#Industry News
Phytron – the family-run Bavarian business turns 70
70 years phytron
Quality is built to last, and this adage certainly applies to Phytron, a company that is celebrating its 70th birthday this year. Since it was founded by Siegfried Auerhammer in 1947, Phytron has focused on delivering physical, electronic and mechatronic solutions to meet the highest demands in terms of precision, durability and reliability.
Phytron has a vision: to pave the way for new findings through technical innovation. As the drive for fresh discoveries continues to push the limits of our existing knowledge, taking us deeper inside cells and further into the vast expanse of space, the pioneering spirit of Phytron’s customers remains the key force behind this progress. For 70 proud years, Phytron has been a trustworthy partner, embarking with its clients on this long, ambitious journey into the unknown.
At the end of the 1940s, this role consisted of developing the first physical measurement equipment of the post-war period: Geiger counters, seismographs and spectral radio devices. During the 1960s, the company reoriented its focus to become a manufacturer of high-precision automation components: series production of stepper motors, electronic voltage regulators and power amplifiers began, forming the basis for innovative, automated assembly processes. Ingrid Auerhammer took over management of Phytron-Elektronik GmbH in 1972. An ambitious businesswoman, she set the course for years of success for the company by creating an R&D department and recruiting a new technical manager, Heribert Schmid. Within just a few years, new developments appeared, such as stand-alone units, stepper motor power stages including BUS-compatible axis controllers and motors designed for use under extreme conditions. During a time in which researchers were turning their attention to ever-smaller particles, precision was becoming a core requirement, particularly in the design of scientific equipment. In 1983 the IXE stepper motor controller was ready for its market launch and the name became synonymous with lasting power electronics.
Phytron’s own determination to ceaselessly aim for new heights in quality led the company to apply for DIN EN ISO 9001 certification as early as 1994. It was among the first 1,000 companies in Germany to do so. In 1997 it rapidly followed this initial seal of approval with another: DIN EN ISO 13485, a quality management system standard for medical device production. 2002 saw the next generation take the operative helm, with Birgit Hartmann starting as managing director and, in 2008, Johannes Schmid coming on board as technical manager. It was during this period of transition that the follow-up to the IXE, phyMOTION, was launched and the 1-Step-Drive stepper motor control for Siemens SIMATIC was developed. In 2013 Munich-based industrial holding Stemas AG became co-partner of Phytron GmbH, giving the company the necessary support to develop a future strategy and realign the business. Since 2016, Phytron has been undergoing regular audits in accordance with DIN EN 9100 to assess its suitability for the emerging market in aerospace technology. Phytron GmbH is one of only approximately 400 manufacturers from around the world listed in the OASIS database of certified aerospace industry suppliers. This certification is the result of this long-standing company’s continuous efforts to evolve into a forward-thinking high-tech business. An established quality management system and highly qualified staff remain key to Phytron’s ongoing success in creating and maintaining such extremely high standards – standards which ultimately benefit Phytron’s customers.
Phytron’s quality products can be found wherever extreme demands are placed on material and production processes, and whenever a high level of care with regard to documentation is required. Positioning motors for high-precision mechanisms are one example, and they can be found on board research satellites and space crafts (e.g. Curiosity, Rosetta, Maven, Dawn, Juno, Stereo, Newton and Cassini-Huygens) or inside particle accelerators and other research facilities where they are used in conjunction with high-performance drive electronics. Drives for multiple-axis systems contained in ultra-high vacuum chambers as well as resilient stepper motors for use at high temperatures and in cryogenic conditions are key examples of products that continuously offer a world of options to manufacturers of state-of-the-art analytical equipment and production facilities. 2017 will welcome the recently developed linear actuator for use in cryogenic environments (down to -270°C), which will open up even more possibilities.
Throughout the years, Phytron has remained true to its mission and will continue to be there for its customers as they go in search of the unknown, providing reliable and high-precision solutions that stand up to the most extreme conditions.
