Swiss Connect 13 - PRECI-DIP SA

PRECI-DIP DURTAL SA · CH-2800 DELEMONT MARCH 2003 · NO. 13Shining GoldThe yellow metal between myths,dreams and technologyContact TechnologyMIL contacts with colour markingPage 3Why Electronica?Interview with Jean-Paul DonzéVP Sales & MarketingISO 9001:2000Requalification of Preci-Dip’s ISO9001 management systemSales TeamMore proximity to customers,better servicePage 5Page 6Page 7Page 7News Flash...Preci-Dip’s Contact TechnologyInnovative power clip design allows up to 50 AmpsPage 8Page 4

PRECI-DIP DURTAL SA · CH-2800 DELEMONTWWW.PRECIDIP.COMLessons of the immediate pastWhy some companies are doing better in dull markets than othersAfter quite a number of years as ProductionManager of Preci-Dip and the last three yearsas CEO, I feel entitled to a few retrospectivethoughts and reflexions.The first: the problems a company has to faceare always the same but, depending on whatthe individual tasks are, one becomes awarethat the same problem can have many facetswhich may be totally different from oneanother.The second: it is great to work with the latestequipment allowing cost-efficient, highspeed production – as long as you don’t losethe flexibility of switching over to new productsand technologies very quickly.The third: it is necessary to have growth, nodoubt about that. However, growth alsomeans that one has to analyse the structure ofthe markets, and to find out the slowly growing,but stable sectors, as opposed to thebooming high risk business opportunities.With all the shades and varieties in between.And – last but not least – it is indispensable toanalyse your company‘s own possibilities togo into these markets with a well-balancedoffer and strategy and with sufficient capabilitiesin production and marketing.Obviously, some of our competitors madechoices they probably regret today. Perhapsthey forgot about the simple fact that everythinghas its limits and the higher the benefits,the higher the risk.The most flagrant example of what can happenwhen managers forget about their taskto move forward without running unacceptablerisks was delivered lately by E-commerce,the virtual marketplace. Countless companieswiped away and billions of invested capitallost – in no time. A painful experience.However – in spite of the serious setback suf-fered by so many dotcoms – E-commerce stilloffers excellent opportunities to companieshandling their business professionally. Justas an example: Ebay, with some USD 10 billionvolume of sales by auction, has publisheda turnover of over 1 billion for 2002. Andincreasing profit.Ebay’s CEO, Margaret C. Whitman says: «Themost important thing in our business is: welisten to our community of customers...» AndEbay obviously uses the Internet the way it‘sbest fit for.In our case, listening to our customers meansthat we have to offer a comprehensive rangeof competitive standard products, to be fastand flexible with specials at reasonable costand to invest constantly in new technologies,in order to make sure that our customers buyproducts which are always the state-of-theart.Preci-Dip, being one of the world’s leadingmanufacturers in machined contacts, fightsagainst the market‘s high risk temptationsby adopting a simple principle: there is nosuch thing as a small customer.Each and every customer is a business partnerto Preci-Dip and deserves to be treated assuch. We may not always be able to do exactlywhat is asked for in the first place, but we willalways try to help with technical advice, goodproposals and may be alternative solutions.The key word is customer satisfaction.Because, after all, the real assets of a companycan only be found in its customer base.Sincerely,Pierre Lehmann, CEOinfo and products online : www.precidip.comCONNECT US !Preci-Dip Durtal SARue Saint-Maurice 34, P.O.Box 341CH-2800 Delémont / SwitzerlandPhone: +41 (0)32 421 04 00Fax: +41 (0)32 421 04 01E-mail: sales@precidip.comSwiss Connect is a free newsletter published by Preci-Dip Durtal SA and is available on paper and PDFfile. For detailed product information please contact your Preci-Dip dealer (see address on bottomof page 8) or call Preci-Dip Durtal International Division at CH-2800 Delémont (Switzerland).2

PRECI-DIP DURTAL SA · CH-2800 DELEMONTWWW.PRECIDIP.COMShining GoldThe yellow metal between myths, dreams and technologyGold, gold, gold...Hardly anyone is totally insensitive to theattraction of this precious metal whichappears in mythology, folkore, in the Bibleand in countless verbal or written tales. Itis the raw material of the goldsmith, thetrading good of dealers at the bullion marketand a safe value in times of destitution orweakening currencies.No doubt, gold has an emotional emanationto humans who associate it with wealth,prosperity and luck. Terms like gold fever,gold rush or gold digger and their historicalbackground are known to everbody andprove the importance gold has in the mindsof people...Yet, this extraordinary noble metal also hasphysical qualities, making it indispensable inmodern technology.Gold in connector technologyGold is expensive, as everybody knows. Inspite of the many attemps to find a substitutewith equal qualities, the use of gold inelectroplating connector contacts is stillinevitable.Producing gold deposits with precisely controlledthickness and homogeneity is a complicatedprocess. Also, the price of this rawmaterial prohibits any kind of waste.Before arriving in the hands of our electroplatingexperts, the gold is bought at thegold exchange and transferred in the form ofsecurity papiers to a company specialisingin transforming the metal to gold cyanideand potassium salt.Only now is it suitable to produce golddeposits by an electroplating process.The technical properties of goldGold has lubricating properties, is non-corrosiveand an excellent electrical conductor– exactly what connector technologyrequires:- Resistance to wiping friction: Thanks tothe ductile gold deposit on a hard nickellayer, the wiping friction properties areexcellent for contacts. The lubricating goldlayer has a thickness varying between 0.1and 1.27 µm.- Resistance to corrosion: the anti-corrosiveproperties of gold are well known;together with the hard nickel underlayer itensures the durability of the contacts.- Good conductivity: low electrical resistanceis vital for low voltage signal connectionsand reduces the heating effectwhen high currents are applied.All that glistens is not gold, but we preferto use the real thing as it has an importantshare in the quality of our contacts. Ensuringthe quality of our products at a high levelrequires a certain amount of intrasigencein the choice of materials and methods. Interms of a good cost-performance ratio, thisis certainly not a disadvantage.Gold, processed for use in electroplating linesNo more lead in tin platings:Tin platings are widely used in electronics.The tin-lead alloys, preferred for theirexcellent technical properties and lowcost, have been a matter of controversialdiscussions for quite some time becauseof the toxicity of the lead.The Commission of Conciliation betweenthe European Parliament and the Councilof Ministers has now decided that theEuropean directive concerning the banningof the use of lead, considered to bea dangerous substance, will be effectiveas of the 1st July, 2006. In parallel, theJapanese Electronic Industries TradeAssociation JEITA has banned lead as ofthe end 2005.Research for other, non-toxic alloys, ispresently under way in order to fulfill theEU regulations in due time.Automatic plating linesTechnical characteristics of gold platingsGold Alloy :99.8% Au / 0.2% NiDensity of the deposit : 17.5 g/cm 3Standard thickness of gold layer : 0.1 to .75 µmThickness of nickel underlayer : 2.5 µmHardness of gold layer :150 Vickers approx.Hardness of nickel underlayer :400 Vickers approx.Contact resistance :1.5 to 2.5 mΩConductivity : 45 m /Ω*mm 23

PRECI-DIP DURTAL SA · CH-2800 DELEMONTWWW.PRECIDIP.COMGoing strong: Preci-Dip’s Contact TechnologyInnovative power clip design allows up to 50 AmpsThe result of this redesign is self-explanatory:with the new clip, a contact of size #16 (forpin dia. 1.6 mm) will operate with the samepower rating as a contact #12 (2.4 mm dia.).In other words: as compared to the old contactversions, the new power contact willhave the same performance with 1 to 1.5mm less outside diameter. Hence, a connectorwith 10 contacts per row (old version)can now be replaced by a connectorwith 12 contacts per row, with identical airand creeping distances.The basic conceptThe problem our design engineers had tosolve originates from a general requirementin industrial electronics: transmission ofhigher currents with connectors of smallersize.In connection technology, the best innovativeideas are, most of the time, those allowingto build on existing products and solutions.In the case of the new power contact, thepower clip was redesigned from scratch. Allthe same, it fits into existing standard contactbodies – with at least a 10Amp increasein the power rating versus existing contactsof the same diameter. And it matches, ofcourse, with the existing male contacts.The basic principle of the female contact intwo parts (clip and body) is thus maintained– with total freedom in selective plating,just to name one major advantage – and itopens wider fields of application.Needless to say that the power contact alsofits into standard insulator cavities...More power also means more heatIt is an old truth that power transmissioncomes along with thermal losses whichmust be kept as low as possible. The easiestway to handle this problem is to increasethe size of the conducting elements. Sadly,our customers would not be happy with biggerconnectors.The critical element of a separable electricalconnection is the contact point, or betterthe actual surface of the clip in touch withthe pin and – in the case of a two-part contact– with the contact body.In both cases, the geometry, size andmechanical function of the new power cliphave been optimised in a way to improveperformance in terms of:- Lower ohmic resistance for reduced heating;- Increased contact surface between the clipand both the inserted pin and the contactbody;- Improved heat transfer in order to minimiseheating in the contact zone.A solution which makes senseMaintaining the original two-part concept,based on a precision-machined, solid contactbody, with different manufacturingprocesses for each part, has many advantages:- Freedom of selecting the appropriate typeof plating independently for each part.- The machined contact body allows designflexibility thanks to the possibility of easy,expedient changes at moderate cost andminimum order quantity.- Use of brass as raw material of the contactbody instead of costly special alloys. Brasshas very good machining properties, itscost is interesting and the functional propertiesare excellent.- High-speed stamping of the clip for material-savingproduction at low cost.- Fully automatic assembly of clip and contactbody with 100% on-line inspection.- Contacts with power clip are interchangeablewith standard contacts.- Thanks to the interchangeability of thecontacts, mixed signal/power layouts arepossible by using existing standard insulatorswith one single type of cavity.For the customers’ own endExisting manufacturing equipment, most ofthe toolings and, last but not least, QualityAssurance and the computer-controlled productionand logistics system are completelycompatible with the production requirementsof the new power contact.Preci-Dip customers will have the benefits ofthis situation in every respect: better performancewith connectors of identical orsmaller size. All this with a product from amanufacturer whose excellent technical4

PRECI-DIP DURTAL SA · CH-2800 DELEMONTWWW.PRECIDIP.COMqualifications in machined contacts andconnectors, offering cost efficiency andimportant volume capacity.Availability: as of 3 rd quarter 2003Colour coding on contacts for safer identificationColour coding is a widely used identificationmethod for a variety of components inelectronics. Preci-Dip is presently equippedfor supplying colour-coded contacts in conformancewith MIL specifications.Preci-Dip contacts with colour coding arethus suitable for a wide field of applicationsrequiring an error-proof idenfication of singlecontacts.Preci-Dip’s new MIL-approved contact withreversed clip is marked the same way.As published in SwissConnect No11, thiscontact has passed the qualification testsaccording to MIL-C-39029 and is goingto be QPL-listed. Official notice of qualificationby the «Naval Air Warfare Center»is expected in the near future.Crimp contact with power clipColour code marking of MIL contactsMIL contacts with colour markingExternal retention clip offers better cost-value ratioTriple-row power connectorwith 10 contacts per row.Specifications:Contact resistance:Maximum current:Accepted pin diam.:Insertion force:Withdrawal force:Mechanical life:< 1.5 mOhms50 A (1 single contact,unmounted)1.56 to 1.61 mm< 3.2 N> 0.9 N500 cycles min.Derating curve for 1 single unmountedcontact:New assembly line in placeSpecially intended for users of Preci-Dipcrimp contacts, the «external retentionclip» technology offers additional productreliability at low cost.Cable connectors frequently come with separatelysupplied contacts in order to crimpthe contacts onto the wires before assemblywith the connector. This method isrecognised as being the best in terms of itscost-reliability ratio. Mounting the contactsin the insulator requires a retention system,mostly in the form a retention clip whichcan be part of the insulator as in most MILproducts, or be combined with the contact,as in our case.Thanks to our new assembly line, crimp contactswith external retention clips are nowavailable – another step in helping contactsaloneusers to improve their product quality.Retention clip assemblyCrimp contact with external retention clip5

PRECI-DIP DURTAL SA · CH-2800 DELEMONTWWW.PRECIDIP.COMWhy Electronica?Marketplaces, once and today – an interview with Jean-Paul Donzé, VP Sales & MarketingSwiss Connect: «Preci-Dip has been a loyalexhibitor to Electronica for many years,last time in November 2002. Are you stillsatisfied with the results?»Jean-Paul Donzé : «Yes I am. We had manyvery interesting meetings, far in excess ofwhat would be possible within such a shorttime with any other method.»SC: «This may be true if you look at it froma quantitative angle, but how about thequality...?»JPD: «This is a good question. It is alwaysdifficult to judge the quality of a meeting,as long as you have no direct result allowingyou to measure it in terms of sales and money.Personally I think, there is a historicalbackground which has to be taken intoaccount.»SC: «Historical?»JPD: «Yes, historical and profoundly human.Let me explain: The direct barter is probablythe oldest form of doing business – as oldas mankind. As communities began to growand to settle down, hawkers took over. Theywere followed by more organised events inthe growing settlements.Later on, local markets, held on village orcity squares offered more choice, betterprice and quality comparisons. And theyoffered the occasion of exhibiting new productsto a greater buying public. The firstoriginal marketplaces were born in theremote past – with obvious advantages forboth customers and vendors. This type ofmarket has outlasted the centuries and it isstill alive today.»SC: «True, but with the progress of moderncommunication, marketplaces haveevolved into globalised networks and today,a big share of the daily business is a matterof virtual contacts.»JPD: «You are right, but virtual communicationis not a new invention. The oldestform of a virtual contact is no doubt the writtendocument transmitted by a messenger,followed much later by the more expeditemeans of telephone and telegraph.»SC: «Today, individuals who have neverseen each other and who will probably nevermeet, communicate by transmitting electronicdocuments, conclude bargains, placeorders, have goods shipped from one end ofthe world to the other, pay bills. All bymeans of data streams between their computersystems...JPD: «Again – you are right. This is great,this is fast and it is, no doubt, very efficient.Still, to my understanding the traditionalway of displaying one’s company and products,in our case the Trade Fair, is a good,well-tried method. It is, perfectly suited toenhance the quality of the virtual side ofour activities.»SC: «What do you mean by enhancing thevirtual side of the activities?»JPD: «It simply means that we are physicallypresent at Electronica every other year,with new products, expert associates and ahospitable, friendly environment; ready towelcome customers, agents and prospects,ready to listen to them, to give technicaladvice and information – or simply to havea few words of conversation among professionals.SC: «...and you think that this is justifiable,I mean costwise?»JPD: «More than that. Actually, I think thatdoing business of any kind implies that thepartners trust each other. This is a basic principleof sales everywhere. Being acquaintedwith each other is always a good first step tocreate a long lasting relationship. After all,human behaviour does not evolve as fast astechnology. It’s as simple as that.SC: «From what I just heard, can I deductthat you will continue to participate in Electronica?»JPD: «You certainly can.»SC: «As everybody knows, economy is inrather bad shape at present. Even so, wouldyou dare a preview on 2003?»JPD: I have no problem with this. My crewand myself have decided to accept the challengeand we have optimised our organizationin order to be even more efficient, flexibleand market-oriented. Some additionaldetails about this are stated in this issue ofSwiss Connect, I believe the title is: «Movingforward». Of course, it is difficult to makea reliable forecast, but I expect to have a satisfactorylevel of business volume this yearwith may be a small upward trend towardsthe end. For an actual revival, I think we willhave to wait until 2004.SC: «Thank you for these interesting statements.»6

PRECI-DIP DURTAL SA · CH-2800 DELEMONTWWW.PRECIDIP.COMISO Quality Management improves performanceRequalification of Preci-Dip’s ISO 9001 management system due March 2003Requalification according to the latest ISOstandardsOur current certification, granted in 1997expires in March this year. Therefore, ourSQS assessors (SQS = Swiss Association forQuality and Management Systems) will performthe certification audit on the 3rd and4th March based on the new ISO 9001:2000norm.In order to meet the latest standards, wehave reorganised and developed our organisationand quality management system. Itis now based on the process approach, withclearly defined interactions between ourmain activities.Improvement by simplificationOur objectives to...- define a logical system,- simplify and link our documentation to abackbone,- improve our information system,... are implemented and in line with the new,simplified procedures. Our lean documentation,as well as our improved informationsystem are therefore tailored in a way tomatch with our actual working practice.All our processes are presently dedicated toa specific department or service which hasits own objectives, indicators and performancecriteria. This guiding method ensuresCUSTOMERQuotationOrderGeneralmgmtAccountingR & DProductionplanningPurchasingExternalcommunication &technical supportQualitycontrolQualityassuranceHumanresourcesStampingScrewmachiningSpringcoilingMouldingMechanicalworkshopSecondaryoperationfull compliance of the process performancewith the objectives set by the upper management.The elaboration process of ourquality management system has strengthenedour organisation. In addition, it has setthe base for continual improvement, resultingin further enhancement of our globalperformance.PlatingSUPPORTMANAGEMENTRESSOURCESPRODUCT REALIZATIONContactassemblyInformation& computersystemMfgof finishedproductHealth andsafetyPackagingshippingCUSTOMERMoving forward: Preci-Dip Sales TeamNew philosophy to bring more proximity to customers, better serviceSo far, our Key Account Managers have servedPreci-Dip customers throughout the worldwithin a geographically oriented zone structure.This is a simple, efficient method which facilitatesthe planning of business trips andallows them to have a maximum number ofmeetings within a given time frame.On the other hand, it means that each associatehas to handle the full bundle of businesslines, be it in industrial, automotive,computer or telecommunications business,very different from one another.In addition, our distribution partners all overthe world require an even different approach.During the recent years, it has been ourdeclared strategy to diversify our activities,both in terms of additional products and ofnew markets. This strategy proved to be agood one and we will continue to move inthis direction.In view of the huge product range with newlines being added periodically, serving agreater variety of customers andmarkets, J.-P. Donzé, VP of Salesand Marketing decided to havea closer look at the existing salesorganization. With changes onthe product and market side,adaptations might make senseon the sales side as well.The analysis was quite clear: thesame individuals had to handlea more comprehensive productrange and to get acquainted withmore widely diversified technologiesand in addition, specifictypes of customer requirements.When the General Practicionerhas no answer, the Specialistobiviously is the better solution.This was the general idea.Specialising our Sales Team by means of anew, flexible customer/market-oriented structurewill allow us to be more specific, moreNew sales organizationJ.-P. DonzéVice PresidentSales & MarketingKey Account Managers:D. Balléry A. Bourderau P. Bucher G. HängärtnerF. Sommariva F. Subtil K. Wengerknowledgeable when facing specific marketsituations – and more helpful when customersneed solutions adapted to their specificproblems.7

PRECI-DIP DURTAL SA · CH-2800 DELEMONTWWW.PRECIDIP.COMCustomised for top resultsPreci-Dip connectors in use for specific applications60-way connector for parallel PCBconnectionThis connector is equipped with doubleeffectspring-loaded contacts and providesfor a safe, solderless connection betweendaughter cards and the motherboard whenthey are assembled in parallel.The insulator of the connector has pegs atboth ends allowing it to clip firmly on thedaughter card. When the daughter card isassembled with the motherboard, locatedin the housing of the device, the springloadedcontacts establish the electrical contactbetween both PCBs.Preci-Dips unique floating mount permitsan individual setting of the contacts. Thisresults in a balanced spring force, i.e. contactpressure on both PCBs is exactly thesame.Shielded 5-way connector for coaxial cablesEach one of the contacts, designed for miniaturecoaxial cable, connects both the signalline and the shielding contact directly to theprinted circuit board, in order to allow forthe transmission of electrical signals of avery low level (in the nanovolt area).The design of this connector was jointlyworked out with the design engineers of thecustomer whose specifications are quitestringent:- Very good mechanical strength;- Suitable for harsh industrial environments;- Very good resistance to vibrations;- Low product and assembly cost.The connector is used on measuring equipmentfor the chemical industry with highreliabilityrequirements.Spring-loaded 6-way connector for professionalcamerasProfessional cameras with bellows, intermediaterings and shutters require reliableelectrical connections between the cameraback and the lens.Fail-safe operation, mechanical strengthand long life with frequent manipulationsare very important for this type of professionalequipment.The double-effect spring-loaded contacts inthis connector, which is positioned in a«sandwich»-type mount, are ideally suitedfor this type of application.The form and the dimensions of the insulatorare specified in such a way as to matchwith the parts of the camera, made by one ofthe world’s leading makers of high-endequipment for professional photographers.60-way connector with 46 mm overall lengthand customer-specific 2.75-mm pitch and2.5-mm row distance.5-way connector with four cavities equipped,4-mm pitch and customer-specific insulator.6-way connector with double-effect springloadedcontacts, arranged in a single rowwith 2.54-mm pitch.YOU WANT PRECISE CONNECTION SOLUTION ...CONNECT US !For additional information and documentation, contact your local Preci-Dip partner:8