Robotron Meiningen

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Robotron Meiningen

logo
legal form GmbH
founding June 15, 1967
resolution January 1, 1998
Reason for dissolution takeover
Seat Meiningen , Germany
Number of employees up to 1,400
Branch microelectronics

The sculpture "Atomium" once stood in front of the main gate as a symbol of the work.
The administration building - today District Office Meiningen

Robotron Meiningen was a microelectronics company in Meiningen . Here were small computers , PC hard drives and base substrates for photomasks (ger .: mask blanks ) produced. The company was located in what is now Jerusalem .

history

On June 15, 1967, the foundation stone for the modern new plant was laid as a new part of the Mercedes Büromaschinenwerke AG Zella-Mehlis , which relocated the production of small computers here. As early as July 1, 1967, after the dissolution of Mercedes-Werke AG, the company received the official name VEB Rechenelektronik Meiningen / Zella-Mehlis with headquarters at both locations.

In 1970 the Meiningen factory became very important as the only manufacturer of small electronic computers in the GDR . These were, among others, the microcomputers K1510 / 1520 and K1001-1003. From 1974 onwards, so-called consumer goods were also produced, including mainly radio sets. After the formation of the Robotron combine based in Dresden , the plant was renamed VEB Robotron-Elektronik Zella-Mehlis / Meiningen plant on January 1, 1977 . The sole seat was now Zella-Mehlis .

In 1984 the Meiningen plant started production of the first 5.25-inch hard disk drives manufactured in the GDR according to international standards. 14-inch hard drives were also produced. From 1986 to 1990 the company was extensively expanded with new production facilities for the manufacture of PC hard drives. During this period the company had up to 1,400 employees.

After the political change , the combine was dissolved and the Meiningen plant was converted into a GmbH under the company name Robotron Meiningen . The planned production of magnetic disks for IBM failed because the electronics company withdrew from this business area. Despite the good quality, the production of hard disks ended in 1991 and bankruptcy followed in the same year.

From July 1st, 1992 the company was continued under the name Robotron Dünnschichttechnologie GmbH . Using the storage disk technology and modern clean rooms , climatically completely isolated and dust-free production facilities, a new product was brought onto the market with the photomask substrates (English mask blanks ) for semiconductor production. From 1995 Robotron Meiningen was finally the only manufacturer of "mask blanks" in Europe.

On January 1, 1998, Schott Lithotec AG , a subsidiary of Schott AG , took over the Meiningen company, increased the technology standard and expanded production. Later, however, Schott gradually relocated production to the USA and in 2006 production in Meiningen was discontinued. Production in the USA was also discontinued in 2007 and Japan is now the world's only manufacturer of mask blanks.

As a result of the product change and the necessary job cuts, there were some new start-ups and spin-offs in the 1990s by former executives at Robotron Meiningen . This is how ABS Elektronik GmbH, a manufacturer of printed circuit boards, and the high-tech company ADVA AG Optical Networking came into being .

literature

  • Kuratorium Meiningen (Ed.): Lexicon on the history of the city of Meiningen , Bielsteinverlag, Meiningen 2008, ISBN 978-3-9809504-4-2 .
  • Norbert Moczarski et. al .: Thuringian State Archives Meiningen. Department of the Regional Economic Archive South Thuringia in Suhl . A brief inventory overview. Ed .: Thuringian State Archives Meiningen. 1st edition. Druckhaus Offizin Hildburghausen, 1994, Development of traditional industrial areas in South Thuringia until 1990, p. 16-24 .

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