the end of the war, Demag factories in Wetter, Duisburg and Benrath are
located in the British occupation zone. All locations are allowed to resume
production quickly. The Allies use Demag expertise and machines for clean-up
work. In Wetter, the British con scate part of the factory and set up the REME repair
shop.

1947
 
Hans Reuter returns to the top of Demag AG as General Director. In 1945/46,
the British intern him for several months together with other Ruhr
industrialists. Once his denazi cation procedure has been completed, he
takes over management of the Group again. Hans Reuter renders
outstanding services to the reconstruction of Demag and is awarded the
Federal Cross of Merit in 1954.

1948
 
The Allies have 238 machines taken away from the three main Demag factories in
Wetter, Duisburg and Benrath. These removals cause nervousness in the plants but
are ultimately easy to withstand. When the lost machines are replaced shortly
afterwards with the help of loans from the American Marshall Plan, production is
extensively modernised.
(Image: Landesarchiv NRW)

1950
 
In the young Federal Republic of Germany, exports quickly pick up again.
Demag is successful all over the world with cranes and hoists but also with
the construction of metallurgical plants and rolling mills. Particularly
spectacular are major projects in Egypt, India and Norway, where the German
group builds Europe's largest ore loading facility (picture). Demag Zug also
has an international focus and founds its rst foreign subsidiary in Italy.

1953
 
Demag launches its rst chain hoist on the market. The “little Demag" is serially
produced in the factory in Wetter. It uses a roller chain and is available in three
sizes for loads up to 125, up to 250 and up to 500 kilograms. Craftsmen and
traders are thrilled. With the chain hoist, Demag is opening up new sales markets in
the small commercial sector, too.

1953
 
Demag starts production of mobile cranes at the Wetter plant. Equipped with
overhung cranes and diesel engine, these robust vehicles can also be used
on di cult terrain. The demand is great – even abroad. Just one year after
the start of production, Demag delivers mobile cranes worth around DM 4
million to the UK.

1954
 
The Wetter Works Orchestra plays for the rst time. The twenty or so musicians
create the musical programme for special occasions and give concerts - often
together with the choir, whose members are also from the company. Musical
projects across sites strengthen the feeling of togetherness within the Group.

1956
 
In the Otto-Oehme-Saal hall (picture), the employees of the Wetter plant have
a good lunch or come together for concerts and festivities. The hall is part of
the new administration building that Demag opens in Wetter. The Group
encourages joint activities and employees participate in the success of the
company through loyalty bonuses and employee shares.

1957
 
In Toronto, Canada, the Demag Material Handling business unit founds the rst
foreign subsidiary on the North American continent. It is initially responsible for the
sale of cranes and hoists and is later expanded into a production facility. Material
Handling also builds factories and companies in other parts of the world. At the
major international trade fairs (picture: Hanover), customers can nd out more
about the Demag range.

1959
 
The electric rope hoist model P comes onto the market. The new Demag
hoist is designed for load capacities up to 32 t and can be individually
adapted (picture: paper industry). Drive, gear, rope drive, electric motor and
brake are combined in constructional terms according to the sliding rotor
principle

1961
 
The great success of Demag chain hoists means that more capacity is required.
Demag Fördertechnik builds a factory in Bad Bergzabern, Rhineland-Palatinate, in
which only chain hoists are manufactured. The new site grows rapidly because the
small hoists are becoming the Group's most successful series product.

1962
 
Demag builds Germany's rst automatic high-bay warehouse for the
Bertelsmann publishing house. It is twenty metres high and holds up to
seven million books – a pioneering achievement. Further orders follow, so
that “distribution technology” at the Wetter site quickly becomes an
important pillar of Material Handling.

1962
 
Demag Fördertechnik acquires the motor manufacturer Conz in Hamburg, in which
it has held a stake since 1927. In the following years, Conz expands into a new
large engine plant for the electric hoists. Here, brake motors are built according to
the conical rotor principle (picture), while motor construction at the Wetter plant is
completely discontinued.

1963
 
Demag launches the new PK chain hoist, known as "the Junior". It is
available in four load capacities up to 1,000 kilograms. A sliding rotor brake
motor serves as the drive motor and a high-strength round link chain as the
supporting element.  If required, the chain hoist can be equipped with a
microspeed hoist and converted into a travelling hoist with a manual or
electric trolley. More than 1 million PK chain hoists will be sold before it is
replaced.

1963
 
The advertising department of Demag Zug hires Vicco von Bülow to work with
them. The cartoonist known under his stage name Loriot illustrates a series of ads
for Material Handling in Wetter that humorously address the themes of lifting,
moving and conveying.

1963
 
The PK "Junior" chain hoist is the basis for the innovative Demag KBK crane
construction kit. The chain hoist and crane construction kit together form the
"Junior System", which is a great success. This allows light suspension
cranes and tracks as well as wall-mounted and pillar-mounted slewing
cranes and gantry cranes (picture) to be constructed from standardised
components.

1967
 
Otto Blank (picture) remains on the Demag AG Management Board with
responsibility for Material Handling and continues to push ahead with the
internationalisation of the business unit, even when the Group gains a new General
Director. From 1967, Wolfgang Reuter, the only son of Hans Reuter, is the third
generation to head Demag AG, following his father Hans Reuter and his
grandfather Wolfgang Reuter, the founder of Deutsche Maschinenfabrik.

1969
 
Wolfgang Reuter has Demag restructured according to the principle of
business units. The development and sales company Demag Zug is
dissolved and merged with other material handling divisions to form Demag
Fördertechnik, based in Wetter. The new unit now also includes the grab
factory in Duisburg-Hamborn. Construction of mobile cranes is moved from
Wetter to the Construction Machinery business unit in Benrath. 

1972
 
Demag Fördertechnik opens a new engine plant in Uslar. At its new location in
Lower Saxony, the company soon builds smaller and medium-sized brake motors
based on the patented conical rotor brake principle. Larger engines, on the other
hand, continue to be produced at the former Conz plant in Hamburg.

1973
 
The Mannesmann Group holds the majority of Demag share capital for the
rst time and takes over the company in its entirety in subsequent years.
Under the Mannesmann umbrella, Demag gains production areas and tighter
structures. Thanks to the takeover, Mannesmann grows into to one of the
largest mechanical engineering companies in the world.

1973
 
In Hagen-Vorhalle near Wetter, the test track for an innovative means of transport
goes into operation. The "Cabinentaxi" is an elevated railway developed by Demag
together with a partner company on behalf of the Federal Government. The cars
travel fully automatically and independently of each other - above and below the
rail

1974
 
Demag Fördertechnik opens its own production facility in Brazil. The
Movicarga joint venture near São Paulo produces chain and rope hoists as
well as overhead travelling and suspension crane systems and rapidly
develops into the leading supplier in South America. In 1979, the Brazilian
partners withdraw and Movicarga comes completely into German hands as
Mannesmann Demag Movicarga.

1975
 
Demag Fördertechnik has a new administrative building in Wetter/Ruhr. The state-
of-the-art headquarters are located on a hill above the town and are connected to
the plant in the valley by a shuttle service. The building is fully air-conditioned and,
with open-plan o ces, offers employees a modern working environment and
advanced technology.

1975
 
Demag adds Manulift to its range. With this hoist, loads can be moved
quickly and safely with just one hand. The Manulift is based on the lifting
unit of the PK chain hoist, supplemented by a universal, two-handed control
unit.

1976
 
The Distribution Technology business unit is founded under the umbrella of
Demag Fördertechnik, into which Demag Systemtechnik, which was founded in
1970, is integrated. At its sites in Wetter, Mannheim and Offenbach, the new
business unit successfully develops roller conveyors and high-bay warehouses
(picture: IBM Milan)

1976
 
Demag Fördertechnik opens its own large factory in the US state of Ohio.
Capacities in Canada are also be expanded to better serve the North
American market. Demag Fördertechnik also inaugurates new production
facilities in Spain, the UK and Sweden. In 1976, the business unit has a total
of 11 foreign subsidiaries.

1979
 
With the DST control pendant, Demag is launching a genuine "all-rounder" onto the
market. The DST can be used to control cranes as well as hoists or machines.
Thanks to its ergonomic design, it ts comfortably in the hand and can be operated
conveniently and safely even over long periods. It is available in different sizes.

1980
 
Wetter receives a spectacular order worth millions: Demag Fördertechnik
supplies a complete suspension crane system, which can transport loads of
up to 40 t, as well as sliding bridges and branch lines, for an aircraft factory
that the Soviet Union is having built in Ulyanovsk. In the same year, Demag
AG changes its name to Mannesmann Demag AG.

1980
 
Mannesmann Demag Fördertechnik presents the RS wheel block system. With its
sheet steel housing, it is optimised for impact loads and high temperature
applications. Various travel wheel types and mounting options make the wheel
block system universally applicable. It continues to prove itself as a "solution for
tough applications" to this day.

1985
 
At the Hanover Fair, Demag presents the DH hoist, an innovative successor
to the P electric hoist. The DH is robustly built and has a second brake. It
also scores points thanks to the new rope hoist with integrated electrics in
the form of a reversing contactor circuit, a load measuring device and the
fact that it can be mounted universally.

1986
 
Mannesmann Demag Fördertechnik (MDF) takes over half of the shares in
Mechanical Handling Engineering (MHE) in Asia. The crane manufacturing
company is based in Singapore and operates factories in Singapore, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. The successful joint venture has existed
since 1993 under the name MHE-Demag.

1988
 
A milestone in industrial history: Demag manufactures the one millionth PK
chain hoist. Introduced in 1963 as "Junior", the chain hoist proves its worth
for decades in a wide variety of applications and becomes a classic in the
eld of small hoists.

1990
 
The DK chain hoist is introduced and replaces the globally successful PK
predecessor model. The highlights: Numerous options for hoisting and trolley
applications, making the DK a universal hoist for almost all applications.

1990
 
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Mannesmann Demag Fördertechnik takes
over part of the production of the former GDR crane manufacturer Takraf.
The Mannesmann Demag Takraf joint venture is founded to continue the
lifting technology plant in Luisenthal, Thuringia. Demag subsequently
concentrates its entire production of standard overhead travelling cranes at
the new Luisenthal site for years to come.

1991
 
Mannesmann Demag Fördertechnik acquires the US company Rapistan in
Michigan. With around a thousand employees, Rapistan is the market leader for
conveyor technology in the food and beverage industries. With the integration of
Rapistan and the smaller Buschman Company, Demag achieves a breakthrough on
the American market for roller conveyors.

1992
 
Mannesmann separates conveyor technology from the Mannesmann
Demag AG group and founds Mannesmann Demag Fördertechnik AG. The
new company employs around 11,000 people, one third of them abroad, and
is divided into the Crane and Handling Technology, Systems Technology and
Components business units. It is headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rüdiger Franke.

1997
 
Mannesman Demag Fördertechnik AG is renamed Mannesmann Dematic AG. The
new name not only re ects the international orientation, it is also motivated by the
great successes and new developments in the eld of automation and systems.
Mannesmann Dematic is a leader in postal automation.

1997
 
Dematic presents its range of geared motors to the public.
With the modular system of motors, gears, geared motors and wheel
systems now available, customer requirements can be implemented to
measure. Complete travel units can be created from these precisely matched
components.

1998
 
In Kuala Lumpur, MHE Demag is involved in the construction of the world's tallest
building, the Petronas Towers. It supplies 13 building maintenance units for the
construction site of the twin towers at a height of more than 400 metres. To this
day, MHE Demag maintains a service depot at Petronas Towers for maintenance
work.

1999
 
Demag wheel block system for Reichstag dome
Demag has also been represented here since the Reichstag reopened in
Berlin as the seat of the German parliament after a long reconstruction
phase. A mirror element is installed in the glass dome of the building, which
re ects diffuse daylight into the plenary hall 10 m below. The RS wheel block
system ensures movement and precise positioning of the light de ection
element.
More about Demag wheels

2000
 
The last joint appearance: in 2000 Mannesmann Dematic presents its complete
portfolio at the Hannover Messe Industrie, right next to its parent company
Mannesmann, whose industrial division is already known as Atecs.

2000
 
The British mobile phone provider Vodafone takes over the Mannesmann
group after a spectacular bidding battle. For Mannesmann Dematic and its
Demag brand, the future is uncertain, as Vodafone is exclusively interested
in Mannesmann mobile communications. Plans to oat the entire
mechanical engineering business on the stock exchange as a separate
group under the name Atecs fail.

2000
 
With the commissioning of the distribution centre at the Wetter site, a major step is
taken towards customer proximity.
More than 5,000 pallet spaces and almost 20,000 storage containers are available
to store spare parts and crane components. In the large parts hall, for example,
rope hoists are prepared for worldwide dispatch.
Today, around 13,000 different spare parts can be shipped to customers within 24
hours.

2001
 
Vodafone smashes the Mannesmann group and sells parts of the
mechanical engineering business to Siemens. The material handling
activities combined in Mannesmann Dematic are divided. While Distribution
Technology with high-bay warehouses and roller conveyors is integrated into
the new Siemens Dematic, the Crane and Hoist unit operates under the name
Demag Cranes and Components GmbH and is sold in 2002 to the American
nancial investor Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR).

2003
 
The US investment company KKR closes the Demag chain hoist factory in Bad
Bergzabern and relocates production to Wetter. In return, Wetter transfers the
construction of process cranes all the way to Slany in the Czech Republic. Demag
Cranes & Components invests several million euros in a modern crane plant there.

2003
 
Demag Cranes & Components launches the new DR electric rope hoist onto
the market. Unlike its predecessors, the DR does not have a universal
orientation but is deliberately designed for use in cranes and is available in
combination with a monorail hoist. It is also the rst rope hoist in the world
to be equipped with a pioneering electronic control system.
More about Demag rope hoists...

2004
 
Demag Cranes & Components presents the new DC chain hoist in Wetter. This is a
robust small hoist that is exible to use and easy to install. The DC is serially
manufactured in Wetter/Ruhr and proves itself in many different elds of work.
More about Demag chain hoists...

2006
 
US owner KKR oats Demag Cranes & Components on the stock exchange
together with Düsseldorf-based crane manufacturer Gottwald. The new
company, named Demag Cranes AG, brings together two global brands:
Demag with industrial cranes, hoists and service - and Gottwald, a leading
provider of port logistics services. The IPO is successful and Demag Cranes
can establish itself as a separate stock corporation.

2009
 
Demag equips a dispatch warehouse for paper rolls in Corlu, Turkey with seven
automated process cranes. With a storage capacity of more than 70,000 t of paper,
it is the largest newly built shipping warehouse in the world. The scope of supply,
which Demag implements together with its long-standing agency Genel Makina,
includes the complete warehouse management computer and control of the roll
transport system.
More about Demag process cranes...

2010
 
The Wetter plant receives the Industrial Excellence Award as "Best Factory
2010", after production is modernised with high investments and great
employee commitment. The new work organisation also includes "island
production", for example, in which several work steps are carried out exibly
and directly one after the other.

2010
 
The Wetter plant invites employees, families, customers and other interested
parties to come to Wetter for the open day. Thousands of visitors came to look
behind the factory gates and to learn about the production processes.

2011
 
Demag becomes American when the US crane group Terex acquires a
majority stake in Demag Cranes AG. The integration of Demag and Gottwald
creates the new Terex Material Handling & Port Solutions (MHPS) division.
The world-famous Demag brand remains in place for the Industrial Cranes
division, with the addition of "A Terex Brand".

2012
 
Demag adds a new chain hoist model to its range for special tasks. The Demag
LDC-Q quadro chain hoist with four chain lead-offs is used wherever four
attachment points are required for lifting and transport (picture: food industry)
More about Demag chain hoists

2013
 
With the commissioning of a fully automated process crane, Demag starts a
new chapter in integrated operation of overhead material handling. The
crane installation in Zhengzhou, China (Henan Province) supplies six CNC
plasma cutting systems and forms a pilot project for process automation in
sheet metal processing as well as the subsequent overhead transport of
welded structures in the process chain.
More about Demag process cranes

2014
 
The new Demag V-type crane is presented at the Wetter plant. Due to its V-shaped
construction, it is much lighter than conventional load cranes. Tapered diaphragm
joints also improve the vibration behaviour and extend the service life. The new
crane model is patented and awarded many prizes.
More about Demag V-type cranes

2015
 
A new development from Wetter enables remote diagnosis in real time. With
Demag StatusControl, cranes can be permanently monitored from anywhere.
The system records and documents all relevant crane data, including the
charge status of the batteries, and transfers them to a tablet or smartphone.
This makes it possible to manage crane systems comfortably, safely and
e ciently from a distance. 
Demag StatusControl

2015
 
One rope hoist. Two designs. Many possibilities.
Demag presents a new modular hoist with a three-day event for customers and the
trade press. The DMR rope hoist (Demag Modular Rope Hoist) can be precisely
optimised for a wide range of individual applications. Another unique feature is the
exible rope hoist con guration, which allows the rope hoist to be designed either
as a C hoist or as a co-axial design.
More about Demag rope hoists

2015
 
The DRC D3 radio control comes onto the market as the standard control
system for Demag universal cranes and is impressive all along the line. The
hand-held transmitters have a particularly long battery life and allow
uninterrupted operation for up to ve days. It is also possible to connect up
to three of the transmitters to a crane at the same time and change them at
the push of a button.
More about Demag control pendants and wireless control systems

2016
 
Demag presents new products and developments to customers from all over the
world at its factory site in Wetter. The rst "Demag Discovery Days" attract visitors
from around 40 different countries with an interesting two-day programme.

2016
 
Demag signs the largest service order in its history. After this, Demag service
technicians are responsible for the maintenance and repair of crane systems
in four German factories of the Daimler Group. The volume comprises more
than 10,000 industrial cranes with load capacities up to 63 t and more than
23,000 cranes and hoists. 

2017
 
The Finnish crane manufacturer Konecranes acquires the Material Handling and
Port Solutions division with the Demag and Gottwald brands from Terex. This
makes Konecranes the world's largest manufacturer of industrial cranes. Demag
has become European again and for the rst time has an owner on an equal
footing in terms of engineering skill, product expertise and market knowledge. This
makes Konecranes and Demag, now again called Demag Cranes & Components,
perfect partners.

2017
 
The safety-related software "Demag Advanced Safety Solution" (D.A.S.S.)
developed by Demag and the safety concept on which it is based are
certi ed by the Industrial Employers’ Mutual Insurance Association. This
type-tested software can, as required, trigger the safe shutdown of crane
systems if any possible irregularities occur in the crane axes.