Fuse Clip Terminals: A Case Study
Project Details
Fargo Assembly of PA
Industry:
Construction, Agricultural, Heavy Truck and Off-Road Equipment
Case Challenge:
To develop a product that would eliminate overheating, connection separation, loose fuses due to truck and motor vibration
Solution:
ETCO engineers created a secondary clip component that fastened the connection in place and eliminated arcing, overheating and connection separation
Fargo Assembly of PA is a diversified supplier of power
& signal distribution systems and components, serving the on and off-highway, construction, agricultural, commercial and consumer grounds care, recreational vehicle and specialty vehicle market segments. We specialize in rugged harnesses/electrical systems exposed to extreme environments.
Fargo Assembly of PA has over 40 years of experience and a proven track record in accomplishing customers’ quality, cost and timing objectives.
Fargo approached ETCO with an issue specific to fuse placements with connectors. The fuses/circuit breakers used in the wiring harness connectors for construction, agricultural, heavy truck, off-road equipment were susceptible to overheating and separation if they were not properly fastened. Fargo created the Dill Blox product and wanted the fuses / circuit breakers within the products to stay in position and provide a completely secure connection. This connection would have to withstand the vibrations consistent with a variety of on and off-road conditions.
ETCO engineers studied the problem and created the fuse clip terminal. The primary issue was the loosening of the fuses and connections. This could cause a series of issues once the connection was reduced or altogether severed. Arcing would lead to overheating, overheating could lead to a dangerous situation and disconnection could lead to power loss in specific functions.
The fuse clip terminal consisted of a stainless-steel receptacle placed within a female connector that was force-fastened and was immovable by vibrations in application. ETCO engineers tested the connector in multiple situations to ascertain the efficacy of the product. The testing done at ETCO is performed with all products to ensure the highest standards of quality are met. ETCO created the specification based off of a pre-existing configuration to provide a high quality connection as well as creating a simplified manufacturing solution. The solution would save costs and perform flawlessly in a variety of conditions. Over 20 million parts later, the ETCO fuse clip terminal is featured prominently within the Fargo Dill Blox product.
ETCO has provided Fargo with go-to market engineering as well as extensive support for this simple yet innovative technology. This level of engineering, service and support is what ETCO customers and partners have come to expect.
John Smith, General Manager at Fargo had this to say:
“ETCO has been an excellent partner in serving our engineering and manufacturing needs for components and wiring harness connectors. The company engineer’s attention to detail and ability to quickly solve a major issue is the reason why we come to them every time. High quality solutions and cost savings means we’re able to provide the same level of service to our customers while passing the cost-savings on to them.”
