Eaton’s Titan LS switch saves Flextronics time and money

Averaging more than 9.5 million DVD rentals a week from more than 24,000 locations nationwide, the demand for Redbox® self-service kiosks is growing. Inside each fully automated Redbox kiosk, which holds 630 discs, representing up to 200 titles, is a limit switch that senses if the drawer containing the movie is in place.

Because Flextronics' limit switch had 12-week lead-times that jeopardized the company's ability to deliver the quantity of Redbox DVD rental kiosks its customer needed, Eaton suggested an alternative that would not only enable Flextronics to meet the demand, but also reduce production time and cost.

Eaton’s Donald Barnes reports, “When we suggested that Flextronics use the LS-Titan limit switch, we explained that we could customize it for the application by rotating the head 90 degrees and installing the conduit adapter. Another advantage of the LS-Titan is that it has a two-year warranty, which is longer than the product Flextronics had been using.

“We knew that using the previous limit switch required Flextronics to make modifications that, given the large number of units being built each week, took 4.5 hours of production time. In addition, the long lead times for that switch meant that shipping costs to expedite switch orders were substantial.

“While Flextronics understood the positive impact of converting to the LS-Titan limit switch, the company had to get authorization from its customer to make the change from the component that was specified on the bill of materials.”

Working with Eaton, Flextronics met with the customer, presented the advantages of the conversion and earned the business.

Barnes adds, “Eaton’s ability to provide the limit switch in a timely fashion and customize the LS-Titan limit switch for the application demonstrates our commitment to adding value as a supplier by developing a cost-effective solution that meets an application’s needs.”