The name Klippon in connection with terminal blocks is not new at Weidmüller: Derived from the term 'clip on terminal', which translates as 'terminal for snapping on', the first foreign group company in England already bore the name Klippon Electricals Ltd in 1959, as the name Weidmüller was difficult to pronounce there. Until the end of the 1970s, the plastic-insulated terminal blocks were marketed worldwide under this name. Today, the term Klippon is primarily associated with stainless steel housings.

As far as the terminal block portfolio itself is concerned, this previously included feed-through, double-deck, initiator and motor connection terminal blocks as well as protective conductor fuse and potential distribution terminals. This portfolio is now being supplemented by the newly developed 'A series', which is intended to complement the existing PRV application terminal blocks. In the long term, it will also replace the previous P series with push-in connection technology, which allows installations to be carried out up to 50 % faster than with spring-cage terminals.

At the same time, the Detmold-based company is adding application-oriented products to its portfolio with the new A series. The background: Although control cabinets are usually individually configured and manufactured, there are certain applications in almost all industries that require recurring components in the control cabinet, according to product manager Wolfgang Weltermann. Weidmüller has identified these application areas and developed customized solutions for them. One example is the signal wiring application: The control of work processes in machines and systems is becoming increasingly complex, which is why more and more sensors are monitoring the production process. Increasingly compact terminal blocks are therefore required to combine and structure the signals in tight control cabinets. Compared to conventional wiring solutions, the new AIO sensor/actuator terminal blocks, for example, enable a high wiring density with up to four different potentials on a width of 3.5 mm. The corresponding portfolio includes terminal blocks for connecting 3- or 4-wire sensors or actuators with and without protective conductor connection.

Another special feature of the new A-series is that each terminal point is equipped with a standardized test tap. Plugged into defined test points, this can also be used to carry out and subsequently document computer-aided, automatic tests.

The combination makes the difference

Load monitoring and potential distribution in one complete solution. In detail: The cross connectors reduce the wiring effort between load monitoring and potential distribution terminals.

© Weidmüller Interface

Another recurring application is the topic of control current distribution. According to Klaus Schürmann, Product Manager Electronics at Weidmüller, the efficient operation of machines and systems requires fail-safe and maintenance-friendly solutions that can be installed in a time and space-saving manner. With this in mind, Weidmüller's maxGuard system turns the terminal blocks for potential distribution in the outputs of the electronic load monitoring systems, which were previously installed separately, into an integral part of a 24 V (DC) control current distribution system. This innovative combination of load monitoring and potential distribution with a 6.1 mm pitch saves time during installation, increases reliability and reduces the space required on the mounting rail by 50 %.

For testing and inspection purposes, the potential distributors have practical isolating levers for easy galvanic isolation of the load circuit. In addition, maxGuard is being launched with special cross-connectors that reduce the wiring effort between load monitoring and potential distributor terminals. As the concept is designed as a single slice solution, users only pay for what they really need: With five channels, for example, a customer will in future buy five slices and not two blocks of 4 or one block of 8 as before.

The current carrying capacity of the entire system is designed for a maximum of 40 A. The operating temperature range extends from -25 °C to +55 °C (without derating). The connection cross-sections are 16 mm² for the power supply module, 2.5 mm² for the electronic load monitoring (ELM) and 1.5 mm² at the top and 2.5 mm² at the bottom for the potential distribution terminal. Various power supply modules (modules without control function or modules with alarm and reset function) as well as one control and one alarm module and, last but not least, various potential distributor modules are currently available.

All in all, Weidmüller combines all terminal block products with various connection technologies under the generic term 'Klippon Connect', divided into universal and application programs, and supplements these with a range of process-supporting services such as the Weidmüller Configurator (WMC), a web-based software to support the selection and assembly of terminal blocks including accessories. And as far as the enclosures for all industrial sectors mentioned at the beginning are concerned, Weidmüller will be marketing these in future under the name 'Klippon Protect'. Similar to Klippon Connect, there will also be a universal range and special application products designed for defined fields of application with specific protection requirements in the field.