FRABA is a worldwide company founded in Germany. The company manufactures products for fabrication and process automation and is specialized in sensor manufacturing, for example sensors which are used in windmills and heavy machinery. The company holds several patents of encoder innovation. Until the 1960s, FRABA's main product was mechanical relays. In 1963 the company started selling brush rotary encoders, leading to the development of the first optical rotary encoder in 1973 and the magneticmulti-turnn rotary encoder in 2007.
History
FRABA 1918-1943
FRABA was founded by Franz Baumgartner in 1918 as the FRABA Fabrik elektr. Apparate. In the same year, Franz Baumgartner received his first patent for a “Petri Switch”. This patent would be the first of many. The company specialized in producing mechanical relays for electrical alarm and safety devices. Until 1943, the company was based in Cologne-Klettenberg with two departments. From 1919 onward, the production and manufacturing expanded. Franz Baumgartner's brother, Adolf Baumgartner, was a key figure in the family company, leading one of the two departments and writing numerous technical articles on FRABA's products in several magazines and gazettes in the years to come.
The firm was thriving in the 1920s and 1930s, with expanding export despite the economic crisis of 1929. Several different relays, such as electro-magnetic and mechanical ones, were produced in series and FRABA pioneered in making relays used in traffic regulations. In 1930 glass-blowing facilities were incorporated into the company. The glass was used as a switching mechanism. Towards the late 1920s other types of relays were developed and FRABA was a forerunner in remote-control systems. It was a sensation when in 1928, FRABA was commissioned by the mayor of Cologne, Konrad Adenauer, to build the remote-control systems for the public street lights in Cologne. The cities Mainz, Munich and Duisburg followed. One person could flip a switch and turn on the lights for the whole city. The importance of the relay switch in those years can be compared to the modern-day microchip.
FRABA 1943-1968
By the beginning of the 1940s, the company offered a varied and broad spectrum of products. Due to World War II, the enterprise at Cologne-Klettenberg is destroyed and the parent company is moved to Brüchermühle, but in 1945 production stagnates. In 1946 Franz Baumgartner reopens, with only 10 employees left, a new factory in Bergisch Gladbach. FRABA expands and actively participated in the postwar German Wirthschaftswunder with the restart of production, newly established contacts with foreign customers and further expansion of their domestic business. In 1951 FRABA was the biggest specialized factory in Germany for electrical switching devices. This was a result of the innovative character of the company, e.g. during World War II, a gas pressure relay with quicksilver was invented instead of using the familiar copper wires, because copper was very hard to come by. FRABA flourished and relocated to the newly established operating space in Cologne-Niehl in 1953.
Until the 1960s, FRABA's main product was the mechanical relay. In 1960 FRABA modified their production and started manufacturing the first mobile dialysis system for hospitals. They continued to produce relays as well, such as specific systems for the German railway and relay combination systems for traffic lights. An example of the latter was the manufacturing of the relays for the traffic lights of Haifa in 1962. In February 1962, a large fire damaged the office and the production space of FRABA at Cologne-Niehl. However, this was not the end of the production: in 1963 FRABA launched their first (brush) absolute rotary encoder - a product which would remain the main business. In 1968, the company celebrated 50 years of FRABA and was thriving with 400 employees. In the same year, Franz Baumgartner retired at the age of 80. Two nephews took over the company. In 1969, Franz Baumgartner received the Federal Cross of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz), in honour of his work for the disabled and severely ill. Franz Baumgartner proved his high technical skill and knowledge, innovative character and entrepreneurial awareness.