Phihong has developed a USB adapter with a series of interchangeable plugs. Designated the PSB05R Series, the 5W adapter is available with four interchangeable clip adapter plugs said to work in virtually any power outlet around the world. Applications include wireless communications, peripherals, portable equipment, and networking.

But safety isn’t all that suppliers must consider. There’s also the skyrocketing costs of commodities and the matter of complying with RoHS and the disparate needs of OEMs.

K. F. Ng, product safety manager for Volex Power Products (Singapore), works frequently with appliance OEMs to ensure safety of new designs. “The OEMs’ goal is to give the customer a nicer look, not just something off the shelf, and the challenge is the design they want doesn’t always meet safety regulations. There are times we have to negotiate between the customer and the safety agency if the deviations do not cause a safety hazard. For example, there are specifications for connectors that are removable from appliances, and the customer might want to alter the dimensions or shape. Sometimes the modification the customer wants might not pose a safety hazard.  If it does, we act as consultant between OEMs and the safety agency to come to a compromise.”

Volex Power Products is a new division under Volex Group PLC for the manufacture and supply of electrical power cords and cable assemblies to OEMs for consumer and industrial markets that include computer and office equipment, white goods, power tools, small appliances, lighting, and medical equipment.

Gregor Kysely, president of Feller LLC (Leland, NC, U.S.) says OEMs are increasingly interested in cords with fuses, GFCI or ALCI, to address concerns of safety. “Also, product robustness is of interest to surpass the minimum UL requirements and meet the demands of consumer use and abuse.  We are working with customers to upgrade cords that already meet safety requirements and address specific end-user applications.” Feller recently moved its U.S. operations from New Jersey to North Carolina. Kysely says, “The recent expansion will allow Feller to become a fully integrated manufacturer to fulfill customer demands with quick turn around as well as increased inventory.”

But in the industrialized world that treats many appliances like commodities, the fashionable toaster bought last year gets tossed when OEMs introduce sexier models. How robust do cords need to be? “A big challenge for the cord industry is the need to lower cost while maintaining safety,” says Ng. One cost-cutting strategy would be to consider the life of the appliance. “People do not use appliances for a lifetime—they might keep a coffeemaker for five years—so maybe we do not have to make cords to last a lifetime but still meet the minimum safety requirement.”

Safety Drives Innovation of Locking Connectors

Concert-goers pay big bucks to see their favorite entertainers and hear them at mega-decibels. The cords that deliver power to portable audio equipment can pose a hazard. No one wants to risk a fire in a crowded entertainment venue.

“There are minimum and maximum forces at which the connector can be plugged and unplugged,” says Ng. “Some customers want the unplugging force to be greater, but if we do that for them the product will not meet safety standards.”

Volex innovated a solution, the V-LOCK which locks the connector in place. Ng explains that it meets plugging force standards because force is measured between the contacts of the connector and terminals of the inlet.

“Initially we made the V-LOCK for big Japanese OEMs in the audio industry. However it caused quite a stir when we exhibited it in London for the Sound and Audio show. Another market will be hospitals, where if equipment gets disconnected it can be serious.”

RoHS Rules and Commodity Costs

Ever since the European Union adopted the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) in 2003 and mandated compliance by July 1, 2006, suppliers of cords and cord sets to global markets have been feeling the impact. “Harmonization of materials to meet RoHS causes all end products to move in this direction regardless of the need for specification,” says Larry Oden, senior engineer for Unicable, Inc. (Bowling Green, KY, U.S.).

Richard Loh, director of engineering and quality for Volex Power Products, concurs. “We have implemented European RoHS compliance as the minimum requirement for all power cords in spite of the fact that only European products are being affected. Volex continues to provide assurance to customers on the robustness of the established management system of hazardous substances by working with ASTA on RoHS certification and fully supports customers on their compliance to the latest China RoHS requirement.”

Then there’s the possibility that the United States will adopt RoHS sometime next year, says Kysely. “Feller, being headquartered in Europe, has been RoHS compliant since late 2003.” Not every country is eager to adopt the RoHS standard, and that presents a big challenge for suppliers and OEMs. Kysely remarks, “In the past few years we have experienced more countries establishing their own electrical code. Hence there is more diversification and a lot more approval and tooling costs involved. For example, Taiwan, Thailand, and now Brazil are enforcing their own new standards.”

In terms of commodities, copper prices have the biggest impact. “The highest content used in manufacturing of power cords is copper, where prices are up 80 percent,” says Loh. “Volex is able to pass the increase to customers and on the other hand continue with hedging and risk management on the commodity price.”

Copper is not the only material having an impact on the cord industry. Kysely says dramatic cost increases have been seen with PVC used for extrusion as well as over molds, and with pins, connectors, and tabs.

Disparate Needs Drive Cord Design

OEMs’ disparate needs send trends in different directions. So it’s true there’s a trend toward specialization but also a trend toward harmonization. And a trend toward cost as the main driver but also a trend toward costlier value-added features.

Unicable, Inc., works with OEMs to develop products—cords and harnesses—that help the assembly process of the end product and as a partner in development of proprietary designs. Oden says, “We do not see specialization so much as continuing interest in globalization and harmonization to reduce SKUs.”

Ng concurs. “There’s a trend for OEMs to push for the harmonization of the different plugs used in different countries, but it’s a big challenge,” he says. “However the whole world is more receptive towards harmonizing cable, which will level the playing field for manufacturers.”

Kysely notes that there’s a market for high volume, where cost drives everything, and there’s a market that is driven to make an appealing, safer, more reliable product. “Especially in the appliance industry there is product designed for a life of five years, and there is product for 10 to 20 year life. Feller certainly falls into the second category.”

Loh points out that OEMs are designing solutions for humanized technology. “Thus there are stringent requirements for ergonomic product profiles, reductions of size, and environmentally friendly RoHS-compliant materials used on the product.”

He adds that Volex is positioned to handle the disparate needs of OEMs with a multisite, fully integrated ERP manufacturing system to cater to the needs of customers from different industries. “We also must strategically maintain safety stocks of finished products and raw materials coupled with a responsive and flexible supply chain to further complement our ERP system.”