Play it safe with tested cable/connector combinations

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Objective:
To develop a reliable cable/connector combination for Profinet with harmonised components

Requirements:
Customers would like to use the high-quality components from both companies. However, they also need a clear statement about the reliable combination of the two components.

Industry: Machine & plant operator

Success for the customer:
Thanks to the collaboration between the product specialists (Katharina Esch from igus and Bianca Ulmschneider from Telegärtner) and their teams, a reliable Profinet connection was qualified that goes far beyond any standards. With this result, even the most demanding customer can be sure of combining the highest quality components, which are significantly above the market standard, in a functionally reliable manner.

The test procedure:
M12 circular connectors (D-coded) STX M12x1 KS were professionally assembled with the CFBUS.060 Profinet cable and measured using data transmission. After the successful test, the cable with the connector was stressed in motion and regularly re-measured. The large igus test laboratory was used to mechanically stress the cables in a real application. After completion of the endurance test, the complete test specimens were measured for their high-frequency behaviour at Telegärtner and assessed as positive.

No user needs just one cable or just one plug-in connector. Signals are only transmitted if both are available and work together permanently. This was precisely the subject of the joint tests. "Customers in all segments are increasingly choosing high-quality products, such as the CFBUS series for small installation spaces and long distances," confirms Esch. "The situation is similar with plug-in connectors for expensive machinery, which are only worth investing in if they function optimally," adds Ulmschneider.

The product range of both companies includes components of highest quality that are tailored to customer applications, which should always offer the best price/performance ratio. This is proven by igus with a comprehensive guarantee statement and an online service life calculator. However, the challenge for the customer is always: Does the connector also fit onto the cable and vice versa? Can the customer expect the maximum from both high-end products when they are combined?

The path of partnership-based testing, which has been pursued since 2013, is now being continued. Two specialists work individually to research and improve their product and develop optimum solutions in their product area. Esch lists the nine PROFINET cables with service life guarantee: PVC cable with radii for 15xd and 12.5xd, oil-resistant versions for 15xd and 12.5xd, two robot cables, a highly tensile version and two types for maximum dynamics that were tested here. These developments are now being finalised: The products in question, such as connectors in this case, are coordinated with the manufacturer and qualified just as conscientiously.

This means that customers can not only rely on the product as such, but also on reliable use in their machines, where they always use a combination. During the tests, attention was naturally paid to all the special features of the respective products. In the case of the cable, this is the high-quality inner jacket for durability over long distances and small radii and, in the case of the connector, the perfect connection with the Insulation Displacement Termination in conjunction with the 19mm stranded wire of the CFBUS.060.