KROHNE Group – Company History

The Start

In 1921 LUDWIG KROHNE began to produce variable area flowmeters. The company moved from rented facilities to company-owned buildings in 1936. These were destroyed during the 2nd World War.

Starting again

In 1949 Ludwig KROHNE’s grandson, Kristian Dubbick joined the company. Under his leadership KROHNE – with an initial workforce of only 8 people - grew to become a leading and one of the most innovative companies for flow measuring devices.

The Generation Change

At the end of the 1970’s Kristian Dubbick relinquished his position of Managing Director and became Chairman of the Board of Directors. Today the company is managed by Michael Dubbick (Controlling and Human Resources) and Stephan Neuburger (Sales and Marketing).

Over 90 years KROHNE - over 90 years milestones in measuring technology

1921 LUDWIG KROHNE & SOHN founded. Production of variable-area flowmeters.
1952 First electromagnetic flowmeter for industrial applications (TOBI 1952 / KROHNE Altometer 1962)
1953 Precision forming of cylindrical glass tubes into high accuracy tapered measuring tubes
1954 First inductive transducers for variable area flowmeters in Germany
1959 Level indicator with float and magnetic coupling
1960 Introduction of an accurate conversion method for variable area flowmeters, subsequently adopted as VDI Code
1961 First electromagnetic flowmeter as a product of the KROHNE Group (ALTOMETER)
1966 Construction of the world's largest calibration rig in Sliedrecht/Netherlands
1972 Development of the pulsed DC field for electromagnetic flowmeters
1978 Development of double-beam ultrasonic flowmeters
1979 Construction of a still bigger and more accurat calibration rig in Sliedrecht/NL
1980 First delivery of an ultrasonic flowmeter to Shell for crude oil measurements
1985 Development and production of the Coriolis mass flowmeter
1990 First microwave radar (FMCW) level gauge for level measurement
1994 First straight-tube Coriolis mass flowmeter
1996 First electromagnetic flowmeter for partially filled pipes (TIDALFLUX).
1996 ALTOSONIC V is the first ultrasonic liquid custody transfer meter in the world.
2000 Commissioning of an eleventh calibration rig, the largest and most accurate in the world, at KROHNE Altometer, 43 metres high calibration tower, calibration volume uncertainty < 0.013%
2001 First electromagnetic 2-wire flowmeter with full process application compatibility, intelligent power optimization, high dynamic
2002 The new generation of massflow meters with straight tube, OPTIMASS.
2003 First 3-beam ultrasonic flowmeter for the chemical industry, UFM 3030.
2004 New Generation electromagnetic flowmeters OPTIFLUX with built-in diagnostics for process, accuracy and meter integrity.
2004 The new generation Level Radar OPTIWAVE and guided Radar OPTIFLEX with unique wizard-driven operating concept
2006 Most efficient clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter OPTISONIC 6300
2007 OPTISWIRL 4070 C first vortex flowmeter with integrated pressure and temperature compensation in 2-wire technology
2009 ALTOSONIC V12 combines, for the first time in an ultrasonic flowmeter, the advantages of the parallel chord concept and the reflection technique, setting a new standard in ultrasonic custody transfer gas metering.