Custom cable assembly and development

In the simplest case, the cable assembly consists of a simple stranded wire to which a contact is attached, which the manufacturer then fits into a connector housing. But there are also more complex tasks. These include complete cable harnesses and complete electromechanical assemblies. There, for example, can be installed plates, angles or housings made of metal, which you cast together with the cable and the connector.

Fulfill binding requests

Connection technology is at the forefront at MC Technologies. However, apart from providing connector components, the distributor can also supply its cables assembled and is also active in development.

Asked about technological trends, the product manager notes, “There are no groundbreaking innovations, but many improvements in detail.” The industry has long wanted small connectors that save space and implement what the customer wants. But at the end of the day, it is clear that there are limits to miniaturization, because the physical limits cannot simply be skipped or circumvented. At first glance, this looks like business-as-usual, but as is so often the case with connectors and cables, the devil is in the details and intelligent design is called for.

Capture solar energy

Asked for an example, the product manager cites string coupling cables for wiring thin-film modules in photovoltaic systems. These coupling lines can be used to connect the individual strings of solar modules in parallel. Y-branches leave one cable after the other. This saves a lot of cable. Without this variant, two lines – one for plus, the other for minus – would have to run from each distributor to a solar module string in large systems. A string combines several solar modules and supplies around 1000 V. Another advantage of string coupling is that the cables can be prefabricated as soon as the system is designed and it is known what the position and spatial distribution of the strings will look like. Pre-assembly shortens installation time, as the operator only has to lay and plug on the various cables in the process.

“The problem in developing the string coupling cable was primarily that cables made of radiation-crosslinked plastics are used in the PV sector. These withstand the large temperature differences of outdoor systems and resist the aggressive UV radiation. However, conventional potting compounds, which are common in cable assembly, do not adhere to the radiation-crosslinked cables.”

MC Technologies tested a variety of potting compounds to find one that had both the desired adhesive properties, was UV resistant, could handle the wide temperature swings, and provided durable protection against moisture intrusion. The developed test winner has meanwhile proven itself in practice for years and is also offered by the competition in similar equipment. An interesting detail: The maximum possible current can be limited less by the cable than by the connectors. “Our flexibility is also demonstrated by the fact that we offer special variants, such as string coupling lines with approximately 100 branches on the reel, which the customer can cut to size on site,” adds the product manager.

Clearly and unambiguously show competencies

Some products that meet the requirements have come about as a result of a customer asking for a finishing that had not been offered before. For example, a light barrier distributor for rolling doors had to have a specific shape and make do with minimal space. In cooperation with the customer, they developed the desired product. After approval from the customer, MC Technologies produced the manifold in series. Another example that goes in the direction of assembly production is a distributor for small drives. As part of the variant with the ASI bus, we designed and manufactured a distributor housing including dip switches, feedthroughs and a circuit board.

Price pressure from the Far East

For a long time now, the distributor MC Technologies has been able to hold its own in an environment dominated by Far Eastern suppliers with their aggressive pricing policy. The product manager explains: “Our strengths are our know-how and our manufacturing in Europe. In the field, we have almost exclusively engineers who are able to design and implement complex solutions in close cooperation with the customer. Together with our manufacturing facilities in the Hanover area and in Eastern Europe, we can react flexibly and hold our own in the market up to medium quantities.”

Short delivery times are a particular strength that Far Eastern suppliers simply cannot offer due to distance. And if something should go wrong, which can never be ruled out with complex products and long delivery routes, the German company can react more quickly on site thanks to its proximity to the customer and local production. “The combination of assembly manufacturing and cable assembly makes it possible to offer attractively priced total solutions that suppliers who only cover one of the two areas cannot offer,” explains Stephan Borchert.

Valuable raw materials

Another factor should not be neglected: the procurement of the material. According to MC Technologies, raw material prices are a headache. Although the price of gold has fallen somewhat at the moment, it will certainly rise again in the future. However, the copper price shows a completely chaotic behavior. It fluctuates extremely from one day to the next. For products with a high copper content, the copper surcharge is therefore listed separately. When asked whether the copper-free age is dawning, the product manager states quite clearly that in wide areas of application, at least where thick currents flow, it will not be possible without copper in the future. (RAO.)