Electrical component manufacturer, Hylec-APL, has supplied a discreet, IP68 plug and socket solution to one of the world’s leading designers of large aquaria
Large aquarium systems are becoming more and more popular around the world, with many luxury hotels and restaurants specifying intricately lighted installations to create a calming effect for their guests. These aquatic life support units can be extremely costly, as can some of the tropical fish that they keep alive.
Electricity and water is obviously not a good combination so, when designing an aquatic system, it is vital to get the electrical systems right first time. In addition, a large aquarium can potentially house many hundreds of 
thousands of pounds worth of rare aquatic life, so many aquariums have to maintain an extremely precise habitat. Therefore, connections need to be well protected with high IP ratings to prevent failure.
Guaranteeing these performance levels sees many designers specify large industrial plug and socket systems. However, these are often cumbersome components that require a time consuming tooling process to install and connect.
An alternative
One leading UK-based aquarium designer was convinced that there must be a more efficient solution.
A spokesperson for the company commented, “I have always considered the large industrial plugs that are commonly used to be too big for the job. An aquarium is an aesthetic design, often complementing beautiful surroundings, and as such bulky components can be extremely awkward. They are also costly and time consuming to install making them far from ideal. We started searching for a smaller plug and socket solution with high IP protection and low installation time.”
To meet the needs of the designer, Hylec-APL was able to supply a plug and socket connector from its patented weather-proof TEE family of products. The TEEPLUG range is available with various ingress protection levels which allows customers to specify according to their needs. The highest IP68 rated models ensure protection when totally submerged in water to depths of up to 50m.
They are inline connectors comprising of two parts, a male and female, which allows customers to pre-wire the product in-house, reducing installation times and minimising errors on-site. The higher IP rated products use a double seal arrangement to achieve the ingress protection, an O-ring seal on the male part of the socket and an end seal in the female side. The connector has a close tolerance fit and then a simple twist lock collar or screw down cover to secure the connection.
The range includes panel/chassis mount options for use with enclosures or bulkheads up to IP68 and a combined chassis/in-line unit with 3-poles up to IP68. The products vary in size, with 2- to 6-pole connection available – dimensions range from 90mm to 130mm long (when closed).
Hylec-APL
T: 01933 234 400 Enter 201
