Julius Frölich and Hermann Klüpfel laid the foundation for the company. The development of a pneumatic rock drill led to its founding in Eisleben and, soon afterwards, a branch in Barmen.
Julius FrölichHermann Klüpfel
Our history
Milestones in our history
1880–1885
The beginning
Around 1880, Julius Frölich developed a pneumatic rock drill. The company was founded in 1885.
1891
Barmen becomes the headquarters
In April 1891, the headquarters moved to Barmen. The range expanded with further pneumatic machinery and mining equipment.
Before 1914
Pneumatic technology across borders
The company grew alongside the mining industry, establishing branches in Germany, Austria, Hungary, England and the Netherlands.
1916–1918
Mining technology during the First World War
Contemporary advertisements document the activities of Stephan, Frölich & Klüpfel in Scharley, Upper Silesia: in 1916 the factory sought workers for sheet-metal and riveting work. In 1918 it advertised connectors for mine ventilation ducts.
1940–1944
Upper Silesian operations in the armaments industry
Historical research documents the involvement of Stephan, Frölich & Klüpfel in Petrowitz in the Nazi armaments industry. Records include an order for pneumatic recoil devices, supplies for projectiles and the manufacture of gun spare parts. These findings concern the Upper Silesian operation and cannot be attributed generally to Wuppertal.
1944
War damage to the power supply in Buer
The Gelsenkirchen city chronicle records damage to a power cable near Frölich & Klüpfel during the air raid of 23 November 1944. The cable was restored on 28 November. This entry does not establish the extent of any damage to the factory itself.
1945–1948
Post-war reorganisation
The Polish archive records the takeover of the Petrowitz factory by the Polish coal administration in January 1945. The Hungarian National Archives date the nationalisation of Henrich, Frölich és Klüpfel to 1948. Changes at the foreign operations therefore occurred at different times.
After 1945
Reconstruction and major projects
After the Second World War, the remaining operations resumed work. Shaft construction and mining shaped the post-war years.
1953
Employee participation in Buer-Beckhausen
In January 1953, the Buer-Beckhausen factory introduced an additional monthly employee payment. The city chronicle calls it profit-sharing, calculated on turnover. The first payment was DM 27 per employee; apprentices were excluded.
Historical advertisement naming factories in Wuppertal-Barmen and Gelsenkirchen-Buer and the mining department in Essen. Attributed to 1953; the image itself is undated.
From 1973
New applications for pneumatic technology
The mining crisis led to diversification. Pneumatic tools found new applications in stoneworking, construction and industry.
1976
Three business divisions become independent companies
Effective 1 April 1976, the pneumatic tools division in Wuppertal and the mechanical engineering and underground contracting divisions in Gelsenkirchen-Buer become legally independent companies. The original Frölich & Klüpfel GmbH & Co. KG continues with responsibilities outside production. The companies initially share the same management team.
1985
100 years of Frölich + Klüpfel
A commemorative medal marks the centenary from 1885 to 1985. Its inscription names the fields of underground construction, mechanical engineering and compressed-air technology. The reverse combines the historic company emblem with mining and engineering motifs.
Centenary medal 1885–1985, obverseCentenary medal 1885–1985, reverse
1988–1989
Mechanical engineering takes a separate path
In 1988, the F+K parent company withdraws as a limited partner in the mechanical engineering company. Following further changes of partners, the limited partnership interest passes to Emil Wolff Maschinenfabrik und Eisengießerei GmbH in 1989. The extinction of the former firm is recorded in the commercial register on 2 May 1989.
1989–1991
Underground contracting: transfer to Heitkamp
On 6 October 1989, the transfer of the limited partnership interest in the underground contracting company from the F+K parent company to E. Heitkamp is recorded in the commercial register. The registered office moves from Gelsenkirchen-Buer to Herne in 1991. The pneumatic tools company in Wuppertal remains a separate legal entity.
1991
Decoring system for Mercedes-Benz
Fully automatic decoring of aluminium cylinder heads at the Mettingen plant.
In 2000, Frölich + Klüpfel delivers its first decoring machine to China, for Teksid Hua Dong. This project marks the beginning of the business relationship with Fair International.
In 2007, Jochen Zibler, owner of Frölich & Klüpfel, acquires the French company MASSIN Technologies. The combination adds expertise in special-purpose machinery and automated decoring to F+K’s experience in pneumatic tools and decoring technology.
2007
Decoring machines on display
F+K exhibits decoring machines at GIFA 2007 in Düsseldorf.
F+K exhibition stand at GIFA 2007.
2011
Exhibiting at GIFA
F+K exhibits at GIFA 2011 in Düsseldorf.
2015
Together with Massin Technologies
F+K and Massin Technologies jointly exhibit pneumatic tools and decoring machines at GIFA 2015.
Joint F+K and Massin Technologies stand, GIFA 2015.
2019
Massin machine combining rotation and vibration
In 2019, F+K exhibits a Massin machine at GIFA for the first time that also rotates the casting during vibration.
F+K and Massin at GIFA 2019 – a view of the shared exhibition stand.Explore MASDIM ↗
2021
Consolidation of the German decoring business
The German Massin Entkerntechnik GmbH merges into Frölich & Klüpfel Drucklufttechnik GmbH & Co. KG. The merger is entered in the commercial register on 31 August 2021. This legal merger concerns the German company, which is distinct from the French MASSIN Technologies.
2021
Fully automatic decoring for Scania
Engine blocks and cylinder heads for truck engines. Decoring and model changeover are fully automatic.
Bespoke decoring solutions for foundries complement the tool range. Pneumatic technology and engineering are the main focus of F+K today.
Sources and research status
This account will be supplemented as further documents become available. The wartime history of the Wuppertal factory, working conditions and possible forced labour have not yet been sufficiently clarified. Missing evidence does not establish that forced labour was absent.
Advertisement and medal images supplied by the company from a forum; the exact source remains to be identified.
1984 / STONEWORKING
A monument for the Maus
In 1984, sculptor Olaf Höhnen created a marble monument to the Maus and the Elephant. The WDR film “Denkmal” follows the stoneworking process. Frölich + Klüpfel tools can be seen in use from approximately minute twelve.
In 1991, collaboration with Mercedes-Benz results in a fully automatic decoring system for aluminium cylinder heads at Mettingen. The company history identifies it as the first reference project of this collaboration. Tool technology becomes part of a coordinated machine system.
Source: historical company text; construction year 1991 supplied by the company.
Scania project: interior view of the system during assembly in Wuppertal.
2021 / SCANIA · SÖDERTÄLJE, SWEDEN
One system. Fully automatic changeover.
In 2021, F+K installs the first fully automatic decoring system for all truck engine blocks and cylinder heads manufactured at Scania’s Södertälje plant in Sweden. The machine also changes over between the different castings fully automatically.
Universal decoring. Flexible loading and unloading.
In 2024, F+K installs a universal decoring system for truck engine blocks and cylinder heads at Kamlit in Kostanay. Four adaptable loading and unloading positions and a pallet circulation system allow flexible integration into the production process.
Kamlit: system with pallet transport during installation in May 2024.
Historical originals document products, applications and the company’s changing identity over time.
More from the company archive
Original documents on the former group of companies, mechanical engineering and mining activities.
1963
50 years of the Aachen branch
Published in October 1963, this anniversary booklet traces the development of the shaft construction and mining division. Historical photographs and maps show sites and shaft projects. The preview shows the map of shafts sunk between 1885 and 1963.
This employee and customer magazine looks back at 1976. It documents the establishment of the business divisions as separate legal entities and offers insights into projects and working life at the time.
Products and services: engineering and underground construction
This historical brochure presents the former range of activities: conveying and loading systems, machinery for steelworks, shaft and tunnel construction, and specialist mining work.
Reprint from “Die Bauindustrie”, issue 22/23, 1934. The article describes a device for extracting jammed tools. The illustration is credited to Maschinenfabrik Frölich & Klüpfel, Wuppertal-Barmen.
