Interview with Jörg Sokat
Safe solutions for cable installations
From thick power cables to thin sensor lines, cables and lines must be routed safely through systems and machines. A challenge that should not be underestimated, explains Jörg Sokat, Head of Product Management at Pflitsch.
Mr. Sokat, since the invention of the modern cable gland a good 50 years ago, cable entry has always been adapted to the requirements of the technology.Is therestill potential for development here today?
Jörg Sokat: The amount of cabling in automated processes continues to increase, as the various sensors, actuators, motors and other components have to be connected to each other at different levels. We are therefore talking about a wide range of different cables and lines, starting with millimetre-thin, sensitive glass fibers and ending with barely bendable power cables. In each individual case, a cable entry must ensure that the cable is reliably sealed under the respective operating conditions - for both outdoor and indoor applications. Finding the right solution in each case is a challenge that can hardly be met with simple standard products. EMC and explosion protection, pre-assembled cables, high operating temperatures and more are a challenge for our developers.
How do you deal with the increasing use of ready-made modules?
The trend towards using pre-assembled cables and wires is not as new as you might think. At the time, we developed cable glands with split sealing inserts and later completely separable flange systems and cable glands into which the cables are inserted before assembly. This means that the user does not have to disconnect and reconnect the connector, thus maintaining the functional reliability of the module. Where only a few cables are inserted, our completely separable 'UNI Split Gland' has established itself for camera systems or functional lights, for example.
Can this also be achieved with the increasing amount of cabling in control cabinet construction?
For larger cable quantities, we will be presenting our new 'CABseal' at the Hannover Messe, where four frame sizes are available for standard cut-outs in enclosure construction. These can be fitted with various grommets in order to insert up to 40 cables and seal them to the cable and housing with IP66 protection. The installer can freely determine the cable positioning, there are no restrictions due to different frame designs. The 'CABseal' frames are made of glass fiber-reinforced polyamide with a molded elastomer seal, so no additional flat seal is required at the housing cut-out. In addition, the frames are only 20 mm high for space-saving installation and the flush-fitting grommets result in a continuous closed surface without beading or edges.
With increasing data rates and ever higher installation density, electromagnetic compatibility in automation is increasingly becoming the focus of developers and users. What is happening in this segment?
In addition to the classic contacting of the cable shield with so-called cones, the trend today is towards more installation-friendly spring contacting. However, many EMC cable glands with spring contacts have significant disadvantages in terms of shielding attenuation and current carrying capacity. We did not want to accept this compromise and, with the integrated triangle spring, we have brought a solution onto the market which, on the one hand, allows simple installation and, at the same time, achieves high shielding attenuation values and also allows high leakage currents.
Do you have anything new in the EMC sector?
We are expanding our EMC portfolio with the 'UNI Dicht TRI'. This combines the EMC features of the TRI spring with those of the 'UNI Dicht' series. In concrete terms, this means that we are launching a compact, versatile cable gland equipped with our well-known anti-twist protection. Due to its design, even very small shield diameters can be contacted - for example in size M25 cables with shield diameters of 3 to 16 mm. Together with the large-area seal, the 'UNI Dicht' concept prevents the cable sheath from constricting, which makes the installation safe.
Speaking of safety - what is Pflitsch doing in terms of explosion protection?
The familiar Ex cable glands on the market often look very bulky and can only be installed with a certain amount of effort. We are countering this with our new 'LevelEx' series for inserts in the Ex-d and Ex-e types of protection of equipment group II gas and dust. The 'LevelEx' cable glands consist of comparatively few components: The sealing elements are designed to be captive - rubber rings and washers, as with conventional Ex-d cable glands, are a thing of the past. When the pressure screw is tightened, the seal is deformed over a large area and achieves a high degree of tightness with protection classes IP66 or IP68. Thanks to the wide temperature range, the cable gland can be used under extreme environmental conditions and temperatures - for example in offshore systems, deserts or arctic regions.
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