ENERCON bets on Industry Plug Connections from Phoenix Contact

Plug connectors which can be mounted on printed circuit boards are required in order to allow the electronic components of the control system to be exchanged rapidly in case of servicing. These connectors make it possible to exchange the p.c.b. without the need for tools. A plug connector with a large connection range was selected because of the extremely large number of differing cross-section ranges resulting from the use of sensor and feeder lines. The ENERCON technicians decided in favor of the MSTB 2,5 from the COMBICON range with its many variants. The 2.5 mm² screw clamp connection (internal cylindrical gage A3) permits all of the conductor cross-sections encountered there to be reliably connected. This dimension applies to solid and stranded conductors, so the cage principle means the composition of the conductor is only an incidental factor. The external proximity switches are powered with 24 V or 48 V via a controller. The transformation from 230 V to 24 V/48 V also takes place on the printed circuit board. The connections required for this are implemented either using the standard 5 mm pitch connector or with the type GMSTB 2,5 in 7.5 mm pitch. The robust contact system is made from high-strength copper alloys and ensures that the COMBICON plug connectors possess a current carrying capacity of 12 A. Together with the careful surface treatment, this guarantees the best possible levels of contact quality, clamping security and resistance to corrosion. Even currents of only a few mA, as occur in the application described here, are therefore sure to be transmitted.

Fixed terminal blocks clipped onto top hat rails are generally used in the ENERCON switch cabinet for elements which cannot be mounted on a p.c.b., such as emergency off switches, sockets, etc. ENERCON relies on the convenience in application offered by UK 5N universal modular terminal blocks. They are colored to denote L, N and PE and labeled using the ZB6 labeling system, so using this system guarantees that the wiring can be clearly identified. Various conductor cross-sections are used during the installation of this type of switch cabinet, which means using the UK 5N with its connection cross-section between 0.2 mm2 and 6 mm2 represents a universal solution. The space-saving UK 3N can be utilized instead for smaller cross-sections. It is only 5.2 mm wide and establishes a secure connection, just like the wider UK 5N by means of its cage principle