The company was founded by Louis Schuler in 1839 and produced the first sheet metal forming machines in 1852. In 1895, the first minting presses were exported to China. Schuler presented the world's first transfer press at the Exposition Universelle fair in Paris in 1900. In 1924, the first body panel press for mass production was delivered. Internationalization began in 1961. In 1999, Schuler went public and entered the field of laser technology with the acquisition of Held Lasertechnik in Dietzenbach, Germany. In 2007, Schuler acquired Müller Weingarten AG, which also included the company Umformtechnik Erfurt, along with others. This acquisition created a global leading provider of forming technology for metal processing with a market share of around 35 percent.