BURNDY
Encyclopedia
Burndy LLC is a manufacturer of connectors, fittings and tools for electrical utilities, commercial, industrial, and maintenance companies. The company, headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire
, has approximately 1,200 employees and operates three manufacturing facilities in the Northeastern United States, one in Brazil
and one in Mexico
.
Burndy manufactures connectors for splicing, tapping, terminating, conducting or grounding, and provides certification and testing of tool and connector products to the following standards: ANCE
, ANSI
, SATM, CSA
, IEC
, IEEE, MILITARY, NEMA
, NUPIC, SLMA, SAE
, UL.
.The corporate name, Burndy, was derived from a contraction of Dr. Dibner’s first name and last initial. While employed as an engineer unifying the electrical system in Cuba
, Dr. Dibner identified the urgent need for improved methods for connecting electrical conductors and joining power system substations
. He proceeded to design a universal connector, requiring neither soldering nor welding - which enabled a unified grid. He patented and fabricated his design, then formed his company with an investment of just $5000. Building on a technical foundation of 24 patents granted to him for connector design, he guided the growth of Burndy until his retirement as chairman in 1972.
In 1956, the Burndy Corporation went public, and was bought by the French corporation Framatome Connectors International (FCI) in 1988. In 2009, Burndy was acquired and became a subsidiary of Hubbell Incorporated(NYSE: HUBA, HUBB).
Burndy today is a global organization that has pioneered in the manufacture of electrical connectors for the Commercial
/Industrial
, Utility, Renewable Energies
, Telecommunications and OEM
markets.
In addition to his association with the company he founded, Bern Dibner is frequently identified with one of the world’s leading collections of source material in the history of science, now located at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. The Burndy Library
, a 67,000-volume collection of rare books and original manuscripts was housed in Norwalk, Connecticut from 1964 until after Bern Dibner's death in 1988, when the contents were moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. In 2006, the collection was donated to the Huntington Library and combined with The Huntington’s History of Science materials. In November 2008, the Dibner Hall of Science opened as a permanent exhibition of the Huntington Library.
One quarter of Dibner's collection was donated to the Smithsonian Institution
in 1974, forming the nucleus of what is now the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology, part of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
located at the National Museum of American History
, Behring Center.
Dr. Dibner’s son, David Dibner, had a more than 30-year career at the Burndy Corporation, and served as chairman prior to his death in 2005.
In 2008, BURNDY® won awards as supplier of the year from WESCO International, Inc. and Border States Industries, Inc. and received Graybar Electric Company, Inc.’s award for innovation.
In Europe , the former Burndy Europe, FCI's Electrical Power Interconnect Division is now part of the Sicame Group and well known as SBI Connectors Espana.
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, has approximately 1,200 employees and operates three manufacturing facilities in the Northeastern United States, one in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and one in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Burndy manufactures connectors for splicing, tapping, terminating, conducting or grounding, and provides certification and testing of tool and connector products to the following standards: ANCE
ANCE
Associazione Nazionale Costruttori Edili is the Italian Association of private construction contractors, active in public works, residential and industrial building...
, ANSI
Ansi
Ansi is a village in Kaarma Parish, Saare County, on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia....
, SATM, CSA
CSA
-Agriculture, Farming, and Food:* Community Supported Agriculture* Community Shared Agriculture-Politics, Administration and Military:* Confederate States of America* Canadian Securities Administrators* Canadian Space Agency* Canadian Standards Association...
, IEC
International Electrotechnical Commission
The International Electrotechnical Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology"...
, IEEE, MILITARY, NEMA
Néma
Néma is a town in southeastern Mauritania, close to the border with Mali. It is located at around . It is the capital of Hodh Ech Chargui Region and of the Néma Department....
, NUPIC, SLMA, SAE
SAE International
SAE International is an organization for engineering professionals in the aerospace, automotive, and commercial vehicle industries. The Society is a standards development organization for the engineering of powered vehicles of all kinds, including cars, trucks, boats, aircraft, and others.SAE...
, UL.
History
The company was founded in 1924 as Burndy Engineering Company by noted science historian and civic leader Bern DibnerBern Dibner
Bern Dibner was an electrical engineer, industrialist, and historian of science and technology.Dibner was born near Kiev, Ukraine in 1897. He moved to the United States with his family at the age of 7. In 1921, he graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn with a degree in Electrical...
.The corporate name, Burndy, was derived from a contraction of Dr. Dibner’s first name and last initial. While employed as an engineer unifying the electrical system in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Dr. Dibner identified the urgent need for improved methods for connecting electrical conductors and joining power system substations
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
. He proceeded to design a universal connector, requiring neither soldering nor welding - which enabled a unified grid. He patented and fabricated his design, then formed his company with an investment of just $5000. Building on a technical foundation of 24 patents granted to him for connector design, he guided the growth of Burndy until his retirement as chairman in 1972.
In 1956, the Burndy Corporation went public, and was bought by the French corporation Framatome Connectors International (FCI) in 1988. In 2009, Burndy was acquired and became a subsidiary of Hubbell Incorporated(NYSE: HUBA, HUBB).
Burndy today is a global organization that has pioneered in the manufacture of electrical connectors for the Commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
/Industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
, Utility, Renewable Energies
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
, Telecommunications and OEM
OEM
OEM means the original manufacturer of a component for a product, which may be resold by another company.OEM may also refer to:-Computing:* OEM font, or OEM-US, the original character set of the IBM PC, circa 1981...
markets.
In addition to his association with the company he founded, Bern Dibner is frequently identified with one of the world’s leading collections of source material in the history of science, now located at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. The Burndy Library
Burndy Library
The Burndy Library, founded in 1941 by electrical engineer, industrialist, and historian Bern Dibner, is one of the world's largest libraries of books on the history of science and technology. The holdings include important scientific literature from antiquity to the 20th century...
, a 67,000-volume collection of rare books and original manuscripts was housed in Norwalk, Connecticut from 1964 until after Bern Dibner's death in 1988, when the contents were moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. In 2006, the collection was donated to the Huntington Library and combined with The Huntington’s History of Science materials. In November 2008, the Dibner Hall of Science opened as a permanent exhibition of the Huntington Library.
One quarter of Dibner's collection was donated to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in 1974, forming the nucleus of what is now the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology, part of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Smithsonian Institution Libraries
The Smithsonian Institution Libraries system comprises 20 libraries serving the various Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers. SIL's holdings include 1.5 million volumes as well as a wide array of digital resources. The collections focus primarily on science, art, history and...
located at the National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
, Behring Center.
Dr. Dibner’s son, David Dibner, had a more than 30-year career at the Burndy Corporation, and served as chairman prior to his death in 2005.
Awards and recognition
Burndy received the "TED Best of the Best" 2009 Events award for hosting the Dibner Hall reception along with the associated reprint of the 1929 BURNDY® Bus catalog. The award recognized the best electrical marketing cam¬paigns fielded in 2008. More than 300 entries were submitted. The Dibner Hall, located at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA, is called “Beautiful Science: Ideas that Changed the World.” The exhibition highlighted four areas of exploration: astronomy, natural history, medicine, and light.In 2008, BURNDY® won awards as supplier of the year from WESCO International, Inc. and Border States Industries, Inc. and received Graybar Electric Company, Inc.’s award for innovation.
In Europe , the former Burndy Europe, FCI's Electrical Power Interconnect Division is now part of the Sicame Group and well known as SBI Connectors Espana.
See also
- Bern DibnerBern DibnerBern Dibner was an electrical engineer, industrialist, and historian of science and technology.Dibner was born near Kiev, Ukraine in 1897. He moved to the United States with his family at the age of 7. In 1921, he graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn with a degree in Electrical...
- BURNDY® LibraryBurndy LibraryThe Burndy Library, founded in 1941 by electrical engineer, industrialist, and historian Bern Dibner, is one of the world's largest libraries of books on the history of science and technology. The holdings include important scientific literature from antiquity to the 20th century...
- Electrical Connector