Many engineers in the industry will be very familiar with the Han series from Harting, often being the choice for customers looking for a connector system that prides itself on quality, is highly ruggedized and offers many layouts and variations that cater for numerous applications.

One very popular sub-series within the Harting Han range of connectors is the Han modular system which offers the choice of a number of unique modules that can be slotted into the metal housings, giving a layout that is fully practical for the application. The majority of the housings for this system up to now have been die-cast, meaning that it can withstand the majority of external elements ‘thrown’ at it on the factory floor, thus the reason for this being  the preferred solution for many applications.
 
However, with the strength and durability of a die-cast shell comes the added weight and cost, which for many users is not a problem as this is expected for such a system, as it avoids the issue of having to replace goods on a more frequent cycle.

However Harting has recently introducted the new plastic-bodied Han-Eco housings as an alternative to the die-cast B-Sized range of hoods for customers who are looking to reduce weight and/or cost whilst retaining the functionality of the hugely popular series. The Harting literature states the advantages of the series as being:

- Weight reduction combined with mechanical strength

- Fast assembly process without tools

- Highly resistant to environmental stress, suitable for use in outdoor applications

- Complete range of modules from Han-Modular® series usable

Recently we have been fortunate to get the chance to work alongside a client that wished to design this into their system as they had been using a similar setup to the standard metal Han connectors and were was looking for the above advantages, which made this series ideal for their specific needs.

Also, a further benefit that we have noticed in using this system over the equivalent metal modular system is a reduction in part numbers. This is because the Han-Eco hoods are supplied with the specific metric cable gland and also the inner frame to hold the modules. So too does the bulkhead connector, whereas with the metal system these are all to be ordered separately, having their own unique numbers.

The Harting Han-Eco industrial connectors can be seen on our website by clicking here.