Who makes Sonor Hella hoops?

[Frank Godiva]

Sonor die cast rims have always been outsourced and produced by the Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. (stylized as HELLA) an internationally operating German automotive part supplier. All the snares in the 89 catalog featured Hellas except the Performer.

[Jules]

I had a '72 Volkswagen Super Beetle and the headlights (or maybe a part of the headlights) and other parts were made by Hella.

[James Fullier III]

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Currently I would wager that these hoops are just made by the same Asian company that makes all the other hardware for Sonor... Why would Sonor need Hella when Hella does not even make any specialty metal products afaik and Asia can make the hoops much cheaper with extremely high quality.

https://www.hella.com/en/Products-Services-227/

https://www.hella.com/soe/en/Products-1356/

[Jules]

In the 150th Anniversary Literature, it explains that the hoops are still made in Germany.

[Frank Godiva]

JF III

Good point, but as Jules pointed out they still making at Hella. Afasik it’s the only metal part found on any Sonor drum that’s not made in Asia. A very iconic exception indeed.


I don’t know the answer to this; maybe Jules does.

Where are the reissue 590 shells cast?

I thought I heard it was still done in Germany but I don’t know for sure. I don’t consider the shell a part as the shell is the drum that’s the parts attach too.

[James Fullier III]

JF III

. Afasik it’s the only metal part found on any Sonor drum that’s not made in Asia. A very iconic exception indeed.

Yep very strange because other more intricate Sonor metal parts are coming from Asia.

[Jules]

[Jules]

I have experience in manufacturing and there could be several reasons that Hella still makes the hoops. A long term contract is a very likely reason. Also, sometimes there are odd situations, such as the factory actually owning the tooling, even though it is a propriety part specific to a single customer. In other words: Hella may own the dies, and maybe even somehow the design, as well.

[DaveInNZ]

They're all stamped with the Hella logo underneath too. I'd bet a pair of them that Hella own the tooling. And I'd imagine the costs to remake the tooling at an Asian supplier wouldn't make economic sense given how few are made comparatively - my understanding is that normal manufacture of hoops in Asia is in the thousands if not tens of thousands per run down a production line. You might find Hella just run a hundred pairs off at the end of a Friday shift and that's enough to keep Sonor ticking over.

Costs, scale and tooling would be my guess. And the sales contract as Jules mentioned.

[krusher74]

JF III

. Afasik it’s the only metal part found on any Sonor drum that’s not made in Asia. A very iconic exception indeed.

Yep very strange because other more intricate Sonor metal parts are coming from Asia.

if they still have the tooling at the foundry that makes them in german its easier to just keep that production going, tooling at set up for a new product is then cheaper to start in asia