2024年打破设计界限：在连接器设计中把坚固化和小型化相结合报告-Molex莫仕

molex

REPORT

BreakingBoundaries:UnitingRuggedizationandMiniaturizationinConnectorDesign

JULY2024

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Introduction 03

TheConfluenceofRuggedizationandMiniaturization

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4

DefiningtheNewLandscape:WhatSets

MiniaturizedandRuggedizedConnectorsApart

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9

TheMiniatureRuggedizationImperative:

EnvironmentalChallengesandSolutions

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TheFutureofMiniaturizedRuggedConnectors

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Molex:BuildingaMoreConnectedWorld

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INTRODUCTION

Theelectronicsindustryhaslonggrappledwiththetrade-offbetween

ruggednessandminiaturization.Ruggedizedcomponentsdesignedto

withstandharshconditionsareoftenbulkyandheavyforaddedprotection.Conversely,miniaturizedcomponents,valuedfortheircompactformfactor,canbeperceivedasmoredelicateandlessrobust.

Whycan’twehaveboth?

Weareataturningpoint.Advancedmaterialsscience,innovativedesign

techniquesandevolvingmanufacturingprocessesaredrivingtheemergenceofanewgenerationofconnectors.Theseconnectorsdefythetraditional

trade-off,providingbothexceptionaldurabilityandcompactsize.

Bornfromtheautomotiveindustry,morespace-efficientinterconnectsthatcouldwithstandharshconditionssatisfiedtheneedsofvehiclesoverloadedwithnewelectronicfeatures.Thisconvergenceisnowtransformingotherindustries,enablingthedevelopmentofsmaller,lighterandmorereliableproductsthatcanexcelinthemostchallengingenvironments.

Howcanruggedizedminiatureconnectorsmovethelandscapeofelectronicdevicesforward?Let’slookahead.

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THECONFLUENCEOFRUGGEDIZATIONANDMINIATURIZATION

Designengineersacrossindustriesmaystillbelievethatarugged

componentmustalsobebulky.Historically,ruggedizedelectronic

componentshavehadlargerformfactors,whileminiaturizedalternativeshavebeenperceivedasdelicate.Tounderstandhowsmallandmighty

merged,let’sexploretheiroriginsintheautoindustry.

THEAUTOMOTIVEREVOLUTION

Necessityremainsthemotherofinvention.Inthelatetwentiethcentury,

featureslikeanti-lockbrakes,electronicfuelinjectionandearlyinfotainmentsystemswereintroduced.Asdemandgrewfortheseelectronicfeatures,

sodidtheneedforsmaller,morereliableconnectors.Earlyattemptstominiaturizeconnectorsoftenresultedincomponentsthatlackedthe

robustnessrequiredfortheharshautomotiveenvironment.Thisspurredmanufacturerstoinnovate,developingrobustminiatureconnectorsthatcouldwithstanddemandingenvironmentalconditions.

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THEDATACENTERONWHEELS

Thepopularizationofhybridelectricvehicles(HEVs)andelectricvehicles(EVs)hasonlyfurtherintensifiedtheneedforsmall,durableconnectors.Asmoreelectronic

systemshavebeenintroducedinmodernvehicles,theneedfordependable,space-savingcomponentsisincreasinglyevident.Theaverageautomobile

containsaboutamileofwiring,whichtipsthescalesatover100pounds.

Modernvehiclesarealsopackedwithsensors,camerasandcommunicationsystems,requiringhigh-performanceinterconnectsinconfinedspaces.

Alloftheseautomotiveadvancementshavelaidthefoundationfortheminiaturizedruggedconnectorsweseetoday,whichhavesincefoundapplicationsinmany

industriesbeyondtheautomotiveandtransportationcategory.

EXPANDINGHORIZONS

Emergingfromtheautomotiveindustry,thetrendofruggedminiaturizationis

nowpermeatingacrossvariousindustries,fromconsumerelectronicsandIoT

devicestoindustrialmachineryandsmartagriculture.Anextensiveselectionofmini-ruggedizedhardwareavailableasoff-the-shelfcomponentsischangingthegamefordesignengineersandenablingkeyfunctionalityinapplicationssuchas:

ConsumerElectronics

•FitnessTrackersandSmartwatches

Theselightweight,high-functioningdevicesrequireprotectionagainstsweat,waterandimpactduringdailyuse.

•ActionCameras

Denselypackedactioncamerasmustmaintainsignalintegrityanddeliverpowerwhileprotectinginternalcomponentsduringextremeactivities.

•SmartHomeDevices

Smartthermostatsandvideodoorbellscanmaintainaminimalfootprintthankstosmallerconnectorsthatalsoprovidehighdurabilityforreliabledeviceoperationsindoorsandoutdoors.

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IndustrialAutomation

•Human-MachineInterfaces(HMIs)

Touchscreensandbuttonsprovidereliableoperatorinteractioneveninharshfactoryconditions.

•IndustrialRobots

Roboticarmsreceivedependablepoweranddatatransmissiontooperateindemandingindustrialsettings.

•Sensors

Sensorscontinuetocollectdataaccuratelydespiteexposuretodust,vibrationandtemperatureextremes.

MedicalDevices

•Endoscopes

Thesedevicesmaintainoptimalimagequalityanddevicefunctionalityduringprocedures.

•InsulinPumps

Accurateanduninterruptedinsulindeliveryismadepossiblethankstostrongconnectionsbetweeninternalcomponents.

•WearableHealthMonitors

Sensorsarecomfortablyandunobtrusivelyconnectedwhilebeingprotectedfromsweatandmovement.

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Aerial/AviationDevices

•ElectricVerticalTakeoffandLandingAircraft(eVTOLs)

Criticalflightsystemsreceivereliablepowerandsignaltransmissiondespitetheelementsandconditionsoflow-altitudeflight.

•MappingandSurveyingDrones

High-poweredLiDARandcameraequipmentfunctionproperlyinacompactdesign,providingaccuratedatacollection.

•DeliveryDrones

Droneswithstandtherigorsofdeliveryoperations,ensuringsecurepayloadsandreliablenavigationandcommunication.

SmartAgriculture

•VerticalFarmingSystems

Densesensorandlightinginstallationsmaintainlong-termreliabilityinhumidenvironments.

•CropMonitoringDrones

Dronesareprotectedagainstingressandvibrationsduringflightforoptimaldatacollection.

•SoilMoistureSensors

Buriedsensorsdeliverreliabledatatransmissiondespitemoisture,pressureandimpacts.

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BROADENINGTHESCOPEOFRUGGEDMINIATURIZATION

Thefullscopeofopportunitiesforcompact,durablecomponentsisstilllargelyuntappedandyettoberealized.Rugged,miniaturepartsmayleadtofurtheradvancementsinnascentandexpandingfields,suchasflyingtractors,eVTOLaircraft,verticalfarms,spaceexploration,aerospaceanddefenseapplications,wearabletechnologiesorremoteweatherstations.

EMERGINGTECHRELIESONRUGGEDMINIATURIZATION

Let’sbrieflyconsidertwoexamplesofburgeoningaerialtechnologythat,if

adoptedbroadly,coulddictatethefutureofsmartagricultureandtransportation.

FlyingTractors

Insmartagriculture,theadventof“flyingtractors”(oragriculturaldrones)

couldverywellredefineagricultureasweknowit.Theseunmannedaerial

vehicles(UAVs)canexecuteprecisionfarmingoperationslikecropmonitoring,sprayinganddatacollection.Todoso,flyingtractorsmustutilizesmallbut

mightyconnectors.

Connectorsinagriculturaldronesrequirehighresistancetovibrationandshock,astheyexperienceshakyconditionsduringtakeoffandwhilemaneuvering

throughturbulentskies.Operatingoutdoors,connectorsinflyingtractorsaresubjecttoenvironmentalextremesinherenttofarmingapplications,includingdust,moisture,extremetemperaturesandcorrosivechemicalsfrompesticidesandfertilizers.Agriculturaldronesrelyonreal-timedatatransmissionfor

navigation,controlanddatacollection.Theserequirementsdemandminiatureconnectorswithhighbandwidthandlowsignallosstohelpfarmersmake

informeddecisionsinrealtime.

ElectricVerticalTakeoffandLandingAircraft(eVTOLs)

Whilethereareregulatoryhurdlestoovercome,imagineadronethat’scapableoftransportinghumanscomfortably.Oftencitedastheclosestwe’vecometo

flyingcars,eVTOLscouldrepresentamajorleapinpersonaltransportation.

Theseboundary-breakingaircraft,poweredbyelectricpropulsionsystems,couldbecomecommonplaceasautonomousflyingtaxisoraerialride-sharingvehicles.

TheunderlyingtechnologyofeVTOLshingesonruggedminiatureconnectorstounlocktheirfullpotentialforurbanairmobility.Electricpropulsionsystems,whilepromisingquieterandcleaneroperation,presentsignificantweight

challengesduetotheheavybatteriesrequiredforflight.Thisconstraint,coupledwithstringentsafetyregulations,underscorestheneedforlightweightyet

durablecomponents.Miniaturizedconnectors,withtheircompactsizeandrobustmaterials,addresstheseneedsbyreducingoverallaircraftweight,maximizing

rangeandefficiency,andensuringcriticalsystemsremainoperationaldespite

potentiallow-altitudeincidents.Thisresilienceiscrucialforsafetyandthe

economicviabilityofeVTOLs,protectingthesignificantinvestmentthesevehiclesrepresent.EVTOLcompaniescanexpandtheirpotentialcustomerbaseby

increasingtheirpayloadcapacity.

Today,engineersnolongermustthinkof“rugged”and“miniaturized”asmutuallyexclusive—durableminiconnectorswillenablenewtypesofdevicesandsystems.

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DEFININGTHENEWLANDSCAPE:WHATSETSMINIATURIZEDAND

RUGGEDIZEDCONNECTORSAPART

Thewidespreadadoptionofrugged,miniaturizedconnectorssignalsaparadigmshiftindesignphilosophyacrossindustries.Nolongerseenas

opposingforces,miniaturizationandruggedizationarenowconvergingto

createanewgenerationofcomponents.Butwhatexactlysetstheseinnovativeconnectorsapartfromtheirpredecessors?

BRINGINGTOGETHERTHEBESTOFBOTHWORLDS

Mergingthestrengthsofruggedizationandminiaturizationcanreshape

productdesignandperformance.Forthecontextofthisreport,miniature

connectorsgenerallyimplyaconnectorwithapitchof2.54mmorless.A

ruggedconnectorisdefinedasaconnectorpossessingfeaturesthatallowittowithstandharshenvironmentalconditionsandmechanicalstresses.Thesefeaturesincludevibrationandshockresistance,ingressprotection,thermalresistance,corrosionresistanceandgeneraldurability.

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EnhancedSpaceEfficiency

Byfreeingupspacewithinelectronicdevices,ruggedminiaturizedconnectors

enablemorecompactdesignsandincreasedfunctionality.Thisisparticularly

importantinapplicationswheresizeandweightconstraintsaremajorfactors.Byreducingtheoverallfootprintofconnectors,engineerscandesignlighter-weightdevicesthatperformbetteranddeliverlongerbatterylives.

ImprovedReliability

Miniaturizedruggedconnectorsareengineeredtowithstandtherigorsof

challengingenvironmentsduetotheirrobustconstructionandresilienceto

shock,vibration,temperatureextremesandenvironmentalhazards.This

enhanceddurabilitytranslatestolongerproductlifespans,reducedmaintenancerequirementsandincreasedreliabilityindemandingoperatingconditions.For

example,intheautomotiveindustry,whereconnectorsmustendurea15-yearlifespanunderharshconditions,theserobustcomponentsminimizefailuresanddowntime,ensuringconsistentperformancethroughoutthevehicle’slifecycle.Similarly,inindustrialsettings,whereequipmentisoftensubjectedtoconstantvibrationandchemicals,durableconnectorsplayacrucialroleinmaintaining

overallsystemperformance.

OptimizedSignalIntegrity

Althoughcompact,ruggedminiaturizedconnectorscanmaintainhigh

signalintegrityandelectricalperformance.Thisispossibleduetoinnovativecontactdesigns,optimizedsignalroutingandtheuseofhigh-qualitymaterialswithstrongconductivityproperties.Thisensuresreliabledatatransmission,

MolexReliabilityLab:EnsuringPerformanceUnderPressure

Molex’scommitmenttoreliabilityextendsbeyonddesignandmaterialselection.The

MolexGlobalReliabilityLab

rigorouslytestsconnectors

underextremeconditions,simulatingreal-worldstressorslike

vibration,temperaturecycling,andexposuretoharshchemicals.ThiscomprehensivetestingensuresthatMolexconnectorsnotonlymeetbutexceedindustrystandards,providingengineerswithconfidenceintheirlong-termperformanceandreliability.Thelabadheresto

theinternationallyrecognizedISO/IEC17025standardforlaboratoryexcellence,ensuringthehighestqualityandcapabilityintestingandvalidationforcustomerprojects.

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powerdeliveryandoverallfunctionality,eveninchallengingenvironmentswithhighlevelsofelectromagneticinterference(EMI)orradiofrequencyinterference(RFI).

IncreasedDesignFlexibility

Ruggedminiaturizedconnectorsallowengineerstofitmorefeaturesand

functionalityintosmallerspaces,aswellasexplorenewformfactors,creating

newproductsthatwereimpossibleinpreviousgenerations.Thisnewlyunlockeddesignfreedomcanleadtoinnovativeproductdesigns.Smartwatchdesignersnowincorporatemorediagnosticcapabilitiesintoatypicalwatch-sizedpackage,allowingforcontinuousremotemonitoringofvitalsignslikeheartrate,blood

pressureandoxygensaturation.

WITHINNOVATIONCOMESCHALLENGES

Whileruggedcompactconnectorsoffervaluablebenefits,theyalsointroducedesignandmanufacturingroadblocks:

MaterialSelectionandProcessing

Designinglighter,smallerandstrongerconnectorswiththerequiredmechanical

strengthandelectricalpropertiesforreliablesignalandpowertransmissionin

aminiatureformfactorischallenging.Processingthesematerialsintocomplex

connectorgeometriesoftencallsforspecializedtechniquessuchasmicro-molding,high-precisionmachining,laserweldingorselectiveplating.Thesetechniques

allowengineerstoworkwiththeintricateshapesandtighttolerancesrequiredforminiaturizedruggedconnectors.

ThermalManagement

Asdevicesbecomemorepowerfulandcompact,heatdissipationbecomesaconcern.Miniaturizedconnectors,withreducedsurfacearea,maystruggletodissipateheateffectively,potentiallyleadingtodecreasedperformanceor

devicefailure.

SignalIntegrityandCrosstalk

Incorporatingmultiplesignallinesintoasmallerconnectorincreasestherisk

ofcrosstalkandsignalinterference,potentiallycausingdataerrorsandsysteminstability.Asdeviceinterconnectivitygrows,ensuringsignalintegrityiscriticalforreliability.Engineersmitigatetheseissuesthroughtechniqueslikedifferentialsignaling,shieldingandoptimizedPCBlayouts,enablinghigh-performancedatatransmissionevenincompactconnectors.

MechanicalReliability

Byincludingfeaturessuchaslockingmechanisms,strainrelieffeaturesandcontactdesigns,connectorscanbeoptimizedtowithstandthestressesofvibration,shockandrepeatedmatingcycles.

ManufacturingComplexity

Producingsmaller,robustconnectorsofteninvolvesintricateprocesses,

extremelytighttolerancesandspecializedequipment.Thisrequirescarefulplanningandoptimizationforthemanufacturer.

Whilechallengesremain,thebenefitsofruggedminiaturizedconnectorsarealreadybeingrealized.Advancesinmaterialsscienceprovidemanysolutions

tothesechallenges.11

MATERIALSSCIENCEADVANCEMENTS

Engineersareincreasinglyturningtoinnovativematerialsthatoffertheidealcombinationoflowerweight,durabilityandelectricalconductivitytomeetthegrowingneedforsmaller,tougherconnectors.

TheShiftAwayfromCopper

Drivenbytheneedforlighter,moreefficientdesigns,engineersareshiftingawayfromcopperinfavorofalternativematerials.Whilecopperisan

excellentconductor,itsweightandbulkposechallenges,leadingtothetrendof“lightweighting.”

Lightweightalternatives,suchasaluminumalloysandspecializedhigh-strengthsteel,offercomparableorsuperiorelectricalconductivitywhilesubstantially

reducingtheoverallweightoftheconnector.However,engineersmustcarefullyconsiderfactorslikethermalexpansioncoefficients,corrosionresistanceand

mechanicalpropertiescomparedtocopper.Athoroughevaluationmustbe

completedtoensuretheselectedmaterialcanwithstandenvironmentalstressesandoperatingconditionsoftheintendedapplication.

TheResilienceofHigh-PerformancePolymers

High-performancepolymers(HPPs)transcendthetraditionallimitationsofmaterials,offeringacombinationoflightweightconstructionand

exceptionaldurability.Theseadvancedmaterialsnotonlyenablethecreationofsmaller,lightweightconnectorsbutalsoenhancedurabilityandresilienceinextremeconditions.

HPPsfeatureexceptionalmechanicalproperties,includinghightensilestrength,stiffnessandimpactresistance,allowingconnectorstowithstandphysical

stresses.Additionally,HPPsofferexcellentthermalstability,maintainingtheirstructuralintegrityandelectricalperformanceoverawidetemperaturerange.Polybutyleneterephthalate(PBT)offersabalanceofstrength,stiffnessand

chemicalresistance,makingitaversatilechoiceforconnectorhousingsandothercomponents.

Liquidcrystalpolymers(LCPs),forexample,showexceptionalresistanceto

extremelyhightemperatures,makingthemidealforapplicationsincluding

automotiveenginecompartmentsandaerospaceelectronics.Anotherpopular

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HPP,polyphthalamide(PPA),isknownforitshighmeltingpointandlowmoistureabsorption.Thisprovidesdimensionalstabilityandmechanicalstrengthin

demandingenvironments.

INNOVATIVEMINIATURIZATIONTECHNIQUES

Toachieveruggedminiaturization,engineersfaceauniqueconundrum—

achievingrobustnesswithoutsacrificingcompactness.Thisdilemmademandscreativeapproaches,withsomeofthefollowingbreakthroughsleadingtheway:

DensePitchLayouts

Achievinghighercontactdensitythroughreducedpitchspacingpresents

engineerswiththeproblemofovercrowding.Whilethebenefitsofincreasedfunctionalitywithinasmallerfootprintareundeniable,thecloseproximity

ofcontactsincreasestheriskofcrosstalkandposeschallengesforeffectiveheatdissipationduetoreducedairflowandhigherheatdensity.Tomitigatetheseissues,engineersuseadvancedsignalroutingtechniques,shieldingandisolationmethods,alongwiththermalmanagementstrategieslikeheatsinksorthermalvias.

Densepitchlayoutsalsodemandhighprecisioninmanufacturingandassembly.Butoncethesechallengesareovercome,theycandeliverimprovedsignal

integrity,reducedsignallossand,insomecases,lowerpowerconsumption.

Multi-FunctionalTerminals(MFTs)

Expandingversatilityevenfurther,multi-functionalterminals(MFTs)representasignificantleapforwardinminiaturizedconnectortechnology.Byintegrating

multiplefunctionalities—suchaspower,signalandevenmechanicalfeatures

likelockingmechanisms—intoasinglecompactunit,MFTseliminatetheneed

formultipleconnectors.Thisstreamlinesdevicedesignandreducescomponentcount.AsMFTdesignsevolve,wecanexpectthesecomponentstointegrateevenmorefunctionalities,pushingtheboundariesofconnectordesign.

MiniaturizedPrintedCircuitBoard(PCB)Connectors

Characterizedbyexceptionallysmallfootprintsandfine-pitchcontacts,

miniaturizedPCBconnectorscontributetodecreaseddevicefootprintsand

increasedfunctionality.TheyallowforsmallerPCBs,creatinganintricatenervecenterinmodernelectronicdevices.

Toachievetheirmicrostatus,miniaturizedPCBconnectorsrelyonadvanced

contactdesignsandmaterials.Somedesignsusespring-loadedcontactsto

maintainsteadycontactforcedespitethermalexpansionandcontraction.

Othersusehigh-conductivitymaterialslikeGoldorPalladiumtominimize

resistanceandsignalloss.Theircontributiontoloweroverallsystemweight

andpowerconsumptionmakesminiaturizedPCBconnectorsidealforportableandbattery-powereddevices.

Theadvancementinruggedizedminiatureconnectortechnologyisatestamenttoengineeringingenuity,overcomingtheinherenttradeoffsbetweensizeand

durabilitytocreatecomponentsthatarebothcompactandresilient.Thisongoingevolutionpromisestounlocknewpossibilitiesforelectronicdeviceinnovation

acrossindustries.

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THEMINIATURERUGGEDIZATIONIMPERATIVE:ENVIRONMENTAL

CHALLENGESANDSOLUTIONS

Miniaturizedruggedconnectorsareenablinginnovationacrossawiderangeofindustries.However,toensurereliableperformanceinthesediverse

applications,theseconnectorsmustbedesignedtowithstandavarietyof

environmentalhazards.Duetotheirreducedsizeandmass,miniaturized

componentscanbemoresusceptibletodamagefromenvironmentalfactors.Thisvulnerabilityunderscorestheimportanceofruggedizationtomaintainreliabilityandfunctionality.

Ruggedizationisnotjustaboutaddingprotectivelayersorincreasingthebulkofaconnector;it’salsoaholisticapproachthatconsiderstheentirelifecycleofacomponent,fromdesignandmaterialselectiontomanufacturingandtesting.Thissectionexploreshowenvironmentalfactorscancompromisecomponentreliabilityandthestrategiesengineersareusingtocreateconnectorsthat

deliveroptimalperformanceinharshconditions.

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VIBRATION

Electronicdevicesoftenexperiencejostlingandshaking.Whetheronthefactoryfloororinthehigh-altitudeconditionsofaerospaceapplications,vibrationcanwreakhavocondelicateelectricalconnections.

Mitigatingtheimpactofvibrationiscrucialfordesignengineers.Thisrequiresadeepunderstandingofvibrationfrequencies,amplitudesanddurations,andthespecificvulnerabilitiesoftheconnectorinitsintendedapplicationenvironment.Tocombatthethreatofvibration,engineersareimplementingsolutionsto

enhancethevibrationresistanceofminiaturizedconnectors,including:

•PositiveLockingMechanisms

TechnologieslikeTerminalPositionAssurance(TPA)andConnectorPositionAssurance(CPA)providesecurematingandpreventunintentionalde-matingduetovibration.

•StrainReliefFeatures

Byincludingfeatureslikeflexibleovermolding,bend-limitingbootsandflexiblePCBtails,connectorsareprotectedagainstwirebreakageandharmingfragilesolderjoints.

Molex

Micro-LockPlusConnectors

addressvibrationchallengeswith

arobustpositivelockingmechanismthatensuressecurematingand

preventsaccidentaluncouplinginhigh-vibrationenvironments.Additionally,theconnector’smetalsoldertabsprovideaddedstrainrelieftothesolderjoints,furtherenhancingitsresistancetomechanicalstressandvibration.

•FloatingContactDesigns

Inafloatingcontactdesign,connectorcontactslackrigidfixationwithin

theconnectorhousing.Instead,theyaredesignedwithasmallamountof

wiggleroom,allowingthemtoshiftever-so-slightlyinsidetheircavities.Afewmethodstoachievethisfloatingeffectincludeusingspring-loadedcontacts,flexiblecontactbeamsorfloatingcontactcarriers.

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•PottingandEncapsulation

Fillingtheconnectorhousingwitharesilientmateriallikeepoxycanreducetheimpactofvibrationsandprotectinternalcomponents.Thisencapsulatinglayeractsasabuffer,absorbinganddissipatingvibrations.Pottingalso

providesaprotectivebarrieragainstexternalenvironmentalcontaminants.

INGRESSPROTECTION(IP)

Moisture,dustandcorrosivechemicalsarealwaysseekingentrypointsinto

connectors,threateningtodisruptelectricalconnections.Ingressprotection(IP)comprisesmorethancompliancewithindustrystandards—itisafoundationaldesignconsiderationcriticaltothefunctionalityandreliabilityofmoderndevices.

ThechallengesofIParemagnifiedinminiaturizedconnectors.Smallerform

factorsandtightertolerancesleavelessroomforerror,makingthemmore

susceptibletothedamagingeffectsofoutsidecontaminants.Evenasingledropofwateroraspeckofdustcanleadtocorrosion,shortsand,ultimately,devicefailure.However,throughengineeringingenuity,designershavedeveloped

solutionstostrengthenminiaturizedconnectorsagainsttheseelements.

•SealsandGaskets

O-rings,gasketsandotherelastomericsealsprovidephysicalbarriersto

preventtheingressofoutsideelements.Factorslikecompressionset(the

permanentdeformationofthesealunderpressure)andchemicalresistancehelpengineersselecttheidealmaterialforthesealtoguaranteelong-termperformance.Sealsandgasketsarenotaone-size-fits-alldecision.

DesignedtocombatingresschallengeswithUL-approvedIP68-rated

seals,

MolexSqubaConnectors

offerenhancedprotectionagainstdustandprolongedsubmersioninwater.Thisrobustsealing,combinedwithprotectivecapstosafeguardthesealsduringhandlingandassembly,

ensuresreliableperformanceeveninharshenvironments.

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•SealCapsandCovers

Additionalprotectivecapsorcoverscanbeaddedtoconnectorstoprovideanextralayerofprotectionagainstingress,especiallyduringstorage,

handlingortransportation.

EXTREMETEMPERATURES

Devicesareincreasinglysubjectedtoextremetemperatures.Fromthescorchingheatofautomotiveenginecompartmentstothesubzeroconditionsofspace

exploration,temperatureextremescanwreakhavoconelectronicconnections.

Designingforthermalresilienceisacriticalchallengethatdemandscarefulconsiderationandinnovativesolutions.Thermalstresscanleadtomany

problemsthatcanrenderelectronicsystemsinoperable.Hightemperatures

acceleratematerialdegradation,causingplasticstosoften,metalstoexpandandadhesivestofail.Attheotherextreme,lowtemperaturescanmakematerials

brittle,leadingtocracksandfractures.Somekeystrategiescanensureoptimalperformanceintheseconditions.

•High-TemperaturePolymers

Aspreviouslymentioned,materialslikePBT,LCPandPPAofferexceptionalthermalstability.PBT,forinstance,hasacontinuousoperatingtemperaturerangeupto150°C,makingitago-tochoiceforunder-hoodcomponents,

interiorpartsandelectricalconnectorsinautomobiles.

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Molex

DuraClikConnectors

exemplifythecombinationofminiaturizationandthermalresilience,featuringhigh-temperaturePBThousingsand

secureterminalretentiontowithstandextremeautomotiveenvironments.Thisrobustdesignensuresreliableperformanceindemandingapplicationswherehightemperaturesandvibrationsarecommon.

•Low-TemperatureMaterials

Inapplicationsexposedtoextremecold,materialswithlowglass

transitiontemperatures(Tg)andhighimpactresistance—suchascertainpolyurethanesandsiliconeelastomers—arelesslikely