A Connector for All Seasons

The industrial circular connector family from Souriau can trace its heritage to the Trim-Trio connector series from Burndy.  The name Trim-Trio is familiar to generations of engineers, as it stands for reliability, versatility and rugged construction. Developed as a commercial connector series using the best of military connector technology, the Trim-Trio has evolved over the years into a complete and capable system.

The Trim-Trio connector system offers a wide array of shell sizes, from the smallest size 8 shell up to size 24.  Their part numbers all start with the letters UT to denote their family, and are divided into sub-families based on their construction:

UTS Series.  Offering fully moulded plastic shells in a user-friendly design, the UTS series is perfect for indoor and outdoor applications that need sealing against water ingress.

UTO Series.  The UTO series is also fully sealed, and offers a fully-metal shell for use in applications requiring EMI/RFI shielding.

UTG Series.  The UTG is a hybrid design, offering the lightweight of a plastic-shelled connector with robustness of a metal locking ring, and is perfect for applications requiring high durability.

Whatever the requirement, the Trim-Trio family has a connector that will suit the needs of the application.  However, one of the secrets to the Trim-Trio's success is hidden inside the shell.

Common Contact Design

As my colleagues and customers have heard me say for decades now, no connector is complete without a good contact. Souriau's circular connector family shares a common design using size 16 contacts. Available in both machined and stamped and formed construction, and with a range of plating options and wire sizes, the Trim-Trio family has contact options that will satisfy most requirements. Stamped-and-formed contacts provide affordable solutions for low-current or light duty connectors which will see a minimum of handling. In contrast, machined contacts with gold plating provide the most rugged solution for higher currents and frequent use.

The key feature, in Souriau's own words, is that "any TRIM TRIO contact can be used in any contact position in any connector in the TRIM TRIO interconnection system."

This offers customers huge benefits. From reduced stock holding to standardised termination techniques, the size 16 contact at the heart of the Trim-Trio system is one of the reasons that it has been adopted across so many industries.

Choose the Right Tool

Just as important as a good contact is a good termination. I am sure I have said it before, but the best contact design in the world is worth little if it is incorrectly terminated. A good termination needs to combine the optimum electrical continuity with the best possible mechanical strength. At best, a poorly terminated contact may result in equipment failure, resulting in repair costs, warranty claims and loss of reputation. At worst, it is downright dangerous.

Therefore, if this article has one message, it is this:

Choose the right tool!

The right tool, correctly adjusted, means that every terminated contact is as good as the last, making crimp contacts amongst the most reliable in the world. Fortunately, Souriau offers a full range of crimp tooling to go along with the Trim-Trio family of connectors.

A huge range of connectors, contacts and tools from Souriau's Trim-Trio family is available from RS Components.

THE SOURIAU TRIM-TRIO FAMILY AVAILABLE FROM RS COMPONENTS