Milestones
in our
history

Knoepfel AG is founded in Walzenhausen by Hugo Knoepfel (a 23-year-old machine fitter at the time). The company was founded as a sole proprietorship in the former mechanical workshop of his great-grandfather. 

Urs Knoepfel, the founder’s brother, joins the company. The two brothers now manage the company together. 

The company, having outgrown the original workshop, transfers to an existing factory property in the village of Walzenhausen. The new premises are better suited to the company’s requirements. 

Conversion of the sole proprietorship into a public limited company. 

Expansion of the factory. 

The enterprise moves to a new building in the Gaismoos district. A factory building that has been thought through down to the smallest detail, unique in its conception, embodying the future-oriented company. The production halls are equipped with an air conditioning, heating and recovery system, which also ensures a constant air temperature of 20°C in the canteen and the cloakrooms. Nor is environmental protection neglected; Knoepfel AG operates a self-developed piping system capable of constantly reprocessing waste emulsions. 

Entire company certified according to ISO 9002:1994 Quality Management System. 

Start of unmanned production, thanks to high process control at milling centres featuring a round storage pallet system.

Expansion of unmanned production through the commissioning of an integrated production cell for the end-to-end cubic CNC machining of large parts weighing up to 2.5 tonnes. The manufacturing cell is equipped with machining centres with a high-precision package and is connected to a Fastems pallet storage system with a capacity of 40 machine pallets. 

New, modern measuring and testing centre is commissioned. The 3D coordinate measuring machines allow us to meet the highest inspection requirements and, thanks to the unmanned measurement system, manage large inspection volumes. The unmanned measuring system consists of a Zeiss Prismo Navigator and a pallet feed system, installed in a clean room with laminar air flow ensuring constant temperature conditions of 20 ±0.5° kelvin. This measuring cell can measure up to six different, high-precision workpieces with an accuracy < 0.001 mm and log the data. 

Expansion of production capacities with the incorporation of addtional CNC machining centres for the cubic and rotary machining of high-precision components. 

Entire company certified according to EN 9100 certification (aerospace).

Hugo Knoepfel is appointed Honorary President. 

Completion of the new warehouse at Knoepfel AG with a capacity of approx. 600 pallet spaces. This will free up valuable production space in the manufacturing area for new production facilities. 

Technological innovation: purchase and commissioning of the new Index G420 turning/milling centre intensifying the process-oriented and automated production of highly complex manufacturing parts. 

Anton Bischofberger joins the company as the new CEO and Chairman of the Executive.