Andreas Lukas
President of ANDRITZ Küsters
From development, engineering, manufacturing, and assembly to roll service, automation, and digitalization solutions, ANDRITZ Küsters is known today in the market as an innovative international industry partner and is proud of its expertise and passion for technology.
It all started in 1949 in Krefeld, Germany when Eduard Küsters, an innovator and entrepreneur, began working on a solution for dewatering in textiles production. Starting out by first using a mangle, Eduard Küsters and development partner Valentin Appenzeller quickly advanced the technology by designing and patenting the first deflection-controlled swimming roll (S-Roll), which completely revolutionized the quality and efficiency of textiles production.
Andreas Lukas, President of ANDRITZ Küsters, says, “Eduard Küsters was a classic innovator and Entrepreneur who turned his dream into reality. The process he developed evolved from a mangle into a calender and then into further processes in textiles production including washing and drying.
“Eduard Küsters had the ambitious idea to invent an intelligent roll technology, the S-Roll Technology, a deflection-controlled roll. This roll could be used not only for the paper and textile industry, but also for nonwovens and other industrial applications. This claim has made ANDRITZ Küsters' calendaring technology so successful to the present day."
ANDRITZ Küsters Krefeld, Germany
In 2006, the acquisition by the ANDRITZ GROUP marked a significant milestone, integrating Küsters' advanced technology and expertise into the international group, which provided enhanced resources and a global platform for further growth. In the last 18 years, ANDRITZ Küsters has continued to grow and innovate its areas in the pulp and paper, nonwoven, and textiles industries, and has become much more than a roll and calender supplier. The company now supplies the latest in technology for all the industries it operates in.
Examples of the latest remarkable references are the supply of the complete press section to one of the largest pulp projects in the world, Bracell's project "STAR", in Brazil, and the recent start-up of a complete Wetlace CP line to produce biodegradable wipes at Teknomelt, Turkey.
The company also offers a state-of-the-art roll service center for paper, nonwoven, and textiles producers. From repair and reconditioning to upgrading, no matter what brand or manufacturer, ANDRITZ Küsters offers the complete package and expertise. The location in Krefeld also hosts technical and R&D centers for paper, nonwoven, and textiles production processes to evaluate new processes and products and establish the right parameters for product guarantees.
Moreover, ANDRITZ Küsters has made significant strides in digitalization and automation. In this field he company deals with the entire range of digitalization, from control systems and augmented/
virtual reality through to autonomous production. Its mission is to optimize products, production processes, and service through digitalization, ensuring higher efficiency and lower operational costs for its customers. Thus, the company has established a global Metris Center at its location in Krefeld.
ANDRITZ Küsters Krefeld, Germany
ANDRITZ Küsters was born out of genuine innovation and has produced many other innovations over the years, never standing still.
“We have come an incredibly long way since Küsters’ original solutions provided 75 years ago,” says Lukas, "and we are very proud to still have that original entrepreneurial thread of the founder running through our company. We design and innovate comprehensive and tailor-made solutions for our customers, and then move into other industrial areas that can take advantage of our excellent and proven technologies.”
The latest industrial area to which ANDRITZ Küsters is providing its technology is the new energy market, including products within the (green) hydrogen area and processes for battery electrode production.
