A Lasting Connection: Truck Lifts
According to U.S. Census Bureau’s Commodity Flow Survey (CFS), in 2017 trucks shipped 71.6% or $10.4 trillion of the $14.5 trillion total value of goods shipped in the United States.
Trucks have become an indispensable part of the global economy, bringing goods far and wide all year round. Whether driving through the blistering cold of Canada or the deadly heat of the Arizona desert, trucks must perform dependably.
Many of these trucks, especially 18-wheelers or those with palettized materials, require lift gates. As such, lift gates must ensure reliability under some of the harshest environmental conditions on earth. And functionality is only part of the challenge.
Alongside these considerations, as technology progresses, designs are becoming more compact, increasingly complex, and sensitive to EMI noise interference.
The Bulgin team works hand-in-hand with clients in truck lift applications to address the industry’s range of challenges.
Ensuring a Reliable Connection
Bulgin has worked with several clients to provide intermateable connectors for existing truck lift designs to ensure performance and reliability.
For example, the Bulgin team worked with a customer who was using an industry standard rectangular connector set rated to IP68 but was experiencing water penetration into the circuits via their seals.
These connections operated multiple mobile functions within the liftgates. The issue was that the previous product exposed the inner conductors from the jacketed cable sleeve, creating multiple potential water intrusion points if the seals do not operate as intended.
Bulgin subsequently replaced the incumbent/competitors connectors with our circular IP68 400 and 6000 series.
Bulgin’s solutions encapsulate all the conductors and the jacketed cable sleeve into one body and seal the connection from exterior elements.
Durability & Reliability Come First
Bulgin’s team worked on a separate project with a leading supplier of electrical and hydraulic connections from truck cabins to shipping containers.
This customer’s new design wanted to incorporate compact connector designs, weatherproofing, GPS, TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems), and multiple sensor systems that could be monitored at a hub or via an app.
In collaboration with their team, Bulgin’s engineering staff developed a ¼ bayonet M12 system–M12 connectors, for the most part, use threaded locking collars–that were compact enough to be fed through conduit, accommodate the mixed conductor size cable (18awg 2x and 24awg 6x) and power and drive the GPS, TPMS and sensor systems within the trailers.
Conclusion: Industry Standard Products, Bulgin Performance
Bulgin’s products are built for plug-and-play usage, though they are also available to be fully customized when necessary.
The Bulgin team understands how to deal with harsh environments of truck lift applications, ensuring all materials conform to the unique application challenges while maintaining electrical ratings.
When a competitor’s connector fails, leading to moisture or water penetrating circuits in the field, you can count on us.
If you would like to learn more about any of Bulgin’s products, interconnect solutions, or value added services please get in touch with our team today.