Heerenveen’s 10,000th 468 Oscilloscope Celebration
The 468 oscilloscope was based on the industry standard 465 oscilloscope with the addition of a 25 MS/s 8 bit digitizer. It could operate in conventional non-storage mode and storage mode. In storage mode it had a usable bandwidth of 10 MHz and could perform signal analysis and waveform measurements. It was in production from 1980 to 1985.
The 10,000th 468 digital storage oscilloscope produced in Heerenveen was delivered on May 3, 1985. This milestone was celebrated during a short meeting in the canteen (cafeteria). Present was a delegation from all departments that participate in the production of the 468.
The first 468 was delivered on November 5, 1980. The first material had arrived two months earlier and production started in record time. Tektronix President Earl Wantland was present when the first 468 left the production line and was very impressed with the quick start to production. The first to start with the 468 were the people of the Material department, the Manufacturing Engineering department and the 7000 series production people. Their dedication and fantastic work to complete the 468 in record time made Tek-Heerenveen stand out once again in 1980. Click on the image to view a PDF with the names of the individuals.
Reaching this 10,000th milestone coincided with the visit of several important Americans: John Landis (Senior Vice President International Operations), John Shave (International Manufacturing Manager), as well as Hal Pittman and Al Foltz who visited on behalf of the Area Reps of the European branches. This photo and text is from the July 19, 1985 issue of TekWeek.
Tek Holland employees at Heerenveen recently celebrated a significant milestone in the production of the 468 digital storage oscilloscope. While specific numbers aren't disclosed for competitive reasons, this particular milestone emphasizes the popularity of the 468 that is now built exclusively in the Heerenveen facilities. Visitors at the celebration included, at right, John Landis (Senior Vice President, International Operations), John Shafe (International Manufacturing Manager), and Hal Pittman (representing the Area Rep Activity).
Our museum archive photo is slightly different. Click on the image to view a PDF with the names of the individuals.
Pim Brouwer ( Operation Manager Tek-Heerenveen) stated that he was very happy that the production of the 10,000th 468 could be celebrated in the presence of our American guests.
In a short speech, John Landis said that the 468 was actually the beginning of the digital age for Tek-Heerenveen. Many employees have received training in digital technology and microprocessors. and that knowledge base and experience paved the way for introducing IDD products. The introduction of the 468 was an important introduction and many new products followed.
The 468 is the first product in Heerenveen that is also specially produced for American customers. This ultimately led to the situation that by 1985, Heerenveen produced the 468 for total worldwide sales. About half of the 10,000 468s produced were delivered to the United States.
In 1985, about 50% of the Heerenveen workload consisted of the 468. This is also why the 468 was such an important product for Tek-Heerenveen. The 468 will be taken out of production in the next financial year, but Heerenveen will still have to produce a large number of 468s until the second half of that year. Finally, John Landis congratulated our company on this milestone and praised the excellent quality of our work.
John Shave briefly returned to the state of affairs at Tek-Heerenveen in general. He stated that people in Beaverton are very enthusiastic about the way we are solving the problems that still exist.
This photo shows the entire team with the signage indicating the 10,000 468. Click on the image to view a PDF with the names of the individuals.
Our thanks to the Heerenveen ex-employees who identified the individuals in these photos.