What is FastConnect?

Katharina Esch | 26. May 2021

In almost all industries, it is important to use systems that work simply, quickly and reliably. Just like Profinet FastConnect. In today’s article, I will tell you what this technology is all about.

Time is money

Time is an important commodity. And that is not all. Because time simply costs money. It’s not for nothing that they say, “time is money”. Who benefits from a longer machine standstill because individual components do not last or processes take too long?

Perhaps you know the situation:

One of your Profinet cables has failed and needs to be replaced and harnessed.  This should be as quick and uncomplicated as possible. Everything else is expensive. The cable must be installed in the existing machine and must therefore be harnessed manually.

Manual field harnessing costs time. For this you will need the following things:

• A knife
• A pair of cable strippers
• A lot of time
• More sold by the metre goods, as there may be waste
• Suitable connectors

Fortunately, there is now an alternative. FastConnect. I would like to present these in the following.

FastConnect

FastConnect technology ensures that a cable can be set down, harnessed and connected in just a few steps. The FastConnect system consists of industrial-grade cables, connectors and the appropriate tools

FastConnect at igus

With the CF898.061.FC we at igus now offer not only a PROFINET cable with a clear service life statement, but also a cable that is faster and more cost-effective to assemble. The structure of the cable is similar to CF898.060 plus a thin inner jacket. In this case, however, the inner jacket has no mechanical function, as for example the inner jackets of a CF21.UL or CF113.D. Our new CF898.061.FC is a cost-effective alternative to the CFBUS.060 and CFBUS.LB.060, which are also capable of FastConnect.

The amount of work required for harnessing is significantly reduced by the FastConnect cable and the stripping tool. Core cuts and shielding damage to the cable are reduced by the perfectly matched components. This in turn means that there is also less cable waste to dispose of.

The electrician therefore only needs the cable, the connector and a stripping tool for the harnessing. For this purpose, igus has designed the inner jacket, the shield and the outer jacket in such a way that the user only has to set the tool once, then remove the cable, insert the connector and close it.

This cable is used in machines with a bending factor of 15xd and short travels. A guarantee of up to 36 months and UL certification are standard for this new launch.

The FastConnect tool

The compatible tools are available from different manufacturers (e.g. Weidmüller or Siemens). They are used for safe and quick field harnessing without causing damage to the cable.

FastConnect connector

In addition to the stripping tool, FastConnect connectors can also be used in this technology. A very robust connector for industry is, for example, the RJ45 connector. It ensures a simple and quick connection of cable and connector. Insulation displacement terminations ensure optimum contacting of the cores inside the connector. Stripping the cores is not necessary and makes the whole process even faster.

Conclusion

FastConnect delivers what it promises. It works quickly and without complications. Because you only need one tool for this. With this technology you can achieve a time saving of up to 46%. The machine can restart quickly and you do not lose any time. And above all, no money.

Are you interested in these or other innovations? You are welcome to talk to us at any time!