ABB has most number of patent applications in 2013

In terms of number of patent applications, Switzerland ranks as submitting the most in Europe per one million inhabitants. In 2013, the European Patent Office (EPO) received 6,651 patent applications from Swiss-based companies. Of this ABB submitted 455, just ahead of Nestlé, Alstom and Roche.

According to ABB, it earmarks some $1.5 billion in R&D annually. It is a technology innovation leader in main fields, being noted by Thomson Reuters as well as the MIT Technology Review as one of the world’s leaders of innovation.

The company has seven corporate research centres, and maintains the Global Research lab that specialises in power electronics, software, sensors, materials and switching. It does research and development in many countries and has over 8,500 technologists worldwide.

ABB’s breakthroughs include the invention of self-blast circuit breaker technology, the first fibre-laser based pressure sensor, and the world's leading generator breaker, as well as combined low-voltage circuit breaker and energy manager and the development of a hybrid high-voltage direct current (HVDC) breaker.  

For the food sector, the company is known for the TyRap, a detectable cable tie wrap which was invented in 1958, and is still seeing several upgrades over the years. It features a tape section with triangular teeth that slope in one direction. Once the pointed tip of the cable tie has been pulled through the case and past the ratchet, it is prevented from being pulled back; the resulting loop may only be pulled tighter.

Thomas & Betts, an ABB company that produces the tie, now offers more than 500 types of cable tie and a range of accessories.

“We are proud of the heritage of the Ty-Rap? and continue to focus on innovation to meet a wide range of application requirements. We have had particular success with our Detectable Cable Tie, which supports our food & beverage customers with their efforts to mitigate the risk of contamination,” said Franklin Sullivan, senior vice president product management and marketing, Thomas & Betts.