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ARNITE PROVES BEST FOR FLEXIBLE AUTOMOTIVE CONNECTORS
An extensive evaluation of materials for a new series of flexible harness connectors by FCI, a major automotive electrical/electronic connector maker, resulted in the specification of Arnite T06 202, an unfilled polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) from DSM Engineering Plastics. Arnite T06 202 provided the needed balance of toughness, cycle time, flow, and thermal stability, and was selected after testing of more than nine alternatives from DSM and its competitors. On average, cycle time was 10% less with Arnite than the alternative materials, while flow was 10% better. “Connector design is such, that good, consistent flow is mandatory to fill the part properly,” said Jaap Leest, DSM application development manager and technical liaison to FCI. “FCI were seeking optimum processing parameters combined with mechanical resistance. Arnite provided the right combination of properties.” Additional benchmarking activities done by FCI have also shown that Arnite glass-fibre reinforced grades are among the better performing materials relative to competitive grades, leading to a series of additional approvals in new connector generations. Flexible interconnection systems bring the concept of flat ribbon cable to the automotive world, where ambient conditions are far more demanding than those found in the relatively benign environment of stationary electronic equipment such as computers, controllers, and telecom equipment. Requiring minimum space in automotive designs that are increasingly filled with creature comforts, power accessories, and electronics, automotive flexible harnesses offer wiring density, routing and application options which are difficult to achieve with conventional wiring harnesses. Automation options speed manufacturing, while built-in polarisation helps minimise final assembly. Arnite T06 202 is part of the Arnite family of thermoplastic polyesters (PBT and PET), a focused line of materials with exceptional mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties and very good chemical resistance and dimensional stability. The Arnite family includes unreinforced and glass-fibre-reinforced grades, as well as special grades designed to minimise warpage, maximise impact strength or optimise surface quality. In addition to connectors, applications include automotive gear and motor housings, fuse boxes, sensors, switches, lamp reflectors, grilles, door handles and roof racks; in lighting Arnite is employed in lamp bases and connectors; and for compressor components and electronic part housings.
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