Storm Copper’s Free PDF Download – A Guide to Flexible Electric Connectors

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Feb 092010

Storm Copper Components, a leading manufacturer of copper electrical connectors, is pleased to announce the creation of yet another product guide designed to assist OEMs, electrical engineers and system installers at solving operational and design issues. A A Guide to Flexible Electric Connectors is now available free as a one-click download in PDF format at the Storm Copper website.

In straightforward terms, A Guide to Flexible Electric Connectors explains how flexible electrical connectors, also called flex braid or flexible jumpers, can solve high-voltage connectivity problems created by vibration from generators, turbines and transformers. In addition to the causes and effects of vibration, the guide simplifies the process of selecting the proper flexible copper electrical connector by offering flex braid specifications and helpful purchasing tips.

After working with electrical engineers for many years, Storm Copper has learned the ins and outs of the copper flex braid selection process. This experience has led Storm to understand that most engineers know how flexible connectors solve the problem of vibration, yet many remain challenged by factors relevant to selecting the best flex-braid connector for a specific application. These factors include physical design features such as connector hole patterns, length, ampacity, strand patterns of copper flex braids and the subtle difference between flat and round copper braid.

One of several product guides from Storm Copper, this new guide to flexible braided connectors discusses all of the considerations required for copper flex braid selection, including a brief explanation of the manufacturing process that provides insight into Storm Copper’s quality engineering. Information about the advantages of tin-plating is also included along with the issue of matching metals to prevent galvanic corrosion.

A handy specifications chart – provided on the last page of the guide – works as a key to simplify copper flex braid selection by displaying significant variables in a spreadsheet format, where comparison of capacity and other characteristics is much easier to visualize.

To access the free PDF download of the product guide, visit the Storm Copper Components website landing page for Flexible Electrical Connectors. The link also appears on this month’s (February) issues of the PQ Newsbeat electronic newsletter.

Storm Copper Components is committed to meeting its customer’s requirements by providing innovative, cost-effective solutions and by focusing on continual improvement of all our products, processes, and services. For 20 years, the company has specialized in the manufacture of custom electrical connectors for the wireless, telecommunications, power and alternative energy markets, serving OEM’s, electrical contractors and system installers.

Click this link for your free download of A Guide to Flexible Electric Connectors.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with co-owner Dan Kitts, please call Dave Krikorian at 1-800-334-2177 or email dkrikorian@stormcopper.com.

Posted by Frank Ross at 2:24 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

Storm Copper Expands its Facilities and Ability to Meet Customer Needs

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Feb 032010

Instead of a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony, Storm Copper Components, a leading fabricator of copper electrical connectors, will mark the opening of their new production facility by cutting a new doorway to join the additional 18,000 square feet to their existing manufacturing plant in eastern Tennessee.

The new doorway has been cut.

The new doorway provides access to Storm's future.

The new manufacturing space will enable Storm Copper to expand into three new fabrication processes to meet the needs of present and future OEM customers. The financial commitment to expand our manufacturing facility to this size was a serious decision at a time when the economy is down, but co-owner Dan Kitts says Storm’s management philosophy is focused on expanding existing business potential with an eye on the future.

“This new facility will enable us to broaden our capabilities to meet customer needs in three new areas, electrostatic powder coating, laminated busbars and the production of extended length busbars. But, we’ve always liked the idea of having room to grow. When a customer comes to us with a request for a new electrical connector requiring a process that needing additional space, we won’t have to wait for brick and mortar construction. With available space we can add a piece of machinery or a process very quickly,” Kitts said.

Electrostatic powder coating is another way to insulate a copper busbar for electrical efficiency and safety factors, and one of five insulation options for laminated bus bar now offered by Storm.

The addition of busbar laminating machinery broadens Storm’s production capability in multilayer copper electrical connectors, creating a significant opportunity for OEM customers in industries ranging from Power Generation, Alternative Energy, Telecom, Motor Control, Transportation and Defense.

Storm Copper also views this addition as an opportunity to add advanced capabilities. The company’s new CNC (computer numerical controlled) punching and precision cutting machine stands at the forefront of these improvements. Once programmed, this machine will robotically punch multiple holes the entire length of the busbar and cut it to exact length, all from the same long bar of conveyor-fed copper, shortening productions times.

For 20 years, Storm Copper Components has specialized in the manufacture of custom electrical connectors for the wireless, telecommunications, power and alternative energy markets, serving OEM’s, electrical contractors and system installers.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with Dan Kitts, please call Dave Krikorian at 423-506-4178 or email dkrikorian@stormcopper.com.

Posted by Frank Ross at 9:41 am Tagged with: , , , ,

Storm Copper Aims at the Global Marketplace with Metric Copper Parts

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Jan 262010

Storm Copper maintains a huge inventory of metric copper bar stock.

Storm Copper maintains a huge inventory of metric copper bar stock.

Storm Copper Components, a leading fabricator of copper electrical connectors in North America, takes aim at original equipment manufacturing companies in Europe and elsewhere by expanding its tooling and copper inventory to include metric copper bar, sheet and tooling. Though Storm has produced copper electrical connectors for OEM’s in metric-dimensioned copper for over a decade, the company believes that expanding its inventory and metric capabilities is the best way to invest in the future.

To meet this challenge, Storm Copper has amassed the largest inventory of metric sized copper bar stock in North America. This huge inventory gives tremendous flexibility to turn around metric copper connectors in a cost and time efficient manner.

“Storm has tons of metric copper on its shelves, 25-30 different profiles of copper bar stock that we can draw from to enable us to save our customers money as well as time. This means we can help OEMs cut cost by giving them the option of using the correct size of copper bar stock, and not forcing them to pay for excess copper,” according Storm Co-Owner, Dan Kitts.

He explained, “1/4 x 4” is available from many sources, and comes close to 6 mm x 100 mm, but 100 mm is just a little less than 4”. When you consider that labor generally runs 10% of a product’s cost and materials around 58%, using stock that is wider, thicker or longer than necessary can mean charging for excess copper, an unnecessary cost penalty from Storm’s point of view.”

In addition to Storm’s massive inventory of raw metric dimensioned copper bar and sheet, the company is equipped with the machinery and tooling necessary to drill, punch and notch copper bar stock to exacting metric tolerances. And by having the resources in place, there is no need for OEM’s to encounter a metric surcharge.

Storm Copper custom busbar fabrication.

Storm Copper Components is dedicated to the quality fabrication of Busbar, Laminated Busbars and Copper Ground Busbars to the exact specifications of OEM customers.


Many of Storm’s customers are OEM’s who already produce equipment designed around European metric standards. The transition from metric dimensioned components to American standards can also pose additional challenges in retesting and certifying equipment. This can add dramatically to the cost of moving a European designed power system to North American production facilities.

For 20 years, Storm Copper Components has specialized in the manufacture of custom electrical connectors for the wireless, telecommunications, power and alternative energy markets, serving OEM’s, electrical contractors and system installers.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with Dan Kitts, please call Dave Krikorian at 423-506-4178 or email dkrikorian@stormcopper.com.

Posted by Frank Ross at 10:52 am Tagged with: , , , ,

Storm Copper’s Depth of Inventory Cuts Pricing and Lead Time

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Jan 112010

Decatur, Tennessee (January 11, 2010) – As Storm Copper Components, a leading manufacturer of copper electrical connectors, expands its fabrication facility by 20,000 square feet, management makes room for a larger depth of inventory, despite volatile swings in the price and supply of raw copper. Because Storm Copper understands how holding one million pounds of copper inventory enables the company to offer better pricing and faster delivery.

According to Co-owner Dan Kitts, Storm’s vast depth of inventory is a critical factor in their success. “Our business serves many OEMs that are very keenly focused on keeping their inventory low. This puts considerable pressure on Storm to meet short lead time requirements as our customers respond to unforeseen opportunities. Our large inventory and buying power allow us to give quotes for copper parts with lower unit cost. And most importantly, we can respond with quick delivery because we have the copper in our warehouse,” Kitts said.

The difficulty in sourcing large quantities of lower cost copper directly from a mill is lead time. Kitts points out the challenge of the market clearly, “Today, with the slow economy, delivery from a mill takes two to four weeks, but two years ago the lead time for a mill order was 16 weeks. And during the telecom bubble, lead time was nine months for copper sheeting.”

“Typically, we give our OEM customers a two week lead time, but there have been several times when a long-term customer called with a crisis and we’ve rushed an order out in one day. We don’t like to do that because it turns the shop on its head, but when a customer is in a jam, we do everything possible to get them out,” Kitts said.

Storm’s copper inventory includes 130 different sizes and profiles of copper bar-stock, copper sheet and copper rod on hand to feed numerous custom fabrication capabilities. Storm also has in house electroplating, a huge inventory of PEM nuts and studs, and all process required to ship copper fabrication assemblies with a consistent advantage of price, quality and exceptional customer responsiveness.

Storm Copper Components Co. specializes in the manufacture of custom electrical connectors for the wireless, telecommunications, power and alternative energy markets, serving OEM’s, electrical contractors and system installers for almost 20 years.

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For more information, or to schedule an interview with Dan Kitts, please call Dave Krikorian at 423-506-4178 or email dkrikorian@stormcopper.com.

Posted by Frank Ross at 10:56 am Tagged with: , , , ,
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