The history of the Han® connector as an industry standard begins with the industrial expansion of the post-war era, which saw an increasing need for robust connectors. Increasingly complex manufacturing is also placing ever greater demands on connection technology. Higher electrical voltages and currents in the smallest of spaces require completely new connectors in terms of technology and design. Industrial connectors according to the Harting Norm (Han®) have established themselves as a quasi-standard in mechanical engineering. From this basis, applications and opportunities arise in further markets such as robotics, transportation and wind energy.
Modular connectors for modular machines
As the modularisation of mechanical engineering made ever larger strides in the 1990s, HARTING developed the Han-Modular® series. The first comprehensive modular connector system sets standards in the industrial sector: contacts for the transmission of different media can be placed side by side in a housing with the aid of a mounting frame. In the more than twenty years since the series started, the range has established itself as a quasi-standard in mechanical engineering and features over 100 different modules. The Han-Modular® provides solutions for a wide variety of requirements.
Robotics – high number of pins in the tiniest space
Modular connectors aren’t the only thing to have advanced -- the proven standard monoblocks continue to evolve as well. Robot interfaces are usually designed to be pluggable in order to make their use in production processes more flexible. Although there is no normative definition, some manufacturers now use the Han DD® and Han-Modular® connectors as standard interfaces for robot controller cabling. The contact density is increased to such an extent that solutions for signal and power transmission are available in the smallest of spaces. One example is the Han® K 32/55 insulator, which for the first time enables up to 87 contacts to fit into a housing of the standard size Han® 10 B.
Jumper cables for rail vehicle construction
The railway sector places high demands on interfaces for carriage transitions. The interfaces must be insensitive to shocks and vibrations while transmitting data and signals securely. Jumper cables from HARTING transmit power, data and signals: equipped with the Han-Quintax® module for data and signals or the Han® Megabit and Han® Gigabit modules for high transmission rates (up to Cat.7A), they set standards for data transmission on board trains, for instance. With further innovations, for example miniaturised solutions for Ethernet – such as the Han® M12 module for Cat.5E and Cat.6A (D- or X-coded), which will soon be available on the market – HARTING is also looking to set the standards in the future for industrial interfaces in rail vehicle construction.
Wind energy: secure transmission of power and data
Components in wind turbines are manufactured in different locations before they are joined together on site. The modular principle of Han® connectors is made to order for these facilities. The connectors are used, for example, in generators, in the pitch control system and in wind tracking. More than anything, interfaces for wind energy must be robust and flexible. One unique HARTING connection solution on a slip ring is used to transmit power, data and signals from the nacelle to the rotor hub. The interface contains a mounting frame equipped with Han-Modular® modules.
Flexible connection of modular energy storage devices
HARTING has developed interfaces for the decentralised generation of energy and the power supply for industrial facilities. These interfaces help ensure that these systems can be operated safely and without interruption. Modular storage units serve as emergency power supplies or as buffers to the grid, for example. If required, they provide compensation voltage, which results in very high currents. The need for such standardised interfaces is high because storage manufacturers must be able to quickly and flexibly adapt many small units to different generator sizes.
”We chose HARTING because we wanted to ensure the greatest possible compatibility for our customers.“
Customer advantages:
- Han-Modular®: Transmission of power, data, signals and compressed air in one connector
- Continuous development of all standards
- Flexible, modular and standardised interface concept
- Industry-oriented, established, and recognised standards
