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The Founding of WAGO

 11 March 2024

1980-1989

CAGE CLAMP® Breakthrough

In the 1980s, WAGO was making great strides: CAGE CLAMP® technology was set to conquer the market. With the wind at its back, WAGO began spreading spring pressure connection technology far and wide. Driven by their absolute certainty that the market would embrace CAGE CLAMP®, the sales team became “ambassadors of spring pressure connection technology.” The product portfolio continued to expand, and licensees began using WAGO CAGE CLAMP® for device connections of their fuses, relays and sensors. In addition, CAGE CLAMP® connection technology proved its mettle in the challenging domain of “explosion protection”: with EEx e II certification, it could be used in all areas.

Product Developments and Events from the 1980s

  • 1980: WAGO introduces rail-mount terminal blocks with front-entry wiring
  • 1980: WAGO’s first PCB terminal block with CAGE CLAMP® connection
  • 1985: WAGO Lighting Connector for secure lighting connection
  • 1985: WAGO’s rail-mount terminal blocks with CAGE CLAMP® connections receive EEx e II certification
  • 1985: WAGO introduces pluggable modules on rail-mount terminal blocks
  • 1985: WAGO introduces MULTI CONNECTION SYSTEM (MCS) pluggable PCB connectors
MM-17597_decade_collages_1980.jpg

Milestones in the 1980s

1980

CAGE CLAMP® Front-Entry Wiring – The Ultimate Ratio of Connection Technology

Front-entry wiring is the key to fast, safe wiring of rail-mount terminal blocks; it is also easy on the electrician. Unlike screw-type terminal blocks, there is “one conductor per clamping point” in spring pressure connection technology. The front-entry CAGE CLAMP® wiring made it possible for the first time to implement terminal blocks with 2-, 3-, 4- or more connections, as well as multilevel terminal blocks. A real customer benefit: WAGO's front-entry CAGE CLAMP® terminal blocks reduce the space required in control cabinets and even faster handling saves time and money.

1980

Safe Handling for Lay People – The WAGO Lighting Connector

In addition to a growing terminal block product portfolio, the offerings for professional installers also increased in the 80s. Starting in 1985, WAGO offered a fully insulated connector, allowing even laypersons to connect their lamps safely. How? The installer places the connector on the installation conductor, thus insulating the connection. The layperson uses the push-button to open the CAGE CLAMP® connection of the connector and can easily connect the light with any conductor type. This connector became – and remain– an enduring success.
1982

Necessary: Persuasion

The screwless spring-clamp terminal block was expected to take over the market. However, the path to a customer passes through many stages, and sales are met with a lot of skepticism. As in: You want to replace the proven screw-connection system? Does the spring pressure connection technology meet all quality requirements? The art of persuasion was the most necessary tool. “The market, in all its diversity, will accept us.” Encouraged by Günther Vosswinkel’s vision – he was a sales manager at the time – the sales team became “ambassadors of spring pressure connection technology.”