Rear-facing connector assembly simplified
It has been announced that HARTING has added an industry standard Han B size version to its Han-Eco range of robust, flexible and corrosion-resistant connectors made of high-performance plastic for use in demanding industrial environments. The addition of the new unit allows users more flexibility in configuring the Han-Eco family in industrial applications.
In particular, this enables the ability to snap contact inserts into the mounting housing from the rear simplifies equipping control cabinets with interfaces.
The Han-Eco B differs from the Han B industrial connector in a metal housing chiefly in the ability to accommodate assembly from the rear. Unlike applications using the Han B standard housing, where the cables are first routed through the assembly cut-out in order to take care of the inserts outside the control cabinet, Han-Eco B allows the prefabricated inserts to be snapped in directly from the interior.
This facilitates the assembly of prefabricated units since the electrical cabinet and cable harnesses can be pre-assembled separately. The allocation of labour is improved, working time and costs are saved and, if necessary, processes can also be outsourced.
The new plastic connectors are plug-compatible with the equivalent Han B metal variants. All contact inserts and modules that can be integrated into the Han B metal housing also fit into the plastic housing. This opens up numerous options for combining new units with existing equipment. Production planners and machine developers have the freedom to choose the material, metal or plastic, for interfaces in line with their needs.
The compatibility of the mating faces enables the gradual introduction of the Han-Eco B in an industrial environment. Existing testing equipment in production can be used for both variants.
The advantages of the Han-Eco are also present in the Han B size. The connectors are not only light and easy to install, but are also corrosion-resistant, and offer numerous additional configuration options such as the integration of a PE module. The components are fire-resistant according to UL94 V0 (making them suitable for railway applications) and together weigh significantly less than the corresponding Han B connectors in the metal housing.
The contact inserts and modules that were previously used in the Han B housings can also be attached to the Han-Eco B plastic housing via hinged frames. This results in a greatly increased range of possible applications for connectors in plastic housings, driving forward the modernisation of production.