Bourns, Inc.
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Bourns, Inc. is an American
electronics Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...
company that develops, manufactures and supplies
electronic components An electronic component is any basic discrete electronic device or physical entity part of an Electronics, electronic system used to affect electrons or their associated electromagnetic field, fields. Electronic components are mostly industrial ...
for a variety of industries including automotive, industrial,
instrumentation Instrumentation is a collective term for measuring instruments, used for indicating, measuring, and recording physical quantities. It is also a field of study about the art and science about making measurement instruments, involving the related ...
,
medical Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
electronics,
consumer A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or use purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. ...
equipment and
portable electronics Mobile computing is human–computer interaction in which a computer is expected to be transported during normal usage and allow for transmission of data, which can include voice and video transmissions. Mobile computing involves mobile commun ...
. Established in
Altadena, California Altadena () is an unincorporated area, and census-designated place in the San Gabriel Valley and the Verdugos regions of Los Angeles County, California. Directly north of Pasadena, California, Pasadena, it is located approximately from Downtow ...
in 1947 by Marlan and Rosemary Bourns, graduates of the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
, the company was founded to develop and sell
electronic components An electronic component is any basic discrete electronic device or physical entity part of an Electronics, electronic system used to affect electrons or their associated electromagnetic field, fields. Electronic components are mostly industrial ...
and
sensors A sensor is often defined as a device that receives and responds to a signal or stimulus. The stimulus is the quantity, property, or condition that is sensed and converted into electrical signal. In the broadest definition, a sensor is a devi ...
to the aerospace industry. Bourns has 15 manufacturing facilities around the world and has continued growing through the development of new products and technologies as well as through acquisitions. The company has approximately 9000 employees worldwide. Its current Chairman of the Board and CEO is Gordon Bourns, the son of the co-founders.


History

Marlan and Rosemary Bourns started the company in their garage in
Altadena, California Altadena () is an unincorporated area, and census-designated place in the San Gabriel Valley and the Verdugos regions of Los Angeles County, California. Directly north of Pasadena, California, Pasadena, it is located approximately from Downtow ...
in 1947. Their invention of linear motion and vane position potentiometers provided a method of accurately determining an aircraft's pitch, and helped to grow their business into a global corporation. Headquartered in
Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...
, Bourns makes and provides a broad range of electronic components and circuit protection devices including automotive
sensors A sensor is often defined as a device that receives and responds to a signal or stimulus. The stimulus is the quantity, property, or condition that is sensed and converted into electrical signal. In the broadest definition, a sensor is a devi ...
, circuit protection solutions, magnetic and inductor products, specialty engineering and manufacturing services, precision
potentiometers A potentiometer is a three- terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used, one end and the wiper, it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat. The measuring instrume ...
, panel controls, encoders and resistive products.


Technology innovations

In 1952, Bourns patented the trimming potentiometer, trademarked "Trimpot".Bourns, Inc. - Our Beginnings
Bourns, Inc. In 1995, Bourns acquired VRN's Trimmer assets and introduced the first 4 mm surface-mount sealed tact
switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...
. In 2008, Bourns acquired the Transient Blocking Unit (TBU) assets of Fultec Semiconductor, Inc.


Acquisitions

* 2001: Joslyn GDT Division assets * 2003: Telecom Protection assets from Texas Instruments Sensors & Controls Division * 2003: Microelectronic Modules Corporation assets * 2004: MMC's Switch Power Products assets * 2004: RUF Automotive Group * 2005: Tyco/Meggitt's Fuel Card Product assets * 2006: J.W. Miller Magnetics Business * 2006: the Automotive Controls Division assets of SSI Technologies * 2006: Polymer PTC division of Therm-O-Disc, Inc. * 2008: the Transient Blocking Unit (TBU) assets of Fultec Semiconductor, Inc. * 2008: the Protection Products assets of
Emerson Network Power Emerson may refer to: People * Emerson (surname), a surname (and list of people with that name) * Emerson (given name), a given name (and list of people with that name) * Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American philosopher and essayist Places Australia ...
Energy Systems * 2009: Central Office Surge Protection Products assets from Corning Cable Systems LLC * 2012: Assets from Jensen Devices AB, Stockholm, Sweden * 2014: Komatsulite Mfg. Co., Ltd * 2015: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.'s trimming potentiometer business * 2021: Kaschke Components GmbH


References


External links


Corporate website
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20090717004640/http://www.edn.com/info/CA6632131.html?industryid=48661 EDN: 19th Annual Innovation Awards {{Authority control Electronics companies of the United States Technology companies of the United States Electronics companies established in 1947 Fabless semiconductor companies Companies based in Riverside, California 1947 establishments in California