WAGO: 75 years of connectors

[RobertArthur]

WAGO, founded April 27, 1951. A timeline of their innovations on this website. Sweet memories: a French électricien who insisted time and again that Wago connectors were not permitted, because they were not ‘NF’ approved. The times they're changing: there is also a party going on in Paris, near Charles-de-Gaulle airport.

[Trelawney]

Having a few minutes spare while watching the UK Local Election results I visited the WAGO link you supplied. The modern connectors are superb and remind me of the limited variety available in the 60/70s including the pcb mounted range.
By the way, what replaced “Plessey plugs” that we relied on for all our development work?

[RobertArthur]

Google gave me an answer, a summary:

* Plessey connectors — particularly the iconic Breeze and Multicon ranges used in experimental, military, and radio projects — did not vanish, but rather transitioned from Plessey as an independent entity into specialized industrial catalogs. Here is what happened to them:

* Corporate restructuring: the Plessey Company went through major changes starting in the late 1980s, culminating in a 1989 takeover by GEC (General Electric Company) and Siemens. By the way, AVO still exists as a brand under the Megger Group. And I still miss Marconi (and many others).

* Legacy brand availability: while "Plessey" as a company no longer makes them, the industry standard designs were maintained. FC Lane Electronics, for example, has been a longtime distributor that continued to stock and supply Plessey Multicon, Heavy Duty Multicon, and Standard Breeze connectors.

* Usage in experimental/hobbyist projects: these connectors are still prized for their robust design in vintage radio repair, military restorations, and robust, high-current breadboarding projects.

* Transition to modern alternatives: many modern experimental projects have shifted away from these large, threaded connectors toward smaller, lighter military-spec circular connectors (like Amphenol) or simpler industrial quick-disconnects. The brand lives on in some contexts as a component manufacturer (Plessey Semiconductors), but they are primarily focused on specialized optoelectronic devices like LED lighting, rather than traditional industrial connectors.

[Trelawney]

Thanks for doing all the hard work. Apart from using their connectors in numerous development projects I also had the pleasure of working on joint projects controlled by the Home Office. As a very young engineer it was quite exciting going “abroad” to Plessey, Isle of Wight, for meetings travelling on the first hovercrafts from Portsmouth. Marconi were another of the big players at that time along with Elliot Automation based it Frimley. We also lost the avionics companies such as Saunders Roe. Good memories for me even if I regret my time with Ferranti in Bracknell though I did get out months before their demise.

[Polarengineer]

Amazing machines the hovercraft, I will always remember the noise as they drifted off the ramp in Southampton heading for the IoW. I was in digs in Southampton getting my chiefs ticket in those days (Chief engineer steam)

[Polarengineer]

more news about Megger
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dover/news ... pl-340093/

[RobertArthur]

Megger today, more than a little megger (test instrument)....

[Hotrodder]

Thanks for doing all the hard work. Apart from using their connectors in numerous development projects I also had the pleasure of working on joint projects controlled by the Home Office. As a very young engineer it was quite exciting going “abroad” to Plessey, Isle of Wight, for meetings travelling on the first hovercrafts from Portsmouth. Marconi were another of the big players at that time along with Elliot Automation based it Frimley. We also lost the avionics companies such as Saunders Roe. Good memories for me even if I regret my time with Ferranti in Bracknell though I did get out months before their demise.

Good grief that takes me back. Still wet behind the ears when I first arrived in UK I got a job as a prototype wireman at Marconi-Elliot in Rochester. As I recall we were developing a heads up display for aircraft. One of a mad bunch who used to wander outside at lunch for a walk in the woods to collect fallen chestnuts and then roast them on the solder pots at the workbench.

[Polarengineer]

It’ quite likely that you were in Elliots while I was doing further education in the college across the road. Several lads were there doing evening classes while working at Elliots. I spent some time watching wood and canvas planes land on that hill.

[RobertArthur]

To be honest, I’ve never really understood French electricians’ penchant for using block connectors. Because they were all NF-approved, they were deemed safe, whereas anything from abroad without that infamous mark had to be treated with complete suspicion. Non, c'est interdit en France....Until copycat NF-products made in France appeared on the market – then nothing can go wrong.

Still, I continue to prefer the reliability of Wago products. Although they don't meet MIL-SPEC (Military Specification) standards, they are approved for use in demanding industrial, marine, and some specialized aerospace applications. Their strength lies in their CAGE CLAMP® spring pressure technology, which provides secure, vibration-resistant connections.

A picture of three generations for general use in your installation électrique.