Nordelettronica

Aesthetic value, excellent usability

Even in these times of great change, Nordelettronica is empowered by its belonging to the AL-KO Vehicle Technology Group. A new control panel with impactful aesthetics will be presented at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, but the company is also working hard to offer products suitable for systems with lithium batteries

Words Renato Antonini

It is a complex period, although undoubtedly positive for Nordelettronica, which closed the year 2020 with a turnover of over 11 million euros. And 2021 is off to a good start, even better than 2020, with a 20% increase in the first months compared to the same period of the previous year. “At the end of 2020 we began to perceive a strong increase in orders, - the CEO of Nordelettronica Alessandro Chies explains - an increase that has consolidated in 2021 with a significant growth, linked to the perception of RVs as a positive mean for going on vacation, even with the pandemic. Unfortunately, some issues emerged due to the difficulty of finding raw materials in the electronics sector. We are managing these challenges in the best possible way thanks to our collaboration with CBE, another company which, together with Nordelettronica, produces electrical components for RVs and has merged into AL-KO Vehicle Technology Group, member of DexKo Global. The entry of Nordelettronica into the group was a strategic move for AL-KO, towards more knowhow in electronics for RV and the group’s other segments, while for us being part of the group means greater stability and the ability to better interact with important customers.” Nordelettronica continues to operate in the two headquarters and is making investments to increase production and improve the product. In particular, Nordelettronica is investing in machinery in the Romanian plant, where 85 people work and where most of the electrical wiring production comes from. At the headquarters in Italy (40 people), the investment is related to equipment for research and design. The positive market period is driving the company to acquire new customers in the two areas where it operates: the RV and industrial cleaning sectors. For the latter, Nordelettronica is particularly focusing on increasing its market share. As for the RV sector, Nordelettronica registered a 30% increase in the sales of products intended for campervans, the trend of the moment. The smart alternator led the manufacturers to use the booster, too, with large orders for the 40 Ampere NE 325 model.

Alessandro Chies

NE 362 panel

Nordelettronica is presenting the new NE 362 panel to the public of the Caravan Salon Düsseldorf 2021. It is a control panel equipped with a monochrome display completely made of glass, with capacitive buttons.

“It is a panel with a strong impact - the CEO of Nordelettronica Alessandro Chies says - it looks like a small tablet mounted on the wall, made entirely of glass. We have managed to control the production costs of the NE 362 by upgrading an existing panel, so we can offer it to the customer at advantageous prices. We noticed interest in the initial presentation phase and we already have orders. This is not an exclusive product for a specific customer, it can be purchased from any manufacturer.”

The NE 362 panel can be integrated with any Nordelettronica system. This 170x103 mm panel (external thickness of about 8 mm) has a slightly smaller size than usual, which facilitates its installation on vehicles, and allows the management of a menu suitable for controlling multiple functions and units inside a camper.

is why the company is working to develop this new product. It will be possible to use it both on motorhomes and campervans. It is expected to be on the market by the end of the year.

the batteries in less time. It has a size of 290x220 mm, with a height of 101 mm. The weight is not high: 4,5 kg. The NE 354 charger is a wide-range product, it is compatible with a power supply from 100 to 240 V and adjusts automatically. It is therefore suitable for the European market, but also for North America and Japan.

Shunt

With the increasing development of lithium batteries and a growing demand on the market, Nordelettronica is committed to offer instruments capable of reading the SOC (state of charge) of the batteries. This

New NE 354 charger

The good results achieved in the cleaning sector with the 24 V - 35A battery charger persuaded Nordelettronica to design also a 12 V version for the RV segment. Thus the NE 354 charger was born, which is capable of delivering up to 50 Ampere. The combination with conventional batteries is interesting, but so is the combination with lithium batteries. NE 354 allows you to charge

Company Profile

Nordelettronica, established in Italy in 1978, has always been focused on electronic equipment for the RV sector: from battery chargers for camper vans and low-voltage distribution module to electrical wiring and control panels. Outside of the caravanning sector, Nordelettronica makes wound components for industrial electronics, like switching and power transformers. Production has also focused on the industrial cleaning sector (floor cleaning machines). Study, design and manufacturing activities are performed in-house. This means considerable flexibility and solutions targeted to the customers’ real needs. Having been re-organised in 2011 with the introduction of new partners, Nordelettronica has gained new momentum and the turnover has gone from 5.5 to 11 million Euro over the past seven years. Direct exports represent 30% of sales, with 70% of products sold to Italian companies, which in turn export at least half of their production. The production site in Arad, Romania, managed by the subsidiary SC Nordelectronica East srl, was added to the Treviso (Italy) site. At the end of 2020 Nordelettronica has been acquired by AL-KO Vehicle Technology Group, subsidiary of DexKo Global.