Research and development

Minnesota Wire has a R&D Division, Minnovate, which executes high technology R&D grants to build new, sustainable value as a leader in the transformation of the wire, cable and interconnect industry.  We are becoming a materials and systems developer to create products of novel properties and enhanced performance that improve the signal integrity of traditional interconnect infrastructure.  Our vision of embedded interconnect performance and life cycle integrity is manifest in the product areas we are pursuing through R&D programs:

• Elastomeric  wire
• High  fatigue-resistant wire  
• In-situ  intermittent fault isolation
• Wire  health  prognostics
• Multifunction  Connectors for load, electrical, gas and liquid
• Advanced  material and process research for development of conductors with unique  properties and application solutions
  

Minnesota Wire’s embrace of Minnovate's R&D efforts as part of its strategic portfolio is evidenced in various ways, including:

• First  provisional patent for elastomeric conductors (“stretchy wire”) filed in  2008
• 51% capture  rate of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants (compared to a  10% national average), 2003 – 2008
• Receipt of the  prestigious Tibbetts Award for SBIR   R&D Grant excellence in 2007
• Over $4  million in Department of Defense R&D grants awarded to  date

The OrbWeaver program is inspired by nature - here, a spider's web-creating organ



Smart Connector' provides in-situ prognostic health management



The Cobra program is a process to apply non-metallic carbon nanotubes for shielding and conductors

*  For details on Minnesota Wire's R&D program, Minnovate, and its commercialization, contact the R&D Manager, Tom Kukowski at 651.659.6763, or tkukowski@mnwire.com