The history of the company begins with the production of textile machines by its founder Eduard Küsters in 1949 as R&D center for textile machines, followed by the founding of Eduard Küsters Maschinenfabik GmbH & Co. KG in 1953 and the takeover by the ANDRITZ Group in 2006 and enhancing its technology spectrum decade by decade, and continues to this day as a successful development, service and sales center for various branches of the nonwovens, paper and textile industries.
As early as 1956, the Eduard Küsters Maschinenfabik GmbH & Co. KG patented a pioneering invention by its founder, the so-called deflection-controlled swimming roll. The company thus set standards for roll technology; its process enabled a previously unknown uniform finishing of textile fabrics. Since then, the Krefeld-based company at the edge of metropolitan area Ruhrgebiet, close to Dusseldorf and Cologne, has been the recognized specialist for calendering machines and finishing processes in the nonwovens, textile and paper industries worldwide.
Founder of ANDRITZ Küsters: Eduard Küsters
It all began in the 1950s - back then Krefeld and its region was still a center of the German textile industry - with the finishing of textiles by calendering in various forms. This form of treatment of textile fabrics gives the material certain properties, e.g. for durability or for a certain surface appearance. Calenders for bonding and finishing nonwovens were added in the 1970s. Nonwoven products began to gain in importance and spread more and more, and calenders are still a key piece of equipment for bonding, e.g. in the mass market hygiene sector but also for the production of wipes and for durable nonwovens.
Küsters' expertise in paper processing in particular made it attractive for a merger with the Austrian ANDRITZ Group. Küsters calenders for the paper industry in the form of so-called shoe presses had a worldwide reputation and are still regarded today as the technological masterpieces in the paper processing industry.The latest development are calenders for the production of electrodes for the growth market of battery production.
ANDRITZ Küsters has experienced many projects over the years, which have always presented challenges due to the technological requirements and the sheer dimensions. For example in 2021: ANDRITZ was awarded an order to supply energy-efficient and environmentally friendly pulp production technologies and key process equipment for BRACELL'S project “STAR”. Four shoe press modules for this project were manufactured in Krefeld at ANDRITZ Küsters.
Sometimes, it's unbelievable what the art of engineering can achieve.
Men at work: Roll service at Küsters in 1957
Today's flagship for nonwovens finishing, developed by ANDRITZ Küsters: neXcal twin pro
In addition to its reputation as an excellent manufacturer of calendering technology for paper, nonwovens and textile finishing, ANDRITZ Küsters also gained a considerable reputation in the 2010s as a development and sales center for nonwovens production in the wetlaid process. Both for mass markets such as wipes, in particular biodegradable wipes, and for relative niche markets for durable nonwovens, such as in the processing of glass fibers or production processes for battery production. This is what makes the Krefeld location with Küsters so versatile and valuable as an innovative think tank within ANDRITZ.
And moreover, ANDRITZ Küsters is today also home of other ANDRITZ technologies, e.g. ANDRITZ Separation and ANDRITZ Metals. Not as their central office but as a subsidary because of the great central location in Krefeld.
Assembly of a former unit for a wetlace hybrid line at ANDRITZ Küsters 2023
From then to now: Some highlights in more than seven decades of brilliant engineering
After 75 years of success, even in changeable times and in dynamic markets, ANDRITZ Küsters can look forward to a promising future. The constant further development of existing technology for new markets and the development of new processes with completely new machine concepts are a solid fundament for the coming years. The growing markets in all its variations, offers opportunities that will ensure the company's continued presence. Integrated into the ANDRITZ Group network, there are opportunities to offer customers a unique product and service portfolio.
This also includes the challenges of our time, such as resource conservation and sustainability and the digitalization of production processes in the target markets. ANDRITZ Küsters is also at the forefront here, with great support from the parent company in Graz and its sister companies of ANDRITZ Nonwoven & Textile.
ANDREAS LUKAS
General Manager, ANDRITZ Küsters
