1989

Foundation of Reilhofer KG (1989)

Johannes Reilhofer founded Reilhofer KG in 1989 in Karlsfeld. Originally, the company focused on powertrain analysis by means of structure-borne sound. This approach led to the development of an extensive product family over the years. Prior to establishing Reilhofer KG, Johannes Reilhofer worked in the fields of nuclear power, medicine, automaking, military and mining as the managing director of his measurement company Johne + Reilhofer.

1990

Development of the Stress 2 & Stress 8 (1990)

The Stress 2 and the Stress 8 were developed to calculate and measure material fatigue. Both of these systems were based on time signal analysis according to the range flow method.

1991

Development of the Crack Logger / Chameleon System (1991)

The Crack Logger was the precursor to the first deltaANALYSER and was based on the principle of structure-borne sound. The Chameleon System is a kind of data logger with incorporated algorithm-based analysis, although the customer had to decide what needed to be done. Our experience with these measurement systems laid the foundation for the development of today’s products, which not only present processed data but deliver answers as well.

1992

Development of the deltaANALYSER (1992)

The first deltaANALYSER was put to the test at the firm STIHL in 1992 after two years of focused development. A shaker was used to excite a structure. Incipient deformation triggered the anticipated alarm. The deltaANALYSER was first used in 1992 for a durability test conducted on a transmission test bed at Volkswagen AG. Initial pitting of the toothing was successfully diagnosed – much earlier than what was usual at the time.

1993

Development of the Gear Detection (1993)

Porsche requested the inclusion of several parameters in the first deltaANALYSER. This led to our release of the Gear Detection System in 1993.

1994

Grinding Burn Prevention (1994)

Reilhofer KG developed a grinding burn prevention system for ZF in 1994. Toothed wheels may experience local overheating during the grinding process, rendering them useless. The Grinding Burn Prevention System (SVS) stops this from happening and enables a 30% increase in throughput at no risk. Reilhofer KG created this product exclusively for ZF.

1995

Development of the turbo-CONTROL (1995)

Kühnle, Kopp & Kausch (later: Borg Warner) approached Reilhofer KG in 1995 with the wish to measure the imbalance of turbochargers. Our turbo-CONTROL was the world’s first diagnosis and balancing system that completed a measurement during the fast initial ramp-up, delivering balance correction data for the compressor wheel in two planes.

1997

Development of the GEAR SHIFT check (1997)

Collaborating closely with ZF, Reilhofer KG developed the GEAR SHIFT check in 1997 for the simple and effective monitoring of switching and synchronisation processes. It diagnoses the point at which switching operations deviate from their expected behaviour and provides information on error frequencies.

1998

Development of the eolANALYSER (1998)

The eolANALYSER was developed in 1998 as an additional diagnosis system and was specifically designed for the testing of ongoing production for combustion engines, transmission units for cars and lorries, as well as stationary systems. The end-of-line system has self-learning capabilities. This function is revolutionary, as it enables 24/7 operation without the need for continuous human supervision to make the technical adjustments.

1999

Relocation of Company Headquarters (1999)

The premises on Frühlingsplatz in Karlsfeld were soon bursting at the seams, given the steadily expanding product range and a growing team. The headquarters and all departments moved to their new home at “An der Steinernen Brücke” in Karlsfeld. This gave us an ideal production and working environment that was perfectly suited to our needs. But we remained true to our roots in Karlsfeld near Munich.

1999

Breathing Collective for the eolANALYSER (1999)

Over time, the aggregate number of production-related influences will exceed the tolerances of fixed limits. This prompted Reilhofer KG to develop the ‘breathing collective’ that works with production tolerances. Outliers, meaning production faults, go beyond this breathing tolerance. To ensure that the production limits do not experience drift as time passes, the eol software includes an absolute value that is calculated based on production fluctuation over a longer period.

1999

Development of the crash-PREVENTER (1999)

In 1999, Volkswagen AG requested the integration of an additional break shutdown feature for the existing deltaANALYSER. It needed to work autonomously. This prompted Reilhofer KG to develop the crash-PREVENTER.

2001

HENRY FORD AWARD (2001)

We received the 2001 Henry Ford Award in the United States for our ‘breathing collective’ and the autonomous determination of reference values. Prior to this, Ford had used the eolANALYSER to test over 250,000 transmission units.

2002

Development of the rotor-ANALYSER (2002)

The rotor-Analyser was developed to protect wind turbines. It is able to include various external operating conditions like wind, temperature and others in its damage analysis so as to prevent false alarms.

2003

Development of the acoustic-LASER (2003)

The acoustic laser project was launched in 2003. We had noticed in tests that the laser vibrometers used at the time did not work for non-contact measurements on standard surfaces. The acoustic-Laser was completed after 4 years of development as the first non-contact sensor that works on any measurement surface. The trickiest requirement: the system needed to measure vibration velocities of less than 0.1 mm/sec. This is a truly daunting task if one considers that the speed of sound at 20 °C is 340 m/sec. But we rose to every challenge with the acoustic-LASER.

2003

Inaugural Reilhofer Technology Day in Germany (2003)

As our customer base grew, we realised that users of our diagnosis systems were keen to discuss possible uses and personal experience in more detail. This prompted us to organise the Reilhofer Technology Day conference. Since then, interested customers and partners from the German-speaking markets have met every 2 years to share their views.

2008

Opening of the Subsidiary in Shanghai/China (2008)

Our first diagnosis system was sold to China in 2008. We recognised the potential of this market and set up a 100% subsidiary in China, which opened its doors in Shanghai in 2008. Numerous prestigious Chinese companies have joined our customer base since then.

2008

Development of the deltaANALYSER mobile (2008)

We conducted our first tests with a deltaANALYSER mobile in 2008. deltaANALYSER mobile is a highly useful tool if the transmission starts ‘rattling’ thanks to its easy in-vehicle application and quick analysis findings.

2009

ROC – Reilhofer Order Calculator (2009)

The program to calculate the harmonic orders created by specimens was completed. The ROC was developed in 2009. Initially, it only considered the transmission. But now it can also calculate the engine and e-drive. Calculations can be produced for the entire powertrain as well. We attached particular importance to ease of use.

2010

Opening of the French Office (2010)

Several years of successful operation on the French market encouraged us to open our own permanent establishment in the country. Thanks to this location, we can now to guarantee fast and efficient customer support in this field.

2012

Relocation to New Headquarters (2012)

A move to new headquarters in larger premises was necessitated by our expanding portfolio and growing workforce. The building on Zugspitzstraße – still in Karlsfeld near Munich – offered perfect facilities.

2013

Vogel Industrie Verlag Award (2013)

We received the 2013 Vogel Industrie Verlag Award in China for the valuable support provided to the Chinese automaking industry. Among the main reasons for the distinction was the deltaANALYSER system, which for a long time had delivered excellent and reliable insight to Chinese automotive manufacturers on the development test beds for transmissions and engines.

2014

Foundation of H-Reilhofer in Shanghai (2014)

The Chinese company H-Reilhofer was established in 2014 in Shanghai as a joint venture. The company is specialised in the development and manufacture of customised test beds for the automotive industry (AT, MT, DCT, CVT, e-drives etc.).

2014

First Reilhofer Technology Day in the United States (2014)

The North American market became increasingly important to us over time. Hence, organising a regular Reilhofer Technology Day in the USA seemed like a sensible option. The event was warmly received and has now become an annual gathering of industry customers and partners who meet at our expert conference in Detroit to discuss acoustic measurement technology, NVH, early stage damage detection and quality assurance.

2015

Development of the Global Failure Database (2015)

The Global Failure Database was programmed to present the damage and faults detected in a neat and orderly form, as well as to enable analysis. It allows the clearly structured evaluation of data obtained with the deltaANALYSER and the eolANALYSER across locations.

2016

Development of the health-ANALYSER (2016)

The health-ANALYSER was developed to provide central monitoring of industrial machinery. It is the precursor to a future measurement device that will include Industry 4.0 features.

2017

ISO 9001:2015 Certification (2017)

Our efficient quality management received official ISO 9001:2015 certification for the first time in 2017. We continue to adhere to our principle of ensuring well-designed workflows that contribute significantly to maintaining the quality of our products and services.

2017

Opening of the Italian Office (2018)

We founded a permanent establishment in Italy in 2017 to meet the growing demand for our products on the Italian market. It means we are now able to provide direct support in the local language.

2018

First Reilhofer Technology Day in Italy (2018)

An inaugural Reilhofer Technology Day was the next logical step once the Italian office was up and running. Industry representatives, customers and partners met for the first time in 2018 to share their views on the opportunities for acoustic measurement technology in connection with electric and conventional drives.

2019

First Reilhofer Technology Day in China (2019)

The successful series of technical conferences, the Reilhofer Technology Days, has now spread to China as well. The first Asian event was held in 2019. Others are certain to follow due to the warm reception and the strong interest in this industry conference.