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Switzerland: Land of
Giants
By Arthur Visser, Bishop & Associates Inc.
Contributions from Multi-Contact, LEMO, HUBER+SUHNER, Fischer
Connectors, and PRECI-DIP
Switzerland is associated with a wide
variety of unique characteristics and products, ranging from its long
tradition of political and military neutrality to the natural beauty of
the Alps; from its banking facilities to precision watches and
chocolates; to its role as a host for various international
organizations.
For those of us interested in the connector industry, there is also a
side of Switzerland that is less well known, especially to outsiders.
Switzerland, being a relatively small country with just over seven
million inhabitants, is home to an exceptional range of connector
manufacturers. These manufacturers have established themselves over the
past decades as reliable manufacturers of interconnect products,
designed for specific markets and applications. They may not appear in
the top 10 of the largest global connector manufacturers, but in their
field of expertise they are Swiss Giants.
In this feature, we will highlight some of the Swiss connector
manufacturers. But first, let’s have a look at some facts and figures.
Swiss
Connector Companies in the
2009 Top 100 Connector Manufacturers Report
With five companies in the top 100
connector manufacturers, Switzerland has the most connector
manufacturers in the top 100 of all European countries, behind Germany.
Although legally, and in many other ways, incorrect, if we were to add
the Principality of Liechtenstein to this list, we could even add a
sixth connector manufacturer: Neutrik.
Switzerland is not only home to these important connector manufacturers,
it is also a substantial connector market in its own right. Despite its
relatively small size, the Swiss connector market represents about four
percent of the total European connector market. While measured by GDP,
Switzerland’s share is about 2.8 percent (base Q309) of the EU27, with
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries Norway and Switzerland
included.
Next is a short description of five Swiss connector manufacturers. By
clicking on the manufacturer’s name, you will jump directly to the
section about this company.
Multi-Contact
Multi-Contact was founded in Basel, Switzerland, in 1962 by local
electrical engineer Rudolph Neidecker. With the invention of his unique
Multilam technology, Neidecker set new standards for electrical contacts
and laid the foundation of the company’s international success.
The innovative technology is based on precision-shaped contact plates
made of copper alloy, allowing for a number of defined, predictable
contact points. From this concept, a broad range of contact elements,
connectors, and connecting systems for various industries evolved, and
is constantly being developed.
 Technical progress is moving fast,
constantly spawning new applications with specific requirements. In
order to meet this demand, Multi-Contact has specialized in developing
and manufacturing customized solutions on a high technical level.
Sometimes even small modifications of existing products are sufficient,
in other cases new solutions are designed from scratch. Depending on the
situation, different types of contacts and connectors may be combined
and adapted to suit individual requirements. Some of these specialized
products are later integrated in the standard product line.
One particularly
striking example is Multi-Contact’s connectors for photovoltaic (PV)
applications, which were first introduced in 1996. The MC3 was the first
PV connector to go into series production, and set an international
standard which is used to date. The product range was expanded with the
MC4 in 2002, and is being developed continuously. Today, Multi-Contact
offers complete connecting systems, including connectors, cables,
junction boxes, and panel receptacles, and is leading in the field.
In order to meet the increasing worldwide
demand for renewable energy, Multi-Contact increased their international
production capacities considerably. The company’s competence center for
photovoltaic applications in Essen, Germany, relocated to larger
premises with new, automated production facilities. In addition,
Multi-Contact started manufacturing PV products in the U.S. and in China
for a more efficient supply to the local markets.
Through 18 subsidiaries and branch
offices, as well as independent sales and service representatives and
distributors in 46 countries, Multi-Contact maintains a global presence.
In 2002, Multi-Contact joined the Swiss-based Stäubli Group, with a
total workforce of over 3,000. The shared infrastructure allows for
optimized care of the local markets. Moreover, synergies emerge at the
product level, with direct benefits for the customer. A prime example is
the modular connector system, CombiTac, to which Multi-Contact
contributes the electrical components, while Stäubli provides fluid and
gas connectors.
 The global headquarters of Multi-Contact
are still located in Basel. This allows Multi-Contact to maintain their
high Swiss quality standards worldwide, as the company is equally
committed to both tradition and innovation.
HUBER+SUHNER
Based in Switzerland, the
HUBER+SUHNER Group is a leading global supplier of components and
systems for electrical and optical connectivity. Its customers around
the globe in communications, industrial, and transportation markets
appreciate HUBER+SUHNER as a specialist with detailed knowledge of
practical applications and technologies. The company offers technical
expertise in radio frequency, fiber optics, and low-frequency
technologies under one roof, thus providing a unique basis for continual
innovation focused on the needs of customers all over the world.
 HUBER+SUHNER’s motto is
Excellence in Connectivity Solutions. The company is a leading supplier
of RF connectors and assemblies for signal (voice/data) transmissions
and has many years of experience engineering and producing coaxial
connectors. Standard connectors, and those designed according to
customer specifications, are used in many different applications, e.g.
cabinet to cabinet, racks, panel to filters, printed computer boards
(PCB), daughter cards to motherboards, and various cable
interconnections. In addition to connectors, cables, and cable
assemblies, HUBER+SUHNER manufactures a wide range of antenna, lightning
protectors, and adaptors. HUBER+SUHNER boast in-depth know-how in
various fields: digital, microwave, passive inter-modulation (pIM), high
power handling, low consumption, light weight, packaging, board-to-board
interconnections, and antenna technology.
HUBER+SUHNER also offers a broad range of fiber optic connectors.
Besides the traditional range, they developed and produce the well-known
ODC connector family. The recently developed Q-ODC push-pull connector
sets new standards for harsh environment connectivity. It is the
smallest and most robust design in its class and has an outstanding
coupling mechanism. The push-pull mechanism allows easy and fast
installation, while at the same time it provides highest installation
safety, since only two defined mating states are possible—either mated
or unmated—nothing else.
LEMO
Switzerland has a long
history of manufacturing precision mechanical parts. Watch manufacturing
started around the 17th century in the Swiss Jura mountains
between Geneva and Basel, and simultaneously in the south of Germany in
the Black Forest (cuckoo clocks). In the mountains during the winter,
heavy snow would cover the landscape from October to March and cut off
some areas from the rest of the world. To increase their revenue,
farmers started working indoors during the winter season, and they soon
became proficient in watchmaking. Famous watch manufacturers, such as
Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-Lecoultre, and Rolex, emerged, followed by a
number of companies manufacturing engineering tools and equipment.
LEMO started manufacturing
electrical contacts in precious metals in 1946, and two years later,
electrical connectors. From the beginning, LEMO has been able to draw on
the local expertise and know-how of well-trained operators coming from
the precision mechanic sector, and who were proficient in working with
the metal lathe equipment used in the watch industry. In August 1957, a
patent application for push-pull connectors was registered at the Swiss
Federal Institute of Intellectual Property. Since then, LEMO has become
a leading provider in the market of connectors, along with other Swiss
manufacturers. More recently, LEMO has invested heavily in new premises
in Delémont, Switzerland, and equipped its factories with new
multi-spindle lathes, automatic reworking machines, surface treatment,
and automatic assembly equipment.
 As a highly vertically
integrated corporation, LEMO closely oversees the vast majority of its
manufacturing process, from procuring raw materials, through tool making
to production, plating, final assembly, and testing.
Today, LEMO’s wide variety
of inserts, configurations, and shell styles allows them to offer more
than 50,000 combinations of connectors. LEMO also manufactures, under
the brand name REDEL, plastic connectors used for dental equipment,
electrosurgical devices, and analyzers.
 Last year LEMO launched the
M series, a connector designed for harsh environment and the military
market. These connectors feature a wide selection of insert arrangements
ranging from 2 to 114 contacts. The key feature of this connector is its
high density; the connector offers a very large number of contacts in a
small outer shell. Recently the connector passed the lightning test
(EIA-364-75). After applying 10,000 amps waveform, the M Series
connectors were intact and showed no signs of damage.
PRECI-DIP
PRECI-DIP SA is a world-leading connector manufacturer. The company
specializes in precision pin and socket contacts, spring-loaded
contacts, military QPL contacts, and custom design solutions, based on
screw-machining technology.
Thanks to a fully vertically integrated single-site production unit, all
operations, from raw material to fully assembled finished products, are
kept in-house, including all steps of quality control and R&D services.
 Cutting-edge, fully automated, and high-speed processes enable PRECI-DIP
SA to be exceptionally competitive on the world connector market. The
company sells its products to a variety of end-user markets ranging from
industrial machinery and automation, to telecommunication networks,
consumer electronics, and military and aerospace equipment. Thanks to a
large distribution network, PRECI-DIP boasts a presence in more than 50
countries. Its success in the market is illustrated by long-term
collaboration with some of the world’s biggest corporations. Adhering to
ethical business practices and an environment-friendly attitude,
PRECI-DIP SA complies with ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 standards.
 PRECI-DIP is inventing, designing, and manufacturing its own production
process and machinery. This allows PRECI-DIP to develop state-of-the-art
custom design solutions. “Custom made” now represents more than 32
percent of global sales. In addition, PRECI-DIP is capable of producing
large-volume orders using the 300 automatic lathes, providing a weekly
capacity in excess of 150 million pieces of brass.
After more than 30 years of leadership in the market for screw-machined
IC sockets, PGA/BGA, and PCB connectors, PRECI-DIP SA has a catalog of
more than 20,000 standard products, in addition to its line of
customized connector solutions.
 Spring-loaded contacts are also an important part of the product line of
PRECI-DIP SA, including innovative, customized, and patented solutions
to give the best performances in reduced spaces. The spring-loaded
concept has been used throughout the market for mobile electronic
devices for more than 15 years, and its use has spread to all other
major industries, including applications involving high power, fuel
cells, heavy duty, shocks, and signal stability critical cases.
PRECI-DIP is also an established manufacturer of QPL military pin
connector AS39029, extended to ARINC aircraft standard, and other
military standard product families.
Fischer Connectors
Using state-of-the-art
technology, Fischer Connectors is a leading company in the design,
manufacture, and distribution of high-performance push-pull connectors.
Known for their reliability, precision, and resistance to extreme
environmental conditions, Fischer Connectors’ products are used in
fields requiring flawless connections, such as medical equipment,
industrial instrumentation, measuring and testing devices, broadcast,
telecommunication, defense, and security applications.
High
quality and customization have always guided Fischer Connectors in the
conduct of its business. With high flexibility of configurations,
including low/high voltage, coax/triax, fiber optic, liquid/gas, and
hybrid, their product range comprises over 10,000 items. Innovative by
tradition, the company contributed to the progress of connector
technology, and many of its developments have become standards in the
industry.
Fischer Connectors is
committed to working closely with its customers to select and adapt
connectors and cable systems that are dedicated to providing a solution
to their interconnect application. The confidence that customers have in
the connector company is fundamental to Fischer Connectors. This is why
Fischer Connectors is committed to:
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Listen attentively to
their customers to truly understand their needs and to deliver
solutions fulfilling even the most demanding expectations.
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Systematically integrate
leading-edge technologies into product development to remain at the
forefront of high-performance connector design and manufacture. Many
of their components and specifications are available in
3D CAD downloadable files
to streamline the design process.
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Continuously improve the
quality management system to guarantee superior precision at every
step of their value chain.
 From
their headquarters and primary design and manufacturing facilities in
Switzerland, Fischer Connectors has a worldwide network of subsidiaries
and distributors to ensure best-in-class service and support to all
their customers. Being physically closer to their customers, Fischer
Connectors is able to provide quicker responses to their specific needs. |
Arthur
Visser
