Setting standards over decades.
Since 1970.

History

We have been producing vacuum metrology in Germany since 1970. The joy of innovation has always been our main driving force for technological excellence. Our products are constantly setting new standards in vacuum technology, their technological lead also proven by numerous patents. Today, it is the mixture of tradition and innovation that makes Thyracont so special.

Continue reading to find out more about the development of the company, from its beginnings to current innovations.

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1970

A childhood ambition - Already from an early age, enthusiasm for technology led to various handcrafted objects. This is, for example, how a machine in a sturdy cardboard box or a small VHF transmitter for the neighbourhood were made. After studying electrical engineering in Munich and after six years of gaining professional experience as a development and consulting engineer, Dipl. Ing. Heinz Plöchinger founded the company Thyracont in 1970.

Start of production - A car garage, located at Mauth, Bavarian Forest, hometown of Heinz Plöchinger was the first “factory”.

THYRACONT - The name „THYRACONT“ consists of „Thyristor“ and „controller“, in a power controller for freeze dryers. The first customer asked for an innovative solution for his measurement and regulation tasks. The young engineer rose to the challenge to develop a stable, non-breakable vacuum sensor for the novel plants.

INNOVATION
Robust Pirani VSP21 - Opposite to common sensors with a stretched measuring thread, an elastic tungsten filament is used for the first Thyracont vacuum sensor VSP21. Beside the robust housing made from stainless steel, the filament contributes to a trouble-free use for decades. Users of our Pirani gauge profit from this idea even today.

Analog and indestructible - The fitting measuring bridge for the new Pirani sensors for vacuum measurement is also geared towards longevity.

Paperwork - Laboriously typed by the General Manager himself: The first invoice. Nowadays, processes at Thyracont are mostly digitalised.

1972

INNOVATION
Special vacuum controllers for freeze dryers - By means of inductive scanning of a aluminium banner on the long indicator, switching operations at the predifined nominal values can be released.

INNOVATION
Vacuum gauge VSP122 - With small flange; controlled version with constant filament temperature.

1974

Location Passau - Move to first own company building in Passau, Germany.

1975

INNOVATION
Combination controller CTV2 - For vacuum and temperature

1976

INNOVATION
Piezo resistive silicon sensors - For measuring absolute pressure in the rough vacuum range.

1980

INNOVATION
Distillation controller - For rotary evaporators, analog adjustment.

1982

INNOVATION
Micro processor controlled program controller PGR - For regulation of vacuum and temperature profiles and pressure increase measurement.

1985

INNOVATION
Eutectic monitor - Device for determination of the eutectic temperature in lyophilization applications.

1987

INNOVATION
First digital vacuum controller - For recovery of solvents - “Environmental protection that pays off”.

1988

INNOVATION
"Electronics instead of mercury" - Battery operated compact vacuum meter VD85 for fine and rough vacuum replace analog mercury manometers.

1990

INNOVATION
Precise combination sensor - Development and presentation of first combination sensor for fine and rough vacuum, with continuous transition of the output signals (Symposium Mikrosystemtechnik Regensburg 1993, later Achema Frankfurt)

1991

Move - THYRACONT is constantly growing and moves to the new, large building located in Passau, Max-Emanuel-Str. 10, Germany.

1996

Thermocouples - Transmitter and digital compact vacuum meter for thermocouple gauge heads.

1998

INNOVATION
First combi sensor up to high vacuum - Bayard-Alpert and Pirani.

2001

INNOVATION
Inclination and acceleration sensor - A sensor concept of Mr Plöchinger is awarded with the 1. AMA-innovation award and is product of the year of the journal „Elektronik“.

2002

Patent granted - Europe patent EP1071934 is granted, basis for the development of capacitive pressure sensors.

R&D-100 Award - Mr. Plöchinger receives the R & D 100 award in Chicago for an inclination and acceleration sensor.

2003

Patent granted - EP1409963 and DE10115715 are granted: Sensor and process patent are the basis for the impulse Pirani VSP62 (Wikipedia - gepulster Pirani-Transmitter) where measurement of a gasses heat conductance is attributed to time and frequency changes. This new development arouses great interest amongst experts.

2004

Patent granted - Patent DE 19903010 for Pirani-pressure measurement arrangement and cmbination sensors is granted.

2005

Patent granted - Patent DE 19860500 is granted and is a basis for the development project “vacuum measurement with reduced dependency on gas type".

2007

Patent granted - Patent DE102005029114 is granted; it describes a process to reduce measurement errors of combination vacuum transmitters due to optimized value harmonization.

Patent granted - Patent DE102004040003 for a new inclination and acceleration sensor according to thermodynamic principle is granted. The measurement of the acceleration is based on the change of power consumption in order to hold a steady convection zone.

2008

INNOVATION
VD8 compact vacuum meters - New, revised models are launched in a modern design and with new functionalities like a data logger functionality and a USB interface. → Learn more about our VD8 compact vacuum meters

2011

First time top rating for Thyracont Vacuum Instruments GmbH - With an „A+“ according to Standard & Poors and „A1“ according to Moody´s rating Thyracont takes three steps at once upwards, based on a "1A- (according to DSGV) in 2007.

2013

INNOVATION
New Smartline Vacuum Transducers - The new generation of Smartline vacuum transducers for rough to ultra high vacuum is launched. → Learn more about Smartline

Smartline vacuum transducers product family

2015

A major honor - Visit of the nobel price winner Sir Andre Geim in Manchester.

2018

With Thyracont into orbit - All parts for space travel have to be tested in large facilities for space vacuum. After a successful audit, the Chinese space calibration institute chooses Thyracont Vacuum Instruments as their partner.

Industrielles Ethernet - Thyracont offers its well-proven digital vacuum gauges of the Smartline product family with a further interface option. Customers can now also choose EtherCAT additionally to the RS485 interface.

2019

Patent granted - Patent US 9,606,074 B2 fluid property sensor with heat loss compensation and operating method thereof was granted in 2017. For our proven Pirani sensors (principle Heat conduction), this property right will cause further improvements regarding accuracy and resolution.

INNOVATION
Profinet option for Vacuum Transducers - As a pioneer in the field of vacuum metrology, Thyracont now also offers a Profinet option. The Ethernet interface extends the well-proven Smartline product family which is also available with RS485/0-10 V and EtherCAT.

2021

Patent granted - Patent US 11,175,253 B1 sensor arrangement with protection and heating function granted. The optimized sensor arrangement helps to decouple of environmental influences and enables an optimized, precise vacuum measurement.