jan van daalen
Well-known member
Last three days Gijs and me visited the Meopta factory in Prerov Tsjech Republic. Maybe Gijs will tune in later on. He is much better in defining optical issues. Photos will be available on the site in time.
Having also seen the plants of the other European brands, this one was the last on my European Optical Bucket List.
Moving the Zeiss, Leica, Steiner and Swarovski facilities in Wetzlar, Beyruth and Absam to the Meopta plant in Prerov, it would still give Meopta spare room to expand.
It is HUGE. They are the biggest. Tsjech first, America second Eat your hart out Trump (OK, it has an American owner, but still.....).
Walking on the outside from building to building one could make a movie of it imaging you're in the 50s. Inside it is the same. Building constructions give an atmosphere how labour was located 60 years ago, but.....
Inside these buildings there are state of the art, sterile operating facilities realized where the same modern equipment are used as they are at the Big Three, making it possible for Meopta to produce what they produce as an OEM 24/7 in three shifts. 2500 workers make that happen every day.
I have never seen a production hall where 85 CNC's (between 0 and 15 years old, like every other grinding/polishing/high vacuum coating etc device I saw)) were lined up in full working speed producing every steel, aluminium and plastic item needed for optical and other devices. Only the rough Magnesium housings are from another supplier, but finished to needed tolerances in own house.
Countless state of the art grinding and polishing machines, located in a hall as big as a soccer field producing over 1.800.000 optical devices in 2016.
A cantene of the same size offers five menu's for warm food 24/7. Sitting between them and looking around I saw several 70+ aged ex-Meopta workers still being able to visit their (ex) colleguees and bringing up old stories.
Three Zeiss devices caught my attention and it turned out that these were very recently installled making it possible for Meopta to measure tolerances below 1 micron. An investment over 8.000.000,00 euro's.
Having read Peter Abrahams interview of David Bushnell where Mr. Bushnell was asked about their triple tested marketing slogan (reply of Mr. Bushnell: the factory had it in their hands, we did and so has the buyer. That means triple tested) I witnessed how Meopta does it. Every lens is checked after each cyclus. After grinding, after polishing, after coating, after assembly and final as an complete product.
While on tour I was able to see the production of precise optical and mechanical parts which were used in products for several premier companies.
Same as in the other plants, female workforce is dominant in the lens production business. 1.800.000 optical devices passed their hands multiple times in one year and seeing Meopta's plans for the near future that future looks bright.
Jan
Having also seen the plants of the other European brands, this one was the last on my European Optical Bucket List.
Moving the Zeiss, Leica, Steiner and Swarovski facilities in Wetzlar, Beyruth and Absam to the Meopta plant in Prerov, it would still give Meopta spare room to expand.
It is HUGE. They are the biggest. Tsjech first, America second Eat your hart out Trump (OK, it has an American owner, but still.....).
Walking on the outside from building to building one could make a movie of it imaging you're in the 50s. Inside it is the same. Building constructions give an atmosphere how labour was located 60 years ago, but.....
Inside these buildings there are state of the art, sterile operating facilities realized where the same modern equipment are used as they are at the Big Three, making it possible for Meopta to produce what they produce as an OEM 24/7 in three shifts. 2500 workers make that happen every day.
I have never seen a production hall where 85 CNC's (between 0 and 15 years old, like every other grinding/polishing/high vacuum coating etc device I saw)) were lined up in full working speed producing every steel, aluminium and plastic item needed for optical and other devices. Only the rough Magnesium housings are from another supplier, but finished to needed tolerances in own house.
Countless state of the art grinding and polishing machines, located in a hall as big as a soccer field producing over 1.800.000 optical devices in 2016.
A cantene of the same size offers five menu's for warm food 24/7. Sitting between them and looking around I saw several 70+ aged ex-Meopta workers still being able to visit their (ex) colleguees and bringing up old stories.
Three Zeiss devices caught my attention and it turned out that these were very recently installled making it possible for Meopta to measure tolerances below 1 micron. An investment over 8.000.000,00 euro's.
Having read Peter Abrahams interview of David Bushnell where Mr. Bushnell was asked about their triple tested marketing slogan (reply of Mr. Bushnell: the factory had it in their hands, we did and so has the buyer. That means triple tested) I witnessed how Meopta does it. Every lens is checked after each cyclus. After grinding, after polishing, after coating, after assembly and final as an complete product.
While on tour I was able to see the production of precise optical and mechanical parts which were used in products for several premier companies.
Same as in the other plants, female workforce is dominant in the lens production business. 1.800.000 optical devices passed their hands multiple times in one year and seeing Meopta's plans for the near future that future looks bright.
Jan