ABUS Kransysteme GmbH

ABUS Kransysteme GmbH is a German manufacturer of industrial crane and hoist systems, headquartered in Gummersbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The company was founded in 1965 by Werner Bühne and has grown into one of Europe's leading overhead crane manufacturers, describing itself as one of the world's leading overhead crane and hoist manufacturers. It remains a family-led business, with LBI Holding GmbH of Gummersbach as sole shareholder. ABUS produces a broad range of lifting and material handling equipment: overhead travelling cranes (including the HB light crane system range), jib cranes, lightweight mobile gantry cranes, wire rope hoists, electric chain hoists, crane components and accessories. The product range covers load capacities from roughly 80 kg up to 120 tonnes safe working load, and the company also delivers customer-specific material handling solutions. Its own components — drive and control technology, hoist units and steel structure engineering — are developed in-house through extensive research and development. Manufacturing is concentrated in Germany, with production sites in Gummersbach-Lantenbach, Gummersbach-Herreshagen and Marienheide-Rodt. The company operates a research, test and training centre in Marienheide and, since 2016, the KranHaus showroom and seminar centre at its Gummersbach headquarters, a 1,600 m² facility on three levels used for demonstrations, training and customer visits. ABUS employs more than 1,300 people in Europe and sells through its own subsidiaries in several European countries plus a branch in Shanghai, supported by a network of partner companies and distributors worldwide. In Germany it maintains 19 factory representations and around 40 service points. The brand positions itself on German engineering quality, in-house component development, family ownership and a strong after-sales service network that covers delivery, installation, commissioning, operator training and maintenance. Its product families include the HB light crane system, the GM modular wire rope hoist series, the EHPK semi-portal crane, the ABUControl crane electrics and the ABURemote radio remote control system.

ABUS Kransysteme was founded in 1965 by Werner Bühne as Abus Kransysteme KG. From its base in Gummersbach, the company grew into one of Europe's leading manufacturers of overhead travelling cranes, building a product programme that today spans transport systems for loads from 80 kg to 120 tonnes. According to company information, it produces roughly 6,000 crane systems and 14,000 hoist systems per year. Over the decades ABUS expanded its manufacturing and development footprint in Germany. Production facilities were established for jib cranes and suspension rail systems in Marienheide-Rodt, for overhead travelling cranes in Gummersbach-Lantenbach and in the Gummersbach Sonnenberg industrial park, and a development, test and training centre was set up in Marienheide. In 2019 the company built two additional production halls for large-series overhead travelling cranes in Gummersbach-Herreshagen, bringing total production space at that site to 60,000 m². Product development has been a recurring theme. In 2012 ABUS introduced the ABURemote radio remote control system, promoting radio control as standard over wired pendant control, and launched the EHPK semi-portal crane, extending its offering into integrated materials handling solutions. In 2015 the HB light crane system range was fundamentally revised, with steel sections rolled in one process and aluminium sections extruded in one operation introduced to the market, followed by numerous additions in subsequent years. That same year the company introduced the intelligent overhead travelling crane electrics ABUControl, which enables special and safety functions to be better implemented, supported by standardised software modules. ABUS also gave the green light for the modular wire rope hoist series GM modular, starting with the GM 1000 size and followed the next year by the GM 800. In 2016 ABUS commissioned the KranHaus showroom and seminar centre together with an associated administrative building at its headquarters. The KranHaus, a 1,600 m² exhibition space on three levels, allows customers and trainees to experience crane technology directly, including crane rides eight metres up, guided tours and seminars on service, repair and maintenance. In 2022 the company inaugurated the CraneLab as a new research and development centre in Lantenbach for experimental test purposes, including an 11-metre-high test rig for wire rope hoists. ABUS has also expanded internationally. It founded a subsidiary for sales and service in Austria in 2021, when it employed 1,200 people across Europe, and completed administration and KranHaus showroom buildings in France and Holland. In 2026 it founded a subsidiary for sales and service in Italy. The company today operates six own subsidiaries in Europe, a branch in Shanghai and a worldwide network of partner companies and distributors, while remaining a family-led business under the sole shareholder LBI Holding GmbH.

• 2026

  Foundation of a subsidiary for sales and service in Italy.

• 2022

  Inauguration of the CraneLab as a new research and development centre in Lantenbach, including an 11m high test rig for wire rope hoists.

• 2021

  Foundation of a subsidiary for sales and service in Austria; ABUS employs 1,200 people across Europe; completion of administration and KranHaus showroom buildings in France and Holland.

• 2019

  Construction of two additional production halls for large-series overhead travelling cranes in Gummersbach-Herreshagen, reaching 60,000 m² of production facility at the site.

• 2016

  Commissioning of the KranHaus showroom and seminar centre and associated administrative building.

• 2015

  Fundamental revision of the HB light crane system range; introduction of ABUControl crane electrics; approval of the GM modular wire rope hoist series starting with GM 1000.

• 2012

  Introduction of the ABURemote radio remote control system and launch of the EHPK semi-portal crane.

• 1965

  Founded by Werner Bühne as Abus Kransysteme KG.

German-engineered, family-owned manufacturer of high-quality industrial crane and hoist systems with in-house component development and a strong after-sales service network.

• HB light crane system

  Light crane system range fundamentally revised in 2015 with steel sections rolled in one process and aluminium sections extruded in one operation.

• GM modular wire rope hoist series

  Modular wire rope hoist series starting with the GM 1000 size, followed by the GM 800.

• ABUControl

  Intelligent overhead travelling crane electrics enabling special and safety functions, using standardised software modules.

• ABURemote

  Radio remote control system introduced in 2012, setting the trend for standard crane control by radio rather than wired pendant.

• EHPK semi-portal crane

  Semi-portal crane launched in 2012, part of ABUS's integrated materials handling solutions.

1. 1ABUS Crane Systems | Indoor cranes "made in Germany"abuscranes.com
2. 2ABUS History | ABUS Kransysteme GmbHabuscranes.com
3. 3Company Profile | ABUS Kransysteme GmbHabuscranes.com
4. 4KranHaus | ABUS Kransysteme GmbHabuscranes.com
5. 5Abus Kransystemede.wikipedia.org
6. 6Abus Kransystemewikidata.org