The North American market is strategically important for Harwin, and we have recently completed a market survey of developers and buyers in this region. This captured many of the concerns facing engineers relating to connectors.
Trends in the North American Connector Market in Relation to Industrial Automation
Q&A with John Feaster, Product Manager | BBi at Harwin
Tell us about yourself and your role with Harwin.
I oversee all aspects of the BBi product line, from identifying new products to end-of-life and discontinuing old ones. I am heavily involved in identifying the challenges that engineers face when selecting a connector for their design and trying to solve these challenges. My job is the product expert, not just its design and performance, but everything about it, its pricing, where/how it is stocked, who uses it and why - essentially, I am to be the voice of the product line within the business. Ultimately it is my responsibility to make sure we have the right products now and, in the future, and that we have everything we need to be successful with them.
What trends are you seeing in the North American Connector market in relation to Industrial Automation?
The North American market is strategically important for Harwin, and we have recently completed a market survey of developers and buyers in this region.
This captured many of the concerns facing engineers relating to connectors and arguably the most significant trend we identified related to increasing design complexity, with over half of engineers and buyers expecting their roles to become more challenging.
There was still optimism, however. Notably it showed at rise in the use of digital tools to simplify and accelerate the development process. 30% of those surveyed use 3D printing for prototyping. And nearly one in five are using AI and digital twins for PCB design as well as component selection and supply chain optimization.
The trends were particularly visible in industrial automation, where the operational landscape is changing rapidly. Here, systems must now operate in harsher environments with greater vibration exposure and in more confined spaces. This is coupled with the rise of IIoT, which demands connectors that can reliably handle increased data volumes.
A significant challenge is balancing performance and reliability but under the strict cost pressures faced in such applications, where a high-reliability (HRi) component such as Gecko or Datamate cannot be justified. Thankfully, there is a trickle-down effect in technology, and because we have been behind many advances in HRi technologies, certain features, such as secure latching and shrouded pins, are now starting to make their way into more affordable industrial (BBi) ranges like Kontrol.
Tell us about your Kontrol product line and what you feel sets it apart from similar products.
Kontrol is one of our board-to-board connector ranges and is intended for industrial and embedded applications, where cost is a priority, but functionality and performance can't be sacrificed.
These 1.27mm pitch devices are small, are lightweight, and have a large array of pin counts and layouts: from 2 to 80 pins, with vertical and horizontal through-board mounts, plus single and double row layouts to minimize the space required.
Through our advances in HRi applications, we’ve been able to bring functions such as the ability to withstand 20G for 12 hours, as well as features such as secure latching mechanisms, SMT hold-down tabs, plus full shrouding on pins and polarized housings to prevent accidental damage and mis-mating
Tell us about the R&D behind this product. Who is this product designed for? What problem is it solving?
For Kontrol, the challenge is to bring the manufacturing price point down. This requires a continual evaluation of the materials, the techniques, and the manufacturing processes to take the learnings from HRi ranges but apply it to the exact environment faced by industrial and embedded applications rather than, say, a race car or fighter jet.
How is your company setup to support the users of your products?
Harwin is UK-headquartered, with a very strong presence in North America. Indeed, we have both a sales office and manufacturing facility, so we’re able to provide local, responsive support. This is bolstered through partnerships, with network of authorized distributors, such as DigiKey, and Mouser, on hand to give information and assistance as well as products.
And, with roles becoming more complex, we have created online tools to simplify the design and product selection, for example our online Cable Assembly Configurator.
This tool simplifies the design process by guiding engineers through the specification of a complete cable assembly. And once the design is complete, the tool then generates a 3D model for CAD integration, as well as 2D technical drawings, and all part numbers needed for pricing.
What feedback have you received from the field? Can you share a use case and the results?
Harwin has been a leading player in the connector space for nearly 75 years. During this time, we've continued to do what we do best: make connectors for harsh environments that are as rugged and reliable as possible to meet our customers’ needs.
We work with customers in a vast array of sectors, from oil and gas through to consumer products, and we have a significant market share in industrial automation, which is what the Kontrol product line directly addresses.
These connectors are also already actively used in applications such as factory automation, production line controls, portable monitoring devices, and transport systems. And the result for customers in these fields is enhanced reliability and performance but without the high cost of traditional mil-spec connectors that you'd otherwise need.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of ManufacturingTomorrow
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