Exponential growth in solar power installations around the world is made easier with fast, easy to install PV connectors that integrate new technologies to match advancements in photovoltaics. Photovoltaic Installations Increase  The world’s solar power capacity is steadily rising, with 268 gigawatts of new photovoltaic installations added in 2022 and another 315 GW expected in 2023.Read More

After two years of pandemic disruption, this year’s high-speed trade show rebounded with an impressive array of smaller, cooler, and faster than ever interconnects. The 28th edition of DesignCon convened at the Santa Clara Convention Center January 31 through February 2, marking the return to its traditional venue and time slot. Concerns that recent techRead More

Industry 4.0. Industrial Internet of Things, IIoT, Smart Factory. These aren’t just buzzwords; they are generation-defining trends that are changing manufacturing. Connectors play an important role in enabling the future of industrial automation. That raises the question: how can a single component play such a huge role in revolutionizing the entire manufacturing process?  More thanRead More

Meet the Connector: DIN Rail Terminal Blocks DIN rail refers to a mounting system in the form of globally standardized long metal strips used to attach electrical and industrial control products in equipment cabinet racks. The DIN Rail itself is a mechanical component support with no connective or conductive capability. DIN stands for Deutsche InstitutRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights terminal blocks from leading suppliers. Terminal Blocks The new XTV terminal blocks from Phoenix Contact can accommodate the direct insertion of conductor types: ferruled, solid, or stranded wires. The XTV series is the first product family to feature Push-X connection technology. Push-X operates similarly to Phoenix Contact’s popular Push-in TechnologyRead More

Automation, robotics, and a mix of human and machine decision-making combine to create factory floors that are efficient and safe, while also addressing energy, materials, decarbonization, and environmental sustainability. This is the essence of smart manufacturing. In his article, “The 15th Anniversary of Smart Manufacturing – Grassroots Leadership, Greater Good, Timing, and Perseverance,” Jim Davis,Read More

Smart factories are optimizing production methods and output with the help of automation edge controllers and sensors that collect, network, and evaluate data. Networked, intelligent, self-controlling, self-optimizing, and resource-efficient production comprise the smart factory, the central scenario of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0. Manufacturers are facing increasing materials, labor, and energyRead More

Moisture, debris, vibration, pressure, and fluctuating temperatures make industrial, transportation, military, and aerospace environments challenging for electronics. Hermetically sealed connectors keep sensitive electronic systems safe. Electronic connectors are constructed from plastic and metal parts that allow moisture, air, and gases to leak into the device. A hermetic connector blocks all gases from passing through pointsRead More

Electronic power and signal connectors will play a key role in the exploration, development, management, and distribution of sustainable energy production. A funny thing happened on the way to American energy production independence. Reducing our reliance on not-so-friendly foreign countries for such a critical resource had become a national security priority. Starting around 2009, aRead More

With the advancement of cobots, increased safety concerns, and the need to reduce downtime and costs, there is a much greater demand for networking automation in production facilities.  In today’s factory and warehouse environment, the amount of data that needs to be transmitted, collected, analyzed, and stored continues to grow. This trend is creating aRead More

Across industries, industrial robots and robotics applications are solving problems by going where humans can’t, shouldn’t, or don’t want to go.   Today’s industrial robots are tasked with doing more of the work formerly done by people, as well as a variety of jobs that can only be done efficiently through automation. From homes to hospitalsRead More

Industrial rectangular connectors have been a mainstay of heavy-duty and automation applications since the 1950s. Tomorrow’s rectangular automation connectors will look much the same as they do today — on the outside. But inside, these connectors are becoming more powerful, capable, and versatile.     The foundational need for proven durability ensures that tomorrow’s industrial rectangularRead More