Professional snow chains manufacturing
Supporting professionals worldwide through advanced manufacturing expertise and proprietary production know-how.
Although to unexperienced users snows chain may look like simple sequences of links, the manufacturing process which stays behind them is literally a structured and complex process from industrial perspective as it involves different raw material, processes and treatments to ensure the finished products carries the necessary technical specifications. The König production processes are vertically integrated with a Make- instead of a Buy-approach, benefiting of a deeper control on raw materials, semi-finished goods, products and processes.
Steel wire rod
Steel is the primary material used in König snow chains, but not in the form of standard commercial steel. König utilizes specially engineered wire rod solutions developed according to proprietary specifications refined through over 50 years of manufacturing experience.
Through extensive material testing and close collaboration with qualified suppliers, König has defined optimized steel compositions capable of delivering superior mechanical performance. Combined with advanced production technologies, this ensures that finished snow chains meet the highest standards of strength, durability, and reliability, even under extreme operating conditions.
Bending process
Following the wire drawing process, the link forming operation is initiated.
König employs state-of-the-art bending machines to manufacture links with a wide range of geometrical configurations and dimensional specifications.
These advanced forming systems ensure precise wire deformation and repeatable bending accuracy, enabling the production of consistently shaped links in compliance with strict manufacturing tolerances. At this stage of the process, the links are still in an unwelded condition and are subsequently transferred to the next production station for further processing.
Link welding
König welding machines are internally engineered, assembled, and calibrated to ensure full integration with the company’s proprietary production processes and quality standards.
All produced links are automatically welded and subjected to 100% inline tensile testing to verify the mechanical integrity and reliability of each connection. In addition to meeting strict technical performance requirements, the welding parameters are optimized to achieve smooth, uniform, and visually consistent weld finishes.
Endless chain
König’s annual linear chain production exceeds 1.5 times the Earth’s circumference, highlighting the scale and efficiency of its manufacturing operations.
The production of endless chain represents the foundational stage of the entire manufacturing process. These continuous chains are subsequently cut to the required lengths and assembled into specific configurations in order to produce the different chain types, product variants, and dimensional sizes included in the König portfolio.
Steel components production
König manufactures all critical steel components for its snow chains in-house, ensuring full control over quality, dimensional accuracy, and production consistency. These components include open links, hooks, swivels, studs, and all auxiliary connection elements required for the assembly and integration of chain sections and functional components.
Group assembly
Case hardening process
The case hardening process represents one of the most critical stages in snow chain manufacturing. Its primary purpose is to increase the surface hardness of the chain links that are directly exposed to contact and friction with the road surface during operation.
Following heat treatment, each link achieves a precisely controlled hardness profile, consisting of high surface hardness, a tougher and more ductile core, and a defined hardening depth. This metallurgical structure provides excellent resistance to abrasion and wear on the outer surface while preserving the core ductility required to withstand the tensile and dynamic stresses generated during vehicle acceleration, braking, and steering maneuvers.
Galvanization
The assembled chain groups undergo a galvanization process through electrolytic zinc plating performed in automated hoist barrel systems.
During the electrolytic deposition process, zinc ions are uniformly transferred and bonded onto the surface of the chain links, generating a continuous protective coating with controlled thickness specifications.
At the end of the treatment, the coated components achieve enhanced resistance against corrosion and chemical aggression caused by de-icing agents and snow-melting compounds commonly used in winter road maintenance operations.
Final assembly
Once all required components have been manufactured and validated, the final assembly phase can begin.
The complete assembly process is carried out manually with the support of dedicated equipment and specialized tooling to ensure precision, consistency, and compliance with product specifications. During this stage, the snow chain reaches its final functional and geometrical configuration as delivered to the end customer.
Following final inspection and quality verification, the finished products are transferred to the packaging stage for shipment preparation and distribution.
Packaging
Snow chains and related kits are packaged into dedicated packagings designed for product protection, handling, and transportation.
The packaging department is responsible for assembling the complete product kit, including the finished snow chains, instruction manuals, repair links, and any additional accessories or optional components specific to the individual product model.
During this phase, all packaging units are identified and labelled with the required product and logistics information, including application charts, tyre size compatibility data, traceability references, and end-user identification labels.