A pioneering spirit guarantees top technological competence

A pioneering spirit guarantees top technological competence

HELD – Regionally based, internationally active

HELD is a classic family business based in Trossingen-Schura in the Black Forest region. The story of our company began in 1949 when Adolf Held founded a polishing workshop for watch cases. Over the following decades, it developed into a leading global mechanical engineering company: HELD Technologie GmbH.

What sets us apart is the right mix of tradition and innovation that is guided by a future-oriented approach. Combined with the skills and knowledge of our employees, we were able to establish a unique type of expertise in double belt press technology across four generations. Although we are still speaking with a Swabian accent, the entire world understands us now – because our plants represent top efficiency and quality across the globe.
 

Turn ideas into solutions

Thinking ahead to develop innovative customer solutions. Form a team of experienced specialists, technicians and engineers. Taking into account the increasing requirements with constant further development and networking along the entire value chain. That's why we are a partner and member of various organisations, networks and clusters, such as the VDMA, the Cluster Brennstoffzelle BW and a partner of Duale Hochschule Baden Württemberg.

Impressing solutions of a global market leader

In the field of isobaric double belt presses, HELD has impressively proven its exceptional innovative spirit time and again.

The world's first continuous isobaric double belt press

High-temperature double belt press with a heating temperature of 400 °C

High-pressure double belt press with a surface pressure of 80 bar

High-capacity double belt press providing a production speed of up to 48 m per minute

History

Milestones in Held's history, or:
How a small polishing workshop became a double belt press world champion

1949

Adolf Held establishes a polishing workshop for clock cases in Trossingen-Schura (about one hour's drive south of Stuttgart), laying the foundations for today's company.

1958

Construction of a hydraulic press for manufacturing clock cases from sawdust. Leading clock factories in the region purchase this solution. For HELD it was the first step towards building machinery, while at the same time paving the way for numerous other inventions.

1963

A crisis in the clock-making industry necessitates change. HELD responds by developing new assembly machinery. This allows complete cabinets to be produced for the kitchen furniture industry. Well-known HELD customers include Alno and Miele.

1975

Market launch of the first isobaric double belt press including air-based pressure cushions. HELD previously designed a new process enabling the continuous production of materials. A request by a customer prompted this development. They wanted edge strips by the roll for tabletops. The idea is to minimise waste. Since that time HELD has been the global leader for innovation and technology relating to isobaric double belt presses.

1989

Technology Park 1 is built in Trossingen-Schura near Stuttgart, Germany. 

Two high-performance isobaric double belt presses – Heather 1 and Heather 2 – become available to hire for development activities or production.

1998

Sale of the HELD double belt press (Heather 1)

 

2002

Till Held and Richard Fisel take on the management of HELD as a third-generation, family-owned company.

2007

New double belt press (Heather 3) commissioned at Technology Park 1

2010

State-of-the-art technology: advanced Heather 4 plant installed; sale of Heather 3

2012

Technology Park 2 opens featuring the world's largest high-temperature and high-pressure double belt press

2017

Delivery of the widest double belt press with a width of 2,24m and a length of 4,1m (reaction zone) and a large pressure cushion of 9m².

Delivery of the first isobaric double belt press for an unformatted production of HPL up to a material thickness of 1.2mm.

2021

Richard Fisel took his well-earned retirement at the end of 2021. Matthias Fisel was appointed as a new member of the Management Board and will continue the management of HELD together with Till Held (Managing Director since 2002).

2024

HELD is celebrating 75 years of innovation with the release of a new machine generation and inspiring event from September 26-27th - the "HELDDays"

HELD and the environment:
Sustainability as a
natural obligation

We strive to impact the environment as little as possible and to use all resources sensibly and sustainably.  That is why we operate photovoltaic systems with a total output of 413 kWp on the roofs of our company facilities.

Heat recovery also plays an important role in our environmental concept.  Our waste heat is stored in our company's own systems and, with the help of a water pump and a gas-combined heating and power plant, used for heating our company and its water.  And the combined heating and power plants also provide power ... almost as an afterthought. The entire remaining energy power demand is met with hydropower. We use our own rain water storage system in order to reduce our water consumption.
 

Together with our employees, HELD helps protect the environment. All employees can use a drinking water machine and are also provided with sustainable thermos cups and drinking bottles to replace harmful disposable tableware and coffee mugs. All company printers use recycled paper and, in order to avoid printing large drawings in the future, we are currently testing digital alternatives that can assist in the assembly process.

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