MASS GmbH was founded in October 1987 as MASS Sondermaschinenbau GmbH by Franz Klocke and his partner Dietmar Hellmhold. The name MASS is derived from the German terms "Maschinen, Anlagen, Systeme und Systemverbund".

The headquarters of the newly founded company with initially three employees was in Wilhelm-Lorenz-Straße in Geseke. Franz Klocke became managing director of the company he co-founded in 1989.

Precise system solutions for customers in microelectronics

Thanks to his many years of professional experience as a mechanical engineer in the production of printed circuit boards, Franz Klocke was very familiar with the difficulties that small and medium-sized companies in this sector, in particular, encountered in production: Modern and precise machines were needed for the application of solder resist and the production of printed circuits. Although there were already a few of these at the end of the 1980s, they were hardly affordable for the SME segment. MASS Sondermaschinenbau GmbH entered this gap in the market with its concept of designing and manufacturing modular, robust and very precise special machines for this market segment.

Initially, MASS focused on manufacturing handling systems for printed circuit board manufacturing, and in the following years, coating, drying and heating systems complemented the portfolio. At times, control units were also built for the systems until PLC controls became standard as quality instruments in this field. More and more frequently, customers approached MASS with special ideas and requests – and so over time, the company developed into a highly specialized supplier of complex and highly customized systems for microelectronics and industrial electronics. The basic idea was then as it remains today: There is always something new – and we are ready to face it.

Thermoprocessing systems and drying systems complement the portfolio

In the course of the following years and decades, automation and miniaturization in PCB manufacturing developed rapidly – and MASS went along with all the steps: Many new customers were convinced by the quality from MASS and became regular customers, including large corporations and T1 suppliers to the automotive industry. The demands of these customers increased, and the time budget requirements also became stricter. Over the course of the following years, MASS also brought in external expertise so that the product range could be expanded to include ovens for printed circuits and printed circuit boards, and later plugging machines and thermoprocessing systems.

The number of employees grew continuously, the move to a new company building in Boschstraße in Anröchte took place at the end of 2020. In mid-2019, Franz Klocke relinquished the company management and from now on acts as a consultant. Helmut Brinkmann-Klaws has been managing director since 2023, and the company has been restructured. Today, MASS employs 50 people and supplies its broad product portfolio for applications in thermoprocessing, PCB manufacturing and handling to numerous industries around the world. All systems are planned at the plant in Anröchte according to customer specifications, built with a high degree of vertical integration, and leave the factory on time and on schedule as modular and tested systems.