Robert Zahn

As the director of the Vogtländische Maschinenfabrik (VOMAG) at a later stage, he played a major role in the technical perfection of the machines being produced there.

The Plauen firm became one of the leading public limited companies in the engineering sector in Germany under his leadership.

Following a three-year period in what was the world’s largest automated embroidery factory, Feldmühle AG in Rorschach in Switzerland, he returned to Plauen in 1900.

VOMAG gave the gifted design engineer the creative freedom to boost his successful career.

Under his leadership, the company continued to expand its embroidery machines and web-fed printing press divisions.

During his time in Switzerland, he had got to know the further development work to produce automatic embroidery machines with a jacquard loom mechanism, which were controlled using a punched tape.

This marked the start of the Plauen engineering company’s rise to become the world’s largest producer of embroidery machines.

After the expiry of existing patents and licenses, VOMAG supplied a technically advanced automatic embroidery machine, which had been developed in-house, starting in 1910.