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STÖHR ARMATUREN
the company

Overview

STÖHR ARMATUREN was founded in 1938 under the name F.X. STÖHR Armaturenwerke KG. Since the 1960s we’ve specialised in the development and manufacturing of valves for gases in liquid and gaseous state. We predominantly work for the industrial gas industry, aerospace, marine technology, energy technology and chemical industriy, and in the field of science and research. Our long-standing customers include well-known companies and research institutes worldwide.

Our product range of standardised ambient and cryogenic valves and gas filters in sizes from DN4 to DN300 include high-precision control valves, shut-off valves, check and blow-off valves and gas filters for installation in valve boxes, in vacuum-jackets or in conventional pipes. Body types with housings in straight or angle shape are made of high-grade or special stainless steel and sealed with bellows.

Our products are designed for extremes. Cryogenic temperatures of down to 4K or below for processing liquid helium, high pressure levels of up to 1,000 bar, high leak tightness to the atmosphere, compatibility with high media requirements, and short opening and closing times are all examples of the demands handled by STÖHR ARMATUREN products.

In addition to the manufacture of our products, we offer services such as valve maintenance, appraisals and valve repair, spare parts as well as technical training for our customers.

As a manufacturer of high-performance valves, we have become experts in the field of valve technology – in particular, cryogenic technology in conjunction with vacuum technology and media compatibility. Since 2022 the company is part of the Business Unit Flow Forming Technology belonging to the Winkelmann Group in Ahlen, Germany.

STÖHR ARMATUREN is certified according to ISO 9001: 2015 and acts quality-oriented in all areas. 


 

Principles and guidelines

STÖHR ARMATUREN adheres to the United Nations Global Compact and to the OECD Guidelines (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).

Sustainability is important to us in both our day-to-day business and the long-term running of the company. STÖHR employees and management work together according to the following principles:

Products

  • We aim to produce products that meet the highest technical and quality requirements.
  • High levels of expertise, diligence and accuracy in our work enable us to manufacture the highest quality products, which positions us to be a world leader in our market.

Employees

  • We want to attract and retain highly motivated employees who will work at STÖHR ARMATUREN for many years. We treat all employees as equal, regardless of gender, sexuality, skin colour, age, ethnicity, or religion. We cooperate respectfully and appreciatively.
  • The health and safety of our employees while at work is our highest concern. For this purpose, we comply with the legal protection regulations, pay attention to a secure company equipment and monitor compliance with occupational safety requirements.

Customers, sales representatives and suppliers

  • We work closely with our customers to ensure our products meet their expectations, and that they can use our products without the need for modifications. Our products are designed to meet and exceed the requirements for long life in operation, low maintenance and unrestricted availability.
  • We work confidently and fairly with our sales partners abroad to open up these markets and aim to fulfill or exceed the expectations set by our partners.
  • Our relationship with our suppliers, service providers and other business partners is based on fairness and trust. The quality of the products they supply is essential for the quality of our products.

Environment

  • STÖHR is committed to protecting the natural environment. STÖHR's aim is to comply with environmental laws in all countries in which we operate and maintain high environmental protection standards.

Legal Compliance

  • Safety comes first at STÖHR ARMATUREN. We comply with all applicable standards and regulations for the safety of our products in operation, to protect our customers, their systems and their operators.
  • Safety comes first at STÖHR ARMATUREN. We comply with all applicable standards and regulations for the safety of our products in operation, to protect our customers, their systems and their operators.
  • We comply with all environmental regulations to reduce our impact on the planet from the production of our products.
  • We adhere to the rules and laws for fair competition, and pay attention to customs and export regulations when shipping our products overseas

 

Confidentiality

  • In order to ensure the protection of our customers' trade secrets, STÖHR ARMATUREN guarantees secrecy of sensitive product or process information that we learn about from the specification or beyond as part of the collaboration. For this we are open for concluding a corresponding agreement with our customers.
  • STÖHR ARMATUREN has no production or marketing interests in the products and technical equipment of its customers and does not pass on this information to third parties without authorization. Even special design versions, manufacturing variants or test conditions, which were independently specified or developed on the basis of the customer's problem, are always treated confidentially.

 

Company history

1938: Franz Xaver Stöhr founds his family business F. X. STÖHR Armaturenwerke KG in Augsburg. During its first decade, the company focused on development and production of oxy-fuel welding and cutting tools, air rifles and milk metering pumps.

1947: In cooperation with Linde, the company starts the development of cryogenic valves for liquid gases. Development and support of this technology has been a mainstay of the company since then.

1960: Construction of stainless-steel valves and the development and production of valves with bellows for safe sealing to outside is introduced. Due to its high safety and quality standards, the F. X. STÖHR company becomes a significant and reliable partner for the gas industry. As a result, the company is defined by the expansion of innovative product offerings for operators and designers of nuclear plants, submarines and shipyards, as well as for the emerging European space technology industry.

1970: In-depth knowledge in cryogenic valve technology enables the company to design and manufacture the first cryostats and systems for cryogenic media in the field of science and research, according to customer requirements.

1980: Franz Xaver Stöhr transfers the management of the company to his two children.

1985: The intensive, worldwide supply of cryogenic equipment to science and research customers for use with liquid helium begins. Early deliveries include parts for the particle accelerator DESY in Hamburg, and for the LHC storage ring at CERN, and orders for the development of valves for engine test benches to former ERNO in Bremen follow. Towards the end of the 1980s, valves for the engine test benches of the Ariane 5 rocket engines are delivered to Lampoldshausen and Vernon.

2002: The company relocates to a new industrial site in Königsbrunn, south of Augsburg. Renamed STÖHR ARMATUREN GmbH & Co KG, the company changes its sourcing concept to concentrate on the design, assembly and testing of its high-quality fittings, and begins outsourcing its parts production to a large network of high-performance suppliers for machining and services in the region.

2012: Detlef Heydt and Joachim Rödiger take over as managing partners. Under their leadership, the company develops further to become a leading manufacturer of valves for gases for the cryogenic sector, strengthening product development and internationalisation to reflect the extreme demands of its customers around the world.

2022: since 2022, the company has been part of the Flowforming business unit of the Winkelmann Group based in Ahlen.

 

Product philosophy

The following features characterise the value and the price-performance ratio of the valves from STÖHR ARMATUREN:

 

Use of solid material
All pressure-bearing parts are made of solid material – no castings or other manufacturing processes for raw materials are used, to avoid cold leaks at even the lowest cryogenic temperatures.

Housing and connections made of stainless steel or special steel
Stainless steels and special steels are sourced from Central Europe only. Stainless steels as coils or forged block are selected from the 316L family depending on medium, medium temperature and pressure rating. All steel batches have certificates of origin and are selected to order according to the applicable standards.

Bellows sealing achieves high tightness to environment of the first spindle seal 
Almost all valve series from STÖHR ARMATUREN are bellow sealed to outside. In comparison with other waterproofing systems, the highest values for leak-tightness at 1x10E-8 mbar * l / sec to the outside can be achieved, equal to the volume of a drop of water within three years.

Additional safety of the second spindle seal using an O-ring or metal ring
Should the bellow break, an O-ring or metal ring acts as the second stem seal to prevent leakage to outside.

Media-adequate use of materials
Soft or hard sealing material is used according to your medium type, medium temperature and pressure rating – all designed to ensure safety in operation and a long service life.

Fulfillment of the required industry standards according to European regulations
As a European manufacturer, we comply primarily with European rules. If you require another standard, we will consider your request on a case-by-case basis.

High safety in operation
Due to the high standards in engineering, production and quality assurance, our valves guarantee the highest degrees of safety in operation.

Low maintenance, low spare parts requirement, and low lifecycle costs
Due to our design principles and the high quality of the materials used, maintenance and spare parts requirements for all STÖHR ARMATUREN valves are comparably low. Very low failure rates and long service life results in low lifecycle costs.


 

Sales philosophy

Our sales philosophy is designed to benefit our customers in the following ways:

 

Customer focus
No matter how you contact us, we will do our best to provide an offer that meets your requirements in a fast and comprehensive manner. Should we have any questions on your RfQ, our expert sales staff will contact you immediately by phone or email.

Working with you to help you establish the products you need
For extensive projects and/or exceptional performance requirements, we will work closely with you to develop the fittings you require, to define their specifications, and to translate them into an offer.

Made-to-order products to suit your specifications
We manufacture all products to order and keep no valves in stock. This way we can guarantee that our products and services correspond exactly to your detailed specifications.

Delivery to order
Delivering to your order means there is no need for you to alter the product before installation. For this purpose, the desired connections are attached, and adapted spindle extensions or built-in attachments are installed.

Fast, fuss-free response in case of incident
Should any STÖHR ARMATUREN product malfunction, please contact us immediately and describe your problem in detail. We will respond quickly and efficiently to resolve the issue.

Long-term reordering and spare parts supply
Thanks to our order-specific production, we can supply spare parts for older STÖHR valve types with a long operating life.


 

Best for Helium - and nothing gets lost.
We offer solutions for liquid helium applications.Valves from STÖHR optimize effort and cost for an efficient transport of the medium to and within your gas plant.

Best for Helium

When used in 24 / 7 / 52 continuous operation, STÖHR valves are not immune to errors, despite their tried and tested design, the use of the best materials and careful processing during assembly and testing. If this happens, we offer support:

Valve Service 

Exhibitions, Congresses, Events: Your chance to meet, greet and share opinions with the team of  STÖHR ARMATUREN.

Exhibitions, Congresses

Discover the team behind the technology, and read about our history and progress with the development and manufacture of high-quality products for the global market since 1938.

Company