History (1995): Quantum Opens First Thin-Film Head Factory

Quantum has officially opened PT Quantum Peripherals Indonesia, a thin-film head manufacturing facility in Batam, Indonesia, which passed into the Californian company’s hands when it bought Digital Equipment’s storage business.

Operation in the 100,000 square foot plant, which employs over 1,000 people, began in June 1994.

“We look forward to an exciting year ahead with aggressive plans to implement magneto-resistive assembly operations in 1995,” said George Raniuk, GM of the AsiaPac recording heads group, a unit which also comprises wafer and slider fabrication operations in Shrewsbury, MA and MR head technology developer, Rocky Mountain Magnetics (Louisville, CO).

Completing these operations is Quantum’s contractual arrangement for high-volume manufacturing with head maker Lafe Computer Magnetics Ltd. (Panyu, Guangzhou, China).

This article is an abstract of news published on the former paper version of Computer Data Storage Newsletter on issue 86, published on March 1995.