Few people may understand Brian Meinke’s job, but the results he produces are crystal clear. As a specialist in cathode maintenance, Brian’s responsibilities center on our proprietary magnetron sputtering process which applies an anti-reflective coating to products such as Museum Glass^®, Optium Museum Acrylic^®, UltraVue^®, and TruLife^® Acrylic, among others.

 

 

Aside from support in machine maintenance, the intricate formulations and equipment adjustments that are needed to deliver on the quality of our anti-reflective products are part his responsibility. The precision required in the formulations and adjustments can be considered an art.

 

 

“The sputtering process is very specialized. It takes multiple layers of coatings that are at the micron level,” said Brian. “Think of it as 1/50th of a human hair.”

 

 

Having this much of an impact on product quality is a source of pride for Brian, who is celebrating his 26th year with the company this year. The training for this position is on the job, and Brian has worked nearly as long in his current role as he’s been at the company. His curiosity and energy to try new things have been important factors in his longevity.

 

 

With so many years at Tru Vue, Brian has seen many changes at the company. One of the biggest for his role has been the transition from manufacturing glass for multiple industries to moving the main focus on custom framing. Early in his career he also worked on reflective coatings, conductive coatings, privacy filters, and other applications. Though he was surprised how well the company has done with a more focused product line, he attributes the company’s success to the superiority of quality.

 

 

While the company’s product offerings have narrowed, Brian’s position has expanded in scope. He brings additional insight into the equipment such as, how it’s working, contributing to continuous improvement with his observations and ideas. In his role, he works closely with the engineering, research, and development teams, to determine new ways to improve the performance of the process and experimenting with different materials and combinations.

 

 

“People listen at Tru Vue,” he said. “They ask for your input.”

 

 

In addition to his unique contributions to product quality, one of the things he is most proud of is putting together a machine from scratch and having it work so well. It is this and the sense of teamwork that have kept him at Tru Vue for so long.

 

 

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t enjoy working with my fellow employees,” he said.

 

 

Brian is a key person behind some of our most important innovations. Check out more stories on our blog of some of the other employees who give us a reason to celebrate our 70 years in the glazing industry.