May 2022 Connector Industry News I
Upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry.
May 2022 Connector Industry News I
May 2022 Connector Industry News I > Event News
The theme of ECIA’s 2022 Executive Conference, Bucking Normal: The Resilient Thrive Through Disruption, reflects the growing realization in the industry that a return to normal is unlikely after several years of global disruption. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the conference will take place October 23-25 at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel. “The committee resolved to develop a message indicative of where our industry is going and how we feel after two long years of quarantining, social distancing, and massive business disruption necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, we came to agree that what we want is to do more than survive; shift will keep happening and what we all desire is to be resilient and thrive through disruption,” explained Conference Chair Robert Derringer. Registration and sponsorship opportunities are now open.
Phoenix Contact unveiled its rooftop solar system at its U.S. headquarters on Earth Day, April 22, 2022. The nearly 1-megawatt array will produce 30% of the facility’s energy needs. “We estimate this solar power installation will reduce our electricity costs by approximately $150,000 per year. While a smart business choice for us, reducing our company’s carbon footprint is more important in the long term,” said Jack Nehlig, president of Phoenix Contact USA. “Sustainability and renewable power generation are at the heart of Phoenix Contact’s vision for an All-Electric Society. This is one critical step on our journey to becoming a carbon-neutral company by 2030.” Phoenix Contact partnered with Gatter & Diehl Consulting Engineers and Terrasol Energies Inc. to design the rooftop solar array. Phoenix Contact designed and installed the monitoring portion of the system, which features numerous Phoenix Contact products. Terrasol Energies also installed the solar array on the roof of Phoenix Contact’s Logistics Center for the Americas last year. The solar array consists of 2,185 SunPower photovoltaic panels, which can generate up to 961 kilowatts. A $250,000 PEDA restart grant and a $270,000 grant from the PPL ACT 129 fund helped offset the $1.8 million investment into the solar array. In 2014, Phoenix Contact installed a 1-megawatt Combined Cooling Heating and Power (CCHP) facility. The system provides 65% of the facility’s energy needs and saves the company more than $300,000 annually. With the CCHP and the solar array, Phoenix Contact will generate enough energy to go off the grid on sunny days during the spring and fall.
Newark is teaming up with champion competitive sailor Alberto Riva — oceanic sailor, design engineer and Newark’s brand ambassador — to redesign his nautical autopilot. Newark is enlisting the help of its global element14 Community to develop innovative ideas through its “Ready for Tomorrow” challenge to help improve the nautical autopilot within Riva’s boat to achieve higher performances with better cost efficiency. Members of the element14 Community are encouraged to share detailed, feasible, and cost-effective ideas by May 14. The nautical autopilot controls the rudder and data acquisition. Several sensors perform the vectorial calculation of the wind and gain information about the heading of the boat, including an IMU compass, wind sensor, boat speed sensor, and rudder sensor. The calculated variables are used to keep the boat on a particular true wind angle or on a particular course. All elements of the nautical autopilot work together to collect data to inform the control system, allowing the person steering the boat to adjust the sails, sleep, eat, focus on weather conditions, and move the rudder in the best possible way to optimize speed and efficiency throughout demanding multi-day regattas. “Since Riva is not only a multi-competition winning skipper but also a trained engineer who has worked as a data analyst and onboard electronics expert racing boats, he is a perfect person to team up with our element14 Community,” said Dianne Kibbey, global head of community and social media for element14. “We know our global community of designers and engineers will be able to come up with inventive ideas to further improve his nautical autopilot.” Winners of the “Ready for Tomorrow” challenge will be announced on May 30 and will each receive one item from the prize pool, which includes a Multicomp Pro MC-120 3D printer, a Multicomp Pro handheld oscilloscope, a Multicomp Pro PC USB oscilloscope, a Multicomp Pro soldering station, or a Multicomp Pro handheld multimeter.
May 2022 Connector Industry News I > Award News
TTI Inc. earned a Bronze Medal rating by EcoVadis for Corporate Social Responsibility of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) at its global headquarters. EcoVadis is the leading platform for environmental, social, and ethical performance ratings for global supply chains. The EcoVadis rating reviews companies across several areas that are key to meeting sustainable targets, including the environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement impacts. The latest report from EcoVadis highlights that TTI performed well across all areas, but particularly regarding its environmental and ethics practices. The rating puts TTI among the top 41% of companies rated by EcoVadis, which monitors sustainability practices across 200 industries and 160 countries on behalf of more than 90,000 companies.
Sager Electronics has been named OTTO’s Platinum Distributor for 2021, the only distributor in North America to achieve this designation, and the fourth consecutive year OTTO has recognized Sager for its performance. “We commend Sager for continually providing high service levels to our mutual customers and achieving tremendous sales growth with OTTO’s portfolio of products,” commented John O’Sullivan, distribution sales manager for OTTO.
May 2022 Connector Industry News I > Partnership, Personnel, & Acquisitions News
TTI Inc. promoted John Drabik to president, TTI Americas. Drabik, who joined TTI in 2020, previously held the position of senior vice president, TTI Americas sales and product management. Prior to TTI, he served as president, Americas components at Arrow Electronics. Drabik began his career with KEMET working closely with TTI. In making the announcement, Mike Morton, TTI CEO, stated, “When we invited John to join the TTI leadership team we anticipated his progression into this role. Since joining us he has worked across multiple areas of our company, becoming familiar with our process and most importantly our people. John is a highly qualified, talented individual and well suited to serve all those invested in the continued growth and success of our company.” Drabik succeeds TTI Americas president, Don Akery, who will be joining non-competitor, master distributor Waldom Electronics as CEO.
After 26 years, effective July 1, 2022, Subi Katragadda will step down as general manager of Amphenol SV Microwave. Under his stewardship, SV has experienced tremendous growth, diversification, and organizational development. Taking up the mantle, Andrew Dinsdale will become the next general manager of SV Microwave, effective on July 1. Dinsdale joined SV in 2008 as an application engineer, and since then has worked as a business development manager focused on diversification into the high frequency commercial market and most recently, as director of marketing and applications engineering. In his latest role, Dinsdale has been instrumental in driving SV’s performance over the last several years. As GM, he will continue to push the entrepreneurial culture and people-focused approach that embodies SV Micro.
May 2022 Connector Industry News I > New Technical Resources
Newark launched a new eBook, The Innovation Experts, following its 2021 podcast series of the same name. The free downloadable eBook shares the views of leading global manufacturers on the future of instrumentation for test, measurement, and related technologies. The Innovation Experts eBook provides unique insights for professional engineers and buyers as well as educators and amateur test enthusiasts wanting to stay up to date with the latest trends, challenges, products, tools, and applications. The interviews cover the status of the global test and measurement market, highlighting how manufacturers are developing new cutting-edge technology and products to enable test and measurement engineers to achieve greater innovation. The eBook shares detailed commentary on popular products, tools, and measurement techniques. The interviews featured in the eBook include how test equipment drives hybrid working and remote learning with Mike Purday, Pico Technology; an overview of SMUs with Philipp Weigell, Rohde & Schwarz; disrupting the status quo with portable tools with Justin Sheard, Fluke; a buyer’s guide to test and measurement equipment with Mike Hoffman, Keysight Technology; innovative tools and equipment for battery design and testing with Kai Scharrmann, Hioki; and fast-tracking innovation: Emerging trends and techniques with Brad Odhner Tektronix and Keithley Instruments. Extended versions of all the interviews are available in the podcast series, available on all major podcast providers, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or on Newark’s Technical Resources hub. To download the eBook The Innovation Experts – Series 1: Test & Measurement, visit Newark in North America, Farnell in EMEA and element14 in APAC.
ECIA is offering a series of webinars, entitled Winning the War for Talent, in a partnership with the Association Education Alliance (AEA). The skilled labor shortage is escalating and companies across the globe are facing the challenges of an increasingly complex labor market, shackled by the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality. Others are thriving, armed with analytical insights and surrounded by allies, allowing them to snap up highly performing “impact players” and supercharge their growth. This six-part webinar series delivers key insights designed to help business leaders and decision makers elevate their talent-focused activities. Alex Chausovsky, director of analytics & consulting, Miller Resource Group, will present the material. Part one of the series takes a deep dive into why the skilled labor shortage has become so acute. Alex explains the data in a crisp, concise presentation, offering specific solutions to help organizations adapt and thrive. Part two offered insights into how to attract top talent, including how to make your organization stand out for job applicants. In part three, Alex will share best-in-class hiring strategies including metrics and practices. To attend this session on June 8, 2022, visit Winning the War for Talent – Part 3.
May 2022 Connector Industry News I > Distribution News
TTI Inc. reached an agreement to be an authorized global distributor for Amphenol Positronic. TTI will now offer Positronic’s wide range of world-class, high reliability connector solutions for harsh environment, military, and aerospace applications. Positronic’s D-subminiature, power, rectangular, and circular precision connectors have solid, machined contacts and use PosiBand technology.
Weidmuller Ltd. has signed a distribution partnership with Shelley Automation for the Ontario region in Canada. It is part of the growth strategy embarked on by Weidmuller Ltd. under the new leadership of Managing Director Michael Daly. Shelley Automation will market Weidmuller’s complete portfolio in the Ontario region. That includes I/O systems, industrial Ethernet, relay modules, and power management. Since 1959, Shelley Automation has built strong partnerships with its customer base and delivered cutting-edge automation solutions.
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