JUNKERS Brand History
As is the case with a few, but famous, the history of the company Junkers started with one person, and the invention itself, which initiated the whole direction of development of heating equipment, was not directly related to the heating appliances. The German inventor, a professor at the University of Aachen, Dr. Hugo Junkers patented in 1892 developed a calorimeter for measuring the calorific value of natural gas used in gas engines. A year later, the device was awarded the highest award at the World Exhibition in Chicago. Honored triumph noted originality of approach, outstanding creative abilities of the author, however all this was only the beginning of his brilliant creative way.
The idea, built in the principle of the calorimeter (flowing water heating due to the heat released during the combustion of natural gas), pushed the inventor to create a larger capacity water heater, which soon won the strongest position in the home appliances market. Already in 1895, Hugo Junkers opened the Junkers & Co factory in Dessau, which starts producing the world's first gas water heaters Junkers. The beginning of the commercial activities of the company Junkers & Co was so successful that it led to the creation of a number of improved models: from heavy floor to elegant wall. The pace and capabilities of the new production grew steadily, by 1904 the factory Junkers produced 19 models of devices, among which, in addition to water heaters, there were also coolers and ventilation equipment under the brand name Junkers. The use of automation has opened the possibility of controlling the supply of gas depending on the consumption of hot water. And the streamlined serial production has made flowing water heaters Junkers available for almost any home.
And to this day the principle of running water heating is successfully used in gas water heaters and boilers. His genius Hugo Junkers showed not only in inventions in the field of heat engineering. By 1911, the author of a flow-through gas water heater became the world leader in the number of registered inventions, among which a new place for processing sheet metal was occupied. But the field of activity, where Hugo Junkers once again immortalized his name, was aircraft construction, in particular, his talent and work in 1915 created the world's first all-metal aircraft Junkers, and later the world's first serial passenger aircraft Ju 52.
In 1925 the company Junkers in conjunction with the company Deutsche Aero Lloyd organized the company Lufthansa. The factory for producing gas columns for a long time has progressed successfully. In 1929, a thermoelectric switch of gas was first applied on Junkers columns, which made these devices the safest in the world. The cardinal changes in the fate of the enterprise are related to the world economic crisis that erupted in the early 1930s. XX century.
In 1932, Hugo Junkers sold a factory of gas columns to Robert Bosch GmbH, whose history also began in the 19th century with modest electromechanical workshops in Stuttgart, founded in 1886 by Robert Bosch. The great experience accumulated by Hugo Junkers over the years of production of gas appliances, and the technical know-how of Bosch paved the way for inventions that determined the main directions in the development of heating and water heating equipment. Until the late 80's. The equipment was produced only under the trademark Junkers and was oriented mainly to the German market. Then the gas equipment division began to work consistently to raise its international authority, expand its sales markets.
In 1988, this was reflected in the acquisition of the Portuguese plant Vulcano Termo-Domesticos, also specializing in the production of flow-through water heaters. Vulcano, one of the first, brought to the world market a gas flow-through water heater with electric ignition. In 1990, Bosch and the Turkish company Elinghan Holding founded the Elbo joint venture for the production of thermoelements and gas fittings. Since 1993, at the plant in Turkey, the boilers of the concern Junkers Gruppe are also produced. 1998 marked the acquisition of the share of the Turkish company for Robert Bosch GmbH, and now the production in Turkey is wholly owned by the German concern. In 1992, Worcester Heat Systems was incorporated in the UK. Since 1995, the concern has been named Bosch Thermotechnik, incorporating such brands as Junkers, Vulcano, Worcester, Radson, as well as French e.l.m. as part of the gas division (Junkers Gruppe). Leblanc and Geminox, acquired by the concern already in 1996, after the renaming. At 7 production enterprises, Junkers Gruppe, with an annual turnover of 900 million euros, employs 6,150 employees. Sales of Junkers Gruppe products in Europe, Asia, Latin America, USA account for 79% of total turnover.