What is a panel mount receptacle? The best way to answer is to begin with a breakdown of terms.

We live in an increasingly connected world, and despite the advantages of technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), such innovations don’t come without challenges. For example, globally, there are over 26.66 billion connected devices that send signals back and forth over long distances. All of these device-to-device communications (in addition to other natural and human-made sources) increase the presence of electromagnetic energy all around us. This electromagnetic energy can disrupt the flow of electricity in cables and connectors, resulting in potentially serious problems, such as data loss or total power failure.

When shopping for the right connector and cable assembly, many seemingly small details about the product will affect performance, reliability and life span. One such feature is braided wire.

Understanding the capabilities of your electrical enclosures or mechanical casings is vital to the success of your product, especially if the application environment will expose your product’s electrical components to harsh elements. However, you can’t always believe the claims made by product marketers. Their definition of “waterproof” may be resistance to splashing while your team’s definition is total submersion. The International Protection Marking (aka “IP Code” or “Ingress Protection”) is a rating system that aims to fix this dilemma.

What is overmolding?

Simply put, overmolding is an injection molding process in which two or more materials are used to combine the wire and connector to create a single part. To do this, the cable assembly is placed inside a mold. The first material (the substrate) is covered by the other materials in this process. The overmolding process requires a rigid plastic component to be overlaid with a TPU layer or other overmold materials using either the insert molding (a single shot) or multiple-shot molding (two-shot) technique.

Overmolding or overmolded cables are full assemblies that combine the wire and connector into one single, seamless piece. To do this, the cable assembly is placed inside a mold. Next, a molten plastic material is injected into the mold cavity. Once the plastic material cools and solidifies, it conforms to the shape of the mold and encapsulates the junction point between the connector and wire.

When looking for a manufacturer to continue producing your OEM products, not just any partner will do. Several critical factors will directly impact your bottom line for better or worse, depending on which manufacturer you choose. Among these factors is the type of internal production model a manufacturer uses to process orders. The answer you’re looking for is cellular manufacturing. Here’s why:

Far more goes into the manufacturing of overmolded cable assemblies than meets the eye. Paired with the countless suppliers who claim to be “the best” resource for your electrical needs, it’s easy to understand why so much misinformation circulates the internet regarding the cost, parameters, and importance of overmolded cables. Today, we’re addressing four of the most frequently-referenced misconceptions and setting the record straight so that your development team can make the right choices moving forward.

Molded cable connectors can have a significant impact on the quality of your product. Using a low-quality or faulty cable connector for your product is like sawing off the leg of a table: it may still look like a table, but it surely won’t function as one. Despite how crucial the electrical connection is to your electronic device or equipment, most product developers don’t know much about them. Consider today your lucky day! Here’s a quick rundown of six important details you should keep in mind when choosing an interconnect solution for your next project.

From radios and cell phones to kitchen appliances and televisions, electromagnetic (EM) energy is all around us. Below is a diagram of the Electromagnetic Spectrum, which illustrates the full range of radiant energy. The shorter the wavelength becomes, the higher the frequency and the more dangerous the radiant energy. Despite claims, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that exposure to low-frequency EM radiation is dangerous to humans. However, even radio waves can have a menacing impact on electrical equipment.

Did you know that rapid prototyping shortens production time by an average of 63 percent? With that kind of time-to-market acceleration, it’s no wonder the future of product development depends on this technology. If your competitor incorporates rapid prototyping into their production process and you don’t, it’ll be nearly impossible to keep up with their speed and quality output.