Progress Made in HP Production

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The story of Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard starting Hewlett-Packard in a garage on Addison Avenue is widely known across the industry, but as demand for their technology grew, they were soon forced to move on to bigger and better facilities. Regardless of where and when it expanded, Hewlett-Packard maintained a unique and innovative production strategy. These ideas are illustrated across the history of Hewlett-Packard and its international offices, and its signature approach to production and R&D remains a crucial part of the company to this day.

Woman points at a sign showing 181 days without a lost time accident.
Staying Safe: Employee Safety at HP
A cinder block building with a sign reading Hewlett-Packard Co. Electrical Engineering & Manufacturing.
Hewlett-Packard’s First Commercial Facility
A man working at the Swiss screw machine in 1972.
Swiss Screw Machine: Getting in Shape
Mary Henry and two others installing a mosaic at the front entrance of 1501 Page Mill Road in 1960.
Mary Henry Mosaic Mural at HP
Video: Clean Rooms for Semiconductors
Two HP employees in Palo Alto dip-soldering circuits in the Palo Alto production facility in the 1950s.
Going for a Dip: Dip-Soldering Circuit Boards
A woman working on the assembly line at Hewlett-Packard in the 1960s.
Precision Production at HP
Dave Packard speaking at the opening of Hewlett-Packard's Loveland, Colorado, plant.
Mile High: HP Opens in Loveland, Colorado
Photo of the paint conveyer used to help dry freshly painted instruments in 1957.
Watching Paint Dry: Paint Conveyor at HP
Fred Johnstone next to a breadboard emulator in 1967.
The Idea Board: Early Breadboards at HP
Microwave spectroscopy gear that belonged to Hewlett-Packard engineer Howard Harrington.
The Right Tools: Reliability and Accuracy
A group of HP employees have cake and coffee in a cubicle in 1964.
Cubicles Don’t Change HP Collegiality
A photo of Hewlett-Packard's production lines from the 1940s with open spaces and employees working side-by-side.
A New Page: HP’s Production Grows
Two researchers working in a lab at Hewlett-Packard's Page Mill Road facility.
HP Merges Industry and Science Together
Three women working on a production line at Hewlett-Packard featuring Lazy Susans in 1961.
Turntables: Lazy Susans on Production Lines
Photo of a robot on the production floor at Hewlett-Packard in 1983.
Relying on Robots: Production at HP
A multi-ton punch press from one of Hewlett-Packard's Page Mill facilities, in use in the 1950s.
Scaling Up Production
Production line for oscilloscopes at Hewlett-Packard's Colorado Springs facility in 1963.
Cooperation: HP’s Colorado Springs Facility
Photo of Moseley Division employees in the HP breakroom in 1958.
Breakroom Buddies: Moseley Joins HP