Teledyne Hastings Instruments Blog

This year, 2019, marks the 75^th anniversary of Hastings Instruments and we will be celebrating all year long by discussing some of our past while focusing on our future. This month, I’d like to tell you a little about our glass shop.

In 1966, Hastings-Raydist purchased the Robert H. Work Company. Work had been a supplier of glass parts for Hastings. The company was then moved into the Hastings plant. At the new location, glass workers began to produce scientific glassware under the Hastings label. Product catalogs in the late 60s and early 70s included McLeod vacuum gauges, calibrated gas leaks, and Pyrex vacuum gauge tubes.

Today, we still use our glass shop to build the Hastings Reference Tube. A reference tube is an evacuated, sealed vacuum gauge tube accurately marked at a specific pressure. It is electrically equivalent to our most popular vacuum gauge tube families.

A reference tube can be used with several of our thermal vacuum gauge instruments including the HPM-4/5/6, the VT and CVT, the DVT and DCVT, and even the DAVC controller. 

How is it used? Simple, you just plug in your reference tube and compare the reading from your instrument with the number that is shown on the reference tube label. 

So the reference tube tells you that your electronics and cabling are working correctly. Note that a reference tube will not directly tell you anything about the state of your gauge tube. But through process of elimination, you can often determine that the gauge tube needs to be replaced. You can learn more about troubleshooting thermocouple vacuum gauges here:

 https://info.teledyne-hi.com/thermocouple-vacuum-gauges-best-practices-webinar-recording?

As noted in the table above, the reference tubes, like the gauge tubes, are color-coded. And reference tubes can be sent back to us to be recertified which many folks do on an annual basis.

Next, let’s discuss a little about what is going on inside of a reference tube. Sometimes people will ask if we adjust the pressure inside the tube to allow it to read a certain value – we do not. In other words, if you could measure the pressure in the sealed-off tube, it would not be the pressure reading that is stated on the side of the reference tube. While a reference tube does have the same thermopile sensor arrangement, it is simply trimmed to give a particular reading when powered by the correct heater voltage.

We are proud of our long history of quality craftwork, not only in the glass shop, but throughout all of our vacuum and thermal mass flow product lines here at Teledyne Hastings. The same tradition of quality goes into our newest products including the 300 Vue line of mass flow controllers and the HVG-2020 Vision line of vacuum gauges. You can learn more about our products by visiting www.teledyne-hastings.com

Ever wonder where the idea or dream of Hastings originated?  Well as part 1 of our anniversary year blog posts, we thought this would be a good place to start.  Charles Hastings at the age of 10 was bitten by the radio bug and began to build and experiment with radio gear.  In 1930, at the age of 16, Charles Hastings found an opportunity to fund his experiments by fixing other people’s radios.  Many families had radios at this point, but they were very unreliable and frequently needed minor repairs.  Charles would fix radios to earn money to buy parts for his own experiments.

Soon, Charles moved on to building transmitters and enlisted the help of his high school friend, Raymond Doyle.  Their first success was when Charles spoke into a microphone and Ray heard the broadcast from his aunt’s house which was down the street. Unfortunately, the broadcast covered the entire spectrum of commercial radio broadcasting, so the entire neighborhood received the broadcast as well instead of their favorite radio programs.

After this first broadcast mishap, Hastings decided to go back to radio repair.

Charles Hastings went on to attend John Hopkins University and majored in Electrical Engineering.  Upon graduation, he was offered a position as Junior Scientific Aide with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in Hampton, Virginia. In 1939, Mary Comstock joined NACA as a mathematician and Charles was quick to ask her out for a date.  They were married within a year.

Working at NACA proved to be quite rewarding to Charles.  He came up with an idea for a magnetically operated reed switch for the spin tunnel section in order to flip the controls in its free-spinning airplane models.  This moved on to finding accurate methods to measure the speed of aircraft.  In 1940, Charles did just that, he came up with an idea for an airspeed indicator using a heated thermopile.  The idea was tested later that year at Langley Field in measuring the speed of planes.  This was the first continuous-wave heterodyne system ever used for speed measurement and was names the NACA Radio Ground Speed System.

His work continued at the NACA for a few years, but Hastings became restless and wanted to be on his own.  He felt that the work he had done with Radio Ground Speed System had more potential in the measurement of distances.  Initially Charles Hastings only wanted to create ideas for commercial products and sell the rights to others in exchange for royalties.  Hastings longtime friend James Benson was interested in being a part of this new.

Hastings Instruments Company was born in September 1944.

For more information on Teledyne Hastings be sure to visit our website www.teledyne-hi.com or contact us

Information for this blog was derived from “The Story of Hastings-Raydist” book by Carol Hastings Sanders 1979

Teledyne Hastings is proud to announce the release of the THCD-101 single channel power supply, controller and display.  The THCD-101 can be used to operate a wide variety of mass flow meters and controllers as well as vacuum gauges and pressure transducers. The THCD-101 uses bright OLED digits which makes the display easy to view, even from a distance. The THCD-101 is extremely versatile in its configurable range and can be set up to display any unit of measurement through customizable alphanumeric characters.  The power supply provides stable ±15 VDC and +24 VDC levels which can be used to operate a variety of measurement and control instruments. The display and readout features a high accuracy of ±(0.02% of Reading + 0.01% of Full Scale).  The user can also set relay alarms for the control of other processes.  The THCD-101 is configured at the factory to match the user’s requirements for range & units so it is ready to use right out-of-the-box.

The main screen of the THCD-101 display (pictured above) shows the current reading from the connected instrument and measurement units.  If relay alarms have been tripped, they will be indicated on the far right of the display screen.  Lastly, the main screen will show the current mode of the setpoint, if not in AUTO mode. There is an OPEN mode and CLOSED mode.  In OPEN mode the setpoint outputs a voltage greater than the full scale of the device. In CLOSED mode the setpoint outputs a voltage less than the minimum output voltage of most devices.  AUTO mode is dependent on the set point the user commands via either the THCD-101 physical buttons, digital communication, or external input.

The menus pack several features into the THCD-101 while still ensuring ease of operation for the user.  Through the intuitive menus, the user can enter a setpoint, change the full-scale range & full-scale output voltage (5 VDC or 10 VDC), program alarm relays for process control, restore factory defaults, and many other helpful options. 

The THCD-101 now includes digital communication via a USB ‘C’ connection or Ethernet (TCP/IP).  When the power supply is connected via Ethernet, the THCD-101 provides a web server for operation and instrument configuration. The web server can be accessed by entering the IP address of the device into a browser address bar (requires static IP address configuration on the network prior to use). This allows the user control of various settings within the device and to read the devices current reading. Note that the IP Address can be changed through the menus of THCD-101.  In addition to the THCD-101 web server, standalone DisplayX software can be downloaded free of charge from the Teledyne Hastings website.  Should the user need to change the THCD-101’s setup, the DisplayX software or Ethernet web server is extremely helpful in streamlining this process.

As outlined above, the THCD-101 contains all the great features of the legacy THCD-100 while adding new and improved features such as USB & Ethernet digital communications and a bright OLED display.  Even with these powerful additions, the instrument keeps the same 1/8 DIN size while offering a shorter depth than the previous display & readout!

The THCD-101 is a very flexible and multi-featured process display controller that is capable of interfacing to an assortment of meters, controllers, and gauges. To learn more about the THCD-101 or any of our other vacuum and flow products, contact us at hastings_instruments@teledyne.com, call 757-723-6531 (800-950-2468), or click the button below.

We at Teledyne Hastings Instruments are pleased to introduce the newest member of our vacuum measurement portfolio, the HVG-2020A.  The HVG-2020A is a piezoresistive vacuum sensor with an optional touchscreen display that reads from 0.1-1000 Torr.  The sensor uses 316 Stainless Steel as the wetted material and provides a gas independent pressure measurement, meaning your measurement will be accurate no matter what gas species is being used.  The HVG-2020A features an excellent accuracy rating of ±(0.1% of Reading + 0.5 Torr).  This rugged sensor comes in a number of system connections for ease of installation: 1/8” NPT, 1/4” VCR®, 1.33” Mini-CF, 2.75” CF, KF-16, KF-25, 1/2” Weld Stub, and 1/2” VCR. Let’s talk about some of the powerful features that allows the HVG-2020A to stand out.

Analog I/O: The HVG-2020A has a 9 pin D-sub connector on top of the assembly that allows an analog output signal to be measured amongst other features.  The selected linear analog output signal is proportional to the full scale range of the sensor (1000 Torr). Available outputs are 0-1 VDC, 0-5 VDC, 0-10 VDC, 0-20 mA, and 4-20 mA.  The sensor will come configured from the factory with one of these outputs active, but can be easily changed by the user should output requirements change.  Through the touchscreen display, there is a menu that allows the user to cycle through the available output options.  If the HVG-2020A was configured without a touchscreen, the analog output can be changed via digital communications, which we’ll talk about in the next section.  In addition to the analog output, the 9 pin D-sub will have Hi & Lo set points.  The Hi set point is active when the pressure is above the set value and the Lo set point is active when the pressure is below the set value.  Finally, the 9 pin D-sub has a pin for input power.  The HVG-2020A can accept 12-36 VDC for power.  In the event, the user doesn’t have 12-36 VDC to send via the 9 pin D-sub, there’s a 24 VDC input connection port that’s compatible with a bayonet-style power supply.

Digital I/O:  As mentioned earlier, the HVG-2020A has a few different methods digital communication can be established.  First and easiest is the micro-USB port on top of the gauge.  This will allow the instrument to be directly connected to a computer without the need for adapters or extra wiring.  There is also a 4-conductor TRRS jack on top of the instrument.  This port can be used for daisy-chaining gauges together with RS485 or a standard RS232 communication connection.  Finally, the 9 pin D-sub will have two pins designated for TTL serial communication. These digital communications (with the exception of TTL) can be connected to a PC and used with our Free Windows software for the HVG-2020A.  The software has a number of features including data logging and customization/configuration of the gauge.  Digital communication also allows for command syntax to be sent manually to the instrument. These commands are especially important if the HVG-2020A was ordered without a touchscreen display.  Through digital communication, the user can issue commands that change the analog output, adjust set point values, stream pressure readings, or change pressure units, just to name a few.

Touchscreen Display:  The most powerful feature of the HVG-2020A is the touchscreen display.  The intuitive display allows for quick visualization of the current pressure without needing to have a separate power supply or remote display. There are five available views to choose from (shown left to right below): Pressure View, Pressure & Temperature View, Set Point View, Bar Graph View, and Pressure over Time View.  The pressure is always displayed on each of these five screens.

There is also a menu button which will allow the user to cycle through a number of sub menus.  Through these menus the user can change the screen orientation should they mount the gauge in a position other than vertical, set the zero (this should only be performed if the system pressure is known to be well below 0.1 Torr), view device information such as serial number and firmware levels, change the analog output, cycle between RS232 or RS485 and a number of baud rates, and finally restore the configuration of the gauge back to the original factory setup.  The touchscreen display makes reading vacuum pressure as clear as 20/20 Vision!

LED Status Lights:  Lastly, the HVG-2020A features two LED lights on top of the instrument.  These are extremely helpful in getting a general idea of the current pressure and status of the vacuum gauge. The chart below explains each combination of Status & Vacuum LED.

The HVG-2020A vacuum gauge is ideal for many applications requiring rough vacuum measurement.  The picture on the right shows a simple lab set-up using a diaphragm vacuum pump & an analog needle gauge.  The HVG-2020A would be a perfect fit for this set up.  With the local touchscreen display, extensive wiring and configuration is not needed.  Simply supply the gauge power and you are reading pressure. It’s easy to See why the “2020” is the vacuum gauge for the job! 

To learn more about the HVG-2020A or any of our other vacuum and flow products, contact us at hastings_instruments@teledyne.com, call 757-723-6531 (800-950-2468), or click the button below.

VCR® is a registered trademark of Swagelok Company.

In this short blog, we are going to look at one of our mass flow controller calibration reports and discuss some of the terms that you will see. There is good information at the bottom of these reports, so let’s jump in and take a closer look…

At the bottom of every one of our calibration data sheets, you will see the following statement:

This calibration complies with ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994 and ISO 17025-2005 [non-accredited] and is traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This validation was accomplished by qualified personnel directed by controlled procedures. The accuracy of this calibration for any gas other than the actual gas used may be subject to theoretical corrections. Customer Service can be contacted weekdays 8AM-5PM EDT at 1-800-950-2468.

Let’s start with part of the first sentence, “This calibration complies with ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994 and ISO 17025-2005 [non-accredited]…”  According to the NCSLI webpage , there are two national standards for calibration laboratories. These are Z540-1 and ISO 17025. There are some differences between the two standards. And the aforementioned NCSLI gives a detailed description of both. In short, 17025 is appropriate for both calibration and testing labs whereas Z540-1 addresses calibration labs only. 17025 requires that the laboratory be a legal entity that can demonstrate competency, which includes thorough analysis of the uncertainty associated with the calibration services. Another difference between the two standards is that 17025 places the responsibility of the calibration due date on the end-user. In other words, the calibration lab should not determine the customers calibration cycle. That is why you no longer see calibration due dates on Teledyne Hastings’ labeling.

OK…. if 17025 is the latest, greatest, and accepted around the world, why do we still even list Z540-1 on our calibration reports? Because, we still have customers who adhere to Z540-1 and need the statement on their paperwork.

What about the word “non-accredited” that appears in parentheses? While we strive to conform to ISO 17025, which includes rigorous internal audit review, it has been our position that as a manufacturer, it is not necessary / appropriate for us to invest in the accreditation activities and third party audits. However, we do recognize the depth and critical nature of the standard.  Because of those criteria, we have chosen to compose our procedures and train our personnel to be in compliance with the standard. So to be clear, Teledyne Hastings is not accredited to ISO 17025.

Let’s move on… what do we mean by, “…traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology”? Simply this, we can provide an unbroken chain of calibration documents that connect your calibration back to NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Now here is a trick question… does a NIST traceable calibration tell us anything about the uncertainty of the calibration? The answer is, “no”. For example, we could calibrate one of our most advanced mass flow controllers, the HFC-D-302B 300 Vue which has a stated uncertainty of ± (0.5% of Reading + 0.2% of Full Scale).

– or we could calibrate our HFC-202 flow controller (±1% of full scale using the same metrology and the stated uncertainty for each instrument would be the same as before. In other words, the performance of these instruments does not improve just because a NIST traceable standard was used.

One more note, some customers request “Backup Documentation” to their calibration data reports. In other words, they want copies of the calibration reports of our metrology that form the unbroken link from their calibration back to NIST.  There is a nominal administrative fee to collect, scan, compile, and email these calibration reports for each individual piece of metrology that was used.

Does everybody need the Backup Documentation? Usually not, but enough customers request these so it is a service that we offer.  Quite often the reason why our first tier customer will request the additional supporting calibration reports is because they are manufacturing complex assemblies that their higher tier customers are procuring with the aforementioned unbroken chain back to NIST as a purchase order flow down requirement.

Next, we have the sentence, “This validation was accomplished by qualified personnel directed by controlled procedures” This gives us an opportunity to tell a little about our ISO 9001:2015 Quality System. As a key part of our system, all assembly and calibration personnel must complete rigorous training and demonstrate proficiency before working on either the Flow Products or Vacuum Products Teams. Also, every product or subassembly acceptance test, that has a measurable output, is controlled by a top tier Quality System Procedure. The procedures, training program, in fact the entire Quality System is subject to routine internal audit program, third party surveillance audits, and third party ISO 9001:2015 certification audits.

Now what about the statement, “The accuracy of this calibration for any gas other than the actual gas used may be subject to theoretical corrections”?  There are certain gases which are hazardous and/or corrosive. While our flow meters and controllers are quite suitable for use in many of these gases, there are several of the gases that we have never (and will never) allow into our facility. So, we use theoretical corrections to map the output of our flow products using the calibration gas to the output for the user’s gas.

We are very proud of our metrology and quality programs. And we welcome your questions. If you have a question about mass flow controllers, vacuum gauges, or just want more information about a Calibration Report, we are here to help. You can contact us at hastings_instruments@teledyne.com  or call 757-723-6531 (800-950-2468).

Teledyne Hastings is working to expand our throughput so that we can better serve our customers by meeting increased demand while decreasing lead times. Over the last several months, we have added and improved calibration systems in both our vacuum and flow production areas. We have also purchased a new vacuum furnace which increases our production capacity. In this blog, we will describe what a vacuum furnace is, how it functions, and how we use it.

A picture of our newest vacuum furnace is shown below.  The three major components of the vacuum furnace, from left to right, are the high-speed diffusion pump, the vacuum chamber with a high temperature hot zone, and the control cabinet. The diffusion pump is capable of pumping 180,000 lpm.  While the pumping speed may seem unnecessarily high for the given volume, keep in mind that the gas load, at high temperature, can be very high. The diffusion pump is connected to the hot zone chamber via a large right angle vacuum valve. The diffusion pump is backed by a rotary vane vacuum pump. Pressures in the foreline can be monitored by using a Teledyne DV-6R vacuum gauge tube. The base pressure of the system, with the heat zone at room temperature approaches 1 x 10^-6 Torr.

 Leon Whitehead at the controls of the new vacuum furnace.

The hot zone is the heart of the vacuum furnace. A picture showing the inside of the hot zone is shown below. The effective hot zone size is 12”w x 12” h x 24” d. The molybdenum rod elements inside the hot zone are resistively heated once the system has reached sufficient vacuum. Under vacuum, the hot zone can reach temperatures exceeding 1300°C (2372°F).

Inside the hot zone. Note the series of Molybdenum rod elements.

The vacuum furnace is controlled by a touchscreen panel with PLC. The operator can select and execute a pre-programmed temperature/time profile for a given task. In addition, pressure and temperature at various locations on the system are monitored and displayed. The control cabinet also includes the transformers, contactors, and fuses. 

Teledyne uses our vacuum furnaces for both fusing and brazing operations - all while precisely controlling the environmental conditions within the hot zone. In a typical schedule, the system is pumped out to its base pressure and then the hot zone is brought up to 800°C. After reaching this temperature, the hot zone is held for a period of 20 minutes. Next, the hot zone is slowly ramped to 1100°C, which takes about an hour. The hot zone is then held there for up to 1 ½ hours.

Teledyne Hastings Instruments is an ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturer and we produce a complete line of instruments for precise measurement and control of vacuum, pressure, and gas flow. Our vacuum furnaces and the corresponding Quality Work Instructions deliver consistent results, which in turn provide our customers with high quality instrumentation. For information on Teledyne Hastings and our Mass Flow Meters and Controllers or Vacuum Gauges, please visit www.teledyne-hi.com or click the button below.

Teledyne Hastings designs and build mass flow controllers for a broad array of markets from clean laboratory environments to heavy industrial installations. Recently, we have been asked to provide our newest line of Digital 300 Flow Meters and Controllers into more demanding environments. And, we are proud to offer an optional IP-67 enclosure, which provides protection against dust and water. More on our product later in the blog.

But first, let’s explore the IP, or Ingress Protection, rating system.  NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) publishes a standard (ANSI/IEC 60529-2004) entitled, “Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures (IP Code)”. The corresponding international standard is IEC 60529. The introduction to the IP Code starts:

This standard describes a system for classifying the degrees of protection provided by enclosures of electrical equipment for two conditions: 1) the protection of persons against access to hazardous parts and protection of equipment against the ingress of solid foreign objects and 2) the ingress of water.

The IP Code rates the degree of protection by using two numbers. The first number describes protection against solid particles; the second number describes protection against liquids. The Wikipedia page describing the IP Code provides a couple of nice tables to help us quickly understand the numbers.

Which now brings us back to the Teledyne IP-67 rated enclosure. The first number, “6”, indicates that our enclosure is completely protected against dust. The second number, “7”, indicates that our instrument can withstand submersion in water up to a meter in depth for up to 30 minutes.

One side note about IP ratings, if you follow the battle between Samsung Galaxy and Apple iPhone, you may have seen an article published by CNET last September (2017). In the article, it was stated that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are certified with an IP67 rating, while the Samsung Galaxy S8 is rated IP68. And by the way, yes… according to Reddit, the whole putting the wet iPhone in rice thing to dry it out, does work.  

In order to claim the IP-67 rating, Teledyne Hastings has sent test instruments to NCEE Labs in Lincoln Nebraska. In general, there are two tests, one for dust and one for water. Aaron Steggs, Senior Test Engineer with NCEE explains, “The testing to receive the dust rating is not trivial. There is a vacuum test on the enclosure to ensure that no ingress of dust can occur. The vacuum pressure used is 2kPa.”

Aaron goes on to explain a little about the water test, “When talking about immersion testing, there is a greater chance of water being forced into any opening due to the weight of the water about the instrument under test.”

In any case, we have passed both the dust and water test and now you can have the accuracy and fast response of the Digital 300 Series in an IP rated enclosure.

For more info about our digital 200 mass flow meters and controllers, please visit www.teledyne-hi.com or click the button below for more inforamation on the IP-67 version now available.

February is the month when citizens in the United States celebrate the history and culture of African-Americans. In early Feburary, scientists from the Pressure & Vacuum Group at NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology) installed a special case designed to hold President Abraham Lincoln’s first handwritten draft of the Emancipation Proclamation and 13^th Amendment in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture. You can watch a video of the installation here:

https://www.nist.gov/video/nist-behind-scenes-installation-emancipation-proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Confederate States in 1863. After the Proclamation, the American Civil War becomes more about the struggle for freedom. In turn, Emancipation becomes law for the entire United States via the 13^th Amendment to the US Constitution.

The priceless handwritten draft is now stored in in a sealed case with monitoring instrumentation. According to an article posted on the NIST website (https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2017/04/making-airtight-case-freedom ), the system tracks pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and oxygen content. The NIST article also says that the system uses 4% oxygen to help maintain the color of the iron gall ink.

Now, another interesting thing we can celebrate about the Emancipation Proclamation is the famous Emancipation Oak. Located on the campus of Hampton University, in Hampton Virginia. Note that Hampton is also the home of Teledyne Hastings. The Emancipation Oak was the site of the first reading of the Proclamation in the South according to the Hampton University Website (http://www.hamptonu.edu/about/emancipation_oak.cfm ). The tree has a diameter of over 100 feet and the oak has been designated as one of the 10 Great Trees of the World by the National Geographic Society.

For information on Teledyne Hastings and our Mass Flow Meters and Controllers or Vacuum Gauges, please visit www.teledyne-hi.com or click the button below

We held a webinar on thermal mass flow meter / controller calibration best practices.  Topics included:

• Equipment
• Techniques and Tips
• Record Keeping / Documentation

If you are interested in calibrating in-house or using a third party then be sure to watch this webinar presented by Teledyne Hastings Instruments and guest speaker Jaime Shanahan of Chell Instruments, Ltd.  

Teledyne Hastings Instruments has been providing accurate, reliable, repeatable flow and vacuum instruments across a variety of industrial and academic applications for decades. Today, we have a fully staffed repair and calibration department in Hampton, VA and Factory Certified Service Centers in Northern California, UK, South Korea and China.  

5 Reasons for Periodic Recalibration:

• Aging / Stress
• Contamination
• Tolerance Shifts
• Consistent Quality of the End Product
• Reduced Process Inefficiencies

As we say good-bye to John Glenn, it is a good time for Teledyne Hastings to recall with pride our company’s and our city’s connection to this great American hero. Now, many people know that John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth. But most people don’t know that the original seven Mercury astronauts, including John Glenn, received their original spaceflight training in 1959 at NASA-Langley in Hampton Virginia which is also our home for Teledyne Hastings.

The Hampton Roads area of Virginia has memorialized several landmarks to commemorate Project Mercury. There are several bridges in the city of Hampton which are named for the astronauts. “Military Highway” was renamed to Mercury Boulevard. And, in Newport News, the Denbigh branch of the Newport News Public Library System is the “Grissom Library”.   

NASA was formed in late 1958 when NACA operations were converted over. Previously, NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) was established in 1915 and built Langley field in Hampton. Now in doing some background reading for this blog, I found it interesting to learn that NACA was created out of fear that the U.S.A. might be falling behind the Europeans in aeronautics and that NASA, in turn, was created out of fear that the U.S.A. was falling behind the Soviets in the Space Race.

In a book entitled The Story of Hastings-Raydist, Carol Saunders points out that NACA did not hire many engineers during the first part of the Great Depression. But, in 1935, NACA accelerated hiring and they brought on Charles Hastings as a “Junior Scientific Aide”. In 1939, a newly hired mathematician named Mary Comstock was hired and placed in an office across the hall. The two were married and together created Hastings Instruments in 1944.

And speaking of mathematicians at Langley, there is a movie “Hidden Figures” (released December 25, 2016), which tells the story of three female mathematicians who were part of the computer pool. Which brings us back to John Glenn. In the early days of computers, engineers did not always trust the results of the electronic data processors. The computer pool, in other words, human mathematicians, were used to crunch through complex calculations. Before his historic flight in 1962, Glenn requested that one of these computer pool women, Katherine Johnson, verify the results of the computer. The contributions of these women to the space program was remarkable.

For more information on Teledyne Hastings Instruments click the button below or visit www.teledynehastings.com

The following books were referenced in the writing of this blog:

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Hampton - From the Sea to the Stars edited by James T. Stensvaag

The Story of Hastings-Raydist by Carol Hastings Saunders