How do you pass shielded servo motor cables through the cabinet wall/panel?

arvidb wrote:

How do you pass shielded servo motor cables through the cabinet wall/panel?
 

You mention "shielded" so my favoured Neutrik (SpeakCON and PowerCON) won't work. 

I use Lemo quite a bit, though I tend to scavenge them or buy used from eBay. 

M23 are good, but expensive. Mouser seem most reasonable:
www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDetail/Amphenol-...%252BmAEXCHfDw%3D%3D
Bear in mind that often you have to buy shell, backshell, insert ans terminals separetely. That's a kit. 

I used M23 to pass the power and feedback for the 4th axis through the mill to allow it to be disconnected. 

I swapped the unobtainable connectors on a servo motor for SpeakCON and salvaged Lemo:
Before:  photos.app.goo.gl/HqjLvfHWQpqkuHzg8
After:  photos.app.goo.gl/s8ecWDui7QaZDpJj8
Then after buying a bigger Lemo from ebay:  photos.app.goo.gl/P5sz9dqDLwavKatG7

The solder Lemos are vacuum-tight. Crimp ones are not, and the crimping tools are very expensive. However I have found that this style tool (I have two sizes now) work for D-sub, Lemo and M23:  www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-7533-Indent-Crimping-Tool/dp/B07NDVC3VS

And, that mention of D-sub brings me to the real point of this reply. Ordinary D-sub have a higher current and voltage rating than you might guess:
docs.rs-online.com/869a/A700000007669880.pdf
750V and 5A, and it's not a fancy one. 

But, you might want to look at the actual fancy ones, with mixed terminals so that you can run signal and power (40A)  high voltage (2800V),  pneumatic, optical or coax through the same connector:
uk.rs-online.com/web/c/connectors/usb-d-...imensions=4292006345

Drop-down the "contact type" option here to see the supported contact types:  uk.rs-online.com/web/c/connectors/usb-d-...tors/d-sub-contacts/


 

Andy, the servo motor connectors you replaced in the above photos look like the mil spec Amphenol type connectors that seem to be common on servo motors. They are generally available, but come in a myriad of options and configurations that can be difficult to discern exactly what you have to match with. (They are also often a bit pricey but very high quality.)

rodw wrote:

I feel your pain and want to find a solution too. On a little mill I retrofitted, I justpassed them through a cable gland that worked pretty well.

Yeah, passing them through a cable gland sounds more and more like a good solution.

While soldering connectors is a PITA that's not the main reason I want to avoid soldering: with the contacts carrying hundreds of volts and multiple amps, any bad connection will cause heating, which could make the solder melt and release the cable. At these voltages you really want a physical connection of the cable that is unaffected by heat.

Those automotive QC connectors look interesting. As long as their voltage rating is okay... I will keep them in mind!

tommylight wrote:

I just put those plastic/pvc round thingies to protect wires from scratching.

This sounds pretty tempting! Easy, and if it works then why not? How do you connect any cable shields though? Do you clamp them to some ground bar or something? Or just use a pigtail at the drive?

Some drives have their own GND terminal, otherwise i use GND bars for power distribution boxes, copper, cheap, screws already set, different sizes and lengths.

Sometimes i also use some nice boxes for 3 phase power that have 4 bars inside when i need a lot of 5V, 12V and 24V wiring. I still have two left so can take pictures if you like.

Todd Zuercher wrote:

Andy, the servo motor connectors you replaced in the above photos look like the mil spec Amphenol type connectors that seem to be common on servo motors.

I agree that they _look_ like them, but they were retained by a ball detente and sliding sleeve like some pneumatic couplings. They were unique in my experience.