Windmoeller
Windmoeller and Hoelscher History
Historical data from 1869 – Now
Windmoeller & Hoelscher
1869
Gottfried Windmöller and Hermann Hölscher founded Windmöller & Hölscher in Lengerich
Company purpose: Conversion of paper into cone shaped bags and capsules
1877
Three days after the Imperial Patent Office is founded in Berlin, Hermann Hölscher files patent application for manufacture of his cone shaped bag machine (patent number 130)
1878
Decision is made to begin in-house machinery construction: W&H becomes machinery supplier
1880
Single color and rotary printing press for sheets and bags
1884
Production halls are built on company property
1885
Inception of company health insurance company
1894
First cross bottom bag machine
1913
W&H now has 230 employees
Customer base comprises 311 companies, 180 of those outside of Germany
1914
First MATADOR CD paper bag machine
1928
The first tuber in the world to work on the AC perforation principle
– cornerstone for one of the most successful W&H product lines to date: paper sack machines
1933
The company savings institution is founded
1934
Launch of the first “AD” machine for folding and glueing of paper sacks: W&H’s first bottomer
1945
W&H receives notice to shut down and is targeted for dismantling
1947
W&H receives full permission to return to machinery construction
1948
OLYMPIA 990, first aniline printing press based on the bridge principle
1951
W&H’s company magazine, entitled FÜR DICH, is published
1953
W&H commences manufacture of the MERKUR range of gravure printing presses
1954
First OLYMPIA 1275 central impression flexographic printing press
1958
W&H employs 1000 people
1962
Laminators are added to the W&H range of products
1966
AD PLASTIC, the first valve sack machine worldwide for pasted plastic sacks
1967
W&H begins participation in blown film extrusion
1968
Completion of Plant II in Lengerich
TRANSYSTEMS – the first automated material flow system for tube and sack packets
1969
Windmöller & Hölscher is 100 years old
1973
W&H subsidiary Garant Maschinenhandel GmbH is established
1974
Formation of Windmoeller & Hoelscher do Brasil Ltda. and Windmöller & Hölscher AG in Switzerland
1977
W&H goes USA. The marketing and service company Windmoeller & Hoelscher CORPORATION is founded
1978
FLEXOREX NC, the first computer operating system for a flexo printing deck worldwide
W&H manufactures its first FFS machines
1979
W&H premieres: Computer operated blown film extrusion systems
FILMEX cast film line
DIAMANT FFS packaging machine
1980
Foundation of Windmöller & Hölscher Holland B.V.
1983
Plant III takes up production
Introduction of AD 2366 NC, the first numerically controlled valve bottomer
1986
Launch of AM 2145 NC, the first NC tuber
1988
ARCOMAT – the first palletizer for sack packets
1989
OPTIFIL P, the first computer controlled automatic die worldwide revolutionizes blown film extrusion
1990
Introduction of the new printing press generation featuring the New Line design: OLYMPIA STARFLEX and MERKUR HELIOSTAR
1992
Launch of the 5-layer VAREX blown film line with OPTIFIL P2 gauge profile control
Foundation of Windmöller & Hölscher Italiana S.r.L.
1993
Introduction of the new generation of printing presses OLYMPIA STELLAFLEX and SOLOFLEX, first flexo sleeve press worldwide, and of the FILMEX cast film line.
1994
Windmöller & Hölscher is 125 years old
1995
During the in-house exhibition MULTIWALL 2001, the latest generation of paper sack machines is presented to the trade.
The same year, the first gravure printing press of the HELIOSTAR 2000 series is delivered.
1997
Introduction of the new ASTRAFLEX flexo printing press
1998
The NOVOFLEX is the first CI flexo press with digital vector drive technology and infinitely variable print repeat worldwide.
2001
Opening of W&H Printing Technology Centre
AM 2185 Tuber, AD 2390 Bottomer, and ARCOMAT 2 Robot Palletizer
– these are the components of the new W&H Cement Sack Line
2002
Opening of FFS Technology Centre
First issue of EXTRA, W&H’s newsletter for customers
2003
Klaus Reinhold Maschinen- und Gerätebau GmbH & Co. KG / Lengerich joins the W&H group
Introduction of the new NOVOFLEX C and PRIMAFLEX C range of flexo presses
Launch of new mid-size multiwall machines: AM 8115 Tuber, AD 8320 Bottomer and TRANS-TOWER Tube Storage System
2004
On the occasion of drupa 2004 W&H introduces the new HELIOSTAR G rotogravure press series
The AD 8310 multi-purpose bottomer completes the W&H bottomer program
The 1000th W&H bottomer goes on stream
2005
EASY-SET, the patented W&H automatic impression setting system is proclaimed the “technical innovation of the year” by international juries on several occasions
Opening of the W&H Extrusion Technology Center and introduction of the new generation of FILMEX cast film lines
2006
The first W&H rotogravure press designed for use with hollow cylinders, a HELIOSTAR GH, goes on stream
A world speed record in flexographic printing is set on the occasion of the W&H in-house EXPO and numerous ‘World Firsts’ in the printing and extrusion sector are presented. Some of these are:
– EASY-REG, the automatic register set-up system for flexographic printing presses
– HELIOSTAG GS, the new gravure press series designed for the use of sleeves
– and the new MAXICONE 3-layer die
2007
Die factor 3.0: A new world record in blown film extrusion output is demonstrated on a VAREX line at K 2007 in Düsseldorf.
2008
Demonstration of the redesigned FFS system RUBIN for lower output applications and of the new MIRAFLEX C central impression flexo press at interpack in Düsseldorf. Only four weeks later, during drupa, the latest innovations developed by W&H are presented to the trade: the new rotogravure printing press HELIOSTAR S, the VISTAFLEX C central impression flexo press with its robot handling system VISTA-PORT, and the ink formulation and metering system EASY-COL.
The AD 8330, the first W&H valve sack bottomer featuring the revolutionary digital paste application technology, is launched end of 2008.
2009
In November, W&H stages a house EXPO at Lengerich headquarters – it is the biggest performance show in the history of Windmöller & Hölscher. In the field of printing and extrusion alone, as many as nine new technologies make their world debut and more than 1,200 visitors from 57 countries witness the impressive performance of the equipment on show: In addition to the new MIRAFLEX AM and VISTAFLEX CL flexo printing presses, the 3-layer blown film line OPTIMEX, the “upside down” blown film extrusion line AQUAREX for the production of water cooled film, and the FILMEX cast film line featuring nano layer technology are launched into the market.
At the same time, the “greenovation” logo symbolizing W&H’s continued commitment to environmentally sustainable developments is introduced.
Resource: www.wuh-lengerich.de ; Republished by: Printing Machines