Maintenance-free conductor connection clamps

Wires and cables routinely have to be connected to copper busbars when manufacturing control gear and switchgear systems.

The conventional approach is time-consuming and uses screw clamps or fixed conductor connection clamps.

But help is at hand, thanks to the launch of a new range of maintenance-free conductor connection clamps from Rittal.  The clamps utilize push-in technology, providing users with a fast, easy and secure method for connecting conductors to busbars.

Rittal’s push-in clamps also have a whole host of other advantages as well as extremely quick and easy cable connection.  They are maintenance-free and can be used for many different types of conductors.

Rittal has developed a new generation of conductor connection clamps enabling panel builders and switchgear manufacturers to connect cables and wires directly to busbars.

The new push-in conductor connection clamps are available in two clamping ranges, 0.5–4 mm2 and 1.5–16 mm2, and for copper busbars, 5 and 10 mm thick in each clamping range.

The push-in conductor connection clamps enable quick and easy attachment to the busbar. The stripped end of the conductor is connected to the busbar simply by pushing them together, and the connection is held securely in place with a separate spring mechanism. The spring optimises conductivity by removing oxide layers that have formed on the busbar. And optimal contact is maintained by the integral contact block with its defined and raised contact points.

You can achieve quick and easy connections with solid, multi-wire and ultrasonic welding conductors and also fine wire conductors with wire end ferrules and twin wire end ferrules.

The clamp can reduce issues such as incorrect compression/torques and loosening while its maintenance-free design improves reliability and keeps running costs down.

The conductor connection clamp can be used for numerous applications, such as connecting protective and neutral conductors to busbars or as short circuit-resistant voltage taps on the copper bars of a main busbar system. It is also possible to make string distributors or distributor blocks with a large number of connector clamps for outgoing cables.

Thanks to its numerous UL and IEC certifications, the new conductor connection clamp is suitable for use worldwide including in maritime and offshore applications. It is currently tested by ABS, DNV-GL and LR, and approvals are planned to be completed by September.