14 Industrial Laser Solutions JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 www.industrial-lasers.com
Avedis Zildjian Company recently installed two LNA Laser mark- ing systems in the company’s Norwell, MA factory. Zildjian is the world’s oldest cymbal man- ufacturer and one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the
United States. Their customers form a who’s-who list of drummers (FIGURE 1), from jazz legends Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich
to rock pioneers such as Ringo Starr of The Beatles, Charlie
Watts of The Rolling Stones, and Keith Moon of The Who.
History
Avedis Zildjian I was an Armenian alchemist in the city of
Constantinople. While trying to make gold from base metals, he
came upon an alloy of tin, copper, and trace amounts of silver
that exhibited a distinctive sound and was resilient enough not
to shatter. Zildjian used his new discov-
ery to create his first cymbals in 1618.
The Ottoman Sultan was so impressed
with the clarity that he invited the alchemist to live at the Topkapi Palace, where
Zildjian made cymbals for the marching
bands of the Janissaries (an elite infantry unit), which would strike fear in their
adversaries with the crash of Zildjian
cymbals. Avedis was held in such high
regard, the Sultan gave him the name
Zildjian, which means “son of a cymbal maker” in Armenian. In 1623, Zildjian
received the Sultan’s permission to leave
his charge to set up his own business,
which he located in Psamatia, a suburb
of Constantinople.
In 1929, one month before the Great
Depression, Avedis III received the
secret Zildjian cymbal formula from his
uncle and began making cymbals in
Quincy, MA. Subsequently, he moved
the family business to their current loca-
tion in Nor well. Avedis III was an innova-
tor, being the first to develop cymbals for
drum sets. He also gave these new cymbals names that are
still used today—crash, splash, ride, and hi-hat.
The business is now 392 years old, having been passed down
through the Zildjian family for 15 generations. Interestingly,
the manufacturing process has remained secret, only being
passed down to the heirs. Currently, Avedis III’s granddaughters Craigie and Debbie run the business in America.
Cymbal formula
To make cymbals, they start with castings made with a secret
blend of approximately 80% copper, 20% tin, and trace amounts
of silver—referred to as “Bell Bronze.” This time-tested ratio of
tin to copper produces a richer, more sustaining sound from the
cymbal. Another alloy consisting of only 8% tin to 92% copper
produces a brighter sound with more high frequencies. “The
secret is in how the alloy is produced,” according to Paul Struble,
VP of operations. “In fact, the director of research and development isn’t even allowed in the foundry.”
After the castings have been made,
they are sorted by weight. A moving
tray takes the casting to a rotary oven
at 1500˚F, which softens it and allows
for stress release. Workers place the
castings in a rolling mill, where they
are squeezed between two large metal
cylinders—like rolling out a pie crust.
The castings become thinner, flatter,
and larger in diameter. Depending on
the cymbal type, the castings can go
through a heating and rolling cycle up
to 12 times. The repeated heating and
cross rolling creates a dense interlocking weave in the granular structure of the
alloy to make them strong enough for
a real beating. The interlocking weave
helps transmit the sound waves more
rapidly across the cymbal.
After the cymbal has been tempered
and pressed to its final shape, they
place it on a spindle, where circular
cutters shear the edges to a set diameter. The diameters can range anywhere
FIGURE 1. Aaron Spears, the drummer for
mega-platinum R&B superstar Usher, is a
Zildjian cymbal user. (Courtesy: Zildjian)
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RICK SLAGLE