Friedrich Fischer (March 19, 1849 – October 2, 1899) from

Schweinfurt Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultural and educational hub. The urban agg ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

is considered the father of the modern

ball bearing A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races. The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this ...

, having invented the process for milling standard bearings in 1883.

Biography

Fischer designed the ball grinding mill, a machine that allows steel balls to be ground to an absolutely round state in large volumes for the first time. Thanks to this innovation, he laid the foundation for the entire rolling bearing industry. Thus, the worldwide success story of the ball bearing begins in Schweinfurt. Later, 1883 is officially declared the year in which the company was founded. *1890 - On July 17, Fischer received the patent for his ball grinding machine from the Kaiserliches Patentamt. *1895 - The UK

Imperial Patent Office Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...

grants Fischer patent number 10925A for his ball grinding and milling machine. *1896 - Fischer applies for permission to build a new plant near the train station in Schweinfurt – a step towards a new industrial dimension. The new plant produces 10 million balls per week. The company is incorporated one year later. *1899 - Friedrich Fischer suffered a stroke and died at the age of 50 on October 2. He did not have any children. With the death of this innovator and entrepreneur, his 400 employees lost the driving force of the company. The company’s financial situation worsened. This was also due to the persisting crisis in the ball industry, which was caused by overproduction, competitive pressure, protective duties, etc. *1905 - On July 29, the FAG brand is registered with the patent office in Berlin. The registered trademark FAG, which stands for Fischers Aktien-Gesellschaft, is protected in over 100 countries today.

Legacy

Today the FAG brand is owned by the

Schaeffler Group Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, also known as Schaeffler Group (''Schaeffler-Gruppe'' in German), is a German manufacturer of rolling element bearings for automotive, aerospace and industrial uses. It was founded in 1946 by brothers Dr. ...

. File:Fag stammsitz schweinfurt.jpg, The headquarters of FAG Kugelfischer in Schweinfurt (ca 2001) File:1 Friedrich Fischer Erste Automatische Gußstahlkugel-Fabrik nach 1896 S. 63.jpg, Hauptbahnhofstraße mit neuer Fabrik, nach 1896; am linken Bildrand mit erstem Verwaltungsbau File:Schweinfurt, Hauptbahnhofstraße 12-001.jpg, Erster Verwaltungsbau von 1897 File:SW FAG-VerwBau.jpg, Bürohochhaus von FAG Kugelfischer am Hauptbahnhof, erbaut um 1970 File:FAG-Preis-1988.JPG, Verleihung des FAG-Preises 1988 mit Georg Schäfer (III) (Mitte) File:Schweinfurt Spinnmuehle Anker.jpg, Spinnmühle am Main: Domizil von Fischer und Georg Schäfer (I), heute mit ''Kleinem Industriemuseum''; links dahinter das Museum Georg Schäfer File:WWII Schweinfurt Raid.jpg, Luftangriff auf das Schweinfurter Industriegebiet 1943, im unteren Bereich der Rauchwolken Kugelfischer File:Schweinfurt-001.jpg, Museum Georg Schäfer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Friedrich 19th-century German inventors 1849 births 1899 deaths German mechanical engineers Engineers from Bavaria People from Schweinfurt