How your product is created

Advice. Production. Support. At ODU, we develop customized solutions based on our vast pool of know‐how and expertise. Our decisive advantage? Every single one of our four production and development steps takes place in‐house. This is how we ensure that each of our connections meets your exact requirements.

  • Customized consulting and development of independent solutions
  • Production in compliance with the strictest technical standards and conditions
  • Final inspection and support in our in‐house test laboratories under real‐world conditions

Step 1: Consulting

Your requirements

Your individual requirements form the basis for every successful project. At a face‐to‐face meeting, our office and field staff learn about your specific applications, specifications, and goals. Together with our in‐house manufacturing and quality assurance experts, we thus develop the perfect connection for your requirements.

Our development process

With development centers in Germany, the USA, and China, we are always nearby – no matter where in the world you are located. You thus benefit both from a regional point of contact and the global networking of our in‐house research teams.

Step 2: Design

Feasibility

From idea to prototype – our team of around 100 design specialists will check and optimize the technical feasibility of your connection. Our work is based on the latest scientific standards – we are always willing to go that decisive step further to develop revolutionary technologies. We create initial simulations to accelerate the path to the initial prototype.

The prototype

From the very beginning of the design process, our in‐house prototyping teams use state‐of‐the‐art equipment to create the first dummy versions of your connector. You can then test these dummies to check whether their shape and size are viable under real‐world conditions.

Step 3: Manufacturing

The product

After successful development, the product goes to our in-house production team, some of whom will have been involved in the planning and design processes from the outset. In this way, we ensure that your product can be built exactly in accordance with your requirements and our designs – with no wasted time.

The tools

Not every plug or connection can be realized immediately. If new tools are required, we will design these at the same time. In our tool shop, the required specialist tools are produced via a high‐precision manufacturing process in time for the planned start of production.

Your product solution passes through each of these production stations consecutively

Molding shop

The insulators for our electrical contacts and the housings are produced in our molding shop. They are primarily made from high‐tech plastics with different physical and chemical properties.

Turning shop

Contacts in a wide variety of materials and designs – with diameters from 0.5 mm to over 80 mm – are produced on more than 160 automatic lathes.

Stamping shop

Our in‐house stamping shop produces over 220 million stamping contacts annually using highly automated and extremely precise equipment. With up to 30 metric tons of lifting force, the contacts are stamped out of precious‐metal strips and then bent into shape.

Electroplating shop

In the electroplating shop, special coatings can be used to finish the housings and the turned or stamped contacts. In this way, we can make them more resistant to dirt or corrosion, modify their electrical conductivity, or provide any necessary visual finishing touches.

Assembly

In our assembly department, all the individual components from the previously mentioned areas come together. Depending on the application, final assembly of the connections takes place in various ways – from fully automated processes to manual assembly by hand.

Cable assembly

Besides the connection itself, the choice of cable is important. For additional security and convenience, we offer our customers connectors with preassembled cables as part of our comprehensive, in‐house, complete solutions.

Step 4: Inspection

The testing methods

State‐of‐the‐art test procedures ensure maximum reliability even under the most challenging conditions:

  • Tests to determine autoclavability
  • Tests for harsh environments where product will be exposed to saltwater, extreme heat or extreme cold, for example.
  • Leak tests
  • Vibration simulations

By developing products and creating reliable simulation forecasts at the same time, we are able to create a rapid solution that is cost‐effective for you.

The final checks

At our in‐house Technology Test Center (T^2C) we carry out testing, certification, and final inspections for each new product. By using your specifications as the basis for these processes, we ensure that every connection lives up to your (and our) high standards.

Shipping

Once the product has passed all the tests, it is sent to the customer and is ready for use „out of the box“.