M8 connectors for sensor trash bins, 1,500 units/month, significantly reduced after-sales rate.
A Zhejiang smart home company developed sensor-activated smart trash bins — the lid opens automatically when a hand approaches. Inside the lid, infrared sensors, a motor driver, and a control board need electrical interconnection. Their initial design integrated everything on one PCB, but the customer wanted modular design for easier production and service.
We designed M8 3-pin and 4-pin connectors for inter-module connections: IR sensor (3-pin), motor driver (4-pin), and panel-mount receptacles on the control board. Modules can now be assembled and tested independently — defects are resolved by swapping the faulty module.
At 1,500 units/month, the modular approach has clear advantages: faster production line changeovers and shorter repair times. The customer even markets "modular design for easy service" as a selling point on the packaging. After-sales rates dropped significantly.