SÄLZER – a globally known symbol for cam switches and power disconnectors

History of the Sälzer Electric Group

In 1956, more than 60 years ago, Mr Peter A. Sälzer decided to develop, manufacture and sell modern switching devices as an independent entrepreneur. Today's Sälzer Electric Group is a globally operating manufacturing and service company that, as a manufacturer of highly specialised products, focuses on cam and power switches. These are industrial switching devices in the range of low-voltage switches up to 1000 volts.

The development of the Sälzer Electric Group can best be illustrated by the key milestones in product development over the past five decades:

The beginning

Mr Peter A. Sälzer's initial idea was to develop a cam switch with three contacts per switching zone as a motor switch for switching three-phase motors. He succeeded, resulting in a significant reduction in the then very important installation depth of motor switches. The idea could be successfully realised with a star-delta switch for colloidal mills used by the leading companies in this field at the time. The world's first cam switch with three contacts per switching zone was enthusiastically received by the industry.

The 1960s

In the 1960s, he established himself as a system supplier in the welding machine sector and achieved great success with pioneering designs for small welding equipment. During the development from step switches with flat sliding contacts to the "SG type series", with double-break contacts and silver-plated contact material to reduce contact resistance, he successfully implemented a number of technical innovations in the field of manufacturing step switches for the regulation and control of transformers and other equipment.

The 1970s

The 1970s were entirely dominated by the turbulent development of plastics. While previously only melamine-based thermosets could be used for the manufacture of cam switches to achieve resistance to creepage currents, thermoplastics based on glass-fibre-reinforced polyamides with fire protection now became a genuine alternative. In collaboration with BASF, as the first manufacturer of cam switches, he successfully developed the "S type series" based on glass-fibre-reinforced polyamides – modified many times over but still in production today.

The path to change was arduous and required a completely new orientation in the tooling structure and a complete reorganisation of the machinery for plastics forming. The necessary know-how was only gradually being acquired.

The 1980s

In the 1980s, the further development of the "S type series" continued and development of power switches of the "H type series" began. To reduce dependence as a system supplier for industrial welding machines, new markets were entered to sell to other users (e.g. manufacturers of switchboards, control cabinets, industrial machines, etc.). In order to unify marketing activities, a "corporate identity" was created to strengthen brand identity. The company philosophy, created by Mr Peter A. Sälzer in November 1986, remains valid in its unchanged form to this day.

The 1990s

The 1990s were characterised on the one hand by consolidation in the welding power sources market, and on the other hand by rapid growth in other sectors.

Following the acquisition of Elgero Schaltgeräte GmbH in Rochlitz (Saxony), considerable effort was made to increase growth potential. After the Elgero products had in the meantime become unsaleable, the shortfall had to be compensated by new product lines from Sälzer.

The H200-A power disconnector series was completely newly designed and semi-automatic production was established for it. Simultaneously, the H400 power disconnector series from 63 A to 125 A was newly developed. The cam switches of the M200, P100, P200, R200 and T200 type series are also examples of our innovative potential in the 1990s.

In order to continue to serve our existing customers and enable further growth in the UK following the cessation of activities of our commercial and service partner there, Salzer UK Ltd was founded in 1992.

The global challenges faced by Sälzer necessitated the introduction of a certified quality management system. As this was happening simultaneously with the integration of Elgero Schaltgeräte GmbH in Rochlitz, a fundamental reorientation of structures at both sites was necessary. We had to make difficult cuts.

The new millennium

With the beginning of the new millennium and continuing globalisation, the demands on customer care also grew. Only through the introduction of a modern product data management system were we able to clearly present the large number of variants of our products through the information materials of our worldwide sales and service organisation. We are proud to be a world leader in our information technology.

To improve access to the US market, which is very important to us, we founded Salzer USA Corporation at the end of 2004. This new company has since successfully established itself in the US.

The positive development of the Sälzer Electric Group continues in the new millennium, also thanks to process optimisation and the development of new innovative products, and we can be confident that the company is well prepared to face the challenges of the market in the future.