History
1935-1944
The first 10 years of the company's existence was a time of courage. The company's founder, Reinold Hagen, became a businessman at the relatively young age of 22 following the premature death of his father.

Company
- 1935 The Galvanische Werkstätten (Galvanic Workshops) are founded in Siegburg
- 1936 20 staff are employed at the 2,400 sq m factory
- 1944 220 staff are employed in plastics processing
1945-1954
Experiments with thermoplastic materials lead to the idea of blow molding plastics in such a way that they retain their shape. The first blow molding machines are developed for series production.

Company
- 1945 The company is rebuilt in Hangelar near Bonn; commencement of machine manufacturing
- 1947 Kautex employs 47 staff
- Reinold's brothers, Norbert and Theo Hagen, join the company
Machinery
- 1949 Manufacture of the first machines for blow molding PVC tubes, and experiments with thermoplastic materials
- 1954 Production of the Standard V8 blow molding machine for containers up to a capacity of 5 liters. The shuttle system on these machines continues to be used until the 1980s
1955-1964
Kautex enters the international market. Its global expansion begins with the export of machinery to the USA.

Company
- 1955 First exports of blow molding machinery to the USA
Machinery
- 1963 Launch of the B series of machines at the plastics trade fair in Düsseldorf
- 1963 Introduction of a high-performance machine with multiple parisons and blow molds
- 1964 Launch of the “K inside a circle” logo
1965-1974
Kautex sets the standards in machinery performance with breakthroughs such as the 5,000-liter tank and the introduction of international servicing.

Company
- 1972 The company becomes a limited liability company (GmbH)
Machinery
- 1968 Launch of the KEB series with fully-automated production of hollow bodies made from thermoplastic materials
- 1972 Optimization of the KEB series: “single-cell” (KEB 1 and KEB 4) with improved Performance
- 1972 Launch of the KB 250 at the plastics trade fair in Paris
1975-1984
The machinery division goes its own way: Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH is established as a spin-off of the main Kautex company and is taken over by Fried. Krupp GmbH.

Company
- 1977 Taken over by Krupp
Machinery
- Kautex blow molding machines become a key element of VW's production lines in Wolfsburg
1985-1994
Mechanical engineering becomes digitized and paves the way to optimizing control and monitoring processes.

Company
- 1986-1988 Construction of new manufacturing and administration buildings
- 1989 The company employs 500 staff
- Expansion of the after-sales service
Machinery
- 1992 Launch of the KBS series
1995-2004
This decade sees a boom in demand for machinery for producing plastic fuel tanks. Kautex continues to thrive despite a series of takeovers and a merger.

Company
- 1995 Founding of Shunde Krupp Chen Plastics Technology Co. Ltd. (China)
- 2000 Sale to SIG Holding AG of Switzerland and change of company name to SIG Blowtec GmbH
- 2000 The company achieves a global production capacity of 30 million fuel tanks per year.
- 2002 Change of company name to SIG Kautex GmbH & Co. KG
- 2003 The company sets up another subsidiary in Italy (Olgiate Olona) and concentrates on technical customer service
- 2004 Transfer of shares to ADCURAM Beteiligungs AG and change of name to Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH
- 2004 Krupp Chen changes its name to Shunde Kautex Plastics Technology Co. Ltd.
Machinery
- 1995 Expansion of the KBS 1 series for blow-molded containers up to a capacity of 35 liters
- 1995 Expansion of the KBS 2 series for the full blow-molded range of containers up to a capacity of 1000 liters
- 1995 Presentation of the company's first one-step injection stretch blow molding machine “Ecomax” to meet the specific needs of PET technology in the packaging industry
- 1996 Production of the KCC 1 in China
- 1997 Presentation of the CP 120 at the NPE trade fair in Chicago
- 1999 Introduction of the KBS 3 for 3D parts (later known as the K3D HP)
- 1999 Production of the KCM 1 in China as a simpler version of the KCC for Chinese customers
2005 until 2014
The self-discovery phase has paid off: Kautex focuses on its goals and takes the lead in the global blow molding industry.

Company
- 2005 Dr Olaf Weiland and Andreas Lichtenauer become the managing directors of the company
- 2005 Shunde Kautex (China) becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kautex
- 2005 Kautex hosts an in-house trade fair after a long interval
- 2006 Refurbishment and expansion of the Kautex Technikum
- 2007 First management buyout enables 5 Kautex managers to purchase shares in the company Majority shareholder ADCURAM is replaced by Steadfast Capital (Frankfurt/Main)
- Introduction of process organization system
- 2010 Kautex takes over the international sales and marketing of Rikutec machinery (multilayer accumulator heads)
- 2011 Sales and service office opens in Moscow, Russia
- 2012 Construction and modernization of the new Technikum in Bonn
- 2013 Second management buyout results in management having a majority shareholding. Steadfast replaced as principal shareholder by Capiton AG (Berlin)
- 2013 Staff are able to buy shares in the company for the first time
- 2013 New factory opens in Shunde, China
- 2013 Sales and service office opens in Bangalore, India
- 2015 Nearly 6,000 Kautex machines in operation around the world
Machinery
- 2013 Introduction of the all-electric KBB series at the international plastics trade fair in Düsseldorf
2015 until today
The new decade has just started and the company presents divers new machine series.
Company
- 2015 The company celebrates 80th anniversary of the brand Kautex
- 2015 Nearly 6,000 Kautex machines in operation around the world
Machinery
- 2015 Introduction of the KSH series
- 2016 Presentation of the third generation KCC series during the Chinaplas exhibition in Shanghai
- 2016 Introduction of the KSB series for suction blow molded 3D parts
- 2016 Extension of the KBB series with jerry can versions and Intelligate-Modules