Developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the SAE USCAR 25 standard describes design according to mounting force and hand clearance guidelines for connector position assurances as well as conventional hand-plug, mechanical brace, and twist-lock electrical connectors.
The minimum values associated with this design standard need to be evaluated against other critical characteristics that affect quality, efficiency and other aspects of assembly feasibility.
All possible designs and applications are envisioned when developing this standard. For additional criteria related to this standard, see SAE USCAR 12 electrical connector design requirements standard.
In all cases, mounting forces should be as low as possible to maintain satisfactory electrical, mechanical and environmental performance. Part packaging, process and workstation design requirements or constraints all have the potential to adversely affect the forces specified in this standard. Such situations include, but are not limited to: blocked access, awkward or unbiased postures (such as deflection or extended reach), and forces applied laterally to the body.
A hand plug connector is an electrical connector that requires an operator to manually assemble or match two connector halves or a connector to a device without the use of mechanical assistance. Hand-fit connectors are divided into various groups, and each group is defined by the maximum mounting force and corresponding contact surface area requirements. When these conditions are not met, the maximum mounting torque is reduced.
The contact surface is generally a continuous plane on which the operator can apply mounting force. Whenever possible, effort should be made to design the binder to meet target surface area dimensions. When this is not possible, the minimum contact surface area must be met. Dimensions are given in the standard. For group 1 and 2 connectors, a minimum contact surface size of 3 mm is required, excluding the edge radius.
Any surface less than 3 mm in width or length cannot be considered part of the contact surface area. For Group 3 connectors, a minimum contact surface size of 4 mm is required, excluding the edge radius. Any surface less than 4 mm in width or length cannot be considered part of the contact surface area.
Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors, our organization also provides testing services for the ergonomic design criteria of the electrical connector group within the scope of SAE USCAR 25 standard, with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.
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