In emergency situations on electrical lines, a power failure almost always occurs at the junction of one or more wires. A break in the cable itself is recorded very rarely. Therefore, in modern electrical technologies, connecting terminals began to be used. WAGO is a popular manufacturer of this product. When choosing terminal blocks, many parameters are taken into account and high requirements are imposed on the service life, fire safety, resistance to vibration loads and thermal influences, and the quality of the insulating material. The parameters of the electrical system, such as voltage power and current strength, are also taken into account. One of the main indicators is the cross section of the wire.
Introduction
The manufacturer of this electrical device is the German company WAGO Kontakttechnik. It is the leader and largest manufacturer of spring clamp connection terminals. The design features should include any screw connections. WAGO terminals have proven themselves as reliable contactors with a safe type of connection of electricalwires.
The German company has more than half a century of experience in making terminal connections. The company's engineers developed and patented terminals with a spring in the late 70s of the last century. WAGO's technology has set a new standard in electrical interconnection for decades to come. To date, the German manufacturer has more than 10 thousand types of products in its asset, which are designed to help solve the problem of any electrical situation. The range of inventions includes WAGO installation feed-through terminals, modular plugs and connectors, interface modules, tiered terminals, mortise contact and grounding devices, cross-connect systems and many other connecting devices.
Device Description
CAGE CLAMP technology is a planar clamp with a spring inside the housing, which is made of a special elastic steel grade. The possibility of contact is determined by the automatic force of the spring clamp. The device fits with its entire working surface to the electrical wire, thereby ensuring a reliable connection without any damage to the conductor. When using the WAGO terminal for wires, the device guarantees a minimum throughput resistance.
Design features
The main contact rail itself is made of electrolytic copper, which has a soft surface with a tinning process carried out over it. The maximum pressure on the point of contact givesthe ability to lay and firmly fix the wire in the inner layer, consisting of lead-tin material. This type of connection prevents the occurrence of corrosion processes and becomes resistant to vibration loads.
Clamping spring is made of very high quality chrome nickel steel. The part has a huge margin of safety when straightened. During the long service life, not a single case of corrosion was recorded during the contacts of the spring terminal with the conductors. This statement is also true for copper switched wires.
The insulating material in WAGO terminals is anti-corrosion fireproof polyamide, which has the property of self-extinguishing. The short-term temperature limit is +200℃, and the minimum operating temperature of the device is -35℃.
Advantages of Technology
Terminals of the German manufacturer are very popular. They deserved it not in vain, as they have a number of undoubted advantages:
- easiness and simplicity of switching: no additional materials (equipment) and no need for deep knowledge in electrical engineering;
- optimum clamping level: the screw connection may get poor contact due to underclamping or damage the conductor, which is not in the spring lock;
- maximum insulation WAGO terminal: the insulator is made of high quality material to prevent thermal overheating and fire hazard;
- connection of conductors fromdifferent materials: copper and aluminum wires are closed in the terminal, which eliminates the negative consequences of switching such conductors, namely the oxidation process;
- own socket for each wire;
- vibration resistance, shock resistance, technical safety;
- gas-tight in places of direct switching;
- no maintenance.
Reviews
Those who have had experience with such devices speak of WAGO terminals as a safe, reliable and very effective method of connecting wires. Installation began to take much less time, the process of reconnecting or completely changing the electrical circuit was facilitated. It is possible to take power and voltage data of the electric line without much damage to the structure and without effort.
Terminal classification
Terminals can be divided according to the type of spring used:
- Flat spring clamps.
- CAGE CLAMP technology.
- FIT CLAMP.
Single-use flat spring connectors are designed for connecting solid conductors with a base cross section of 0.5 to 4 mm². Many claim that such a product can be used several times, but then it is necessary to control the quality of the clamp, because the spring weakens with each dismantling. These models are available with and without paste.
Without the presence of paste, clamps connect copper wires to the basewith a cross section of 1-2.5 mm² in distribution points with a quantity of 2 to 8 conductors. Devices with colored tabs under a transparent case are supplied for implementation. The coloring determines the number of possible connections up to 25 A. There are more powerful models with a permitted current of up to 41 A.
When connecting aluminum and copper wires, WAGO terminals with paste are used. These contactors are available in black or grey. When connecting different-metal conductors, the socket into which the copper wire will be inserted is freed from the paste. Used sections: 0.75 - 2.5 mm² at a current strength of 25 A, from 2 to 8 connections. Some models are designed for 3 connections with 32 A and a cross section of 1.5 - 4 mm².
