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History
More than 50 years ago, in 1956 Peter A. Sälzer came to the conclusion to design, manufacture and sell modern switchgear as an independent businessman. The present Sälzer Electric Group is a globally acting service company. Being a niche supplier the company is focused on Rotary Cam and Disconnect Switches. Those are industrial switchgears in the range of low voltage switchgears up to 1000 volt.

The history and development of the Sälzer Electric Group can be best explained by numerating the most important milestones of the product development within the last five decades:
In the early stages Peter A. Sälzer had the idea to develop a rotary cam switch with three contacts per stage as motor switch in order to switch three-phase a. c. motors. His efforts where successful and therefore the installation depth for motor switches, which was very important at that time, could be significantly reduced. With a star-delta-switch for colloid mills of a at that time market-leading company the successful implementation of this idea could be realized. The first rotary cam switch with three contacts per stage aroused enthusiasm among experts worldwide.
In the sixties we could establish ourselves as system supplier in the welding machine industry. Due to trend-setting constructions for small welders we were able to prevail. From the multi-step switches with knife contacts to the development of our product line SG, with double opening and closing contacts and silver plated contact material for reduction of contact resistance, we were able to create a variety of technical innovations for the production of multi-step switches for regulation and control of transformers and other facilities successfully.
The seventies were much influenced by the rapid development of synthetic materials. Until this point only melamine based thermosetting plastics could be used for the production of rotary cam switches due to the creep resistance. Then thermoplastics, based on glass fiber reinforced polyamides with fire protection ability became a real alternative. In association with the BASF we were the first rotary cam switch manufacture which succeeded in developing the frequently modified but still produced “Product Line S” on the basis of glass fiber reinforced polyamides.

The change has been a trudge and required a total reorientation in the tool making as well as an adjustment of the entire machinery for the shaping of plastics. The essential know-how first had to be compiled.
In the eighties the "Product Line S” advanced und the development of the disconnect switches began.

To reduce the dependence on the welder industry new sales markets were opened with other customers. Above all, switch panel mounting and general plant construction were the focus of our efforts.

To strengthen the trademark-identity, a "Corporate Identity" was established so that all marketing activities could be unified. Our corporate philosophy, which was created by Peter A. Sälzer, is still enforced in today’s market.
On one hand the nineties were characterized by a consolidation of the welder market and on the other hand on an unrestrained growth in other industries.

With the acquisition of the Elgero Welders GmbH in Rochlitz (Saxony) substantial efforts had been made to establish new progressing capacities. Due to the omission of the meanwhile unmarketable Elgero products Sälzer had to replace those with new product lines.

The disconnect switches of the H200-A product line were a total new design and a fully automated assembly line was installed. In the same time frame disconnect switches of the product line H400 from 63A to 125A had been newly developed. Rotary cam switches of the product lines M200, P100, P200, R200 and T200 are also examples of our innovative energy during the nineties.

To continue the support of our existing customers and to assure further growth in the UK despite the omission of our sales and service partners in Great Britain – Salzer UK Ltd had been established in 1992.

The demands made on our company required the setup of a certified quality management system. Since the setup had to take place together with the integration of the Elgero switchgear GmbH in Rochlitz – a total reorientation of structures within both locations became essential. Hard incisions had to be made. Today both locations work under the same certified process management system.
With the beginning of the new millennium and a preceding globalization the requirements within customer service requirements grew. Only by setting up a modern product management system and creation of information technology was it possible to comprehensively convey the diversity of our product offerings to our worldwide sale and service organization. We are proud that our information technology is world leading today. Involving the "SMD Systems" a 24-hour delivery service became practicable.

The USA market is very important to us: to guide it in a better way we founded the Salzer USA Corporation at the end of 2004. The new company already took hold and works effectively.

The positive development of the Sälzer Electric Group continues due to process optimization and new innovative product developments in the first decade of the new millennium. We believe we are well-equipped to cope with new challenges of the market in the future.