J. Schmalz GmbH

Foundation and beginnings

In 1910, Johannes Schmalz founded the Johannes Schmalz Rasierklingenfabrik in Glatten with the "Glattis" razor blade brand.

Expansion at home and abroad

The proliferation of the electric shaver required the company to change its focus. Subsequently, the production of trailers and transportation equipment for agriculture and industry began. In 1948, Johannes Schmalz's son Artur took over the management of the company and developed products in the field of light vehicles.

When Kurt Schmalz took over the management of the company in 1984, focus shifted to vacuum technology. In 1990, his brother Wolfgang Schmalz joined the company's management.

1998 saw the opening of the company's first branch office in Switzerland. One year later, Schmalz entered the US market with the establishment of a branch in Raleigh, North Carolina.

From 2009 to 2017, Schmalz expanded the Glatten site to include additional production facilities, a research and testing center and a communication center for employees and visitors. Schmalz invested around €6 million in the expansion, with energy-saving measures at its headquarters and the creation of creative spaces for employees. At the end of 2017, Wolfgang Schmalz stepped down from the Management Board and joined the company's Advisory Board.

Acquisitions and realignment

In 2017, Schmalz acquired all shares in Stuttgart-based Gesellschaft für Produktionssysteme GmbH (GPS), which was founded as an offshoot of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation. GPS is active in the fields of hardware, software and data aggregation, among others.

The company entered the Australian market in 2018 with the acquisition of Millsom Hoists, who had been their distributor in the area for thirty years previously.

In January 2022, the British company Palamatic Ltd., which develops handling systems for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, was acquired. Two months later, Schmalz acquired the Swedish company Binar Handling AB and its subsidiaries in China, France, Germany and Turkey. The company is a manufacturer of cranes, balancers and end effectors based in Trollhättan, Sweden.

Schmalz is active in the fields of vacuum automation, manual handling and energy storage. The technologies and products developed by Schmalz are primarily aimed at the logistics, automotive, wood, electronics, food, plastics, and furniture industries.

Vacuum technology

In the field of vacuum technology, Schmalz produces gripping systems such as mounting elements, system monitors, suction pads, lifters, generators, or crane systems with vacuum technology for manual and automated production processes. The grippers are developed in different designs, sizes, and materials depending on the requirements of use. In addition to the grippers, Schmalz manufactures other components of vacuum systems, including valves and switches. The company also produces vacuum clamping systems that are used in CNC machine tools.

For the battery technology sector, Schmalz manufactures automated grippers and end effectors that enable the precise transportation of cathodes, anodes, separators, and pouch cells as well as pressure-free and particle-free handling of battery, fuel and solar cells. Other components of the business division are production systems, plastics and handling technology.

Energy storage

The energy storage division develops intermediate storage options for renewable energy. Schmalz uses redox flow battery systems for this purpose, which use liquid media in external tanks to store energy.