One of these engineers was Alfred Reinhold, founder and technical managing director, who was before with a company which was engaged in the development of X-ray systems for security control in power plants. Towards the end of the 1970s, the electronics and micromechanics industries produced more complex components and structures, resulting in an increasing demand for X-ray inspection with improved image quality and detectabilty. Reinhold remembers, ”During this time, the trend towards miniaturization of structures and components resulted in a growing need for improved and higher resolving inspection methods for quality control. We realized that the time was ripe to develop the appropriate technology”. Already in the early 50s, several researchers had investigated the subject of microfocus X-ray technology and had, in a scientific sense, been quite successful in their studies. However, the demand for this technology was not pre-sent at that time in the industrial realm, and antique computer technology did not support those systems.
Milestones in the company history can be seen in the successful development of the first industrial microfocus X-ray equipment. From the very beginning, the enterprise has always been committed to technical engineering and R&D. In 1983, the first distributors for the US-sales territory were contracted, then the first systems were sold to Japanese customers, and the first OEM customer signed up. In 1986, the North American sales and service operation was founded. Then a versatile lab system for the inspection of semiconductor and other components was introduced, and it had an unusually long life cycle in such a constantly changing environment. Further technical developments followed. Its 20th birthday, certainly a milestone in itself, the company changed into a corporate structure that is now held by different shareholder families and three managing directors, Messrs. Dieter Friedemann, Alfred Reinhold and Lance Scott. The directors resuming in unison: ”This structure will enable us to act in the global markets with one strategy, and with one strong and common message”.
Feinfocus is today one of the lead-ing manufacturers of high-resolution microfocus X-ray inspection equipment. The ISO-certified company has its head office near Hannover/Germany. It operates various application centers at the HQs and the subsidiaries, offering not only X-ray sources and complete inspection equipment solutions, but also services and support of many kinds. Based in Stamford/Connecticut, Feinfocus USA, Inc. is the North American operation. In addition to the East Coast headquarters, it runs a technical resource center in San Jose/California, and has sales and service personnel strategically lo-cated throughout North America. The workforce is made up of approximately 45 in Germany and of about 15 in the US, backed by a network of sales representatives. (gbw)
