The History of Danfoss

Danfoss was founded in 1933 by Danish industrialist Mads Clausen. After creating the business in the attic of his parent’s farm house, he began to produce automatic valves for refrigeration plants. These were previously imported from the US, but with high customs barriers and bans on importing in place, he gained success, selling the valves and expanding the new business.

Eventually, the operations of Danfoss moved into a factory, which was expanded in the 1940s, with Danfoss agents being set up across Europe, in Norway, Spain, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Sweden and the UK. Mads Clausen continued to lead the company through expansions until his death in 1966, at which point his wife Bitten Clausen took over, becoming Chairman of the Board, while Andreas Jepsen was President & CEO. Danfoss continued to be a family business, as in 1996 Mads’ son Jorgen M. Clausen became the President and CEO.

In 2000, Danfoss expanded further, as its Mobile Hydraulics division merged with German company Sauer Inc, with the new company known as Sauer-Danfoss. Again, Jorgen M. Clausen was the Chairman. In 2013, Sauer-Danfoss renamed to Danfoss Power Solutions. Since the early days of expansion across Europe, Danfoss has become a worldwide name, with facilities in Denmark, Canada, China, United States, Romania, Poland and France all seeing improvements in 2007. In 2008, Jorgen M. Clausen retired as the CEO of Danfoss at the age of 60, it the same year the company celebrated its 75th anniversary. Niels B. Christiansen has been the new CEO ever since.

Danfoss Today

Danfoss now focuses on the growth of infrastructure, food, energy and climate and employs over 25,000 people to service customers in more than 100 countries. Over the years, they’ve been ahead of the competition in producing revolutionary products that have changed the world of engineering and industry. The first Danfoss product was the refrigeration automatic valve, sold around the globe to this day to keep both food and buildings cool as a key component in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. After first launching as the pioneering product of Danfoss in 1933, it has now propelled Danfoss into being one of the world’s leading producers of expansion valves. Danfoss were also one of the world’s first companies to design radiator thermostats, with the invention being worked on in the 1940s before the first mass-produced thermostats were launched onto the market in 1952. Along the way to the present day, Danfoss have become specialists in the production of hermetic compressors, developed and sold from 1956, and in 1968 became the first company worldwide to mass-produce frequency converters. They also set foot in the hydraulics business in the 1960s after beginning production of orbital motors for agricultural and construction machines.

The Structure of Danfoss

With a varied range of products produced and distributed by Danfoss, the group is split into a number of individual sectors. Danfoss’s Heating and District Heating division produce a range of components for varied heating appliances. They produce ball valves and butterfly valves for district heating applications, oil burner components, climate controls, differential pressure and flow controllers, domestic hot water systems, electronic controllers and SCADA solutions, electronic thermostats, energy meters, flat stations, electric and hydronic floor heating solutions, heat pumps, water heaters, heat recovery ventilation systems, hydronic balancing and control components, ice and snow melting systems, motorised control valves, plate heat exchangers, radiator thermostats and substations. They also produce the Danfoss Link, a touchscreen that allows you to control your heating via the internet from wherever you are.

The Power Solutions division manufactures electronic components, including microcontrollers, input-output modules, joysticks, sensors and foot pedals; orbital motors; piston pumps and motors; PVG proportional valves; steering components including hydraulic steering units, sensors, steering priority valves and steering valve blocks; and telematics solutions.

The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning sector of Danfoss produces thermostatic expansion valves, solenoid valves, pressure and temperature regulating valves, electronic controls, electrically operated valves, solenoid coils, pressure switches and thermostats, ICF multifunction valves, filter driers, sight glasses, shut-off valves, regulating valves, check valves, internal heat exchangers, water regulating valves, refrigerant distributors, oil separators, strainers, safety relief valves, liquid level controls, contactors, motor starters, appliance controls, and heat exchangers.

The AC Drives sector produces a range of VLT Drives components including low voltage drives, decentral and motion drives, gear motors, and soft starters. It also produces VACON Drives components such as low voltage drives, medium voltage drives, and decentral and motion drives and gear motors.

The Commercial Compressors division manufactures compressors for air conditioning, heating and refrigeration, as well as condensing units.

The Industrial Automation range of Danfoss products consists of pressure transmitters, solenoid valves, solenoid coils, externally operated valves, thermostatic valves, electronic pressure switches, pressure switches, differential pressure switches, temperature switches, temperature sensors, contactors and motor starters, and accessories and spare parts.

There is also a Silicon Power Modules and Stacks sector, which manufactures power modules and stacks individually designed for the customer’s needs, as well as a wide selection of plug-in compatible power modules. This division is based in Germany, and caters to a range of industries including consumer appliances, industrial controls, automotive, medical equipment, and renewable energy applications.

The final product area is High Pressure Pumps. This sector produces axial piston pimps for ultra-pure water applications, reverse osmosis applications, oil and gas applications and tap water applications. It also manufactures energy recovery devices, including iSave ERDs and valves for high-pressure pumps.

Useful Danfoss Links

• Official Website
• Facebook Page
• Twitter Account
• LinkedIn Profile
• YouTube Channel