12. Companies
Company formation dates, and their acronyms explained.
ACRONYMS (Formed)
3M (1902) Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
ADKIN (1961) ADvanced KINetics Inc (xenon helium excimer gas lasers etc)
AGA (1904) Amalgamated Gas Accumulator, Sweden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGA_AB)
ALE (1990) Applied Laser Engineering Ltd (arc lamp PSUs etc)
AMAT (1969) Applied MATerials Inc
AMD (1969) Advanced Micro Devices (ICs)
AMI (1985) American Megatrends Inc (BIOS) / (1979) Analog Modules Inc (laser PSUs)
ARC (1971) Advanced Radiation Corp (arc lamps)
ARC (1961) Acton Research Corporation (monochromators etc)
ATI (1961) Air Technologies International (particulate filters etc)
ATP (1995) Applied Thin Film Products (semiconductors)
BECO (1944) (ESI) Brown Electro-Measurement Corp (resistors, instruments)
BEOC (2002) Brockton Electro-Optics Corp (CRi laser power & stabilisers portfolio)
BERCO (1918) British Electric Resistance COmpany (rail bogeys, industrial machines, variacs)
BICC (1945) British Insulated Callender's Cables (cable manufacturer and construction Co.)
BNR (1971) Bell-Northern Research Ltd (telecomms & R&D)
Coherent ACG (2000) Coherent Advanced Crystal Group
CRi (1999) Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc.
DEC (1957) Digital Equipment Corp (computer mainframes)
EG&G (1931) Edgerton, Germeshausen (MIT professors), and Grier
EO (1942) Edmund Optics Ltd (optics distributor)
EOT (1987) Electro-Optics Technology (optics, faraday isolators)
ESI (1944) Electro-Scientific Industries, Inc
GA (1955) General Atomics (PTs etc)
G&H (1948) Gooch & Housego Plc (laser Q-switches etc)
HP (1939) Hewlett Packard Company
HPI (1938) Hire Purchase Information (British vehicle history checking company)
IBM (1911) International Business Machines Corp
IDEX (1988) Innovation, Diversity, and EXcellence
II-VI (1971) 'Two-Six', named from groups II and VI of the Periodic Table (IR sensors etc)
INRAD Optics (2012) INteractive RADiation (lasers)
Intel (1968) Integrated Electronics (ICs)
ILC Technology (1968) Logo derived from I = current L = Inductance C = capacitance (flashlamps)
IPL (1992) Intense Pulsed Light (flashlamps)
ISA (1945) Instrument Society of America (monochromators etc)
ITT (1920) International Telephone & Telegraph
JDS Fitel Inc. (1981) Philip Garel-Jones, Gary Duck, William Sinclair, Jozef Strauss at BNR
JDS/JDSU (1999) JDS Uniphase Corp (lasers)
HJY (1923) Horiba Jobin Yvon Inc (Horiba Group 1997, Amédée Jobin 1890, Gustave Yvon 1910)
LDI (1976) Laser Drive Inc (laser PSUs)
LLL (1952) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US federal research facility)
LSI (1981) Laser Science Inc (lasers)
LTB (1990) LaserTechnik Berlin GmbH (laser diodes etc)
LZOS (1935) Lytkarino Optical Glass Factory (Russia, makes Nd:YAG rod, glass, rangefinders)
LASOS (1996) LASOS Lasertechnik GmbH from Siemens 1966 to Carl Zeiss GmbH 1993 to LASOS 1996
MIT (1861) Massachussets Institute of Technology (US research university)
OFR (1958) Optics For Research Inc (optics)
ORTEC (1960) Oak Ridge Technical Enterprises Company (high voltage nucleonics etc)
PAR (1961) Princeton Applied Research (monochromators etc)
PE (1931) Perkin Elmer Corp
PPM (1194) Pulse Power & Measurement Ltd, UK (voltage, current & magnetic probes)
RCA (1919) Radio Corporation of America
RMI (1985) Rocky Mountain Instrument Co (optics)
SAIC (1969) Science Applications International Corp (US intelligence & IT etc)
SDL (1983) Spectra Diode Labs Inc (lasers)
SINAR (1948) SINAR AG (SINAR is Sanskrit for 'beam of light') (CO2 lasers etc)
SO (1965) Special Optics Inc (optics)
SPEX (1954) Sample Prep. & handling techniques: Emission, infrared, & X-ray spectroscopists
SRI (1946) Stanford Research Institute (Stanford University, California)
STI (1989) Star Tech Instruments UV beam profilers etc
Tek (1946) Tektronix (instruments)
TI (1951) Texas Instruments (electronics)
UDT (1967) United Detector Technology (optical sensors etc)
UQG Ltd (1955) The Universal Quartz Grinding Company, Cambridge, UK
Vero (1961) Derived from founder Geoffrey Verdon Roe's name (electronics; connectors)
VLOC (1995) II-VI subsidiary formed from Virgo Optics & Lightning Optical Corp (optics)
WIMA (1948) Derived from founder WIlhelm WesterMAnn's name in Unna/Westphalia (capacitors)
SEPARATE COMPANIES (Formed)
Continuum (1975) manf of lasers and laser related equipment
Crysmit (2010) manf of optical materials, located in Fuzhou, china
ESKMA Optics (1983) Lithuanian manufacturer and distributor of optical materials
HG Optronics (2010) manf of optical materials, located in Fuzhou, China
Horiba Radio Laboratory (1945) formed by Masao Horiba, Kyoto, Japan
Kigre (1973) John D.Myers (Physicist, CEO), Michael J.Myers (Chemist, President)
Melles Griote (1969) Dutch Jan Melles & US Dick Griot https://optics.org/article/11296
Quantel (1973) name came from 'Quantised Television' - i.e. digitisation
Sinar-Rofin (1987) Rofin was a UK company bought by Sinar in 1987
Sunrise Laser (USA) (1999) is just a cosmetic surgery co. that uses Alma lasers GmbH
Technical Optics (1971) made thin film dye Q-switches for ruby lasers
COMPANIES & THEIR SUCCESSORS (leading parantheses = foundation date)
Advanced Kinetics Inc (Cal) -> Pilkington Brothers, UK in 1984
Arcotronics Italia SpA(1981)-> (1919) Kemet
Applied Thin film Prod(1984)-> Photon Inc
Beckman & Whitley (<1956) -> Technical Operations Inc. (1962)
BECO (1953) -> Electro-Measurements, Inc
Bell-Northern Research 1895 -> Nortel Networks Corporation, Canada (now also gone)
Bertan HV Corp (1969) -> Spellman in 2004
Big Sky Laser -> (1973) Quantel
Bookham -> Oclara inc 2009
Brown Engineering (1944) -> BECO Brown Electro-Measurement Company
Burr Brown -> Texas Instruments in 2000
Cathodeon Ltd (1930s) -> Heraeus Noblelight Ltd in 1978
Cohernet Lasers Inc (1966) -> ESC Medical Systems -> (2001) Lumenis
Corion Filters (1967) -> Newport in 2004
CRi -> Caliper Life Sciences (2010), BEOC: laser power division (2002)
CVI Laser Optics -> (1959) Roman 'CVI' = 100+5+1 = 1.06µm = their first AR coating in 1979
CVI Laser LLC & Melles Griot-> (1972) CVI Laser & (1967) Melles Griot combined in 2007
CVI Melles Griot (2007) -> (1988) IDEX on 11/05/2011
Electro-Measurements, Inc. -> (1953) Electro Scientific Industries (-> ESI in 1959)
Savant Instruments Inc. NY -> (1984) EC Apparatus Corp in 1988
EC Apparatus Corp. NY -> Fisher Scientific (>1996)
EG&G -> Perkin Elmer Optoelectronics in 1999 (owned by Excelitas)
EG&G Gamma Scientific -> (1961) Belfort Instrument Company in 1994
ESC Sharplan Industries Ltd -> ESC Medical Systems -> Lumenis (Israel)
Fisher Scientific -> (2006) Thermo Fisher Scientific
Gsänger Opto -> (1969) LINOS in 1996
Horiba Radio Laboratory -> (1945) Horiba in 1953
Horiba Jobin Yvon -> (1810) Jean-Baptiste Soleil, Amedee Jobin CEO in 1890, Gustave Yvon 1910
Hilger Crystals -> Newport in 2004
Hughes electro-Optic Sys -> Raytheon
ILC Technology Inc -> Excelitas in 1998
ILX Lightwave (1986) -> Newport in 2012
International Rectifier -> Infineon Technologies AG in 2014
IST Spectral Technologies -> Heraeus Noblelight in 2005
ISA -> Horiba Jobin Yvon Inc
ITT (1920) -> ITT Industries Inc in 1995
General Dynamics (1899) -> (1955) General Atomics
Grumman Aircraft -> Northrop Grumman in 1994
Jarrell Ash (1817) -> Thermo Jarrell Ash
JDS Fidel/JDSU (1981) -> JDSU Uniphase Corp in 1999
Jobin Yvon (1923) -> Horiba in 1997, Horiba Jobin Yvon in 2004
Kaiser Systems Inc (1980) -> Excelitas in 2012
Lees Optical Inst Co (1989) -> LINOS in 2001
Laser Science Inc (1981) -> Spectra Physics (1966)
Laser Power Inc -> Melles Griot
Life Technologies Corp(2008)-> Thermo Scientific Fisher in 2013
LINOS AG (1996) -> Qioptiq in 2006
Litton Electro-Optical Sys -> formed in 1953 -> Northrop Grumman Corp in 2001 -> L3 comms in 2008
Maxwell Technologies (1965) -> General Atomics Energy Products
Melles Griot (1969) -> CVI Melles Griot Inc in 2007
Motorola (1928) -> renamed as On Semiconductor in 1999
National Semiconductor(1959)-> bought by Texas Instruments in 2011
New Focus (1990?) -> Oclaro 2003
New Wave (Fremont) (1990) -> bought by ESI (Portland, Oregon) in 2007
Oclaro Inc (1988)(New Focus)-> Newport 2009
Fairchild Semiconductor(1957)> bought by On Semiconductor in 2016
Optics For Research Inc(1958-> Thorlabs (OFR faraday isolators) in 2007
Ophir (1976) -> Coherent Laser -> Newport 2011
Optem (1984) -> Qioptiq
Oriel Instruments (1969) -> Newport in 2004
ORTEC (1981) -> EG&G in 1967 (EG&G ORTEC is in Wokingham!)
Philips (1891) -> Fluke (PM6303 LCR meter)
Philips (1891) -> renamed NXP (Next eXPerience) Semiconductors N.V. in 2006
Photonics Products Group -> (1973) INRAD Optics in 2012
Pilkington (1966) -> THALES Optics -> Qioptiq
Point Source (1991) -> Qioptiq
Pye Unicam (1947) -> Unicam
Quanta Ray (1976?) -> Spectra Physics in 1981
Quantel -> Changed name to Continuum in 1990 then was bought by Hoya in 1991
Quantel Derma GmbH (2006) -> Alma lasers in 2012
Qioptiq (2005) -> Excelitas in 2013
Reticon (1931) -> EG&G in 1976
Richardson Gratings (1969) -> Bausch & Lomb -> Newport in 2004
Rodenstock (1877) -> LINOS in 2000
Rofin (1987) -> Siemens -> Rofin-Sinar in 1995
Roper Scientific (1998) -> Acton Research Corp -> Princeton Applied Research aka PAR
SA Jobin Yvon -> Horiba
Sandia National Labs (1948) -> Lockheed Martin (Sandia is a division)
SC Technology -> Telemark in 2008?
SDL (1983) -> JDSU / LDI
Sinar (1975) -> SINAR Laser Systeme Verkaufsgesellschaft GmbH -> Rofin UK in 1987
Signetics (1961) -> was bought by Philips in 1975 (electronics)
Spectra Physics (1961) -> Newport in 2004
SPEX Industries (1954) -> Horiba in 1988
Spindler & Hoyer (1898) -> LINOS in 1996 (origin of LINOS)
Technical Optics -> Melles Griot in 1980s
Thermo Electron (1956) -> Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2006
UDT (1967) -> UDTi (instruments) in 1980
UDTi -> Gamma Scientific in 1997, full integration in 2012
Unicam Instruments Ltd(1945)-> Thermo Electron Corp/Thermo Scientific -> Thermo Fisher Scientific
Venus Scientific (PSUs) -> Ferranti -> ELDEC
Vero -> BICC Vero in 1979
VLSI Technology (1979) -> was bought by Philips in 1999
Wavelight Aesthetic GmbH -> Quantel Derma GmbH
Origins of company names - long list:
http://namedropping.wordpress.com/name-origins
When electronics companies were founded - long list:
http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Archives:Sources_in_Electrical_History_3:_An_International_Guide_to_Corporate_Records_and_Archives_of_Companies_in_the_Electrical,_Electronics,_and_Computer_Industries