Tribotek Power Connectors tag:www.tribotek-connectors.com,2008://1 2008-04-01T20:20:58Z Movable Type 3.35 Acquisition of Tribotek, Inc.'s Assets Expands Methode's Presence in Power Distribution tag:www.tribotek-connectors.com,2008://1.22 2008-03-12T19:25:17Z 2008-04-01T20:20:58Z San Jose, CA — Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: MEI), a global manufacturer of electronic components and subsystem devices, recently announced that it has acquired the business assets of Tribotek, Inc., a Burlington, Mass.-based technology company.... San Jose, CA — Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: MEI), a global manufacturer of electronic components and subsystem devices, recently announced that it has acquired the business assets of Tribotek, Inc., a Burlington, Mass.-based technology company.

]]> Tribotek designs, develops and manufactures high current power connectors and power distribution systems for products such as power supplies, servers, rectifiers, inverters, robotics and automated test equipment, in addition to various military and telecommunications applications. Tribotek's patented technology power connectors yield lower insertion force and lower voltage drop at the connection point. In addition, its power connectors also reliably handle a greater number of plug and unplug occurrences. The company will be integrated into Methode’s Cableco Technologies business, enabling Methode to offer a more complete range of power distribution solutions and continue the evolution of its capabilities.

"Through the Tribotek acquisition, Methode has expanded its power connection systems and is now able to offer our customers a much broader range of power distribution products and solutions," said Chip Bronk, General Manager, Methode's Cableco Technologies. "Tribotek's advanced technology directly complements our existing Cableco offerings and extends our reach by providing a very robust power interconnect product line. This move will enable us to offer more customized solutions to better support our customers' increasingly complex power distribution needs. We are excited about the possibilities the acquisition holds for our current and future customers."

"The Tribotek acquisition is yet another example of our commitment to growing the Power Distribution segment and offering more complete solutions to our valued customers," said David Ciembronowicz, Director of Sales & Marketing, Methode Electronics. "We believe the acquisition will create new opportunities for growth and help us move from being a discrete components supplier to becoming a manufacturer of total product solutions."

In addition to providing Methode with an established product in the power connector market — helping to complete the link to printed circuit boards, cables and busbars — the Tribotek acquisition will also help Methode advance its busbar product line. Moving forward, Methode will be able to design busbars that are more technically advanced and efficient; providing our customers with more highly customized, higher value solutions across a wide range of industries — from military/defense to robotics to computer/server systems.

Methode anticipates that Tribotek will be fully integrated into its Cableco business by the end of April 2008.

]]> <![CDATA[LowPro™ L Board Connector Delivers More Current, Uses Less Space]]> tag:www.tribotek-connectors.com,2007://1.20 2007-08-16T17:22:26Z 2008-04-01T19:42:22Z Burlington, MA &#151; August 16, 2007 &#151; Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, announces the release of the LowPro L series, a family of high-current, high-density... Burlington, MA — August 16, 2007 — Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, announces the release of the LowPro L series, a family of high-current, high-density board power connectors capable of delivering massive currents in very little real estate, enabling the design engineer to achieve significantly higher power densities and better airflow efficiency in their power system designs. LowPro L connectors achieve their higher performance thanks to use of the award-winning LowR™ contact technology developed by Tribotek.

]]> LowPro L connectors offer a power density that is approximately 60% higher than the typical solutions using legacy contact technology, making them highly suitable for a wide array of power delivery applications where high current density requirements cannot be met by bulkier old-generation products that currently exist in the marketplace. Currently available in a 4 power input, 24 signals, 4 power output contact configuration, the LowPro L connector can deliver as much as 320 Amps of input and return in a condensed form factor that is less than 3 inches long. More contact configurations are scheduled to be added to the LowPro L line in the future.

"With our new LowPro L connectors, we can offer power design engineers a solution that will enable more powerful designs with smaller form factors and better airflow efficiency," comments Michael Sienkiewicz, VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at Tribotek. "Thanks to their use of the LowR contact system, LowPro L connectors can enable applications that run significantly higher currents without concerns about space, thermal efficiency and mechanical wear," adds Michael. The LowR contact system is an award winning contact technology developed by Tribotek, characterized by a socket design that uses pure copper conductors and highly redundant points of contact. This innovative socket design — used in all Tribotek power connectors — delivers higher current density, lower contact resistance, minimum wear and excellent thermal characteristics.

LowPro L connectors feature a 100% shrouded housing for improved safety, and have built-in guide posts that provide better misalignment correction for blind-mating applications. Both pin and socket sides are available with press-fit or solder termination, making LowPro L connectors suitable for mounting on both PC boards or busbars.

A true hot plug contact option for current interruption under load as defined by safety regulatory agencies is also available. LowPro L connectors have been evaluated by the Underwriters Laboratories and meet the safety requirements of the United States standard UL 1977, and the Canadian National Standards, C22.2 No. 182.3-M1987.

LowPro L is currently in production; delivery lead times range from 4 to 8 weeks. Pricing varies depending on volume and configuration, and starts at under $10 per mated pair at the highest production levels. To find out more about the LowPro connectors, request samples, or discuss application requirements, please contact Tribotek at (781) 270-0900 or info@tribotek-inc.com.

]]> LowPro Connectors Deliver Highest Current Rating tag:www.tribotek-connectors.com,2007://1.1 2007-04-12T07:08:05Z 2008-04-01T23:47:10Z Burlington, MA &#151; April 12, 2007 &#151; Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, is proud to announce that its line of LowPro power connectors has been... Burlington, MA — April 12, 2007 — Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, is proud to announce that its line of LowPro power connectors has been evaluated by the Underwriters Laboratories regulatory agency and found to comply with the Canadian National Standard C22.2 No. 182.3-M1987 (CSA) with a rating of 40A per size #16 contact at a 30 degree temperature rise.

]]> This rating represents a significant increase of approximately 60% over the typical performance of legacy technology power connector solutions, positioning LowPro as an optimal power interconnect solution for a wide variety of modern power applications with high current density requirements that cannot be met by bulkier old-generation products currently existing in the marketplace.

"The results of this safety regulatory agency evaluation prove once more the high performance of our innovative LowR contact system," comments Matt Sweetland, VP of Engineering at Tribotek and the key engineer behind the development of the LowR contact system. "Design engineers now have a better option to the bulky power connectors that use old contact technology. Thanks to LowR, Tribotek connectors can enable their applications to run significantly higher currents without the concerns about space, thermal efficiency and mechanical wear," adds Sweetland.

LowPro is a line of low profile power connectors that use LowR power contacts in a form factor that can be as low as 7.5 mm. Thanks to its low profile — approximately 50% of comparable designs — LowPro connectors allow greater airflow efficiency in power system designs. The product is available in various configurations, and also has a true hot plug contact option for current interruption under load as defined by safety regulatory agencies. The product complies with the safety requirements of the United States standard UL 1977, and the Canadian National Standards, C22.2 No. 182.3-M1987.

The LowR contact system is an award winning contact technology developed by Tribotek, which is characterized by a socket design that uses pure copper conductors and highly redundant points of contact. This innovative socket design — used in all Tribotek power connectors — delivers higher current density, lower contact resistance, minimum wear and excellent thermal characteristics.

LowPro is currently in production; delivery lead times range from 4 to 8 weeks. Pricing varies depending on volume and configuration, and starts at under $20 per mated pair at the highest production levels. To find out more about the LowPro connectors, request samples, or discuss application requirements, please contact Tribotek at (781) 270-0900 or info@tribotek-inc.com.

]]> Tribotek Introduces High-performance XQ Drawer Connector tag:www.tribotek-connectors.com,2006://1.2 2006-06-24T17:39:41Z 2008-04-01T23:48:28Z Burlington, MA &#151; June 24, 2006 &#151; Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, announces the release of XQ Drawer, a robust panel mount connector with four... Burlington, MA — June 24, 2006 — Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, announces the release of XQ Drawer, a robust panel mount connector with four size 0 contacts rated at 370A each, that enables the delivery of massive currents by taking advantage of the award winning LowR® contact technology developed by Tribotek.

]]> XQ Drawer is a quad-pole power connector with four high-performance size 0 power contacts that can be terminated to cable or busbar, a robust housing, and alignment guides for great gatherability and mating polarization, making it an excellent choice for rugged, high-current, blind mating power applications. The connector is typically float-mounted which, together with the alignment guides, results in a total gatherability of 2.5mm.

The high-performance contacts in XQ Drawer feature the LowR socket, an award winning contact technology developed by Tribotek characterized by a socket design that uses pure copper conductors and highly redundant points of contact. This innovative socket design — used in all Tribotek power connectors — delivers higher current density, lower contact resistance, minimum wear and excellent thermal characteristics.

When terminated to a busbar, XQ Drawer delivers a maximum rating of 370A per contact (UL), or of 325A per contact at 30 degree temperature rise (CSA), which is approximately 70% higher than other solutions with similar form factors currently available in the marketplace. Since it can handle substantially more current per unit of space than any other conventional power connector of comparable form factor, design engineers can use XQ Drawer to increase the power density of their power design without compromising thermal characteristics, or in high-current power delivery applications where two or more conventional drawer power connectors would otherwise be needed.

XQ Drawer has been evaluated by the Underwriters Laboratories regulatory agency, and was found to meet the safety requirements of the United States standard UL 1977, and the Canadian National Standards, C22.2 No. 182.3-M1987.

XQ Drawer is currently in production, and delivery lead times range from 4 to 6 weeks, depending on volume and configuration. Pricing varies depending on volume and contact configuration, and starts at under $10 per mated pair at the highest production levels. To find out more about the XQ Drawer connectors, request samples, or discuss application requirements, please contact Tribotek at (781) 270-0900 or via email at info@tribotek-inc.com.

]]> Tribotek to Display Expanded Product Line, Give Seminar at APEC 2006 tag:www.tribotek-connectors.com,2006://1.3 2006-03-16T19:14:38Z 2008-04-01T23:50:25Z Burlington, MA &#151; March 16, 2006 &#151; Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, is scheduled to showcase the latest additions to its expanding line of high... Burlington, MA — March 16, 2006 — Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, is scheduled to showcase the latest additions to its expanding line of high density, high performance power connector products at this year's Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, APEC 2006, to be held on March 20th through the 22nd at the Dallas Hyatt Regency Hotel.

]]> To be displayed at APEC 2006 is Tribotek's expanded line of high-performance power connectors, including the LowProTM high-density, low-profile power connector; the InBoard SocketTM, a compliant press-fit socket ideal for power delivery to backplanes; and several drawer-style products for hot-plug, blind-mating power applications. All Tribotek connectors benefit from LowR®, the company's award-winning, high-performance power contact technology inspired in the principles of tribology.

Tribotek's VP and Chief Engineer Matt Sweetland is also scheduled to give an Exhibitor Seminar during APEC 2006. Titled "Design of High Current Density Interconnects Through Locally Compliant Surface Structures," this will be a talk covering the basic design parameters, functional requirements and design trade-offs for high current density power connectors, as well as the basic physics behind interconnects, and the relative benefits and penalties for various design alternatives. The 30-minute presentation will be held on Tuesday March 21 from 4:00PM, at the Landmark Ballroom D of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

To find more about the Tribotek LowR contact technology, see samples of our products, or discuss application requirements, please stop by booth number 89 at APEC 2006, or contact Tribotek at (781) 270-0900 or via email at info@tribotek-inc.com.

]]> Tribotek LowR&#174; Technology Receives PE Tech 2005 Product of the Year Award tag:www.tribotek-connectors.com,2005://1.4 2005-10-20T18:22:17Z 2008-04-01T23:47:32Z Burlington, MA &#151; October, 20 2005 &#151; Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, is proud to announce that it has been selected as the recipient of... Burlington, MA — October, 20 2005 — Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, is proud to announce that it has been selected as the recipient of the "2005 Product of the Year Award" from Power Electronics Technology Magazine, in recognition for its groundbreaking LowR® power contact technology.

]]> "Though rarely in the spotlight, power connectors are critical to the performance of advanced power systems. And despite the importance of these components, breakthroughs in power connector technology are relatively rare," said David Morrison, editor of PE Tech. "Tribotek's innovative redesign of the power contact is exciting because it enables the development of a new class of power connectors that offer dramatically better performance than conventional power connectors. At the same time, the new contacts are designed to be cost competitive with the existing technology, making them useful in a wide range of applications."

"We are very proud and excited to have been chosen for this award," comments Matt Sweetland, Chief of Technology Officer of Tribotek. "While we have always had confidence in our technology, it is gratifying to be recognized, especially when that recognition comes from an authority in power electronics publications such as PE Tech Magazine." Matt Sweetland is scheduled to receive the Product of the Year trophy at a ceremony during the PowerSystems World Expo 2005, to be held in Baltimore on October 25 through the 27. The award will be presented by PE Tech editor David Morrison.

For more details about Tribotek power interconnection technology, see prototype samples or discuss your application requirements, please visit booth number 928 at PowerSystems World Expo 2005, or contact Tribotek at (781) 270-0900 or via email at info@tribotek-inc.com.

]]> Tribotek Unveils Innovative Power Interconnect Technology at APEC 2005 tag:www.tribotek-connectors.com,2005://1.5 2005-03-06T19:35:12Z 2007-06-22T15:22:16Z Burlington , MA — March 6, 2005 — Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, will be unveiling its innovative power contact technology at the Applied Power... Burlington , MA — March 6, 2005 — Tribotek, Inc., an electrical interconnect technology company focused on the design, development and manufacture of high-density power and data connectors, will be unveiling its innovative power contact technology at the Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exhibition (APEC 2005) to be held March 7 th through the 10 th at the Austin Hilton Hotel, Texas.

]]> To be showcased at APEC 2005 is Tribotek's ground-breaking contact technology, designed to significantly outperform any conventional power interconnect solution currently available in the marketplace. This new contact technology from Tribotek will enable design engineers to meet the demands imposed on power distribution systems by the increased currents due to lower operating voltages in modern microprocessors, by using power interconnect solutions with higher performance, in smaller form factors, and at cost levels that are competitive with today's power interconnect solutions.

Tribotek has ingeniously applied principles of tribology and de-coupled two major design objectives — conducting current and generating normal force — resulting in a contact design with significantly superior electrical performance. This contact system features an innovative woven socket design that uses pure copper conductors with massively parallel points of contact. The result is very low milliohm contact resistance, and current densities significantly higher than those of any conventional power contact technology of today. Current ratings depend on contact size, and go all the way up to approximately 700 amps for a size #4/0 contact.

Wire conductors in the socket are woven with an engineered fiber to provide the normal force required for a good electrical contact. This design gives the mating interface very low insertion forces, and minimal wear without the need for lubricants. Because the Tribotek contact system maintains wipe across the mating surfaces, debris is cleared and oxide layers are broken, making it highly reliable and tolerant to thermal cycling as well as vibration.

A flexible manufacturing process allows Tribotek to produce a wide range of contact sizes, from 0.040" to .50", including metric sizes. Various terminations are possible for use with printed circuit boards, cable and busbars. Tribotek also has in-house research and development staff, and will design application-specific power interconnect solutions around this ground-breaking contact technology. Functional prototypes can be produced on a quick turnaround basis for evaluation and testing purposes.

To obtain more details about Tribotek power interconnection technology, see prototype samples or discuss your application requirements, please visit booth number 609 at APEC 2005, or contact Tribotek at (781) 270-0900 or via email at info@tribotek-inc.com.

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