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The force required to assemble automotive electrical connectors has been tested using a range of mating speeds in a controlled lab environment. This set of tests answers questions often brought up regarding how mating speed significantly influences the required applied force. Data from these evaluations show small but consistent mate force changes with assembly speed. Sealed and unsealed connectors were found to respond differently to mating speed, which is explained using a theoretical analysis. The mechanical analysis explains what forces are involved and how they are influenced by speed. Practical recommendations are given on how mate force testing should be done to assure results are as useful as possible. Results show that that mating speed has a positive correlation to peak mate force. An opposite, negative, correlation for unsealed connectors was found. Follow-on discussion explains why slow and accurate testing is preferred to testing at the actual speeds seen in the plant.

Real-time pressure measurement inside sealed electrical connectors has been achieved using a new experimental approach. This approach has significant benefits to designers of connectors and the seals used to waterproof the connectors. The seal designer needs to know what pressure is in the connector but until now, pressure measurements were inaccurate due to the slow response time of the equipment. The result was that a peak in pressure of less than 1 second duration would be not recorded. This lack of accurate pressure data has resulted in overdesigned seal plugs - to compensate for the unknowns in testing - and potentially connectors that do not seal as well as required. With the new experimental technique described in this paper, data sampling rates have been increased to 100 samples per second with high accuracy. The new technique uses a portable micro pressure transducer that has been repackaged to fit where a connector wire normally fits.

A predictive model for the mating forces of hand-plug connectors has been developed; it calculates the forces in a connector that has empty cavities instead of terminals in every position. Force data is needed as a check to see if connectors meet the latest ergonomic requirements in their as-built configurations. Historically, force data has been generated from physical testing since prior predictive models were not accurate enough. Testing is expensive and slow so a more advanced and accurate model was created. The model presented in this paper is accurate enough to replace mechanical force testing of partially-filled hand-plug connectors.