Company history of Barth Schleiftechnik
1964: The Foundation in the Basement
Ernst Barth founded his tool grinding business in the basement of his home, laying the foundation for a successful company with a Deckel S1 grinding machine. He borrowed 20,000 DM from his mother to purchase the first machine. Supported by his wife, Gertrud Barth, the business grew quickly, and over time, several employees were hired.
1988: Co-founder of the Trade Association
Ernst Barth co-founded the German Association of Precision Tool Grinders (FDPW) and played a key role in the establishment of the GRIND-TEC trade fair, which was first held in Augsburg in 1998.
1989: The First Company Relocation
As the company grew, it moved to a larger production hall of about 400 square meters in Eisackstraße in 1989, creating new opportunities for production.
1990: The Start of a Generational Change
Michael Barth joined the family business, and the first CNC machines were acquired. After further training in the USA and under the guidance of his father, he became the youngest cutting tool mechanic master in Germany in 1993.
1995: Michael Barth Takes Over the Company
When Michael Barth took over the company, the production expanded, and the number of employees grew to around 12. Further investments in CNC technology followed, along with the expansion of the production area.
1998: The Step into the Internet
Barth Schleiftechnik took an important step toward digitalization by launching its first website – www.schleiftechnik.com.
2000: Transformation into a GmbH
The company was officially transformed into Barth Schleiftechnik GmbH, highlighting its professional growth and development.
2004: ISO 9001 Certification
A major milestone in quality assurance: In 2004, Barth Schleiftechnik introduced a quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001, securing the company’s high quality standards.
2006: Production Expansion and Automation
After a comprehensive modernization and expansion of the production facility to 1200 sqm, the company introduced an automatic loading system for CNC machines to enable "ghost shifts" with no human supervision.
2009: Entry into Solid Carbide Tool Production
Barth Schleiftechnik began producing high-quality standard solid carbide (VHM) milling cutters and established an extensive inventory to ensure immediate delivery readiness. The first sales catalog was also created.
2012: Patent for ConVecut
Barth developed the counter-spiralized solid carbide cutter "ConVecut," a groundbreaking innovation that was trademarked and registered with the German and European Patent Office.
2016: Further Production Expansion
The production facility was modernized once again with additional CNC grinding machines, measuring devices, a laser marking system, and dressing machines to meet the growing demand for solid carbide tools.
2018: Cutting Edge Preparation at the Highest Level
A new system for drag grinding and measuring devices for edge rounding with tolerances of less than 0.002 mm were installed to further optimize cutting edge preparation.
2019: New Grinding Machines for Maximum Precision
Barth invested in a 5-axis CNC grinding machine for grinding solid carbide drills and upgraded its equipment for grinding large HSS drills with diameters up to 80 mm.
2020: Precision Flat Grinding of Machine Parts
The production was expanded with a CNC surface grinding machine for flat grinding of high-precision machine parts, further broadening Barth Schleiftechnik's product range.
