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Effective protection under extreme conditions

Outdoor applications place the highest demands on components. HARTING Technology Group has developed effective protection for Han Connectors against impact by rocks and other extreme environmental conditions.

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Application areas such as traffic engineering, mining and petrochemical industries place extreme requirements on equipment and components. Connectors used in these fields are subject to impact, shock, or even rockfall and stone-chipping against which they must be effectively protected. To meet increasing demands for flexibility, ease of maintenance and easy installation options in the field, connectors are increasingly being used in critical outdoor areas as well. This has led to intensified efforts in the development of freely usable connectors whose performance equals that of permanent connections in every measure.

To meet this challenge, HARTING Technology Group has developed Han® hoods and housings that provide connectors with effective protection – also under extreme conditions. A polyurethane coating protects the connector against mechanical (e.g. impact from rocks), chemical and other influences, as demonstrated by the associated applicable tests. The Han® M Plus series is thus particularly suited for extreme outdoor applications, including marine use (on ships, offshore platforms, wind turbines, etc.) and deployment on machinery and vehicles exposed to aggressive (e.g. salty) air, road salt or impact by rocks.

This is enabled by RIM technology. The abbreviation RIM stands for Reaction Injection Moulding. In this method, two liquids are injected into a moulding tool surrounding an aluminium die-cast body. The mixed liquids cure inside the mould, thereby creating a solid coating of polyurethane (PU) that forms on the housing. The PU coating displays excellent adhesion to the housing and increases the impact resistance of the surface. HARTING has patented the aluminium die-cast connector coated during the RIM process.

RUGGED TEST SERIES

HARTING has verified the robustness of the Han® M Plus series via abrasion and impact-tests, as commonly used in the automotive industry on coatings. The results: when tested with sandblasting per EN 60068-2-68 and in the stone impact test per ISO 20567-1 (Method B), no surface defects arose on the PU-coated Han® M housing. By contrast, after an intense bombardment with stones, metal enclosures without PU coating suffered scratches, which in some cases reached down to the metal housing. Such cracks can act as starting points for corrosion. The housings with PU coating have already proven their special corrosion resistance in salt mist tests. 

MULTIPLE USES

The housings are locked with two Han Easy-Lock® crosslevers, each consisting of two stainless steel levers and a connecting plastic actuator. Also important for the user: the new connector with the special surface protection is based on the proven Han® M standard. Thus, the housing of the Han® M Plus is plug-compatible with that of the Han® M standard. Han-Modular® modules and Han® inserts can be used in both housings and can be used in place of each other, if necessary.

The PU coating replaces the seals at the transition between the housing halves and the flange of the bulkhead mounted housing. The Han® M Plus series is extremely robust and highly ozone- and UV-resistant. HARTING has also successfully tested the material for its resistance to a selection of standard cleaning agents. The material is fire resistant and meets the R22 requirements set of the EN 45545 train fire safety standard. As a result, these specially protected connectors are suitable for vehicles with a hazard degree of HL2.

Discover more about Han M Plus

HARTING Ltd is skilled in the fields of electrical, electronic and optical connection, transmission and networking. We use this expertise to craft solutions for the transportation, data transmission, wind energy, mechanical engineering, factory automation, automotive and robotics markets. HARTING also design and manufacture cable assemblies, box builds, kit assemblies and modified products at our UK facility in Northampton.
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