IBM microfilm products
| Company type | Division of IBM |
|---|---|
| Industry | Microfilm equipment manufacturing |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Defunct | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Vestal, New York (development); Dayton, New Jersey (manufacturing) , United States |
| Products | Aperture cards, thermal copiers, diazo copiers, microfilm viewers, cameras |
| Parent | IBM |
IBM engaged in the production and sale of microfilm products from 1963 until 1969, aiming to penetrate a mature market by leveraging a technological advancement.
Background
During the mid-1960s, IBM's Supply Division was responsible for producing billions of punched cards each year but relied on other divisions within IBM to supply the machinery that utilized these cards. Aperture cards—punched cards featuring a window containing microfilm chips—were widely adopted for storing engineering drawings, effectively merging machine-readable data with microfilm imagery. Since no IBM division offered equipment capable of developing or duplicating microfilm aperture cards, the Supply Division took the initiative to manufacture this hardware themselves. This marked their initial venture into creating equipment designed to enhance their supply product offerings.
Announcements
On April 29, 1963, the IBM Supplies Division introduced the Micro-Processing System, which included two desktop microfilm copiers—the IBM Micro-Copier I and II—and a microfilm viewer known as the IBM Micro-Viewer. Later, on December 4, 1964, they broadened their product range by adding microfilm items that combined compact microfilm technology with punched cards processed through a novel diazo photographic technique. This method generates images by exposing diazonium salts to ultraviolet light followed by development using ammonia fumes. Diazo films were particularly suited for reproducing master copies of engineering drawings and archival records. IBM asserted that their diazo copiers were distinct within the microfilm sector.
Product innovations
In the early 1960s, IBM’s San Jose facility recognized the necessity for accelerating the development of diazo photographic materials, as existing film technologies were insufficient for directly processing film chips and aperture cards. Traditional aperture card developers operated slowly, had issues with ammonia leakage, and demanded strict environmental controls regarding temperature and humidity.
To address these challenges, IBM devised a rapid process employing pressurized anhydrous (dry) ammonia gas rather than an aqueous ammonia solution. This approach functioned at ambient temperature, removing the requirement for elevated temperatures to release ammonia vapors. It was reportedly up to 100 times faster than conventional methods while delivering more consistent outcomes. A significant breakthrough was the design of a platen and wash developer that prevented the escape of ammonia gas, which is both corrosive and malodorous. Additionally, IBM engineered a residual ammonia absorber composed of citric acid powder, bromothymol blue indicator, and water to capture any vented ammonia.
Between 1964 and 1965, IBM submitted patent applications for their diazo development process and wash ammonia development apparatus, both of which were granted in 1968. These advancements were comprehensively discussed in the July 1968 edition of the IBM Journal of Research and Development in an article entitled Pressurized High-Speed Development of Diazo Films.
Development and manufacturing locations
Product development was spearheaded by IBM Vestal using prototypes created at IBM San Jose, culminating in the IBM 9950 and IBM 9954 models. The IBM Endicott Development Laboratory was responsible for developing the IBM 9955 model. Manufacturing duties were undertaken by IBM Supplies Division—renamed IBM Information Records Division in March 1966—initially operating in Vestal, NY, before relocating to Dayton, NJ. The distribution of the new diazo copiers commenced in January 1966.
Aperture Cards
In 1963, IBM offered aperture cards featuring either thermal or diazo film at a rate of $35 per 1,000 units.
Thermal Copiers
Utilizing a dry thermal technique involving heat and ultraviolet light, these copiers removed the necessity for ventilation due to chemical fumes.
- IBM Micro-Copier I
- Priced at $825
- Released April 29, 1963
- Designed as a compact desktop device
- Capable of duplicating aperture cards onto other aperture cards
- Typical copying time approximately 15 seconds per card
- IBM Micro-Copier II
- Listed at $925
- Announced April 29, 1963; expected availability in the first quarter of 1964
- Able to copy 16mm or 35mm silver halide roll film onto aperture cards as well as aperture card to aperture card copying
- IBM 9948: Thermal Copier
Diazo Copiers
Diazo film copiers provided a one-step process for copying from rolled microfilm to aperture cards or from aperture card to aperture card. IBM marketed these machines as distinctive for their affordability.
- IBM 9950: Diazo Copier
- IBM 9954: Diazo Copier
- IBM 9955: Micro-Copier Reproducer
- List price set at $65,000 with a monthly rental option of $1,000
- Officially introduced on December 4, 1964
- Accepted aperture cards and could produce up to 2,100 developed cards each hour
- Integrated imaging, punching, and punch verification functions
- Compatible with silver, diazo, or kalvar films and generated diazo copies
- Capable of producing as many as 99 copies in a single operation, controlled by dials or master card punches
- IBM 9965: Diazo Copier
- Announced December 4, 1964
- Desktop console design
- Copies both 16mm or 35mm roll film to aperture card and card-to-card duplication
- Output rate averaged about eight cards per minute
- Equipped with an 8 x 10 inch viewing screen providing 12x magnification for precise alignment and verification
IBM emphasized the uniqueness of these diazo copiers within their price bracket due to their rapid operation, integrated features, and support for multiple formats.
Cameras
- IBM 9951: Camera
- IBM 9956: 35mm Camera utilizing Kodak silver halide Type I Class I film
- Announced December 4, 1964
Microfilm Viewers
Microfilm viewers allowed users to observe microfilm images and, depending on the model, produce prints.
- IBM 9921 Document Viewer Model I
- Price: $300
- Dimensions: 18½ x 18 x 25 inches
- Viewing screen size: 14 x 15 inches
- Magnifications available: 16:1, 24:1, 30:1, and 38:1
- Compatible with fiche (both in and out of jackets) or aperture cards
- Features a quartz iodide lamp rated for a lifespan of approximately 2,000 hours
- IBM 9922 Document Viewer Model II
- Costing $400
- Size: 18½ x 23 x 25 inches
- Viewing screen dimensions: 14 x 22 inches
- Displays two adjacent documents simultaneously
- Magnification options include 16:1, 24:1, and 30:1
- Supports fiche, jackets, or aperture cards
- Equipped with a quartz iodide lamp lasting about 2,000 hours
- IBM 9949 Micro-Viewer
- Priced at $216
- Released April 29, 1963
- Measures 13 x 10 x 15 inches
- Viewing screen size of 8 x10 inches
- Magnification levels at 6.5:1, 7:1,15:1, and20:1
- Accepts aperture cards as well as16mm/35mm roll film
- IBM9952 Standard Micro-Viewer-Printer
- List price set at $3,000
- Announced December4,1964
- Dimensions are36 x47 x51½ inches
- Viewing screen measures18 x24 inches
- Provides15:1 magnification
- Capable of producing high-contrast paper prints up to18 x24 inches
- Compatible with aperture cards or16mm/35mm roll film
- IBM9953 Viewer-Printer Stacker Module
Example clients
Mack Trucks became the first company in the United States to adopt a fully integrated IBM Micro-Processing System for storing and distributing engineering blueprints, thereby removing delays caused by drawing revisions. Their configuration incorporated IBM Cameras, diazo and thermal copying machines, viewer-printers, desktop viewers, and punched card devices, facilitating quicker updates and dissemination of documents.
Avco Lycoming applied IBM Microfilm technology to oversee as many as 50,000 technical files per jet engine, effectively addressing challenges related to storage and document delivery. Their process involved aperture cards created with IBM 9956 cameras and 9955 micro-copiers, while IBM 9922 and 9949 viewers were installed throughout the facility to ensure smooth file retrieval.
Purolator Products Inc employed the IBM Micro-Processing System to manage a collection of 140,000 engineering drawings. Their setup included a 35mm Planetary Microcamera Model 1088 MXUL capable of producing 540 frames per 100-foot film roll, alongside diazo and thermal copying devices. Data transfer was handled using IBM 519 reproducing punches and IBM 557 interpreters, allowing draftsmen and engineers to duplicate aperture cards for both viewing and printing purposes.
Nassau County, New York digitized 11,000 volumes of land deeds onto microfilm, resulting in the recovery of 12,000 square feet of office space. Duplicate microfilm copies were stored offsite, with document access facilitated via IBM 9922 Viewers.
Discontinuation of IBM Micro-Processing product lines
In August 1969, IBM declared its exit from the micro-processing equipment sector. By January 1970, Keuffel & Esser based in Morristown, New Jersey negotiated to purchase IBM’s microfilm-related assets, including diazo and thermal copiers, microfilm viewers, and associated supplies. The transaction was finalized in April 1970.
Although IBM ceased production, certain devices remained operational into the 1980s. For instance, Hyster continued using an IBM 9955 for managing engineering drawings as late as 1982. Similarly, Bruning EMS from Dayton, Ohio advertised ongoing use of IBM 9955 duplicators up until 1986.
Computer Output Microfilm (COM)
IBM never launched a commercial computer printer that directly produced microfilm output comparable to the Stromberg Datagraphix Model 4360. During the 1950s and 1960s, IBM made two significant attempts:
- In the late 1950s at Endicott, IBM developed a CRT-based microfilm printer employing RCA’s Compositron tube; however, this product was never released due to its dependence on vacuum tubes during IBM’s transition toward transistor technology. Subsequently, IBM partnered with Stromberg-Carlson on a printer utilizing the Charactron tube, but it also failed to reach commercial production. A single transistor-based unit was delivered to the Social Security Administration where it remained in service until compositron tubes became unavailable; it was then replaced by a Stromberg-Carlson printer.
- In the early 1960s at San Jose, IBM created the IBM 1360 Photo-Digital Storage System which used silver-halide film instead of traditional diazo microfilm; this system likewise did not achieve commercial success.
Additional IBM products incorporating microfilm technology
Following its withdrawal from the microfilm reader and copier market in 1969, IBM continued offering products integrating microfilm technology for compliance-related applications—specifically document reader/sorters capable of microfilming both sides of checks:
- IBM 3890 Document Processor was sold from 1973 through 2005 and included an optional microfilming feature.
- IBM 3694 Document Processor was available between 1980 and 1990 with an optional module for microfilming.