Reed Switch Developments Corp. (RSD), based in Racine, WI, is a 100% woman-owned and woman-led global manufacturer of magnetic reed switches and sensors for a variety of applications. It has experienced remarkable new growth after being recognized as last year’s Quality Plant of the Year.

With sales up another 25% year-to-date, RSD’s growth has continued to be fueled by the strength of its in-house technical and applications engineering expertise, product reliability, on-time deliveries, and—most vitally—its commitment to quality.

I recently spoke with RSD President Debra Dahlin and Engineering and QA Manager Jeff Rosenbaum to discuss how the company is leveraging automation technology to control quality, reduce per-unit costs, and manage record sales growth, all while facing the same industry headwinds as other manufacturers in terms of rising raw material and shipping costs, continued global economic uncertainty, and an ever-evolving technology landscape.

Congratulations on another excellent year for RSD. Are there any particular areas that have trended as the strongest business growth drivers this year compared to last year?

Debra Dahlin (DD): Last year was particularly strong for RSD in new customer acquisition. This year, we’re seeing a more balanced mix of new and existing customers and growth across all of them.

Whether a first-time customer or one who’s bought from us since the very earliest days, 60 years ago, the common thread across all of our business growth remains RSD’s unique in-house capabilities to produce small to medium-volume custom reed switches, sensors, and actuators and support end-of-line and obsolete component requirements.  

Customers appreciate our flexibility and technical expertise, especially when designing custom solutions and supporting end-of-line and obsolete components. We believe that return business metrics will remain strong because of our consistent quality and reliability, as well as the talent and strengths of our design and applications engineering team.

Of course, we’re also a multi-generational, family-owned small business with a stable in-house team. I think that our customers appreciate our relationship-based approach to what can be application-dependent, more of a one-time transactional-type sale of a switch or an ongoing blanket order. Each customer, large or small, is treated with the same level of excellence and with a true sense of appreciation for their business.

How is the factory floor automation initiative progressing at RSD?

DD: We’re making excellent progress. We expect to have four of our five primary manufacturing processes fully automated by year-end, barring any unforeseen vendor lead time challenges. And, of course, when we wear multiple hats internally as a small business, sometimes staff resources are temporarily allocated elsewhere, though we do work hard as a small business to minimize those diversions in the interest of maintaining forward solid progress.

Once completed, this automation will allow one of our most significant manufacturing cells to be predominantly automated across all of its primary processes and interconnected. Our first automation priority was the automation of our potting process, but we’re on track to enhance our other production capabilities further.

How does automation help RSD maintain its in-house quality standards?

Jeff Rosenbaum (JR): We recognize that automation is vital to us in maintaining the zero-defect manufacturing culture that has become synonymous with our brand over the years and as the business continues to grow and evolve. Through automation, we, of course, find that we can reduce human error, control overall quality more consistently, ensure faster production times, and allocate staff resources to focus more on lean manufacturing and continuous quality improvement initiatives across the business. The manufacturing automation aspect allows us to meet custom order requirements more efficiently while also keeping per-unit costs down. It also allows us to accommodate larger volume orders on demand without having to add temporary staff resources. Automation is a crucial step in helping us to more effectively scale while maintaining the high level of quality for which RSD is so well known.

How does automation enhance RSD’s ability to offer custom magnetic reed switches and sensors, particularly in small to medium volumes?

DD: By closely aligning our lean manufacturing and process automation goals and strategies and prioritizing our automation based on the most common batch sizes and customization characteristics, and with that data and insight derived from ongoing customer feedback that we collect, RSD is able to best position ourselves as a business to support our customers working on such niche projects.

How has RSD’s overall industry and technical expertise contributed to this growth?

DD: Our team has several decades of experience in magnetic reed switch technology, which gives us a distinct advantage in designing and delivering custom solutions. We’ve successfully supported hundreds of custom projects, which also allows us to draw upon that wealth of applications engineering knowledge and expertise when approaching each new customer challenge. In our experience, it makes us a stronger value-added partner.

How does RSD expect the incorporation of automation to ultimately impact the overall production accuracy and repeatability of your magnetic reed switches?

JR: Automation is expected to have a significant impact on maintaining consistency across our magnetic reed switch production. Specifically, the automated processes we’ve implemented help ensure precise control over critical operational characteristics, such as magnetic sensitivity and activation distance. This allows us to reduce variability and maintain tight production tolerances, for example, which are essential to meeting the performance requirements of our custom applications.

What challenges has RSD faced thus far when automating its in-house production processes, and how were they overcome?

JR: One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced with automation is managing the delicate nature of some of our components, particularly in material handling and assembly. We’ve had to work closely with our automation vendors to ensure that the processes maintain the same level of care and accuracy as our manual methods. By integrating custom tooling and robotics explicitly designed for the unique aspects of magnetic reed switch production, we’ve been able to overcome these obstacles while ensuring that automation complements, rather than replaces, the critical human oversight in our manufacturing processes.

How will the implementation of automation and automated testing and quality control systems help RSD ensure the continued reliability of its magnetic reed switches across various customer applications?

JR: Automated testing and quality control systems are integral to ensuring the reliability of our reed switches. These systems allow us to monitor performance parameters consistently at every production stage. The result is greater precision, fewer defects, and the ability to meet more rigorous quality standards required by industries like automotive, aerospace, and medical devices, where product reliability is paramount.

What considerations went into selecting the automation technologies and vendors that best align with the unique manufacturing requirements of magnetic reed switches, as well as RSD’s in-house technology needs?

JR: Choosing the right automation technologies for RSD’s unique objectives required us to carefully assess both the precision and flexibility needed for our manufacturing processes. We carefully selected vendors who could provide tailored automation solutions capable of handling the components involved while also allowing for customization and scalability. Additionally, we focused on systems that could easily integrate with our existing processes, ensuring that new technologies would enhance production without disrupting the pre-existing high level of quality on which we’ve built our reputation.

Has automation allowed RSD to explore new product development opportunities or improve design for manufacturability (DFM)?

JR: Automation has undoubtedly opened up new avenues for product development at RSD. With increased production flexibility and precision, we are able to iterate designs more quickly and incorporate manufacturability considerations earlier in the design process. This has led to improvements in both the speed and efficiency of custom product development, mainly when working on small- to medium-volumes. The integration of automation has also allowed us to scale up production on new product designs without sacrificing quality.

How will automated processes at RSD ultimately integrate with lean manufacturing principles or other continuous process improvement methodologies?

DD: Our automated processes are closely aligned with lean manufacturing principles, as they help us to reduce waste, scrap, and rework, optimize resource utilization, and improve overall operational efficiencies. Automation enables us to streamline production workflows, minimize manual interventions, and ensure consistency, all of which contribute to the continuous quality improvement of our manufacturing processes. By leveraging automation in this way, we can also allocate our human resources more effectively, focusing them on value-added activities like product innovation and quality assurance.

What other next-gen or future automation technologies or advancements are you considering enhancing further production or quality control of your in-house magnetic reed switch manufacturing processes?

JR: Looking ahead, we are exploring the potential of the further adoption of next-generation technologies, such as AI and machine learning, to optimize our production and quality control processes further. For RSD, the future incorporation of such technologies will likely be helpful reference tools or enhancements to existing systems utilized to help us make data-driven decisions and further improve process efficiencies. However, it’s important to note that while automation and AI may play some future role, they could never replace the human expertise and craftsmanship that remain central to our operations. Instead, we see them as potentially valuable supporting tools to help us scale more effectively while maintaining the high-quality standards for which RSD is best known.

As Reed Switch Developments Corp. continues to grow and evolve, its strategic adoption of automation technologies will play a crucial role in maintaining the company’s reputation for high-quality, custom-engineered solutions. By automating its critical production processes, RSD is not only driving operational efficiency but also ensuring the precision and consistency required for its magnetic reed switches across diverse applications. While challenges in material handling, precision manufacturing, and rising costs remain, RSD’s balanced approach—combining advanced automation with the irreplaceable expertise of its in-house engineering team—positions the company to scale sustainably and respond flexibly to the demands of both current and future markets. As technologies like AI begin to complement existing processes, RSD is poised to further strengthen its manufacturing capabilities without compromising the human touch that has been key to its success over the past 60 years.