erfi Today

For over 70 years, erfi has set standards with its workstation systems. After a major fire, CEO Andreas Fischer succeeded in fundamentally reinventing the family business once again. In an interview with Kalkül magazine, Andreas Fischer spoke about the past year. Here are some excerpts from the interview.

According to the myth, the phoenix is a bird-like mythical creature that is deliberately burned to ashes by the sun. From the ashes, an egg is formed, from which it hatches reborn. This rejuvenation grants the creature a life spanning centuries. … Someone who rises like a phoenix from the ashes, as we understand it today, has freed themselves from an apparently hopeless situation and emerged stronger than before.

When it comes to erfi, the Baden-Württemberg market leader for workstation systems, the analogy is, exceptionally, not far-fetched—in the truest sense of the word. In the early morning of January 8, 2016, a major fire, caused by a disgruntled temporary worker, reduced an entire production hall to rubble and ashes. Several woodworking machines went up in flames. A trial was held at the Rottweil District Court. According to the indictment, the damage was estimated at more than ten million euros. erfi would not have been the first company to have been pushed to the brink of insolvency by such an event.

Because in addition to the direct fire damage and immense financial losses, such cases usually also cause unpredictable consequential damages that are rarely or not at all covered by insurance. Is your own image damaged? How will the public react? How will employees and customers behave? Will they remain loyal to the company? These are questions that erfi’s CEO Andreas Fischer also asked himself and came to the conclusion: “You have to seize the opportunity. The fire is not the end, but the beginning of a new era.” Less than two years later, erfi is regarded as a pioneer in Industry 4.0.

Andreas Fischer’s unwavering entrepreneurial spirit was instilled in him from childhood by his father, Ernst Fischer (after whom the company is named). What began as a company specializing in traditional industrial workbench construction gradually evolved under Ernst Fischer into a highly specialized manufacturer of integrated workstation systems.

His customers were interested in built-in electronic measuring and testing devices? Fischer put it into practice. “Our electronic laboratory tables sparked a true revolution,” Andreas Fischer still enthuses today. Electrical engineers, microsystems, and communication technicians joined the team. erfi began supplying the automotive industry and expanded its business field. “Every part must be electrically safety-tested.” So Fischer had test systems developed and built for electrical safety and functional testing. “Suddenly, we realized: the right software is needed for this.” Thus, the company patriarch founded an in-house software department.

Until advanced age—and as long as his health allowed—Ernst Fischer was involved in daily operations. However, the responsibility had long since been taken over by his son, Andreas Fischer. … “Until then, our concept was to make the devices smarter based on what already existed,” says Fischer. “But at some point, we realized that was no longer enough.” A new market revolution was needed. “We thought, why not do what Apple does: capacitive surfaces. After all, Steve Jobs himself conducted the market test.” … Fischer reactivated an old acquaintance: Gerd Flohr, Professor of Product Design at the University of Applied Sciences in Dresden. … Flohr’s task: to develop a completely new device surface for workstation systems. The result was what Fischer today praises as a “visionary new development”: the electronic device system elneos five. The technology is used in the workstation system elneos connect. “It’s the iPhone of measurement technology,” says Fischer.

Thanks to its sleek capacitive surface, the device can be intuitively operated with gestures and connected to all kinds of devices via various ports. Among other honors, it was awarded the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in 2013. erfi exports nearly half of its devices worldwide—to France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the USA.

The workstation systems are entirely produced in-house in the fully renovated machine hall. When entering the newly refurbished production hall, everything still gleams in white and silver metallic. Here, the machines take center stage. The heart of production consists of small computers with touchscreens. They serve as the control centers of the new production hall — Industry 4.0 in its purest form. Only five specialized carpenters and wood mechanics operate these high-tech machines. … Through monitors, the machine operators can make individual fine adjustments. For example, a tabletop moves from storage to fully automated cutting, through a sorting storage system to edge processing, then to drilling and milling, and finally to freeforming. Suction cups secure the tabletops there, while everything else runs completely autonomously. Piece by piece, a state-of-the-art workstation system takes shape. The next step is vertical and horizontal doweling. Finished.

Due to the company’s dynamic development, erfi also sought a professional partner in the field of legal advice and found one in the law firm KRAUSS-LAW. Attorneys Dr. Krauss and Dr. Wertheimer are capable of understanding erfi’s highly technical products. This ensures that the company’s rights are always protected in public contracts. Through intensive collaboration with the law firm, erfi has been able to successfully defend its leading market position in recent years and secure major public contracts.