About Bourns
Bourns, Inc. is an electronics company that develops and
manufactures electronic components for automotive, industrial, instrumentation, medical, consumer, and portable applications. Bourns was founded in Altadena, California, in 1947 by Marlan and Rosemary Burns. Their initial reason was to develop a method to accurately determine an aircraft’s pitch attitude, which at the time was a pressing issue for pilots. In 1952, Bourns patented the first trimming potentiometer, trademarked Trimpot, which is now used in various pieces of technology including radio and television receivers, and different types of radio frequency circuits.
Bourns has continued to grow and expand since its founding. From 1995 to 2015 alone, Bourns acquired over sixteen different companies or assets, including Joslyn GDT Division assets, Microelectronic Modules Corporation, the RUF Automotive Group, the automotive controls division of SSI Technologies, the protection products assets of Emerson Network Power Energy Systems, Komatsulite Manufacturing Co., and Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.’s trimming potentiometer business. Bourns is currently headquartered in Riverside, California, and its CEO and chairman of the board is Gordon Bourns, the son of the co-founders.
Products, Services, and Platforms
Products
Automotive Electronics: The Bourns Automotive Division designs and manufactures a variety of sensors for automobiles and commercial vehicles, including transmission, accelerator pedal angle,
mirrors, wheel speed, fuel level, steering, HVAC, throttle position, and motor position measuring devices. Bourns products can also be found in infotainment, lighting, networking, and seat adjustment systems.
Consumer Electronics: This division includes electronic components that can be found in everyday electronics, and includes TVS diodes, TVS diode arrays, multifuse PPTC resettable fuses, resistors, inductors, mini-breakers,
gas discharge tubes, and others.
Communications: Bourns designs and manufactures transformers, diodes, diode arrays, varistors, high-speed protectors, surge protectors, resettable fuses, surge arrestors, resistors, and trimming potentiometers for central office equipment, consumer premise equipment,
antennas, small cells, enterprise servers and storage, and routers.
Industrial: This division pertains to all Bourns products that can be found in energy generation and distribution, building automation systems, factory automation, transportation, military and aerospace, and medical applications. Products in this category include rotary position feedback sensors, current sensors, port and
surge protectors, ESD suppressors, EMI filters, and circuit adjusters.
Subsidiaries/Partners
Subsidiaries of Bourns, Inc. includes Komatsulite Manufacturing Co., J.W. Miller Magnetics, Bourns Sensors GmbH, Fultec, Recon Optical, Bourns AG, Jensen Devices AB, Bourns Electronics Ireland, KEKO Varicon d.o.o., Bourns Asia Pacifc Inc, and Fultec Pty Ltd.
Competitors
Competitors of Bourns include Tii Technologies Inc,
Littelfuse Inc, TE Connectivity Ltd, Eaton, SunMan Engineering, HSI Sensing, Mektec, SunMan Engineering, Cooper Bussmann, and many others.