PHILOSOPHY

VERTICAL INTEGRATION
FLEXIBILITYPROCESSING
QUALITY INSPECTION
EXPERIENCE
EMPLOYEES
SALES AND SERVICE
PARTNERS

ABOUT US

ALL`S WELL THAT STARTS WELL.

HEINE was founded in 1946 by Helmut A. Heine, a physicist and passionate scientist. His goal was simple - he wanted to develop and build the best quality diagnostic instruments possible for the medical profession. Products that were not only reliable and durable, but that would offer new and better diagnostic capabilities for the practitioner, as well as the patient. For this reason, HEINE Optotechnik sought cooperation with physicians and universities right from the start. Helmut A. Heine was convinced, however, that the key to reaching his goals would be to remain as independent a company as possible.

For over 65 years this philosophy has been the foundation of our success. And it still is today.

BUILDING OUR FUTURE ON THE TRIED AND TRUE.

Today HEINE Optotechnik is still an independent, family owned company that makes decisions based on long term benefits for our products, our customers and our company.

Since the start we have continually invested in our own manufacturing capabilities to attain a high level of vertical integration. This allows us to control the manufacturing process at virtually every step - from the first idea to the finished instrument.

We continue to invest heavily in the development of our products and still work closely together with Medical Professionals around the world to ensure that the products we develop are not only of the highest quality, but offer the most reliable and accurate diagnosis.

And we continually seek to develop and improve our own processes, resulting in new ways to manufacture more efficiently and to always higher and higher quality standards.

WE PREFER TO RELY ON OURSELVES.

One of the major cornerstones of our success is the high level of vertical integration. From the initial idea to the finished product, almost all of the production steps are carried out in-house.

Our own Research and Development department is not only the source of dynamic new products; it is also responsible for continual improvements to our current product range through the implementation of new and emerging technologies.

It is always best to define your own tolerances rather than relying on supplier specifications. Therefore, we design and manufacture all of the injection moulds required for production in our own Tool & Die department.

Our injection moulding division creates many types of parts: from single-use eartips to complex housings for the OMEGA 500 Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscope.

Having our own Electroplating Facility requires large investments in equipment and labour. This allows us to take direct control of the process and the ultimate responsibility for producing our high standard of quality. And that is of great importance to us.

Our Electroplating Facility handles over 10,000 individual parts every day.

The more important a production step is for the quality of a product, the more important it is to carry it out yourself. Therefore, every core production step during the manufacture of a HEINE product takes place in-house: from metal processing and bulb production through to printing and acid etching or laser marking of logos.

Every month we produce, for example, over 26,000 lenses, mirrors and optical components in our own Optical Production Department.

SPEED ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH.

The final assembly of HEINE medical and technical instruments takes place in one of our four assembly plants. Three of these are located in Germany and one in Switzerland.

This high degree of vertical integration provides us with a high level of control over our own processes and therefore, our own quality.

It also enables us to bring products to market much faster, and allows us flexibility to respond to changes in products much quicker, be it something as complex as a change to an optical system, an injection-molded polycarbonate housing or simply a change in a production process.

QUALITY AND PRECISION GO HAND IN HAND.

Absolute precision is the basic requirement to ensure the creation of a high-quality product. At HEINE this principle applies to the entire production chain. Our lenses, for example, are manufactured using the latest CNC-controlled, state-of the art machines. Many of the lenses are manufactured with an accuracy of +/- 0.0001 mm. This is 20 times less than the diameter of a human hair.

ONE INSPECTION IS GOOD. 74 INSPECTIONS ARE BETTER.

It is the quality manufacturing process of a product that ensures that defined precision benchmarks are not just replicated once or twice, but thousands of times to guarantee that every product that reaches our customer´s hands meets our exacting standards.

A close look at the manufacturing process of the BETA 200S Direct Ophthalmoscope reveals no less than 74 different in-process quality assurance checks. Some might call this excessive. We simply call it HEINE quality.

WE ONLY COMBINE WHAT IS COMPATIBLE.

65 years of developing and manufacturing diagnostic instruments has given us a great wealth of experience that directly translates into the quality of our products today.

One key issue that is critical to the design of a product, for example, is the compatibility of different materials. This is not only important for the different components used in the production of the instrument itself. It is also includes an assessment of materials in the subsequent working environment of the product. Even the best designed instrument is of little use if its performance and operation is impaired by material incompatibility.

HEINE BELIEVES IN LONGEVITY. SO DO OUR EMPLOYEES.

The manufacture of HEINE products requires specialised knowledge and qualifications, which requires us to make a significant and important investment in the education and training of our employees.

Many of our employees have been with us for 20, 30 or even 40 years. It is not unusual for employees to have completed their apprenticeships in our company and subsequently decide to continue working for HEINE.

It is the experience of all of our employees, the pride they take in their work and their dedication to our founding philosophy that ensures that HEINE continues to produce the best quality diagnostic instruments possible.

HEINE QUALITY, AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE.

Throughout 60 years HEINE has developed one of the best global distribution networks of Partners and Subsidiaries reaching virtually every medical specialty in over 110 countries around the world.

It is through the support of our distribution partners that HEINE has been able to grow to become one of the world´s largest exporters of hand-held, primary diagnostic instruments.

WHEREVER THEY ARE, OUR CUSTOMERS CAN COUNT ON US.

Many of our partners have been with us for many decades and undergo continuous training programs to ensure our customers are supported by trained professionals working with the most up-to-date information.

The careful selection and continuous development of our distribution network ensures that the HEINE philosophy of providing only the best quality in both products and service is carried through to our most important partner, the medical professional who relies on the performance of our instruments, every day, in every country, around the world.