Feintool - Milestones 
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Rootline
Milestones in Feintool's history
Overview of company history
2011 | - New majority shareholder Artemis Beteiligungen III AG owned by Michael Pieper - Sale of Afag - Laying the foundation stone for the production site in Taicang, China - Sale of Baltec |
2010 | - Market launch of new servomechanical Feintool fineblanking press XFTspeed. - Feintool closes Mühlemann AG plant in Biberist. |
2009 | - IMA Automation Aarberg AG is merged with Afag Automation AG in Huttwil and the production site in Aarberg is closed. - Feintool in Lyss celebrates its 50th anniversary. Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors Fritz Boesch hands over his position to Alexander von Witzleben. - Fritz Boesch is elected Honorary Chairman. |
2007 | Expansion of Promera Jena. |
2005 | Opening of second production site for fineblanking/forming in Tokoname, Japan. |
2004 | Foundation of Feintool Technology Co. Ltd., China as a service company for fineblanking presses. |
2003 | Promera Jena becomes a full subsidiary of Feintool. |
2001 | Acquisition of Afag Group, headquartered in Aarberg and Huttwil (engineering and construction of assembly automation systems and components). |
2000 | Acquisition of IMA Automation GmbH, Amberg (automation systems). |
2000 | Market launch of new HFAplus range of Feintool fineblanking presses. |
1999 | - Acquisition of Mühlemann AG, Biberist (precision parts and assemblies in metal and plastic). - Acquisition of Heinrich Schmid AG, Jona (fineblanking and orbital presses). |
1998 | - Foundation of Feintool Italia S.r.l. - Foundation of Feintool Tennessee, Inc. - Feintool goes public. |
1997 | Feintool AG Lyss is split into four independent companies: - Feintool Technologie AG Lyss. - Feintool Teile & Komponenten AG Lyss. - Feintool Research & Development AG. - Feintool International Management AG. |
1995 | Foundation of Feintool Beijing Office Swisstec with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Congqing and Shenzhen, China. |
1992 | Foundation of joint venture Promera Jena with Jenoptik AG, Jena. |
1990 | - SQS certification according to ISQ 9001/EN 29001 of the first Feintool plant. - Acquisition of Baltec Group with sites in Pfäffikon (Switzerland), Reading (UK) and Pittsburgh (USA). |
1986 | Cincinnati is the only training facility for toolmakers recognized by the state of Ohio. |
1984 | - Foundation of Technology Centre in Atsugi, Japan. - Feintool celebrates its 25th anniversary with a technology symposium. - Foundation of Feintool International Holding AG. |
1982 | Construction of test and demonstration press room in Lyss. |
1980 | Delivery of 1000th Feintool fineblanking press. |
1977 | Foundation of Technology Centre in Cincinnati, OH, USA. |
1975 | Foundation of Feintool Equipment Corp., NY, USA. |
1974 | Foundation of first facility in what was then West Germany: Promera, Ettlingen. |
1973 | Foundation of branches in England, France and Japan (Atsugi sales company). |
1972 | Commissioning of a fineblanking press with an overall force of 14,000 kN – the largest to date. |
1971 | Foundation of subsidiary American Feintool Inc., NY, USA. |
1970 | Establishment in stages of the new headquarters in Lyss and increase in headcount to 100. |
1966 | Production of the first compound fineblanking tool. |
1965 | Development of the hydraulic fineblanking press in partnership with SMG/Schuler. |
1964 | Market debut of fineblanking process in Japan. |
1963 | First presentation of the fineblanking process in the US. |
1960 | Corporate partnership with pressmaker Osterwalder in Lyss. |
1959 | Foundation of Hügi & Boesch. |
The first years
1959: Fritz Boesch and Wilfried Hügi set up the company Hügi & Boesch in Biberist. In the very first year of its being, the company built its first mechanical press featuring a knuckle joint drive, the first press to precisely control the three forces. This innovation makes the difference between conventional blanking and fineblanking – an invention that is still the distinguishing feature of Feintool's fineblanking technology to this day.
1960: Start of Feintool's first corporate partnership with construction company Osterwalder in Lyss, which manufactured presses. Osterwalder had designed a specialist press with a new type of drive mechanism that was a perfect fit for the technical requirements of high-precision fineblanking. An initial prototype performed as hoped – the first fineblanking press was born and the move of Hügi & Boesch from Biberist to Lyss was a firm deal.