what's New

●TOPICS

Thanks to your cooperation, we achieved sales amount of 5.6 billion yen in 2003(Apr '03 to Mar '04).
Our sales target for 2004(Apr '04 to Mar '05) is 5.833 billion yen.
We will establish new Otax China Factory (about 2,500 employees) in July '04 in order to increase the production capacity.
Address:Building No.A3, The Second Industrial Zone, Shajing Industry Co.,
　　Shafu Road, Shajing Town, Baoan, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P.R. China

We have also established Otax Shinghai Office as detailed below.
Address:Room 215, Middle Yanan Road 1111, Yanan Hotel, Shanghai
Phone number: 86-21-62495126
Name of Manager: Mr. K. Izawa

●NEW PRODUCTS NEWS

* IC Test Sockets

* Custom Terminal Blocks for Air-conditioner and Factory Automation

* New "KS" Series DIP Switches for Lead Free Project
　Lead Free-Phase 1: From October '03
　Lead Free-Phase 2&3: From April '04
　　Note: The conventional KSD/KSS Series was already discontinued on March '04.

●EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

	Food for thought What is a DIP switch?		・What is a DIP switch? A DIP switch is officially called a "dual in-line package switch".Differing from other switches among the many types of operation switches, DIP switches are built into the internal units mounted on printed circuit boards. These switches are aimed at controlling electric signals and are used for setting programs, circuit switching, circuit checking, and other operation. ・Demand for 8 million pcs/month in Japan First developed in the U.S.A, DIP switches have only slightly less than 20 years' of history in Japan. They were first introduced as the switches for setting the charges for vending machines. Since then, however, the use of these switches to set programs has expanded greatly, and it is said that Japan utilizes 8 million pcs/month in its domestic market today. ・The slide type accounts for nearly 70% of all switches Depending on the shape of the operating section, DIP switches are classified into the slide type, the piano type and the rotary type, and are used differently according to their application. The slide type is the most commonly used and accounts for slightly less than 70% of all switches. Slide type DIP switches with 4 poles and 8 poles make up the main proportion of the total.