Tech Briefs Magazine - February 2021 - [MD] 7

that work must be done before the manufacturer finalizes the design or orders the
component tool and assembly machines.
This process could take months and
sometimes years to finalize a concept.
When developing custom solutions,
that process needs to be weeks, not
months. OEMs must find a connector
supplier that understands this and can
adjust the development process in the
concept stages to meet critical timelines.
A good custom connector partner will
have a development process designed
for customer-specific applications. It
should be one that can be adjusted for
the OEM's specific timing needs. Providing budgetary proposals quickly with
a high degree of accuracy is important
(Figure 5). As the design concept becomes finalized and the development
process continues, the accuracy of the
proposal can increase. A connector
partner with experience in developing
custom connector solutions is extremely
valuable.
When a custom connector solution is
the right choice for an OEM, the next
decision is choosing the right company
to partner with. The wrong partner
would only increase costs and development time and ultimately create frustration. Given the investment in time and
money to develop custom solutions,
choosing the right partner is critical for
success. A valuable connector partner
today should be able to offer consultation on connector design, not just provide the service of acting as a subcontractor for a new connector concept. Just
defining the technical requirements can
be difficult. But OEMs need to combine
the technical requirements along with
commercial requirements to come up
with a solid business case and the best
solution possible.
A connector partner should have a
deep understanding of not only plastics
and contact design but how those two
components come together to make a
quality connector that can be manufactured quickly and easily. A connector
partner should be able to document a
development plan including a test plan
at every step from concept through to
high-volume production. The right partner should have a history of innovation
and previously established global communication channels with multiple manufacturing locations in low-cost regions
or locally in the U.S. and Europe.

Conclusion
Industrial OEMs today face many
challenges. Customized connector solutions offer great benefits compared with
off-the-shelf connectors. What may seem
like a large investment in time and
money is really an affordable option
when considering the costs associated
with trying to make an off-the-shelf connector fit in a new application.

When you consider the balance in
meeting new trends of industrial devices
and the development challenges they
pose, a customized connector solution
really stands out.
This article was written by Chris Beevers,
Device Connectors - Manager of Solutions Engineering & Market Development at Phoenix
Contact USA (Middletown, PA). For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/79410-283.

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Tech Briefs Magazine - February 2021

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