Karl Schekulin receives this year’s special award of the Steinbeis foundation’s transfer award for his long-term outstanding achievements in knowledge and technology transfer.
Karl Schekulin started his career as an engineer in process development at Daimler Benz AG in Stuttgart. He then moved to Switzerland where he had the position of chief engineer at the Inter AG before returning to Nürtingen in Swabia to work as a research engineer at the company Gebr. Heller Werkzeugmaschinen. Other stages in his career followed at AEG Elektrowerkzeuge in Winnenden as well as in the United States, lastly as director of manufacturing and engineering. In 1977 he was appointed professor for design at the University of Applied Sciences Reutlingen. His field of expertise were machine elements and design systematic. But by no means had he turned his back to the companies. Soon he worked as a freelancer for Steinbeis, first for the Technical Consulting Service of Reutlingen University before founding his own Steinbeis Transfer Center Abrasive Manufacturing Technologies (today Steinbeis Transfer Center Process Development).
In his Steinbeis Enterprise he predominantly developed new production processes for various industrial fields. Five-axis cnc sink erosion for example that evolved into a worldwide standard procedure or pulsed electrochemical sinking with clocked direct current. He concentrated on water jet cutting, especially with the development of innovative laser manufacturing processes like dispersion where carbide and diamond parts are being incorporated in the remelted surface. His numerous scientific publications are proof for his innovative strength. What was first dismissed as laboratory gimmick, now leads to high-quality machined workpieces for the aerospace industry. Aviation inspired Karl Schekulin to the extent of fulfilling his dream of holding a commercial pilot license. Until today he regularly flies himself.
Since having retired at Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences fifteen years ago, Karl Schekulin still pursues all different kind of Steinbeis projects with commitment, inventive spirit and his special sense for innovation. Steinbeis would like to thank Prof. Karl Schekulin for more than three successful Steinbeis decades with this year’s special award.