Carl Zeiss Wins Bevy of Best Factory and Manufacturing Excellence Awards

CAMBRIDGE, U.K., Dec. 08, 2011 — Carl Zeiss in Cambridge, part of the newly formed Microscopy business group today announced that it recently won four awards—three Best Factory 2011 Awards and one Manufacturing Excellence Award.

Best Factory Awards

The Best Factory 2011 Awards included:

• Best Electronics & Electrical Plant Award,

• People Management Award, and

• Health & Safety Award.

Carl Zeiss Nano Technology Systems wins Autodesk Award for Innovation in Products and Processes at the Manufacturing Excellence Awards.

The award for Best Electronics was based on the company´s family of advanced scanning electron microscopes (SEM), manufactured in Cambridge. The systems of the type EVO and SIGMA are used for many applications in life sciences (e.g. searching for cures for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases), materials analysis as well as in a constantly increasing number of industrial applications, including quality control, process control and particle analysis. They excel through highest reliability, user friendliness and unique performance with respect to imaging and analytical capabilities.

As for the People Management Award, the Best Factory judges praised a strong training ethic at Carl Zeiss’ Cambridge site: “There is a commitment to training and education for all employees and a management team working on getting everybody actively involved in improving the business, not just in manufacturing but in other areas too.”

The Health & Safety award was earned, in part, by the Cambridge factory’s five-year run without a single reportable accident despite operating potentially hazardous equipment.

The company proudly accepted all three prizes at a gala awards ceremony attended by several hundred industry leaders at the Park Lane Hotel in London. Dr. Marek Szwejczewski, director, Best Factory Awards, summed it up when he said, “It takes some outfit to get to the winner’s rostrum—but to be nominated for consideration in five categories and chalk up outright wins in three is an achievement with few precedents. That is the magnitude of Carl Zeiss’ achievement this year.”

Manufacturing Excellence Award
And the awards keep coming. In addition to the Best Factory 2011 awards, Cambridge-based Carl Zeiss Nano Technology Systems was recently honored by winning the Autodesk Award for Innovation in Products and Processes at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME) Manufacturing Excellence Awards. The Award Ceremony was held in London.

Stephen Tetlow, Chief Executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said, “Carl Zeiss’ win is hugely encouraging for manufacturing in Cambridge and U.K. manufacturing more generally.
The Manufacturing Excellence program is not just about celebrating manufacturing success around the country, but about providing practical advice for businesses to support them on their journey during these difficult economic times.”

The Cambridge plant of Carl Zeiss is a manufacturer of scanning electron microscopes, and in order to be successful in a world-wide competition, the company has focused on introducing innovative techniques and operating procedures to improve efficiency and productivity. Allister McBride, Director Product Management & Sales of Carl Zeiss Nano Technology Systems in the UK said, “The introduction of new techniques and innovations coupled with a solid ‘go to market’ strategy has resulted in significant market growth in both Asia and globally.”

Carl Zeiss Microscopy has a long and prestigious history which was started by Carl Zeiss himself in 1846 in Jena, Germany. The roots of the Cambridge plant go back to Cambridge Instruments, which was founded by Horace Darwin, son of Charles Darwin in 1881 as a spin-off out of Cambridge University.

Contacts for the press:

Markus Wiederspahn, Carl Zeiss Microscopy
Phone: +49 73 64 20 22 94, Email: wiederspahn@nts.zeiss.com

Aditional information about Carl Zeiss Microscopy, see:  www.zeiss.de/press

Carl Zeiss:
The Carl Zeiss Group is a leading group of companies operating worldwide in the optical and opto-electronic industries. Carl Zeiss offers innovative solutions for the future-oriented markets of Medical and Research Solutions, Industrial Solutions, Eye Care and Lifestyle Products. During fiscal year 2009/10 the group of companies generated revenues of around EUR 2.98 billion. From fiscal year 2010/11 onward, eyeglass lens manufacturer Carl Zeiss Vision will be integrated as an autonomous business group (revenues of EUR 880 million in fiscal year 2009/10). The Carl Zeiss Group now has approximately 24,000 employees, including more than 10,000 in Germany. The Carl Zeiss business groups hold leading positions in their markets. Carl Zeiss AG, Oberkochen, is fully owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation).

Carl Zeiss Microscopy:
The Carl Zeiss Microscopy business group is part of the Carl Zeiss Group. Carl Zeiss Microscopy is the world’s only one-stop supplier of light and electron microscopy systems. It has a comprehensive product portfolio which supports research and routine applications in life sciences. Materials research in industry and academia is another key area. The product range includes light microscopy, 3D microscope systems and spectrometers – each with its own software solutions. The wide range of particle beam systems ranges from scanning electron microscopes to innovative helium ion microscopes. In their use, customers are supported by an extensive global support and service network. Carl Zeiss Microscopy is headquartered in Jena, Germany. Other production and development sites are located in Oberkochen, Göttingen and Munich as well as in the UK and the USA. The joint business group has a global workforce of 2,500 employees.

Carl Zeiss Microscopy
The Award on the Web
Carl Zeiss