History

The University
Polytechnische Schule

 

1825 Foundation of the ‘Großherzoglich Badische Polytechnische Schule’ as a polytechnic school by order of Grand Duke Ludwig.
1885 Renamed ‘Technical University’.
1892 A third floor is added to the mechanical engineering school. The school had been built in 1859 on the initiative of Professor Redtenbacher.
1967  Renamed ‘University of Karlsruhe (TH)’.
2009 On October 1, 2009 the University and Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe merge to form the ‘Karlsruhe Institute of technology (KIT)’.

Josef Hart

Georg Lindner and Arthur Kessner
Josef Hart
1867 Professor Josef Hart publishes the first comprehensive portrayal of machine tools designs.
1902 Until his emeritus, Professor George Lindner takes over Professor Josef Hart’s lecture on the machine tool.
1924 Professor Dr. Phil Habil Arthur Kessner, successor to Professor George Lindner, remains in office until he dies in 1941.

Walter Schmidt

Walter Schmidt
Walter Schmidt

 

1944 Professor Ing. habil. Walter Schmidt begins to work at the university as a lecturer for machine tools and production science.  
1952 Foundation wbk
Professor Dr.-Ing. Walter Schmidt is appointed lecturer at the university.
The Institute of Machine Tools and Production Science (wbk) (Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Betriebstechnik in German) is established.		  
1956 First testing machine
The institute receives its first large-scale testing machine.
1960 First field of research
Research on the impact of secondary cutting edges during machining. The first test field has now been available for five years.
1962 1962-1963: Modification of the hall hosting the experimental power station hall into a test field for wbk.

Hans Victor

Hans Victor
1965 1965-1980: After the death of Professor Dr.-Ing. Walter Schmidt in January 1964, Professor Dr.-Ing. Hans Victor becomes head of wbk after 11 years of managerial activities in industry. Under his committed leadership, research and teaching activities are considerably extended.
1968 The institute is equipped with test stands for milling, broaching, honing and for hydraulic and pneumatic components.

Jürgen Schmidt

Jürgen Schmidt
1972

After his doctoral degree, Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Schmidt takes over as chief engineer at the institute.

  
1977 The industry hall has been refurbished and is now equipped with a new crane and newly installed test stands.
1980 After the death of Professor Victor, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Schmidt takes over as provisional head of institute.

 		  
2007 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Schmidt retires after 40 years of successful work in the field of manufacturing engineering.
 		  

Hartmut Weule

Hartmut Weule
1982

After the death of Professor Dr.-Ing. Hans Viktor in 1980, Professor Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Weule becomes head of the institute. Previously, he had been active in the field of development and planning of automated manufacturing systems in the automotive industry.

  
1983 A hall in Hagsfeld is rented for the production technology lab in order to extend the gamut of research and teaching. 
1986 1986-1988: Construction of a new building for the Institute of Machine Tools and Production Science at Fasanengarten. Installation of the production science laboratory (PTL by its German acronym).

 
1990 1990-1997: Professor Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Weule is temporarily relieved from his duties at the university and is appointed member of the Daimler Benz AG board of management.  
2003 Professor Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Weule retires in September. He is still available for the institute to give advice and practical support.  
2005 Professor Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Weule is awarded the Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (German equivalent of the Officer’s Cross) of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his outstanding achievements in
research, teaching, science management and economics.		  
2006 Professor Dr. Hartmut Weule is conferred the title of Academic Honorary Citizen by University President Hippler during the academic anniversary celebration held in December 2006. This conferral pays tribute to Mr Weule’s achievements regarding the internationalization of the university, including the foundation of the International Department.

Dieter Spath

Dieter Spath
1992  Professor Dr.-Ing. Dieter Spath is appointed the second professor of the institute. He had previously held the position of managing director at KASTO group.  
1993 Inauguration of the robotics laboratory in the newly constructed hall at Fasanengarten.
1996 Certification of the quality management system of wbk according to DIN EN ISO 9001.
1997 Professor Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Weule returns to wbk to run the institute cooperatively with Dieter Spath and Jürgen Schmidt.
1999 Inauguration of the dynamic factory in the production science laboratory at Fasanengarten. Re-certififaction of the quality management system of wbk according to DIN/ISO 9001.
2002 Professor Dr.-Ing. Dieter Spath leaves wbk to join the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) in Stuttgart.  

Jürgen Fleischer

Jürgen Fleischer
2003 Professor Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Fleischer
is appointed head of institute. The institute is restructured and renamed ‘Institute of Production Science’ (Institut für Produktionstechnik in German).		  
2008 Professor Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Fleischer takes a temporary sabbatical from his academic post to take up the position of Chairman Europe at the MAG company.
Dr.-Ing. Christian Munzinger takes over the post in the ‘Machine Tools and Handling Technology’ division on prof. Fleischer’s behalf.
2010

After his position as chairman of MAG Industrial Automation Systems, Professor Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Fleischer returns to wbk. The institute continues to be headed by a cooperative board of management. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Fleischer is responsible for the ‘Machine Tools and Handling Technology’ division, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gisela Lanza is head of the ‘Production Systems’ division, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Volker Schulze holds responsibility for the ‘Manufacturing and Materials Technology’ division.

Volker Schulze

Volker Schulze

 

  Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Volker Schulze   
2008 Appointment as representative of Prof. Fleischer in his capacity as head of the Institute of Production Science (wbk) of the University of Karlsruhe (TH).  
2008-
2010		 The institute continues to be
managed by a cooperative board of management. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Fleischer is responsible for the ‘Machine Tools and Handling Technology’ division,
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gisela Lanza is head of the ‘Production Systems’ division, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Volker Schulze holds responsibility for the ‘Manufacturing and
Materials Technology’ division.
2010  Appointment as professor “Manufacturing technology” at the Institute of Production Science (wbk)  

Gisela Lanza

Gisela Lanza
2008

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gisela Lanza
is the first shared professor at the KIT in collaboration with Daimler AG. She is a member of the board of the Institute and Head of the department Production Systems.
2009 Gisela Lanza is awarded on 06.04.2009 with the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the most prestigious award for young scientists in Germany.
2009 Gisela Lanza is director of the "Global Advanced Manufacturing Institute (GAMI)" in China.
2012  Mrs. Lanza holds the Chair for Production Systems and Quality Management at the wbk. 

Frederik Zanger

Frederik Zanger
2017 Frederik Zanger übernimmt die Verantwortung für den neuen Forschungsschwerpunkt Additive Fertigung am wbk.
2019 Das KIT-Präsidium ernennt Frederik Zanger zum KIT-Industry Fellow und ermöglicht ihm dadurch die Verantwortung als Forschungsgruppenleiter Additive Fertigung am wbk sowie als Leiter Mechanische Fertigbearbeitung bei der Rosswag GmbH zu übernehmen.  
2023 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frederik Zanger wird auf den neuen Lehrstuhl für „Digitalisierung der Prozessentwicklung für die Additive Fertigung“ berufen und zeitgleich viertes Mitglied der kollegialen Institutsleitung des wbk.

 

Frederik Zanger

Frederik Zanger
2017 Frederik Zanger takes over responsibility for the new research topic Additive Manufacturing at wbk.
2019 The KIT Presidium appoints Frederik Zanger as KIT Industry Fellow and thus enables him to take over the responsibility as research group leader Additive Manufacturing at the wbk as well as head of Mechanical Finishing at Rosswag GmbH.  
2023 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frederik Zanger is appointed to the new chair for "Digitalization of Process Development for Additive Manufacturing" and at the same time becomes the fourth member of the collegial institute management of the wbk.