HARTING and the benefits of intelligent connectivity in today’s workplace

Smart connectivity is the way of the future.

Connectivity is constantly changing, and HARTING Canada is always up on current trends. One key trend is intelligent connectivity, or smart connectivity, a major feature of the next generation of industrial connectors. Older connectors could not function with media and passed whatever entered them between two points. But now, connectors can take action on the media when it passes through them. This technology is essential for many modern applications.

Better efficiency and reliability

Smart connectivity prevents downtime, improves efficiency, and boosts reliability. Many industrial devices are expected to function as soon as users turn them on, but small issues can lead to massive shutdowns. Monitoring energy levels and preventing energy spikes keep systems running in non-ideal situations. Taking action on data instantly allows applications to react efficiently.

Applications rely on functioning, accurate components today. Intelligent connectivity offers insight into an application’s health to prevent unnecessary downtime, while improving performance. For instance, the surge protection module ensures proper readings from sensors in wind turbines and HVAC systems. Preventing misreadings caused by voltage spikes is important to keep applications going at their peak. Another example: the energy measurement module that provides insight into machine health and use, enabling predictive-maintenance models.

What makes connectors ideal for these technologies? A connector is the most secure and easiest location for integration. To use an analogy: it is much better to stop a home intruder at the door than to wait until the intruder is inside the house and near the residents’ valuables. Although one can prevent a large voltage spike with surge-protection technology on the board of the PLC, this is harder and riskier. And industrial connectors offer flexibility in the protection levels they offer. Adding a smart module to a connector allows the module to have the same environmental rating that the connector hood has.

Intelligent connectivity is simple to integrate with HARTING’s Han-Smart line, which enables easy implementation of surge protection and energy measurement into existing designs. No longer is it required to undergo a new design phase; these technologies can be added to the existing connector footprint.

For more information, contact HARTING.

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