Glorious 75 years of Fronius

By OEM Update Editorial August 13, 2020 6:41 pm

Established in 1945, Fronius has come a long way from being a regional specialist repair shop to establishing itself into a global leader in innovation and technology. Passion for new technologies, intensive research and revolutionary solutions have been at the core of Fronius’ success story.

The company’s journey started when its founder, Günter Fronius, who made a living as a repair and maintenance man, built a device for recharging car batteries, allowing them to be used for longer. Today, three generations and 75 years of innovation later, the company employs more than 5,400 professionals in over 30 countries around the world. Over the years, one thing that has remained constant and is at the company’s heart is its focus on sustainability. Fronius has developed products to convert solar energy into alternating current, to supply battery powered intralogistics vehicles with new energy, and revolutionary welding processes.

Delivering cutting-edge solutions combining the values of a family business with the visions of a global company, Fronius is committed to find, develop and implement innovative methods to monitor and control energy for welding technology, photovoltaics and battery charging.
The company’s solutions are directed towards boosting productivity, increasing energy yields and reducing operational costs with the goal to lay the foundation for growth and successful development.

Sustainable action is at the heart of everything they do at Fronius. This has been the case since the very beginning of the company’s history; the impetus to extend the short service life of car batteries through more efficient use of available energy came about roughly 75 years ago. Today they are placing more focus than ever on environmental friendly solutions. Fronius has 3 strategic business units: Solar Energy, Perfect Welding and Perfect Charging.

Perfect Welding Business Unit
The company’s perfect welding division directs its attention to generating the perfect arc to ensure consistently high welding quality. Fronius has established itself as the global technology leader in the arc welding technology segment. With its Innovative developments it has made applications possible that others had written off as unachievable in fusion welding, such as the thermal joining of steel and aluminium.

Perfect Charging Business Unit
The innovative range of products and services from the Perfect Charging Business Units allows the company to deliver impressive levels of performance, efficiency, cost effectiveness and sustainability. Be it for the operation of electrically powered forklift trucks in intralogistics, or a reliable power supply for starter batteries of vehicles in production plants, showrooms and workshops: Fronius technology ensures maximum availability of clients’ vehicles.

Solar Energy Business Unit
Solar Energy is the youngest of the three Fronius Business Units and has been producing innovative solutions for the photovoltaics industry since 1992. The company’s goal is to have a future in which 100 percent of the world’s energy needs are satisfied through renewable sources. To make this vision a reality, the Solar Energy Business Unit offers a wide product range for the generation, storage, distribution and consumption of solar energy. This not only includes inverters, storage units, meters and energy monitoring systems, but also complete system solutions and a comprehensive range of services.

Making a mark in India
In India, the company operates as Fronius India Pvt. Ltd., headquartered in Chakan, Pune. Fronius India is equipped with a state-of-the-art facility of 33,000 square feet, with an array of equipment for live demonstration and trials, such as manual and robotic welding machines, live photovoltaics systems along with inverters and charging station for electric intralogistics equipment. Since inception in India from 2013, Fronius has swiftly become the most preferred welding solution provider and equipment supplier in India with more than 28,000 machines currently operational in the country. Fronius India also has state-of-the-art welding Skill and Technology Centres equipped with equipment for demo, application development and trials at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi.

Fronius India also has a first-of-its kind repair centre, warehouse and logistics service. With all the three business units—Perfect Welding, Solar Energy and Perfect Charging—operational in India, Fronius India has witnessed a phenomenal growth and enjoy considerable market share in all its businesses. A certified MSME organisation, the company has a team of over 135 qualified employees. The company firmly believes that its people are the foundation for the Fronius culture and a major factor in the success of its organisation. Fronius India is also certified as “Great Place to Work” and “Best workplaces in industrial services” in the year 2020.

• 1945 Establishment – On June 20, 1945, founder Günter Fronius announces that he has established a specialist repair shop for radios and electrical equipment. Fronius is born.

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1946 Günter Fronius starts selling his own design of battery chargers based on 50 Hz technology.
• 1948 The first shoots of growth – Günter Fronius recruits his very first employee, Andreas Schinker.
• 1950 Welding technology – The beginnings of Perfect Welding Fronius produces its first welding transformers.
• 1951 Kurt Pichler is the first apprentice starts his training at Fronius.
• 1962 FroMIG inert gas welding systems are launched.
• 1980 Second generation – Günter Fronius hands over the reins to the next generation: Klaus Fronius and his sister Brigitte Strauß.
• 1992 New business area – The beginnings of Solar Energy
• 1995 Sunrise – Fronius launches its first grid-connected PV inverter, “Sunrise”.
• 1998 Fronius produces the world’s first fully digitally controlled MIG/MAG power sources.
• 2001 Fronius IG is the first inverter to feature a high-frequency transformer.
• 2005 Cold Metal Transfer – The triumph of “cold” welding
• 2010 Virtual Welding – Digital training for welding technology
• 2012 Third generation – Elisabeth Engelbrechtsmüller Strauß,the granddaughter of the company’s founder, takes upthe business.
• 2013 Selectiva – New standards in battery charging technology with the revolutionary Ri charging process.
• 2015 TPS/I – Welding with robots 2016 Management – Current management board Volker Lenzeder, Elisabeth
• 2016 Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauß, Herbert Mühlböck & ThomasHerndler
• 2018 Solhub – Hydrogen hub of the future
• 2020 Fronius completes 75 years milestone

Sustainable action is at the heart of everything we do at Fronius. This has been the case since the very beginning of the company’s history; the impetus to extend the short service life of car batteries through more efficient use of available energy came about roughly 75 years ago. Today we are placing more focus than ever on environmental friendly solutions.
Elisabeth Strauss Engelbrechtsmueller, CEO Fronius International GmbH

We strive to be the dominant industry leader by offering technologically perfect knowledge and solutions in all the three business units that we operate.
V V Kamath, Managing Director, Fronius India