How does Fusite maintain its position as a worldwide leader in the glass-to-metal hermetic seal industry? April Terreri explains...

Source: US Industry Today, May 1999

When Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) look to supply HVAC, military and commercial/industrial users with technologically superior glass-to-metal hermetic seals, connectors, feed-thrus, battery lids and precision metal products, they know exactly who to call: Fusite of Cincinnati, Ohio.

“Fusite is a worldwide leader in glass-to-metal hermetic seals for refrigeration, freezer and air-conditioning compressor applications,” says Jim Gilligan, Fusite’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Our products serve as the electrical feed-thrus from the compressor motors to the refrigerators, freezers or air conditioners; and they are the primary electrical conduits.” Fusite’s technologically advanced products are important integral parts of compressor applications. The 57 year-old company serves markets such as HVAC/R, battery, sensor and automotive industries. Fusite’s commitment to quality and excellence has led them to achieve ISO-9001 certification.

Fusite’s founder, W.A. Barrows, was involved in a porcelain enamel business prior to starting the company in 1942. With his background in porcelain enamel, it was a natural industrial evolution for him develop glass-to-metal feed-thrus for the appliance compressor industry. His first client was Norge Appliance Corporation, located in Tennessee.

During World War II, Fusite provided the military with relay components for aircraft. When the war ended, Barrows began supplying the appliance industry once again, especially the air-conditioning industry, which became increasingly popular in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Manufacturing Industry Standards

Seventy-five percent of Fusite’s business is committed to compressor applications. Primary clients are global compressor manufacturers. We’ve been developing new products over the years for better and better performance,” explains Dr. Tariq Quadir, Vice President of Engineering. “On the air-conditioning side of our business, we are developing the next generation of glass-to-metal hermetic seals for air-conditioning applications.”

The company’s 600 series of glass-to-metal hermetic seals now leads as the industry standard. “Our 800 series is now under development,” says Dr. Quadir, “and this series will address the added concerns of our customers in their specific applications’ needs.”

Because Fusite’s products serve as elementary feed-thrus, there are times when compressors experience overload conditions or a high-current surge. When a compressor starts operating at higher-than-normal conditions, Fusite’s products could be stressed to the point of malfunction. “We are trying to understand these kinds of situations better and take real-life dynamics into consideration to produce a more robust product to accept those dynamic conditions,” explains Dr. Quadir. If the failure modes cannot be addressed, Fusite’s challenge will be to develop a system to stop the electric circuit from running, thereby preventing catastrophic failures.

“Our 600 series addressed some of these concerns,” continues Dr. Quadir. Fusite now will challenge itself and use its expertise to take the technology several steps further in developing its 800 series.

Superior Glass is Company’s “Jewel”

Fusite’s distinctive edge in the industry is threefold. “Our strength comes from our vertically integrated components,” explains Gilligan. The company’s capability to stamp terminal headers in-house, to manufacture some of the connector pins in-house and to smelt its own glass in-house all add to solid and cost-effective productivity. For more than half a century, Fusite has been a pioneer in the industry while formulating technologically superior glass exceeding stringent material demands for sealing, adhesion and corrosion resistance. Through the expertise of its research lab, Fusite can provide custom glass formulations for customers’ most challenging applications. “What is unique about Fusite is that we manufacture our own glass and make our own preforms in Cincinnati and ship to all of our other locations,” says Gilligan. “Our custom-formulated glass is our company’s jewel.”

Battery Components

Fusite’s next-largest product is its glass-to-metal seals for lithium battery applications. These products are integral components in specialty applications in the computer and cellular phone industries and in high-tech batteries used in space shuttle applications. Fusite’s industry distinction is its ability to seal to pure metals such as molybdenum and titanium or to steels such as 52-alloy and 446 stainless. For applications requiring a pressure-release mechanism, Fusite’s patented pressure vent cover assembly provides consistent and controlled results.

High Precision Metal Products

Fusite’s other ventures include high-volume, high precision metal stampings and machining with secondary operations such as forming, grinding, drilling, piercing and edge finishing. Presses vary in capacity from 10 to 200 tons, with drawing capability up to 3 ½ inches. Fusite maintains its own highly skilled toolmakers and diemakers at its stamping division. Fusite Precision Metal Products (FPMP) is recognized within the HVAC/R, compressor and automotive industries for its abilities to manufacture stampings to meet customers’ critical specifications. Through its broad industry experience, Fusite excels in producing quality stampings, including flapper valves in various spring steels. The company manufactures high-volume compressor reed valves and backers made from pre-tempered spring steels with capabilities in valve plates and subassemblies. It then blanks, finishes and forms components in-house to meet customers’ precise designs. Experienced in the design, manufacture and full use of multistation dies, Fusite’s progressive dies result in high-precision stampings at competitive costs.

Meeting their Own Challenges

Gilligan sees Fusite continuing to lead the industry through technologically innovative and effective applications requiring glass-to-metal hermetic seals. Fusite is constantly challenging its engineering capabilities to benefit the electronics industry, the telecommunications field, the automotive industry, and industries needing pressure and temperature sensors. “Our role is twofold,” explains Gilligan. “We need to make sure we continue to provide the best service and products to our customers and to develop new products to meet the changing and challenging requirements and needs of our customers.” Fusite will discover new sensor applications, especially for the automotive industry, continues Gilligan. “Our challenge will be to find our niche in these other applications,” he says.

Leading the company is Larry Flatt, President; Jim Gilligan, Vice President of Sales and Marketing; Dr. Tariq Quadir, Vice President of Engineering; Tim Murphy, Vice President of Manufacturing; Bill Epping, Vice President of Finance and Roger Barker, Vice President of Human Resources.

A division of Emerson Electric, a $13 billion corporation based in St. Louis, Mo., Fusite has four manufacturing facilities, including its headquarters in Cincinnati. The other three facilities are in Gotemba, Japan; Almelo, Holland; and Bao’an, China. Fusite currently employs 225 people in its Cincinnati facility and 750 worldwide. These facilities engineer and produce OEM glass-to-metal hermetic seals for HVAC, military and commercial/industrial markets.