Materials for Connectors

Production of connectors typically involves the following four steps.

1. 1. Terminal stamping: A press machine is used to press a thin metal plate to make connector terminals.
2. 2. Terminal plating treatment: To protect the surface of connector terminals from rust and abrasion, they are coated with a metal that has high electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance.
3. 3. Injection molding of the housing: Engineering plastic suitable for the required performance of each connector product is molten inside a precisely machined mold, poured under pressure, and cooled and solidified parts are taken out.
4. 4. Assembly: Attach the plated terminals to the housing.

The industrial sector responsible for the greatest share of connector sales in 2019 was the automotive sector at 23.7%, followed by communications (22.4%) and PCs and peripheral devices (13.4%)

Connectors for conventional automotive applications include both cable-to-circuit-board connectors and circuit-board-to-circuit-board connectors responsible for connecting various control units to each other and to the ECU.

Recent years have seen growing demand for connectors used in an increasingly broad range of applications, from high-voltage connectors in electric vehicles to high-speed interconnect cables for cameras used in self-driving vehicles and advanced driver-assistance systems involving radars or similar devices.

*Reference: Research company TTI “2019 Connector Industry Outlook”

As we have seen, connectors are used in nearly every industry and in almost every imaginable product.

The fields that have supported the growth of the connector market in recent years are, for example, automobiles that are becoming more electronic and electric, smartphones that are becoming more sophisticated with the introduction of 5G, industrial equipment that is driven by automation and labor-saving needs, digital shift and 5G. These include telecommunications-related activities and the expansion of the use of renewable energy such as solar power generation.

In addition, demand for connectors is also being pushed up by consumer-related factors such as an increase in demand for wearable devices and an increase in white household appliances and housing equipment related to staying at home.

The following major technological innovations are progressing in various fields that are the main markets for connectors.

• Automotive: Advanced driver-assistance systems and the evolution toward self-driving and electric vehicles
• Industrial equipment: Robots, AI, Internet-of-Things, and other avenues to automation
• Communications: Increasing demand for 5G base stations and data centers
• Consumer: Growth in wearable devices and introduction of 5G millimeter-wave terminals
• Renewable energy: Growth in photovoltaic generation and higher-voltage applications