How to Choose the Correct Industrial Connector

Industrial connectors are used in various industries, and choosing the correct connector can be difficult. You need to consider many factors need when choosing an industrial connector.

Industrial connectors come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Some materials are more durable than others depending on the environment you will use them in.

This article will discuss some factors to consider when choosing an industrial connector.

Factors to Consider When Choosing the  Industrial Connector

Choosing the right type and appropriate industrial connector for your project or update might be challenging given the broad range of industrial connectors available. Before buying the correct equipment for the project, you need to know what transmission you need and the environmental factors.

These are just some of the factors you need to remember:

  • Connector Sizes
  • Environmental Factors
  • Key and Color Coding
  • Cable and Connector Contacts
  • Versatility and Resistance
  • Quality Connectors

Connector Sizes

You should note the cable’s outside diameter in the same way as the wire gauge. Cable sizes vary depending on the standard. It is essential to select a connector with a broad enough inner diameter to ensure that the cable is correctly seated inside the connection.

Using a connection with a smaller inner diameter might cause severe damage to the cable, reduce current capacity, and make installation more difficult.

Selecting a connector with a larger inner diameter, on the other hand, might result in loose connections as well as the danger of arcing or sparking.

With different industrial connector sizes from https://www.tme.com/us/en-us/katalog/industrial-connectors_33/, you can ensure a high-quality connector for your next projects.

Environmental Factors

Regardless of its position, the surrounding environment will affect the electrical connections within a connector. There are possibilities for temperature changes, water, chemical, and oil contact, UV radiation, ozone, and EMI from neighboring devices.

You should also examine how exposed your connectors are to external mechanical disturbances; any of these external influences might impair signal transmission.

It pays to make sure your connector of choice is correctly protected against every potential signal loss risk, whether they are EMI or mechanical, and whether they are immediate or hypothetical hazards.

Key and Color Coding

Another typical mistake is connecting the wrong wire to the incorrect termination point, stopping commissioning, and requiring you to go back to the beginning to check for errors.

Engineers implementing a signal connection interface might pick circular connectors that leverage coded keying patterns to overcome these difficulties. When numerous connections with much the same landing footprint are put in a single device, this will minimize misunderstanding. You can use circular connections with alphabetical keying variants in a signal connection design concept, such as A, B, and C.

Cable and Connector Contacts

Ensure that the number of contacts in each cable and connection is the same. Most organizations do not support ganging numerous wires into one termination or crimp connection. In your power connection computations, you may need to account for grounding.

If it’s a signal, you’ll have to give importance to the frequency and the location of the power connections (pins) or cables.

Versatility and Resistance

Some uses are very vulnerable to vibrations and bending. It is crucial to pick a flexible connection so that it can resist motions and will not degrade. Specific connections provide the safety of cables with wire mesh or strain reliefs in the case of bends.

Chemical contact can occur with connections in specific instances. You can use unique connections composed of stainless steel or PVC for longevity because chemicals can corrode and impact connectors.

Quality Connectors

Aside from the wire-to-contact termination point, poor contact material quality is a common cause of signal failure. Selecting gold-plated contacts with an adequate plating thickness is a smart option. However, don’t always pick the cheapest.

Combining screwdrivers and fingers to construct a connector may be highly time-consuming and tiresome. Working in a small, dimly lit room is challenging enough. Push-in connections, spring contact terminals, and IDC termination types are excellent for circumstances like these.

Overall Thoughts

The factors described above are the most significant to consider when choosing correct industrial connectors.

However, it is also advised to examine the project’s scalability for greater efficiency. Choosing a more common connector that is suitable for contemporary technology can be beneficial in the long run if the equipment gets modified at any point.

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