Development, production and distribution of connector systems for the automotive industry and electromobility.
KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
Lüdenscheid (Timberg) · Dresden · Jince (CZ) · Rochester Hills, MI (USA) · Shanghai (CN)New on Amplifa
About KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme
KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG is an independent company within the KOSTAL Group that develops, produces and distributes connector systems for the automotive industry. The family-owned company KOSTAL, founded in 1912, has been a partner to the automotive industry since 1927; electrical connectors for vehicles have been developed and manufactured since 1938. The portfolio includes contact systems (e.g. MLK 1.2), connector systems, transmission connectors for use under transmission oil including aggressive oils, connectors for high-voltage applications in electric and hybrid vehicles as well as 48-volt applications and miniaturized solutions designed for the smallest installation spaces. In addition to neutral connector families, the company realizes customer-specific solutions. The joining technologies include riveting, crimping, welding to stamped grids as well as soldering to film or printed circuit boards; the sealing technology is backed up by in-house validation tests against oil, water, dust and salt. The company is present at nine locations in eight countries on three continents with more than 1,400 employees; the company headquarters is located in Lüdenscheid.
- Site
- Lüdenscheid
- Processes
- Connector systems (development, production, distribution), Contact systems (e.g. MLK 1.2 connector system), Transmission connectors (connector contacts used under transmission oil, including aggressive oils), Connectors for high-voltage applications (electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, 48-volt applications), Miniaturized connectors designed for the smallest installation spaces, Riveting (riveting of contacts to cables/sensors), Crimping (crimping to cables), Welding (welding to stamped grid)
- Materials
- Round contacts and flat contact systems, Oil Performance Connectors, Contact System Size 1.2, Miniaturized Contact and Splice Systems, High-Voltage Connectors (SLK 2.8, SLK 5.8, LSK 8), High-Current Contact System 14.5
- Certificates
- DIN EN ISO 14001:2015, DIN EN ISO 50001:2018, ISO 14001, ISO 50001
- Founded
- 1938
- Employees
- more than 1,400
- Industries
- Automotive industry, Electromobility (EV, hybrid, 48V), Commercial vehicles, Transmission/drivetrain technology, Transmissions/automatic transmissions
- 01
Development of customer-specific solutions and neutral connector families
- 02
Contact and sealing technology
- 03
Joining processes: riveting, crimping, welding, soldering
- 04
Assembly/automated production (blockloading)
- 05
In-house validation tests
- 06
Distribution worldwide
Technologies and Product Families
Oil Performance Connectors
Oil-sealed and oil-resistant connectors for transmissions, e-axle, battery and inverter, temperatures from -40 °C to 150 °C and resistance to coolants and aggressive ATF oils.
Contact System Size 1.2
Round contact system that, with its introduction by KOSTAL, set a globally accepted standard.
Miniaturized Contact and Splice Systems
Systems designed for the smallest installation spaces, approved for automated production (blockloading).
High-Voltage Connectors (SLK 2.8, SLK 5.8, LSK 8)
Waterproof sealed connection systems with HVIL integration for electric, hybrid and 48-volt applications.
High-Current Contact System 14.5
System proven for many years in high-current applications, also available as a 48V variant for DCDC outputs.
Locations
Lüdenscheid (Timberg)
DECompany headquarters and plant
Dresden
DEProduction site
Jince
CZProduction site
Rochester Hills, MI
USSubsidiary KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme, Inc.
Shanghai
CNSubsidiary Kostal (Shanghai) Kontakt Systeme Co. Ltd.
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connector systems (development, production, distribution)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Contact systems (e.g. MLK 1.2 connector system)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Transmission connectors (connector contacts used under transmission oil, including aggressive oils)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Connectors for high-voltage applications (electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, 48-volt applications)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Miniaturized connectors designed for the smallest installation spacesAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Riveting (riveting of contacts to cables/sensors)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Crimping (crimping to cables)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Welding (welding to stamped grid)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Soldering (soldering to film or printed circuit board)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Development of customer-specific solutions and neutral connector familiesEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| In-house validation tests (for sealing against oil, water, dust, salt; protection classes)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Automated production / blockloading (approved for MK 0.5 and MQ 0.6 splice connectors)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
Quality is understood as a continuous process that encompasses processes, technologies and products as well as the qualification of employees. The sites are certified to DIN EN ISO 14001 and DIN EN ISO 50001; seals are tested through in-house validation tests against oil, water, dust and salt.
| Evidence | Dresden | Rochester Hills, MI |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 14001 | ||
| ISO 50001 |
History
- 1912
Founding of the family-owned company KOSTAL
- 1927
Partner to the automotive industry
- 1938
First development and production of electrical connectors for vehicles
- 1990
Start of transmission/oil-tight connector applications
- 1993
Founding of the “Kontakt Systeme” business division
- 2004
Conversion into the independent KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
- 2005
Move into the newly built Hagen site
- 2009
Acquisition of the Čenkov facility near Prague (Czech Republic)
- 2010
Founding of KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme, Inc. in Rochester Hills (Michigan, USA); acquisition of the Timberg plant in Lüdenscheid
- 2012
Founding of the Dresden-Merbitz site; KOSTAL 100th anniversary celebration
- 2013
Founding of Kostal (Shanghai) Kontakt Systeme Co. Ltd.
- 2017
Expansion of the Timberg plant; expansion of the Jince production facility (Czech Republic)
- 2018
Establishment of production capacities in China