¶ Summary
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Alps Electric Co., Ltd. (アルプス電気株式会社) |
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|---|---|
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| Former Name(s) | N/A |
| Founder(s) | Unknown |
| Founded | November 1948 |
| Defunct | N/A |
| Fate | N/A |
| Headquarters | Ota, Tokyo, Japan |
| Relevant Products |
Keyboards Switches Keycaps |
| Owners/CEO | Unknown |
| Website | alpsalpine.com |
Alps Electric Co., Ltd. (Japanese: アルプス電気株式会社, Hepburn: Arupusu Denki Kabushiki-gaisha), also known as Alps Electric or Alps, is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic control devices such as switches. They are best known among keyboard enthusiasts for the Alps SKCM/SKCL series keyboard switch, produced from the mid-80s until the mid to late 90s and used in many different keyboards and typewriters.
¶ History
Alps Electric was established in November 1948 as Kataoka Electric Co., Ltd., and began the manufacturing and sales of rotary switches the next month.1
In 1985, Alps Electric purchased the Apple Computer Garden Grove Plant in Cork County, Ireland.1
Alps exited the keyboard switches market at some point during the mid-late 90s, leaving business partner Forward Electronics of Taiwan to continue manufacture of the simplified SKBL and SKBM series. These switches would later appear without Alps branding after Alps terminated their partnership in the early 2000s. These switches would later be used and then cloned by Matias for use in their own boards.
The company continues to exist as Alps Alpine. The company's current offerings in terms of switches consist of the TACT Switch line, intended for “consumer electronics, automotive systems, industrial electrical equipment and other products”2.
¶ Products
- Alps Keyboards
- Alps Switches
- Alps Keycaps
¶ Logos
¶ References
- Alps Alpine - Our Company - History [accessed 2021-06-18]
- Alps Alpine - TACT Switch™ [accessed 2021-06-19]