The foundation of Eisenmann

Since 1951

Eugen Eisenmann, born in Stuttgart in 1911, has always attributed vitality, assertiveness, a sense of tinkering and a will to independence to his ancestors, Swabian farmers and craftsmen. Since his father died as a result of a war-related illness, he had to assume responsibility for the family at an early age. After attending school, he completed a locksmith apprenticeship and an engineering internship at Daimler. He completed the subsequent studies at the Esslingen School of Mechanical Engineering in 1936 with an engineering degree. At that time Eugen Eisenmann was one of the best alpinists of his time. He planned, organized and led a German expedition to the Kilimanjaro and Rwenzori regions and wrote a book about it. Extreme climbing came to a voluntary end when he decided to start a family, from which two daughters and a son were born.

Even in his first position as an engineer in a piston factory, he optimized series production through design improvements, many of which lasted for many years. At the beginning of the war, he was technical manager of a malleable iron foundry. In order to avoid being drafted into the Waffen SS, he volunteered for a Mountain Infantry Division. Returning wounded, he found his parents' house and his own household in ruins, his family evacuated and his professional existence shattered. 

The new start began as a sales engineer for tools and machines. Groundbreaking research into artificial wood drying and constructive ideas for putting them into practice led almost inevitably to the founding of an engineering office and, soon after, to the establishment of his own factory. In 1951, Eugen Eisenmann began manufacturing wood drying systems in Stuttgart-Gaisburg with a few select employees. After only a short time, painting equipment was added, initially for the wood sector and later also for the metal sector. 

Expansion to Böblingen

Since 1954

The limited space slowed down the expansion of the young company. As early as 1954, therefore, 40,000 m² of land was purchased on Tübinger Strasse in Böblingen and built over with a first production hall. Further construction measures followed. In 1959, Eugen Eisenmann decided to move the company - which already had 100 employees at the time - entirely to Böblingen. 

Plant engineering is tailor-made; each order was adapted to the individual operating conditions of the customer. Nevertheless, Eugen Eisenmann succeeded in consistently relying on flow production from the very beginning, thus ensuring rational order processing. The product range was systematically expanded. Paint dryers and "paint mist extraction systems" (a common term at the time for paint spraying booths, walls and cabins) were joined by systems for dip coating and metal pretreatment, and the conveyor belts preferred in the wood industry were joined by circular conveyors for overhead transport, which was common in the metal sector. As early as the end of the 1950s, the first contacts were made with the household appliance industry, among others.

Foundation of the Painting Systems Division

Since 1960

In 1960, the first complete radiator painting line was built, which - with updated technology in each case - was to be followed by so many more. Also in 1960, a circular conveyor was developed especially for the painting area, the concept of which is still valid today. It can be seen as the nucleus of the (later spun-off) EISENMANN Fördertechnik: Power&Free conveyors, program-controlled hoists and trolleys, skid conveyor systems and numerous other conveyors were successively added in line with the increasingly complex tasks in the painting area.

A comparable development occurred in environmental technology: In 1962, wastewater from pre-treatment plants became subject to disposal. In order not to leave customers alone with the resulting problems, EISENMANN added wastewater treatment plants to its product range. In 1966 - even before the relevant legislation was passed - the first catalytic and in 1968 the first thermal exhaust air purification system were built. Since then, the company has been offered operators of paint shops and other production facilities requiring disposal solutions for their exhaust air and wastewater problems from its own production facilities. 

As early as the 1960s, contacts were established with the automotive industry beyond individual spray booths. When Mercedes Benz (now DaimlerChrysler) started production of vans in Düsseldorf, the paint shop, including the then novel infrared radiation dryer, came from EISENMANN. 

Obviously to the satisfaction of the demanding customer: The orders for the gradual renewal of the entire surface treatment area, which began in the mid-1990s, were again placed with EISENMANN. Bei der praxisreifen Umsetzung neuer Verfahren war EISENMANN häufig Pionier. So wurde bereits 1964 die erste - damals noch anodische - Elektrotauchlackieranlage (ATL) gebaut. In den nächsten Jahren fasste das vorteilhafte Verfahren in den verschiedensten Branchen rasch Fuß. Hersteller von Stahlmöbeln, Büromaschinen, Schaltschrankgehäusen, Türzargen, Leuchten, Felgen und Automobilzubehör bestellten ATL-Anlagen von EISENMANN. Eine zusätzliche Verbesserung der Wirtschaftlichkeit und eine noch größere Umweltfreundlichkeit ergaben sich ab Anfang der 70er Jahre durch den von EISENMANN forcierten Einsatz der heute zur Standardausrüstung zählenden Ultrafiltration. 

EISENMANN has made a special contribution to the establishment of electrostatic powder coating. As early as 1968, the first plant for powder coating steel furniture was built. Continuous improvements, especially in the booth and recovery system, enabled ever wider circles to switch to powder coating, which is unrivalled in terms of environmental friendliness (because it is solvent-free), easy to automate and also very economical thanks to overspray reuse. Fire extinguishers, refrigerators, household appliances, lights, wire fences, garden furniture, aluminium profiles, fans, radiators, door frames, cellar windows, cladding panels, garden tools - all these are workpieces that were powder-coated in EISENMANN plants as early as the 1970s. 

Three major construction projects between 1967 and 1970 - a new technical office, an additional production hall and a new building on Röhrer Weg to house the project planning/sales department, the materials handling production department and the training workshop - create the spatial prerequisites for further continuous expansion. In order to also create the corresponding personnel conditions, the management staff of highly qualified engineers is considerably expanded. 

Thanks to positive prospects for the future, in 1971 a staff of 540 celebrates the 20th anniversary of the company and Eugen Eisenmann's 60th birthday in the Böblingen Congress Hall as a cheerful party. At the same time, a social welfare scheme with a company pension scheme (later improved several times) is set up. In the same year, the Böblingen factory site is awarded a prize by the German President in the "Industry in the Landscape" competition. 

Important decisions

Since 1973

In 1973, Peter Eisenmann, the son of the founder, joins the company as co-managing director. In the same year, Germany's first production plant for electron beam hardening and two of the world's largest raw coating lines, including the first European epoxy plant for pipelines, are built. EISENMANN Fördertechnik is given independence in order to gain an even better foothold than before in areas outside surface technology. Site acquisitions in Böblingen fail. Therefore, in 1975, an area of 25,000 m² is acquired in Holzgerlingen with the former Nagel company and additional land for future expansion. 

In 1976, the year of the company's 25th anniversary and Eugen Eisenmann's 65th birthday, the first cathodic dip-painting plant in Germany is built in Böblingen. (This so-called cathodic dip painting, which is used today by all car factories, among others, is the main reason for the longer durability of cars, for example, thanks to its excellent rust-protection properties). The most important material handling order to date is the complete material flow equipment for a large mail order company. Environmental technology is also expanding its market share. 

Rise to world prominence

Since 1977

So Eugen Eisenmann sees his house in good order when he retires from the company in mid-1977 and finally places his life's work in the hands of his son. Under Peter Eisenmann, who was born in 1942, the upward trend - which can be seen not least in the number of employees - continues steadily. (Böblingen, Holzgerlingen, Ottmarsheim) alone and a total of 2,800 worldwide. As early as 1978, the US subsidiary EISENMANN Corporation was established in Crystal Lake near Chicago. Since spring 2000, EISENMANN do Brasil in Cruzeiro has been manufacturing some of the equipment for South America locally. In addition, foreign offices ensure customer proximity in many parts of the world, including the promising Chinese market. 

EISENMANN draws competitive advantages from its broad manufacturing programme, which - not shying away from new territory - is still being expanded: In response to the ever more complex tasks, a separate project planning department for control technology was set up as early as 1978, from which all sales areas continue to benefit to this day. In the same year, a German car factory receives the world's first full-dip pre-treatment system for car bodies. 

The importance of plastic painting is recognised at an early stage: in 1979 the first, and in 1988 the 100th painting line for bumpers and other demanding car components is built, and with more than 220 systems, EISENMANN is now the world market leader in this field. 

Electric monorail systems and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) complete the conveyor technology range of flat and overhead conveyors and set standards in material flow automation. Logistic complete systems consisting of conveying, storage, handling and control technology for both the industrial and service sectors will henceforth be a speciality of the company. An example from the immediate vicinity is the new distribution centre of the german "Sparkassenverlag" in Nufringen, equipped by EISENMANN, where around 2 million consignments per year are to be processed from a range of 6,000 articles. Also noteworthy is the new Woolworth distribution centre in Dortmund-Bönen, which supplies all shops in Germany and Austria with over 40,000 articles, and last but not least the new Tchibo logistics centre, which will go into operation in late autumn 2003 and will be the largest and most efficient high-bay warehouse in Europe with 135,000 pallet spaces and a turnover of 1.5 million pallets annually. 

In response to stricter legislation in the exhaust air sector, EISENMANN is developing, in addition to the tried-and-tested TNV thermal exhaust air incinerator, the very energy-efficient RNV regenerative afterburning system and the ADR adsorption wheel, especially for cleaning large exhaust air streams that are only slightly contaminated. These are all technologies that are ideally suited to solving exhaust air problems from industrial and commercial enterprises, even in view of the new tightening of the law in 2001/2002. In the water treatment and waste water treatment sector, the emphasis is on recycling techniques to reduce fresh water consumption and waste water generation. Under the heading "Energy from Waste", EISENMANN offers systems for thermal and, if necessary, material recycling, preferably of industrial waste. 

In addition to drying technology, industrial furnace construction is added: from 1988, enamelling plants are supplemented by enamel baking furnaces, temperature 850 °C, from our own production. In 1990, firing lines for the ceramics industry operating at 900 - 1,600 °C were added to the range, which, in addition to advanced furnace technology for this industry, included novel concepts for material flow automation. Manufacturers of technical ceramics, such as lambda sensors for catalytic converters, are acquired as customers, as is the porcelain industry from Fürstenberg to Kahla, Hutschenreuther, KPM and Rosenthal to Wedgwood or Villeroy & Bach. From 1996 onwards, EISENMANN increasingly builds heat treatment plants for aluminium and develops high-performance sintering furnaces for the new powder metallurgy industry, which is generally considered to have a promising future.

Particularly significant - the automotive sector

Since 1980

By far the largest increases are recorded in deliveries to the automotive industry. Starting in the 1980s, EISENMANN painting lines can be found in almost all of the world's renowned automobile factories. A milestone is undoubtedly the 1992 order for the construction of a new paint shop at Audi in Neckarsulm, which - for the first time in this form anywhere in Europe - is awarded to EISENMANN as general contractor. It includes not only the turnkey handover of all the necessary equipment (painting, drying, conveying, environmental and control technology), but also the construction of the entire paint shop, including the building, building services and outdoor facilities. 

Similarly difficult projects - with or without building construction, depending on the customer's specifications - follow. DaimlerChrysler, for example, is ordering new environmentally friendly topcoat lines for its Sindelfingen car plant as turnkey projects to be completed during ongoing production. Turnkey paint shops are being built not only in Germany but also in Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, France, South Africa and Thailand. The latest orders of this kind will be completed by 2004 in Tuscaloosa, USA, and Togliattij, Russia. The first powder clearcoat line for series production of automobiles at BMW, in which EISENMANN played a major role, is attracting worldwide attention. EISENMANN can also draw on its extensive experience in the use of powder outside the automotive industry when - also as a world premiere - the innovative "Smart" city car receives the first colouring powder top coat. Incidentally, the company not only supplies the complete paint shop for the "Smart", but also operates it under its own responsibility with its own personnel. EISENMANN was also a pioneer in the installation of such "operator models" - which are increasingly appreciated in the automotive sector in particular: SEAT car bodies have been painted in this way in Spain since 1995. 

EISENMANN Fördertechnik has also been continuously expanding its position in the automotive sector from the 1980s. It benefits from the fact that the automotive industry is restructuring its production and assembly areas due to the variety of models demanded by the market. Driverless transport systems or electric monorail systems serve as flexible work islands for assemblies that have been removed from the main assembly line, such as cable harnesses, car doors or cockpits, which have to be fed back into the main assembly line in the correct sequence after completion. Fully automatic body sorting storage systems from EISENMANN are also important components of "just-in-time" production. 

For final car assembly, push lines, belt and plate conveyors or - as is often the case in the body shop and generally as a flexible feed transport system - electric overhead conveyors are used. The most recent example of this is the Ford plants in Genk and Cologne. An 8 km long electric monorail system was delivered to Belgium to serve as a "conveyor bridge" from the supplier park to the final assembly line. The electric overhead conveyor installed in Cologne as a link between 12 suppliers located in the supplier park close to the plant and the Fiesta final assembly is even 14 km long. Here, the actual final assembly is also part of the scope of supply, which was awarded a "Best Practice" prize by Ford in 2002. Incidentally, both conveyor bridges run as operator models under EISENMANN responsibility. 

The latest program expansion again concerned the surface treatment sector. Since the beginning of 1999, EISENMANN Lacktechnik in BesigheimOttmarsheim, and since the middle of the same year also in Grenoble/France, has been building paint supply systems as well as reciprocators and robots together with the associated spray guns for powder and paint. Painting lines for the automotive industry, but also for other customers in the metal, wood and plastics sectors, are thus advantageously completed by application technology from our own production. 

Investing in the future

The constant expansion of the company necessitates almost continuous major construction measures. From 1980 onwards, a new 3-storey administration building was built in Böblingen and several office wings in Holzgerlingen in the same striking architecture. In 1985, a 3,000 m' pre-assembly hall is built in Böblingen, because systems have to be delivered to customers in ever larger, pre-tested units. This trend continues, which is why another 4,200 m' pre-assembly hall is built in Holzgerlingen in 1990. In 1995 the administration in Böblingen gets its final face, which will visually characterise the factory premises for a long time. 

In the meantime, Peter Eisenmann has set the personnel course to delegate responsibility and ensure long-term continuity in the management of the company. In 1993 a board of directors is appointed. At the end of 2000, Günther Dingler, born in 1950, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Klaus Duda, born in 1953, Member of the Board of Management, become Managing (Co-) Partners of the company, so that the third, still very young generation of EISENMANN can grow up unencumbered. 

From 1998 onwards, the "Programme 2000" is gradually implemented in the production facilities, which were last completely modernised in the mid-1980s. The flow of materials in the factory is guided in one direction throughout and automated, including all necessary loading and unloading. The sheet metal cutting and processing, the so-called coil and bending centre, are equipped with the latest laser technology. The paint shop, in which only environmentally friendly water-based paint is used, is given a concept that is forward-looking in every respect and also interesting for potential customers. The new computer-controlled logistics centre for incoming and outgoing parts, which is being built on Röhrer Weg on the former premises of the Schmitt haulage company, is linked to the dispatch and assembly centre by a conveyor bridge and directly to production by means of further conveyor technology. Built largely from standard EISENMANN conveyor and storage technology elements, it also serves as a customer reference beyond its actual purpose. 

In view of increasingly complex systems, pre-assembly in the factory with thorough function testing under practical conditions is becoming more and more important. Because the two existing halls are no longer sufficient, EISENMANN decides to build a new assembly centre in Holzgerlingen. The hall, which is largely a glass construction with a floor area of more than 10,000 m1, already attracts a great deal of attention as a shell when in April 2001 the 2,000-tonne roof is raised to a height of 12 m in one go, together with the side beams attached to it. In September, on the occasion of the company's 50th anniversary, EISENMANN organises the Technology Forum 2001 in the completed giant hall. Specialist lectures deal with innovative developments and give impulses for the technology of tomorrow. In addition, original equipment from the various production sectors will be on display, including 2 complete coating lines for powder and wet paint. After the numerous experts who have travelled from Germany and abroad, the general public also comes into its own: around 5,000 visitors from the region take advantage of the "Open Day".

The new EISENMANN training centre on the former Adam site at Röhrer Weg in Böblingen is inaugurated with a ceremony in June 2002. The 4-storey building with its striking glass architecture will in future serve as a central training and further education centre for all employees worldwide and as a training centre for customers. Currently, more than 100 trainees in the fields of construction mechanics, electronics for automation technology, technical drawing and industrial clerk benefit from the new premises with even better mechanical and information technology equipment, including an internet café.