Friedrich Fischer

For the Austrian Olympic athlete, see Friedrich Fischer (athlete).

Friedrich Fischer
Friedrich Fischer
Born	March 19, 1849 Schweinfurt, Germany
Died	October 2, 1899
Known for	Invention of the ball grinding mill

Friedrich Fischer (March 19, 1849 – October 2, 1899) from Schweinfurt, Germany is considered the father of the modern ball bearing, 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. His innovation was to tilt slightly the grinding wheel by 1.9°, forcing the balls to rotate on both their axis while they are ground. 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 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.

• Legacy of Friedrich Fischer
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  The headquarters of FAG Kugelfischer in Schweinfurt (ca 2001)
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  Hauptbahnhofstraße mit neuer Fabrik, nach 1896; am linken Bildrand mit erstem Verwaltungsbau
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  Erster Verwaltungsbau von 1897
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  Bürohochhaus von FAG Kugelfischer am Hauptbahnhof, erbaut um 1970
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  Verleihung des FAG-Preises 1988 mit Georg Schäfer (III) (Mitte)
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  Spinnmühle am Main: Domizil von Fischer und Georg Schäfer (I), heute mit Kleinem Industriemuseum; links dahinter das Museum Georg Schäfer
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  Luftangriff auf das Schweinfurter Industriegebiet 1943, im unteren Bereich der Rauchwolken Kugelfischer
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  Museum Georg Schäfer