Consolidated Competence: A Key to Success
The idea of competence centers was born alongside the ND 100, the first diaphragm liquid pump, manufactured according to Erich Becker’s plans in Freiburg-Munzingen in 1982. This technological breakthrough can do more than perfectly transfer liquids – it can dose them, too. Since launching a new product requires a lot of capacity, production and development need to be outsourced to their own location. Thus, KNF Flodos AG is born. In the years that follow, it becomes the second pillar of the company group, substantiating this bold new move and upholding KNF’s new strategy of consolidated competence.
October 12, 1987. KNF Flodos AG is officially registered as a company, ready for a brand new start: a new company, a new type of pump and a new challenge for the first five employees, who have to start by familiarizing themselves with the product and the market. Even the name is new: Flodos – a portmanteau of “flow” and “dosing.” KNF Flodos AG is initially located in St. Erhard – a stone’s throw from Lucerne. Here, operations in the rented facility next to the highway are dedicated to the liquid pump.
“This pump was unconventional compared to the existing range of gas pumps,” CEO Martin Becker later states, justifying the decision to found the new Product Center. “Right from the beginning, the Swiss Flodos team could fully concentrate on the new product, putting all of its energy into this work.” And it really did.
Shortly thereafter, the highly devoted team celebrates its first great success. It has won the confidence of a Swiss pharmaceutical company, earning KNF Flodos a reputation in the international medical technology sector as a leading liquid pump provider. In 1996, the ever-growing company moves into a newly constructed building in Sursee. The company’s original humble team of five has since grown to a staff of nearly 200 employees. By concentrating on market requirements and the continuous optimization of existing processes, KNF Flodos maintains its position as a world market leader.
The third competence center, the Micro Gas Pump Product Center, was formed in 2011 under the name of KNF Micro AG. KNF responds to the increased use of diaphragm pumps in portable, hand-held devices by developing and marketing micro gas pumps. Typical applications include the use of hand pipettes in medicine and compact analytical systems for environmental engineering applications. Just as the liquid pumps of the 1980s had set themselves apart, these micro gas pumps also earn themselves a special place in the product range – both in terms of production numbers and mode of construction. A new location, also in Switzerland, and dedicated solely to these small pumps, is founded with an initial seven employees.
KNF Micro AG finds a perfect home in Reiden. In a rented modern building, a whole world begins to form around the micro gas pump, where all of the components are developed in miniature form – from the motor to the diaphragm and the eccentric to the valves. The manual production stages, for instance inserting valves and seals, require a great deal of dexterity. Special mounting equipment and accessories are used to assist with these delicate processes. Even the market strategy is adapted to suit these micro gas pumps. In contrast to the “large” gas pumps manufactured in Freiburg-Munzingen – where KNF is known for developing custom and project-specific solutions, even in small production numbers – micro gas pumps are often needed in greater quantities. This forces KNF Micro to adapt to a completely different competitive environment and specialized product requirements.
All of these singularities take the focus in Reiden. Thanks to the expertise of the now 60 employees at this location, KNF’s miniature powerhouses are now in use across many sectors, from medicine to printing technology. And they are only getting better. In the world of micro gas pumps, that means higher-performing, smaller, quieter and more energy-efficient.
KNF Flodos was just the beginning. Today, the KNF strategy for success is reflected in the independent units of the entire company group. Even the Sales Centers in the various countries work autonomously, basing their activities on local market developments. Founded in Hamburg in 2018, the Digital Acceleration Center (DAC) is fully focused on the KNF Group’s digital transformation. This concentration affords KNF flexibility, speed and innovation in its work despite its large size of more than 850 employees in total – imperative for anyone who claims to be a world technology leader.
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