Industrial Circular Connectors

Industrial Circular Connectors are heavy-duty connectors typically used in tough environments and feature multiple contacts housed in a circular body. Circular connectors for industrial and automation applications are multi-pin connectors that are typically based in a plastic or metal housing. Industrial circular connectors can be used to automate processes and industrial applications. Some of our range boasts high IP ratings such as IP67, IP68 and IP69K, and such a design makes them brilliant in a high moisture environment.

Our industrial circular connectors are also easy to mount and get your project running. Typically, our connectors come pre-built. However, we do offer a range that needs to be crimped and built. They are also available in both plugs and sockets with straight or right angle cable entry.

Circular Connectors Commonly Used Sizes

When purchasing a circular connector, one of the most well-known types that you may come across is the M-style standard. These are used for linking sensors and electric actuators in industrial network applications. The "M" designation specifies the metric thread size on the coupling nuts and mating receptacles, and it also reflects the relative size of the circular connectors. Some of the commonly used sizes include:

• M12: 12 mm diameter fasteners
• M8: 8 mm diameter fasteners
• M23: 23 mm diameter fasteners
• M9: 9 mm diameter fasteners
• Miniature

Among these, M12 circular connectors and cables are particularly prevalent. They often serve as a global standard in the automotive industry, where they are used to establish connections for actuators, sensors, Industrial Ethernet, and fieldbus devices.

Key Features

A key feature of industrial circular connectors is that they come in many wire termination options like soldering, crimping, clamping, and screwing. This makes them versatile for various systems and devices. Beyond this, they come in different locking mechanisms. Some examples include bayonet, screw, snap-in, and push-pull, which offer the benefit of easy installation while ensuring the connection remains secure and is not easily disconnected by accident.

Given the demanding industrial environments in which circular connectors are used, they are also often built to withstand various elements. This ensures that these devices can support continuous power and data transfer even in dusty, moist environments or when under extreme temperature and pressure.

When choosing your industrial circular connector, their Ingress Protection (IP) rating will enable you to gauge their level of resistance to solids and liquids. Typically, the connectors offered on RS New Zealand come in ratings such as IP67, IP68, and IP69K, which ranks them among the most resistant.

What are Industrial Circular Connectors Used For?

Typically, industrial circular connectors are used for data transfer, electrical signal transmissions, or for powering electrical devices using different connector standards.

This is achieved through the multiple pins or contacts arranged in a circular design in the industrial circular connector. When the male and female parts of the connector are mated, the pins from the male connector align with the corresponding contacts in the female connector. This alignment ensures the electrical circuits are properly connected, facilitating data, signal or power supply.

In some cases, circular connectors are designed to carry multiple types of data with power. An example of this is the M8 and M12 circular connectors. These multi-pin connectors offer pin configurations ranging from three to eight pins for M8 connectors and two, three, four, five, six, eight, 12 and 17 pins for M12 options. This enables them to be used for simultaneous power and signal transmission.

Applications

Circular industrial connectors’ versatility means that they can be used in diverse scenarios, and some of the common ones are as follows.

Factory and Industrial Automation

In industrial automation settings, circular connectors can link different sensors to the control systems. These might include proximity sensors, temperature sensors and pressure sensors, among others. All of these can provide critical data for running automated processes and improving their efficiency.

Manufacturing

Circular connectors can also connect robotic arms and automated machinery to their control systems. This manoeuvre enables precise movements and operations required for industrial tasks like welding, painting, and assembly. Another application of circular connectors is to facilitate the distribution of power to different machines and equipment to ensure a stable and reliable power supply in the manufacturing process.

Process Control

In terms of industrial process control, circular connectors can link machine vision cameras to processing units. This thus facilitates the transmission of high-resolution images and video for quality control and inspection purposes.

Industrial networking

When it comes to industrial networking, circular connectors enable robust connections for industrial Ethernet networks. This, consequently, supports high-speed and reliable data transfer for real-time process control and monitoring.

Measurement and instrumentation

Circular connectors are used to connect flow sensors that measure the rate of fluid flow in pipelines and processing systems.

How to Order Industrial Circular Connectors from RS?

Knowing what industrial circular connector to buy is crucial, but knowing where to get durable and reliable products is equally important to ensure your operations run seamlessly. RS New Zealand can meet this need with our extensive collection of industrial circular connectors. Our offerings are sourced from leading manufacturers like Amphenol Industrial, TE Connectivity, and our exclusive RS PRO brand, and sold at competitive prices, ensuring that our customers make a great purchase that also maximises their savings.

Shop today and save more with our free delivery service for online orders over $40 (excluding GST) and offline orders over $80 (excluding GST) for approved RS business account holders with a valid NZBN. If you are a private account holder or guest customer, you can also enjoy free delivery on all online and offline orders over $80 (excluding GST).

Delivery Information for New Zealand

To enjoy next working day delivery for items stocked locally in New Zealand or Australia, please place your orders before 5 pm NZT and 3 pm NZT, respectively.

RS is dedicated to delivering your industrial circular connectors and orders the next working day between 8 am and 5 pm local time. However, certain products may require longer lead times, and these include:

• Global Stock and Extended Range products
• Orders of hazardous materials
• Products over 20kg, with a cubic weight exceeding 20kg, or longer than 1.5 metres.

Extended lead times may also apply to non-core products and deliveries to specific regional areas. For further information or to arrange consolidated delivery, please contact Customer Service.