Preassembled cable solutions provide economical, plug-and-play solutions optimized to enable decentralized drives, support modular conveyor technologies, and deliver high-reliability performance in modern intralogistics and conveyor systems.
Daniel Wood, Industry Segment Manager | Machinery and Robotics, HARTING Inc. of North America
With the rise of e-commerce and increasingly globalized supply chains, it’s unlikely a day goes by where you don’t use a product that has benefited from intralogistics and conveyor system (ILCS) technologies.
These systems — which can look like an intricate map of bridges and highways — serve as the backbone for services and industries including logistics centers, dispatch warehouses, industrial automation equipment, and conveyors. They are vital components for getting items from point A to point B throughout an automated distribution center.
Having systems that are easy to build and even easier to maintain is crucial to keeping businesses running. Fortunately, electronics industry innovators have responded to those needs with preassembled cable solutions, which save businesses time, money, and maintenance without having to sacrifice performance.
At a time when supply chain backups are impacting almost every industry — while demand from online ordering continues to increase — manufacturers worldwide are facing substantial challenges. They need every advantage not only to remain competitive but, in many cases, to remain in business. Now, more than ever, every minute and every dollar saved matters.
What are Preassembled Cable Solutions?
In order to meet customers’ needs for faster installation, easier maintenance, and added functionality, innovative connectivity suppliers like HARTING have developed preassembled cable solutions designed to support modular conveyor technology without the need to build a new structure from scratch.
With more systems moving toward decentralized drive technology — and with drives located closer to the motors and processes that they are controlling — these modular, adaptable connectivity solutions allow systems to grow as business’ needs change.
Preassembled cable solutions allow customers to pick and choose pieces using off-the-shelf components, providing the flexibility needed to meet their specific needs without the cost and time investment of a custom build. This creates an expansive range of options spanning plug-and-play, semi-custom, and custom solutions and allows customers to create an optimal configuration for their current business, as well as its evolution.
How can Preassembled Cable Solutions Help your Business?
Preassembled cable solutions provide ILCS technologies with several advantages that will help businesses regardless of their size or capabilities.
Whether starting a new build or expanding an existing ILCS system, preassembled cable solutions provide an economical way to customize systems using reliable components from trusted, experienced suppliers. Businesses should not have to sacrifice quality for the sake of price. Given the crucial role that cabling plays in data, signal, and power applications, design engineers should look for pieces that have been tested and proven to fulfill the business standard. These include connectors, sensors, and actuators, in addition to preassembled M8 or M12 cables with a variety of different codings and configurations.
Ease of assembly and maintenance is also a big factor to consider when building ILCS technologies. Preassembled pieces offer quick and easy installation, and if there is ever a need for a replacement part, the parts are sure to readily available. Wiring problems are also common when building and operating conveyor systems, but buying preassembled data, signal, and power cabling equipped with rugged, user-friendly, and high-reliability interconnects — such as the HARTING’s D-coded M12, RJ45, and Han® connectors — can help. Plus, preassembled parts avoid the need for specialized staff to build and maintain the technology, which further decreases installation costs and reduces the risk of mistakes.
Using preassembled cables also enables manufacturers to plan, test, and build a complete system before it is commissioned in the field. This shortens development time, facilitates transport, installation, and maintenance, and even allows employees to train with the products before they are live. For example, data centers require fast installation and expandable capability. Plug-and-play solutions, like cable assemblies featuring HARTING’s Han PushPull fiber optic system cable, Han-Eco connectors, and Han S connectors for battery storage systems, support various voltage levels to help provide the adaptability this sector needs. These elements combine to help optimize electrical and mechanical support for reliable power, signal, and data transmission, as well as for system performance and uptime.
Finding a Trusted Partner for Your ILCS Business
No business welcomes downtime, and those based on intralogistics and conveyor systems tend to be especially sensitive to its impacts, so using preassembled cable solutions to install and expand these systems can help. Preassembled cable solutions can offer speed and cost savings at every step of the process — from planning to building and installation to maintenance. But one of the most important factors when building or expanding your ILCS system is choosing the right partner for your business, one that designs and supplies the parts you need and has a proven history of developing high-quality components and providing peak customer service.
HARTING has been supplying preassembled cable system solutions optimized for connecting decentralized drive units in intralogistics and conveyor systems for more than 20 years and has decades of proven expertise supporting industries that rely on cabling and connectors, including conveyors, railways, automation technologies, mechanical and plant engineering, and data centers. RS Electronics supplies an extensive range of essential connectivity components from HARTING, including connectors, wire, and cable, and has a dedicated technical support team that can work with your business as it grows.
Which preassembled cable solution is right for your ILCS business? Check out these resources to learn more:
- HARTING Resources | RSElec.com
- HARTING Connector Products | RSElec.com
- HARTING Wire and Cable Products | RSElec.com
- Preassembled Cables for Drive Technology
- Ask the Expert: Navigating the Complex Connector Market
- HARTING System Cabling and Customized Solutions
