56 Building & Construct - ETA - MKT - TOR105 2026.qxp 05/06/2026 09:12 Page 1
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION ETAs AND ACCREDITATIONS
GERMAN EFFICIENCY IN EVERY CAPSULE: “HOW MKT’S VZ SYSTEM REDEFINES CHEMICAL ANCHORING”
We take a closer look at the German-made capsule anchor system delivering speed, reliability and clean installation for demanding construction environments worldwide…
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t’s eight o’clock in the morning on a construction site some where along Germany’s vast Autobahn network. One of the many prestressed concrete bridges is being refurbished. A worker drives anchor rods into freshly drilled holes – one after another with steady precision. Just a few metres away, colleagues are already securing a heavy steel safety barrier. This smooth workflow is made possible by capsule anchors, a fastening solution that combines chemical performance with exceptional ease of installation. All types of chemical anchoring systems – twocomponent adhesive plus steel anchor – have their merits. But capsule anchors offer several distinctive advantages over cartridge or bulk adhesive systems: fast and economical installation, mini mal equipment, virtually no packaging waste, and zero mate rial loss. A simple power tool is all that’s needed to drive the rod into the hole, crushing the glass capsule and mixing the adhesive components. The process is clean, controlled and works in all directions, even overhead. While some once viewed capsule anchors as a technology with limited future potential, MKT MetallKunststoffTechnik GmbH & Co. KG saw things differently. At its laboratory and production facilities in Weilerbach, Germany, MKT began developing a new generation of capsule anchors. Numerous formulations were created, optimised and tested. After completing a rigorous independent testing programme, MKT launched its VZ capsule anchor system, certified with Euro pean Technical Assessment ETA20/0533 – and continues to invest in the product, its approvals and production capacity. Capsule anchors serve a wide range of applications, particularly where small edge distances or tight anchor spacing are required, such as for sidemounted railings. “Our internally threaded version, the VZIG, paired with a screw, offers a clean and elegant finish when aesthetics matter,” explains Dr.Ing. Heiner Kruse, application engineer at MKT. He also supports customers in
MKT has been developing a new generation of capsule anchors
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designing professional anchorage solutions using MKT’s specialised Anchor Design software. “Under reallife conditions, fast curing is a big advantage,” he adds. “The MKT VZ cures quickly – at 20°C it’s fully cured after only six minutes, even in wet concrete. The anchor can then be loaded immediately, meaning the steel fixture can be installed and torqued without delay.” The VZ system’s versatility is another key strength. It supports installation temperatures from 20°C to +40°C, covers capsule sizes for M8 to M30 rods, as well as M6 to M24 internally threaded sleeves. It is available in zincplated, hot dip galvanized, A4 stainless steel, and HCR (high corrosion resistance) versions. The system is approved for cracked concrete and rated not only for static loads, but also for seismic and fire performance – making it suitable for critical infras tructure, industrial construction and largescale projects. The defining benefit of capsule anchors remains the pre portioned adhesive quantity in each capsule. This feature is especially valuable in serial installation, such as safety barriers or highbay warehouse racking, where it delivers considerable time savings. Installation can even be paused at any time – including after capsules have been inserted into the holes. Crews returning the next day simply resume work by driving the rods into the prepared boreholes. “More than half of our production is exported,” says Export Manager Oliver Hoefli, “reaching customers as far away as Australia or Korea. Thanks to a 36month shelf life, long shipping routes nibbling away at usable life are not an issue for the MKT VZ. That’s a major advantage for international markets.” The results confirm his view: capsule anchors are one of MKT’s fastestgrow ing product categories, and the company has recently commis sioned another production line. On it, VZ capsules glide quickly along the conveyor – almost like an Autobahn of their own. mkt.de
More than half of MKT's production is exported, reaching customers as far afield as Australia and Korea