Connector Insights from iCONN

Between the sheer inaccessibility of the deep sea and its many dangers for a human operator, underwater environments represent the perfect testing ground for autonomous vehicle technology. One of the greatest challenges engineers have faced in this endeavor involves the volatile relationship between electrical parts and water. Sophisticated machines require a sophisticated power source that neither limits exploration nor puts technicians and equipment at  risk. To fully understand this sentiment, it’s important to recognize the amazing innovations in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) and the applications driving the need for more reliable electrical connectivity.

From logistical bottlenecks to supply chain disruption, the global pandemic acted as an accelerant for digitization and virtualization in food and chemical processing. Today, manufacturing leaders have their sights set on optimizing processes, improving sustainability across the supply chain, and revolutionizing the industry — all through new and emerging technologies. To perpetuate transformative changes and improve operational resiliency, processing plants are phasing out legacy systems for more advanced and scalable infrastructures. A fundamental part of their proactive approach involves greater investment in new operational technology (OT), such as specially-designed cable assemblies and connectors for food and chemical processing plants. Here are three forces driving major changes in processing plants.

Wet-mate connectors are the linchpin of a successful underwater application. Unless you identify the right subsea connectors for your project, it could be dead in the water — or, at the very least, require frequent, expensive repairs.

To prevent that, let’s review the typical options available for underwater connectors, the benefits and shortcomings of each, and what considerations should be key to your decision-making process.

When it comes to product development, the devil is in the details. From cost and volume to production time and distribution, the numerous variables involved in every decision mean even the smallest issue with design can quickly push a project out of scope. That’s why designing for manufacturability is mission-critical for product teams.

If you’re considering injection molding services, you’re already aware that this process allows design teams to achieve greater specificity at higher volumes. What you might not realize are the advantages of choosing to work with a service provider versus producing injection molded parts in-house. Here’s what you need to know.

With the increasing demand for high-performance I/Os and the miniaturization of devices and packaging, flex technology just makes sense. These sophisticated circuitries represent an alternative to traditional wiring, allowing for better current carrying capacity and heat dissipation due to their flat design. Thanks to their pliability, a flex circuit can also be molded around tight areas while reducing the need for bulky wires, thus enabling product teams to work more easily around spatial constraints.

Soldering is a technique used to affix two metal surfaces mechanically and electrically — for example, flex circuits (also referred to as printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electrical connectors. The process involves a metallic material called solder and a heat source to melt the solder, thus creating a joint between the two metal parts.

At iCONN Systems, we combine advanced rapid prototyping technology with a maverick team of design and manufacturing engineers to overcome the most extreme environments on the planet, including applications that involve direct exposure to flames and temperatures as high as 260⁰C (500⁰F). Let’s take a closer look at how we carefully select materials for molded cable assemblies in high-temperature applications (environments that exceed 60⁰C (140⁰F). Bring on the heat!

Society uses electrical connectors every single day to power computers, charge devices, transfer data and more. But rarely do people stop to think about how connectors work or what makes a traditional electrical connector different from those designed for extreme environments, like undersea cables submerged tens of thousands of feet below the surface. While the overall design of such specialized connectors is mission-critical, electrical engineers understand that a connector’s contacts will ultimately make or break a circuit.

Scour the web for a reliable interconnect solutions provider, and you’re sure to turn up dozens of manufacturers, each with a catalog of turnkey solutions to meet your application needs. While many product lines offer the performance and reliability to align with your specifications, there are certain situations that warrant a customized connector and cable assembly solution — especially if standard parts fail to meet the demands of an application.

Customizing a connector and cable assembly gives product teams a variety of options for how to enhance the performance of a solution. However, the benefits go far beyond performance alone.