A LAPP connector solution is the combination of EPIC® industrial connectors, SKINTOP® cable glands, and LAPP-cable-and-connector pre-assembly through LAPP Harnessing Solutions, delivered as a coordinated specification rather than three separately-sourced layers. LAPP Australia holds extensive local stock, so specifiers scope cable and connector together with one engineering contact. The benefit is a single tolerance reference at the cable-connector interface, one warranty path when a fault appears in the field, and predictable lead times against confirmed regional stock.
For specifying engineers, procurement leads, and OEM electrical designers across Australia, the recurring problem with connector sourcing is not spec complexity. It is accountability fragmentation. A factory harness fails in the field, the cable came from one supplier, the connector housing from a second, the gland from a third. Each party points at the other. This guide explains what a LAPP connector solution actually covers, how to specify EPIC®, SKINTOP®, and harnessed assemblies together, and where the LCD manufacturing context matters for regional supply.
What counts as a LAPP connector solution, and why does it matter?
The short answer: cables, connectors and glands from one engineering programme.
LAPP designs and manufactures EPIC® industrial connectors and SKINTOP® cable glands in-house, and supplies the ÖLFLEX® and ETHERLINE® cable families that terminate into them. When you specify a LAPP connector solution, you are working from one tolerance document, one technical support line, and one warranty path when something fails. That is the practical meaning of “single-source accountability” in this context.
The EPIC® range covers the full connector envelope for industrial automation, machine building, packaging, robotics, intralogistics, EV charging, and AI data centre applications:
EPIC® Signal
Industrial connectors for control, sensor and signal wiring, available in circular and rectangular configurations for different contact requirements.
EPIC® Power
Connector solutions for motor, machine and power-feed connections, including higher-voltage and higher-current applications.
Harnessing Solutions
Pre-assembled cable and connector solutions manufactured to specification, helping reduce installation work and improve repeatability.
SKINTOP® Cable Glands
Cable glands matched to cable outer diameter and installation requirements, including options for industrial, corrosive and high-protection environments.
SKINTOP® Cable Glands
Cable glands matched to cable outer diameter and installation requirements, including options for industrial, corrosive and high-protection environments.
Specifying these layers as a coordinated programme is not the only approach. But it eliminates the tolerance-matching problem that surfaces when a third-party connector housing is bolted onto LAPP cable by a sub-contracted workshop.
How do you specify EPIC®, SKINTOP®, and harnessed assemblies together?
The specification sequence has four layers.
01
Define the cable
ÖLFLEX® for power and control, ETHERLINE® for industrial Ethernet, UNITRONIC® for instrumentation and bus. The cable outer diameter, conductor count, and jacket material set the constraints for everything downstream.
02
Select the connector
Choose the EPIC® connector housing based on current, voltage and contact count. Circular EPIC® connectors suit sensor and drive connections, while rectangular housings support higher pin counts and heavier power requirements.
03
Match the cable gland
Select the gland size to match the cable OD and installation environment. Choose brass, stainless steel or polymer depending on mechanical, corrosion and weight requirements, while ensuring the cable remains within the specified sealing range.
04
Choose the assembly method
Choose between LAPP Harnessing Solutions or on-site assembly. Factory harnessing suits repeatable, tested assemblies at volume, while field assembly provides greater installation and repair flexibility.
The practical output of this sequence is a cable-and-connector schedule where every SKU is on the same LAPP datasheet envelope and the LAPP Australia team can confirm regional stock before the BOM is finalised.
When does a single-source connector solution outperform multi-vendor sourcing?
Multi-vendor sourcing has a place. If a project already has a connector standard locked in by the machine OEM, matching the cable to the existing connection system may be the correct approach. Single-source is not the only answer.
Single-source consistently outperforms multi-vendor sourcing in three scenarios:
Accountability gaps
On large plant builds where sub-contracted electrical workshops do the harness assembly, a three-vendor BOM (cable, connector, gland from different suppliers) creates no clear owner when a field fault appears. Single-source puts the technical responsibility on one party.
Cable-connector interface risk
EPIC® housings are dimensioned against ÖLFLEX® and ETHERLINE® cable ODs. Third-party cable that falls outside the rated range can compromise the gland seal or the strain-relief performance.
High-cycling applications
In EV charging, robotics, and automated assembly, connectors cycle frequently. The EPIC® Connectors Comparison blog documents the mating-cycle performance data for the range.
The honest framing: single-source is not about exclusivity. It is about reducing the number of tolerance mismatches and warranty grey areas in a harness assembly. For multi-site builds and AI data centre deployments where standardisation across racks matters, it also simplifies BOM documentation and long-term procurement.
The honest framing: single-source is not about exclusivity. It is about reducing the number of tolerance mismatches and warranty grey areas in a harness assembly. For multi-site builds and AI data centre deployments where standardisation across racks matters, it also simplifies BOM documentation and long-term procurement.
Talk to our engineers
LAPP designs and manufactures cables AND connectors under one engineering programme. LAPP Australia stocks EPIC®, SKINTOP®, and the matching ÖLFLEX® and ETHERLINE® cable families across Australia, with the LCD manufacturing pipeline behind regional supply.
Whether you are scoping a single machine harness or a full data centre cable schedule, our connectivity specialists can confirm the cable-connector pairing against your application requirements.