R. STAHL mini CLIX Ex plug connectors featuring enhanced design and now available with new variants.

With its mini CLIX plug connector system, the R. STAHL Schaltgeräte GmbH company has marketed an innovative solution for isolating non-intrinsically safe signals in explosion hazard areas. For the first time, mini CLIX enables the user to install, service or exchange all devices and systems during operation of Zone 1 without disconnection and without procuring a special permit. Even Ex d field devices can be converted to "plug and play versions" with the R. STAHL Ex plug connectors. Thanks to its suitability for high data transfer rates up to 100 MBit/s, mini CLIX is also used in the fieldbus engineering sector and with Fast Industrial Ethernet.

A revised, optimised version of the mini CLIX plug connector system is now available. The improvements provide clearly easier handling. Operating errors and damage are now impossible and the system can now also even be used easily under rough conditions.

Certain new variants have been introduced within the framework of the revision process. Besides the versions made of plastic and nickel-plated brass, mini CLIX is now also available made of high-quality AISI 316L stainless steel and can thus be used easily in industries such as the pharmaceuticals and food industries. The metal variants made of brass and stainless steel are also available in special versions for armoured cables, making them suitable for use in offshore applications for instance. To date, the volume of the Ex d housing was limited to maximum 2 litres when using mini CLIX in Ex d housings. Admittedly, this allowed mini CLIX to be installed on Ex d field devices but not in large Ex d control systems. A new variant for installation in Ex d housings with a volume exceeding 2 litres has now been developed. This can be used in Zone 1 for explosion group IIC. The mini CLIX Ex d device plug and flange socket installation variants are now also available with an NPT thread, besides the version with metric M20 thread, thus suitable for all applications at an international level.

Further additions to the mini CLIX plug connector system are to follow around the end of the year. Thus, the R. STAHL Schaltgeräte GmbH company is planning to introduce a Y-adapter for looping through data or power supply lines which is to be used in particular in fieldbus engineering. In addition, a 6-pin version and a 6+PE-pin version are currently in preparation.

mini CLIX : pull – twist - pull ... it's as simple as that!