Atlas Copco - Company History

Company History

• February 21, 1873 – Company started as AB Atlas by Eduard Franckel who was financed by A. O. Wallenberg and others.
• 1873 – AB Atlas acquired Ekenbergs Soner, a railway car maker.
• 1890 – AB Atlas underwent liquidation after suffering heavily financially due to competition from smaller nible companies. A.O. Wallenberg, his son and the bank Enskilda Banken helped in restructuring it.
• 1898 – AB Atlas acquired the rights for Sweden to manufacture Rudolf Diesel's engine under a subsidiary company AB Diesels Motorer
• 1901 – the first pneumatic tool was officially added to the production line – a pneumatic riveting hammer which was originally designed for their own workshops.
• 1905 – the first portable compressor was manufactured
• 1911 – AB Atlas completed a move away from railway car manufacturing to more advanced products: (compressors and machines driven by compressors) where there was less competition.
• 1917 – AB Atlas consolidated the company under the name AB Atlas Diesel and ceased production of steam engines.
• 1920 – AB Atlas Diesel compressor business was hurt after distribution collapsed due to World War I and demand dropped because of severe depression. This forced the company to emphasize the diesel engine business.
• 1924 – AB Atlas Diesel relocated to Sickla, Nacka and sold some of its assets to improve liquidity.
• 1948 – AB Atlas Diesel sold its diesel business after it turned out to not be as profitable as air compressors, despite the company putting lots of effort in it. Polar Atlas, a Swedish brand of marine diesel engines started in 1903, merged into Atlas Copco.
• 1956 – AB Atlas Diesel changed its name to Atlas Copco, its current name. The word copco is an acronym of the Belgian equivalent of Compagnie Pneumatique Commerciale. Atlas Copco then acquired Arpic Engineering NV.
• 1968 – The AB Atlas Copco group was divided into three production companies – Atlas Copco Mining & Construction Techniques (CMT), Atlas Copco Airpower and Atlas Copco Tools.
• 1972 – Atlas Copco CMT introduce their first all hydraulic tophammer rockdrill, COP1038.
• 1975 – AB Atlas Copco bought a majority of Berema – known for lightweight petrol driven rock drills and breakers – a complement to their Cobra drill.
• 1976 – Small compressors for these drills were added, through the acquisition of Mauguière a French company.
• 1992 – The company acquires AEG Power Tools Ltd.
• 2004 – The company acquires Ingersoll Rand Drilling division.
• 2005 – Atlas Copco launches a revolutionary concept for mobile compressor. With an ultra resistant canopy, the HardHat give a new face to mobile compressors in the street.
• 2007 – Atlas Copco flags off the first Blast Hole Drill (IDM30) manufactured from its high tech ADS facility at Nashik factory. June 28.
• 2009 – Atlas Copco grand opening May 8 of new ADS Blast Hole Drill facility & Customer Center in Nanjing China. New drill CDM75E was introduced.
• 2009 – DrillAirXpert is launched - the first variable flow & pressure regulating system for portable compressors
• 2009 – Atlas Copco is the first company to get a compressor certified for 100 percent energy recovery by the TÜV institute (German Technical Monitoring Association).
• 2010 – Atlas Copco acquired Quincy Compressor. It designs and manufactures reciprocating compressors, rotary screw compressors and vacuum pumps, primarily under the Quincy brand. Atlas Copco plans to further develop the Quincy brand independently, in line with the Atlas Copco Group’s well established brand portfolio strategy.

• 2011 – Atlas Copco acquired SCA Schucker. It offers adhesive application systems and dosing technology, manufacturing adhesive and sealant equipment. It will operate as a separate business line within the Industrial Technique's Motor Vehicle Industry division. Atlas Copco enters the fast-growing market for adhesive assembly products and plans to expand in a number of its General Industry divisions, e.g. aerospace, white goods, solar equipment and wind power.