Trion Instruments

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Trion Instruments was the first company to be founded to manufacture lasers . Lloyd G. Cross started the company in March 1961 and sold it to Lear Siegler in July 1962 .

history

While working as a technician in the laboratory of Chihiro Kikuchi at Willow Run learned Cross ruby maser to build. At the end of the 1950s, he and former classmates founded a company to market measles. It was not successful, but with the announcement of Theodore Maiman's first ruby laser in July 1960, Cross opened up a new field. With $ 30,000 in capital from friends and relatives, he and employees of his first company founded Trion Instruments for ruby ​​lasers in March 1961 .

Because of its early entry into laser technology, Trion Technologies was one of the major laser manufacturers with quantities of several lasers per month. Customers included the research departments of America's major technology and defense companies as well as renowned universities.

As was customary at the time, the Trion lasers were anything but trouble-free and generally served customers as a quick introduction to laser technology. However, Trion did not have enough capital to deal with the problems and could not compete with other laser companies. After just over a year, the founders sold the company for US $ 100,000, more than three times the capital employed, to the aviation company Lear-Siegler.

swell

  • Google Books Joan Lisa Bromberg: The laser in America, 1950-1970. P. 115ff