RS and Phoenix Contact Expand Industrial Field Connectivity

RS offers Phoenix Contact's extensive range of M12 Power field cabling and connector solutions, including the new TC-ER M12 Power cordsets, all of which are engineered to save space, ease installation, increase functionality, and enhance performance in industrial power distribution networks.

FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- RS, a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, offers Phoenix Contact's extensive range of M12 Power field cabling and connector solutions, including its new tray cable extended run (TC-ER) M12 Power cordsets.

Phoenix Contact's M12 Power portfolio includes simple prefabricated power cordsets, hybrid power and signal cordsets, convenient field-wireable connectors, device connectors for wire and board connections, and distribution blocks — all engineered to save space, increase functionality, and enhance performance in a wide range of industrial power distribution applications. Popular applications include motors, drives, fans, heaters, and lighting fixtures in the automated manufacturing, intralogistics, robotics, renewable energy, telecommunications, data center, HVAC, automotive, and EV industries.

These M12 Power solutions are also robust, easy to install, safe, and flexible, offering features including:

• Five standard coded-pin patterns — three AC (S, K, and M) and two DC (T and L) — designed to differentiate M12 power connections from M12 signal and data connections and prevent mismatched connectors and swapped AC and DC voltages
• AC ratings up to 16A and 600VAC
• DC ratings up to 16A and 63VDC
• Straight and angled connectors with three termination options: tool-free spring-loaded push-lock connections for quick and easy installation, crimp connections for fast, high-volume automated processing, and classic screw connections for universal suitability
• Conductors with color coded and numerical markings to ensure error-free mating, including PROFINET-conforming color schemes for L-coded versions
• IP65 and IP67 environmental protection
• Advanced 360° shielding technology for reliable, future-proof protection against EMI
• Various cable materials, colors, and lengths
• IEC standardization (IEC 61076-2-111) and UL compliance (UL2237)

Designed for the industrial power distribution networks of the future, Phoenix Contact's new TC-ER M12 Power cordsets are optimized for field connectivity. Rated for exposed cable runs and compliant with the NEC Tap Rule, these robust, crush- and impact-resistant, multiconductor, PVC-jacketed, and overmolded cordsets are engineered for routing outside of cable trays, which significantly expands application suitability and makes installation quicker, easier, and more cost effective. They're also fully compatible with existing M12 Power products, UL tested and approved under UL2237, and exclusively manufactured in the United States using regionally-sourced cables.

Phoenix Contact's TC-ER M12 Power cordsets are currently available in M-code versions rated for up to 8A and 600VAC, S- and K-code versions rated for up to 16A and 600VAC, and L- and T-code versions rated for up to 16A and 63VDC — all of which utilize 14AWG copper conductors. They're also available with 3–6 pins, straight and 90° socket connectors or open ends, and optional shielding and are rated for operating temperatures extending from -25°C to +85°C (+70° when wet), at least 100MΩ insulation resistance, more than 100 mating cycles, 2 million bending cycles for unshielded variants, 1 million bending cycles for shielded variants, UL94 V-0 flammability, and FT4 flame resistance. Additional features include oil, sunlight, burial, and water resistance, Overvoltage Category 3 classification, and four minimum bending radiuses: 7 times the diameter for fixed, unshielded installations, 10 times the diameter for both fixed, shielded and flexible, unshielded installations, and 15 times the diameter for shielded, flexible installations.

"The NEC Tap rule for field connectivity in power distribution applications — or all the circuits and systems used to transmit electricity from grid substations to consumers, like houses and businesses — requires overcurrent, ground fault, and short-circuit protection at the beginning of the circuit, leading to the trunk line exiting the cabinet. It also requires feeder taps up to 3m to utilize conductors rated for at least 1/10^th of the trunk line and feeder taps between 3m and 7.5m to utilize conductors rated for at least 10A each," said Dean Smith, Senior Product Marketing Specialist at Phoenix Contact. "Our factory-molded TC-ER M12 Power cordsets are ideally suited for both scenarios and provide electronic device manufacturers, panel builders, and industrial equipment users with considerable space savings, user-friendly plug-and-play functionality, and enhanced performance compared to standard tray cable.

"Another NEC Tap rule requirement for TC-ER cable is that it must be secured every 2m. And while this does have associated material and labor costs, our TC-ER rated cordsets still provide substantial installation time and cost savings compared to standard tray cable given that they eliminate the need for cable trays and raceways, make installation quick, easy, and cost effective, and allow users with larger trunk lines to switch from bigger, higher AWG solutions to space-saving TC-ER M12 Power cordsets up to six feet without the use of any supports."

For more information about Phoenix Contact's M12 Power connector and cabling solutions, including the new TC-ER rated M12 Power cordsets, check out "M12 power solutions," an RS Expert Advice podcast interview with Dean Smith. For additional information about these and other Phoenix Contact solutions for industrial power distribution networks — including power supplies, circuit breakers, terminal blocks, and surge protection — please visit the links embedded here.

To learn more about Phoenix Contact's other electrification, networking, and automation solutions, please check out the company's other contributions to the RS Expert Advice series and visit the links embedded above. 

For assistance identifying, procuring, deploying, and maintaining Phoenix Contact M12 connectivity solutions engineered to improve industrial field connectivity, please contact your local RS representative at 1.866.433.5722 or reach out to the RS technical support team.

About Phoenix Contact
Since 1923, Phoenix Contact has created products to connect, distribute, and control power and data flows. Our products are found in nearly all industrial markets. Sustainability and responsibility guide every action we take, and we are proud to collaborate with our customers to empower a smarter and better world for future generations. Together, we are creating a sustainable world based on our passion for technology and innovation.

For more information about Phoenix Contact or its products, visit www.phoenixcontact.com, call technical service at 800-322-3225, or email [email protected].

About RS
RS is a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, enabling them to operate efficiently and sustainably. 

We operate in 36 markets, stock over 830,000 industrial and specialist products, and list an additional five million relevant for our industrial customers, sourced from over 2,500 suppliers. This extensive range supports our customers across the industrial lifecycle of designing, building, and maintaining equipment and operations. We enhance their experience through a tailored service model, leveraging our efficient physical, digital, and process infrastructure sustainably. We combine a technically led and digitally enabled approach with an exceptional team of experts; ultimately, it's our people that make the difference.

Our purpose, making amazing happen for a better world, reflects our focus on delivering results for people, planet, and profit. 

RS Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange with stock ticker RS1 and in the year ended 31 March 2025 reported revenue of £2,904 million.

For more information, please visit https://www.rsgroup.com/ or connect with us on LinkedIn or X (Twitter).

About RS in the Americas

In the Americas region, RS stocks more than 250,000 industrial and electronic products from more than 700 trusted suppliers. These solutions cover categories extending from automation and control equipment to interconnect, passive, active, and electromechanical components and include more than 90,000 high-quality, competitively priced RS PRO products. For more information, please visit https://us.rs-online.com or connect with us via social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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Editorial Contact & Media Inquiries:
Erica Goode, RS Director of Marketing – U.S. and Canada
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SOURCE RS