Light as a Tool: 50 Years of Hoenle AG and 225 Years of UV Radiation

Hoenle headquarters in Gilching near Munich. (Photo: Hoenle)

In 1801, physicist and naturalist Johann Wilhelm Ritter discovered ultraviolet radiation in Jena. An insight that he himself could hardly interpret, but which, with its particularly strong photochemical effect, would forever change the scientific world.

225 years later, the Bavarian technology company Hoenle AG celebrates its 50th anniversary: a milestone that shows how a physical phenomenon became an industrial key technology.

From Vision to Global Market Position

Founded in 1976 in the Munich area by Prof. Dr. Karl Hönle and Dr. Günter Schmid with the goal of developing innovative irradiation solutions for industry and medicine, Hoenle is today one of the internationally leading providers of industrial UV technology and adhesive systems. From a medium-sized company with regional roots to a globally operating technology corporation: this transformation was achieved through a consistent focus on innovation and growth as strategic core principles.

"UV light is invisible, but its effects are not. We make these effects precisely controllable, reproducible, and economically usable. That was the idea of our founders in 1976, and it still guides our actions today. Together with our customers, we develop solutions that advance industrial high-tech processes and create sustainable value for technology, people, and the environment," says Dr. Franz Richter, CEO of Hoenle AG.

UV technology is used in industrial manufacturing processes for solvent-free drying and curing of adhesives, lacquers, and paints, as well as for chemical-free sterilization of surfaces, air, and water. This technology is unbeatable in efficiency and sustainability.

Five Decades of Technological Continuity

What makes Hoenle unique is the depth of its own expertise along the entire UV value chain: from components like UV lamps to system integration and application-specific adhesive systems that utilize UV technology as a curing mechanism. This vertical competence has been built up over decades and proves to be a decisive advantage, especially in times of economic change. The development of highly efficient LED-UV expertise at Hoenle is just one of many fundamental building blocks.

Whether in electronics manufacturing, automotive, medical technology, semiconductor industry, or display production: wherever precision, speed, and process safety are required, Hoenle's UV systems are found. The combination of hardware, consumables, and engineering expertise provides the company with resilience that pure component suppliers cannot achieve.

Global Presence, Local Expertise

Especially in times of geopolitical uncertainty and structural change, Hoenle relies on customer proximity and innovation as the foundation of future competitiveness.

The company benefits from megatrends that structurally favor UV technology. Miniaturization in electronics, the shift to low-emission production methods, and the growing demand for residue-free, fast-curing joining technology and chemical-free sterilization directly contribute to Hoenle's portfolio. Thus, a significant contribution to efficient and sustainable industrial manufacturing processes will continue to be made from Gilching near Munich in the future.