News W WEALD CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY
eald Electronics., a major UK manufacturer of electrical connectors and accessories for defence and
demanding industrial applications, were established on 27th April 1976 and have now celebrated their 50th anniversary. Weald Electronics is part of the privately-owned Lodge Group which includes the connector distributor FC Lane Electronics Ltd and its Autosport Division, Lane Motorsport. Following the acquisition of the tooling, stock and manufacturing rights of the MK.4 range from Plessey Connectors Ltd., Weald Electronics Ltd. was incorporated in 1976 as a family-related company to F.C. Lane Electronics. It was set up to operate as a production unit for the manufacture of connectors and provide a source for popular connectors facing obsolescence, such as the MK.4., re-named the Weald LMF series. In 1981 the product range was doubled with the addition of a second range purchased from Plessey Connectors Ltd. The MK7. As before, tooling and manufacturing rights became the property of Weald Electronics allowing production to be continued to support existing customers, and in this case the new Weald LMG series was launched.
Other acquisitions followed, this time from Pye Connectors Ltd., enabling Weald to further extend its range with other popular connector series, such as the D2, BA, SM, SMA and SMC connectors. By then Weald were already an established and highly regarded name in the connector industry and in 1987 Weald Electronics set out to design and manufacture its own circular connector ranges, one completely new to the market, the LMV for mains voltage applications and the other, their version of an established market favourite, the popular Patt.105, MIL-C-26482 (now MIL-DTL- 26482) series 1 connector, solder version. Like the LMF and LMG ranges beforehand, each connector series was supported by its own
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comprehensive range of connector accessories, including backshells and dust caps, all developed by Weald alongside the new connectors. Weald further enhanced its connector capability by introducing high-performance rectangular connectors into its portfolio, again returning to their successful model of the acquisition of tooling and manufacturing rights of well-known ranges. In 2020 this approach allowed Weald to introduce their two-part two-row 801/801CX connector series designed around the MIL-C-55302 (now MIL-DTL- 55302) and BS9525 N0001 specifications and a high-density 3-row 2mmm pitch 2-part PCB connector, and their M300 series later. In 2023, Weald added their versatile 2-row 2-part 2mm pitch LM200 connector series alongside their heavy-duty blind-mate rack and panel series, LMR. Again returning to their own in-house development approach, Weald Electronics have lately been significantly enhancing their connector accessory ranges with the introduction of high- quality EMC and strain relief backshells and protective covers to suit the most popular MIL-DTL- 26482 series 1 and D38999 series III connector interfaces in a wide variety of material and plating finishes, as well as their uniquely light-weight yet robust protective covers, nut plates and gaskets which have been developed and manufactured to address the specific needs of the highest performance Autosport applications. With design, manufacturing and test facilities at its Slinfold Lodge HQ in Sussex, Weald Electronics can tailor a connector solution to exactly meet a customer’s specific requirement on surprisingly short lead times, as well as bespoke value-added electrical and optical connector termination of connector product distributed by sister company Lane Electronics.
Simon Hammerton, managing director of Lane Electronics, said, “We are very pleased and proud to be celebrating 50 years of manufacturing in the
UK. Weald Electronics not only offer a flexible UK source of high reliability connectors and accessories but can also assist customers with custom designs and to overcome the problems of obsolescence and short supply of components. Over the 50 years many aspects of our business have changed but we believe our evolving product ranges have all reliably stood the test of time because of their design integrity in every component part and the resultant dependable performance and reliability they offer, we look forward to another 50 years!” Weald Electronics is known for its
comprehensive selection of circular bayonet and screw coupling connectors such as the LMH, LMJ, LMV and LMG series, produced in a choice of materials and finishes and leads the way in high performance interconnection solutions based on popular industry standards including industry standard MIL-DTL-5015 and MIL-DTL-26482 specifications. The versatility of Weald’s circular connectors is facilitated by a wide choice of shell sizes, styles, plug and socket contact types and contact arrangements. As well as circular connectors, Weald Electronics manufactures two-part PCB connectors and subminiature plastic- bodied circular connectors and a comprehensive range of connectors accessories.
Weald Electronics
www.fclane.com THE LEE COMPANY OPENS NEW INNOVATION CENTRE
he Lee Company is proud to announce the opening of its new Innovation Centre, a 27,500 square foot facility built to accelerate product development and reinforce the company’s continued commitment to innovation in miniature. The building marks a major milestone in the company’s history, creating a modern environment where engineering teams can rapidly explore new application spaces, prototype advanced solutions, and respond to evolving customer needs across key markets. “Today, we aren’t just opening the doors to a new building – we are officially launching the next chapter of a story that began over 75 years ago at my grandfather’s kitchen table,” said Marietta S. Lee, president and chief executive officer. “The Innovation Centre is a direct descendant of his
curious spirit, giving us the tools and freedom to pursue bold ideas that matter to our customers.” Inspired by The Lee Company’s founding focus on solving meaningful problems with excellence, the Innovation Centre brings engineers together in an open workspace with integrated labs that help transform ideas into action. At its core is a fully equipped machine shop built for rapid, precision fabrication. The facility also offers high resolution additive manufacturing, with additional lab infrastructure planned to support advanced testing, automation, and systemlevel experimentation. “This facility is a world-class engineering playground that allows us to simulate real customer environments in-house and develop a deeper understanding of the problems they’re trying to
solve,” said Thomas Frosell, vice president of Innovation at the Lee Company. “We have the tools, the team, and the environment needed for success – enabling us to move faster, accelerate our learning, and design solutions that are aligned with where our customers are headed.”
The Lee Company
www.theleeco.com May 2026 Instrumentation Monthly
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