What are the criteria for selecting materials?
The selection of automotive housing connector shell materials needs to consider multiple factors, including:
- High temperature resistance: The automotive housing connector material can withstand the high temperatures found in the automotive environment and remains stable above 150°C. Commonly used high-temperature materials include engineering plastics such as PA66 and PBT.
- Chemical resistance: Automotive connectors may be exposed to chemicals such as gasoline and engine oil, and the shell material needs to have good chemical resistance to avoid aging or corrosion.
- Mechanical strength: The shell material needs to have sufficient mechanical strength to protect the internal terminals and wiring harnesses and withstand certain impact and vibration.
- Electrical performance: The material needs to have excellent electrical insulation performance, high surface and volume resistivity, and arc resistance and tracking resistance.
- Flame retardancy: The flame retardant performance of automotive connectors is very important, and the shell material needs to meet relevant flame retardant standards such as UL94-V0 level.
- Sealing and waterproofing: Some automotive connectors require waterproof sealing, which requires the shell material to have excellent sealing performance and can be used with rubber sealing rings.
- Price and processability: The material also needs to consider the cost and adaptability of the processing technology, and choose a material that is cost-effective and easy to injection mold.
Main specifications and characteristics
The main specifications and characteristics of the automotive connector housing include:
- Dimensional specifications: The length, width, and height of the housing, the position and size of the mounting holes, need to meet the requirements of the automotive wiring harness layout.
- Number of poles: The number of terminals in the housing, single-row, double-row and other different arrangements, must match the number of circuits in the wiring harness.
- Lock structure: The housing is generally designed with a lock structure to fix the terminals and prevent them from falling off. Common ones are push-pull and snap-on.
- Sealing structure: If waterproofing is required, the housing will be designed with a sealing structure, such as designing a groove at the seam of the housing, which is used in conjunction with a rubber sealing ring.
- Terminal crimping hole: There needs to be a crimping hole on the housing that matches the terminal for inserting the wiring harness. The size and shape of the hole should facilitate the insertion and crimping of the terminal.
- Polarization column: The housing is designed with a polarization column to prevent the connector from being inserted in the wrong direction and play a fool-proof role. Different connectors can be designed with polarization columns in different positions.
- Shielded shell: For some connectors that transmit high-speed signals, the shell can be designed with a shielding structure. Generally, a metal layer is coated on the shell and connected to the shielding layer of the cable to shield electromagnetic interference.
Common types
There are many common types of automotive connector shells, which can be divided into the following according to different classification methods:
By material: plastic shell and metal shell. Plastic shell is light, has good insulation, low cost, and is the most widely used. Metal shell is mostly used for high-end or military connectors, which can shield electromagnetic interference.
By terminal arrangement: single row, double row, multiple rows, etc. Single row is suitable for situations with a small number of terminals, and multiple rows can greatly increase the number of terminals and reduce the size of the connector.
By locking method: push-pull, snap-on, thread lock, etc. Push-pull operation is simple and convenient, but the locking force is small. The snap-on locking force is large, but the operation is relatively troublesome. The thread lock is the most reliable, but the assembly efficiency is low.
By waterproof level: non-waterproof, splash-proof, immersion-proof, etc. Non-waterproof connectors have the lowest cost and are mostly used in cars. Splash-proof can deal with a small amount of water vapor, and immersion-proof can be used in harsh environments.
According to the application field: For example, the engine compartment connector is mostly a rectangular plastic shell with a large number of terminals; the body connector is mostly a round or rectangular shell, generally 2-12 poles.
According to the installation method: panel installation, wire-to-wire, wire-to-board, etc. Panel installation generally uses a D-sub shell, wire-to-wire uses a round or rectangular shell, and wire-to-board uses a flat shell such as FFC.
How to choose the right type of automotive housing connector
The following points need to be considered when choosing a suitable automotive housing connector:
- Determine the number of terminals required and choose single-row, double-row or multi-row connectors according to the circuit design.
- Consider the use environment of the connector, such as temperature, vibration, humidity, etc., and choose a housing material that meets the environmental requirements.
- Choose the corresponding waterproof level according to the waterproof requirements, such as IP54, IP67, etc.
- Consider the installation method and choose housings with different structures such as panel installation, line-to-line or line-to-board.
- Evaluate the locking method and choose push-pull, snap-on or thread lock according to the needs of assembly and maintenance.
- For high-speed signal transmission, consider choosing a connector with a shielded housing to reduce electromagnetic interference.
- Weigh the cost and performance and choose a cost-effective connector while meeting the performance requirements.
- Choose connector products from well-known brands, such as TE, Molex, Amphenol, etc., to ensure product quality and supply stability.
How does the automotive housing connector affect the overall performance of the vehicle
Although the automotive connector shell is only a small component, its performance will affect many aspects of the vehicle:
Electrical performance: The insulation performance of the shell material will affect the voltage resistance level and insulation resistance of the connector, and then affect the safety and reliability of the vehicle circuit.
Signal integrity: The shielding performance of the connector will affect the quality of the transmitted signal, and the level of signal integrity determines the working stability of the automotive electronic system.
Electromagnetic compatibility: The connector is an important transmission path for electromagnetic interference. The shielding effect of the shell will affect the electromagnetic compatibility performance of the car and is related to the normal operation of various electronic systems.
Environmental adaptability: The sealing and waterproof performance of the shell determines whether the connector can work normally in harsh environments, which in turn affects the environmental adaptability of the car.
Reliability and service life: The high temperature resistance and aging resistance of the shell material and the reliability of the lock structure will affect the service life of the connector and ultimately affect the reliability of the vehicle.
Assembly efficiency: The rationality of the shell structure design and the convenience of the lock operation will affect the assembly efficiency of the car and then affect the production efficiency of the whole vehicle.
Lightweight: Although the connector shell is small in size, it is numerous. Reducing the size and weight of the shell can contribute to the lightweight design of the car.