Connector ix Industrial® is the Winner Of German Innovation Award

Espelkamp, 4 July 2019 --- The HARTING Technology Group received the coveted German Innovation Award 2019 in acknowledgement of the ix Industrial^®. In the “Excellence in Business to Business” category, the innovative connector convinced the German Design Council. Across all sectors, the German Innovation Award acknowledges products and solutions that clearly set themselves off from conventional solutions thanks to their user focus and added value.

HARTING’s ix Industrial^® stands for ruggedness, miniaturization and outstanding performance. Thanks to these attributes, and in view of increasingly miniaturized devices and sensors, today’s ix Industrial^® Industrial is ideally suited for tomorrow’s solutions. Targeting the widespread RJ45 connector, the ix Industrial^® opens up solutions for new industrial devices. A connector that is compact and robust, while ensuring Cat. 6A performance for 1/10 Gbit/s Ethernet on the control level at the same time, was long on the wish list of users, designers and developers. With the ix Industrial^®, HARTING has met all of these demands with an expedient and consistent system.

In industrial Ethernet (Type A) the ix Industrial^® interface excels in signal as well as in serial BUS systems (Type B). The size of the sockets has been reduced by 70% in comparison with the RJ45, thereby enabling device manufacturers their deployment in considerably more compact devices. In order to ensure device integration a compact and robust socket with five THR shielding contacts for the highest stability on printed circuit boards. The ix connectors feature a stable clipping mechanism with two metal hooks. Together with the new socket this guarantees absolutely secure and vibration-free connections – from the cable through to the PCB. And for a minimum of 5,000 mating cycles.

Criteria: innovation levels, user benefits and economic efficiency

The jury comprises independent, interdisciplinary experts from industry, science, various institutions and the financial arena. The assessment of the submissions is geared to the criteria of innovation levels, user benefits and economic efficiency. The innovation strategy factors in aspects such as social, ecological, economical sustainability, as well as the deployment of energy and resources.

Winning this prestigious accolade is clearly an indication of developments that are closely attuned to the pulse of the times and represent innovations that make life easier for users. Naturally, the colleagues Maximilian Rohrer and Jonas Diekmann from HARTING Electronics were delighted to receive the coveted award.

“In the meantime, this is the third award acknowledging ix Industrial^®. I regard this as clear proof that we have clearly understood the signs of the times with our ix Industrial^® and have created THE future miniaturized interface for Ethernet in the industrial arena,“ as Jonas Diekmann, Technical Editor at HARTING Electronics commented.

Maximilian Rohrer went on to add: “For me as product manager for the ix Industrial^® Series it is a very special honor to be receiving this award. While the product is still in its infancy, there are already a good many users – large and small – that are decidedly enthusiastic about the new possibilities that our solution is opening up. And this is just the beginning. In the next years we will be expanding the portfolio revolving around the ix.”