The product uses a palladium sublayer instead of a gold sublayer under ruthenium in electroplated coating to reduce the product price

Photo: Rosel

Rosel holding included in Rostec State Corporation has developed new reed switches for electronics manufacturers in China. The products have contacts with palladium-ruthenium coating. Therefore, the price is lower than that of similar products with gold coating. At the same time, reed switches are reliable and withstand up to 100 mln. activations.

Magnetically operated sealed contacts (reed switches) are used as contact pairs in various relays, circuit breakers, pushbuttons, sensors and indicators for electronic and telecommunications equipment, control and security systems. The new product is a modified MKA-14103 reed switch, where the gold sublayer under ruthenium in the electroplated coating is replaced with palladium. 

Rosel’s Ryazan Metal Ceramics Instrumentation Plant (RMCIP) developed the reed switch in a proactive manner. 

“Chinese market holds more than 80% of our product supplies, therefore it is extremely important that the company considers the market realities. In 2025, gold has risen in price by more than three times, although both metals have almost the same electrical conductivity. Thus, a new cheaper product has been manufactured — a reed switch with a palladium sublayer under ruthenium in the electroplated coating. This device will allow us to maintain our competitiveness in the global market and to fill the portfolio of orders with export contracts,” said Sergey Maksimov, General Director of RMCIP.