HARTING connectors assist with weight reduction

Manufacturers of railway vehicles continuously try to reduce the energy consumption per passenger-kilometre driven. In addition to increasing capacity utilisation and using drives that are more efficient, weight is one of the most important levers in this respect.

Connectors can make a measurable contribution. By switching from metal to plastic in the interior of the vehicle, we have been able to reduce connector housing weight for trams and trains up to 50% between one generation and the next – this is the significant difference in weight between the Han® B aluminium die-cast and the Han-Eco® B plastic housing (for the same size).

The potential savings obviously seem low compared to the overall weight of a train, but manufacturers are scrutinising the design of their rail vehicles ever more closely – always looking for further opportunities to improve. Because the number of connectors used in trains rises, their proportion of the overall weight is also increasing.

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HARTING has also continued developing its High Pressure Railway (HPR) housing range in recent years, making it possible to incorporate more connectors within a single housing.

One of the biggest HPR housings, the Han® 34 HPR, will now take up to four 650 A high-current contacts or twelve individual Han-Modular® modules. In the past, it took two housings, each fitted with six individual Han-Modular® modules, to deliver comparable data supply.

Another HARTING solution that can help with weight reduction in the rail sector is the Han® 22 HPR Slim motor connector – its flat, compact shape making it particularly suited for use in underfloor areas. Miniaturisation has made room for four contacts in the connector – without compromising performance.