High-Precision, High-Reliability Interconnect Technologies for Robotics, Automation and Motion Systems
In Robotics and Motion industries, electrical connectors are more than just parts — they are critical enablers of performance, motion control precision, signal integrity and system reliability. Whether in industrial robots, collaborative robots (cobots), autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), motion control units, or automated assembly systems, connectivity must withstand dynamic loads, vibration, miniaturization and high-cycle operation.
SM Contact offers advanced connector and contact technologies engineered for the unique demands of robotics and motion applications. Our solutions support high-performance electrical paths for power, signal and control interfaces, enabling robust and scalable production for OEMs, system integrators and automation manufacturers.
Coil terminations and connections built for parts that never stop moving
Servo motors, cobot joints, AGV wheel assemblies — robotics and motion equipment runs its connections through constant micro-vibration, tight housings, and a production floor that increasingly needs to terminate a wire without a person standing at a soldering iron. SM Contact builds its robotics and motion work around three technologies: P-Splice for magnet wire coil termination, pin insertion for PCB and coil-frame connections, and press-fit for solderless PCB assembly.
Our Connector Technologies for Automotive Applications
Typical Applications
Our technologies are applied throughout robotics and motion systems, including:
- Robot controllers and servo drives
- Motion control boards and feedback circuits
- Power distribution systems in automated equipment
- Sensor arrays, encoders and actuators
- Collaborative robot (cobot) electronics
- AGV power and signal harnesses
- Mechatronic modules and automated tooling
Technologies for Robotics and Motion
P-Splice — magnet wire termination
Connects a power or signal wire directly to an unstripped magnet wire: piercing serrations in the splice band cut through the enamel insulation as the crimp closes, so there’s no stripping step and no heat. Cycle time runs around 0.3 seconds per connection, against a soldering process that has to burn off insulation first and risks scorching nearby plastic. Two band materials cover different duty: brass (CuZn30) for standard applications from –80°C to +120°C, and copper-nickel (CuNi9Sn2) for –80°C to +400°C where corrosion resistance or a weldable interface matters. Built for motor and actuator coil windings, and coil-to-lead terminations in e-mobility drives.
Pin insertion
Presses a pin into a PCB, coil frame, or plastic housing without solder — smooth, star, winged, or press-fit profiles, chosen by hole type and the retention force the joint needs. Star and press-fit profiles are qualified to EN 60352-5, holding contact resistance under 0.5 mΩ through vibration and thermal cycling. Semi-automatic insertion runs up to 3,600 pins/hour on a table-mount machine, up to 15,000 pins/hour on an automated line. Used for encoder boards, motion-controller PCBs, and coil-frame terminals — anywhere a joint has to survive constant flex without a solder fillet to fail.
Press-fit
A compliant pin elastically deforms into a plated through-hole, forming a gas-tight contact against the hole wall. It tolerates hole-diameter deviations of +0.10 to –0 mm (IEC 60352-5), so tolerance stacking on a multi-board assembly doesn’t force a rework. Used on double-sided control boards — servo-drive electronics, motion-controller stacks.