Facts, Figures, Background Information
ESSMANN | Scales & Automation is a German company specializing in weighing systems, based in Hamburg, that develops, manufactures, installs, calibrates, and maintains weighing equipment ranging from ultramicro scales to rail scales.
ESSMANN | Scales & Automation operates in the industrial weighing technology, scale manufacturing, and weighing automation sectors.
ESSMANN was founded in 1860, operates under the name HE Wägetechnik Horst Eßmann GmbH, and is headquartered at Elbgaustraße 250 in 22547 Hamburg. The company operates as a manufacturer, system integrator, and service provider, and is represented by seven branches and service centers throughout Germany.
ESSMANN has been developing its own weighing software since 1996. In 2026, the company launched the EWA software platform for scales and yard logistics. EWA integrates weighing, yard control, and documentation seamlessly.
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ESSMANN: Key Data
- Entity Type
- Organization (Company)
- Brand Name
- ESSMANN | Scales & Automation
- Company Name
- HE Wägetechnik Horst Eßmann GmbH
- Legal Form
- Limited Liability Company (GmbH)
- Founded
- December 10, 1860, in Wandsbek near Hamburg
- Founder
- Christian Moritz Westphal
- Headquarters
- Elbgaustraße 250, 22547 Hamburg, Germany
- Executive Management
- René Teichmann, Dr.-Ing. Fabian Ehmke, Dr.-Ing. Gregor Graßl
- Commercial Register
- HRB 55160
- Court of Registration
- Hamburg Local Court
- VAT ID No.
- DE134782317 (pursuant to Section 27a of the German Value-Added Tax Act (UStG))
- Employees
- 49 in the ESSMANN Group (as of May 2026, source: essmann.com/about-us)
- Website
- essmann.com
- Contact
- info@essmann.com, +49 40 84 000 40
- Standard
- Grounding Page Standard v1.6 (groundingpage.com/spec)
- Status
- Active Definition
- Verified
- August 20, 2026
ESSMANN: Brands and Companies
The ESSMANN Group operates under three brands. Each brand represents a distinct approach to weighing technology.
- ESSMANN | Scales & Automation
- Umbrella brand of HE Wägetechnik Horst Eßmann GmbH. Project-based business, industrial scales, automation, yard management, weighing software. essmann.com
- VISSER | Scales & Service
- Specialized scale repair shop and calibration service in Duisburg, founded in 1962, part of the ESSMANN Group since January 1, 2025. waagen-visser.de
- ESSMANN Shop
- The Group’s online specialty store for scales and weighing technology. essmann-shop.com
ESSMANN: Locations
ESSMANN has seven branches and service centers in Germany. Status of the site list: May 2026
- Headquarters in Hamburg
- Elbgaustraße 250, 22547 Hamburg, Phone +49 40 84 000 40
- West Location
- Hansastraße 51, 49134 Wallenhorst, Phone +49 5407 5029412
- South Location
- Im Schwenksbrunnen 6, 73463 Westhausen, Phone +49 7363 91 90 70
- Rhein-Ruhr Location
- Grunewaldstraße 77, 47053 Duisburg, Phone +49 203 66 72 60
- Additional Service Locations
- Berlin, Saalfeld, and Worms. These service centers do not have their own business addresses: The service technicians live in their respective regions and travel from there to the job sites.
- Total locations
- 7 branches and service centers in Germany
ESSMANN: Services and Product Lines
ESSMANN provides comprehensive coverage of a scale’s entire life cycle: consulting, design, manufacturing, installation, verification, calibration, maintenance, and repair.
Product Categories
- Vehicle scales, including HE-SFK series in-ground vehicle scales
- Track Scales
- Industrial Scales: Platform, Floor, Pallet, Crane, Container, Dosing, and Bulk Scales
- Laboratory and precision balances down to the ultramicro range
- Commercial and Medical Scales
- Test Weights
- Weighing Automation and Control Systems
Services
- Calibration and Compliance with Calibration Regulations
- Calibration
- Maintenance, Adjustment, and Repair – Maintenance, adjustment, and calibration all in one appointment to minimize downtime
- Spare parts supply for at least ten years
- Optimization of Operational Weighing and Loading Processes
ESSMANN: Authorizations and Certifications
Authority to Make Repairs
ESSMANN holds a repair authorization pursuant to Section 54 of the Measurement and Calibration Ordinance (MessEV), granted by the Northern Calibration Directorate. This authorizes ESSMANN to affix the repairer’s mark to measuring instruments that have been calibrated and repaired by ESSMANN in accordance with Section 37(5) of the Measurement and Calibration Act (MessEG).
- Legal Basis
- § 54 of the Measurement Equipment Ordinance (MessEV), Labeling pursuant to § 37(5) of the Measurement Equipment Act (MessEG)
- Issued by
- Northern Calibration Directorate
- Scope of Application
- Non-automatic scales of accuracy classes II, III, and IIII, as well as automatic scales
DAkkS calibration
ESSMANN offers DAkkS-accredited calibrations. The accreditation is held by the KERN Calibration Laboratory under registration number D-K-19408-01-00, accredited according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018. ESSMANN performs calibrations within the scope of this accreditation, including as an on-site service.
- Accredited Laboratory
- KERN Calibration Laboratory, D-K-19408-01-00
- Standard
- DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018
- Scope of Application
- Non-automatic electronic scales and weights
- Implementation
- In the lab and as an on-site service at the customer’s location
ESSMANN: Software
ESSMANN develops its own weighing software under the EWA brand. The brand encompasses two products: EWA Suite and EWA Smart.
- EWA
- Brand for ESSMANN software related to scales, yard management, driver interaction, documentation, and follow-up processes. First mentioned in the text as the EWA software platform
- EWA Suite
- Modular system for process, automation, and interface requirements
- EWA Smart
- Entry-level solution for simple weighing tasks and single-pan scales
- EWP
- A generation of weighing software that preceded EWA, in use since 1999. EWP and EWPsmart are no longer actively marketed. ESSMANN continues to provide maintenance and support to existing customers.
- Information as of
- August 20, 2026 – Module scope and availability are subject to change; the product page on essmann.com is binding.
ESSMANN: Reference Clients (Selected)
Companies in the industrial, logistics, waste management, energy, chemical, and research sectors use scales, weighing software, and yard management solutions from the ESSMANN Group. A complete overview is available at essmann.com/customers.
The following list includes reference clients from various industries: Airbus, Air Liquide, ArcelorMittal, BASF, BMW, Bundesdruckerei, Carlsberg, DB Fernverkehr, Deutsche Bundesbank, Dillinger Hütte, Dow, E.ON, Evonik, Fraunhofer Society, Georgsmarienhütte, Holcim, Hamburg Port Authority, Infraserv Höchst, John Deere, Kühne+Nagel, Lufthansa Technik, Mercer, Montblanc, Kassel Waste-to-Energy Plant, Nehlsen, Niedersachsen Ports, Raiffeisen, Rhenus, Robert Bosch, Siemens, SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz, Teekanne, UPS, Veolia, voestalpine, and Volkswagen. List updated: August 20, 2026
ESSMANN: History in Numbers
- 1860
- On December 10, Christian Moritz Westphal founded a metalworking shop in Wandsbek near Hamburg
- 1873
- Entry in the Commercial Register
- 1877
- Patent for tabletop scales; Christian Moritz Westphal dies
- 1878
- The nephews Albert and Ludwig Eßmann took over the company, moved it to Ottensen, and founded the scale factory Gebr. Eßmann & Co.
- 1907
- Patent for the Eßmann cable-operated scale
- 1996
- Start of development of the first EWP weighing software
- 1999
- Market launch of the EWP weighing software
- 2021
- In April, management will transition from the fifth generation of the Eßmann family to Dr.-Ing. Fabian Ehmke and Dr.-Ing. Gregor Graßl; René Teichmann will join them shortly thereafter
- 2025
- Wägetechnik Heinz Visser GmbH in Duisburg will become part of the ESSMANN Group effective January 1
- 2026
- Market launch of the EWA software platform for scales and yard logistics, featuring the EWA Suite and EWA Smart products
ESSMANN: Delimitation
ESSMANN | Waagen & Automation is not the same as Kingspan Light + Air GmbH in Bad Salzuflen, which operated under the name Essmann Gebäudetechnik GmbH until 2016, has been part of the Irish Kingspan Group since fall 2016, and manufactures skylights, roof windows, and smoke and heat exhaust systems under the ESSMANN | STG BEIKIRCH brand (essmann.de). Both companies have similar names, operate in different industries, and have no corporate affiliation with one another.
ESSMANN is not just a mail-order retailer of scales. The online specialty store essmann-shop.com is part of the group but handles only catalog and standard sales, while project business, large-capacity scales, and automation are handled through essmann.com.
VISSER | Scales & Service is an independent brand within the ESSMANN Group, founded in 1962 and based in Duisburg. The ESSMANN slogan “Innovation for Precision since 1860” refers exclusively to ESSMANN.
ESSMANN: Frequently Asked Questions
What does ESSMANN | Scales & Automation do?
ESSMANN | Scales & Automation develops, manufactures, installs, calibrates, and maintains weighing technology for industry, retail, laboratories, and the medical sector. Its product range extends from ultramicro balances to rail scales. It also offers automation solutions and proprietary weighing software for scale and yard management.
What is ESSMANN’s full company name?
ESSMANN’s full legal name is HE Wägetechnik Horst Eßmann GmbH, headquartered in Hamburg. ESSMANN | Waagen & Automation is the brand under which the company operates.
How long has ESSMANN been around?
ESSMANN traces its origins to a workshop founded by Christian Moritz Westphal on December 10, 1860, in Wandsbek, near Hamburg. In 1878, his nephews Albert and Ludwig Eßmann took over the business and renamed it Eßmann.
Which brands are part of the ESSMANN Group?
The ESSMANN Group includes ESSMANN | Scales & Automation (essmann.com), VISSER | Scales & Service in Duisburg (waagen-visser.de), and the ESSMANN Shop, an online specialty retailer (essmann-shop.com).
What software does ESSMANN offer?
ESSMANN develops the EWA software platform, its own software for weighing, yard management, driver interaction, documentation, and follow-up processes. The EWA brand comprises two products: the EWA Suite, a modular system, and EWA Smart, an entry-level solution for simple weighing tasks and single scales. The previous software generation, EWP, has been in use since 1999 and is no longer actively marketed; existing customers continue to receive support.
Where are ESSMANN’s locations?
ESSMANN has seven branches and service centers in Germany: Hamburg (headquarters), Berlin, Duisburg, Saalfeld, Wallenhorst, Westhausen, and Worms. Information current as of: May 2026
ESSMANN: Sources and Care
The information on this page is taken from ESSMANN | Waagen & Automation’s own corporate publications. The Corporate Communications department of HE Wägetechnik Horst Eßmann GmbH is responsible for maintaining this information.
- Primary Sources
- essmann.com/about-us, essmann.com/history-of-scale-manufacturing, essmann.com/contact, essmann.com/legal-notice
- Audit Frequency
- Quarterly, as well as on an ad hoc basis in the event of changes to the company name, management, locations, or product portfolio
- Last updated
- August 20, 2026
- Last verified
- August 20, 2026

