Heidenhain, a company deeply rooted in a rich history of innovation and precision engineering, has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the manufacturing industry since its inception. Wilhelm Heidenhain, the visionary founder of the company, established a metal etching factory in Berlin in 1889. The company initially specialized in producing templates, signs, graduations, and scales, catering to the diverse needs of the retail trade. However, the tumultuous events of World War II led to the destruction of the company’s facilities, compelling Wilhelm Heidenhain’s son to reestablish the enterprise in Traunreut, founding the DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN Company.
The initial resurgence of the company witnessed a renewed focus on the production of precision graduations and scales for optical position measuring systems, paving the way for the rapid expansion of its product portfolio. As the 1960s unfolded, Heidenhain marked a significant transition towards linear and angle encoders with photoelectric scanning technology. These pioneering developments laid the foundation for the automation of numerous machines and systems in the manufacturing industry, thereby catalyzing a new era of efficiency and productivity.
Since the mid-1970s, Heidenhain has emerged as a prominent manufacturer of numerical controls and cutting-edge drive technology for machine tools, solidifying its position as a key player in the global manufacturing landscape. Maintaining an unwavering commitment to technical excellence and groundbreaking innovation, Dr. Johannes Heidenhain, the driving force behind the company, instituted the DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN-STIFTUNG GmbH in 1970, ensuring the continued advancement of the company’s research and development endeavors.
Throughout its illustrious history, Heidenhain has consistently achieved significant milestones, each representing a crucial leap forward in the realm of metrological and encoder technologies. The company’s contributions to various projects, including the development of photoelectric measuring microscopes, interferential comparators, precision goniometers, and angle encoders for cutting-edge telescopes, underscore its unparalleled expertise in the field of precision engineering and metrology.
Heidenhain’s remarkable journey has been characterized by the constant evolution and refinement of its graduation systems, encoders, and linear measuring technologies. From the pioneering introduction of photomechanically copied glass scales to the development of contamination-tolerant amplitude gratings manufactured using cutting-edge laser ablation techniques, Heidenhain has continuously redefined the benchmarks of precision and reliability in the industry.
The company’s legacy of innovation extends to its lineup of exposed, sealed, and rotary encoders, each representing a hallmark achievement in the domain of optical and inductive scanning technology. The introduction of compact absolute single-turn and multi-turn rotary encoders, along with the integration of functional safety features in its product range, highlights Heidenhain’s relentless pursuit of excellence and its commitment to setting new industry standards.
Today, with a global presence spanning all industrialized countries, Heidenhain stands as a beacon of technological prowess and uncompromising quality, serving as a testament to its founder’s enduring vision and the company’s unwavering dedication to precision engineering and manufacturing excellence. As the company continues to evolve and push the boundaries of what is possible, Heidenhain remains a formidable force driving the future of precision engineering and manufacturing automation.
Visit the Heidenhain website at www.heidenhain.co.uk
