History of Innovation
Innovation best comes out of experience, not out of nowhere. We’ve all heard some wild ideas come out of brainstorming sessions. Most of these crazy ideas don’t come into fruition because of people’s experience in the room.
They know that what might sound good at first, may soon go sour—the creation of New Coke notwithstanding. Experience for the most part creates the foundation for the new.
Experience is especially important when dealing with safety and performance. In 1914 the Bussmann brothers creates Bussmann. The company has strong ties to St. Louis, and remains based there.
Over the years, Bussmann has provided fuses for horseless carriages, the aircraft which fought in the Second World War and the Sears Tower. Bussmann developed the first clear window plug fuse. Bussmann, now part of Eaton since 2012, has offered over 30,000 distinct products. It holds over 3,000 patents, including 350 globally active ones.
Bussmann’s success depends in large part on the diversity of products it offers and the markets it serves. Bussmann offers fuses for industrial, alternative energy, commercial and electric vehicle markets. Because of Eaton’s reach, Bussmann fuses have access to markets in 175 countries.
Current Products
One of their major efforts is miniaturization. One example of this effort is their Power Distribution Fuse blocks. These productions combine the power distribution block and fuse block into one block. These products reduce required panel space by up to 65%.
Another example is their line of compact high-speed fuses. They save up to 48% enclosure space. This line was named the Fuses, Breakers and Circuit Protection Product of the Year/Gold in 2016 by the Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine. Worldwide agencies underwrite these fuses that are great quality and safe.
Many Bussmann fuses are well-suited for reconditioning. Using reconditioned or rebuilt components is both environmentally and economically smart.
Raw materials don’t need to be extracted. New components are no longer necessary. Old electrical equipment are no longer tossed into landfills.
And recycling creates jobs. As long as the company doing the reconditioning work follows a robust, high-quality process, no problems from these components should arise.
A Division of Eaton
Bussmann benefits from Eaton’s ability to access a wide range of markets and innovative activities. They supply components for both wind and solar power generation, specifically designed for those markets.
Safety is a key feature—the Finger-Safe Wind CUBEFuse, for example, emphasizes its safety right in the name. Their range of solar products allows for a full photovoltaic balance of the system.
One key facility offered by Eaton is the Gubany Center for High Power Technology. The Center, which is part of the Bussmann Division, provides full UL testing for a wide range of electrical devices.
The entire company recognizes they have an obligation to help people “use power more efficiently.” The company has lowered the greenhouse gasses emitted worldwide by one-quarter since 2006. It works with people to use renewable energy, including hydroelectric, solar and wind. The company keeps the expectations of the 2015 Paris Agreement in mind as they develop their products.
Future Sustainability
The entire corporation is working towards a sustainable future. Its facilities are converting towards LED lighting. In addition to the reduction in greenhouse gasses, the company overall has reduced its solid waste stream by 42% since 2010. Ninety-three of its locations are zero-waste-to-landfill facilities, and all but ten of those are manufacturing sites. The company also works to reduce water consumption; installation of a closed-loop water system reduced water consumption at one US-based facility by over 55%.
Eaton focuses on making cities more efficient. Since buildings use over one-third of the world’s energy, finding ways to power buildings more efficiently is important. That efficiency requires efficient overcurrent protection, including circuit breakers and the fuses made by Bussmann.
In 2016, Eaton opened a manufacturing facility in Casablanca. This plant anticipates to produce energy solutions for thousands of businesses and households in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
The corporate culture at Bussmann also fosters community-mindedness. When people are valued by their employers, they achieve more. With active support from the Bussmann Division, the St. Louis area has become better through the efforts of the people who work for Bussmann.
Conclusion
Being an industry leader is more than producing well-received products. An industry leader also has the means to get those products to market. It creates an internal climate of innovation which consistently upgrades the products to meet the changing needs of the market.
Bussmann, because of its history, clearly produces quality products. It also, because it’s part of Eaton, has access to markets worldwide. The combination ensures that Bussmann products will continue to be at the top of the list when looking at circuit protection solutions.