December 2024 Connector Industry News
Upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry.
December 2024 Connector Industry News
December 2024 Connector Industry News > Award News
ECIA announced Avnet CEO Phil Gallagher as this year’s recipient of its highest annual honor, the North Star Award. For millennia, the North Star guided those navigators who sought to explore our world and to make it better. The award is so named to reflect the extraordinary leadership, guidance, and perseverance of those who are recognized. These individuals made significant contributions to the electronic components industry over the course of their careers and set the standard for those who follow.
Schaltbau received the German Energy Agency’s Energy Efficiency Award for its NExT Factory in Velden, Germany, the world’s first DC factory. The facility, which has been in full operation since September 2023, has set a new standard of manufacturing. With advanced direct current smart grid components and intelligent energy management, battery, and thermal storage, it can serve as a blueprint for green production in Europe. Schaltbau’s NExT Factory represents a pioneering leap in sustainable manufacturing and energy efficiency. Built with the future of energy transition in mind, the NExT Factory leverages the natural advantage of renewable energy sources like solar power to produce direct current. Unlike traditional factories that convert DC into alternating current (AC) for distribution, the NExT Factory maintains a DC-based infrastructure that efficiently delivers electricity generated from its expansive rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system directly into the plant’s operations. This streamlined approach bypasses the energy losses associated with DC-to-AC conversion, resulting in an energy savings of up to 15%. In addition, the factory integrates intelligent energy management systems that monitor, optimize, and balance energy use in real-time, further enhancing efficiency. Through this advanced energy management and DC grid approach, the NExT Factory achieves a total reduction in energy consumption and costs of up to 35% annually. This not only reduces the factory’s operational costs but also minimizes its environmental footprint, setting a powerful example for the manufacturing industry’s path toward climate neutrality.
December 2024 Connector Industry News > Personnel, & Acquisitions News
The Northern Technologies Group of Companies and the EDAC Group of Companies signed an agreement transferring the business of the Northern Group to the EDAC Group. Both Groups have extensive experience in the industry and carry on the business of designing, manufacturing, and supplying interconnect products used in the manufacture of electronic equipment for the data communication, industrial, and medical industries. The Northern Group includes Northern Technologies Corp. and Lanpar Technologies Inc. The EDAC Group includes EDAC Inc., EDAC (Europe) Ltd., MH Connectors, and NorComp Connectors.
Molex has acquired AirBorn Inc., an employee-owned company headquartered in Georgetown, Texas, specializing in the design and manufacturing of rugged connectors and electronic components for global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) serving the aerospace and defense, commercial air, space exploration, medical, and industrial markets. “The acquisition of AirBorn brings strong capabilities to Molex in the aerospace and defense market,” said Joe Nelligan, CEO, Molex. “Combining Molex’s engineering breadth and manufacturing scale with AirBorn’s expertise in ruggedized, mission-critical products will enable us to better serve the evolving needs of our customers in this fast-growing global market.”
HEICO Corporation announced that its Paris, France-based Exxelia subsidiary acquired 70% of SVM Private Limited. Exxelia is part of HEICO’s Electronic Technologies Group. SVM’s management retains the remaining 30% ownership. Based in Chennai, India, SVM is a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance electronic passive components and sub-systems, including critical magnetic components and busbars, specifically serving the healthcare and industrial end-markets. SVM primarily serves Indian customers, including subsidiaries of large U.S. and European multi-national firms, along with other international clients.
December 2024 Connector Industry News > Partnership and Distribution News
Advanced Energy and distribution partner Sager Electronics introduced the 3×5 Program, a joint initiative that will speed the delivery of fully configured, modular power supplies for design and testing. Exclusive to Advanced Energy, the 3×5 Program enables faster design and application prototyping by allowing customers to order up to three configured power supplies guaranteed for delivery in no more than five days. The 3×5 Program will initially cover Advanced Energy’s Artesyn family of modular power supplies, which offer many configurable features, eliminating the need for custom design. The companies plan to extend the program to cover the Excelsys range of power supplies next.
RS announced its newest supplier, Omega Engineering, Inc., part of the DwyerOmega family of brands. Omega Engineering is an international, integrated, single-source supplier of highly engineered products and customized solutions for industrial process measurement and control applications. This includes sensing, control, and monitoring technologies. The company was founded in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1962 by Betty Ruth Hollander, a 32-year-old mother of four who began making ultra-fine-gauge thermocouples, which weren’t commercially available at the time, at her kitchen table by night and making and mailing flyers, conducting sales calls, and shipping the products by day. Since then, Omega Engineering has established a strong brand identity squarely rooted in its founders’ core principles — an uncompromised commitment to total customer satisfaction, the dignity of every individual, and continuous improvement — and evidenced by its high levels of repeat business and distinguished reputation for providing an exceptional customer experience and connecting challenges to solutions to satisfy customers’ evolving needs.
PEI-Genesis is now an authorized global distributor for XMA Corporation, enhancing its ability to meet the growing demand for advanced RF solutions across industries such as telecommunications, aerospace, defense, and cryogenics. XMA Corporation, an Amphenol company, is an industry leader in microwave and millimeter wave RF technology, primarily focusing on interconnect RF products for the space, aerospace & defense, quantum computing/cryogenics, telecommunications (5G), and Test & Measurement industries. This strategic partnership brings RF attenuators, RF terminations, power dividers/combiners, couplers, equalizers, and DC blocks to PEI-Genesis’ portfolio. XMA leverages a unique thin film process to deliver exceptional RF performance. Each coaxial component is designed with an in-house manufactured thin film chip, and XMA’s expertise lies in thermally anchoring RF signals from the resistive chip to the component mount, ensuring optimal signal integrity.
Schaltbau GmbH announced a sales distribution partnership with Heilind Electronics. This collaboration aims to escalate the promotion and sale of Schaltbau’s Eddicy products and deliver enhanced value to customers across Europe. The partnership was formalized at a recent kick-off meeting. Schaltbau showcased its Eddicy product portfolio, delivering targeted training sessions focused on key industries and applications. Together, the companies explored case studies that highlighted Schaltbau’s commitment to business excellence, underscored by the safety features and energy efficiency of its products. This collaboration enhances Schaltbau’s market reach through Heilind’s extensive distribution network and strong customer relationships across Europe. Heilind’s established local warehouses and logistical capabilities mean that customers can expect faster delivery and reliable support, reducing lead times and adapting inventory to meet specific market needs.
Oklahoma-based FDH Electronics signed an expanded distribution agreement with Amphenol Military High Speed (AMHS). The agreement significantly expands FDH Electronics’ stock offering of high-speed products and value-added capabilities. As a select Value Added Distributor (VAD), FDH Electronics will invest in a wide range of connector components to support the rapid turnaround of these High-Speed Amphenol connector products.
December 2024 Connector Industry News > New Technical Resources
“Growing Tomorrow,” a new documentary produced by Phoenix Contact USA, delves into the necessity and financial viability of hydroponics, aquaponics, and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). The film had its world premiere at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology on November 21. The documentary features interviews with educators, students, and business and community leaders, as it explores whether these innovative farming methods can address the pressing challenges of current food production and availability. Phoenix Contact’s technological solutions play a foundational role in supporting these sustainable farming practices through advanced monitoring and automation processes. Watch the video on YouTube.
December 2024 Connector Industry News > Event News
DigiKey launched its 16th annual DigiWish Giveaway on Dec. 1, 2024. Twenty-four lucky winners will be selected as part of the company’s continued mission to help engineers, designers, and makers accelerate progress. To enter, participants must select one in-stock DigiKey product valued up to $100 USD and comment or post their “wish” on Facebook, Instagram, or X using the hashtag #DigiWish. One lucky name will be drawn from the list of eligible candidates on each day of the contest, with 24 winners in total. All participants will also be entered in a grand prize drawing for a $500 DigiKey shopping spree. The 2024 DigiWish Holiday Giveaway runs through Dec. 24, 2024. No purchase is necessary for the DigiWish Giveaway, and the promotion is void where restricted and prohibited by law. Entrants are reminded that DigiKey cannot grant wishes for export-restricted products in their respective countries. For entries to be collected, entrants’ DigiWish social media posts must be public. Visit the DigiKey website for the complete rules and terms and conditions.
Like this article? Check out our other Product Roundup, Product News, and Connector Industry News features and our 2024 Article Archives.
Subscribe to our weekly e-newsletters, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, and check out our eBook archives for more applicable, expert-informed connectivity content.
- What’s the Forecast: Weather Satellite Technologies - January 14, 2025
- VG-Approved Product Roundup - January 14, 2025
- January 2025 New Connectivity Products - January 14, 2025
