Connectors Boost Manufacturing Quality

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More than ever, manufacturers rely on their reputation with users and consumers. The competitive marketplace, combined with the customer’s appetite for innovation in even the most everyday appliances, has placed increased pressure on manufacturers to find solutions that improve the quality of their product range.

 

 

Manufacturers choose components that deliver the reliability and performance needed to provide customer satisfaction. However, manufacturers also understand even high-quality components cannot prevent failures if they are incorrectly assembled.

This means designers are constantly investigating ways to make the production process as efficient and consistent as possible. In the pursuit of error-free manufacturing, products need to be designed with the assembly process in mind, and this is especially true when looking at the role of connectors in modern electronics.

A mismatched connector will cause a failure, the consequences of which range from an inconvenient warranty claim to a potentially life-threatening accident. To prevent these problems, engineers must take steps to ensure safe and reliable operation at the earliest stages of the design.

One of the often overlooked aspects of a connector is the extent to which they depend on manual assembly. Even in today’s highly automated world, the termination of power, data, and signal connectors relies on skilled operators. And for the high-volume environments found on production lines, choosing the right connector can deliver measurable benefits in reducing failure rates and increasing efficiency.

Whether connectors are designed with oversized terminals to carry high currents or equipped with high circuit counts for the latest data applications, considerable force can sometimes be required to operate them. These forces pose risks for operators as high mating and unmating forces can result in fatigue. This can lead to errors such as improper alignment of connectors, damage to contacts, and even repetitive strain injuries for operators.

With health and safety paramount for manufacturers and operators, connectors that deliver a low mating force reduce operator fatigue and consequently improve productivity and accuracy. These types of connectors should feature innovative contact designs like the Molex Fit Family of board-to-wire connectors (Figure 1). Power delivery and distribution in the Molex Fit Family connectors is achieved using a receptacle terminal with six points-of-contact to deliver the best possible electrical performance while minimizing the force required to mate and unmate.

Figure 1: Molex Fit Family Connectors can be modified, customized, or adapted to meet virtually any application needed. (Source: Mouser Electronics)

Connectors can also be designed with physical features that prevent incorrect alignment. The Molex color- and mechanically keyed connectors are designed with asymmetrical insulators that prevent them from being mated unless in the correct orientation. This reduces the number of errors during assembly and ensures the final product is working correctly before delivery.

However, mechanical keying alone cannot prevent errors when assembling complex equipment requiring multiple connectors. In applications that use several similar connectors, it is possible for fatigue to cause errors, as a moment of inattention can result in a cable being connected to the incorrect location, with potentially disastrous results.

To provide a highly visible solution for hard-working operators, the Molex connectors are manufactured in a range of different colors. By matching color-keyed plugs with the correct receptacles, users are given an instant indication that all components have been assembled correctly. Combined with mechanical keying, this positive feedback reduces the chance of errors and delivers confidence during quality control.

Consumer appliances are exposed to surprisingly extreme conditions within the home. The dangers of high humidity, harsh chemicals, extreme temperatures, and vibration in home appliances could quickly destroy sensitive electronics. To protect delicate printed circuit boards (PCBs), many manufacturers turn to potting as a solution. This process encapsulates the completed PCB within a compound that hardens the seal and protects the PCB against moisture and dust while also remaining flexible enough to respond to expansion caused by temperature changes. In addition to protection against contaminants, the sealing compound provides mechanical support for solder joints on PCB-mounted components.

Connectors intended for mounting onto a potted PCB need to be designed so the compound cannot interfere with the mating process. Molex manufactures a range of solutions without drain holes that are compatible with the potting process. The Fit family of connectors, along with the Micro-Lock and Spot-On connector ranges, can all be used in these applications to deliver additional stability and greater protection.

The best connector in the world is only as reliable as the process used to assemble it. With increased demand across the electronics industry for higher current ratings, higher circuit counts, and greater compactness, the design of connectors must evolve to ensure greater reliability during assembly and operation.

Molex manufactures a range of connectors specifically designed to address quality and performance issues by reducing the number of errors associated with improper installation. With low mating forces, a range of options like color- and mechanical keying, and a selection of potted solutions, Molex connectors deliver confidence for users and manufacturers.