60 / 82
The desire to harness the wealth of
information available from smart,
networked devices to revolutionise
industrial processes is the very
essence of Industry 4.0. Machine
builders are taking every opportunity
to adopt technologies that help realise
this concept – one being secure
connectivity solutions that perform
reliably, even under extremely harsh
conditions. In this article, Hannah-
Lena Gehring, product manager
for the Brad® M16, M23 and M40
product range in the transportation
and industrial division at Molex,
outlines the connectivity solutions
supporting automation infrastructures
and presents new additions that
complement the offering.
Automobile builders and other high-
end manufacturers are already
applying Industry 4.0 techniques,
creating enterprise-wide Ethernet
platforms that link directly from the
office to the device. Here, a well-
designed infrastructure is required that
mitigates security risks while providing
transparency to assess what’s
happening on the plant floor. This
promises clear advantages to OEMs,
in terms of cost and risk reductions,
performance enhancements and
greater flexibility.
Machine builders, line builders and
robotic system integrators alike are
looking to vendors to provide ready-
made and assembled interconnect
solutions that include everything from
PLC backplane modules to multiport
and IO blocks to provide soft-wiring
connections to IOs. In addition, they
are also looking for interface cards
that support communication between
the robotics and the rest of the line
as well as power connectors to control
motors and servo systems.
As industrial automation technologies
continue to improve manufacturing
quality and efficiency, Molex is
committed to remaining ahead of
the curve. Reflecting these trends,
Molex has widened its offering for the
industrial automation infrastructure
via strategic acquisitions and new
product developments.
Today, Molex technology can provide
everything from a single connector to
a fully realised solution.
With a broad portfolio of standard
Brad products to address all kinds of
industrial automation applications,
these products can also be modified
for customer-specific needs. The
circular connectors are offered with
IP69k sealing and are UL approved.
This product family also includes IEC
compliant connectors, such as the Cat
6, Micro-Change CHT (Circular Hybrid
Technology) and Industrial Ethernet
interconnect solutions.
A comprehensive range of cables
for sensors, measurement, controls,
robotics, network and drives
applications, manufactured and
rigorously tested at the Molex Flamar
facility in Italy, provide excellent
performance, quality and durability
for this industrial sector. The standard
portfolio addresses a broad range of
applications, while customer-specific
solutions are also possible.
Molex - Complete Connectivity Solutions for
Automation Infrastructures
Hannah-Lena Gehring, Molex
60 l New-Tech Magazine Europe