The Importance of Custom Waterproof Connectors
The wet-mate connector category has been in existence for over 150 years. Engineers have gone through many iterations to develop a better solution for underwater applications. In fact, the first underwater electrical connector – a transatlantic communication cable – made a splash in 1858.
In the early years, most underwater connectors were homemade using regular electrical components wrapped in rubber. Of course, they didn’t last long in subsea conditions (some less than one month). Saltwater, in particular, is extremely damaging to electrical assemblies due to its corrosive properties. If connector contacts or parts of the metal connector body are exposed to water, they will eventually corrode, causing electrical failure.
Custom wet-mate connectors are the linchpin of a successful underwater application. Unless you identify the right subsea connectors for your project, they could be dead in the water, or, at the very least, require frequent, expensive repairs. Our solutions, however, are self-insulating and corrosion resistant. Additionally, they do not require additional sealing, O-rings, gaskets, or oil bladders, so they’re designed to provide optimal quality and performance in any application.
Types of Custom Underwater Cable Connectors
A traditional underwater connector relies on a watertight seal. Several variations have been developed over time to achieve this, including the following.
Rubber-Molded Wet-Mate Connectors
A wet-mate connector is created between a female connector end and a glass-reinforced, epoxy bulkhead connector through a locking sleeve as well as neoprene or polyurethane overmolding.
Rigid Shell Wet-Mate Connectors
Rigid shell wet-mate connectors are molded into a rigid body to offer greater stability, strength, and lockability. Two connector halves are screwed together, sealing the junction with an O-ring.
Fluid-Filled Wet-Mate Connectors
For this component, a chamber is filled with oil or another dielectric fluid to isolate the contacts from water. As the ends are mated, the contact pins are wiped clean by the diaphragm in the face of the receptacle.
Inductive Couplings
These pinless, subsea connectors attach magnetically without exposing any conductive parts to the outside environment.
While each of these wet-mate connector designs significantly improved the flexibility, lifespan, and safety profile of underwater electrical applications, there lacked a solution to eliminating the risk of corrosion altogether. That is until niobium wet-mate connectors emerged.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Subsea Electrical Connectors
The industry’s long-standing underwater interconnect solutions vary in application, material, and design. Many underwater cable connectors often feature O-rings, gasket seals or oil bladders, and copper contacts, but ours simplify and improve operations by not necessitating these components.
Before settling on the right waterproof assembly for your implementation, be sure to evaluate the following key criteria.
Material
The metal used for your subsea connector must be strong enough to withstand its intended marine environment. Depending on a project’s needs, such as extreme corrosion resistance, tensile strength, minimal electrical conductivity, or high melting point, 316 stainless steel, Inconel, and titanium are considered three materials of choice.
Typically, 316 stainless steel is preferable for subsea electrical connectors because it’s well-equipped to resist corrosion after undergoing design and manufacturing processes that involve welding. The resulting underwater cable connectors can also withstand high-corrosion environments and boast considerable resistance to heat.
A variation of stainless steel and Inconel is considered a superalloy due to its mechanical strength, surface stability, and corrosion resistance. Though that is the case, few pure metals have more strength than titanium. This is because it has an extremely high corrosion resistance and a tensile strength that’s at least double that of aluminum.
Cost of Subsea Connectors
From a cost perspective, stainless steel is a reasonable choice for wet-mate connectors and will stand up to the elements quite well. However, for applications that require truly exceptional corrosion and heat resistance, titanium is the preferred option.
Performance
Peak performance in the field is where it matters. Some subsea connectors boast guarantees of remaining operational underwater for up to 25 years with long-term water resistance. On the other hand, certain underwater cable connectors are considered difficult to implement in the field due to a tendency to leak or become compromised at a certain pressure rating.
Pressure
As your waterproof assembly is submerged deeper underwater, the equipment is subjected to increasing amounts of pressure reaching up to and often greater than 10,000 psi. Without the right subsea electrical connector for your application, this amount of force can negatively impact any number of components, increase system failures, or jeopardize operations.
Cable Assembly
Typical subsea connectors come in a wide range of cable assemblies, including electrical, fiber optic, or pressure-balanced, oil-filled.
Rating
Wet-mate connectors are rated for an application’s specific depth and pressure. For example, a subsea connector may have a mated pressure rating of up to 20,000 psi but is tested in an even more rigorous marine environment.
Lead Time of Subsea Electrical Connectors
A long lead time generally is required as traditional wet-mate connectors take 18 weeks, or more than 4 months, from the time an order is placed until delivery (and that’s without any disruptions in the supply chain).
Overall, researching each of these seven key criteria relative to the specifications needed for your project will help in identifying the best traditional wet-mate connectors for your application.
Highlights of niobiCONN Waterproof Cable Assemblies
- When energized and exposed to water, niobium creates its own passive film that acts as an insulator, electrically isolating the content from the surrounding water and adjacent contacts
- Our waterproof electrical connectors can be used in freshwater or saltwater environments, outdoor infrastructures, indoor/outdoor farming applications, food and chemical processing, and beyond
- We can create custom waterproof electrical connectors that are designed specifically for your application and its requirements
- Our underwater mateable connectors have a thermoplastic urethane overmold, can be configured in 8 positions, and are finished with a robust blind mating keying system
Why You Should Work with Our Team of Custom Waterproof Cable Connector Engineers
Many traditional underwater cable connectors have a stainless-steel construction and use gold-plated copper contacts. Instead of copper contacts, iCONN utilizes niobium, which delivers the same level of corrosion resistance as titanium, which is considered the premier material for corrosion resistance.
The insulating film around the niobium contacts is 99.79% thinner than a strand of human hair and provides electrical connectivity and scrapes off as the connectors are mated. When the contacts are demated, the insulating film forms again within milliseconds.
Also, niobiCONN™ custom waterproof connectors can be customized to meet the parameters of your project. This includes a reduced lead time by more than half compared to traditional underwater connectors – 18 weeks down to an average of six to eight weeks from order to delivery.
Whether you need a custom solution or a standard replacement, iCONN Systems has you covered. Our team is passionate about developing, prototyping, and manufacturing custom-engineered connectors and overmolded cable assemblies. We also have a wide variety of industry-standard connectors that are available on our product pages.
Additionally, by choosing iCONN for custom IP67 waterproof connectors, you’ll reap benefits such as:
- Products built to operate in any environment
- Waterproof, weatherproof, and heat-resistant solutions
- Products that deliver efficiency and safety
- A team committed to responsiveness, attention to detail, and adaptability when developing solutions
- Unparalleled customer service
- Environmental integrity
- Over 120 years of experience in the connector field with expertise working with over 20 industries
At iCONN, our goal is to make you successful in the marketplace by providing you with custom connectors and custom cable assemblies that do not waver in quality. This prevents cable assembly failures and encourages a long-lasting solution for your application, even in the most unique settings. We strive for continued success and believe in staying on top of technology so we can deliver quality products and services, including our custom wet mate connectors.
To best understand what you are looking for, we conduct a simple interview where we discuss your application and project goals and then recommend cost-effective solutions. Our list of applications and industries is constantly growing, and we would be happy to create a custom waterproof electrical connector or waterproof cable connector solution for your next project!
Contact Us for Custom Waterproof Electrical Connectors
If your industry could benefit from a waterproof cable connector solution like our niobiCONN™, be sure to reach out to our team today. We can assess your needs and deliver the right components for your application.
