This is us

Your reliable partner in materials testing

Werkstoffprüfung Kunze GmbH is characterised by over 70 years of experience and has successfully established itself through its attributes of accuracy, speed, reliability and adherence to deadlines. Our competent team, consisting of graduate engineers, welding engineers, industrial foremen, technicians and materials testers, is at your disposal with comprehensive advice on all questions relating to materials testing.

As an accredited testing laboratory since 1999 (by the DAkkS since 2013), we guarantee that our services meet the highest national and international standards. The documented results, including test protocols, acceptance test certificates, test reports and expert opinions, provide a clear insight into the methods used and enable complete traceability.

The company history

The following chronology provides a detailed insight into the development phases and milestones,
that have characterised the company since it was founded in 1949.

1949

Werkstoffprüfung Kunze GmbH was founded on 14 March 1949 by senior engineer Rolf K.-H. Kunze, who was initially self-employed at the Hagen-based screw factory and drop forging company Funcke+Hueck.

1953

Rolf K.-H. Kunze was appointed as a publicly appointed and sworn expert of the SIHK Hagen, a position he held for 37 years.

1970

After the Funcke+Hueck company was dissolved in 1970, Rolf Kunze acquired his own property and laid the foundation for today’s Werkstoffprüfung Kunze by commissioning a fully equipped micro-laboratory.

1983

In 1983, the second generation joined the family business in the person of Dipl-Ing. Rolf-Jürgen Kunze after passing his final examination in metallurgy.

1984

In 1984, the graduate engineer also obtained his welding qualification at the SLV Duisburg and finally took over the management of materials testing after the company founder’s resignation in 1986. Rolf Kunze remained loyal to the company as a consultant until his death in 2003.

1992

In 1992, the next big step was taken with the construction of the company’s first own hall in Delsterner Straße, measuring approx. 350 m².

1994

Foundation of Werkstoffprüfung Kunze GmbH.

1997

Rolf-Jürgen Kunze followed his father’s example in 1997 and also became a publicly appointed and sworn expert of the Hagen Chamber of Industry and Commerce for steel, iron and welded joints, a position he held until 2012.

1999

On 18 March 1999, the company was accredited in accordance with EN 45001, ISO Guide 25 and DIN ISO 9001, making Werkstoffprüfung Kunze one of the first companies in Germany to be accredited in accordance with FQA regulations. This professionalisation was extended in 2002 with international accreditation in accordance with EN ISO IEC 17025.

2000

The training of future materials testers has been an important aspect of Werkstoffprüfung Kunze since 2000, which offers young people future opportunities as a training company for materials testing and metal technology and, since 2017, also for machining technology.

2007

In 2007, Rolf-Jürgen Kunze decided to expand and modernise the company once again. A completely new building was constructed on the company’s current site with the great support of the then Mayor of Hagen, Peter Demnitz. The new hall was completed just one year later and the move was finalised in September.

2013

The sample collection service, which was introduced in 2013 as an additional service, and other modernisation measures are evidence of the efforts to meet the high requirements and standards of modern testing methodology and to continuously improve.

2017

In 2017, after successfully completing a degree in metallurgy and materials technology and working for BMW for four years, the third generation joined the company in the person of Dipl.-Ing. Viktoria Kunze.

2019

Dipl.-Ing. Viktoria Kunze is a member of the management team together with her father.

The future of Werkstoffprüfung Kunze GmbH will be characterised by continuous development and the firm promise to always guarantee our customers the best results.

By investing in state-of-the-art technologies and constantly adapting to evolving industry standards, we will continue to consolidate our reputation as a reliable partner in materials testing.