Solving new challenges in extreme sports environments where expertise, innovation and reliability are key is Fischer Connectors electrical and mechanical engineer team’s favorite activity.
By finding the right connector or cable solution to use at the right place for maximum efficiency, whether it is a standard catalogue item - connector or cable assembly - or a specially developed custom project, our team of highly qualified engineers thrives on winning the race to full customer satisfaction.
“Facing timing and safety challenges with our innovative hydrogen fuel cell car, we saw Fischer Connectors as the technical partner that would provide us with the complete problem-solving offer, including standard high quality reliable connections, complete harnesses and specially created high power and performance push-pull connectors. In short, we needed to find the connector that could transmit up to 800 Amps and 600 Volts to power the world’s first electric high performance racecar.” says Christophe Schwartz, Engineering and Program Manager for GreenGT H2.
Jean-François Weber, General Manager and Head of Research & Development for GreenGT, an independent company that designs, develops and markets clean and sustainable vehicle propulsion systems with a focus on competition and innovation explains why his team has chosen to partner with Fischer Connectors : “Fischer Connectors’ innovative products have an excellent track record to perform without constraint in highly demanding environments. We particularly value the expertise in developing the right connector that meets all our unique technical and environmental requirements since connectors directly impact the car’s safety, speed and reliability.”
To race, the car has to comply with FIA rules and safety standards, it needs to be fast on the flat and in the bends, be lightweight and 100% reliable. To shine, it needs the right connectivity inside. That’s where Fischer Connectors come in.
‘We worked according to the needs of GreenGT’, explain Olivier Testaz, Fischer Connectors’ engineering team member specialized in mechanical design and Thierry Goldhorn, mechanical engineer. ‘Although most of the connectors GreenGT wanted to use in their car were close to our standard product range, we needed to make sure we answered all of their specific requirements and decided to also develop new solutions; so we took the Fischer UltiMateTM Series as a starting point because of its built in ruggedness and continued from there.’
Its compactness and resistance to shock and vibration made it an ideal base connector in tight areas around the powertrain for example. “People wouldn’t believe how many components are packed within such a small space. In certain places on the chassis, every millimeter counts and we had to be very careful with the design, manufacturing, dimensional and electric control. We even created special working desks for the cable assembly of the harness. It’s like fitting an A380 cockpit into a glider.” Thierry Goldhorn adds.
Since the car must be able to reach 300km/hour in less than 10 seconds, the last thing it needed was heavy connectors and cable assemblies.
Made of aluminum, much lighter than standard brass connectors, the Fischer Ultimate™ Series fitted perfectly in this very light yet resistant structure. The chassis already integrates a lot of carbon fiber composite elements like the 2 x 160 liter tanks with H2 pressurized at 350 bar, complete bodywork and a double-hull &crash box shell.