A brief history of ILME (industrial connectors)
ILME has evolved from a specialist in robust industrial connectors to a complete ecosystem covering inserts, hoods, housings, contacts and tooling for demanding applications.
- 1940s — Company founded in Milan, Italy, with a focus on durable electrical connection systems.
- 1960s — Launch of rectangular multipole connector families for machinery and plant wiring.
- 1980s — Consolidation of size standards (e.g. 21.21 to 104.62) and expanded accessory ecosystem.
- 1990s — Widespread adoption of crimp technology, coding accessories and improved lever-latch housings.
- 2000s — Higher IP sealing (IP65/66/67) across aluminium and thermoplastic housings for harsher environments.
- 2010s — Introduction of faster terminations (e.g. spring-type options) and modular insert layouts for power, signal and data.
- 2020s — Push-in terminations, digital selection tools and continued investment in global distribution and application support.
LED Controls stocks commonly specified ILME components in the UK and can source the wider catalogue quickly on request.