An emphasis on mil/aero, RF and microwave, and materials and processing capabilities drove significant moves in 2021, as connector companies brought new expertise into their organizations through strategic acquisitions.  In 2021, the connector industry continued to experience shifts in ownership and expertise as companies moved to bring new capabilities in-house with acquisitions. Although the daysRead More

European cities are meeting the call to expand the electric vehicle charging network with some creative ideas — and versatile charging connectors — where space is tight. The widespread adoption of electric vehicles has hit several bumps in the road. However, things are changing rapidly; sales in Europe more than doubled in 2021 over 2020,Read More

From RAST to SKEDD: Insulation displacement technology (IDT) offers solutions for crowded PCBs, including direct mating, flexible placement, compatibility with numerous cable types, and other benefits.  The international terminal block standard for consumer appliances, RAST (Raster Anschluss Steck Technik or Raster Connection Plug Technology) connectors have been in widespread use since their invention in 1986.Read More

Specialized test connectors and equipment help new products meet ruggedness, outgassing, and other performance and compliance requirements.  Instrumentation connector technology is evolving to serve higher speeds and bandwidths, RF technologies (including microwave and mmWave), and the analog-to-digital transformation. Test & Measurement and instrumentation processes have become essential to the development and regulation of equipment usedRead More

COTS connectors have an attractive price point and availability, but they may not hold up to harsh environment challenges. Rigorous testing helps engineers specify non-MIL-Spec connectors that can provide high reliability. By Brian Niehoff Electronic devices are proliferating in harsh operating environments across every industry. As a result, many OEMs require extensive testing on theRead More

The shift from tin lead to lead-free solder has created an unintended consequence that has experts exploring multiple avenues for solutions. Soldering is the process used to secure connections on a printed circuit board using metal alloys and heat. The two most common types of soldering are reflow and wave. Traditionally, solder was made fromRead More

The RoHS and REACH directives, along with rising material costs, have led to innovative new processes and materials for contact plating. In the world of electronics design, great challenges lead to great innovation. Take the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Reach directives, for example. These European environmental directives disrupted decades of common processes andRead More

Cold forming miniature metal components provides cost savings, waste reduction, faster processing, and superior finished component quality compared to traditional machining and cutting processes. Cold forming, also known as cold heading or cold forging, is a manufacturing and metalworking process that forms miniature metal components such as connector pins without the use of heat orRead More

For special installations like the Winter Olympics, as well as applications such as vehicles and devices that routinely operate in cold climates, electronics must be ruggedized against low temperatures. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics showcased human endurance in the most extreme cold conditions as athletes performed on ice, in snow, and in frigid air. TheRead More

Route or fleet vehicles operate near continuously under harsh environment conditions. As electrification expands in this market, it’s critical that connectors can endure the influence of high voltages as well as the rigors of the road. Commercial vehicles operate in uncontrolled environments, subject to heat, moisture, vibration, and dust. For fleet or route vehicles, suchRead More

See Bishop & Associates 2024 ranking of connector suppliers for more recent data on Top 10 companies. Bishop & Associates has completed its 2021 North American customer survey, which evaluated 37 connector manufacturers. A total of 221 customers answered 18 questions relating to important issues such as quality, pricing, delivery, lead times, technical support, website usefulness, andRead More

From miniaturization to new cable standards to bold new materials, cables are evolving in tandem with connectors to enable fast, powerful, efficient design. Innovation in digital technologies is supported by parallel advancements in cable trends. From faster, smaller cables in the consumer space to heavy subsea cables that carry massive volumes of data from oneRead More