History
Founding Generation
| Giacomo HILFIKER (1895-1964), founded Pneumofore in 1923 | The A12 (1927) was the world's first single-stage, lubricated rotary vane air compressor. |
When it was originally released in 1964, the F360 air compressor was the largest single-stage rotary vane compressor in the world. |
Jakob (Giacomo) Hilfiker, a cousin of Hans Hilfiker (known for the clock design found in all Swiss train stations) follows the familial bent and trains in Engineering at Winterthur's Technical Institute. After matriculation he works for Sulzer and other leading Swiss technology companies before establishing Pneumofore in Turin in 1923 with partner J. Rehsteiner.
The new firm deploys the rotary vane design in the production of industrial air compressors, vacuum pumps, furnaces and blowers. Focus of R&D during this period is on performance, reliability, and growing capacity. Jakob's lifelong work culminates in what is at that time the first and largest single-stage rotary vane compressor world-wide, the model F360 of 400kW.
Second Generation
Sons Alfred Hilfiker and Robert Hilfiker, a graduate of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), assumes leadership of Pneumofore in 1964. Work begins on numerous innovations: air-cooled compressors and vacuum pumps, vertical machine layout, tangential vanes, turbobooster for automobiles, and more.
The patented technology of Intensive Oil Injection, developed in collaboration with researchers at the ETHZ, results in high-efficiency air compressors. From 1970s on, Pneumofore experiences strong growth and the development of new markets abroad.
Focus of R&D concentrates on energy efficiency and environmental integration, key cost factors for any industry after the 1980s. Larger air-cooled vacuum pumps are refined in the 1990s to meet the needs of newly-emerging markets.
Present Generation
Robert's children Regula, Martin and Daniel Hilfiker, also an ETH graduate, join the firm at various points in the 1990's and contribute to modernizing the company's infrastructure. The T and UR Series air compressors are developed to satisfy a growing international demand for units capable of operating in extreme climates.
Focus of R&D extends to reduction of customer's Life Cycle Cost. The Pneumofore Vacuum division produces the UV50, the world's largest air-cooled single-stage rotary vane vacuum pump. Daniel Hilfiker becomes actively engaged with international associations such as Pneurop to determine standards for the pneumatic and vacuum industries. He becomes board member of the council Pneurop and President of Compo for seven years (1997 - 2004).
Daniel Hilfiker succeeds Robert as President and CEO in June 2006.
