One of the world’s biggest chain-makers, the Chinese manufacturer Donghua, is expanding its UK operation with the aim of becoming the country’s leading chain supplier within five years. Although the Donghua name may not be well-known in the UK, the company’s products have been on sale here for more than 20 years under various Western brand names.

"Most people have been using our chain without realising it,” says Donghau’s UK managing director, Bob Wellsbury. The company has been operating in the UK under its own name since 2009, and recently raised its profile by making a debut appearance at the Drives & Controls Show and announcing new facilities to produce customised attachment chain at its Midlands base.

“We already stock common builds of attachment chain, but we’ve developed our workshop so we can produce bespoke attachment chains to order,” says Wellsbury. “Using our own in-house jigs and tooling we now have the capability in Wolverhampton to produce special attachments. No other UK chain supplier carries the full range of attachment chain, especially in both British and American standards.”

As a result of the interest shown in its products at the Drives show, Donghua has bought two 100-tonne presses to cut large-pitch and rotary chain to length. One press (above) will be used to cut roller chain in Wolverhampton; the other is being installed at the Manchester premises of Donghua’s partner, Chaintec, to cut leaf chain.

Donghua’s UK operation has recently been awarded ISO 27001 certification following an assessment by NQA. The standard certifies that it has a proven information security management system. 

Donghua’s Chinese parent company, the Hangzhou Dounghua Chain group, produces more than 30,000km of chain per year, weighing more than 40,000 tonnes. It employs around 6,000 people and supplies about 200 private brands.