TE Connectivity partners with tacterion for smart connector and component solutions
TE and tacterion collaborate to create connector and component solutions combining reliable TE connectors with tacterion's sensor technology.
These new products will help enable remote digital monitoring of equipment, making them critical tools for predictive maintenance, condition monitoring and safety applications in Industry 4.0 environments. The first product in this upcoming series of smart TE connector solutions is planned for a 2023 launch.
Tacterion holds patents for a bendable and stretchable proximity, touch and force sensor technology called plyon®, which turns virtually any surface into a smart surface. The sensors stand out for their flexibility, robustness and high signal integrity when bent or used on curved surfaces: plyon® sensors have an overall thickness of only 0.5 to 0.7mm and can achieve a bending radius as small as 1.0cm while maintaining their full measurement range. The sensors are extremely durable and resistant to static loads. By utilizing tacterion's proprietary drift compensation technology, they provide a nearly drift-free readout over time, allowing them to be used in demanding industrial environments.
TE will utilize the flexible plyon® sensor technology to add smartness to their products like the TE Intercontec connectors: These connectors are used in servo motors, robots, and machines and provide more reliable operation – which can be further enhanced by equipping them with tacterion’s sensor. The sensor monitors the condition of the connector and can report malfunctions such as deviations or an open connector to the higher-level monitoring system. This will help customers reduce costs and minimize machine downtime through predictive maintenance. Tacterion sensor products will additionally be made available through TE distribution partners and the TE website.
“We are excited to work with TE and to show how powerful our sensors are, even in harsh production environments. New types of sensors are essential for a truly digitized Industry 4.0, and together with TE we can bring more intelligence – and cost savings potential – to the production floor”, adds his brother Daniel Strohmayr, CEO of tacterion," said Michael Strohmayr, CEO of tacterion.
- For more information about TE’s Intercontec connectors, please visit https://www.te.com/usa-en/products/brands/intercontec.html.
- For More information about tacterion’s plyon® technology can be found at https://www.tacterion.com/technology.
