Age of European Power Tools

1867

Wilhelm Emil Fein founded his "Electro-Mechanical Equipment Workshop" in Germany, where electrical engineering was a new technology. Fein was a brilliant inventor and entrepreneur, and during his lifetime he was recognized as a pioneer of electrical engineering. His prolific pioneering spirit has given the company 150 years of success and a vision for the future. Wilhelm-Emil FEIN invents the world's first electric hand drill and lays the foundation for the FEIN company.

1886

Mr. Robert Bosch founded the "Workshop for Fine Mechanics and Electrical Engineering" in Stuttgart. Thus was born a multinational corporation that today operates around the world. Since its founding, outstanding innovative ability and a strong sense of social responsibility have always been hallmarks of Bosch.

1887

AEG was founded by Mr. Emil Rathenau in Berlin, Germany

1889

Wilhelm Emil Fein founded the electrical works C. & E. Fein in Stuttgart.

1895

William Emile Fine's son, Emile Fine, ingeniously combined a hand drill with a small electric motor. This is how the concept of a tool with a single power source was born.

1908

FEIN became the "professional power tool factory", and the initial focus was on rapidly improving power tools, making them more powerful and lighter. Thus the portable grinder was born.

1908

AEG has released the first handheld pistol grip drill, the design of which added flexibility to the user and is still one of the most popular drills of this kind.

1918

Harmonic Hammer appeared, a technique that is still used today. All hammers are equipped with an air-cushioned impact mechanism. In the development of FEIN hammers, the rotational movement of the motor has been successfully converted into a linear impact movement.

1920s

AEG introduces the first power tool with a universal motor. The latter are lighter and compatible with a variety of currents, helping to solidify AEG's reputation for advanced productivity tools, enhancing user experience and therefore productivity.

1922

Hermann Ackermann and Hermann Schmidt founded a company in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt (formerly FLEX) to manufacture and market their new invention: the MS 6 hand sander, featuring a motor driven motor that drives a flexible shaft.

1924

Foundation of Metabo, headquartered in Jottingen, Germany, named after the Metallbohrdreher hand drill.

1925

Festool was founded by entrepreneurs Albert Feser and Gottlieb Stoll. At first, the company's activities were mainly focused on the repair of woodworking machines and the conversion of plain bearings of woodworking machines into ball bearings.

1927

The Bosch engineer Hermann Steinhart sawin his test shop, equipment that immediately caught his attention. "Forfeks" has a motor built into the handle. This opens up many new possibilities. Steinhart's department first developed the Forfex for mass production and then, over the next few years, developed the concept for the first impact drill.

1928

Kasheng was founded in Tübingen, Germany and is a professional tool brand with a long history and tradition.

1930

The first mobile and portable Festool SB126 circular saw was born. Its principle: Instead of laboriously transporting heavy materials to a stationary tool with the SB126 portable circular saw, you only need to bring the tool to the material.

Early 1930s

AEG has opened a dedicated power tool factory in Winnenden near Stuttgart to help keep the job going.

Extension. For AEG, the post-expansion years have definitely proved creative. AEG has launched the first double insulated cordless drill to protect the user from electric shock. The first hammer, the rotary chipper EH 200 weighing 5.5 kg, was introduced, followed by straight grinders and polishers.

1932

The Festool ZUM 140 chain cutter is designed for milling grooves and holes, as well as for milling grooves in stair stringers using an additional tool.

1932

Bosch invented the world's first electric hammer drill and brought it to market.

1933

The FEIN jigsaw is launched for faster sheet metal work in the automotive and aircraft industries.

1938

The portable circular saw BD 125 from Festool is widely appreciated among carpenters and carpenters.

1938

The Festo MTD and KTD grinders became bestsellers in the 1930s and 1940s. In addition, the Festo disc grinder was the first grinder with an integrated dust extraction system.

1941

The engineer Martin Hilti (1915–1997) and his brother Eugene (1911–1964) founded the Hilti company in Schaan, Grand Duchy of Liechtenstein.

1947

Bosch invents the world's first electric jigsaw, an invention that is a masterpiece of innovation in woodworking.

1948

Martin Hilty first focused on fastening technology and received a patent for this technology, and then produced hand tools and nail guns in the early 1950s.

1950

The FEIN-Zwerg electric drill ("Gnome") has patented a housing: plastic, used as insulation. The division of the fuselage into two halves divided longitudinally is what we take for granted today: an efficient, well-organized combination of working tools inside one of the two half-shells.

1951

The square grinder F is bornestool RTE, and the legend continues to this day. It replaced the time-consuming hand sanding block that was not popular with painters, joiners and car painters and paved the way for mechanical fine sanding.

1954

Ackermann & Schmidt presents the first generation of high-speed angle grinders: the DL 9.

1957

Hilti made a huge technological breakthrough and developed the world's first powder driven nail, the DX 100. In the early 1960s, Hilti could be seen in almost 30 countries around the world.

1957

The first generation of Bosch angle grinders came out, the most reliable angle grinder at that time, and it was also a real Bosch innovation at that time

1964

Ahnheis is a family business based in Landau-sur-Isar.

1967

A plaster cast saw was introduced, patented as a circular saw with an angled oscillating saw blade. It is mainly used for cutting gypsum castings. The oscillating rotating blade cuts through the hard impression without damaging the patient's skin. The gypsum saw is equipped with a more powerful gearbox to upgrade to a chassis saw. Plaster saws form the basis of the FEIN range of precision oscillating power tools.

1967

The addition to the Hilti TE range, the TE 17, is the company's first electric powered hammer drill, and takes the versatility of the range to a new level. At the same time, Hilti developed the first Anka mechanical anchor system.

1975

Festool decided to move away from the stationary equipment market and focus only on the development and production of electric and pneumatic tools.

1976

The first Festo circular eccentric vibrating mill with integrated dust extraction is launched.

1980s

AEG introduced microchip technology into its products and pioneered the wireless market in 2000 with the launch of the Acu. A particularly outstanding achievement is NASA's custom-made cordless drill/driver for spaceflight.

1980

The Festool AXF 45 plunge-cut saw started off as a success and laid a solid foundation for the subsequent series of Festool plunge-cut saws.

1981

The first Bosch 2kg impact drill is launched, and it's also the lightest hammer drill on the market.

1984

Bosch invented the world's first cordless electric rock drill, and Bosch successfully applied cordless technology to a 2 kg rock drill for the first time.

1984

Birth of the Festool PS1 jigsaw, the leader in precision tools: Thanks to the adjustable guide on the worktable, right angle cuts can also be made in thicker woods. Thus, jigsaws are precision tools for discerning carpenters.

1985

FEIN worked closely with the automotive industry to develop the chassis saw as a solution for the automotive industry:no power tool could remove glass glued to silicone until the problem was solved with an oscillating cutting tool, now equipped with a specially shaped blade. The tool is constantly being developed and improved and is now known as the FEIN Supercut Auto: its main task is to remove window panes.

1986

The advent of the FEIN grinding machine replaces the previous method of processing workpieces only by hand. The sanding disc, spherical triangular shape and rotary oscillatory motion provide the best sanding results, while the Harmony sander has been designed and evolved far beyond its original function, performing a wide range of specialized tasks: sawing, sanding, scraping, parting, scraping, polishing and cutting.

1987

FLEX develops special polishing tools for the delicate polishing of automotive paint and varnish, furniture and natural stone floors.

1987

The FEIN safety angle grinder is born, using innovative FEIN technology, which is much safer for users and saves a lot of time. When the angle grinder is turned off, the grinding wheel stops within 3 seconds instead of the usual 20 seconds. QuickIN is a quick-attach system specially designed for safety angle grinders that allows the user to change grinding wheels without tools.

1987

Einhell has grown from a family-owned SME to a multinational company and has decided to go public.

1989

FLEX introduces a new treatment: surface treatment - no transition lines or shadows on metal and stainless steel.

1991

AEG Power Tools business acquired by Atlas Copcogroup.

1996

Electrolux acquires AEG, a century-old home appliances brand

1996

The compact, robust and powerful CDD 12 cordless drill/driver from Festool is officially launched.

1997

FLE introduces a long neck grinder that allows the operator to work from top to bottom on a wall or ceiling without scaffolding restrictions.

2000

Festo Tooltechnic becomes the independent brand of Festo Tools and is determined to go professional.

2004

The Bosch IXO3.6V cordless screwdriver with a lithium battery is launched on the market, which can be considered one of the best-selling power tools in the world.

2005

Designed specifically for the Asian market, Bosch has launched the compact, rugged and powerful GSK190 circular saw.

2005

TTI has acquired the right to use the AEG power tool brand from Atlas Copco (a trademark owned by Electrolux).

2007

FLEX introduces a transformation tool that allowsAllows you to perform vertical pulling into horizontal cutting with pushing.

2010

FEIN has officially unveiled two new products using lithium-ion battery technology.

2013

FLEX joins Chervon, and the strengths, experience and production capabilities of the two companies are perfectly combined. FLEX remains largely independent as it is headquartered in Germany.

2015

Antares has launched Power X-Change, which is currently a very successful battery platform. The battery system, previously made up of multiple devices, now includes over 100 tools and gardening tools that can be powered by a single battery.

2016

Positec Group has officially acquired the Kress brand, pooled global resources, further deepened global business, and breathed new life into brand development. In China, Kress is committed to developing high-quality, high-performance, and cost-effective tooling solutions for craftsmen in the assembly, finishing, hardware, and other industries.

2016

Metabo was acquired by Hitachi Koki, a subsidiary of the Hitachi Group.

2017

Hitachi Group sells Hitachi Koki to HK Holdings Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of investment company KKR.

2020

Festo's global turnover exceeded 2.84 billion euros.

2020

Hilti's global turnover is CHF 5.332 billion.

2020

Einhell's global sales reached €724.7 million in revenue.

2020

The global turnover of Bosch power tools is 5.1 billion euros.