Key Tronic
{{Infobox company
| name = Key Tronic Corporation
| trade_name = Keytronic
| logo = Key Tronic monogram.svg
| logo_caption = Classic Key Tronic monogram and wordmark
| type = Public
| traded_as = {{Unbulleted list|{{NASDAQ|KTCC}}|Russell Microcap Index component}}
| company_slogan =
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1969}}
| location = Spokane Valley, Washington, U.S.
| key_people = Brett Larsen (CEO)
| industry = Computer peripherals
| products = Keyboards
| revenue = {{increase}} US$588 million (2023)
| num_employees = 5,447 (2023)
| homepage = {{URL|keytronic.com}}
}}
Key Tronic Corporation (branded Keytronic) is a technology company founded in 1969 by Lewis G. Zirkle.{{Cite book |title=International Directory of Company Histories |publisher=St. James Press |year=1996 |isbn=1-55862-342-6 |editor-last=Grant |editor-first=Tina |volume=14 |location=United States of America |pages=284–286}} Its core products initially included keyboards, mice and other input devices. KeyTronic currently specializes in PCBA and full product assembly. The company is among the ten largest contract manufacturers providing electronic manufacturing services in the US.{{cite web| last = Lind| first = Treva| title = Key Tronic's sales, earnings grab notice of investors| publisher = Spokane Journal of Business| date = May 10, 2012| url = https://www.spokanejournal.com/local-news/key-tronics-sales-earnings-grab-notice-of-investors/| access-date = July 24, 2020}} The company offers full product design or assembly of a wide variety of household goods and electronic products such as keyboards, printed circuit board assembly, plastic molding, thermometers, toilet bowl cleaners, satellite tracking systems, etc.
Keyboards
After the introduction of the IBM PC, Keytronic began manufacturing keyboards compatible with those computer system units.
Most of their keyboards are based on the 8048 microcontroller to communicate to the computer. Their early keyboards used an Intel 8048 MCU. However, as the company evolved, they began to use their own 8048-based and 83C51KB-based MCUs.
{{multiple image
| align = right
| direction = vertical
| width = 220
| image1 = Key Tronic foam-and-foil pads in Compaq Portable keyboard assembly underside.jpg
| caption1 = Compaq Portable keyboard assembly manufactured by Key Tronic in 1984
| image2 = Key Tronic foam-and-foil pads top and bottom.jpg
| caption2 = Top and bottom of two Key Tronic foam-and-foil pads from the same assembly, showing conductive top layer and Mylar bottom layer with sponge foam in between. The foam is undergoing significant deterioration due to age; newly manufactured replacements are still being produced by TexElec.{{cite web |title=105 "Foam and Foil" Capacitive Pads for KeyTronic & BTC Keyboard Repair |url=https://texelec.com/product/foam-capacitive-pads-keytronic/ |publisher=TexElec |access-date=September 9, 2021}}
}}
In 1978, Keytronic Corporation introduced keyboards with capacitive-based switches, one of the first keyboard technologies to not use self-contained switches.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} There was simply a sponge pad with a conductive-coated Mylar plastic sheet on the switch plunger, and two half-moon trace patterns on the printed circuit board below. As the key was depressed, the capacitance between the plunger pad and the patterns on the PCB below changed, which was detected by integrated circuits (IC). These keyboards were claimed to have the same reliability as the other "solid-state switch" keyboards such as inductive and Hall-Effect, but competitive with direct-contact keyboards.
=Natural Keyboard=
File:MicrosoftNaturalKeyboardGen1.jpg
Microsoft ergonomic keyboards, starting from 1994, were originally designed for Microsoft by Ziba Design
{{cite web|title=Microsoft Natural Keyboard
|url=http://www.ziba.com/work/microsoft-natural-keyboard
|date=1 February 1994|publisher=Ziba Design
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330211941/http://www.ziba.com/work/microsoft-natural-keyboard|archivedate=30 March 2014}}
with assistance and manufacturing by Key Tronic.
{{cite news
|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/nov/19/microsoft-key-tronic-reach-deal-spokane-company/ |title=Microsoft, Key Tronic Reach Deal: Spokane Company To Make New Ergonomic Keyboard |author=Murphey, Michael |date=November 19, 1997 |newspaper=The Spokesman Review |accessdate=13 June 2019}}
The Microswitch division of Honeywell, which was responsible for that company's keyboards and was acquired by Key Tronic in early 1994, is also credited with design input.
{{cite news
|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19951017/2147337/ergonomics-is-key-for-key-tronic
|title=Ergonomics Is Key For Key Tronic |author=Jewell, Mark |agency=AP |date=October 17, 1995 |newspaper=The Seattle Times |access-date=13 June 2019
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925172434/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19951017&slug=2147337
|archive-date=25 Sep 2022
}}
This keyboard also introduced three new keys purposed for Microsoft's upcoming operating system: two Windows logo keys ({{key press|Win}}) between the {{key press|Ctrl}} and {{key press|Alt}} keys on each side, and a {{key press|Menu}} key between the right Windows and Ctrl keys.{{cite web|title=Microsoft Is Bringing Out Its First Computer Keyboard|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/06/business/microsoft-is-bringing-out-its-first-computer-keyboard.html|date=6 September 1994|website=The New York Times|quote=...the Microsoft Corporation will begin shipping a keyboard on Tuesday with a suggested retail price of $99.|first=LAWRENCE M.|last=FISHER}}
Although it was not the first ergonomic keyboard, it was the first widely available sub-$100 offering.
The Natural Keyboard sold over 600,000 per month at its peak.
Over 3 million units had been sold by February 1998, when its successor, the Natural Keyboard Elite, was introduced.{{cite press release |url=https://news.microsoft.com/1998/02/26/microsoft-announces-availability-of-new-microsoft-natural-keyboard-elite/ |title=Microsoft Announces Availability of New Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite |date=February 26, 1998 |location=Redmond, Washington |publisher=Microsoft |accessdate=12 June 2019}}
File:MS Natural Keyboard Elite.png
Like the original Natural Keyboard, the Elite was manufactured by Key Tronic, who also assisted in its development.
= ErgoForce =
Among modern keyboard enthusiasts, Keytronic is known mostly for its "ErgoForce" technology,{{Cite news |date=2000-10-27 |title=Key Tronic Corporation Announces Distribution Agreement with NetZero, Inc. |language=en |work=Bloomberg |agency=Business Wire |location=Spokane, WA |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2000-10-27/key-tronic-corporation-announces-distribution-agreement-with |access-date=2022-06-19}}{{dead link|date=August 2024}} where different keys have rubber domes with different stiffness. The alphabetic keys intended to be struck with the little finger need only 35 grams of force to actuate, while other alphabetic keys need 45 grams. Other keys can be as stiff as 80 grams.{{Cite news |last=Lasky |first=Michael S. |date=1999-07-01 |title=May the ErgoForce Be With You |volume=17 |page=88 |work=PC World |issue=7 |editor-last=Fox |editor-first=Steve |url=https://vintageapple.org/pcworld/pdf/PC_World_9907_July_1999.pdf |access-date=2022-06-19}}
Corporate information
The company, which has been described as a contract manufacturer, was founded in 1969,{{cite web
|title=Keytronic Corporation: Private Company Information
|website=Bloomberg.com
|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=282911}} went public in 1983,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EcUSAAAAIBAJ&pg=3788%2C2493190 |work=Spokane Chronicle |last=Young |first=Larry |title=Keytronic will go public |date=April 27, 1983 |page=C6}} and has an estimated 5,000 employees.{{cite web |title=Keytronic company profile - Office locations, jobs, key people |url=https://craft.co/key-tronic}}
During 2016–2017, statements and press releases about Cemtrex's proposed acquisition of Keytronic have been released.{{Cite press release|url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/09/05/1107683/0/en/Cemtrex-Announces-Exchange-Offer-to-Acquire-Key-Tronic-Corp.html|title=Cemtrex Announces Exchange Offer to Acquire Keytronic Corp. |date=2017-09-05|website=GlobeNewswire News Room|access-date=2020-04-10}}
References
External links
{{commons category|Key Tronic}}
- {{official website|http://www.keytronic.com/}}
- [http://circuitsassembly.com/cms/component/content/article/201/9192-of-mice-and-men Circuitsassembly.com: "Key Tronic named the CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY EMS Company of the Year in 2009"]
{{Clear}}
Category:Computer peripheral companies
Category:Computer companies of the United States
Category:Computer hardware companies
Category:Companies based in Spokane, Washington
Category:Computer companies established in 1969
Category:Electronics companies established in 1969
Category:Companies listed on the Nasdaq