New connectors and terminals from Panduit

Industrial applications require the use of top quality products, because it is quality that determines the safety of operation, as well as the service life of the entire installations. That’s why we are now presenting to our clients the range of Panduit, a renowned manufacturer of solutions designed for installations in machine parks, warehouses and in other professional applications. Below we’re focusing on the terminals, cable lugs and connectors offered by this supplier. It’s worth noting at this point that these include both classic components used by electricians (e.g. bootlace ferrules) and innovative connectors for creating IT networks – resistant and characterised by excellent performance, but mounted without the use of specialist tools.

In this article, we’re discussing topics such as:

• The use of ring and push-on (flat) terminals
• Advantages and types of insulated terminals
• Bootlace ferrules in power systems and power supply installations
• IT network sockets for panel mounting
• Ensuring high IP rating of Ethernet connections
• Tool-free installation of RJ45 plugs by Panduit
• The use of cables with circular connectors in Ethernet and ProfiNET networks

Terminals and crimps

Terminals, crimp connectors, bootlace ferrules and cable lugs are widely used, mostly because they make possible connections with good electrical parameters, and at the same time they are very easy to install, even during fieldwork . They are also characterised by a very long service life.

Ring and flat terminals

P10-10R-L      Ring terminals provide a broad range of possibilities for permanent wire connection.

Ring and flat terminals are among the simplest solutions for terminating a wire with a connector that is easy to install and fasten.. The connectors can be crimped on the wire very quickly with the use of the right tool – this means that they are suitable for electrical installation works, but also for the production environment. 6.3 mm push-on terminals are used to connect components inside home appliances, industrial machinery, vehicles etc., while ring terminals are most often applied in protective and grounding connections, as they guarantee good current parameters and can be mounted on any surface (e.g. the device body made of sheet metal). They are also sometimes used between washers and pressed with bolts mounting other elements. In this way, they can form electrical connections to poles, brackets, panels etc. Panduit terminals are available from the TME catalogue in versions that are compatible with wires up to 6AWG (cross-section of around 16 mm²). Here, the customers will find the items suitable for industrial power supply installations, power connections and related systems.

Insulated terminals

Insulated terminals perform the same functions as the components described above, but they have been covered with an outer coating made of dielectric (nylon or vinyl). Apart from the obvious protective function, such a coating facilitates terminal identification (several colour versions are available) and reduces the risk of a short-circuit in the event of the tip slipping off due to incorrect installation or damage. Panduit offers such terminals primarily  in a push-on female version, with a bootlace ferrule placed straight or at a 90° angle to the connector. They can be crimped on wires with a cross-section  from 0.5 mm²  to 2.5 mm² (depending on the version). The terminals have standard, common widths, including – apart from 6.3 mm –2.8 mm, 4.8 mm and 5.2 mm.

DNF\18-250FIB-C      Terminal insulation protects both the connection itself and the technicians.

Ferrules

F78-7-M      Tinning the ferrule prolongs its resistance to moisture and corrosion.

The main purpose of aluminium ferrules is the safe installation of stranded wires in crimp terminals. Thanks to pre-compressing the fibres, after crimping we can get a better connection with lower resistance and we avoid delamination of the wire that would weaken its fixation. Panduit offers these components in sizes that are suitable for electrical installation works, e.g. 1.5 mm² (wiring for the distribution boards/fuse boxes), as well as in versions for wires with large cross-sections, such as 25 mm² that are used for grounding, making power connections etc. The ferrules have been made from tinned copper, facilitating the crimping process and ensuring outstanding electrical parameters and a long service life.

RJ45 connectors

RJ45 is the most popular standard used in Ethernet network connections. The disadvantage of this type of connectors is their low resistance to environmental factors. Meanwhile, with the progressing computerisation of industrial automation, there is a growing need to use network connections in harsh environmental conditions (moisture, dust, etc.). This is where solutions from Panduit, a manufacturer of sockets and plugs, but also adapters offering alternative mounting methods and accessories for making durable and resistant Ethernet connections come in handy.

Sockets

The basic group of RJ45 sockets by Panduit are components designed for panel mounting. Depending on the model, they can be installed either inside a square or a round opening, in which they are fixed with a latch or a sealed connector, respectively. The latter has been described in detail below. It’s worth noting here that the manufacturer produces Cat. 5e, 6 and 6a sockets, which make possible data transfer at the speed measured in gigabits. Selected models have colour-coded IDCs (8p8c pin array). Thanks to this, it only takes a few minutes to make a socket. The components are available in black, white and green.

NK6X88MIW-Q      Panel-mounted socket with an IDC.

High IP-rated connectors

IAEBHC5E      After mounting the cap, the connector maintains an IP67 rating.

As mentioned above, selected connectors come with a circular connector, thanks to which the socket can be installed without compromising the tightness of the whole installation. There are also the so-called ‘couplers’, which are versions of these components containing two sockets – an internal and an external one – enclosed in a body equipped with gaskets. A nut is used for fastening the socket in the opening. In addition, the external connector can be covered with a cap (which is also sealed). Such a capped connector maintains the IP67 rating (completely dust-tight, resistant to water jets, e.g. cleaning with a pressure washer). Panduit connectors can be used to carry out network connections between the installation in the building and the casings or boxes in which elements that are sensitive to dirt or moisture are placed. Just as the connector described above, these connectors have been made in versions that are compatible with Ethernet cables up to Cat. 6a.

Plugs for a network cable

Panduit has also made RJ45 plugs with a 8p4c and 8p8c pin array. They can be installed on cables with stranded or solid wires (i.e. including non-standard ones). Selected items from this group have shielded bodies, protecting signals from external interference, a problem often encountered in industrial installations. The method of installation of IDCs which does not require the use of tools (wires are pressed into their slots after installing the cap) is worth noting here. Cables with diameters from 5.8 mm to 9 mm can be inserted into the plugs. The products presented here are designed for installation in places where the use of standard RJ45 connectors is cost-ineffective, impossible (due to the type of wires of the cable) or if the application thereof requires high mechanical resistance. The offer also includes an angled version of the plug, facilitating connections with non-standard orientation in a limited space.

FPS6X88MTG      RJ45 connector, which can be installed on the cable without the use of crimping tools.

Industrial adapters

ICAM12X90RJS      The socket comes with a mounting nut for panel mounting.

One more solution from this part of the Panduit portfolio deserves a mention, namely adapters that allow Ethernet or ProfiNET networks to be connected via industrial cables using circular (M12) connectors with 4 or 8 contacts. These components can be factory-installed in new equipment or used for machine modifications. On one end, they have a circular connector (its thread is also used for mounting the component), and on the other end there is a standard female RJ45 connector. They make it possible to use high-end chemically and mechanically resistant wiring made in accordance with the industry standard instead of Ethernet cables – in many cases this translates to increased resistance of connections. However, it should be noted that the use of such cables will affect the transmission speed, and it may not be possible to reach the nominal parameters of the connected devices.