erfi – Then and now!

Since its foundation in 1955, erfi has developed from a manufacturer of the first industrial workbenches to an award-winning and globally networked supplier of highly complex laboratory and workplace equipment as well as test and inspection equipment. erfi has been awarded numerous design prizes and today stands not only for state-of-the-art production with a market-leading portfolio but also for an inventive spirit that always puts people at the center of new developments.

When Ernst Fischer founded erfi in Freudenstadt in 1955, the company quickly became known for its solid, high-quality industrial workbench. In the new production facility built in 1961, erfi developed this further into a professional workbench system, laying the foundations for the development culture in his company in 1965. In the years 1966 to 69, erfi defined the first extensive series for workbenches and laboratory tables and expanded the factory building for more extensive production.

In the following years, further successful product series in the laboratory furniture sector and the introduction of the first test equipment set long-lasting standards. In 1973, erfi is at the forefront with the 19-inch equipment rack system and continues to develop the electronics and equipment systems portfolio consistently into the early 1980s. In 1987, the 19-inch device and workstation system highlab® became a highlight on the electrical engineering market as the first ergonomic and fully comprehensive complete system together with the first software for test systems. The reward for these efforts is the award of renowned design prizes for the highlab® series, such as the if-Industrieform Hannover in 1988 and 1989 and the Haus-Industrieform Essen in 1988.

When the 19-inch rack system basic and the flexible and universal workstation system varantec® 4 were introduced in 1993, erfi re-established itself as the supplier of complete electrotechnical systems and equipment for technical test and development laboratories as well as assembly and office workstations in industry and education.

Andreas Fischer, who succeeded Ernst Fischer in 1995, consistently expands the national and international customer network and expands the production and development of test and inspection systems as well as furniture systems.

In the field of test and inspection systems, the Compact Tester CANclass® 4in1 was launched in 1996, the CANDY® test software in 1998 and the CANclass® Compact Tester TS 1.200-100 in 2000. Between 2004 and 2006, new remote-controlled power supply units and function generators as well as the highlink remote control software were added to the highlab® and basic device family.

In 1997, the varantec® furniture system is expanded with a 19-inch cabinet system and in 1999 with varantec® C4 with a height-adjustable assembly table. In 2005 erfi introduces the economically interesting workstation system ABZ® and rounds off the development in this phase. In 2007 erfi becomes preferred supplier for Siemens and BMW in the area of control stations and standalone. Due to the positive economic development of the company, production and logistics undergo extensive expansion with a new building in 2008.

These previous innovations made it possible to launch a visionary new development in 2011. A team of technicians, engineers, designers and suppliers developed, planned and built the new elneos® five and elneos® connect workstation and device system. The complete system has been ready for series production since 2012 and has since delighted customers all over the world with its comprehensive flexibility, intuitive gesture-controlled operation and good price-performance ratio. In the years that followed, the elneos® system as a whole received the Red Dot Design Award, among other accolades, earning it worldwide recognition.

In 2016, the conversion to the Industry 4.0 standard begins in production and in October of the same year, the ground-breaking ceremony is held for the new customer center and a further expansion of production. In 2017, the new two-storey customer center with over 2000 square meters of space for exhibition and transparent production is officially opened.

In 2019 erfi expands its portfolio in the field of laboratory and workplace furniture with organizational cabinets of the erfi Orgatower series, the cabinet series elneos® Cubix and the new seating furniture series elneos® stay.

You can also read our editorial article “From the wooden workbench to the industrially networked laboratory workstation”, which appeared in the special edition of Elektronik-Praxis. Here as a download or interactively on the web: Milestones in electronics.