CAMDENBOSS ARTICLE FROM ELECTRONICS SOURCING

Keeping ahead of market changes

Even though the global economy is showing signs of improvement, budgets are still tight and buyers continue to be under pressure to control costs. With fluctuations in exchange rates and concerns about the impact of Brexit thrown into the mix it can be a real effort to appear serene and swan-like on top while, in reality, paddling hard to keep up.

Cutting the Cost

Over the past five years, CamdenBoss has seen an increase in requests to offer its high standard terminal blocks at more competitive prices. This market-driven demand led to the development of the CamBlock Plus range, a comprehensive family of terminal blocks from 2.54mm to 10.16mm pitch that offers customers lower prices without any compromise in quality level or approvals.  The range addresses highly competitive markets where cost savings are mandatory, without the disadvantages of having to sacrifice quality or the level of approval.

For example, the brand new, competitively priced, CamBlock Plus 2.54mm pitch rising clamp terminal block offers 2 to 12 poles and is UL approved. It is designed for use in applications with limited space or for low power products and is ideal for R&D, lighting, or fire and security products where space is at a premium. Development of more CamBlock Plus ranges is continuous and the products benefit from UL and VDE approvals where the industry demands it.

Harsh Environments and Easier Installation

By fully implementing new technology, CamdenBoss has introduced a range of water and dust proof products to the Ingress Protection Rating IP68, meaning no dust can get in and the products can be submerged under water up to specific pressures. This means they are protected from total dust ingress and from long term immersion in water up to a specified pressure.

CamdenBoss’s CPWP3 range of connectors meets this standard and also offers further benefits including an innovative one-piece construction to reduce the possibility of incorrect assembly and to aid ingress protection.

With three models available – a waterproof field assembly T connector, a waterproof field assembly in-line connector and a 3-pole waterproof panel mount connector – the robust CPWP3 range features an integrated terminal block design so there are no small parts that might be dropped. This makes them ideal for use in field wiring applications where losing parts would create difficulties. The compact one-piece construction ensures ease of installation with colour-coded screws/terminals making wiring up easy, while the inclusion of Braille points ensures correct identification of connections in low light conditions.

Staying with the waterproof theme, new circular connectors include the premium CamCirc IP68 multi-pole range that is ideal for a multitude of applications. A rugged, high quality and high-performance interconnection solution from 2 to over 20 poles, CamCirc products do not disconnect when the cable is under load or stress and are colour coded to ensure correct mating.

One size no longer fits all

Another increasingly important trend is customisation whether it is in terms of functionality, dimensions, appearance or construction. According to Dan Smalley, Design Manager at CamdenBoss, “We are experiencing an increase in demand for both customising ‘off-the-shelf’ products and for completely bespoke designs.  On our standard products, this can range from something as simple as different colour end caps or corners to match a customer’s corporate colours to adding printing cost effectively using digital printing technology or LED light pipes to make the product look less generic.”

To meet the requirement for completely bespoke designs, CamdenBoss has developed an approach called Flat Sheet Plastic Technology (FSPT^®), which allows custom cases to be made quickly and cost effectively. An experienced team of in-house design engineers allows CamdenBoss to offer this service. Dan Smalley continued “One engineer is assigned to the project from sample to production ensuring a smooth and seamless customer experience.”

These custom enclosures can now be made suitable for use in harsh environments thanks to a unique joining technique developed by CamdenBoss to ensure that enclosures are completely watertight. This enhancement, offering up to IP68 rating, enables customers to use custom enclosures in many more applications than were previously possible, including outside environments. Other benefits that can be incorporated into the range include anti-microbial, UL rated (self-extinguishing) or translucent materials.

The ability to offer a one stop shop service that includes design and customisation as well as their extensive range of standard products enables CamdenBoss to focus on excellent customer service. It also allows them to service a multitude of applications such as broadcasting, military, energy, marine, food processing, industrial, automotive, autosport, medical, oil and gas, rail, robotics, agriculture and security.