23 Apr 2003
3M Makes a Difference
Innovative Products and Technologies That Have Made People’s Lives Better
ST. PAUL, Minn., April 8, 2002 — 3M is probably best known for inventing two of the most ubiquitous office products of the 20th century: Scotch transparent tapes and Post-it Notes. But there are many lesser known 3M products and technologies in dozens of other markets — aerospace, transportation, graphic arts, pharmaceuticals, entertainment and textiles, to name just a few.
As 3M celebrates its centennial in 2002, the following is a partial list of some of the company’s most innovative and lasting contributions which help make people’s lives better (including, of course, Scotch brand tapes and Post-it Notes):
• Scotch Masking Tape (1925) and Cellophane Tape (1930): Created by legendary 3M inventor Dick Drew, these products illustrate 3M’s uncanny gift for solving customers’ problems. Drew conceived the idea for Scotch masking tape by watching auto workers struggle with painting two-tone cars. After workers removed heavy adhesive tape and butcher paper, the paint job was often damaged. Not so with Scotch masking tape! Five years later, lightning struck again when Drew developed Scotch cellophane tape — ideal for repairing torn book pages and currency, patching cracked turkey eggs, posting homework assignments and for thousands of other everyday applications.
• Scotchlite Reflective Sheeting (1939): Spearheaded by researcher (and future president of 3M) Harry Heltzer, Scotchlite reflective sheeting also demonstrates the clear linkage between creative research and customer needs. The story began in 1937, when a Minnesota highway official mentioned to a 3M sales representative that there would be a good market for any company that could create a highway center-striping that was more reflective at night than white or yellow paint. After several product failures, Heltzer and his team developed a glass bead compound that solved the problem. By applying the film on signs so the glass bead compound reflects the car’s headlights back to the driver, 3M quickly became the market leader in highway signage.
• Surgical Drapes (1948): Developed by a team, led by laboratory researcher (and future CEO of 3M) Lew Lehr, 3M surgical drapes addressed the need to make surgical conditions more sterile. In the 1940s, the best a surgical team could do was to sterilize a cloth towel and position it around the operation site, often attaching it with pinchers to the patient’s skin. Often the wound became exposed, increasing the risk of infection. 3M’s breakthrough surgical drapes featured a plastic sheet with adhesive that would stick to the skin right up to the wound edge, dramatically reducing the risk of infection.
• World’s First Magnetic Audio (1949) and Video Recording Tape (1954): Led by a team of dedicated 3M researchers and scientists, most notably Mel Sater and Joe Massitello, the company developed the world’s first high quality magnetic recording tape more than 50 years ago. It proved to be an instant success when legendary crooner Bing Crosby used the tape to pre-record his broadcasts, solving the problem of national time zone changes. Five years later, RCA used Scotch magnetic tape to record television programs for the first time.
• World’s First Photocopier (1951): 3M introduced the world’s first photocopier more than 50 years ago, using technology developed by several company researchers. The business grew rapidly throughout the 1950s and 1960s, playing a key role in the establishment and expansion of international businesses. 3M was a world leader in copying for nearly 20 years and eventually exited the business in the 1980s.
• Scotchgard Fabric Protector (1956): Created by well-known 3M inventors Patsy Sherman and Samuel Smith, both of whom were recently inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame, Scotchgard fabric protector repels oil and water from fabrics, helping to prevent stains and damage. The idea for Scotchgard was born when an assistant in Sherman’s lab accidentally spilled some drops of an experimental compound on her new tennis shoes. Fascinated by the amazing resiliency
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About 3M
3M is a $16 billion diversified technology company with leading positions in health care, safety, electronics, telecommunications, industrial, consumer and office and other markets. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., the company has operations in more than 60 countries and serves customers in nearly 200 countries. 3M businesses share technologies, manufacturing operations, brands, marketing channels and other important resources. 3M is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and also is a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. For more information about 3M, go to www.3M.com or www.3M.com/profile/pressbox/index.jhtml.