Electrical connectors and contacts by Multi-Contact AG - Industrial, automatic systems, medical, solar, test and multilam connectors

Beware of MC3 and MC4 connector's copies and of connectors advertised as compatible!

Copies of our MC3 and MC4 connectors keep on appearing on the market. From the outside, they are hard to distinguish from the original, but technical comparisons often reveal serious deficiencies in the quality and safety of copies.
The lack of safety-relevant characteristics harbors potential risks and may result in damage of the installation and may even lead to fire.
People who are working on photovoltaic installations are the first who pay for the consequences of connection between connectors from different manufacturers. We record here a lot of injuries.
For safety reasons, Multi-Contact advises against using copied products and products which are sold with the mention compatible with our products.
Multi-Contact does neither recognize nor validate mating compatibility between Multi-Contact connectors and connectors from other manufacturers.

Rely on the Original!

GENERAL STATEMENT BY MULTI-CONTACT ON THE ADVERTISED “COMPATIBILITY” BETWEEN MULTI-CONTACT MC3/MC4 CONNECTORS AND CONNECTORS FROM OTHER MANUFACTURERS

Multi-Contact does not recognize a compatibility between Multi-Contact MC3/MC4 connectors and connectors from other manufacturers.

Multi-Contact has never authorized and does not authorize anybody to talk about a mating compatibility of their products with those of Multi-Contact.

The wrong connector or miss mating of different brands can result in premature failure and possibly fire.

Therefore Multi-Contact excludes any responsibility in case of damages in relation to connecting combinations with third-party plug connectors and certification of the connectors is lost.

Besides please note the statements of TÜV and UL concerning the non-existence of a compatibility between connectors from different manufacturers:

Statement TÜV Rheinland LGA Products GmbH, Cologne

We would like to elucidate the following circumstances concerning plugging of tested and certified PV-connectors of the MC4-series from the manufacturer Multi-Contact with mating PV-connectors from other manufacturers:

1. The current valid certificate for the MC4-connector-series is based on passed tests of these products with the relevant mating PV-connectors of MC4-series.

2. Compatibility of PV-connectors can be currently confirmed only for products of the same series from the same manufacturer, or for products of two or more contractual partners who are using the same materials for their PV-connectors and who are informing each other about intended modifications.

3. Results of tests carried out with combined PV-connectors of different manufacturers represent the current status of the presented specimen. However, these results do not lead to a long term reliable declaration.

4. Beside others, due to these insecure circumstances with combined PV-connectors from different manufacturers, inspectors of PV-plants are requested to reject such combinations.

Statement UL

In the UL File QIJQ2.E343181 belonging to the category “Connectors for Use in Photovoltaic Systems – Component” under the section Conditions of Acceptability you will find the following statement: “These devices have only been assessed for UL Recognition with specific types of mated connectors within their product family. They have not been assessed to operate with any other similar devices from any other manufacturer”

Due to the reasons mentioned above (technical differences, doubtful long term reliability and loss of certification) we consider that the compatibility declaration is misleading and we dissociate ourselves from this declaration

MC PV Portal   New website with specific information dedicated to the photovoltaic industry.

Westlake   Junction box with integrated electronics, for crystalline modules.

Dangerous counterfeits   Article on counterfeit connectors in pv magazine, special edition (pdf)

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