1949 – The beginnings
With the establishment of a contract manufacturing business in Hamburg, Otto Herrmann laid the foundation for future success. As a true entrepreneur, he soon recognized the potential of the ointment mill and the German pharmacy market. Consequently, in 1968, the company was entered into the commercial register under the name Otto Herrmann Apparatebau.

First three decades of growth and innovation
During its first three decades, the company experienced continuous growth and established a reputation for high‑quality ointment mills, tincture presses, and formulation mixers for the pharmaceutical sector. These devices continue to be in use in pharmacies today.
The expertise gained from manufacturing the smaller ointment mills subsequently led to the development and production of larger three roll mills, with an emphasis on laboratory applications and small‑scale manufacturing.

Passing the baton: new opportunities and industries
Son Jörg Herrmann and Alfred Biermann assumed the management of the company, driving its progress through innovation and keen entrepreneurial insight.
With the rise of the electronics market, an additional and significant customer base within the industrial sector for three roll mills was established.

Concurrently another another significant area of business was introduced in the 1980ies.
In collaboration with Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. Karl Donath, EXAKT developed precise instruments for histological sample preparation – the thin‑section technique pioneered by Donath.
The production of histological thin sections remains an essential method in many fields of medical research to this day.

Forward thinking innovation for the new millennium
At the end of the 1990s, brothers‑in‑law Bernd Franke and Peter Geiger took over the company, which had been renamed EXAKT Apparatebau at the beginning of the decade. Bringing Southern German entrepreneurial spirit to the North, they successfully guided EXAKT into the new millennium through innovative ideas and structural modernization.

At the beginning of the new millennium, the first electronic three roll mill, the EXAKT 80E shook up the market. With its electronic control system, the E‑Line for the first time offered numerous options to increase productivity and process stability. Even today, these models stand for the highest levels of control, reproducibility, and user convenience.

Drawing on decades of expertise in thin sectioning technology, the EXAKT 312 diamond band saw for pathology applications was introduced in 2011.

To meet the increasing demands for material properties and functionalities across all areas of industry, the company introduced the EXAKT 80E PLUS three roll mill in 2017. The new machine concept enables real‑time analysis of the dispersion process and direct optimization of results, thereby shortening development times. This model, too, sets new standards and is successfully capturing the market.

With the EXAKT 50 PLUS, EXAKT set a new benchmark in 2023 for a wide range of laboratory applications, both in industrial settings and within the pharmacy market. Two different versions were developed accordingly to meet the specific requirements of these distinct markets.