WesWorld

Belgium has a thriving engineering sector, partly because of its close association with the national steel industries.
The Anglo Belgian Corporation is the nation's largest supplier of diesel engines for all applications and of course Minerva (detailed elsewhere) is a large producer of motor and aero engines. Ateliers de la Dyle is an important manufacturer of railway equipment, trams, turntables, hoists, cranes, bridges and steel structures and one which exports globally. Another of the large engineering concerns is Société Anonyme John Cockerill which manufactures ships and bridges and is an important armaments manufacturer too. In fact, Belgium has several large armaments firms, FN Herstal being another leading player as described elsewhere. These companies reflect the precision with which Belgian products are made and have found ready markets abroad which has boosted foreign trade figures since the Great War.

Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC)
Founded on 26 October 1912, to manufacture semi-diesel engines. One of the nine investors was the Onghena company, a manufacturer of gas engines, which would contribute part of their factory space and machinery towards the production of the new machines. Each investor contributed 500,000 Belgian Francs while the company, Carels Brothers, contributed diesel engine manufacturing licenses in exchange for a 5% return of the company's turnover. The outbreak of the Great War prevented the planned British investment going ahead. Initial production included engines ranging from 6 to 40hp horsepower. During the Great War production continued for the Netherlands at a low level. In 1927, the company obtained a license from Paxman Ricardo for the production of 1500 rpm engines. A new medium speed 4 stoke single acting engine was produced, the DU (diesel universal), from 1941 in 5, 6 and 8-cylinder versions were produced for marine, locomotive and electricity generation. In 1950, work began on turbocharged versions, the DUX.

Ateliers de la Dyle
Founded in 1866 as the Société en Commandite A. Durieux et Cie by Louis Bosmans and Aimé Durieux in Leuven . The company manufactures railway equipment, trams, turntables, hoists, cranes, bridges and steel structures, including the greenhouses of Laeken . In 1879 it merged with the shipyard Société des Chantiers de Bacalan from Bordeaux and formed SA de Travaux Dyle et Bacalan. In 1902, it took over the Métallurgique Société Belge de fabrication des Corps Creux. From 1906 the company built several large luxury cars, but then focused on the manufacture of chassis for other firms including ALP, Hermes and SACA. By the outbreak of the Great War, the company employed around 2,500 and exported its product to Brazil, Iberia and South Africa. During the Great War the company split, the Belgian part becoming Ateliers de la Dyle.

N.V. Claeys
In 1906, Leon Claeys, a mechanic, started to build threshing machines. In 1909, he built his factory in Zedelgem, to manufacture harvesting machines. In 1950, Claeys produced the first self-propelled combine harvester in Europe.

Société Anonyme John Cockerill
In 1799, the English-born blacksmith and mechanical engineer William Cockerill set up a textile machinery factory in Verviers, Belgium. In 1807 he moved to Liège and created a factory constructing machinery for the carding, spinning and weaving of wool and steam engines. His family had joined him from England and his sons John and Charles James managed the factory in Liège. After purchasing the former palace of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège at Seraing in 1817, Charles James and John constructed an iron foundry and machine building factory. The company quickly grew and it manufactured steam engines, railway locomotives, steam powered blowers for blast furnaces and traction engines. John Cockerill's business interests also included collieries and the company became one of the primary steel companies of Europe. In 1839, a banking crisis hit Belgium and Cockerill went bankrupt. The following year, returning from a trip to Russia attempting to raise funds John Cockerill died of typhus with no direct heir. Faced with the prospect of closure of an enterprise employing 30,000 the state bought the assets and on 20 March 1842, the company became Société anonyme pour l'Exploitation des Etablissements John Cockerill.
Under state control the company expanded further. In 1865, the plant covered 780,000 m2 and had two coal mines, and a boiler and locomotive works. A bessemer converter had been installed in 1863 and the company expanded into the construction of ships and bridges and tunneling machines. In 1934, the company started making artillery and tank guns in a new armaments division. In 1945, the company took over SA Angleur-Athus and the company remains one of Belgium’s largest industrial enterprises. In 1950, the company merged with Fabrique de Fer d'Ougrée to form the Cockerill-Ougrée subsidary.

Fonderie Royale de Canons (FRC)
State-owned arsenal for the Belgian Army in Brussels. Also exports weapons under the FRC-Bourges label.

Forges de Zeebrugge
A munitions factory located between Zeebrugge and Zwankendamme, founded in 1932 as a subsidiary of Carcoke.

Francotte
A weapons manufacturer in Liège, founded in 1805. Makes high quality civilian guns for sports use.

La Mécanique Générale
The company was founded in 1923, as a small workshop in Antwerp called. Originally the company made spare parts for gearboxes, but soon began making customised gear units. A young engineer, David Hansen stimulated this development. In 1939, the company moved to Edegem. In 1950, Hansen invented and patented a standardisation system for transmission systems. He founded the subsidiary Machinery & Gear Hansen (MGH), which is mainly concerned with product development and marketing.

LAG N.V.
Founded in 1947, by brothers Lambert and Arnold Geusens in Bree. The company manufactures construction machinery and semi-trailers, dump trailers and stainless steel and aluminium tankers.

Mecar
A weapon and ammunition manufacturing company founded in 1938. It manufactures a wide range of ammunition for small arms, automatic cannons and grenades.

Moteurs S.A.
Founded as ’Etablissements François in 1870 in Sclessin-lez-Liège. . By 1896, the company was building high speed steam engines, but as demand fell the company began manufacturing pneumatic hammers and compressors for the coal Industry from 1930.

Weefautomaten Picañol N.V.
Founded in 1928 as the Society for the Promotion of Industrialization of Flax Fibber in Ypres. It was reformed into its current form in 1936 as a manufacturer of looms and other textile equipment.

Saluc S.A.
A speciality manufacturing company founded in 1923, they are best known for their Aramith brand billiard, pool and snooker balls. The company also manufactures other sorts of balls and bearings.

Weefautomaten Picañol NV
The company was founded in 1936 by the Belgian industrialist Charles Steverlynck. It manufactures weaving machines for the textile industry.