Our History
Arnold Mobility is the newest chapter in a story that began over 160 years ago. From the bellows of world-famous concertinas and bandoneons, to protective covers for machine tools, and now to bellows systems for railway vehicles. The material changes, the industries change, but the craft remains the same: flexible protection, made in Germany.
The Music Era
1864
The foundation: Carlsfeld, Saxony
Ernst Louis Arnold lays the cornerstone of the Arnold dynasty in Carlsfeld, Saxony. He acquires the invention of the “Carlsfelder Konzertina” from Carl Zimmermann and founds the company ELA, named after his initials. His sons later join the firm.
1890
The bandoneon conquers the world: from Saxony to Buenos Aires
The company grows with the popularity of the bandoneon, the flexible bellows instrument whose folds create the air for its sound. Carried by workers’ music clubs at home and by the tango craze abroad, the bandoneon, and with it the Arnold name, becomes famous from Saxony to Buenos Aires.
1910
The legendary “AA”: Alfred Arnold bandoneons
Alfred Arnold, son of Ernst Louis, founds Alfred Arnold; his brother Wilhelm Paul joins a year later. The “AA” bandoneons they build become the most sought-after instruments of the tango era; many are still played on stages today. Wilhelm Paul’s son Arno Arnold joins the management in 1930.
From Music to Machine
1930
From music to machine: the bellows patent
The Reichspatentamt grants Arnold a patent for a “harmonica-shaped bellows as a protective cover for guideways on machine tools”. The construction drawings show it plainly: it is bandoneon technology, applied to industry. Protective bellows become the company’s second pillar.
1949
A new start: Obertshausen, Hesse
After the war, Arno Arnold begins again in Obertshausen, Hesse: first with hand-crafted series production of bandoneons, soon with a growing focus on industrial bellows for Germany’s rebuilding economy.
1955
The decisive turn to the machine: Weinmann-Faltenbälge and the WMB spiral
With Günter Weinmann and his wife Sigrid, née Arnold, the company completes the gradual shift from music to machine. Weinmann-Faltenbälge GmbH is founded and develops the original WMB spiral, a conical spring cover for spindles and shafts, patented across Europe. Way covers and camera bellows follow.
From Machine to Mobility
1971
Farewell to the bandoneon: the craft remains
The last bandoneon leaves the workshop. What stays is the obligation it taught: building flexible, precise, durable products by hand and by craft.
1984
Arno Arnold GmbH: protection for the machine-tool industry
Under Simone Weinmann-Mang and Wolf Matthias Mang, Weinmann Faltenbälge and Arno Arnold merge into Arno Arnold GmbH, an international partner for protective cover systems for the machine-tool industry.
2020
The sixth generation: Isabelle and Benedikt Himbert
In 2020, Isabelle Mang, daughter of Simone Weinmann-Mang and Wolf Matthias Mang, joins the management of Arno Arnold in the sixth generation. Her husband Dr. Benedikt Himbert follows in 2021. Together they carry the family values, and its long-term thinking, into the next chapter.
2026
Arnold Mobility: the third chapter in railway and transportation
In 2026, Arnold Mobility GmbH is founded as part of the Arno Arnold family. It carries the heritage of its mother company: experience, long-term thinking and exceptional quality. These values pass not only from generation to generation, but into the next industry where quality can never be compromised: railway and transportation. Bellows systems for rail vehicles, built on 160 years of making things flexible.
Discover Arnold Mobility
At Arnold Mobility, our mission is to transform the future of transportation through innovative technology solutions. We specialize in developing advanced mobility systems that enhance connectivity, sustainability, and user experience, catering to both urban and rural environments.
Our offerings include smart vehicle technologies, mobility-as-a-service platforms, and comprehensive data analytics tools designed to optimize transportation networks. By leveraging artificial intelligence and IoT, we strive to create seamless travel experiences that benefit communities and businesses alike.