The history of the development of the PHILIPS controls

Who developed the PHILIPS control or who was involved in it?

Since 1963, PHILIPS Numeric Control in Eindhoven has been developing lathe and milling machine controls under the PHILIPS brand. From 1993 the controls were sold under the direction of GRUNDIG. In October 1996 the company DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH took over the control activities of GRUNDIG Numeric.

How exactly did the takeover of “GRUNDIG Numeric GmbH” work in 1996 and how and where were the existing Grundig / PHILIPS controls developed, e.g. MillPlus?

First, under the direction of GRUNDIG, a collaboration between the NC activities of PHILIPS, GRUNDIG and Gildemeister-Automation arose:
Eindhoven: NC development (Grundig Pilot, MANUALplus and MillPlus)
Hanover: NC development and sales (Grundig Pilot with TurnPlus)
Fürth: NC development (Dialog112)
With the integration into the HEIDENHAIN Group, production, sales and service were relocated to Traunreut.
Product -specific software development still takes place at the following locations:
– Eindhoven: MillPlus IT
– Hanover: MANUALplus 4110 (as well as the customer-specific lathe control CNC- PILOT 4290)

Until when were the various PHILIPS controls manufactured / further developed?
Digital Readout System, 1964-1973, Philips
SNOR, 1964-1973, Philips
CNC1000, 1970-1971, Philips
CNC5500, 1969-1976, Philips
CNC6600,B1T 1973-1983, Philips/Boehriner/MAHO
CNC3300, 1980-1983, Philips
CNC3360,)CNC432/9) 1980-1983, Philips/MAHO
PE2503, 1981-1990, Philips
PE2503/31, 1988-1990, Philips/Robtec
CNC3340 / 3350, 1982-1990, Philips
CNC3480 /3580, B2T, B3T, B32T, 1982 – 1990, Philips/Boehringer
CNC3460 (CNC432/10), 1982-1990, Philips /MAHO
CNC5000 (CNC532), 1988-1993, Philips
CNC Pilot 1190, 1993 – 1997, Grundig
CNC Pilot 1290/1291, 1993 – 1997, Grundig
MANUALplus, 1993 – 1997, Grundig
MANUALplus M, 1997 – 2003, Heidenhain
MillPlus, 1997 – 2002, Heidenhain
MANUALplus 4110, 2001 – today, Heidenhain
MillPlus IT, 2003 – today, Heidenhain

Where were the various PHILIPS controls built?

Eindhoven, Netherlands (hardware and software)

Who supports the respective PHILIPS controls and offers the service?

HEIDENHAIN offered services for the PHILIPS and GRUNDIG controls. Heidenhain has gradually stopped the service support for Philips & Grundig controls. Now, Robtec Automation GmbH, Leipzig/Germany and Robtec Automation Ltd, England are almost the exclusive suppliers for service and spare parts for Philips & Grundig.
For customer-specific MillPlus IT, support is provided by the GILDEMEISTER (DMG) group.

Where do you get spare parts from or where are they still manufactured?

Spare parts can be partially obtained from HEIDENHAIN. Robtec Automation GmbH, Leipzig/Germany and Robtec Automation Ltd, England are almost the exclusive suppliers for spare parts for Philips & Grundig.

Do you still have your own sales department for PHILIPS controls?
The successor controls, which originated from the time of GRUNDIG Numeric resp.
PHILIPS Numeric Control are distributed by HEIDENHAIN:
– The MANUALplus 4110 is a control for cycle-controlled lathes.
– MillPlus IT is a customer-specific product for the DMG/GILDEMEISTER group.

When and why was further development or production stopped?

Product development was integrated into the HEIDENHAIN group.
The hardware is produced in Traunreut. The MillPlus IT software will continue to be developed in Eindhoven at the HEIDENHAIN NUMERIC BV branch and that of the MANUALplus 4110 in Hanover.