Cable

Automotive connectors and plug connectors are related and yet they are different. In principle, plug connectors are used to connect or disconnect lines in your vehicle. The aim of using these connectors is to create mechanical or electrical functional units from individual assemblies or components or to disassemble precisely these units into their individual parts. All male connectors consist of two halves - one containing the socket elements, the other containing the blade or pin elements. Both groups of contacts are usually made of metal to ensure electrical conduction. The housing of the plug connector then serves as an insulator and is therefore made of plastic.

Automotive connectors are a special type of connector because the requirements are higher for them than, for example, in industrial automation or consumer electronics. These increased requirements are mainly due to the fact that vehicle connectors are exposed to environmental influences on the one hand and more extreme chemical and physical loads on the other hand compared to industry. In addition to weather conditions, they must also be resistant to extreme temperature differences, vibrations, oil, brake fluids and other adversities that arise when using a vehicle. With regard to this type of connector, it has become a particular challenge in the expanding and constantly evolving automotive industry, with the increasing number of contacts used in a vehicle, to design the automotive connectors in such a way that they emit almost no interference. For this reason, there are now a large number of solutions that can be combined in different ways, both in terms of housing and contacts, which have been optimized for individual requirements.

At mixmax-24 you can get connectors for your vehicle in the best quality as well as a large selection of cables for a wide variety of projects. The product you are looking for is sure to be there. Take your time to look at our extensive range.

Automotive connectors - different types and their components

Depending on which units are to be connected to each other, you have three options when it comes to automotive connectors:

· Wire-to-Wire Connectors: With this type of plug, the main cable harness and the partial cable harness are to be connected or separated from one another, with both types of contacts being combined with the cable harness. For example, these connectors can be used to separate the sub-cable harness for the window winders in the door from the main cable harness.

· Board to Wire Connectors: This type of connector is particularly useful for connecting engine control units or printed circuit boards in general. To do this, the pin elements are mounted on the printed circuit board and the socket elements are connected to the main cable set.

· Device connector: With this type of plug, the pin elements are already installed in a device whose socket elements then have to be brought together with the main cable harness; they are mainly used in sensors.

In addition to the contacts, automotive connectors also consist of other components, such as the housing mentioned above or the housing lock. In general, they include the following elements:

· Housing: The housing is used on the one hand to store the individual contacts and on the other hand to insulate the electrical connections. In general, they can be divided into socket housing and pin housing, which can be connected to each other. There are also sealed housings, in which a radial seal protects the contact area from liquids, and unsealed ones. Housings with different codings can be used to prevent mismating. These are housings that can be differentiated from other housings by their color or small additions to their shape, such as snap-in hooks, or cannot be combined with them.

· Housing lock: Both halves of the automotive connector are assembled by hand during assembly. In order to ensure that they are fully locked into each other and thus ensure their full functionality, housing locks are used, which also prevent the plug connections from becoming detached later.

· Secondary Lock: The contacts are also assembled in the housing by hand. Secondary locks are used to ensure that they are properly locked and that there is no malfunction. They ensure that the contacts are in the end position and, depending on the type of secondary locking, they also serve as strain relief for them.

· Blindstopfen: As the name suggests, these plugs are used to protect and seal unused pole chambers.

· Single wire seals: This type of seal is crimped onto a single wire together with the contact and then placed in the pole chamber. With this method, the pole chamber is protected and sealed against external influences on the line side.

· Block seals: These seals fulfill the same function as the single wire seals with the addition that they have several openings and therefore a large number of cables can be routed into the pole chamber at the same time.

Automotive connectors at mixmax-24

Of course, you can also get vehicle connectors in our online shop - with all relevant parameters such as the external resistance on the pin and socket side, the resistance of the contact body on the pin and socket side, the contact resistance of the contacting zone, the current carrying capacity and the insertion and withdrawal force. So you can be sure that you will find the right automotive connector for your mechanical or electrical units with us.

Tips for buying

Before you buy a new connector for your car, you should first find out which type is the most suitable for your purpose. Is a butt connector, a flat connector or another version suitable for your project? To ensure a secure cable connection, the diameter of the connector should be suitable for the cable. There are many different sizes: from very fine lines with a diameter of 0.25 to 0.5 mm2 up to 6 mm2 are available. Also pay attention to the correct number of poles. Everything is possible from one to 24-pole products. Another point to consider is the type of attachment: connectors can be attached by crimping, screwing, soldering or clamping.

If you have any questions about our connectors, you can contact us at any time via our contact form reach. We will get back to you as soon as possible.