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About Us

 

Conex Bänninger traces its origins back more than 100 years and is a leading innovator and manufacturer of fittings and valves for plumbing, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration. The Conex Bänninger brand offers a wide and diverse range of products and solutions with many ranges uniquely designed for specialised applications.

The company combines its longstanding expertise and heritage with forward thinking innovation, creating products that are adapted to changing industry requirements whilst retaining the steadfast reliability central to the brand.

Consistency of quality, professional expertise in application and the flexibility to meet the different needs of the regions in which it operates has made Conex Bänninger the global leading company it is today. 

Excellence is our goal, and with ongoing technological advances, the challenges of external influences and our client’s ever-changing needs, it is one that evolves constantly.

It is, however, something we have worked towards since the company’s earliest inception over 110 years ago and has become part of our heritage. We believe that it is in pursuit of those ever-higher levels of distinction, that we truly attain excellence.
 

For us, excellence is

  • To innovate, and create functional, reliable products that meet the needs of an ever-challenging industry;
  • To retain heritage and long-standing expertise, whilst staying at the forefront of technology;
  • To work closely with our customers and end users so that we can deliver solutions that uniquely add value;
  • To utilise a quality of materials fully compatible with industry requirements;
  • To continue to invest in our own processes and production;
  • To utilise the knowledge of over 900 employees around the world to meet our customers' needs;
  • To consistently meet global standards of safety and functionality.

Excellence since 1909

A history of innovation

The Conex Bänninger brand brings together two great manufacturers of fittings and valves. Bänninger in Giessen, Germany started as a manufacturer of iron fittings in 1909, whilst Conex Sanbra, founded in 1919 in Birmingham, UK manufactured a range of brass and chromium plated water fittings, valves, lavatory and sink mixers. 1920 saw the first introduction of the distinctive >B< trademark into the market, identifying Bänninger products. During the 1930’s, the businesses went from strength to strength with Bänninger becoming the only producer at that time of red brass fittings in Europe. In the 1940’s, Sanbra launched their unique rib-nut design compression range, and the name Conex became the one to ask for when it came to compression fittings. Many other products followed including, in 1983, the development of the first copper-based press fitting, the precursor of today’s >B< Press range. By 1987, Bänninger had become part of the newly formed IBP Group, which later merged with Conex. In 1994 the brands were combined to become Conex Bänninger. Over the years the brand’s product portfolio has increased extensively with more recent additions meeting the needs of press and push applications. ‘Excellence since 1909’ is not only an ethos that acknowledges the history and heritage of innovation and quality, but a promise to bring the ideal of excellence to everything we do in the future.

A global presence

Today Conex Bänninger serves a global market with manufacturing facilities in Spain, Poland and Germany. But it is not just materials and manufacturing plants that make us successful, it is also our people. With over 900 colleagues worldwide, you can rely on a level of support and expertise that draws on the experience of an international team, wherever you are located.

A people business

You don’t get great ideas to market without having great people to work for you. Our team is one of our most valuable assets, because ultimately, they are responsible for making us who we are. It is people who assist in maintaining high standards at every stage of the process; from design and manufacture, through to delivery and after sales services. Many of our team have been with us for a long time and can pass on a wealth of expertise to our customers and end users.  Good relationships are particularly important to us and our teams are always approachable, and extremely responsive in their provision of planning, sales, support, technical advice and training.  Our flexible, yet professional approach provides a level of satisfaction that has a lot of our customers saying that we are simply ‘good people to do business with’.

The environment & sustainability

We treat our environmental obligations very seriously and conserve resources through preventative measures; through the technologies we develop, the materials we use, and by striving to minimise the impact our activities have on the environment and our local community. Our product innovation takes into consideration water safety, fire protection and energy efficiency, which is why the flame-free features of our press and push technologies have become so popular. These methods effectively cut the energy consumption and time-on-site compared with more traditional fitting techniques and contribute to overall safety.  Material benefits A large proportion of the raw materials used in the manufacture of our products are completely recyclable and all our products are designed and manufactured for long service. Our packing is focused on recyclable materials and is designed to minimise waste. Protecting our water Clean water is both an environmental and public health issue.  Copper, brass, bronze and stainless steel are used extensively in the manufacture of our products. These materials resist corrosion and oxidisation, helping to keep water quality high. In addition, the anti-microbial properties of copper fittings are one of the reasons they are often specified when water hygiene is a priority. In fact, copper fittings, as part of a well-designed network, actively contribute towards destroying pathogenic microbes, including legionella.  The products that we have developed for use with drinking water comply with the World Health Organization, and water standards authorities in all of our markets, including WRAS, KIWA, DVGW, the Australian WaterMark and EPA.

Dedicated to design

Innovation is an important driver in our delivery of excellence and is one of the reasons our portfolio of plumbing and heating fittings, refrigeration solutions and valves is so diverse.  Our new ideas often start by being aware of, and responding to changes in industry, whether it is pioneering technology such as >B< MaxiPro in air conditioning and refrigeration or the use of low lead materials for drinking water.  The impact on well-being An increasing awareness of how the design of fluid networks impact on the health and well-being of a building’s occupants and their productivity will affect material choice and system design. How we can best meet these needs through product compatibility and improvements to installation speed and product integrity are also factors that come into play at the design stage, and it is why we have a dedicated design team to anticipate the next generation of user needs.
Dedicated to design
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Product

Product

New and traditional technologies

We constantly explore new ideas to ensure that we can offer our customers the latest fitting technologies. Our press and push ranges take the lead in quick-to-fit, flame-free solutions, but traditional technologies such as end feed, compression, braze and threaded fittings are as relevant and as indispensable to industry professionals today.
New and traditional technologies

A product for every application

Our fittings are used in residential buildings all the way through to industrial systems including shipbuilding, whilst a dedicated OEM division specialises in bespoke fabrications and assemblies for a broad cross section of customers.

An extensive and diverse product portfolio - left side
An extensive and diverse product portfolio <br> The fittings market has expanded substantially in recent years. With the growth of press and push technologies, a wider range of material choices and the use of application specific fittings for sensitive environments; it has become increasingly important that we can adapt to changing circumstances. We are helped by our heritage in products such as Conex compression fittings, which set the standard for quality in the industry for subsequent ranges to follow. A more recent Conex Bänninger innovation is the &gt;B&lt; Oyster converter. Neat, easy-to-fit and flame-free, it is designed to connect to a wide range of female threaded fittings, in new or retrofit applications. There are also many specialised applications with specific needs such a medical gas where we can provide the right specialist fitting for the job.<br>ACR Solutions<br>From a retrofit in a confined space, to larger contracts where time and productivity are key, we offer a range of solutions including our new &gt;B&lt; MaxiPro range for air conditioning and refrigeration applications. Quick and easy-to-use, &gt;B&lt; MaxiPro has been developed for use in air-conditioning and refrigeration applications up to 48 bar and provides a secure and permanent joint. Compared with traditional techniques it significantly improves productivity through its greatly reduced installation time. Our K65 fitting is a light-weight, easy to handle, braze fitting that has an operating pressure of up to 120 bar. It is extremely strong and has been designed to handle the high pressure flow that comes with utilising CO2 based refrigerants.

Aware of sector needs

Our products focus on the key aspects of a healthy environment, as they relate to the design and specification of hot and cold potable water; heating & cooling services; renewable technologies as well as natural, LPG and technical gases.  Buildings that house identically replicated systems, for example hotels, offices or commercial spaces, need components that comply to a very standardised set of specifications, with water systems that can accommodate the generally high-flows required to reduce waiting time. Air conditioning is a major factor to consider in office space installations, and hygienic and sanitary requirement in the health-care sector are very exacting.
We work closely with industry professionals, especially at the end user level, to develop products and solutions that are simple to use, economical, of exacting quality, and that make secure connections across a broad range of applications and markets.
View case studies

Tailored solutions

We will often work with customers to develop tailored solutions encompassing specific designs, packaging, logistics, approvals and flexible manufacturing.  Our OEM division demonstrates extensive expertise in producing specialist components to exact and individual specifications, and our off-the-shelf fittings are there to help you meet deadlines, efficiency targets and environmental objectives.

Quality & Service

Excellence in the making

At Conex Bänninger, we are fully committed to our customer’s expectation of quality-assured, reliable products. Manufacturing at our own facilities helps assure our customers of unrivalled levels of workmanship and safety.
Excellence in the making
<p><b>Helping to safeguard our drinking water</b></p><p>Ensuring that products are tested and certified to meet worldwide drinking water regulations for plumbing products is critical. The dedicated foundry at our Polish facility uses only quality assured and certified raw materials with ongoing quality control processes that fully comply with ISO 9001 quality system requirements. </p><p><b> Materials to stand the test of time&nbsp; </b></p><p>Choosing the right materials for a project is dependent on a variety of factors, from speed of installation, functionality, material benefits and reliability. Throughout history, metals have met all these requirements, as well as providing highly durable and dependable solutions that are largely, or in some instances, completely recyclable.<br></p>
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Copper is extremely versatile having so many excellent qualities, including its anti-bacterial properties and resistance to corrosion, making it an important choice in applications like solar energy systems, water distribution and fire sprinkler systems. Stainless steel is corrosion resistant and extremely durable and is particularly suitable for drinking water applications.  Our carbon steel >B< Press fitting is more economical and is ideal for heating systems as well as closed cooling systems and oil-free compressed air systems. Brass fittings are commonly used in industrial and residential applications because they are strong and durable, with excellent corrosion resistance. Brass pipe fittings are particularly good for use with cold and hot water plumbing and heating installations. DZR brass (dezincification resistant) is designed to stop fittings corroding and zinc leaching in aggressive waters environments and, as a result, fittings are commonly used for use with potable water installations. Red brass or gunmetal is one of the most durable metals and is classed as immune to dezincification and stress corrosion cracking, which is more common with copper alloys (brasses) with higher zinc content. Some products are made from specialised alloys such as K65, which is extremely strong, and has been specially created for extremely high-pressure applications in refrigeration.


Process and production

As a company, we take a responsible and proactive approach to all our processes, from source and manufacture through to distribution and management systems. We are registered with the BSI, and work to deliver our services alongside procedures that meet the criteria that have made us ISO 9001 certified.
Exceeding standards. An assurance of quality. Our products go Exceeding standards. An assurance of quality. Our products go through stringent testing at the design, development and manufacturing stages according to long term and industry standard test specification. This includes pressure and temperature cycling, shock and endurance testing, to ensure that our products meet or exceed international statutory, regulatory and installation requirements. Our fittings meet the criteria of the highest national and international third party approvals across numerous territories, including DVGW, the BSI kite mark, WRAS, CSTB, KIWA, SWEDCERT and IAPMO. At every stage of production, our products go through a quality checking and control process in accordance with ISO 9001 quality systems, dedicated quality Standard Operating Procedures and work instructions.through stringent testing at the design, development and manufacturing stages according to long term and industry standard test specification. This includes pressure and temperature cycling, shock and endurance testing, to ensure that our products meet or exceed international statutory, regulatory and installation requirements. Our fittings meet the criteria of the highest national and international third party approvals across numerous territories, including DVGW, the BSI kite mark, WRAS,CSTB, KIWA, SWEDCERT and IAPMO. At every stage of production, our products go through a quality checking and control process in accordance with ISO 9001 quality systems, dedicated quality Standard Operating Procedures and work instructions.
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Service and support

A collaborative approach… Our customers are best supported through the long-term relationships we have developed. Regular personal contact means that we can stay in touch with their businesses, and better anticipate their needs.  Whether it is a global approach for international customers or a more dedicated approach for local operations, we work with our customers to provide the right solutions, at the right time and at the right budget.   Our offices and sales teams in each of our major markets have a collective wealth of expertise and experience in the provision of sales, technical support and training; a global enterprise that can provide local support wherever you are. Keeping you in touch, up to date, sharing what we know. We can only keep developing great products or improving existing ones if we can listen to what our customers say.   

Stock & supply – logistics

We want to make the life of the installer or contractor as stress free as possible and work with our distributing partners to ensure that they have the stock they need in plenty of time. We produce many millions of fittings per year, and our warehousing and logistics facilities in Poland, Spain, Dubai and the UK ensure that we are able to provide the products you need, when you need them.