EasyREP connectors qualified to perform in rail and embedded applications

Smiths Interconnect’s REP series of multipole, sealed, plastic connectors, is known in the market for its ability to provide a quick and secure connection for embedded equipment in a wide range of applications such as sensors, brakes, lighting, air conditioning, and communications, in the industrial, rail, test and measurement, automotive, and public works sectors. It has a high number of mating cycles (over 20,000), thanks to Hypertac hyperboloid contact technology.

A number of rail and industrial applications do not require high-cycle life as a technical requirement but still require compliance with the railway standard of 500 cycles and other important qualified features.

“These are the kind of applications that Smiths Interconnect intends to serve with the Easy REP connectors”, said Mark Kelleher, Vice President and General Manager of the Connector Business Unit at Smiths Interconnect.

“EasyREP connectors offer the qualified design, reliability, compliance with industry standards, and ease of use of the REP connector series with the addition of a value aligned contact technology which provides a high current rating up to 18A and a reliable signal integrity with no contact interruption above 50ns​”, he added.

Available in three sizes of 2, 6 and 12 contact positions, the EasyREP option features the MR contact, a screw machined contact of 1,5mm diameter available for cross section cables from 0.75 to 2.5mm² (18-13AWG). It offers the electrical performance required by the industry standards plugs in terms of insulation resistance, Dieletric Withstand Voltage, Current Carrying, Low Level Current Resistance, and mating cycles (up to 500).

The EasyREP connectors have been designed and tested to provide:

• Low Level Contact Resistance (LLCR): compared to other contacts available in the market
• Environmental resistance in severe conditions: thanks to its silicone over-moulded grommet and interface sealing that avoids leakage between the plastic connector body and the silicone seal, and ensures IP66/IP67 protection
• Low insertion and extraction forces: connector mates and de-mates smoothly with low force reducing
• Standard industry cycle life: the MR contact provides industry standard cycle life of at least 500 cycles maintaining the same stable electrical performance
• Lower Cost of Ownership: the machined MR crimp contact allows for simplified ‘Crimp and Poke’ assembly vs. traditional nested solder contacts
• Rail industry compliance: to NF F 61-030 and EN 45545-2 requirements and to EN 61-373, Category 2 standards for vibration resistance
• RoHS III compliant materials.