On July 25, FLEX celebrated the 70th anniversary of the angle grinder with Dorothee Seibert, daughter of founder Hermann Ackermann, at the company’s headquarters in Steinheim. They presented the DL 17 S, a historic slow-rotating angle grinder from the family estate.

The angle grinder’s journey began in 1954 with the launch of the DL 9, the first high-speed model, marking a pivotal moment in industrial history. The foundation for “FLEX” was established in 1922 with the invention of the “flexible shaft,” connecting the motor to the tool.

Due to the success of the DL 9 and later models, “FLEX” became synonymous with angle grinders, leading to the verb “flexen” for cut-off grinding, which was added to the German dictionary “Duden” in 2006.
Since then, angle grinders have evolved in design and technology, prioritizing work safety and user comfort.