1906
From the first days after the company was established on 24 September, up to the Second World War the factory had built machines for the regional timber industry in the Taunus area. Adolf Mohr was granted several patents for wood and metal working machines.

1920
This was the year when the name "POLAR" was born: Adolf Mohr was the first manufacturer to produce ball-bearing cutter blocks. This innovation prevented the cutter blocks from overheating when they were rotating at high speed in lamina planing machines. During their operation the “poles” of the cutter blocks, i.e. the bearings, remained cool, - as cool as the poles of the Earth. So the name “POLAR” was soon spread over the world along with the cutter block, which was characteristic for its patented knife fixture.

1940
Second POLAR logotype was created, which was used until 1960.

1946
Since the better known cutting machine manufacturers of that time were all based in the Eastern part of Germany, there was no such supplier in Western Germany after the war. Karl and Rudolf Mohr used their connections to the graphic trade, made the most of this unique opportunity and started to develop high-speed cutters.

1947
First POLAR cutting machine with electrical control system

1949
First cutting machine with electromagnetic clutch.
Beginning of the partnership with Heidelberger Druckmaschinen

1951
First drupa in Düsseldorf with POLAR

1952
First cutter with partially electronic control – light scanning system

1954
First cutter with direct optical measurement indicator at eye-level (O.M.A.)
First cutter with direct optical cutting line indicator
First European cutter with air cushion table

1956
First cutting machine with direct magnetic tape control - ELTROMAT
First cutter with self-locking SINUS cutting stick

1957
First cutting machine with fixed stack lifts

1958
First cutter with flexible false clamp
The 5,000th POLAR is sold at the drupa ’58

1960
Third POLAR logotype, used until 1992

1961
First cutting machine with air conveyor system

1962
First cutter with retractable side gauge
The 10,000th POLAR is sold at drupa’62

1963
First cutter with hydraulic clutch
First cutter with mechanical knife change

1965
First cutter equipped with a monitor POLAR Telexact (precondition for fully automatic remote control and external programming)
First cutter with tilt tables
First cutter with air-pallet system

1967
First cutter with FIXOMAT – an adjustable device that offers the same lay guides on the cutter as on the printing press
First cutting school worldwide in Hofheim
The 20,000th POLAR machine is sold at drupa ’67

1969
New POLAR High-Speed Cutter Generation, 90/ 115/ 150 series

1970
First cutting machine with loading and unloading systems – POLAR Transomat

1971
First cutting machine with diagnostic service through test computer (POLAR Dignotest)

1972
First cutter with electronic limitation of backgauge movement

1976
First cutting machine with fully automatic loading - Transomat 3 BL

1977
First computer-controlled cutter with exchangeable electronic memory - ELTROMAT CNC
First cutting machine with direct linear measuring system
First cutter with fully automatic feeding of accurately aligned piles of printed sheets - POLAR Transojog

1978
First cutter with microcomputer control and exchangeable electronic memory – POLAR EMC

1979
First cutting machine with knife lift (quick knife change)
50,000th POLAR sold worldwide

1981
First cutter with special loading device for wrapped paper: POLAR Transomat A

1982
First cutter with automatic waste removal and automatic collection of cut labels on a support plate - POLAR Autotrim

1983
First cutter with piling-board buffer system

1984
First cutter with moveable 12”-monitor

1986
First cutting machine with color monitor
First cutter with automatic clamping pressure regulation
First system for computer assisted, external generation of cutting programs with automatic transfer to the cutting machine - POLAR Compucut
First fully automatic cutting system for multiple strip-cutting - POLAR Autocut

1988
New construction, first part of "Central machine assembly"

1989
New construction of "Center of technical offices and show rooms"
POLAR footbridge, Hattersheimer Straße (27 June)
First cutter with automatic graphic programming and automatic optimizing of programs

1990
First cutter with 64 KB (mobile) memory card
First cutting machine with turning gripper
First fully automatic system for marking counted layers of printed sheets and accurate separation of layers from piles for further processing: POLAR Chip-Marker
First cutter with front quick-knife-change, front precision adjustment and automatic stop at lower dead center
First automatic blowing and fanning device to facilitate jogging process

1992
POLAR 176, the new high-speed cutter for large size formats
New POLAR company image and concept - POLAR 2000 with 4th POLAR company logo

1995
New high-speed cutter generation featuring also color display and process visualization
POLAR 78
100,000th POLAR is sold (drupa '95)
First cutting machine with cutting optimization (accelerated knife cycle)

1996
POLAR 66, the new high-speed cutter for small printed items
First Company Certification to DIN EN ISO 9001
New construction, second part of "Central machine assembly"

1997
New generation of POLAR peripheral equipment (stack lifts, joggers, Transomat units)
New POLAR 78 (ES/ED) generation
New central warehouse (with goods receiving department)
POLAR on the Internet

1998
New staff facilities
New Transomat B series
POLAR acquires a 51% share of Bandpack

1999
New central peripheral equipment assembly facility
New shipping warehouse
POLAR COMPUCUT Wins “GATF Award“
POLAR develops pile turners
New jogger RAH
New piling-board shelf STR
New paint shop

2000
First high-speed cutter suitable for video-conferencing: PCM (POLAR Control Management)
POLAR Label Systems
POLAR is re-certified to DIN EN ISO 9001

2002
First fully-automated no-operator cutting system
POLAR acquires a 100% share of Bandpack
75th POLAR Autocut sold worldwide

2003
Introduction of the 10th generation of POLAR high-speed cutters, equipped with 15“-TFT color monitor, touch screen, new OptiKnife knife change system and P-Net networking concept.
Start of communication for automated PACE* cutting systems (*POLAR Automated Cutting for Efficiency)
New extension of peripheral plant is completed

2004
drupa presents new line of banding machines (BD and multi-station bander BM-105), Autosort multi-downstacker, new Autoturn turning gripper and fully automated Autojog jogging system.
Interactive Training Program in the Internet

2005
Foundation stone is laid for new spare parts warehouse
Start of construction work for China manufacturing facility

2006
100-year company anniversary
Opening of the POLAR Service Center (PSC) which provides a highly efficient warehouse and dispatch system
Opening of POLAR Postpress Machinery (PPM) in China with approx. 40 employees
125,000th POLAR worldwide

2008
drupa with many innovations and options (amongst others TwinClamp, CountMonitor, PowerMonitor)
130,000th POLAR worldwide

2010
Product launch of the POLAR restacking station „PickStack”

2011
Take over of Dienst Verpackungsmaschinen-technik in Hochheim/Germany
Introduction of the barcode-reader and the new weighting-scale

2012
drupa: Introduction of the new High-Speed Cutter Generation N
The product line is extended by a hydraulic 56 cutting machine
NET control variant

2013
Launch of the BC 330 one-knife trimmer
Compucut 5.0