| 1873 |
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Wilhelm Pannkoke
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On 18th November 1873, the company founder, Wilhelm Pannkoke, is born in Lübeck, Germany, son of master carpenter Heinrich Pannkoke.
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| 1888-1892 |
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The 15-year-old boy serves his glazier apprenticeship under glazier master Theodor Schroeder in Lübeck. |
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1892-
1899
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After completing his apprenticeship, he leaves Luebeck and travels for eight years as a journeyman around Europe. |
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During his travels he goes to Hamburg, Goettingen and Dresden in Germany, and then on to Budapest, Hungary and around the south of France.
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| 1900-1912 |
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A business is founded |
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While still in Bordeaux, Wilhelm Pannkoke makes his first invention in 1900: the glass cutting apparatus, which is still sold today as the cutting slide.
On the advice of the master glazier, he has his brilliant tool patented, takes production and sales into his own hands and founds his first business for glazier tools and accessories in Berlin at the end of 1900.
In 1905, he marries Dorothea Kuehl.
Further inventions, such as the round and oval cutting machine, wired glass pliers and many others, follow. He registers more than 25 utility models that are used in schools for prospective glaziers.
With these tools, his enterprise attains a world-wide reputation in the glazier field. American technical colleges are delighted with the cutting apparatus PANNKOKE. An American patent is granted.
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1912 - 1938
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Son Karl is born on 16th August 1912.
World War I takes its toll. Wilhelm Pannkoke is called to arms. His wife Dorothea has to run the business on her own.
After the war, the product range is extended to include picture frames and a picture shop and the mail order business is started.
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| 1941 |
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One of the last inventions of Wilhelm Pannkoke is the glass blind for ventilation.
He dies in 1941 in Berlin.
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| 1945 - 1948 |
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A new beginning
At the end of the Second World War, his son, Karl Pannkoke, decides to start again in Luebeck, his father's home town. Juggling with ration coupons of every kind, he starts work in a former air-raid bunker. Under very difficult conditions, a panel pin machine and a lead drawing machine are constructed in order to stimulate the production of panel pins and glazier‘s lead. The manufacture of simple tools completes the product range.
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| 1949 |
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In 1949, Karl Pannkoke marries Margarete Ostwald. Margarete comes from an old established glazier family. Her grandfather was already a customer of the young entrepreneur Wilhelm Pannkoke. She herself had served a glazier apprenticeship and was familiar with the technicalities of the subject. From the beginning, Margarete takes over the business side of the company and contributes tirelessly to the success of the new company. |
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| 1950 -1955 |
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At the 1st German Glazier Convention in Goslar, the new machines are presented. The first company car, a DKW from 1936 with wooden chassis, is loaded up to travel from Glazier Convention to Glazier Convention to present the new machines, to chat with customers and to pick up new ideas for further developments.
Daughter Annegret is born in 1953.
Development and customised inventions lead to an upturn
Due to his technically-oriented education, Karl Pannkoke is not satisfied with the production of only tools and glazier items. Like his father, he starts to convert his practical ideas into new products.
The hand grinder, radius cutter, glass drilling stand, and brass mill are only a few of his progressive developments. At Glazier Conventions, he introduces his new machines, talks shop with customers and obtains many of his ideas for further products.
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| 1956 |
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Vacuum technology enters the glazier's world
With the production of the first vacuum lifting device, the cornerstone of a future-oriented production field is laid in 1956.
This first vacuum lifting device is sold to a glaziers' wholesaler in Gütersloh.
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| 1958 |
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First international trade fair
Together with the French representative, Karl Pannkoke takes part in the Paris Journées Internationales de l'Equipement de Miroiterie', organised by Saint-Gobain. It is a major success even without exhibits, because they were released by the French customs only after the fair had finished.
Son Bernd is born.
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| 1959 |
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In the meantime, the bunker has become much too small and the company moves to a new production location in Haendelweg in Luebeck. Development is unstoppable. The first cutting tables and glass transport racks are designed. |
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| 1960 |
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In the field of vacuum technology, the new Type JUNIOR for the construction site is introduced with a selling price of below DM 600.00. The UNIVERSAL type with separate vacuum pump is offered for the warehouse.
The first electric glass cutting table is used in Saarlouis, Germany.
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| 1964 |
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The first cutting device with several longitudinal and one vertical cutting head is introduced at the German Glazier Convention in Hanover in 1964.
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| 1970 |
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The float era dawns
At the beginning of the Seventies, the air floatation tilt table, the glass offloading frame and vacuum lifting devices for the manipulation and loading of large pieces of float glass are developed and sold.
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| 1974 |
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The first automatic loading table and the first 2-bridged cutting system follows in 1974.
Daughter Annegret Pannkoke joins the family enterprise in the commercial section in 1974. She takes over the personnel department, controlling and advertising and introduces a modern computer system.
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| 1975 |
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75 years Pannkoke
On the occasion of the company's 75th anniversary, Karl Pannkoke receives the silver badge of honour for his contribution to the glazier's craft.
The first 2-bridged cutting machine is produced and sold.
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| 1977 |
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From Australia, Pannkoke receives a large order for 13 loading-cutting-systems. Shipment is made in RORO service halfway around the world. The container service is still in its infancy. |
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| 1978 |
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Expansion and new challenges necessitate changes to the private company. The company Karl Pannkoke becomes Pannkoke Flachglastechnik GmbH.
The children, Annegret and Bernd Pannkoke, and employees Holger Kramp, Ulrich Wulf and Jörg-Joachim Jacobs become partners in the company.
The software company H+O of Hamburg programs the first cutting optimisation system for Pannkoke on an Olivetti P6060.
The fully automatic multiple cutting-head machine NC-78 was introduced at the Glas'78.
Glas Funke in Gemünd receives the first fully automated multiple cutting-head machine NC 78.
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| 1982 |
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CNC technology in progress
In 1982, the CNC multiple cutting-head machine is replaced by the single cutting-head machine.
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| 1983 |
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The first laminated glass cutting machine goes into operation.
Holger Kramp leaves the company for personal reasons.
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1987
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A further production hall is built in Haendelweg
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| 1988 |
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After his electrical engineering studies in Luebeck, Bernd Pannkoke acquires further practical experience at Siemens in Munich. In 1988, he also joins the management of the company and takes over the technical department.
The new generation of vacuum lifting devices for hall construction comes onto the market in 1988. With this type of device, it is possible to install insulating panels up to a length of 12 m.
A battery-powered vacuum lifting device is developed to transport steel plates weighing up to 5000 kg for the shipbuilding industry.
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| 1990 |
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Following the reunification of Germany, everyone is focussed on further German unity. Even in the early years of unity, Pannkoke sets us marketing stations in Dessau and Dresden.
The new generation of NC cutting machines is presented at the Glastec '90. The operating software with the cutting plan editor is developed by Hanic, Gelsenkirchen.
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| 1991 |
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Vacuum handling technology is a special challenge for son Bernd just as it had been for his father. He has his own ideas and experience and he works out a new modular system for the vacuum handling technology. In 1991, he is appointed company manager. |
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| 1992 |
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The first glass cutting processing line with automatic traverse break-out section for production of automotive glass goes into operation. On an area of 100 m², approx. 250 m² of glass is cut per hour, corresponding to roughly 700 primitives. |
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| 1993 |
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Karl Pannkoke
After a lifetime spent in the service of the glazier‘s trade, Karl Pannkoke, founder of the production fields of vacuum handling and glass cutting technology, died on 5th September 1993 at the age of 81. Since the beginning of vacuum handling technology, it had been his special favourite, and not only in the glass field, but also in other production areas where gas-tight materials were used. Through his initiative, the vacuum handling devices, originally seen as just a sideline of the cutting technology, came to be one of the more important Pannkoke products.
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