A network of authorized secondary distributors stocks rare or discontinued connectors. Every year, thousands of new connector designs enter the market. Many of these products meet the needs of new applications, but others replace a previous generation of a similar product. Typically, component manufacturers anticipate these changes and reduce production towards the end of aRead More

In traditional office environments, Ethernet connections are typically made using the standard RJ45 connector. However, when Ethernet migrates to industrial environments, a wide range of contaminants come into play, making M12 connectors a more durable choice. Ethernet first came into use in computer networking technologies in the 1980s, providing communications on local and wide areaRead More

The Connected Factory Exchange (IPC-CFX) is a new IoT standard that guides Industry 4.0 applications. As Industry 4.0 comes into widespread use, the global trade association IPC saw a need to develop a standard to guide applications that operate within these connected and automated smart factory systems. The new Connected Factory Exchange, or IPC-CFX, isRead More

This single-channel FM radio is a rare example of US-made consumer electronics. Could other companies pull off this feat of manufacturing? The product made its debut on Kickstarter, as so many electronics startups do these days. But unlike most projects that appear on the crowdsourcing site, the Public Radio isn’t an attempt to get aRead More

By Pete Doyon, VP Product Management, Schleuniger Today’s mobile electronics are smaller, thinner, and lighter. Yet mobile devices such as cell phones, tablets, and portable GPS units are more powerful than ever. Wireless Internet connectivity, RFID, and Bluetooth have become essential applications in today’s electronics, and these capabilities require more complex transmission mechanisms, increasing theRead More

Robots and customizable PCB materials help Onanon streamline production of medical connectors The connector industry has evolved around a group of fundamental manufacturing processes: Stamping reel-to-reel Electroplating processes (either reel-to-reel or batch-plating in tanks) Molded housings Automated high speed machines that singulate contacts and insert them into the housings The advantages of manufacturing connectors thisRead More

As the need for smaller cable assemblies continues, speed, precision, and quality control will be hot topics among manufacturers dealing with ultraminiature RF cable assemblies.     The key trend in mobile electronics today is to make products that are smaller, thinner, and lighter, yet mobile electronic devices, such as cell phones, tablets, and portableRead More

Can the same connector be used in both through-hole reflow and surface-mount device processes? Weidmuller looks at how pin length can make all the difference in meeting the requirements of IPC-A-610 E. Today’s PCB is a platform for electronic components that creates circuits varying from simple to highly sophisticated. Requirements such as the miniaturization of components,Read More

Manufacturers of rolling stock require high-quality electrical connection systems, and there is increasing demand for custom-tailored railway cabling solutions from connector manufacturers.      Like those in traditional mechanical engineering fields, manufacturers of rail vehicles face the increasing challenges of higher costs and time-to-market pressures. Electrical connections and cabling are one area where they canRead More

Larger manufacturers have employed manufacturing execution systems for years, but many small-to-medium-sized enterprises have yet to adopt such systems. Schleuniger’s Pete Doyon says that looking forward, even the smallest manufacturing companies will need to use them.   A manufacturing execution system (MES) is a software program that manages and monitors production work in a factory. The MES controlsRead More

Industry 4.0 is the point where automation, the Internet of Things, wearables, and customization converge.   “Industry 4.0” is still a bit of a buzzword, but it gets closer to realization every day. Industry 4.0 refers to the fourth industrial revolution. In earlier articles, we discussed the first (industrialization), second (mass production), and third (IT integration)Read More

For North America, a key concern is rebuilding the high-volume/low-cost electronic manufacturing base, from which more than 100,000 jobs have been lost to offshoring, particularly in strategic technologies and their supply chains. All major regions involved in the electronics industry dwell on this subject – the outsourcing of manufacturing to Asia-Pacific countries. It is a key concernRead More