In emergency situations on electric lines, power failure almost always occurs at the junctions of one or more wires. Rupture of the cable itself is recorded very rarely. Therefore, in modern electrical technologies, connecting terminals have been used. WAGO is a popular manufacturer of this product. When choosing terminal blocks, many parameters are taken into account and high demands are placed on the service life, fire safety, resistance to vibration loads and thermal influences and the quality of the insulating material. Also taken into account are the parameters of the electrical system, such as voltage power and current magnitude. 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. She is the leader and largest manufacturer of spring-cage connection terminals. Design features should include any screw connections. WAGO terminals have established themselves as reliable contactors with a safe type of connection of electrical wires.
The German company has more than half a century of experience in creating terminal connections. The company's engineers developed and patented spring terminals in the late 70s of the last century. WAGO technology has set a new standard in electrical wiring for decades to come. To date, the German manufacturer in its asset contains more than 10 thousand types of products that are designed to help solve the problem of any electrical situation. The line of inventions includes WAGO installation feed-through terminal blocks, modular plugs and sockets, interface modules, longline terminals, devices with mortise contact and grounding, cross-section systems and many other connecting devices.
Device description
CAGE CLAMP technology terminals are a flat clamp with a spring inside the housing, which is made of a special elastic steel grade. Contact is determined by the automatic force of the spring clip. The device adheres with its entire working surface to the electric wire, thereby ensuring a reliable connection without any damage to the conductor. When using the WAGO terminal for wires, the tool guarantees a minimum passage resistance.
Design Features
Directly, the main contact rail is made of electrolyte copper, which has a soft surface with a tinning process carried out above it. The maximum pressure on the contact point makes it possible 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.
The clamping spring is made of very high quality chrome nickel steel. The part has a huge margin of safety when straightening. Over a long period of operation, not a single case of corrosion was recorded during the contacts of the spring clip with the conductors. This statement is true, including for copper switched wires.
The insulation material in the WAGO terminals is an 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 ℃.
Technology benefits
Terminals of the German manufacturer are very popular. No wonder they deserve it, as they have a number of undoubted advantages:
- ease and simplicity of switching: there are no additional materials (equipment) and there is no need for deep knowledge in electrical engineering;
- optimal clamping level: the screw connection may get poor contact due to underexposure or damage the conductor, which is absent in the spring lock;
- maximum insulation WAGO terminals: the insulator is made of high-quality material that prevents thermal overheating and the occurrence of a fire hazard;
- connection of conductors of different materials: copper and aluminum wires are closed in a terminal, which eliminates the negative consequences of switching such conductors, namely the oxidation process;
- own socket for each wire;
- resistance to vibrating vibrations, impact resistance, technical safety;
- gas tightness in places of direct switching;
- lack of maintenance.
Reviews
Those who have 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 remove the power and voltage data of the electric highway without much structural damage and effortlessly.
Terminal classification
The terminals can be divided by the type of spring used:
- Flat spring clamps.
- CAGE CLAMP technology.
- FIT CLAMP terminals.
A disposable flat spring connection device is designed for switching single-core conductors with a base cross section of 0.5 to 4 mm². Many claim that such a product can be operated several times, but then it is necessary to control the quality of the clamp, because the spring weakens with each dismantling. Such models are available with and without pasta.
Without paste, the clamps connect copper wires with a base cross-section of 1-2.5 mm² in distribution areas with 2 to 8 conductors. The device comes with colored tabs under a transparent case. The coloring determines the number of possible connections with a current of up to 25 A. There are more powerful models with a permitted current strength of up to 41 A.
When connecting aluminum and copper wires, WAGO terminals with paste are used. Such contactors are made in black or gray colors. When connecting non-metallic conductors, the socket into which the copper wire will be inserted is freed from the paste. Used sections: 0.75 - 2.5 mm² with 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.