Development and manufacturing of mechanical switches, keyboards, mice as well as security and eHealth input devices
Cherry SE
Munich · Auerbach i.d.OPf. · Vienna · Landskrona · Paris · Kenosha, WI · ZhuhaiNew on Amplifa
About Cherry
Cherry SE is an internationally active manufacturer of input devices and switch technology headquartered in Munich with a production site in Auerbach in the Upper Palatinate. Founded in 1953 by Walter L. Cherry in Highland Park, Illinois, the company manufactures mechanical key switches (CHERRY MX) with a gold crosspoint contact system, keyboards, mice, desktop sets, headsets, microphones as well as smartcard and eHealth terminals. Housings and keycaps are made predominantly of plastic, selected keyboards of anodized aluminium; the switch contacts are gold-plated. Proprietary technologies include MX, TMR, SX and membrane technology as well as ProScroll, Advanced Wireless and Ultra-Wideband (UWB). Customers come from office and home office, industry (industrial keyboards with IP54), security, gaming/esports, POS and digital health. In addition to the Auerbach plant, Zhuhai Cherry Electronics produces in China; sales and development companies exist, among others, in Vienna, Landskrona, Paris and Kenosha. More than 8 billion switches sold and more than 60 million keyboards in use have been documented.
- Site
- Munich
- Processes
- Manufacture of microswitches, Manufacture of keyboards and mechanical key switches (CHERRY MX) with, Development and manufacturing of keyboards, mice, switches and input devices, Smartcard/security terminals and eHealth solutions (Digital Health), Software: CHERRY KEYS, CHERRY UTILITY, Technical support, sales support, digital health support, Spare parts service, Individual key mapping/product configuration
- Materials
- Aluminium (anodized surface on keyboards), Gold (contact coating gold crosspoint), CHERRY MX Technology, CHERRY TMR Technology, CHERRY SX Scissor Mechanism, Membrane Technology, Gold, Aluminium (anodized)
- Certificates
- CE / UKCA, FCC (CFR 47 Part 15), GS (Tested Safety), DIN ISO Certification, REACH / RoHS, Blue Angel (Greenline product line, product-related), EMC (EN 55032 / EN 55035) as well as VCCI, ICES-003, CNS 13438, KCC, RCM, Other (CE/UKCA, FCC, GS, REACH/RoHS, Blue Angel)
- Founded
- 1953
- Industries
- Office & Home Office, Industry, Security/IT Security, Gaming/Esports, POS (Point of Sale), Digital Health/eHealth
- 01
Design & Engineering (switch and input device development)
- 02
Switch manufacturing (MX, TMR, SX)
- 03
Electronics and end-device manufacturing
- 04
Assembly
- 05
Software (CHERRY KEYS, CHERRY UTILITY)
- 06
Sales & Support
Technologies & Materials
CHERRY MX Technology
Mechanical key switch with gold crosspoint contacts and a guaranteed lifespan of up to 100 million actuations.
CHERRY TMR Technology
Contactless magnetic switch with TMR sensor technology and measuring accuracy down to 0.01 mm for precise, low-wear input.
CHERRY SX Scissor Mechanism
Flat scissor technology with elastomer dome for quiet keyboards with a lifespan of up to 20 million actuations.
Membrane Technology
Rubber dome contact switch with up to 10 million actuations for cost-efficient office keyboards.
Gold
Contact coating in the gold crosspoint system for high conductivity and long switch lifespan.
Aluminium (anodized)
Anodized surfaces on mechanical keyboards such as the CHERRY KC 200 MX.
Plastic
Material for housings, keycaps and elastomer domes in keyboards and mice.
Locations
Auerbach i.d.OPf.
DECherry Europe GmbH – Head office, plant, production and sales
- Materials
- Aluminium, plastic, gold
Munich
DECherry SE – Head office/holding; Cherry E-Commerce GmbH; Cherry Digital Health GmbH
Vienna
ATCHERRY Embedded Solutions
Landskrona
SECHERRY XTRFY AB – Gaming
Paris
FRCHERRY S.A.R.L. – Sales
Kenosha, WI
USCherry Americas, LLC
Zhuhai
CNZhuhai Cherry Electronics Co. Ltd. – Manufacturing (Asia)
Products & Components
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacture of microswitchesAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of keyboards and mechanical key switches (CHERRY MX) withAssembly | – | – | – | – | Aluminium, Gold, Plastic |
Additional services
Quality & Certifications
CHERRY products carry product certifications such as CE/UKCA, FCC, GS, EMC approvals (among others EN 55032/EN 55035) as well as REACH/RoHS; products of the Greenline line are awarded the environmental label “Blue Angel”. The MX switches are specified for up to 100 million actuations.
| Evidence | Auerbach i.d.OPf. |
|---|---|
| Other (CE/UKCA, FCC, GS, REACH/RoHS, Blue Angel) |
History
- 1953
Foundation of Cherry Electrical Products Corporation by Walter L. Cherry in Highland Park, Illinois, USA – initially a manufacturer of microswitches
- 1963
CHERRY establishes its first branches in Europe via joint ventures
- 1967
Relocation of production facilities to Bayreuth, Germany
- 1973
Start of computer keyboard manufacturing; first keyboard switch patented in the USA (February 6, 1973)
- 1979
New head office with factory in Auerbach, Germany
- 1983
Introduction of the MX key switch
- 1988
Introduction of the G80-3000, one of the most successful keyboard series in the world
- 1994
First health card keyboard (G80-1501) for the German market
- 1998
Introduction of the first “green” product line CHERRY Greenline
- 2008
Peter Cherry sells the company (including ZF Friedrichshafen AG)
- 2014
Introduction of the MX RGB switch
- 2016
Acquisition by GENUI Partners
- 2018
Presentation of the MX LOW PROFILE switch at CES in Las Vegas
- 2019
Opening of the new corporate headquarters with plant in Auerbach
- 2020
Acquisition of Theobroma Systems; first e-health terminal for the German telematics infrastructure; Argand Partners becomes majority investor
- 2021
IPO (stock market listing); introduction of the MX ULTRA LOW PROFILE switch
- 2022
Integration of the Swedish esports specialist Xtrfy Gaming AB