What HENSCHEL GmbH does

TS HENSCHEL GmbH, doing business as Henschel, is a German manufacturer of precision industrial gears and drive technology founded in 1933 and headquartered at Falderbaumstraße 34, 34123 Kassel, Germany. The company is structured as a privately held GmbH with three wholly-owned operating units: TS Henschel Kassel (railway transmission technology), TS Henschel Antriebstechnik (drive technology), and Henschel Shanghai (regional operations in China). The product portfolio spans four gear families — Bahngetriebe (railway gears for trams, subways, monorails, regional trains, high-speed trains, locomotives, and special vehicles), Extrudergetriebe (extruder gears for parallel twin-screw counter-rotating and co-rotating, single-screw, and oil-system applications), the Mutax worm gear family (Schneckengetriebe, including MUTAX-DUPLEX precision wheel sets with adjustable backlash of 0.02–0.05mm and 0.02° repeatability, and MUTAX-SIMPLEX heavy-duty wheel sets rated 5–500kW with 65–800mm center distance), and Sondergetriebe (custom gears for power plants, oil and gas, testing, and general industry).

The technical foundation is the Mutax interchangeability architecture, in continuous production since 1933, in which worm shafts and worm wheels are designed as freely exchangeable components with consistent connection dimensions, enabling individual component replacement years after original installation to optimize plant availability. The current Mutax series explicitly preserves the connection dimensions of prior generations to support drop-in replacement of legacy installed base. Supporting services — Ersatzteile (spare parts), Reparatur & Sanierung (repair and restoration), and Lohnbearbeitung (contract machining including housing refinishing, gear cutting, and turning/milling) — extend the installed-base revenue stream.

Henschel sells directly to B2B customers through its own sales organization, with pricing provided on request rather than publicly disclosed. The company markets through its corporate website (henschel.eu), offering downloadable product brochures, image brochures, terms and conditions, and quality certificates. The website lists a German/English language toggle and an active careers section with multiple open positions across production, service, and commercial functions, indicating ongoing operational hiring. No external investment, no funding rounds, no acquisitions, no partnerships, and no revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

HENSCHEL GmbH

Legal name

TS HENSCHEL GmbH

Website

https://henschel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

HENSCHEL GmbH is a German precision gear manufacturer founded in 1933, producing railway transmissions, extruder gears, and Mutax worm gear systems for B2B customers in rail, plastics, and industrial machinery, with operations in Kassel and Shanghai.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Gear Manufacturing

NAICS

Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Mechanical Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (333613)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)

akta.pro primary industry

Gearmotors, Gearboxes & Speed Reducers (IMAGACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Linear Motion & Mechanical Power Transmission (Ball/roller screws, linear guides, bearings, couplings) (IMAHAGAM)

Keywords

• Industrial gear manufacturing
• Railway transmissions
• Worm gearboxes
• Extruder gears
• Power transmission equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Kassel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Gear Manufacturing: Design, manufacturing, and sales of precision gears including railway transmissions, worm gears, and extruder gears for industrial applications. Revenue generated through direct product sales, spare parts, repair services, and contract machining.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

TS HENSCHEL GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells industrial precision gear systems primarily for railway, extruder, and special industrial applications. Its portfolio covers railway transmissions (trams, subways, high-speed trains, locomotives), extruder gears (parallel twin-screw and single-screw), the Mutax worm gear family (Duplex and Simplex wheel sets), and custom special gears, complemented by spare parts, repair/restoration, and contract machining services.

Product overview

HENSCHEL GmbH is a manufacturer of industrial gear systems and components. The product portfolio centers on four main gear categories: Bahngetriebe (Railway Gears) for various rail applications from trams to high-speed trains; Extrudergetriebe (Extruder Gears) for plastic and rubber processing; the Mutax-Schneckengetriebe (Worm Gearboxes) family including MUTAX-DUPLEX and MUTAX-SIMPLEX Radsätze (wheel sets) for precision and heavy-duty applications respectively; and Sondergetriebe (Special Gears) for custom industrial applications. The company also provides supporting services including spare parts, repair/restoration, and contract machining. The Mutax worm gear product line, dating back to 1933, emphasizes free interchangeability of worm shafts and worm wheels for maximum flexibility. The product line is characterized by flexible design (up to 800mm center distance), robust construction, and precision (Duplex with adjustable backlash as low as 0.02mm).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mutax: Worm gear product line known for free interchangeability of worm shafts and wheels, enabling component replacement and plant availability optimization. The name derives from Latin 'mutare' meaning 'to exchange'.

Products and services

• Bahngetriebe (Railway Gears) Gear systems for railway applications including trams, subways, monorails, regional trains, high-speed trains, locomotives, and special vehicles.
• Extrudergetriebe (Extruder Gears) Gear systems for extruder applications including parallel twin-screw (counter-rotating and co-rotating), single-screw, and oil systems.
• Mutax-Schneckengetriebe (Mutax Worm Gearboxes) Worm gearboxes featuring interchangeable worm shafts and worm wheels for maximum flexibility, with compatible connection dimensions for replacement applications.
• MUTAX-DUPLEX Radsätze (Duplex Wheel Sets) Precision Duplex wheel sets with adjustable backlash (0.02mm-0.05mm depending on accuracy class) and high stiffness, featuring 0.02° repeatability. Center distance 65mm-800mm. Suitable for precision positioning applications with low-noise transmission of rotational movements.
• MUTAX-SIMPLEX Radsätze (Simplex Wheel Sets) Heavy-duty Simplex worm wheel sets designed for extreme conditions with heavy shocks and extreme temperatures. Features low-noise operation and high efficiency. Center distance 65mm-800mm, rated power 5kW-500kW.
• Sondergetriebe (Special Gears) Custom-designed gear systems for specialized applications including power plants, oil and gas, testing facilities, and industrial uses.
• Ersatzteile (Spare Parts) Replacement parts service for maintaining and repairing Henschel gear systems.
• Reparatur & Sanierung (Repair & Restoration) Repair and restoration services for gear systems.
• Lohnbearbeitung (Contract Machining) Contract machining services including housing refinishing, gear cutting, and turning/milling operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• MUTAX-DUPLEX: Adjustable play 0.02mm – 0.05mm according to accuracy class
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Flender (Siemens): Flender, a Siemens subsidiary, is a leading global manufacturer of mechanical drive systems including gear units for railway, marine, and industrial applications. It is the most direct competitor to Henschel in railway transmissions and extruder gears, with overlapping product lines and customer base.
• David Brown (Clyde Blowers Capital): David Brown is a specialist manufacturer of gears, gearboxes, and power transmission solutions serving mining, heavy industry, and rail. It is a direct comparable to Henschel in custom-engineered industrial gear systems with similar niche positioning.
• Renk Group: Renk Group is a German specialist in high-quality gear systems for military vehicles, naval vessels, and industrial applications. It overlaps with Henschel in mechanical power transmission and precision gear manufacturing, particularly for demanding/defense applications.

Broad incumbents

• SEW-Eurodrive: SEW-Eurodrive is one of the world's largest manufacturers of drive technology, gearmotors, and electronic drives for industrial applications. It competes with Henschel in industrial gearboxes and worm gear sets, particularly for general industrial machinery, though at a much larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Sumitomo Heavy Industries: Sumitomo Heavy Industries produces industrial machinery including power transmission gearboxes with a global footprint. It competes with Henschel in industrial worm and helical gear units, particularly in Asia-Pacific markets served through Henschel's Shanghai presence.
• Voith Turbo: Voith is a large German technology group with significant drive technology and rail drivetrain operations. It competes with Henschel's Bahngetriebe line in railway transmissions and is a much larger incumbent with broader rail-system integration capabilities.
• ZF Friedrichshafen: ZF is a global technology company supplying driveline and chassis technology for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and rail. Its rail transmission business overlaps with Henschel's Bahngetriebe line, though ZF operates at vastly larger scale and broader integration.
• Nord Drivesystems: Nord Drivesystems produces gear units, electric motors, and drive electronics for industrial applications worldwide. It is a broad-line competitor to Henschel in worm gearboxes and industrial power transmission, with a much larger global sales and service network.
• Bonfiglioli Riduttori: Bonfiglioli is an Italian manufacturer of gearmotors, drive systems, and inverters for industrial automation, mobile machinery, and wind energy. It competes with Henschel in industrial worm and helical gearboxes across general industrial applications.

Emerging players

• Wittenstein SE: Wittenstein is a German specialist in high-precision servo gearheads, planetary gearboxes, and mechatronic drive systems. Like Henschel, it is a German niche innovator in precision drive technology, though its focus is more on servo and robotics applications rather than rail/extruder.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/henschel-antriebstechnik-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HENSCHEL GmbH