Contrary to the implications of their diminutive name, when it comes to supplying the global electronics market, Littelfuse is a name that’s about as large as names get in terms of outright presence. Known for their longtime market-leading work in the circuit protection field, and more specifically for the innovation of products like the Autofuse, the first modern blade-style automotive fuse, the Chicago-based company has enjoyed consistent growth for its near-century of existence, evolving from the personal laboratory of innovative American engineer Edward Sundt into one of the largest multinational electronics companies in the world. Having made their most recent successful expansion into the sensor field with the acquisition of automotive sensing specialists Hamlin, Inc. in 2013, Littelfuse confidently continues their focused evolution as a leading supplier of a growing portfolio of components and services centered on magnetic switches and sensors.
Today, a worldwide network of resources has put Littelfuse at the top of their game in just about every venue into which they’ve decided to venture, with a new focus on magnetic sensors now steadily following suit. In a recent interview with EEWeb, Gwenn Gmeinder of Littelfuse’s Sensor Group, drew attention to the company’s global perspective as a means to its sustained leadership in the market, and pointed to what he calls “the advantages of operating a truly global system.” By incorporating the idea of sensing technology into their wide existing portfolio and taking note of the idea that “sensor technology very often gets used hand in hand with circuit protection technology,” the Littelfuse team is demonstrating the strategic sense of expanding into relative territory to better serve an existing customer base.
Littelfuse made its initial foray into the sensing world with the acquisition of Swedish company Accel AB in 2012, and the sensing division at the company has since been organized into specialized industrial, consumer, and automotive units. Gmeinder observes how the company’s initial enthusiasm for the growth potential of sensor technology, particularly in the rise of microcontroller devices in an increasing variety of both industrial and consumer equipment, has paid off. “As two technologies that work together, protection and sensing make sense coming from the same source,” he offers.
As Gmeinder reports, the Littelfuse product that still sells in the highest quantities is the company’s simple magnetic reed switch, a longstanding technology that has defined Littelfuse for decades, and one that Gmeinder recalls “was barely saved by the explosion of the computer industry in the 1980s and ’90s.” In the wake of that skyrocketing demand for the reliable magnetic switches that Littelfuse has long specialized in, the company’s accelerating engagement with the global electronics market was irrevocably underway. Over the last five years, Gmeinder details, Littelfuse has grown from supplying an estimated 100 million of their basic switches per year to a current annual projection of about 300 million units. Perhaps not surprisingly, when it comes to the company’s newer sensing devices, a complementary reed switch proximity sensor pairs with the Littelfuse workhorse device. Now, they represent the best-selling sensing device in their repertoire, seemingly only proving the wisdom of an expansion into sensors.
In terms of the different sectors that Littelfuse seeks to serve, industrial applications include automotive, aircraft, marine, communications, and industrial automation to name only a few major markets, and the company upholds the advantages of magnetic components across the board. Automotive applications retain enough individual attention to warrant their own category of products, but otherwise, a wide variety of sensors that require a more robust construction in order to function reliably in high-stress environments are separated from a specialized division of commercial devices that function in more controlled environments, such as home appliances. When addressing priorities in either the industrial or consumer markets respectively, Littelfuse provides a variety of options for a customized solution at every level.
As Littelfuse enjoys the top-to-bottom control of almost every aspect of the creation of its products, the company’s ability to provide custom design also exceeds that of many of its competitors. “Custom design can mean something as simple as adding a new connector to an existing sensor package, but even when we’re looking at starting from the ground up, Littelfuse offers obvious advantages with its wide-ranging engineering and manufacturing capabilities to make adjustments to design requirements without quite as much issue as some smaller companies,” Mr. Gmeinder relates. “Every customized application is very unique, of course, and we love doing intermediate- and high-volume work,” he adds confidently, “but we are happy to be able to take things to the next level for customers if we can provide what they need on a more specific magnetic circuit design level.”
Recently, Gmeinder details, Littelfuse has also invested a lot of effort into Hall effect sensors, electromagnetic devices that precisely measure the output of voltage from a simple transducer in relation to the proximity of a magnetic field, thereby enabling accurate linear or digital output sensing when measured directly, or providing reliable, low power switching when outfitted with ‘on’ and ‘off’ thresholds. In addressing the demand for linear sensing technology, Gmeinder acknowledges that “precision is the word these days when it comes to digital sensing,” not just in the industrial sector, but in consumer applications, too. From the perspective of a company like Littelfuse, the race to update the functionality and efficiency of the world’s old systems remains a tireless effort. “What we’re seeing our components replacing most often these days are mechanical switches, as both switching voltage and current requirements are lower with the microprocessor controlled systems, then both reed and Hall effect technologies are advantageous for the sake of modern energy standards, accuracy and reliability,” Gmeinder tells us. Non-contact sensors are still quickly replacing many of yesterday’s old-fashioned mechanical contact sensors, too, “like those pushbutton switches that control the overhead light in older refrigerators,” he describes.
In comparison, Gmeinder offers, “The hermetically sealed reed switches/sensors and Hall effect sensing products Littelfuse provides, both tested to work for billions of cycles, are small and easily concealed, and resist the kinds of environmental degradation that mechanical switches are subject to.” With good reason, Gmeinder and his team at Littelfuse don’t see much chance in the slowing of the demand for a new, improved generation of efficient magnetic switching technology, and Littelfuse remains poised to provide it.
When attempting to explain the company’s success so far, Gmeinder remarks: “Littelfuse has the history and the raw numbers to prove that their experience with development, manufacturing, and pricing in a variety of different markets brings the company an incomparably knowledgeable outlook on every aspect of its operation.” Awarded ‘Product of the Year’ four times in the last five years by Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine, it’s hard to deny the team’s confidence. But perhaps most important, Gmeinder concludes, is the palpable feeling of positivity among the team at Littelfuse, which undoubtedly stems from the company’s constant willingness to take on new challenges. With the company surging assuredly into action in the modern sensor industry, it’s proving to be an attitude that keeps Littelfuse looking like an electromagnetic force worth taking seriously.
Source: EEWeb
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