India, December 7, 2015 – As industrial systems become increasingly modular, rising demand is evident not only for flexible plug-in connections for power and signal transfer, but also for data communication. HARTING has developed the Han-Modular® series to meet these demands. At SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg (24 to 26 November 2015) the Technology Group presented the latest modules from this series: the US4 switch, enabling data transfer via Ethernet/IP and PROFINET, as well as other data modules that have been optimised for frequent mating and demating (for >10,000 mating cycles).

Standard industrial connectors are designed for 500 mating cycles. The Han-Modular series extends well beyond these capabilities and contains an increasing number of modules that have been designed for at least 10,000 mating cycles. This part of the portfolio is called "High Mating Cycles" (HMC). Two shielded data modules have currently joined this group:

The Han® Megabit HMC module is suitable for transferring up to Megabit Ethernet Cat. 5e. It is an attractive option for applications that call for reliable data transfer and a high level of robustness.

The Han® Gigabit HMC module enables data transfer according to Gigabit Ethernet Cat. 6A. Thanks to the shielding, the two new modules are especially suitable for transferring sensitive (bus) signals. Han-Modular HMC consequently conforms to additional central Industrie 4.0 requirements.

The Han-Modular Switch US4 features 4 Ethernet ports and allows data exchange based on Ethernet/IP and PROFINET protocols. The switch saves space because it can be integrated into a connector with the Han-Modular hinged frame without further measures. As a result, the module is an especially good solution for applications in which Han-Modular® is already being tasked to supply machine elements with power and signals.

With these additions, Han-Modular is adapting to the trend towards continuous networking with the help of Ethernet/IP- and PROFINET-based communication through the operations control level and all the way to the enterprise level.

HARTING has additionally added the Han-Eco® 10 A and 16 A connector models, which offer advantages during assembly. For the first time, mounting on the back of the switch cabinet is possible. The pre-assembled inserts can easily be snapped into the bulkhead-mounted housing that is already in place on the switch cabinet - thereby saving valuable installation time.

Abhishek Bimal, HARTING India Pvt Ltd. Email: abhishek.bimal@HARTING.com