Connector’s operation helps assure grounding safety

An addition to the Power Triple Lock (PTL) connector series, the make-first/break-last (MFBL) connector is designed to establish the ground connection before power connections are made and to maintain the ground connection until after the power connections are broken. This capability meets a requirement for midrange power applications, such as power cords and power supplies for appliances and commercial building equipment.

The wire-to-panel or wire-to-wire three-position MFBL connector is based on a 6.0-mm centerline pitch and, like other PTL connectors, is rated for 600 Vac or Vdc. The MFBL connector can accept wire up to 16 AWG, for a current limit of 12 A max. The connector features polarization and keying to help prevent connector mismating, an anti-snag design to help keep wires from snagging on the contact and housing, a locking mechanism to help secure connections when the cap and plug latch together, and a low-insertion-force design to ease assembly. The MFBL connector is glow-wire-test compliant, is designed to operate from −55°C to 105°C, and is available 12 weeks ARO, depending on region.