BY STEVE SMITH
The uncertain future of the automotive industry may have many harsh connectivity manufacturers in a wait-and-see mode, but if recent product announcements are any indication, manufacturers continue to have faith–or, at least hope–in the long-term viability of hybrid vehicles as well as continued expected growth in industrial automation demands.
Ongoing pressure on industrial manufacturers to get cleaner and leaner (and cut costs in the process) is likely to remain in 2009 in spite of, or perhaps even fueled by, the troubled overall economy. But just to cover all the bases, several hi-rel companies have recently introduced cross-market connectivity products–devices that are targeted to certain automotive/transportation applications while also suitable for industrial automation and other harsh environments.
Transportation industry solutions provider Delphi Corp. (www.delphi.com), for example, unveiled its Power Pack connection systems at Electronica 2008 in Munich late last year, almost simultaneous with ongoing Congressional bailout discussions for the ailing Big Three automakers. But while Power Pack is primarily heralded for its ability to provide a sealed connection system that mates in the in-line or right-angle direction to provide automotive OEMs with a routing advantage for large-gauge cables, Delphi also has a broader harsh environment market in mind.
“Power Pack meets the product requirements for a number of markets–passenger car, commercial and off-road vehicles, and industrial applications,” notes Don Bizon, Delphi Connection Systems product manager. “Its high-voltage, high-current ability combined with its sealed-system configurations also make Power Pack a strong candidate for automakers’ hybrid vehicle programs.”
As for those hybrids, the tea leaves are also uncertain. While the spike in oil costs at the beginning of last summer saw a rush in sales and orders for hybrid autos, the combination of falling gasoline prices and the fragile economy (and consumers’ pocket books) have softened auto sales of all types. And some analysts believe that until the auto industry can discover a way to make a profit on hybrid vehicles–not to mention re-tooling overall production methods–short-term growth will be slow at best anyway.
But perhaps not everywhere. Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s largest carmaker–including the popular hybrid Prius–which although was looking to cut spending by up to 40% starting in April, announced in December it was also looking to focus its investments this year on hybrid vehicles. Meanwhile, while several automakers have pulled out of the North American International Auto Show this month in Detroit, Honda Motor Co. still planned to re-launch its Insight hybrid. Insight originally came on the market in 1999 but was discontinued; the reincarnation is being billed as the most affordable hybrid on the market and thus a challenger to the Prius.
Delphi, whose hybrid vehicle designs include high-power electrical wire harnesses and connectors, also sees an aftermarket connectivity potential–preparing the service industry to safely and accurately diagnose and repair complex hybrid vehicle systems. The company says it sees a market for aftermarket remanufacturing of specialty “green” subsystems, reflashing of computers, and hybrid diagnostics as the automotive service industry incorporates an increasing amount of electronic technology.
And then there are hybrids themselves–hybrid connectors, that is. Molex (www.molex.com), for example recently introduced its CMC wire-to-board connectors designed for such extreme environment applications as automotive power train and body electronics, but also for control applications in motorcycles, and marine and agricultural equipment. The standard and power hybrid models feature a matte seal with multiple sealing lips, available in multiple terminal sizes to support low-, medium-, and high-current data requirements, and designed to fit with a variety of headers.
On the industrial automation front, recent unveilings include a push-pull fiberoptic solution from Harting (www.harting.com), and an Ethernet-based solution from Amphenol PCD (www.amphenol.pcd.com) specifically designed for protection in process monitoring and data acquisition applications in explosion-susceptible oil, gas, and chemical industries.
Harting’s PushPull SCRJ connector is designed to ease integration of SCRJ fiberoptic cabling with standard push-pull connector configurations in harsh industrial environments. The IP65/67-rated panel feed-through device, which is available with plastic or metal housing, allows routing of optical fibers into control cabinets or distributed automation components without the need for media converters.
ATEX Ethernet connectors from Amphenol PCD are built for applications in Zone 2 and Class 1 Division 2 explosive environments, and have been designed as a response to the trend in the ATEX market towards limiting the expense of equipment in Zone 1 and installing it in Zone 2 where constraints are less demanding. An extension of the company’s RJFIELD and USBFIELD connectors, the ATEX solution incorporates a proprietary RJStop connection system designed for quick conversion of any standard Ethernet cable into a connection with IP68 protection against shock, dust, and fluids.
The Amphenol solutions have 112G ExnA11TX6 ATEX protection, with temperature ranges from -40° to +60° C for the RJ-45 and RJ-11 versions, and -40° to +70° C for the USB versions. Metal cases have been strengthened to meet the mechanical resistance criteria of EN 60079-15, including a 1 kg mass dropped from 70 cm.
Other recent harsh environment introductions include ITT Interconnect Solutions’ (www.ittcannon.com) NDD Series low-profile connectors for size- and weight-critical applications in industrial control systems, avionics, aerospace, defense electronics, and medical diagnostic equipment. These nanos feature 0.635-mm pitch contact spacing designed for high signal density in minimal space. The NDDs also feature proprietary micro twist pin technology, with five points of electrical contact and high-rel crimp joints designed to ensure signal integrity. They are built to withstand vibration up to 20G and shock up to 100G, as well as 48-hours of salt spray.
Harwin’s (www.harwin.com) Reverse Fix option for its Datamate connector series lets designers consider PCB access and component selection to match early in the process. The Datamate J-Tek Reverse Fix connector range offers cable-to-cable or cable-to-board options, and features a high reliability 4-finger beryllium copper contact clip as well as jackscrew fixing designed for additional security of connection. Harwin says its high-rel solution is suited for use in environments where high vibration, shock, and extremes of temperature are a consideration, including medical research, military, aerospace, and industrial.
A PC board-mounting receptacle has been added to Tyco Electronics’ line of Industrial Ethernet RJ-45 sealed connectors (www.tycoelectronics.com). It uses through-hole mounting, with two plastic legs providing additional mechanical retention before and after soldering. Built for EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, and ControlNet applications, the modular plug and jack solution provides IP67-rated sealing as well as a quick-connect bayonet coupling that meets IEC 61076-3-106 Variant 1 specifications. Housings are polarized to prevent mis-mating. CS
