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Industrial Connectors Outperform Hardwiring
By Craig Zagorski, Market and Applications Manager for Automation/Machinery, NA, Harting, Inc. of North America T
housands of equipment manufacturers have switched from point-to-point (hard) wiring to connector-based cable assemblies in factory
and process automation and control systems. By adopting progressive connectivity solutions, they have improved both unit costs and productivity. Using connectors instead of hard wiring allows them to turn orders around more quickly. And their customers receive the benefit of a lower cost of ownership over the service life of a machine by using connector-based wiring rather than hard- wiring approaches. Today’s connectors include many user-friendly
and application-specific choices that can further enhance product reliability and convenience. Con - nectors are capable of excellent mechanical stabili- ty, and different connectors are available with high ingress, temperature and vibration resistance, harsh weather durability, and multiple termination options. Most rectangular connectors are modular and user-configurable. With different inserts, each connector can be configured for different voltages, such as signal and power, or combinations of differ- ent transmission media, including power, signal, fiber-optic, coaxial, D-sub, and pneumatic connec- tions. Recent innovations, such as quick-lock termi- nations, click-and-mate assemblies, and twist-top locking, make installation and maintenance of these connectors faster and easier than ever. Most industrial equipment, for indoor or out-
door use, contains extensive electrical wiring among its components and subsystems. When the equipment is manufactured, the original equip- ment manufacturer (OEM) typically assembles and tests it at the manufacturing facility, disas- sembles it for shipping, and reassembles it at a customer’s location. For a hardwired system, each connection must be unmade prior to shipping and remade following shipment to a customer’s loca-
tion. If wiring errors are made during final setup, they can lead to damage upon equipment startup or, at a minimum, delays and expense to diagnose and correct. But by replacing hardwired contacts with connectors, much of the wiring for the same system can be designed, assembled, and tested as harnesses, then quickly integrated into the sys-
tems based on inter-related function modules offer significant efficiencies and economies over tradi- tional unitary design approaches. Standard com- ponents, such as control panels, motor assemblies, and power distribution boxes, can be prebuilt, pretested, and then plugged together in final assembly with connectors. Modular design with connectors can enhance a
product for both an OEM and a customer. In one such example, a French builder of large industrial ink-jet printing machines increased market share while lowering production costs by adopting a modu- lar design with connectors in place of hardwiring. Each machine includes a print head and control unit. Previously, fiber-optic cables, pneumatic hoses, and electrical cabling were run through sheathing and hardwired to the print head and other function blocks, such as the ink dispenser. This method did not lend itself to disengaging the print head. But by integrating the feeds into a modular connector, the print head can now be detached and reattached quickly and easily for assembly and maintenance. This custom, ready-to-use cable harness is supplied by connector manufacturer Harting. Similarly, the advantages of connectors can
Today’s modular connectors offer many benefits over hard-wired connections.
tem. Some time is invested in assembling the har- ness, but installation is then a fraction of the time required for a hardwiring approach, and the risk of wiring errors is virtually eliminated.
Mixed Wiring Between Connectors Modular connectors can be configured to
carry power, signals, and/or data in the same easy- to-install unit. Connectorized wiring is almost per- fectly complementary to the continuing shift to modular machine design. Machines and plant sys-
be achieved in a plant layout, such as in the use of a communications bus for other functions, such as power and control signals for motors. Such signals can be distributed using the appropriate power connectors on the bus, such as Han-Power® T con- nectors, once again from Harting. Through the use of this connector, installing or replacing a motor becomes a plug-and-play operation, with little downtime or risk of wiring errors. Fabricating connectorized wiring assemblies
allows for precise, repeatable measurement of cable lengths. Connector-based wiring harnesses can be assembled cost-effectively by staff or by a contractor
Continued on next page
December, 2014
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