Interconnect News: August 2016

By News Release | August 01, 2016

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TTI recently received the award from Amphenol Corporation for Best 2015 European Performance. TTI and its subsidiary Mouser Electronics jointly were honored with this prestigious international award. In addition, TTI and Mouser won the awards for 2015 Best Global Performance and 2015 Best Asian Performance.

Also, TTI was recognized by TE Connectivity as the 2015 Broadline Distributor of the Year for the sixth time in the past seven years. The annual award recognizes TE’s top-performing distribution partners based on sales and customer growth, business plan performance, and TE share and engagement. TTI grew its TE sales in a challenging market and increased its inventory of TE products by 17%.

Schleuniger Group was awarded this year’s ASCO Award for Best Business Transformation. This honor is awarded to the best and most sustainable business transformation in Switzerland. ASCO has been presenting this annual award since 2006. Schleuniger earned the award with its “The Way Forward” strategy, which it developed in 2014 with the support of Helbling Business Advisors. The strategy stipulates how Schleuniger is to generate sustainable organic and inorganic growth. The organic growth is supported by numerous, specifically defined initiatives that are to be implemented within clearly determined deadlines. Previous winners of the award include UBS, F. Hoffmann La-Roche, Siemens Building Technologies, and Kistler Instrumente AG.

Today, PA&E announced that it has joined forces with Agawam, Mass.-based Litron Inc., a leading supplier of laser welding systems, laser sealing/welding/cutting, and other manufacturing services for aerospace, industrial, and medical components. Litron facilities include a complete laser systems fabrication division; a state-of-the-art Class-10K clean-room environment for sealing in an inert environment; as well as a full-service electronic package fabrication center complete with gold-plating and feed-through integration services. PA&E operates out of its Wenatchee, Wash., headquarters, which features 100,000+ square feet of manufacturing space including recently expanded machining capabilities, plating facilities, brazing operations, laser welding, and assembly works.

Molex has developed a Polymicro Technologies optical test bench to measure and validate optical fibers used in astronomy applications. The optical-fiber measurement system measures focal ratio degradation (FRD) in specific optical fiber samples to determine whether the fibers are appropriate for astronomy applications. Light loss in systems employing multimode optical fibers can be manifested as beam spreading (or FRD), which produces resolution loss and inconsistent images in spectrographs. To reduce light losses, instrument designers must quantify FRD and minimize its impact prior to developing key components. The new optical test bench performs those measurements. The Polymicro Technologies unit in Phoenix, Az., is in the process of testing “golden standard” samples of optical fiber cables that have already been verified as acceptable for astronomy applications. By comparing the testing results of new fiber optic cables to the golden standard samples from its customers, the optical test bench can verify or reject new Polymicro Technologies fibers. The samples are being compared and cataloged for future reference.

Additionally, Molex received the Excellent Supplier Award 2015 from the Veszprém, Hungary, plant of Continental AG, an automotive parts manufacturing company based in Hannover, Germany. Continental specializes in making tires, brake systems, and automotive safety, powertrain, and chassis components for the automotive and transportation industries. Continental Veszprém develops and manufactures components for electronic brake systems. Molex received the Excellent Supplier Award 2015 for the high quality of the cable assemblies, customized connectors, and stamped terminals it supplies to Continental Veszprém.

Indium Corporation’s indium metal and indium alloy reclaim and recycle program earns customers an enhanced return on used materials. Indium is used extensively in thermal management, low-temperature soldering, and sealing applications. In many instances, the indium is not fully consumed and can be reclaimed from the process. This indium-containing material can be returned to Indium Corporation for recycling or financial credit. Indium Corporation also offers reclaim and recycle programs for germanium, indium tin oxide (ITO), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), and bar solder.

Hughes Electronics has released a white paper on the WaveWay, a new connection system designed specifically to help reduce the effects of PIM. Investigations between Hughes Electronics and London South Bank University demonstrate that metal connectors are particularly vulnerable to PIM, with studies concluding that the universally accepted multiple-metal-segment design results in return signal paths and the creation of multi-path signal transmissions leading to ghost signals and harmonics. Moreover, each conductive segment creates micro-separations in the transmission path forming intra-media signal transition points. This results in reflections, energy loss, distortion, arcing, and capacitive junctions, all of which negatively interfere with legitimate signal transmissions. The WaveWay is the first connector created to exclusively mitigate sources of PIM. By implementing a single-piece, forward-and-return path mechanism, separations are removed and signals constrained, severely restricting multiple-signal path opportunities and the consequent PIM effects.

Harwin officially opened its new manufacturing center in Portsmouth, UK, which increased its floor space by 33% to expand automation and R&D facilities. The new £3-million, 3000m² building was opened by HRH Prince Michael of Kent; also present were David Fuller, the lord mayor of Portsmouth; Tom Floyd, the high sheriff of Hampshire; and local Portsmouth MP, Penny Mordaunt, the minister of state for the armed forces, plus representatives of local educational establishments and technology partners. Part of Harwin’s company philosophy is to keep all key manufacturing processes – stamping, plating, molding, turning, assembly, and tool making – in house in order to ensure quality and support new product innovation. The company implements a strict policy of replacing its plant and equipment on a five-year cycle and is continually developing automated processes to remain competitive and to keep quality at the highest levels.

Bulgin announced the strategic incorporation of sister company Arcolectric into its business offering, bringing together two complementary connectivity portfolios. By combining these leading product ranges under the Bulgin brand, the company is evolving into a more comprehensive and wider-reaching component manufacturer and provider of engineered solutions to meet the needs of the industry. The integration of the Arcolectric product range will further strengthen the Bulgin portfolio, broadening the selection of components and value-added solutions available, as well as increasing the company’s credibility across a wider customer base drawn from diverse sectors of industry.

AVX Corporation rebranded its revolutionary single-contact technology. Introduced to the market in early 2010 as “naked connector” technology, AVX’s broad range of robust, insulator-less single contacts will now be sold as STRIPT connectors. The connectors are UL-certified single contacts that deliver the same performance as complete connector solutions without the additional space required by and assembly costs associated with a plastic insulator, effectively bridging the gap between hand soldering and one- and two-piece connector solutions. Based on unique board-to-board (BTB) and wire-to-board (WTB) single-contact designs pioneered by AVX, and constructed with premium base contact materials, STRIPT connectors enable engineers to meet stringent cost, performance, and robustness specifications in a wide variety of harsh commercial, industrial, medical, transportation, and solid-state lighting applications.

Avnet Inc. promoted Steve Gomez to senior vice president of sales, Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, effective immediately. Most recently, Gomez served as vice president, area director of the West and Latin America areas within the region. A 28-year industry veteran, Gomez will be responsible for components sales and related strategies within the Americas region. He will report directly to Chuck Delph, president of Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. Gomez succeeds Delph, who held the role since 2009. Delph’s promotion to the role of president of Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas was announced in February and became effective on July 3, with the start of Avnet’s new fiscal year. Prior to Avnet, Gomez spent time in the broader electronics industry on the manufacturing side, beginning with Motorola (now Freescale) as a sales engineer and then with IDT and National Semiconductor Corp. (now Texas Instruments) in a variety of engineering and sales management positions.

Additionally, Avnet’s continued revenue growth was recognized by FORTUNE Magazine, which unveiled that Avnet ranked at 102 on the 2016 FORTUNE 500 list of largest US companies, an improvement of six places from its previous ranking. Avnet continues to evolve its business globally to position its suppliers and customers for mutual growth opportunities. For example, Avnet has already strengthened its market position in its 2016 fiscal year through the acquisitions of Orchestra Service GmbH and ExitCertified and invested in innovative, next-generation market opportunities related to the Internet of Things, embedded solutions, and third-platform technologies. This marks Avnet’s 22nd year on the FORTUNE 500.

Amphenol Industrial Operations (AIO), a division of Amphenol Industrial Products Group, recently opened Amphenol EEC.  This new facility, centrally located in Chicago, Ill., manufactures connectors and cable assemblies that meet the stringent requirements of the Buy America program. Amphenol’s newly acquired EEC division specializes in high-quality prototyping and production of connector solutions. The integrated factory offers CNC machining, tool making, and powder coating, as well as potting and overmolding, and uses local vendors for additional processes. This capability allows for quick-turn delivery and shortened lead times to market. Amphenol will also support MRO requirements and applications for the market from this centralized facility. The Buy America program, run by the United States Department of Transportation, requires that transportation infrastructure projects use American-made products and will only provide government funds to American companies that either use or produce steel, iron, and manufactured goods that are made solely in the United States.

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