An alternative approach to designing customizable electrical/electronic interconnects for appliances combines the qualities of multiple off-the-shelf connectors and places them on a single platform, blending pins, blades and varying grades of conductive materials into a single component. The customizable aspect of this connector is made possible by a new manufacturing process that enables engineers to broadly select materials, plating, and the quantity of pins and blades in connectors used in residential and commercial appliances, HVAC systems, medical equipment, and various motorized devices.

This advancement in customized connector assembly technology eliminates the need for multiple connectors in many cases, improving the ability of appliance designers to deliver precise amounts of current appropriate to specific applications. Any appliance design can benefit from single-platform multi-connectors, regardless of signal strength. This includes micro-electronic signal devices such as  medical equipment and higher current-carrying traditional major appliances.

As design concepts for modern appliances expand to accommodate more features, the number of connections needed expands proportionally. More microcontroller PCBs, switches, sensors, timers, limiters and LEDs all cause individual connections to add up quickly. Combining these additional connectors into a single platform not only simplifies design, but provides for more reliable assembly. The fewer components there are to work with, the less chance there is for assembly error.

These new connector platforms are made from PC board material, making it simple to add SMT devices directly on the connector, including things such as decoupling capacitors and polarity resistors. Components can even be placed between blades when space is at a premium. As appliances trend toward greater functionality, the need for easily mounting IC chip modules will steadily increase. A single-platform, multi-connector provides a simple solution for mounting these modules.

Incorporating connectors on one platform also helps to simplify the job of servicing appliances in the future. A multitude of connectors makes the task of servicing an appliance in the field more difficult and tedious.

Without a cost-effective method for customizing electronic interconnects, designers typically must  utilize multiple single connectors, often sourced from several different vendors. A common problem with design integration of conventional, off-the-shelf connectors is that they often are not a perfect match for the application, requiring additional labor and wiring to mount correctly. A connector may satisfy a product’s current capacity requirements, but may not be designed for soldering to a PC board. Off-the-shelf connectors are often available only in mismatched quantities of pins. For instance, a connector may mate to a 14-pin harness, but the appliance design only requires a four-pin electronic module.

With customizable single-platform multi-connectors, appliance manufacturers receive interconnects that are built to exact specifications, cost less than off-the-shelf alternatives, and only include features that are required in the design. Since they are custom built, these connectors are never out-of-stock or discontinued. As appliance designs are upgraded, additional pins can be added or reconfigured as needed.

This technology allows appliance design engineers to specify the exact number, size and combination of pins or blades in a connector configuration that best suits the application, fabricated from the manufacturer’s choice of materials to optimize conductivity. The only features included are those required to make the interface work. 

Pins, contacts and blades can be manufactured from any suitable material to carry more current than standard connectors to address custom power-supply applications. Brass pins can be replaced with copper. A tin-matte finish can be substituted with gold. Plating thickness can be increased to deliver greater conductivity. All of these variations can be included on one platform.

Because these materials can carry more current, and the need for multiple connectors can be eliminated, scarce real estate is freed for additional components. Products once restricted to multiple-contact pin connectors because of difficult orientations can now pack greater current capacity into a smaller, more rugged design utilizing higher conductivity materials available in bladed connectors.

Moreover, the ability to combine different pin sizes with blades in the same connector eliminates the need for separate power and signal connectors. Pins can even be doubled up on the connector by interconnecting via circuit traces on the connector substrate.

These connector platforms can be used for any type of multiple connection, from 10 GHz signal lines and shielded connections to high current/high voltage lines. Precision automated assembly is capable of spacing as small as 0.12-in. diameter contacts on 0.02-in. centers (0.5 mm), to any conceivable larger size, and can be designed to conform to any design footprint, or to any industry standard connector.

The multi-connector approach can satisfy the need for increased power density in small spaces. Configurations utilizing both pins and blades allow greater simplicity and flexibility in designs by offering engineers more options for lowering contact resistance while maintaining the necessary power/signal mix. Any appliance can take advantage of single-platform, multi-connectors, with applications ranging from ones that use micro-electronic signals to those carrying high current.

Automated assembly

Onanon can assemble custom connectors through a process that is fully automated. The process can machine engineered plastics, install pins, contacts, blades and sockets, and carry out surface mounting of electronic components. This process produces high-quality interconnects with high repeatability, boosting quality control and reducing rejects. Specialized machinery controls both the depth of pin and blade insertion and the automated placement of pins and blades to exact specifications, and ensures installations that are straight and secure in the substrate.

Gravity feed and Z-axis motion commands the pins into position. Such advancements in connector assembly have increased throughput by 50 percent or more, leading to dramatic cost reductions. And because designers have total control to specify the number of pins or blades built into a connector, appliance manufacturers reduce costs by only paying for what the design requires.

Bladed connectors requiring a compliance fit with insertion into multi-layered PC boards may utilize assembly methods that risk damage to expensive boards and components. Using automated production techniques to mount connectors onto boards avoids trauma to either the PC board or components.

Through automated assembly, a precise perpendicularity of blade-receptacle configurations is ensured that cannot be consistently achieved using conventional methods involving hand assembly. Conventional connector manufacturing leaves holes and cavities in blades, which can cause exposed pin-tips to corrode. With the alternative approach, connector elements are never cut, so they are not subject to corrosion. This results in longer shelf life, lower cost and fewer rejects.

Fully automated assembly empowers appliance engineers to combine many technologies in a single platform, reducing hand assembly of subcomponents. Even though they are custom-made, single-platform multi-connectors can actually cost less than aggregating mass-produced, off-the-shelf connectors.

For more information email: jim@onanon.com