A traditional slip ring assembly is no match for the superior benefits of Mercotac^® rotating electrical connectors. The benefits of the Mercotac^® connectors include a highly reliable connection that has very low electrical noise with no maintenance requirements. Therefore, many OEM machinery manufacturers are discovering the benefits of specifying Mercotac's slip rings in their designs. Mercotac Inc. is known worldwide as the leading, high-quality, mercury-wetted slip ring manufacturer. Some of the applications that continue to benefit from the use of Mercotac^® connectors are described below.

There are various types of laminating machinery that require a slip ring assembly or rotary electrical contact. Due to the sensitivity of this type of laminating process to fluctuations in temperature, it is critical that the temperature sensing circuit from the thermocouple be reliable and accurate. Unfortunately, using a traditonal slip ring assembly or standard electrical slip ring may cause problems due to electrical noise and degradation of signal produced by the rubbing contacts of the sliprings. Designers and plant maintenance personnel who have switched to Mercotac^® connectors are enthusiastic about the results, relating how reliable and accurate the temperature control has become and which lasts over a long period of time. Costly down time is reduced and efficiency and output is improved.

Another important application that often uses a traditional slip ring assembly is packaging machinery. Most packaging machines use some type of commutator or slip ring as a connection to the moving parts that are heated to seal the packages closed after they are filled. Some machines use heated rollers while others use heated crimpers. In addition to passing current to the heater elements, temperature must be maintained by reading data back to a controller, and it's important to conduct the signal with minimal electrical noise. It is desirable to pass the power and the signal through the same rotating electrical connector in order to minimize the number of connector parts that must be built into the machine. The Mercotac^® Modular 430 Series provides the ideal low cost slip ring for these types of applications. Both power and signal are passed through a single, compact connector with near zero electrical noise, thus providing accurate temperature control and reliable power transmission.