History

Carl Stiefelmayer has been in existence for over 130 years – a company history shaped by challenges, setbacks and successes, by a continuous quest for improvement and above all by a constant respect for our customers’ needs.

The founding of the company in 1874 was part of a rapid industrialisation process in the Central Neckar conurbation. Exactly how innovative an achievement the industrial production of measuring instruments really was can be seen from the fact that at that time the metalworking industry still relied on wooden inch rules and callipers for measurements. The slide gauge was practically unknown. Depending on the country and region, there were also different linear measures that were not standardised until the end of the 19th century.

Over the next few decades Stiefelmayer gradually refined its product range. The “Stiefelmayer slide gauge” became an indispensable instrument for precision measurements.

One of the company’s most successful innovations was recorded in the 1970s – computer-aided, three-dimensional length measurement. The “3D bench measuring machine” was born, and it was not long before it embarked on an impressive conquest of the toolmaking and automotive industries. In the meantime, around such 8000 machines have been built in Esslingen.

With the advent of the twenty-first century, Stiefelmayer’s face changed:

Thanks to intensive development work and corporate expansion, Stiefelmayer earned a reputation for itself in the fields of testing technology, clamping tools/technology, laser technology and glass products. Numerous innovations spanning all areas add value to their processes. They include a hardness testing machine that permits hardness and hardening depth to be measured non-destructively and quantitatively for the very first time. A special chuck allows thin-walled parts to be clamped with almost zero deformation. Our laser hardening units enable parts to be hardened with reduced distortion in a way that is environmentally compatible. Our Wertheimer glass line “Contento” sets trends with a broad range of fashionable gift items.

An ability to adapt combined with an awareness of tradition has been a key pillar of the company’s success for five generations. The present management and our entire staff perceive this as a challenge and a positive commitment for the future.