The Molex 387317216 is the 16-circuit member of the Beau 38731 barrier block series — a single-row, chassis/panel-mount strip rated 20 A at 300 V. The 0.438" (11.12 mm) pitch gives generous creepage for the voltage class and enough room to terminate 12-22 AWG wire with the captive plate screws on top. Bottom termination is a 0.250" quick-connect tab, insulated, so you can land a pre-fab harness or bus bar without opening the screw terminals. Typical application: industrial control panels, power distribution blocks, lighting contactor wiring, or any panel where you need to land field wiring on one side and a factory harness on the other.
Top termination uses screws with a captive plate — the plate stays captured in the screw thread, so it does not drop out when you back the screw off for re-termination. The bottom termination is a 0.250" quick-connect tab, insulated. That hybrid setup means you can wire the field side with a screwdriver and still plug a pre-terminated female quick-connect onto the bottom for a clean panel layout. The barrier type is 2 Wall (Dual), which isolates adjacent terminals from each other and reduces the chance of a screwdriver bridging circuits during wiring. Mounting flanges let you bolt the strip directly to a chassis or panel — no DIN rail adapter needed.
Wire Range and Current
Accepts 12-22 AWG wire, which covers the common range for 20 A power circuits in industrial control. Operating temperature is -40°C to 100°C, so it handles cabinet ambient heat plus self-heating from the current. Terminal screw material is steel with a zinc, clear chromate finish — standard for corrosion resistance in non-aggressive indoor environments.
The 387317216 shares the same 0.438" (11.12 mm) pitch, 20 A / 300 V rating, barrier type, termination style, and mounting as the 4-circuit 387317204. Both use the same captive plate screws on top and 0.250" quick-connect tabs on the bottom, so a panel designed around the 4-circuit version uses the same wiring method and hardware. If your BOM calls for 16 circuits, the 387317216 drops into the same panel layout — just more positions on the same pitch. No change in wire range, current rating, or voltage class.