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Company Profile: ODU (Otto Dunkel GmbH)
How It Started: The Springwire Contact
It all started with an idea: The Springwire Contact. In 1942 this idea led to the startup of Otto Dunkel GmbH.
The springwire contact has excellent performance characteristics in cycle life, insertion and withdrawal force, contact resistance, and contact reliability. It is used worldwide wherever highest demands are placed on contact performance.
Products and Efficiency
Today, ODU produces connector products based on turned and stamped contacts. Turned or machined contacts are used primarily in industrial and custom connectors. Connectors with stamped contacts find application mostly in electronic and printed circuit board connectors.
In addition to standard products, ODU also develops many custom connectors. Every year, many special development contracts are received from customers from all over the world. We are the single-source supplier for approximately 100 major customers worldwide.
Technical Know-How
At ODU everything is under one roof including:
Production of Stamping Tools
Production of Injection Molding Tools
Stamping
Turning
Plating
Precision Tooling
Machine Tooling
Electrical and Electronic Technology
Automated Manufacturing
CAD-3D
Rapid Prototyping
The depth of production know-how and the breath of ODU's experience has led to leading-edge technical developments. Just a few examples: For a super computer power supply ODU produced contacts for 2,000 A with less than 10 micro ohms of contact resistance! For off-shore drilling platforms a connector was developed which continues to operate at up to 1,000 degrees celsius! For surface mount application ODU developed miniature SMT connectors with less than 0.2 N insertion and withdrawal force, and yet only 5 micro ohms of contact resistance!
ODU is certified to ISO 9001 and has a recongnized quality assurance system. Approval is with VDE, UL, CSA, AQAP4, and others.
The Prototype and Development Order
Product definitions and development problems are often solved with a sample or prototype order. The sample or prototype order, on the other hand, allows the product developer to evaluate the product without the risk of producing the wrong production tooling.
The Company and Our Employees
There are two companies within the ODU group: ODU-Steckverbindungssysteme GmbH & Co. KG Otto Dunkel GmbH. Otto Dunkel is responsible for development, design and production of all products. ODU-Steckverbindungssysteme is responsible for consulting, product marketing, and sales & distribution.
ODU sells connector products worldwide and has sales & marketing subsidaries in the U.K., the United States, and Asia. The ODU Headquarters and Factory are located in Mühldorf, Germany, at the Inn River, approximately 50 miles east of Munich, at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps.
The company is privately owned and is not dependent on any outside funding and is financially very sound. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Jacobi, has been Managing Director of the company for more than 10 years.
The basis for the company's operation is trust: Trust between the customer and the company, and trust between the employee and the company.
Total number of employees is approximately 300. ODU expects a lot from its employees but also offers significant opportunities for professional and personal advancement. A continuous and stable personnel environment is one of the company's features that we are very proud of. A great deal of importance is placed on vocational development and continued education for all employees. The company hires annually about 10 apprentices for office and clerical vocational training and about 15 apprentices for training in the technical design and machine tooling segment. Continuing education is not only limited to the technical area, but is also offered in fine arts and arts & crafts.
It is ODU's goal to maintain this close and reliable relationship with its customers.
For more information, visit the ODU Web site today!
