1957
Fritz Knecht buys a mechanical workshop in Bad Buchau, Upper Swabia, to service and repair butcher machines.
From service company to technology leader
Germany's southern region, especially Upper Swabia, is renowned for the production of sausages. It is here that KNECHT has its roots.
Founded in 1957 by Fritz Knecht, the company has grown from servicing and repairing butcher machines to be the driving force in cutter knife and grinding technology.
1998
Introduction of the B 500, the world's first machine that automatically sharpens, deburrs and polishes cutter knives and involute machine knives.
2001
Launch of the B 600 – the first unmanned, fully automatic cutter knife grinding machine. This computer-operated machine accommodates up to 20 knives in the magazine, and can grind, polish and deburr up to 80 cutter knives per shift. Grinding programmes and updates can be installed online from anywhere in the world, independent from the location of the grinding machine.
2003
KNECHT launches the W 300 – a plane grinding machine developed to grind mincer inserts and sausage cutting tools.
2007
Launch of the K 24 cutterknife system – an innovative milestone in the market.
2008
The K 24 cutter knife system receives the award for innovation from the administrative district Ravensburg, reaffirming the company as a world leader in the technology.
2009
KNECHT introduces the W 200 at the Agroprodmash in Moscow. The youngest and smallest members of the surface-grinding family grinds mincer parts and inline grinder cutting sets up to 200 mm in diameter.
Austria and Switzerland are traditionally strong markets for KNECHT. The aim is to be as close as possible to the customers. In order to live up to this claim, KNECHT buys FLEMA Meat Processing Machines GmbH.
2010
KNECHT supplements the market with its innovative sickle-blade grinding machine; the A 950. This machine is designed for just about any brand of sickle-shaped blade on the market.
The USA is an important export market for KNECHT. In order to serve American customers in the best possible way, an own subsidiary is founded: KNECHT North America Inc.
2012
Markus Knecht is appointed member of the company management on January 1st, 2012. The company is now managed by the two Managing Directors Manfred and Markus Knecht.
KNECHT launches an up to six axes-controlled grinding machine for the grinding and serrating of slicer knives: the A 95.
2013
KNECHT is building: After the long winter, construction machines have been rolling since March. KNECHT enlarges its production facilities by further 1000 m².
Grinding hand knives fully automatic? World innovation: the E 50 grinds 400 hand knives
per 8-hour shift.
2014
Our new building is ready. We are delighted with the appealing architecture. We already feel very much at home is the new premises.
E 50 Fully automatic hand knife grinding machine surpasses all expectations!
That a forward-looking innovation was put on the market with the introduction of E 50 has been confirmed by our winning the competitive prize for innovation awarded by the Ravensburg administrative district and the Dr. Rudolf Eberle prize for innovation awarded by Baden-Württemberg state.
Market launch of the fully automated surface grinding machine W 40
It grinds wolf discs and knives, as well as mincer blade sets with a diameter of up to 400 mm. The touchscreen control makes the W 40 extremely user-friendly. In automatic mode, the teaching, feed, sparking out and return to the change position are fully automatic.
2016
The circular and sickle knife grinding machine A 95 received a distinction at the 2016 Ravensburg District Innovation Awards. A total of 31 companies competed for the 2015/2016 Innovation Award offered by the Ravensburg District Business and Innovation Advancement Association. KNECHT Maschinenbau received an award for its circular and sickle knife grinding machine A 95. This award reflects KNECHT’s innovative strength.
2017
KNECHT turns 60. Fritz Knecht was working as a shop fitter at a large meat processing works in the south of Germany. Carrying out maintenance and repair work on the production machines, he would make some of the spare parts himself so as to achieve greater strength and stability. His aim was to optimize the machines’ operational safety. Knecht felt there was still a lot of development potential, so he decided to set up his own business. The time finally came in the autumn of 1957: Fritz Knecht rented a mechanical workshop in Bad Buchau, Upper Swabia. His main area of activity was providing maintenance and repair for meat processing machines. As an independent, small-scale entrepreneur, he earned his initial income repairing machines and trading second-hand equipment. In the very first years of running his own business, Knecht began to develop a knife grinding machine. In 1960, sales were launched of the belt grinding machine Combina. The Combina was the first grinding machine to be produced by KNECHT.
Since then, KNECHT has been involved almost exclusively in the development and manufacture of grinding machines for cutting tools used in food production. It was back then – 60 years ago – that Fritz Knecht laid the foundations. A young family with two small children – with no money but a mind full of ideas. And the courage to simply get started.
In recent years, France has developed into an important and successful market for KNECHT. French customers should benefit from the best possible market presence. KNECHT France S.A.R.L. is founded.
2018
At the ANUGA the Fully Automatic Hand Knife Sharpening Machine E 50 R is presented to the worldwide public. A six-axis robot sharpens up to 650 hand knives per shift. The E 50 R extends the family of fully automatic hand knife sharpening machines.
2019
The Russian Federation has been a very important and successful market for KNECHT for many years. In order to be as close as possible to our customers in all areas, OOO KNECHT Rus will be founded on April 19, 2019.
2021
“EVO 5 hand knife sharpening – premium sharpness – maximum user-friendliness.” With these slogans, the smallest Hand Knife Sharpening Machine from KNECHT is presented to the public. It completes the family of hand knife sharpening machines.
2022
The A 75 Grinding Machine for Sickle-shaped and Circular Knives is launched on the market. It grinds sickle-shaped knives and circular knives up to approx. 1000 mm in size. The grinding feed and precise hobbing of the slicer knives on the grinding wheels are performed by servo drives.
2024
The A 400 Sharpening Machine is presented to the world at ANUGA FoodTech. The A 400 produces perfect cutting edges on one-sided sickle-shaped knives. Cutting tools up to approx. 1000 mm in size can be ground and deburred in a single operation. The A 400 is the smallest in the family of grinding machines for sickle-shaped and circular knives.