Integrated industrial solutions for the smart factory!

At Southern Electronics, Harting will feature its comprehensive range of integrated solutions for the smart factory of the future under the broad heading of “the fourth industrial revolution”. Products on show include interconnectivity products for smart network infrastructures and smart power systems, RFID hardware and software for implementing automatic ID within the industrial environment, and the latest generation of connectors for wire-to-board and board-to-board interfaces. The Harting Technology Group’s electronics assembly operation – Harting Integrated Solutions (HIS) - will also be demonstrating its backplane and sub-assembly capabilities.

New networking products include the Ha-VIS mCon 3000 range of Ethernet switches, which enable the construction of complex and efficient network structures, and are optimised for use in harsh industrial environments. The high demands on reliability and safety in industrial settings mean that managed Ethernet switches need to become more efficient, and the new Harting switches address this challenge by offering high availability, network security, monitoring capabilities and high reliability.

The integration of the PROFINET I/O device stack allows the switches to be deployed and incorporated seamlessly into existing and newly planned PROFINET applications.

Harting’s RFID technology offers a high degree of flexibility to simplify the implementation of scalable solutions in different application sectors. The system combines rugged, high-performance RFID readers with powerful data pre-processing to ensure high-speed data transmission and optimum dynamic network performance. An efficient software solution allows the scaling of RFID solutions from individual readers through to enterprise-wide solutions across different locations. As an aid to integration of the RFID transponding functions, all the readers provide UHF technology as a standard feature. Their rugged design and construction allows them to be used in a wide range of industrial environments, including mounting on metal surfaces.

In the electronics interconnection sector, Harting has introduced a number of new devices in the har-flex® family of compact, versatile and rugged board-to-board and board-to-cable 1.27 mm pitch connectors. Straight and angled connectors are now available as PCB models which, when combined with the connectors for flat ribbon connection, allow PCBs to be combined into complex systems perfectly adapted to their surroundings. All har-flex® connectors are available with from six to 100 contacts, in increments of two. Fully assembled cables are also available. The compact but rugged design of the har-flex® connectors also guarantees reliable operation under adverse conditions. Large PCB retention clips ensure that the connectors are firmly held in place after soldering. A low-wear insertion and withdrawal procedure is achieved by a very smooth contact point between the male and female contacts. In spite of their rugged design, har-flex® connectors are also suitable for high data rates, which means that they can handle modern transfer protocols such as Gigabit Ethernet or PCI Express.

Also new is a 2.54 mm pitch version of the har-flexicon® miniature rapid-connection system for printed-circuit boards incorporating surface-mount devices. har-flexicon® is tailored to the market demand for screwless rapid termination technology and economical processing for miniature electronic assemblies. It is designed to be compatible with SMT and reflow soldering processes as well as with automatic loading systems using pick-and-place technology. The new system, incorporating SMD PCB terminals and connectors with 2.54-mm spacing, enables the flexible, field-installable rapid connection of individual wires with push-in spring-force termination technology as well as providing a stable basis for surface mount connectivity. Rigid and flexible conductors are available with cross-sections from 0.14 to 0.5 mm². Straight and angled components with 2-12 positions are available for the PCB. For cross-sections up to 2.5 mm², reflow products with push-in spring force termination technology with a pitch of 3.50/3.81 mm and 5.00/5.08 mm are available as PCB terminals and PCB connectors.

Harting Integrated Solutions – the company’s contract manufacturing operation - is featuring its electronics assembly capabilities, along with its expertise in project development, prototyping, test and evaluation. The company is an ISO9001 supplier, and its Northampton based manufacturing facility designs, manufactures and tests high-speed multi-layer backplanes and integrates them into card frames and enclosures. Cable assemblies from simple ribbon to advanced wiring looms are also offered.