Officially, productronica trade fair is the leading event in electronics production industry, rendezvous point of about 1 200 exhibitors from 42 countries and 44 000 visitors from 85 countries in 2017 (almost 20% increase over the previous one in 2015, according to the web site). And SM Contact can’t miss it! Indeed, productronica has all features of the New Year holiday: it happens once a year ≈ in the same time (alternately with electronica), we anticipate it, have a lot of preparations and time crunch, we “decorate” our booth, wait for guests, host a party and believe in miracles. Besides, the Russian tradition “how you celebrate New Year's will dictate the course of the next 12 months” holds true – the exhibition largely determines company business scope for further extension. This time SM Contact “costume” (booth design) was inspired by Jonathan Swift famous work about Gulliver. With giant objects, such as pin, cross section in the loupe and bobbin we wanted to emphasize that our hands carefully do a great job. SM Contact “great job” was featured by: - splice crimping equipment - SM Crimp Advanced and ACS 2000 Upgraded, - pin insertion semiautomated machine Pininsert 2200 - and entire quality control product range – micrograph laboratories SK 6000, SK 4000 portable and benchtop versions, EPT 1000 pull force tester and CrimpiX, a hot and hip newcomer for crimp height measurement (we stand up for connections quality!). - Wire harness assembly board was mounted to demonstrate TapiX, a ping-pong racket looking manual taping tool, small but effective “assistant”. All our showpieces won a lot of attention, especially on the part of representatives of automotive and household appliances and electronics industries, cable assemble producers. Geographically, we met many visitors from the Eastern Europe (Poland, Rumania), where automobile manufactures are concentrated now. They were focused on splicing and taping technologies. Majority of suppliers were interested in a package solution for connections full qualification, choosing a “set” of the laboratory, pull force tester plus CrimpiX. Some brought connections samples made by their supplies in order to check quality with our help. We faced with requests such as insertion of 3-4 kinds of pins by two Pininsert machines in assembly line one by one. Engineering services are the profile of SM Contact, which not only produces standard equipment of its product range, but designs customized electrical connections and equipment for their manufacturing. "Dieselgate" (Volkswagen and diesel at large emissions scandal) of last three years generated a kind of engineering boom. Auto groups have to develop electric cars on tight schedule. Terms and volumes - that is what all they are interested in,” - Kirill Turgenev, SM Contact Engineering General Manager notices. SM Contact CEO Christophe Roshardt emphasizes the attention to “historical” company activities: “Many customers came and confirmed collaboration with SM Contact as an expert in splicing and pin technology.” Unfortunately, Mr. Roshardt had to interrupt his participation in order to say goodbye to his untimely gone partner and friend, a big professional and electrotechnical company owner Patrice Cottet, who kept buoyancy and strength to the last gasp. Sometimes unformal communication becomes the beginning of a good connection, that is why SM Contact traditionally gave a stand party. It is a chance to know partners and customers from “the far side of the Moon” and even come closer. A chance to talk to them about family, history and politics, involve in crazy funny dancing, won in arm-wrestling battle and just share some pleasant moments with them. [caption id="attachment_3263" align="aligncenter" width="777"] Our booth in "Gulliver" design[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3267" align="aligncenter" width="777"] SM CRIMPing demonstration by David Barriuso, SM Contact Project Manager in Spain[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3269" align="aligncenter" width="777"] It is PIN insertion zone! Christophe Roshardt, SM Contact CEO[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3271" align="aligncenter" width="777"] Bobbin and its Big Brother[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3272" align="aligncenter" width="777"] Labs zone and “living” there Denis Schr?der, SM Contact GmbH Sales Manager[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3273" align="aligncenter" width="777"] Denis Schr?der[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3274" align="aligncenter" width="583"] Nobody’s left untouched by CrimpiX with our test-drive design: some smiled, others bended brows, several asked about this pattern in.. pink[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3277" align="aligncenter" width="777"] SM Crimp with rotative table (speciality-2017!)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3278" align="aligncenter" width="777"] TapiX tool in operation. Booth hot-spot[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3279" align="aligncenter" width="777"] Remain standing at SM Contact stand party![/caption] [caption id="attachment_3280" align="aligncenter" width="777"] We love our colors, green is for pin insertion, orange is for splice crimping. Perfect party match![/caption] [caption id="attachment_3281" align="aligncenter" width="777"] productronica team[/caption]