It is worth listening to customers. It is not uncommon for a market innovation to come about as a direct result of a customer request. This was the case with the new HARTING RJ45 Multifeature connector. “Simple, fast and error-free”: this was what users were looking for when it came to assembling industrial Ethernet cables in the field. Although the established HARTING RJ45 connector has managed without special tools since 2003, the new version can now do much more: it can practically assemble itself. Thanks to integrated wire cutters, machine and plant cabling is now 25% faster for customers.
Faster and higher-performance assembly of Industrial Ethernet in the field
Flexible production also depends on the ability to assembly machine and plant cabling simply, with a high level of performance and – above all – rapidly. The time-consuming work of assembly has traditionally consisted of preparing and connecting the cable. Half of the time is spent on stripping, cutting the shield and trimming, removing the paired shielding when necessary and sorting the wires in accordance with the wiring diagram. In just one step of the process, individual wires have to be cut eight times with a wire cutter; this alone requires a great deal of time and precision. The HARTING development team sought to remove these steps for the user. And they found a solution: the job is now done by the connector.
Fewer cables, reduced installation time
The development team sought to dispense with the time-intensive preparation steps needed to lay the cable, as this would save on the overall installation time. What if the RJ45 connector could precisely assemble itself – “alone” so to speak? This was the extraordinary approach pursued by the HARTING engineers in the development of the new RJ Industrial® MultiFeature RJ45 series. Integrated cutters precisely cut the individual strands to the correct length when the connector closes, thereby replacing the manual work with a wire cutter. In addition, the wires are always shortened at the same point in every connector and connected via insulation displacement connectors in the same place. This prevents performance fluctuations between the individual assemblies, which is a very important quality feature.
“Assembly needs to be fast and safe in the field. The connectors of the RJ Industrial® MultiFeature series offer precisely this to users.”
Prepared for all industrial environments
The objective was to relieve the user and increase the speed of machine cabling. The reality of the various production conditions should, however, also be outlined. Customers today have a range of flexible and rigid wires available to them, from AWG 26 to 22. Robust cable attachments and angled connectors with variable cable outlet directions are also available.
A highly technical innovation that saves a lot of installation, but still suitable for everyday use in harsh industrial environments: the HARTING RJ Industrial® MultiFeature RJ45 series.
Future-ready:
- Assembly time reduced by 25%
- HARTING RJ Industrial® MultiFeature series for harsh operating environments. 6A output, IP20 and IP65/67 casing combined with PoE power supply IEEE802.3af (PoE 15,4W) / IEEE802.3at (PoE 25,5W) / IEEE802.3bt (PoE 100W) supply data and power for each device.
For future decision-makers within industry:
- Reduce retrofit times in production
- Accelerate machine and plant cabling
