Takeshi Hasegawa

IDC Waterproof Connector for Flat Wiring Harness

There is a trend toward integration of several components in automobiles into modules and we have developed a new wiring system suitable for module components. This new wiring harness consists of multi core flat cable that has zero-halogen insulation. The features are weight reduction and simplification of the manufacturing process. The connector for this system is IDC (Insulation Displacement Contact) and hotmelt overmold is used for waterproofing the IDC. The mechanics of the waterproofing is adhesion between surfaces of cable insulation, connector housing and hotmelt. We have developed a new hotmelt material that can adhere to both nonpolar compounds (zero-halogen cable insulation) and polar compounds (connector housing), and is a highly reliable waterproof IDC connector that can be used in engine compartments. We also discuss a compact facility that can simultaneously operate both IDC and a hotmelt molding process.