When it comes to combining data transmission and power supply, Phoenix Contact is going full throttle. The first Single Pair Ethernet cables have barely been in use when exciting new developments are already coming onto the market
You need a magnifying glass! The new M12 hybrid connectors are still being made by hand at Phoenix Contact. Pre-series production. But it’s another bull’s eye, because the first samples have barely made the rounds among customers before orders are already flooding in from East Westphalia. High-speed data transmission at up to 1 GB/s combined with two circuits with up to 400 W power – this will delight anyone who wants to combine power-hungry robotics with data-intensive monitoring in factory automation, for example. And with just one cable.
But before the new connector reaches the customer in 1000 copies, there is still some manual work to be done. “The product is still in pre-series,” explains skilled worker Philip Jösting, who is responsible for assembling the SPE connector in Blomberg. It is not yet being sold. Sample parts are made available to selected customers on request. “One customer has now ordered 100 samples from us.”
A look at production
Pre-series production – what does that actually mean? A visit to production: Vanessa Werting looks through her magnifying glass with a highly concentrated gaze. Her eyes are fixed on two small components. A thin shield contact has to find its way into a tiny opening in the shroud. With a steady hand, the 46-year-old pushes the contact into the small gap, which is invisible to the naked eye. Then it’s done – the contact is in place. Vanessa Werting now turns the magnifying glass away. She no longer needs magnification for the next steps. She pushes the shroud onto a housing. Two more narrow contacts are inserted into the housing, then she clamps the construction into a mounting device. The specialist presses the lever on the device and the parts are pushed together and fixed in place. Assembly step one is complete – now nothing can slip or fall out.
“That’s the most strenuous part,” says the assembly worker from Schwalenberg, adding with a laugh: “I always really need my glasses at this workstation.” The workstation is located in Hall 7 in Blomberg, where rows and rows of connectors are manufactured. In addition to the “Sunclix” connector for photovoltaic systems and the RJ45 data connector used in LAN cables, for example, this also includes the new SPE-M12 hybrid connector.
Individual control
The data is transmitted using the two contacts that Vanessa Werting has already installed. The shroud and shield contact ensure that electromagnetic interference is shielded and does not interfere with data transmission. The power components are added in step two. Together with four power contacts, the experienced production worker inserts the previous construction into another housing and fixes it to another mounting device. Attach a shielding spring on one side and a cover on the other – and the connector is ready.
Once ten connectors have been plugged together according to the instructions, Werting briefly changes her workstation. “We check every part so that we don’t leave any components out by mistake,” she explains. A test head is therefore available on the next table. Each connector is inserted once into a specially designed device and pressed down. If the lamp lights up green, it is OK. If it lights up red, the part needs to be checked. Vanessa Werting packs the correctly assembled connectors ten at a time in a blister pack and a plastic bag. Label it and put it in the loading aid, then the next ten parts can be produced.
Pre-series is manual work. And manual work is cost-intensive. But it is indispensable. Since the costs are not passed on to the customer in the form of completely utopian prices, it is not possible without an advance payment. Entrepreneurial risk. But Phoenix Contact is certain that Single Pair Ethernet will play an immensely important role in the ever-increasing electrification and will be a key topic for the All Electric Society. And sometimes it is essential to look through a magnifying glass. (Stefanie Theil)
https://www.phoenixcontact.com/en-us/single-pair-ethernet-connectors
