Our company history - WKT Westfälische Kunststofftechnik GmbH

Historie

1954

In a one-time coach-building works in Hammertal, Horst Zimmermann founded the plastic pipe production. Using an extruder from the company Koch in Siegen (HKS 45), PVC pipes and hoses were manufactured for coal and salt mining.

1955

On 22nd March 1955, the “Kunststofffabrik” became the present company Westfälische Kunststofftechnik GmbH. Already at the plastic exhibition in Düsseldorf - the later “K” Fair- the diverse products of the WKT were introduced to an interested audience.

1959

In 1959, the excellent order-book situation made it possible to purchase a former hosiery factory in Sprockhövel. By means of this object and the building of new halls, space was created for further expansion of production. The first twin-screw extruder guaranteed even more high-quality pipes made of PVC - an additional extruder made it possible to produce larger pipe diameters.

1962

In 1962, WKT made further investments. The production hall was extended in order to create space for new extruder lines.

1967

The office building which had become too small is further extended in order to be able to hire new sales staff.

1968

WKT continues to invest further. So the production hall is again extended in order to be able to integrate new extruder lines with longer cooling lines. Also the first PVC silo and a new mixing plant were set up.

1970

In the 70s, the German economy experienced one of its most difficult phases. Due to its product diversity and its high quality standards, the WKT could also survive these times unscathed.

1977

The first PVC pressure pipes NW 400 and single-use filters NW 350 were manufactured with the support of the application technology of the Deutsche Solvay plants.

1979

During production of floor-heating pipes made of PPH, an automatic wall-thickness gauge was used for the first time.

1981

1981 – 1988

Between 1981 and 1988, investments were made in the extension of production in order to meet the increased demand for pipes. New products, such as PE cable conduits on drums as well as PVC-C pipes, supplement the production programme. In order to further improve the quality of the WKT PVC products, investments were made in a high-performance PVC mixing plant.

1990

The German reunification brings about increased sales of WKT products too. Five new sales agencies ensure good service in the new federal states. At the trade fairs TGA in Leipzig and Achema in Frankfurt, the WKT presented its new developments in the plastic pipe sector to an audience of experts.

1992

In the 1990s, comprehensive investments are made. The extension of the PVC pipe production is in the foreground just as the set-up of a complete PE fabrication using the most modern generation of extruders. Following the completion of the additional production hall, the new building of an administration building which has become necessary takes place.

1995

The WKT becomes 40 years of age. This event and the inauguration of the administration building were appropriately celebrated with customers, suppliers, employees and friends of WKT.

1996

1996 – 2004

In the following years, further investments were made in products, in their manufacturing possibilities as well as in further training of WKT employees. These are all preconditions for ensuring that customer wishes were met and the continuity of the company is ensured. Parallel to that, the QM system according to DIN EN ISO 9001, which was implemented in 1994, is further extended and improved.

2005

50 years of WKT, and again full of ideas. This is how the employees and the Westfälische Kunststoff Technik present themselves to their customers. The positive development of the company is essentially characterised by customers who have been satisfied over many years, by good suppliers and by the unrestricted motivation of employees.

2006

An eventful and successful past provides the safety and drive for an likewise successful future. Experience shows that customers can only be inspired by uncompromising quality and high personal commitment. This is a principle to which the WKT will always be committed also in the future.

2007

The new annealing furnace is put into operation. This enables the extension of the range of products to particularly stress-relieved PE pipes for roof drainage. In the following years, focussing on customer-specific special solutions belongs to the main targets of the company policy.

2009

A new large wrapper unit is installed for the field of cable conduits made of PE.

2012

The year focuses on the further development of pipe systems for the area of renewable energy sources. These systems are manufactured on highly efficient production facilities which in the course of implementing an energy management system according to DIN ISO 50001 are continuously monitored energetically.

2013

The year is marked by a continuous extension of the range of products. Extensive investments in the PE fabrication make it possible to manufacture multilayer pipes in various designs for different application scenarios.

2014

From 2014, under the product name of “RCperfekt”, pipes made of PE 100 RC and certified according to the PAS 1075 are produced for alternative installation procedures. The sale of professionally manufactured special pipes, which are partly submitted to additional processing, is carried out in concentrated form under the product programme “WKTindividuell”.

2015

WKT becomes 60 years and is still as fresh as in the early years. Always in search of new ideas and creating good solutions for our customers. By means of modern organisational procedures, the production processes and manufacturing plants are structured and thus the efficiency of production and the quality of the products further increased. From now on, special hoses made of PVC also belong to the product portfolio.

2016

To us, ROHRIGINAL as a wordmark stands for the steady striving for the better. With a fresh online appearance in 2016, we want to make this clear to our partners and win them over for our ideas. Please accompany us on our way.

2017

The year 2017 marks the start of a new dimension for us. Following the successful installation of a state-of-the-art extrusion line, we manufacture PE pipes for a wide range of applications using the coextrusion process up to a diameter of 630 mm.

2018

WKT becomes more digital. Due to the activities in the Europe-wide creation of the digital infrastructure, the demand for plastic pipes in 2018 requires a fully continuous production on 7 days and 24 hours. For this purpose, the internal processes will also be digitalized - from the customer inquiry to the feedback of production quantities to logistics planning.

2019

The consistent focus on expanding the product portfolio to include the customized manufacture of high-quality special products, which began back in 2014, is picking up particular steam with the installation of computer-controlled processing machines. The KUNSTSTOFFWERKSTATT is ROHRIGINAL.

2023

Global crises challenge the economy. Nevertheless, we continue to develop successfully. In line with our continuous growth, WKT's entire logistics system is being optimised and modernised. We are enlarging and renewing our employees' social spaces and launching a new website!