News

May 20, 2023

Stainless steel options take waterproof SMA cables to IP69K

GradConn’s has added stainless steel corrosion protection to its already very

GradConn's has added stainless steel corrosion protection to its already very waterproof range of SMA cable assemblies.

With stainless steel (303) SMA connectors, the assemblies are rated to IP67 and IP68 and, for the first time in the Nautilus range, IP69K against high-pressure and high-temperature wash-down.

"The SMA interface makes it one of the smallest solutions in the market specified to IP69K," according to the company.

It is aiming at uses including: sewage management, waste management, mining, marine, food preparation, agri-tech and hydroponics.

"Standard waterproof SMA connectors made from gold-plated brass would struggle in specific applications within these industries," said GradConn. "For example: exposure to hydrogen sulphide found in underground sewer environments would cause severe corrosion problems for instrumentation using standard brass SMA connectors, but this is not an issue for stainless steel versions."

On top of this, there is a choice of o-ring materials to suite different environments.

"Nautilus stainless steel is a glimpse into our strategy to shift IP-rated cable assemblies into new markets," said GradConn sales manager Andy Hamlin. "Incorporating stainless steel into other connector variants is in development, and is just one of several enhancements we have in store for Nautilus this year."

Ready-made and custom stainless steel SMA connector assemblies are available. DigiKey stocks a selection of finished assemblies.