Our Story
RI Research Instruments GmbH was founded in 2009, but our roots trace back to INTERATOM / Siemens in the 1980s—and to a bold, perhaps even daring, management buyout in the 1990, when INTERATOM ceased operations and a small group chose to carry on.
Some of our colleagues say we’re continuing a proud tradition. After all, the Bergisches Land region, where we‘re based, has a history of mining and metalworking dating back to Roman times.
Here’s what happened over the years and how RI became the company it is today.
2024
Moving into our second hall in Obereschbach
Our milling, turning, electron beam and laser welding as well as dimension control department have moved into our second new 6000 m² manufacturing hall in Obereschbach.
2023
400 and growing
For the first time, more than 400 people are working at RI.
2022
Change in management
Michael Pekeler and Christian Piel are taking over the management from Michael Peiniger and Hanspeter Vogel, who will both continue to support RI in an advisory role.
2022
LightHouse Beam Test Facility
We have “first beam” in our beam test facility, a DC-photoinjector. This facility was built to prove the concept and reliability for the LightHouse project, a high-power linear accelerator based on superconducting RF technology to provide a sustainable supply chain for the production of the medical isotope Mo-99.
2022
300 und growing
At the beginning of 2022, more than 300 people were working at RI for the first time.
2022
Moving into our first new hall in Obereschbach
After only two years of construction, RI moves into its new facility in Obereschbach. This is where small-batch production activities for the semiconductor industry are now concentrated.
2020
New site in Obereschbach
Just a ten-minute walk from our headquarters in the Bergisch Gladbach Technology Park, RI is acquiring four plots of land — enabling us, for the first time, to construct buildings precisely tailored to our customers’ needs.
2019
Start of series production
in semicon equipment business
RI enters series production: We are manufacturing key components for the semicon industry. At the same time, our project business for scientific customers continues to grow.
2019
200 and growing
For the first time, RI has more than 200 employees.
2019
New site in Dortmund: RI acquires Ampegon PPT
RI acquires all key assets of Ampegon PPT GmbH. This expands our portfolio to include pulsed power technology, and we now have a second location in Dortmund.
2015
Entry into the beamline instrumentation and EUV solutions market
RI has acquired the former beamline instrumentation business from ACCEL Instruments, which had been part of Bruker Advanced Supercon GmbH since 2009. The acquisition includes not only synchrotron instrumentation but also activities in EUV sources and metrology applications.
RI now has four business units.
2015
RI supplies the WGTS to KATRIN
Special manufacturing at its finest: We supply the Windowless Gaseous Tritium Source (WGTS), a key component of the KATRIN experiment to determine the mass of neutrinos.
2013
Start of the fusion equipment business
RI has received its first order for a fusion experiment, marking the launch of a new business area poised for strong growth in the years ahead.
2010
RI wins major order for SRF cavities for European XFEL
RI gets to supply half of the SRF accelerator cavities for European XFEL: 420 cavities or approximately 500 m. The infrastructure we build up for this series production will be useful to us also later on.
2009
We break into triple digits!
Already in our first year, we have over 100 people on our team.
2009
Our first two business units
At the launch of the newly founded RI, we have two business units, both in the accelerator sector:
- superconducing RF cavities modules
- normal-conducting RF cavities and systems
2009
RI is founded
RI Research Instruments GmbH is founded on April 1, 2009. We don't start from scratch, as RI takes over the accelerator instrument and special projects business from ACCEL. The new company is majority-owned by Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Bruker Corporation.
2007
Varian Medical Systems takes over ACCEL
ACCEL GmbH becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Varian Medical Systems.
2004
ACCEL begins development of a proton therapy system
Together with the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland) and another partner in the US, ACCEL starts developing a superconducting cyclotron, beam lines, and the gantry for irradiating tumors in cancer patients.
2002
ACCEL supplies all SL quadruples to the LHC at CERN
We set up a series production in Troisdorf, which will later become the home of VARIAN Medical Systems.
2000
ACCEL supplies the 100 MeV linac for the Swiss Light Source
Our first full accelerator system, an S-band linac, is delivered to Switzerland.
1994
a management buyout and the years at ACCEL
When Siemens decides to discontinue its activities at the Bergisch Gladbach site, the management of the particle accelerator group acquires the accelerator business and transforms it into an independent private company. This is how ACCEL Instruments GmbH is created.
1980s
The early days: Cooperation with Uni Wuppertal
Tests of the cavities for the CEBAF accelerator.
1980s
How it all began
In the mid-1980s, INTERATOM / Siemens began developing components for particle accelerators. At that time, the company's focus was on developing innovative nuclear reactors, and the accelerator business was initiated in order to diversify existing technologies and apply them to other areas.
