Harwin Joins Forces with Purdue Electric Racing for Formula Student Championship
Harwin, a company specializing in connectors, is sponsoring the Purdue Electric Racing (PER) team for their 2016 electric race car, which will compete in the upcoming Formula Student SAE Electric championship. The PER team is affiliated with Purdue University in Indiana, USA.
Formula SAE is an engineering competition aimed at promoting careers in the automotive industry, covering various aspects such as research, design, manufacturing, testing, development, marketing, management, and finance. Student teams from around the world design, build, and test their cars, which then compete in a series of global events.
Harwin has a history of sponsoring the Purdue team, with previous race cars incorporating parts from Harwin’s EZ-Boardware product line, which addresses issues like electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), cable management, and testing challenges. These components help reduce production costs and improve reliability.
“We sponsor numerous student projects globally,” said Jessica Engel, Harwin’s North American marketing manager. “Motorsport environments are tough for electrical connections due to shocks, vibrations, and extreme temperatures that connectors need to endure. We are excited to continue our support for the Purdue team and wish them success in next year’s race series.”
This year, the PER team has identified reliability as a crucial competitive factor and is evaluating Harwin’s high-reliability connectors, including the 2mm pitch Datamate series, 1.25mm Gecko family, and M300 high-density power connectors that can handle currents up to 10A.
“We have a strong working relationship with Harwin. When we needed to emphasize reliability, they were the obvious choice for our interconnect needs,” said Amon Pereira from Purdue Electric Racing. “We are currently using Harwin’s Datamate Mix-Tek connectors – known for their performance in harsh environments like space, defense, and oil and gas exploration – for our car’s electronic systems.”
Datamate Mix-Tek connectors are readily available in various standard configurations. They offer power contacts rated up to 20A, signal contacts rated up to 3A, and coax contacts rated at 50Ω. These connectors come in options like male PC tail, female crimp, male crimp, and female PC tail.
